How many errors make an Error?

The Public Square
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Megan Basham’s book, “Shepherds for Sale” has brought about a flurry of responses in some quarters. Many laud it as revelatory, while others like Gavin Ortland and Phil Vischer, declare Megan is lying when she mentions them in her book.

I have not read the book, but there are enough “receipts” from each side to get an understanding of what is at play in specific cases.

Put simply, to quote a famous Australian movie, Megan reports “the vibe of the thing”, but she may have got some details wrong.

In the Bible, prophets are judged on the accuracy of their words, though sometimes it is difficult to square the words of true prophets with biblical events (Acts 21:10-11). I’m not calling Megan Basham a prophetess in that sense, but it seems that even small errors are enough to derail larger warnings in people’s minds.

I wonder whether we as the church are in danger of applying the doctrine of inerrancy to things other than the Bible. But then, how.many errors disqualify a message. Or even a messenger? And when is an error an error, rather than a misreading?

I don’t think there is a set of rules for these questions (3 errors and you’re out). We need wisdom.

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When conflict is raging, people take the temperature, and make judgments. The Ortlunds have never been shepherds I trust, from grandfather (Lake Avenue) to father to son. I’ve shown the heresy of Gavin’s brother Gentle and Lowly (The false teaching of Crossway's "Gentle and Lowly" - Warhorn Media). It’s clear. Is there any reason to start a clean slate with his brother?

No. From First Pres. Augusta (PCA) to Christ Presbyterian Nashville (PCA) to Immanuel Nashville (Sam Allberry, Gavin Ortlund, Russ Moore, Barnabas Piper, etc.). I mean, seriously. No doubt Ms. Basham got some things wrong, but I’m looking for repentance from this family. Any man among them.

From Christ Presbyterian Church’s teflon website:

In 2004, Christ Presbyterian called Dr. Ray Ortlund as Senior Pastor. A highly regarded Biblical scholar, theologian, prolific writer, and teacher, Ray would later become Founding and Senior Pastor of Immanuel Church, Nashville’s first Acts 29 congregation.

In July of 2007, Dr. Wilson Benton and his wife, Pam, came out of retirement to become our interim Senior Pastor. The Benton’s and Christ Presbyterian formed a meaningful bond with each other, so much so that Wilson served as our Interim Pastor for a full five years!

Rev. Scott Sauls became Senior Pastor in 2012. He and his wife Patti planted two churches before serving at Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City. Christ Presbyterian embraced a vision to become a multi-site church, planting several new congregations, including Koinonia in North Nashville.

In 2015, Rev. Sauls and Missy Wallace launched the Nashville Institute for Faith & Work (NIFW) to support the faith and work integration aspect of the church’s discipleship pathway. NIFW now exists as an independent 501(c)(3) ministry and their services are available to anyone who wishes to benefit from its insight and resources.

In November of 2023, Pastor Sauls prayerfully submitted his resignation and Christ Presbyterian began seeking the Lord’s guidance for our next Senior Pastor.

Now, Ray is moving on again, announcing his joy:

I am thrilled to announce a new path of service now opening up to me. The Right Rev’d Clark W. P. Lowenfield, Bishop of the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast in the Anglican Church in North America, has graciously called me to serve him as a Catechist and Canon Theologian. He has kindly extended the same call to my dear friend, The Rev’d Sam Allberry.

Really. Love,

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At least five independent reviewers have verified that Basham has seriously misrepresented her targets. First, Samuel James documents a list of factual errors that becomes tedious by its length. He asks, “Should we conclude that the errors, mischaracterizations, and inconsistencies in Shepherds for Sale are intentional lies in order to sway readers and enrich the author?” He wants to be more charitable. Second, Jonathan David, in “In Defense of Gavin Ortlund,**” examined Basham’s descriptions of what Ortlund wrote and concluded she “egregiously misrepresent[s]” him. Then, Chris Date, of “Theopologetics,” examined Basham’s claims, in a 93 minute video “Gavin Ortlund Not For Sale: An Appeal to Megan Basham,” and concluded “Megan blatantly and very badly misrepresents what Ortlund says” (1:22.15). Fourth, Warren Cole Smith of Ministry Watch, in “Which Shepherds Are For Sale?” (The Dispatch), documented numerous cases of Basham’s journalistic malpractice in the book and noted, “If we can’t trust her with the basic facts, why should we trust her with the interpretation of these facts?” He concluded that her book was “propaganda.” Finally, peace-making Christian apologist Neil Shenvi, after comparing – with exact quotes and screen-shots – Basham’s claims of what people wrote with what they really wrote, came to the verdict, “she is an unreliable interpreter.” Unlike Basham, Shenvi had the receipts.

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Biblically we can’t even hold a son responsible for the sins of his father. We certainly can’t hold a man responsible for the sins of his brother.
Gavin Ortlund is, in my opinion, the most effective Protestant apologist working now.

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Dear Mr. Carpenter, to trace the family likeness and be on guard for it is not to hold the son responsible for the sins of his father. It is simply the old wisdom of noting how the acorn never falls far from the tree.

Concerning whether the Ortlund brothers are effective apologists, that would depend on what meaning of “apology” one were using. Certainly everyone who thought Tim Keller made good apologies for the Christian faith would agree with you. Love,

PS: Just seeing the first contribution you made above, I say “welcome!” As for accuracy of Basham, I have no dog in that race.

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But a brother isn’t the tree. He’s just another acorn.
Gavin Ortlund has publicized and mainstreamed information about icons that were, before his contributions, mostly confined to scholars, thus effectively pushing back on Eastern Orthodoxy where it is most vulnerable.
We all have an interest in seeing that the 9th commandment is obeyed in Christian discourse.

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Precisely, which is why I condemned the heresy of an Ortlund brother’s book published by Crossway.

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Good.
Totally irrelevant to this discussion, but fine.

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Thought you were concerned about lies in Christian discourse and were arguing for the truthfulness of the Ortlunds. Maybe you didn’t read the link, so here is one pertinent excerpt dealing with the Ninth Commandment:

Here then is the problem with this book and it’s not complicated. Gentle and Lowly teaches the false doctrine that some of God’s attributes are more essentially His nature than others, and those attributes which are most essential are gentleness and lowliness.

To teach this is to lie about God.

Truthfully yours,

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