Horton’s Systematic Theology Completes The Fix
Revised:
The Fix is now in. What started out as Sonship Theology about thirty years ago—now has its own theology, hermeneutic, practical application, defined experience, ecumenical (inclusiveness) movement, history, college, counseling organization—and now, its own systematic theology. Gospel Sanctification, as Sonship is now called, will begin to totally rewrite orthodox Christianity. It won’t be long; those who we minister to will have to be deprogrammed before we can help them, starting with convincing them that the Bible is to be taken as literal instruction from God as our authority for ministry. Not understanding GS beforehand will make any attempt to help people with the word of God—dead on arrival.
GS Theology
The movement started with a very powerful concept in the minds of its perpetrators. Supposedly, we grow spiritually by revisiting the gospel that saved us every day. Proponents were convinced (and still are) that this thesis stands alone as truth; therefore, all other propositions must bow to it. Though Covenant Theology will work with GS, New Covenant Theology was developed to bolster the Sonship thesis. NCT was developed where Sonship was also born: Westminster Seminary.
The GS Hermeneutic
A literal interpretation of Scripture will continually contradict GS. So, the proponents have changed how we read / interpret the Bible accordingly. The GS hermeneutic is an interpretive prism that will always yield results that make GS plausible. Unlike the rest of the elements (which are very contemporary), the hermeneutic (known as Biblical Theology or Redemptive-Historical hermeneutics) was borrowed from times past. It originated in Germany under the liberal teaching and writings of Johann Philipp Gabler (1753-1826), who emphasized the historical nature of the Bible over against a “dogmatic” interpretation thereof. Nearly a century later, Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949) was instrumental in taking the discipline of biblical theology in a, supposedly, more conservative direction.
Practical Application
The GS narrow approach to sanctification must be embellished and applicable to life in some way in order to be sold. This is Heart Theology, and was developed through David Powlison’s Dynamics of Biblical Change at Westminster Seminary. In 1996, two former students of Powlison articulated Heart Theology in a book entitled, “How People Change.”
Defined Experience
John Piper seeks to articulate how Sonship is experienced via Christian Hedonism. Because GS makes our works and the work of the Spirit an either / or issue, someone needed to develop a thesis that explained how the difference can be ascertained. John Piper answered the call with the development of Christian Hedonism.
Ecumenical Bent
GS now encompasses any group that agrees with its primary view of plenary monergism and the synthesis of justification and sanctification. All other disciplines are seen as secondary and irrelevant to fellowship and joint ventures. The Gospel Coalition (holding national conferences on odd years, 2011, etc.), and T4G (Together For The Gospel, holding national conferences on even years) work together to promote GS/S while promoting inclusiveness among denominations and religions.
College
The Antioch School of leadership training has GS as its foundation and basis for training. It is located in Ames, Iowa.
History
GS proponents claim a historical precedent dating back to Creation. Of course, this is laughable. Sonship, the Antioch school, TGC, T4G, NCT, CH, and HT have no historical precedent prior to 1970. Most of the notable proponents of GS are associated in some way with those who created Sonship Theology: Edmund Clowney, and primarily, Dr. John “Jack” Miller. Tim Keller and David Powlison were followers of Miller. Paul Tripp and Timothy Lane are followers of David Powlison. Jerry Bridges attributes his view of the gospel to Miller as well.
Counseling Organization
The upstart Biblical Counseling Coalition, which seeks to network other counseling organizations as well, is intimately associated with T4G and The Gospel Coalition. The who’s who of Gospel Sanctification sit on its governing board including David Powlison and Paul David Tripp.
The Complete Fix
With Michael Horton’s recent publication of “The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way” (2011), the total fix is in place. The GS machine will now begin to move forward—rewriting and re-forming orthodox Christianity. I confidently predict that Horton’s book will be widely used in seminaries nationwide. Seminary students will be pumped into the local churches with a skewered view of truth—but using all of the same terminology that was formally orthodox.
What Can Be Done?
This doctrine thrives on the fact that Christians are theologically dumbed-down. If most Christians do not know the difference between justification and sanctification (and they don’t), they are helpless against this false doctrine. If most Christians don’t realize the importance of understanding hermeneutics (and they don’t), they are even more helpless. Local churches need to start in-doctrine-ating their people.
paul
Too Bad About the “Kids,” But Like GM, ABWE is Just Too Big to Fail
Too many haven’t heard about the tragic scandal concerning ABWE (Association Of Baptist For World Evangelism). On a much, much larger scale, it reveals what I already knew about ABWE—they don’t care about the truth; specifically, biblical truth. In June of 2010, I wrote ABWE regarding one of their missionaries and false doctrine; a copy of the letter can be obtained by request: pmd@inbox.com . My letter was first ignored by the missionary in question, then totally ignored by Loftis and the ABWE board. In regard to a family that the particular doctrine harmed, a prominent leader within ABWE offered to get involved until he discovered that the sending church of the missionary was at fault—he then disassociated himself with the situation. This is the way the game is played at ABWE.
The victims of the scandal (not to be confused with my concerns in June of 2010) had to construct a website / blog to confront what ABWE has covered up for years. Trust me, Al Gore didn’t invent the World Wide Web, God did, and we thank Him for it. Here is a copy of the press release:
Press release concerning ABWE’s mishandling Abuse by Mission Doctor in Bangladesh
Does your church support a mission’s organization that protects a known pedophile? It just might…
Put yourself in her 14-year-old shoes. A 59-year-old physician and missionary, whom you trusted, emotionally manipulated you, then sexually abused you repeatedly. This man serves alongside your parents on the mission field in a remote jungle in Bangladesh. He controlled you, used you and abused you and has been doing so since you were 12. Once you finally found the courage to speak up, those you confided in, those from whom you sought help, isolated you and kept you away from your parents. Then, those two grown men –one a counselor and the other in a position of authority over you and your parents – forced you to sign a confession. You sought their help and now, humiliated and filled with shame, they force you to accept that pain as a sign of your guilt.
http://bangladeshmksspeak.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/victimminorconfession1.pdf
These are not the words of a 14-year-old-girl. These are the words of someone forced to bear the blame of her abuser’s sins.
Today, 22 years after the signing of that document, ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism), continues to handle the situation inappropriately.
ABWE still refuses to fully acknowledge their role in allowing Dr. Donn Ketcham, former Bangladesh missionary and known pedophile, to return to work in Allendale, Michigan as a family physician. Since returning he has seen countless patients, all unaware of the danger they were placed in.
What’s worse is this 14-year-old-girl was not the only girl abused by Dr. Donn Ketcham. This blog was created by another one of Ketcham’s victims. Yet her own story is held in comparison with the story of the unnamed 14-year-old-girl.
http://bangladeshmksspeak.com/
While ABWE has publicly responded to the blog, they have yet to fully assume responsibility for their gross mishandling and subsequent cover up. They admit to decades of awareness and complacency, yet continue to hide behind closed doors and a wall of anonymity after confessing decades of sexual abuse suffered by young daughters of missionaries in Bangladesh.
http://www.abwe.org/news/article/abwe-board-decision-regarding-independent-investigation/
As an ABWE supporting church, we urge you to contact ABWE and demand a deadline be given. The MKs involved have not been given the names of those on the commission or a deadline for the commission’s decision, continuing ABWE’s history of secrecy. For all they know, the commission is made up of the same individuals who contributed to the cover up over the years. Ask them to let the moderators of the blog choose who will be the MKs on this “commission.” ABWE must be transparent in this matter!
Ask ABWE to hire GRACE. (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) GRACE has been contacted by ABWE but has still not been retained. GRACE has offered multiple times to be this third party for ABWE, but as of yet ABWE has not taken them up on this offer.
http://www.netgrace.org/index.asp?str_string=About%20Us~The%20Need%20for%20GRACE~none
The victims, their families, and fellow missionaries want more than a confession. The enormity of the situation calls for a more thorough investigation.
ABWE must be held accountable for the knowledge of sexual abuse dating as far back as 1975 and the secrecy and cover up that continues to this day. Many innocent girls have been victimized and ABWE has repeatedly turned a deaf ear to their cries for help.
Write: board@abwe.org and address it to the ABWE Board of Directors [End of press release].
_______________________________________________________________________________
Of course, there is much need to focus on the victims here, but this all begins with ABWE’s indifference towards biblical truth / wisdom. In addition, all of the scrambling about regarding damage control is also unbiblical. The Scriptures are very clear; when such an act is substantiated (and it certainly was because of the written statement by the 14 year-old girl), God’s people are to gather in His name and excommunicate the individual:
“ 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you’” (2Cor 5:1-12).
To begin with, ABWE’s effort to love the perpetrator was totally misguided and unbiblical. In demanding that his sending church join them in following 2Cor 5:1-12, they could have accomplished the following: “….hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful naturemay be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.” Also, they obviously don’t believe what Christ said about millstones and those who cause children to stumble.
Furthermore, this story now remains viable fodder for the likes of 20/20 and others to drag the name of Christ through the mud. But, “Oh ya, him: we excommunicated his sorry %@#& and reported him to the proper authorities whom God has not given the sword in vain,” is not much of a story—unless 20/20 wants to make the church look good.
Also, with all of the discussion concerning “prevention,” they could have taken 1Tim 5:19,20 seriously:
“Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.”
How many children wouldn’t have been molested if ABWE had constructed a website / blog instead of the victims? How many sexual predators are going to signup with your organization if they know they could become the topic of a page on the WWW or a nationally publicized newsletter? Contrast that with having a reputation for covering up such behavior to supposedly salvage the reputation of the organization for monetary reasons.
And what shall we say of God’s people? For whatever reasons, we love these organizations way more than we love our children. Somehow, it is unthinkable that an organization like ABWE would be allowed to crash and burn even though the directors thereof think they’re smarter than the Holy Spirit. Why? Again, this is not biblical thinking. Even the apostle Paul recognized that he could disqualify himself from ministry because of misdeeds:
”No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1Cor 9:27).
Apparently, like GM, ABWE is just too big to fail; I protest, if the apostle Paul was not too big to fail, you can be sure ABWE isn’t either. And besides, I bet a whole bunch of missionary boards take a hard look in the mirror if ABWE burns. That’s a good thing. No, that’s a VERY good thing. But what about those 400 other “innocent” missionaries connected with ABWE who “didn’t know.”? Are we not past praying for the victims and saving the organizations? Let’s take care of the victims this time. And oh, those 400 missionaries? Well, let’s pray for them. At any rate, in their next association with a mission board, I would bet anything that this time around they will make it their business to know.
This isn’t rocket science. The unrepentant board members and Loftin need to resign. Their correspondence with the public and the victims refer to the child victims as “MK’s” (missionary KIDS). Last time I checked, that’s slang. Can’t you just hear Jesus referring to the “little children” as kids ? Where is the fear of God that really believes that their angels stand before God daily? Yes, they all need to resign so the others may fear.
I know, I know, the victims. But let us not forget that the victims are a symptom of unbelief on the part of the leaders that they trusted, and no thinking Christian should contribute one red penny to anybody who thinks they are smarter than God. If they do—they partake in their sin.
paul
In Search of Eschatological Significance: Part 1
I rejoice in the freedom we have in Christ. Not freedom from his law, but the freedom we enjoy by following his law and applying it to our lives. And by the way, I hate the term “Ten Commandments,” as if Exodus Twenty represents some kind of theological dichotomy in God’s word. ALL of Scripture is the “perfect law of liberty.” It’s all the law. We live by “EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God.” Paul told Timothy that ALL Scripture was profitable for instruction etc. Paul didn’t list separate uses / purposes for the Old Testament and New; so both Testaments serve the same purpose for each category Paul presented to Timothy—both are equal for edification that the man of God will be “fully equipped.”
Everywhere I look, I see Christians in darkness because they follow the lamps of other people. Our own lamps lit by the Holy Spirit determine who we should follow. The mighty apostle said, “Follow me AS I follow Christ.” Our own illumination via the Holy Spirit determines whether they are followers of Christ or not—NOT them!
All of my AC life I have been taught that eschatology is a “secondary issue.” But according to Matthew 4:4, there are no secondary issues; therefore, eschatology is twenty-five percent of our spiritual diet. How can a proper knowledge of eschatology applied to life make me a better Christian? How can it equip me to better serve Christ? How can I use this knowledge to adorn the gospel?
That’s what really matters—not the fact that I am a dyed in the wool pre-everything. I wonder: how many Christians are pre-everything because John MacArthur is? Though I am comfortable with my ability to defend PE, there are cracks in the dam. I think Christ says what he means and means what he says. I think the goal of the one who created communication is to be clear about what he says. He doesn’t want confusion. So, in regard to all of the events he spoke of in the Olivet Discourse, he said the present generation he was speaking to would not pass away till all of those events took place—for me, that’s a huge problem, though everything else seems to fit. I don’t like loose ends.
Ok, but if I am going to listen to another perspective, it’s not going to be from an a-mil hack; and remember, the goal is to discover eschatology’s role in helping us CHANGE. Well then, who better than Jay Adams? I have started reading his book, “The Time is at Hand.” I found his initial arguments interesting, but they did not make me fear that change was ahead. However, his arguments in chapter three concerning duplication are compelling, and have caused me to let my guard down for the rest of the book. Never the less, it’s still going to be a hard sell.
I look forward to the adventure ahead and pray that the Spirit will show me the importance of eschatology in change: “Those who have this hope purify themselves.” Also, I’m sure the old warhorse would love to have another notch on his belt—we will have to see.
paul
A Big Fat Lie: “Tripp Has Taken Powlison’s DBC Too Far”
No one is better than David Powlison for throwing people under the bus. He will throw you under it, and in some cases, continue to run you over: first forward, then backing up and running you over again. Strangely, he will then publicize (either in print or publicly) his reasons for running you over while flavoring the reasons with compliments—if you’re elderly, apparently, the younger suffer full traction without compliments.
Larry Crabb has suffered Powlison’s wrath since the early 90’s for not being nuanced enough. Supposedly, Crabb and he never agreed on anything, and of course, Powlison was dismayed by Crabb’s book, “Inside Out” which claimed that Evangelicals denied an “inside life,” and all truth is God’s truth. Crabb also said in IO that the church needed Freud’s wisdom to figure it all out. Powlison has no patience for that kind of honesty: you’re supposed to accuse them of denying that the heart has to change first and refer to truth as stuff in the Bible that the church forgets about. When rediscovered—you never, never, admit that God showed it to guys like Freud; instead, you cite really, really old Catholic bishops.
Apparently, Powlison now finds himself in the same dilemma with Paul Tripp who articulated his “Dynamics of Biblical Change” in a book authored by Tripp and Timothy Lane entitled, “How People Change.” Tripp plainly states in the book, among other things, that Christians remain spiritually dead, and passive endeavors such as changing our thinking to that of Christ is a denial of the gospel. Hence, I heard the rumor again last weekend: “Paul Tripp has taken DBC farther than Powlison intended.” Anybody smell diesel fuel?
However, the rumor must be working because Tripp and Powlison will be sitting on the new board of the Biblical Counseling Coalition together where they can once again giggle (because undoubtedly, the rest of the board thinks they’re orthodox), pass notes to each other, and sip lattés while cursing Moses under their breath. Only problem is—it’s a lie. I went ahead and copied documents for comparison purposes: things Tripp and Powlison wrote together at CCEF that can be compared to “How People Change.” It’s all the same stuff—stuff that the church has forgotten, but now interpreted in its “socio-historical context.” The information is almost identical, and was easily gathered in cursory fashion. It should be self explanatory, but I can produce more information if necessary.
Written by Tripp and Powlison in 2003:
“How people Change,” Paul Tripp, 2006:
CCEF’s pilot / test program prior to the release of Tripp’s “How People Change”:
Tripp’s “How People Change” 2006:
Written by Powlison in CCEF’s Journal of Biblical Counseling:
Tripp’s “How People Change” 2006:
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