Why Calvinism?

            A sincere group of Southern Baptists want to change the current doctrinal position of Southern Baptists. They have been forthright about their desire and open in their movement. That is very commendable. The question occurred to me as to “Why change?” I offer the following thoughts.

Should we change because Calvinism is clearly the position of the Bible?

            Our Calvinist friends would shout a big “YES” to this question and it is the most important question for most Southern Baptists. But, let’s be honest. It is not “clearly” taught in the Bible. If it were, there would not be a big debate about the issue. If it were clearly taught in the Bible, Southern Baptists would have embraced it years ago. Southern Baptists love “proof texts” and if Calvinism could offer interpretations for some of Southern Baptists favorite texts that were acceptable, they might have a chance of leading to change our doctrine. As long as Southern Baptists think John 3:16 teaches that God loves everybody and that whosoever wants to can believe, Calvinism is not going to change our doctrine.

            Calvinism is not a clear Bible doctrine. It is a theological construction that can be supported from scripture and there is a world of difference between those two things.  Many doctrines are clearly stated in scripture such as the virgin birth. Those doctrines are accepted without question by people like Southern Baptists who are committed to a literal view of interpretation. Other doctrines are theological constructions that may or may not be true. Those doctrines may claim to be supported by scripture but their support is questioned by other Bible-believing Christians. The best example of this (at the risk of offending all my readers) is the variety of millennial positions. Each one says their position is the “biblical” position. The supporters of Calvinism believe it is a solid Biblical doctrine but most Southern Baptists do not.

            The five points of the TULIP are far too controversial for it to be claimed that Calvinism is a clear biblical doctrine. It was controversial to the reformed churches in Holland and that led to Arminianism. It has been controversial in Baptist life since the early 1600’s when the Particular Baptists wrote the First London Confession in part to distinguish themselves from the General Baptists.[1] It is controversial in Southern Baptist life today as we see churches splitting over the issue and now see the need for conferences to discuss how to agree to work together despite our differences.[2]

Should we change because Calvinism is our heritage?

            Most Southern Baptists have little concern for the doctrines of the past. It is interesting to know what other Baptists believed but few of us care about the theological teachings of yesterday. This may be a sad truth that should be lamented by all Southern Baptists but it is still the truth. It may be meaningful to the members of the Founders Ministry that Boyce or Dill said something but most Southern Baptists don’t even know who those people were and could care less. To think that modern Southern Baptists are going to heed the leaders of the past is not realistic.

            In addition, there comes the question of should we heed the teachings of the past. I would say that those teachings have no authority over present doctrine. The only proper source of doctrine is the Bible and what some theologian said about the Bible does not rise to the level of “inspired inerrant word of God.” This may seem shocking for someone who has a Ph.D. in systematic theology but I learned at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary when I was a student there that the Bible always outweighs the opinions of men.

Should we change because Calvinism will have practical results?

            In Southern Baptist life practical results means more people being saved, baptized and disciplined. Does Calvinism do that?

            First, Calvinism cannot lead to more people being saved if it is true. An essential belief of Calvinism is that God has elected a set number of persons to be saved and nothing can increase or decrease that set number. So accepting Calvinism cannot lead to one more person being converted.

            The fact is a move toward Calvinism can lead to fewer people being converted if the typical Southern Baptist view turned out to be true. If “whosoever wills may come” is true and the decision of salvation rests with the sinner and not God, any move away from a theology that emphasizes the responsibility of sinners to respond to the gospel will lead to fewer people being saved.