This week (Oct. 15-17) the Free Grace Alliance is conducting their national meeting. Among the various workshops is a special panel discussion to be held this evening. The discussion is being billed as an Academic Forum. Following is the question for discussion “Is explicit belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection necessary for salvation?”
For the Grace Evangelical Society’s “Crossless” gospel Jeremy Myers and Tim Nichols will take the platform. Tom Stegall and Ken Wilson will represent the Free Grace community position.
I might have suggested the Forum question be postulated this way, “In this dispensation, Is explicit belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection necessary for salvation?”
One element that, in my opinion, should be included is the GES view that the Lord’s titles, “the Christ” and “Son of God” do mean or infer his Deity.
In the Open Question to Bob Wilkin thread Jeremy Myers stated that neither the titles “the Christ” nor “the Son of God” involve Deity. In fact, he typed Christ’s title “son of God” (lowercase). If the title “the Son of God” does not refer to Christ’s unique relationship with the Father in which He is equal in Deity, what is the meaning of the term, “the Son of God?”
The “Crossless” advocates go way beyond claiming a lost man does not need to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ for salvation. They teach and allow for a lost man to have any kind of “misconception” about, and/or including a conscious rejection of the Lord’s Deity, death and resurrection and still claim he can be born again.
The corruption of the Gospel by Zane Hodges, Bob Wilkin and the GES has done serious damage to the cause of Christ. Many of us are thankful that over the last few months the egregious errors, of Hodges, Wilkin including their abuse of the Lord’s titles, have come to light. It appears they will no longer have open and free reign to spread this crossless/deityless teaching, which is antithetical to Scripture.
There several of us who are praying that the errors of “Crossless” gospel and its inherent dangers be made clear tonight. We are praying that men in leadership within the FGA will not simply recognize the dangers of the “Crossless” gospel, but take a proactive stance against it so that others in the FG community are not swept into its errors.
We are praying specifically for Jeremy Myers. It is our hope and prayer that he can be recovered to an orthodox position. At his blog Jeremy posted an article titled, Who Is The Christ? Jeremy stated,
“By way of full disclosure, I do not yet know where this study will lead… Many people today teach that the terms “Christ” and “Son of God” refer to the divinity of Jesus…However, if in my study, I find that this traditional view best fits Scripture, I will believe and teach it to the best of my ability.”We are hopeful he is sincere in his claim to be open to what the Scriptures teach.
Twice I have written Jeremy to tell him that I am praying for his recovery to a balanced position on the Gospel and Deity of Christ. I am praying for Jeremy to be sensitive to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that his heart and conscience will be pricked as he (Myers) hears the Scriptures opened to him this evening.
Pray that the truth of the Gospel be proclaimed and defended this evening. Pray that the Spirit of God reveal truth from the Word of God for the recovery of those who have been lead into error. Pray for others who are teetering on the fence and may be about to fall into the errors of the “Crossless” gospel.
Later this evening I hope to have a report from the FGA conference on the discussion.
In Defense of the Gospel,
LM
Please see the following articles for reaction to the Panel Discussion.
Dennis Rokser on the FGA Panel Discussion
Tom Stegall on the FGA Panel Discussion
Frankly it disturbs me that any Christian organization needs to even discuss this...
ReplyDeleteBut my question is, who is attending this panel? Is the "case" decided before they even go in or are there truly Godly men who will pursue Truth?
I know that might be offensive to ask, but looking at the question being discussed forces me to ask...
Kev
Kev, in my opinion the men at FGA who set this up are amenable to the Biblical cross-full gospel. I am praying this conference will help lead them to the point they take a clear stand on the issue.
ReplyDelete-- Greg
BTW, Kev, the only person on the panel who has publicly defended "the gospel" (i.e., the message of Christ crucified and risen) as essential to salvation is my pastor, Tom Stegall.
ReplyDeleteThe panel members are Jeremy Myers (crossless), Tim Nichols (crossless), and Ken Wilson who has been unclear in some of his writings.
-- Greg
H men:
ReplyDeleteI just spoke to Pastor Stegall. He is in his hotel room "spiritually" preparing himself for the panel discusssion.
Brother Stegall told me he is going open his Bible and teach from the Scriptures so that those in attendance can see what the Bible says about these vital doctrines.
IMO, if Myers presents the (what is so ofen utilized) Hodges/GES mantra, and the "false paradigms" it will not go well for their "crossless/deityless" message.
LM
Lou,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post! These are good and relevant thoughts.
I am glad that the FGA panel is diverse. Paul says, "For there must in fact be divisions among you, so that those of you who are approved may be evident" (1 Cor. 11:19, NET). The FGA, of course, did not originate the GES position, they (the FGA) are simply offering a platform "so that those . . . who are approved may be evident" (1 Cor. 11:19b).
Oh I'm sorry for my above, I am more than a little distracted by the world today... I didn't realize Pastor Stegall was on the panel.. I should have read more closely.. I even ignored the prompting I received as I was typing my above... so sure of myself..
ReplyDeleteI am very sorry Pastor, hopefully in the future I'll have more self restraint.
Kev
Will there be an update on this tonight?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post Jonathan, great quote of 1 Cor there!
ReplyDeleteKev
Men:
ReplyDeletePastor Stegall was to have phoned me with an update, but I have not heard from him as of yet. I am sure that there are many who meet for fellowship and discussions after the evening's activities.
There was to be an FGA national business meeting this evening that may have run late.
That said, it is entirely possible that Pastor Stegall is meeting in private with Jeremy. In my heart, I believe Jeremy may still be recoverable.
If Ps. Stegall can meet with Jeremy, and he (Jeremy) will allow Stegall to show him what he has been taught by Hodges and Wilkin is inconsistent with the volume of Scripture, he may return to a balanced soteriology.
What we have been shown through Greg's "Christ Under Siege articles is that the teachings of Hodges on "the Christ" have been based on nothing more than assumption after assumption. If Jeremy views the Bible as his final authority he will have to pull back from the assumptive theology of Zane Hodges on this particular issue.
I am praying for Jeremy, he is in a tough spot. The GES connection is going to be a strong pull against making what will be a difficult decision should he be sensitive to the Spirit and the Word, and ultimately convinced thereby that he has been lead into error by Hodges and Wilkin.
Once I hear from Pastor Stegall I will report on the panel discussion.
LM
Hello Jon:
ReplyDeleteYou wrote, “Thanks for this post! These are good and relevant thoughts.”
“I am glad that the FGA panel is diverse. Paul says, ‘For there must in fact be divisions among you, so that those of you who are approved may be evident’ (1 Cor. 11:19, NET). The FGA, of course, did not originate the GES position, they (the FGA) are simply offering a platform ‘so that those . . . who are approved may be evident’ (1 Cor. 11:19b).”
Thanks for the opening remark.
I like the KJV on 1 Cor. 11:18-19
“For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.”
Lord willing the errors of the “Crossless” gospel were fully revealed tonight. This way there can be a skimming off and removal of the errors that have crept into the fellowship of Free Grace believers.
I have no problem with a panel discussion, in the setting that they conducted it in tonight. I would not have been for this in a local church where some may possibly have been lead into the “Crossless” errors by exposure to it.
It is my hope and prayer that once Ps. Stegall finished his teaching from the Scriptures no one in attendance had any lingering doubt about whether or not the Hodges/Wilkin message is heresy.
Lord willing this discussion will have galvanized men in the FGA to take action that no more would be confused and deceived by the teachings of Zane Hodges and Bob Wilkin.
LM