Professors at the Fort Worth seminary have long been required to sign a pledge to teach in accordance with the "Baptist Faith and Message." Under previous administrations, the document was a non-binding confessional statement and not a binding creed. Previous administrations interpreted both the Bible and confessions of faith with a sense of openness and humility.

The new article on the family is an egregious example of faulty biblical interpretation. It is faulty in that it elevates biblical precept over biblical principle. The statement urges wives to "graciously submit" to their husbands. This precept derives from a translation of Ephesians 5:22 that ignores Ephesians 5:21.

What the SBC leaders also ignore in their reasoning is a larger principle found in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are one in Jesus Christ."

In the 19th century, SBC leaders finally agreed to the principle that slaves should be freed. This came after decades of strict adherence to the biblical precept commanding Christian slaves to obey their masters (Ephesians 6:5).

No wonder faculty members at Southwestern Seminary are perplexed and upset over the new "Baptist Faith and Message" statement on the family.

If biblical precept is sometimes to be arrogated above principle by Southern Baptist Convention trustees and the President at Southwestern Seminary, what about Baptist trustees and presidents elsewhere? Could the same thing happen at Oklahoma Baptist University?