On 2009-10-19 A. Sutono, San Jose, CA wrote: In pointing out the heresy and danger of liberal theology, Prof. J. Gresham Machen, the founder of Orthodox Presbyterian denomination, also succinctly summarizes the fundamentals of Christian beliefs, and thus fulfilling his goal to show what Christianity is after showing what it is not (p.16). By fundamentals I do not mean to include subjects like eschatology, continuity of extraordinary gifts and the means of baptism and who should be baptized though it is not to say they are unimportant. The fundamentals cover the views of God and man, the Bible, Christ, salvation and the church. This is why this small-yet-loaded book could also serve as a systematic theology text in a nutshell. The gospel may seem to have become so very familiar to some that we are prone to think there is no need for reminder or refreshment of what it is. But looking at today´s pluralism and globalization almost everywhere in which there are so many different beliefs and so many different denominations including the garden variety of non-denominational churches, it is not an option that every Christian; laymen, ministers and missionaries rightly understand what the gospel is and what its underlying doctrinal truths are. The reason I include missionaries here is because liberal theology is not only a threat in the west, but also has become a global threat considering it has gained ground in Africa and Asia as well, so it is important for them to understand its nature and to be able to defend orthodox Christianity against its assaults. Here it is important to distinguish between the necessity ´to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints´ as Jude 3 commands where matters that concern eternal life and death are at stake, and getting into foolish unnecessary squabbles; picking fights over disagreements on minor subjects elevated to an unbalanced exaggerated importance such as Psalm-singing only in the Christian worship that the apostle Paul actually warns against (Titus 3:9). Prof. Machen rightly only deals with the former; the subjects that truly matter; ´things that are sometimes thought to be the hardest to defend are also the things that are most worth defending,´ (p.8).
The major issue with liberal theology is its abhorrence to doctrines (p.18). Doctrines divide and therefore, ´Forget doctrines, can´t we just get along?´ This presupposition understandably leads to an erroneous view, abusive interpretations, criticisms and denial of the authority of the Bible that inevitably result in erroneous views about God, man, Christ, salvation and the church. On the other hand, it puts a premium on human experience, where facts must be based on experience, not the other way around. Moreover, among many other contra-biblical views, the gospel is viewed as a merely way of life where it seems that the general theme of the liberal gospel centers around the Sermon on the Mount, not the cross. It is an interesting yet sadly a false view on the cross where liberal theology teaches as chiefly an example of self-sacrifice or anything else but atonement for sins; that Jesus Christ is an example of faith, not the object of faith (p.113). But these principles directly contradict Christianity. Machen gives an excellent basis of the non-negotiable nature of the cardinal doctrines in the gospel when he brings up Gal 1:8 where the apostle Paul severely warns everyone against preaching a different gospel. And here is where he made it clear early in the book that what the liberal theology teaches is indeed a different gospel which is no gospel at all. Then he moves on with what the true gospel is. The gospel is an event and the Person who is at the center of that event, namely, the crucifixion and resurrection of the God-Man Jesus Christ, as well as the meaning and message of the event. These set forth the basis of the discussion on other subjects in the book; the views on the Bible, God and man, Christ, and salvation. The meaning of the cross teaches that there is a holy God who must punish sinners for their sins and therefore, there is such a reality as sin and that it is the very thing that separates man from God. The message of the cross is that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15) by what he did on the cross, which constitutes a promise that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (the familiar John 3:16 passage). Here is a humble, robust, and succinct apology of orthodox Christianity Machen presents that I believe is done in the spirit of 1 Pet 3:15-16 which I appreciate greatly and have much to learn from. Walter Lippman puts it this way, that this book is ´a cool and stringent defense of orthodox Protestanism.´. And summed up by saying Systematic Theology in a Nutshell. Currently Christianity and Liberalism has an overall rating of 8 over 10.
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Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company claimed Machen´s classic defense of orthodox Christianity establishes the importance of scripural doctrine and contrasts the teachings of liberalism and orthodoxy on God and man, the Bbible, Christ, salvation, and the church. Though originally published nearly seventy years ago, the book maintains its relevance today.
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