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The Way of Cain - Page 48New teachings in the Christian Church- Where are They Leading Us?
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''In these latter days preaching and simply teaching the word is no longer sufficient.''
(Steve Hill)
''There is a dimension that is coming, and now is, that we have no frame of reference for and most of us think that we do... It is going to be so unusual you are not going to be able to look at the word... ''
(Mike Bickle) (43)
''...every single person that believes the Bible - that says 'If you can't show it to me in the Bible, I don't do it' ... the Bible was not written to be read in that narrow context.''
(Wes Campbell) (44)
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2Tim 3:16-17
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Mk 13:31
Yes, they seem to use it, they quote from it, but in practice, the Bible has lost its authority to their new prophecies whose message goes far beyond the Bible's teachings. There is an air of superiority -arrogance, even- over the church of previous ages- ''the 90's'' and the coming century are imagined worthy of something new beyond the tired, old message of the Bible- something more ''positive.'' Their gospel is so 'cutting edge'- it's too fresh to be in the Bible! There is an attitude of having matured beyond the word.
They are prone to rationalize unbiblical doctrines and practices with the same few superficial phrases like ''God is bigger than His word'' - yes, does that mean He acts contrary to it? Or, referring to Jn 21:25, claiming that since ''everything Jesus did isn't recorded in the Bible,'' maybe this doctrine or practice is something that just isn't in there but could have been. Our Omnipotent, all-knowing, all-wise God is surely the Master Author and was able to choose for inclusion in His word every principle necessary for us to know. And that He surely did this is obvious from the statements He has made concerning His word, quoted above.
Those of us who remain faithful to the scriptures are often accused of ''putting God in a box,'' as though the Almighty God could be limited by us, and, absurdly, by us applying His own word! I hear the same ring in these phrases as I hear in that tempting ''Indeed, has God said...?'' recorded in Gen 3:1.
When the Bible is used in the movement, it is haphazardly. Most often the symbolic/allegorical method is used, yet there is no overall logic to their system. They fragment the scriptures to support their various ideas, as opposed to drawing sound doctrine out of a comprehensive view of the whole word of God, rightly divided.
In the symbolic method of interpretation, with a little imagination, the Bible can be made to appear to support anything. Symbolism and allegory are used to draw far-fetched teachings out of random fragments of verses. Here is an illustration I like of just how far out it gets. When ''prophet'' John Hinkle prophesied on TBN that God had told him that on June 9, 1994, He would fulfill Isaiah 25:6-9 by ''ripping the blanket of evil out of the world,'' Gary Fischer, of Lion of Judah ministries, pointed it out as a false prophecy. He tells of a letter he received in response:
I never cease to be amazed at a method of interpretation of Scripture called the Allegorical or Figurative Method! ...those given to this form of interpretation usually distort the meaning of Scripture by insisting that any given verse has a ''spiritual'' or symbolic, hidden meaning; that it almost never means what it says. Only those who ''listen closely'' to the Holy Spirit can decipher the meaning of the symbols.
I recently received the following response about John Hinkle's June 9, 1994 prophecy from our newsletter article... This [following] article, quoted from a man in Beulaville, NC, is a perfect example of ''spiritualizing'' Scripture.
'The truth of the matter is that this ''Thursday, June the 09th'' of which the Holy Spirit spoke about and described to John is a ''spiritual date.'' With ''spiritual dates'' we have to listen closely to the Holy Spirit within for His teaching to us what their counter ''natural dates'' on our calendar are .... On May 29, 1995 the Holy Spirit caused me to understand that this ''Thursday, June the 09th'' is ''Day 5'' of the 7-year week of ''June 09th'' .... So I testify to you that that which the Holy Spirit spoke to John J. Hinkle on March 04, 1993 about this ''Thursday, June the 09th'' will state to be fulfilled at the coming MID-NIGHT changing of the day from the 6th 1,000 year from Adam to the 7th 1,000 year day from Adam on May 31 - June 01, 1998.'
(HUH!!)
I don't know about anyone else, but this kind of symbolism to me is very reckless! I didn't know why the Holy Spirit has to be so vague with us! Why can't the Holy Spirit speak to us in terms we can easily understand? The simple truth about this matter is the Holy Spirit did not tell John Hinkle to say that the removing of the veil of evil in Isaiah 25:7 would occur on June 9, 1994 because it did not happen!
(Gary Fisher, Lion of Judah Ministries)
...we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men... Eph 4:14
J. Dwight Pentecost, in his classic Things To Come, made a very accurate statement about this method, ''a... great danger in the allegorical method: the basic authority in interpretation ceases to be the Scriptures, but the mind of the interpreter.''
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