Private Judgement

Midwest Conservative Journal ^ | 8/29/2005 | Christopher Johnson

[sionnsar]

Retired Episcopal priest The Rev. Robert Warren Cromey reminds us that ECUSA was dying long before anyone ever heard of Gene Robinson:

The words of Jesus seem to urge this missionary spirit. “Then he said to them: ‘Go forth into every part of the world, and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. Those who believe it and receive baptism will find salvation: those who do not believe will be condemned’” (Mark 16:16). These are powerful words. They are the underlying urging that makes many Christians desire to convert all people to Christ. They believe the unbaptized will go to hell. Jesus is said to have thought so too.

For us Anglicans this raises the question of biblical interpretation and criticism. Did Jesus really say these words? Mark was written 30 years after Jesus’ death. Who could remember? The words were not written down from Jesus’ lips. Did Jesus really want to limit God’s power to love and save? Were these words put into Jesus’ mouth to gratify the needs for expansion of the Church in the 60s of the first century?

Those among us who believe in the literal interpretation of the scripture must take Jesus’ words as truth and act on them. Those of us in the liberal camp will say that we must take the New Testament and its message as a whole. The thrust of the scripture is love, acceptance, freedom from the law, and new life for us all.

I have mulled over the question of God’s love and salvation for the more than 55 years I have been an aware and Bible-reading Christian. I have come to the conclusion, despite specific verses to the contrary, that God loves all the people of his creation and saves them to rest in his presence after we die.

Am I surprised by this unconcealed universalism?  Hardly.  This is modern Episcopalianism par excellence.  Never mind that the words on the page in front of you say; what is the "thrust?"  What about that "way, truth, life, no man comes to the Father except through me" stuff Jesus says again and again?  The Gospel writers obviously put those words into Jesus' mouth "to gratify the needs for expansion of the Church."

Claiming that the Gospel writers lied through their teeth to "gratify the needs for expansion of the Church," is a exceedingly strange assertion to make.  Seems to me that if all you wanted was more bodies in the seats, then you wouldn't care one way or the other what people believed when they joined the church and you got their pledge cards filed.  "Makes us no never mind," you'd tell them.  Look how well that's working for ECUSA these days.

I know what the words say, says Cromey.  I just think they're wrong.  Why men like Cromey continue to go to church is a mystery.  If God saves all his people "to rest in his presence after we die," then there is no point in worshipping God at all and Cromey and the rest of ECUSA's universalist wing might as well start sleeping in Sunday mornings.

[sionnsar]

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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[wmfights]

Boy, I enjoy your posts.

I have long thought that this universalist theology that the seminaries have been pumping out for 40+ years is the LORD purging the church of heretics. I strive to be a 7 day a week Christian not a Sunday go to meeting Christian. I believe where the church is growing is in Latin America, Africa, and fundamentalist sects in the USA. I think the common denominator for all of these bodies is that they rely on the truth of the Bible and not some wild new age interpretation. The truth is the truth and it doesn't change and believers know it.

[asformeandformyhouse]

Claiming that the Gospel writers lied through their teeth to "gratify the needs for expansion of the Church," is a exceedingly strange assertion to make.

Agreed. This would not describe the kind of people who would go to the lions rather than deny Christ.

Seems to me that if all you wanted was more bodies in the seats, then you wouldn't care one way or the other what people believed when they joined the church and you got their pledge cards filed.

We have enough of these 'churches' today.