LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–R. Albert Mohler Jr. and Paige Patterson differ on the details of end times theology, but they agree on at least one central issue:
Pastors must teach biblical prophecy if church members are to recognize unbiblical information on the subject.
The two seminary presidents joined a panel discussion on Israel and the Bible May 1 at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Titled “Whose Holy Land? An Evangelical Conversation on Israel, the Church and the Battle for Palestine,” the forum was sponsored by the Carl F.H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement at the Louisville, Ky., seminary.
Mohler is president of Southern Seminary, Patterson of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.
Referring to popular books and television shows about the end times, Patterson said, “There is so much garbage out there. How on earth are our people going to be prepared to deal with all of the things that do come up out there if we don’t preach? And folks, we don’t preach it.
“Consequently, the people out there are listening to TV evangelists and getting their eschatology there.”
Mohler agreed, saying, “We want preachers to preach prophecy. Just promise me you’ll study it before you preach it.”
Patterson said unbiblical prophecy can be found at the local bookstore. He pointed to a booklet from the 1980s entitled, “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988.”
“It’s always a mistake to become very specific in a certain event that happens,” Patterson said. “But every time some political event happens that seems [to be] earthshaking, there will be somebody out there saying, ‘This is it. This is the signal,'” he said. “And in every case they’ve been wrong.”
Mohler said the “88 Reasons” book “turned out to be an embarrassment. When you walk into Christian bookstores or you hear Christians speak, and that’s the kind of language they use, it is embarrassing. For that reason we need to take time to really think about the hermeneutical questions … so that we have a much better answer than will be provided on a chart or graph or a calendar.”
Mohler referenced Mark Noll’s book, “The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind,” saying, “One of the criticisms he makes of popular evangelicalism is its propensity toward eschatological frivolity. That is something that we really need to take into our awareness, because it damages our witness to the larger world.”
Patterson said even non-Christians are interested in end-times theology. “Why are you here?” he asked the audience. “Because you are fascinated by what God may be doing in history. … [T]he average guy on the street who is not interested in anything else is fascinated by it. Therefore, learn to preach it.”
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Audio from this forum is available on the seminary’s web page at:
https://www.sbts.edu/news/audio/speakers.html.
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