The "Doctor's" Diagnosis Of The Elephant Room

To do anything which supports or encourages such an impression or appearance of unity is surely dishonest and sinful. Truth and untruth cannot be reconciled, and the difference between them cannot be patched over. Error is always to be exposed and denounced for truth's sake, and also, as we have seen, for the sake of babes in Christ. This is also important from the standpoint of the statement in John 17:21, 'that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.' Nothing so surely drives the world away from the truth as uncertainty or confusion in the church with respect to the content of her message...

Before there can be any real discussion and dialogue and exchange there must be agreement concerning primary and fundamental matters. Without the acceptance of certain axioms and propositions in geometry, for example, it is idle to attempt to solve any problem. If certain people refuse to accept the axioms, and are constantly querying and disputing them, clearly there is no point of contact between them and those who do not accept them. It is precisely the same in the realm of the church. Those who question and query, let alone, deny, the great cardinal truths that have been accepted  throughout the centuries do not belong to the church, and to regard them as brethren is to betray the truth. As we have already been reminded ourselves, the apostle Paul tells us clearly what our attitude to them should be: 'A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject' (Tit. 3:10). They are to be regarded as unbelievers who need to repentance and acceptance of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. To give the impression that they are Christians with whom other Christians disagree about certain matters is to confuse the genuine seeker and enquirer who is outside. But such is the position prevailing today. It is based on a failure to understand the nature of the New Testament church which is 'the pillar and ground of the truth' (1 Tim. 3:15). In the same way it is a sheer waste of time to discuss or debate the implication of Christianity with people who are not agreed as to what Christianity is. Failure to realize this constitutes the very essence of the modern confusion.*

Now we know that Lloyd-Jones was not blogging in his pajamas from his mother's or grandmother's basement. However tomorrow I may offer my own thoughts in regards to the Elephant Room 2 fiasco in my pajamas.

Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando

* D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Knowing The Times (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1989), p. 161-162