The pastor in this video shows a clip from Rob Bell’s Nooma video Dust and then examines the lies that spewed from the mouth of this false teacher. After watching the video clip from Dust I have to wonder what the difference is between Rob Bell, Oprah Winfrey, and Dr. Phil.
Christ Alone Wyoming 
Pilgrim,
Thanks for exposing guys like Rob Bell and Rick Warren, people have to see the truth.
Eddie
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Way to go Pastor Cameron Buetell!! So many of todays 20 somethings think that Pastors have to be “hip” and “relevant” but in doing so they lay aside key truths and lead their sheep straight to the pits of hell. Well I think this Pastor and his church look pretty cool yet he’s not afraid of sharing the Truth! So bravo to him, you can be “cool” and not sacrifice doctrine! I wish more Pastors would follow suit.
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He made a couple excellent points about Jesus “believing in us.”
1) Peter had a whole lot of faith in himself when he boasted that “I shall never deny You!!” Even though Jesus had just told him, “Simon, Simon! Satan has asked to sift you…I have prayed that your faith owuld not fail…And when you have returned…” Basically, He was saying, “Satan is going to have his way with you. Your flesh is going to fail, but I have asked the Father to make sure your faith in Me doesn’t fail. Now, after I restore you after you fail me…” Sounds to me like Peter had more faith in himself than he had in the words of Christ.
2) The sending of the Holy Spirit. If God has so much faith in us, why did He need to send the Holy Spirit? Isn’t that kinda like telling your kids, “I trust you, but I’m going to follow you around, and show you what to do and tell you what to say so you don’t mess up.”
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He is exactly right! I like what he says that the people should be Berean Christians. This is what all Christians should be doing!
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I am a little hesistant to throw in on saying Bell is a false teacher just by this video alone
I’ve seen the Nooma videos a couple years ago. They are really short topic focused things. Because of the length nothing in these video is explained in depth (notions are just touched upon), so just because something is left out, doesn’t mean Bell doesn’t believe in it. When he says God has “faith in us”, I don’t think he expects us to count it as doctrine, but an analogy of sorts. Reliance on the Holy Spirit is perhaps an unsaid given.
I have not heard him preach at length, but does he ever say we don’t need the Holy Spirit? We can do it on our own.
I agree “ye of little faith” s/b faith in God.
But when you have little faith, do you blame God? No you kind of blame yourself…hence you are doubting your own ability to believe. We have doubts and insecurities sometimes. Just because there are two verses where Peter is a little full of himself, that doesn’t mean he never had weak times. What we declare out of our mouth doesn’t always match on the inside.
Did Jesus “believe” in his disciples abilities/faith/heart to fufill His purposes?…he must’ve had some reason for choosing who he chose. It doesn’t seem random. He put thought into it. Just my opinion.
Is that a wolf in the header or the herder’s dog. Wasn’t sure, but it’s cool if it was meant to be a wolf. I bet folks miss it the first time they visit.
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i think i’ll follow sojourner on this one – despite the fact that this pastor’s doctrine was dead on, and i whole-heartedly agree with his reclaiming the appropriate interpretation of the passage – addressing the misuse of a passage is not the same as discrediting the entire ministry of a man. i have heard a few podcast sermons from rob bell, and though i may not agree all the time with his doctrine, i really beleive that his fundamentals are sound.
that being said, i have to admit my exposure to him is limited. but judging him and his ministry based on a 3 minute clip from a small group study aide (nooma video) seems like a knee-jerk reaction.
also, bell does seem to be onto an important idea (inspite of his presentation) – we as Xians get so wrapped up in our “lacking enough” faith that we render ourselves inactive. our faith is to be purposeful/active. whether we feel like we have enough faith or not (especially since no-one can claim perfect and sufficient faith, but instead only graciously effective faith), we are to be about God’s work, and i think that bell may very well be attempting to bring listeners to that realization in this clip. so for all who have watched, and who will watch, i hope that is where it pushes them: out of inaction and into an active (God-centered & glorifying) Xian life.
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Yes, the animal amongst the flock in the header is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Good eye.
For those who think that Rob Bell is being criticized for one video are jumping to a conclusion. Rob Bell has shown himself to be a false teacher time and time again. This particular video above was just examining an example of that.
But rather than take my word for it, I’ve linked below information for those who seriously want to look more into Mr. Bell.
Here are some videos of Rob Bell.
Here are articles on Rob Bell.
Here’s a commentary on Rob Bell.
Here’s what Rob Bell thinks of the Bible.
– The Pilgrim
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Perhaps if we stopped nit-picking one another, we would begin to look more like Christ ourselves. Of course Rob is reading the text in a fresh way. I find it helpful to review the text without the weight of commentators to restrict my reading. Are we now holding commentaries up as equal to Scripture??
I don’t see how Bell’s description in anyway elevates people over God. I think what is more damaging is when we tear down others rather than building up the people we are teaching. Aren’t we supposed to teach that which will edify the body? Didn’t Jesus say, “…a family that is in constant squabble disintergrates…” (Matt 12:25).
I also recall a story about a time when Jesus is talking to his disciples about their squabbling about who was going to be the greatest. John spoke up and said, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t in our group.” Rather than being pleased, which is what I think John and the others were expecting (because it sounds like they are still thinking about who is going to be the greatest and of course anyone NOT in their group is NOT even in the running), Jesus was not pleased. In fact, HE said, “Do not stop him. No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down. If he’s not an enemy, he’s an ally.” (Mark 9)
I think rather than fighting one another, we need to find the ‘enemy’ and fight against him. Of course, that is a paradox in itself, because how did Jesus teach us to treat our enemies??
“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”
(Matt. 5:43-48)
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In Matthew Chapter 17 three of the Lord’s disciples saw Jesus transfigured – His outward appearance transformed from within by the glory of His deity for a brief moment. They fell on their faces,
trembling in fear at just a tiny glimpse of His glory. Therefore, in Chapter 18, we could expect their reaction to be, “Lord, Your majesty and splendor has overwhelmed us! What might we do to serve you better?” Right?
Wrong! Chapter 18 records their most pressing question: “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1) The disciples wanted to know the same thing that a distressing number of Christians want to know today: “What’s in it for me?”
Jesus answered by summoning a small unspoiled child into their midst, and told them, “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4)
Before the Lord imparts His glorious grace upon His human creations, He wants to see the quality of humility. (James 4:10) Humility, it is sometimes said, is not thinking too much of oneself, or too little of oneself. However, a close inspection of Christ’s teaching here is that true humility is actually not thinking of oneself at all. Imagine the freedom and the inspired power that God can impart to His children when they no longer care how “great” they look to men, but instead begin to get zealous over how great God looks to men, and how much God can do to
help the people they encounter on a daily basis.
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fighting4joy,
This is not “nit-picking.” This is defending the truth of the word of God. When one decides to look at what was written, and say “What does this mean to ME??” rather than “What did God mean when He inspired the writer to say that?” that is when people run into all kinds of trouble. (see Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.)
That passage about Peter walking on the water is about as plain as you can get. After all, did Peter’s ability to walk on the water come from inside himself–or was it the power of Christ working in him? I think we both know the answer to that question. When Peter took his eyes off Christ, and began to doubt that Jesus would bring him through the wind and the waves, and sank, Jesus asked him, “I brought you this far. Why did you doubt I could bring you the rest of the way?”
Looking back at your comment, I noticed one thing that was missing: a defense of Rob Bell’s comments. Nothing at all about backing up what he said with Scripture. Rather than show us why we are “wrong,” you simply threw out the same post-modern arguments about how we are being “diviseive, etc.” Actually, the onus of proof is on Rob Bell. The Scripture says what it says (and when I say ‘Scripture,’ I don’t mean that abomination called “The Message”), and it is up to Rob Bell to prove why his interpretation is correct.
Of course, that flies in the face of postmodernism, because no one can say anybody is “right” or “wrong.” Including you. You have told us that we are wrong, which means you are being judgmental!
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Seriously?
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pilgirm,
i watched the clips you linked from the interspiritual compassion conference. although i may disagree with bell’s lack of explicit reference to scripture or to Xp, i heard nothing that was inherently wrong, just veiled. so i didn’t find those clips convincing, the context in which he was speaking was limiting – he agreed to the parameters and you and i may have declined if it meant veiling our theology, but that was his choice. and the truth he presented may well have opened people up to consider the message of the gospel or perhaps he only perpetuateed the status quo – but i do not feel that his answers undermined xianity. thus i can’t consider these clips sufficient to identify him as a “wolf.”
the articles were interesting but not compelling, editorial comments about him aren’t suprisingly polarized (he is a polarizing figure for those of us in the reformed camp), and i would take issue with quite a bit of his stuff as well i assume.
so i guess i’ll just have to read his actual words in print and draw my conclusions.
with regards to his view of the bible – i think what is being communicated is a desire to move back into the mystery of the scripture and not to consider the scripture a handbook that we can flip through to get quick answers. there is mystery inherent in the word and to want to appreicate instead of marginalzie the scripture is an excellent desire. would i say it is a human book, no. it is a divine book which is why it is mysterious, but it does bear the marks of its human authors, so dependeding on bell’s intention behind that statement i may or may not take issue with it.
pretty much – big picture, i like alot of what rob bell seems to be about – as far as the details of how he works it out, i often [with you] will take exception. but let’s take exception not disregard what insight, challenges, and encouragement can be drawn from his ministry.
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By publishing this post I did not have any false notions that I would awaken all the Robellians from their defense of their leader. And I certainly don’t hold to any delusions of arguing his followers into seeing Rob Bell for what he truly is (based on his own words, teachings and associations).
There are many of you who have zero discernment, who have drank the Kool-Aid, and who can rest comfortably on following the pied pipings of a man who claims he has no idea what the Bible means, and can sit comfortably on the stage with leaders of various false world faiths collectively building their Towel of Babel while Bell hides the light of the True Gospel under a bushel and blurs the lines between the One True God and the false gods of the false world religions.
I (and others) have provided adequate resources for the Robellians to investigate, but if your origins are based on a sandy foundation with no certainty that anything is true, then all the evidence in the world will not change your hearts and minds. We can lead a horse to water but . . . you know the rest.
However, there are many others who genuinely want to know about this man and what he is really teaching. It’s for those that posts like this are available.
As for me and the other contributors of this blog (and many of its readers) we will never compromise to whatever excuses you can come up with to follow, endorse, or even speak favorably of a man who calls the Dali Lama “His Holiness.” What an utterly blasphemous and spiritually adulterous thing for a professing Christian to call man who–like the rest of us–is a sinful, fallen, and depraved human being. Only One is holy and it certainly isn’t the head of a false religion that is leading millions to a Christ-less eternity in Hell.
Choose this day whom you will serve.
– The Pilgrim
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It was not my intent to defend Bell or judge anyone. I am stating an opinion based on how I read the Scriptures… because I will not base my life on how someone else reads them… and somehow this has been labeled as postmodernism??
That’s ok.
I do appreciate the openess of your comments and that you allowed me to even express an opinion. But I don’t even like Kool-aid! And as far as leading horses to water, there is the possibility of too much of a good thing. If the horse is hydrated, too much water can kill it. (I really hate metaphors! Sorry to play with you so maniacally.)
I don’t claim to be a ‘Robellian’. I’ve listened to his sermons in the past. I don’t think this makes me a ‘Robellian’ anymore than my reading and listening to John MacArthur makes me a
‘MacArthurian’. (I PROMISE I am NOT an MacArthurian!) I admit that I do not know everything, either about Scripture, God or the world. I have taught for several years as a lay leader. I have been Precept Ministries trained. Yet there is still so much I do not understand about the Bible! (I agree with what kisernl said about it being so mysterious.) But then, I am not God, the Holy Spirit or the Son.
Choosing to serve God, even though I am a broken vessel,
Joy
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Another problem with Rob Bell’s twisted teachings is this: It is not Scriptural. One cannot take a certain passage of Scripture and come up with some crazy new interpretation that is contrary to what the rest of Scripture says. Let’s look at what Rob Bell calls, “Jesus’ faith in us”
John 15:5–“Without Me, you can do nothing.”
Luke 21:14-15–“14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.”
Jesus tells these disciples that “He has faith in” that if it were not for Jesus speaking through and working in these men, they “can do NOTHING.”
And when you consider that Peter had a lot of faith in himself when he said he woule never deny Christ, and when he cut of Malchus’ ear, both of these events show what happens when we have too much “faith in ourselves.”
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pilgrim,
i’m not sure if your approach is supposed to be “straight talk” or “tough love” but you missed the mark and have come across as condescending and belittling. i like the dialogue and discussion around this post, but the soapbox rant is just a turn off.
– kisernl
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Dear Kisrnl:
Has the very concept of the web log (blog) escaped you? The very idea of a “blog” is a virtual soapbox.
I really do tire of people coming onto our blog and telling us what we can/can’t and should/shouldn’t say. I also grow bored with the ad hominem comments while completely ignoring the issues raised (e.g. a so-called Christian leader calling the Dali Lama “His Holiness”).
If listing facts turns you off, then I recommend finding someone else’s digital soapbox to hang around as this one certainly isn’t for you . . . hence the whole point of my previous comment!
When my comment designed to express why I have no intentions of “arguing” anyone to the truth on this issue is viewed as simply a “rant” by you (while completely ignoring the merits of my reason for saying it), it only stands to strengthen my point.
Now before you tap your fingers upon the plastic keys of your computer allow me to direct you to the blog’s About Us page and our Rules of Engagement page to better acquaint yourself with what this blog is about.
The above–albeit factual and direct–may come across to you as offensive, unkind, and unloving, but I wish to remind you that if you do not like what is being said here you do not have to keep returning. That’s one of the beautiful things about the internet and this country.
Sincerely, Respectfully and brutally honest (in an age of superficiality)
– The Pilgrim
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