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Quotable – R. Philip Roberts
Posted by Quotable in IMPACT Features
“Cultic-Christian groups establish themselves as the one true exclusive church of Jesus Christ. It is important to note that exclusivity is especially presented in the sense of the church’s ability to administer salvation, or at least the fullness of salvation.
“While Baptist confessions mark clearly the biblical parameters of “church,” in contradistinction to cults, Baptists never claim that other churches, even outside the denomination, do not bear the marks of New Testament churches. Baptists affirm that where there are true believers, true churches may appear, seemingly apart from denominational authority or label.”
R. Philip Roberts in the essay, “Contemporary Cults,” in Missiology: An Introduction to the Foundations, History, and Strategies of World Missions, pp. 406-7.
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I believe that first paragraph very much reminds me of the doctrine according to Rome. I see so few precious Believers willing to take a bold stance in love when it comes to standing firm against this man made religion.
Not many blogs willing to go beyond the obligatory “We have major differences” rhetoric either.
The “exclusive” church not only limits the scope and reach of the church, but surely puts a limit on God that is ignored. When the disciples confronted Jesus to make another believer stop ministering, Jesus more or less told them to leave him alone because he was doing a good thing. We would do well to focus on the work at hand. When we spend our time evaluating the nuances of another denomination, we are not spending time with a lost world- taking less time and energy to expand Christ’s Kingdom.
John Johnson
http://www.pluslife.wordpress.com
“Nuances?”–hardly, the very essence of justification is at stake. And by spending time with this “denomination,” I’m actually doing your very last sentence. Nuances…I’m still chuckling.
I guess it’s fair to say that Dr. Roberts is not a Landmarker, eh?
Les
John Daly said:
>>“Nuances?”–hardly, the very essence of justification is at stake. And by spending time with this “denomination,” I’m actually doing your very last sentence. Nuances…I’m still chuckling.
Dear John, you’re begging the question. The question is precisely what IS at stake. You can’t automatically assume that you, from your SBC background, know what is at stake.
RE#2 and Rome: you are completely wrong my brother. Roman Catholics consider themselves to be the truest expression of the church while still considering non-RC’s to be genuine Christians. Wow, that sounds just like Baptists to me. Have you at least read the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
Salam. I am responding to this at the request of my good friend From the Middle East.
It is worth noting that the author of this Quotable statement has written extensively about Mormonism. That may be what he has in mind when he speaks of “Cultic-Christian groups.”
Here is his CV.
John Daly said:
“Nuances?”–hardly, the very essence of justification is at stake. And by spending time with this “denomination,” I’m actually doing your very last sentence. Nuances…I’m still chuckling.
Don’t really find a lost world worth chuckling about. Read Roberts quote- Baptists affirm that there are other NT groups apart from “us”. We don’t have it all in a nice neat little box from which we judge the rest of Christianity. That is a waste of time. Patrick is correct that Dr Roberts has written a lot of inter-faith material. I can absolutely affirm that we need to rebut those who are lost in one of these cults that do not affirm salvation through Christ alone. But to sit in our offices, with our nice, neat theology, thinking we can be condescending to the rest of Christianity…now that is worth chuckling about.
John Johnson
http://www.pluslife.wordpress.com