Page 428 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

NEW EVANGELICAL

First, the prophets of old were not positive-focus New likened them to “natural brute beasts, made to be taken
Evangelicals. Consider Enoch’s sermon: “And Enoch also, and destroyed” (2 Pe. 2:12) and exposed their deception
the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, (2 Pe. 2:13).
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, John, “the apostle of love,” was also busy warning
to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are about antichrists (1 John 2:18-19), calling them liars (1
ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they John 2:22) and seducers (1 John 2:26) and deceivers (2
have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches John 7); saying that they deny the Son (1 John 2:23)
which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude and that they don’t have God (2 John 9). He put great
14-15). There is nothing New Evangelical about this emphasis upon testing the spirits (1 John 4:1-3). John
sermon. even forbade the believers to allow the false teachers
Second, the Lord Jesus Christ was not a positive-focus into their houses or to bid them God speed (2 John
New Evangelical. He preached more about hell than 10-11).
heaven (i.e., Mark 9:42-48) and strongly rebuked error Fourth, biblical preaching is not positive-focus New
(Mt. 23:13-33). He scalded the Pharisees because they Evangelicalism. There is both “negative” and positive in
perverted the way of the truth and corrupted the gospel the Bible, and the preacher’s job is to preach it all (2
of grace, calling them hypocrites, blind guides, fools and Timothy 4:2). We are to preach all things whatsoever
blind, serpents, generation of vipers. And that was just Christ has taught (Mt. 28:20). We are to speak the
one sermon! whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). Biblical preaching
Third, it is also obvious that the apostles were not always has a strong element of warning and plain
positive-focus New Evangelicals. Paul was constantly correction.
involved in doctrinal controversies and was brutally Fifth, biblical Christianity is not positive-focus New
plain about the danger of heresy. He called false Evangelicalism. It is not only the preacher’s job to
teachers “dogs” and “evil workers” (Ph. 3:2). Of those reprove sin and to warn of error. God commands every
who pervert the gospel he said, “Let them be Christian to reprove (Ep. 5:11). He commands every
accursed” (Ga. 1:8, 9). He called them “evil men and Christian to contend for the faith (Jude 3). And He
seducers” (2 Ti. 3:13), “men of corrupt minds, reprobate commands every Christian to separate from error (Ro.
concerning the faith” (2 Ti. 3:8), “false apostles, 16:17).
deceitful workers” (2 Co. 11:13). He named the names What the Bible Says about Judging
of false teachers and called their teaching “vain
babblings” (2 Ti. 2:16, 17). He warned about First, the Bible requires that we judge everything by the
“philosophy and vain deceit” (Col. 2:8). He described divine standard (1 Th. 5:21).
their “cunning craftiness.” When Elymas tried to turn (1) We are to judge righteous judgment (Jn. 7:24).
men away from the faith, Paul wasted no time with (2) We are to judge all things (1 Co. 2:15-16). (3) We
dialogue. He said, “O full of all subtilty and all mischief, are to judge sin in the church (1 Co. 5:3, 12). (4) We
thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, are to judge matters between the brethren (1 Co. 6:5).
wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the (5) We are to judge preaching (1 Co. 14:29). (6) We are
Lord?” (Acts 13:10). He warned about false teachers to judge those who preach false gospels, false christs,
who would come into the churches and called them and false spirits (2 Co. 11:1-4). (7) We are to judge the
“grievous wolves” (Acts 20:29) and their teaching works of darkness (Ep. 5:11). (8) We are to judge false
“perverse things” (Acts 20:30). Those who denied the prophets and false apostles (2 Pe. 2; 1 John 4:1; Jude;
bodily resurrection were called “fools” (1 Co. 15:35-36). Re. 2:2).
He warned about false christs, false spirits, false gospels Second, we are not to judge hypocritically (Mt. 7:1-5).
(2 Co. 11:1-4). He labeled false teaching “doctrines of In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus did not condemn all
devils” (1 Ti. 4:1). In the Pastoral Epistles Paul warned judging; He condemned hypocritical judging (“Thou
of false teachers and compromisers by name 10 times. hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;
Peter was also plain spoken about heresy. Almost two and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out
thirds of his second epistle is dedicated to warning of thy brother's eye,” Mt. 7:5).
about false teachers. He labeled their heresies That Christ does not condemn all judging is evident
“damnable” and warned of their “swift destruction” (2 from the context. In the same sermon He warned about
Pe. 2:1). He called their ways “pernicious”; said their false teachers (Mt. 7:15-17) and false brethren (Mt.
words were “feigned”; and boldly declared that “their 7:21-23). It is impossible to beware of false prophets
damnation slumbereth not” (2 Pe. 2:3). He warned and false brethren without judging doctrine and practice
them of eternal hell (2 Pe. 2:4-9) and called them by God’s Word.
“presumptuous” and “selfwilled” (2 Pe. 2:10). He

428 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity