Between Two Worlds: Peter Enns of Westminster Theological Seminary Suspended

Talk amongst yourselves...

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Rae W. | Elder @ Grace Central (PCA) | Columbus, OH
not another blog, v2.0

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

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Rev. Adam King
Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church (WPCUS)
Lyndon, VT
www.vt.wpcus.org

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

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements

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.
Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms

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
http://www.theologicallycorrect.com
Sunday School Teacher (Elementary 2), Gaithersburg Community Church (EFCA)
http://www.gchurch.org
The Blog: THINK! - Wrestlin' With Wordz -N- Ideaz
The Upcoming CD: The Definition

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
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

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

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Pergamum

Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament

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

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

δός δοξαν τῳ θεῳ.
ιδου ποιω τα εσχατα ως τα πρωτα.
הבל הבלים

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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B.B.
Elder
GBC

Deo volente

Bill

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

John

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John
Evangelical Free Church, no offices held
Langhorne, PA

δός δοξαν τῳ θεῳ.
ιδου ποιω τα εσχατα ως τα πρωτα.
הבל הבלים

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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http://bp2.blogger.com/_rSyHtgcJyTg/...%27s+Party.jpg

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

Student of Theology
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
My Blog

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)

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?

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Pergamum

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
Teacher Aide, Union County Public Schools, NC
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
• Naphtali Press: Presbyterian & Reformed Books
• The Confessional Presbyterian, A Journal for Discussion of Presbyterian Doctrine & Practice
• The Blue Banner Archive

When heresy rises in an evangelical body, it is never frank and open. It always begins by skulking, and assuming a disguise. Its advocates, when together, boast of great improvements, and congratulate one another on having gone greatly beyond the ‘old dead orthodoxy,’ and on having left behind many of its antiquated errors: but when taxed with deviations from the received faith, they complain of the unreasonableness of their accusers, as they ‘differ from it only in words.’ This has been the standing course of errorists ever since the apostolic age. Samuel Miller, Introductory essay, The Articles of the Synod of Dort (1841).

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

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.

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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)

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

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~Jay~
Husband of ENS, father of J II. | Indian Trail, NC
Teacher Aide, Union County Public Schools, NC
Communicant Member, Precentor | Presbyterian Reformed Church of Charlotte, NC | Presbyterian Reformed Church