“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.”
So Paul warned the elders in the church at Ephesus in Acts 20:28-31. And with good reason – there are plenty of wolves out there. They existed 2000 years ago and they exist today. There are, as Jesus warned, numerous wolves coming in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15).
Consider an Anglican priest and teacher in New Zealand, Dr George Armstrong. He has a piece in a major Kiwi newspaper today telling us to reject everything Jesus ever said of himself, of God, and of salvation. He wants us to completely ignore Jesus and run with his own diabolical deception: “It’s time for the religions of the world to unite”.
Here we have a wolf uttering complete heresy, all while claiming to be an Anglican priest. Let’s look at some of his foolishness and incoherence. He says, for example, “Any decent religion will have love, humility, awe, justice and peace at its centre. There’s plenty of that at the heart of the major world religious traditions. And there’s plenty of it at the heart of the great political and diplomatic traditions of our diverse peoples.”
Umm, no. First of all, there is only one decent religion – that is, one which is completely true in all that it affirms, and can actually save people from their sins and eternal fate. Many other religions simply do not have love and peace at their centre. Islam has the absolute will of Allah and the need for total submission as its centre.
There is nothing tolerant or peaceful about Islam. It is about forcing everyone to submit to Allah, or face the consequences. And it of course denies the very heart of the Christian faith. Yet this wolf thinks they can all just get along in one big happy family.
And no, not all political traditions are equal either. This guy would think we can just all get along, with Americans, Kiwis, North Koreans and Cubans all singing kumbaya and swearing allegiance to the global community. Yeah right – and this incisive and informed commentary gets a free run in a major newspaper?
But he gets worse: “If no one religion has a monopoly on truth, love and power, does that mean that religions have to readjust radically? In the case of Christianity, yes. Christianity will, for example, have to understand its central figure, Jesus, as one prophet amongst the many other prophets of human history, religious and secular. Jesus is still seen by unreflective Christianity as the one and only way. That is no longer tenable. It may be painful for Christians, liberal or conservative, to readjust themselves radically to this realisation.”
Oh, thanks for that – Jesus is just one prophet among many, and Christianity is not the one and only way. This rebel has just declared he is not a Christian, but an apostate. He has denied the absolutely non-negotiable tenets of the Christian faith. Never mind the overwhelmingly clear teachings of the New Testament on this, teachings such as the following:
Matthew 11:27 All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Luke 11:23 He who is not with me is against me
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.
John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.
John 10:7-10 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
John 14:6-7 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
His concluding words are as shocking as any he has uttered: “I can expect a teacup storm to greet ideas like those expressed here. But these ideas will be seen by most readers, many Christians among them, who have persisted in reading this far, as simply the common sense of our age. A United Religions is going to have to catch up with and work alongside a United Nations.”
There you go: one-world religion to match a one-world government. Everything the enemies of biblical Christianity have ever wished for. Destroy any differences and enforce a dumbed-down uniformity of beliefs and practices. Forget the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Forget the truth claims of Christianity. Forget the many warnings about concentrated power corrupting absolutely.
This guy is just an utterly deluded secular humanist who still wears a collar. He is a wolf who has denied the very heart of biblical Christianity, and has proven that heretics and apostates are running riot in our churches. Why his church allows him to remain, spewing out this poison, is beyond me.
Interestingly the NZ Herald has not opened a comments section on this story. It usually does so with most opinion pieces. Sadly, but not surprisingly the blogs that attract the highest number of responses are the ones that merit the least attention.
I have requested they allow comments on this story as no doubt there are many others like you and I who are chomping at the bit to let the truth be heard.
Keep up the great work Bill. You are in my prayers.
Peter Wall, NZ
Many thanks Peter
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
God said He is the only God. Jesus said that he was the only way to God. Christians who say these things are often made to feel that they’re being arrogant and narrow minded. Why is that so?
Ross McPhee
Why does the church pay these people? What are they doing in the church? Why do they continue to receive payment from the church? Who would tithe in these churches? Sad Sad Sad, we are in the end of end times. Come Lord Jesus.
Marianne Ryan
Good questions Marianne
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Great article as always, Bill!
I’d like to see George Armstrong suggest that Muhammad is “just one prophet among many” in an opinion piece and see how far THAT gets him!
John Forster
Yes quite right John
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I think it is clear that George would be mostly applauded by anyone out side of, or opposed to, the Christian faith. So sorry me old son, but not according to my judgment, but the very Word you profess to believe in, you are clearly and unashamedly on the side of the ‘clappers.’
As George no doubt knows but has decided to ignore,” The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits.” (1 Tim.5:20)
So George, if you read this, it is not too late; take a break from secularism, pluralism, relativism, and post-modernism etc, sit down and actually learn from the gospels what Christ’s claims are. (Meditate on the above list even).
Perhaps Mark Twain’s little gem might inspire…”Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority it’s time to pause and reflect!”
Grant Nelson
“If you should ask a man the directions to New York City and he said, ‘Oh, just take any road you wish, they all lead to New York,’ you would question both his sanity and his truthfulness. Nevertheless, we have somehow gotten it into our minds that all roads lead to Heaven.”
– Rev. Billy Graham
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Thanks Bill
But the point Marianne raises is worth a sermon? I mean it’s made me think before. Tithing in his church would almost be a form of support for him, his opinions.
I wouldn’t be surprised if in the not too distant future, our friend Armstrong will expose himself, as being gay.
Daniel Kempton
We could start at least with one political system on which all agree and see if that works. Those who think that everyone should pay high taxes would be in complete agreement with those who think we should pay no tax at all. We would have everything socialised and everything run by private enterprise, no private ownership and everything privately owned, and so on.
Once that happy situation was settled, we could then have a religion in which everyone believed, including theists and atheists. Bishop Spong was on the way there when I heard him say that technically he is an atheist, while still of course an Anglican bishop. Dr Armstrong says Christians should reject everything Christ said, and so Buddhists could reject everything Buddha said, and we can all reject everything anyone ever said, including Dr Armstrong.
Are these people quite sane? Just asking.
David Morrison
Good question David
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
The Man is a complete “Numbnuts” and so are those who would follow this man’s rantings.
As Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Light and no Man can come unto my Father, save it be in and through Me”.
Thus it is, no ifs or buts, just a plain and simple Truth and all Truth is absolute. Truth cannot be altered or modified to fit a philosophy, theory or idea. It cannot be altered nor can Truth be modify, but must eternally remain infinite and ultimate.
Leigh Stebbins
The man is such a satanic sock-puppet! I’d be astounded if he’s ever even read the Bible the whole way through.
Mario Del Giudice
No one seems to have answered Ross’s comment. Jesus did say that if he got called names his followers should expect the same. So I guess it follows (Mt 10:24).
Many thanks for your post Bill.
Interestingly the NZ Herald has not opened a comments section on this story. It usually does so with most opinion pieces. Sadly, but not surprisingly the blogs that attract the highest number of responses are the ones that merit the least attention.
I have requested they allow comments on this story as no doubt there are many others like you and I who are chomping at the bit to let the truth be heard.
Keep up the great work Bill. You are in my prayers.
Peter Wall, NZ
Many thanks Peter
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
God said He is the only God. Jesus said that he was the only way to God. Christians who say these things are often made to feel that they’re being arrogant and narrow minded. Why is that so?
Ross McPhee
Why does the church pay these people? What are they doing in the church? Why do they continue to receive payment from the church? Who would tithe in these churches? Sad Sad Sad, we are in the end of end times. Come Lord Jesus.
Marianne Ryan
Good questions Marianne
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Great article as always, Bill!
I’d like to see George Armstrong suggest that Muhammad is “just one prophet among many” in an opinion piece and see how far THAT gets him!
John Forster
Yes quite right John
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I think it is clear that George would be mostly applauded by anyone out side of, or opposed to, the Christian faith. So sorry me old son, but not according to my judgment, but the very Word you profess to believe in, you are clearly and unashamedly on the side of the ‘clappers.’
As George no doubt knows but has decided to ignore,” The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits.” (1 Tim.5:20)
So George, if you read this, it is not too late; take a break from secularism, pluralism, relativism, and post-modernism etc, sit down and actually learn from the gospels what Christ’s claims are. (Meditate on the above list even).
Perhaps Mark Twain’s little gem might inspire…”Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority it’s time to pause and reflect!”
Grant Nelson
“If you should ask a man the directions to New York City and he said, ‘Oh, just take any road you wish, they all lead to New York,’ you would question both his sanity and his truthfulness. Nevertheless, we have somehow gotten it into our minds that all roads lead to Heaven.”
– Rev. Billy Graham
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Thanks Bill
But the point Marianne raises is worth a sermon? I mean it’s made me think before. Tithing in his church would almost be a form of support for him, his opinions.
I wouldn’t be surprised if in the not too distant future, our friend Armstrong will expose himself, as being gay.
Daniel Kempton
We could start at least with one political system on which all agree and see if that works. Those who think that everyone should pay high taxes would be in complete agreement with those who think we should pay no tax at all. We would have everything socialised and everything run by private enterprise, no private ownership and everything privately owned, and so on.
Once that happy situation was settled, we could then have a religion in which everyone believed, including theists and atheists. Bishop Spong was on the way there when I heard him say that technically he is an atheist, while still of course an Anglican bishop. Dr Armstrong says Christians should reject everything Christ said, and so Buddhists could reject everything Buddha said, and we can all reject everything anyone ever said, including Dr Armstrong.
Are these people quite sane? Just asking.
David Morrison
Good question David
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
The Man is a complete “Numbnuts” and so are those who would follow this man’s rantings.
As Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Light and no Man can come unto my Father, save it be in and through Me”.
Thus it is, no ifs or buts, just a plain and simple Truth and all Truth is absolute. Truth cannot be altered or modified to fit a philosophy, theory or idea. It cannot be altered nor can Truth be modify, but must eternally remain infinite and ultimate.
Leigh Stebbins
The man is such a satanic sock-puppet! I’d be astounded if he’s ever even read the Bible the whole way through.
Mario Del Giudice
No one seems to have answered Ross’s comment. Jesus did say that if he got called names his followers should expect the same. So I guess it follows (Mt 10:24).
Katherine Fishley