Baptist Seminaries?

[u/Proper_Resident_4077]

/r/TrueChristian/comments/1wzjmdc/baptist_seminaries/

[u/jd4501]

I assume you are a Southern Baptist and are called to pastor in a SBC context. With that in mind, you really can’t go wrong with any of the six seminaries. All are biblical, practical, and well regarded.

All of them hold the Baptist Faith and Message.

SWBTS has had a few rough years, but they seem to have overcome it and are in a better place. I would not let that stop you from attending.

Some schools do seem to be better at others in different areas of ministry. All other things being equal, look at your calling for after seminary, as far as it can be known, what does that look like? Pick your school based on that. Southwestern has a good reputation for producing preachers, evangelist, and pastors. So if that is your calling then they will serve you well.

[u/Proper_Resident_4077 → u/jd4501]

Thank you. I would be pursuing pastoral ministry. It's hard to tell because seminaries will all just tell you that they are the greatest, but I think you are right that SBC ones all are fairly even.

[u/HerdsmanofTekoa]

good luck bro. How many time have you read the bible cover-to-cover?

[u/Jonathan-12_13]

I went to Faith Baptist Bible College. They have a seminary as well. I know most of the professors and did take a class at the master's level. The issue you are going to run into is that generally now most schools that are non-dispensational will be reformed confessional including confessionally Calvinistic. Faith Baptist Theological Seminary and Central Baptist Theological Seminary are both dispensational and semi-Calvinstic, but accidemeically they are fairly reputable.
What this comes down to is that I don't think you will find a non-dispensational school that isn't confessionally Calvinsitic unless you go to some of the theologically looser schools or schools like southern/southwester.

[u/Bitter_North_733]

Do not go to any Calvinist baptist seminaries Calvinism is not biblical do not go to Calvinist seminary

[u/Established_09 → u/Bitter_North_733]

I'm new to Baptism but I heard warnings about Calvinism before..... Tulip or something? They claim once you're saved you're always saved.

[u/Bitter_North_733 → u/Established_09]

Here are 2 contrasts with Calvinism - Provisionism is the traditional Baptist approach the vast majority advantages are not Calvinist

• T — Total Depravity: Calvinism says fallen people cannot respond to God apart from prior regeneration; Provisionism says God provides sufficient grace/light through the gospel and the Spirit so every person can genuinely respond in faith.
• U — Unconditional Election: Calvinism says God unconditionally chooses particular individuals for salvation; Provisionism says God desires all to be saved and does not unconditionally elect some individuals while excluding others.
• L — Limited Atonement: Calvinism says Christ's atonement was intended specifically to secure salvation for the elect; Provisionism says Christ died for the sins of every person, making salvation genuinely available to all.
• I — Irresistible Grace: Calvinism says God's effectual saving call ultimately cannot be resisted by the elect; Provisionism says God's gracious invitation can genuinely be resisted or rejected.
• P — Perseverance of the Saints: Calvinism says everyone truly regenerated will necessarily persevere to final salvation; Provisionism generally says believers must continue in faith, while the question of whether a genuine believer can finally apostatize is treated separately from the Provisionist account of conversion.

In short: Provisionism's key distinction from Calvinism is not “Arminian free will,” but God's universal provision of grace and salvation through Christ without unconditional individual election or prior regeneration being required for a person to believe.

This is the Arminian view contrasting Calvinism which some Baptists are too:

• T: Calvinism — You cannot believe unless God first regenerates you.

Arminianism — God gives enabling grace so you can freely believe.

• U: Calvinism — God chooses who will be saved without regard to their future faith.

Arminianism — God's election is related to faith / being in Christ rather than an unconditional individual decree.

• L: Calvinism — Christ's death specifically secured salvation for the elect.

Arminianism — Christ died for everyone, but only believers receive salvation.

• I: Calvinism — God's saving call ultimately cannot be defeated.

Arminianism — God's grace can genuinely be resisted.

• P: Calvinism — The truly saved cannot finally fall away.

Arminianism — A believer must continue in faith and can ultimately apostatize.

The biggest dividing line

The core difference is not that Calvinists believe in grace and Arminians believe in human works. Both reject salvation by works.

The disagreement is primarily about how God's grace operates in relation to human freedom:

Calvinism: God → regenerates → gives faith → believer perseveres

Classical Arminianism: God's prevenient grace → enables → person freely believes → God regenerates → believer must continue in faith

[u/Established_09 → u/Bitter_North_733]

Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer so thoroughly. That clears things up a bit for me.