What are you talking about?

“Denominations.”

Denominations?

“Yep. Every time I turn around there seems to be a new one I never heard about before. Since the Anglicans split, we now have two Episcopal churches in the USA.”

Wrong. Back in 1873 the first split took place, and the Reformed Episcopal Church was begun. They have a seminary in Philadelphia and one in South Carolina. They divided over sacerdotalism. But, apart from that, what bothers you about denominations?

“Just that there are so many. Can’t understand why people can’t get along with each other, and why they have to keep on splitting.”

Would you like me to take a shot at answering?

“If you can.”

Well, there are many reasons for the situation. I’ll grant you that some of them are quite wrong and only have to do with power grabs, and so forth. And, even when there’s a better reason, some of that sort of thing can get mixed in and confuse people. But there is one fundamental reason for the problem. Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 11:19:

. . . there must be factions among you so that it may appear who is approved among you.

In that passage, he was dealing with factions within a congregation, but the principle applies to broader factions as well.

“Then, it sounds like Paul thought that divisions were a good thing?”

No. No. He wasn’t commending the Corinthians for their factious spirit—rather he condemned it. But, at the same time, he made it clear that, sometimes, something wrong can be necessary to produce something right.

“Sounds fishy to me—please explain.”

In order to determine who is right, issues must often come to a head. They can’t—shouldn’t be—ignored when truth is at stake. Now, we’re not talking about mere differences of opinion, but whether God’s truth and His work is at stake. Whether or not such matters as the Gospel are up for grabs. That sort of problem often results in division.

At least, when the division occurs, issues—often swept under the rug for years—surface. If they are of importance, they ought to be brought to light so that people can become aware of, and avoid, any heresy that exists. In the recent Episcopal division, for instance, liberalism, and even the ordination of so-called “gays,” became visible to the public.

“Hmmmmm. I think I see. But I don’t like it.”

Neither do I. But we live in a world of sin—and that means much that we don’t like will take place.

“Guess you’re right.”

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Preparationism teaches, in effect, that in order to become regenerate a person has to put himself in the way of it. He is to read Scripture, put away all known sins, go to church regularly, and so forth. Then, in time, if he becomes “sensible” (aware and concerned about his sins), it would be allowable to present the Gospel to him.

People were put off for months–even years–before some self-righteous prig would deem them ready for the Gospel. I first ran into this at a conference years ago, when one of the other speakers told me after a message (and these are his exact words), “You’re preaching the Gospel too soon.” I was bowled over by such a comment, and so I investigated this entire movement.

It turns out that Bonar was right. He wrote against this works-righteousness, and even wrote some of our most beloved hymns to counter it. Bunyan, who seems to have been adversely affected by this teaching for a while (read Pilgrim’s Progress carefully), at length wrote a sermon entitled, “Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ.” And Jonathan Edwards was taught it. But, instead of groaning for months on end about his sins, Edwards, it seems, came to a sudden happy conversion. But it had made strong inroads into his thinking. And if Cherry, his biographer, is correct, it bothered him all his life that his Conversion didn’t fit the pattern. It was preparationism that, in New England led to the halfway covenant that wreaked havoc upon the region.

The Puritans who adopted and propagated this view (not all Puritans did) were the first psychologizers of religion. By laying out a pattern that was to be followed in order to be regenerated, they tried to understand the steps of conversion and then, having done so, attempted to program conversion step by step in individuals.

We must avoid ever returning to such teaching. Along with this astounding statement that almost bowled me over, another incident knocked me for a loop. The third speaker at that conference was also a preparationist. In his preaching, he spent the entire week trying to assure people that unless they had experienced the pattern I just described, they weren’t saved. I had encouraged a young girl who had just become a Christian to attend the conference (not knowing what we were about to run into since at such previous conferences nothing such as this had ever occurred). His preaching so unsettled her that she became uncertain of her salvation. When I spoke to the preacher who has caused this, he said, “Well when you plow with the Word, you sometimes take up the wheat with the tares.” I let him know that I was dismayed at such an unbiblical comment. It took us several weeks to put this girl’s faith back together again.

Why am I talking about this? Because there are signs that this teaching isn’t dead. While not yet widespread, some of the materials that teach it are out there on the “evangelical” market. Perhaps the most alarming is Alleine’s Alarm to the Unconverted. It is a virtual handbook of the doctrine. There is a chapter in it entitled, “Directions to the Unconverted” in which such things as I have mentioned above are advised, but nowhere is the reader told, “Repent and believe the Gospel.”

Keep a sharp eye cocked to detect any inklings of preparationism and refute it as soon as you detect it. Horatius Bonar’s materials and hymns will be a great help to you in the effort.

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Calvin was a counselor—par excellence.

I have just read through all of his letters as they were carefully collected, edited, and published by the Parker Society. Not only did many (most) of then focus on some practical personal problem that others were having—about which he offered biblical counsel—but it was counsel of a very robust sort; sometimes extending to pages.

Calvin didn’t mind telling people that they were thinking wrongly when they did, or even that what they did was reprehensible. But he always did so as a friend. When necessary to do so for the sake of the church as well as the individual concerned, he had no respect of persons. He would rebuke his closest friends (such as Farel or Viret) if he thought their words or actions were detrimental to the work of Christ. He did do, always in a helpful way, and in the spirit of friendship, but always putting the Lord before anyone or anything else.

But his counsel was not always of that sort. He counseled people in grief; those in suffering; many who were in prison, some of whom were facing death. He counseled Kings and queens; insignificant people who sought help, and other leaders of the Reformation (including Luther—who didn’t take well to any criticism, even though Calvin was respectful and tender when doing so!).

The very first extant letter of Calvin, in 1534, was written about counsel he had given to a young girl who was being pressured into becoming a nun. He had laid out all of the facts and encouraged her to think carefully before making the decision; at the death of his own infant son, in deepest grief, he wrote, “But He is Himself a Father, and He knows what is good for His children.”

In speaking of a case of discipline, he wrote, “I shall treat her not according to what she deserves, but according to what my office demands.” Thus, he could divorce the personal from the unpleasant task itself when necessary.

No one can read through the vast correspondence, a taste of which I have just given you, without seeing that here is a man very much concerned about individuals and what he can do, as a minister of the Lord, to help them. He spent hours speaking with people who came to his home to seek advice; even welcoming some of them into his home to stay for periods of time. When necessary, he took the initiative to deal with the sins and heartaches of others. He began an academy, a hospital, and a foreign missions board. He visited the sick during the plague, until the elders of the city fearing he’d catch it, forbade him. Calvin was a counselor—perhaps more so than any other Reformer. There is much to be learned from his letters both about the matter and the manner of counseling. His care for people was immense; for those who were suffering, it was unmeasured. And all of this, in addition to his prodigious theological works, while sick with various illnesses. Some of his letters were dictated from bed!

No minister of the Word can afford not to become acquainted with Calvin’s letters. To read through them is a course in pastoral theology not to be obtained anywhere else! Obtain, read, enjoy, become convicted, repent and follow!

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There is very much to learn from the origins of many denominations (see previous blog about denominationalism) that would keep us pure in our beliefs. And I could go on—but, probably, you get the point.

But seldom do churches teach courses in church history. And, unless it is taught with all of the understanding and vivacity it takes to teach it interestingly, most people tend to shrug off history as a dead subject, having to do with dead people.

History is your roots! To study the struggles of reformers and the lives it took to provide a Bible in your language that you can readily purchase and read is thrilling—as well as quite instructive. To trace the way that doctrinal corruption in  the early church lead to the rise of authoritarian sacerdotalism and sacramentalism can hardly do less than issue a strong warning against allowing any such defection in the future. To read how men bled and died for truth at the inception of evangelical churches can only serve to sober a lackadaisical church such as we know today.

How much church history do you know? Be honest about it—probably, very little. Right? Well, if that’s the case, why not ask your pastor to set up a course to teach some of the basics, at least? It won’t hurt him, either, to dust off his notes from the seminary church history class that he filed away and forgot years ago!

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What did Calvin accomplish? He was the first to truly systematize the Reformation faith. The Institutes, to this day, are read with profit. They are a monumental piece of work that no Christian should neglect in his reading.

Until Calvin’s commentaries, there was only Chrysostom. But Calvin outstripped the former to become the father of modern commentaries.

In his day, Calvin was known for his preaching more than his theological treatises. His sermons were translated into all sorts of languages. Unfortunately, most of them are lost.

Calvin believed in foreign missions and sent men out to Brazil.

His letters, representing a formidable amount of effort put into counseling men all over the world (some royalty of the time), are extremely informative.

His academy in Geneva became the key gathering center for great leaders of the church, who studied there and then carried the truth to other countries.

His ability to make and keep close friendships is noteworthy. Today, many who respect and find help from his writings, are still devoted to him.

He suffered from many illnesses, spitting blood and dragging one leg. At the end he preached from a canvas folding chair. His commentaries were often dictated from bed.

This great man should be remembered most of all for His devotion to the Word of God and the God of the Word. His symbol—so appropriate to his life—was a heart on fire for God!

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