J. Gresham Machen, Fundamentalism, And Liberalism

J. Gresham Machen lived from 1881-1937.  He was a New Testament professor and apologist who taught at Princeton Seminary and later Westminster Seminary.  Machen became a prominent leader of the fundamentalist movement.  He did not use the term fundamentalist himself, but preferred Bible believing Christian.  

In the 1800's theological liberalism arose in Germany.  By the late 1800's and early 1900's it had spread to the United States.  Liberalism was an effort to bring Christianity in line with the teaching of the Enlightenment.  Human reason and science were the authorities instead of Biblical revelation.  The liberals ended up denying the authority and inerrancy of Scripture.  It denied miracles as well.  The virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement, the bodily resurrection, and the second coming of Christ were all denied.  

In the early 1900's fundamentalism arose to combat liberalism.  The fundamentalists got their name because they were defending the fundamentals of the faith.  They were simply standing for historic, orthodox Christianity.  The early fundamentalism of Machen and others was excellent.  But unfortunately the movement strayed away from it's early roots and became known for separatism, pietism, and moralism.  

Machen's most prominent work was "Christianity and Liberalism".  In it he contrasts Biblical Christianity with Liberalism.  Machen concluded that liberalism was not Christianity at all.  He taught at Princeton Theological Seminary but eventually left because of it's liberal turn in the 1920's.  He went on to start Westminster Theological Seminary.  He was also put out of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for his opposition to it's liberalism in the 1930's.  After this Machen started the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.  

J. Gresham Machen was a great leader in church history.  He was an excellent New Testament scholar and Christian apologist.  He stood for the truth and defended Biblical Christianity even when it was unpopular.