# The Discerning Reader is not so Discerning



## C. Matthew McMahon (Jul 3, 2004)

An email I recieved:

Some of you may be interested (if you haven't caught wind via James White's website already) that Rob Schl&auml;pfer (&quot;Antithesis&quot;; &quot;Discerning Reader&quot is promoting N.T. Wright in a positive light.

He is not offering some (or all) of N.T. Wright's works simply on the basis of being allowing his readers to be cognizant of the current literature -- he is pro-actively *recommending* Wright with no qualification whatsoever.

http://www.discerningreader.com/ntwright.html

I think Schl&auml;pfer's position toward Wright and the so-called &quot;New Perspective&quot; is made abundantly clear by his reaction to James White's recent blog entry regarding N.T. Wright, where Schl&auml;pfer remarkably writes to James White in response, &quot;There's just no other word for it, James. You are an a**.&quot;

See http://www.aomin.org/


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## Ianterrell (Jul 3, 2004)

Rob Schlapfer is really rude and liberal in his theology. He's one of those guys enchanted by new ideas. Thanks for posting this Matt, I've been feeling the same way about him for a few months now.


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## fredtgreco (Jul 3, 2004)

And go to the Christiancounterculture site - the usual suspects are posted there, including my favorite Prof's attacks on the Regualtive Principle and Confessionalism.


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## RamistThomist (Jul 3, 2004)

In the past I have always been challenged and edified by Rob and the discerning reader, not to mention him enlightening me to some good books. After receiving some of his emails, however, I noticed that he was beginning to &quot;apologize&quot; for some of the sharper aspects of Reformed theology. Just last night I noticed his endorsements of NT Wright on the same page as Turretin's Justification! &lt;Sigh&gt; I guess that site now falls under the category of those that have wheat among much chaff..


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## fredtgreco (Jul 3, 2004)

[quote:ff2c61cc98][i:ff2c61cc98]Originally posted by Finn McCool[/i:ff2c61cc98]
In the past I have always been challenged and edified by Rob and the discerning reader, not to mention him enlightening me to some good books. After receiving some of his emails, however, I noticed that he was beginning to &quot;apologize&quot; for some of the sharper aspects of Reformed theology. Just last night I noticed his endorsements of NT Wright on the same page as Turretin's Justification! &lt;Sigh&gt; I guess that site now falls under the category of those that have wheat among much chaff.. [/quote:ff2c61cc98]

As I have written to Mr. Schlapfer in an email requesting my removal from all his email lists, there are plenty of places to buy essentially the same books at essentially the same (or cheaper!) prices, that are orthodox.

Here are a few:

http://www.cvbbs.com/
http://www.trinitybookservice.org/
http://www.heritagebooks.org/newbook.html
http://solid-ground-books.com/

With so many people singing Wright's praises, I want to make suer as much as possible that none of them get any of my money.


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## Ianterrell (Jul 4, 2004)

The next issue of Antithesis will be uncovering the &quot;real&quot; Paul. The image of the promo comes from one of Wright's books I think. I wonder what the subject will be of such an issue? 

[Edited on 7-4-2004 by Ianterrell]


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## JonathonHunt (Jul 4, 2004)

The Discerning Reader's published view that baptism of the spirit is not part of the Ordo Salutis is what did it for me!

Spend your book bucks elsewhere, folks!


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## Reena Wilms (Jul 5, 2004)

Do i understand i rightly that the works of Wright are not good ? I only heard from a friend that Wright is a anglical minister. Can somebody explain me, why is teaching is good or not good ?

Ralph


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## fredtgreco (Jul 5, 2004)

[quote:fc0cfd2341][i:fc0cfd2341]Originally posted by Reena Wilms[/i:fc0cfd2341]
Do i understand i rightly that the works of Wright are not good ? I only heard from a friend that Wright is a anglical minister. Can somebody explain me, why is teaching is good or not good ?

Ralph [/quote:fc0cfd2341]

Ralph, 

NT Wright is one of the worst things to happen to BIblical soteriology in the last 50 years. Run a search on Wright or &quot;New Perspective&quot; on the board. You can also go to monergism.com and go to their page on the New Perspective


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## fredtgreco (Jul 5, 2004)

*For those who are interested...*

Here is an email that I just sent to the discerning reader:

======================================
Dear Mr. Schlapfer,

I am writing this email with a sense of sadness because I have enjoyed in the past the email updates/catalogs that I have received from The Discerning Reader. I was disturbed to see your unequivocal endorsement of N.T. Wright on your webpage http://www.discerningreader.com/ntwright.html, despite the fact that Wright is neither Reformed, nor Biblical with respect to the crucial doctrine of justification.

Your "review" of What Saint Paul Really Said is far off the mark:
"While we realize that this book has raised many questions regarding Tom Wright's "orthodoxy", we find his critics just don't "get it." True, he is not content to simply echo the formulations of the Reformers . . . but what he offers is sound, Biblical teaching. Don't be swayed by those who are uncomfortable with exegesis that goes beyond mere tradition: Tom Wright has something to say to us. In fact, few contemporary authors share his profound vision of what the Gospel Paul proclaimed really is. This is a must read . . . but for true, discerning readers.
The Discerning Reader"
Tom Wright indeed has something to say to us - that we must continue to work to be justified, and that the Biblical doctrine of imputation is a ridiculous fiction:
"If we use the language of the law court, it makes no sense whatever to say that the judge imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Righteousness is not an object, a substance or a gas which can be passed across the courtroom." (What Saint Paul Really Said, p.98) 
"What Paul is saying is that he and his fellow apostles...are not just talking about God's faithfulness; they are actually embodying it... If, however, you insist on reading 2 Corinthians 5:21 with a meaning [of] 'imputed righteousness' - you will find, as many commentators have, that it detaches itself from the rest of the chapter and context, as though it were a little floating saying which Paul just threw in here for good measure." (WSPRS, 105)

It is not mere tradition that needs defending, but the Biblical definition of words, something that is vital to being "discerning." Thucydides' observation on politics more than 2,000 years ago has particular relevance to the current controversy on justification: "Words had to change their ordinary meaning and to take that which was now given them. Reckless audacity came to be considered the courage of a loyal ally; prudent hesitation, specious cowardice; moderation was held to be a cloak for unmanliness; ability to see all sides of a question inaptness to act on any. Frantic violence, became the attribute of manliness; cautious plotting, a justifiable means of self-defence." (Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War III.82 (trans. Richard Crawley))

This, coupled with your disdainful and unwarranted language used with Mr. James White:
Topic: Ruminations on N.T. Wright (aka, "Tom" to those who love and adore him so!). Just a quote to warm you up: 

God forgive us, within modernity, when often we as Christians thought that the way to use the Bible to address the world was to abstract large chunky doctrines from the Bible and hurl them at the heads of people who believed large chunky modernist doctrines. You have to deconstruct the Bible in order to do that. Much better to let the Bible be what it is, which is a story, and stories are far more subversive and damaging to other alternative worldviews than large chunky doctrines ever were, which are basically shorthand versions of stories." 

There's just no other word for it, James. You are an ass. 

rob schlapfer 
The Christian Counterculture Project 
http://www.christiancounterculture.org 

have caused me to determine that whatever worth your company might have for the acquisition of books, it is not worth the damage that will result in lives from such advocacy of false teaching. There are many other sources for the books that The Discerning Reader sells, and I will take my business elsewhere (and recommend to others that they do the same). It is one thing to be undiscerning if one if Borders or Barnes & Nobles, who do not claim to have any ability to recommend sound spiritual and Biblical books, nor do they claim to be Christian (much less Reformed) organizations; it is quite another to be undiscerning when one claims to have the ability to recommend sound spiritual and Biblical books.

Please remove my name from your mailing list.

Respectfully,

Fredrick T. Greco
Ruling Elder, Grace PCA (Hudson, OH)
Chairman, Candidates & Credentials Committee, Great Lakes Presbytery
Member, PCA Theological Examination Committee
M.Div Student, RTS-Jackson
[email protected]

"God hath work to do in this world; and to desert it because of its difficulties and entanglements, is to cast off His authority. It is not enough that we be just, that we be righteous, and walk with God in holiness; but we must also serve our generation, as David did before he fell asleep. God hath a work to do; and not to help Him is to oppose Him." (John Owen, IX.171)

[Edited on 10/30/2004 by fredtgreco]


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## FrozenChosen (Jul 6, 2004)

Fred, thanks for sharing that.

This may be kind of an aside, but I really am thankful for you smarter guys at PB keeping growing reformed people like myself away from this stuff. I appreciate it a lot.


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## DTK (Jul 6, 2004)

[quote:f2d68a1d06]There are many other sources for the books that The Discerning Reader sells, and I will take my business elsewhere (and recommend to others that they do the same).[/quote:f2d68a1d06]

Thanks Fred. I appreciate the expression of your sentiments in this email you sent.

Blessings,
DTK


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