Andy Stanley vs Albert Mohler: Is Belief in All the Bible a Litmus Test for Salvation?

Last updated on: January 1, 2017 at 3:12 pm by Josh Daffern

Andy Stanley vs Albert Mohler: Is Belief in All the Bible a Litmus Test for Salvation? 2017-01-01T15:12:50-06:00 Josh Daffern

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

andy-stanley-1

wikipedia.com

The heavyweights are at it again. In this corner you have Andy Stanley, son of world famous preacher Charles Stanley, pastor of one of the largest churches in America and influencer of tens of thousands of pastors. And in this corner you have Albert Mohler, theological intellectual extraordinaire, president of the Southern Baptist Seminary and defender of the classical interpretation of all things evangelical. Fights like this might only interest denominational geeks like me, but believe me this is a heavyweight fight.

In a recent messaged entitled: Who Needs God – The Bible Told Me So, Stanley addresses a major reason that many people walk away from (or deconvert) from Christianity: an unbelief in the infallibility of the Bible. The Holy Scriptures are obviously the centerpiece of our religion. These are the pages from which we get our biblical stories and accounts of the life of Jesus. As civilization has progressed and scientific and archeological advancements have cast doubts on the accuracy of some of the biblical stories (mostly found in the Old Testament), Christianity during the mid-20th century heavily debated the infallibility of Scripture. Many mainline Protestant denominations (referred to by Mohler as ‘Protestant liberalism’) backed away from the claims of infallibility while most Evangelical denominations (including the Southern Baptist Convention) doubled down on those claims.

Stanley kicked the hornet’s nest again when he made the argument that this shouldn’t even be the argument. Our faith rests on a person (Jesus) and a historical event (the Resurrection), not on a book. Mohler responded with a strong rebuke and a tenuous leap from Stanley’s sermon to the father of modern theological liberalism, Friedrich Schleiermacher. So, the battle lines are drawn. From my ringside seat, the great standard bearer of the Southern Baptist Convention (Mohler) has come just short of accusing one of its favorite sons (Stanley) of heresy. Mohler’s article title explains it all: “Biblical Authority Denied . . . Again”. But don’t take my word for it. You can watch Andy Stanley’s full sermon here and Albert Mohler’s full response here.

So what’s the central issue here? The place of the Scriptures in our religion. What’s at the center of our religion? Is it a person or a book? Many evangelicals would argue that at the very center of our faith is a book, the Holy Bible. And since the Bible is at the very center of our faith, any attack on any portion of the Bible must be met with a strong defense. Because if the Bible is somehow proved to be untrue in any portion, then everything will come crashing down around it. So for many churches, this has turned into belief in the infallibility of the entire canon of Scripture as a type of litmus test for salvation. Yes, trusting in Jesus is key, and the forgiveness of sins is paramount, but you must also believe every story recorded in the Bible to be saved. (Please here me clearly: Mohler nowhere makes this precise argument, but just as he accuses Stanley of a position that is a pathway to heresy, so the standard evangelical placement of the Scriptures alongside Jesus as the co-centers of our faith can lead to another type of heresy). So what’s the answer?

Previous Post

September 26, 2016

5 Things I Learned From Researching 500 of the Best Sermons Out There Today

Next Post

October 3, 2016 Does a Person Have to Believe Noah's Ark Really Happened to Be Saved?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Family Matters Ministry in the Trenches Morning Brew MTVpastor New Wineskins Top Menu Truth from Life Uncategorized Watch Sermons

Select a Month June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What city's walls fell after the Israelites marched around them?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jericho Bethel Jerusalem Ai