emergent church

Pastor Driscoll can certainly think what he wants, but that doesn't necessarily make it true. Emergent churches are not uniform, so you will find them across the spectrum from conservative to liberal.

And speaking of accomodation of modernism, when fundamentalists began answering old-style liberalism, the used the same modernistic ideas and language used by liberals and popular culture to explain their stand. Ironically, they also became defined by the modernism of their culture.

Is this supposed to be bad? I think this is incredibly biblical.

Good for them!

I'm not so sure it was a protest, rather it seemed to be an intentional abandonment of traditional institutions that were not culturally relevant to the people in the culture they were trying to penetrate. It is missional at its core.

I believe you misunderstand the emergent movement.

 

Interesting forum of opinions here:

http://9marks.org/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID314526%7CCHID598014%7CCIID2249672,00.html

Yes, all are entitled to their own opinion and hopefully will form such with valid and scriptural and prayerful input!

 

Well, I'm familiar with being wrong and have experience with such!

However, anything that someone places the 'L' on(liberalism) is a big negative and I avoid it totally! The time spent even investigating it doesnt appear worthwhile as I could be reading from something of known benefit!

I'm only speaking for myself. Others will hopefully form opinions that are educated and pleasing to God.

 

Some non-emergent churches are heretical and some are orthodox as well.

 

I've been involved in the emergent conversation for about 10 years now. There are some good people involved and a part of this conversation, including many good Christians faithfully serving God in local Emergent Gatherings (e.g. churches.)

My thought at this juncture is this: the emergent church has been asking all the right questions about the church of the 21st century, but has (by and large) come up with the wrong answers.

I say that fully knowing that many of my friends in the EC (emergent church) are laboring faithfully for Christ in their local gatherings, and that they are preaching accurate doctrine. But they are a smaller minority.

The biggest issue of the EC is that they desperately want to make Christianity appealing to those who are put off (and rightly so) by our institutional arrogance. In so doing they've absolutely asked the right quesitons about ecclesiology...but in also in so doing they've adjusted many foundational doctrines of Christianity to make it more palatable for some. For the most part those in the EC are angry white step children of evangelicalism...serves us right imho for selling ourselves off to the lowest political bidders...

Most of them aren't heretics, they just need some love and careful schooling. Traditionalists and church growth and whatever other evangelicals are out there need to watch ourselves too, for we have some skeletons in our closests theologically and intellectually. The EC is just more upfront about airing theirs out.

 

Any time effort is made to make the gospel 'more palatable' it is compromise, error and heresy!

The gospel is a stumbling stone to the unregenerate! God made it to be such!
But to us who believe it is the power of God unto salvation!

There can be absolutely no alteration of any kind or it isnt the true gospel!

Of course the world hates it! They have an evil heart and oppose God. Scripture says so.
They never come seeking God. Scripture says so! To alter, soften the edges or try to make the gospel acceptable to an unregenerate heart is the worst of all heresies I can imagine!

Do people, as in the EC, actually think a holy, sovereign God, needs their help? Preposterous! God is in the business of saving sinners! Thats what He does! If by some measure of grace He chooses to save a sinner through my pitiful, meager attempt to share His truth I am wonderfully blest, but He didnt need me! He has unlimited resources!
It is us that miss out when we fail to truthfully and accurately share the gospel and to be used by His as His ambassador!

Man's so called well meaning attempts to help God will gain them nothing but doom! What the EC is doing is exactly what the Rev. verse warns about, adding to, or taking from His word. Though they think they're doing something good for society, in truth they are in opposition to God! Men are to submit, thats their role to God! Until God Himself regenerates a heart it will remain as stone!

 

Wrong. I have actually read some books and articles from some of the major leaders of the movement like Kimbal and Maclaren, and have several friends who are in the movement. It is nothing more than liberal garbage.

Joseph Botwinick

 

This is Driscoll's way of saying emerging (those like himself) are good while emergent (those like McLaren) are bad.

While Driscoll and those of his ilk are definitely emerging missional Christians who I am grateful for, I don't appreciate the way they try co-opt the definition of terms and paint with broad strokes those who he labels as emergent.

 

Try reading McLaren's book "The Secret Message of Jesus." It's a terrific endorcement of living the Christian life today and not just focussing on our eternal destiny. In other words it's about decipleship. Do you think that is heretical?

 

Maclaren is a heretic.

I have read enough of his garbage that I want to read.

Joseph Botwinick

 

What is so secret about Jesus' message ? It's there for all to read and understand, if the reader is the intended audience. If not, then he can read it word by word, with every imaginable commentary, bible dictionary, bible map, and all kinds of study helps, and will never understand it. Only then is Jesus' message a secret.

What is so secret about Jesus' message ? It is there for all to hear, if the ears hearing it are the intended ears to hear it, and if the mouth preaching His message is the anointed mouth to preach the message.

But if not, then the preacher can shout at the top of his voice and invoke every melodramatic illustrations, and have all the eloquence awards, and he will not be able to convey Jesus' message to those deaf ears.

Jesus' call to disciplesip is unto Himself. Paul's message of discipleship is to look unto Jesus. Jesus' call is "learn of me". Him. Him. Him. Him. Him. Him. Him.

Learn of His submission to the Father's will. Learn of His walk with the Father. Learn of His love for His own. Learn of His magnificence, power, sovereignty, kindness, mercy, grace. See Him and see the Father. Lean on His strength. Know that we fail, but He never does.

Please Him, please the Father.

Not men.

 

This is exactly why something like the emerging church exists. Because being a Christian has often turned into who is damned, and who isn't. Apparantly you have it all figured out. I have a feeling that there's been quite a bit of garbage come from me and you as well, including this quote. Instead of damning them all to hell, could you....maybe...well....I'm not sure, oh yeah, invest yourself into the lives of people who are searching for authenticity? You probably have enough knowledge to really help some people out who are really looking for a Christianity that doesn't mean they have to agree with you about when the rapture is going to occur, or what box you put God in. Then again, you also may have enough knowledge to puff up. Just a thought. Nothing is more frustrating than those quick to damn (despite the fact those involved with emerging have issues), but never actually reach out.

 

Translation: "No, I haven't read it."

If you had read anything by McLaren, you would know that he is biblically sound and not a heretic. You are offering nothing here but your own opinion, not a single shred of evidence to prove what you are saying. Your argument is without substance. Why don't you just back out, since it is obvious you do not know what you are talking about, and stop wasting cyberspace?

 

Perhaps this might clarify:

http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/01/brian_mclaren_a_3.html

 

I didn't damn anyone to Hell. Our sin natures did that. The emerging church exists because of self-seeking sinners and sin. I don't believe in a rapture, and nobody seeks Christ without God regenerating their totally depraved hearts. It is not very popular and hip, but it is the truth.

Joseph Botwinick

 

I have read enough to know that he doesn't believe in Hell and that he is a universalist heretic.

Joseph Botwinick

 

rhetoric like this:

and

are why the emerging church exists

 

Actually,

It is sin, pure and simple, that is the reason the emerging "church" exists.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Tim:

.__________________
Well, since the time of the early church there have been those who thought they knew a 'better way' and tried to entice many into their ways of error and liberalism!
Thankfully God has always had His remnant who knew the great importance of scriptural truths and sound doctrines and remained close to Him.
When a person comes to faith in Christ they see the way is narrow, the gate is strait and few there be that find it. They realize they are to strive to enter in and to put it above all, to see it as the pearl of great price, the treasure in the field, be willing to give up their all. They are not willing to coax, compromise and diminish the strengths of the biblical doctrines in order to have numbers or make an effort to make the gospel more acceptable to sinners!
Christ made no effort to entice the rich young ruler, but let him walk away, lost!