WHY ARE PRE-1960'S EVANGELICALS BETTER CHRISTIANS?

Why are Evangelicals converted to Christ prior to the cultural revolution of the 1960's so much more gracious and faithful Christians than those of us converted subsequently?

Some in the youth group may not agree with the premise. The Proclamation Trust didn't exist in the 1950's. Evangelical people in the pews were being served up blessed thoughts and topical sermons - a diet of sub-Spurgeon at best and mangled texts at worst.

And wasn't 1950's Evangelicalism riddled with 'legalism'? Christian Unions and youth groups agonising over whether you could be a keen Christian and enjoy a glass of sherry at Christmas, or flick a tiddly-wink on a Sunday, or watch Gone with the Wind?

There may have some of that and your curate has heard Evangelicals from that era testify to it. But cc is also convinced that such legalism is hugely exaggerated by our generation boldly proclaiming our liberation from the Galatian heresy of the Evangelical tradition of the past.

But our expository sermons are so much better. A 22-year-old who has been on a Cornhill course can 'handle the Bible' so much better than a man who has been preaching for 50 years. And he can deliver a much better Bible overview as well. He's read Goldsworthy.

And when it comes to guidance he's read Friesen and Jensen and so you won't find him getting hung up over his 'calling' to be a missionary in the Punjab rather than Lithuania.

That may be so. But the question remains whether our generation of Evangelicals has a better grasp of the doctrines of the gospel than previous generations.

And the empirical evidence is not going to go away that the pre-1960's generation of Evangelicals is not only more godly in Christian living but also more gracious and forgiving. They may not 'handle' the Bible as well as the scions of our expository courses, but they would seem to be more faithful and loving doers of the Word than we are.

We have to face the fact that our generation was converted out of a culture in terrible straights, a culture that indoctrinates arrogance and selfishness and prima donna-ism and breeds spoilt brats.

Whilst we don't want to lionise our elders and must continue to ask 'what does the Bible say?' rather than 'what does the framework or the tradition say?', a good dose of humility is surely the spiritual Cod Liver Oil our generation sorely needs.