Dan Phillips over at the Pyromaniacs blog just beat the crap out of all you granola type, organic, hyppie, anti-authoritarian, re-hash the 60s to destroy all organized institution, dont go to church because 'you are the church', Frank Viola self contradicting house church movement people. Try to respond to it. Seriously. You know, I just thank the Lord for people who call it how it is, and talk well deserved and needed crap about bad doctrine. Dont take that the wrong way, and if you do dont forget what 1st Cor 13 is in the middle of, oh Chapters 12 and 14. If your confused 1)Try to actually pay attention to church history, 2) Read this J. Gresham Machen quote:
"Men tell us that our preaching should be positive and not negative, that we can preach the truth without attacking error. But if we follow that advice we shall have to close our Bible and desert its teachings. The New Testament is a polemic book almost from beginning to end.
Some years ago I was in a company of teachers of the Bible in the colleges and other educational institutions of America. One of the most eminent theological professors in the country made an address. In it he admitted that there are unfortunate controversies about doctrine in the Epistles of Paul; but, said he in effect, the real essence of Paul's teaching is found in the hymn to Christian love in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians; and we can avoid controversy today, if we will only devote the chief attention to that inspiring hymn.
In reply, I am bound to say that the example was singularly ill-chosen. That hymn to Christian love is in the midst of a great polemic passage; it would never have been written if Paul had been opposed to controversy with error in the Church. It was because his soul was stirred within him by a wrong use of the spiritual gifts that he was able to write that glorious hymn. So it is always in the Church. Every really great Christian utterance, it may almost be said, is born in controversy. It is when men have felt compelled to take a stand against error that they have risen to the really great heights in the celebration of truth." -J. Gresham Machen
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2 comments:
oooh i printed this article the other day and filed it! the quote is amazing.. i started reading the truth wars by macarthur after listening to that sermon on confronting hersey through condemnation and not conversation.
cheehoo!
I actually read your comments at Pyromaniacs and followed the link over to your blog here. Your comment is exactly what I think. And although they may not approve of your punching them in the face, I do. Not that that matters to you.
Your assessment of Paul's letter to the Corinthians is right on target. People are going to hang their heads in shame when they stand before Christ and he asks them why He was good enough to die for them but He was good enough for them to live for Him!
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