Archives for 11.14.08

advice from minnick

The September/October issue of Frontline magazine features the second instalment in a series of articles by Mark Minnick on the subject, “What’s an Evangelical to Do?”

The question is asking what is the appropriate response for any evangelical Christian to the false teaching of alleged evangelical Christians. N. T. Wright is offered as the exemplary false teacher. John Piper is offered as a typical evangelical in response to Wright’s false teaching. The article concludes with these words:

This is the first thing Evangelicals ought to do. They ought to require that any organization to which they belong for Christian endeavor or any professing Christian theologian with whom they enter into any spiritual cooperation whatsoever give unfeigned, unqualified, dogmatic assent to every single Fundamental of the Christian (that is, “Evangelical”) faith.

If, after repeated appeals, an organization or individual refuses to do so, those who are truly Evangelical ought to withhold Christian recognition and avoid him (Rom 16.17), and for the love of the Truth and the safety of Christ’s flock, cry “wolf!” Interminable, deferential, academic fencing will not do. There’s no Scriptural paradigm for it whatsoever. Well-intentioned or not, it’s a betrayal of Christ and the gospel. [bolded words my emphasis]

This advice is exactly what ought to be done, but it is exactly what many Evangelicals will not do. Take for example

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on non-technical communication

I love computers. I am self-taught on this subject, but am fairly conversant with how they work. When a techno-geek starts “talking techie to me”, I can usually follow a good bit of the conversation.

But, alas, there is a point where the tech can lose me. I’m not that computer literate after all.

In any technical field, be it the arcane nuances of computer networking or the intricacies of the hypostatic union, those ‘in the know’ find themselves afflicted with their own jargon – terms that mean much to the speaker, but almost nothing to the hearer.

If you would be an effective communicator, what to do?

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