Not So Suttle
By Dr. Peter Jones
Tim Suttle, author, pastor and band leader, hates division about doctrine among Evangelicals, which he claims is his tribe. But the little hand-grenade (a not-so-subtle form of postmodern liberalism) that he self-righteously lobbed into Evangelicalism via the Huffington Post a few days ago will only make things worse. He does not like doctrine but he has his own. It is DIY (Do It Yourself) religious sentimentalized irrationalism, masquerading as Christianity, wrapped up in high-sounding intellectual platitudes.
This simplistic either/or approach really does not get Suttle’s unity project off the ground. He viciously dismisses those seriously concerned about the preservation of doctrinal truth as “the truth-police” who analyze rather than live Christianity, as if you cannot or should not do both, and how does he know how other Christians live? We all want to know Jesus, but how do we truly know the person of Jesus without true information about him. This does not seem to be a problem for Suttle. He believes “Truth” is not “a concept, doctrine, or idea you can write down,” but if words can only point to the Truth, then he must deny the nature of Scripture which calls itself “the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). This is an essential doctrine of the tribe to which he claims to belong.
One of the inspired founders of the Jesus movement, Paul, warned about those who preach “another Jesus” which turns out to be a “different gospel” inspired by a “different [evil] spirit” which will land you in Hell. Without theological/historical sources like Paul there would be no Jesus to know, no Savior from our sins, no mission and no hope for the future. Suttle believes if we all get together in mission, our doctrinal differences will be without importance. But his vision ofunity resembles a fighting force with no clear message.
Thank you Dr Jones. Well-said and to the point!
RE “Not So Suttle”: Dr Jones once again demonstrates clear thinking and reliance on Scripture to refute error.
Thanks so much Dr. Jones. Attended your conference in Escondido last month and was richly blessed. I’m face-booking all my friends with your articles, as well as using your materials in my present series of sermons on being God’s servants to our government from 1 Pet. 2. It’s amazing how uninformed our Christian community is to the strategic warfare of Satan in our country and in our world.
Blessings,
Pastor Mick Cupples
P.S. You have a great golf swing. Saw you on the news last week concerning the shut down of the golf club in Escondido to build homes (-:
Before we start pointing fingers at others we might to look at our selves?
Do we meet the standards the we judge others by?
For the standard by which you judge others is the standard by which you shall be judged
These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory. 1st Timothy 3