Paul required Timothy to be circumcised before they worked together.
Acts 16:3
Paul called on the power of the Holy Ghost to strike Elymas with blindness and that was the event that immediately preceded John Mark leaving Paul.
Acts 13:7-13
Paul was so mad at John Mark for leaving that he would not permit him to go on his next missionary journey.
Acts 15:37-41
Paul believed it was necessary to shave his head and take a Jewish vow.
Acts 18:18
No one ever asked for John Mark to be removed from his apostleship.
No one ever asked for Paul to be removed from his apostleship.
Almost everyone knows Peter denied Christ and repented but few know that Peter liked to go fishing naked.
John 21:7
When Peter put on his clothes and swam to shore to meet Jesus, Jesus did not ask him why he was fishing naked.
The great preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, smoked a cigar.
http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/cigars.htm
Spurgeon’s picture was also used on a card to advertise for the sale of tobacco.
Here’s what the card said: “When I have found intense pain relieved, a weary brain soothed, and clam refreshing sleep obtained by a Cigar, I have felt grateful to God and have blessed His name.”
http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/cigars.htm
He also owned a slave named George.
http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/cigars.htm
Many preachers who do not support the use of tobacco or owning slaves often quote Spurgeon.
I have never heard of anyone trying to kick out Spurgeon from the ranks of the Baptists. To the contrary, many in the ranks of Southern Baptists, especially Calvinists, embrace him as a spiritual father.
Acts 16:3
Paul called on the power of the Holy Ghost to strike Elymas with blindness and that was the event that immediately preceded John Mark leaving Paul.
Acts 13:7-13
Paul was so mad at John Mark for leaving that he would not permit him to go on his next missionary journey.
Acts 15:37-41
Paul believed it was necessary to shave his head and take a Jewish vow.
Acts 18:18
No one ever asked for John Mark to be removed from his apostleship.
No one ever asked for Paul to be removed from his apostleship.
Almost everyone knows Peter denied Christ and repented but few know that Peter liked to go fishing naked.
John 21:7
When Peter put on his clothes and swam to shore to meet Jesus, Jesus did not ask him why he was fishing naked.
The great preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, smoked a cigar.
http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/cigars.htm
Spurgeon’s picture was also used on a card to advertise for the sale of tobacco.
Here’s what the card said: “When I have found intense pain relieved, a weary brain soothed, and clam refreshing sleep obtained by a Cigar, I have felt grateful to God and have blessed His name.”
http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/cigars.htm
He also owned a slave named George.
http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/cigars.htm
Many preachers who do not support the use of tobacco or owning slaves often quote Spurgeon.
I have never heard of anyone trying to kick out Spurgeon from the ranks of the Baptists. To the contrary, many in the ranks of Southern Baptists, especially Calvinists, embrace him as a spiritual father.
The Reverend Elijah Craig, (1738-1808) a Baptist pastor from Kentucky, not only founded Georgetown College and built the first fulling mill and paper mill in Kentucky, drank whisky. Not only did he drink it but he was one of the original distillers credited with the creation of Bourbon Whisky from moonshine.
http://www.straightbourbon.com/articles/ccname.html
When Elijah Craig’s life was described in Cathcart’s Baptist Encyclopedia not one word about alcohol was mentioned.
http://www.21tnt.com/biographies.htm#CraigE
There were no Baptists trying to remove Elijah Craig from his pastorate for making, selling, and drinking Bourbon Whisky.
Charles Stanley was divorced in 2000 and yet is still the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, GA
http://www.fba.org/
Charles Stanley is still listed as a pastor in the Southern Baptist Convention.
http://www.sbc.net/ministersearch/pastordetail.asp?pid=MTgyMDgy
Anyone can see God still using Charles Stanley to do a mighty work. God is using his son, Andy, to reach many people today also.
As you can see by the articles on my blog, I do not support smoking, drinking, divorce, and many other issues. I am not ashamed to say I am a conservative, fundamental, Southern Baptist.
I also understand that God has used, and continues to use, imperfect people. Just look at some of the people God used in the past – Rahab (a prostitute), Samson (a whoremonger), Paul (a legalist who called himself the chief of sinners), Peter (a denier who enjoyed fishing naked), and even you and me (a sinner).
Our Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is a good place to stand together as Baptists. It is not a creed, but a quoting of the fundamental doctrines found in Scripture. We must not be silent about sin, but let us follow the example given to us by Jesus in Mark 9. After the children were placed on Jesus’ lap, John makes an important statement:
“And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he does not follow us: and we forbad him, because he does not follow us.” Mark 9:38
John was upset that there was someone doing the work of God another way. This person did not eat the same food as John. This person did not walk the same way, or talk the same way. John saw this person in competition to their ministry.
Jesus quickly corrected his concerns:
“But Jesus said, Do not forbid him: for there is no man which will do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.” Mark 9:39-40
I believe the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is a great statement of truths found in the Bible. I believe they are not to be used as a creed to divide us, but are a summary of the great doctrines of the Scripture which should unite us.
Someone does not have to be exactly like me for me to accept them as a brother in Christ. If we continue in the direction we are currently going, we will one day have a banquet where everyone attending will be sitting at a separate table because we can't get along.
Let’s make 2007 a year of unity within our Southern Baptist Convention.
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