Paul's Passing Thoughts

I often observe myself. Do you do that? I think as Christians, we are conscious of what we do and say. That might surprise some readers here as I know it seems like I throw caution to the wind. That’s because you don’t see the stuff I edit out: “No, better not say that—too harsh.” Hey, just stop it; I believe there is such a thing as harshness.

This self-observation leads me at times to question why I do what I do. In this case, my resolve to NOT “let it go and move on with life.” Folks, unless there is reconciliation, nobody “forgives and forgets.” That’s just a fallacy—anybody who works with victims knows this. Who are the ones that you are unreconciled with? The Bible has a name for them; “enemies,” this would seem fairly evident. Granted, the Bible tells us how to relate to this category of relationship in our lives, and it is different from that of “brother.” And true, to some degree, the Bible instructs us to have a thick skin in matters of little consequence. This is often an issue of spiritual maturity.

Let me further this point a little. The letter of 2Thessalonians addressed a specific problem in the home fellowships of that geography. Because of errant eschatology, brothers had become idle in everyday work. Paul said to “warn them,” but to continue to treat them as brothers and not “enemies.” In other words, those who are unreconciled. The point can be made here that Matthew 18 is not a one size fits all situations.

I was once invited to write an article for a theological journal. However, the editing committee rejected the article based on issues with me personally; i.e., he is “toxic.” I wasn’t offended; after all, it’s true. But why am I “toxic”? I have figured it out. I think I have always known, but have never brought it to the forefront of my mind and highlighted it. And I think it sets me apart, for better or worse, from most evangelicals.

Simply stated: ONE person, or ONE family, is NOT expendable for the sake of unity. Salvation is not in an institution, salvation is in love. Love and unity within the institution is an excuse not to love anyone in particular. One saint is not expendable for the betterment or preservation of the whole; that’s Plato, not Jesus Christ the Lord.

This is where Reformed theology, which I detest as I learn more and more about it, separates us from our Jewish roots. There is a Jewish proverb that states,

He who saves one life, saves the world.

That’s my heart in a nutshell. Why? Because if one life is expendable, the whole world is expendable. If the happiness of one person is expendable, the happiness of the whole world is expendable. If one marriage is expendable, every marriage is expendable. And be sure of this: if justice for one person is expendable, justice for the whole is expendable as well. This is a fundamental philosophical difference between Plato and Jesus Christ. This is a fundamental philosophical difference between The Republic and the Bible. This is a fundamental philosophical difference between St. Augustine and the Jewish philosophers.

And this is the fundamental reason that the Biblical counseling movement of our day cannot help anyone and will not help anyone. In the beginning it did until the motto, “We are just producing better Pharisees” put an end to the “first generation” of biblical counseling. Now all they are doing is making us better Reformed Platonists. People that think they are being helped are just learning to detach themselves from the “flesh realm,” or in other words, this present life in totality. Plato despised human existence. The contemporary Reformed mindset in this country is simply producing funerals where there isn’t a wet eye in the place. I was at one just weeks ago. It was truly a time warp to the Stoicism that always placates the Reformed and masquerades as spiritual superiority.

What is more obvious in the present-day biblical counseling culture that the one marriage, one family, and one lamb are expendable for the preservation of the 99 [institution]? They are fooling themselves. They are utterly self-deceived; if you don’t care about one marriage, you don’t really care about any marriage save maybe your own. If one human life is expendable, any human life is expendable. If you have a bag of diamonds, you care not just a little if you lose one.

This is why I am “toxic” to many in the biblical counseling movement. The leaders of that movement celebrate St. Augustine who was an avowed Platonist. I only regret that little ole’ me has limited means in toxicity.

And for you other discernment bloggers out there, perhaps this post is defining for you. It may not be about you as much as you thought; it may be more about the idea that if they disregarded your wellbeing, they don’t regard anyone’s wellbeing.

While the biblical counseling movement claims to be the vanguards of the gospel, they know nothing of it. They peddle Calvin’s gospel of perpetual repentance for the maintaining of  salvation that can only be found in the institutional church invented by St. Augustine.  Hence, anyone that hinders the institution by demanding justice should not only be disregarded, but executed. Supposedly, the souls of “the group” depend on it. The souls of the “missional community.” While they hide this fact in the demeanor of Mr. Rogers, the biblical counseling community’s association with the likes of James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll are well known. These are men who speak fondly of contemporary Hindu  Juggernauts that you are either on or getting run over by, and human catapults. Their only punishment is to be silently  ostracized by those who share their sacred ideology.

That’s not love, that’s not speaking up for what’s right, and it’s not the gospel.

paul