Men with Chests

Over the many years of my ministry I have enthusiastically and sometimes aggressively supported such causes as the pro-life movement, the defense of traditional marriage, and religious liberty as part of my expression of the Christian faith I hold and my obedience to Christ.  Time and treasure have been spent on all these issues and others as well.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Christian and the Church should be animated and proactive on these and other issues as an outgrowth of our commitment and obedience to the Savior who purchased us with His precious blood on the cross of Calvary.

In 1994, Franky Schaeffer, in his book; “Bad News For Modern Man – An Agenda For Christian Activism” called for “An Ecumenicism of Orthodoxy” where religious groups united around what he called “an ecumenism … based upon what we agree to be the essence of Christian faith, including an orthodoxy of belief in social concerns and priorities.”[1] But just what is this “essence of Christian faith?”  It does not take long to see that Franky is arguing for a coalition of belligerents that would include the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in cooperation with Evangelicals[2].

Charles Colson, in 1994 also argued in his book, “Body Life,” for this kind of Ecumenical Orthodoxy that would rap itself around essential doctrines that were expressed in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds.  The problem with these creeds is that they make no substantive declaration as to what is the essence of the gospel.  There is no statement concerning justification by faith alone  or the doctrine of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ in the life of the believer.  Without agreement on these issues there is no substantive agreement as to what is the gospel.

Charles Colson has a long history and desire to see the Roman Catholic Church and Evangelical churches cooperate on a number of spiritual, evangelistic, and social issues as expressed in “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.”   “We have differences” Colson said, “but on the ancient creeds and the core beliefs of Christianity we stand together. Christianity is besieged on all sides–by a militant nation of Islam, by pantheists who have invaded many areas of life through the New Age Movement, and by the aggressive secularism of Western life.”[3]

Whether it is E.C.T., or the Manhattan Declaration, there is an assumption that all those who sign these documents are all believers and that differences have to do with denominationalism.  John MacArthur, in his response to the Manhattan Declaration states:

“It assumes from the start that all signatories are fellow Christians whose only differences have to do with the fact that they represent distinct ‘communities.’  Points of disagreement are tacitly acknowledged but are described as ‘ecclesial differences’ rather than fundamental conflicts of doctrine and conviction with regard to the gospel and the question of which teachings are essential to authentic Christianity.”[4]

It is to this “secularism of Western life” Chuck Colson and the other signatories eludes to in E.C.T. and that the three distinct and crucial areas of life are addressed in the Manhattan Declaration, which call for, once again, with very familiar language reminiscent of E.C.T.;  a call to arms under an “Ecumenical Orthodoxy.” R.C. Sproul commenting on the language and philosophical similarities of  E.C.T. and M.D. states:

“The drafters of the document, Charles Colson, Robert George, and Timothy George, used deliberate language that is on par with the ecumenical language of the Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) movement that began in the 1990s. The Manhattan Declaration states, “Christians are heirs of a 2,000-year tradition of proclaiming God’s Word,” and it identifies ‘Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelicals’ as ‘Christians.’ The document calls Christians to unite in ‘the Gospel,’ ‘the Gospel of costly grace,’ and ‘the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness.’ Moreover, the document says, ‘it is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season.’”[5]

In his commentary on November 25, Colson said the Manhattan Declaration is a “form of catechism for the foundational truths of the faith.”[6] He went on to say that the Manhattan Declaration is an antidote to “biblical and doctrinal ignorance.”[7] Colson’s remarks are more than an overstatement, they are just flat wrong.  As vitally important as the truths surrounding the sanctity of life, the biblical view of marriage and the family, and religious liberty are, they pale before the profound and life changing gospel of Jesus Christ.   In the end, it is the gospel message that answers the ills of society.  Again here is John MacArthur on this point:

“Thus for the sake of issuing a manifesto decrying certain moral and political issues, the Declaration obscures both the importance of the gospel and the very substance of the gospel message.”

What evangelicals have failed to understand, is that the Roman Catholic Church still stands intransigent on the doctrine of justification by faith alone. By decree at the Council of Trent such doctrine is “anathema.”  The reformation battle of sola fida still stands.  The gospels of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches are “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6-8) and that gospel stands under the “anathema” of God.

While there is no doubt as to the seriousness of the issues M.D. addresses, it also asks for a mingling of a gospel of grace plus works with the pure gospel of grace.  Therefore, while I support the three manifestos of the Manhattan Declaration, I cannot support the declaration itself,  as it is grounded in the assumption we share a common faith and a unified understanding of the gospel, which of course we do not!

- Michael Holtzinger

[1] Franky Schaeffer, “Bad News For Modern Man – An Agenda For Christian Activism, Crossway Books, 1994, pg.90

[2] Examples of cooperation between Catholics and Evangelicals are used on pages 94-96 and is the running theme throughout Franky’s book.

[3] Evangelicals And Catholics Together, COLSON KEY PARTICIPANT IN STATEMENT OF EVANGELICAL, CATHOLIC COOPERATION

[4] John MacArthur, The Manhattan Declaration”, Grace To You, A390

[5] R.C. Sproul, “The Manhattan Declaration: Why didn’t you sign it, R.C.?” 2009

[6] Charles Colson, “Breaking Point”,”Just the Beginning- The Manhattan Declaration”  Broadcast, 11/25/2009

[7] Ibid, “Breaking Point”, 11/25/2009