Lordship salvation controversy
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The "lordship salvation" controversy (also "Lordship Controversy") is a theological dispute regarding key soteriological questions within Protestantism, involving some non-denominational and Evangelical churches in North America since the 1980's.[1] The dispute spawned several books, pamphlets and conferences.
While many Protestants affirm salvation by grace alone received by faith alone, some believe that this grace results in conscious submission to the moral law of God. That is, Jesus cannot be "Saviour" without being "Lord". "Lordship salvation" is thus the belief that the possibility of salvation involved the acceptance of Jesus Christ not only as Saviour, but also submission and obedience to Jesus Christ as "Lord", also expressed as "Trust and Obey".[1]
Free Grace theology is the opposing position. It argues that "lordship salvation" is legalistic, promoting a works-centered view of justification that neglects the principles of faith alone and grace alone and contradicts key passages in the Gospel of John and the Pauline epistles.
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[edit] History of the debate
[edit] Background
Figures of the Reformed tradition and their historical dispute with Arminian Protestants over a person's participatory role in salvation, a debate which many Calvinists identify with the original sin issue Augustine wrote of in his polemics against the British monk Pelagius, gave Reformed scholars and church leaders an intellectual tradition from which to oppose what they considered a false gospel.[2]
The first known use of the term "lordship salvation" occurred in a 1959 debate in Eternity magazine between Presbyterian Everett F. Harrison, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, and John Stott, an Anglican theologian.
[edit] Modern dispute
The controversy moved to the forefront of the evangelical world in the late 1980s when Calvinist John F. MacArthur argued against the doctrine of carnal Christianity in his book The Gospel According to Jesus. In response, in 1989, Charles Ryrie published So Great Salvation and Zane C. Hodges published Absolutely Free! A Biblical Reply to Lordship Salvation. As both MacArthur's and Hodges's books were published by Zondervan, some bookstores displayed them together under the banner, "Which One is Right?". MacArthur later published Faith Works (1993) and Hodges released a second edition of his earlier title, The Gospel Under Siege in 1989. Two ministries, The Grace Evangelical Society, founded in 1986, and the Free Grace Alliance, founded in 2004, arose with the purpose of advancing free grace soteriological views which opposed the concepts introduced through "lordship salvation". Each group contributed numerous books, journal articles and pamphlets detailing the problems of lordship salvation.
While the concept of "free grace" dates to the 17th century, "Free Grace" was adopted as the term for the opposing camp in the lordship controversy by such authors as Charles Ryrie, Chuck Swindoll, Charles Stanley, Norman Geisler, and Bill Bright.[citation needed] While free grace is nominally undisputed in Protestantism, the "Free Grace view" in this sense postulates that "Lordship salvation" is in opposition to this principle by demanding submission or surrender as an additional step required beyond faith alone. The "Free Grace" view affirms good works are a proper response to salvation but argues they should not be taken as evidence of one's salvation or righteous standing before God. Proponents of lordship salvation, on the other hand, criticize opponents as advocating "carnal Christianity" by leaving open the possibility of indulging in sinful behaviour and still sharing equal assurance as one who is in some degree subduing sin.
[edit] See also
- Perseverance of the saints
- Christian perfection
- Justification (theology)
- Holiness movement
- Sanctification
- What Would Jesus Do
[edit] References
- ^ a b K. L. Gentry, 'Lordship Controversy', in: Roger E. Olson (ed.) The Westminster handbook to evangelical theology, Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, ISBN 9780664224646, 317-319.
- ^ David F. Wells, Reformed Theology in America: A History of Its Modern Development, Baker Academic, 1997, p. 17
- Curtis Hutson, Lordship Salvation, Sword of the Lord Publishers, 2000, ISBN 9780873985185.
- Curtis I. Crenshaw, Lordship salvation: the only kind there is: an evaluation of Jody Dillow's The reign of servant kings and other antinomian arguments, Footstool Publications, 1994, ISBN 9781877818127..
- Manfred E. Kober, Lordship salvation: a forgotten truth or a false doctrine?, Faith Baptist Bible College & Seminary, 1990.
[edit] External links
- "Lordship Salvation" by John MacArthur (advocating Lordship salvation)
- "A 15-Year Retrospective on the Lordship Controversy" by John MacArthur
- A directory of articles advocating Lordship salvation from Monergism.com
- "Lordship Salvation: Is it Biblical?" by Christian N. Temple at Darkness To Light Ministries (opposing Lordship salvation)
- "Why Discipleship-Faith Misses the Mark of Biblical Salvation?" article by Dr. Charles Bing, explaining "how and why" so-called lordship or discipleship-faith falls short of the correct Scriptural teaching of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone.
