A Prayer Request

   Brothers and sisters, the debate October 16th at the Thomas Road Baptist Church is in severe peril of not taking place. Unless I hear back from the other side by 5pm EDT that the agreement which was reached by all four participants in September remains in force (it has been arbitrarily rescinded without discussion by outside individuals), the debate will be canceled. As the documentation shows, and will show, we have bent over backwards to try to arrange a meaningful debate on the topic of the doctrines of grace at the Thomas Road Baptist Church. But there are certain fundamental issues of fairness that we simply cannot allow to be trampled, and that is the current demand being made. At this point, I have not heard a single word, after days of intense correspondence, from either Ergun or Emir Caner. They have been, to this point, once again, utterly silent. I have never in my entire life encountered this kind of behavior in the context of arranging debates, let me assure you. I am simply beside myself with amazement that we can arrange meaningful, useful, scholarly debates with Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostals, Jesus Seminar scholars and Muslims, but we cannot get the first bit of meaningful cooperation in the effort from Southern Baptists. I deeply desire this debate to go forward. My travel plans are already set, of course. But I will not allow any debate opponent to simply say, “You know all that stuff that was agreed upon before? Forget it. Here is how it will be.” That is not fair, it is not right, and I will not allow it to stand. As much as I desire the opportunity to present the doctrines of grace in that context, there is a matter of principle here. Men of honor keep their word. If we cannot trust the other side ten days out, how can we know there will not be further changes made the night of the debate, or during the debate itself?
   So, brothers and sisters, please pray.