Pagan Christianity (An Addendum)
A few more of Pagan Christianity’s errors not commented on in the seven preceding articles should be noted. In “The Next Step,” Viola and Barna affirm that Jesus never said, “He who dies with the most religious knowledge wins” (256). Although this is true, Scriptures do tell us that God’s people were destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Although it is possible for someone to memorize the entire Bible and still be lost, that fact should not be a deterrent to learning as much as we can. They add that Jesus’ lectures were “few and far between” (256)—something they do not know and cannot prove. This claim just adds to their anti-education attitude toward the Word of God, which is dangerous. How would one recognize a wolf in sheep’s clothing without knowledge of the Word (Matt. 7:15)?
In their last chapter, “Final Thoughts,” they imply that the Holy Spirit will “reveal Christ to each member as He sees fit” (251). The Holy Spirit receives a lot of discredit by people such as this. They feel that what they are doing is spiritual, but they have often discarded and abandoned the Word in favor of their emotions. They are self-important souls who assume that what they speak is from the Lord when it only arises from themselves, which leads to as much division as denominationalism does.
The authors talk about “our fallen nature,” which they cannot establish from the Scriptures (262). They go so far as to say that, if we follow our fallen human nature, we will organize and adapt to the world. Following the innovations of paganism in religion is not the result of a fallen nature—but a lack of understanding the Word and a lack of respect for Biblical authority.
Again, they emphasize that no one must lead the gatherings of the church (266), defying Paul’s injunction to do all things decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40). God is not the author of confusion. They claim that in their spontaneous meetings (in house churches) the “flow of the Spirit was undeniable” (268). The New Testament denies it; the spiritual gifts ceased when the Word was completely revealed (1 Cor. 13; Eph. 4:11-16). The writers are observing something else besides the Spirit. Having offered up all these criticisms, this writer still recommends the book because of all the research it contains; one should be wary, however, of the unscriptural applications the authors draw.