Recently I wrote about my issues with Dr. Michael Brown’s interview on our local “Impact Magazine” with regards to ‘Hyper Grace’. – https://wwwpilgrim.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/hyper-grace-and-dr-michael-brown/
And yesterday, I read in Charisma Magazine that he has “Some Honest Questions for Joseph Prince”. I must admit that this time round, I understand Dr Brown’s reservations on Gospel of Grace message as preached by Joseph Prince. I do concede I share and echo his concerns, as a member of Joseph Prince’s New Creation Church.
I wrote in Nov 2014 – https://wwwpilgrim.wordpress.com/2014/11/08/the-whole-counsel-can-we-really-be-complete-and-balanced/) “JP has focused clearly and convincingly on the doctrinal foundation and outcomes of the finished work of Christ and His Grace upon Grace for the believer – our position in Christ, sealed and delivered. I can fully appreciate his intense and resolute teachings to correct deeply entrenched fallacies of our faith….. However, in any pointed discourse, it would invariably be incomplete, and would have left out other aspects of the scriptures”
In fact, Prince, in the service on the 30th Nov’s said
“Our sermons are not perfect …. never …. so make sure we have the Lord Jesus in our sermons … at least He will purify the rest of the unclean elements in our sermons …at least in every sermon there is a human working, in every sermon there is a tradition … in every sermon there is a ignorance being manifested…..but when we put the Lord Jesus in it , He will purify ….”
Prince, in all intentions might not realize how in trying to restore the Gospel of Grace and the legacy of our position in Christ has also inflicted unexpected collateral damage on many others, focusing and emphasizing on the blessings and marginalizing the teachings on living out our faith as a son, servant, soldier and sower. Admittedly, what he preached has corrected many of the errors of evangelical churches – especially those burdened by the “demands of discipleship”.
Prince’s calling, and the craft of his messages have shone the spotlight on the truth of our Salvation by Grace alone. But in doing so, the same spotlight has yet to illuminate the teachings and truth to work out our Sanctification by Grace alone
and https://wwwpilgrim.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/the-whole-counsel-of-god/
Michael Brown wrote:
“Without a doubt, his message of grace is liberating many from legalism, performance-based religion and a spiritual inferiority complex, and for all of this, I am grateful.
In 1992, God spoke to me to do a fresh study of grace, and the results of that study were eye-opening, to the point that one of the chapters in my 1997 book Go and Sin No More is called “It’s All Grace” while another is called “The Letter Kills.”
So as much as I have been known as a repentance and holiness preacher (which is correct), my preaching flows out of and into God’s grace as it is expressed most fully in Jesus.
It is because I am so jealous for God’s true grace (see 1 Pet. 5:12) that I wrote Hyper-Grace: Exposing the Dangers of the Modern Grace Message, and while agreeing with many things that Pastor Prince teaches, there are strong areas of disagreement as well. (For the record, a mutual colleague of ours delivered a signed copy of Hyper-Grace to Pastor Prince, but I have been unable to secure a personal audience with him.)”
(Do read the ten questions posted to Joseph Prince in Charisma magazine)
I suppose Prince is only accountable to the church, and only address disagreements and challenges to his convictions from the pulpit. While not facing off with comments and critiques directly, I do notice the progression from labelling others as ‘bible policemen’ https://wwwpilgrim.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/bible-policemen-or-a-berean/ to softening his teachings on tithing to an open admission that sermons are not perfect (https://wwwpilgrim.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/the-boiling-pot-and-the-poisonous-stew/) and acknowledging that there are small black spots https://wwwpilgrim.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/tiny-black-spot-on-a-large-white-screen/.
Hopefully, Dr Michael Brown’s loving and honest questions for Joseph Prince will result in Prince not shrinking from “declaring to you anything that was profitable” (Acts 20:20); and not shrinking from “declaring to you the whole purpose of God” Acts 20:27)
New Creation Church - transiting through ... 