Some weeks ago, after I finished reading Guy Waters’ book on the Federal Vision, I contacted him, and offered to work with him to set up some kind of discussion/debate between the two of us. I was willing to fly to Jackson and have our interaction there. Our phone conversations were very cordial, but he was not interested in a face-to-face debate of that kind. He indicated that a written debate would be a possibility, so I wrote up a proposal and sent to him. That debate would be published in Credenda, and Dr. Waters would have the freedom to publish it in whatever setting he would like.
Today I heard back from him. He wrote that he had “been advised by [his] presbytery’s study committee on the New Perspectives and Federal Vision that [he] not engage in this debate.” Wishing to respect their counsel, Dr. Waters declined the invitation.
Unfortunately, that being the case, I would like to extend the invitation more broadly. I would like to ask any anti-FV pastor or theologian (who would be recognized as a credible spokesman for that position), and who is willing to identify with Dr. Waters’ critique of the FV, to please contact me.
And it should be mentioned that the stance of the PCA study committee is curious.
My very personal opinion is that Dr Waters’s Presbytery should have allowed the debate to continue.