The following is from “Way of life”, by David Cloud. This is just one more example of the sad condition of the Southern Baptist Convention. How any Bible believing church could associate with it is beyond me.- HDS
MUSHY, DANGEROUS EVANGELICALISM TODAY: PRESTON SPRINKLE AND THE UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM STUDY BIBLE (Friday Church News Notes, September 20, 2024, www.wayoflife.org [email protected], 866-295-4143) The Upside Down Kingdom Study Bible NIV was published this month by Zondervan. Preston Sprinkle, general editor, is influential among Southern Baptists and evangelicals in general. Sprinkle is the founder of The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender, Theology in the Raw podcasts, and Exiles in Babylon conferences. Sprinkle has taught at Cedarville University which was GARBC from 1953-2006, at which time it moved into the Southern Baptist orb. (Sprinkle taught there in its SBC incarnation.) Cedarville’s history illustrates the downgrade of the General Association of Regular Baptists from fundamental Baptist in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s to non-separatist evangelicalism since the last two decades of the 20th century. This is part of the general collapse of “fundamentalism” in the past 50 years. Sprinkle promotes textual criticism and wanders in the wilderness of the modern texts and versions, with no absolute Scriptural authority. He is a Mr. Facing Both Ways, which is typical of evangelicals. He can sound like a Biblicist at times, but he is, in fact, an enemy of solid Biblicism. At the RateMyProfessors web site, a Cedarville student said Sprinkle is “funny and open to different interpretations of the Bible.” Sprinkle says, “read the Bible with conviction” but “hold your predetermined beliefs loosely.” In other words, practice dialogue and ecumenism, not separation. This principle is one of the chief building blocks of the “one world church.” Don’t be dogmatic in doctrine. Be open to other views in such things as the following: the days of creation (are they literal 24 hour days?), the extent of the flood (was it global or local?), the nature of homosexuality (is it always a sin? can you be born that way? are homosexual desires wrong? should impenitent homosexuals be received as church members? was the sin of Sodom actually the sin of being homosexual?), abortion (is it always wrong?), hell (is it a place of fiery torment; is it eternal?), baptism (is infant baptism heretical? is immersion essential?), women in ministry (can’t women be pastors?), salvation (can salvation be a process rather than a conversion experience? does a person have to personally believe in Jesus Christ to be saved? will only born again people go to heaven?). Regardless of his personal Reformed Calvinist beliefs, Sprinkle, by his “hold your beliefs loosely” philosophy, is teaching God’s people to build bridges to every heresy in the “broader church” of end-time apostasy. The notes in the Upside Down Kingdom Study Bible reflect this confusion. “Christians would do well to research the various Christian viewpoints and ongoing discussions … Christians should be patient in forming their view on questions related to the flood and should not condemn other thoughtful Christians” (pp. 166, 173). In contrast, Paul instructed Timothy, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13), and, “keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6:14). Paul further exhorted, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). That is the opposite of “look into all views and dialogue with openmindness.” Further, in typical evangelical fashion today, Sprinkle boasts of a worldly lifestyle. He is comfortable with the sensual pop culture. In his biographical sketch, he says his favorite bands include raunchy secular rockers “Coldplay, U2, Josh Garrels, Beck, Rush, Def Leppard, Pearl Jam, Bob Marley.” Secular rock is so filthy that it is impossible just to browse the album artwork at Amazon without being morally polluted. Sprinkle says his favorite beers are “IPAs [India pale ale], Belgium Tripels, Quads, and anything that tastes like New Holland’s Dragon Milk [sweet, highly flavored].” In contrast, John said, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16). Sprinkle would probably ridicule my interpretation of “worldliness” with a knowing wink and smile, but I say on the authority of God’s Word that he is wrong on that as he is on many other fundamental matters, but he well represents evangelicalism today. Like the church at Sardis, the vast part of evangelicalism has a name that it lives, but is dead (Revelation 3:1). Beware!THINK ABOUT IT AND WEEP – HDS
