Not long back I had a retired Pastor reprove me very sharply, for making some interesting points while preaching on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. He was very old school, and he referred to 1 Tim 1.4 "nor to be taken up with with myths and never ending genealogies.. "
I quietly and respectfully asked him if I had said anything that was heretical or inappropriate to which he answered. "No". I explained that this Scripture was never meant to exclude genuine enquiry into the Bible, but rather it was targeting the false philosophy of Gnosticism. But he would not have it.
Gnosticism had been so influential in the new Testament times, and the new Testament writings, how could a pastor of 40 years experience not know this. It is important for pastors to know these things, and to teach their congregation in order that they might understand and interpret their Bible well.
It is unfortunate that so many pastors in our churches will preach shallow and light weight messages, and the result is that their people will hardly grow in and Scripture and interpretation. Preachers love to give to us 'moral essays' and 'warming affirmations' because, supposedly, if we truly 'love' others this is what we will do.
It seems that the most important thing is, that we are very positive and 'nice' to everybody. It's just too bad, if God's people are falling through the cracks 'for a lack of knowledge' (oracle).
Think about it, the more 'relevant' Christians become, to the world, the less relevant christians are in reality, to the world. :-(
Our staple diet from pastors seems to be favorite topics and 'feel good' messages. Ministers preach on a verse from 1 Peter as well as a passage about a hero from 1 Kings; topical sermon from Hosea and then the belief in God of Aaron or the humanity of King David.
After preaching portions from here and from there, through the Bible we need then to put it all together in a clear, understandable way for our congregation.
Constantly we are bombarded with new publications and modernist ideas, some of them dangerously leaning toward Liberal theology. We are repeating history, but if we were to teach the basics of Church history, we would be more equipped to avoid repeating that history.
Let's equip the Church in understanding God, His Great Plan and the Bible by sewing each piece together into a seamless beautiful tapestry.
This is not some gruelling, unachievable task, all it needs is study with prayer.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (NIV) - 15784
I quietly and respectfully asked him if I had said anything that was heretical or inappropriate to which he answered. "No". I explained that this Scripture was never meant to exclude genuine enquiry into the Bible, but rather it was targeting the false philosophy of Gnosticism. But he would not have it.
Gnosticism had been so influential in the new Testament times, and the new Testament writings, how could a pastor of 40 years experience not know this. It is important for pastors to know these things, and to teach their congregation in order that they might understand and interpret their Bible well.
It is unfortunate that so many pastors in our churches will preach shallow and light weight messages, and the result is that their people will hardly grow in and Scripture and interpretation. Preachers love to give to us 'moral essays' and 'warming affirmations' because, supposedly, if we truly 'love' others this is what we will do.
It seems that the most important thing is, that we are very positive and 'nice' to everybody. It's just too bad, if God's people are falling through the cracks 'for a lack of knowledge' (oracle).
Think about it, the more 'relevant' Christians become, to the world, the less relevant christians are in reality, to the world. :-(
Our staple diet from pastors seems to be favorite topics and 'feel good' messages. Ministers preach on a verse from 1 Peter as well as a passage about a hero from 1 Kings; topical sermon from Hosea and then the belief in God of Aaron or the humanity of King David.
After preaching portions from here and from there, through the Bible we need then to put it all together in a clear, understandable way for our congregation.
Constantly we are bombarded with new publications and modernist ideas, some of them dangerously leaning toward Liberal theology. We are repeating history, but if we were to teach the basics of Church history, we would be more equipped to avoid repeating that history.
Let's equip the Church in understanding God, His Great Plan and the Bible by sewing each piece together into a seamless beautiful tapestry.
This is not some gruelling, unachievable task, all it needs is study with prayer.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (NIV) - 15784
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