[Click on the title to hear the podcast].
This podcast discussing the heterodoxy of Billy Graham is from A Puritan's Mind website. Dr. Matthew McMahon was a friend of mine in Bible college. Since then, independently of each other, God has sovereignly led both of us to the doctrines of grace. Matthew is a Presbyterian, while I have been led sovereignly to the Reformed Anglican side of things.
Unfortunately, few Anglicans/Episcopalians are truly Reformed anymore. The vast majority of them are apostate having either embraced the theological liberalism of the Episcopal Church USA or otherwise denying the authority of Holy Scripture. Likewise, the Anglican Communion in Canada and the United Kingdom is by and large theologically liberal and apostate. This would include the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who has himself ordained an openly gay priest.
The other side of the Anglican Communion which is supposed to be theologically conservative -- GAFCON, Anglican Communion Network, and the American Anglican Council -- is dominated by Angl0-Catholicism, which is itself heretical and promotes justification by works, sacerdotal views of baptism and the Lord's supper, veneration of the saints, mariolatry, and numerous other errors.
Unfortunately, Tractarianism or Anglo-Catholicism is merely a hidden Roman Catholicism masquerading as a middle way between Protestantism and the Roman Catholic view. Anytime we see such an assertion that poison can be compromised with truth our internal heresy alarms ought to be ringing. "Is Tractarianism Popery?" by the Rev. John Cummings is a worthy analysis of Tractarianism from a 19th century perspective. Anyone who thinks compromising with heresy is a good thing is obligated to read this chapter from Cummings' book, Lectures on Romanism: Being Illustrations and Refutations of Romanism and Tractarianism.
Matthew McMahon rightly points out in this podcast that the problem of compromise for the sake of ecumenical unity leads to heresy. Billy Graham has been quoted as saying that those who have not heard the Gospel may know Jesus and not even know it. Graham appeared on the Hour of Power program with Robert Schuller advocating the heresy known as "God's Wider Mercy," which was first introduced by theologian Clark Pinnock who also advocates "Open Theism," another openly heretical theology.
The problem is not just with the Anglican Communion but with Evangelicalism at large. When the focus becomes ecumenical unity even Evangelicals like Charles Colson and James I. Packer get sucked in. As much as I admire James I. Packer, he is too willing to fellowship with heretics in the Anglo-Catholic tradition for the sake of unity in the Anglican Communion. Until Evangelicals begin to care more about biblical orthodoxy and scriptural authority than ecumenical fellowship the downward spiral will continue. Leaders like Billy Graham, Robert Schuller, Charles Colson, Ravi Zacharias and others unwilling to stand for Gospel truth over against Roman Catholicism and Tractarianism and "God's Wider Mercy" and "Open Theism" are setting the stage for an even greater defection to apostasy.
Until Evangelical Anglicans are willing to challenge the Anglo-Catholics with the same level of conviction that they have challenged the consecration of homosexual bishops and the ordination of homosexual ministers there will be only a further slide into outright apostasy. The Anglican Church in North America pretends to adhere to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and the 1562 version of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion but in fact takes the Tractarian view of these documents. Such duplicity is at best a facade which is an outright lie.
Until Evangelicals in general are willing to forsake the approval of men (Ephesians 6:5-8; Galatians 1:10; Colossians 2:22-24) and stand for the truth the Evangelical movement will continue down the road to apostasy and theological liberalism like that espoused by Billy Graham and Robert Schuller. We are to be slaves of Christ and not slaves of men.
May God have mercy on us all!
Charlie
This podcast discussing the heterodoxy of Billy Graham is from A Puritan's Mind website. Dr. Matthew McMahon was a friend of mine in Bible college. Since then, independently of each other, God has sovereignly led both of us to the doctrines of grace. Matthew is a Presbyterian, while I have been led sovereignly to the Reformed Anglican side of things.
Unfortunately, few Anglicans/Episcopalians are truly Reformed anymore. The vast majority of them are apostate having either embraced the theological liberalism of the Episcopal Church USA or otherwise denying the authority of Holy Scripture. Likewise, the Anglican Communion in Canada and the United Kingdom is by and large theologically liberal and apostate. This would include the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who has himself ordained an openly gay priest.
The other side of the Anglican Communion which is supposed to be theologically conservative -- GAFCON, Anglican Communion Network, and the American Anglican Council -- is dominated by Angl0-Catholicism, which is itself heretical and promotes justification by works, sacerdotal views of baptism and the Lord's supper, veneration of the saints, mariolatry, and numerous other errors.
Unfortunately, Tractarianism or Anglo-Catholicism is merely a hidden Roman Catholicism masquerading as a middle way between Protestantism and the Roman Catholic view. Anytime we see such an assertion that poison can be compromised with truth our internal heresy alarms ought to be ringing. "Is Tractarianism Popery?" by the Rev. John Cummings is a worthy analysis of Tractarianism from a 19th century perspective. Anyone who thinks compromising with heresy is a good thing is obligated to read this chapter from Cummings' book, Lectures on Romanism: Being Illustrations and Refutations of Romanism and Tractarianism.
Matthew McMahon rightly points out in this podcast that the problem of compromise for the sake of ecumenical unity leads to heresy. Billy Graham has been quoted as saying that those who have not heard the Gospel may know Jesus and not even know it. Graham appeared on the Hour of Power program with Robert Schuller advocating the heresy known as "God's Wider Mercy," which was first introduced by theologian Clark Pinnock who also advocates "Open Theism," another openly heretical theology.
The problem is not just with the Anglican Communion but with Evangelicalism at large. When the focus becomes ecumenical unity even Evangelicals like Charles Colson and James I. Packer get sucked in. As much as I admire James I. Packer, he is too willing to fellowship with heretics in the Anglo-Catholic tradition for the sake of unity in the Anglican Communion. Until Evangelicals begin to care more about biblical orthodoxy and scriptural authority than ecumenical fellowship the downward spiral will continue. Leaders like Billy Graham, Robert Schuller, Charles Colson, Ravi Zacharias and others unwilling to stand for Gospel truth over against Roman Catholicism and Tractarianism and "God's Wider Mercy" and "Open Theism" are setting the stage for an even greater defection to apostasy.
Until Evangelical Anglicans are willing to challenge the Anglo-Catholics with the same level of conviction that they have challenged the consecration of homosexual bishops and the ordination of homosexual ministers there will be only a further slide into outright apostasy. The Anglican Church in North America pretends to adhere to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and the 1562 version of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion but in fact takes the Tractarian view of these documents. Such duplicity is at best a facade which is an outright lie.
Until Evangelicals in general are willing to forsake the approval of men (Ephesians 6:5-8; Galatians 1:10; Colossians 2:22-24) and stand for the truth the Evangelical movement will continue down the road to apostasy and theological liberalism like that espoused by Billy Graham and Robert Schuller. We are to be slaves of Christ and not slaves of men.
May God have mercy on us all!
Charlie
Excellent post brother,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know that God is a merciful God and that He will ultimately forgive Colson, Zacharias, Graham, and Packer, I feel very sorry for the people who will be lost b/c of their specific teachings on this topic, God knows they are excellent on many other things.
Well, I don't doubt their salvation. However, Zacharias quotes from Chesterton and others who are Roman Catholic and Billy Graham invites Roman Catholics to his crusades and recommends new converts to Roman Catholic Churches. I do not believe that Roman Catholics are saved and neither are Anglo-Catholics.
ReplyDeleteI'm also disappointed because Graham has taken the "wider mercy" view which essentially means missions are unnecessary and that other religions can implicitly lead someone to Christ without their knowing it.
I'm starting to doubt whether or not Billy Graham is genuinely converted. I seriously doubt that Schuller is a Christian because he denies the doctrine of hell, original sin, etc., etc. Colson was convinced that the RCC is ok by John Neuhaus who converted from Lutheran to RCC. Neuhaus believed in a qualified universalism. That is only a few really wicked people will be lost the rest, according to Neuhaus, are elect.
I guess we have to leave judgment of the soul to God. However, we can call heterodoxy what it is.
May the peace of God be with you!
Charlie
My views on this have changed. I no longer believe that Arminians have a valid profession of faith since Arminianism denies the Gospel by making man sovereign over God and by making man the cause of his own salvation. 2/25/15 Charlie
ReplyDelete