The Super Theologian

Thanks for your Question Clinton! There are a few things you say in this Question that I have to engage with for the sake of clarity. First, how are you defining "Charismatic" and "Gospel"? Are you implying they lack the Gospel because they are Charismatic or is there something about their Charismatic expressions of faith that lead you to believe that they have not embraced the Gospel.

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The Gospel- Man has sinned and in so doing has not only alienated themselves from God but have also committed Cosmic treason against Him. People are enemies of God and God's wrath is upon them due to their own rebellion. Yet, God sent His Son to take on human flesh and die under His just wrath in place of sinners. If you repent of your sins and cast yourself wholly upon the work of Christ you will be saved from your sin! The work of Christ is two fold. Christ did not only die to save sinners from judgment but he also lived the perfect life so that all those who repented and believed in him would also inherit his righteousness as well. Therefore, Christ has died to save sinners and he lived a perfect life so that he can give his people a righteousness that is not their own and in so doing provide redeemed sinners all the grace they need to have victory over sin and pursue a life of godliness.

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A charismatic can embrace all these things and yet still be very wrong on other important issues. Do your Charismatic friends embrace this truth and are they living a life that is bearing fruit in keeping with repentance? Is the issue one of Theological error or of an unrepentant lifestyle that would lead you to suggest thay are unconverted? Is the issue convincing them to come to Christ or to embrace a more "faithful" Christianity. This is a critical question as it relates to how you engage with them. A large issue could be you are assuming a lack of Gospel where there is really just a lack of theological coherency. Don't get me wrong, I left my 1st church (Charismatic)because the church was predominately unconverted. There is most certainly a reality of unconverted Charismatic churches. I am just suggesting you make a sober analysis of what the issue is and make sure you are engaging with it properly... For the sake of clarity, would you mind asking me another Question clarifying this issue.

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Are you wondering how to better minister to people in Theological error?
Are you wondering how to better minister to people who think they have embraced the Gospel but Haven't?
If your Question is two fold, ask me specifically in two separate Questions (it would be helpful).

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example:
Dear Super Theologian, "How do I minister to Charismatics friends who have a wrong view of the Spiritual Gifts?" [Specific practices that you think are wrong that you would like to engage with them about]

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And/Or

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Dear Super Theologian, "How do I minister to Charismatic friends who think they are saved but aren't [Reasons why you think they are unconverted & defenses they give to justify their unbelief

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There is a whole lot that can be said about this issue. Proverbs 18:13 says, "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame." With that being said, I want to be careful of offering counsel that is too specific given I have little information about your situation.

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First, there is a need for clarity when discussing Christians who hold to the Continuation of Spiritual Gifts. There are "Hyper-Charismatics" and "Charismatic/Continuationists" due to the limits of this medium I will offer a really broad and general definition of both.

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Hyper-Charismatics- Generally believe Spiritual Gifts such as prophecy are equal or more superior to the revelation of Scripture. Spiritual experiences define their Christian life and faithfulness more than Biblical truth

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Charismatics, better defined as Continuationists- Generally believe that the Spiritual Gifts continue from the Apostolic age though the practice must be guided and governed by scripture. Continuationists may practice gifts such as tongues or prophecy but the practices are closely regulated according to Scripture. They also see "normal" Spiritual Gifts such as hospitality and encouragement as being just as glorious as the "Higher" gifts.

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These distinctions become very important when dealing with the issue of Charismatics. Theologically speaking the difference is so vast that the need for distinction is necessary. Personally, I am what I call a modified Reformed Continuationist. I agree with many Reformed Continuationists like Wayne Grudem's, John Piper, and D.A. Carson but I differ on their explanation of modern prophecy & tongues. I can't explain my differences in this post for sake of space.

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There really is a lot that can be said on this subject!!! Quick thoughts...

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1) Pentecostalism or Assemblies of God type denominations would be defined as Charismatic but traditionally they are orthodox and do not hold to a false Gospel. Naturally, they are wrong about some things but they are orthodox on primary issues. Unfortunately, many churches that are Pentecostal also embrace a prosperity Gospel.

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1) If you are part of a Charismatic denomination and are Reformed, the first question you must ask is whether or not the church is preaching a faithful Gospel. People can be in error on numerous secondary issues and still be believers. Just because a person is imbalanced pertaining to Spiritual gifts, that doesn't mean they are false converts. (I would have to know more before I could speak about your church specifically).

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2) if your church is preaching a faithful Gospel, You should ask whether or not the church is prohibiting you from operating in & communicating a more biblically faithful Christianity. If your pastors don't agree with you but also don't prohibit you from walking in Reformed faith & ministering out of Reformed convictions, than you should seek to be be faithful there. Out of space, want more clarity?
The More specific the Q the more specific I can be in As.

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There are numerous psalms in which David speaks about his delight for God's word. Over and over again he praises God for His word and tells the reader that he hungers for the word and that the word is his delight.

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I would ask professing believers who are caught in false teaching what they think about these particular psalms. Naturally they should affirm them. If they say the word is not their delight than you have a foundation to explain to them they are not converted because they can't relate to Kin David who is a "A man after God's own heart". If they affirm the Bible as being their true source of joy and inspiration than you now have a foundation to engage with them regarding their false teaching.

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This is not a bait in switch. It is either confronting an unbeliever in their false profession which would be love. Or, it is encouraging a believer to remember where their allegiances lie and calling for them to come back to the Bible.

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The most effective way I have found is, after having a professor caught up in heresy affirm the Bible as David does, ask them if they would like to study it with you. Encourage them that by studying God's word together, it will mutually encourage. Walk them through the Gospel and you will be encouraged and they will either discover they don't know Christ, get converted, or Repent and turn away from false teaching.

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Please forgive me for taking so long to respond. I have been on vacation, traveling out of state, for past 2 weeks. I hope this helps. Feel free to ask any follow ups!

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My wife grew up in a Marian Catholic family and was actually disowned by her family when she converted to Christianity. Her family threw her out of the home with nothing but a trash bag full of clothes when she confessed Protestant Christianity. We were engaged at the time and so I understand personally your burden for your family. There is so much that could be said about this and it is somewhat difficult to offer suggestions in this format due to the context. Feel free to hit me up at TheSuperTheologian@gmail.com for more specified questions and for any counsel that is more specific to your situation. In short, Let me begin by saying you can Pray. It sounds cliche but the truth of the matter is that there is virtually nothing to can say that will change their mind. The Spirit must work on their hearts and open their eyes to see. The demonic power of Catholic traditionalism is one of the strongest things I have encountered in my hero endeavors. Not even my Super powers can break through it. It must be the Spirit of God. Pray for them, weep for their souls. God is pleased to vindicate the prayers of His children! Secondly, know your Bible! When my wife was first converted, her family flew 2 Vatican trained Catholic Priests over to their house (they are very wealthy) to convince her to return to Catholicism. As a new believer with a Bible in hand, my wife was able to confound the false wisdom of those priests and they both left questioning their own beliefs. About a year ago, I was conversing with her family late into the night and I had one of her siblings read Romans 3:21-31. While reading it, he broke down weeping as it finally resonated with him that salvation comes by faith alone. He has not been converted yet but a major wall was broken down. This is 7 years after my wife was disowned by her family. It may take time but God is faithful. There is so much more I could say on this issue. A lot of it I can't in this context due to the nature of being an Anon and wanting to currently remain anonymous for the time being. Feel free to hit me up at TheSuperTheologian@gmail.com I would love to share more with you and answer some of your questions more in depthly! Persevere in prayer beloved, God is faithful and the Gospel is powerful!

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Another thing I would say is live faithfully amongst them. TheChristian life with its joy and Christ conformity is more glorious than anything Catholicism has to answer. Don't underestimate the power of a redeemed life. Over time, they will see that your profession of Christ and your love for the brethren rings truer than anything they have seen in their empty system.

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I think the primary reason is lack of empathy. It is hard to build a diverse church if the logic of the predominant culture of the church is that other ethnicities ought to conform to the predominate people group's preferences. Black churches only play traditionally "black" styled music and white churches play specifically "white" culture music. Many churches desire greater degrees of ethnic diversity but whether consciously or not, expect the ethnically diverse to conform to their culture. I can count on one hand the number of white churches, that have actually expressed a desire for greater diversity, that have actually sought to have any ethnic man in a position of leadership. Or have ever played a hymn that crossed ethnic boundaries. If a church truly desires greater diversity than it will implement things that will naturally lead to that. If there is a solid minority man in the congregation, they will intentionally seek to train him up and when proven place him in leadership. The church will alter their music preferences to better accommodate to other tunic groups. I big issue behind single ethnic churches is a lack of cultural compromise. Again, everyone is expecting people from other ethnic groups to conform themselves to the culture of the church rather than the church conforming itself to the ethnic diversity of the people... Much more can be said, I spoke about this issue in a previous post that asked a similar question

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No, not at all. The issue is much more deeply rooted than that. The differences relate to how one understands the nature of the Mosaic covenant to the New Covenant and how much continuity there is between the two. Are unbelieving children part of the New Covenant based on the faith of the parents? Is the church made up of only believing regenerate people? They also complete disagree on church polity. Presbys have a presbytery that is made up of prominent men who ultimately decide on the direction of the church. Baptists believe that a local church should be autonomous. Baptists also believe that a church should elect their own leaders. In Presbyterianism the Presbytery determines what men will pastor what church. The nature of the covenants, church government, and even styles are worship are all tied into the distinctions. Presbys generally hold to the regulative principle which teaches that only music and methods of worship that are specifically described in Scripture are viable methods for congregational worship. There is much more that could be said but ultimately, there are certainly more issues at hand than just Baptism. Baptsism is more or less just the most visible difference and the one that gets talked about the most

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haha, good question! It all comes down to two things.
1) Tradition
R.C. Sproul has been a Presbyterian for generations. Do not underestimate the power of tradition. As brilliant a theologian Sproul is, he and many others like G.K. Beale just stubbornly hold on to their Presbyterian Identity. I have spoken to Beale personally and asked him about the inconsistency he has in his book pertaining to Children being a part of the covenant while at the same time affirming in his large Biblical Theology text that regeneration is the sign of the covenant. He appealed to tradition.

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2) Biblical Theology
This is the bigger one, Reformed Baptists and Reformed Presbyterians both read the Biblical narrative relating to the Covenants differently. The disagreement is very much tied into exegetical principles of interpretation and not based on a whim. In my opinion, Presbys misread the level of continuity between the Covenants as well as the role of Christ's work.

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All in all I think Presbys hold on to an inconsistent Biblical Theology and they refuse to leave it primarily because of tradition. I think there is a lesson here for us all that no matter how brilliant we are, we are all susceptible to grant too much authority to our traditions rather than the word of God. Sproul has been a distant Spiritual Father to me and I have benefitted from his teaching tremendously!

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About 2 years ago my Grandfather died. He was a Pastor for many years but during my earliest memories he converted to atheism. He died in unbelief and was very hostile to God at his last moments. Losing him and having a degree of certainty regarding his eternal state was one of the most difficult things times for me. I was broken and wept for maybe 30 min. but then I rose up and worshipped God for His goodness. The truth is, God is Good! There is no comfort in found in an unbelievers perishing but there is comfort found in the reality that God is perfect goodness. Since God is good, whatever fate my grandfather endures will be one that is exactly what he deserves. God is not a sadist, a person will not receive one drop more punishment that what they deserve. Their punishment will be horrifying but it will be perfectly just and perfectly good because it comes from the hand of my Loving God who is abounding in loving kindness (Exodus 34:6). A person who is grieving a loss of an unbelieving friend or family member must be encouraged of the Lord's goodness. This is SO important! There truly is rest and comfort found in the divine goodness of God.

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Absolutely! Read outside your tradition! The only reason a Calvinist wouldn't is if he didn't truly believe his system was the best and felt threatened! For clarities sake, I am not a Calvinist in the fullest sense of the word. Presbyterians are generally more fully Calvinistic as they hold to a Calvinistic understanding of the church, Covenants, and things such as paedo-baptism. I am Calvinistic in my understanding of God's sovereignty in Salvation amongst other things but I am Baptist in my ecclesiology (Understanding of church government). I do consider myself fully Reformed but I am not a full-blooded Calvinist if that makes sense :^)

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I absolutely believe that Calvinists and Arminians for that matter should read broadly. If you are aspiring to be a Theologian, I would encourage you to read more books by people you disagree with than people you do. There is much Calvinists can learn from Lutherans and their emphasis on Justification or Wesleyans on Holiness, etc. I would also say that if you are a Calvinist and you have not read Calvin's Institutes, stop calling yourself a Calvinist. Unfortunately, many young Calvinists have very shallow theology. There Calvinism is made up of only 5 points. Calvin said a whole lot more than just 5 points on Salvation. If you are inclined to Reformed Theology, Pick of Calvin's Institutes and prepare to be Amazed!!!

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I do hold to a Reformed or Calvinistic Soteriology (Doctrine of Salvation). The acronym T.U.L.I.P. is good but not the most helpful phraseology. Its easy to remember but it doesn't really articulate the views the best. It is held onto due to the easiness of remembering it and tradition. Here is clarification for you

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T- Total Depravity: Calvinism does not traditionally teach that people are totally depraved in the most literal sense. No one is as bad as they possibly could be. The doctrine of Total Depravity teaches that Human Beings are totally unable to come to Christ due to their hardness of heart unless God first acts. It also implies that people are unable to do any good work without it being contaminated with sin. Their works aren't totally depraved, rather people are totally unable to do anything without sin being present. Therefore, I do not find the Term Total depravity the most helpful term. I and many other scholars replace it with "Total Inability"

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U-Unconditional Election is fine

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L- Limited Atonement is true but not the most helpful terminology. The atonement is by no means limited, it will atone for the sins past, present, and future of all God's people! The atonement isn't limited its just intended for a certain people alone. The people it is intended for are those whom Christ died. Christ did not die to make salvation possible. As the Priest of the New Covenant, he offered a sacrifice for a certain people. Instead of Limited Atonement, I and many other scholars prefer to use the term "Intentional Atonement". God's atonement is vast in that it includes people of every tribe, nation, and tongue. It is however only "intended for God's elect people

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I- Irresistible Grace has led many people to accuse Calvinism of teaching, "God drags people to Salvation". By the terminology this is an understandable accusation. Instead of Irresistible Grace many scholars prefer to use Effectual Calling. God does not force people kicking and screaming to come to Christ. The saving grace of Christ so awesome that went it is sent out it always achieves the effect it was sent out to do, regenerate.

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P- Perseverance of the saints has been used by some to come up with the Slogan "Once Saved always saved" The Slogan is terrible but the reality is true. A Christian won't lost their salvation NOT because of them but because the grace of Christ will never stop conforming the christian. People Apostacize proving they never truly were saved. A truly believer perseveres because Christ is actively pursuing them all the days of their lives. It would be accurate to change Perseverance of the Saints to "Perseverance of Christ" however I thing the classical P is fine if explained.

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All in all I think Tulip is true and helpful. I think some of the phrases that make it up can be misleading and ultimately cause confusion. I personally don't use the acronym when I am explaining Calvinism. I explain the points using the kind of terms I have given above.

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The Psalms in which David prays for the destruction of his enemies are called "Imprecatory Psalms". Here is some quick Biblical Theology concerning these Psalms. David was a man after God's own heart and he recognized that Israel was God's chosen people whom God would use to bring about the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (All nations being blessed). David also recognized that those who opposed Israel were not simply opposing a Nation but were opposing God's, his covenant people, and ultimately his plan of Redemption for Mankind. This is why David stood up to Goliath when Goliath Cursed God. David told Goliath, "The Lord will deliver you into my hand". David's confidence came from knowing that God would vindicate his his, his people, and uphold his covenant. When we look at the Imprecatory Psalms, David cursing his enemies, you have to see it in the larger picture. David recognized that God anointed him King of Israel. David was called to lead the Nation of Israel into their covenantal promise of blessing and redemption. David cursing his enemies is not David cursing "his" enemies. David recognized he was just a tool, David is actually cursing God's enemies. Therefore, the imprecatory prayers are David are simply David offering the same cursings against God's enemies that God has already declared. David is praying God's judgement upon those whom God said he would judge. We must understanding that David is praying beyond himself.

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As we seek to interpret the Psalms, we have to recognize that we must interpret the Psalms (ultimately) in light of their canonical order. The Psalms were selected and compiled after the exiles. Therefore, the Imprecatory Psalms were written to encourage God's people that they have not been forgotten. That though God used their enemies to humble them, God will ultimately destroy those who opposed him and lift back up His people through Christ.

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Can we pray these psalms today? They are biblical Psalms and so the answer is yes but we must understand what we are praying. The imprecatory psalms find their parallel in Paul's words in Galation 1:8, "But if we, or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, LET HIM BE ACCURSED." We should pray God's judgement against all teaching, principalities, powers, dominions, regimes, and systems that work against the spreading of His pure Gospel. This judgement we call for is not that people go to hell but in that God will not allow them to hinder his Gospel. That he would be willing to destroy them for the sake of his covenant promises being fulfilled. As far as the actual individuals...We should pray for our enemies as Christ commands. Pray for false teachers and heretics to come to Christ but also pray that their teachings, ministries, and any other systems that hurt the Gospel be destroyed. Ultimately yes, If they do not repent then they will go down with their teachings, ministries, governments, are whatever system they belong 2

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Throughout History, some of the most prominent and well known theologians have believed in some pretty weird stuff. As a Super-Hero Theologian, I constantly encounter weird theological ideas. Your question is a very helpful one in that it speaks to two issues that have become very important in our modern times. The first issue is theological discernment. There is a great need amongst believers to practice sound discernment in the area of theology. Too often well-meaning Christians have been quick to cry Heresy whenever someone disagrees with them about a specific issue. First off, the charge of heresy is the most serious charge a person can lay upon someone because it asserts that the individual is cursed of God and cut off of salvation (Galatians 1:8-9). Heresy is a charge that should be reserved for those who pervert the Gospel. False teacher is a term reserved for those who teach secondary issues in an unbiblical way. It is a serious offense to teach God's word falsely. This is why the Bible says many should not become teachers due to stricter judgment (James 3:1). However, a person can be a genuine believer and be a false teacher. They will give an account but it is possible. In that we must distinguish someone who knows the truth and chooses to teach contrary to it vs those who are simply ignorant.

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For example, The Bible clearly teaches that Hell is eternal. You can have 3 different kinds of people. Those who believe the biblical doctrine, Those who see it but choose to teach differently, and those out of ignorance (being taught wrongly) believe in annihilationism or some other view. The theologian must be able to discern between the 3 camps and speak to each person according to their folly. Generally speaking, a person who holds to an unbiblical view even though they know the truth will also be a person who compromises the Gospel. The true believer will be willing to receive correction if faithfully shown to them.

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Evolution is a good example of this. Many Christians believe in it because scientists say so. However, if you can properly show a Christian how Evolutionary theory directly affects the nature of the fall, sin, and redemption of held consistently, many will abandon it. The problem is that many Christians do not understand the Nature of the fall, The necessity of a literal Adam for them to be in Union with Christ (the last Adam), etc. You draw the Line on Heresy, and you draw the line between those who willingly & knowingly reject Biblical Truth. You do not draw the line on someone who is misinformed or misguided. You should be willing to walk with them through their confusion (and it can get weird) trusting that if they have The Spirit they will ultimately submit to Him as he bares witness to the Word of God.

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Proverbs 18:13, "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."

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With that being said, if I was counseling you specifically, there are a lot of questions I would ask you for greater clarity.

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Why are they posting these updates?
Do they follow the teaching?
How close a friend?
How approachable is this friend?
What denomination?
Are they members at a church, how often do they attend? etc.

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Questions are important because no situation can be handled in the same way. However, there are general truths that I can speak regarding your situation.

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Typically, a person, whether Christian or false professor, is drawn to false teaching because they find in it a connection that on the surface seems more spiritual. Joel Osteen offers people a God that is forever pleased with them, so much so He gives them everything they want and this is not true Divine Love! Joyce Meyer offers a God that is so personally invested in His people that he cares not about sin and Christ Conformity through trial, this is not love! The answer to those stuck in these false systems is not theological debate, it is to offer them a greater Gospel and redemptive narrative. My general encouragement would be to speak about Spiritual things with these people since they already demonstrate an openness to it. Allow them to share with you their understanding of the Gospel. Then, offer them a more compelling Gospel story of redemption and divine love. Naturally this leads to this question, do you grasp the Bible's story in a way that is more compelling than all other false systems? You must first be raptured by the story of Redemption in order to lead others to being raptured by it as well. Olsteen and Meyer do not hold a candle to the true story of God's Redemptive love. Below I offer you a few resources that may help you. I pray things go well with you and you seek to care for your friend!

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God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-love of God Reorients Our World
http://www.amazon.com/God-Whirlwind-Holy-love-Reorients-World/dp/1433531313/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403274305&sr=1-1&keywords=god+in+the+whirlwind

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Far as the Curse Is Found: The Covenant Story of Redemption
http://www.amazon.com/Far-Curse-Found-Covenant-Redemption/dp/0875525105/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403274343&sr=1-1&keywords=far+as+the+curse+is+found+the+covenant+story+of+redemption

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God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself
http://www.amazon.com/God-Gospel-Meditations-Gods-Himself/dp/1433520494/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403274388&sr=1-1&keywords=god+is+the+gospel+john+piper

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Great Question. To begin let me offer some Nuance. Most English Bibles have to Translations of "lord" They translate the term "Adonai" with a Capital "L" and lowercase "odd". The Term "Adon" in Hebrew means "Master". The term Adon[ai] Means roughly "The Lord my Master". Any Christian who wants to have a robust understanding regarding their relationship with God must understanding that the primary word used to describe it in the Old Testament is Master to slave. This makes the Epistles of the New Testament more clear as the writers refer to themselves as "Doulos" or slave of Christ. Most English Bibles unfortunately translate Doulos as Bond-servant which is simply an awful translation (they do this for political correctness).

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All this brings us to the English Bible's usage of "LORD". Lord spelled using all capital letters. This device is used anytime the actual covenant name of God is used in the Bible. The covenant name of God in Hebrew is shortened to four letters. The Jews did this because they didn't think it was reverent to actually write or spell out God's Covenant name. The tetragrammaton is simply a greek word (τετραγράμματον) that means "The Four Letters".The four letter in Hebrew are "יהוה". The best transliteration of these four words into english letters is YHWH. The most accurately pronouniation of these four words is Yahweh. Jehova for various reasons is just simply an inaccurate pronunciation though it is very popular.

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With that being said I prefer the HCSB (Homan Christian Standard Bible) in how it uses Yahweh instead of LORD in Scripture when the text is referring to God's Covenant name. Yahweh is the name that God said he would be remembered as by his people. I think that our "generalizing it" into LORD takes away the impact that having a personal God has. Imagine if my wife only referred to me as Husband and never by name. After awhile I would begin to feel that she is being very impersonal towards me. When we only use the generic "Lord" we de-personalize God and make him just a generic deity in the sky. Our God is not just some Lord. He is THE LORD MOST HIGH and he has a name that signifies his nature and character. He is Yahweh, the Great I AM. The Sovereign one who is so beyond creation that he cannot look outside of himself when describing who he is. He must say I AM WHO I AM.

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Caution: We should still take note that the Jews so revere the covenant name of God that even to this day they will not say it. This is largely due to the Jew seeing God more as Master. Christians have God as Father and so we are able to relate to God in a way the Jews could not. I believe Christians by virtue of the Cross can say God's name and need to know its place in bible but it needs to be zealously gaurded against from becoming common. The covenant name Yahweh belongs to the Church and should be used by saints 2 refer to God by other Saints. The name does not belong to the world for if they had it they would simply turn it into a curse word

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