Is Tony Jones Born Again: In His Own Words
March 6, 2008
Over at Emergent Village we see a revealing post concerning the concept of being born again featuring Tony Jones, a leading theologian in the emerging church:
Tony Jones recently interviewed Rev. John Chisham, pastor of River of Life Alliance Church in Marshall, Minnesota (and also outspoken critic of Tony and Emergent) for a series of videos being produced by Jossey-Bass in relation to promotion for Tony’s book The New Christians.
Apprising Ministries has done us the wonderful service of transcribing the entire 30-minute interview.
Jones responds to the question, “when were you born again?” Well actually, he answers in that kinda, sorta way of the Emergent Church.
Here is a excerpt that is telling of where Jones is.
John: Have you been born again?
Tony: Yes…what does that mean.
John: Tell me about that.
Tony: Uh well, I’ll tell you that when I was in fifth grade I went to summer camp and, you know, on the very last day of camp when all the kids were totally completely exhausted and already on the brink of tears because we were going home the next morning and camp was over; that they gave the Jesus talk about how much He bled for us and I went forward weeping and, you know, asked Jesus to come into my life and felt a whooshing in my body…because my counselor told me that’s what would happen.
John: Ok…so were you born again at that time?
Tony: Sure was that…yeah. That’s…from everything I can tell that’s what people mean from your side of the…from your version of the Christian story. That that’s what it means to be born again.
John: Ok, when were you born again?
Tony: But when did I really take on the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
John: Yes that’s… (indistinct)
Tony: You know what? Today, this morning.
John: This morning…every day. Daily.
Tony: Absolutely.
John: Daily, every day. And that’s what you gotta do.
Tony: That’s right.
John: Romans chapter 12.
Tony: That’s not a copout either I’m not like saying that to…“scramble your eggs” in your words, like really truly, I can’t look back on one day and go “that was the day that I took on the Lordship of Jesus Christ in my life.” I can’t. It is an ongoing battle… (indistinct)
John: Is it a daily…
Tony: But for me John, listen, for me it’s a daily…DAILY. I wonder if this whole thing’s a total crock. DAILY. I think, “Is there really a God? Is my whole life based on a hoax?” Every day I make a decision to go one day more. I mean really. I really… I’m agnostic in that sense, in that I…every day I don’t know.
John: I’m sorry.
Tony: No, no I think it’s beautiful. I think it’s a way to live as an intellectually honest person, because God is not a provable commodity. All the evidence in the world does not prove God. It ultimately depends on faith. As the Bible makes ABUNDANTLY clear.
Posted in Emergent, Emergent Church, Emergent Village, Justification, Tony Jones
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March 6th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Jesus told us that there would be many false teachers, and we are seeing more and more of them everyday. Nevertheless, we can get calloused to it. This type of false doctrine really aggrivates me.
This guy, Tony Jones, is completely lost in my opinion, and the sad part about it is that there are so many people falling into the same trap of ‘emergent’ theology.
I think that emergent theology is straight from hell, and will lead many there.
He can’t even remember his own conversion?! Could it be, that it is because it never happened?! How can someone like him be assured of eternal life when he questions the very existence of God? It’s absurd.
Here is a basic logic lesson for Tony (since he asked the question “Is there really a God?”….
If there is no God, then Jesus was no deity, because Jesus is God. Of course this denies a whole multitude of scriptures proclaiming otherwise. Lets keep going. If Jesus was not God…not divine…not a Savior, then he would have needed a Savior! Moving on… If someone is in need of a Savior, then they certainly couldn’t die, then rise of their own volition, victorious over death, hell, and the grave. AND, if all this didn’t really happen, then Tony’s faith is in vain. Scripture tells us “if Christ be not risen, then your faith is in vain.”
Wake up Tony!
I pray for all who are embracing the whole emergent deception, that they would repent and begin following the true Jesus.
I recommend reading books by Warren Smith and John MacArthur to learn just how deceptive the whole emergent movement really is.