As I told you recently in Mark Driscoll Controversy Cover-Up, since the first Elephant Room (ER) conference, I’ve been talking to you here at Apprising Ministries about a developing Evangelical Ecumenical Magisterium (EEM) growing up around Mark Driscoll and his ER co-host James MacDonald. ((I’ve pointed out, e.g. in Evangelical Ecumenical magisterium Member Steven Furtick with an Ode to Self, that ever since the ignominious Elephant Room (ER) of James MacDonald, and his partner in spiritual crime Mark Driscoll, we’ve seen the participants—and their various comrades—uniting. So, for a couple of years now I’ve been discussing with you what sure appears to me to be a new Evangelical Ecumenical Magisterium (EEM) that’s been growing up around that ER of MacDonald and Driscoll.))

I’d say this EEM of cult of celebrity megachurch prophet-pastors ((I’ve previously walked you through how the prophet-pastor operates, e.g. in Indoctrinateing Children into the Cult of Steven Furtick?)) appears quite important to them. It would seem that rather than abandon it, they even resigned from The Gospel Coalition when criticized for their desire to mainstream Word Faith prosperity preacher T.D. Jakes. ((See Mark Driscoll Resigns from the Gospel Coaliition and There’s More to the Resignation of James MacDonald from Gospel Coalition.))

In fact. so broad has this EEM become we even see Mark Driscoll Defends His Christian Brother Joel Osteen. With that foolishness in mind, let me also remind you that the new form of postmodern Calvinism Driscoll is helping to pioneer aka New Calvinism (NC) gives us real reason for concern as well. ((I discussed this postmodern form of Calvinism known as New Calvinism and how it tries to marry Reformation theology with Counter-Reformation spirituality in prior pieces like John Piper, Rick Warren & Foster-Willardism and Matt Chandler Shares A Prophecy with James Robison.))

For example, the ne0-Gnostic corruption called Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), a la Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster—along with charismania—are found amidst the spurious spirituality practiced in NC as I showed you in  Acts 29 Network And Reformed Counter Reformation Spirituality?

We shouldn’t be surprised because CSM was a core doctrine of the sinfully ecumenical neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church, which is where Mark Driscoll began his ministry career. And he hasn’t ever fully repudiated the EC as you’ll see in Mark Driscoll, Acts 29 Network & The Emerging Church.

Remember now, Driscoll was trained by the quasi-Christian business outfit Leadership Network. ((Driscoll headed one of the “postmodern ministries [which were] loosely organized by the Leadership Network, a Dallas-based umbrella group for many of the nation’s megachurches… ‘We target young, innovative ministries because they are the future of the church,’ says Doug Pagitt, 31, of the Leadership Network”: http://bit.ly/1m6TGBw, accessed 5/21/14.)) So, just like the business mentors from whom he learned his church growth techniques, Mark Driscoll can be quite adept at double-speak and damage control. Against this backdrop I point you to a rather troubling sermon by Driscoll.

His message this past week was entitled Empowered by the Spirit to Fail; and apparently, it’s since been altered. Yesterday over at The Blaze Billy Hollowell is asking the question Has Popular Megachurch ‘Deleted’ Six Minutes of Its Pastor’s Controversial Sermon on Jesus? It would seem so:

Psychology professor and blogger Warren Throckmorton is accusing Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, of deleting “questionable sermon material” from a recent message delivered by Pastor Mark Driscoll.

The May 4 sermon, titled, “Empowered By the Spirit to Fail,” runs nearly 57 minutes in length, but Throckmorton claims that the church intentionally axed an additional 6 minutes of content about sin, mistakes and actions Jesus Christ took in his own life, presenting a lightly scrubbed video and transcript. (source)

As we now turn to Throckmorton’s May 19th article referenced by Hollowell, we find that:

On May 4, Mark Driscoll preached on Acts 6:1-7. In keeping with usual procedure, the video of the sermon was not posted on the church website until yesterday.

Those who watch the sermon on the website are missing some material from the live delivery two weeks ago. A segment of nearly six minutes was deleted from the sermon after discussion internally and some questions were raised externally. I have obtained a copy of the original sermon and have the missing material here [below].

In question is Driscoll’s teaching on the difference between sin and mistakes. In general, the Acts 6:1-7 sermon sounds like a self-defense. However, his teaching on Jesus making mistakes was of enough concern that MHC leaders deleted it. (source)

[mejsvideo src=”https://www.apprising.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/DriscollJesusMis.mp4″ width=640 height=360]

For those who want to avail themselves of it, Throckmorton also provides a full transcript of the missing section of the 5/18/14 teaching of Mark Driscoll concerning the “mistakes” Jesus would have made. Unfortunately, the illustration Driscoll uses is really a logical fallacy known as the False Analogy. ((http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/falsean.htm, accessed 5/12/14.))

Essentially, comparing apples to oranges. He attempts to equate growing up (apples) to moral failures (oranges). I’ll close this with the following segment by Christian apologist Chris Rosebrough who now asks the critical questions while wondering if Mark Driscoll was trying to use Jesus to justify “mistakes” he’s been caught in:

[mejsaudio src=”https://www.apprising.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/DriscollJesusMistakes.mp3″]

Further reading

• MARK DRISCOLL AND PORNOGRAPHIC DIVINATION
• MARK DRISCOLL, ACTS 29 NETWORK, AND RICK WARREN
• MARK DRISCOLL AND CONTEMPLATIVE IDOLATRY