Paul's Passing Thoughts

Mr. Dohse,

I am aware of you because on two occasions, your, “Do you believe a true gospel? A Gospel Test” tracts have been placed in our church literature rack (and men’s restroom) without our approval. In both cases, I have removed them. I don’t know if you or someone associated with you is placing these tracts, but I have a few questions:

(1) Why would someone place tracts in a church without the permission of that church’s leadership?

(2) I am unclear what the goal of the tract is. I went to 3questions.weebly.com, and I found it to be confusing to even me (I was seminary trained).

Please give me a call at 111-111-1111 x ext.1111. If you’d rather not talk, that’s fine. In that case, please just stop placing tracts in our church without approval.

In Him,

[A Church Pastor]

Dear Church Pastor,

The “3 Questions” tract is widely distributed by our ministry and I have no idea who placed them in your church. However, it seems likely to me that it is someone who attends your church in some capacity. Thank you for the offer to talk, but I prefer written correspondence in this case.

You pose question one as if common decency was somehow violated, but I am not surprised by that. Though your parishioners pay for your salary and the maintaining of your institutional infrastructure, you are incredulous that anyone would distribute information without the permission of leadership. This, of course, is indicative of the hierarchical, top-down, truth-as-authority caste system that is church. While parishioners pay your salary, and probably paid for your seminary degree as well, you have the authority to take away their eternal salvation if they don’t obey God’s anointed, or as Al Mohler stated it, those “preordained by God to save his people from ignorance.”

Of course, I think all of that is laughable and am delighted to find out some attending church dare to think for themselves. Thank you for the note of encouragement.

Secondly, I am not surprised the tract confuses you. In no way does your seminary degree cast doubt on the clarity of justification by new birth as opposed to justification by faith, but rather brings about an expectation of confusion. Many examples could be given regarding your ignorance about salvation (an ignorance that you are paid well for), but I will only cite one. On your website, you state: “The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy. That’s the gospel.”

Yet, while stating that there is NOW NO condemnation, you state in other places on the website that “Christians” are still in need of the gospel daily. That’s because justification by faith is a progressive justification that calls for a perpetual returning to the gospel for “present sin.” Obviously, if there is present sin, there is present condemnation. Obviously, if Christians still need to be saved, they are presently under condemnation. It is apparent that the leadership of your church follows John Piper who states in no uncertain terms that Christians continue to need salvation. And, of course, this necessarily requires the “ordinary means of grace” that can only be obtained through church membership.

It is one thing to believe a false gospel, but it is something else altogether to be leading many others in the false gospel of justification by faith as well. Not only is your own blood on your hands, but that of all of your parishioners. You would do well to reexamine the tract and make every effort to understand it.

If you have any questions concerning the gospel, by all means feel free to call.

Paul Dohse