TE Brian Carpenter from the PCA has written an insightful but sad commentary on what is happening in his presbytery. Being somewhat removed from it, the controversy does not at the moment, and hopefully will not in the future, affect me. The commentary however is very revealing, through its exposure of the hornet's nest in the PCA, that the errors of doctrinal latitudinarianism has taken hold in it, such that friendships trump the Lordship of Jesus Christ and Sociology trumps Theology and Ecclesiology.
The sad fruits of this mess can be seen in the apostasy of entire denominations like the PCUSA, ECUSA, UMC etc in history. As Carpenter wrote:
The PCUSA became the PCUSA because of just this dynamic. In the 1860’s it was “Yeah, he doesn’t believe in the doctrine of predestination, but he’s such a nice guy. How could we discipline him and remove him from office? It wouldn’t be nice.”
In the 1920’s it was “Yeah, he doesn’t believe in the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, but he’s such a nice guy. How could we discipline him and remove him from office? It wouldn’t be nice.”
By the 1990’s it was “Yeah, he doesn’t believe that homosexuality is a sin, but he’s such a nice guy. How could we discipline him and remove him from office? It wouldn’t be nice.”
May God save us from the poison of doctrinal latitudinarianism. Perhaps one way to combat this heinous sin is to place as one criteria for ordination as pastors/elders is that they are willing to name and shame heretics in public and have indeed done so?
[HT: Johannes Weslianus]
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