[#] One of the dangers of Blogging …

… is that somebody is going to read your blog, or your comments on their blog. Case in point: rene the rugrat. I found her blog by mistake, and then I posted some comments. You might want to read the discussion up to that point before you read my responses here.

Rene said:

First, it was close to twenty years ago that I heard Campolo make that comment and I could scarcely tell you who the current Christian gurus are and it would probably be impossible for me to care less.

I wasn’t disputing that Campolo said what you say here – I think it’s a slogan of his, actually, because he makes this exact same point (if not statement) in his latest book. My point in criticizing your use of Campolo is that Dr. Campolo is not a great flashpoint of orthodoxy.

Second I was quoting from memory, so my numbers could be way off. But the point remains, regardless of what opinion a person may have of Mr. Campolo, an entire doctine has been built around a single statement of Jesus', at the expense of much, if not most, of the rest of his teaching.

Actually, it’s a doctrine with pretty significant NT support that takes its name from one verse of Scripture. Perhaps both you and Dr. Campolo should review the following texts to start and get back with us:

John 1:12-13
Rom 7:6
Eph 4:20-23

Third, if I stated anywhere that I believe in salvation through works rather than grace please tell me so I can repent. I do however believe that works are the evidence of faith. Trust me if I did not believe that I would be deeply concerned for a man I know who is probably the most miserable and angry Christian I have ever met.

My point to your statement was that word count is utterly irrelevant in determining the value or essential nature of a doctrine. Dr. Campolo’s point in saying what he said was that we have somehow extracted the Gospel from reality by stressing the spiritual truth (you must be born again) over the physical truth (faith without works is dead) – when, in fact, those whom he would accuse of this – most Southern Baptists, for example – are not guilty of any such thing.

It’s a clever bit of rhetoric from him, but it doesn’t actually make the point he is trying to make – which is true with so much of his work. The rest is just bluster.