Why were the Egyptian magicians seemingly able to replicate the miracles that Moses performed? There are a few possibilities. It could be that they were dependent on demonic power. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that there is real demonic power that sits behind idolatry. Alternatively, it may have been that they were tricksters, their… Continue reading Magicians and Miracles
Category: Theology
Exodus and Easter
Our church have been enjoying a series working through Exodus. We’ve actually taken a break from it for ster. However, the Exodus story is intrinsically connected to Easter. The account of Jesus’ death and resurrection echoes the Exodus narrative. Here are a few ways in which it does. Jesus is betrayed, beaten, mocked, oppressed, identifying… Continue reading Exodus and Easter
The now and not yet of Easter Saturday
It’s perhaps time for my traditional protest about those who try to make a thing out of “Easter Saturday.” There really isn’t such a thing! The Gospel accounts all move directly from the events of Good Friday to Sunday morning. Saturday was a Sabbath Day of course, so there was nothing that the Jewish followers… Continue reading The now and not yet of Easter Saturday
What does it mean to say that Jesus “emptied himself” … or how to avoid committing heresy
One of the things I picked up on in my Bethel Deep Dive was concerning a tendency towards kenosis theory in Bill Johnson’s teaching. This is the belief that Jesus some how laid aside his divinity, or aspects of it in his incarnation. Johnson has argued that this is in order to set an example… Continue reading What does it mean to say that Jesus “emptied himself” … or how to avoid committing heresy
Holding up the Bethel mirror
The other day, I shared a little e-book analysing the theological culture of the Bethel movement. If you missed it, you can download it here. I want to pick up on a couple of questions here before digging in to something that I think is significantly important. I appreciate that there will be some of… Continue reading Holding up the Bethel mirror
They’re only words (Banning Liebscher and Bethel’s understanding of rhema)
In his book, Rooted, Banning Liebscher says: Jesus made a tremendous promise in John 15:7. He said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Asking what you desire and seeing God do it for you is called faith.… Continue reading They’re only words (Banning Liebscher and Bethel’s understanding of rhema)
Bethel: The Deep Dive
I’ve been sharing some articles looking at the theology and culture of the Bethel movement, both the church in Redding, California and the wider movement it has spawned. Here, I bring all the research together into one free e-book. My aim is that this should be freely available to help church leaders. Please share to… Continue reading Bethel: The Deep Dive
The Bethel baby and the bath water: To what extent can you benefit from Bethel?
We’re coming to the end of my series on Bethel. I’m going to be sharing everything together as an E-book tomorrow. What I wanted to do here was to pick up on one question that has come up. It’s whether there is good in Bethel. Can we throw out the bathwater without losing the baby?… Continue reading The Bethel baby and the bath water: To what extent can you benefit from Bethel?
My brother’s keeper? What has Bethel got to do with us?
When God speaks to Cain, asking him about his brother Abel in Genesis 4, Cain retorts, “Am I my brother’s keeper? Of course, the implicit and obvious answer is meant to be “Yes you are?” We’ve been conducting a deep dive into the theology and culture of Bethel, Redding, CA. It might be tempting to… Continue reading My brother’s keeper? What has Bethel got to do with us?
The Bethel enigma: How ambiguity leads to confusion
I want to pick up here on one of the challenges with critiquing Bethel’s teaching. It’s the challenge of being able to say with certainty what their position is on a number of points. I don’t think it is impossible but it can be tricky at times. Here I’m going to pick up on two… Continue reading The Bethel enigma: How ambiguity leads to confusion
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