The recent election of the new SBC president, JD Greear, has to a significant degree focused on the question of whether or not he is a Calvinist. This is important, because although the position is largely a symbolic, the president of the SBC has a major influence on whether Calvinists or non-Calvinists are nominated into leadership positions in various SBC institutions and seminaries. In other words the SBC will eventually be taken over by Calvinists if Greear wills it to be.
Greear studied at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) under Paige Patterson. Patterson, a staunch traditionalist, was amongst more than 1300 SBC leaders who signed A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation in 2012 countering New Calvinism (posted on the Connect316 website):
An excerpt from Article 3: "We deny that this atonement results in salvation without a person's free response of repentance and faith. We deny that God imposes or withholds this atonement without respect to an act of the person's free will. We deny that Christ died only for the sins of those who will be saved.
Psalm 22:1-31; Isaiah 53:1-12; John 12:32, 14:6; Acts 10:39-43; Acts 16:30-32; Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:10-14; Philippians 2:5-11; Col. 1:13-20; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 9:12-15, 24-28; 10:1-18; I John 1:7; 2:2."
Unfortunately the various scandals that have come to light surrounding Patterson's poor leadership have effectively played into the hands of the Calvinists. In fact Calvinist teachers are very adept at putting forward their theology, and there are few within the "traditional" camp to compete with them. A notable exception is Kevin Thompson, Beyond the Fundamentals. {2} I would sing Thompson's praises to the skies if it were not for his pre-trib rapture view. Leighton Flowers Soteriology 101 {3} puts forward a good case against Calvinism, and yet he is quite prepared to put up with a little Calvinist leaven. (1 Corinthians 5:6). Flowers' appeasement of Calvinists and his toleration of Calvinism is a total contradiction of all he says he stands for. To stand against the error of Calvinism and to refuse to call it heresy is doublespeak. In reality, Flowers shocking support of Roman Catholicism and various ecumenical teachers marks him out as someone to avoid. (Romans 16:17). Flowers claims that he was a "closet traditionalist" for a long time because he did not want to lose his friends! I didn't know we were in a popularity contest! (Matthew 10:34-39).
Some equivocators prolong the agony and relegate the debate between Calvinists and traditionalists as a secondary issue. Soteriology i.e. the doctrine of salvation, is of critical importance due to its implications about the very character of God. Calvinism is a philosophical system, it is not biblical Christianity. (1 Kings 18:21). Interestingly, the masonic phrase “Great Architect of the Universe” is attributed to John Calvin. Wherever Calvinism is found there is confusion and strife! (1 Corinthians 14:33). Those who gravitate towards Calvinism are often intellectuals or pseudo-intellectual wannabes. They often boast in their vanity that they have had a revelation of God's sovereignty and that they have a superior knowledge. (Luke 10:21; 2 Corinthians 1:12). We should resist such people and stand firm in the faith! (1 Peter 5:9).
O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.” 1 Timothy 6:20-21).
Unfortunately Greear will not give a straightforward answer to questions about his Calvinist views, and many of his statements are plausible enough to be acceptable from either perspective. (James 5:12). The ordo salutis (Latin "the order of salvation") in the Reformed/Calvinist camp is: "election / predestination, followed by evangelism, regeneration, conversion, justification, sanctification, and glorification." {4} According to Calvinist RC Sproul, the doctrine that "regeneration precedes faith", captures the essence of Reformed theology, since it "solves" the problem of “total inability", the T in TULIP {5} Greear's view concurs with Calvinism 100%: "It takes the illumination of God's Spirit and his regenerative work inside our hearts before we will ever believe." {6}
Greear's evasiveness suggests that there is a devious agenda at work. (Proverbs 3:32). We should be aware that Calvinists are known to be deceitful! (Matthew 7:20). The unbiblical practice of stealth Calvinism is a tactic often employed by Calvinistic pastors i.e. they avoid declaring their true beliefs when they are interviewed by a search committee in order to avoid detection. The question posed by Leighton Flowers prior to the SBC presidential election was: "Would an SBC presidential nominee use the same tactics?"
Leighton Flowers: "In the same way Calvinistic pastors often 'go stealth' while being interviewed by a search committee so as to avoid detection, could it be that a presidential nominee may not be all that forthright about his own beliefs or agenda regarding this highly controversial issue? If you were a Calvinist with political aspirations within a convention that overwhelmingly rejects Calvinistic soteriology would you downplay and distance yourself from those beliefs so as to be a more likeable candidate? More importantly, would Greear?" {7}
Actually Flowers clearly established Greear as a Calvinist in 2017 in his video: Ephesians 1 Critique of Calvinist JD Greear https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6F9S6H-8JM
Flowers suggested that Greear was keen to conceal the fact that he is a Calvinist in January 2018: JD Greear on Romans 9: Concealing Calvinism or Contradictory Calvinism?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6F9S6H-8JM
Flowers latest update is that Greear is in fact a "traditionalist": Traditionalist, JD Greear, elected SBC President: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etfs7T1XPAk
Either Flowers is very naïve, which I doubt, or he is playing games! It seems that the SBC will do anything to avoid a split, even if their leaders have to play politics to keep the SBC together. This is called people pleasing and contradicts the scriptures. Unity at the expense of TRUTH is an affront to God and an abomination. (Proverbs 11:20). Sound doctrine must always triumph over human agendas. (1 Thessalonians 2:4; 2 Timothy 4:3). Greear cannot be both a Calvinist and a traditionalist - the two positions are incompatible. Either Jesus died for everyone, all, whosoever, or he did not!.
Although Flowers says that he believes that Greear has "changed sides", and is now a traditionalist, I am unconvinced. Greear was described as a "whosoever will gospel preacher", by Ken Whitten during his nomination speech. Whitten continued: "He (Greear) believes that anybody, anytime anywhere can be saved." {8} Greear is obviously very shrewd, saying nothing to offend either Calvinists or traditionalists in the final sermon of the conference:"How God builds His church", with four ideas from Matthew 16. {9}
Whatever Greear's true position, he cannot play both sides of the fence indefinitely. It remains to be seen where his true allegiance lies.
{2} http://beyondthefundamentals.com/
{3} https://soteriology101.com/
{4} https://www.gotquestions.org/ordo-salutis.html
{5} gallery.myff.org/gallery/1281301/What+Is+Reformed+Theology+Study+Guide+Sproul.pdf
{6} https://jdgreear.com/blog/three-tips-as-you-share-christ-with-your-muslim-friend/
{7} https://soteriology101.com/2018/02/05/is-jd-greear-a-calvinist/
{8} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etfs7T1XPAk
{9} http://bpnews.net/51060/pastors-conf-elects-danny-wood-president
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