Chafer was a proponent of the Crossless Gospel?

UPDATE: Brother Lou is also discussing this at his blog - In Defense Of The Gospel.

OK so they would like it to be called the "refined" or "consistent" Gospel, but they take the Cross out of the Gospel that the Apostle Paul declared in 1 Cor 15:1-10 So I will continue to call it what it is, a false, Crossless gospel. The current claim of the Grace Evangelical Society is that a sinner can be saved without knowing they are a sinner (and so with no repentance), without knowing what Jesus Christ has done or Who He Is, and even while denying that Jesus is God. The Unashamed of Grace Blog has a new article quoting Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer as though he would have supported such a gospel.

Here is the quote they use to show his support.

Thus salvation can be accomplished, even by the infinite God, only through Jesus Christ. Hence it is that a simple trust in the Savior opens the way into the infinite power and grace of God. It is "unto every one that believeth," "For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." This one word "believe" represents all a sinner can do and all a sinner must do to be saved... [Jesus] is a living Savior to all who put their trust in Him. It is quite possible for any intelligent person to know whether he has placed such confidence in the Savior. Saving faith is a matter of personal consciousness. "I know whom I have believed." To have deposited one's eternal welfare in the hands of another is a decision so definite that it can hardly be confused with anything else. On this deposit of oneself into His saving grace depends one's eternal destiny. To add, or subtract, anything from this sole condition of salvation is most perilous.

Here is my reply, including any errors. A simple cut and paste.

Who is this Savior? Who is this Jesus? Who is this Christ?

Dr Chafer says "I know Whom I've believed" Who is He?

Early God identifies Himself with the attributes of Himself, His promises, or the things He has done. He never simply claims a name. In Ex 6 we see that God had never before shared His Name, and we see that He reveals His attributes in His Name there.

In Ex 20 we see that God commands that they honor Him alone, the God who had taken them out of Egypt.

And we see the same thing in Acts, quoted by Dr. Chafer that the Name Jesus is associated with what He had done. His name is qualified by what He had done. They don't believe in Jesus. They believe in The Christ, named Jesus who died and rose again.

In 1 Cor 15:1-10 Paul declares the Gospel to the Corinthians again, because they had been led astray on the Resurrection. He claims this is the Gospel that saves. He doesn't use the name "Jesus" instead He uses the Title Messiah or Christ. And Names Him by saying what He did.

No where in Scripture is someone told to believe in some guy named Jesus. Jesus is always associated with the Gospel.

You have taken Dr. Chafer's words out of context. He is not saying that one should not identify Who Christ is, or that one does not need to know Who He is. Dr. Chafer is saying to add to simple faith in this God Man who Died for our Sins and rose again for our life is to add to the Gospel.

For example. Imagine a furniture salesman explaining a chair to some deep jungle native who had never seen one. He tells the native that the chair will hold him up, and that it's very important for the native to believe this. The native assures the salesman that yes he does in fact that the chair is guaranteed to hold him up. That he'd love to have the chair.

The salesman is greatly encouraged! He's won yet another customer. He can't wait to tell his wife.

The salesman says, "right then you go pick the one you like and we'll send you on your way!" The native rushes over picks up what he fancies and brings it back to the salesman. Turns out the native walked past the chair and picked up a bucket. He turns it up side down and stands on it and gleefully says "You were right!! You were right!!"

The native, having never been introduced to the Chair didn't even know he had the wrong item. Such is the problem with any so called "gospel" that doesn't identify the Christ with what He has done.

There are many Jesus' There are many gods. There are many religions. There is only one Christ Jesus who died on a cross for my sins, was buried, and rose from the dead three days later. Just one. No problem of confusion. It's not all that hard to understand, but it sure separates the difference between professing faith and having it.

I will be watching to see how this is responded to, hopefully some of the Brethren who read my blog but who may be unfamiliar with the Crossless Gospel movement will join in the defense of the Gospel of Christ.