R.C. Sproul

was interested in this study, and he produced a little work in German that was subsequently translated into English and became a bestseller in the theological world, and a little book that had a tremendous impact on the thinking of theology at the end of the nineteenth century and end of the twentieth century. And that book is entitled, What What is Christianity?

was interested in this study, and he produced a little work in German that was subsequently translated into English and became a bestseller in the theological world, and a little book that had a tremendous impact on the thinking of theology at the end of the nineteenth century and end of the twentieth century. And that book is entitled, What What is Christianity?

Now that's a provocative title, isn't it? What is Christianity? And it comes over from the German in the sense of what is the essence or the being or the wesen of Christianity? What makes Christianity Christian? What's its core beliefs? To make this analysis, von Harnack came to this conclusion that the message of Christ

Now that's a provocative title, isn't it? What is Christianity? And it comes over from the German in the sense of what is the essence or the being or the wesen of Christianity? What makes Christianity Christian? What's its core beliefs? To make this analysis, von Harnack came to this conclusion that the message of Christ

and the core doctrine of biblical Christianity can be reduced to two fundamental propositions. This is fundamentalism with a vengeance, that there are two fundamental, core, essential propositions that define the Christian faith. And I'm sure that you have heard these propositions. You maybe have never heard of Harnack, and you've never perhaps heard of his book, What Is Christianity?

and the core doctrine of biblical Christianity can be reduced to two fundamental propositions. This is fundamentalism with a vengeance, that there are two fundamental, core, essential propositions that define the Christian faith. And I'm sure that you have heard these propositions. You maybe have never heard of Harnack, and you've never perhaps heard of his book, What Is Christianity?

But I guarantee you that if you've been alive for twenty years or more, you've heard the two propositions. They are these. Proposition number one, the universal fatherhood of God. And two, the universal brotherhood of man. Have you heard those propositions? Universal fatherhood of God, universal brotherhood of man.

But I guarantee you that if you've been alive for twenty years or more, you've heard the two propositions. They are these. Proposition number one, the universal fatherhood of God. And two, the universal brotherhood of man. Have you heard those propositions? Universal fatherhood of God, universal brotherhood of man.

Now I'm going to say something that may be a little bit controversial, maybe a whole lot controversial. You may find it shocking and you may be completely outraged by what I say about it. But here's what I'd like to observe. I think that Harnack is wrong in his analysis of the essence of Christianity. I don't think that these two propositions are at the essential core of the Christian faith.

Now I'm going to say something that may be a little bit controversial, maybe a whole lot controversial. You may find it shocking and you may be completely outraged by what I say about it. But here's what I'd like to observe. I think that Harnack is wrong in his analysis of the essence of Christianity. I don't think that these two propositions are at the essential core of the Christian faith.

In fact, I don't think they're even a part of the Christian faith. I think these propositions are opposed to the Christian faith, antithetical to the Christian faith.

In fact, I don't think they're even a part of the Christian faith. I think these propositions are opposed to the Christian faith, antithetical to the Christian faith.

And if you ask me to write a book, what is humanism or what is 19th century liberalism or something like that, then I might say if you want to get to the essence of these systems, you may want to say the affirmation of the universal fatherhood of God or the universal brotherhood of man. Now that may sound shocking to you and I'm just asking you to hear me out for a moment.

And if you ask me to write a book, what is humanism or what is 19th century liberalism or something like that, then I might say if you want to get to the essence of these systems, you may want to say the affirmation of the universal fatherhood of God or the universal brotherhood of man. Now that may sound shocking to you and I'm just asking you to hear me out for a moment.

and ask you to go to the Scriptures, to the Old and New Testament, and find out where you find this concept of the universal fatherhood of God. Where is it? I can find a couple of passages that may support this in a very tangential way. Paul, when he is debating with the philosophers in Athens at Mars Hill, when he rebukes them for their altar to an unknown God,

and ask you to go to the Scriptures, to the Old and New Testament, and find out where you find this concept of the universal fatherhood of God. Where is it? I can find a couple of passages that may support this in a very tangential way. Paul, when he is debating with the philosophers in Athens at Mars Hill, when he rebukes them for their altar to an unknown God,

He quotes their own pagan poets to them. And the citation that he quotes is that we are all God's offspring. Now, this is not a quotation from the Old Testament. It's a quotation from a pagan source. And then Paul goes on to say,

He quotes their own pagan poets to them. And the citation that he quotes is that we are all God's offspring. Now, this is not a quotation from the Old Testament. It's a quotation from a pagan source. And then Paul goes on to say,

in that sense that we live and move and have our being in God, and in the sense that we have God as the creator of all people, then you can talk about fatherhood that is universal in the sense that God is the universal begettor of the human race. We are all his offspring in the sense that we have all been created by him.

in that sense that we live and move and have our being in God, and in the sense that we have God as the creator of all people, then you can talk about fatherhood that is universal in the sense that God is the universal begettor of the human race. We are all his offspring in the sense that we have all been created by him.