DOWN WITH SOLA SCRIPTURA

Dr. Peter Jones begins this dead on target assessment of apostatizing evangelicalism:

My colleague, Mike Horton, has just published a book, Christless Christianity. I write, so to speak, from the belly of this beast, attending the National Pastors’ Conference, sponsored by Zondervan and Intervarsity Press, which is taking place in San Diego, February 9-14, 2009. It is amazing to see how these once faithful publishers of evangelical orthodoxy are now consistently and deliberately launching a massive but subtle attack against the “Fundamentals” for which Evangelicalism stood courageously against liberalism in the past… (Online source)

The reason “once faithful publishers of evangelical orthodoxy” at this recently concluded event are launching this attack Jones speaks of is because they have long ago rejected Sola Scriptura in practice; and for years now, they have instead been content to follow various “traditions of men.” I discuss this further in the Apprising Ministries piece The Coming Division Within The Idol Of Evangelicalism so here I’ll just point out that this Emergence rebellion against the final authority of God’s Word is right now massing for an all-out offensive against the Bible.

So, it’s not really so much that these are closet liberals, but rather, we are seeing a growing cult of postliberalism, which has had a good 10+ years now in order to inflitrate the leadership structures of your mainstream evangelical community and plant its Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism. What was known as an Emerging Church had this spurious Spiritual Formation espoused by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, along with his spiritual twin Dallas Willard, as a core doctrine right from its inception in Hell.

But for those who have eyes that see recognize it for what is really is: A rebirth/reimagined form of the corrupt “Christian” spirituality of the self exhibited e.g. in the Counter Reformation spirituality of apostate Roman Catholicism. Now these 10+ years of relentless indoctrination by neo-orthodox professors (at best) in once solid evangelical institutions of higher education has set the stage for fools like Phyllis Tickle to come slithering out of their dens to announce: It’s Not If Sola Scriptura Ends But When.

Regardless of what one think of some of her stances Ingrid Schlueter speaks according to the Spirit when she talks about this postliberalism, which is “Jesus and Gospel-free.” At Slice of Laodicea she explains:

This is the supposed gospel of men like Rick Warren who are really just 2009 versions of the old social gospel heretics of a century ago. Rick’s P.E.A.C.E.  plan is a prime example of what Dr. Jones talks about in this article. The truth is, evangelicals are mostly historically and theologically ignorant.

If you asked the average Rick Warren fan who Harry Emerson Fosdick was they wouldn’t have a clue. Why are we not aware of the heresies and false teachings of even just a century ago? How do we expect to keep from making the same mistakes of the past if we don’t even know what those sinful mistakes were?

It was long ago time for those who truly love the Lord to run from these false churches like Saddleback. They do not represent the Gospel, but another msesage altogether. These are counterfeit churches that lead millions astray. (Online source)

The difference is a s clear as Evangelicalism Powered By Man And Not By The Holy Spirit. You see, the actual Jesus wasn’t exactly thrilled with the traditions of men while He was upon His earth and, and the following will likely come as a shock to the this postliberal spiritual 60’s bohemian love-fest passing for genuine Christianity; but, God actually hates it when man tries to do His work in the flesh. Hint: What did the Lord do at the Tower of Babel during a time of mankind’s attempt to “teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony”?

Yet coming straight out of Ugena Za Ulimwengu ya’ll, from that very same tired old fantasy contained in a song, by the Temptations enter Stage *ahem* Left…the Pied Piper of postliberalism, Rob Bell, the Elvis of Emergence. Dr. Jones now continues concerning “the brilliant public speakers” at this NPC:

who still have evangelical piety and passion, their openly-stated theology is turning large swathes of the evangelical church into various new forms of old-fashioned though very cool liberalism.

1. UNDERMINING OF SCRIPTURE: Brian McLaren is still widely featured here. He believes that the age of sola scriptura is over. Rob Bell, a plenary speakers, believes the Bible is a “human product…not the product of divine fiat”.

Little wonder Mr. Bell’s former colleague at Mars Hill of Grandville, MI, Ron Golden, now Senior Vice President of World Relief, a ministry of the National Association of Evangelicals, in a seminar I attended, openly boasted, “Karl Barth is my theological mentor.” Barth undermined the classical orthodox doctrine of Scripture. Is it surprising that in all the plenaries except one, there was no biblical exposition? (Online source)

All the more frightening e.g. when we consider Doctrines Of Spiritism And Rob Bell. Sorry Rob, guess this is another “chocolate covered turd” and more of  “the ‘million little paper cuts’ of criticism that pastors face all the time“; ever Google my name, Rob? O, and before all those under the Spell of Bell—which has now even penetrated deeply into most of the young within evangelicalism—get all bent out of shape and begin with their usual non-sequiturs, in the piece above Dr. Jones is referring to Don Golden:

Senior Vice President of Church Engagement at World Relief in Baltimore, Maryland… Don spent three years as lead pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church… [who] recently co-authored a book with Rob Bell, Jesus Wants to Save Christians (Zondervan October 2008) about the church’s calling to serve the most vulnerable. (Online source)

Ok, now work with here pomo people, the real question we should be asking ourselves concerning this repackaged version of the social gospel that is The Emergence Gospel Of Good Deeds would be: Is Rob Bell Evangelical? Oops, but then again, we will now have to enter the matrix of differing definitions as to who/what is evangelical now, won’t we. Hmm, seems I recall God telling us that He isn’t the author of confusion (see—1 Corinthians 14:33).

Can you tell me who is? Sure you can…if…you are actually in the Faith:

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you–unless indeed you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test. (2 Corinthians 13:5-6, NASB)

See also:

ROB BELL IN A NUTSHELL: THE BIBLE

ROB BELL AND KARL BARTH

ROB BELL RESOURCES FROM APPRISING MINISTRIES

WE FEEL HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT A SIN

THE EMERGING CHURCH, THE BIBLE & HOMOSEXUALITY: ENOUGH WITH THE BIBLE ALREADY; MAKE WAY FOR HOMOSEXUALITY IN EVANGELICALISM

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

APPRISING MINISTRIES AND CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY/MYSTICISM