• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

  • About
  • Publications
    • Endorsements
  • Audio/Video
  • Categories
    • Exegesis
    • Biblical Theology
    • Historical Theology
    • Systematic Theology
    • Practical Theology
    • Other
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Practical Theology / One-Issue Organizations

One-Issue Organizations

June 22, 2011 by Andy Naselli

I still remember one of my theology professors taking our class to a room with a piano in it. He sat down at the piano and presented a “Middle C concert” to us. He just kept hitting Middle C over and over.

His point was that that’s a bad way to do theology because truth is truth proportionally.

And that’s a danger for one-issue organizations—whether they are advocating a particular view of worship, creation, gender roles, revival, or whatever—because they tend to overemphasize the importance of their one issue:

[I]t often seems to be the case that organizations with such narrow focus and which have been formed for the conscious purpose of advocating that position in opposition to a position viewed as biblically flawed . . . tend to over-speak their case.

—Rodney J. Decker, “The English Standard Version: A Review Article,” Journal of Ministry and Theology 8, no. 2 (2004): 11n17.

I’m not opposed to one-issue organizations in principle; I happily support some and thank God for them. I’m merely pointing out a common weakness.

Share:

  • Tweet

Filed Under: Practical Theology Tagged With: Bible translation

The New Logos

Follow Me

  • X

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. A. B. Caneday says

    June 22, 2011 at 6:37 am

    Amen! Well stated.

  2. Chris Bruno says

    June 22, 2011 at 9:01 am

    Thanks for this, Andy. It reminds me of Dr. Carson’s frequent admonition to teachers that our students will remember what we are most excited about and most emphasize—let’s make sure that’s the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe via Email

What God Says in 1 Timothy

Tracing the Argument of 1 Timothy: A Phrase Diagram

How to Write a Paper: Five Steps to Writing a Theological or Literary Research Paper

Exegetical Fallacies

Tools to Study the Bible and Theology

Help! I Want to Be a Manly Man

God’s Will and Making Decisions

Predestination: An Introduction

How to Read a Book: Advice for Christian Readers

Tracing the Argument of 1 Corinthians: A Phrase Diagram

Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

Romans: A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written

Tracing the Argument of Romans: A Phrase Diagram of the Greatest Letter Ever Written

The Serpent Slayer and the Scroll of Riddles

How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics?

The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer

40 Questions about Biblical Theology

Romans–Galatians

Three Views on Israel and the Church: Perspectives on Romans 9-11

That Little Voice in Your Head: Learning about Your Conscience

How to Understand and Apply the New Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology

No Quick Fix: Where Higher Life Theology Came From, What It Is, and Why It Is Harmful

Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ

Perspectives on the Extent of the Atonement: 3 Views

NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

From Typology to Doxology: Paul’s Use of Isaiah and Job in Romans 11:34–35

Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism

Let Go and Let God? A Survey and Analysis of Keswick Theology

Collected Writings on Scripture

Introducing the New Testament: A Short Guide to Its History and Message

See more of my publications.

The New Logos

Copyright © 2026 · Infinity Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in