Grace Evangelical Society

P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202
  • About
    • Home
    • Beliefs
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Resources
    • Grace in Focus Blog
    • Grace in Focus International Blogs
    • Grace in Focus Radio
    • Grace in Focus Magazine
    • Free eBooks
    • Journal of the GES
    • Book Reviews
    • Partners in Grace Newsletter
    • Audio Messages
    • Videos
    • Email Subscription
    • Bookstore
    • Online Tracts
  • Store
    • Main Page
    • On Sale
    • Return Policy
    • Your Cart
    • Your Account
  • Events
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Free Grace Church and Bible Study Tracker
    • Free Grace Jobs
    • Ministry Links
  • Donate
    • One Time Donation
    • Monthly Donation
    • Your Account
  • Search
Home
→
Blog
→
Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Studying

Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Studying

November 22, 2017 by Bob Wilkin in Blog

Last Tuesday I went from Dallas to Providence, Rhode Island, for a meeting of Bible scholars called the Evangelical Theological Society. I took every means of conveyance except a rickshaw.

I took Uber to the airport. Then a plane to Boston (3.5 hours). This was followed by what I thought was a 10 minute bus ride to the train station. But it took over 30 minutes. Thus I missed my Amtrak train and an hour later was off for Providence by train. Once there I walked to the Rhode Island Convention Center and registered. Then I went via Uber with Al and Yami Valdez out to supper. From supper I walked the final half mile to my Airbnb apartment, though it ended up a mile walk since I got lost.

I delivered a paper on Wednesday morning on “The Practical Syllogism and Assurance.” The practical syllogism goes like this:

Major Premise: All who believe in Jesus do good works.

Minor Premise: I do good works.

Conclusion: I have believed in Jesus.

I showed in my message that that behaviorally-based method of assurance was prevalent among the English Calvinists, the Puritans, and it is still widely used by Calvinists today. I was able to point out weaknesses in this approach biblically, logically, and theologically.

We will probably publish my paper in the Spring 2018 journal.

I also was able to attend a number of very interesting papers. One speaker, Dr. Gary Steward of Colorado Christian University, argued that Jonathan Edwards altered and distorted the message of sola fide, by faith alone. I hope we might be able to publish this in our journal.

A surprising talk by Dr. Craig Olson caught my attention. He argued that Abraham did not live to be 175 and none of the patriarchs lived over a normal seventy or eighty year lifespan. He gave various arguments for his position from his recent dissertation. I did not find his arguments persuasive. Nor did I find his suggestion that we must recognize these large numbers as accommodation to the pre-scientific views of Moses’ day.

Dr. Elliott Johnson of Dallas Theological Seminary did a great job defending the view of Genesis 15:1-6 called the promised Seed view. Abraham believing in the promised Seed, the Messiah, as the guarantee of his eternal destiny in Messiah’s kingdom. He suggested that such a view has a profound impact on how we interpret the Bible. I agree. Hopefully we might be able to publish his paper as well.

I also heard some interesting presentations on problems with theistic evolution. They even had four mini-messages that were only 5-minutes each. Maybe we should try that at our conference.

After Uber to the convention center, a short walk to the train station, a train back to Boston, a bus back to the airport, a four-hour return flight, and a ride from Sharon, I finally arrived back home, safe and sound. And tired. It is good to be back!

Subscribe by Email

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
Bob_W

by Bob Wilkin

Bob Wilkin (ThM, PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is the Founder and Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society and co-host of Grace in Focus Radio. He lives in Highland Village, TX with his wife, Sharon. His latest books are Faith Alone in One Hundred Verses and Turn and Live: The Power of Repentance.

If you wish to ask a question about a given blog, email us your question at ges@faithalone.org.

Cart

Recently Added

May 26, 2023

Romans–Part 22–Romans 8:38-39

Welcome to Grace in Focus radio. Today, Kathryn Wright and Ken Yates are at the end of Romans chapter 8. These last two verses of...
May 26, 2023

Laying Down Your Life (Acts 21:13)

One of the most interesting men of World War II was a high-ranking German officer named Henning von Tresckow. He came from a well-respected family,...
May 25, 2023

Romans–Part 21–Romans 8:29-30–Golden Chain

Welcome to Grace in Focus radio. Today, Kathryn Wright and Ken Yates are continuing to look at the many (sometimes difficult) issues of Romans chapter...

Grace in Focus Radio

All Episodes

Listen to Stitcher

Listen on Spotify

Grace In Focus Magazine

Grace In Focus is sent to subscribers in the United States free of charge.

Subscribe for Free

The primary source of Grace Evangelical Society's funding is through charitable contributions. GES uses all contributions and proceeds from the sales of our resources to further the gospel of grace in the United States and abroad.

Donate

Bookstore Specials

  • Romans: Deliverance from Wrath $24.99 $15.00
  • The Epistle of James $15.00 $10.00
  • Here Walks My Enemy: The Story of Luis (Paperback) $6.95 $3.00
  • A Gospel of Doubt: The Legacy of John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus $22.00 $11.00
  • The Gospel Under Siege: Faith and Works in Tension $16.00 $10.00
Grace Evangelical Society

(940) 270-8827 / ges@faithalone.org

4851 S I-35E Suite 203, Corinth, TX 76210
P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube