A Dividing Line?

Denny Burk quotes Richard Mouw’s defense of Rob Bell and suggests that this is a “real dividing line.” Good for Denny! Dividing lines, while regrettable, are important.

We put lines down on a football field so we know the difference between a touchdown and a nice try. We put lines on the road to mark where you can drive and where you cannot. We draw a “line in the sand” as a marker over which you cannot cross.

Denny, what does your dividing line signify? Does the line distinguish between truth and error? I presume so. Does it distinguish between right and wrong? Does it mark out a friend of the gospel and an enemy of the gospel? If a man preaches another gospel, is he a friend of Christ? If he promotes error in the body of Christ, how should the church deal with him?

When the human body develops cancer, the first line of defense is radiation: kill the cancer cells before any more damage can be done. Unfortunately, some healthy cells may be affected, but to leave the cancer untreated is worse than risking some healthy cells. If the radiation fails, another line of defense is excising the cancer. Tumors are removed, lymph nodes are taken, body parts are lopped off in a further attempt to preserve what is healthy. Unhealthy parts are separated from healthy parts lest the corrupt parts further corrupt the healthy. Isn’t it odd that healthy cells are almost always adversely affected by the unhealthy rather than the other way around?

If Bell’s book is a dividing line, what does the division look like? Will the division include Richard Mouw, who seems to be lending his considerable influence to supporting Bell?

Evangelicalism long ago repudiated separatism. Denny, are you calling for its return?