Contra Mundum
Chuck Colson: Evangelicals Should Be Uniters, Not Dividers
What all this boils down to is that we evangelicals are heirs of the Reformation and that we best understand evangelicalism as a reform movement seeking to renew and strengthen orthodox faith within the holy, catholic, and apostolic church to which we belong and whose creeds we embrace. The church is one because it is centered in Jesus Christ; holy not because its members are perfect but because Christ is pure and spotless; catholic not through allegiance to an earthly magisterium but because it is universal in mission and outreach; and apostolic because it is faithful to the teaching of the prophets and apostles found in Scripture.
When we realize we are seeking to reform the whole church, not just evangelicalism, we show the world that we are uniters, not dividers. The Manhattan Declaration is a great example of this approach. Evangelicals joined with Catholics and Orthodox to address the most pressing moral issues of our day: the defense of human life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. We come from different traditions, but we chose to focus on our oneness in Christ as members of his body, the church—not on our theological distinctives or political differences. The result was half a million signers and a reshaping of the debate over these critical issues.
We can see more of the same if we remain faithful to the evangelical vision of a renewed, reinvigorated church, firm in its orthodox faith, bearing a positive witness both to individuals and in the public square.
Copyright © 2012 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere:
Previous columns by Chuck Colson and Timothy George include:
Flaming Truth: Recalling Francis Schaeffer's Challenge | With laser-like precision, Schaeffer hit on the fundamental issue of our day. (February 15, 2012)
Education Is in Our DNA | We should support every effort to upgrade our failing schools. (December 13, 2011)
The 'Big Love' Strategy | What are Americans learning from pop culture portrayals of polygamy? (October 18, 2011)
An Improbable Alliance | Catholics and evangelicals used to fight over religious liberty. Not anymore. (April 11, 2011)
Contra Mundum
Chuck Colson & Timothy George
Charles Colson was the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, an outreach to convicts, victims of crime, and justice officers. Colson, who converted to Christianity before he was indicted on Watergate-related charges, became one of evangelicalism's most influential voices. His books included Born Again and How Now Shall We Live? A Christianity Today columnist since 1985, Colson died in 2012.
Timothy George is the dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University and a member of Christianity Today's Editorial Council. His books include Reading Scripture with the Reformers and Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad? Like Colson, George has been heavily involved in the Evangelicals and Catholics Together discussions. George began cowriting "Contra Mundum" with Colson in 2011.
- Catholics and Baptists Together
- The Man Who Birthed Evangelicalism
- Sacrilege Is Real
- Against the Stream
- Charles Colson & Timothy George: Churchless Jesus
Star Trek Into Darkness
(on articles open to the public, you must at least register for a free account).
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Newsletters
Google
Comments
Welby Warner
According to the article, the Manhattan Declaration prioritized three issues, the defense of human life, traditional marriage and religious liberty as the "most pressing moral issues". If we take a good look at how these priorities are working out during the last two years, they have become the source of some of the sharpest division among evangelicals. It would be helpful to consider what Francis Schaeffer said so many years ago about the most pressing issue, and it was one, that was TRUTH. How we come to know truth, how we practise truth, should be categorical imperatives for followers of the One who said "I Am The Truth". I have observed so many statements coming from evangelical sources which I feel dishonor and discredit the idea of Truth that I believe christians are called upon to demonstrate. So many of them come from efforts to defend life, marriage, and religious liberty. We ought to be talking and writing more about this issue.
Glen Waugh
So because evangelicalism is the keeper of the Reformation, should evangelicals drop to their knees as Pope John Paul II directed all Christians to acknowledge his emminence in the Christian worlds leadership when he wrote the following: "The Bishop of Rome is the Bishop of the Church which preserves the mark of the martyrdom of Peter and of Paul: By a mysterious design of Providence it is at Rome that [Peter] concludes his journey in following Jesus, and it is at Rome that he gives his greatest proof of love and fidelity. Likewise Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, gives his supreme witness at Rome. In this way the Church of Rome became the Church of Peter and of Paul." The Church of Rome is no friend and does not follow Paul as he followed Christ (2 Cor. 11:1)! Because Colson didn't believe in seperation from Rome and now we have the numbers, that now we should joim Rome? Is unity at any cost better then God directed division, that is based on such passages as 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1.
George Ertel
Rest in Christ, sir.