The Need for Theological Education: J. Gresham Machen as Influencer

J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937) was a pivotal figure in church history, identifying, responding to, and enacting significant shifts in American Presbyterianism in the early 20th century. Machen was born in Baltimore, MD to Southern Presbyterians who raised him on the Westminster Standards. As an undergraduate at Princeton, he had several interests and outstanding abilities in a variety of fields. Yet, eventually, Machen decided to attend Princeton Theological Seminary––where he learned under B.B. Warfield––and then travel oversees to Germany for advanced study. His education and later work would prove that a theological education built on Christian orthodoxy, as outlined in the Westminster Standards, is an invaluable resource for the changing times and a growing liberalism.

While in Germany, Machen observed liberal theology directly from some of its leading voices. One of his favorite lecturers and most brilliant professors, Wilhelm Herrmann at Marburg, proclaimed the excellencies of a Jesus that was not really historical, as is the way of the Ritschlian school or Liberal Theology. All throughout his studies, as reported by Ned B. Stonehouse in the premiere biography, Machen admired many of his professors but never supposed that their liberal views were correct. Machen returned to the US to teach at Princeton. After several years of teaching, America was thrown into the First World War and Machen volunteered with the YMCA to care for troops on the front lines. Seeing the horrors of war seemed to sharpen his focus. The idealism of German liberalism, and any attractiveness it held, was shattered along with its other views and upon his second return after the war, Machen saw a growing liberalism within American Presbyterianism.

In 1923, after the failed Plan of Union that wished to see Presbyterians join forces with other Christian denominations––effectively erasing the particular theological views of Presbyterianism––Machen wrote Christianity and Liberalism contending that liberal Christianity was not Christianity at all. In fact, liberal Christianity is an entirely different religion because it is non-doctrinal, non-redemptive, therefore, the presuppositions of the message of the gospel are not shared, the message itself is not shared, and the person (Jesus Christ) upon whom the message is established is not shared. The material and terminology may be similar, but the meaning and belief in the two groups are entirely different.

"The chief modern rival of Christianity is 'liberalism'...at every point the two movements are in direct opposition." J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism

How did Machen really see these liberal trends and set about addressing them? He was certainly active in the church courts where many of these views were being espoused and would later triumph. Yet, more importantly, he was firmly established in the faith of confessional Christianity. He knew and believed in the authority of the Bible because he knew that "the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men" (WCF, 1.6).

Therefore, it is wise like Machen, in our own day, to learn the faith. If we are to stand for the truth of scripture in our churches and in society, we must know it first. At Warfield Summer Institute, we believe that every generation needs to be watchful. Machen did much work for the health of the Presbyterian Church in North America (and beyond!), but the work of training the next generation, proclaiming the truth of the Word of God, and standing for the truth is not done. Some have argued that it is not valuable for the next generation to learn theological terminology and the ins-and-outs of doctrine. In fact, still more may argue that certain parts of the Bible are not as important as others. These pragmatic practices have left my own generation (the infamous Millennials) gasping for answers to simple questions and often abandoning a faith they never really knew.

The Liberal wants to love God without a full knowledge of him from his Word. This has made youth groups all about experiences and church meetings all about social action. But, how do the people of God grow to love God? They grow in their knowledge of God by first fearing him as the one true God (cf. Prov. 1:7, 9:10). Deuteronomy 6 is clearest when it commends more study of, conversation on, thinking about, and engagement with God's Word to love God with our whole beings, not less. Who would have thought that Wingstop understands this more than some Christians! Yes, the chicken wing place! It was recently observed while standing in line at Wingstop that a sign describing all the different flavors to choose from, with detailed ingredient listings, proclaimed this basic idea. Above this informative sign was a title that read, "Know it. Love it." We love what we know and we know what we love. Just persisting in a love of something with no growth in knowledge of it is foolishness. Likewise, only growing in knowledge of something and never growing to love it, particularly when it is the "true truth," is foolishness. Love and knowledge go together. To remove knowledge leads to liberalism, to remove love leads to cynicism and arrogance, neither expression is Christianity.

Machen writes in Christianity and Liberalism, "Christianity is founded upon the Bible. It bases upon the Bible both its thinking and its life. Liberalism on the other hand is founded upon the shifting emotions of sinful men." Stand for the one thing that is true and never fades (Isa. 40:8) and engage in theological education that proclaims the Word of God, so that the church may boast only of Jesus Christ and him crucified, from generation to generation.