Brothers, There Is No Need to Circle the Wagons!
Posted by deangonzales on October 7, 2009
11 Comments
In the spirit of John Piper’s terrific book, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, I would like to offer up a few thoughts for our comrades in ministry.
Collin Hansen has documented the revival of interest in reformed theology in his excellent little book, Young, Restless, Reformed (Crossway). This book is exciting because it gives us a journalist’s perspective on what is happening across our country and across denominational lines. A robust, God-centered theology is making an enormous impact on churches everywhere. Young adults are especially drawn to the God-saturated, Christ-exalting theology of the reformation. The Solas of the Reformation, the five points of Calvinism, a classic reformed theology proper and soteriology are being embraced with vigor. This theological perspective has been traditionally called “Reformed.”
Herein lays the rub. Some, who are Reformed, don’t like the fact that those who are propagating and embracing this theology are calling it “Reformed.” There is a polite criticism, which often goes like this, “We are really glad you believe in predestination and are no longer rank Arminians, but you aren’t really Reformed because being Reformed means holding to covenant theology, which means, by necessity, that you baptize your babies, hold to Calvin’s view of the Supper and use either the Three Forms of Unity or The Westminster Standards.” (Even the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith is sub-standard because of its credo-baptist position).
Those who want to protect the term “Reformed” appear to be circling the wagons. They smile and wave to the neo (or pseudo) reformed, and keep them out of their circle. Some may think this is a caricature, but listen to some of the sermons and read some of the blogs and books.1
What I would like to say is, “Brothers, there is no need to circle the wagons! Brothers, rejoice that the glory of God and the sovereignty of grace are being rediscovered! Brothers, don’t be so territorial over a term! What else are we supposed to call ourselves? We know we are not Arminians. Many of us embrace covenant theology, disagreeing over the lines of continuity and discontinuity, but we are friends and brothers, belonging to the same family. Brothers, we read your books, we learn from you, and we bring something to the table too!”
It is this sentiment which compels me to love what T4G is all about. I love the fact that the glorious gospel of grace holds these men together and they live with and celebrate their differences. It is this sentiment which makes me love Ray Ortlund, Jr’s spirit conveyed in his essay, “Truly Reformed.”
Reformed brothers, there is no need to circle the wagons. We are not on the attack. We want to actually travel with you, reveling in the glory of God and the Gospel of Christ. We need to call ourselves something, and Reformed just seems to fit best. We are not revising history or hi-jacking a term, we are lovers of great doctrine that exalts our Triune God. If we have that in common, cannot we live together in the grace we all say is sovereign and free?
One of the ugly faces of “Calvinists” is an arrogant, divisiveness. Let’s surprise everyone and adorn the doctrines we hold in common with humility, love, forbearance and joy!
Brothers, there is no need to circle the wagons! Let’s press ahead for the glory of God and the good of a lost world and a limping church!2
Brian Borgman, Pastor
Grace Community Church, Minden, Nevada
- Editor (Dr. Gonzales): In particular, the reader can find this line of reasoning being advanced by Reformed authors like Michael Horton and R. Scott Clark. For Horton’s concern about applying the term “Reformed” to the Neo-Calvinist movement, see Hansen’s interview with Horton in Young, Restless, Reformed (Crossway, 2008), 110-12. Clark has developed an extended argument for restricting the term “Reformed” in his book Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R, 2008) and has argued for the same on his blog: “Who or What Gets to Define Reformed.” Interestingly, Clark doesn’t even believe congregations who embrace a Baptist ecclesiology can be viewed as genuine churches. See his comment here “How the CRC Looked to Machen in 1936″ and my response to his position in the comments section here “A Baptist Reads RRC and Benefits from It.” [↩]
- Editor (Dr. Gonzales): For another overall positive assessment of the revival of Calvinism depicted in Hansen’s book, see my Young, Restless, Reformed: “Hip, Hip, Hurrah!” or “Bah, Humbug!”? [↩]
Charismatic author David Wilkerson claims that the Holy Spirit has constrained him to utter a doom-oracle against New York city and other major metropolises in the United States. According to Wilkerson, thus says the Lord:
Although Pastor John Piper, like Wilkerson, believes that God still grants the gift of prophecy today, he questions the authenticity of Wilkerson’s prophetic word. Piper’s word to Wilkerson: “Stick with the Bible, David. It is scary enough. And it is absolutely true. And your credibility will never fall.” (For Piper’s full critique of the Wilkerson prophecy, see “
