Leighton Flowers, a professor and Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists (who claims to be a former Calvinist), is now a prominent advocate for Traditional Southern Baptist theology, often referred to as provisionism. Flowers is widely known for his critiques of Reformed theology, especially Calvinism, and his teachings diverge significantly from confessional Christianity, particularly in his views on original sin, the doctrines of salvation, the work of the Holy Spirit, predestination, and the nature of God's grace, often slipping into the error of semi-Pelagianism by suggesting that individuals can respond to the gospel apart from any pre-salvific work of the Holy Spirit.
Original Sin and the Need for Divine Grace
Leighton Flowers often argues that human beings, though affected by Adam's sin, retain an inherent ability to respond to God’s call apart from any pre-salvific work of the Holy Spirit. According to Flowers, the gospel itself is the means by which God grants grace, but he denies that the Holy Spirit must do any special work to enable a sinner to respond. Essentially, he claims that all people are born with the inherent capacity to respond positively to the gospel when they hear it. This view fundamentally denies the depth of human depravity and the effect of original sin.
However, Scripture clearly teaches that humans are "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1) and that “no one seeks for God” (Romans 3:11) apart from divine intervention. Jesus Himself affirmed, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing...This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”(John 6:63, 65), indicating that a supernatural work of grace is necessary for anyone to turn to God. Flowers's position fails to acknowledge that fallen humanity is incapable of coming to Christ without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.
How Flowers's View of Grace Differs from Arminianism and Calvinism
Flowers's view of grace differs from both traditional Arminianism and Calvinism in that he rejects the concept of prevenient grace altogether. Classical Arminianism teaches that the Holy Spirit grants prevenient grace to all people, enabling them to respond to the gospel, even if they still have the freedom to reject it. Calvinism, on the other hand, teaches that God’s grace is effectual and irresistibly draws the elect to Himself, transforming their nature so that they willingly and joyfully embrace Christ.
In contrast, Flowers argues that the grace provided through the preaching of the gospel is sufficient for salvation without the need for any special inward work of the Holy Spirit. He believes that this grace merely involves the communication of the gospel message and does not change the nature of the hearer or counteract the effects of original sin. This means that, according to Flowers, fallen human beings still possess the innate ability to respond positively to God’s offer of salvation without any supernatural change being wrought in their hearts by the Spirit. This belief is fundamentally Semi-Pelagian because it assumes that the initial movement toward God is possible without divine enablement, contradicting the clear biblical teaching of humanity’s total depravity and inability to come to God on their own.
Refutation from the Council of Orange (529 AD) and Biblical Teaching
The Council of Orange (529 AD), which addressed the errors of Semi-Pelagianism, explicitly rejected the idea that fallen human beings can make the first step toward God apart from His grace. The Canons of Orange state:
- Canon 4: "If anyone maintains that God awaits our will to be cleansed from sin, but does not confess that even our will to be cleansed comes to us through the infusion and working of the Holy Spirit, he resists the Holy Spirit himself who says through Solomon, "The will is prepared by the Lord" (Prov. 8:35, LXX), and the salutary word of the Apostle, "For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).
- Canon 6. If anyone says that God has mercy upon us when, apart from his grace, we believe, will, desire, strive, labor, pray, watch, study, seek, ask, or knock, but does not confess that it is by the infusion and inspiration of the Holy Spirit within us that we have the faith, the will, or the strength to do all these things as we ought; or if anyone makes the assistance of grace depend on the humility or obedience of man and does not agree that it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble, he contradicts the Apostle who says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).
- Canon 7. If anyone affirms that we can form any right opinion or make any right choice which relates to the salvation of eternal life, as is expedient for us, or that we can be saved, that is, assent to the preaching of the gospel through our natural powers without the illumination and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who makes all men gladly assent to and believe in the truth, he is led astray by a heretical spirit, and does not understand the voice of God who says in the Gospel, "For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), and the word of the Apostle, "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5).
These canons affirm that even the very beginning of faith and the desire to believe are gifts of God’s grace and are not initiated by human effort. By teaching that the hearing of the gospel is sufficient for belief apart from any inward work of the Holy Spirit, Flowers’s theology stands in direct opposition to this historic affirmation of grace.
What Does Flowers Mean by "Grace" in the Context of Gospel Preaching?
Again, when Flowers speaks of "grace" in the context of gospel preaching, he refers to the idea that God’s grace is extended simply by making the gospel message available to all people. However, he denies that this grace does anything to change one’s nature or enable the will to respond. According to Flowers, the gospel itself is the grace given to humanity, but it is up to each individual to respond using their own inherent abilities. This view fails to account for the depth of human sinfulness and the bondage of the will, which is clearly taught in Scripture (Romans 8:7-8; 1 Corinthians 2:14).
In contrast, the Bible presents God’s grace as something that actively transforms and enables sinners to come to Christ. In Ezekiel 36:26-27, God promises, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." This transformation is an act of God’s grace that enables a sinner to respond in faith and repentance, not something that can be accomplished by human effort.
Conclusion: The Central Error of Semi-Pelagianism and Leighton Flowers’s Theology
The central error of Semi-Pelagianism, which Leighton Flowers embraces, is the belief that fallen humans have the capacity to make the initial step toward God apart from the enabling grace of the Holy Spirit. By teaching that faith is something that comes from our own ability to respond to the gospel, without any prior work of grace transforming our hearts, Flowers promotes a view that undermines the biblical teaching of human depravity and the necessity of God’s sovereign grace in salvation.
The Bible clearly teaches that salvation is wholly a work of God’s grace from beginning to end (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is God who opens the heart to respond to the gospel (Acts 16:14) and who gives the gift of faith (Philippians 1:29). Any teaching that suggests otherwise is a dangerous departure from the truth of Scripture and the historic Christian faith, leading to a diminished view of God's grace and an exalted view of human ability.
In light of these biblical truths and the historic condemnations of Semi-Pelagianism by the Council of Orange, it is clear that Leighton Flowers’s theology deviates from the orthodox teaching on grace and salvation, making his teachings inconsistent with the biblical gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Summary of Differences
Why Dr. Leighton Flowers should be regarded as a false teacher and why his teachings should be avoided:
1. A Flawed View of Man's Nature: Minimizing Human Sinfulness and Depravity
Dr. Leighton Flowers teaches that human beings possess the natural ability to seek God and respond to His call without the need for an initial act of the Holy Spirit to overcome spiritual deadness. This view fundamentally underestimates the depth of human sinfulness and is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture regarding the nature of humanity after the Fall. The Bible teaches that apart from Christ, people are "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1) and that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).
Scripture presents a picture of humanity as utterly incapable of coming to God in their natural state. Romans 8:7-8 explicitly states, "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." This means that apart from God’s transforming work, human beings do not possess the ability to choose God or to please Him (1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Thessallinians 1:4-5; John 6:63) . Flowers’s teaching that man retains some inherent ability to respond to God’s call without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit contradicts the biblical teaching of the total spiritual inability of fallen man.
2. Semi-Pelagian Tendencies: Elevating Human Initiative in Salvation
Dr. Flowers’s theology aligns with sopme aspects semi-Pelagianism, which holds that the first step toward God is taken by human initiative and that grace merely responds to human effort. In this view, God’s grace is seen as an aid that assists human free will rather than being the decisive factor that transforms and enables a person to respond to the Gospel. This approach gives credit to human effort in salvation, suggesting that people possess the inherent ability to initiate their journey toward God.
However, the Bible teaches that it is God who takes the first step in seeking and saving the lost. Jesus clearly stated, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44), and Paul affirmed that "it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). The idea that human beings have the power to initiate their salvation ignores the biblical reality that it is God who "made us alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:5). Dr. Flowers’s semi-Pelagian tendencies ultimately rob God of His glory in the work of salvation by attributing part of that work to human effort and decision.
3. Promoting a Man-Centered Theology
Dr. Flowers’s teachings place a heavy emphasis on human free will, autonomy, and the ability to choose God, apart from the Holy Spirit. This emphasis results in a man-centered theology that shifts the focus from God’s sovereign grace to human decision-making. The Bible consistently teaches that God is the author and finisher of salvation (Hebrews 12:2), and it is His grace alone that enables sinners to repent and believe (Acts 16:14; Ephesians 2:8-9).
A man-centered theology inevitably distorts the Gospel by making human choice the decisive factor in salvation rather than God’s sovereign grace. Isaiah 42:8 declares, "I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols." By emphasizing human effort and decision in the process of salvation, Dr. Flowers shifts glory away from God and toward man, contradicting the central biblical theme that salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:8).
Conclusion from Scripture
The Bible warns against those who introduce teachings that distort the Gospel and lead people away from the truth (Galatians 1:6-9, 2 Peter 2:1-2). Dr. Leighton Flowers’s views, particularly his flawed understanding of human nature, semi-Pelagian tendencies, and man-centered theology, are contrary to the biblical teaching that salvation is entirely the work of God’s grace. The Bible consistently presents a God-centered theology in which God is the initiator, sustainer, and completer of salvation, and it teaches that human beings, in their fallen state, are utterly dependent on God’s sovereign grace to be saved.
For these reasons, Dr. Flowers's teachings should be avoided, as they lead people away from a biblical understanding of salvation and toward a view that elevates human autonomy and effort. Believers are called to stand firm in the truth of Scripture, which declares that salvation is entirely by God’s grace and for His glory alone (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 11:36).
-----
Related Resources
This article quotes Flowers and clearly shows both his semi-Pelagian and Pelagian settiments-The Heterodoxy Of Leighton Flowers
This article also quotes Flowers and shows the similarity to Pelagianism-Is Leighton Flowers a Pelagian? The Answer Might Be Concerning
This article critiques Flowers view of Provisionism-A Reformed Critique of Provisionism and Leighton Flowers' "The Potter's Promise"
Here is a debate between Dr. James White and Leighton Flowers-Calvinism Debate Video: Romans 9, James White vs. Leighton Flowers
Open Theism is a serious heresy and this article takes a look at Flowers symathetic view of this error-Rebuttal of Open Theism and Its Inclusion in the SBC by Leighton Flowers
This article highlights Flowers erroneous, out-of-context interpretation of John 6:44 Response to Dr. Leighton Flowers video "John 6:44 in its True Context"