Home - Plugging In - News - Sad to see the slide ... Hi all,

Don't often do this but at times it is our responsibility as elders to warn our people about false teaching, about false teachers or in this case about a guy who once was pretty faithful to God's Word but has been increasingly sliding into significant error. 

Who is this 'guy'?  Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill church in Michigan and author of many books and the rather popular Nooma videos. 

Several years ago I watched a panel Rob was on called the Seeds of Compassion initiative which also included Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama along with a number of other guests.  I was shocked at some of the statements Rob made publicly in that panel - absolutely unbiblical statements.  We had been examining Rob's sliding theology at that time and this for me was the final indicator that he had crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed.

Now he has written a book which appears to clearly show that he is no longer orthodox (faithful, biblical) in his theology. 

Here is a good review/warning about this new book by the guys at the Gospel Coalition - Click HERE.      

And you can read a response to some of the flack these guys have received by critiquing Bell's upcoming book HERE.

And HERE is a CNN article about the book. 

We as Christians need to be discerning as not all who claim to represent the truth do - we must examine what each teaches and how faithful their teaching is to God's Word - which is our rule and guide for all truth for as we learned again on Sunday from John 17 - God is truth and His Word is truth and anything that deviates from His revealed Word is not truth but error.  Truth sanctifies, error leads directly or indirectly to sin.

I share this with sad heart in seeing this slide but not surprised by any of this.  Once someone gives up on the inspiration and authority of God's Word it really is a step onto a slippery slope where human logic and wisdom begin to rule and the inevitable result is a downgrading of God's character, holiness, plan and revelation and an elevation of ourselves.

Norm