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Reading the Bible is Dangerous

Adapted and Inspired from Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna.

Sorry, but when it comes to your ability to understand your Bible, you got shafted.

All of the books are out of order. It was chopped up into fragments with the addition of chapters and verses, causing you to want to use it more like a manual than a story. Let's face it, you don't know the historical context. Even F.F. Bruce, one the greatest scholars of our time said that reading the letters of Paul is like listening to one end of a phone conversation.

So, what do we do? We approach the Bible with the cut and paste method. We come with scissors and glue, ready to cut, paste and create a basis for our thoughts, feelings, and our favorite doctrines and practices. This is how we justify our man-made, encased traditions and pass them off as "biblical." And don't think your preacher is immune because they went to seminary or Bible college. They can be the worst offenders. This, after all, is traditionally the way they are taught.

It is no wonder we can approvingly nod our heads at paid pastors, the Sunday morning order of worship, sermons, church buildings, religious dress, choirs, worship teams, seminaries, and a passive priesthood. I know what you're thinking, "But here it says..."  Nope, that's what you were taught it says.

Sorry, you and I both got shafted. If you're fortunate, you'll find that rare person you can glean from that has undertaken the task of overcoming the shaft.

The 2nd man united blog summarizes and discusses great Christian books for those who wish they could read more. It is written by 2nd man united, a Christian pop/alternative band that educates its fans in the Christian life through music, the blog, podcasts, videos and more.  Sign up now for the 2nd man united e-mail newsletter and receive FREE exclusive content for subscribers.

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Using Bible Verses to Prove a Point

Adapted and Inspired from Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna.

There is a problem in how we approach the New Testament. This problematic approach is called "proof-texting." This is the idea that if we lift a verse out of the Bible, it can be used in and of itself to prove a doctrine or a practice.

The fact is, many of our contemporary accepted teachings were arrived at using this approach. As a result, we rarely, if ever, get to see the New Testament as a whole. Rather, we are served up a dish of fragmented thoughts that are drawn together by means of fallen human logic.

The fruit of this approach is that we have strayed far afield from the practice of the New Testament church. Yet, the belief is still there that we are being biblical.

The 2nd man united blog summarizes and discusses great Christian books for those who wish they could read more. It is written by 2nd man united, a Christian pop/alternative band that educates its fans in the Christian life through music, the blog, podcasts, videos and more.  Sign up now for the 2nd man united e-mail newsletter and receive FREE exclusive content for subscribers.

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There is No Substitute for Body Life!

Adapted and Inspired from Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna.

Socrates is the father of contemporary Christian education. The heart of this problem, to use a metaphor from the Bible, is that Socrates ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil rather than the tree of life. (See Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life).  Socrates believed that one could use human mind and power to elevate themselves into divine truth; essentially saying, "I'll do it on my own," just as Adam and Eve said.

Today, Christian education is essentially data transfer. If a student accurately regurgitates the information that they are fed, they are awarded a degree and considered "qualified" to be a minister. While there is usefulness for knowledge, the essence of Christian education in the New Testament was relational. And it took place in the highly taxing environment of the body of Christ where Christians lived in close-knit community and struggled to make corporate decisions together under the headship of Christ without the presence of a human head whatsoever.

Giving and receiving information is not enough.  They must be given a revelation of Jesus Christ and taught to live a corporate life under Christ's Headship, of which millions of books and memorized Bible verses will never accomplish. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR BODY LIFE!

The 2nd man united blog summarizes and discusses great Christian books for those who wish they could read more. It is written by 2nd man united, a Christian pop/alternative band that educates its fans in the Christian life through music, the blog, podcasts, videos and more.  Sign up now for the 2nd man united e-mail newsletter and receive FREE exclusive content for subscribers.

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Christian Education: Blending Christianity with Pagan Philosophy

Adapted and Inspired from Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna. 

Throughout church history there have been four stages of theological education:

1. Episcopal, the theology of the bishops - Bishops and priests were trained on how to perform the various rituals and liturgies of the church.

2. Monastic, the theology of the monks - A heavy reliance on pagan philosophy severely diluted the Christian faith. Special schools were formed to study Christian doctrine and Christianity became no less a philosophy than a religion.

3. Scholastic, the theology of the professor - Academic approach adopting an Aristotelian model of thinking centered on rational knowledge and logic and the belief that reason is the gateway to divine truth. From it's beginnings, Western university education involved the fusion of pagan and Christian elements.

4. Seminarian, the theology of the professional minister - growing out of the scholastic system, it is based on Aristotle's philosophical system dedicated to training professional ministers. It prefers the intellect to the heart for arriving at truth. It believes that the more highly trained people's reason and intellect, the better they will know God.

Each stage is highly intellectual and study driven. Regardless of how much we wish to deny it, contemporary theology is a blending of Christian thought and pagan philosophy. The teaching of the New Testament is that God is Spirit, and as such, He is known by revelation to one's human spirit. Reason and intellect can cause us to know about God. And they help us communicate what we know. But they fall short in giving us spiritual revelation. (I Corinthians 2:9-16)

The 2nd man united blog summarizes and discusses great Christian books for those who wish they could read more. It is written by 2nd man united, a Christian pop/alternative band that educates its fans in the Christian life through music, the blog, podcasts, videos and more.  Sign up now for the 2nd man united e-mail newsletter and receive FREE exclusive content for subscribers.

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Two Ways to Train for Ministry

Adapted and Inspired from Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna.

The idea that a Christian worker must attend Bible college or seminary to be legitimate is deeply ingrained - so much so that when people feel a call on their lives, they are conditioned to begin hunting for one. The problem with this is that it's academic training for the intellect and not hands-on training in the environment of body life that works to develop a life in the Spirit. (Ephesians 4:15-16)

In the first century, those called to the Lord's work were trained in two ways:

1. They learned the essential lessons of Christian ministry by living a shared life with a group of Christians.  In other words, they were trained by experiencing body life as non-leaders.

2.  They learned the Lord's work under the tutelage of an older, seasoned worker.

The truth is that most of our modern ministry training is at odds with the way of Christ - for it is based upon the educational system of the world. (see Watchman Nee's Love Not the World)  The teaching of the New Testament is that God is Spirit, and as such, He is known by revelation to one's human spirit. Reason and intellect can cause us to know about God. And they help us communicate what we know. But they fall short in giving us spiritual revelation. The intellect is not the gateway for knowing the Lord deeply. Neither are the emotions.

Extensive Bible knowledge, a high-powered intellect, and razor-sharp reasoning skills do not automatically produce spiritual men and women who know Jesus Christ profoundly and who can impart a life-giving revelation of Him to others. This, by the way, is the basis of spiritual ministry.

The 2nd man united blog summarizes and discusses great Christian books for those who wish they could read more. It is written by 2nd man united, a Christian pop/alternative band that educates its fans in the Christian life through music, the blog, podcasts, videos and more.  Sign up now for the 2nd man united e-mail newsletter and receive FREE exclusive content for subscribers.

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