PREDICTION (non-inspired): By, or before, the year 2015 there will be a full-blown new liberalism growing out of the evangelicalism of today.
I don’t know what fancy flag it will sail under. But, doubtless, it will get one—possibly one that sounds intriguing so as to dupe unsuspecting conservative preachers into its ranks. That part I make no predictions about.
But, if I am anywhere near correct, the new liberalism will come. At the moment, it is growing rather impressively among many “scholars” who, it would seem, want to impress one another, and the liberals, with their wide range of thought—often so wide as to include many liberal tenets and exegetical processes within their ever-widening tent.
I have had the misfortune to read, review, skim over and/or devour a number of commentaries and other similar works by those who (at the moment) would call themselves evangelicals. They strongly avow their belief in the inspiration (even inerrancy) of the Scriptures. This sounds good.
But what do they say was inerrantly inspired?
The answer-all sorts of things that clearly deny the position. Babylonian creation myths, Egyptian proverbs, ANE treaty policies—you name it. The wise men didn’t actually come; they were written into the story for a more subtle purpose than that which lies on the surface. Mark juggled around passages of the Scriptures irresponsibly to fit his scheme. Redaction criticism? You betcha’! The prophecies of Daniel can’t be understood with any clarity—we can’t even come down hard on what the four would-be world-kingdoms that constituted the metallic image were.
You name it—and you will find it severely tainted!
I want to say no more now, but if someone off in that distant future picks up this post he will see that it was prophetic.
The present danger is this—what the seminaries teach today (and this is top drawer stuff in seminaries right now) and what preachers read in commentaries today, is what they will be preaching tomorrow.
You are duly warned. Watch out; don’t get suckered in! Prediction ended.