See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

The Self-Refuting Philosophy Of Postmodernism

As I continue here at Apprising Ministries tracking this The New Downgrade And Its Apostles Of Unbelief in the sinfully ecumenical neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church on their foolish Wild Goose Chase you’ll come to see that its new postmodern version of Progressive Christian theology under their spiritual circus “big tent” Emergence Christianity depends upon philosophy and not Biblical theology.

For example, in order to advance his ear-tickling Love Wins mythology EC icon Rob Bell had to begin years ago with deconstructing questions about Holy Scripture ala his friend universalist EC pastor Doug Pagitt, one third of the unholy Emergent trinity along with his JoPa pal Tony Jones, progressive/liberal “theologian in residence” at his Solomon’s Porch, and Living Spiritual Teacher and apostate EC guru Brian McLaren, designed to tear down your belief system.

 Dr. Gene Veith, Culture Editor of World Magazine and former Associate Professor of English at Concordia University-Wisconsin, tells us this is because “postmodernism assumed [i.e. philosophy] that there is no objective truth, that moral values are relative, and that reality is socially constructed” by various “communities.” Veith then explains:

Whereas modernism sought to rid the world of religion, postmodernism spawns new ones. Unconstrained by objectivity, tradition, reason, or morality, these new faiths differ radically from Christianity. They draw on strains of the most ancient and primitive paganism. Even the deconstructionists speak in mystical terms…

The deconstructionists dissolve every positive statement, every rational argument, every truth claim—destroying form, they say, so as to open up what lies beyond the possibilities of representation… The inadequacies of language will be left behind,… Postmodernism, in its rejection of objective truth, have clear affinities with Hinduism and Buddhism, which teach that the external world is only an illusion spun by the human mind. [1]

Because of this, in his excellent sermon A Beginner’s Guide to Postmodernism Phil Johnson, executive director of the aforementioned John MacArthur’s fine Grace to You ministry—and who blogs at the popular Pyromaniacs blog—would say:

I am convinced that postmodernism is inherently incompatible with biblical Christianity; and in fact, the most essential elements of postmodernism are hostile to the fundamental truth claims of Scripture. And for that reason, I would argue that a postmodern mindset involves some positively sinful ways of thinking. [2]

However, there is that nagging feeling I just can’t seem to shake that possibly the Creator of the universe Who was walking upon the planet He had made might have had an inkling that the Hebrew Scriptures have a few quite unsettling things to say about trusting in ourselves and following our own hearts, which is inherent in the false philosophy of postmodernism.

I know it’s not fashionable to use “proof texts” today in our postmodern culture that sees itself as so advanced in our thinking; indeed just *ahem* think,  now we will readily agree that there is no such thing as an absolute truth. The reason EC philoso-theologians like John Franke tell us is because no one can ever really know anything for sure as truth is an “irreducible plurality.”[3]

Of course possibly the sophisticated postmoderns will admit that maybe this isn’t really thinking very clearly at all. You see, the statement truth is not absolute is a self-refuting statement; because to even know that no one could ever really know anything for sure, you would already have to know everything that was true in order to evaluate the truth of this particular statement.

But then again, since you could never know anything for sure, no one could even believe what has just been said; because if no one could ever know anything for sure, then we couldn’t know if that statement itself was true. Does your brain hurt; in a way that’s good, it means you’re still using it and not shutting it off as these unknowing know-it-alls with their Wonderland of Humpty Dumpty language.

You know, I realize I’m hopelessly old-fashioned but I think it would just be a whole lot easier for people to read the text of the Bible and then let it speak for itself. But let us just suppose for a minute that those of us who are orthodox Christians are a little brighter than a growing number of leaders within the Emergent Church movement apparently think we are, in love as they appear with wisdom of men.

What if we’ve read something in the Bible that they cannot refute no matter how many hours they sit over a glass of wine discussing ridiculous non-reasoning propositions such as I’ve just outlined above. What if Jesus knew a little bit more about human nature than we do; what if He knows today in the ecumenical-purpose driven-emerging-word faith-postevangelical church that we have completely turned His mission and message backward?

Absolute Truth And The Mind Of Christ

Our Lord never preached, “God loves you just as you are.” It’s also true that He taught God’s love was conditional—as in “repent, and surrender yourself to Me, because I Am your Creator and it was you who rebelled against Me.” You see, the whole illogical structure of those postmodern “Christ-followers” collapses when we look at the Bible like this: God is supernatural and by definition we just cannot assume that we will always have natural explanations for Who He is; what He does, what He has said in His only revelation to mankind, and just how this one revelation of the Bible was originally given.

Now once we understand that God is just a wee bit more powerful than we are we begin to see a little light, and then we can steer ourselves clear of philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Because what is being missed in all the navel-contemplating and “deep” maze-like philoso-theological musings, which so many caught in corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism seem to get prefer to get involved in—is this: 

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  

For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:6-16)

Unfortunately, one who refuses to listen to sound Biblical reason will still do their little spiritual “soft-shoe” while they chase their spiritual tails in front of their mirrors heavily obscured by satanic smoke. However, the words that we just read give us the refutation of the enemy’s pet line of illogic; the likes of which has been espoused by almost every Emergent Church person I have been involved with regarding absolute truth and whether or not we can know what Christ actually taught about how He wants us to approach the Christian faith.

The argument is summed up as this: “Yes, perhaps there is such a thing as absolute truth, but as humans the problem is that we are not able to fully perceive this truth as it continues unfolding.” The first couple of times you are hit with this it really can stop you in your tracks. That’s how Satan works; a little truth forcefully twisted until its mangled beyond recognition; but this unregenrate line of reasoning fails to take into account the supernatural aspect of the Christian faith.

For Christ is God Himself in human flesh, and He taught us that we must be born again; and that once this happens then God the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Truth—comes to live within the Christian. And then we  read that, uh-oh, God has revealed—to us this absolute Truth—to us through the Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. So what we are seeing here is that despite how “nice” someone may be, in spite of how moral their religion might be, or even how serene, silent, and sincere their quest for communing with God might be — no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Looks like we’re getting into a realm that is supernatural, and exclusive, here because God also tells us that those who are not born again, who are not indwelt by God the Holy Spirit — does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. However conversely, those of us who are in Christ can understand the things of God that are spiritually discerned because we have the mind of Christ.

And once we understand this, we can now understand that Christianity is the only way to know God, and emerging false teachers like Samir Selmanovic speculatulating unbelievers can know God apart from Christ[4] are mistaken; unless…of course, the Bible is wrong. Ah, but now we’re again right back to Genesis 3:1, are we not: Hath God said? Now do you recognize the work of Satan when it’s presented to you?

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End Notes:

[1] Gene Veith, Jr., Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture [Wheaton: Crossway, 1994] , 193, 198, 199.

[2] http://tinyurl.com/36o6ky8, accessed 6/30/11.

[3] John Franke, Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2009], 3.

[4] Samir Selmanovic, “The Sweet Problem of Inclusiveness – Finding Our God in the Other,” in An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones editors [Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007], 196.

See also:

THE EMERGING CHURCH SOWING ITS NEO-ORTHODOX CONFUSION ON SCRIPTURE

INDEED, DID GOD REALLY SAY?

DON’T BE FOOLED BY THOSE WHO ONLY SAY THEY LOVE SCRIPTURE