Rick Freuh has posted an excellent observation about some of the modern philosophers that I believe Jude, Peter, Paul and Jesus (in Matthew 24) are speaking very clearly about in Attractive Words of Deception or Enticing Words of Men’s Wisdom
In it, he discusses a post-modern philosopher of whom people like Phyllis Tickle, Rob Bell, and others in the emergent/emerging conversation/church are literally ga ga over. Rick states:
Peter Rollin’s view of Christianity showcases a growing turning point in Scriptural Christianity, and with subtlety and deft of language he and others are steering people into a place of spiritual nebulousness. And in fact, as evidenced by Rollin’s words themselves, he and others would embrace that description of their movement. They seek to dismantle truth, claiming that if it is truth it will be reconstructed, but all the while they treat truth as a vacillating pursuit that cannot be fully understood, much less captured. His and other’s views of spiritual truth are an intangible paradigm that defies paper and pen and only serves as a philosophy in theory which is believed by behavior rather than believed and then revealed by behavior.
That is an incredible insight; for it is practiced almost universally by the leaders of this emerging whatever they call a church. They would be better off simply describing what it is: a bunch of people believing whatever they want to believe and calling their behavior christian. It is the oldest lie in the book, that somehow we by our behavior or works can become Christian. THis is Hell’s best kept secret- that we are all sinners by nature and that there is absolutely nothing (even our best works are filthy rags) that we can do. And this lie, this secret, is being propogated by these philosophers that have snuck into our churches unaware.
I want to thank Rick, Ken Silva, and others who have deftly warned us about these folks, for it is only in revealing their teaching and recognizing it for what it is that we can defend against it.
Let us heed the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:
11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
We must be warned and be aware of false prophets. We must not succumb to the lawlessness, which in part is a departure from the Word of God and the truth found in Christ. We must endure in Christ to the end so that we may be saved-glorified- with Him. And we must as long as we live proclaim the gospel- the true, Biblical Gospel- throughout the world as a testimony to all nations.
