Two Seminaries, Two Celebrations, Two Gifts to Reformed Baptists

This year marks the anniversary of two institutions that have been a great benefit to Reformed Baptists, in particular, but also to “Calvinistic evangelicalism” more broadly.

First, thirty years ago, Dr. R. Albert Mohler began his first year as President of the The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was elected and installed for the express purpose of reforming the seminary due to the many departures it had made from its confessional heritage. I was reading his convocation address as I was thinking about my upcoming sermon on Philippians 4:1, and it struck me just how purposefully he was affirming the tradition of the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith even in his first address to the students and faculty. As the years have progressed, there has been a notable impact of SBTS on Reformed Baptists. If you look at the two orthodox Reformed Baptist seminaries available—CBTS and IRBS—those with some training at SBTS fill in several of the faculty members. That, however, is just one way it has influenced the RB movement among many that would probably be very difficult assess. Perhaps looking at pastors of RB churches would be another. Dr. Mohler’s original convocation address, which is called, “Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There,” can be read here: https://equip.sbts.edu/resource/dont-just-do-something-stand-there/.

The second institution celebrating this year is the International Reformed Baptist Seminary. Twenty-five years ago, this institution began as an institute at Westminster Seminary in Escondido, CA under the oversight of Dr. Jim Renihan. It was a program that offered Baptist alternatives to supplement some of the courses at WSCal, taught by him and qualified men whom he invited. A gradate received an M.Div. from WSCal and and a certificate from the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies (same initials as now). Five years ago, the Institute relocated to the Dallas Metro (Mansfield, TX) to be established as a stand alone seminary offering full degree programs. The impact of this school on Reformed Baptists is obviously more direct, but it has also had a wider influence as literature and lectures by the various faculty have influenced Reformed-minded Christians more broadly. According to a recent announcement, the school just admitted 26 new students, and there are over 50 students enrolled in courses for the fall semester. Dr. Renihan’s convocation, which is an explanation of the concept of the seminary as a “school of the prophets” is available here: https://beta.sermonaudio.com/sermons/9112303212174/.

I am privileged to be involved in both institutions, being a graduate at every level (B.A., M.Div., ThM, PhD) from SBTS and currently an Online Teaching Assistant, as well as getting to serve as an adjunct professor of systematic theology at IRBS. It is a joy to have the opportunity to give to the works that have given so much to me. It is my prayer that the Lord would cause these schools to pursue fidelity to the teaching that was delivered in holy Scripture, summarized in our confessions, and proclaimed from our pulpits, and that he would only cause these works to increase. The harvest is plentiful, and I pray the Lord uses these works to train those laborers he has provided for it.

How a Judgmental Spirit Impairs Listening to Preaching

In my studies last week for the Lord’s prohibition about judgment (“Judge not,” Matt. 7:1), I came across these comments by the “Father of the Puritans,” William Perkins. As I read this, it grieved me to consider the fact that such a heart actually impairs the means of salvation (both in the narrow sense of justification and in the broader sense of sanctification). The reason is because hearing the Word wrongly means that you become or remain dull to the things that Lord may be saying to you simply because you’ve focused on the man through whom the Lord is speaking. I’ll make some more comments at the end:

When in hearing the Word preached, and sins reproved in the congregation, some hearers misapply it, such as, for example, when the minister reproves the sin of swearing, of drunkenness, or any such sin. Then someone guilty of the sin does not only surmise but also breaks forth into this speech: “now the preacher means me;” “he speaks this of me;” “he censures my acts and speeches.” Hereupon follows spite and malice against the person of the minister, and also rash censuring and condemning of his ministry. They also sin this way: by applying the reproofs of sin to the person of others, such as when they say, “now such a one is touched”; “there is a good lesson for such a one if he would learn it.” Yea, others go further and say, “now the preacher means such a man;” “now he speaks against such a man.” But this is also rash judgment in hearing of the Word. They misconceive of the purpose of the minister, for his manner is not when he stands in the room of God to rip up the secrets and lives of some particular hearers, but to deliver the will of God concerning such and such sins unto all. It is the power of the Word, not the mind of the preacher, that causes it to touch your conscience. Therefore, everyone ought to apply the Word to his own heart, and not to lay it upon others, or else take it to be spoken of himself for his disgrace. For it is to misapply the Word, and to judge amiss of the preacher. And this is a common sin which is the reason why many men reap so little profit by the Word preached as they do.

William Perkins, 1.590 (RHB Edition; modified for readability)

There are three things to consider in this.

First, if you are a listener, do not expect that the preacher is speaking about you. Have you told him about your particular struggle, complained about some particular item, confessed some particular sin? Is he now preaching about that item? Do not assume he is personally attacking you. There are two things to remember that may help you not to judge rashly. First, you aren’t the only one to struggle with that item. Many Christians struggle with the same items and share those things with their pastors. If you have ever been a teacher, you know that students struggle with the same items in your course, and your addressing of those things is not a personal attack on the student. Second, remember that the Bible is written in such a way that it addresses the same issues over and over and over again. Complaining, parenting, finances, traditionalism, insubordination, anxiety, sexual immorality, division, gossip, and other such things come up over and over again for the same reason as my previous point: they are common struggles. If the pastor is speaking about something in your life, don’t assume he has you personally in mind. You may be “one of” those whom he knows is struggling with something, but that doesn’t equate to him “coming after” you.

Second, and more briefly, don’t be overly concerned with how you can make someone else aware of the issue confronted in the sermon. That matters, but consider first how it applies to you. If you get in the habit of thinking, “This only applies to my neighbor,” you’ll be even more prone to think “Now he’s coming after me!” when he gets to a particular issue. Think regularly, “How has my faith weakened in this area, my knowledge become fuzzy, my actions become rote or absent?”

Third, pastors, be sure to approach the work of preaching in a way that it is true that you are not making your sermons personal inappropriately. While it would be very difficult to preach without thinking of particular conversations and issues you have come across in private, do not make the sermon about a response to one particular person or conversation. Your manner when you stand in the room of God must not be to rip up the secrets and lives of some particular hearers, but to deliver the will of God concerning such and such sins unto all. Like my counsel to listeners above, if some particular conversation comes to mind, consider similar conversations, similar issues and think through how to open up the Word more generally about common issues. Leave God to deal with the particulars.