If you don’t live under a rock then you know that Rob Bell is coming out with a new book. This book is already causing a great stir among many in the theological realm. John Piper, Justin Taylor, and the like are all commenting on a book they have not yet read. David Fitch and others are using this as an opportunity to slam the “Neo-Reformed” “movement”.


I will not write anything about Bell’s new book until I read it.


I will write this: Calvinist does not equal Reformed.


The “neo-Reformed” “movement” is a label that has been given to people who are Calvinist and young and Baptist. By definition, you cannot then label them Reformed.


Why?


Because, Reformed theology is Covenantal theology which is not held by Baptists. They do not hold to a unified understanding of the Bible (while some may give lip service to this, their praxis denies it). Covenantal theology necessarily requires one to come to a position of paedo-baptism in one’s praxis.


Covenantal theology necessarily requires us to understand the Bible as a unified whole and that means that we must see continuation between Old and New Testaments. Calvinist Baptists see distinction here. They see a strong distinction between the people of God in the Old and New Testament.


If you are going to critique the positions of Piper, etc…please do so with the understanding that they are not Reformed. They are Calvinists.


To make this simple:


Reformed equals Calvinist::Calvinist does not equal Reformed

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bs6us