A site originally devoted to a discussion of the Lordship Salvation interpretation of the Gospel.
Other doctrinal and practical concerns are also featured. Please visit my secondary Sharper Iron: In the Iron Skillet blog.
See BJU Board Chairman Resigns for details.What will the Lewis resignation mean for Steve Pettit's resignation? Does it remain in effect with him (Pettit) leaving the university May 5th?
Posted by
Lou Martuneac
at
6:00 PM
Labels: Bob Jones University, Steve Pettit
I have written the revised & expanded edition of In Defense of the Gospel to provide the biblical answers to Lordship Salvation. There are areas where one must balance soul liberty and Christian charity and agree to respect different views. The gospel, however, is not one of them. The works based theology of Lordship Salvation and its advocates must be vigorously debated, and biblically resisted. May God protect unsuspecting believers and the lost from the egregious errors of Lordship Salvation.
Lou Martuneac
The resignation of Lewis, in addition to your question, "What now about Pettit?" gives credence the position of his constituency that there are "no doctrinal issues" involved. If the board's position is that they can "work with Petit" and if Pettit is being truthful when he says he can work with the rest of the board "but not with Lewis", then that raises the question of whether or not those real doctrinal issues are ever going to be addressed by the board in any meaningful way. It is hard to see how Lewis is still fighting the fundamentalist fight if he is quitting. Please correct me with my thanks.
ReplyDeleteI am a 1978 graduate, a preacher and pastor of no note or importance for 45 years, and consider myself in these matters a disciple of Dr. Bob Jr.
Thank you for that important contribution. I surely don't mean to infer there are no doctrinal issues at the core of the controversy. If fact, I have been teeing up and preparing a new article that details how this controversy is deeply imbedded in doctrine.
DeleteIf you have seen the April 3 letter from the BOT they make clear many of the misunderstandings and misinformation that has been circulated about their efforts to find a resolution with Steve Pettit.
There is so much we don't know I try to minimize any speculating of what has or will transpire in what are supposed to be confidential discussions. Mark Minnick spoke eloquently on that subject. I encourage all readers to listen to his sermon, which I link to in an earlier article.
That said, I hope and believe the new board configuration suggests they are moving forward without Pettit in the university's future. And they, furthermore, will do all they can to unravel the destructive, unbiblical influence that Pettit and his executive administration Infected the university with.
Thank you for over four decades of faithful ministry.
Kind regards,
LM
Dr. Lewis' resignation gives no credence to Pettit's position. Considering all the "leaked" private correspondence (leaked from Dr. Pettit's "side" of the issues, btw) and the distractions from the real issues, it would make sense that Dr. Lewis step down and remove himself from the drama that has been inflicted and provide the opportunity for the board to conduct its business in a better frame of reference.
DeleteAs a 1983 grad, I fear the issue that has received little attention in the many writings on the internet is the school’s slide from a separatist stand under Pettitt.
ReplyDeleteThere is no way in this short post to educate those who do not see this as an issue. I would refer anyone who is truly interested in the what the Word teaches on the subject to read the New Neutralism II and Axioms of Separation written by John Ashbrook. This is the historical stand of BJU.
It struck me last week while reading a post by Chris Anderson that they are redefining fundamentalism into believing in the all the fundamentals of the faith, minus separation.
This was the classic difference between fundamentalism and new evangelicalism when Harold Okenga coined the term.
I pray the board is able to right the ship.
For any board members who see this post, be assured there are many praying for you.
Thank you for clearly stating an underlying reason for most of the problems BJU faces today. That is refusing to live in fidelity to the biblical principles of separation.
DeleteSteve Pettit and his executive administration have succeeded in negating and erasing the university's historic separatist stand.
Every time this same agenda plays out the result is always the same: the college folds like Pillsbury, Clearwater, TTU and Northland or becomes new evangelical like Liberty. It will be no different at BJU if Pettit is allowed to continue.
Like you I hope and pray the board can right the ship.and steer it back to the best parts of its historic moorings.
LM
If the University stays so legalistic, the enrollment will decline. As a former grad, I've seen this over and over, especially from men's points ofview.
DeleteI allowed your comment to appear only to say you may not have an understanding of "legalism." That said' What we have "seen...over and over" is the demise and closure of once fine fundamental, separatist colleges in part, large part, due to the very kind of changes Steve Pettit put in motion at BJU.
ReplyDeleteLM