Iain Murray's Evangelicalism Divided offers a compelling and heartbreaking analysis of the divisions that afflicted evangelicals in the 20th century. He contends that the philosophy driving these disagreements stemmed from Enlightenment-era ideas (17th and 18th centuries), notably the romanticism popularized by figures like Friedrich Schleiermacher, often called the father of Liberal Theology. Murray meticulously details how the 'successes' of Billy Graham's crusade ministry became the catalyst for a damaging coalition between evangelicals and non-evangelicals, lacking a firm definition and adherence to core doctrines. The struggle, as Murray demonstrates, wasn't confined to minor figures but affected notables such as John Stott and J. I. Packer.

Our choices carry serious consequences. We cannot adopt the carefree approach exemplified by Hezekiah in our actions (2 Kings 20:16-19). Decisionism and the adoption of secular philosophies were gradually preparing the church for the split in the 20th century. Graham's slow, gradual drift from gospel unity to ecumenical unity resulted from a disregard for Scripture, replaced by trust in the wisdom of men. His entrance onto the scene was ill-timed, as "...few made any real distinction between the church and the world.” Murray adds, “Nominal religion had made a country ripe for the acceptance of such teaching on a large scale.”

Present-Day Predicaments

Churches today find themselves in a similar predicament. In some instances, discerning between the church and the world remains difficult. In others, Schleiermacher's romanticism and deism are more pervasive than ever. Still others have amalgamated the Rationalism of Descartes and the Empiricism of John Locke. The fundamental question we must pose is: what and who is the sole absolute authority? Doctrine flows from this authority. For local churches, the answer should be clear, as Martyn Lloyd-Jones asserted, that "The great argument ... [is] about the gospel itself. It was about what a Christian is, and how anyone becomes a Christian." It is entirely centered on the gospel of God as revealed in his Holy Scriptures.

A Recipe for Disaster and the Need for Doctrinal Depth

It is not a stretch to devise a 'how-to-destroy a church' manual in three simple steps: (1) Cast doubt on the authority of the Bible, (2) Abandon sound preaching, and (3) Shift authority from the Bible to man; the result will be a redefined Christianity. Lloyd-Jones offered a helpful warning, stating "...the broad ecumenical view of 'Christian' would require a change in [our] ecclesiology." This subdued reality is clearly evident in disagreements concerning church attendance, membership matters, and church discipline. In our fallen state, we often prefer Scripture to be a set of 'guidelines' rather than an authoritative truth.

Lloyd-Jones (himself a man of 'prayer and an evangelist') would strongly argue that, “A ‘devotional’ attachment to Scripture was not enough: Christians needed the theology and doctrinal understanding which comes from serious exposition of Scripture.” We face the same danger if we allow denominational unity to override our gospel unity. Denominational unity compels us to "...act as though [we] did not believe the very thing [we] are rightly accused of believing, namely, that there is no real unity without biblical and evangelical belief." 

The Scriptures must be preached expositionally in a manner that holds the heart captive to "destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).