Graves, Landmarkism and the Kingdom of God (Part 1)

TylerR

If you’re a Baptist in America, you’ve probably heard of a peculiar brand of Baptist polity called “Landmarkism.” D.A. Carson recently quipped that hyper-Calvinism is a term usually reserved for somebody you don’t like!1 In Baptist circles, this is usually the intent when one uses the term “Landmarker.” That is not the way the term is used here! It is a genuine historical term, and its American founder was proud to call himself a “Landmarker.”

This series is a survey of what the father of American Landmarksim believed about the local church, and why he believed it. It is not a refutation of that position, although I will make some brief remarks along that line. This is an important topic, because I suspect many Baptists who hold to Landmark distinctives don’t actually understand what original Landmarkism actually taught.

A fiery, intelligent and formidable preacher from the mid to late 19th century named J. R. Graves is largely responsible for the development of Landmarkism. He admitted as much in 1880:

Discussion

To What Degree Should a Pastor Continue His Education?

josh p

I often think about this and I wonder what you all think. I have noticed that many long time pastors are not familiar with some of the newer theological errors/developments. Things like the New Perspective on Paul, developments in high and low textual criticism, developments in Greek language study, and several other important theological concepts may be totally off a pastor’s radar. Several professional careers require continuing education credits. I am not suggesting anything compulsory but how does a pastor remain current?

Discussion