Are We Too "Together for the Gospel"?

"Together for the Gospel" conference 2006: I missed it but was glad to be at Fred Zaspel's John Bunyan conference instead.

"Together for the Gospel" 2008: Lord willing, and with great anticipation, I'll be there.

I have to ask, however, "are there any ill-effects from such an attempt to display unity?" Strange question, maybe. Obvious answer, maybe. I know of many reasons that I love such an idea....

1) Brothers who are united around the clear gospel have joined hands.
2) Brothers who are united around the biblical / Reformed understanding of salvation have joined hands.
3) Brothers who are united around the clear gospel as it is given expression in Reformed thought have joined hands while lovingly and tenaciously clinging to truth as they perceive it in other, varying matters (In other words, C.J. Mahaney is still a Charismatic, Lig Duncan a paedobaptist, etc.).

But, can our efforts (well-intentioned and absolutely necessary) at unity, especially between (Reformed) Baptists and conservative Presbyterians, lead to a gradual erosion of those distinctives that each group holds dear? What I have in mind, specifically, are 'controversies' such as the current baptism/Lord's supper/membership debate where Baptists like John Piper desire to open their church membership to paedobaptists. Even the recent 'firestorm' over the admission of paedobaptists to the Lord's table in Baptist churches seems to be fueled at times by charicatures of traditional Baptists (read: close or closed communion Baptists) as needlessly restrictive.

Help! Please let me know your thoughts on the matter and where I can be sharpened in this question. Perhaps the very asking of the question indicates my apathetic nature towards unity. Give me your thoughts.

Links to the issues:
http://theologica.blogspot.com/2007/08/baptizoblogodebate-roundup-with_21.html
http://www.t4g.org

Another Man vs. Kitchen Story

[kristie here]

You may be tempted to think all we do around here is talk about serious things. Well, that's just not true. We also laugh. A lot. We laugh at quirky people things, Nacho Libre, George W. Bushisms, and more.


Anyone who knows John probably understands when I say I also laugh a lot at John. And while you may have always known him to be a jokester, you might not know how funny he can be even when he's not trying. For instance:


John calls me at work the other day, saying he doesn't feel well. I can hear him rumaging around the cabinets as he asks me to pick up some chicken noodle soup for him on my way home. I started to express my sympathy, but was soon interrupted as he exclaimed in eureka-like fashion, "never mind, I can just eat this chicken broth!"


Apparently he had come across a can of chicken broth in his rumaging and thought it could be an acceptable replacement for noodle soup. As you may remember, I love what happens when John ventures into the kitchen without me. The man can school me in theology, politics, scrabble and tennis. I've got to hang on to something!

Must-Read Article

Are you a "seminary-type" like me who has spent years avoiding works of fiction? Like me, maybe you're just too busy trying to read the latest hit theological work. I found this article by Martin Cothran to be very compelling. Martin wears many hats, including serving as an elder at a PCA church.

http://memoriapress.com/articles/fiction-false.html

To Read by 2040....

Here are some biographies I hope to have read by the year 2040.....

1. Dallimore on George Whitefield

2. Murray on Martyn Lloyd-Jones

3. Spurgeon on C.H. Spurgeon

4. Edwards on David Brainerd

5. Marsden on Jonathan Edwards