Dear Friends,
Examine once again the video by Francis Chan below. He quotes Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”
When someone like myself critiques the NAR—is that destroying God’s temple? Of course not! We must have the courage and ability to critique error in the church.
Please pause right now and read what Paul wrote to the Galatian churches in Galatians 1:6-9. After Paul’s departure, a false gospel was brought in, and we know what that was pretty much by reading the rest of the letter. Error had entered in and Paul stands to correct it. We must not be so blind just to let whatever in.
Also Paul is speaking of that church known only to God, the invisible church or those born from above, genuinely converted people. Pastors know that everyone who is a member of the church they pastor is not necessarily born again. And what pastor has not had folks with strange and unbiblical doctrines walk in the front door who then seek to draw people away? Goes on all the time. Should we close our minds to this in the fear of being “destroyed” by God. Talk about a fear tactic, and is this not the hallmark of that which is cultic?
Paul did not relish having to deal with error that crept into the congregations he established, but he had to since he acted as pastor, the one who must defend the sheep from the wolves.
Lastly, please examine Matthew 24:24 and Acts 20:17-35. Both the Lord Jesus Himself and Paul warn that fierce wolves will come into the church to attack it. And these wolves do not act like wolves for they intend to be. They, almost always, have new and interesting revelations to bring.
Both passages, the Matthew and Acts passages, show that it is from within the church itself that attacks will come. Don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself.
Yes, it is not pleasant to present what I have here. But those who know me know I do not follow along meekly or blindly doctrines and practices that are not in line with the New Testament. To do so is to abrogate our work as shepherds of the sheep. We cannot simply go along to get along. Have we lost our ability to think and critique?
Kent Philpott
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Francis Chan: “God might kill you if you criticize church leaders”. Steve Kozar from the “Messed Up Church’ blog over at Pirate Christian Radio alerts readers to a recent sermon from Francis Chan, former pastor of Cornerstone church in Ventura County, California an… |
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