As evangelicals we are clear that we need to ‘contend for the faith’ – but are we biblical in the way we contend?
By that I mean things such as snide put-downs on Facebook, casual expressions of contempt in online comments – both towards bishops and towards evangelicals of slightly different shades from us who we ought to be seeking to win as allies – and press releases of questionable efficacy.
The problem is that some of these actions are more likely to provoke than prevent the dangers they are aimed at confronting, firstly by alienating fellow evangelicals and potential allies, thus fragmenting the ‘orthodox’ constituency, and secondly by antagonising and angering parts of the church which may not have been well-disposed towards us to begin with.
Defeat inevitable?
All this is happening within a mindset of negativity among some, who seem to view the defeat of evangelicals in Anglicanism as inevitable. What space is left for the power of prayer, the Word and the Spirit, and for godly perseverance in seemingly impossible situations? Not much, it would appear. Sometimes I feel people would subconsciously welcome the demise of the Church of England so they could feel vindicated.
It’s difficult to argue against these sorts of things, because any criticism of this kind can get portrayed as ‘friendly fire’ or having gone a bit soft in the fight for the gospel. Plus, of course, there is the danger of hypocrisy – of displaying the very same characteristics in raising these issues that one is seeking to gently query – and also of straining at gnats while swallowing camels.
2 Timothy
At the moment I am being encouraged by the new Food for the Journey devotional on 2 Timothy by Bishop Michael Baughen and Elizabeth McQuoid, published by Keswick Ministries. It’s very relevant to our Anglican situation, and worth getting a copy.
In 2 Timothy 2.25 we read that ‘opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance and lead them to a knowledge of the truth.’ Michael Baughen comments: ‘You don’t win people by violent reactions or by mocking them. You win them by patience, love and correcting them with gentleness. The false teachers of 2 Timothy 2 are won back to the truth by love and care, not by condemnation and confrontation.’
Of course church discipline is vital; what I have in mind here is how we conduct ourselves online and in our public utterances. While it is true that Jesus is blunt in criticising false teachers, we ourselves do not speak with the same unique divine authority to see into particular individuals’ hearts that he has – we speak under his authority and under the authority of Scripture, by which we ourselves are tested and it seems to me we can only do that humbly.
As I write, it is unclear where the Church of England is heading on sexuality. It’s possible that there will be ‘no change in the doctrine of marriage’, but some ‘pastoral prayers’ which will be too vague for evangelicals to pinpoint any specific error, but vague enough to allow liberals to do what they want.
At that point some will think the battle is lost. Rightly or wrongly, the silent majority of evangelicals will probably stay and fight on. Again I echo William Taylor, quoted in November’s en: people will make different choices, but ‘we will have to learn to think more highly of others’ to avoid spinning off into our own little worlds.
