CRN.Info and Analysis

Dwayna begins her latest post with a question

What do the fallen Hollywood stars have in common with the “Jesus People”?

The answer: pretty much nothing. Although she would love to make that connection. She reads in In Touch Magazine about the “spiritual jewelry” of Hollywood celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Meredith Kahn. It goes over everything from Dia De Los Muertos charms to Buddhist rings. She then makes an illogical link to the punk style jewelry sold at the Christian music festival, Cornerstone. For the life of me, I cannot get her logic.

Although, her tech tags are always amusing. This falls into the category of Abominations, Youth Ministry, Apologetics, Christian Authenticity, and Synergism. Yikes!

CRN had linked to a post at Extreme Theology on how to disciple people. The first requirement, according to Chris Rosebrough, is the following

A Tenacious Devotion to the Teaching of the Apostles (God’s Word Proclaimed in Song and Sermon) Under A Trained Pastor - 2 Tim 4:1-2, 2 Tim 2:2

So, this would mean that laymen cannot disciple people. Women cannot disciple people. And, only those who are pastors can lead people in worship music. A pretty interesting requirement for disciple-making. So, then I thought I would check out the scriptures he used to back this statement. They are as follows

1^(A) I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,^(B) who is to judge the living and the dead, and by^(C) his appearing and his kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season;^(D) reprove, rebuke, and^(E) exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

2and^(A) what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses^(B) entrust to faithful men^(C) who will be able to teach others also.

Is there anything there that would suggest Trained Pastors are the only ones who can teach others the word of God, or lead in songs that proclaim God’s word? I couldn’t see anything. The only requirement was to have faithful men who would be able to teach others.

I spent the day with Leonard Sweet yesterday. He said that one of the greatest contributions that the reformation gave us was the priesthood of the believer. Unfortunately, many of those who often protect the solas, reformers and the reformation more tham the scriptures have forgotten this. That we are called to disciple one another. We are not called to have high and exalted holy men that do discipleship to us. WE are a royal priesthood, called to make disciples.

Also, I am tired of these watchdoggies only looking at some aspects of purpose-driven/seeker/emerging churches. You see, the traditional form of discipleship was to sit in a room, and have a man dump a bunch of information on you. We have seen over and over that this doesn’t work. I have tons of friends who can quote scripture, give you theology and speak the christian lingo, but would hardly be considered followers of Christ. Today, discipleship is done in relationship with people. It is done in conversations at Starbucks or walks in the parks. it is done in the informal small groups in homes, or after-work dinner meetings. It is not a program that can be scheduled… but is being done like it was in the New Testament. Discipleship really has little to do with how much you know about the scriptures (although they are incredibly key), but about the transformation that CHRIST is making in your life. Sometimes I think we replace the authentic work of Christ in people in relationship with us for well-educated bible studies and sermons. Not that the latter is bad, but we don’t believe the former can actually happen.

In this article Ingrid complains:

Emerging church authors and leaders routinely dismiss the Reformation and its biblical Solas as irrelevant.

But then she fires back with this:

Heresies in the Christian church come never from the city missionary, never from the faithful pastor, never from the intense evangelist; but always from gentlemen at ease who take no actual part in our holy war.

–C.H. Spurgeon

My Comment: The heretics of today who undermine the authority of Scripture drift from conference to conference to book signing to yet another conference. They fly first class or in their own jets, they have huge advances from their publishers and they live very, very comfortable lives. It isn’t difficult being a false teacher

I can’t seem to find anywhere in scripture where Sola Spurgeon could be justified. Perhaps Ingrid should take her own advice and return to sola scriptura.

Edit:
There she goes again. It’d be nice if there was some actual scripture in there. But then again, who needs scripture when you just know you’re right. Sola Ingrida at its finest.