A call for much-needed face-to-face debate
Over at the Gospel Coalition, one of their pre-eminentspeakers and bloggers, Tullian Tchividjian, has used his platform to indict modern preachers for false teaching on law and gospel. No specifics are given beyond his general claim thatlots of preachers and writers out there are committing that most basic of theological errors- a confusion of law and gospel. In an entry on Mike Kruger's blog, he expands this comment to embrace both the reformed and the non-reformed world. That is a very serious general indictment of church leadership.
Thus, it is good news to see that clarity maybe coming soon. Mark Jones, an ordained minister in the PCA and a published author on the topic of sanctification, has generously offered to travel to Florida anddebate the matter face-to-face with the Rev. Tchividjian. Such a debate is greatly to be desired. Perhaps TGCmight even sponsor the event? At minimum, such a debate might help clarify theserious indictment of false teaching among church leaders which surely needs to be supportedwith reference to names, sermons, and specific writings. Exactly who are theselegalists, what are they teaching, and what precisely is being proposed as the alternative? We need some specifics here, not just sweeping generalisations.
If the debate takes place, I hate to crash a someone else'sparty, but I'd be more than happy to ride shotgun for Mark on the specific question of law, gospel, and good works in Luther. The way Luther has been usedin the debate so far is remarkably truncated and I would welcome an opportunityto put the record straight on the Grand Old Man.