Mark Driscoll on Little-World Negatives
By Trevin Wax on May 23, 2009 in Quotes of the Week |
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At last month’s Gospel Coalition, Mark Driscoll gave some wise counsel on avoiding what he calls “little-world” negatives – people who are so wrapped up in one stream of Christianity that they cannot see the positives outside their little world.
“Little world negatives… There are differences between boundaries. There are city boundaries (your church, your denomination, your network).
“Then there is your state (your theological team). I’m Reformed complementarian. There are certain borders around that, inerrancy and complementary gender roles and things of that nature.
“Then there is your nation. For me, my nation would be evangelicalism. I want to be on good terms with evangelicals. I don’t want to declare war on evangelicals in the same way that Illinois shouldn’t declare war on Iowa…
“People who are ‘little-world’ get scared of anyone outside of their proverbial city. You didn’t go to the same seminary as me? You’re suspect!
“You don’t buy all your books from one publisher? Look at your bookshelf sometime. If you have three or four publishers that constitute the totality of your library, you may have turned your theology into a prison and not a home, a place you’re not allowed to leave to go visit other brothers and sisters.”
© Copyright by Trevin Wax |
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I listened to this podcast a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. My favorite line from above that I used to get, “You didn’t go to the same seminary as me? You’re suspect!”
I hope others enjoyed this as much as I did.
claypotpreacher | May 23, 2009 | Reply
That’s some good advice to consider as we interact with theology. Thank you for this great articulation of this fundamental principle.
Keith Sayer | May 23, 2009 | Reply
I just can’t believe it’s coming from the mouth of Mark Driscoll. The things he is saying here are are great!
j | May 23, 2009 | Reply
I put this topic in pretty much the same vein as nations, particularly the U.S., that celebrates our wars. Much of US history is seemingly defined by it’s wars. Wars only result when we have utterly failed at avoiding them. They should not be celebrated but should be mourned. Millions of people have been murdered due to them.
Trying to find a reason why some Christians should be shunned because they are not like us show the abject failure of Christians in Jesus’ command to be one as He and the Father are one. We should be mourning this abject failure instead of trying to enhance it.
RJ | May 27, 2009 | Reply