The Alcohol Post

Today, Timmy Brister of the Strange BaptistFire website posted an important article on the issue of the Southern Baptist Convention's recent resolution concerning the use, manufacture, sale, or distribution of alcohol. This resolution effectively prohibits anyone who does not practice total abstinence from alcohol from any leadership position in the SBC, even if they never get drunk. Timmy basically argues that this is a kind of false Shibboleth. I would like to call special attention to a few specific points Timmy makes in his article, which is titled, The Pseudo-Demarcation Line of Resolution No. 5 and the Shifting Sands of the SBC.

1. Concerning the sufficiency of Scripture: "Our conviction on the sufficiency of Scripture should cause us to rest in God’s complete revelation in the Word of God written and the Word of God Incarnate. Where Scriptures is silent, we must not speculate."
2. Concerning cooperation for the sake of the Gospel: "We are a convention being divided over such a pathetic issue as that of alcohol. We could learn some lessons from the T4G guys. Where they have learned to come together [despite denominational differences] for the sake of the gospel, we have learned to be divided for the sake of alcohol. There could not be a more stark contrast than this!"
3. Concerning life principles, with a specific application to the alcohol resolution: "There are three “all’s” which I try to think of regularly during my day. They are, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do ALL to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31), “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do ALL (everything) in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17), and “I do ALL things for the sake of the gospel, that I may be a fellow partaker of it” (1 Cor. 9:23). The glory of God. The name of the Lord Jesus. The gospel of Jesus Christ. These three we should do in all things, including what we eat and drink. Do I believe someone can drink wine in moderation to the glory of God? Yes I do. Jesus did."

Joel Osteen's strange science, strange theology

(Image from The Sacred Sandwich website.)

Recently, my uncle, Dr. Alan Branch, Vice President for Student Development at MidWestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has written an article on Joel Osteen titled, Joel Osteen's strange science, strange theology. As an entirely unbiased critic (well, maybe not quite...) I can assure everyone that this article is well worth the read, showing another aspect of Osteen's doctrine which tends toward the errors of the "Prosperity Gospel." For some time now, Alan has been warning congregations that Osteen's theology consistently tends toward this false interpretation of the Gospel, promoting unbiblical teaching in at least two ways:

1. Advancing the idea that our words, in and of themselves, have supernatural power.
2. Overemphasizing financial prosperity.

As Osteen is such an influential public figure (leader of the congregation with the largest average weekly attendance in the U.S., author of the bestseller, Your Best Life Now), I encourage everyone reading this to please read the article linked above and drop a comment concerning your thoughts on what it says. (Please don't leave a comment if you don't bother to read the article.)

I'm moving to Louisville, KY to begin classes at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary on August 7th.