Charles Swindoll

GROWING DEEP IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - Returning to Our Roots

The book in question is published by Multnomah Press, 1986, 432 pages. In that this is the author's first book on doctrine, it has been selected for the purpose of revealing, once again, the doctrinal and practical devastation resulting from a total lack of dispensational distinctions.

THE GRACE AWAKENING & SIMPLE FAITH

This paper contains brief reviews of these two books.

Dr. Charles ("Chuck") R. Swindoll is the long-time pastor of First Evangelical Free Church, in Fullerton, California. By means of his preaching, his books (over 20), and the international radio broadcasts of "Insight for Living," he ministers to Christians worldwide. The Evangelical Free denomination is doctrinally weak [primarily Arminian], and non-dispensational. Its seminary is Trinity Evangelical.

THE GRACE AWAKENING. Dr. Swindoll himself is not a dispensationalist, and, almost without exception, those he quotes for substantiation of his "grace" thesis are non- or anti-dispensational. They are, typically: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (p.38), Dr. Paul Tournier (p.90), Dr. J.B. Phillips (p.136), Dr. John Henry Jowett (p.140), Dr. G. Campbell Morgan (p.179), C.S. Lewis (p.189), John Bunyan (p.195), Charles Bridges (p.208), Dr. T. Laetsch (p.218), Charles Spurgeon (p.220), Alexander Whyte (p.289), and George MacDonald (p.299).

SIMPLE FAITH. Along with many other law-oriented "grace" writers, he has gone to the wrong realm for the right thing, which guarantees simple failure. In his book he has presented his Christian reader, whom he would "free from religious bondage," with 117 references from the Sermon on the Mount, and 125 references which are mainly taken from the Synoptic Gospels and the Old Testament--all law-oriented portions of the Word. The primary indictment of this book for Christian establishment is the fact that it contains but 17 references from the Pauline Church Epistles!

AN OPEN LETTER TO DR. CHARLES SWINDOLL

In 1994, Dr. Swindoll became president of Dallas Theological Seminary, succeeding Dr. Donald K. Campbell.

In 1995, Chuckie rode into a charismatic Promise Keepers rally in Boulder, Colorado wearing shades, leather jacket, Harley, and all--and set the 50,000 children screaming!

One can only imagine what the future holds!

Move over Pat Boone!

MJStanford

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(Materials by Miles J. Stanford are republished here under exclusive permission from the author.)