– Advertisement –

The Accolades Given to Tim Keller Reveals an Alarming Trend Within Evangelicalism

by | May 22, 2023 | Blog, Gun Control, News, Opinion, Religion, Social Justice, Social-Issues, The Church, Video | 0 comments

✪ Read this article ad-free and leave comments here on Substack

Treading carefully not to seem as though we revel in the death of another human being—we don’t—we do feel as though enough time has passed to pour water on the fire surrounding the idolatry of a man who was ashamed of the gospel. Tim Keller was an influential pastor and author, but he was also a divisive figure who dramatically overstepped the bounds of traditional biblical teaching. His ministry, centered at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, was characterized by a troubling emphasis on social justice, a concept deeply entangled with contemporary political ideologies and far removed from the true Gospel message.

Keller’s death on May 19, 2023, has triggered a veritable flood of accolades from across the Christian spectrum, a spectacle that reveals a profound misunderstanding of biblical unity and the purpose of the gospel. In lauding Keller as a near Messiah-like figure within Evangelicalism, these professing Christians are not uniting in Christ—they are uniting in worldly pursuits.

Here’s just one example:

Matt Smethurst, editor at The Gospel Coalition, describes the “outpouring of gratitude” for Keller as “the most amazing thing” he’s ever witnessed on Twitter. This proclamation is a startling distortion of biblical unity. It mirrors a mass gathering around the image of a man and his social ideals, eclipsing the radiant, life-giving truth of the Gospel itself.

Instead of a body unified in Christ, drawn together by the power of the Gospel, we see warriors for social justice rallying around a mortal man and his earthbound agenda. True unity, as modeled in Scripture, cannot be achieved through man’s charisma or humanistic ideals, but solely through the saving power and transformative message of Jesus Christ.

Join Us and Get These Perks:

✅ No Ads in Articles
✅ Access to Comments and Discussions
✅ Community Chats
✅ Full Article and Podcast Archive
✅ The Joy of Supporting Our Work 😉



The core of Christianity—the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinners—is nowhere to be found in this mass adulation of Keller. Instead, we see a misplaced focus on temporal matters, on a social justice agenda that pulls focus from the eternal truths of Scripture, and a pursuit of unity that leaves one with no other choice but to believe that Tim Keller was ashamed of the gospel, the exclusivity of Jesus Christ.

Just watch this if you don’t that’s true:

Christians are indeed called to unity, but not around the personality or the popular teachings of a man. As Paul states emphatically in Ephesians 4:5, we have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” We don’t find unity in political agreement or social causes, no matter how appealing they might appear. We find unity in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

This widespread acclaim for Keller and his views is not just problematic—it’s profoundly unbiblical. It’s the creation of a cult of personality, replacing Christ as the center of our faith with a charismatic figure. And unfortunately, his death has brought many out of the woodwork.

To be clear: no amount of social justice can save a soul. No charismatic pastor can take the place of Christ. No popular cause can replace the eternal truths of the Gospel. Unity is important, but it must be unity in Christ—not unity in man or man-made causes. The outcry following Keller’s death reveals a dangerous trend within Christianity—a trend that we must confront with the unchanging truth of the Gospel.

Three Ways to Support DISNTR


The Dissenter is primarily supported by its readers. The best way to support us is to subscribe to our members-only Substack site where you will receive all of our content ad-free, plus you will get member-only exclusive content.

Support us with a monthly donation on Patreon

Support us with membership to our ad-free Substack

Make one-time or monthly donation on Donorbox


👕 Or make a purchase from our online store. 👕
Make a Dogecoin Donation

- Advertisement -

Latest

Five Signs a Church is Going Woke

Five Signs a Church is Going Woke

The creeping plague of wokeness has infiltrated many churches like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It doesn’t always announce itself with a flashing neon sign but seeps in, subtly reframing priorities, redefining terms, and reinterpreting Scripture. What typically begins...

Reconciling God’s Mercy With His Wrath

Reconciling God’s Mercy With His Wrath

People—those who are far more ignorant of the Scriptures than they care to admit—love to claim that the Bible presents two contradictory images of God. They point to the loving Jesus who embraced sinners and then to the wrathful God who commanded...

- Advertisement -

Subscribe

Store

Follow Us

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -

You Might Also Like…

Five Signs a Church is Going Woke

Five Signs a Church is Going Woke

The creeping plague of wokeness has infiltrated many churches like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It doesn’t always announce itself with a flashing neon sign but seeps in, subtly reframing priorities, redefining terms, and reinterpreting Scripture. What typically begins...

Reconciling God’s Mercy With His Wrath

Reconciling God’s Mercy With His Wrath

People—those who are far more ignorant of the Scriptures than they care to admit—love to claim that the Bible presents two contradictory images of God. They point to the loving Jesus who embraced sinners and then to the wrathful God who commanded...

Deconstruction is the Highway to Sexual Anarchy

Deconstruction is the Highway to Sexual Anarchy

You’ve heard of deconstruction, it’s a term being tossed around increasingly frequently within Christian circles. But what exactly is deconstruction? It’s the trendy, intellectual-sounding label for what’s really just old-fashioned doubt dressed up in new clothes....

- Advertisement -

Want to go ad-free with exclusive content? Subscribe today.

This will close in 0 seconds

Three Ways to Support DISNTR



The Dissenter is primarily supported by its readers. The best way to support us is to subscribe to our members-only Substack site where you will receive all of our content ad-free, plus you will get member-only exclusive content.

 

Support us with a monthly donation on Patreon

Support us with membership to our ad-free Substack

Make one-time or monthly donation on Donorbox


👕 Or make a purchase from our online store. 👕

This will close in 0 seconds