Thanks to Michael Brown

Dr. James White has posted some thoughts on his blog regarding his interactions with Dr. Michael Brown. I enjoyed the exchange as well as this post. Dr White wrote the following:

I know this exchange is a bit uncomfortable for zealous folks on both sides of this issue. I'm glad it is. We need the discomfort. I may make it even worse by asking if Michael would join me to discuss some of the key prophetic texts relating to the person of Jesus, and maybe I could reprise my time on his show to discuss some topics like the reliability of the text of the New Testament, or key texts in the Qur'an Christians should know. In any case, I look forward to next Thursday, when you will hear--over and over again, "But Michael, you really, really need to allow the whole of Scripture to speak here, and to realize that since God has not chosen to reveal the identity of the elect, which even you must admit, given your view of foreknowledge, God possesses, then we must accept the distinction between the prescriptive will of God, found in His law, and the decretive will of God, which envisions the existence of evil, and all the corollaries that flow therefrom." Maybe I won't use those exact words, but you will hear that theme over and over again. But, what you won't hear, Lord willing, will be any caricaturing of the positions by either side, and hopefully, in so doing, we will encourage others who engage the topic to strive for a high standard in the effort.

In my opinion, he is exactly right. Accepting or rejecting neither of the 5 points of Calvinism is going to save you for Heaven nor damn you to hell. Not that the matters they disagree with aren't important. They are. But not important enough to break fellowship over with brothers and sisters who also believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved but differ in how God executed that salvation. Some people accuse James White as being uncharitable and just plain mean when it comes to people he disagrees with. This simply is not true. It's not true of Dr. Brown either. I am really looking forward to next Thursday!

Thanks to Michael Brown