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NASB | Matthew 16:6 And Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 16:6 Jesus said to them, "Watch out and be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." |
Subject: Is "slain in the Spirit" biblical? |
Bible Note: Justme, even so, I got saved in a church like that. Six months later, they kicked me out. What kind of church was it? I don't know, but during one "teaching" on the crucifixion, our pastor raised his arms and said, "The Holy Spirit just told me there were two men on each side of Jesus, not one." No one objected; it's thrilling to be around a guy like that. The thrill waned, however, and soon after, I was booted from the the church for challenging this pastor on a personal point. He told me furiously that I had a "rebellious spirit." Again, no one objected, and the congregation responded as if I were a contagion. (This pastor, by the way, was a great admirer of Price). Being young in faith, it hit me hard, but I met good people who steered me into the bible, where we're all supposed to be. These churches you describe share 2 distict characteristics. 1) The pastor is king. 2) Theology trumps love. In the former, the charismatic pastor develops an unhealthy lock on the hearts and minds of his flock. You hear, "Pastor says" versus "Jesus says," and churchmembers become defensive when you question their beliefs, nasty when you press them (been there, briefly, myself). They may fire scripture at you, typically divorced from context (or altered, as with the JW's) and shun you when you don't yield. This is a great danger to our faith and goes against the heart of Jesus. In the latter, a more subtle clouding of the mind occurs as people begin to see others through the dark glass of theology rather than the clear glass of empathetic love. This is hard to say, but I think very true. Remember Job's friends? Didn't they blast away at his faith, then when Job argued back, turn nasty? Theology trumped love. There are friends like these within this forum. Re. your last statement, the first pastor I mentioned called it a "commanded blessing," i.e. "telling God what to do." There is an actual term for it. Colin. |