Gregory W. Mathis

@PastorRyanA For good classroom teaching examples.

@GMathis89 Why are we screenshotting them?

For those involved in Classical Schooling, this week in SBC life seems uniquely primed for some great logical fallacy screenshots. Have your Command+Shift+3 at the ready!

@DavidCFreeman @KennethOrtiz I can't be made to believe you are constitutionally incapable of considering the following question: If a denomination were to elevate 'autonomy' to the point that it cannot exclude a church for departure from its confession, are there any doctrinal safeguards at all?

@GMathis89 @KennethOrtiz My answer is still the same but perhaps we are talking too different languages, since I don’t operate within SBC categories and definitions.

Honest question: For those who say Baptist autonomy means we can’t enforce doctrinal unity on complementarianism, how does your argument handle central Gospel issues? Ok for a church not to be aligned on PSA or exclusivity of Christ? How does your logic prevent the CBF error?

@DavidCFreeman @KennethOrtiz A good test cast is the CBF. My grandfather was an early investor. The coin of the realm was the novel "soul competency," and ahistorial notions of autonomy. Today they are ordaining trans pastors. The quasi-denomination has no ability to reel this back in, because, autonomy!

@DavidCFreeman @KennethOrtiz Actually, brother, you didn't answer the original question. You moved the goalposts. The question was very limited. It asked how those who put autonomy above confessionalism have any safeguards at all. Answer still pending....

@DavidCFreeman @KennethOrtiz You are free to believe that. The issue is that the BFM makes a claim about what a pastor is. Some disagree, but want to be treated as if it doesn’t matter. The solution to those who disagree can’t be “change the denominational statement to accommodate those who dissent.”

@GMathis89 @KennethOrtiz Theologically they are egalitarian. We do not agree on the plain reading of Scripture. For instance a plain reading of Scripture leads me to conclude that no one in the NT is given the title pastor, pastor is not a synonym of elder and shepherding ministry is not gender based.

@DavidCFreeman @KennethOrtiz AoG is probably your best example. But even though they’re Egal on paper, they’re functionally male led. Overwhelmingly. The exceptions exist. But the rule seems to be that departure from the plain reading of the Bible re: gender leads to error at more crucial places over time.

@GMathis89 @KennethOrtiz Assemblies of God, Salvation Army, PAOC, Free Methodists to name a few.

@DavidCFreeman @KennethOrtiz It’s actually about Gospel prudence. Do you know of a denomination that’s been able to maintain the biblical Gospel for say 3 generations while maintaining Egalitarianism?

@KennethOrtiz @GMathis89 Wow, your priorities are really upside down. If there is a choice between sending a missionary from a church with a female pastor and someone not hearing about Christ you choose to let the person go to hell. Don’t pretend to be committed to evangelism and missions.

@DavidCFreeman You are having a different conversation. No one is saying comp = the exclusivity of Christ. But they ARE saying it’s a necessary point of agreement to send missionaries together. My question still stands. If “autonomy” is above confession, what safeguards exist at all?

@GMathis89 The issue is knowing the difference between central and peripheral issues, which, it appears, many in the SBC do not have the discernment to do. If someone puts complementarianism in the same category as the exclusivity of Christ, doesn’t that move itself verge on heresy?

SO: Now we must pass the Mohler Amendment so that we can do what the people who said not to pass the Law Amendment asked us to do in the first place (amend Bylaw 8).

But since we've scuttled the Law Amendment through all manner of rationale, we've lost the precious 2 years needed to pass an (imperfect!) Constitutional Amendment that would give us the legal and parliamentary basis to amend Bylaw 8.

Here's the sad irony of the recent SBC Amendment process. In years past, we were told we couldn't pass Law Amendment because it wouldn't fix everything. Its language wasn't precise enough. The real work needed to be done in Bylaw 8. BUT....

@NathanielRMart We are not extremely far from Greenville. But it’d take commitment to come. Sadly Western Kentucky isn’t exactly the epicenter of church health.

Anyone know of any healthy churches in Greenville, KY? Have a visitor at church tonight going back there soon.

Thankful to be able to serve the churches of our convention on the Registration Committee in Orlando. baptistpress.com/resource-libra…

Don’t use AI for your DMin promo graphics…

Up bright and early to make it to Louisville to represent Trenton Baptist Church and the Logan-Todd Association at our @KentuckyBaptist Board Meeting. Tons of reasons to cooperate with fellow Gospel churches. We can do more, and better, together!

I'll probably get clobbered for this, but here goes: Please, can everyone, right or left, MAGA or anti-MAGA, Republican or Democrat, stop catastrophizing and trying to get everyone on your side worked up into a rage? It's not Flight 93. We're not on the verge of fascism. We do not need to take desperate measures. Our fellow citizens with whom we disagree are not devils incarnate or personifications of evil. We need to argue with our political adversaries--passionately perhaps--but with respect for their humanity and dignity. We don't need to destroy them. That mustn't be our aim. We all say we believe in democracy. Good! But democracy is all about persuading, giving reasons, engaging one another as fellow citizens, despite our disagreements. Let's rebuild civic friendship. We can do this. (Thank you for your attention to this matter.)

This kid seems to age a whole year with each haircut. Who is this dashing young man?