Returning to True Fundamentalism -- Part 6 -- Why Does This Matter?

OK. Let's recap. True Fundamentalism is about making a list of the minimum things required in a Christian doctrine statement to be Christian. my list is only five things long:
1. The Bible is the Inspired Word of God
2. God exists in three persons: The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit and these three are one.
3. The reality of the person and work of Jesus Christ as both historical and spiritually significant
4. Through the person and work we can find salvation and find it in no other
5. Christ will return

Now, I want to note something -- I think this is all one needs to know to become a Christian and get saved. That said can anyone note all that is not said:

1. Type of inspiration (verbal, etc.)
2. The nature of God outside the trinity doctrine -- how is God omnipotent, omniscient, etc.
3. How one is saved by faith (faith and works controversy)
4. How salvation works and the nature of salvation are left somewhat open
5. End times -- completely open.

Why is this important? I think that unity is better achieved by fighting for the core, making allowances for differences outside the core and in all things being loving. Probably, the greatest downside to the Protestant Reformation has been division and hostility between the children of God. The fact is we often fight about many things that are not central to faith and the real issues often go by without really looking at them. The kind of unity Paul talked about in his writings is quite frankly imposable as long as these issues exist. We simply have a hard time accepting someone whose beliefs about Christianity are not very similar to our own and tat is becoming our downfall.

Finis

Scripture -- All or Nothing

For me Scripture is inspired -- it is the Word of God -- all of it. In fact I think there are really only two options -- it is either all or nothing.

1) if you go around saying that this part is and this part isn't the Word of God that shows intellectual dishonesty -- On what basis or criteria do you do this?

2) I can deal with someone like a Bart Ehrman who simply says none of it is the Word of God at least your understanding the concept of one doubt ultimately calls all into question.

3) I simply have no belief in ideas of corruption or influence by bad company -- I know how our Bible came to be and how it has been transmitted over time and simply put the New testament is probably the second best preserved and copied book of all antiquity and you can be assured that the words you read are based on an original text. The only one that has greater preservation is the Old Testament.

If you are going to argue a point -- keep that in mind.

Returning to True Fundamentalism -- Part 1 -- The Bible.

True Fundamentalism. I know fundamentalism gets a bad rap at times and quite frankly most of the time it is deserved, but there was a time when true fundamentalism was a great idea. True fundamentalism was about exactly that -- the fundamentals of the Christian faith. In short what is fundamental (basic) to Christianity and Christian belief. Now i am speaking of Protestant belief here so keep that in mind. The fact was that in the beginning fundamentalism was about making the list short and basic what doctrines Christians hold to.

The first one True Fundamentalism upholds about the Scripture. There are two factors: 1) Inspiration by God and 2) Authority.

In the question of inspiration, the original fundamentalist felt that is was not so important to get bogged down with discussion about how the Bible was inspired only to say that is was inspired by God. Verbal, Plenary , etc. were not their concern -- the issue was simply who did it. The Bible to them was not ultimately the product of man and that is what need to be ultimately said. It was written by men but was God inspired.

The question of authority was simple -- it is the authority over everything we believe and do.

I like this -- it keeps things to the basics and allows room for discussion about the role of mankind in the inspiration. It also means that I can accept as a brother in Christ someone who has different views on how god inspired the Scripture as long as we all understand that that it is God's Word and has authority over us in what we do and believe.

This makes things a lot easier.