One last post regarding the Together For the Gospel conference held this past weekend in Louisville, KY and then I’ll move on to other issues.

One of the things that struck me was the difference between the speakers and attendees at this conference and much of the rest of modern Christendom. I have said and say again that there is much among the “emerging church” that I appreciate. However, there is also much that I think is plain and simple error. One of those errors which has often been addressed is the move away from propositional truth to “dialogues” and “conversations” even to the point that sermons are now supposed to draw out conversation and response (something which sermons certainly ought to do; the question becomes timing and intent) and themselves become conversations.

Much of this is clothing itself in a false humility, even calling itself the “hermeneutic of humility.” While Brian McLaren may not speak for all emergents (but then again, when everyone is speaking, no one is really heard…) but he certainly delineates some of these concerns. In a PBS interview, McLaren states that:

certainty can be dangerous. What we need is a proper confidence that’s always seeking the truth and that’s seeking to live in the way God wants us to live, but that also has the proper degree of self-critical and self-questioning passion.

The problem with McLaren’s approach and the application of many emergents is that, when put into practice, this often results in continual “seeking the truth” and never being able to say that you’ve found it, because once you say you have, you’re labeled a “fundamentalist modern” or something silly like that. In other words, “get with the times dude, no one can say they’ve found the truth anymore, it’s all about the search; don’t be so arrogant to pronounce that others are wrong…”

Brian McLaren is wrong and he further muddies the waters by confusing his refusal to take a stand with humility, stating:

It is a passion to say, “We might be wrong, and we are always going to stay humble enough that we’ll be willing to admit that.” I don’t see that as a lack of fidelity to the teaching of the Bible. I see that as trying to follow the teaching of the Bible. It has a lot of positive things to say about humility.

Biblical humility in no way prevents one from ascertaining, pointing out and correcting theological error. It certainly in no way detracts from the ability to have certainty, which is and ought to be more than the mere “confidence” that McLaren thinks is all we ought to be able to possess. Just as McLaren misunderstands and misrepresents humility, he does the same with certainty.

People’s certainty has certainly been wrong. It has certainly led to much confusion, conflict and even bloodshed. McLaren is right, “certainty can be dangerous.” However, that in no way means we cannot be certain. In fact, God has left us with the precious gift of His written Word so that we might be certain.

This false humility undermines the very stated purpose of Scripture itself. in 1 John 5:13, John tells us why he wrote:

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

John does not write so that we might be “confident,” but that we may know; that we may have certainty. At the end of John’s Gospel we have a summary statement (21:24) reading:

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

Again we find an emphasis on, not only truth, but the notion that truth is both knowable and communicable. In other words, I can not only know the truth, I can communicate it. Scripture and the Gospel are built around these notions! Without certainty, we are left with no Gospel at all. I cannot just be confident that the tomb is empty, I must be certain or else I am to be pitied.

I’m all for conversations and dialogues, but in the end we must say something. That is historic Christianity. For those who feel that it is “arrogant” to make assertions must realign themselves with the historic faith which not only affirms its beliefs but also excludes in order to define its boundaries. Christianity must have borders because it is an exclusive faith and we must remember this and be willing take a stand, even when its when uncomfortable or unpopular, which it will always be. Can this be done arrogantly, absolutely, but it can also be done in humility and those saying that holding the line for absolute is always arrogant need to be gently reminded of this.

While the Together For the Gospel conference was not without flaws, I must say that I appreciate the heart behind it. We sorely need men and churches willing to take a stand for the certainty of the Gospel. The men at the conference clearly demonstrated that certainty does not exclude hulimility but rather, fosters it. What a daunting notion that the God, Creator and Sustainer of the universe would trust the Church to be the “pillar and buttress” of truth (1 Timothy 3:15). May we live and work in His strength to maintain the pure Gospel.

• Read PBS’ interview with Brian McLaren.