2016 Theological Symposium: The Theological Legacy of F. Leroy Forlines
by the Helwys Society Forum
Last Monday and Tuesday, the Free Will Baptist Commission for Theological Integrity sponsored their twentieth annual Theological Symposium. Students, pastors, professors, and scholars of other sorts gathered at Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Welch College, in Nashville, Tennessee to hear presentations, which all, in some way, explored the theological legacy of F. Leroy Forlines. This theme was especially timely as Forlines’s ninetieth birthday nears. Not only has he been our movement’s leading theologian, but he chaired the Commission for over fifty years, and more recently was also the honoree of a festschrift published by Randall House Academic.
Over 500 attended various sessions, with over 100 of those being unique individual attendees. Guests came from no fewer than nine states to participate, or watched via live stream. In this post, we hope to provide a brief overview of this important denominational event for those who didn’t have the opportunity to attend.
Monday Evening
F. Leroy Forlines, “The Abrahamic Covenant”: Forlines gave a brief paper discussing the biblical verses which teach that Israel will not be cast away. He then discussed the Abrahamic covenant, noting it’s New Testament manifestation and immutability. He also considered translation questions surrounding the “seed” of Abraham, specifying that it finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
As is typical with Forlines, he demonstrated his total personality approach to life through his very style of writing—working, thinking, and feeling his way through questions. His example encourages others also to wrestle honestly through questions. As he so often has done in his past work, Forlines continues to seek honestly to know what Scripture itself says on a given topic. That, too, is a great encouragement. Because God is true, He keeps His covenants, and because He keeps His covenants, of which we’re beneficiaries, we can place our hope and trust in Him.
Richard Clark, “The Influence of Leroy Forlines on a Non-Free Will Baptist”: In perhaps the most intriguing presentation of the symposium, Clark considered Forlines’s influence on himself, a non-Free Will Baptist. Largely autobiographical, Clark explained how the “sea of alternatives” of theological systems presented to him, especially in the area of soteriology, was inadequate. He gave special attention to the so-called traditional Baptist soteriologies and neo-Calvinism. He interacted with streams of thought such as KJV-onlyism, once saved always saved, as well as the “young, restless, and reformed.” When looking beyond Calvinism, the Arminianism he found was often forms of Wesleyan Arminianism, whose view of Scripture and the atonement was found wanting. In Forlines, as well as Robert Picirilli, however, Clark found the answers to his theological and soteriological questions—a via media. Reformed Arminianism, he found, satisfied his intellectual and emotional questions, while also being orthodox.
Clark’s paper reminds us that we as Reformed Arminians have received a good, solid systemic theology in our tradition. As much as anything, this presentation served to encourages Free Will Baptists that what they have in their theology is precious.
Tuesday Morning
Ramón Zúñiga Barrón, “Leroy Forlines’s Influence Among Mexican Bible Institutes: Upholding and Spreading Free Will Baptist Doctrine”: Zúñiga Barrón, who leads the Hispanic ministry at Westside Free Will Baptist Church in Springdale, Arkansas, presented “Leroy Forlines’s Influence among Mexican Bible Institutes: Upholding and Spreading Free Will Baptist Doctrine.” Zúñiga gave an appreciative biographical sketch of his own journey as a Mexican theological student, and then later as a leader trying to share Forlines’ work in educating other Hispanic students elsewhere. This was one of a few presentations with an especially strong personal bent given the presenter’s own history with Forlines. It was during the Q&A time which followed the presentation that Zúñiga shared some additional insight about the state of Free Will Baptist theology in Mexico, and some of the ongoing needs. It was very informative.
Matthew Steven Bracey and W. Jackson Watts, “Celebrating the Legacy of F. Leroy Forlines”: Bracey and Watts presented during the chapel hour. As a result, both symposium attendees as well as the Welch College students were able to attend. They divided their presentation into three distinct parts: Forlines’s background and career, on the honoring of Forlines’s legacy, and Forlines in contemporary perspective. Bracey presented for the first half, and Watts the second. In considering Forlines’s background and career, Bracey illustrated how God has used Forlines in a profound way among Free Will Baptists, despite the fact that Forlines himself came from very little.
For this reason, Bracey and Watts discussed The Promise of Arminian Theology: Essays in Honor of F. Leroy Forlines in part two. Then, in part three, Watts placed Forlines in contemporary perspective, looking particularly at what Forlines means for us as a movement, as well as what Forlines has meant for the broader evangelical community. Like Clark’s presentation, this presentation reminded Free Will Baptists that their theological heritage is a rich one.
Matthew McAffee, “The Old Testament Text and Canon”: In this presentation, McAffee (1) considered the composition of the Old Testament; (2) reviewed Hebrew manuscripts and scribal transmission, including a discussion of the Masoretic text, Hebrew fragments, Samaritan Pentateuch, and the Dead Sea Scrolls; (3) examined ancient version and translation, including the Septuagint, Aramaic Targums, and the Syriac Peshitta; and (4) investigated Old Testament canon and textual plurality.
McAffee’s discussion of autographs and textual criticism was instructive. It served as an apologetic for those who may have questions about, or who may struggle with, issues related to textual criticism. Variants are by no means reasons for a Christian to doubt. If anything, textual variants could/should be taught in such a manner that Christians’ faith is strengthened. Two examples upon which he focused include questions of inerrancy and canon.
Tuesday Afternoon
Andrew Harrison, “The Role of Doctrine in the Church: Revisiting Forlines’s ‘A Plea for Unabridged Christianity’”: In his presentation, Harrison introduced and defining the concept of essential vs. non-essential doctrines, and explained the legitimacy, value, and implications of such a distinction. Through this piece, Harrison did not attempt specifically to define which doctrines are essential and which doctrines aren’t. According to him, just because something is non-essential does not therefore mean that it’s irrelevant.
On the other hand, he argued, these distinctions have implications for how we spend our time. In the final analysis, he posited that while God may call some people to pursue advanced study of non-essential doctrines, God probably doesn’t call most, since most people are pursuing their primary vocations and studying the Word also, even if at a less-advanced level. Accordingly, this has implications for what we preach about and what we require for church membership. More than any other, this presentation generated the most questions and engendered the most discussion.
Daniel Webster, “Culture and the Arts: A Conversation with Leroy Forlines and the Early Church Fathers”: Webster presented on the Cultural Mandate, and forms of art like painting and music, comparing and contrasting the views of Forlines with those of select early church fathers. On the whole, there’s much more to compare than to contrast between the early church fathers and Forlines with respect to this topic.
Like the early church fathers, Forlines is cognizant of how worldly qualities necessarily exist in the world’s art forms and content. Forlines gives much attention to truth, goodness, and beauty. Perhaps the most significant part of this presentation was how Forlines responds to poor artistic expressions: “full of grace, seasoned with salt.” Forlines writes, “Instead of ridicule for these artists and their works, we should have compassion. . . . We cannot simply condemn this kind of art out of existence. . . . We must learn to address the despair and hunger in people’s hears with the Truth that sets people free.”[1]
Broken, artistic expression should evoke in us compassion for broken, fragmented people. This presentation, while largely an overview of a few themes, leaving a few i’s un-dotted and t’s uncrossed, was nonetheless very good.
Tuesday Evening
Jeffrey L. Cockrell, “Israel’s Identity and Salvation in Romans: A Discussion of the Forlinsean Hermeneutic”: Cockrell’s presentation was based around several questions: Who is Israel? What is salvation for salvation for Israel? How will Israel be saved? And when will Israel be saved?
Thematically related to Forlines’s presentation, Cockrell explained that the term Israel, in certain instances, refers to those descended from Jacob; that salvation for Israel is accomplished in the same manner that it is for non-ethnic Israelites, namely, in Jesus Christ; that Israel will be saved by the Zion’s deliverer, the gospel of Christ, according to the mercy of God; and that Israel will be saved when the deliverer comes. Cockrell demonstrates the importance of being current in scholarship on a given topic, as well as the importance of being faithful to Scripture.
Panel Discussion, “The Legacy of F. Leroy Forlines and the State of Free Will Baptist Theology”: Featuring Robert Picirili, Frank Owens, Matthew McAffee, Kevin Hester, and J. Matthew Pinson, and moderated by Jackson Watts, this panel discussion lasted for about an hour. Watts posed several questions about Free Will Baptist theology and Forlines’s influence upon it were discussed, and then attendees were invited to ask questions. Several of Watts’s questions revolved around how Forlinesean theology can be used to revitalize churches. Panelists also discussed Forlines’s influences, his contributions, and how his theology can be used, not simply to revitalize churches, but to approach the world within which we find ourselves.
Conclusion
We couldn’t help but to note an encouraging correlation between the emergence of many Free Will Baptist pastors and students who are interested not only in academic theology and theological scholarship, but how such theology should inform the life of the church and the individual Christian. Each year we always seem to have at least one to two first-time presenters (this year it was three), and even these newer to this particular setting bring something fresh and interesting.
Next year’s symposium will be on October 22-23 at the new Welch College campus in Gallatin, Tennessee. Inquiries about this event or any Commission-related activities can be directed to fwbtheology@gmail.com. Regular blog posts on the Commission blog will resume tomorrow at www.fwbtheology.com.
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[1] F. Leroy Forlines, The Quest for Truth (Nashville: Randall House, 2001), 411-12.
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