An Arminian Deleted My Comments

UPDATES: I received a kind note from the individual referenced in this post, and decided to redact portions of this text as a result. He certainly has the right to manage his own blog as he sees fit, and sincerely believes his decisions are justified. I believe his chosen path is both unwise and unhelpful (I don't think all of my conduct has been spotless, either). At this time, I am extending a personal and public apology to Ben (aka "KangarooDort") for the harshness of some comments in this post (as originally published) and for the generally harsh tone I exhibited in writing it. I have removed selected portions, added a few additional comments, and retained only what seems most important. 

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This post is going to be a little bit out of the norm. [REDACTED]

[I am going to re-post here a comment that was mostly blocked by the blog administrator at this post:]

https://arminianperspectives.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/sneaky-calvinism-calvinism-on-the-sly-in-action/

[It seems to me that] this individual has decided to set himself up as the judge and jury in a matter he knows [next to] nothing about. He has demanded that people explain themselves to his satisfaction and make themselves accountable to his scrutiny, [REDACTED].  Beginning with the [REDACTED] sentiments he attempted to leave at a post on this blog, he has [REDACTED] refused to accept the possibility that his pre-conceived perceptions might be misguided. When I responded [REDACTED] with the actual truth I learned from firsthand investigation, he decided to "edit out" most of my comment. [REDACTED]


I am now posting my full comments below in protest against the [REDACTED] approach taken by this [REDACTED] blogger. [REDACTED] This individual has been solemnly warned that he will have to answer to God for maligning a godly pastor.

[REDACTED]

Below is the comment I wrote, which [REDACTED] "KangarooDort" [REDACTED] decided to almost entirely censor. (Note that "Now Dimly" is the name of [another] commenter, to whom I addressed my opening lines).

Now Dimly, 

You bring up some interesting points that are worthy of discussion, and I thank you for your thoughtful questions. However, Ben has laid down the following mandate: 

"If you want to carefully explain what Blaine meant by his words and how exactly we have so badly misunderstood and misinterpreted what he said, you are welcome to comment further. If all you have to offer are more assertions that we are just supposed to accept because you say so, then please do not bother commenting further on this thread." 

So, it appears we are at an impasse unless I am willing to comply with Ben's demand for explanatory testimony. Dr. Wayman, on the other hand, says any further attempt to "defend" Blaine's actions only makes him look guilty. So in these hands we Calvinists are ________ if we do, and ________ if we don't. You can fill in the blanks with your favorite euphemism. 

All: 

This situation well illustrates the fact that the internet is indeed a kangaroo court and not the place to be airing disputes of this kind (unless sufficient charity and lack of hostility are present).
Someday, when the whole story is known (which will be in eternity, I suppose), some will be ashamed of their conduct in this matter. I do not happen to believe Blaine will be among them. Others may believe what they will. 

I have tried to make a few substantive points, as follows: 

1. Blaine has been misinterpreted and badly judged (no one else has to believe this, though I happen to know it is true)
2. Given the fact that someone has looked into the matter and drawn this conclusion, others ought to be charitable in their response to something they know very little about.
3. Blaine may or may not want to comment/defend/explain, but no one here has the right to subpoena him, condemn him, or call him to resign if he doesn't choose to do that.
4. Deciding not to respond to questions people ask you on the internet is no admission of guilt.
5. The Assemblies of God leaves plenty of room for Blaine's teachings and actions, though the teaching may be outside the mainstream for that denomination. By and large, A/G men are mature and well able to handle some disagreement on minor points. Blaine's pastoral and personal associates are well aware of his theological leanings and know that he actually did nothing "sneaky," "sly," deceitful, harmful, or even slightly worthy of concern. If anyone in Blaine's life has a right to demand explanation, by now they probably have, and have been more than satisfied by the full story. 

Ben said: "I mean really, if he communicated that poorly about things on Derek’s blog, should he really be in the business of communicating God’s word and challenging theological concepts to HS students?" 

I suppose the person who has never miscommunicated in a blog comment can cast the first stone. By your standards, I shouldn't be preaching or teaching, either, as I have often communicated poorly in the combox. Would you be this hard on a fellow Arminian? 

So now, since I have likely stepped over the line of Ben's mandate, and because I respect his rights as a blog administrator, and because I doubt there is much profit in continued wrangling over this, I will join Blaine in his judicious silence and, saying nothing more, let this be my final comment here. 

Blessings to all men of peace. 

Derek

As an addendum, here are comments I left at another blog post covering the same topic:

As the erstwhile "defender" of the dreaded "sneaky Calvinist," I find it rather unbecoming for the Arminian apologist to set himself up as judge and jury in this grand kangaroo court called "the internet," particularly when he has been reassured that he misinterpreted the account.
I would like to be a "fly on the wall" when he calls that District Superintendent, who, if he is like every other A/G Superintendent I have ever met, will be a mature, humble and godly man who is all too aware of the trouble and divisiveness that can be caused when people jump to conclusions and remove attention from the simple preaching and teaching of the Bible because they would rather engage in attack politics. He won't be shocked to find out that there is a minister in his district who, while agreeing with every major tenet of the denomination's theology, might have a quibble or two with their lead theologians over what are considered "minor points." I have personally known A/G pastors with all sorts of interesting theological stances and disagreements on minor issues. It was no secret, and it did not hinder fellowship. And to think that this might actually enter into those pastors' teaching when supported by the passage they happen to be studying ... well, who would be surprised! I am certain that a District Superintendent has better things to do than chase down Internet misinterpretations of a godly shepherd's methodology in interpreting Scripture that addresses sincerely held minor disagreements. Especially when that pastor sums up his teaching on the subject with a humble admission that the whole matter is surrounded in mystery. Not exactly a militant approach!

Given my A/G background, I enjoy fellowship with some fine Arminian brothers. They are tough in debate, let me tell you. But they don't waste time griping about things as inconsequential as all this, or making mountains out of molehills. I learned much about the difference between "real life" Arminians and certain Internet Arminians as a result of this exchange. The two are strangely dissimilar, despite the labels and general theological agreement. 

In my experience, most A/G pastors are "real life" Arminians who aren't going to be freaked out in any way by this. (More here: http://www.contemporarycalvinist.com/2013/03/this-week-in-calvinism-march-1-2013.html)

[REDACTED] I sincerely hope this individual will [turn from] the [REDACTED] approach he has chosen in this matter. Friends, let us love one another, and let us speak the truth in love.

[And be willing to change our approach if warranted.]

Changing Times . . . and Shorter Posts

If you have been following this blog, you may have noticed that the posting rate has been slowing down. Here's why: I have a new job with a longer commute and different scheduling requirements. I like the job quite a lot, but it allows me less personal time for activities like blogging. I guess if I have to choose between blogging and feeding my family, I'll always choose the latter.

I want to continue to write God-honoring content on THEOparadox, so I'm going to try to shift away from the dense, deeply researched articles I've been writing and go for brevity, profundity and perhaps a little wit. We'll see how well that works. There are still some longer articles in the queue that might show up from time to time as well.

Most of the new posts will be written on my phone, and I'll try to add original photographs as a bonus for those of you who continue to read. I may also be a little slower in responding to comments, but will do my best to respond within a day or two when appropriate. Interaction with readers has been one of my favorite aspects of blogging. Don't hesitate to leave a response, even if it's a challenge to what has been written in a post. Iron sharpens iron!

A hearty thanks goes out to all who have read, followed and commented on this blog. I hope you will enjoy the changes.

The picture is a sunrise on the St. Johns River, taken one block from where I now work. Our God has created such magnificent things! But none of them are as glorious as Himself.

A Real Friend

 Barry Wallace (right) and me (left)

One of my favorite things about blogging is being able to "virtually" meet so many interesting and edifying people from all over the world. I've been blessed to interact with great theological minds and godly people I might never have met otherwise. Early in my blogging career (I'm not sure if that's the right word for it), I found Barry Wallace to be a wonderful friend and ally in the cause of sound doctrine and discipleship. I can still remember the day I stumbled onto his blog and found my heart resonating with his article, "A Bad Heart." Since then, I have come to rely on Barry's mature advice and counsel, as well as his gracious words of encouragement.

During my recent vacation in Missouri, I had the opportunity to meet up with Barry in "real life." I happened to be driving right through his town, so we decided to bring our families along and have lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. I was thrilled to enjoy a few hours of fellowship with this man whose thoughtful writings I have long appreciated. Barry and his family were delightful, and he wasn't even fazed by my children sticking balloons on top of his head while we talked. That was true meekness, I think!

Sometimes people downplay online relationships as if they were not in any way impactful or genuine. As if they were somehow "unreal." While I understand and agree with the primacy of cultivating actual face-to-face relationships with the people around us, I believe some of the criticism of online friendships is overstated. Consider how many of the apostle Paul's relationships were developed over long distances and through letters, and how "real" and "genuine" he took those relationships to be.

Colossians 2:1 "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face . . ."

I'd like to follow that up with another question: is your relationship with the Lord "long distance" or "face-to-face"? Now you can see the false dichotomy in those categories, can't you? For Christians, real connections can be made with folks we never meet because the same Spirit lives in us. We love and serve the same Savior, and we are mystically united in Him whether we ever make spatial contact in this life.

Have you ever met a Christian brother or sister with whom you had formed an online friendship? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Thank You

THEOparadox recently passed the 3 year mark, and I want to take a moment to say a sincere "thank you" to the folks who read, comment, and link to this blog.

First, to all of you who read this blog, THANK YOU. It is an honor to have these articles and resources considered thoughtfully and used for the glory of our great God. Even if you read with skepticism or to disagree, I am grateful that God uses anything here for your good and blessing.

Second, to those who take the time to comment, THANK YOU. It is always encouraging to know that a post has edified a brother, or sparked further thought. It is even encouraging to be corrected and challenged. Commenting requires real thought, and your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.

Third, to those who link here . . . THANK YOU! THEOparadox receives many visits from search engines, and your links are part of the reason for that. My hope and prayer is that God will use the site to help spread the knowledge of Christ, and to encourage solid Biblical theology, inspiring deeper delight in Christ and stronger service for Christ.


Here is a quick sampling of some sites that link here:

An Open Book - deep thoughts by Matt Rose
aprilNandy - April and Andy Miller will encourage you
Baptism and the Big Picture - Matt Viney explores baptism, apologetics, culture, and all things Biblical

God Does Exist, All Know it - presuppositional apologetics by Mike A. Robinson

Ma's Blog - the musings of a child of God by His Sovereign Grace, wife, homemaker, homeschooler, and mother of six
Pericope de Adultera - defending the canonicity of John 8:1-11


Many others could be added. However, I don't think I've previously mentioned any of the sites listed above.

All of the thanksgiving and praise ultimately go to God alone. How immeasurable is His grace! How unfailing are His mercies! Soli Deo Gloria.

I Really Like This Blog!

No, not this blog . . . THIS BLOG: Theology Thoughts by Phil Comer. I find a lot of inspiration there. Recently Phil has posted about Christ as the center of Scripture and History, and he has offered a detailed review of the new Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader.


While I'm at it, I'll offer a few other shameless endorsements . . . here are some other blogs I really like (in no particular order).

Who Am I? from my like-minded friend, Barry Wallace, one who is always provoking thought and is always thoughtful.


Scripture Zealot . . . how could I not like a person who is zealous about God's Word? Besides being about Scripture, Jeff's blog produces some interesting interaction and response.


Abundant Life Now, written by my new friend, author and speaker Bob Russell (check out the books!)


Analogical Thoughts, by Reformed philosopher James Anderson. He doesn't post very often, but the posts are worth waiting for.


1/4 Bushel - I'm not Complete Yet, by Rob Peck, the man from the Adirondacks who loves Jesus and enjoys good theology - and isn't afraid to wrestle with the difficulties.


The Verticall, an oasis of refreshment from pastor and musician, "the BlaineMonster." Always a great read, and always full of Gospel grace and hope.


Isaac's Musings, by my friend Isaac Nolden, who works for the Coast Guard and just moved to Alaska. He's a fantastic musician, a fine thinker, and he just got married (congratulations are in order!). He also takes great photos.


Uniting Church and Home, by Eric Wallace. I love every word I've read from this Gospel-centered leader and advocate of household based ministry. I only wish he would post more of his great articles!


For some reason, I have a peculiar appreciation for Eddie Eddings and his Calvinistic Cartoons. Go here for great laughs (and great theology, which is a strange combination - or is it?)

There are others. In fact, I could go on and on, but I'll leave it there for now. Blessings, friends!

In the Mail

Mostly bills and assorted junk mail. But since so many bloggers are in the habit of posting useless lists of books they have on order, I thought I would join the bandwagon with my own "In the Mail" post. I already have about 16 Bibles and more devotionals, commentaries, textbooks, theological treatises, and other assorted works than I will ever read in a lifetime. This doesn't stop me from looking for more of these treasures, mostly at garage sales and used book venues, and occasionally at the discount Christian bookstore (where I have to sift through stacks of "pop" Christianity books to find anything of substance). So the only things I have "in the mail" these days are not worth talking about. You needn't worry that this kind of thing will become a habit around here. This will be my first and last "In the Mail" post. Because nobody cares what anybody else has in the mail.

A Milestone

One and a half years ago, I performed a Google search for the term, "Theoparadox." No results were returned, so I decided it would be the perfect name for a new blog.

Since then, I have periodically used Google to trace the spread of the term from its humble roots. Today, for the first time, Google's auto-complete suggested Theoparadox as a search term . . .

Perhaps someday we'll see "Theoparadox" as an entry in the dictionary?

Soli Deo Gloria.