“Did you know that the First Church in Acts is actually the original Emerging Church?” This from the back cover of the the book The Dust Off Their Feet (DOF) where we’re also told we can experience “a life-changing retelling of the Book of Acts!” And who is qualified to undertake this repainting – to borrow from Rob Bell – of the Book of Acts? Why, “Pastor and accomplished author Brian McLaren” (bold in original).

Interestingly enough the backcover of DOF also says it “is a foundational read for all Christians, but particularly those of today’s Emergent Church movement” (bold mine). You may recall a bit ago I put together a short piece called The Emergent Social Gospel and Liberation Theology. In it I give you some background material to help you see this new cult of liberal theology now Emergent for what it is. A working knowledge of liberation theology should also help you see why the Emergent Church movement would want to realign with the apostate Church of Rome.

As a quick example let’s take McLaren’s reimagined – to borrow from Doug Pagitt – look at the Paul and Silas with the Philippian jailer in Acts chapter 16. In what is becoming a typical and annoying Emergent trait there are no page numbers so I simply present McLaren’s refurbished rendition so you can see the social gospel of liberation for yourselves. We note that earlier in Acts 4 of McLaren’s fantasy the Apostle Peter has already spoken of the ultimate “authority of Jesus, the Liberating King of Nazareth”:

Jailer: Gentlemen, please tell me, what must I do to be liberated?

Paul and Silas: “Just believe – believe in the ultimate King, Jesus, and not only will you be rescued, but your whole household as well.”