Understanding Christianity

At the Connect 316 Dinner at the SBC Convention in Phoenix last month, Traditional Statement creator Dr. Eric Hankins gave an address calling for "loyal opposition" to Calvinism in the SBC. The full transcript is available at www.sbctoday.com. His main point is this: As an act of fidelity to all the SBC stands for, we must constantly advocate for Traditionalism as a strategy of loyal opposition to the rise of Calvinism in the SBC and call upon all non-Calvinist pastors and laypeople to do the same. Dr. Sean Cole interacts with his statements and gives some concerns about potential division in the future of the SBC.

Followers of Christ need to understand the important role of spiritual gifts within the church. Dr. Sean Cole explores three aspects of spiritual gifts: (1) the source of gifts, (2) the purpose of gifts, and (3) the variety of gifts.

Dr. Sean Cole provides an overview of the many ways in which the book of Romans has been interpreted throughout church history. He then provides a positive exegesis of Romans 9 while interacting specifically with the Traditionalist SBC understanding of the chapter-- namely, the corporate view of election and Jacob chosen for the "noble cause" of carrying the Word to the world. Does Paul argue for (1) unconditional sovereign election of individuals for either salvation or reprobation, or (2) the conditional election of individuals for either salvation or reprobation based upon foreseen faith or (3) the corporate election of nations emerging from Jacob and Esau for temporary, national privileges of bringing the Messiah to bless the world?

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Followers of Christ display a lifestyle of worship by using our spiritual gifts to serve one another. Romans 12:1-3.

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Dr. Sean Cole shares his journey into his call into ministry as well as how he came to embrace Reformed theology. He offers his list of top ten books that influenced him in this journey as suggested summer reading.

“The Potter’s Freedom” by James White

“Beyond Five Points” by Ernest Reisinger

“Putting Amazing Back into Grace” by Michael Horton

“The Doctrines of Grace” by James Montgomery Boice

“The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination” by Loraine Boettner

“The Death of Death in the Death of Christ” by John Owen

“By His Grace and For His Glory” by Tom Nettles

“Still Sovereign” edited by Tom Schreiner and Bruce Ware

“Chosen by God” by R. C. Sproul

“Chosen for Life” by Sam Storms

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True friends of Jesus will be archenemies of the world.

A follower of Christ bears fruit by obedience to the Great Commission. Dr. Sean Cole explores five aspects from this text that shows how "friends" of Jesus go and bear fruit that will last.

Last week, evangelical Christian Russell Vought, appeared before the Senate Budget Committee and was excoriated by a seething Bernie Sanders. Senator Sanders hatred and misunderstanding of basic Biblical Christianity could be a harbinger of difficult days ahead for authentic professing believers. Dr. Sean Cole preached a sermon in 2009 from 1 Peter 4:12-19 called "The Reality of Suffering and Our Faithful Creator." While preached almost 8 years ago, this message could not be more pertinent about not if, but when, we will suffer in America for our faith.

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Dr. Sean Cole answers a question from a listener concerning the differences between what Traditional Southern Baptist believe about man's moral inability and regeneration in comparison to the Calvinistic view. There seems to be a confusion or conflation between regeneration and illumination in Traditional SBC theology.

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