"Mainstream"
Winter
1994 Edition - Part One
CONTENTS
NOT PEACE,
BUT A SWORD!
"DO
not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring
peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a
daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father
or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter
more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and
follow after Me is not worthy of Me." (Matt 10:34-38)
Division
is a word we are going to be hearing more and more. Some would have us
believe that all division in the Church is a work of the devil. Is this
true? Others expect division, but for the wrong reasons. Confusion reigns!
The Toronto "renewal" has already caused much division. People are lining
up for and against in an unprecedented way. No other dispute in recent
Church history has had this effect - so what is happening?
LINE
IN THE SAND
God
is undertaking a work of separation! The lines are now being drawn, and
every Christian - charismatic or not; pre-millennial or not; awake or asleep;
mature or newly-born - every Christian is being challenged by the Holy Spirit
to step to one or other side of the line.
On
both sides of the line, there is equal conviction. Each group claims to
have God's blessing and to be in His will. Each group points to the other
side as deceivers and persecutors of the true Church. Examining the claims
and counter-claims will only lead to confusion; but as we shall see, there
are reliable guidelines for making a decision.
However,
understanding the present situation is not easy. Especially so when thinking
and analysing are firmly discouraged. Rodney Howard Browne prays for his
followers "Step over, step over, into the realm of the supernatural; step
out of the realm of reason" as if the two are mutually exclusive.
At
the Toronto Airport, this sort of prophecy is heard: "I shall SHOUT
from Zion, saith God. I shall roar with victory! You will plunder the
camp of the enemy! I am coming! I am a man of war! ...Do not allow your
ears, do not allow your hearts to be turned to those that would say unto
you "Be reasonable! Be rational! This is not logical." I say unto you,
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him. Allow Me, allow Me to speak, allow Me, allow Me
to move through you!"
Logic
is presented as being in conflict with the will of God, and the written
Word is seen as a hindrance rather than a help. What is left? The feel-good
factor! But trusting in feelings and experiences, instead of the commands
of God, is an error as old as the Garden of Eden.
PROOF
TEXTS GALORE
Some
leaders insist that they ARE being Bereans and searching the scriptures.
What they come up with, however, is not a coherent biblical strategy nor
a fully-rounded theology, but isolated texts that refer to animal noises
and other physical manifestations. As if that is all there is to the Toronto
phenomenon!
Toronto
apologists have one string to their bow: "prove the manifestations are
genuine and all is well." That is a very shallow and short-sighted view.
Like a magician using sleight-of-hand, satan is focusing our attention
on the noise and the razzmatazz, while behind his back he tinkers with
the beliefs of the Church. If we are not careful, the experience itself
will get all our attention while we lose sight of its ultimate intention.
Don't forget that history has an agenda. God has his plan; Satan also
has a plot and is busily working towards a definite end.
THE
PLAN
Here
is the plan in a nutshell:
PURPOSE
= Dominion
PROBLEM
= Dissent
SOLUTION
= Purge
The
goal of the new churches for years now has been, briefly, to convert the
greater portion of the world's population and thus establish the kingdom
on earth before the return of Christ. Nothing has been changed by this
spiritual outpouring. On the contrary, the empowerment now coming on churches
is seen as central to the accomplishment of this goal!
Here
are two statements made at a meeting at the Airport Vineyard on 14th October
1994:
"And
I'll say this, and I'll say it publicly, 'cause Mike Bickle said it
for years publicly. The Lord has showed him that the Lord is going to
bring in one billion souls in the sweep of time. A billion souls will
come into the kingdom." (Wes Campbell)
"Oh
Lord we thank You for this wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
We thank You for it, that You are pouring out Your Spirit so that we
might have power to be a witness, to reach the 5, 6 billion people in
the world. Half of them have never heard Your name. Lord God, this is
not about manifestations, this is about the power of the Holy Ghost
to win the whole world, to see the whole earth filled with the glory
of God. To see the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our
God, and that the whole earth might be filled with Your mighty glory".
(Bob Weiner)
Already
the talk is of the "next move". Supposedly, there is to be a time of repentance,
holiness and greater unity in all the churches, leading to the long-awaited
global revival. Sounds good? So did the idea of eating the fruit of the
Tree of Knowledge in God's Garden of Eden!
Now
the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD
God had made. And he said unto the Woman, the Church of Christ, "Yea,
hath God said, Ye shall not be victorious over all the works of the
devil?"
"And
the Woman said unto the serpent, 'We are more than conquerors in Him,
but in the endtimes there shall come tribulation, and all the world
shall follow the Beast'."
And the serpent said unto the woman, "Nay, for Jesus said the
Church would prevail against the gates of hell and transform your feet
into feet that can go forward with the gospel against the gates of hell
[Marc Dupont, prophecy May 1992] and ye shall not surely suffer nor
be defeated."
"For
God doth know that in the day ye come into the fullness of his power
and begin to use the authority he hath given you in the earth, then
your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and
evil, without having to refer to the Bible. And Behold, you
shall be ONE harmonious Body, having one aim, one heart and one mind,
and now nothing will be restrained from you, which you have visualised
you can do." (Gen 11:6)
And
when the woman saw that this would be a very good thing, and that she
needed deeper revelation to understand it, and that she needed power
to do it, she took in her hand the golden cup brimming over with
the new wine of Toronto, and did "take a deep drink" (RHB),
and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did drink; and then
he took authority over the members of his church and commanded them
likewise to drink." (Gen 3:1-6)
REBELLIOUS
CHRISTIANS
The
problem for those who believe that only an undivided, harmonious and perfectly
synchronised World Church can accomplish the task of world evangelism is
simply this: not every Christian is willing to go along with the Plan!
The
thorn in their side is a pesky little band of rebellious Christians. They
will insist on examining new revelations and prophecies by the Word of
God. They keep saying that the salvation of the nations will not occur
until the Lord Jesus returns. They go on believing in the Rapture and
the Millennium, and see something called the Great Tribulation in scripture
instead of harmony, victory and reconstruction. Despite every onslaught
against these teachings, and the insistence of Leaders that Christians
adopt a "new paradigm"; certain individuals persist in the above "heresies".
So
a new move in the churches is planned. Adding to the guilt already sown
in some hearts, there is to be a campaign of soul-baring and confession
in order to weed out the undecided. This is no time to prevaricate! The
weak will go to the wall! Any who remain in affected churches are about
to be rounded on and told to confess their doubts, or come under the judgement
of God.
Notice
the subtle about-turn of doctrine as exemplified in this "prophecy":
"And
in the days of power, and in the days of sight, when many miraculous
things are being done around you, and many signs and wonders are happening,
and many outpourings and much joy, and many good things are given, the
Lord would say Choose, choose, choose. Will you be like Job, who said
"Shall I accept good from the hand of the Lord and not evil?"
Will
you take both the good and the bad? "For I am telling you, grab all
you can while you can get it, take what you can while you can have it,
for the days are coming, says the Lord, when a great division will begin
in the church, and a man's enemies will be those of his own household,
and your parents will criticise you, and speak evil of you, and say
they have lost you to a cult. And your sons and your daughters will
say, My parents have gone crazy. And there will be mourning in the house
of God?"
"And
I tell you there are those even among you now who are here simply to
spread discord among the brethren. And there are even things that the
Lord hates, that are an abomination to Him, and one of them is a man
who deliberately comes seeking to spread division in his church, seeking
to destroy and to divide, who, in the name of truth abandons love and
stirs up hate, who does not understand that love covers a multitude
of sins.
"And
the Lord says the word of correction is to be brought in love. And the
Lord does correct, and the Lord does like correction, and He calls for
it to happen, but the Lord hates, HATES division. And for the one who
comes to bring division, to divide the Church of Christ, to cut off
His arms from His legs, and the toes from His feet, the Lord says it
would be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than it will be for that one
on that day.
"But
I tell you, nonetheless, that division will come, and it is even now
brewing like a leaven in the church. For the Lord calls you right now,
this day, seeing what you are seeing, hearing of the miracles you are
hearing of, seeing the fruit of God that you are seeing, to call it
God, endure to the end and be saved, or to follow after human wisdom
and reasoning that kills the word of faith and brings division and justifies
in self-righteousness the dividing of the church.
"The
Lord wants you to purpose in your heart this night, is it God or isn't
it, and to stand by your commitment as you are called to stand by your
confession of faith". (Stacy Campbell, Wes Campbell's wife;
October 1994)
See
how questions are discouraged and made to sound unchristian. The call
is to accept both good and BAD in this revival, without question.
Truth
(objective biblical doctrine) is seen as opposed to "love" - and this
is a new kind of love that ignores error in the name of unity.
YIELD
OR DIE
Most
disturbing is the implication that dissenters are actually outside the
faith, and doomed to die! God is supposedly threatening people who do
not yield to the power, with the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah - total
annihilation! The way Jesus applied this was to people who rejected Him
as Saviour and Messiah. (Matt 10:14-15)
Are we now to suppose that rejecting the Toronto Phenomenon is akin to
rejecting God, and will lead to death? Reading the last paragraph of the
"prophecy" certainly gives that impression. People are urged to stand
by their acceptance of Toronto as they would stand by their "confession
of faith" in the Lord Jesus. The two are becoming linked in people's minds.
THIS IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENT!
Toronto
is rapidly becoming a test of loyalty and doctrinal orthodoxy. Kenneth
Copeland, for instance, has suggested that those who resist God's move
could fall over and die! "One of these days, you may just be talking
to someone, asking them how things went at church last Sunday, and they
may say, Oh it was great! The glory of God was so strong it healed ten
cripples, opened the ears of thirty deaf people, cured seven cases of
cancer and killed Brother Bigmouth and Sister Strife" ("Voice
of Victory" Oct 94)
Christians
have a vital choice to make, Copeland says:
"When
the fire of God begins to burn and the rivers of the Spirit start to
flow, he'll have to do one of two things: he'll either have to yield
to the Spirit and let go of that sin by repenting, or he'll have to
resist the flood of God's Spirit and be swept away."
What
is this sin that puts Christians in danger of death? It is resisting the
move of God! Those who unite one with another in revival power can "have
a wonderful time" Copeland tells us. After telling the story of Ananias
and Sapphira Copeland says that the Christians in that meeting "were
having such a glorious time that even when Ananias dropped dead right
there in front of the preacher, they just went right on worshipping."
The
sin of Ananias, in fact, was not lack of submission to his elders or quenching
the Spirit, but "lying to the Holy Spirit" - see Acts 5:2-6
"And
he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it,
and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter
said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit
and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ...You have
not lied to men but to God." Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell
down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard
these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him
out, and buried him."
Not
much sign of a Toronto-style meetings in progress there! However, Copeland
nonetheless teaches from this passage that those who resist the last-days
outpouring are in mortal danger. The message seems plain. Yield or die!
This
sort of teaching about judgement upon opponents has been building up for
some time. It was prominent in the prophecies and teachings of the Kansas
City Prophets; probably because of their connection to the Manifest Sons
doctrines which taught that denominational Christianity was Babylon, and
that only the perfected saints of the New Order would emerge in the endtimes
as the Chosen of God, while Babylon suffered defeat and death during the
Tribulation to come.
However,
any doctrine that brings a certain elite group into prominence as World
Saviours, will inevitably have to tackle the problem of dissenters.
BIGOTRY
Any
man-made solution to the world's problems fosters bigotry, then violence.
Even though we tend to applaud the beliefs of the Puritans, we cannot forget
that Cromwell slaughtered thousands in his religious war. Nor should we
forget that Calvin promoted the death penalty for the slightest infringement
of his Protestant dogma. Between the years of 1531 and 1546, fifty-eight
people were executed at Calvin's "model Christian Community" at Geneva.
Although we understand that the struggle in Ireland is about more than religion,
can we approve of murder in the defence of the faith? Is there any justification
today for a holy war, or is there a cause so noble that we would take up
arms in its defence? These are questions we may soon need to answer,
particularly if we experience some world-shaking event that requires a radical
response from the Church.
THE
SIN OF DISSENT
Leaders
are keen to ready the Church for its endtimes mission. They are calling
for unity, holiness and submission to God. It sounds good. But what does
it actually mean? And who will be on the receiving end of this sort of preaching?
There
will be some genuine repentance, I have no doubt. But we are likely to
see a re-definition of repentance and holiness, and those who refuse to
accept the revival will be portrayed as the sinners.
We
already see a hardness creeping in. Treatment of Toronto dissenters has
not reflected the gentleness of Christ, despite official guidelines exhorting
love and humility. The reason for this anomaly is baffling, if we are
in the midst of true revival as they claim, for the work of the Holy Spirit
should lead to a change in the nature of those touched by His power. His
fruit ought to be demonstrated: love, kindness, patience, goodness and
self-control. Instead, many of those who get the "blessing" turn into
aggressive, arrogant and self-obsessed individuals who can tolerate no
opposition. There is something awry here!
The
"love" that is being talked about as the greatest fruit of Toronto is
not, when it comes down to it, gentleness and forbearance towards other
church members, and especially not towards opponents! It seems primarily
to be a feeling of passion for God; an ecstatic state almost, devoid of
moral content. This happy condition is doubtless enjoyable for the participant,
but if it does not lead to Christ-like love being shown to others, then
where is the lasting fruit?
Those
who harbour doubts about the renewal are accused of stubbornness and Pharisaical
legalism; those who test the spirits are called blasphemers of the Holy
Spirit; those who put questions to their elders are accused of "rebellion".
SUBMISSION
What
is being demanded broadly falls into two categories, unthinking acceptance
of spiritual power; and blanket acceptance of other Christians, regardless
of doctrine.
The
first attitude rejects the possibility of spiritual deception - which
is plainly unscriptural. The Bible commands us to "Prove all things; hold
fast that which is good." (1Thes 5:21) The second rejects the possibility
of sin and falsehood - which is equally unscriptural. The Bible commands
us to "withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly,
and not after the tradition which he received of us." (II Th 3:6)
Firstly,
spiritual submission is to the will and Word of God. This is now being
re-defined. The suggestion is that truly obedient Christians must perform
any act "for God" no matter how foolish, meaningless or disruptive. Repentance
is commanded for any who have not passed this ultimate test of submission!
It
is sadly all too easy to browbeat sincere Christians into this kind of
tomfoolery. It is mature Christians, who have a genuine desire to obey
and serve God, who are the ones most pressured by the devil to jump through
hoops to prove their submission to voices and impressions. Centuries of
experience has convinced the devil that he can more easily steer Christians
off course by an excess of obedience than by the lack of it.
FALSE
UNITY
Secondly,
there is the pressure for unity; but it is a union only of those who accept
the doctrines and practises of the new move. Copeland hints that disunity
causes judgement and death in the Body and hinders the revival outpouring
of power. He says that "repentance is mandatory for anyone who wants to
be in on the move of God" and illustrates this with the story of Pentecost.
According to Copeland, the Spirit was unable to descend on the assembled
company in the Upper Room until they repented of their lack of unity - they
had disagreements amongst themselves, but "somehow in that upper room,
they dropped their differences...and they were all right with one another.
What was the result? God Almighty came on the scene and the glory was poured
out". Copeland says God wants to pour out an even greater pentecostal
power - "we are about to hit the spiritual gusher that all generations
have longed to see!"
"What
does this mean for you and me" he asks. "If we'll get sin out of
our lives and get right with our brothers and sisters, then in this day
of glory God will work wonders through us. We won't have to worry about
the glory killing us when it hits our flesh." Those leaders who will
not allow the phenomena to break out in their churches are of the "old
order" and they will be swept aside, it is said, removed from their places
and left behind. That was the thinking behind Rick Joyner's "The Harvest"
prophecy in which he predicted a new move of the Spirit.
In
the section entitled "Remove the Barriers and Facades that Separate
us from the Lord and Each other", he writes of those who continue
in "individual truths or works" apart from the one united Body of the
endtimes. They will "perish from the ministry with such demonstration
that a pure and holy fear of the Lord will sweep the Body of Christ. This
will help the Church to move into true spiritual worship and a unity that
is based on worship".
Today,
six years after he wrote those words, we do see a new "unity based on
worship", at Toronto meetings; will his words come true for ministers
who still insist on unity based on Truth?
In
a widely circulated prophecy, Marc Dupont, assistant pastor at the Airport
Vineyard, said he sensed "extreme danger for leaders who continue to
resist the Holy Spirit." God is supposed to have promised an increase
in evangelism, intercession and power, and at the same time "the refiner's
fire is going to increase, particularly with the current leadership".
There will be a sharp division between the "obedient" and the "sinful"
and the latter will "leave the ministry or bring judgement on themselves
and their churches."
Speaking
of the flow of living water spreading out from Toronto, Dupont says that
any rocks which resist the Spirit "will be broken down into dust"
and says "there will not be any true unity among churches until they
begin to respond to the prophetic call of the Father".
DIVISION
IS NEEDED
If
repentance means no longer holding to the Word of God; if holiness means
being willing to quack like a duck for Jesus; if unity means letting false
teachings go unchecked - then repentance, holiness and unity are NOT as
good as they sound.
We
need to understand that not all division is a work of the devil. Jesus
knew that the truth would always divide people: "Do you suppose that
I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division."
(Luke 12:51)
The
Apostle Paul said division highlighted the difference between the true
Church and the false teachers:
"For
first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there
are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also
be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognised
among you." (1 Cor 11:18-19)
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been
of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they
might be made manifest, that none of them were of us." (I Jn 2:19)
He
certainly did not preach tolerance towards heresy, nor did he stay in
fellowship with false teachers, much less repent of his resistance to
their teachings!
MAKE
A STAND
Without
a clear stand being taken by those who are prepared to defend biblical truth,
evil advances unhindered - a situation that benefits nobody but the devil,
and owes more to cultic behaviour than Christianity. Indeed. fascinating
comparisons can be made with this present move and the activities of a cult:
Firstly,
the attraction of emotional release, bonds of friendship, a common cause,
powerful spiritual experiences and the thrill of finding something "that
works". As a commitment is made to attend meetings, the pressure to become
part of the group mounts up unbearably. Individualism is severely censured.
Participants are taught to be suspicious of anyone who would dissuade
them - it is suggested that all outside the movement are "ignorant" and
"deluded".
Thought,
quiet reflection and study of opposing opinions are banned, while frenetic
activity, over excitement and late nights are encouraged. Teachings are
introduced as indisputable, and any who resist them are singled out as
"troublemakers". The group are encouraged to persecute these individuals
until they yield.
On
the other hand, those who adopt the teachings are encouraged to feel they
are on a higher spiritual plane than ordinary folk. This makes them feel
special and important to the Plan. Then comes regular soul-baring,
when open confession of doubt is encouraged. This has a two-fold benefit
to the cult. It allows the Leaders to identify those who are still wavering,
while at the same time filling the initiates with the dread of being excluded
or rejected (or even of being punished).
It
is either stated explicitly or hinted that any further rebellion will
result in "bad things happening" either to the dissenters or the cult
as a whole, for which the dissenter - naturally - feels himself responsible.
Only
after this indoctrination process has taken its toll on the mind and beliefs
of the new member, will the more bizarre inner core teachings be presented.
By then, the member is too weary, shell-shocked, cowed and submissive
to reject them.
While
many will feel that their churches bear no resemblance to a cult, there
are others (especially Toronto victims) who will readily identify with
the above description.
BELIEF
IS THE KEY
The
purpose of any cult is to propagate new teachings. It is not primarily about
ACTIONS, but BELIEFS. So, we ought to be very disturbed about a spiritual
outpouring coming from the Vineyard churches - with their blasé acceptance
of the Kansas City Prophets - and even more so when we learn that the two
men who began it were Benny Hinn and Rodney Howard Browne. We ought to be
alarmed that the majority of churches where Toronto is being accepted have
a foundation of doctrinal error!
Although
this is not the ONLY test, because God can use men and churches despite
a certain amount of doctrinal error, the question must be asked - why
has the Manifest Presence of God (if that is what it is) not reproved
the errors and brought repentance of false doctrines? Instead, the very
reverse is happening!
This
newsletter has been speaking out for some six years against Ecumenism,
Revivalism, New-Age Mysticism, Revelation Knowledge, Restoration, Replacement
Theology, Spiritual Warfare, Latter Rain, Post-Millennialism, Word-of-Faith,
Kingdom-Dominion teachings - and on and on. The latest developments have
not come as any surprise! They were inevitable! The only surprise is that
so few Christians were willing to make a stand before now.
God
has been calling out for ten years to any who would listen: "Take heed!"
He has raised up watchmen all around the world who have been preaching
the same message of separation from error. This he did in his mercy, not
wanting any to be caught unawares. But some slumbered on.
Today,
many are saying - how do I know if this is of God? Simple! Can God contradict
His own Word? After spending so many arduous years exposing false teaching,
would He now pour out his Holy Spirit on those same false teachings and
endorse them with power to be preached? Is he going to anoint the mouths
of those who preach error? Absolutely not - it is unthinkable.
On
the other hand, since a counterfeit church system has to arise, and since
the Bible predicts false teachers and false christs arising with miracle-working
power such that, if possible, even the very elect could be deceived, isn't
it a fair assumption that it would happen through a counterfeit revival
very like the present one?
CLUES
FROM EDWARDS
Let's
apply a further test. Few can have failed to notice the use of Jonathan
Edward's material in this new move, and the links being made with the Great
Awakening of 1740. However, Edwards was very cautious about unusual manifestations.
His book "The Religious Affections" lists twelve things that are
"no certain signs that religious affections are truly gracious, or that
they are not". These include physical manifestations, love, joy, zeal, praise,
confidence, fluency, and fervour. His list of proofs for truly godly and
gracious manifestations stresses that the source and object of them must
be God Himself; that they must lead to moral excellence, humility, a change
of nature, gentleness and love towards others, unselfishness and a life
that is in accord with the commands of scripture.
In
another book, he listed five positive fruits of a true revival:
- Jesus
is lifted up and honoured
- People
become less self-centred
- There's
a new hunger for the Word
- Truth
becomes paramount
- Love
of others is evident
We
have already seen how truth and Christ-like love have become casualties
in this new move. To take the other three points one by one:
1.
JESUS LIFTED UP?
There
is much TALK of Jesus but in reality "this people draw near me with
their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their
heart far from me" (Isa 29:13)
It
is the Spirit, in isolation, who is given the attention, even though the
Word tells us that he does not come in his own name. It is the Spirit
who is being called upon, invoked and even commanded to "come". Some even
give the Spirit a will of His own outside the written Word of God, because
"The Spirit is sovereign and can do as He wills". At the same time,
Jesus is reduced to one of the boys; a bar-room companion who wants to
toy around, guffaw and make risqué jokes with his pals. One man said he
had a vision of Jesus coming to him with a huge grin on his face; this
made the man laugh until he dropped. (For what purpose?).
2.
PEOPLE LESS SELFISH? Any trawl of testimonies will prove that the
emphasis is on what I felt, what I need and how the experience benefited
ME. Trying to talk anyone out of going back to get more spiritual LSD
is like trying to take away a child's favourite toy. Logic is not the
issue - feelings, needs, sensual desires and the thrill of spiritual encounters
is what drives this new-found zeal!
3.
LOVE OF THE WORD? The Toronto Experience is not conveyed by sound
Bible preaching, but by personal contact and the recounting of testimonies.
There is little teaching, and what there is draws heavily on allegory
and Old Testament symbolism. Some meetings depend almost entirely on anecdotes.
Wes
Campbell, who was delighted to have found the power at Toronto said:
"We just went to our church and I just started to preach this. I told
them all the stories. I told them every story I could get. I said, fax
me stories. You wouldn't believe it! ...I started just preaching stories,
stories, stories, the glory of God, God touching people, and you wouldn't
have believed it. These people began to rise up. In three to four weeks
they had faith, and we had the greatest outpouring that we'd ever had
in the history of our church, "in Phnom Penh, they just told stories
of Toronto and the power of the Spirit began to sweep through that church....
in India, they just told stories of what was happening, Boom, the power
of the Spirit was sweeping through there. They hadn't even read about
this stuff, they just heard a story."
It
seems that not one of Edward's five proofs applies to what is happening
today. That should shock those who depend so much on him to validate it.
Can a revival that has such a shaky foundation truly be of God?
THE
MESSAGE OF THE NEW BIBLES
Compare
the translations of some familiar passages of scripture in two Bibles
- the Authorised Version (King James) and "The Message":
KING
JAMES VERSION: "Our Father who art in Heaven; Hallowed be thy
name"
THE MESSAGE: "Our Father In Heaven;
Reveal who you are. "
KING
JAMES VERSION: "The Father is greater than I".
THE
MESSAGE: "The Father is the goal and purpose of my life.
"
KING
JAMES VERSION: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."
THE MESSAGE: "Enjoy the best of Jesus!
"
There
is no stemming the flood of new Bibles. Each one seems destined to push
the boundaries ever further - inclusive language, political correctness,
liberal thought and a lack of reverence for the literal truth of the original
manuscripts appears now to dominate the scene.
Three
new translations illustrate this trend, one of which - "The Message"
by Eugene H. Peterson (NavPress) is the subject of this particular
review.
The
second edition of the Good News Bible (Bible Soc./Harper Collins) tidies
up various inaccuracies of the first edition, but has made a change to
inclusive language. This has meant changing "sons" to "children" and "brothers"
to "brothers and sisters" or "people". The edges become blurred and the
precise meaning of scripture is lost. For the word "brother" denotes a
fellow Christian, whereas "people" or "any" could include unbelievers.
The
New Century Version (Nelson Word) is advertised as a Youth Bible, and
a "downmarket version of the Good News Bible". It expects even less of
the reader than the Good News. Like the GNB, it is not a literal translation
and is so loose as to be meaningless in parts. For example, where the
King James renders Psalm 144:2 as "My goodness, and my fortress; my high
tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth
my people under me.", the NCV reads "...he helps me keep my people under
control". The onus has therefore shifted from God to David!
The
biggest threat, however, is posed by a paraphrase, the work of pastor
and scholar Eugene Peterson. His book, "The Message" is about to be launched
in this country, and could do untold damage. "The Message" is not an accurate
translation of the Word of God, but a personal interpretation. The introduction
explains that "the goal is not to render a word-for-word conversion of
Greek into English, but rather to convert the tone, rhythms, the ideas,
into the way we actually think and speak".
But
should we rewrite the Bible to fit our own shallow and worldly communications?
Should we reinterpret the holy Word to sound more like a TV advert or
film script?
Today's
culture needs to be challenged by scripture. "The Message" gets it the
other way round. It conforms to secular standards in an attempt to be
attractive to everyone. It re-educates readers to:
- Refuse
to criticise or judge anyone's behaviour
- Reject
specific actions as sin, e.g. homosexuality
- Deny
hell, and the biblical consequences of sin.
- Deny
the reality of Satan and demons
Although
endorsed by Christian leaders like J.I.Packer, Warren Wiersbe and Jack Hayford,
"The Message" is disgracefully inaccurate. It cannot be used for serious
Bible study because it has no verse references; it alters the meaning of
the text; and it deletes key words and concepts.
"THE
MESSAGE" IMPLIES SIN DOES NOT SEPARATE FROM GOD
Rom 8:35-36 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? (KJV)
Do
you think anyone is going to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love
for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not
hunger, hot homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not
even the worst sins listed in Scripture. (The Message)
"THE
MESSAGE" DISTORTS AND ADDS TO GOD'S WORD
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality
and power. (KJV)
You
don't need a telescope, a microscope or a horoscope to realise the fullness
of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. (The Message)
"THE
MESSAGE" ADDS ENVIRONMENTAL SIN
1
Cor 6: 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom
of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit
the kingdom of God. (KJV)
"Unjust
people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom.
Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse
the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom.
(The Message)
"THE
MESSAGE" PROMOTES FALSE UNITY
2
Cor 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to
God. (KJV)
We're
Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop
their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between
them. We're speaking for Christ now: Become friends with God; he's already
a friend with you. (The Message)
Missing
from these scriptures is the essential truth about man's fallen condition,
and the need for God Himself to provide a unique remedy in the Cross.
Peterson's lax attittude towards sin may reflect his respect for Catholic
mystics such as Teresa of Avila and Julian of Norwich, who said "sin need
be no shame to man but can even be worthwhile". ("Spirit Quest", Christianity
Today magazine, November 1993).
Eugene
Peterson has written that he seeks "spirituality - a fusion of intimacy
and transcendence", but his personal interpretation of the scripture attempts
to reach that goal without encountering sin or judgement. Therefore this
is a thoroughly flawed message.
Copyright
(c) 1994 BANNER MINISTRIES
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