THEOLOGICALLIBERALISM

                                                 VS.BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY

 

                                                                                                                       Dr.Robert C. Newman

                                                                                                                     BiblicalTheol. Seminary

 

Introduction: the Influence of Liberalism

 

            Individually

                        Myown experience & that of some I know

                        Biblecourse at Duke University raised a lot of questions that I couldnÕtanswer.  I was helped by cominginto contact with the writings of CS Lewis.  Others have eventually abandoned Christianity when they couldnÕtfind answers.

            Collectively

                        Effectsin Europe, U.S., Korea (?)

                        Liberalismhas gutted the mainline churches of the US and Europe.

                       

 

The Bible

 

            ItsAuthority / Inerrancy

                        Evangelicalsnote Biblical claims and accept Biblical authority & inerrancy.

                        Liberalsnote problem passages and reject inerrancy & often Biblical authority.

                        Similarsituation re/ sinlessness of Christ, goodness of God

                        Eachof these three is a revealed doctrine supported by evidence that Bible is God'srevelation.

 

            ItsAuthorship

                        Evangelicalsdon't object in principle to sources, multiple authorship, but believe Biblicalclaims about its own authorship.

                        Butliberals reject external evidence of authorship for speculation.

                                    SeeC.S. LewisÕ essay "On Criticism" in collection On Stories (1982).

 

            ItsMiracles

                        Liberalarguments against miracle:

                                    Hume,Harnack, Bultmann

                        Whatwould a miracle look like?

                                    Creation,fulfilled prophecy

 

The Person & Work of Jesus Christ

 

            HisDeity & Humanity

                        Taughtthroughout Bible: OT/NT, Gospels/Epistles

                        Liberalsubstitutions

 


            HisSinlessness

                        ByBiblical standards, not by world's

 

            HisDeath as Payment for Sin

                        Alsotaught throughout Bible (Isa 53:4-6; 2 Cor 5:21;

                          1 Pet 3:18)

                        Necessaryif God is to be just & declare sinners righteous (Rom 3:26)

 

            HisResurrection

                        Notrecovery from a coma, fraud by Jesus or disciples, or hallucinations

                        Appearedon numerous occasions, for extended periods of time, to multiple witnesses, ofwhom hundreds still alive years later

 

            HisReturn

                        Liberalrejection takes form of scoffing in 2 Pet 3:3-4

                        Weneed to remember and remind others of evidence that Christianity true, as itwill be too late when Christ returns or they die

 

Conclusions: What Can We Do? (Jude 20-25)

 

            Keepourselves

            Havemercy on others

            TrustGod

 

Bibliography

 

Craig Blomberg. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels.  DownersGrove, IL: InterVarsity, 1987.

John A. Buell and O. Quentin Hyder.  Jesus: God, Ghost or Guru?             GrandRapids: Zondervan / Probe, 1978.

C. S. Lewis.  Miracles.  New York: Macmillan, 1947.

________. "On Criticism," in On Stories, ed. WalterHooper.  New York: Harcourt BraceJovanovich, 1982.

R. T. France.  The Evidence for Jesus.  Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1986.

Gary Habermas and Antony Flew.  Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?  San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1987.

Josh McDowell.  More Than a Carpenter.  Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1977.

Robert C. Newman,ed. The Evidence of Prophecy.  Hatfield,PA: IBRI, 1988.

Hugh Ross.  Cosmology Confronts the Creator.  Pasadena, CA: Reasons to Believe, 1987.

John Urquhart.  The Wonders of Prophecy.  Harrisburg, PA:            ChristianPublications, n.d.

John Wenham. Easter Enigma: Are the Resurrection Accounts in Conflict?  Grand Rapids: Zondervan / Academie,1984.