One question I have:
A few years ago Reformed Baptists began to focus on the doctrine of divine impassibility. They adopted one view and demanded adherence to this view in order to stay within ARBCA. As a result, many churches left (including the majority of their missions committee).
It all seemed needlessly divisive; a splitting of good brothers over a secondary point of theology proper. And I think it also hurt outreach and missions.
I am afraid if RBs begin to adopt 1689 Federalism wholesale, they will again try to force adherence or divide up into little camps once again such that it is not enough merely to be a calvinistic baptist or RB, but one must also fully agree on all of these hard-to-understand secondary points as well. And of course, just like the impassibility issue, some brothers will say, "covenant theology is NOT a secondary point...it is central, and therefore we must be agreed on it or else we cannot fellowship together." That is my worry. Another wedge issue dividing up brethren.
Do you think this will happen?
A few years ago Reformed Baptists began to focus on the doctrine of divine impassibility. They adopted one view and demanded adherence to this view in order to stay within ARBCA. As a result, many churches left (including the majority of their missions committee).
It all seemed needlessly divisive; a splitting of good brothers over a secondary point of theology proper. And I think it also hurt outreach and missions.
I am afraid if RBs begin to adopt 1689 Federalism wholesale, they will again try to force adherence or divide up into little camps once again such that it is not enough merely to be a calvinistic baptist or RB, but one must also fully agree on all of these hard-to-understand secondary points as well. And of course, just like the impassibility issue, some brothers will say, "covenant theology is NOT a secondary point...it is central, and therefore we must be agreed on it or else we cannot fellowship together." That is my worry. Another wedge issue dividing up brethren.
Do you think this will happen?