Between Two Worlds: Peter Enns of Westminster Theological Seminary Suspended

Talk amongst yourselves...

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Rae W. | Elder @ Grace Central Presbyterian Church | Columbus, OH
Online presence: blog | twitter | facebook

I am encouraged by this news. I hope they follow through in May. Thanks for the update.

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Rev. Adam King
Minister in the RPCNA
Pastor-Elect awaiting installation at Trinity Reformed Church
Wichita, KS

Not familliar with the issue.

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The man who is disposed to think of his sin as a great calamity, rather than as a heinous crime, is not likely either to reverence God or to respect His law. - John Kennedy, 1873
Meg
Blog
Member, Intown Presbyterian Church,PCA, Portland, OR

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This is good news indeed. Underlying todays events, I hope that WTS PA moves back toward its militant stand for confessionally reformed Orthodoxy. IMHO We need more men like Stonehouse, Murray, Machen and Van Til. I love my friends who broad evangelicals, but I want to persuade them of my theological convictions, and not to become more like them hoping they will except my views on soteriology. May the lord grant the men at WTS PA wisdom and humble hearts in how to proceed.

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Josiah Lovett
Member of
Trinity OPC Bothell Wa.
Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Westminster Standards

My brain hurts. I forgot how detailed Helm can be.

anyway, good move for WTS.

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K. Joel Gilliard
Theologically Correct dot Com
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These kinds of discussions are grievous. During my college days at Westmont, I lived through the theological Sturm und Drang when one of my profs (who had been one of T.F. Torrance's students) was judged to be too neo-orthodox, so he ended up at Fuller (where he became my teacher again). Then, my major prof in college (32 units of courses and the one who officiated at my wedding!) was voted out of the Evangelical Theological Society (a few years after my graduation) for publishing a Midrashic interpretation of Matthew's Gospel.

Times have changed. Now, the broadly evangelical movement appears totally tone deaf to matters of heterodoxy and breaches of boundaries. One cannot even get voted out of the ETS for holding Open Theism views! From what I see in recent seminary grads from several of the standard broadly evangelical schools, we have reason to fear that, inch by inch, profs are erasing the theological boundaries and expanding the zone of acceptable uncertainty.

So, part of me grieves whenever any institution feels compelled to suspend or terminate a prof for the breach of theological boundaries. And, Enns' work is largely unknown to me (other than a couple of reviews). However, along with Josiah, you have to admire an institution that takes its confessional commitments seriously. Without vigilant trustees, we would be only a couple of generations away from rank heresy and even apostasy.

For those of you who know WTS, what do you expect the outcome to be in this case? Were his views truly outside the pale?

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Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

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What was his book about which seemed to stirup the controversy?

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
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Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament

How can you say this? He is a brother in the Lord with a family...

concerned,

John

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John
Evangelical Free Church, no offices held
Langhorne, PA

[B]δός δοξαν τῳ θεῳ.[/B]
[B]ιδου ποιω τα εσχατα ως τα πρωτα.
הבל הבלים[/B]

John, are you sure what is behind Rev. King's comments? A seminary professor may indeed be a brother in the Lord with a family, but he influences others who also are brothers in the Lord with families. I am not speaking specifically of Peter Enns, but of any teacher of the word of God that replaces truth with error. WTS-Philly is handling this matter and we pray they do the right thing in the sight of God. Perhaps it is because he has a family that his suspension does not begin until the end of the term.

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Bill Brown
Elder
Grace Baptist Church
Anne Arundel County, Maryland

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Bill

I am only responding to the words on the page, nothing more.

John

Someone being suspended even if they are wrong is a grievous occasion. Sometimes things like this have to be done, but it is sad. The temptations for gossip and gloating can be all too strong.

Alas.

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Marty
Minister / Theological Educator
Anglican Church of Australia
(On Sabbatical) Cambridge, UK.
"There is nothing so necessary to draw us to repentance as good thoughts of God." (Thomas Manton)

Which is why having Carl Trueman in charge over there is a great thing.

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA,
Fairmount ARP Church
Candidate Under Care Pittsburgh Theological Seminary & Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
"The benefit of deliverance becomes the more precious in the same proportion in which we are brought to apprehend the magnitude of the evil from which we have been rescued"
-- Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism

Then perhaps you should have taken a look at the reason Bill said what he did before you commented?

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


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So can anyone give a synopsis and a review of this book which seems to have gotten this proff into hot water. What is so scandalous?

Question: Does this thread allude in any way to the current issue?

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~Jay~
Husband of ENS, father of J II. | Indian Trail, NC
Substitute Teacher
Communicant Member, Precentor | Presbyterian Reformed Church of Charlotte, NC | Presbyterian Reformed Church

See also,
A 1998 Response to "Save Our Seminary"
and
D.G. Hart on "Save our Seminary"

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Chris Coldwell, Lakewood Presbyterian Church (PCA), Member
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A brief review is found here at the OPC website.


A longer one with much more substantive discussion of the book's problems, at Reformation21.

The review on the OPC website is most helpful. The Reformation21 critique is also excellent. Thanks!!!

Yes, the conclusion about sums up the divide: