The Gnostic Heresy

One of the earliest and most potent threats to early Christianity came from the heretical group known as the  Gnostics.  Blending elements of Christianity, Greek philosophy, and Oriental mysticism, the Gnostics denied the orthodox view of God, man, the world, and Christ.  The Apostle John included them in the camp of the Antichrist.

The Gnostics were so-called because of their view of Revelation.  The word, gnosis, is the Greek word for "knowledge."  In many cases the Gnostic heretics did not make a frontal assault against the apostles or against the apostolic teaching of Scripture.  In fact, many of them insisted that they were genuine, Bible-believing Christians.  It wasn't that they rejected the Bible; they just claimed an additional source of knowledge or insight that was superior to or at least beyond the knowledge of Scripture.  The "gnostikoi" were "those in the know."  Their knowledge was not derived from intellectual comprehension of Scripture or by empirical research, but was mystical, direct, and immediate.  God "revealed" private, intuitive insights to them that carried nothing less than divine authority.

Here is a typical Gnostic statement:

We cannot communicate with God mentally, for He is a Spirit.  But we can reach Him with our Spirit, and it is through our Spirit that we come to know God . . . This is one reason God put teachers (those who are really called to teach) in the church -- to renew our minds.  Many times those who teach do so with only a natural knowledge that they have gained from the Bible and other sources.  But I am referring here to one of the ministry gifts.  Those who are called and annointed by the Spirit to teach.

God has given us His Word, and we can feed upon that Word.  This will renew our minds but He also puts teachers in the church to renew our minds and to bring us the revelation of the knowledge of God's Word.

Notice that this quotation does not include a direct assault on the Bible.  The Bible is recognized as God's Word.  But in order to understand the Bible we need something beyond our natural mental ability.  We need the Spirit-annointed teachers to "bring us the revelation of the knowledge of God's Word."  This is a typically Gnostic statement, but the quote is not from Valentinus or any of the other early Gnostics.  It is from the pen of a modern missionary of Gnosticism, Kenneth E. Hagan [founder of the Faith Movement].  It is from Hagan's Man on Three Dimensions.  Hagan's theology echos the tripartite epistemology of early Gnosticism (man as having three separate entities:  body, soul and spirit).

Robert Tilton [Faith Movement] also claims a direct pipeline to divine revelation:

God showed me a vision that almost took my breath away.  I was sucked into the Spirit . . . , caught away . . . and I found myself standing in the very presence of Almighty God.  It just echoed into my being.  And He said these words to me . . . exactly these words . . . .

"Many of my ministers pray for my people, but I want you to pray the Prayer of Agreement with them." . . . I have never seen the presence of God so powerful.  This same annointing flooded my Spirit-man . . . .It's inside of me now and I have supernatural faith to agree with you.

From that day forth, as I have been faithful to that heavenly vision, I've seen every kind of miracle imaginable happen when I pray the Prayer of Agreement with God's people.

It seems that in Robert Tilton the church is blessed with a twentieth-century apostle whose visions of revelation exceed that of the Apostle John and whose miracle powers surpass that of the Apostle Paul.  If we are to believe Tilton's astonishing claims, there is no reason we should not include his writings in the next edition of the New Testament.

Paul Crouch of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), has revelatory dreams and has warmly embraced the neo-Gnostic dogma.  His network has become a prime distribution center for the growing movement.  Kenneth Copeland also receives phrases from God in "his spirit."


For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com. 

The Perspicuity of Scripture

Perspicuity is a fancy word for "clarity."  The Reformers insisted that, in most cases, the clearest interpretation of a text is the correct one.  The Bible isn't a puzzle.  It is not designed to lead the "initiate" into a maze of obscure or ambiguous passages.  One does not need a Ph.D. in theology to understand that the Bible teaches we are sinners in need of the atoning work of Christ.

Though we believe in the basic clarity of Scripture, we do not mean by this that all parts of the Bible are equally clear.  The Bible teaches some very complex and difficult things.  Though its essential message is clear, there is enough complexity in the Bible to keep the sharpest minds busily engaged for a lifetime.  The message of the Bible may be simple in its essence, but the Bible as a whole is anything but simplistic.  To be able to handle the whole of Scripture, with all of this complexity, is a difficult task.  It requires diligent study and, for the vast majority of serious students, years and years of disciplined training.  Hence, James' warning, "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly" (James 3:1).

God requires us to love Him with all of our minds.  To apply our minds diligently to His Word is hard work.  There is no magical (or superstitious) substitute for that work.  "Words of knowledge" do not suffice when we have the final "Word of Knowledge" (the Bible) to teach us.  Thinking is not "carnal" or "unspiritual."  But it is hard work.  That is one reason people find it so easy to turn their minds over to a high powered preacher who convinces them that he is "plugged in" to the Divine intelligence.  Pious appeals to direct supernatural insights are often, if not always, spiritual masks for our own indolence.  It requires far less effort to listen to private subjective hunches than to pay the price of mastering Greek, Hebrew, historical backgrounds and the science of hermeneutics.

For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com. 

Private Interpretation

An essential element of the Protestant Reformation was the principle of private interpretation of the Bible.  That is not to say that the view was never articulated before Martin Luther, but the Reformation did emphasize the position.  The concept of private interpretation is subject to much confusion.  It suggests to some a license for subjective and relativistic interpretations:  "What is God telling me in this passage?" or, "Well, there are a number of ways to read the text."  How often have we heard the phrase "that's your interpretation," with the unspoken assumption that your interpretation and my interpretation can be equally valid -- even though they contradict each other.  Here the Bible becomes a wax nose, capable of being formed and twisted to suit anyone's prejudice.

That is hardly the intention of the historic doctrine of private interpretation.  Against the relativistic view of subjective interpretation stands the classical principle of the objective truth of Scripture.  The Scriptures do not contradict themselves.  When we disagree, your view may not be correct; mine may not be -- both can be wrong, but both cannot be right at the same time in the same place.  There may be thousands of applications of a given text, but there is only one correct meaning.

The idea of private interpretation arose as a protest against limiting the translation of the Bible into the vernacular (i.e., the common language of the people).  Translating the Bible into French, German and English,   for example, was motivated largely by the desire of the Reformers to allow the laity to read the Bible for themselves.  But the right of private interpretation always carries with it the responsibility of interpreting the Bible accurately.  God grants no one the "right" to distort the meaning of Scripture.  "Private interpretation" does not mean that the individual Christian is free to find in Scripture something that is not there.  That is why we look to the interpretations of those who have gone before us.  Although tradition does not rule out interpretation it does guide it.  If, upon reading a particular passage, you have come up with an interpretation that has escaped the notice of every other Christian for two thousand years, or that has been championed by universally recognized heretics, chances are pretty good that you had better abandon your interpretation.  Private interpretation is not only a right; it is a grave responsibility.

Our distortions or misinterpretations of Scripture are not caused so much by the lack of biblical clarity as by our own weaknesses in handling the text.  Here private interpretations touches another cardinal maxim of Protestant theology:  the perspicuity of Scripture.



For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com. 

A Serious Charge

Heresy.

The word has a chilling ring to it, evoking images of ecclesiastical torture chambers and zealous witch-hunts.  It smacks of intolerance and rigid, unyielding dogmatism.  Indeed, in our relativistic age, the word itself has outlived its function.  Heresy trials are virtually non-existent in the contemporary church.

Historically, the church distinguished between "heresies" and "errors," indicating a difference in degree rather than in kind.  That is, though all heresies are errors, not all errors are elevated to heresy.  That heinous word heresy is reserved for an error of a most severe sort.  All errors of truth matter, but not all errors threaten the very substance of the truth.

Error invades the thinking of every Christian.  None of us is infallible. None of us is omniscient -- not only because we are sinners but because we are creatures -- inherently limited and finite. The finite cannot comprehend the infinite.  Omniscience is a divine attribute.  God does not impart it to us.  We concur with the adage "to err is human."

Our error, however, is not limited to our human boundaries of finite limitations as human beings.  Errors are also a real and often deadly result of our sin.  We wonder, for example, why there are so many diverse views as to what the Bible teaches.  God is neither the author of confusion nor of error.  The fault does not lie with Him or with the Bible, but with us.  We are the ones who are guilty of distorting what the Bible teaches.  To distort the Word of God is no small matter.  It does violence to the very Author and Spirit of truth.


For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com. 

Knowing, Feeling & Doing

One of the things characterizing the message of "Health and Wealth" preachers is quick, easy solutions to complex problems.  They tend to reduce the Christian life to knowing the right technique or formula, or following the prescribed steps  to achieve prosperity.  Thus, the Christian life is reduced to methods of success rather than to the gradual, life-long and painful task of forming character.

Although many Christians do prosper and achieve good health, often strong character is developed through times of difficulty, struggle, and pain.  There is no quick and easy way to develop character.  Character is a quality of life produced by consistent actions and thousands of little decisions during times of testing.  In Romans 5:3-5, Paul says, "We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

In their desire to be positive and provide quick, easy, victorious solutions, many preachers/televangelists say nothing about the character acquired through sufferings (see also James 1:12; Phil. 2:22).  The desire for quick and easy solution to problems also short-circuits the Scriptural process of gaining wisdom and discernment.  Those qualities of character are gained not be reciting a formula, having a positive attitude, or knowing the prescribed steps.  The way to discernment involves deep thought and consistent practice.

Hebrews 5:14 reads, "Solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."  Notice the connection between solid food and maturity.  Not only do the mature digest solid food, but they also practice what they have learned.  They have thought hard about what they believe, and then have felt whatever emotion that thought produces and then have acted on it.  One cannot act on something without being moved to do so (emotions).  But one cannot be moved to do something unless one is inspired by a particular thought, concept, doctrine, or idea.

Those who press on to learn more about God, and then experience and live out that knowledge, become men and women of character:  "Get wisdom, discipline and understanding," Scripture commands (Prov. 23:23).  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10).  Although we may, in our sinfulness, be tempted to take a shortcut to character, we must remember that such neglect is not in accord with Scripture (see Rom. 12:2; Gal. 5:16-25; Phil. 2:12-13; 4:8-9; Col. 3:9-17).

Essential to the development of character is the solid food discussed above.  One important step in developing character involves educating the conscience.  Recently, many writers have described the moral decay in our culture.  One author in particular has discussed the "death of ethics in America" and locates the solution in moral education:  an education of the conscience.  The televangelists could help here but I am afraid they do not.

Again, a few simple answers are not adequate to prepare us for the complexities of life, and the fruit of their own shortcut mentality has been amply demonstrated.  The absence of an emphasis on conscience from the preaching of televangelists indicates a lack of connection between knowing and doing.  Conscience is where doctrine and practice meet and is where general principles are brought to bear in concrete cases.

The Absence of Conscience

Again, a few simple answers are not adequate to prepare us for the complexities of life and the fruit of their own shortcut mentality has been amply demonstrated.  The absence of an emphasis on conscience from the preaching of Faith Movement/televangelists indicates a lack of connection between knowing and doing.  Conscience is where doctrine and practice meet and is where general principles are brought to bear in concrete cases.

Conscience is viewed in Scripture as one of the central goals of instruction.  Paul says, "The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Tim. 1:5).  Do you see "a good conscience" as one of the central goals in the teaching of the televangelists?  If you were asked to give two phrases to describe what it means to "fight the good fight," how would you respond?  Paul says, "Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience" (1 Tim. 1:18-19).  Most of the leading televangelists are doing neither.  

I believe that how well we are going to be able to conduct ourselves in this life will be determined by whether we are able to get and keep a clear conscience.  Getting a clear conscience, of course, is essential to maintaining one. (see Paul's goal in Acts 23:1; 24:16; I Tim. 3:9; II Tim. 1:3).  Getting a clear conscience depends on how convinced we are that God's grace and not our own spirituality or obedience is our sole salvation.  Without assurance of our acceptance before God, based entirely on Christ's performance and sacrifice, not our own, we can never have a clear conscience.  We will always be wondering if there is one thing we've left undone.  

Keeping a clear conscience means that we are regularly examining our lives and confessing our sins to God and others if we have offended them.  Also involved is refusing to compromise our conscience. The recent moral lapses on the part of some televangelists raises the question of conscience and character.  It could be that the message of easy solutions is too superficial to deal with the deep struggles in our lives.  We must recapture a wholeness in our lives, which may be summed up in the word integrity.  In order to do that, we must recapture the profound relationship between knowing, feeling, and doing.  

Integrity is the heartfelt response to sound doctrine.  It is the "amen" cheered by the whole person in response to God's truths.  This is the way to wholeness and integrity:  truth (light), experienced (heat), and lived in such a way that the world is once again stirred to ask concerning our Lord, "Who is this Man from Nazareth?"  

-- Art Lindsley


For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com. 

Feeling

There is often much enthusiasm surrounding a T.V. ministry.  Some of the T.V. ministries make great appeals to the emotions and stir up rousing sentiments but deny the importance of the mind.  Now feelings are not wrong.  Feelings of love, joy, peace, and many other responses are all gifts from God.  He created our capacity to feel, and above all He created us with a capacity to enjoy Him.  One important Christian catechism asks, "What is man's chief end?"  and answers "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  So we see that enjoyment of God is one of the central purposes of our creation.  God also created us to enjoy relationships with other creatures and to enjoy the natural world.  The problem with the message of many televangelists is not their appeal to desires or feelings; the problem is that they settle for "mud pies in the slum" rather than "a holiday at the sea."  They, along with their followers, are far too easily pleased.

Even if we do gain perfect health and perfect wealth and achieve the power to accomplish many miracles, we can still lack the key to ultimate satisfaction:  knowing God.  Augustine once said, "Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee," not, "until we find our rest in miracles," or, "in prosperity," or "in great feelings," but in God Himself.  All humans have a spiritual hunger that only God Himself can satisfy.

Even an atheist, Franz Kafka, recognized the importance of satisfying his own spiritual hunger.  In one short story, The Hunger Artist, he summed up his thoughts.  He wanted his other works burned but insisted that this one story be saved.

Please read the following more than once.

In a typically bizarre fashion, Kafka has the hunger artist making his living by professional fasting.  He is the practitioner of a once venerated profession.  Seated on straw in his small barred cage, he is marveled at by throngs of people.  After forty days, his fasts were terminated in triumph.  His manager would make a speech, the band would play, and one of the ladies would lead him staggering in his weakened state out of the cage.  

However, the day arrived when fasting was no longer understood or appreciated by the people.  He lost his manager and had to join a circus.  His cage was placed next to the animals.  He became depressed by the smell, the restlessness of the animals at night, the raw flesh carried past him and the roaring at feeding time.  The people barely glanced at him in their hurry to see the animals.  Even the circus attendants failed to limit his fast by counting the days.  Finally, he was discovered lying in the straw, and in his dying breaths he told his secret:  "I have to fast," he whispered.  "I can't help it.  I couldn't find the food I liked.  If I had found it, believe me, I should have made no fuss and stuffed myself like you or anyone else."  

Kafka was a writer of parables.  The parable of the hunger artist is not about physical hunger but about spiritual hunger.  Kafka was the hunger artist, and he realized he was starving to death spiritually, but he couldn't find any food he liked.  

There is a hunger within us all that only God can satisfy.  That's what C.S. Lewis meant when he said, "We are halfhearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us."  The meeting of those material desires is not wrong in its proper context.  Yet we can be far too easily pleased.  The followers of these preachers are gorging themselves on junk food.  It is attractive.  It is sweet.  It tastes good.  But it does not satisfy, and it ends up destroying its host.  Many preachers today appeal to our desires for well-being but fail to emphasis (or perhaps fail even to see) the real need.  Christians need the knowledge of a just, holy and merciful God.  We need to know God's character and His attributes.  It is not that we desire too much.  We are not asking for too much when we demand health, wealth, and happiness, but too little!  Some preachers are passionate about things that can only bring partial satisfaction.  They appeal to halfheartedness when infinite joy is offered.  They call us to settle for "mud pies in a slum" because they cannot imagine what is meant by "a holiday at the sea."


For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com. 

Knowing Truth

Neglecting the serious questions for cheap thrills, one way some televangelists have settled for less is by depreciating the mind, centering almost entirely on feelings.  Sometimes the impression is given that faith and intellect are in a state of war.  "The mind," says Hagin, "is something that might trip you and cause you to fall."    Yet, in truth, though our minds are fallen, they are the door to our heart, our conscience, our feelings, and our actions.  What we believe determines how we feel and act.

The call Jesus gave to love God "with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind" is not at all foreign to Christianity.  Some of the greatest intellects of all time have found no contradiction between faith and reason. Since God is the author of both, faith and reason can (indeed should) be as compatible as a left and a right hand.

Many argue that it is more spiritual and faithful to believe without any intellectual reasons.  "Just love Jesus," they say, apart from any serious knowledge of who this Jesus is or what He accomplished.  Their argument, of course, is wrong.  Paul wrote, "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."  (2 Cor. 10:5).  In other words, it is a profoundly spiritual task to critique the philosophies that hold us back from knowing God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is actually a sign of a lack of spiritually that makes one fail to provide a well argued alternative to secularism in our universities and in our culture.

Christians often object to studying philosophy (and even theology!) on the basis that in Colossians 2:8, Paul warns us to beware that no-one takes us captive to such deceptive principles of the world.  Although Paul did issue such a warning, the only way for one to beware of the negative influence of some philosophy is to study and understand it thoroughly.  In order to beware of philosophy we need to be aware of it.  If we understand the competing ideologies well, we will know when they are affecting us.  For instance, because the preachers under criticism in this book apparently do not know church history, they are unaware that they are repeating the errors of past ages.  Because they do not understand Greek philosophy or Oriental mysticism or 19th theosophy, they do not know how seriously they have been affected by such thinking.  To take thoughts captive we have to think.


For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com.