Neo-Liberalism’s Hijacking of Biblical Terminology

The old liberalism and today’s neo-liberalism both hijack the terminology of authentic Biblical Christianity to formulate counterfeit doctrines.

This is not surprising when men of seminaries and pulpits abandon sound principles of interpretation. Liberalism’s operating principle was the church need not — indeed cannot and must not — take dogmatic positions on the meanings of words that define essential doctrine.

Doctrine becomes nothing more than a wax nose that can be twisted and shaped at will. New doctrines can be devised to fit any agenda…they are usually old heresies in contemporary garb. The old liberalism, for example, held widely varying interpretations of critically important doctrinal words such as “atonement” and “resurrection” in order to widen its circle of fellowship to include men who preached another gospel.

Today’s neo-liberalism operates on the same principle. It says that we cannot insist upon a clear definition of the word “day” in Genesis 1, or the words “grace,” “justify,” “believe,” “faith,” or righteousness in Paul’s epistles and in James — despite the fact that the only valid meaning of each of those terms in context can readily be discerned using sound principles of interpretation. Many neo-liberals still say that they believe in justification by faith alone. But like an American president infamously dodging responsibility by quibbling over the meaning of the word “is,” neo-liberals then proceed to un-Biblically redefine all the terms of that foundational doctrine — “justification,” — “by” — “faith” — and — “alone.”

Neo-Liberalism’s Denial of the Authentic Gospel

The old liberalism and today’s neo-liberalism both deny the one true Gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. In the process, they diminish the person and work of Christ, and elevate the works of men.

The liberalism of the early twentieth century denied Biblical teaching concerning Christ’s atonement. It suppressed Biblical teaching concerning the Lamb who, through His sinless life and vicarious atonement, propitiated the wrath of a holy God on sinner’s behalf. Instead, liberalism reduced Jesus, His perfect life, and atoning death to the status of a great moral and ethical example, and taught that man is able to save himself by following the example of Christ in good works.

Today’s neo-liberalism likewise attacks the gracious work of Christ on behalf of helpless sinners. It denies the sufficiency of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ to justify sinners, and says that men must add their own works of righteousness in order to be justified before God. Neo-liberalism still speaks approvingly, at least in some circles, of the doctrine of the passive obedience of Christ, principally His death on the cross. But it attacks doctrine of His active obedience, especially His keeping the law perfectly on sinners’ behalf, and the imputation of His law-keeping righteousness to sinners for their justification, because they have no righteousness of their own.

Neo-liberalism says that men must add a righteousness of their own its order to be justfied before God. And therefore, like the old liberalism, it holds out law observance — emulation of Christ as man’s moral and ethical  — as our means of “final justification” at God’s judgement bar. As one conservative theologian has put it, neo-liberalism makes Jesus Christ little more than “the first Christian.” Neo-liberalism’s gospel is “another gospel, which is not another” and comes under the strongest possible condemnation of the Lord of the Church (Galatians 1:6-10).

Paul M. Elliott

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Endnotes:

[1] Paul M. Elliott, Chrisianity and Neo-Liberalism, [Unicoi: The Trinity Foundation, 2005], 62-65]

See also:

OLD FASHIONED LIBERALISM IN THE EMERGING CHURCH

LIBERALISM 2.0 THE NEW PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

MEET MENTORS AND METHODOLOGY OF BRIAN MCLAREN

THE LIBERAL THEOLOGY OF PHILIP CLAYTON AND THE EMERGING CHURCH

MYSTICISM AND POSTMODERNISM, THE EMERGING CHURCH, AND EVANGELICALISM

BIG TENT PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY AS LIBERALISM 2.0

PHILIP CLAYTON AND THE EMERGING CHURCH 2.0