This is an excerpt from an article by Carl Trueman. To read the full article click on thee heading below:
WHY DO EVANGELICAL ACADEMICS CRAVE WORLDLY ACCEPTANCE?
I suspect there are a number of reasons for this problem. First, the context of evangelicalism lends itself to just such confusion. Evangelicalism really does not understand what it is. Is it a movement based on an experience (the new birth), or on theological commitments, or on parachurch institutions? Yet here's the rub: The first (experience) will degenerate into mere subjective mysticism if not connected to the second (theological commitments). The second is now highly disputed among evangelicals, who cannot even agree on the answer to Pilate's question, "What is truth?" And the third (parachurch institutions) too often either forms part of the problem of defining the second, or, in the USA in particular, becomes less a ministry and more a vehicle for a cult of personality, vulnerable to the kind of criticism made by Eric Hoffer, who said that every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and ends up as a racket. Evangelicalism is a sorry mess, neither pure nor simple.
I suspect there are a number of reasons for this problem. First, the context of evangelicalism lends itself to just such confusion. Evangelicalism really does not understand what it is. Is it a movement based on an experience (the new birth), or on theological commitments, or on parachurch institutions? Yet here's the rub: The first (experience) will degenerate into mere subjective mysticism if not connected to the second (theological commitments). The second is now highly disputed among evangelicals, who cannot even agree on the answer to Pilate's question, "What is truth?" And the third (parachurch institutions) too often either forms part of the problem of defining the second, or, in the USA in particular, becomes less a ministry and more a vehicle for a cult of personality, vulnerable to the kind of criticism made by Eric Hoffer, who said that every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and ends up as a racket. Evangelicalism is a sorry mess, neither pure nor simple.
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Consider Paul in Athens (Acts 17). Did he use scipture to the Jewish Scripture illiterates? No - it would have been a senseless frame of reference for tehm. He used their existing knowledge (rubber on the road - for traction) to debate 'where they were at'. This is the drive of "true academia" - certainly there are those who do it "for worse" - but that is no excuse for Christians to opt for single bandwidth - it is the Christians who must be the anthropologists and academians to communicate the existance and invitation of Christ. Secular academians ALWAYS fight to reduce Jesus Christ to a messaenger with a message.
So your solution is to sell out to corrupt reason above God's special revelation in Jesus Christ and Holy Scripture? I find it odd that although Paul did reason with the Greek philosophers only one convert is recorded and a few showed interest (Acts 17:18-31).
Let's not forget that in 1 Corinthians 1:17-31 Paul plainly says that the preaching of the cross is an offense to the Jews and a stumbling block to the Greeks.
Hebrews 1:1-3; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Matthew 4:4 and other passages uphold divine special revelation in Jesus Christ and Holy Scripture as the sole means God uses to save lost and sinful human beings who have been chosen to salvation from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-14).
The bottom line here is that reason is not the deciding factor in conversion. The deciding factor is God's sovereignty in salvation (John 3:3-8; John 6:37-39, 44, 65). In fact Paul goes so far as to say that reason is darkened and leads to even greater darkness:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:18-21 ESV)
Actually, Paul did preach from the Scriptures to the Greeks in several places:
And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. (Acts 18:4 ESV)
And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, "Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you." (Acts 24:25 ESV)
1 Corinthians 1:23 actually says it the other way around. Christ crucified is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.
The excerpt above was written by Carl Trueman and not by me.
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