1994 Issue 9
Are Arminian evangelicals really evangelistic? Does Calvinism squelch evangelistic zeal, as is often charged? For years Calvinists have falsely been criticized for being disinterested or uninvolved in evangelism. There is an old saying concerning the evangelism of the American West in the 19th century, that the Baptist preachers went on foot, the Methodists followed on horseback, the Presbyterians waited for stagecoaches, and the Episcopalians arrived by train and steamboat, whichever offered greater luggage space! Presbyterian (and Reformed) preachers aren't considered to be all that evangelistically motivated or active. Is this true?
The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness by Satan has two characteristics: historicity and objectivity. It really took place. Some have been doubtful at this point because of their failure to distinguish objectivity and physicalness, (materialness, corporealness). Satan is a real, personal, created being, but he is not physical with skin and bones. This fact in no way takes away from the historicity or the objectivity of the temptation. "An encounter between persons, especially in the supersensual world, can be perfectly objective without necessarily entering into the sphere of the corporeally perceptible. -- The reduction of all this to the rubric of superstition or psychological derangement is certainly not in accordance with the mind of the evangelists. Anyone who desires to dissociate Jesus from all these and other supernatural phenomena, must do so on the basis of a prior theological or philosophical premises.... " - Vos, pg. 331-332.
Chalcedon Presbyterian Church turned 20 years old this year. The journey from a bank meeting room to 7901 Roberts Drive, Atlanta, Georgia, has not been an easy one. The session of Chalcedon decided that the best way to celebrate God's faithfulness to us would be to host a conference, the likes of which North America has never seen. The party was a roaring success.
In April 1994, I was invited to fly round the world and expound the Lord's Prayer in the U.S.A. during September. Having acquired the plane ticket, as an only child I was much looking forward to visiting my parents in Banydale (near Swellendam in South Africa) - on my way from Australia to America.
However, in July 1994, my father (almost 86) was robbed - and left for dead in his home. My mother (having lost her mind and the use of some of her bodily functions) was permanently hospitalized. One week after being assaulted, my father died in the hospital and went to be with the Lord.
From Forgiven to Forgiving: Learning to Forgive One Another God's Way by Jay Adams. Calvary Press, Box 805, Amityville, NY 11701 (1-800-789-8175). 1994, 175 pp. with notes, pb., $10.00 (includes shipping).
What is the greatest problem confronting the church today? Ranking high on any list would, no doubt, be the lack of forgiveness and reconciliation between church members. Thus, it is all the more refreshing to see this paperback edition on forgiveness.
Christianity and New Evangelical Philosophies, 2nd edition, by Richard L. Heldenbrand. 1993, Words of Life, 345 West Baker Street, Warsaw, IN 46580, 270 pp with index.
This book sounds a necessary warning to the evangelical community. It revealingly portrays the wrong direction, due to wrong philosophies, that certain world missions and church growth advocates are going.
