So long,

scriptura

a clarion call to defending the faith once delivered to the saints

 

 

-3-

                      

Just grab your Bible for a moment & hold it in your hand. I don’t know how many copies you may own, but apparently, at the time of this writing, there have been approximately four billion Bibles sold to date. The copy that you hold in your hand right now is most likely one of them. We owe a great debt of gratitude to a great many individuals for the privilege of being free to hold, read & believe the copy of The Bible that usually sits unread for most, if not all of the week, in its convenient place, so that we don’t forget to pick it up on our way out to Church on Sundays. ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.’ (1^st Samuel 3:1). All of us are at liberty to find & choose a particular Bible version that suits us, after all, no translation into any human language will accurately convey the mind of Almighty God. However, through the ministry of The Holy Spirit, Who is the author of the blessed book that we hold dear, we can begin to understand God’s Word (2^nd Timothy 3:14-17) & although we may sometimes disagree about the validity of some versions & the superiority of others, our passion has to be more than something egotistical or intellectual. As my Pastor often said to me about my Bible, ‘..don’t have it & not read it; don’t read it & not believe it; don’t believe it & not obey it..’. My Pastor always placed a strong emphasis the fact that our faith in God must come out of our relationship with a living Saviour, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16, Revelation 1:18). As well as this, he taught us that our faith must be rooted & grounded in the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ is God’s Word & as such The Word lives & breathes. This understanding of faith was far removed from the classic, more forensic word-of-faith-mythology that I eventually & unfortunately embraced early on in my believer’s walk. How often I have failed to take his sterling advice. 

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:12-13). 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:1-3). 

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3). 

Are you still holding your Bible in your hand? You & I possess a volume of writings unlike any other body of work ever written. What these sacred books of the canon of Scripture say to us & who they reveal to us are of a paramount importance if our faith in God & His Word are to be genuine. A contrived belief that springs out of simply learning Scripture by rote is quite honestly the stuff of cults. The Word of The Lord must once again be precious, especially in these last days. Every single faction, denomination, movement or ism within The Church, has a different view of The Word of God & consequently of Christ. On a sliding scale there are those who believe in the complete verbal inspiration of Scripture, right through to those who believe it to be nothing more or less than a collection of writings, only sacred in their ideal, but not in their essence & certainly no more or less inspired than the texts of other religions. Where do we rank in our confidence in Scripture? 

Well, just as the very best tool for interpreting Scripture is Scripture itself, I think it wise to see what Scripture says about itself in order to help us determine whether it’s God’s Word or not. This determination is vital, because The Word of God’s is consistently being held in decreasing esteem. What happens when The Word of God & its place among us is diminished & what replaces that which ought to be irreplaceable? This isn’t happening in the world. This is happening in The Church! 

On a small scale & in limited measure I have seen this happen; even in my own life. The subtle groundwork for such a travesty is laid in advance of any onslaught on God’s Word. Seldom do we see its approach, sense its danger or discern its deadly ruination. Nevertheless, it comes. In this regard, before any of us take to the Scriptures with a view to reading & believing them, we have to first establish why it is that we would even do such a thing. In other words, is The Bible required reading for us who believe? Are you still holding your Bible in your hand my friend? Please ask yourself why it is that you have it, why it is that you read it, why it is that you believe it & ultimately why it is that it possesses the authority to command & demand your obedience & mine. I can only answer this question for myself, but there’s a good chance that the reasons I cite may be similar to yours. This is the juncture at which Scripture’s declarations concerning itself become the proof of the pudding. 

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4). 

I had learned very early on in my believer’s walk that The Bible is essential for growth (1^st Peter 2:2). Yet there were those who preferred a more liberal view of The Bible’s role in Christian life & Church Doctrine. For those attendees who didn’t read Scripture, although there were several saints who did, these questions were absolutely irrelevant. They saw no real need whatsoever for a literal belief in The Bible, but rather for an in principle acceptance of it; they said that Scripture contained God’s Word but was not His Word in its totality. I pondered this point of view, which made logical sense to me. However, others with whom I fellowshipped in Pentecostal circles took the view that it wasn’t enough for the issue to make logical sense; it had to make theological sense. My message is a simple one those who hold this view; So Long, Scriptura. Of course, this was my attempt at a play on the words Sola Scriptura; Scripture alone. 

The basic thrust of my message to you is this; the church we have today, is a direct result of our building upon whatever foundation we as followers of Christ have believed to be sound. In support of this I cite the words of Christ Himself in Matthew 16:15-18; ‘And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ Given the choice, I would take the words of The Lord Jesus Christ over the words of anyone else, on any day of the week. 

I cannot stress how important it is that we as believers in Christ receive a revelation of exactly who Jesus is. However, I’m not promoting an experience as any kind of subjective proof. I’m seeking to provoke believers to delve further into their Bibles because it is right there that the written Word reveals the Living Word. Here, Peter declares a truth revealed to him by The Father concerning Christ & it is upon this rock that Jesus is building His Church. However, Peter was not the only disciple of The Lord who knew this. In chapter one of the Gospel that bears his name, we see that John has a revelation of Christ as The Word. We also see John’s revelation of Christ’s deity quite clearly throughout his account of The Lord’s ministry. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, knew Who Jesus was. 

And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God (John 1:33-34). 

Here we see John the Baptist, a relative of Christ, testifying that he didn’t know who Jesus was until God revealed it to him. In verse 6 of this first chapter of John’s Gospel, John the Baptist is described as ‘a man sent from God’ & here in verse 33 John tells us that he that sent him to baptize with water told him how to recognise The Messiah. John saw & bore record that Jesus was the Son of God. John the Baptist knew who Jesus was. As we go further, we see Jesus beginning to call His disciples & the narrative here is amazing. It is to me anyway. 

Again the next day after, John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.  The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. (John 1:35-51). 

This narrative, although different to the accounts given by the other Gospel writers, nevertheless reveals something quite remarkable & notable. John’s Gospel is not synoptic. From the very beginning of His life & ministry, Jesus’ identity was revealed by God to certain individuals. Mary & Joseph knew. The Temple Shepherds & Wise Men knew. Anna & Simeon knew. The enemy & his demonic spirits knew. The Bible that you’re holding in your hand is a veritable treasure trove of truth concerning Christ & who He is. The knowledge of who He is, is the rock upon which Christ builds His Church & the transformative power of that truth, with He Himself being the cornerstone, gives us an assurance of trust because He is The Word of God. 

John, Andrew & the unnamed disciple, Peter, Philip & Nathanael all had this knowledge of Christ. They were among the first, but were certainly not the last. Faith in the Living Word must be reflected in our faith in the written Word. 

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:20-22). 

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed (1^st Peter 2:4-8). 

If we consider Matthew’s account of the revelation of Christ once again, we will see that Peter re-affirms what he & certain of the other the disciples certainly believed. We also see that Jesus re-affirms what He had said to Peter when his brother Andrew had taken him to meet The Lord. The Church that Jesus Christ is building must have the Living Word as it’s foundation & it must have what Paul describes as the word of his grace, which is able to build us up (Acts 20:32). 

The Church is built on The Word as well as by The Word. Those twelve men, eleven of whom finished their course, were students of the greatest Rabbi who ever lived; Rabbi Yeshua ben Yosef. After His death, burial & resurrection, they taught believers what He had taught them. This was the Apostles’ Doctrine & the basis of our New Testament in His blood (Matthew 26:28). However, none of the teachings of Christ were manifest out of thin air. They had their basis in Scripture. 

Sadly there are those who never delve into the Old Testament because they haven’t realised that both covenants are inextricably linked by a glorious unfolding of fulfilment. The Old Covenant makes up two-thirds of The Bible that you’re holding in your hand my friend & before you discard it as irrelevant to you, I would encourage you to study it. It’s the meat. Many of the New Testament truths that we hold dear as fundamental doctrine, have their root in the Old Testament & we would do well to heed it. 

The validity & relevance of the New Testament is clearly taken for granted by The Church. Yet, Jesus Himself & the New Testament writers continually reference the Old. We have been told that the New Testament writings, especially those of Paul, are for The Church & that we should concentrate our efforts in studying it, but this approach partially robs us theologically. However, if you don’t believe me that’s fine. Believe Jesus. Do you still have your Bible in your hand? 

As you thumb through the Gospels, you’ll see that Jesus references the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy. What decent Rabbi worth his salt wouldn’t? He also quotes from the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zachariah, Daniel, Micah, Hosea, Malachi & The Psalms. His validation of the Old Testament spanned its entirety. 

The Law (Torah); Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy. The Prophets (Neviim); Joshua, Judges, 1^st & 2^nd  Samuel (one volume); 1^st & 2^nd Kings (one volume); Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the twelve Minor Prophets (one volume); The Writings (Kethubim); Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ruth, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah (one volume); 1^st & 2^nd Chronicles (one volume). In Rabbinic tradition, quoting one book from any of these biblical collections validated the entire collection. Christ’s handling of the TaNaKh is a Divine masterclass. 

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:44-48). 

If Jesus opened their understanding in order that they might understand the Scriptures, will He not do the same thing for us, who also believe? Both the Old & New Testaments that you hold in your hand right now contain the revelation of Jesus Christ, including the very last book of The Bible that bears that very name. Sadly, however, there are those within The Church who are foolish & slow of heart to believe (Luke 24:25-27). I must admit to being one of the above, but thankfully The Lord hasn’t finished with me. 

Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:39-47). 

It is here, at this point that The Church has seen an increasing number of its leadership & membership rapidly leave the rails of orthodoxy. The relevance of Scripture as a basis for belief & practise is completely undermined when The Bible is no longer considered absolute truth. If it isn't believed & obeyed, it has no authority & if it has no authority it isn't relevant. We have seen a systematic waving goodbye to God’s Word as parts of The Church have said So Long, Scripture to biblical truth. 

During the 1970s & into the 1990s, The Charismatic Movement was in its ascendancy. Traditional Pentecostalism followed in its slipstream & there were adherents within other branches of established fundamentalism & nominal denominations also. Their theology differed, but those who believed still believed that The Scriptures were a vital & integral part of Christian life, doctrine & practise. It was here, within Bible believing fundamentalism, that post-modernism began to take root & grow. It incubated seeker sensitivity & eventually it gave birth to emergence, but seeker sensitivity was more of a method than a movement in & of itself. Nevertheless, in an effort to reach out to a generation that was perceived as lost in translation, a new way of doing church was sought out & formulated. 

Pentecostalism had its own particular dogma, as did Charismania. However, the leading lights within both movements began to lose a generation who either became bored with the same old same old, grew beyond their respective movements theologically, or who simply left altogether. I was in the midst of one such generation. There were questions that The Church either would not or could not answer & as a result of this many began to adopt a more liberal view of their faith & of The Bible. 

I strongly contend that if Scripture is being taught effectively & is endorsed & validated far above & beyond spiritual experience as a barometer, folk will only leave our churches because they’re answering the call of God to do something else, somewhere else. In this, we have failed for the most part & in that, I’m afraid rather miserably. Remember, we’re to be built upon The Word of God & by The Word of God. 

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies,and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious (1^st Peter 2:1-3). 

Much of the Bible teaching within The Church has been milk masquerading as meat. Beyond that, there are those who have formulated their own particular brand of theology if it can be called that & are feeding their congregations nothing more or less than mutton dressed up as lamb. When we depart from Scripture, we drift into unlit territory. We’re in the dark (Psalms 119:105). Again, we are to begin with the foundation of God’s Word, continue with it, grow & mature by its agency & come to know its sufficiency. Are you still holding your Bible in your hand? The Apostle Peter, a fisherman when Christ had called him, recalls those moments on the mount of transfiguration. He remembers the voice of God speaking out of the heavens. He was right there. However, it wasn’t the value of the experience that he promotes. He points us directly to Scripture. 

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2^nd Peter 1:19-21). 

But Peter doesn’t only point us to the inspired Scripture of the Old Testament, he incorporates Apostolic Doctrine too as having the same Divine weight, as did the Apostle Paul also. 

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: (2^nd Peter 3:1-2). 

If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant (1^st Corinthians 14:37-38). 

Peter continues, speaking of the Apostle Paul’s epistles, saying, ‘As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are

unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen’ (2^nd Peter 3:16-18). 

The unlearned & unstable are more likely to relinquish their hold on Scripture than those who are maturing. There are popular moves afoot today, intent on replacing God’s Word completely. There are widespread trends that encourage a more liberal theology. There are messages with more akin to Secular Humanism than the Gospel. The importance of Scripture is being systematically eroded & those who once championed The Bible are now slowly waving goodbye to it in order to embrace compromise. So Long, Scriptura. 

Are you still holding your Bible in your hand my friend? Take to it once again & as never before. 

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little (Isaiah 28:9-10).

copyright © by David Samuel Parkins mmxvi all rights reserved.

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De-con-

Struction

a clarion call to defending the faith once delivered to the saints

-2-

 

Over the last 30 or so years, I’ve made an observation that I haven’t been able to put into words, until recently. It is this; the Church has made much of calling The Lord Jesus Christ, The Great Physician, but has instead made even more of treating Him as if He were The Great Plastic Surgeon. I’m reminded of words from the book of Job; ‘Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it should be your wisdom.’. (Job 13:1-5). As the dust of the chaotic 60s, 70s, 80s & 90s began to settle, Charismatics sat themselves in an easy chair & readied themselves for something of a makeover, with modernising nips & tucks here, there & everywhere. The Church had a pedicure & slipped into its silky socks & snug, handcrafted shoes that were so well made they skilfully avoided treading on any toes whatsoever. Then, The Church had a manicure, after which it was so much easier to wear its custom made kid gloves. Afterall, the Gospel shouldn’t hurt people’s feelings or threaten their misguided sensibilities, right? Finally, The Church treated itself to liposuction in order to remove all of its unsightly doctrinal weight & proceeded to dress itself extremely well, in tailor made designer robes of its own righteousness. All of this was done in an effort to attract numbers, notoriety, fame, infamy, money & for some, a spot on the list of best-selling books produced by a certain newspaper, in New York. Whatever innovations were utilised for this particular drive had worked; The Church was turning heads & loving it. There was a spring in The Church’s step & this new image & confidence brought a desire to be perceived differently. It was out with the old & in with the new. If The Church looked fashionable; sounded contemporary; became modern & acted with audacity; it might become more desirable. But to whom? 

Traditional Pentecostals were still busy trying to make it over that one last mountain they had to climb. Reformers were happily singing ‘que sera sera, whatever’s predestined to be, will be’.  Charismatics were propagating something akin to a marriage between organised crime & an aptly dressed, but badly rehearsed, circus act. Others were working elsewhere however, feverishly creating their own version of The Church. Eventually, this new & unexciting development in proceedings would grow & come to overshadow its effervescent counterpart. However, this was nothing new & it had been a long time coming. 

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die…Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons (Genesis 2:16-17 & 3:1-7). 

The current state of affairs within The Church is much like the remake of an old & tired, but much loved classic black & white film. The title & basic plot remain the same, but technological advances in production techniques, a stellar cast & an generous budget, make it possible for a new & improved version of a definitive work to be brought to life for new audiences. In this, we see much of what has happened to The Church at large.  

Right before our eyes & under our very noses, the faith once delivered to the saints is being reorganised, repackaged & redistributed as a consumer item that is acceptable & palatable for all & sundry. There are younger & bolder leading lights coming to the fore in fields of Christian endeavour. The latest & greatest of these new kids on the block are photogenic, articulate, consummate professionals who are hand-picked, sent straight to wardrobe & groomed for the task ahead. They dutifully learn their lines from a new script, adlibbing where necessary & shooting series after series of their carefully crafted programming, filled with special effects, captured in glorious technicolour & recorded in perfect digital sound. It’s quite a thing. 

Gone are the dusty, grainy pictures & crackle of yesteryear. The Church ventured out onto very thin ice, but unfortunately, The Church is not very good at skating. 

The Charismatic Movement has succeeded in producing sophisticated believers, who know exactly how to do it. They have cannibalised our faith’s history for the best bits, the pieces they like & the parts that are convenient for them. However, even though they’re tempted to think that they’re super saints, constructed of the strongest possible spiritual materials known to God & man, the truth is that they are but dust. Each popular & historic move of God that they claim to have seen & that they have carefully documented for themselves, have become organ donors for other so called moves. In an uncharacteristic effort to be fair, I have to admit that it isn’t only Charismatics who are guilty of the particular aforementioned. They are however, majority offenders of what follows. 

Instead of allowing The Lord to be The Great Physician, performing necessary surgery on us in order to conform us to His image, we have turned Him into The Great Plastic Surgeon Whose sole purpose is to make us look good. We want the whitened teeth, but don’t want Him to control our tongues. We want Him to give us bulging muscles & flattened stomachs, but we’ll never embrace the discipline of discipleship. We want to do things in our own strength. Make us look the part Lord, but please don’t expect us to play the part. This is a rebellion of the highest order. 

Without realising it, successive generations of Charismatic leadership have slowly but surely turned the body of Christ into a caricature; a Frankenstein’s Monster. Bolts & all. Formed of incompatible attachments. Initially, the body rejected the introduction of these new parts & rightly so; they were utterly false. Nevertheless, these mad men persisted in putting together a creation that they wanted. There was a bit of Mind Science here & New Age there. Some Centring, Contemplative Prayer, a dash of Buddhism, a sprinkling of New Thought & copious amounts of subjective Atheism dressed up as objective Agnosticism. The thing could hardly walk due to its lack of balance & direction. However, generous doses of the new anointing animated it enough to make it appear to be alive. 

We will see that the foundational truths of the faith once delivered to the saints have been systematically chipped away. They’ve been de-con-structed in order that they might be re-constituted later & replaced with cheaper materials, otherwise known as error & false doctrine. Our foreparents in the garden suffered the same sales pitch …& it did not end well. When we view this conversation in the Genesis narrative it becomes abundantly clear that part of The Church has swallowed the same deceptive rhetoric as the first woman Eve & entered into wholesale apostasy, just like the first man Adam. 

This set of circumstances reveals much to us about the way in which deceivers deceive & believers believe. Man wasn’t given a general principle, he received a specific command from The Lord & His commandments are not grievous (1^st John 5:3). Adam was commanded not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good & evil. There were consequences. He obviously informed Eve of this commandment because when she was approached & questioned by the serpent, she answered based on what she had been told. She wasn’t present when Adam received the commandment. However, as we will see, the archetypal progenitor of false doctrine always uses the same mode of subtilty to whisper his chief lies. 

The very first thing that we see, is an irrelevant over-statement disguised as a simple & innocent question. This is the opening gambit of all deception. ‘..Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’. (Genesis 3:1). The serpent asks a question that doesn’t need to be asked, in order to solicit an answer that casually draws away from a genuine doctrinal position or issue at hand. In this way, any objections can be handled as mere misunderstandings, but if an individual is caught off guard, if they are unprepared or if they are gullible, the results can quite literally be deadly. 

The short answer to the question presented to the woman by the serpent was ‘..no, that’s not what The Lord said, so get on your bike.’, but instead of responding emphatically, Eve says ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’. (Genesis 3:2-3). Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. The response of the unlearned to something God hasn’t said, is very often something else He hasn’t said. He didn’t say the fruit couldn’t be touched. Of course, the logic in Eve’s answer presents itself in the fact that in order to eat the fruit it would have to be touched. But touching the fruit wasn’t in the equation. This is the original & proverbial fence law. You’re better safe, than sorry. The serpent’s question stank, as all red herrings do. 

As well as this, Eve failed to be specific in her answer. She refers to ‘..the tree which is in the midst of the garden..’ (Genesis 3:3), but there were two trees there. The tree of life & the tree of the knowledge of good & evil. To which of these trees was she referring? A lack of familiarity with God’s Word will always leave victims of deception vulnerable & unprotected, led out of their depth into uncharted waters, where they may easily drown. The serpent knew this, as all deceivers do. The serpent continues, but changes the tactics, moving quickly from asking a subtle question, to making a statement & offering his relative interpretation. ‘..Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’ (Genesis 3:4-5). 

Of course, as with all sin, the temptation is packaged in such a way that it has to be practiced. It directly confronts whatever we receive as the truth & openly invites us to question God. An objective truth is always challenged by a subjective experience. ‘And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked;’ (Genesis 3:6-7). 

At this point it’s obvious that the serpent only appears to know something our foreparents didn’t. But he then fills that gap with untruths. ‘And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil’ (Genesis 2:8-9). There were already trees that bore the same qualities as the tree of the knowledge of good & evil, except, the ability to deliver a sure death. It was this quality that the serpent dressed up in his chief lie; ye shall be as gods. 

With these things in mind, as we look at The Church at large today, we can see the same pattern of a believer’s ignorant entertainment of falsehoods & a minister’s willing participation in prescribed deception for personal gain, recognition & or advancement. This decline isn’t a full frontal attack bearing false teaching & outright lies. It begins subtly, reasonably & rationally. It begins in a most civilised manner, with a conversation. Although this is nothing new, the enemy no longer comes to us as a serpent. 

It’s important to point out that the movement now independently identified as The Emergent Church had its main root within The Charismatic Movement. Although the two entities bear little or no real resemblance to each other now, they share a common model. We will discuss that model & the separate emergent movement within The Church at a later date. 

While some Pentecostals & Charismatics were busy either rolling in the aisles of their churches or pampering themselves with their newly acquired prosperity, they created a vacuum into which The New Age & Metaphysics were sucked. These forces became standardised sources for the movement’s teaching & eventually, easily interchangeable philosophical & psychological principles soon replaced sound doctrine. This first step was relatively easy to execute because of the over popularised trend for clichés & pseudo aphorisms within some Pentecostal & Charismatic rhetoric. Confession brings possession. If you have a need, then sow a seed. Name it & claim it. Fake it until you make it. Repeat these phrases & of men you will have praises. Ok, I made that last one up. But I trust you get the picture. 

The sliced bread of orthodox Church history was perceived as having become stale & the best thing since sliced bread, was becoming stale too. At this point, post-modernity stirred, yawned, stretched & reared its ugly head, posing questions that seemed important, but were not. Despite the apparent invalid nature of the questions being raised to The Church, its responses to them were equally & woefully inadequate. No one had any idea what they were talking about. The Church was in the midst of a doctrinal free for all. This was & is a breeding ground for doubt, deception & eventually an inevitable apostasy. What did The Church do in the face of it all? What did the elders do? What did the leadership do? What did seasoned believers do? I’ll tell you exactly what they did. They did exactly the same thing that Adam did in Eden when Eve was tempted; They did absolutely nothing whatsoever! Why should they risk their salaries, pensions & property? This particular brand of cowardice is all too common. 

Deep errors within The Charismatic Movement & Pentecostalism respectively, spawned a generation of youth that were very thin on doctrine but rich in experience. It was to this younger generation that post-modernism appealed & just like Eve, they entertained questions that their predecessors either could not or would not answer. Previously, there had been a valid questioning of denominational practises & the traditions of men. However, the foundational, orthodox doctrines of the faith had remained out of bounds & sacred. When the waters were appeased over issues concerning modes of dress, jewellery, make-up, head covering & styles of worship, everyone assumed that the worse was over, but it was this assumption that was to become The Church’s undoing. 

Somewhere in the historic fracas, one generation thought that it was diligently teaching God’s Word & the other generation were not listening or paying any dedicated attention to anything that it was being taught. Therefore, when the serpent came to offer a dialogue, he was listened to. The questions he asked were not about whether women could wear trousers, whether drums were acceptable in worship, or whether they were post, mid, or pre-trib. The enemy went for the jugular. He questioned their beliefs in the fundamentals of the faith & they listened to him. 

Like Eve, the new, younger generation were not as well versed in doctrinal orthodoxy as the one before them. They may very well have gotten the gist of what they were taught about Salvation, The Trinity or the inerrancy of Scripture et cetera, but there was little or no conviction in their breast about it. Like Adam, the previous generation was right there & said nothing of any consequence to put a stop to the seduction of The Church that was taking place right under their noses. This never happens overnight, neither does it happen by accident. But again, this had been a long time coming. 

The Apostle Paul said, ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.’ (Romans 15:4). Again, writing to The Church in Corinth he states, ‘Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted…. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’ (1^st Corinthians 10:6 & 11-12). 

It would seem that The Church has forgotten its Apostolic exhortation. A return to fundamental Doctrine is a must. We have to go back, but we have to go further back, much further back than our forebears & their traditions, which are nothing more than the inventions of men. We have to go much further back than their Church splits & disputes. We have to go much further back than the past moves of The Holy Spirit we’re so proud of. We need to return to Apostolic Doctrine; the Doctrine of Christ. 

The more popular teachers within the Charismatic Movement claimed that they were restoring revelation knowledge that The Church had lost sight of during its painful meandering into the dark ages, but had this been a genuine restoration of truths, the emphases would most definitely have been that of precious Doctrine instead of cheap principle. Charismania systematically set about redefining The Church’s fundamental beliefs concerning God’s Word, The Deity of Christ, The Holy Spirit, Eschatology, Eternal Punishment & Redemption to name but a few. This onslaught went on relatively unchecked because when the question was asked ‘Yea, hath God said?’, like Eve, we answered their arrogance with our ignorance & eventually we were sold the very same lie that was offered to our foreparents in Eden; we can become as gods. If we are not careful, we may find ourselves naked.

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