Problems and Misunderstandings
FBFI Pulpit: Dr. David Innes, Hamilton Square Baptist Church, San Francisco, CA
Series: What is Fundamentalism?
In this brief concluding message, Dr. Innes deals with problems and misunderstandings that cause confusion, weakness and unnecessary, unbiblical divisions among Fundamentalists. Fundamentalism’s strength is its willingness to separate from brethren who compromise the gospel, but fundamentalism’s weakness corresponds to its strength, causing unnecessary division over non-essential doctrines.
Highlights from the handout:
1. The idea that Biblical commands concerning unity and separation are mutually exclusive —
♦ that somehow the commands concerning love and unity don’t rightly apply to Fundamentalists.
2. Failure to distinguish between various categories of truth that we teach and preach, preaching all of them with the same level of authority;
♦ insisting that everything we believe and practice regardless of whether or not it is clearly taught in Scripture (column 1 truth) is essential to Fundamentalism —
♦ and therefore, a test of fellowship – e.g. exclusivists.
6. Confusing cultural traditions and certain methods or philosophies of ministry with timeless fundamental truth and clearly revealed Biblical principles;
♦ assuming that conformity to certain outward standards and practices makes one a Fundamentalist.
8. Confusing combativeness with militancy, and a gentle spirit with compromise —substituting name-calling for a clear exposition of Biblical principles and insistence on the practice of those principles.
See the handout for the whole list.
The implementation of a fundamentalist philosophy of ministry is challenging. May God grant grace as you seek to obey him and follow his Word in your church life.
Click here for the audio.
Earlier in this series:
The Doctrine of Separation Part 1
The Doctrine of Separation Part 2
Biblical Commands of Love and Unity – Part 1
Biblical Commands of Love and Unity – Part 2