So, You Wanna Be A Rock Star?

Imagine the feeling...

You walk on stage, the crowd is roaring, the smoke machines billow, the lights are flashing, the girls are screaming and fainting all over the place. You are the star of the show. It's all about you! This is your moment to shine! You're about to give the audience the show of a lifetime!

Now back to reality...

What I've described seems to be what some preachers are seeking these days. I've actually seen videos and heard audio clips of certain ministers taking the pulpit while the audience cheers as if Nickelback has just taken the stage. In fact, with some preachers it's obvious, they want the spotlight on them. They want denominational fame. They desire to have all eyes on them and to be the stars of the show!

A few years ago, before I left the Pentecostal movement, I attended a service at a very progressive Pentecostal church not far from here just to see what the buzz was all about. I was amazed at what I witnessed. Though it was a small church just outside of the city limits of a rural Georgia town, it had all the trappings of a secular rock concert. It was a real circus.

They had everything a despiser of God could want: flashing lights, smoke machines, loud music, and plenty of man-centered "praise and worship" that had little to no theology or true reverence for God. It was just awful. One thing that stood out to me was how the preacher was escorted to and from the pulpit flanked by ushers sporting Secret Service type communication equipment. It was obvious that this pastor was much too important to spend any time mingling with the commoners. Needless to say, I never returned...

If you're in the ministry and you desire to be the star of the show and have church services like I described above, let me give you some candid advice. If truly want be cheered by thousands of adoring fans, then Gospel ministry is not what you need to be doing! Go buy yourself a guitar, learn to play it, and then start your own garage band. Maybe if your real lucky, you might be a rock star someday, but whatever you do, don't waste your time pretending to be a minister of God.

God has called us to preach the Word and be a servant in His Kingdom. He hasn't called us to be the stars of the show. Whenever we begin to think we're the stars of the show, we have fallen into a grievous sin. I believe any praise we receive as ministers should immediately be directed to God, we have no right to it. We have nothing in which to boast. It's all about Him. It's His show. He's the Star. He should be the main attraction.

Brothers, we are not rock stars!

photo: from wikipedia

Modalism: The Last Volley of 2007

Before we get out of 2007, I want to fire my last volley into the ghastly beast which is the Modalist heresy.

I doubt it will be enough to put the monster out of it's misery, but I hope that my posts on the topic will have alerted some of my readers to the fact that this heresy is dangerous and not in keeping with the orthodox understanding of the Godhead.

For the uninitiated, Modalism or "Oneness" theology is that theology concerning the Godhead that denies the historical orthodox teaching that there is one true God who exists in three distinct Persons revealed in Scripture as the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit.

Modalists believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be "manifestations" of the one true God whom they understand to be Jesus Christ alone. They see God as one in person, but manifesting himself in three forms. Their view can be illustrated with water, which can be in the form of a solid, liquid, or gas at different times. You may be familiar with this illustration as it is often used in ignorance by Trinitarians to explain the Trinity. Ironically, the water, ice, steam, illustration actually explains the Modalistic view of God -not the Trinitarian view!

To the Modalist, Jesus Christ isn't the Eternally begotten Son of the Father. Instead, they teach that Jesus is the Father, Jesus is the Son, and Jesus is the Holy Spirit: just in different modes or manifestations and appearing as each at different times. While they do not deny Jesus is God, what they do teach is just as bad because they actually deny the existence of the persons of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Forms of this heresy can be traced all the way back to the middle of the third century A.D.

Modalists focus on the "oneness" of God. They see Trinitarian theology as teaching that there are three Gods, but this not the case. Trinitarians are not Tri-theists. We fully affirm that God is one God. Dr James P. Boyce explains:

"The doctrine of the Trinity is not opposed to the unity of God, but only enables us to form just conceptions as to that unity. It presents to us three Persons who are not three gods, but one God, and, as will hereafter be seen, shows us that the unity of God is to be found in his nature or essence and not in the personal relations in that essence, so that there is but one divine nature or essence, one being, one god, although there are three persons subsisting therein, who, by virtue of that subsistence, are each God.

We are not led by this doctrine of the unity of God, therefore, to adopt the Arian notion that the Father is Supreme God and the Son only a divine being in a subordinate sense. Nor is it proper to accept the Sabellian notion, that God is one person, manifesting himself sometimes as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Holy Ghost. 'Neither does it at all teach tritheistic unity by which these are really three gods, but considered one because they have the same nature, just as three men may be said to be one because of the same human nature.' See Gill, vol. 1, pp. 183, 184 from which this is condensed." (J. P. Boyce, Abstract of Systematic Theology, pp. 60-61)

Modalists also reject the words "Trinity" or "Person" as being unbiblical. They bolster their disdain for these words by pointing out that thee terms are not found in Scripture. To that point, I concede that these theological terms do not appear in the Bible. However, we must ask the question: Does the absence of these words in the Bible make them invalid for use in formulating theology? I shall allow John Calvin to answer the charges:

"Now, although the heretics rail at the word "person," or certain squeamish men cry out against admitting a term fashioned by the human mind, they cannot shake our conviction that three are spoken of, each of which is entirely God, yet that there is not more than one God. What wickedness, then, it is to disapprove of words that explain nothing else than what is attested and sealed by Scripture!" (Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1:13:3)

In our day, the Modalist heresy is taught primarily by the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) or other so-called "Apostolic" churches". Though forms of Modalism have been around for centuries, the UPCI doesn't trace their teaching back quite so far. The following quote has been cited as coming from the Forward of a statement of faith that was published by the United Pentecostal Church International:

"In the year 1914 came the revelation on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The pivotal doctrines of the absolute deity of Jesus Christ and baptism in his name became tenets of faith. God marvelously confirmed our message as the Gospel was preached in its fullness. The power which was hidden in the name of Jesus began to be revealed."

The quote is a clear declaration that what the UPCI teaches is actually a new "revelation", and not what the Bible or the Church throughout history has taught. Christians who don't affirm the closure of the Canon may not have a problem with such "new revelations", but as someone who is serious about affirming the closure of the Canon and the sufficiency of Scripture, I find this quote and their supposed afflatus to be about as authoritative as last week's grocery list.


When it comes to the "new revelations" proclaimed by cults and heretics, I fully agree with Charles Spurgeon who once preached:

"Do not think that the Spirit of God has come or ever will come among us to teach to us a new gospel or something other than is written in the Scriptures. Men come to me with their fudges and fancies, and tell me that they were revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. I abhor their blasphemous impertinence, and refuse to listen to them for a minute." (C. H. Spurgeon, The Indwelling and Outflowing of The Holy Spirit, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Vol. 28, No. 1662)

Mr. Spurgeon hits the nail on the head here. These "revelations" in which the UPCI and other cults look to in order to justify their aberrant and/or heretical teachings were never inspired by the Holy Spirit. God didn't inspire them, nor did He confirm them. Somebody is lying and I promise you it isn't God! One must beg the question, if the UPCI revelations are so important, and indeed vital to salvation as some of them claim, why did God wait until 1914 to reveal it?

The current UPCI website states something rather interesting:

"The UPCI holds a fundamental view of the Bible: 'The Bible is the only God-given authority which man possesses; therefore all doctrine, faith, hope, and all instructions for the church must be based upon and harmonize with the Bible' (Manual of the United Pentecostal Church, 19). The Bible is the Word of God, and therefore inerrant and infallible. The UPCI rejects all extra biblical revelations and writings, and views church creeds and articles of faith only as the thinking of men."

How ironic..! Here we have a group that embraces a heretical doctrine that was "revealed" to them in 1914, over and against the dominate Christian understanding of the Godhead for the last 2000 years, and now they want us to believe that the Bible is their sole authority?! Even if they do hold to that position now, they are still interpreting the Bible through the lens of the 1914 revelation!

In addition to Modalism, the UPCI teaches that in order for a person to be justified and saved, repentance and faith are not enough. They also teach that a person must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (alone) and that speaking in tongues is necessary for salvation. Nowhere does the Bible teach that speaking in tongues is necessary for Salvation: orthodox Pentecostals disagree with the UCPI on this as well. This is faith + works theology pure and simple. It's what the Apostle Paul calls "another gospel." Therefore, even if we remove the Modalist heresy from the picture entirely, we still have more than enough Scriptural justification to "let them be accursed" because of their position on baptism and tongues! (See Gal 1:9)

Heresies such as Modalism and works salvation are bound to find a fertile ground in the evangelical world today. We live in a generation that has largely cast off the historic creeds and confessions of orthodox faith. Mention the words "creed," "confession," or "catechism" in some churches and you'll be tossed out on your head! Instead of trying to glean from the history of Christianity, many have cast aside the wisdom of the past generations thinking they have no need of it.

Our generation can be likened unto a young man who inherits the family business and decides to cast off everything his ancestors learned in order to run the business his own way. Within a short time the business is in utter bankruptcy. By ignoring the wisdom and learning of his fathers and setting out to do everything his own way, the young man reaps the fruit of his obstinacy. The UPCI and it's heretical doctrines are the tragic legacy of an era where many people cast off all historic creeds, confessions, and traditions thinking they were ridding themselves of past errors, and ironically, some ended up heaping onto themselves the worst kinds of heresies through new "revelations" and poor scholarship.

In conclusion, please do not think I am out here trying to anathematize people over theologically insignificant issues. Quite the contrary! The denial of the Trinity is about as serious as it gets and I'm trying to sound the alarm! I'm calling upon all who believe in justification by faith and the Doctrine of the Trinity to rise up! Pray up! Get in the Scriptures! Put away Your Best Life Now and break out some dusty old theological volumes and try to understand why these doctrines have been so important for so many centuries!

For more information on this subject, Matt Slick has a lots of of information and refutations at Carm.org.

Evangelists: Fools For Christ?

I was once a State Evangelist for the Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) in Georgia. As State Evangelist, I wasn't very successful at getting bookings. I think I was only booked for one revival service the entire time I was on staff. In the annals of the greatest failures as Pentecostal evangelists, I'll certainly be ranked at the top!

Many reasons could be cited for why, but I will give four: (1) it obviously wasn't the Lord's will, (2) because I wasn't a member of one of a well known family in the Georgia COGOP, (3) I refused to stoop to the level of becoming a cheesy self-promoting conference hoping religious politician with a goofy grin on my face and a bunch of business cards in my hand, and (4) I'm just not a great preacher to begin with!

I was once told by a seasoned evangelist that the best way for me to get known was to "get in the back pocket of some of the Bishops in the church and ride on their coattails". Like many occupations in the world, I learned that the success of a COGOP evangelist really depended on who you knew -and just knowing Christ wasn't enough! It didn't take me long to realize that I wasn't going to be much of a State Evangelist unless I learned to be good at the fine art of schmoozing. Not long after this epiphany, I resigned the position of Georgia State Evangelist.

In 1 Corinthians 4:10, Paul told the church that the apostles were "fools for Christ's sake", but some folks seem to have taken that verse a bit too literally and applied it to evangelists as well. This morning I spent some time perusing through some websites of certain Baptist evangelists and some of what I saw really bothered me. Moreover, some of what I saw really pained my soul. In the name of "soul winning" some men have resorted to becoming more like court jesters than heralds and ambassadors of the Kingdom of God!

When you look at some evangelist websites, you will often see great claims about how many revival meetings have been conducted and "decisions made for Christ". When I see these numbers touted, I'm not impressed at all. Statistics have shown that modern evangelistic methods have a fall-away rate of about 90%, it makes the statistical boasting of some evangelists about as abominable as an Obstetrician claiming to have delivered thousands of babies, only to learn that 9 out of 10 of those births were stillborn. Modern evangelism and it's pragmatism is a tragedy, not something in which to boast!


When one considers all the magicians, comedians, clowns, and ventriloquists that churches bring in to conduct revival services, is it any wonder that the message of the Christ is not taken seriously and so many people fall away after a "decision for Christ"? Do we really believe that we can entertain people into faith and repentance?

Some will argue that these methods are needed in order to get people in church to hear the Word. Perhaps, but I'm of the opinion that the primary place of evangelism isn't within the church meeting, but in the world. We should evangelize sinners so they might be saved and come to church in order to be discipled from the Word of God. Trying to gear the church service to appeal to sinners is shortchanging Christ's sheep and bound to fill our pews with false converts and future apostates.

I recently heard (or read) somewhere that some full time evangelists are concerned about their future. I'm glad! Some of them need to be! Maybe it will goad some of them into forsaking the silly methods they employ. Frankly, there's a number of them that need to start preaching the unadulterated gospel or quit and get secular job! It's time to put an end results driven revivalism. If not reigned in, these man-centered evangelistic methods will continue too produce thousands of false converts who will eventually fall away.

Now, I realize what I have just written may have just ruffled more than a few feathers. Don't misunderstand, I'm not against evangelists, nor am I against people using their talents for the glory of God. In fact, I wish there were more Christian entertainers. It would be nice to take the family to a show or a movie where we could be entertained by someone using his or her talents for God's glory. However, I think these things have their proper place and that place isn't behind the pulpit.

I also know there are some evangelists who are faithful in preaching God's Word. I thank God for these men. They men need to be commended, supported, and booked for revivals. I have a hunch that many of the best evangelists are probably the ones who don't have to tell you how great they are, rather, they are the ones who's reputation for being used of God will far exceed any boasting or conversion statistics they can put on a website.

Let us make no mistake, the Gospel is powerful! It's the preaching of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit that converts a sinner! It's not the Howdy Doody Show or some second rate side show attraction that the church needs to fulfill it's commission, rather, it's personal evangelism, the faithful exposition of God's Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit that we need.

Let us pray and seek God for a true revival!

(Images from and linked back to wikipedia)

The Sad Truth...

It's really interesting for me to listen to non-Calvinists bash us. It's always the same old story, "Calvinism kills churches" or "Calvinism stifles evangelism". One would think that an Arminian (or non-Calvinist) would be the most evangelistic Christian there is! Sadly, I don't think that's the case.

Some of my readers may recall that I was once a minister in the Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP). During my time in the COGOP, I was a member of two of their churches: one that was one of the more conservative within that movement and one that was more liberal (by that denomination's standards at least).

Here's some alarming things about the two churches I was affiliated with. Keep in mind, the Church of God of Prophecy is a self-consciously Arminian denomination:

• The Pastor's salary is the largest item in both the church budgets.



• One church only sent $25.00 [or maybe $50.00] per quarter to foreign missions, the other took up a missions offering and then spent it on cleaning supplies and church maintenance!



• Neither conducted any personal evangelism training.



• One of them never conducted any community outreach. The other had a monthly community youth outreach (in conjunction with other churches), but they stopped supporting it because it cost around $100.00 a month.



• One had a Easter program and a Christmas program, but behind closed doors I learned that the biggest reason for these events was because during the events the church would receive larger than average offerings, so much so that it helped to get the financially strapped church "in the black" -remember, the pastor got the lion's share of the tithes that people paid. So they had to do something to keep the lights on!
  
  
• The pastor of one often preached against door-to-door evangelism because "we never had anybody come to church as a result of it".



• The international headquarters of the denomination required a tithe of all the tithes the local churches received, but they wouldn't back their own minister's financially while they tried to plant churches (or re-plant it's derelict churches). The state headquarters wouldn't back the ministers either.

If Calvinism stifles evangelism, then what was the problem with those non-Calvinist churches I attended in the COGOP? Please understand, I'm not trying to bash the COGOP here. (One of my most loyal readers is a pastor in the movement.) I'm sure there are many mission minded churches in the COGOP, I just never had the pleasure of being a part of one of them.

I'm now the youth director of a Southern Baptist Church. Compared to my experience in the COGOP, I am amazed at how much my church does for missions and the SBC cooperative program. That being the case -if the statistics are accurate- many of our people are probably not active in personal witnessing or evangelism.

Here's the sad truth: the lack of evangelism in our churches has nothing to do with Calvinism or Arminianism. It's more to do with fear, apathy, or just plain laziness. The bottom line is that none of us, neither Calvinists nor Arminians, Baptists nor Pentecostals are as evangelistic as we ought to be.

So take it from me, don't buy into the hype that's put out by Arminians and other non-Calvinists about Calvinism stifling the gospel. I've been on both sides of the soteriological fence and the grass isn't very green on the Arminian side either!

God help us!

God help me!

Modalism: Time to Take a Stand!

Sometimes Christians who are zealous for Biblical truth and sound theology, will "draw a line in the sand" and declare that a certain teacher or ministry is "heretical". When that happens, you can be sure that some well meaning Christians will get their dander up and scold that brother for taking such a firm doctrinal stance. You can do many things in Christendom today, but using the word "heretic" to describe a popular minister is not one of them!

Take for example Tommy Tenney and T.D. Jakes. These men are very popular within Pentecostal and Charismatic circles. Jakes is especially popular among African-Americans. Several years ago, when I was a minister in the Church of God of Prophecy, I actually read two of Tenney's books. However, what I didn't know then (and what most people don't know now) is that both Tenney and T.D. Jakes knowingly embrace a damnable heresy known as "Modalism" -sometimes refered to as "Sabellianism". Both of these men are "Oneness Pentecostals". That's right! These men deny the Trinity!

Instead of exposing and condemning these men and their heresies, many modern Trinitarians -who are for the most part ignorant of the implications of the Modalist heresy and the fact that has been condemned by the church for around 1800 years- don't see any problem with listening to these men preach, or attend their conferences, or reading their books.

After all, some might say, "T.D. Jakes preaches with such fervor" or "Tommy Tenney's God Chasers book was such a blessing to me". Sadly, in our day, discernment is at such a low that any heretic will be received with open arms just as long as he has a television ministry or was able to secure a big book deal.

T.D. Jakes' own website exposes his Modalism:

"God -There is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three manifestations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

(emphasis mine)

In Christian orthodoxy, God is understood as described in the Athanasian Creed -that God is One and yet three Persons. The use of the term "three manifestations" is clearly Modalistic and also espoused by the United Pentecostal Church.

Tenney is harder to pin down. I can find no doctrinal statement on his website, however, his Modalism and other aberrant teachings have been documented by the Christian Research Institute.

How serious is this heresy?

Let me put it like this: Until I see that these men have openly repented of, and forsaken, their Modalistic beliefs, I will forever consider them heretics and outside of the Body of Christ. Sadly, many a modern Christian would be terribly offended for me making a statement such as this...

Christians who would never invite an unrepentant pornographer, a thief, a drunk, or a pedophile to teach in their church, will blindly embrace and sit under the preaching of people who believe and teach the Modalist heresy! Why don't Christians see that this heresy is just as serious -if not more serious- that the sins I have just mentioned?

Some may think I'm being too dogmatic over this issue... "After all", someone might say, "the Trinity is one of those mysterious things we may never fully grasp in this life". And I agree. However, there's a big difference in not understanding everything about a difficult theological concept, and conscientiously embracing doctrines that are opposed to the historic and orthodox understanding of the Trinity. Though Jakes and Tenney may sound somewhat orthodox and be commonly accepted in today's Christian world, these men are every bit as poisonous as Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons.

A more important question to consider is where exactly did the Apostle Paul draw the line while writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?

To the Galatians, Paul took a stand against those who taught that a person must circumcised in order to be saved -a seemingly insignificant doctrinal issue when one considers all the heresies that are prevalent (and totally acceptable) in our day!

Dr. James R. White recently composed a satirical letter that reflects the attitude of Christians in our day, especially those who will baulk over my refusal to accept Jakes and Tenney as brothers in Christ:

Dear Paul:

In reviewing your letter to the churches of Galatia, we, the modern men of the 21st century, have come to the conclusion that you truly missed the point in your very pointed and, may we say, unloving comments regarding the faithful brothers with whom you had but a minor theological difference. We are in particular offended that you would identify men who clearly confess faith in Christ and who have risked their lives for their faith "false brethren."

Who are you to make such a harsh judgment, in light of their many evidences of faith? These men are Christians, and to call them false brethren is a serious sin! You are bearing false witness against them! And to dare to read the intentions of their hearts so as to say they were "sneaking" into the fellowship is simply beyond the pale. You should be ashamed of yourself! All you disagree on is a minor point of theology! They believe in Christ! They believe in His resurrection! They simply believe one should be circumcised so as to be a part of the covenant people of God!

How narrow of you to exclude them from the fellowship of faith simply on the basis of such a minor thing as this! Why won't you focus upon the areas of agreement you have? Why focus only upon differences, the negatives? Don't you realize you will never win people to your views if you continue to act in this fashion? We seriously request that you apologize to the faithful brothers you anathematized in your ill-advised letter to the churches of Galatia. By this, true peace and unity might be achieved!

Paul took a stand against legalism. If we won't take a stand on something as essential as the doctrine of the Trinity, we should be ashamed of ourselves.

Unity at the expense of truth is no virtue -nor is it Christian!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Charismatic Gifts: Let's Take Another Look...

In this article I want to address the issue of "charismatic gifts." I realize I may get myself into some hot water in doing so (perhaps kicked off of a few blogrolls and get an email from "Pastor Tony") but that's never stopped me before. So let's get to it! (Lord help me!)

Let me begin by saying that I have read materials that have been published by both sides of the controversy and both sides make very good points. After reading MacArthur's Charismatic Chaos, I am still nowhere near being convinced that Scripture supports Cessationism. I found MacArthur's explanation for the cessation of the gifts to be weak and lacking in Scriptural foundation.

Other than that, I agreed with much of the content of the book because MacArthur only seemed to go after after the most heretical members of the Charismatic movement. When it was all said and done, I came away retaining my longstanding opinion that Cessationist arguments are based upon tradition and church history and not a careful exegesis of Scripture.

One thing I do admire and respect about Cessationists is their steadfast dedication to protecting the Canon. These brethren are dedicated to Sola Scriptura and see modern "prophecies" as being a threat to the sufficiency of the Scripture. I get concerned about this issue as well because I have known some who seem to be more interested in a "fresh word" than the Word that is found in their Bibles.

I have personally seen this desire for "fresh" revelation lead to more than a little theological error as well (this can be seen in church history also). Ironically, it is my personal dedication to Sola Scriptura that will not allow me to "throw out the baby with the bathwater" when it comes to Charismata.

Having said that (and I've stated all this before), I do not believe that all we see taking place in the Pentecostal/Charismatic camp is legitimate. I think there is a tremendous amount of emotionalism, prognostication, mysticism, and in some cases psychosomatic experiences being touted as genuine spiritual gifts. Even some my conservative Pentecostal friends agree with me on this...

In spite of all the abuses I have seen and read about, I do not believe Christians should automatically discount the possibility of there being true gifts just because some overzealous people are faking and misusing them. (No more than we should stop using paper money because people are counterfeiting it!)

I really believe everyone -Charismatic and Cessationist alike- needs to take a step back, take a deep breath, and then take a fresh look at what the Bible (and the other side) actually teaches about Spirit Baptism and Charismatic gifts. I mean to say this gently, but I think folks on both sides of the spectrum are so bogged down in their tradition, experience, and presuppositions, until most of them cannot see the issues (or what the Bible actually teaches) very clearly at all!

I think it wouldn't hurt some Cessationists to read some of the works of Wayne Grudem, Sam Storms, or Vern Poythress on the issue. Likewise, it wouldn't hurt some Charismatics to read some scholarly works from a Cessationist perspective to gain an understanding of why they say the gifts have ceased. All the while, we all should "be a Berean" in comparing that which is written to the Word of God.

This is precisely why I read Charismatic Chaos. I wanted to see what the other position had to say. I didn't look for some scholar on the fringe that would be easy to disregard, I tried to get something from one of the better teachers and really see why the man believes what he believes. This is what would like to see people on both sides of the debate do as well.

Please understand that my desire is to pursue the truth about these issues. This is a call for a unified study of the Charismatic gifts and not an attempt to be divisive. I ask that all Christians reevaluate their positions in light of Scripture. I have a few that Cessationist friends who have been willing to do so, and for that I am very thankful!

Suggested Resources for further study:

• Are Miraculous Gifts for Today (Part 1), by Sam Storms
• Are Miraculous Gifts for Today (Part 2), by Sam Storms
• Signs and Wonders: Then and Now, by John Piper
• Modern Spiritual Gifts as Analogous to Apostolic Gifts:
  Affirming Extraordinary Works of the Spirit within Cessationist Theology, by Vern S. Poythress
• Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians, 12-14, by D.A. Carson *
• Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, (chapters 52 AND 53)`
• Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, by Jack Deere
• Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? 4 Views, edited by Wayne Grudem *
• Experiential Calvinism and the Charismatic Gifts, by Matt Slick
• Convergence: Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist , (book) by Sam Storms *
• Perspectives On Spirit Baptism: Five Views *

* Indicates that I am either currently reading, or have yet to read, but have heard it is very good.

A Rant on Theological Ignorance

I want to begin this Rant by way of illustration:

One Sunday morning, a preacher takes his position behind the lectern. He opens his Bible, reads a passage, and then he prays. Then for the next 30 minutes he passionately expounds upon what his dog did yesterday, how his last fishing trip went, how good his mama's sweet tea is, and how wonderful the dogs were barking on his last coon hunting trip. He finishes the "sermon" with a heart wrenching appeal for people to come to Jesus for Salvation in which he follows it with the standard "heads bowed, eyes closed, and nobody looking around" type altar call. After that the pastor dismisses the service and everyone leaves out at 12:00 pm shaking his hand and telling him what a "wonderful message" he preached.

Same Sunday, but this time in a different church...

Another preacher takes the pulpit. The congregation still swaying and praising as a result of 45 minutes of their favorite 7 praise choruses being played about 11 times each. The preacher opens his Bible, reads a passage, and says a prayer. Before he can finish praying, people are back to shouting and running around the church house again! He closes his Bible and they continue for at least an hour and a half praying, singing, and praising. After everything finally calms down, the pastor says a few words, says another prayer, and closes the service. The people leave the service all excited about the wonderful time they had and boast "the service was so good the preacher didn't even get to preach!"

The first scenario was what my friend would experience almost every Sunday at his Southern Baptist church. The second scenario is what I occasionally experienced, and what happens often in a number of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches around here.

These are two vastly different scenarios but the common denominator in them both is that I have personally witnessed that neither produces spiritually mature, theologically sound Christians! Neither scenario emphasises the exposition of the Bible, the teaching of systematic theology, nor practical discipleship. Both patterns were failing in their commission to teach God's Word and make disciples of all nations.

Honestly folks, I am very tired of not being able to have a basic Biblical discussion with the average church goer!!! I believe there is no excuse for a person going to church for decades and not even being able to articulate the most basic truths of the Christian faith! I have had to deal with this ignorance with the most Spirit filled Pentecostals, as well as with some of the most hardcore Southern Baptists. It never ceases to amaze me at the ignorant things that come out of the mouths of professing Christians. (Some even follow in the footsteps of Joel Osteen and will not even take a firm stance on Jesus being the ONLY way to Heaven!!)

I was watching Ravi Zacharias this evening and he too affirms that one of the greatest problems in the American church is the fact that people are too lazy to THINK when it comes to the things of God. It's like people want to put their minds in neutral as soon as they get to church or something! All too often American Christians are happy to listen to vain jangling from the pulpit and formulate their theology more from silly clichés than from the Bible.

I am also quite disturbed by the fact that many Christians think we have nothing to learn from those spiritual giants who have gone before us. I am often ridiculed by a good friend for "reading those theologians." He thinks it is a waste of time. While it is certain that the theologians of yesterday may have not been correct in every point of doctrine, it does not excuse us for ignoring what God taught them in their day. It delights me to meet another Christian who reads Spurgeon or some other "old school" teacher. Unfortunately, I have found those people are few and far between.

I've also observed that many Christians think that only the clergy are to be educated in the things of God! We are now in a day where the "preaching" and writings of Joel Osteen (and many other heretics) are considered profound by many American Evangelicals. These things ought to alert us that something is terribly wrong!

On page 18 of his Systematic Theology, Dr. Wayne Grudem has summed up my feelings quite well:

"I am convinced that there is an urgent need in the church today for much greater understanding of Christian doctrine, or systematic theology. Not only pastors and teachers need to understand theology in greater depth - the whole church does as well. One day by God's grace we may have churches full of Christians who can discuss, apply, and live the doctrinal teachings of the Bible as readily as they can discuss the details of their own jobs or hobbies - or the fortunes of their favorite sports team or television program. It is not that Christians lack the ability to understand doctrine; it is just that they must have access to it in an understandable form. Once that happens, I think that many Christians will find that understanding (and living) the doctrines of Scripture is one of their greatest joys."

So... What must we do to reverse this problem?

I think the best thing we can do is pray... Pray that God would birth a great awakening in the American church. Pray that God would regenerate the large number of false converts that sit upon our pews. Pray that God might see fit to ignite a hunger for truth in our pews and in our pulpits. We must demand more than shallow preaching and meetings where the Bible is replaced with emotionalism and chaos. We need the truth of God's Word to unashamedly sound forth from the pulpits of America!

It's time for the American church to repent of its apathy! It's time to restore the preaching of God's Word to a place of prominence in the churches! Its time for our people to get off the milk and move onto the meat! It's time for a Reformation in the United States of America!

"I dream of a new Reformation, a Reformation that is not simply a renewal of life but a new vision of life: a vision that yields new forms and structures in society and culture. As long as Christians restrict their Christianity to a religion, a faith that is compartmentalized and isolated from life, they can have revival but never, ever Reformation." --Dr. R.C Sproul

Soli Deo Gloria!


Please Note: I am not implying that all Baptist or all Pentecostal churches are guilty of what I have described above. I have used these two examples because I have been in and around both movements and I have personal experience dealing with the fruits of both extremes. I grant that there are many pastors in both camps who are faithful to preach and teach God's Word. I am "painting with a broad brush" in this Rant.