" am confused," I said.
Martin grinned at me. "Again? Still?"
I laughed. "No. Really."
"Okay. What's the problem?"
"It's about something you said in your sermon last week. And some books on the booktable. And something I heard from a friend of mine in Chicago."
"Well, now you have my interest."
"Last week you referred, favorably I thought, to Dallas Calvinward's ministry. And we have copies of his latest book on the booktable."
"Is this where your friend comes in?"
"Right. Enter my friend from Chicago. He is a real student of theology, and has gone over Calvinward's stuff very carefully. My friend is also in full agreement with our church's statement of faith, and with what I have heard you teach."
"I'm with you. Go on."
"He says that Calvinward's view of justification is not evangelical or Protestant at all. In addition, he says that Calvinward's dispensationalism doesn't represent historic Christianity."
"And do I agree with this? If I do, then why the supportive comments and sale of his books? And if I do not, then why not?"
"Exactly."
"Well, I agree with your friend. Calvinward's theology is unbiblical and defective at those points."
"Okay. So why the appreciation and support?"
"Many who have precise minds, perhaps including your friend, also have a tendency to analyze theology with snapshots."
"So what does that mean?"
"Suppose two men were walking on the road between Rome and Geneva. One was headed from Geneva to Rome, and the other was headed from Rome to Geneva."
"Okay." I was feeling dubious.
"Suppose further that we took a snapshot of each man ten minutes after they began their respective journeys. Which one would be closer to Rome?"
I laughed. "The one going to Geneva. And the one closer to Geneva is headed for Rome."
"In other words, the snapshot would tell us where each man was on the road, but would not tell us the most important thing about each man -- where he was going."
"Okay then. Apply this to Calvinward."
"I have been familiar with Calvinward's work for almost twenty years, but have only recommended his work for the last three. Within the last three years his destination has become apparent."
"But there are still problems with his teaching."
"Right. There are problems with mine too -- which I promise to fix as soon as I find out where they are." Martin laughed.
"Well, my friend certainly is as you describe. He does have a snapshot mind. He knows just where everyone is, but doesn't have a good idea of where they are headed. Changes do surprise him."
After a moment I resumed. "But don't some people make the transition all at once? In Rome one day, and in Geneva the next?"
"Yes, that happens with some. And when it happens, anticipating their destination is relatively simple."
"But shouldn't we expect doctrinal consistency from our teachers?"
"Of course. And no."
I shook my head. "What does that mean?"
"When the church is healthy over a period of generations, she will raise up and train future elders who do not have to spend half their lives unlearning things. Of course that is to be desired. We should pray and work toward that end. Such teachers will be able to teach consistently throughout the course of their ministries."
"But . . ."
"But in times such as ours, the great need is the reformation of the church. The modern church is not healthy, and needs to recover the great central truths of the gospel. Calvinward is obviously well on his way down that road."
"But wouldn't it be better . . .?"
Martin grinned. "If he didn't take so long?"
"Right."
"But consider where he came from . . . he was trained in a fundamentalist, dispensationalist seminary. Do we want him to wake up one morning, and after five minutes study and thought, suddenly subscribe to whatever it is the Westminster Confession teaches. Without studying his Bible?"
"I see what you mean."
"The world is already too full of `true believers.' They don't really care which direction they march on that road between Rome and Geneva, as long as they are marching briskly, and they get to fly the flags and beat the drums."
"You feel pretty strongly about this."
"I really do. If God grants reformation to our country, a major part of it will be given to men already in the ministry, in poor churches, who are increasingly conforming their teaching to the Scriptures. When the reformation comes, it will come to messed-up churches. And because the mess is great, it won't be cleaned up in an afternoon."
"These are important doctrinal issues, though."
"Of course. They are crucial. Doctrinal purity is essential. But this does not mean we should expect our teachers to come down from heaven by parachute."
"Could you tie this in with what we discussed about doctrinal destinations?"
"Sure. I know of a number of godly men who are from various backgrounds. Some of them were charismatic, some were dispensational. Of these, some are already in Geneva, and others, like Calvinward, are still a few miles out. And I know many more who were born and raised in Geneva, and they have good Dutch names, but their bags are packed." Martin leaned forward in his seat and continued. "What it amounts to is this -- the reformation, when it comes, will be in unexpected places."
"I see what you mean," I said.
