It has been quite a shock to discover so many
Hyper Calvinists among
Baptists outside of the
Hardshell Baptist denomination. Once I left the
Hardshell Baptists, I thought I had left it for good. Sadly, I have found more
Hyperism and
Hardshellism among
Southern Baptists, those who generally identify with the
"Founders Movement," or with
"Reformed" doctrine.
Everywhere I turn I find these
neo-Hardshells everywhere! I find men like
MacArthur, Piper, White, Cook, Grudem, etc.,
all preaching that men are first born again and later come to faith.
I just listened to a sermon by
Wayne Grudem where he spouted
neo-Hardshellism, a sermon I hope to critique, in the near future. I have also listened to a debate between
Gene Cook (Baptist) and
Bruce Reeves of the
"Church of Christ" denomination. You can listen to the debate here.
http://www.w65stchurchofchrist.org/DebatePage.htmlBruce Reeves, like
Dave Hunt did against
James White, showed how
Cook was
full of contradiction in his debate with Reeves.
Cook would say that men are
saved and
justified "by faith," that is,
after the
exercise of faith, but yet he was
"born again" or
"regenerated" before faith. It was a
glaring contradiction and one that gave
Calvinism a "black eye," I am sure, to many who listened to this debate.
I also just had some discussion with
Steve Camp on this same issue.
Steve was writing that men are
saved and
justified and
forgiven of sin
after regeneration, but he is
possessed of spiritual life before he is a
believer, or is
justified, or is
saved!
excerpt from an article by a "Baptist preacher"