Stunning - A Reaction to the "Blog War" [Tim]

Adam Omelianchuk (aka Ochuk) asked if I would be interested in posting the following article in the Community Blog. I found it sufficiently interesting and controversial that I thought I would. I hope you enjoy it as I did.

Stunning. Breath-taking. Astonishing. Those are the words that ran through my mind as I reviewed the so-called "Thanksgiving Blog War" over at a blog dedicated to cataloging the "Big Brouhaha." While I was not unaware of the conflict between the centuri0n (Frank Turk) and the iMonk (Michael Spencer), and voiced my dissent a few times I had no idea that it would grow into such an odious soar on the Calvinist blogosphere. I can now honestly say I am thankful I have been sick the last 4 days bedridden with a cold.

I missed out on absolutely nothing.

Now when I say "Calvinist blogosphere" I mean that that is what I find myself reluctantly having a foot in. To me, the Calvinist blogosphere is made up of what is endorsed by Tim Challies, Phil Johnson, Modergism.com and Adrian Warnock. I can't say I am a "big name" in this particular sector of the world wide web, but I can't say I'm a big name anywhere. Period. However, before he was big, Tim Challies and I exchanged some friendly links and I found my self on his blog roll, which he now calls the "top ten." Those were the days of the "blogswaps" and if you don't know what those were you haven't been reading Challies that long.

I cannot stress enough how honored I feel that Tim considers me one of the "top ten" nor can I stress enough how gracious it is. Seeing how I have at times been sympathetic to such hot button issues like the Emerging Church, the Discerning Reader, the TNIV, an egalitarian view of women's roles, and the treatment of Open Theists as genuine Christians I still sometimes wonder why he didn't "de-link" me long ago. Especially when I was part of the nefarious Boar's Head Tavern.

Yes it's true, I barked few words and scribbled few screeds there in the jest of tavern-style pugnacity. I was belligerent. I was rude. I was temperamental. And it was a lot of fun, but like most of my bar experiences it also wasn't "edifying." Edifying is an overused and abused Christian word, so let me expound on what I mean.

A while back I noticed that my Christian life was filled with a lot of things, except Christ. Don't misunderstand me: soteriologically he is mine and I am his-by faith I have been united to his life that he now lives at the right hand of God. However, that didn't mean I was communing with him. He was there, but on the back-burner of my life. Things like debating the aforementioned "burning theological issues" (none of which are "burning" or "theological" before an unbelieving world that killed that God-forsaken carpenter on a hill called Calvary) became the most important part of my life. A long story short, on the advice of my pastor I decided to lay down all the books I was reading and focus on developing a prayer life and reading the Word as if it were written to me (crazy thought I know!). I agreed that this was the best course of action, and not soon after following through, God "gave me" these verses:

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:14-26).

I could go on telling you how much I identify with the iMonk's confessional writing and think that Frank Turk and the boys over at FIDE-O (for some reason they consider me one of "dog pound." Cool.) are all wet, but these words from Paul haunt me. The phrases about "quarreling over words" that "ruin hearers," and being "kind to everyone" having "nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies" figuratively tap me on the shoulder as I seethe with rage as hammer out yet another sardonic post of contemptuous drivel.

And this is the problem with "fundamentalism."

To be sure fundamentalism, at least in the historic sense, is actually a fascinating theological movement that emerged in the early part of the twentieth century. It's interesting, because was a unifying movement that united Baptists and padeo-baptists, Calvinists and Arminians, and even allowed women to preach (go figure)! Why? Because it was committed to the Bible being true over against pervading modernity that liberal Protestantism was accommodating to. It had seemed as though Christianity actually made a concerted effort to sort out what was truly essential and non-essential in the effort to stand before an unbelieving world.

Of course, anyone who knows the sad history of fundamentalism knows full well this fledging movement didn't last. After the embarrassing Scopes "monkey" trial fundamentalists became an object of ridicule that no longer had any credibility in the public square. Responding to this, fundamentalists "circled the wagons" so to speak and turned inwardly virtually obscuring the movement in the name of "keeping itself from pollution of the world."

Hence, the combative spirit that was once aimed at contending for the truth of the resurrection now took aim at one another. Issues like the age of the earth, a woman's place, millennial disputes, and the numerous positions of inerrancy became matters of Orthodoxy on par with the level of the Trinity. Soon, a moralistic sub-culture developed that saw drinking, smoking, and dancing as signs of backsliding down the slippery slope to Armageddon. Repent of your sins for the Rapture is near.

It was not until Carl Henry felt the "uneasy conscious" of fundamentalism and called his like-minded inerrancy-believing Baptists, not to mention anyone else who wanted to come along, to once again engage the culture and stand as faithful witnesses to the truth before a broken humanity. There are mixed feelings about Henry's legacy. Sure he left behind things like Fuller Theological Seminary and Christianity Today, but his spirit lives on in the writings of DA Carson, Al Mohler, Russell Moore, and a lot of what comes out of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I can't say I agree with every one of those names, but I do respect their commitment to defending the faith before a faithless humanity. That's what matters. That's what we are called to do.

Now I know that all the burning theological issues like the Emerging Church, NT Wright, Open Theism, women's roles, the authority of the Bible, and translation philosophies, are all very interesting and entertaining topics. I have spent more words writing about them than I care to count. They are important to me as the next Christian and I have lots of opinions about them. But there comes a point where "contending for the truth" must recognize that God must "grant repentance" to those who resist it, and then gently move on if the discussion becomes stagnant. Perhaps Paul knew this best. Perhaps all his years spent as a Pharisee debating those pesky Sadducees were a lesson to him: he had searched the Scripture diligently yet didn't know the Word.

And isn't that the point of being a Christian? Aren't our lives centered on someone more foundational than our theological positions? Is there any encouragement that comes from this? Any comfort from his love? Any affection and sympathy? Is it possible that we can find a common ground, a center, a unity in Christ that allows to stand before an unbelieving world that scoffs and mocks the one we call Savior?

All I can do is ask that question, but I am glad that people like Tim Challies and many other bloggers I have met that don't share half my views have shared in this sweet camaraderie that only comes by Christ's blood.