I have not previously blogged about debates I have been asked to participate in. But since this was a social media event of sorts, and some things worthy of comment happened, I have decided to write some blog posts about my debate with Matt Slick.
Matt Slick and I had an opportunity to talk before our recent debate. He seems to be an amiable guy and genuine Christian. He says he is “Reformed” and even Amillennial like myself. He attends (I really am not sure how, given these convictions, but I guess that is his business.) a Calvary Chapel in Boise, Idaho. He is the man behind CARM.ORG, something which a number of my younger Reformed brothers seem to know. My brief perusal of the site seemed to indicate that it had a wise and moderate tone about most things. It does advocate for the continuation of the charismatic gifts, but not the continuation of Apostles of Christ. I would characterize his view as Third Wave. Matt also made clear that he wanted to distance himself from more extreme Charismatics and their ungodly antics.
It might seem to me—if I were you—that to rehash a debate that has already taken place is like Monday morning quarterbacking. Hey, Bub, you either won or you didn’t. So just let it go. I guess that attitude would be right if debates were about winning or losing. But if that is what they are about, I will “never eat meat again” (debate). But I made clear in my opening statement that for me that is not what debates should be about. Here is what I said:
“I am kind of the “anti-debater.” I take the opportunity to speak at debates only when asked and only because it gives me the chance to teach and expound what I believe to be the truth of God’s Word. What I do not like about debates is the tendency and motivation they create in the debaters to say anything to win—whether they know it to be true or not. I hope never to be guilty of that kind of violation of the command; Thou shalt not bear false witness. I take this evening to be about truth—not winning—and will try to say nothing that I do not verily believe to be the truth of God’s Word.”
To try to make issues related to truth clear is never Monday morning quarterbacking. It is simply “buying the truth and selling it not” (Proverbs 23:23).
That being said, I am going to take the time and effort in several blog posts to talk about “The Slick-Waldron Debate: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” I do this, as I said, in the interest of what I take to be the truth.
The Ugly
We will start with the “Ugly” first. The “Ugly” had to do with a misunderstanding on my part of the actual question in the debate. In my statement I talked about that question as follows: “All that being said, let me summarize in my remaining time my response to the question of the hour. That question is: ‘Have the Gifts of Prophecy, Tongues and Healing Ceased?’ I respond in the affirmative: Yes, the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and healing have ceased!”
As you will see, if you watch the debate which is now available on YouTube, I was not allowed to speak first as is customary for the affirmative. Rather, I spoke second. This was my fault. The original question which Pastor McClanahan submitted to Matt Slick and I was exactly as I here stated it. Matt asked for the question to be changed in subsequent emails. I agreed to this over some reluctance on the part of Pastor McClanahan. But then I promptly forgot about the subsequent change. I guess it did not seem significant at that time. In the mass of other responsibilities it simply slipped my mind. Thus, I prepared for the original question and not the one finally agreed upon.
The new question was finally—after some discussion: “Does the Bible teach that the charismatic gifts are for today?” This put Matt in the affirmative. It also allowed him to play with the word charismatic in the debate in a way which became central to his argument. I learned a valuable lesson. If I am asked to debate in the future, I will pay careful attention to the question! I also learned some things about why Matt wanted that word, charismatic, in the question. I want to talk about that later in these blog posts. More next time!
Dr. Sam Waldron is the Academic Dean of CBTS and professor of Systematic Theology. He is also one of the pastors of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY. Dr. Waldron received a B.A. from Cornerstone University, an M.Div. from Trinity Ministerial Academy, a Th.M. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1977 to 2001 he was a pastor of the Reformed Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Waldron is the author of numerous books including A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, The End Times Made Simple, Baptist Roots in America, To Be Continued?, and MacArthur’s Millennial Manifesto: A Friendly Response.
