As mentioned in the thread Discussing The Manhattan Declaration, I posted an article by Dave Doran on CRN. If you click through you will find a link to the article where Doran writes about his recent experience with J.I. Packer’s book Rediscovering Holiness, particularly the afterword “Holiness in the Dark: The Case of Mother Teresa.” Doran provides some critical commentary regarding Packer’s affirmation of Mother Theresa as a “genuine believer.” To read Doran’s article, click through the link on my CRN post.
Speaking of CRN, a good friend of mine and General Editor of CRN, Pastor Ken Silva (also President of Apprising Ministries), posted a similar article over a month ago titled “But is This the Same J.I. Packer?“, expressing concerns with J.I. Packer’s ecumenism. After showing that Packer is popularly quoted on the doctrine of Regeneration, Silva asks, “[Is this] the same J.I. Packer who signed the Evangelicals & Catholics Together document? And is this the same J.I. Packer mentioned below by Marco Gonzalez in “The Strong Hold of Ecumenicalism”?
Gonzalez: Over the past fifty-plus years, the air of ecumenicalism has been breathed into evangelicalism. With the hopes of “unity,” leading figures in the ecumenical movement have tried to unite in evangelicalism: non-evangelicals, Catholics, and Liberals. The ivory tower of theologians has lessened the cause of Christ and as a result broken fellowship, unity, and Christian Brother-ship. While I believe unity is a high priority for evangelicalism, I have to ask the question: at what cost shall we become unified? Evangelicalism as a whole is plagued with the ideology of ecumenicalism.
Click through for the quote in full where Gonzalez mentions Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ division with Packer and John Stott over this issue. You will also find Silva quoting James White, who wrote,
The framers of ECT have done a disservice, first and foremost to the gospel of Christ, and secondarily to their communities. We call upon such men as Charles Colson, Richard Land, Larry Lewis, Richard Mouw, John White, and especially J.I. Packer, to rethink their position, and withdraw their support from a document that can do nothing more than cause confusion and “give aid and comfort to the enemies of the cause of Christ.” (emphasis added: SM)
Silva provides some helpful links for readers to become familiar with the issues that are currently being discussed and debated in light of the most recent efforts of ecumenical advancement, The Manhattan Declaration. Thankfully, many faithful men spoke out in the early 90’s when the ECT document was produced, and since there are many overlapping issues with ECT and MD, familiarity with the issues of ECT will aid in one’s understanding of the current swirl stirred up by the MD.
Visit Apprising Ministries here to check it out.
Silva closes by writing, “the questions I ask herein are sincere, though I sincerely doubt my critics will take this at face value; and yes, I actually have a critic or two. Hey, tell you what; try standing for the Truth yourself while attempting in the Lord to stay away from compromise, and you let me know how you do. *wink*”
Thanks for the continual labor, Ken!
