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A La Carte (3/23)
- 03/23/09
- 8
One Trillion Dollars
You’ve probably seen this already; I have too. But I just can’t get over it, so thought I’d post it so you can see it again.
The Sin of Infant Baptism
Mark Dever has stepped up to defend his view that infant baptism is sinful. I’m not sure why this is controversial, but it seems to be!
Getting Good Digital Audio of Sermons
This article offers some useful pointers for getting good digital audio recordings of sermons.
Advance 09
This conference looks like it’s going to be a good one (or, at least, one would assume so from the topic and the list of speakers).
You’ve probably seen this already; I have too. But I just can’t get over it, so thought I’d post it so you can see it again.
The Sin of Infant Baptism
Mark Dever has stepped up to defend his view that infant baptism is sinful. I’m not sure why this is controversial, but it seems to be!
Getting Good Digital Audio of Sermons
This article offers some useful pointers for getting good digital audio recordings of sermons.
Advance 09
This conference looks like it’s going to be a good one (or, at least, one would assume so from the topic and the list of speakers).
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (8)
As to the Dever ‘controversy,” my guess is it is controversial because no on likes to be called a sinner. As a convinced covenant baptiser, I consider those who practice believers only baptism to be sinning in denying the sign and seal of the covenant to covenant children much like it was sinful for the covenant people of God to deny the covenant sign and seal of circumcision to their male offspring. Yes, I have fellowship with and find great benefit from discussion and reading and listening to those who sin in that way, but I still see them as sinners in that area. The controversy is that few people put it that way very often, and so people have begun to think of this area as one in which it is neutral in terms of sin.
Devers comments do not add much light 2 waht he has already stated…..its shocking 2 me that he calls peado a sin yet can but would prefer not to be involved with a church with female elders?….why is one theology a sin and the next is just a missunderstanding?….if i am wrong in my theology and that is a sin then female elders whould be in sin, yet he does not state this?
Tim, you can’t seriously wonder “…why this is controversial, but it seems to be!,” can you? It’s great to post this, but your incredulity seems a bit disingenuous.
And, BTW, this is coming from someone with a firm stance on the validity of believers’ baptism.
In any case, I also reject Dever’s denial that intent has anything to do with it. If that were the case, those involved would be found in continual sin, and God would not bless their ministries. However, I know many who baptize infants who also have what seem to be fruitful ministries.
Thus, there is certainly something different about this case, and perhaps “sin” is not the correct word.
In addition, if every single doctrinal issue is now going to be classified as a sin, we all might as well just start casting stones in all directions because, by each of our faulty theologico-meters is bound to detect something wrong in everyone else.
Yelling “sinner, sinner” at a brother or sister in Christ - due to a minor variance in orthodoxy and/or orthopraxy - does nothing to either further the Kingdom or to persuade the sibling of (potential) error.
Here, here E.G. Mdever makes a useless distinction. A better one is to renew a focus on baptism as covenant blessing. We in the PCUSA practice both, but neither if the person receiving the baptism is outside our fellowship. It is an outward sign of an inward call that is nurtured in the context of the covenant family.
There is a relationship between Deut. 6:4-6 and Matt. 28:18-20 that balances symbolism and prescription. The common thread is our response to God’s grace as acted out in the covenant family from generation to generation. We are to bring intellect (discipleship), spirit (baptism) and body (obedience) under the yoke with Christ; all of this within the context of the fellowship lest it become dead ritual practice.
All,
Tim is right, what is the big deal. A baptist believes that a person practicing infant baptism is in sin and should call them out. Same thing with those in the PCA. We all sin and should not be fearful to point it out to a brother/sister when we see it. (Read 1 John if you think we shouldn’t)
How come we have gone so far in Christianity that we cannot call sin a sin? I was at Ligonier’s conference this weekend and it is clear that reformed people would see me as being in sin for not having my two children baptized. (One of the guys I was with had such a conversation)
Whitefield and Wesley were quick to point out each other’ sins in doctrine and yet were friends. Seems like Dever and Duncan are still friends.
I view the ‘sin’ controversy in terms of ordinance vs. doctrine. Baptism is clearly and ordinance whereas in the example posted above, female eldership might be result from a different conclusion of doctrine.
Just my 1 trillion cents.
E.G. Funny how writing instructs thinking and the tangential places that can take one… for instance, it dawned on me that I might not have used the right homonym when I said “here, here.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hear_hear
HAyden: “We all sin and should not be fearful to point it out to a brother/sister when we see it. (Read 1 John if you think we shouldn’t)”
I don’t think that anyone here (so far) has said that that’s not the case. It is, however, a question as to whether doctrinal variance - when both variants are striving to follow the Lord’s will - is actually sin.
In any case, discussing legitimate differences in doctrine is fine. And some differences are, indeed, sinful. But, even as one who holds to adult baptism, I find this one difficult to call sinful. I suppose that it’s a matter of perspective/experience/etc., however.