Because the Bible Tells Me So...

Phillip Johnson has been showing why he is the first stop for most Christian blogophiles. He's continuing his "my problems with continuism" posts. His posts are filled with logical arguments and gracious treatment of his opponents. But, predictably, he has ended up under "the bottom of an angry dogpile of 'Spirit-filled' critics." While I admire the Pyromaniac's brass, let's look at what he's up against.

Mr. Johnson's comment pages overfloweth with vitriol, most of it from the continuationists. My personal favorite posts all come from Brad Meyer. His rough-and-ready rhetorical style is perhaps due to his usual blogging on politics. But this comment took my breath away:

What's in my heart is the rejection of a neutered god who no longer intervenes. Phil does have a large audience that he is influencing. For the same reason he feels compelled to correct those who claim new revelation through prohecy, I feel compelled to challenge what he is offering as an alternative.
I'm not more desirous to have visible demonstrations of power than to be content with invisible workings of the Spirit- I'm simply turning away from those that Have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.

It would be easy to snidely suggest that once we all are manifesting the fruit of the Spirit--call them invisible workings if you will--we might have some time left for snake handlin', but this would be unkind. Let's take a look at Mr. Meyer's text of choice, as he seems to be quite concerned with making scriptural arguments.

1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. 2 Timothy 3:1-9

Ouch. This text is quite obviously not about believers. It is clear that this is about false teachers of the worst stripe. I doubt Mr. Meyer feels this way about his opponents in this debate (I hope Phillip Johnson isn't worming his way into any homes), but he may want to reconsider his position as a champion of prooftexting. It is all too easy for any of us to reach for any stick with which to flog our opponents.




Category: Theoblogia