Bible study question

[carolejw]

At the So. Bapt. church we attend on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights, they have started a "bible study" using Rick Warren's book, God's Power to Change Your Life. Have you read or heard anything of this book. I've read the first 2 chapters and it seems to follow scripture. So why do I feel uneasy about it?

[Brother Ben]

I hope this comes across o.k. My view on Rick Warren and Purpose Driven Life and all of that mega church stuff is this. I am a conservative, fundamentally minded, Christian. When this stuff comes down the pike I look at with the view that these guys are not conservative, fundamentally minded, Christians. I do not think they are lost heretics, though some may be, so I do not expect from them what I might read from a conservative source. The men of God who have instructed me over the years have said this, "Eat the meat, spit out the bones." Do you get my point. I am sure that Rick Warren has some positive things to say in his study, but all things are to be weighed with the scripture.

My wifes grandmother goes to a SBC church in Alabama and her church does book studies all the time. As my brother George would say, "Why not just study the Bible!" (You would, wouldn't you brother.) and he is right. I like books and I have lots of them. But one must always remember there is a big difference between the books men make and the book that makes men! The Bible.

Out of the mouth of babes:

The B-I-B-L-E
Yes, that's the Book for me!
I stand alone on the word of God,
The B-I-B-L-E
BIBLE!

[George]

I am very well acquainted with Rick Warren and his various programs. He is an abomination in my opinion and I would not read anything he wrote nor would I attend a church that used his materials.

In his original work, "The Purpose Driven Life," Warren used 26, that's right, 26 different versions of the Bible to make his points. Rather than being expositional in nature and having the goal in mind to explain scripture he sought out various bibles until he found one that supported his viewpoint and used it. Warren's purpose in life is to be driven directly to the bank.

I have spoken to people who have gone to his church to see what it is like. I have been told that in the lobby and even the auditorium of the church there are so many merchandise tables people are literally falling over them to get in and out of "church." I say church in parens for the simple fact that Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple.

Yes Brother Ben, George says study your Bible. My word, until I have a thorough knowledge of the Bible, which will not happen in this lifetime, I do not need to read other books. There are key exceptions. Books that are expository in nature for example. Good dictionaries which use the definitions of words as they were used in the Bible and not assigning the modern meanings of the words. At times I will consult a good, fundamental commentary to ensure I am on the right track.

What ever happened to good old fashioned Bible study classes in our Churches? What is this desire to bring in other works such as Warren's? Do these people think God needs the help?

SBC churches are suspect to me anyway. I have an aunt who recently was "ordained" into the SBC ministry. How does that work? The SBC itself has relaxed the teachings of the Bible to the point I believe they ought drop the word Baptist from their name and perhaps substitute Methodist or something like that.

My goodness!

In Christ,
George