You can imagine my surprise when recently it an old retired pastor, sharply rebuked me for making some interesting points about the death burial in the resurrection of Jesus, and he quoted a Scripture 1Tim 1:4 "nor to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies.. "
He listened, as I asked them if I had said anything that was of heresy, and he said. "No". He just would not accept it when I suggested that this Scripture was referring to the false teachings of Gnosticism and was in no way speaking of honest enquiry into Scripture.
You would think that with 40 years experience this past and would have had some understanding of what Paul was referring to in this letter and the problem of Gnosticism. We have a problem here, how can a congregation understand these things either and be able to interpret their Bible?
Tragically, a large proportion of pastors preach light weight messages, are so very shallow so that the congregation hardly grow in the Bible and interpretation skills. Pastors love to preach 'moral essays' and 'warming affirmations' because, if we truly 'love', others, this is what we will do.
Well, who cares if God's people are falling through the cracks 'for a lack of knowledge' (oracle), what's really important, is if we are very positive and 'nice' to everybody.
Let's face it, the more 'relevant' we become, to the world, the less relevant we Christians are in point of fact, to the world. :o(
There is far more to the Kingdom than 'feel good' messages and favorite topics. Teachers preach on a text from Song of Solomon as well as a piece about a man of courage from 2 Samuel; topical sermon from Luke followed by the a firm belief in god of Jeremiah or the integrity of Lot.
Bits from here and there, but we don't put it all together, in a clear understandable, easy to remember perspective with a good Bible TimeLine including Church History.
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 us correctly prepare the Church to understand God and the Bible, but piecing together the fragments of his Word into a beautiful seamless mosaic.
It's not a difficult thing to accomplish, we just need to put in some study and prayer.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (NIV) - 15615
He listened, as I asked them if I had said anything that was of heresy, and he said. "No". He just would not accept it when I suggested that this Scripture was referring to the false teachings of Gnosticism and was in no way speaking of honest enquiry into Scripture.
You would think that with 40 years experience this past and would have had some understanding of what Paul was referring to in this letter and the problem of Gnosticism. We have a problem here, how can a congregation understand these things either and be able to interpret their Bible?
Tragically, a large proportion of pastors preach light weight messages, are so very shallow so that the congregation hardly grow in the Bible and interpretation skills. Pastors love to preach 'moral essays' and 'warming affirmations' because, if we truly 'love', others, this is what we will do.
Well, who cares if God's people are falling through the cracks 'for a lack of knowledge' (oracle), what's really important, is if we are very positive and 'nice' to everybody.
Let's face it, the more 'relevant' we become, to the world, the less relevant we Christians are in point of fact, to the world. :o(
There is far more to the Kingdom than 'feel good' messages and favorite topics. Teachers preach on a text from Song of Solomon as well as a piece about a man of courage from 2 Samuel; topical sermon from Luke followed by the a firm belief in god of Jeremiah or the integrity of Lot.
Bits from here and there, but we don't put it all together, in a clear understandable, easy to remember perspective with a good Bible TimeLine including Church History.
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 us correctly prepare the Church to understand God and the Bible, but piecing together the fragments of his Word into a beautiful seamless mosaic.
It's not a difficult thing to accomplish, we just need to put in some study and prayer.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (NIV) - 15615
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