At the very tip of an iceberg of apostasy the Emerging Church is currently amassing troops for a major assault on Sola Scriptura. From our forward firing base here at Apprising Ministries along the Eastern Front of this Truth War we see Emergent rebels becoming more emboldened as they continue their build up. Here’s just a couple of examples. At Missio Dei, a website sympathetic to the Emerging Church rebellion against Sola Scriptura, Jonathan Brink also feels “Something is in the air.” (Online source)

Indeed it is Jonathan. He tells us he’s noticing “many conversations” on the subject of homosexuality including one AM brought to your attention in The Emerging Church, the Bible & Homosexuality: Enough with the Bible Already; Make Way for Homosexuality in Evangelicalism. Among other “interesting things” Brink observes concerning this Emerging rebellion against the Bible are:

Brian interviews Petere Rollins… A fabulous conversation by Nic Paton on Sola Scriptura…[and]… A brilliant article from NT Wright on Sola Scriptura and it’s problems.  I so resonate with His call back to God in answering, “Where is our authority?” (Online source)

You can witness McLaren’s chat with Rollins in the video below. Earlier in Phyllis Tickle And The Emerging Church: It’s Not If Sola Scriptura Ends But When we had pointed readers to Missio Dei and Brinks’ eyewitness report of Tickle’s recent Great Emergence (GE) conference:

Today was day one in The Great Emergence conference.  To a large extent it was a deeper summary of each part of the book, including some of the keys dates, pivotal moments and events that helped create what we’re experiencing now. [Phyllis Tickle] made a significant point about how this turn is deeply affecting the concept of Sola Scriptura.

One of the things that caught my attention was Tickle’s comment that there are forty-four specific events that underline the move away from Sola Scriptura.  I would love to see what those 44 are but that would be like icing on the cake.  The final subject in the turn away will be how we address homosexuality in the church.  She reiterated that it’s not if Sola Scriptura ends but when… (Online source)

Note Tickle’s assertion that the death knell for Sola Scriptura will be the issue of homosexuality. I happen to agree with her on that point. Since, in its sordid lust affair for stupid “spiritual disciplines” of Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism gleaned from apostate Roman Catholicism and repackaged by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, the evangelical community has only given Sola Scriptura lip service for years now anyway it’ll cave just as mainline denominations already did years ago.

And the timing may likely be co-incidental, but nevertheless, it is interesting that day one of Tickle’s GE was December 5 and just a couple of weeks earlier Tony Jones, who was a presenter there along with his pastor Doug Pagitt, makes the following announcement concerning the way he feels we should address homsexuality in the church:

And yet, all the time I could feel myself drifting toward acceptance that gay persons are fully human persons and should be afforded all of the cultural and ecclesial benefits that I am.  (“Aha!” my critics will laugh derisively, “I knew he and his ilk were on a continuous leftward slide!”)

In any case, I now believe that GLBTQ can live lives in accord with biblical Christianity (at least as much as any of us can!) and that their monogamy can and should be sanctioned and blessed by church and state. (Online source)

So now we have a ranking officer within the Emergent rebellion against the authority of God’s Word coming out in support of practicing sinners in direct opposition to what the Creator has stated quite clearly in Holy Scripture. Now we come to the video clip below—interestingly enough posted on December 5, 2008. With the above in mind note the following discussion below between Emergent Guru Brian McLaren and his pal Peter Rollins:

I think you would agree with me that our mutual friend Phyllis Tickle has done us all a great service [Rollins nodding agreement] with this book she wrote, The Great Emergence. I think she’s taken a lot of these crazy dreams, and crazy experiments, that alot of us have been involved with, and she’s put them in a broader perspective. I know I had this sense, after I read her book like: “Oh, you know, so that’s what’s going on.”

Rollins: Yes.

McLaren: What do you, what do you think? You know, there’s this part of what we’re doing that involves deconstruction; that’s the Omega couse she talked about. But then there’s this—this process of something new [Rollins: Yes] actually taking shape; do you have any thoughts about that?

Rollins: Yeah, I totally agree. Phyllis Tickle has just given us a wonderful gift, with her books, and with her writing, and with her speaking. —You know a lot of us are just kind of in the dark playing around and what’s she’s done, she’s been able to reflect on what is happening and kind of give-give a broader perspective. (4:53-5:58) 

And part of this “wonderful gift” Tickle has given and the “great service” she has done is…well, to tickle their ears by telling them exactly what they want to hear: The “Great Emergence” is a new reformation—a new Christianity—which just happens to be (surprise, surprise) the Emerging Church, who’s authority base will be highly subjective experience read into Scripture ala Karl Barth. Translation: Everyone will be free to do whatever they “feel” is right. But what’s that got to do with the Elvis of the Emergent rebellion against Sola Scriptura Rob Bell?

Much; Bell was bold enough as far back as 2004 in annoucing his own denial of Sola Scriptura as you can see in Rob Bell in a Nutshell: the Bible. So just maybe now that his Emergent associates are beginning to speak out he’ll finally find the intestinal fortitude to go on the record where he stands regarding the Bible he says God personally told him to teach and the practice of homosexuality. Well Rob, is it a sin; or not. 

AM was among those who have recently written Mars Hill Bible Church essentially asking the same question which follows below concerning the position of their teaching pastor Rob Bell on the practice of homosexuality:

Where does your teaching pastor Rob Bell stand on the issue of same sex marriages and concerning the following question — Can someone who is unrepentant in their practice of a homosexual lifestyle also be and/or become a Christian in right standing before God?

Also in Where Does Rob Bell Stand Regarding the Practice of Homosexuality? I mentioned that unfortunately an honest question to pastor Bell and MHBC on such a crucial issue of our time is being met with a mere form letter from a “michelle.” This has now been corroborated by many others who have separately sent me that identical response from MHBC. And since this is their public non-statement I’ll save them any more trouble and present my personal copy of it here:

Thank you for contacting us. We hope you’ll find this response helpful, although it might not answer all your questions or concerns. With the high volume of questions and comments we receive, we hope you understand it’s difficult for us to reply specifically in each instance.

We care deeply how Scripture is interpreted and how to discern living the way of Jesus, and in encountering differing viewpoints it is our aim to agree or disagree in love, keeping central a shared desire to know God and serve Jesus Christ. Regarding your comments or questions, we’d like to direct you to our mission http://www.marshill.org/mission, Narrative Theology http://www.marshill.org/believe, 

Directions http://www.marshill.org/believe/directions [shared values], and serving focus http://www.marshill.org/serving, available at marshill.org. You might also find our recent audio teachings http://www.marshill.org/teaching/podcast.php and archived series http://www.marshill.org/teaching/other.php as well as Rob Bell’s recommended reading list http://www.marshill.org/about/rob/recommendedReadingList.php to be beneficial.

More compelling than anything we might say is the power of Christ displayed when we love well.

Grace + Peace,

michelle garvelink | Mars Hill Communications | 616.249.3337

Alright, as anyone able to read can see this has absolutely zero to do with the questions we asked. So, Rob Bell and MHBC can stop wasting our time sending us this non-response. And yet MHBC and Bell tell us they “care deeply how Scripture is interpreted and how to discern living in the way of Jesus”. Really Rob; then it’s well past time for you to finally come out with your position as to whether “living in the way of Jesus” also includes those who are practicing a lifestyle of homosexuality. 

Tony Jones and Adam Walker Cleveland of the Emerging Church have openly declared their support for “gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, and transgendered Christians.” And since you supposedly “care deeply how Scripture is interpreted” then please do your job Rob as a teaching pastor in such a prominent position in the visible church and let us know how you intrepret the Bible as it speaks to the following: Can someone who is unrepentant in their practice of a homosexual lifestyle also be and/or become a Christian in right standing before God? 

See also:

APPRISING MINISTRIES: SHOCKING NEW EVIDENCE JESUS CONDEMNED THE PRACTICE OF HOMOSEXUALITY

KEN SILVA: IT’S TIME TO RETHINK THE ISSUE OF HOMOSEXUALITY

TODD FRIEL: A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE ROB BELL SAYS PUBLICLY PRACTICING HOMOSEXUALITY IS OK FOR CHRISTIANS

BRIAN MCLAREN, THE EMERGING CHURCH, AND HOMOSEXUALITY: WHAT’S SO HARD ABOUT THAT?

ROB BELL AND CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALISM

IS ROB BELL EVANGELICAL?