Newsletter article for April 2011

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us

(for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’).”

Galatians 3:13

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in the Gospel of Matthew, our Lord warns us to be on the watch for false prophets who come to us in sheep’s clothing (Mat. 7:15). In the epistle to the Romans, St. Paul instructs us to mark and avoid those who cause divisions, who put up obstacles, and who teach contrary to the teachings of the apostles (Rom. 16:17). To put it simply, false teachers and their false teachings are spiritually dangerous for God’s people, and Scripture takes them very seriously.

A lot of false teaching about God is quite simple to spot. When the creation displaces the Creator as the center of worship, false teaching is present. When words are added to or removed from Holy Scripture, false teaching is present. When Scripture is twisted to justify sinful behavior, and what is evil is treated as if it were good, false teaching is surely present.

Unfortunately, not all false teaching reveals itself so plainly to God’s people. The opposite of the truth is certainly falsehood, but when it comes to the Christian faith, the issue of error is not simply a two-way street. The ancient word the church has used for false teaching is heresy, a Greek word meaning ‘choice’. To the early Christians (and to us!) it is not a matter of choice. There is only one Christ – one way, one truth, one life – and no one comes to the Father except through him.

False teaching often points to and quotes the Scriptures for support. Just a few weeks ago in Sunday’s Gospel reading on the Temptation of Jesus, the devil himself quoted Scripture in an attempt to lead Jesus into sinning against his Father in heaven. Jesus’ better knowledge of Scripture refuted the devil, but it also reveals the cunning depths to which Satan will go in search of prey.

The reason I am writing about false teaching is to bring to your attention a particular teaching that is becoming more and more mainstream in Christianity, even though it is ultimately a false teaching. This newer teaching is a refinement of classical universalism. Classical universalism claims that all people will end up in the same place when we die because of a universal reconciliation between humanity and the divine, regardless of what anyone believes about the divine. While there is no simple label for this new teaching (perhaps, ‘Universalism through Jesus’), the major difference is that it is more specific in its teaching that classical universalism. In this new teaching, Jesus’ death and resurrection is the universal reconciliation between humanity and the divine, and all will go to heaven because of Jesus, regardless of whether or not they have faith in Christ. For us in the Lutheran church, faith in Christ is essential to salvation. Through faith, we are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9). This new teaching is appealing, especially to those who have less experience discerning false teachers and their teachings. Even those theologically trained can be lured into it, because it is so focused on God’s love and forgiveness.

I mention this because this new teaching has found a very strong and influential voice in Rob Bell, the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, a non-denominational church which over 10,000 people attend on a weekly basis. A brief search on the internet will bring forth multiple reviews and opinions on Bell’s books and teachings, both positive and negative. I encourage you to read some of them for yourself as they go into greater depth than we can in a newsletter article.

For now, here is an example from Bell’s teaching. When it comes to answering the question, ‘Why did Jesus die?’ St. Paul in Galatians teaches that Christ became a curse for us by hanging on the tree (the cross). Bell answers, ‘You don’t confront corrupt systems of power without paying for it.’ As one of my seminary professors put it, Bell treats Jesus’ death as an ‘execution,’ but not a judgment from God against sin. It is close to the truth, but not quite the truth. When it comes to the meaning of the resurrection, Bell teaches that, ‘God has not given up on the world,’ and we are therefore to, ‘trust resurrection.’ Lutherans would say that we are to trust Jesus, whose resurrection from the dead opens the door of eternal life to all who believe.

Bell and his extremely media-savvy congregation have become, for many churches, the ‘go-to’ source for youth ministry resources such as videos, Bible studies, and books. It is for this reason that I draw your attention to Bell’s teachings – I encourage our children, youth, and college students to take advantage of Bible study opportunities whenever they can. Sometimes that means going with their friends to another church for youth group or Vacation Bible School. However, Lutheran parents may want to consider taking some time to talk with their children about what they learn at other churches. Is Rob Bell’s teaching prevalent at this church? You will not know unless you ask. What better way to speak with your children about what you believe and why you believe it? As always, your pastors are always available to help out!

To Christ alone be all the glory, forever and ever, amen.