Dr. Anthony T. Evans and The Carnal Christian

False teaching has always been in the Christian church. In the first century church the doctrine of Jezebel (Rev. 2) crept into the minds of unwary believers. And in contemporary Christian circles spurious doctrine assumes the form of a cadaverous crossbreed dubbed the "carnal Christian."

Trumpeting this "carnal Christian" theme around the globe is Dr. Tony Evans. All of the quotations from Dr. Evans' contained in this article are excerpted from his pamphlet The Carnal Christian. In opposition to historic Christianity Dr. Evans gathers his carnal Christian theory from three solitary verses in first Corinthians chapter three:

"Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?" 1 Cor 3:1-3

"Notice that Paul calls them brethren," wrote Dr. Evans, "which means that he believed they were a part of the family of God...it is possible," insists the learned Dr. Evans, "to be on your way to heaven but be of no earthly good because you compromise your faith." Tony Evans is correct dear reader, Paul did call the Corinthians "brethren" and this does indeed mean "that he believed they were a part of the family of God." From this passage, however, Tony Evans dives headlong into a gurgling cauldron of scripturally unfounded assertions:

- "Simply defined, carnality is a spiritual state in which a born-again Christian knowingly, willingly, intentionally and persistently lives to please and serve self rather than Jesus Christ."

- [The carnal Christian] "is a sick Christian, attempting to keep one foot planted in two mutually-exclusive worlds."

Because Paul called the Corinthians "brethren" and "carnal" (or worldly) does it follow that they had the option to remain such and still enter the kingdom of God as Tony Evans assumes? The answer is plainly - No. Carnality was not an option for the Corinthians or for us. Paul's rebuke to the "carnal" in 1 Corinthians 3 is further clarified later in the same book (though Dr. Evans does not mention it):

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor 6:9-10

Paul isn't the only one to disavow the "carnal Christian." Not even a hint of this dogma can be found in any teacher, confession or catechism that I have researched from Christian history. From the Ante-Nicene Fathers to the Westminster Confession and the Baptist Confession of 1689 no carnal Christian dogma may be found. From Martin Luther to James Arminius or John Calvin no carnal Christian dogma may be found. From Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield to John Wesley or Charles Finney no carnal Christian dogma may be found. Tony Evans' "carnal Christian" is not true.

Daniel LaLond Jr. is a writer and a minister. His book, The Lying Promise, examines the gospel according to Tony Evans. The Lying Promise also debunks doctrines like the carnal Christian, eternal security and free grace.