By Jim on
Fundamentalism & Evangelicalism
Phil Johnson
James White
Michael Brown

One of my chief concerns is that Dr. Brown seems to be using his relationship with James White to deflect legitimate and important criticisms. I love James White and have the greatest respect for his abilities as an apologist and teacher. But I do think his public deference to Dr. Brown has enabled and encouraged efforts by Dr. Brown to evade accountability for his partnership with (and promotion of) some of the grossest truth-corrupters and charlatans who are troubling the church today.

Discussion

Fri, 01/19/18

http://kentbrandenburg.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-case-study-for-biblical-s…

Excerpt:

Phil says second, “I deplore hyper-separatism almost as much as I hate ecumenism.” Ecumenism is a technical term with a lot written about it, while hyper-separatism is not. Both terms need definition. I’ve found him to provide anecdotes of hyper-separatism, often hypotheticals and straw men. ….

According to Phil, “Dr. White stated that critics have been telling him, ‘You have to separate yourself from anybody that you have disagreements with when it comes to theology.’” I’ve heard James White enough, that I don’t believe him. He’s striking a straw man as he so often does, and also is treating his criticism like he’s persecuted. I’ve never heard anyone say what he claims they have in my entire life. I think you’ve got to be about as gullible as you can be to believe that critics, plural, have been saying that to James White — “anybody that you have disagreements with when it comes to theology.”
I would happy for anyone to show me one person who separates over every theological disagreement, even among the mystery group, the “hyper-separatists,” what Phil describes as those “who seem to relish conflict and treat every disagreement as an excuse to fire off anathemas.” This doesn’t exist as a problem. The word “seem” probably gives Phil a semi-truck of deniability. Who in the world treats every disagreement as an excuse to fire off anathemas? I’ve never met one, except that Phil would probably categorize me as one. Phil needs to do better than that for this to be a realistic discussion of fellowship and separation. Anathemas are in the Bible in Galatians 1 or in 1 Corinthians 16 and they are reserved for those who preach a false gospel and those who love not the Lord Jesus Christ.

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