The Emerging Church: A Scriptural Movement?

In recent months, the Emerging Church movement has come to the forefront of controversies in the Body of Christ. Many people have hailed it as the revival that believers have long awaited, the biggest bang since the Charismatic movement took off in the 1950's. However, many theologians and leaders in all Christian communities have expressed concern over the orthodoxy and Scriptural foundation for this movement. For instance, Dr. Albert Mohler (representing Evangelicals), speaking on the orthodoxy of the movement states:

The Emergent movement represents a significant challenge to biblical Christianity. Unwilling to affirm that the Bible contains propositional truths that form the framework for Christian belief, this movement argues that we can have Christian symbolism and substance without those thorny questions of truthfulness that have so vexed the modern mind. The worldview of postmodernism--complete with an epistemology that denies the possibility of or need for propositional truth--affords the movement an opportunity to hop, skip and jump throughout the Bible and the history of Christian thought in order to take whatever pieces they want from one theology and attach them, like doctrinal post-it notes, to whatever picture they would want to draw. [1]

Ingrid Schlueter notes:

The fundamental problem with the emerging church is that it rejects the authority of the Word of God. Emergents prefer mystery to clarity, they prefer questions to direct answers. They prefer the journey to the destination. They question and undermine and insert doubt in the minds of young people who are already swimming in a sea of postmodern confusion. [2]

Dr. John MacArthur, speaking to students at The Master's Seminary, tells us:

"The only ones they want to debate are those who are true to the historic understanding of the place of Scripture. [...] It is de-prioritizing the place of Scripture in the sense that you can't understand it anyway." [3]

Clearly, these conservative evangelical (and Evangelical) leaders are shaken by the rising volume of this movement. And it is no wonder. After all, if these people are going to rewrite or ignore the Scriptures, how can we accept them as brothers?

As much respect as I have for people like Dr. Albert Mohler and Dr. John MacArthur (I really can't speak for Ms. Schlueter since I am not too familiar with everything she has said in the past and her *cough* enmity *cough* with Richard Abanes gives me pause), I didn't want to accept their word at face value. After doing some further research, I found this article by Ed Stetzer that provides some close insight concerning the Emerging Church Movement. [4] He basically divides the movement into "relevants," "reconstructionists," and "revisionists" - all of which were summarized best by Mr. Stetzer:

• Relevants - "There are a good number of young (and not so young) leaders who some classify as “emerging” that really are just trying to make their worship, music and outreach more contextual to emerging culture. [...] They are simply trying to explain the message of Christ in a way their generation can understand."
• Reconstructionists - "The reconstructionists think that the current form of church is frequently irrelevant and the structure is unhelpful. [...] Therefore, we see an increase in models of church that reject certain organizational models, embracing what are often called “incarnational” or “house” models. They are responding to the fact that after decades of trying fresh ideas in innovative churches, North America is less churched, and those that are churched are less committed."
• Revisionists - "Right now, many of those who are revisionists are being read by younger leaders and perceived as evangelicals. They are not -- at least according to our evangelical understanding of Scripture. We significantly differ from them regarding what the Bible is, what it teaches and how we should live it in our churches. [...] Revisionists are questioning (and in some cases denying) issues like the nature of the substitutionary atonement, the reality of hell, the complementarian nature of gender, and the nature of the Gospel itself."

To be perfectly honest, I think that the first group is perfectly sound in terms of Scripture. In fact, they are far better off, in terms of doctrine and life, than many mainstream denominations today (think of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) which is liberal, has adopted female eldership, and consistently denies the clear truths of the Word). If the Church Emergent is simply made up of "relevants" (to borrow Mr. Stetzer's term), I have no problem whatsoever with it. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Reconstructionists, not to be confused with the Reconstructionistic cults that exist here in the United States have good intentions. To some extent, I agree that much of the hierarchy and insitutional forms that have been adopted within the Church today have the tendency to do a "shock-and-awe" on new believers. Consider the fact that there are multiple ideas concerning the episcopate, the presbytery, the convention, the assembly, the congregation. It's enough to make any scholar confused. How far has the Church gone from the simple style of leadership and authority that once defined it? (Note: This is not to impugn any form of church government but only to make the point that there are so many institutions that it's easy to get lost amidst them. My opinions concerning chuch government can be brought up at a later time). To that end, I will admire the reconstructionist part of the Emerging Church. They want to return to the simplicity of the Early Church and maintain its zeal. Good for them and may God reward their efforts. And, so long as their doctrine is orthodox and their lives showing the power of the Cross, I will not attack them.

It appears, too, that Mr. Stetzer would agree with my conclusions. Speaking of the relevants, he says, "Ironically, while some may consider them liberal, they are often deeply committed to biblical preaching, male pastoral leadership and other values common in conservative evangelical churches. [...] The contemporary churches of the 1980s and 90s did the same thing (and some are still upset at them for doing so). However, if we find biblical preaching and God-centered worship in a more culturally relevant setting, I rejoice just as I would for international missionaries using tribal cultural forms in Africa."

He gives a similar word concerning the reconstructionists: "Yet, they typically hold to a more orthodox view of the Gospel and Scripture. [...] So, if emerging leaders want to think in new ways about the forms (the construct) of church, that’s fine -- but any form needs to be reset as a biblical form, not just a rejection of the old form. Don’t want a building, a budget and a program? OK."

But what about the revisionists? At this point, I am truly ready to denounce them - along with Drs. Mohler and MacArthur, and with Ms. Schlueter, too. One does not ignore or change the Gospel of our Lord and remain in fellowship with the Body of Christ. In the words of the Apostle John [Revelation 22:18-19, ESV], "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." [emphasis mine]

In condemning the revisionists' theology, we affirm the truths of the Bible. But let us not reject our brothers and sisters in the Emerging Church Movement. I look forward to your thoughts. If you consider yourself to be part of the Emerging Church, please leave a comment here for us at Kingdom Knights to tell us a little bit about your beliefs, your practices, and, if you have a blog or website, to leave a link.

I close with the words of Jesus on the eve of His crucifixion [John 17:22-23, ESV]:

The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Sources:

1. Mohler, Dr. Albert. "A Generous Orthodoxy" - Is It Orthodox?. 02/16/06 (Source: Crosswalk.com). (c) 2006 (link)
2. Schlueter, Ingrid. Emerging Apostasy. 02/06 (Source: Christian Worldview Network). (c) 2006 (link)
3. MacArthur, Dr. John. The Emerging Church Movement. 2006 Faculty Lecture Series. 02/06 (Source: The Master's Seminary). (c) 2006 (link to download)
4. Stetzer, Ed. "FIRST PERSON: Understanding the emerging church." (Source: Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press). (c) 2006. (link)
5. All Bible verses found at www.BibleGateway.com.