Here is a researched article that views Finney’s “new measures” in a positive light: https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1976/11/charles-g.-finney

Do I think they are all bad? No. So I think he used them in a strictly utilitarian way? Yes. He was a pragmatist.

Here is a link to his lecture on How to Preach: https://biblehub.com/library/finney/lectures_on_revivals_of_religion/lecture_xii_how_to_preach.htm

You can see here that he teaches people how to drum up a response. Is everything wrong? No. But it is a pragmatic approach designed to garner a decision.

What do we have today as a result?

We have revival preachers who focus on decisions made and the means to garner those decisions. They rely more on their methods than they do the power of the Gospel.

A sermon that is a mixture of truth and error: https://biblehub.com/library/finney/sermons_on_gospel_themes/xvii_christ_our_advocate.htm

Do I think 0 people were saved during his ministry? No. I do not believe that. But the ungodly practices he introduced: pragmatic (does-it-work?) preaching, Decisionism, using music to illicit emotional responses, a rejection of penal substitutionary atonement, and the detached Itinerant revivalists who make their living on this style of preaching while having ZERO accountability to a local body of believers cannot be ignored.

For those of you who are interested hier is a chapter from his book on revival about being filled with the Spirit

https://ccel.org/ccel/finney/revivals/revivals.iii.iv.html

Hey knows what he is talking about. You will either be filled with comfort or think it is nonsense.

Can the accusers of Finney enumerate in their own best actual knowledge their charges against him with the corresponding evidence/s (not from hearsays) for each charge.

I remember how chaotic the scenes were when the Lord Jesus, Stephen, or the Apostle Paul were accused of blasphemies.

Finney is not in the same league as the Lord Jesus, Stephen, or the Apostle Paul. To be acceptable, his teachings must be in line with the teachings of the Lord Jesus, Stephen and the Apostle Paul. This applies to all Bible teachers.

_________________
Jade

No one is saying that, but if someone accuses another person, then it has to be presented properly and not in a manner seeming of a black propaganda.

Passerby,

You are absolutely correct. I went back and reviewed my discourse and it is disjointed and not easy to follow. I did post a lot of articles to bolster what I was saying, but I will outline here within a few days a case with references about what I believe to be wrong with Finney. Please bear with me as I just started my shift rotation on nights last night. I will be off this weekend and will devote some time to giving an articulate and concise case.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Don't know if we are now going a bit too far...
Quote:"Can the accusers of Finney enumerate ..."
We shouldn't be accusers of him...but we need to test his teachings that we still have, to see if they are according to scripture. It is our duty to test all things, one day we are accountable to God for what we believe and teach.
Several of us, including myself are either very careful or are avoiding his teaching altogether.
This is our own decision and our own responsibility.

Some more thoughts:
Finney may have started well but this is no proof that he also finished the race well.
Some examples from scripture:
some have made shipwreck of their faith, (1 Timothy 1:19)
others were turning away so soon from God,...and were following a different way that pretends to be the Good News( Galatians 1:6)

So we should rejoice that through Finney the Gospel was preached and many were saved.
But there seems enough evidence that his teachings turned to heresy.

We should remind ourselves of some basic biblical teachings:
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19)
And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, (Matthew 24:14)
It is not about big numbers, success, our great nations, the benefits, the comfort, prosperity etc.
Most Christians even today probably have none of the above

Just one more quick thought:
Quote: "Finney’s theology and influence is destroying my denomination right now (SBC)..."
This is not quite true. It is a bit like saying the serpent was responsible for the fall of mankind.
That's why it is so important to test all things and to know, "it is written...it is also written...thus says the Lord..."

And then take responsibility for our own actions and teachings.

Markus

Very well said Deogloria. I wanted to add on to what you said about numbers and success. We have, especially in America, this idea that those who get results those who do great things are truly spiritual. How can I say that? I heard a preacher give an example of how whenever a seminary or Christian university calls in a guest speaker who is it? Who is it that gets you excited? Those who have "done something in the world." We often forget that it is God who raises up men in the and similarly it is God who changes the heart and brings men to salvation. Yet, apparent fruits have no bearing on true spirituality and faithfulness.

Paul has a claim that goes similarly to this in 1 Thessalonians 2:4: "but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts." This is the goal of every gospel minister, not to produce results, but to preach a gospel in line with the word the Lord has given us. That is the test of being truly filled with the spirit. The most Godly man in the world I can almost guarantee you no one has ever heard of. He's a layman I'm sure, loving the Lord with all his heart in some small town in an unknown corner of the world.

Back to the evangelist seeing massive results and is God using him? Does God use those men to bring people to him even if he they are not preaching a full gospel? Yes, yes he does. In these cases we glorify God as Paul does in Philippians 1:18 that though the message or the intentions may have been wrong, people were brought to Christ regardless. For their salvation we have reason to praise! However, we only emulate these men and commend them in the ways that they imitate and follow Christ. Otherwise, we cast off their works and teachings.

I will end this here: we need to be men of the word who can say as Paul said "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." We may look up to men like Spurgeon, Ravenhill, Macarthur and others. But we must remember it is not any fruits that prove them to be faithful as these are all gifts from God, brought about by God, and by nothing they did. We imitate and look up to men, only as they imitate Christ and live and teach in accordance with his word.

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We may look up to men like Spurgeon, Ravenhill, Macarthur and others. But we must remember it is not any fruits that prove them to be faithful as these are all gifts from God, brought about by God, and by nothing they did.
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Really? Mat 7

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Fruits are not gifts but the result of a man's labour in faith, love, and obedience.

Fruits are produced by grace, IN Christ.

John 15:4-5 –
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

1 Cor. 15:10 –
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

1 Cor. 1:28-29,31 –
and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.
…………
so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

_________________
Jade