Monday, August 23, 2010

Open Theist Heretic Clark Pinnock Dies at 73

Heretic Clark Pinnock, apologist for the heretical Open Theism teaching, where he claims the future is open and therefore God is learning as He goes, died yesterday at age 73.

The "Christian"Post reports:

As a teacher at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary back in the 1960s, Pinnock had directly influenced a number of notable Southern Baptist leaders including Paige Patterson, Jerry Vines, Adrian Rogers.

And many of those leaders, in turn, influenced others.

“[T]he gospel I believed came through preachers who were trained by Clark Pinnock,” recalled Dr. Russell D. Moore, dean of the School of Theology and senior vice-president for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. “More than that, the nation’s largest evangelical denomination would never have turned back to biblical inerrancy had it not been for a man who would later reject the concept.”

...Back in the 1960s, Pinnock presented a strong case to his students for the complete truthfulness of the Scriptures, concerned that Southern Baptists were sliding into theological liberalism like other Baptists before them. He also presented an overall narrative of God’s work in Christ Jesus that many students reportedly found compelling.
In the 1970s, however, Pinnock began to question his previous understanding of biblical inspiration. Among the beliefs he came to hold was that evangelicals should unite around our common commitment to forgiveness through the “shed blood of Jesus Christ” rather than around a common understanding of Holy Scripture.
Over time, the Canadian theologian moved from doubting the verbal inspiration of Scripture to questioning the long-standing traditions of Christian orthodoxy from almost every vantage point.
“He led the short-lived movement toward ‘open theism,’ questioning the historic church’s belief that God knows everything, including the future free decisions of his creatures,” recalled Moore.

End quote.

Pinnock denies the penal substituion of Christ Jesus on the Cross.

The Master's Seminary's President and Professor of Pastoral Ministries John MacArthur in his paper "OPEN THEISM’S ATTACK ON THE ATONEMENT" states:

"Open theism arose in evangelicalism over a decade ago when evangelicals posited a God to whom one can easily relate and who is manageable in place of a God who punishes sinners for their sin. This they did by proposing a model of Christ’s atonement that was not substitutionary. To do so they adopted the model of the 16th-century Socinian heresy, which taught that God could forgive without the payment of a ransom."

In the footnotes of the paper, MacArthur states:

Open theist David Basinger suggests that the believer’s own free-will choice— rather than Christ’satonement— is what “ bridges” the “initial separation . . . between God and humans” (Clark Pinnock, et al., The Openness of God [Downers Gro ve, Ill.: InterVarsity, 19 94] 173-75).

In his article “From Augustine to Arminius: A Pilgrimage in Theology,” Clark Pinnock recounted his own retreat from the penal substitution view via a route that took him from Anselm to Grotius to Barth (Pinnock, ed. The Grace of God, the Will of Ma n: A Ca se for Arminian ism [Grand Rapids: Zondervan,1990]).

End quote.

Sadly, as with most professing Christians, Moore can't reject a heretic and thinks there's good in everything including a heretic:

"Still, Moore expressed gratitude “for the good things God did through him” and encouraged his fellow believers to do the same."

Scripture is clear that we are to reject the MAN who is a heretic. Such a man is twisted and perverts the Truth. Such a man is NOT saved, instead preaching a false god that can't save. God did NOT use this man for the preaching of the Gospel or the Christ of that Gospel. God condemned the man himself.

Is. 8 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

2Jo 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Mat 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Mat 7:17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

2Jo 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.

Instead of the heinous view of Open Theism and its attack on the Atonement, I suggest reading about it in Scripture (Is. 53, the Gospels, Hebrews), then also read MacArthur's excellent sermon, The Atonement: Real or Potential?

This also has ramifications for John Piper's erroneous views about the Atonement. More on that later.

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