Hi Charles

I am not sure what all the FBF men would mean with the slogan, but for me it means that I won’t be supporting a John Piper any time soon because of his many entanglements with people who corrupt the gospel in many different ways. That is not to say Piper doesn’t preach the gospel, but that he isn’t separated completely to the gospel.

Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

I am not sure what you are saying about the statement: “Our problem as fundamentalists with the CEs is that they are not separated to the Gospel.”

“We are together for the Gospel only with those who are separated to the Gospel.”

I am separated unto the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is the point upon which I will fellowship.

— I am very pleased with this statement.

Well you might be right on that last bit, Tracy. I think if you are talking about the “hard” 5-pointers, you are right. But there are “soft” 5-pointers who don’t make the system their idol and are willing to work with others. And then of course the 4 pointers, etc, are less system oriented.

As for petty squabbles… well, to me, some of the ‘dress code’ fights that have occurred in the past come to mind. These would be less likely to be fought at a high level, but sometimes in local fellowships, men have made them matters of division.

I have been looking through the FBF resolutions from the record on their site. It seems to me that the FBF nationally has tried to have a pretty good emphasis over the years, taking good positions on many points. Some of them might be surprising to the young fundies who think fundamentalism never does anything about error in their own ranks. I’ll say more about that later.

Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

Don: [But they may be weary of fighting over petty differences among ourselves. I, too, am weary of that.]

tjp: What do you consider petty differences, and can you cite some examples of fundy leaders squabbling over them?

Don: [And last, PLEASE, let’s lay aside the bickering over Calvinism]

tjp: This, quite frankly, is an impossible request. The Calvinists have informed us since Kangaroo Dort that Calvinism either wins or losses, but it never coexists. History is clear on this point.

Besides, if Spurgeon is correct, and “Calvinism is the gospel,” then the Calvinists are committed to overthrowing all that is not Calvinism. To compromise with the “bastard gospel” (The Mercersburg Review term, 1877) of non Calvinism would be spiritual treason. There is one gospel, and either Calvinists have it or non Calvinists have it or neither has it. But they both can’t have it.

Sorry, Don, your request is denied, and it’s denied on the authority of 400-plus years of church history.

Have a good one!

tjp