Longtime readers will know that I've discussed Chris Arnzen's
Iron Sharpens Iron in the past and
will know that I'm something less than a fan of him, his work, or his
associates.*
This show caught my eye because of the topic and so I took a
few deep breaths and strapped myself in for a listen. Arnzen is tedious, a poor
communicator and a terrible interviewer. He probably shouldn't be involved in
anything to do with a microphone but I occasionally use him as one of many
means to keep abreast of a sphere that I increasingly have little personal contact
with.
His guest on this show was Robert Brunansky, a Calvinistic
Baptist who would probably eschew identification with New Calvinism but in
reality is very much within that vein. I could sense his frustration with
Arnzen as the host struggled with the topic and the way in which it was being
framed. Arnzen apparently hasn't learned that to conduct a good interview you
need to do some background work and spend some time on the topic. It certainly
hindered the progress of the interview and as is usually the case with Iron Sharpens Iron the tiresome two-hour
show has about thirty minutes of solid content.
Confusion reigned. Brunansky clearly does not understand what
Confessionalism entails and repeatedly his notion of ecclesiology was steered
in the direction of the Church's role vis-à-vis society. It's not hard to guess
where he (a Right-wing ideological exponent, disciple of John MacArthur and
friend to James White) was going with that. The preliminary discussions
regarding masks, Covid and the like were appalling and while glowing in terms
of Libertarian ethics were antithetical to New Testament ethics.
Brunansky raised some valid points concerning the danger of para-church
ministries though found himself somewhat entangled when speaking of John
MacArthur who has thrived (and certainly enriched himself) within that sphere.
The topic of the role of celebrity in modern Evangelical ecclesiology (or
non-ecclesiology) was also avoided. Membership was harped upon but as the
contemporary system cannot be exegeted (or even defended) from Scripture he was
on shaky ground. Indeed, many of his notions of ecclesiology were in fact more rooted
in tradition and philosophical speculation than in any kind of exegetical
harvest.
Evangelical ecclesiology certainly needs to be critiqued.
I've seen the churches in which the doctrine is non-existent and no one really
understands what the Church is or what it is we're doing on Sunday morning. And
it shows in their lives and in particular their 'church lives' – or lack
thereof.
Brunansky may decry the fact that some of these churches have
downplayed baptism to the point of relegating it to be of no importance. To
which I respond that's the logical outworking of Baptist doctrine. It has no
real meaning in their system. It's a 'good thing to do', 'the first step of
obedience' but never necessary for Biblical membership in the Church of Jesus
Christ (as opposed to bureaucratic membership which in some cases is even allowed
minus baptism). The same is true with the Lord's Supper. Either way, confusion
reigns and Enlightenment categories trump the Scripture.
This is not just a problem in theologically liberal circles
and as we're seeing it at work in the larger Evangelical sphere. That's the
ultimate trajectory of such kinds of thinking and history testifies to this as
well. It sometimes takes a generation or two but a formal denial of Scriptural authority always begins with its functional denial – something we're
seeing right now in much of the Evangelical world. These same forces are at
work within Confessionalism and the New Calvinist spheres as well.
Brunansky is right to criticise Evangelicalism but looking at
the website for Desert Hills Bible Church I had to laugh at the notion that the
Scriptures were his authority in these manners. It's very clear the Sufficiency
of Scripture is denied and thus any claim to Sola Scriptura must be qualified
if not openly questioned. The Scriptures are formally upheld but functionally
they are denied and this is painfully clear in the realm of ecclesiology. I
hope the reader can see the irony in all this.
From their praise team/pop style entertainment-oriented worship
to their invented ecclesiology of 'pastors' for every occasion, 'small groups'
and programmes galore, their ecclesiology effectively declares that the
Scriptures are not enough. We must resort to innovation, market-based tactics,
the methods and models of the business world and therapeutically-rooted models
in order to build a strong healthy congregation. The Scriptures are at best a
starting point but wholly insufficient to build a church and allow it to
function.
And for what? So they can advocate Right-wing causes in the
public sphere?
It's tragic and I winced at the notion that several hundred
people were sitting under this man's leadership.
There is an ecclesiological crisis in Evangelicalism. But
Baptist and New Calvinist Ecclesiology has no answers either. It was but
another case of blind leading the blind – being interviewed by the blind and
being broadcast over the airwaves.
See also:
https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-covid-crisis-in-church-at-end-of.html
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2020/10/neither-lead-nor-pillows-can-sharpen.html
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2015/12/sacralism-umc-and-ex-cia-agent.html
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*More could be said about the ads, the decadent appeals to
get the top-grade Italian leather re-bound Bibles that 'feel so good' and are
embossed with your initials. It will only cost you a few hundred dollars.
There's something kind of sick (and very upper middle class American) about the
whole feel of the marketing ploy. There's quack medicine too and false
information being provided by snake oil salesmen who make very nice livings by
exploiting people and cashing in on their pain and suffering.
And of course a particular Critical Text Bible translation is
pushed incessantly. Arnzen and some his friends are somehow connected to the
Lockman Foundation which 'owns' the NASB translation.
In addition to all the hawked wares, there are the ubiquitous
ads for Christian lawyers and a call to file lawsuits. Sue insurance companies.
Sue everyone. Sometimes you just have no choice we're told – in direct
contradiction to the teachings of Christ.
These people are so far removed from the ethics (and
ecclesiology) of the New Testament that sometimes it's hard to know where to
begin.
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