John, why are you making your stance against KTC a "hill to die on"?
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A few weeks ago I wrote to our visitors online explaining Monergism Books' decision not to carry the book entitled "Kingdom through Covenant" because we disagreed with some of its points theologically. As an attempt to clear up some possible misunderstandings that have arisen in online discussions about my position on the KTC issue, I wish to post the following short email exchange I had yesterday with a pastor who entered into the conversation with some mistaken views of my stance which he gleaned from online discussions of the issue. I am including the last 3 emails at the end of our conversation....and hopefully will be helpful to those who may have similar misunderstandings..
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Visitor:
... it seems to me from a totally "outsider" perspective, KTC stepped on your toes or your brand of CTs toes, at minimum. I am disappointed that you clearly think your brand of CT is a "hill to die on." I think your theological triage needs some tweaking. Are the authors of KTC getting God's attributes wrong? Denying the Trinity? Christ's deity? Man's depravity? Christ's sufficiency? Grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, to God's glory alone? These are "hills to die on," not CT or DT or all the other nuances of those systems.
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My response:
As for your comments, "Hill to die on"? I am a little confused by this charge... and really not sure how you came to this conclusion. In my previous KTC email blast about the authors of the book I included a letter which included the quote >>> "Gentry and Wellum are extremely intelligent, fair, well-spoken men who love the Lord and committed to the Bible and Jesus Christ. They are dear brothers in the Lord." The email you sent me just now makes it sound as if I do not believe this but consider them unbelievers. (since you say that I put this on par with a doctrine such as the deity of Christ). If so, I don't know how you could so misunderstand what I said. Such a thought never even crossed my mind ... ... and further, I host many of Gentry and Wellum's articles on my site Monergism.com. And would gladly carry their books on another topic.
While I do believe this is an important issue, since it drives the direction and hermeneutic we read the entire Bible with, and indeed influences many things we believe about the Bible ... But I consider those who hold to it dear brothers...as I do dispensationalist brothers whose books (which promote that whole system) we also do not carry. Some of my good friends whom with whom I often fellowship with in the NCT camp even go further than KTC does theologically. They step on my theological toes all the time. But that's okay. I still love them deeply.
You are the only one who has written me in weeks to discuss this issue. So thanks for the information and for wanting to end the conversation here.
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Visitor:
Hey seriously, John, this discussion has proven quite beneficial to me ... I have learned more about your biz and also about why you are making some decisions to carry or not carry books. It has all really given me an appreciation of what you're doing, and I am truly relieved to see that you are not making this issue a "hill to die on." If it is wrong of me to test you on these things, please forgive me. But, you have indeed helped me think through this and I hope you do appreciate that I was willing to enter this discussion with you. Believe me, many others have much to say about your decision at Monergism but I believe they are being cowardly if they have not had the "guts' and good Christian decency to write you personally. It's part of what I hate about the digital age . . . it's so hard to have genuine discussions or even disagreements in a way that is biblical and God-honoring. Seems far too many are satisfied to take someone else's word for it or just slam someone digitially "behind their backs." So, thanks again for patiently (if a little too aggressively for my personal flavor) continuing to share with me your thoughts and decision-making process. I believe by God's amazing grace we are kindred spirits who desire more than anything to see the Lord Christ exalted and praised. We will probably never meet in this life, but I do trust we shall meet around the Throne one fine day! All because of the King of Glory . . .
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Note to readers: My position on not carrying this book is not unlike our decision not to carry books on subjects like the pre-tribulational rapture. We view that doctrine as an error, and so don't carry such books, and have openly spoken about not doing so in the past, but this hardly constitutes a rupture in my deep love for brothers who hold to that stance. It is one thing to disagree with me about my stance to not carry the book but it is quite another to pass on information on the Internet things about me that I never said or remotely thought. I am certainly more than partly to blame for not communicating this more clearly and could have done better ....so I do hope this will be a point of reconciliation for many of those who may not have understood ... but I do know that some will still not be happy with our stance.
Addendum: Earlier today before posting this, a Presbyterian brother wrote and said, "the news I heard [about your stance] is extremely disheartening to say the very least. I am a member of the OPC so you should know where my loyalties tend to lay, but [your position on] this book is a scary sign...." But after reading my email with the same content as above, he said, "Thank you very much for the email - I suppose I should have asked if the "news" was true before acting on it; for that I would ask your forgiveness. I appreciate the clarification and again, thank you for your website!"
Because of the false news out there, I know that false report will spread to many who will not read this, but Lord willing, those who have the opportunity will at least be able to sift the false data from the true and perhaps talk to the brother(s) who are circulating the falsehoods.
Solus Christus
John Hendryx