Something I have came to a realization to today:
The essence of Neo-Evangelicalism is the inability to even see a need to obey Jude 1:3 as seen in the refusal to name and warn against names of 'Christian ministers' and 'Christian' events and movements that blaspheme the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3 comments:
Heretics have always been identified throughout church history. The Apostles themselves were quick to name names; Hymenaeus (1 Tim 1:20, 2 Tim 2:17), Philetus (2 Tim. 2:17-18), Alexander (1 Tim 1:20, 2 Tim 4:14), Demas (2 Tim 4:10), Diotrephes (3 John 9), Phygellus and Hermogenes (2 Tim 1:15) were properly identified and dealt with in the epistles. With regard to false teachers, the apostle commanded us to “mark them” and “avoid them” (Rom 16:17). But how do we “mark them” out, unless these false teachers and wolves were properly named and identified to the people of God? How can we “avoid them” unless the flock knows WHO and WHAT to avoid?
I am very saddened by the spirit of the age, that is, “We can beat around the bush to look for the pussy cat, but we must never call the pussy cat by name! Sssshhhhhhh!!!”
And it is doubly distressing to see this in conservative, Protestant churches in Singapore. Mark my words, Daniel, this IS a slippery slope to greater compromise and capitulation to the zeitgeist of New Evangelicalism.
Hi,
If you wish to know the history and definition of New Evangelicalism, please do read (if you haven't done so already):
The Tragedy of Compromise by Ernest Pickering
or
Contending for the Faith, by David Fountain
The former is for the US-perspective, the latter is for the UK-perspective. This issue runs deep.
Hello Jenson,
actually, I have read both books. The reason why I write this is because people (at least I used to) think that New Evangelicalism is only about being soft on doctrine and compromising the faith. However, much deeper than this is the refusal to obey Jude 1:3 and other passages exhorting the church to rebuke and more than that, NAME and SILENCE those who are teaching another gospel; not just simply jumping onto the ecumenical bandwagen. In other words, it is entirely possible for a church not to compromise her faith and not to be ecumenical but YET still be New Evangelical in her fundamental outlook.
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