Many already know that Christian Research Net, a sister online apologetics and discernment ministry to Apprising Ministries, has a “shadow” blog where some self-appointed watchdogs just took it upon themselves to “monitor” i.e. criticize CRN, even going so far as to call themselves CRN.Info and Analysis. One of those is the rather snarky former SBC minister Joe Martino.

Martino’s full bio at CRN.Info informs us that: 

Joe is. (Online source)

What this exhaustive bio leaves out is that the ubiquitous Martino is very involved in ministry at Mars Hill Bible Church (MHBC), which was planted by Rob Bell, a hugely popular icon associated with the egregiously ecumenical Emerging Church aka Emergent Church—morphing into Emergence Christianity.

In his recent post And your point would be? Martino, in what appears to be his custom, mocks CRN as he tells us, “I’ll confess I go to ??N now and again to see the stuff they write.” Then today in the comments section of the aformentioned post MHBC’s Martino informs these “watchers of the watchdogs,” in love of course, that:

OK, I finally had the stomach to try and listen to Pirate Christian radio’s break down of the gospel presentation. Chris’s program shows what happens when you bring your agenda to the gospel. That was sick and disgusting.
It is repulsive and an offense to the gospel of Christ. (Online source)

Below is the PCR program Martino is referring to; first carried by AM in Deconstructing The Gospel-Less Gospel Of Rob Bell. Therein I told you that Rosebrough begins his program examining the “good news” of Rob Bell in the light of Holy Scripture with the following, which is actually no surprise at all to readers of AM:

Something seriously wrong with this guy’s teaching. I’ve been smelling smoke for years from this guy; and now well, it’s erupted into fullblown fire… I’m going to play for you the audio from this video. I’m not going to interrrupt it; I’m going to let you hear the whole thing in context, and then we’re gonna circle back and we’re gonna pull this thing apart piece by piece.

Not only are there doctrinal errors in here; there are historical errors in here, and he’s engaging in something here called deconstructionism. This is a very, very dangerous “gospel” that he’s preaching. And I am not going to back off from my assessment; I’ll tell you ahead of time, this is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not the Gospel that the Apostles preached. This is something completely different…

I am willing, at this point, to stand by my assessment; unless I hear otherwise from Rob Bell, which I seriously doubt, I’m going to basically make the charge this is not Christianity. This is a rehashed liberalism, if you would; kind of an interesting spin on liberalism, the liberal social gospel, if you would. This is seriously, seriously, dangerous and heretical stuff… 

In the below PCR program, which Joe Martino—a minister at MHBC—said “was sick and disgusting,” Rosebrough does first play the entire Rob Bell video in question. So here again AM now gives those who haven’t heard these yet the opportunity to make up their own minds whether Rosebrough’s program was “repulsive and an offense to the gospel of Christ.”

The following comments by MHBC’s Martino makes clear where he stands; and though we disagree with his very wrong conclusions, his clarity is at least refreshing when compared to the nebulousness of his teaching pastor Rob Bell. Quoting pastor John Chisham, Martino tells us:

Rob Bell is an enemy of the Gospel. Well, that’s interesting because I think the same of you and your friends at ??N but out of respect for the owner of this blog and for Rob I won’t bother getting into it here with you. Blessings to you. (Online source)

And then the “loving gospel” of Bell completely breaks down as Martino reveals he even wishes for the demise of Rosebrough’s PCR network:

  The good news is that it’s “listener supported” radio and we’re in a recession so… (Online source)

However, don’t hold your breath that MHBC minister Joe Martino will actually have anything substantive to say in rebuttal to Rosebrough’s absolute dismantling of Bell’s stupid story below, which has as much to do with the genuine Gospel as does Living Spiritual Teacher and “Progessive Christian” scholar Marcus Borg.

Apparently it’s just a lot easier for Martino to praise Bell as his teaching pastor, and simply insult Rosebrough, than it is to make an actual defense of Bell’s false teachings revealed by what Rosebrough brings out in his PCR program. But then again, that’s also very typical of those caught up in what’s beginning to look like a cult growing up around Rob Bell.

See also:

RANK HERESY BEING PREACHED AT MHBC OF ROB BELL

SHANE HIPPS AND ROB BELL TEACHING HERESY

DID ROB BELL FORGET THE CROSS?

THROUGH ROB BELL “THE GREAT ENLIGHTENED ONES” TELL US MAN HAS DIVINE GREATNESS

IS ROB BELL EVANGELICAL?

MARCUS BORG AND ROB BELL: THE BIBLE IS NOT A DIVINE PRODUCT WITH DIVINE FINAL AUTHORITY?

ROB BELL, NOOMA, AND THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES