The New and Improved Christianity: Subjective Personal Experience Leads Us to Truth! Or: The "Make It Up As You Go" Christianity!
The following is an exact quote of three paragraphs from page 232 of "A Prophetic Vision for the 21st Century" by Rick Joyner (with my comments in parenthesis):
False prophets and false prophecies are founded on deception. The most effective guise of the enemy is to come as "an angel of light" or "a messenger of truth." Just because a prophecy has some truth in it does not make it genuine. Unfortunately, Satan knows the Bible better than most Christians. He is so clever at perverting its message, he even tried it on Jesus, who is the Word Himself. Just knowing Scripture, and being able to bludgeon others into submission with it, does not make one a true messenger. We must ask if someone is "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV). (Outside of his bizarre "bludgeoning" reference, this is a very straight-forward and orthodox Christian paragraph.)
Who will know if the Word is being rightly divided? The One who wrote the Book. (Only God knows? Notice what Joyner leaves out? The ability of believers to rightly divide the Word based on the Word itself!) Doesn't that leave a lot of room for subjectivity? Yes, it does, and that is dangerous, but it is far more dangerous not to allow for subjectivity in the discernment of truth. Subjectivity is essential. (This is not a parody piece-he actually wrote this, and it gets worse...) The Lord must become our personal Savior, our personal Lord, and truth must be personal if we are really going to know it. (Notice that no Bible references are given to back up these claims about needing a personal Lord and Savior. I believe Jesus IS Lord. Period... regardless of my personal feelings or experience. And exactly when do we know for sure that truth has become personal? Isn't truth, by it's very definition, self-existing?) For this reason the Bible was meant to be relatively subjective in its interpretation. This was not to promote private interpretations, but to require each of us to be seekers of the Lord and His truth ourselves. (This is "double speak" of the most extreme order.) We will not keep from being deceived just because we know someone who knows the Bible. Every one of us must know the Spirit of Truth. (Again, what is he leaving out? Knowing the Bible in order to avoid deception!)
Scholars have devised many systems of hermeneutics to remove subjectivity from biblical interpretation. (Joyner knows the motives behind every Bible scholar who has ever lived?) Many of these are excellent guidelines, but regardless of how good our hermeneutics, we will be subject increasingly to deception in the coming times if we do not know and follow the Spirit of Truth. We must recognize that some hermeneutic principles are an attempt to remove our need for the Holy Spirit, regardless of how much the developers give lip service to needing Him. (It's amazing how Joyner knows when theologians are merely giving lip service!) Many of those who react the most to what they perceive to be people's tendency toward "private interpretations" are really reacting to the ability of people to see things differently from the way they do. (Notice how Joyner can't come right out and call private interpretations what they really are: private interpretations. This is why there is so much chaos, confusion and defection in the "hyper-charismatic" church: everyone is just making it up as they go. Folks, PLEASE stay away from this man's teaching-and all the other "Super Apostles" like him! -Steven Kozar)
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