The Evangelicals

The modern evangelical movement began after World War II in the 1940's and 1950's.  It was started as a corrective and reform of Fundamentalism.  Key figures of the movement included Billy Graham (evangelist), Carl Henry (theologian), and Francis Schaeffer (apologist).  Evangelicalism sought to hold to orthodox doctrine while engaging the culture.  The evangelicals sought to be evangelists to the culture.  The goal was to be in the world but not of the world. 

Evangelicals believed that the Biblical worldview had the ultimate answers to life and the world.  The movement sought to be intellectually robust while retaining devotion with the heart.  Originally evangelicalism was strong on it's doctrine and held steadfast to the inerrancy of Scripture. 

But eventually evangelicalism began to drift away from it's foundations as some in the movement tried to compromise with the secular culture.  Some began to doubt the inerrancy of the Bible as well as it's sufficiency.  Evangelicalism began to move away from it's roots in the Protestant Reformation. 

In the 1980's evangelicalism began to be seen as a political movement.  Some leaders of the movement seemed to think that all that was needed was to get the right people in political office.  The problems in reality were much deeper.  The problems were really moral and spiritual not so much political. 

Also in the 1980's and 1990's the seeker sensitive movement began.  This movement downplayed doctrine.  It focused more on marketing than theology.  It was worried more about offending people than about offending God.  Also in the 1990's the emergent church began to arise.  It seemed to think that we should become postmodernists in order to reach postmodernists.  Postmodernism is the dominant belief system of our modern culture.  The postmodernists reject absolute truth claims and are characterized by uncertainty.  The emergent church began to doubt the inerrancy of Scripture, the existence of hell, that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and the sovereignty of God. 

Unfortunately evangelicalism has become much like the secular culture.  Some have even said that it has managed to be of the world but not in the world.  Many modern evangelical churches are not all that serious about things.  And not surprisingly the world does not take the evangelical church all that seriously.  It has been said that evangelicalism is a mile wide and an inch deep.  This assessment is somewhat true because evangelicals have often forgotten the mind and only focused on the heart.  Some view Christianity as life and not doctrine, but this was the slogan of the old theological liberals. 

The modern evangelical movement is in disarray.  Much of the movement really is not all that Biblical any more.  Unfortunately the evangelicalism of Graham, Henry, and Schaeffer no longer exists.  While the Fundamentalists withdrew from the world, the evangelicals became like the world.  We must hope and pray for a return to Biblical Christianity. 

The Fundamentalists

The Fundamentalist movement began in the early 1900's as a reaction against modernism or liberalism.  The name came from a group of booklets called The Fundamentals.  The Fundamentalists set out to defend historic Christian doctrines that were under attack by the liberals.  Belief in the supernatural was no longer considered viable by the liberals. 

Among the doctrines defended by the Fundamentalists were the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement, the bodily resurrection of Christ, the second coming of Christ, and the inerrancy of Scripture. 

In it's early days Fundamentalism was a good movement.  J. Gresham Machen was a notable figure in the movement although he never called himself a Fundamentalist.  Machen was a New Testament scholar who wrote the excellent book "Christianity and Liberalism".  Unfortunately Machen was forced out of Princeton Seminary and his own denomination because he stood strong for Biblical Christianity. 

The Fundamentalist movement began to decline especially after the Scopes trial in 1925. The trial was an embarrassment for the Fundamentalists.  Clarence Darrow argued the case for teaching evolution while William Jennings Bryan made the case for creationism.  Bryan was not the best person to represent the Fundamentalists side.  Darrow was able to win the public relations aspect of the trial even though the actual case was won by Bryan. 

Fundamentalism became characterized by being anti-intellectual, separatist, legalistic, and having little social concern. They tried not to be of the world but also withdrew from the world.  They would not be involved in politics for example.  In some cases the proclamation of truth was not joined with love. At times the Fundamentalists did not come across that well to people, seeming to lack grace. 

The movement is characterized by dispensationalism (the belief in a pre tribulation rapture), acceptance of the King James Version of the Bible only, and Arminian theology (as opposed to Calvinist theology).  Often the focus of the movement has been morality instead of theology.  Morality must be based on theology because when the Christian theology falls the Christian morality will soon follow.  The movement has also been characterized by emotionalism, lacking robust intellectual thought. 

Fundamentalism started out as a fine movement that was in line with historic, Biblical Christianity.  But it eventually declined and drifted away from it at least somewhat. 

The Inerrancy Of Scripture

(2 Timothy 3:16-17) "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (ESV)


(2 Peter 1:20-21) "knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (ESV)


In our current age authority is rejected.  If there is no ultimate authority then there is no right and wrong and no meaning or purpose for life.  But in reality God is the ultimate authority.  His rejection is the problem of our time. 

God is the infinite, personal Creator. 
He is a personal God and personally communicates with humans.  He has revealed himself to us in the Bible, it is breathed out by God.  God is perfect and does not make errors, therefore Scripture is inerrant. 

The Bible is inerrant in all areas including history and science.  There is also much archaeological evidence that supports the accuracy of the Bible.  Jesus himself said that Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35).  Some try to say that only parts of the Bible are true, but this position makes no sense.  You would have God making errors or mixing truth with errors.  It would be entirely untrustworthy if this were the case.  Those who do this are trying to reconcile the Bible with the secular philosophy of the age in order to be accepted.  The majority position of church history is that the Bible is without error and authoritative. 

The Bible is the actual words of God and not just his thoughts.  It is also clear and can be understood by people.  When it is said to be inerrant it is meant that it is without error in the original autographs.  Therefore an accurate, literal translation is needed.  The method used by God in writing the Scripture was not mechanical dictation.  But the writers of the Biblical books were led by the Holy Spirit.  The writers maintained their own personalities and styles while writing the words breathed out by God. 

The Holy Spirit inspires, illuminates, and correctly interprets the Scripture.  The Holy Spirit enables us to see that the Bible is the very Word of God.  Rejection of Scripture is the rejection of truth and reality.  The rejection of God and his Word is the problem of modern humanity.  The Bible is the authoritative, inerrant Word of God. 

Out Of The Closet, Out Of Our Minds

Recently NBA player Jason Collins has revealed that he is a homosexual.  The news media, sports media, and political leaders (including President Obama) have gone crazy in their praise and support of Collins and his homosexuality.  NBA commissioner, David Stern and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell have been in a competition to see who can praise the practice of homosexuality more. 

Collins has also claimed to be a Christian while practicing homosexuality.  NBA analyst, Chris Broussard actually spoke the truth on the politically correct ESPN.  He called homosexuality a sin and said that one could not be a Christian and a homosexual.  This was amazing because at ESPN you must tow the politically correct liberal line. 

A person cannot be homosexual and a Christian.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) says that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit the kingdom of God, they will go to hell.  This does not just apply to homosexuals but to all unrepentant sinners. In the passage Paul writes to the Corinthian church saying such were some of you, not still are some of you.  All true Christians have repented of their sins. 

Homosexuality is clearly wrong:  it is one of the reasons Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed(Gen. 19, Jude v.7), an abomination to God (Lev. 18:22), unrighteous and contrary to nature (Romans 1:18-32), violates God's law and is contrary to sound doctrine (1 Tim. 1:8-11).   Sex was created to take place between a man and woman who are married (Gen. 2:24). 

Living in homosexuality is nothing more than rebellion against God.  Those who practice and approve of such things are deceived.  Some have proclaimed living proudly as a homosexual great freedom.  But whoever practices sin is a slave to sin (John 8:34).  Whoever is set free by Jesus is free indeed (John 8:36).