May 23, 2023

Steve Pettit: An Advocacy for the Advancement of Reformed Theology

F
ormer BJU president Steve Pettit will be a featured speaker at an upcoming conference for the advancement of Reformed Theology (RT). Sponsorship of the conference is by the Reformed  Baptist Network. Conference host is Grace Baptist Church, Taylors, SC.

Steve Pettit's attachment to and advocacy of RT is not a new revelation. His participation in the conference is merely a continuation of his years long commitment to RT. He continues in cooperative ministry with men whose doctrine (RT) he is in close agreement with. (For a primer on Reformed Theology see below.)

Some men believe when Steve Pettit first arrived at BJU to assume the presidency he merely inherited what RT was present at the time. We have irrefutably proven, and offered a new proof today, Steve Pettit is passionately committed to the advancement of Reformed theology. During his tenure as BJU president he promoted a proliferation of Reformed theology in his personal ministry. He invited, almost exclusively, Reformed speakers for campus conferences (CoRE, Foundations, Dr, Stewart Custer Lecture Series). See for example, 




Steve Pettit is soliciting for and receiving invitations to appear at churches, camps and conferences.  Before you host and/or attend any events where Steve Pettit would be speaking you might ask, "Do I want to expose myself, my family or people under my ministerial care to a man..." 


LM

What is Reformed Theology?

Reformed Theology is a theological system of thought based upon Augustinian theology of the 4th century. Augustine, the founder of the Roman Catholic Church, based his doctrines on the Bible and substantial philosophical thinking of his day. As it follows a literal-historical-grammatical hermeneutic combined with allegorical interpretation that results in a misunderstood eschatology. 

The Reformers recovered much truth which had been lost, for which we are thankful. The Reformers, however, never totally freed themselves from the allegorical, non-literal method of Origen and from the church/kingdom concept of Augustine (as reflected by the “kingdom now” proponents of today).  Most Reformed men deny the rapture and the millennial reign of Christ, and many embrace Preterism (the belief that most prophecies relating to the tribulation and second coming were fulfilled on or around 70 A.D.).

Reformed Theology is often identified with five-point Calvinism, although Luther and Calvin both taught that Christ died for the sins of all men without exception.  Thus, Calvin was not as Calvinistic as many who now bear his name. Today most men (though not all) who embrace Reformed Theology embrace Covenant Theology, rejecting Dispensationalism. 

I encourage visitors to read Dispensational Theology by Dr. Myron J. Houghton.

Future Events: If God's program for Israel is distinct from His program for the Church, then those Scripture passages describing God's program for Israel should not be used to determine our understanding God's future program for the Church. With this in mind, we understand that Matthew 24 describes God's program for Israel and not the Church.

Related Reading

The Danger of Covenant Theology

The Danger of Teaching that Christ Died Only for the Elect


No comments:

Post a Comment