Monday 8 December 2008

What should evangelicals believe?

The question of the week on The Guardian 'Comment is Free: Belief' blog is, "What should evangelicals believe? What must an evangelical think and do to make him or her worthy of the name?"

My reply, the first of what will be five for the week, is here.

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6 comments:

  1. Christina Baxter and Ian Paul will be defining 'evangelical' at the college Thurs lecture so good timing John.

    Rachel

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  2. Keep an eye on the Guardian blog, Rachel, as I think they invite five people to respond during the week to each question.

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  3. This evangelism has three essential components. First, ...It is the death of Christ for sins which informs and shapes all other theology, ecclesiology, missiology and so on.

    What about His Resurrection , particularly in view of Paul's comment in 1 Cor 15.14?

    Secondly, this evangelism proceeds from the conviction that the message of salvation must be proclaimed to all and accepted with faith by the hearers if they are to be saved from coming judgment.

    Which 'coming judgment'...when Messiah returns or at the end of the Messianic Age?
    How are those ppl judged who have never heard of Messiah Jesus?

    Thirdly, this evangelism holds that the response of faith is immediately sufficient for the individual to be fully reconciled with God and to receive all his blessings.

    Why does the evidence show that believers do not 'receive all His blessings'....not least the evidence of healing that He gives as proof that He is Messiah in Matt 11?

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  4. I'm going to disagree fundamentally with your first component.

    The message of 1Cor15 (and the constant theme of Paul) is not just that Christ died for our sins, but that he rose from the dead: it is the hope we have in the risen Jesus should shape "all other theology, ecclesiology, missiology and so on."

    If all Jesus had to do was die for our sins, the resurrection would be nothing but an interesting afterthought. But we are an Easter people - not a Good Friday people.

    Simon Morden, Gateshead

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  5. John and Simon, I have posted a lengthy reply to part of your points here.

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  6. Thirdly, this evangelism holds that the response of faith is immediately sufficient for the individual to be fully reconciled with God and to receive all his blessings. mens necklaces canada , mens necklaces australia ,

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