FUN...

From a message by a Curious Questioner--
>CQ> Subject: "FUNDAMENTALIST"

>CQ> John Stott, in the book "Evangelical Essentials" lists eight tendencies of modern Fundamentalists:

>CQ> 1) A general suspicion of scholorship and science, which sometimes degenerates into a thoroughgoing anti-intellectualism;

"For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"

>CQ> 2) A mechanical view or 'dictation theory' of biblical inspiration, with a consequent denial of the human, cultural element in Scripture, and therefore of the need for 'biblical criticism' and careful hermeneutics;

"And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth? Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book." (Jeremiah 36:17,18)

>CQ> 3) A naive, almost superstitous, reverence for the Authorized (KJ) Vision of the Bible, warts and all, as if it were quasi-inspired, which leads to a neglect of textual criticism;

The words of God ought to be magnified above other's words. (The word "warts" is not found in the word of God, A.V.1611.)

>CQ> 4) A literalistic interpretation of all Scripture ('the interpretation of every word of the Bible as literal truth' - Collins English Dictionary) leading to an insufficient recognition of the place of poetry, metaphor and symbol;

"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Prove.30:5,6)

>CQ> A separatist ecclesiology, together with a blanket repudiation of the Ecumenical Movement and the World Council of Churches;

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

>CQ> 6) A cultural imprisonment, whose evil consequences have included racial prejudice and prosperity teaching;

The only "race" in the Bible is that which feet run. "All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is ONE KIND of flesh of MEN, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds."

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3Jn.3:2)

>CQ> 7) A denial of the social implications of the gospel, except for philanthropy and some extreme right-wing political concerns;

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (verse 10 from The Gospel, 1Cor.15:1-11)

>CQ> 8) An insistance on premillenial eschatology, with a rather dogmatic contemporary interpretation of prophecy, including an uncritical espousal of Zionism.

The return of Christ in Revelation 19 is followed by the THOUSAND years of Revelation 20. Obviously the 2nd advent is premillenial.

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time." (2Thess.2:3-6)

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Remember that Jesus is the Lord and receive the love of the truth. Grace be to them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in the truth. Amen. --Richard