Eric Barger Reports live from Orlando 6 27 09

Eric Barger reports from the International Convention of the Church of the Nazarene. Saturday, June 27, 2009. Concerned Nazarene's make a stand against Emergent ideology and in favor of biblical inerrancy.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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• Eric Barger
• Orlando
• Nazarene
• Emergent

[JoshRatliff]

Thank God for the stand you are taking, Eric! I'm a member of the Wesleyan Church, so I have been watching this situation very closely, especially in light of the recent Nazarene resolution to approach the Wesleyans about a merger. I must say, I don't understand the attitude of people like TimOTee in your denom. It doesn't matter that this is not the current stance of the Nazarene. If a denom. realizes they are in error, should they not fix it? It is as if they are afraid of open discussion.

[ebart32]

Thanks Josh. However, just for the record, I am NOT a Nazarene but rather just a concerned bystander with many friends in the Nazarene church. I also preach in several Nazarene churches each year. God bless you bro and thanks again for your input. - Eric

[TimOTee123]

Eric, the Church of the Nazarene doesn't affirm the kind of inerrancy that you are arguing for. The articles of faith are clear on this. I think that you could make this argument in another denomination, but I don't see how it has a place in the Church of the Nazarene...

[ebart32]

You are correct that Nazarenes currently do not affirm inerrancy. However, this is the very point and the reason that one district from Indiana had hoped to bring the inerrancy question to the floor in Orlando and why the widely circulated petition from Grace Naz from Springfield, MO clearly called from the denomination to affirm inerrancy. Every day Nazarenes are waking up to the fact that inerrancy has been not ignored but actually eliminated from their articles of faith.

[ebart32]

Every person interested in the question of biblical inerrancy and the Church of the Nazarene should read Nazarenes and the Authority of the Bible: 1908-1988: Eighty Years of Changing Definitions In the Church of the Nazarene by Dr. Daryl McCarthy. It is posted on my website ericbarger dot-com.

[458551804]

you and dr. ron carlson plus lamb and lion ministries need to keep standing for rightly dividing the word. the emergent movement is so insidious, because it sucks in people whom otherwise know scripture. it fools the very elect. i just came from a weekend with dr. david reagan with lamb and lion ministries and got my socks blessed of me. they also had info on eric at this conference. maranatha

[ebart32]

Thanks much!

[4858mf]

I just started seminary and am loving it. However, I can't believe that a NBC student would believe that the Bible is untrue. I am taking my course of study through there and it seems fine so far. But I will call them out if they say the Bible is not the Word of God. I am 50 years old and have nothing to lose! lol

[4858mf]

As a "New" Nazarene, I find that this Emergent Church is nothing more than a flash in the pan. Their theology is flawed. They attack the people, not their message. We are called to stand for what is true and correct. This is nothing more than reinforced Roman Catholic doctrine. Those who deny the inerrancy of the Bible are well, lost. You cannot preach Jesus's love and forgiveness and then claim that only parts of the Bible are true.

[bigboy45454545]

You say the bible is inerrant, but there are many contradictions everywhere in the many versions of the bible.

If the bible were inerrant, why so many versions of the perfect word of God?

Because it's a scam..........Of course!

Heck the KJV talks about Unicorns.

Eric Barger knows this.

Brainwashing the sheep in his flocks, lines his pockets with money.

Money he needs for hair dye and toupee's.

[formernewager]

thank God there are watchmen on the wall. Coming from the new age and being delivered from lies it is a blessing there are those who "test everything by the Word of God" praying for those like me who are seeking Truth that they find Him. esp. those who's hearts are seeking peace in themselves and in the world...my heart was right, but nothing pointed me to Jesus.

[JoshRatliff]

I want to point back to Luke 24:44. Notice Jesus didn't divide the OT into a soteriological section, cultural section, historical section, etc. He spoke of it as a whole with three parts. The NT (w/o probing the canon debate) is the continual unfolding of the OT. So I think those that deny inerrancy are going to have a hard time distinguishing what was soteriological and what was not, considering our Lord viewed Scripture as a whole with every part testifying of him.

[JoshRatliff]

Concerning the function of Scripture, we have a complex issue. From my comments above, it should be clear that I believe Scipture's claim for itself is inerrancy. But I completely agree that the function is to reveal "God's soteriological plan and mission of a loving God." I couldn't put it any more beautiful than that! However, I believe that the whole of Scripture reveals God's soteriological plan. I've studied its contents for years, and I find God's redemptive purpose on every page!

[JoshRatliff]

The fact is that this book as well as all the books of the canon are written in a variety of genres, but they were composed as men were "carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21) and not in any way by their own will, but by God's will. Logically, it is hard to comprehend how any document produced by God's will, as the writers were actually born along by the Spirit, could be anything other than free from error. The burden of proof lies on the one who denies inerrancy.

[JoshRatliff]

Back to Ps. 19:6. I didn't mean to support dictation. I support plenary, verbal inspiration. God did not override the personality of the psalmist, but he was used to communicate the Word of God. In particular, the Psalms are given authority (as a unit) in the NT often to show the fulfillment of prophecy. Notice that in Luke 24:44, Jesus viewed them as much more than poetry (even though they were beautiful poems!).

[JoshRatliff]

When studying Scripture in context, we must place ourselves in the setting in which the text was written and set our ideologies and experiences aside. For me, this can be a huge struggle sometimes. But this is why we continue to do background studies and examine socio-rhetorical, historical, etc. context. It is the only way to get the full meaning of Scripture.

[JoshRatliff]

I'm glad you asked about criteria because I've thought a lot about the quad since I responded last. I think the criteria is proper context. Whether Wesley viewed things through the quad is debatable, but I believe that viewing Scripture through reason, tradition, and experience can be a hindrance to proper hermeneutics.