Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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Fighting The Wrong Enemy

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FightI read this morning in Mark 9:40, that whoever is not against us is for us. These are the very words of Jesus Christ but often forgotten by those that bear his name. We expend energy in fighting other believers and ignoring the real enemy.

Too often doctrinal litmus tests are developed to see who is in and who is not. We spend effort dividing over Bible translations, pet doctrines, music styles, dress style, building style and other non-essential issues.

The King James Only crowd think us reprobate because we read and teach from a “modern” translation. The reformed people have great sport bashing the dispensationalists. The dispensationalists retaliate with derision for reformed eschatology. The list of reasons to divide is seemingly endless. These are a few examples of the disputes within the community of those who take the Bible seriously and seek to live out what it says.

This post is not a plea to water down or soften or eliminate a hard stand on what the Bible says. We do not need to compromise what we believe. There are passages which speak directly to the issues of today and we need to uncompromisingly teach them.

There are groups which have beliefs that are clearly in conflict with Scripture, usually recognizing other “sacred” books which are necessary for understanding the Bible. We are not to compromise on doctrine, nor should we cease to point out the error in these false religions. Jesus is not saying that all interpretations of Scripture are equally valid.

I think that the point Jesus makes in this verse is that we are to concentrate on fighting the real enemy and stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone who is willing to join us in the battle, whether we agree with them on every doctrinal point or not.

My guess is that when the battle is finally over we will all find out that our own knowledge was incomplete and some of the people we bashed along the way had as much truth as we.

Anyone who is bringing people into relationship with Jesus Christ is our ally. Anyone who is pointing people to Scripture as the foundation for belief and practice is our friend. Those who are not against us are for us.

What do you think?

Rob Bell Comes [Somewhat] Clean – Transcript and Comments

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I was recently made aware of this statement by Rob Bell posted to YouTube. This is in response to the hubbub about his recent book Love Wins, which I have not read and upon which I cannot comment. I did previously make some comments about an interview that Rob did with Martin Bashir. My post containing the comments can be found at http://wp.me/pSrkv-43.

Here is the “confession” of Rob Bell:

A friend requested that I comment on what Rob says. So to make sure that my comments are accurate, I first thought I would transcribe what he says. By my count, he makes 16 statements as to what he believes. Here is what he says:

I believe:

  1. In Jesus
  2. Jesus is the way
  3. in Heaven
  4. in Hell
  5. the Bible is God’s word
  6. I’m not a universalist because I believe God’s love is so great he lets you decide
  7. in the communion of the saints
  8. the church is the fullness
  9. in the New Heaven and the New Earth
  10. in Healing
  11. in miracles
  12. in salvation
  13. in the power of prayer
  14. that God is alive and working
  15. that there has been a resurrection and there is a whole new creation bursting forth right here in the midst of this one
  16. it is best to only discuss books you’ve actually read

Comment 16 is unfair because the critiques that I read were in response to sections of the book and statements by Rob Bell that were released prior to publication to drum up interest in the book. Each of the critiques stated the source of the material they were criticizing and each critic allowed that the final version of the book might have rendered their critique moot.

I don’t have any issue with the rest of the statements as far as they go. None of these statements are in direct disagreement with Scripture. These statements are the theological equivalent of “motherhood and apple pie” statements in politics. There is nothing to take issue with.

The problem is, depending on how the terms are defined, cults could be in agreement with these statements due to their generic nature. I am not saying that any of these statements cause me to believe that Rob Bell is in error. I am saying that further definition of each of these items would have to be made to have a better understanding of what he really believes.

For example, Rob states that he believes in Hell. Does he believe in an eternal place of torment to which those who reject Jesus will inhabit? Is that what he means by Hell? It could be, but his statement provides insufficient evidence as to his understanding of Hell (which was the point in question in the critiques).

Being vague may be a valuable skill in politics, but it should not be the method followed in Christian ministry. I am willing to give Mr. Bell the benefit of the doubt, but I do wish he would be more precise in his statements and spend a little more energy in articulating a cohesive set of beliefs with Scriptural support for each belief.

Responding to doctrinal weeds (some thoughts on discernment)

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419162-dandelion-fieldI recently was asked about how to respond to a spouse who is enthralled by some false teachers. The points I gave for consideration are these:

  • The Bereans were praised (Acts 17:11) for checking to see if what Paul was teaching is true to Scripture, so it is clearly not wrong to determine if a preacher (or a blogger) is speaking in accordance with Scripture.
  • We are called to exercise discernment. All through Paul’s epistles, he deals with issues within the Church and gives his readers the foundation they need to make good decisions. In some cases, Paul calls people out by name so it is clearly not wrong to exercise discernment with regard to people and doctrine.
  • We are called to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matt. 10:16). We should not be tricked by deceivers but we need to be innocent in the way we respond to them and speak about them.
  • In Ephesians 4:15, Paul commands us to speak the truth in love. Love must be the guiding principle as to how we respond to the false teaching. See also 1 Corinthians 13 for a check list to see how you’re doing with regard to a loving response toward the preachers and your spouse.
  • James 1:20 reminds us that the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Be honest with yourself as to whether your spouse is sensing and responding to anger which prevents your spouse from hearing your legitimate concerns.
  • It is not wrong to be concerned about what these preachers are teaching. It is also not wrong for you to share your thoughts with your spouse. You will need wisdom (James 1:5) and love to share your thoughts in an appropriate way.
  • While these preachers distort Scripture for their own ends (and will be judged accordingly), they are using Scripture. The Holy Spirit can use the Scripture to show your spouse the error in what they teach.
  • Above all else, I encourage you to pray for your spouse so that the Holy Spirit will reveal the error. Remember that “a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” No amount of argument can subdue the will. Only God can do that.

Anything else that should be considered? Please comment back to add to the list, I would like your input.

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