Jeff Sharlett of The Revealer spent some time talking with a BBC reporter who is working the US evangelical/political beat to help enlighten worried Europeans.
Rod Parsley was essentially the focus of their conversation. You can read Jeff’s account here.
American evangelicalism is very much it’s own breed. I don’t know most of the players, but I have studied some of the streams of evangelicalism and how they line up to orthodoxy.
A quick search of The Apologetics Index leads you through various movements. Parsley is a Word Faith teacher.
Colorado Springs is headquarters to many extra-biblical offshoots of the Christian Faith.
Third Wave, Word Faith, Dominionism, Restoration, Latter Rain and other movements are busy networking there. Most of the leaders are not well known to media or mainstream Christianity. But they have been busy building bases the church should be concerned about. Things such as the World Prayer centre sound good on the outside, but a bit of reseach should raise a red flag for those that adhere to orthodox beliefs.
Here is an article on doctrinal discernment and why all believers are encouraged to test teaching against biblical standards.
Ted Haggard is an example of a powerful man involved in extra-biblical belief.
It has often been said that the revival churches and the leaders of the “New Order” love and adhere to the word of God. They say they accept the Bible as their foundation. On the contrary, although lip-service is paid to scripture, it is NEW REVELATIONS and extra-biblical teachings that are now the guiding light of the religious globalists. We see this from Ted Haggard’s statement, as printed in “Charisma” magazine:
“We must seek out a powerful, spiritual revelation of the Bible that will replace the purely intellectual study of God’s Word. One of the tenants of postmodernism, which is the term scholars are using to describe our cultural moment, is that experience is valued over cognitive reasoning. Intelligence is still important, of course, but it is no substitute for existential experience. We need both study and encounters with God. We don’t want to just understand something intellectually and squeeze the world into airtight models for existence; we want to live, to feel, to interact. This means that the Bible will become more than just a manual for morality or theology. It will be an open door to life in Christ. We won’t just memorize biblical truths; we will seek God for a powerful, experiential understanding of what those truths mean for our lives.” From “New Year’s Resolutions For a New Millennium” by Ted Haggard
I think the unease, worry and concern is justified. Each one of us is encouraged to be Bereans. With so many off-shoots a lack of knowledge isn’t optional.
Caveat: Lest my US friends think I am attacking movements exclusive to the US, shamefully Canada gave rise to two of the most abberant, heretical movements known. One is the Sharon Orphanage and Schools camp meeting in Saskatchewan, where in 1948 ‘revival’ broke out and furthered the Latter Rain Movement.
The Toronto Blessing, which began as ‘revival’ in 1994, was/is a Third Wave ‘imparting’ movement that has deceived and injured thousands of people from around the world.
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I’m amazingly in agreement with what you said here. I do know that the Holy Spirit “gives us power”. (many in Toronto were helped Spirit and others due to flesh weren’t) To me there is a balance, We must discern between flesh and Spirit. Sometimes out of the same “moverment” is Spirit and flesh at different times. Bible says “test the spirits to see if they are of God”. We must not say something is flesh when it is Spirit or vice versa. Both are equally wrong. I also know many who use “extra-biblical” teaching who say they are Berean who say certain things are not sin. To me that is just as bad as the extra-biblical on the other end. (not that you are in this case because you aren’t)I personally don’t like to define groups based on the extremes within groups. To me it does a dis-service to the Body of Christ. Some attack Evangelical based on extremes (fundamentalism even though I am to a point with my views on inerancy but that is another day), others attack Emergent because of the extremes. This is throwing the baby out with the bath water. We must correct the extremes withoutcategorizing people who are in a particular group but are not extreme within that group. Does that make sense or not? I open to give clarification on what I just said.
How is what he was saying extra-biblical? He was saying that instead of just knowing God word, we should believe that God would do all that he said he would do. He is saying we need God and his holy spirit to show up and touch those who are sick and need healing/delieverance and let the Word affect our lives and no be swept up in just a mental assent to the word. (there many be some bias there about intectualism -see mark noll’s the scandel of the evang mind.
You said,”…we should believe that God would do all that he said he would do.” To me what He said He would do is in His Word or consistent with the Word of God. Some would say gifts or all of Toronto was “extra-Biblical” when in fact it was consistent with the Word. I did say “some” not all of Toronto was “extra-biblical”. You say “…swept up in just a mental assent to the word.” This is where there gets to be a misunderstanding. To me it is not mental assent to not be “extra-biblical”. “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul and mind.” I personally believe what the Bible says with all of my heart, soul and mind. So therefore it is not “mental assent” like you say. Go back to my over-categorizing the extreme comment. I feel that Dr. Noll is doing this and saying things that are “mental assent” that are not. For those who extreme Evangelical you can say this, but a majority of Evangelicals believe what Noll categorizes as “intellectualism”, when in all actuality it is a heart, soul and mind Faith. I feel this does a disservice to those who have true Faith just because they are “Evangelical”. To me that is not a “scandal” especially if you are talking about “foundational” Truths of God. To me it is “extra-biblical” to look at for example Romans 1 for anything else than what it says.
Hey Smile - I’d encourage you to seek the answer to your own question.:^)
Bene, I probably went a little over board in my responses. I probably was shocked at how much we agree on this posts and that clouded my judgement with my response. I hope with all sincerety that both sides can work on this “extra-biblical” thing.
It’s okay Doug, everythings cool.
Since we have been vigerous in our disagreements (and probably will be again:^) your surprise is warrented, understood and accepted.
I haven’t read Mark Noll or about Mark Noll and didn’t think I should comment on someone and something I don’t know about.