Adrian Rogers, Dysfunctional Trinitarian

Much of our American theological heritage has been under the influence of itinerant preachers. Christ himself was an itinerant preacher so there can't be a lot wrong with unschooled men studying the Bible for themselves and acquiring impressive knowledge of Scripture.

However in my early years, practically unschooled myself, I ran into theologies formed in the field of debate. Trinitarian Pentecostals who argue with "Jesus Only" people leaned toward Socinianist views of Christ, without knowing where they were headed. My first Church out of college was such a Church where I worked in an associate capacity. We sang heartily (loudly) "Standing on the promises of 'Christ' my savior" and I belted out "God my Savior"! Those around me heard me and later took me aside and told me that the pastor had changed the words 'God' to "Christ my Savior". When I preached I referred to God as Spirit and I was told that "God had a physical form and dwelt in heaven.

Many preachers got their theology free in the mail through "Plain truth" magazine. Much of their prophecy preaching was garnered from Herbert Armstrong as well as his Adventism and subsequent legalism. They studied Dake's Study Bible. They possessed Clarence Larkin's books and had a wire clothe line strung across the stage behind the pulpit to hang a Chronological chart of the dispensations, which amazed the attenders of the Church. That chart was equivalent to the undisputed Word Of God itself. This leads to dysfunctional trinitarians and it is rampant in small Fundamental independent, Pentecostal and Charismatic ministries today.

Adrian Rogers was also under the influence of this type thought. He leaned on Dr John R. Rice and his publication Sword of the Lord. His strong soul winning evangelism and anti-Calvinism was drawn from Rice as indicated from "Predestinated to Hell? Absolutely Not!"

The momentum in anti-Calvinist (Arminian) thought leads toward Socinianism. "They (Socinianism) believed that, if God knew every possible future, human free will was impossible; and as such rejected the "hard" view of omniscience." (Wikipedia) Anti-Calvinism has to compromise God's sovereignty in election. This rejection of sovereignty is a rational move that creates a dysfunctional Trinitarianism and ultimately leads to Unitarianism. Normally Christ's divinity is compromised and Christ becomes only a man. However in Rogers' thought the necessary compromise is with the Father in sovereignly electing and the Holy Spirit in accomplishing that sovereign selection. The Holy Spirit accomplishes the will of the Father in election. Christ's deity is intact fully (pre-incarnation, virgin birth and bodily resurrection) and his vicarious sacrifice for sins is complete and the inerrant Scripture is defended. Dr Rogers is thoroughly a Fundamentalist however his view of the trinity is dysfunctional by nature of his strong stand against Calvinism. It is not an issue of Arminianism and Calvinism but of the view of the Godhead (Father and Spirit)

My personal opinion is that there is no way to disturb one's view of the Godhead and not suffer the practical consequences. A bad tree produces bad fruit. To entertain any compromise of the sovereignty of God to any degree is a dangerous thing to do. God is sovereign or He is not! We can not approach Him and ask the King of Glory to surrender a little of His sovereignty for the benefit of a free offer of salvation to sinful mortal man. I can not fathom God cooperating with any such request. A man must of necessity make the false assumption that he has God's approval and then live with that assumption. I cannot live with that lie!

May 30 7:13 AM Jehovah Witnesses are dysfunctional trinitarians, actually Unitarians. 120 or more years ago Charles Russell was a trinitarian who evolved the trinity into a unity. Today it has the remains of trinity, The Father is Jehovah ruling from a physical heavenly realm with a physical form. He is not fully omni present only his realm is omni-present. He is not omni-potent, he shares his powers with created beings. He is powerful to the extent that he could rule supreme rather He sits in judgement of the affairs of mortal men to prove the inadequate rule of sinful man. He is not omniscient for he knows not all eventualities. The Father is eternal and uncreated. The Holy Spirit is only a force and influence. The Son is a created being who since 1914 has started his invisible kingly reign and will soon rule visibly as King of the earthly reign. (it has to be very, very soon) Michael the archangel is Christ! Get this, for them the Bible, New World Translation, is inerrant and directs perfectly the rule of the kingdom of Jehovah's witnesses. They believe that which is perfect has come in the form of the written Word of Jehovah.

In 2087 what will Adrian Rogers followers evolve into? For certain they will still hold to the inerrancy of Scripture. They will never loose that. Bank on it!