A sober word for a noisy age

We are commanded to keep our heads and hold fast when teaching trends swirl. “For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

Paul warned shepherds to “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock” because “savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock” (Acts 20:28–29). That sober charge belongs to every leader and every home that loves Christ.

What is meant by “progressive Christianity”

The label covers a range, but the pattern is familiar: the authority of Scripture is minimized, historic doctrines are reframed, and cultural plausibility becomes the guide. It often sounds compassionate and enlightened, but it subtly recasts the faith into something more “acceptable” to the age.

This is not a new danger. From Eden onward the question has been the same: “Did God really say?” The enemy’s scheme is to weaken confidence in God’s Word so he can replace it with man’s words (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Common marks include:

- Treating the Bible as a fallible human witness rather than the Word of God.

- Redefining sin as harm or oppression rather than lawlessness before a holy God (1 John 3:4).

- Recasting the cross as mere moral example while downplaying substitution and wrath (Isaiah 53:5–6).

- Blurring or denying Christ’s exclusivity and the necessity of repentance and faith (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

- Reimagining sexual ethics apart from creation and apostolic teaching (Matthew 19:4–6; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11).

- Elevating perpetual doubt as a virtue rather than a way-station on the road to conviction (John 20:31).

- Swapping the Great Commission for a gospel of activism detached from conversion and discipleship (Matthew 28:18–20).

The gospel non-negotiables

The apostolic message is clear and closed. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). “Salvation exists in no one else” (Acts 4:12).

Paul speaks with holy seriousness: “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!” (Galatians 1:8). We are not free to edit what God has revealed.

Scripture: God’s inerrant, final authority

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Jesus declared, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). “The entirety of Your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160).

“No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation… but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20–21). Not one “jot” will pass from God’s Law “until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). We receive the Word “not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Therefore we gladly commit to:

- Trust the plain sense of the text in its context and genre.

- Let clear passages interpret the difficult (2 Peter 3:16).

- Submit feelings and trends to the unchanging Word (Romans 12:2; John 17:17).

How progressive reinterpretations work

The shift is often hermeneutical. Experience and sentiment move to the driver’s seat, and Scripture is re-read to match them. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition… rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

The distortions are subtle because they keep Christian words while changing definitions. “I am afraid that, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1).

Watch for these reframes:

- “God is love” severed from “God is holy,” making sin and judgment unthinkable (Isaiah 6:3; 1 John 4:8).

- “Affirmation equals love,” replacing repentance with permissiveness (Jude 4; Isaiah 5:20).

- “Jesus the example, not Jesus the substitution,” hollowing out the cross (Romans 3:25).

- “Paul versus Jesus,” denying apostolic unity (2 Peter 3:16).

- “Pluralism,” denying Christ’s unique lordship (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

- “Justice is the gospel,” rather than the fruit of the gospel (Titus 2:14; Matthew 23:23).

Truth with love, courage with gentleness

We are to be both clear and kind. “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves… Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ” (Ephesians 4:14–15). Love without truth deceives; truth without love hardens.

“The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome; instead he must be gentle toward everyone, able to teach… He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24–25). We “contend earnestly for the faith once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3) with tears, patience, and courage.

Guarding our churches and homes

Guarding begins with returning again and again to the text. The Bereans were “examining the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true” (Acts 17:11). That same reflex must live in our pulpits, classes, living rooms, and hearts.

Fidelity is not automatic; it is cultivated. Healthy churches and homes train disciples to recognize counterfeits by deep familiarity with the real thing.

Practical steps:

- Preach the Word, in season and out (2 Timothy 4:2).

- Catechize; memorize core texts and confessions (Psalm 119:11).

- Clarify a doctrinal statement and use it for membership and leadership.

- Practice formative and corrective discipline (Matthew 18:15–17).

- Curate what you sing, read, and share; doctrine must drive doxology.

- Hold leaders to Titus 1:9—“holding firmly to the trustworthy word… to encourage by sound doctrine and refute those who contradict”.

Mission that cannot be co-opted

Jesus defined our mandate. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18–20). Our mission is evangelism unto obedience—conversion that blossoms into lifelong apprenticeship to Christ.

Good works matter deeply, but they are fruit, not root. “By grace you have been saved through faith… not by works… For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:8–10). He “purified for Himself a people… zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14). Keep the gospel central; let righteous deeds flow from it.

Keep the focus:

- Proclaim Christ crucified and risen (1 Corinthians 2:2).

- Call for repentance and faith (Acts 20:21).

- Baptize and teach toward joyful obedience (Matthew 28:19–20).

Our unshakable hope

Christ is not anxious about His church. “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Our confidence is not in cultural winds but in the risen Lord.

So “stand firm and hold to the traditions we passed on to you” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). Keep abiding in His Word. “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32).

Christianity is a received faith, publicly witnessed and carefully preserved. Luke wrote “to set forth in order an account… since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning” (Luke 1:1–4). Peter regarded Paul’s letters as Scripture alongside “the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16).

The earliest creed centers on cross and resurrection: “Christ died for our sins… He was buried… He was raised” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). The canon did not create the church’s faith; it codified the apostolic faith already confessed and preached.

Markers of reliability:

- Eyewitness testimony and early dating.

- Coherence across authors and centuries.

- Public transmission with massive manuscript attestation.

- A canon recognized by apostolicity, orthodoxy, and catholicity.

Reading the Bible rightly: literal and literary

We read literally according to literature—history as history, poetry as poetry, prophecy as prophecy—without flattening genres or spiritualizing away the plain sense. “Make every effort to present yourself approved to God… who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Sound interpretation yields humble obedience. The goal is not novelty but faithfulness, not cleverness but clarity that leads to doxology and discipleship.

Hermeneutical anchors:

- Authorial intent and original audience.

- Immediate and canonical context.

- Scripture interprets Scripture; the clear lights the difficult (2 Peter 3:16).

- The rule of faith: no reading may contradict the gospel.

- Application flows from meaning, not mood.

Hard doctrines often softened

Where progressive theology blurs lines, Scripture speaks plainly and graciously.

- Sexual holiness: “He who created them from the beginning made them male and female” and united them in marriage (Matthew 19:4–6). “Such were some of you… but you were washed” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11).

- The atonement: “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). “God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice” (Romans 3:25). “He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 2:2).

- Judgment and hell: “They will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

- Christ’s exclusivity: “Salvation exists in no one else” (Acts 4:12). “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever rejects the Son will not see life” (John 3:36).

Walking with the deconstructing

Many are confused, hurt, or reacting to hypocrisy. Scripture calls us to mercy and clarity. “Have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire” (Jude 22–23). “Restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1).

Offer a better path: deconstruction that ends in reconstruction on the cornerstone of Christ, not on sand. Invite people to the text, the church, the sacraments, and the Savior.

Wise practices:

- Listen patiently; distinguish wounds from rebellion.

- Clarify the true gospel versus caricatures.

- Set the Bible—not social media—as the authority.

- Walk through core doctrines slowly and prayerfully.

- Keep them close to healthy community; isolation breeds error.

- Draw necessary lines with tears, not triumphalism.

Family and formation: a simple rule of life

Homes are greenhouses for sturdy faith. “These words… shall be on your heart… teach them diligently to your children” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). God “commanded our fathers to teach their children, that the next generation would know” (Psalm 78:5–7).

Aim for ordinary, resilient rhythms that outlast trends. Formation is slow, joyful, and cumulative.

A workable pattern:

- Daily: Word and song at the table (Joshua 1:8).

- Weekly: Lord’s Day worship and hospitality.

- Monthly: Family service to the needy.

- Yearly: Read a Gospel together, memorize a psalm.

- Always: Confess sin quickly; forgive freely.

A fidelity checklist for leaders

- Is the sermon text-driven and Christ-centered (Luke 24:27)?

- Is sin defined by Scripture, not sociology (Romans 3:23)?

- Is the cross explained as substitution and victory (Colossians 2:13–15)?

- Is the bodily resurrection affirmed and applied (1 Corinthians 15:20)?

- Are repentance and faith commanded, not suggested (Acts 17:30)?

- Is holiness expected as grace’s fruit (Titus 2:11–12)?

- Are the sacraments practiced biblically (1 Corinthians 11:23–26)?

- Is discipline loving and present (Matthew 18:15–17)?

- Are shepherds guarding doctrine (Titus 1:9; 1 Timothy 4:16)?

- Is hope in Christ’s return enlivening the flock (Titus 2:13)?

“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Word will hold us as we hold it.