More on the Reformation (or, Maybe I’m not Crazy)
I’ve been continuing my reading on some “Reformation issues”. You’ll remember my article back in July: Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Reformation. In the article I expressed some frustration over some of the joint statements that have come out between Roman Catholics and various groups, including Lutherans and evangelicals.
My concern was that, instead of clarifying the truth, we seem to be looking for ambiguous language that everyone can agree on.
I did some reading from people who would disagree with me, but recently I read someone else who I think hits the nail on the head (on that point anyway!). So either I’m not crazy, or at least I’m not uniquely crazy!
The book was R.C. Sproul’s Getting the Gospel Right. It’s actually not only a discussion of the Gospel, but also a discussion about some of these joint statements and particularly The Gift of Salvation, a document signed by many prominent Roman Catholics and Evangelicals.
Sproul spends a lot of time talking about words and language – what its good for, where it fails, and so on. Later in the book, he writes about the desire to unite Christians, and the importance of clarification in our discussions.
…any honest dialogue must begin with a clear and precise formulation of the issues or problems under discussion. Precise identification of a problem is crucial to solving it. The lack of understanding between opposing parties is not all that separates them, but it often is a major contributing factor.
The first step then is to gain a clear and precise understanding of the differences between opposing parties. Without that the parties will tend to speak past each other rather than to and with each other. They will also tend to minimize those differences and even succumb to relativism, which carries in its wake religious skepticism.
Wanting to clarify biblical truth in the wake of statements like the Gift of Salvation, many evangelicals signed on to The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration. Though it doesn’t claim to be the perfect inspired word of God, the document is a great place to start if you’re ready to delve into the amazing Gospel that Jesus came to show us. The link below will take you to a free copy online. It contains a set of “affirmations and denials” in an attempt to be clear.
If you’re interested enough to have read this far, I think you’ll enjoy reading Getting the Gospel Right for yourself.