Friday, November 20, 2009

Progressive Orthodoxy?

I was reading an article a couple of days ago about the concept of progressive orthodoxy. The writer expressed his opinion that it has taken years for the “church” to finally get it right, but now in our time we have the ability to review history and see where people have gone wrong. It has been a “progression” but we are finally seeing the benefit of mistakes made in the past and we are learning from them. In other words…we are now orthodox in our Christian theology but is only because of those who went before, making errors and correcting them so that we might benefit from all the changes in thought.

I would need to have a number of issues resolved before accepting any idea of progressive orthodoxy. 

Jude says “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Paul tells Timothy “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.”

Paul also tells Timothy. “Guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge, for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you”

I would have to say that history speaks to a digressive orthodoxy when it comes to the practices of historical churches. The so called universal church can not practice orthodoxy, as that is a task reserved for the local church. My question would focus on this:  if and when did many of these churches cease being true churches due to their “unorthodox” practices?

It seems to me everything we need is included in scripture, and if we look at our own doctrinal statements in comparison to the Bible instead of the historical orthodoxy we would see that there are not that many tenets of orthodoxy that we would be willing to die for…maybe five or six? All others are in the periphery of our central core of beliefs; they generate denominational lines and cause some confusion, employ seminary professors and hopefully encourage personal study.

What if, when it is all said and done. God’s review of history will not be focused on the historical “church” as we know it, but on that small group of churches who never apostatized but instead remained true to the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints? What if these churches were the ones Jesus was talking about when He said I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against her?

The gates of hell have prevailed against the historical church, progressive orthodoxy or not.  After all, who were the enemies that were being persecuted from the sixth century through the reformation? They were the true churches of Biblical orthodoxy that never went out of existence, the ones Martin Luther looked to when he sought to reform the historical church. These churches continued not by a common name, or even the by the scrutiny of historical record but by the faith and practice handed down by faithful men generation upon generation.

Finally, I would think myself very arrogant to entertain the notion that somehow in our age and time we have finally perfected orthodoxy. 

1 comment:

PB said...

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About Me

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Elk Grove/Vineyard Area, Sacramento California, United States
My name is Bob Ross and I am the Pastor of Cypress Missionary Baptist Church.