Hinson’s Heresy

                                                                                                                       Vol. VIII, No. 1, January 1995

Dr. E. Glenn Hinson was on the faculty of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, one of our six Cooperative Program funded seminaries, for many years. In 1977 he published a book titled Jesus Christ (Volume 1 in the series "Faith of Our Fathers," a Consortium Book, by McGrath Publishing Company). Following are several selections from that book. Emphasis has been added. Page references are given in case readers wish to check that the quotations are accurate and not distorted by being removed from context.

Dr. Hinson is now a faculty member of the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, the exceedingly liberal seminary founded in protest because the Southern Baptist Convention has returned to the full authority of the Bible. Readers will be able to judge what is taught at BTSR by Dr. Hinson's own words, and should note that BTSR is financially supported by Virginia churches which contribute missions money through the World Missions 2 budget track..

"These [temptation) experiences [which followed Jesus' baptism) may have been the creation of the evangelists or sources upon which they depended. All three of the Synoptics but especially Matthew and Luke present the temptation story in more or less mythological terms when it had to be a highly personal and interior experience. In the interest of presenting Jesus as the Messiah-Servant, they or their sources could have created the account." (p.64)

"A number of modern scholars have discounted the healing narratives and miracle stories, ascribing them to primitive theology and early Christian embellishment. Some embellishment undoubtedly occurred.” (p. 66)

"Indeed, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that Jesus expected the return of the Son of Man and the consummation to occur within his own lifetime (Mark 13:30). His ‘error’ was due to prophetic foreshortening.” (p. 76)

"The fact that some alteration has occurred by later time, therefore, should not undermine confidence that the early believers preserved a credible core of Jesus' own words." (p. 79)

"The words in 1 Corinthians 11:24 and Luke 22:19, "Do this in remembrance of me," may not have been Jesus’ words. They could, however, have represented his wish.” (p. 107)

"The risen Christ had not a physical but a spiritual body.” (p. 111)