Skepticism plays an essential role in the Bible, both in
seeking and defending the Faith. The Bereans wanted the truth. Therefore, they
refused to simply inhale the preaching of Paul but checked everything out
according to the Scriptures:
·
Now these Jews were more noble than those in
Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the
Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore
believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. (Acts
17:11–12)
In seeking truth, skepticism is noble. When it is turned
against the truth, it is ignoble and in opposition to the God of truth.
Consequently, we need to be skeptical even within the Church. Therefore, Paul
warned the Ephesians elders to be watchful:
·
I know that after my departure fierce wolves
will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves
will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore
be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to
admonish every one with tears. (Acts 20:29–31)
Evidently, warning against false teachers, arising from
within their ranks, had been a central concern of Paul. Therefore, we must exercise
skepticism:
·
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise
prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. (1 Thessalonians
5:19–21)
The work of the Spirit is not opposed to skepticism. Instead,
they are complementary:
·
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test
the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone
out into the world. (1 John 4:1)
Is Bill Johnson, the lead pastor of Bethel Church and
self-proclaimed Apostle, a false prophet? He is both a seasoned and impressive
pastor. However, he writes things that invite a Biblically healthy skepticism:
·
One of the primary issues that Jesus had with
the scribes and Pharisees was their approach to the Scriptures. They were very
learned by the educational standards around them. They could quote, recite and
teach others the commands of God, along with the commands they created from
what they thought God wanted. But they could not do what they taught others to
do. There was no impartation of grace that actually enabled them to obey the
Word they studied.” (Johnson, Bill. Experience the Impossible: Simple Ways
to Unleash Heaven’s Power on Earth, Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition,
pp. 74-75).
Jesus’ critique of the Pharisees was not that they were too
Biblical but unbiblical. At their core, they didn’t believe in what they had
been preaching:
·
“and you do not have his word abiding in you,
for you do not believe the one whom he has sent…But I know that you do not have
the love of God within you…How can you believe, when you receive glory from one
another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?...For if you
believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not
believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:38, 42, 44–47)
Consequently, what they did believe was an “abomination”:
·
And he said to them, “You are those who justify
yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men
is an abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15)
Consequently, their understanding of the Scriptures was
highly distorted. Johnson’s assessment seems to degrade the Word of God,
something that Jesus never did:
·
But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew
4:4)
However, Johnson also seems to denigrate any skepticism in
defense of the Word:
·
The concern of something not being biblical
takes center stage as we try to eat the meat and throw away the bones. We all
tend to interpret what is before us by our knowledge of Scripture learned from
our own history. The problem is that we all have limited knowledge and exposure
to truth. Let’s hope what we know is true, but what we know is also limited.
That is true for all of us…Some go into fear mode, thinking that emotional
experiences are in excess, and that excess is our greatest danger. It is true
that emotionalism has caused problems for the Church throughout history. But
extreme emotionalism is easy to spot. Rather, the quiet unbelief and resistance
from the skeptic is a far greater enemy. It is a powerful deceiver because it
has become accepted in much of the world’s church culture as wisdom and spiritual
intelligence. (Johnson, Bill. Experience the Impossible: Simple Ways to
Unleash Heaven’s Power on Earth, Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition,
pp. 54-55)
Although Johnson correctly claims that our knowledge is
limited, the Word should remain “center stage.” Consequently, we shouldn’t
exalt emotionality to the level of the Scriptures and denigrate all skepticism
as the “powerful deceiver,” even greater than emotionality. He fails to
distinguish between a Biblical and a destructive skepticism:
·
Some cultures exalt skepticism as a virtue.
Their greatest fear is being gullible or misled. The fear of being wrong
prevents them from ever really being right. Such a deception sells books to the
fearful, but does little to shape the course of history through bold faith for
the glory of God. Skepticism masquerades as wisdom and is applauded by those
without experience. To maintain their own positions, they question the rights
of others to continue moving forward. Skepticism masquerades as wisdom and is
applauded by those without experience In some church cultures, this kind of
approach to God is treasured, as scary as that seems. It is a self-affirming
approach to the supernatural that basically denies God’s involvement in the
day-to-day issues of our lives. And anyone who seems to think that God actually
cares about such things is quickly marked as delusional. This is a group that
asks for proof.” (Johnson, Bill. Ibid, p. 104)
There are sound reasons for skepticism, proof, and fearing
that we might be taking the wrong road. However, Johnson wrongly vilifies all
skeptics as “masquerade[ing] as wisdom…applauded by those without experience.”
Some have had experiences at Bethel and have left confused and injured.
Johnson also attacks skeptics as “den[ying] God’s
involvement in the day-to-day issues of our lives.” Instead, many who are
skeptical of Johnson and the NAR strongly affirm God’s involvement, even on a
moment by moment basis (Romans 8:28).
Johnson also charges that skeptics “question the rights of
others to continue moving forward.” Instead, we are concerned about the path
that Bethel Church and the NAR have taken to “move forward.” Is it Biblical or
is it deception into a false hope and Gospel? This question requires
examination and not defensiveness.
2 comments:
Johnson is hard to critique because it's so hard to figure out what he is saying! You do a better job of understanding him than I do. I don't bother with people I can't understand. Sometimes I wonder if people like him are purposely vague so they can't be criticized.
I get it and agree. These guys are not straightforward.
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