Keyboards warriors, unite!
Ha ha.
I got into a conversation with a few people on the internet and of course there were disagreements; this time it was about the Federal Vision (FV) controversy. But I don't merely agree to disagree nor do I retreat to entrenched commitments. Instead I go into research mode.
I reread some old things, re-watched some old things, but I also found new things too.
Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church's Response to FV
First, I'll post what I was looking for: Analyzing the Federal Vision, Woodruff Road Presbyterian https://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesonly=true&sourceid=woodruffroad&keyword=Analyzing+The+Federal+Vision.
The quality of the recordings are subpar, but the content is essential. There are more recent exposés on YT that have better sound, video, and production, but this is the one my pastor gave us to watch back in 2008 or something like that.
Thus, its relevance is that it was distributed by an agent of the Church and was much closer in time to the controversy. Also, it is relevant in reminding me what I watched so that I don't misquote it some 15 years after watching it (I have a decent memory for such things, but not a perfect one).
Drs Pipa and Waters
Dr. Joseph A. Pipa, Jr. and Dr. Guy P. Waters are really smart guys. Pipa can be a bit strong with the rhetoric, but he's not wrong. You can see his credentials here: https://gpts.edu/about/faculty-staff/pipa/. As a result of watching this, I requested information about Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary 15 years ago. I still think I have the compact disk, LOL!
Waters was a bit dry but I liked the informative approach. He works at Reformed Theological Seminary: https://rts.edu/people/dr-guy-waters/. He has also written a book on paedocommunion: https://rts.edu/resources/children-and-the-lords-supper/.
Drs Venema and Strange
I also listened to Dr. Cornelis P. Venema and Dr. Alan D. Strange. Venema has done some good work on the New Perspectives on Paul controversy and you can see his credentials here: https://www.midamerica.edu/faculty/cornelis-venema. He's also got a book on paedocommunion: http://marsbooksonline.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=18. But he deferred to Strange on the FV controversy.
Strange is at the same seminary as Venema: https://www.midamerica.edu/faculty/alan-strange. He did a wonderfully irenic treatment of the FV pastors. I thought he was spot on but also charitable. You can listen to that here: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sid=6300622337.
Orthodox Presbyterian Church Statement on FV
https://opc.org/nh.html?article_id=478
Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly Minutes (addresses FV)
https://www.pcahistory.org/pca/ga/33rd_pcaga_2005.pdf (PDF warning!)
Thus ends my notes from 2023-01-07 (really though, 2023-01-03).
