For the first time in well over a year, Google Alerts pinged users with a news story relating to Ergun Caner. Polemicists were shocked to read the article; Ergun Caner was coming back to the big stage, and with prominent friends. Ergun Caner rose to prominence in the days following September 11, claiming to be a … Read more
“All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10 People forget. No matter what type of scandalous enterprises come to light, there seem to be those people in society who are continually … Read more
Over the past two weeks, Pulpit & Pen has been in conversation with Steven Langella, a former member and deacon of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, a megachurch led by celebrity pastor and author Jim Cymbala. Langella shared with Pulpit & Pen contributors the tragic story of his recently deceased sister Roberta Langella. Roberta was also a … Read more
Joel McDurmon – who left the major distinguishing tenets of theonomy some time last year – is for some reason still keeping the fires stoked at American Vision. One would think that the last organization promoting theonomic reconstruction that’s not yet in archive mode might have dismissed McDurmon for ideological treason (they’ve treated other absconders … Read more
DEFINITION The Charismatic Window is a metaphor for the way nefarious or sub-biblical teaching enters into a church or an individual’s mind because they are a “cautious continuationist,” being open to the possibility of the continuance of the Apostolic Sign Gifts or new revelation. One who doesn’t want to automatically discount such claims are said to have … Read more
At Pulpit & Pen, we’re constantly reporting on the supposed restoration of the sign gifts from God that people are claiming. Recently, we covered the IMB’s embrace of these so-called “gifts” when David Platt re-told a story of a man being “prayed over” by IMB missionaries, and brought back from the dead. Of course, there’s … Read more
“If you wish to know God, you must know His Word. If you wish to perceive His power, you must see how He works by His Word. If you wish to know His purpose before it comes to pass, you can only discover it by His Word.” Charles Spurgeon Sometimes believers are blessed in our … Read more
DEFINITION Position Blindness is when an altogether otherwise doctrinally-sound individual, because of entangling allegiances or personal prejudices (good or bad), cause someone to be “blind” regarding a particular sin, false teaching, false teacher or problem in general. Position Blindness does not reflect on the individual’s over-all soundness or teaching, because it is relegated to that … Read more
“That very church which the world likes best is sure to be that which God abhors.” Charles Spurgeon Bethel Church of Redding, California was founded in 1952 and was affiliated with the Assemblies of God until 2006, when current pastor Bill Johnson led the church to dissociate itself from the denomination. The current attendance at … Read more
DEFINITION The Evangelical Intelligentsia are those who purport to be smarter or more distinguished academically than most local church leaders. Typically, the Evangelical Intelligentsia consists of those not in exclusive ministry to local churches, serving instead academic institutions or parachurch ministries. HISTORY Peter Berger coined that phrase in The Emerging Evangelical Intelligentsia Research Project done for … Read more
Who are McKeever and Johnson? Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson are on staff at Mormonism Research Ministry (MRM), an organization dedicated to “propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to critically evaluating the differences between Mormonism and biblical Christianity”[1] This has been an interest of McKeever since his conversion to Christianity in 1973. Having been … Read more
DEFINITION What is Downgrade? Downgrade is a colloquial expression meant to convey a doctrinal dumbing-down or theological slide into apostasy. The term denotes a rapid decline in orthodoxy or the approval of heterodoxy that would not have been approved long before. USE For well over one hundred years, Southern Baptists considered Campbellites a false and … Read more
Orthdoxy. Sound doctrine. Authority and sufficiency of Scripture. The exaltation of Christ in His Word. These things may seem obvious expectations to be found in a church, for even the most casual reader of Scripture. Add the Biblically prescribed ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism and you could probably safely assume you have a … Read more
HERESIES PRESENT WITHIN THE BOOK Manichaeism Montanism Mysticism Limited Theism REVIEW During a pastor’s conference in Montana, this book’s author, Lee E. Thomas, claimed that his book was 85% direct divine revelation. This means that he is a Montanist. We can see his Montanism fleshed out in his book as well. On page 33, … Read more
One of the most basic devices used in ancient pagan spirituality is the “circle of protection.” You find it everywhere from the Eastern mystery religions to modern witchcraft. The circle of protection was commonly used in old Gypsy magic, as it was thought to create an impenetrable barrier of protection around those in which it was … Read more
