Rob Bell is at it again with his new book

[jawyman]

I am not certain if this is the right forum, so a moderator may move it to a more appropriate forum if need be, but here is what Rob Bell is teaching about hell. This is from Kevin DeYoung's blog on the Gospel Coalition website.

Kevin DeYoung

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Justin Taylor as well.

 

[fredtgreco]

I saw this, and posted it to my FB. I may blog about it next week, because I believe it is very significant. I am actually grateful that this bad theology - no, damning theology - is being made public. In that way, it can be combated by the light of day.

 

[lynnie]

Whew.

He makes annilhilation doctrine look good.....

 

[O'GodHowGreatThouArt]

There can be no good news without the existence of and/or the denigration of the purpose of Hell and the wrath of God.

What do we need to be saved from? What purpose is there in Christ if there is no wrath to come?

They're basically implying that God wasted His son for no reason...

Who but a fool can state that about the Son of God and think that they are correct?

There are days where I believe those who never professed the name of Christ will be far better off at the Day of Judgment than those who pull these kinds of stunts.

 

[Grillsy]

It will be interesting to see what the book says when it is released. It will see a lot of copies I am sure. It will undoubtedly sway some folks like his other tomes.
I just want to see his argumentation. It will be his usual weak, humanistic sophistry I am sure.

 

[Micah Everett]

Wow. I'm not surprised that Rob Bell believes this, but will admit to being a bit surprised that he has said it so openly.

 

[JonathanHunt]

He's coming to my home town this year, along with Brian Mclaren and Phyllis Tickle. The unholy trinity, if ever there was one.

 

[kvanlaan]

He's just following in the footsteps of the Emperor of the Dark Side, Brian McLaren. Every Sith Lord does.

Cmon, loosen up - God has faith in you, and hell is no longer existant. Bell's take on it was good, but McLaren goes one further and says that the sacking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple is the judgment that the Bible foretold. We're all done! So let's continue in sin, that grace may abound!

From the podcast on bleedingpurple:

McLaren: This is, one of the huge problems is the traditional understanding of hell. Because if the cross is in line with Jesus’ teaching then—I won’t say, the only, and I certainly won’t say even the primary—but a primary meaning of the cross is that the kingdom of God doesn’t come like the kingdoms of the this world, by inflicting violence and coercing people. But that the kingdom of God comes through suffering and willing, voluntary sacrifice. But in an ironic way, the doctrine of hell basically says, no, that that’s not really true. That in the end, God gets His way through coercion and violence and intimidation and domination, just like every other kingdom does. The cross isn’t the center then. The cross is almost a distraction and false advertising for God.

 

[Christopher88]

The sad thing is; I know Christians who love this guy and will take his word at gold. Before coming to the truths of the reformed faith, I did follow this guy.

Christianity is exposed to this evil, and has become swayed by it. Rob Bell is like the boy who can shave, sweet talk his way into a relationship but does harm, even can cause death.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

I believe we'll see some more folks start to openly admit to holding a similar position to Bell. There are plenty of closet Universalists out there and even more annihilationists.

 

[jawyman]

I look forward to read the apologetics on this. I am from Grand Rapids, so I oftentimes feel like I am on the front-lines of the war on heresy. Rob Bell is a very dangerous man.

 

[lynnie]

My husband watched the video and pointed out that RB actually does grasp that the message of traditional evangelical Christianity is that God is the one who needs to be satisfied in salvation, as opposed to rescuing us from the devil, etc. He rejects it, but he does properly grasp the true gospel we hold to.

 

[kvanlaan]

Lynnie, that's part of what really bothers me about the man. It is deception, pure and simple; he is twisting a beautiful thing and whoring a pure woman. And some of my family would make a hajj to Grand Rapids just to hear him in person.

 

[Micah Everett]

I wonder if having him speak while walking outside in the snow is an intentional device to make the orthodox teaching about God, Heaven, Hell, and salvation that he is caricaturing seem cold and unfeeling.

(...or, if that's just because it's winter and he's in Grand Rapids, and I'm reading too much into his staging....)

 

[jawyman]

@ Kevin, let me just say a hajj to Grand Rapids cracked me up. I'm from here and it always fascinates me that people come to GR on purpose, let alone to hear RB spew forth his tripe.

@ Micah, there is no escape from the snow in GR. He is walking around outside in the snow, because during this time of year we have no other choice

 

[kvanlaan]

Grand Rapids is definitely a destination when you grow up in the CRC. Up here, it's called "Jerusalem North".

 

[Marrow Man]

The sermon text from this morning (2 Peter 2:1-3):

1But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

2Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;

3and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

This is nothing new. There will always be false teachers among God's people. Flee from them and don't cozy up them like Korah's tent.

 

[Ivan]

I've never read anything by Rob Bell. I don't even know who he is, but after all the fuss I think I want to read the book and find out what is going on.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

The sermon text from this morning (2 Peter 2:1-3):

1But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

2Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;

3and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

This is nothing new. There will always be false teachers among God's people. Flee from them and don't cozy up them like Korah's tent.

Providentially we also found ourself in a text that deals directly with this issue. Amos 5:16-27 which specifically mentions the "Day of the Lord" and Israel's failure to prepare for it and its false hope in its own righteousness.

 

[Marrow Man]

Amos 5:16-27 which specifically mentions the "Day of the Lord" and Israel's failure to prepare for it and its false hope in its own righteousness.

Yep, that'll preach.

 

[TheElk]

Yep, I live 15 minutes away from this guys church. It's sad.

 

[DMcFadden]

Mr. Bell is one of the most "illustrious" graduates of my alma mater. Inhaling the heady air of Pasadena, he heard these things the same place I did, from our profs. Graduating several years before Bell, annihilation was taught/promoted in my Sys Theo III class way back in the '70s when Bell was in 1st grade!

To my extreme dismay, he is uber popular with many young evangelicals.

 

[Micah Everett]

@ Micah, there is no escape from the snow in GR. He is walking around outside in the snow, because during this time of year we have no other choice

I suppose so. Leave it to a musician to overanalyze things like staging.

[SIZE="-5"](...but he COULD have done it inside! Just saying....)[/SIZE]

 

[Grillsy]

I was required to watch/read everything he did during my undergraduate work.

 

[Andres]

I was required to watch/read everything he did during my undergraduate work.

I'm sorry

 

[Grillsy]

I'm sorry

That which does not kill me only makes me stronger

With each Nooma video it seemed like he would get progressively worse.

I had to read Bell's first book right along side McLaren's Generous Orthodoxy for one theology class.
Many of the other students took every word of Bell's as truth. Many of the same students were very leery of MacLaren. I found that very interesting.

 

[Notthemama1984]

@ Micah, there is no escape from the snow in GR. He is walking around outside in the snow, because during this time of year we have no other choice

I suppose so. Leave it to a musician to overanalyze things like staging.

[SIZE="-5"](...but he COULD have done it inside! Just saying....)[/SIZE]

I am with you, Micah. I thought it was intentional. Big producers do not do anything without serious thought going into it.

 

[Kevin]

here is a blogger that has read the book; Being The Body: Love Wins

I am no Rob Bell "fanboy", hey I can't even think of anything nicer to say about him then "I'm not a fan". but it seems like the stoning should wait until we have the book in hand, n'est pas?

 

[Gforce9]

I had a debate with a young man on Facebook about this. In his diatribe, he denied the immutability of God as well as Original Sin. In the same few paragraphs, he embraced syncretism and antinomianism......