I found an article at Christianity Today that gives a great summary of the weaknesses of the four primary branches of evangelicalism (Calvinists, Arminians, dispensationalists and Pentecostals). Author Ben Witherington “appreciates what each tradition brings to the table-from a fresh appreciation of God’s sovereignty to holiness, eschatology, and gifts of the Spirit-but he argues in his latest book that in their distinctives, all four branches are least faithful to the Bible.”
The article points out something that has bothered me for some time - the focus on defense of an interpretation of Scripture, rather than Scripture itself. This lends weight to the distinctive, at the cost of the essentials.
Witherington says,
The issue is not really with Christology, the Trinity, the virginal conception, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, or the Bible as the Word of God. The issues I’m concerned about are the distinctives of Calvinist, Arminian, dispensational, or Pentecostal theology. When they try to go some particular direction that’s specific to their theological system, that’s precisely the point in their argument at which they are exegetically weakest.
The Calvinist system links the ideas of predestination, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Each of those has its own exegetical weaknesses, especially perseverance of the saints.
But the same can be said about the distinctives of Arminian theology, especially when you start talking about having an experience of perfection in this lifetime. There are problems matching that up with what the New Testament says about perfection.
The same can be said about Pentecostal theology, with its teaching about a second, definitive work of grace, and about dispensationalism, with its teaching on pre-tribulation or mid-tribulation rapture. I show in my book that all of these evangelical theological systems are exegetically vulnerable precisely in their distinctives.
Read the whole article here for more specifics.
The thing that concerns me was voiced in the mantra “in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity,” often attributed, possibly wrongly, to Augustine. The second clause is the troubling part. Should we truly encourage liberty in doubtful matters? Each branch of evangelicalism holds firm to the interpretation of Scripture that supports their own ‘doubtful matter.’
The defense, whether it be of pre-destination, a particular view of eschatology, the age of the earth, or what have you, always starts, “But Scripture says that…”
I’m no theologian, but I think our approach to Scripture should be the same thing that got the Rockies through the NLCS championships and into the World Series - focus on the essentials. Be solid in the basics and let the rest take care of itself.
Technorati Tags: evangelicalism, Ben Witherington, Arminianism, Calvinism, Pentacostalism, dispensationalism, Rockies
Technorati Tags: Ben Witherington, evangelicalism, faith, fundamentalism, religion, theology
Tags: Ben Witherington, evangelicalism, faith, fundamentalism, religion, theology
The spousal entity and I (and a few friends) managed to limp across the finish line at the Colfax Half Marathon in Denver yesterday. I won’t say how we did, but we crossed the line with some of the best marathoners around. Okay, that’s probably because the half marathon and full marathon shared the last few hundred yards of the course.
