Subject: purpose driven? |
Bible Note: Hi, brother Tim... I mean no disrespect, sir. However, what you are presenting here at several points is a logical fallacy called a false dichotomy. It isn't simply an either-or set of conclusions. You know perfectly well that the masses will not accept sound doctrine. I know you do, because it is scriptural and I know you to be a man of the Word. And I know perfectly well that numbers do not necessarily reflect a movement of God or of Satan. What is more, you know that I know this! :-) I offered my observations on my cursory examination of Mr. Warren's book. Further I cited specific scriptures that disagreed with the premises of his book (at least with the parts that I saw). There is but one purpose for every human being past, present, or future: to bring glory to God. Any book or any teacher that says otherwise is contradicting scripture. The premise you cited was not unbiblical in and of itself. But all roads do not lead to Rome. The end does not justify the means. The devil is in the details. Etc. Books that are not specifically theological can and do carry a theological perspective. This is particularly the case regarding any book that purports to discuss the topics of theology itself: i.e., the nature of God, the nature of man, the activities of the church, etc. A book that attempts to help "a church examine itself and see if it is fulfilling it's purposes effectively or not" is a book on theology, whether that was the intent or not. It can, therefore, only agree with scripture or disagree with scripture. If it does the former, I have no quarrels with it. If it does the latter, but purports to have some greater source of authority than the scriptures, I have no quarrels with it (I would disagree, but to me the writers would simply be part of a cult). If it does the latter and also claims to be sola scriptura (by citing scriptures to support their argument), then I have serious problems with it. Yes, Wal-Mart sells the Bible. Once again, though, just because they do does not mean that every book they sell is biblically sound. Nor does the palaver they sell mean that they do not sell some biblically sound literature. I don't think either of us claim otherwise, do we? I didn't bring that up as proof, only as an aside. If otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered picking the book up in the first place. Rhetorical questions: Don't you wish that every one of those bibles sold at Wal-Mart would be read? :-) Don't you wish that everyone who read any part of them would obey/believe what they read? In Him, Doc |