Here are my notes on the highly anticipated session:
Reaching Today’s World Through Differing Views of Election

I post these here with the following plea:

Whatever position you may happen to take regarding the doctrine of election, if you are looking to slam and bash the other side… please do not quote my notes and use them as your reference. Be a good scholar/journalist and pay the couple of bucks to get the audio for yourself. I do not want to be part of any misrepresentations for either Brother Patterson or Mohler that you may cause by taking my fallible hearing and turning it into slander. If you are not in Greensboro, you can EASILY get the audio at www.sbctapes.com. I myself do not have the audio yet, so these notes are just from my own ability to take notes.

One other thing - blogs are great because they allow for conversation. However, if you have uncharitable axe to grind on this issue… go get your own blog and have at it. Don’t hijack our blog for slamming either one of these men. Thanks!

I thought the sessions were extremely profitable. The attendance was packed, and I think we observed a fulfillment of the intention of the session. Drs. Patterson and Mohler intended to lay out some points of agreement and disagreement, and to show how it is possible for unity and friendship to be had even in the midst of diversity on the doctrine.

Was it the last word on the subject of election? Of course not, for that would be impossible to accomplish in an hour and that was not even the intention of the participants.

Did it convince anyone to move from one side to the other? I doubt it.

Did it cause any fence-straddlers to move to one side or the other? I hope not. It might surprise you that I say that, but here is why. I don’t want SBC pastors and laymen to come to a serious and complex Biblical doctrine like election and become convinced one way or the other simply because they witnessed 60 minutes of one breakout session. Doctrines should be embraced as a result of serious and lengthy Biblical study, interaction with helpful books, and getting on our knees in prayer asking for divine guidance to understand what we are studying.

If a young man woke up this morning unsure of the doctrine of election, and walked out of the session zealously holding to one opinion or the other - lock him up now before he gets into trouble!!

Each man began with twenty minutes of talk, which was followed by a brief question and answer time. I did not try and get down the latter.

On with the show!!!

Dr. Paige Patterson

Across the years I have come to have the most profound respect for my colleague and friend Dr. Mohler.

Why is it that I appreciate my Calvinist brothers:
1. They live very pious lives.
2. They know that theology is very important. I have very little patience for those who minimize theology and say foolish things like, “Let’s just follow Jesus”. However, my Calvinist friends know that theology is important.
3. Until at least recent times, they reject the theology of the Charismatic movement.
4. They understand and think about and strive to live for the glory of God.
5. Calvinist have never wavered on inerrancy, nor do they get wrong the doctrine of substitutionary atonement.
6. They have always affirmed salvation by grace. This might seem like a given, but really it is a continental divide among world religions.

What concerns me about some Calvinists
1. Among some Calvinists, there is the troubling logic that “if you are not a Calvinist, you must be an Arminian”. I am not an Arminian
2. Some Calvinists talk as though non-Calvinists do not believe in the doctrines of grace. This is not true.
3. Some Calvinists talk as though non-Calvinists do not believe in the sovereignty of God. This is not true.
4. In some Calvinist circles, there tends to be antinomian tendencies, so much so that there is lost any idea of the doctrine of separation. Some Calvinists even go so far as to advocate that a Christian is free to imbibe alcohol.
5. I am concerned about pastoral candidates not being completely forthright with pastor search committees. There ought to be full-disclosure when you go before a pulpit committee.
6. I am deeply concerned about the lack of compassion that appears to be present among some Calvinist when it comes to sharing and preaching the gospel.

Why I am not a Calvinist as defined by the Canons of Dordt
The canons of Dordt are one of the definitive statements of Calvinism
1. I cannot go along with the doctrine of irresistible grace. I do not find any Biblical evidence for the doctrine of irresistible grace. I find that doctrine to be the idea of coercion. I find no real scriptural evidence
2. Universal atonement – I find very compelling the idea that Christ died for all men
3. God’s electing providence is linked to the foreknowledge of God. Dortian Calvinists wrongly redefined the texts linking foreknowledge and election.
4. I desire to see a God who is a God of justice. Quotes R.C. Sproul’s Almighty Overall…“God created sin.” …This concept of justice is not appealing at all.
5. Too often it ends up being the death knell for evangelism for many, many people.
6. Richard Mueller in an article titled “How Many Points?” from a 1993 issue of Calvin Theological Journal “Calvinism is a system. Baptists who say they are Calvinists are not consistent if they do not imbibe the whole system.”

How does the way that I look at the matter of salvation assist us in doing missions and evangelism:

1. I believe it is God’s will that every human is saved. I do not believe that everybody will be saved, but it is not God’s will that they reject.

a. 1 Timothy 2:3-6 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

b. Calvinists have to posit a secret and revealed will of God.

2. I believe that the death of Jesus on the cross constitutes a death for the atonement of the sins of all. [Dr. Patterson then quotes a number of texts. I believe he was using the ESV, so I pasted them below.]

a. Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

b. John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

c. Hebrews 2:9 “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

d. 1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

e. 1 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

f. 1 John 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

g. I believe humans can resist God and His overtures. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… John 4:10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

3. It is my conviction that as an evangelist of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is my highest calling, I believe that the statement is placed upon us to persuade men – Paul persuaded – all things to all men – human agency involved in persuading – knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men –

Dr. Al Mohler

“I come in weakness and in trembling” [Dr. Mohler had emergency retinal eye surgery yesterday, and at times was wearing sunglasses (he looked like one of the Blues Brothers). As a result, he could not see his notes very well, was squinting under the bright lights, and most likely is still on body-numbing pain medication. When it comes to Dr. Mohler, the words “undue adulation” cannot possibly be connected with our feelings for the man.]

The genus of this meeting is in a friendship that is stronger than mere personal affection, a friendship in the gospel.

Had it not been for the conservative resurgence led by Paige Patterson, we would not be here today. Were it not for the conservative resurgence, the debate today might rather be over whether or not to ordain homosexuals to the gospel ministry.

I am here to define and defend and disseminate the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

However, I do not come here to defend Calvinism. I am minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, not a disciple of John Calvin.

What in the world is the doctrine of election?

God’s gracious purpose is to save sinners through the atoning work of Christ.

I am glad that we are here to talk theology. It is a sign of a mature denomination. When we are a people that are allergic to talk doctrine it is a bad sign.

Dr. Patterson is not only a dear friend and an excellent theologian. As a young theologian, I heard a debate where Dr. Patterson debated the susbstitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ…. it was powerful and showed his skill and love at the task of being a theologian.

My purpose today is to define and defend and disseminate the gospel.

I believe in what is classically called Calvinist soteriology.

I do not believe that it exists that some body is drawn to faith in Christ against his will. The question is not whether someone could resist the gospel. The issue is once that work of salvation begins in a sinner, it is completed to the end.

Rather, I believe in the doctrine of effectual calling…

We all believe in limited atonement, for I doubt that there are any universalists here.

I prefer to speak of particular redemption (rather than limited atonement).

This is a conversation among friends. Just like Whitfield and Wesley… Charles Spurgeon and D.L. Moody…

1. Our affirmation of the inerrancy of Scripture. We are those who believe that the sovereign God who created the universe speaks through Scripture. We believe that God inspired the authors to such an extent that God’s will worked within them in such a way that

2. Substitutionary atonement – something actually happened on the cross. The very logic of substitution only makes sense within

3. We are together because of our affirmation of the omniscience of God. At the very least we both believe that god knew before the foundation of the world whom would believe.

4. We are together in our understanding of the perseverance of the saints.

5. We are here together because of great friendship with one another.

There are two people who don’t really exist
1. I do not believe that anyone is drawn to faith in Christ against His will. I believe in effectual calling. Once a person is called, that person will come to faith and repentance. This is accomplished by God changing even their will so that they will believe.

2. I do not believe that there is a person who calls upon God but is rejected by God.

When we talk about all these issues, the purpose is to talk about how the doctrine of election helps us in our united task of sharing the gospel with a lost and dying world.

I support the gospel and I believe the gospel actually saves. Before the foundation of the world, God sovereignly and freely chose. The atonement is not about potentiality but about actuality. The same apostle Paul who wrote Romans 8 and Romans 9 is the same apostle who writes Romans 10… how will they preach unless they are sent. God always blesses the preaching of the gospel because He is not a spectator. It comes down to obedience or disobedience – do we obey the command to preach and spread the gospel? We are told to let the nations rejoice and be glad.

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