Though I was raised Evangelical, I have moved steadily away from it for most of my Christian life. To the point where I now see it as an exclusionary religion with a militant zeal for a theological platform.
When the church should be facing the world with open arms of acceptance and love, Evangelicalism stands with arms crossed and an off-putting scowl. Which is quite apparent in this video below.
Notice the demeanor, purpose and message of these two former friends,
John MacArthur and
Hank Hanegraff.
What spirit do you discern in these two presentations?
Hank Hanegraff was Chrismated into the Orthodox Church in April 2017. About a month later, his friend John MacArthur, without mentioning Hanegraaff by name, denounced his conversion during a sermon, saying “
it is not to be joined,
it is to be cursed" because it rejects the doctrine of faith alone. (As a note, MacArthur basically says that knowledge and belief in the doctrine of faith alone is necessary to be saved, which completely undermines his position).
Hanegraaff responds to these criticisms with references to scripture, and elaborates the historical context of doctrinal expression.
As a convert from Evangelical Protestantism, Hanegraaff still hasn’t shed many of his former heterodox presuppositions, and has clear ecuminist tendencies (which I edited out of his response). Nevertheless, given his stature in the media, he has opened a path for many into Orthodoxy, which should be commended; and the mischaracterizations his former colleagues throw at the Ancient Church are just that.
