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06 VOLUME 13 FEBRUARY 2015 A NEWS PUBLICATION OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Purchases in Edgar’s now support BEVIN CENTER SHORT-TERM MISSIONS (502) 897-4337 edgarsemporium.com @edgarssbts edgarsatsouthern Fifth & Print shop Broadway discount coupon 25% Honeycutt Campus Center OFF 50% 2825 Lexington Rd., Louisville, KY 40280 Bagged coffee OFF (502) 897-4212 | sbts.edu/fifthandbroadway Print and bind for class notes 5thandBroadway FEBRUARY 2015 - 5 - Mohler responds to Publisher: Newsweek Steve Watters SBTS President R. Albert Executive editor: Mohler Jr. defended the James A. Smith Sr. relevancy of the Bible in Editor: response to a recent News- S. Craig Sanders week article attacking the validity of Scripture. Copy editor: RuthAnne Irvin - 8 - News writer: Andrew J.W. Smith Garrett on Exodus Southern Seminary Old Creative director: Testament professor Duane Eric Jimenez A. Garrett talks about the Art director: importance of the book of Daniel Carroll Exodus and controversial Graphic designer: issues like the identity of Gabriel Reyes Ordeix the pharaoh. Photographer: Emil Handke - 21 - CONTACT INFO Southern Story Phone: (502) 897-4000 Boyce professor Bryan Baise E-mail: [email protected] is motivated to teach college Web: towers.sbts.edu students so that they may The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Life at SBTS: Spring preview love their neighbors well. 2825 Lexington Rd. 12 From missions opportunities to ethnic restaurants, the Towers team helps you cover all the Louisville, KY 40280 bases of a new semester and how to get the most from SBTS in the next few months. - 28- ADVERTISING INFO 3 Questions with Towers, the award-winning David Wells campus publication of The distinguished evan- Southern Seminary, provides gelical scholar discusses an excellent advertising my visit, I spoke with nearly friendships, and excursions, the holy-love of God for opportunity for business- a dozen young professionals and this issue will help you the Christian life and his es and ministries. Rates who want to study at South- take advantage of them. friendship with the late available upon request by ern Seminary. Whether this Most importantly, I hope John Stott. emailing [email protected] or you participate in the Great calling (502) 897-4000. All is your first semester or your last, I hope you never Commission Focus. Each material for the ads subject Our mission is to use to approval. The advertiser forget the wonderful privi- day the seminary will take assumes full responsibility for lege you have of studying at students on evangelistic our time, resources, accuracy of the content. this seminary. trips throughout Louisville. February 2015, Vol. 13, No. 6. As I enjoyed the fore- Resolve to share the gospel and talents to tell the Copyright ©2015 The taste of warm weather with someone this semes- Southern Baptist Theological From the editor: and sunshine, I was also ter even if you are unable Southern story in an Seminary. Postage paid at In early January, I visited anticipating my return to to participate. If personal Louisville, Ky. the Dominican Republic on Louisville for the exciting evangelism is merely a class accurate, timely, and POSTMASTER assignment for Southern Sem- semester awaiting us. Life at assignment for you, I pray creative manner to Send address changes to inary Magazine to learn more Southern Seminary is filled the Lord will awaken your Towers, 2825 Lexington about the ministry of Miguel with opportunities to invest heart to the reality of lost the glory of God. Road, Louisville, KY 40280 Núñez and his church. During in missions, academics, and dying people in this city. towers.sbts.edu February 2015 TOWERS 3 REPORT Newslog Mohler offers ‘Christmas mandate’ to fall 2014 Southern graduates By S. Craig Sanders The mission of seminary graduates is to announce the that the baby lain in Bethlehem’s manger is the way, birth of Christ and the clear truth of salvation, President the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Fa- Southern Seminary R. Albert Mohler Jr. told the fall 2014 graduates of The ther, but by him.” Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Audio and video of Mohler’s address are available professors trace the Southern Seminary conferred degrees upon 207 mas- at sbts.edu/resources. A complete manuscript of the ter’s and doctoral students during the 214th commence- address is available at www.albertmohler.com. importance of biblical ment exercises in Alumni Memorial Chapel, Dec. 12. In an address from Luke 1:67-80 titled “To Give theology at Alumni Knowledge of Salvation to His People: A Christmas Mandate for Christian Ministry,” Mohler stressed the Academy significance of the Christmas holiday as an opportuni- ty for graduates to refute a “terminal theological confu- By Andrew J.W. Smith sion” in churches today. “The clarity of the Christmas story reminds them that Biblical theology is a means of church unity and the they are to be defenders of the faith, teachers of undilut- foundation for careful theological interpretation, ac- ed truth, guardians of the treasure entrusted to them, cording to Southern Seminary professors at the Alum- heralds of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Mohler said. “They ni Academy, Jan. 8-9, 2015. have learned so much in their studies here, and they will James M. Hamilton Jr., professor of biblical theolo- learn even more as they teach others.” gy at Southern Seminary, argued from Ephesians 4:11- Mohler closed the address with a gospel call on be- 14 that doctrinal agreement, unity, and Christlikeness half of the graduates, urging the audience to “know are accomplished through understanding the work of God throughout salvation history. “The narratives in the Bible,” Hamilton said, “are in the Bible to shape our desires, to cause us to want to be Southern Seminary’s ‘growing influence’ in ETS certain kinds of people. What they give us is a vision of what the good life looks like.” seen at recent meeting Biblical theology also involves typology and symbols, Hamilton said, or ways the biblical authors “summa- By James A. Smith Sr. rize and interpret” earlier stories in the biblical canon through various linguistic connections between texts. Thomas R. Schreiner’s presidency of the Evangelical participated in 47 paper presentations and panel discus- Finally, Hamilton said that biblical theology shapes Theological Society is the latest example of the “growing sions during the ETS 66th annual meeting, whose theme the church’s identity as the people of God. The Bible’s influence” of The Southern Baptist Theological Semi- was ecclesiology. metanarrative becomes the believer’s story. nary in the scholarly organization, seminary leaders say. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of The two-day conference also featured lectures from During the 2014 ETS annual meeting held Nov. 19-21 in New Testament Interpretation, told Southern Semi- Denny Burk, Stephen J. Wellum, and Robert L. Plum- San Diego, California, Schreiner completed a one-year term nary’s news staff it was a “great privilege and honor” to mer, as well as panel contributions from Greg Gilbert, as president, but will continue to serve on the organization’s serve as ETS president. preaching pastor at Third Avenue Baptist Church in executive committee along with Southern Seminary theolo- Southern Seminary’s leadership of and participation in Louisville, Kentucky, and Brian Payne, associate pro- gian Gregg R. Allison, who is currently serving a seven-year ETS is also seen in the fact that the organization has been fessor of Christian theology and expository preaching. term as secretary/treasurer of the group. In 2009, Bruce A. located on the school’s Louisville campus since 2009. Alumni Academy provides free ongoing instruction for Ware served as president, marking the first time a Southern Southern Seminary professors Robert L. Plummer and alumni and prospective students of Southern Seminary. Seminary faculty member led the organization. Denny Burk were elected to the ETS membership com- More information and audio from the Alumni Academy Together with the presentations by Schreiner and Al- mittee during the 2014 annual meeting. Owen Strachan lectures are available at www.sbts.edu/resources. lison, Southern Seminary faculty and graduate students also currently serves on the membership committee. 4 TOWERS February 2015 towers.sbts.edu REPORT Responding to Newsweek, Mohler tells ‘FOX & Friends’ the Bible ‘still matters’ By RuthAnne Irvin A Newsweek cover story calling into question the veracity in selecting side orders for lunch.” and relevance of the Bible nevertheless “shows the Bible “Christianity doesn’t have anything to fear from an still matters,” R. Albert Mohler Jr. said Dec. 30 on “FOX & honest look at the facts of the truth claims of Christiani- Friends” on the Fox News Channel. ty,” Mohler said during the interview. “And when you have “It matters so much that someone would choose this someone in the media give a balanced view and talk about type of venue to attack it in such an open way and those the great truths of the faith in an honest and balanced and who are Christians know why: it is indeed the Word of journalistic way, that’s fair game. But that’s not what we’re God,” Mohler said. dealing with here. From the opening shot, this is an open at- Mohler also responded to the Newsweek article, “The Bi- tack upon Christianity.” ble: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin” by Kurt Eichenwald in a Concerning Eichenwald’s claims about translations Dec. 29 blog post, saying that Eichenwald’s article “is a hit- of the Bible, Mohler told hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck and piece that lacks any journalistic balance or credibility.” Scott Brown, “We have very accurate translations avail- Eichenwald argues that Christians have a poor un- able to us now based upon very credible texts.