For Times Out of Joint (by Fanning Yater Tant)

There is a seething unrest going on in the denominational world today. G. Aiken Taylor, editor of The Presbyterian Journal, says, "Many churchmen believe it is inevitable that denominations, as we have known them, shall pass from the scene. They expect them to be replaced, if the Lord delays his return, by something new - perhaps something as radically different as denominations were when they first appeared." Denominations, of course, are relatively new. Excluding the Catholic denominations (Greek, Roman, and Old) the others have been around only a few hundred years; the oldest of the, Lutheran, this very year will observe the 450th anniversary of Luther's nailing his historic 95 thesis to the door of the old castle church in Wittenberg.

The dedicated Christian has only a passing interest in these vast upheavals in the denominational world. Whatever the "form" of the new churches may be; whether they group around some "mission", or social reform, or world project matters little. As of right now there are a whole covey of emerging "forms" � Campus Crusade for Christ, Christian's Business Men' s Committee International, Inter -Varsity , the Gideons, the Full Gospel Movement, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, International Christian Leadership, and perhaps a dozen others of lesser note. These emerging movements have one thing in common ---they stress social action rather than doctrinal belief; they put the emphasis on this world rather than on the world to come; and they stress fellowship and unitedness by minimizing doctrinal beliefs and convictions. "Coffee house" ministries and "inner city" projects (among the slums and ghettoes) loom large in their thinking. Personal salvation from the power and consequences of sin is important only as it motivates a man to get off his booze and earn a decent living for his wife and children.

We are being told that the frightful wars of the past quarter-century, together with the prospect of even more terrifying and destructive holocausts in the years ahead have so thrown our times "out of joint" that we must seek a vital NEW form for the church. Well, if by "the church" they mean traditional denominationalism, then we are all for it. The denominations as we know them are relatively stagnant. In spite of all their tremendous sums of yearly expenditure, and in spite of many thousands of trained and professional full-time workers, they are hard put to it to maintain themselves. In contrast with this look at the new Japanese religion, Soka Gakkai, the fastest growing religion in the world. In 1945 it counted 20,000 adherents. Today it claims 15 million! But "Christianity" in Japan for more than a hundred years numbers all its adherents, of every stripe and hue of denominational affiliation, at less than one-half million.

Certainly the times are out of joint. They always have been. Christianity was born arid bred for a world out of joint. It was specifically designed in the mind of God for a chaotic, sinful, confused and confusing world. Does someone think that the gospel of Christ is suited for a quiet and undisturbed civilization? Look at the Roman world into which it first came! Violence was there quite as hideous as in the gas chambers of Nazi Germany; death was as frightful and horrible to the victim of Rome's wrath as he screamed in agony from the crucifix (one emperor crucified more than 2,000 on a single occasion) as to the terrified Japanese working man who perished in the blinding flash at Hiroshima.

May God hasten the day, indeed, when all denominationalism, and all denominations will have perished from the earth. The mission of the devoted Christian is precisely what it has always been, and always will be---to win lost souls to Jesus Christ that they may be saved from sin. Human dignity, freedom, equality for all men are truly fine and worthy goals; but they are not the goals of the Christian nor of the Lord's church. That goal is spiritual, not secular; it is eternal, not temporal; it has to do with the souls of men rather than their stomachs. "Christ Jesus came to save sinners," said Paul. That was his mission, and is the mission of his church. It always will be. Let others concern themselves with social aims and gains; the follower of Christ is interested in heaven for himself and for as many others as he can win. It matters little to him whether the times are "out of joint" or not. He is interested in the sinner, not in his society. And the sinner is always out of joint; he remains that way until from the heart he obeys the gospel of Christ. No matter how progressive, affluent, or cultured his society, he is lost and ruined without Christ. And no matter how chaotic and horrible his civilization, if he has Christ he is a "new creature". His life is happy and fulfilled in service of his King!

Does anybody see anything hard or difficult about this? This is what Paul calls "the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ." In Him the sinner finds salvation � both present and future.

Gospel Guardian � July 13, 1967