Bible and Books and Authors and Brian McLaren and Church and Emergent Church and Emerging / Emergent Church and Emerging Church and Jesus and Quotes and Comments and Seen and Heard and Theology Michael Krahn on 21 Sep 2008 09:40 pm
Brian McLaren: “What is the Gospel?”
***RELATED POST: Have your say: What is an “Emergent”?
I spent Friday night and all day Saturday in Oakville, Ontario at the “Why Everything Must Change” conference. I’ll post more audio and observations in the coming days but the following was the immediate hot-spot for me. I should mention that there were many great things about the conference and I’ll be sharing those too.
The question for the panel at the end of the conference was “What is the Good News?”
Brian McLaren was the only one to answer (link to audio below):
“I think this is where it gets interesting because one of the ways that what we do becomes colonization, when we’re going to represent a religion and trying to make converts to a religion… but the good news isn’t the good news of Christianity, it’s the good news of the Kingdom of God. And I think that Fatmire [Muslim peace activist also present at conference and sitting next to him on the panel] working for peace, is an agent for peace, and I’d much rather her be working for peace being who she is than… becoming a person in a church worrying about the list over there on that wall. [on "the list" are things non-essentials like speaking in tongues, etc.)
So, to me there’s something we really have to grapple with about whether the border of a religion is the border of the kingdom of God. And I think that’s a question we’d be wise to raise. I liked what you said about there not being despair when you’re among the extremely needy people. Wouldn’t it be interesting if we found out that God is present wherever there’s suffering because God is there bringing healing and God is really present wherever people are working against injustice because that’s the work of God, wherever people are working for peace. And then the we find that the place that God isn’t is where you have a bunch of affluent people who are self-absorbed… and that wouldn’t surprise me why they would get depressed, because, in some way, it’s not that God isn’t present but they’re snoring through the presence of God.”
So basically, is he saying that a Muslim peace activist is doing the work of the kingdom of God? And would he really prefer that she not first find true peace in Christ? (Mark 1:15 ”The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”)
“I’d much rather her be working for peace being who she is than… becoming a person in a church worrying about the list…” As if there are only two choices: remain a Muslim and continue to pursue a peace apart from Christ or waste your time becoming a Christian and bickering about non-essential things that make no difference to the world.
It’s quite a dichotomy to lay out, but it’s an incomplete scenario and it seems that Brian believes that Fatmire would be no further ahead with Christ as the source of her peacemaking efforts. That bothers me. Does it bother you?
(You can listen to the audio here)
***UPDATE: here’s a link to an earlier post about McLaren
Michael Krahn (michael.krahn@gmail.com) is a husband, father, Pastor, writer, and recording artist who enjoys books, theology, technology and the Ottawa Senators.
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on 21 Sep 2008 at 9:57 pm # nathan colquhoun
I’m not sure it bothers me. All I see it Brian trying to make distinctions away from an individualistic view of aid work to a more holistic view capturing more than just Fatmire’s intentions and including what the kingdom looks like. It’s the whole “if he’s not against then he’s for us” scenario in regards to where Fatmire stands with Christ, but how the kingdom is being advanced is what he’s focusing on.
I don’t think Fatmire would be any further ahead with Christ or not because in the end its not really about Fatmire but what God is up to, and God is spreading Kingdom values with or without those that think or confess Christ as the source. It’s the wrong thing to focus on, the individual aspirations of a few and what their motivations are (even though those may change in the process God willing).
After all that though, it certainly would be an even better option to have someone focusing on the right list because they feel a call to work with the church in participating with the creator in the redeption of the world.
on 21 Sep 2008 at 10:30 pm # shane
it should. it should bother you a lot.
basically he’s saying that her work, because it’s aimed in the same
general direction God seems to be moving, is more important than her
salvation. that seems to me to be antithetical to the purpose of God,
certainly to His desire that everyone would come to a right
understanding of Christ’s salvation.
yes, i would agree that God’s kingdom work is more important than any
one human’s salvation. and, i would agree that the non-essentials can
get in the way of kingdom work. however, the job we were expressly
given by Christ is to teach, baptise, and disciple people into the
kingdom and any suggestion that someone’s work that seems similar to
God’s is worth overlooking that call to witness? that we should do
nothing while a “good” soul heads to hell on a road of good
intentions?
yeah… well… it bothers me, anyway…
on 22 Sep 2008 at 4:06 am # Rob Bradshaw
It looks like just another of Brian Mclaren’s ridiculous false dichotomy’s. We already know from his earlier books that Mclaren’s views are pluralist, so this quote merely confirms this. D.A. Carson wrote a number of years ago that Mclaren had “largely abandoned the gospel”, so it seems that he is abandoning it more completely as time goes on.
Thanks for posting.
In Christ, Rob
on 22 Sep 2008 at 7:25 am # Glenn
For all of emergent’s talk of greek versus hebraic thinking, they love to default back to a either/or dichotomy versus a and/both way of thought. And when people make statements like “I’d much rather her be working for peace being who she is than… becoming a person in a church worrying about the list over there on that wall”, then what incentive will Fatmire have to convert to Christ and enter into the church while she continues here pursuit of peace? And can one really work for peace while denying the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
on 22 Sep 2008 at 7:54 am # nathan colquhoun
I don’t think this is a false dichotomy for him. You know that he obviously cares about individual salvation, he wrote an entire book on it (Finding Faith). He is not saying that her salvation is less important, and I don’t think you could find anything where he says that. It isn’t about importance or what is better. He’s simply saying that someone who is living a kingdom lifestyle is a lot further ahead than someone who confesses the king as king and refuses to live a kingdom lifestyle at all.
Shane, I think you are accusing him of throwing the baby our with the bathwater by reading into his comments. You said yourself in your comment that you think God’s kingdom work is more important than any personal human’s salvation. While I don’t think we can bring this conversation down to what’s more important or not because someone’s salvation IS part of God’s Kingdom work. You are accusing him of saying to “do nothing while a good soul heads to hell on a road of good intentions.” I don’t see him saying that at all. All he’s trying to do is get people to see the Kingdom at work a bit deeper than personal salvation.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 8:20 am # Matt Dabbs
Sounds like he thinks she has already found salvation because she is engaging in the mission of God, whether she believes in Jesus Christ as Lord or not. That is troubling. It is disingenuous of him to lay out those as the only two options to choose from, as you mentioned. That is oh, so weak. Thank you for sharing that.
To me we do have to recognize that other religions have positive aspects about them and even contains truth in some areas. But that does not mean that the other religions are an equally valid path toward the kingdom of God. Seems like we need to hear how God himself said we become a part of that – through Jesus Christ.
Social activism and outreach to the poor and downtrodden are the natural overflow of someone committed to the kingdom mission but that does not mean that everyone involved in social activism and outreach to the poor are in touch with and advancing God’s kingdom.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 8:49 am # hashman
i’m not a sharp as many who will comment on this, BUT…
Heaven help me if someone asks me what the gospel is and I don’t mention either 1) the name Jesus 2) his death 3) his resurrection 4) faith.
But again, I’m not very sophisticated.
kbh
on 22 Sep 2008 at 9:16 am # Paul
I agree with Kevin; there’s no way that a faithful explanation of the gospel can miss Jesus–his suffering, death, and resurrection–and his offer of forgiveness through faith. Even if we admit that the gospel of the kingdom of God is bigger than just justification by faith through the substitutionary atoning death of Christ, the kingdom cannot be separated from the cross. Jesus’ cross-work and resurrection victory is the foundation of Christian ethics and drives everything that the kingdom is about. To miss Jesus is to miss everything!
on 22 Sep 2008 at 10:18 am # Robert Widdowson
Yes, it bothers me when individual who are publicly recognized as prominent leaders suggest, basically, that regeneration and what follows, conversion, are not necessary. The message is: you can please God without having to begotten from above. This makes nonsense out of pivotal passage of the Bible (John 1.12, 3.3, 5-8, etc.)
What exactly bothers me about this approach is that it places people in the horrible position of relying on their own effort to achieve a state of righteousness before God. What a curse!
I have spoken with more than one Mason who believes he has earned God’s favour by the sweat of his brow and the good deeds he’s done. (These guys raise millions and millions of dollars for hospitals, so they are definitely no slouches when it comes to doing good deeds). McLaren plays to their weakness and reinforces it.
I’m humbly reminded of what the prophet says about even the best things we do, ‘We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment’ (Isaiah 64.6).
on 22 Sep 2008 at 10:22 am # Art
Almost every heresy stikes at the heart of Christianity – Jesus the Christ. The Gospel IS Jesus. Without Jesus, there is no “good news”.
I just recently read Brian McLaren’s book, “A Generous Orthodoxy” and I was amazed at how much I agreed with many of his observations. Yet, when it came to his conclusions and application, I agreed with virtually none of it. To me his philosophy sounded like, find a middle ground on everything and when we all get to heaven, God will sort it out for us.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 10:54 am # Matt
After reading a rather cryptic statement from McLaren, D.A. Carson wrote:
“Seldom have I read a paragraph I simultaneously agree with as much and disagree with as much…There is a humorous cheekiness [in McLaren], a disarming self-deprecation, an over-the-top vitality. Not least when he is the most outrageous, you simultaneously want to wring his neck and give him a brotherly hug and say, ‘Aw c’mon Brian, be fair! This silly argument is unworthy of you!”—knowing full well he’s likely to hug you back and say with a twinkle in his eyes. ‘I know that. I’m not quite as stupid as you think. But I got you thinking about some important questions you’ve been ducking!’ What do you do with a guy like that?”
That’s largely how I feel about this statement.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 11:58 am # Richard Giles
I’ve been reading and listening to Brian McLaren for several years now. It has become obvious that he doesn’t know the answer to the question.
He reminds me of a guy I knew in High School, extremely bright, dripping with charisma and cool, that could dance around a question with such dexterity and grace you never knew he was clueless until exam time. We all loved him but with time he became irrelevant.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 12:32 pm # Jeff C.
It doesn’t ‘bother’ me so much as it clearly defines McLaren as a non-evangelical. And that doesn’t bother me, either. Given the context of that conference, there’s one place where ‘convergence’ can’t really occur, and that’s in the interpretation of sacred tradition. Jesus can’t converge with Mohammad because their own scriptures won’t allow it. So, in places like this one, the context is avoided and “co-existence” is embraced.
McLaren is anti-colonial for a reason, and he apparently believes that the Church, as we know it, cannot escape its connection to it. His reference to the Kingdom of God is an attempt to remove himself from this historical aspect of the Church as witnessed in history; he believes that the Church needs to remove itself from any vestige of ‘nationhood’ as historically understood in order to be able to communicate the gospel untainted by things “of the world.” One of those things may be the unwillingness to condemn non-Christians when they are doing things that Christians should do when not yoked to nationalism.
What a lot of us want from him is the recognition of the sector of the Church that is fully dedicated to dealing with the struggle between faith and sectarianism. We also want references to the resurrection as a focal point for faith and Christian living. We aren’t getting that, and there is the rub.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 1:40 pm # Eric Tonjes
I feel like a lot of the issue is that Brian isn’t really talking about the gospel the way we talk about it. On the one hand, it’s true that God is advancing his kingdom into the world through sinners, even those that aren’t Christians; he is working good, including working peace between nations, using whatever tools he chooses. It’s certainly true that there are kingdom values present in pursuing peace which some who profess Christ lack.
The problem, as noted above, comes in the duality he tries to draw. To say that he’d rather have a Muslim display a kingdom value than a professing Christian not is just a bogus dichotomy. Why not have the truest good, and have God’s children work for peace and the good desire this woman have be coupled and magnified with the transforming power of the gospel?
All that said, I don’t know that this statement is condemning in itself, simply incomplete. McLaren may simply be trying to build bridges, and for this I certainly wouldn’t fault him. It’s just that the bridge eventually needs to be going somewhere or it wasn’t worth building in the first place.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 3:03 pm # Eric Hunter
One either believes the words of Jesus Christ, or does not. When you decide to not take words literally, you can morph any religion or belief into whatever is comfortable to you. Brian believes the Bible is a book of “framing stories”. Although you emergents can’t handle the Truth, Jesus stated that His Kingdom is not of this world. He also stated very clearly, numerous times, the content of the Gospel, or the Good News, which is that He came to save sinners. The good news is not that He came to fix the world. And you are nothing short of blasphemous when you state that an individual salvation is not as important as the work of the kingdom of God. You blind pitiful rebels, ALL of God’s work is the salvation of sinners. God’s Kingdom will not arrive in the way that you hope, until the physical arrival of Christ Himself, when He returns to reign for one thousand years. Read your Bible, it is not rocket science, but your eyes must be opened by the Holy Spirit, or you will never understand it. While you’re at it, do a study of false teachers in the New Testament. Brian McLaren is right up there at the top of the list.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 4:10 pm # nathan colquhoun
wow, it looks like i was commenting on the wrong website :)
on 22 Sep 2008 at 7:06 pm # Alden
Michael, interesting post. I agree with the commenter who said that McLaren’s answer should bother us. McLaren is very good at asking questions, but I’ve found that he is no theologian, and doesn’t have many good answers to his questions.
He is right, of course, that we are talking about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God – that’s what Jesus came preaching. This should be the same as the Gospel of Christianity. Doing good deeds is not necessarily the equivalent of the Kingdom “on Earth as it is in Heaven.” It bothers me that McLaren has become so popular; I’m starting to believe that what started out as Emergent Christianity seems to be turning to an emergent heresy. But, it’s not the first time…
on 22 Sep 2008 at 8:45 pm # Miller
I think that the only thing Brian was trying to do was not get hit by saying that she needs Christ. I totally agree with handling our differences with sensitivity, I get that, but I think sometimes telling the truth means that someone will not like you for it. ‘Wo to you when all men think well of you”. The gospel is simple…’Christ came into the world to save sinners’.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 11:39 pm # Shaun Groves
[Is a] a Muslim peace activist is doing the work of the kingdom of God?
I believe, yes. When God’s will is done on earth to any degree as it is done in heaven something of the perfection of heaven (even it’s very incomplete) comes through.
But God’s will is more than just a what. It’s also a why and that hinges upon a WHO. Stanley Hauerwas calls justice and peace movements that do not hinge upon the character of God and the salvation of Jesus “liberal activism” and I agree. There is no justice or peace or healing without the acknowledgement of the Author of all three…and everything else good, for that matter.
Does it bother you?
Hell yes. And I say that as a guy who says things like “hell yes” and a guy who speaks at 100 churches and colleges a year on behalf of the poor and takes bloggers to the developing world in an effort to bring release from poverty.
My fear is that justice and equality and service are replacing God Himself. Just as grace and faith in another generation replaced works and obedience.
There is no need for faith at all when activism is the new Jesus. What was astonishingly missing from McClaren’s answer was Jesus. A gospel with no Christ? Yes, I’m disturbed.
But I’m also aware of how poorly I’ve answered questions before. How nervous and scattered we can all get. I don’t know what Mr. McClaren’s God/god is – I can’t presume to. So if I claim that Christ and His grace are essentials that Mr. McClaren ought not leave out, I’d better not leave them out either. I can’t throw stones at this man’s theology without truly knowing it. And this excerpt hardly makes it fully known.
on 23 Sep 2008 at 9:11 am # Dan Rempel
I really appreciate the investment all of you make in your Faith. It is awesome to participate in a discussion like this! I make some strong comments below. I hope you understand them as my journey to know what it means to become more like Jesus.
I think all of us need a good dose of humility when it comes to claiming we have truth. (You should see the humble expression on my face as I write that.) Most of us believe the Bible is truth, but it doesn’t contain all truth. Also we can’t simply take the Bible literally. To quote aquinas (alias): “when John the Baptist exclaims that Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29), no one takes the literal reading that Christ is an actual lamb (Ovis aries). When Jesus says he is the true vine (John 15:1) no one takes the literal reading that Jesus is an actual vine (genus Vitis). ” So there is interpretation – which we must do with humility.
We can learn from those who disagree with us – even if they are Christian.
Of all the things Brian McLaren says, why do we spend most of our energy discussing the things we disagree on? THAT IS Brian’s point. He has me asking if my energy is better spent doing as Jesus did than to seek out the things that divide us. (dichotomy alert) Maybe the authentic action of people like Mother Theresa reaches more for Christ than all these debates about the finer points of theology. (Which I love to do too.)
Jesus debated too. Jesus again and again debated with the religious leaders of the day to reveal to them how they focused on the finer points of the law while missing the primary point. As Jews did with the law, we are experts at missing the point. (Which is why we have no honest politicians.)
So to the point. The dichotomy: He does not imply those are the only two options. He uses it to make a point about how badly flawed he thinks Christianity is when it ignores the dying world. Jesus used dichotomies similarly to make a point. Mark 3:4 comes to mind. I can imagine the pharisees talking amongst themselves about how reducing the argument to a dichotomy was unfair. It is better to challenge his point than the expression of his point. (oops, another dichotomy)
Matt Dabbs wrote:
That is what I thought, but Brain has me asking if it is reality. I have no stats, but it seems I know as many non-Christians actively involved in seeking justice for the downtrodden as I do Christian. I certainly know several hundred dedicated Christians the majority of whom are among the global top 5% in wealth but are not actively seeking justice. Is it possible that accepting Christ and plunging into theology tends not to translate into becoming like Christ in action?
Paul (I don’t think this is Apostle Paul) wrote:
Agreed. I think Brian’s point is that perhaps we HAVE missed Jesus. How much of Jesus’ time was spent ministering to the down-trodden? How much of Jesus’ resources were spent on himself? Is Brian bringing something valuable to light?
Matt, I really appreciate your quote of D.A. Carson. I feel like that too.
Robert Widdowson says Brian makes nonsense out of John 1.12, 3.3, 5-8. Maybe. Maybe we need to take another look at what it means to be believe in Jesus, or to be born again. Maybe sitting on wealth and debating theology while others suffer indicates our true nature – which needs to die before we can be born again. Maybe most Christian’s inactivity in justice is a stronger indicator of belief in Jesus than pointing to a date when you said “Jesus, come into my heart.” (Matt 25:31++) Maybe we spend too much time getting people to accept Christ and not enough time living like Christ and discipling others to do the same. Maybe the two are the same, but we have separated them because it demands too much sacrifice to follow Jesus.
Eric Hunter wrote:
I’ve read the New Testament many times and have not found Brian McLaren’s name in there anywhere. (I know that comment misses your point, but I couldn’t resist.)
on 23 Sep 2008 at 10:55 am # nathan colquhoun
great comment above me, a great perspective and good words to add to this conversation, thank-you.
on 23 Sep 2008 at 4:17 pm # Nick Gill
I’m not a McLaren fan by any stretch. But in this, he IS emulating Jesus.
Don’t you think Jesus’ opponents accused him of posing a false dichotomy when he spoke of the “Pharisee and the publican”?
And we still have much to learn from the parable of the two sons: One said, “Yes, Father,” and then lounged around the house. The other said, “No, Father,” but then got up and went to work.
But we must cope with one of the things that McLaren dislikes about 1st century language (I’m surprised to find it on his lips in this excerpt) — KINGDOM language. Christ MEANS “God’s Ruler.” Repentance is DEFECTION language — you don’t start living a more moral life — you renounce allegiance to self and world and pledge allegiance to the Incarnate God, Christ Jesus the Lord.
Indeed, great judgment is in store for those who say, “Lord, Lord,” but do not do the work of the kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount makes that abundantly clear. But the other end is equally dangerous: “Why will you do the things I desire, but not call me Lord?” Kingdom work matters not because WE think it is good, but because it makes the King famous. It is the cup of water IN HIS NAME that is commended; not the cup of water given merely to please ourselves. Those who do “what is right in their own eyes” are never commended in Scripture.
in HIS love,
nick gill
on 23 Sep 2008 at 4:22 pm # Nick Gill
“The good news is not that He came to fix the world.”
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
In order that THE WORLD might be saved through him. Wow.
on 24 Sep 2008 at 8:20 am # Michael Krahn
Hey everybody,
Thanks for reading and thanks for all the comments. I will try to respond to many of your comments next week when I return from a trip to Minneapolis.
Nathan C,
I believe we have a common friend in Jeremy Best. He’s our youth pastor and I’m one of his leaders. We should meet sometime. BTW – Scot McKnight is going to link to this post on Saturday so that might bring a better balance of comments to this post.
I didn’t intend for this to be an invitation to jump on McLaren. I feel as conflicted as Carson, which is why I added a link to another post at the bottom of this post.
http://michaelkrahn.com/blog/2007/12/28/wiilow-creek-brain-mclaren/
Stay tuned….
on 24 Sep 2008 at 10:24 am # Doug Short
Hashman’s is the wisest comment on this thread.
on 24 Sep 2008 at 11:04 am # Michael Krahn
Someone just emailed me the following question: “What is an emergent?”
Let’s start a new thread for this one here:
http://michaelkrahn.com/blog/2008/09/24/what-is-an-emergent/
on 25 Sep 2008 at 3:32 am # Lloyd Farrar
After reading these posts i am confused? Or am i. i have been “in the field” for 5 years. Teaching & raising up the next generation of a particular Asian country. All that i read in the Brians & ilk, lead me to believe i am doing the wrong thing. Then i hear God say “NOT” and i am reassured that the plain & simple truth of the gospel of Christ (he came died & rose providing us salvation) is all i need to worry about. Please please please wake up America and realize that everyone who does not preach Christ is against Christ. Hell is filled with plenty of good meaning people already, let’s not let any more go there by telling them they are good and forgetting to tell them they need Christ.
on 25 Sep 2008 at 2:47 pm # Drew Miles
If I didn’t have a firm grasp on the sovereignty of God (to the limited degree that I do understand this doctrine), then reading McLaren’s answer would be very depressing. I would be depressed that someone in his position, with as much influence over such a large number of professing Christians and curious non-believers, has completely missed the Gospel of Christ. He never mentions the problem or the solution. We are all depraved and unable to help ourselves. But, the “Good News” is that Christ came to fix what we cannot. Our greatest problem has a solution, and it is the atoning work of Jesus Christ. McLaren has completely missed it.
on 25 Sep 2008 at 10:20 pm # Learning
This is a dope conversation. Brian Mclaren is pretty ‘maybe’ if you ask me. I have two of his books G.O. and TSMOJ. I started readng through both but stopped because some pharisaical pastor said he was a false teacher. Im not sure which side to lend an ear to anymore. So is it the pharisaical pastor or is it Mclaren? I wish things were more clear. Maybe when Jesus does return both the Pharisaical pastor and Mclaren will get holy spankings.
on 26 Sep 2008 at 10:07 am # Dave King
Posted my thoughts over at IdeaJoy.
- Peace
on 26 Sep 2008 at 10:10 am # Dave King
Posted my thoughts on Michael’s orginal email over at IdeaJoy.
- Peace
on 27 Sep 2008 at 10:48 am # Steve
I have read a lot of Brian McLaren’s books and agree with and am inspired by a lot of what he says. There are also things I disagree with and based on what he writes I think he would say that’s great. I also think he communicates in a provocative way (Jesus does) and sometimes exaggerates to make a point.
What the exchange reminds me of, was the story Jesus told in Luke’s Gospel, 10th Chapter: “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”…”Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one (Good Samaritan, who was technically on the “outside”) who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Also, maybe, what Brian said about Fatmire, sitting next to her, will plant a seed in her heart that will one day lead to Christ.
Good discussion. All the comments were good and I slowed down when I got to Dan and Nick. Good thoughts.
on 27 Sep 2008 at 7:29 pm # hashman
I feel like some are asking for graciousness and the benefit of the doubt with regard to this statement, to consider the context, the strategy, whatever.
I tend to give more latitude or to suspend judgement when someone says something vague or even weird, even on the gospel, IF IF, they are on record elsewhere being very clear about the gospel, the holiness of God, sinfulness of man, sinlessness of christ, the cross, resurrection, repentance, faith….
Here I plead ignorance of Maclaren. Could be he talks about justification by faith or substitutionary atonement quite often and this is a unique instance where he is doing something ‘creative’, or exercising discernment to plant a seed.
Someone who knows him more than I can answer the question. I’d love for someone to share a quote of a time when Maclaren is very clear on the gospel. It would be very encouraging.