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Mysticism has been around for a long time. It has not always been in evangelical circles as rampantly as it is now. Perhaps some credit goes to Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God for that. An ongoing issue in our time and Mike Abendroth in a recent video talks about it well. One of the greatest dangers to the church today. Check out Mike's video!
Mike Abendroth's recent youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPHcLmoSPaA An older Renewalcast episode https://www.spreaker.com/episode/55-rewind-does-god-still-speak-today--18992796 What are some resources to help people go deeper into the London Baptist Confession. How do we get to the center and not remain in the fringes?
Jim Renihan’s commentaries on the 1st and 2nd London Baptist Confessions. These are the standard for getting the historical context and doctrine of the confessions. What is a Reformed Baptist – Tom Hicks A Commentary on the Baptist Catechism – Jim Scott Orrick John Gill has commentary on the whole Bible and a Systematic theology as well as other works Charles Spurgeon's sermons and writings John Bunyan Pilgrim’s Progress and the Doctrine of Law and Grace Unfolded in particular as well as others of his work. Baptism of Disciples alone – Fred Malone The Modern Marrow Men podcast The Pactum Podcast Two-Age Sojourner Podcast No Compromise with Mike Abendroth Theology in Particular podcast from IRBS and IRBS resources Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary resources Baptist Dogmatics website. Southern California Reformed Baptist Pastors' Conference audio There is so much more, but some solid books and resources to get started. Discovering new ideas in the Scriptures always excites a reader. The Christian occasionally receives an epiphany and sees texts as if he has never read them before.[1] However, such readings can also be dangerous, leading one into an erroneous interpretation. Sometimes one “never saw it before” because it was never there before.
To prevent dangerously novel readings, one must apply a hermeneutical rule called the analogia Scripturae, or the analogy of Scripture. This simply means that Scripture interprets Scripture. Scripture is not self-contradictory. Thus, when the reader encounters two texts that appear contradictory, rather than affirming a contradiction, one text becomes a lens through which to see the other.[2] Which lens ought one to choose? The church has articulated the principle that the clear text interprets the unclear one.[3] As the Second London Confession says, “The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself; and therefore when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which are not many, but one), it must be searched by other places that speak more clearly.”[4] For example, differing conclusions on limited/particular atonement depend on how one weighs certain texts. For the Calvinist, “I lay down my life for my sheep” (John 10:15) provides a clear text that becomes a hermeneutical grid when reading, “. . . who gave himself as a ransom for all. . .” (1 Tim 2:6). The Calvinist knows he needs to explain “all” differently because he does not see a way to explain John 10:15 any differently than as referring to a particular atonement. Many times when people ask the question, “What is a Baptist?,” they’re looking for certain qualities that distinguish Baptist groups from other denominations. But to look for distinguishing characteristics of Baptists is a question of “Baptist distinctives.”
The definition of a “Baptist,” however, includes far more than our distinguishing doctrines and practices. What it means to be “Baptist” involves the whole of “Baptist identity,” which includes everything Baptists believe. So, the question before us is “What are the basic elements of Baptist identity?” As has been said by many: 1) Truth without love is brutality. 2) Love without truth is hypocrisy. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Like a type of Nestorianism, we have separated love from truth, people from process, and courage from compassion.
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