Is The Bible Too Constraining?

Dear Dave and T.A.,

I’m being beaten up—not literally, but by my kids and their friends because of my “negative news” of their emerging church involvement. Here’s one of their arguments that I’m having trouble dealing with. They object to what I’m saying: that scripture must be the judge of what is acceptable in church practice. I make the point that much that they are doing in their emerging church cannot be found in the New Testament writers, teachings, and practices. Their response is, “If that’s the case, then we need to get rid of most of what takes place in today’s evangelical churches, including organs, guitars, drums, Sunday School, nurseries, pews, public school dress systems,” and on and on.

Their analogy doesn’t fit, although many are convinced it does. How should I answer them?

Tom: Dave, Paul said (I’m thinking of Philippians), “Those things which ye have both learned and seen and heard in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with me.” (And he wasn’t talking about public address systems, or nurseries, or things like that, but those things that really have spiritual value, we need to look to Him, to God, and certainly what he wrote was inspired of the Holy Spirit.

Dave: Well, Tom, there is a good reason why the Bible doesn’t give us a…give out a hymn, and then have a prayer, and then a short testimony. It doesn’t tell you the order. It doesn’t tell you how to do this. Jesus said, “They who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

Tom:  John:4:24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
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Dave: Right. So this is truth! Now, the Emerging Church, which we’ve discussed for a number of weeks, they have left truth behind. They don’t believe the Bible is truth. Really? We’re going to have to discuss that. It may take us years!

Now, it can’t be that complicated. It’s like—remember? The Catholics and the Lutherans—they’ve discussed Justification by Faith for thirty years, and finally concluded—well, they agreed—"Well, I guess the Reformation was a semantic misunderstanding, and all the people that were burned at the stake. It’s a pity that they were, but it was just a misunderstanding.”

No! There are some things that we can understand. We know what it means because we know what the Bible says. They’re picking up forms and gavels and so forth, these accouterments that accompany that. The Bible doesn’t talk about that.

Tom: It certainly doesn’t say that it will enhance your spirituality!

Dave: That’s the problem. Using physical things and physical methods for getting closer to God, or understanding of God, and that is absolutely—well, it’s another form of materialism, Tom, that we’re talking about. It is religious materialism. “If I could just get some (material thing)!” So, they have gone to this. So, their church service, however they’re doing it—darkened it, or….  We don’t want to go back over all that—but the candles, and the prayer stations, and so forth, that’s “engaging God”! This is a doorway to “God,” and they say so! “This is going to help our spirituality!” Like visualization.

So, Tom, that’s the problem. It’s not just a problem of where you put the chairs and so forth, the order of the service.

Tom: Right!

Dave: Is this in truth?

Tom: Dave, that’s what I think those who are involved in Emerging churches, or developing Emerging churches—now some people would say, “Well, you’re just using a broad brush. We’re not into that.”

Again, I’ve mentioned this before. I’ve read many—many—of the leading Emerging Church writers, and I can tell you this: If your church isn’t into some of the things we’re talking about —just as you mentioned: Well, they don’t really believe the Bible is true, and its stories, and conversation is more important.

“Well, my church isn’t into that!”

Well, guess what? If they’re going in this direction, and reading these writers, these emergent church writers, it’s going to end up there, because this is the heart of what they’re talking about. 

Dave, the other thing that concerns me is that I’ve heard people say, “Well, you don’t understand. I’ve got to have Liturgy. I’ve got to have tradition. I have to have this, because when I go to church, I want to feel this kind of thing.”

And this isn’t just young people saying it.  I know old people who’ve said, “This is what I need! I’ve come out of an old High Episcopal church, and wow! This is what’s meaningful to me.”

Dave: Well, Tom, getting back to this question, we’re going to have to—it sounds like whoever wrote this is trying to do the right thing.

Tom:  Mm-hmm.

Dave: We’ve got to go back to the Bible!

“Yeah, but why do we have to go back to the Bible?” 

That’s something we have to deal with. And this is the Word of God. This is what governs our lives. The problem is, we don’t look upon it as the Word of God. Do you really believe God wrote this for us and we are to pay attention to it and give heed to it, then this is all we need, and go back to (we’ve often quoted it) 2 Timothy:3:16-17 [16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [17] That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
See All...: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine (let’s get back to doctrine!), reproof (oh, we don’t want to be reproved), correction (I don’t want to be corrected), instruction in righteousness, and then it says, “that the man, (woman, boy, girl,) may be perfect.” That means “mature, thoroughly furnished unto every good work.”

Now, you Emerging Church people, you young people, do you want to be thoroughly furnished unto every good work? Do you want to worship God in spirit and in truth? Then why not go by the Bible?”

Person: “Oh, I don’t like the Bible. It’s too narrowminded” or whatever.

Dave:  Then you are a rebel in your heart. Go ahead. Take your own way. See where it leads.

Tom: Yeah, I’m thinking of John:17:17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
See All...: “Sanctify them [this is a prayer that Jesus prayed to the Father for us]. Set them apart! Sanctify them through Thy truth.” 

“Well, images and candles and rituals….” No! He says, “Thy word is truth.”

And we know…what is it? John:31:32
See All...: It’s the Word that will set us free. Isn’t that what the scripture says?

Dave: Right. And, Tom, you mentioned earlier. Many of these young people are not really saved. That’s a problem. How do they get saved? “We are born again by [this is First Peter 1:23-24, and so forth]…We are born again by the Word of God, and this [verse 25] this is the Word, which by the gospel is preached unto you.” We’re not preaching the Word as we should! Paul said to Timothy, “Preach the Word.”

Okay, so instead of that spiritual junk food that we’re raising our young people on, in many cases—videos and so forth, fun and games— Tom, we’ve got a real problem! And I don’t know the thorough answer to this question, but we’ve got to get back to the Word!