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At the heart of Christianity stands not an abstract ideal or a private feeling, but a revealed message—a record of divine acts, preserved and proclaimed in a book: the Bible. As this article demonstrates, the modern conflict between Christianity and liberalism hinges not only on doctrines of God and man, but also on the source of those doctrines. That source is Scripture. The Christian faith is inextricably tied to the Bible as its authoritative foundation. By contrast, modern liberalism diminishes or redefines Scripture, replacing divine revelation with personal experience and cultural ideals.
The Bible: Unique in Its Message and Source of Salvation
From a biblical perspective, the Bible is not one religious book among many. It is God’s unique self-revelation, explaining both the universal witness of nature (Psalm 19:1) and conscience (Romans 2:15), and, more importantly, the singular redemptive act of God through Jesus Christ. While other religions and philosophies may stumble upon fragments of truth, the Bible alone reveals the way sinful humanity is reconciled to a holy God—a message not discovered by human wisdom but announced by divine initiative (1 Corinthians 1:21).
At the center of this revelation is a historical event: the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Without this event, Christianity does not exist. “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). The gospel is not a timeless idea or general moral instruction. It is a historical proclamation of God’s intervention in time and space, an act that must be communicated through words—and the Bible is that communication.
The Historical Nature of the Gospel
Modern objections to this view claim that grounding salvation in ancient events and texts is irrational or elitist. If one must study first-century documents, or rely on historians and theologians to explain them, how can faith be accessible or personal? In Machen’s era, such critiques stemmed from Enlightenment skepticism; today, they come from a culture obsessed with immediacy, intuition, and self-validation.
But Christianity does not ask believers to rest their hope on a dead past. It proclaims that this past act—the death and resurrection of Christ—has ongoing effects, verified by the present experience of believers. As Paul testifies, “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Personal experience confirms the truth of Scripture, but it does not replace or validate it. Experience is the fruit, not the root, of faith.
Liberalism in both Machen’s time and today inverts this relationship, making religious experience primary and history secondary—or irrelevant. If the resurrection inspires hope, it is valued, even if it never occurred. This is not faith but religious pragmatism, which reduces the gospel to emotional utility rather than divine truth. In contrast, biblical Christianity insists that without the cross and empty tomb as real events, there is no salvation to experience.
The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture
The Bible’s authority rests not merely in its content but in its origin. Christians have historically believed in plenary inspiration—that the entire Bible, though written by human authors in their own styles and contexts, is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). It is thus infallible in all that it affirms, serving as “the rule of faith and practice.”
Critics often caricature this doctrine as “mechanical dictation,” a claim without foundation. The biblical doctrine recognizes the full humanity of the authors but affirms that the Holy Spirit superintended their writings to preserve them from error. This is not superstition but a necessary corollary to divine revelation. A revelation that could be misreported would be no revelation at all.
Liberalism, however, undermines this doctrine. In Machen’s era, it spoke of the Bible’s “divinity” while denying its inerrancy; today, it uses terms like “faithful witness” or “sacred story” while allowing for moral and theological errors in the text. The real aim is clear: to replace the Bible’s authority with human judgment, whether in the form of scholarly consensus, personal insight, or cultural ethics.
Liberalism’s Shift from Scripture to Experience
What authority does liberalism propose in place of Scripture? Often, it points to Jesus Himself. Liberals claim to follow Jesus’ teachings while rejecting Paul’s theology or the Old Testament’s “primitive” morality. But this appeal is disingenuous. The only reliable record of Jesus’ life and words is the very Scripture they undermine. Moreover, Jesus Himself affirmed the inspiration of Scripture (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35), and promised further revelation through the Spirit-guided apostles (John 16:13).
To reject the apostolic teaching is to reject Jesus’ own plan for the church. Liberalism does not submit to Jesus’ authority; it selects from His teachings what aligns with its ideals and discards the rest. This is not submission but editing—not discipleship, but revisionism.
Ultimately, liberalism locates authority not in Jesus, nor in Scripture, but in religious experience, what Machen and others called “Christian consciousness.” Each person becomes their own arbiter of truth. This reflects the broader postmodern culture in which subjective authenticity replaces objective truth. But Christianity cannot survive on this basis. Truth reduced to what “works for me” is no truth at all.
Christianity’s Confidence in the Bible
By contrast, Christianity confidently affirms that the Bible is not merely helpful, inspiring, or historically important. It is the Word of God. Its authority is not imposed but recognized by those transformed by it. Its truth is confirmed in the believer’s heart, not invented there. Its unity, fulfilled prophecy, historical coherence, and life-giving power all bear witness to its divine origin.
The Bible is not a crutch for the weak-minded, nor a cage for free spirits. It is the charter of liberty (James 1:25), revealing the way to freedom from sin, reconciliation with God, and the hope of eternal life. In every generation—whether the post-war modernism of Machen’s day or the digital relativism of today—the Bible remains God’s living Word.
To set it aside, reinterpret it according to modern preferences, or reduce it to mythology is not to purify Christianity but to destroy it. As Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). That truth is not abstract or mystical—it is written, preserved, and preached.
Conclusion: The Bible or the Spirit of the Age?
Christianity and liberalism diverge at the most fundamental point: their source of authority. Christianity builds on the Bible—an infallible record of divine revelation, the foundation for all doctrine, experience, and life. Liberalism builds on shifting human emotion, critical theory, or cultural ideals. The contrast is not subtle. One rests on God’s truth; the other, on man’s imagination.
The church must decide where its authority lies. The answer determines whether it will be a beacon of gospel truth or a mirror of worldly trends. In every generation, the words of Isaiah remain true:
“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).
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About the Author
J. Gresham Machen (1881–1937) was a prominent American theologian and New Testament scholar, known for his staunch defense of orthodox Christianity against the rising tide of theological liberalism in the early 20th century. His works continue to be influential among conservative Christian scholars and lay readers alike.
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As a moderate member of a conservative Christian denomination, most, if not all of what you’ve written here rings true. I feel compelled to ask, though, will you write a similar article contrasting Christianity with the conservative movement, in general, and/or the Maga movement in particular?
We have 7,000+ article and add six new ones to it daily. So, we have taken everyone to the woodshed. We are independent have no dog in the fight. We are conservatives and do not see liberal Christianity as true Christianity. We would not publish nor support moderates either. There are 41,000 different denominations and almost all are false or not living up to the Word of God. MAGA is a political movement. I find it ironic that everyone only refers to the acronym and not what it stands for. So, I guess you are against Making America Great Again. In the 1960s to the 1980s, the bad thing in school was talking in class, passing notes in class, sticking gum under the desk or kissing a girl under the bleachers on Friday football. Today, it is drugs, guns, gangs, rapings, assaults, murders, absolute illiteracy. So, I guess you are happy with the changes?
In the 1960s to the 1980s, Americans built houses at good wages. Today, 80% of construction workers are illegals, who get paid a fraction of the price, and take the jobs that once belonged to Americans. I guess you are happier with today?
In the 1960s to the 1980s the delinquent youth were almost all just getting high on marijuana, drinking alcohol. Today, we have zombie land and 100,000 a year die from drugs. I guess you are happier with today.
In the 1960s to the 1980s the boys were boys and girls were girls. Today, we give hormone blockers to children, cut off the privates of our youth because they are suffering from social influences, depression, anxiety, isolation, and mental distress. Biological boys are stealing trophies, scholarships, Olympic medals, and hurting our girls in sports. I suppose you like today better. I suppose you like today better.
In the 1950s to the 1970s, blacks had businesses, were studious, educated, graduated, had families with very low divorce rates. Today, they are 14% of the population that make up 55% of the murders in America. Much of the youth are illiterate, violent, have no ethics or morals. They are killing each other very rapidly. Since Roe vs Wade, 70 million black babies have been aborted. The blacks are 14%, or 50 million, but could be 120 million or more. But the Latinas are now a bigger part of the population, which is why the Democrats have turned on blacks and pandered the Latinas. But I bet you like it better today?
Thank you for your long and detailed reply. You’ve presented me with everything I need to know about your site.
God’s blessings.
You are quite welcome.