"Easy Christianity" Is More Often Than Not, Antagonistic Towards Verse By Verse Preaching
What I may have ignored a few days ago was that "easy Christianity" is also antagonistic towards verse by verse preaching. I always thought about how the idea of "easy Christianity" has presented several unbibical views because it goes against verse by verse preaching. I may not be surprised to find a lot of them going against the well-known expositors like John Gill and Charles Spurgeon, both Calvinistic Baptist preachers in favor of eisegetical preaching which does not take the Bible verse by verse.
I may address a speculative way on how "easy Christianity" shows its very out of context preaching. Let us go for the example of "pet verses" by "easy Christianity" to justify their heresies such as believers who are perpetually carnal or that there are Christians who never mature. Perhaps their favorite "pet verses" are 1 Corinthians 3:1 and Ephesians 2:8-9. Unlike how expositors do it that they go verse by verse by verse, where their theology is firmly rooted on the Bible verse by verse, "easy Christianity" just conveniently skips verses and context more often than not. They only embrace verses convenient to them which is no better than how the Arminian/works salvation crowd is in interpreting the Bible to justify their heresy.
Let's take for example how 1 Corinthians 3:1 can be misused to justify the carnal Christian heresy. I did talk about the Greek word for carnal here is "sarkinois" or "fleshen", not sarkikos or "fleshy and antagonistic towards God". As said, Christians can fall into carnality but not remain carnal indefinitely. However a verse by verse analysis shows us the REAL context of the verse in chapter 3:
I may address a speculative way on how "easy Christianity" shows its very out of context preaching. Let us go for the example of "pet verses" by "easy Christianity" to justify their heresies such as believers who are perpetually carnal or that there are Christians who never mature. Perhaps their favorite "pet verses" are 1 Corinthians 3:1 and Ephesians 2:8-9. Unlike how expositors do it that they go verse by verse by verse, where their theology is firmly rooted on the Bible verse by verse, "easy Christianity" just conveniently skips verses and context more often than not. They only embrace verses convenient to them which is no better than how the Arminian/works salvation crowd is in interpreting the Bible to justify their heresy.
Let's take for example how 1 Corinthians 3:1 can be misused to justify the carnal Christian heresy. I did talk about the Greek word for carnal here is "sarkinois" or "fleshen", not sarkikos or "fleshy and antagonistic towards God". As said, Christians can fall into carnality but not remain carnal indefinitely. However a verse by verse analysis shows us the REAL context of the verse in chapter 3:
- They were saved but they still had some issues with envy, strife and divisions. This is a normal problem among growing up Christians who need to be tended to so they can further grow in grace.
- They are told that the Holy Spirit already dwelt in them. If the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer, that would definitely start to change the life of the person.
- They were reminded that their good works will be rewarded while their bad works will suffer loss yet they are saved. If they weren't capable of doing good works, it would be useless to remind them of having lesser rewards.
- Nothing suggests that these people were still living in so much sin and that they will remain carnal indefinitely. If it was possible then why was Paul sent by God to Corinth? It would be like sending a gardener to tend to plants that are dead.
Another is Ephesians 2:8-9. Now it's true salvation is by grace alone but they are missing yet another point. The verse they may always conveniently avoid is Ephesians 2:10 which says God has ordained the believer unto good works. In short, salvation is by faith alone but not by a faith that is alone, that is if you are truly saved, God has ordained you unto good works that you should work therein. When it's brought up, they say, "Oh yes, we should walk in good works." but they are quick to turn and say, "But it's possible for a Christian to do no good work." Excuse me, when God has ordained a person unto good works, the person will do good works by God's grace. If you are quickened together with Christ, then isn't it only natural to produce good works even if you may stumble into sin at times?
All I can say is the modernistic churches aren't going to like verse by verse preaching. Perhaps you can hear them preach against sin here and there while contradicting themselves by saying, "Oh it's possible to be saved and still live like the Devil, there is no change. Can't live the way you want equals works salvation. You teach good works inevitably happens then are you are a Jesuit in disguise." type of talk. They are also guilty of the fallacy of guilt by association (that is judging others by the action of others like saying sign language users are worshipers of Satan because Helen Keller the inventor of the sign language was a Theosophist) and false dilemma (not providing other alternatives whenever they are available) which makes arguing with them as a useless endeavor. All I can say to the "easy Christians", they can go ahead and talk what they want about me, I am not going to pay attention to their useless babble.