Lesson 29: How Does God Operate Through Words? Part 3
Two weeks ago I suggested present day false prophets are either liars or bull-shitters. Bob added a third category- the truly stupid. Last week Myron agreed that “an informed consumer” is our best hope in overcoming these “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and
“money-grubbing televangelist charlatans”. Obviously, the three of us do not like false prophets.
One of the first responses to the abuses of New Testament prophecy was the establishment of the canon, those scriptures considered sacred enough to serve as standards for judging which prophets spoke the Gospel. It was always understood that the canon (Bible) could not stand alone. It had too many differing perspectives and covered a development over several centuries. So a learned clergy, a basic creed, and the baptized community served as interpreters of the canon. This was so successful that New Testament prophets disappeared.
They have reappeared in our time as certain “anointed” Christian celebrities who claim God speaks directly through them. These modern false prophets get around the previous standards by pretending the every word of the Bible has equal weigh. That enables them to cut and paste to fit their agenda.
If you listen to them you soon discover they seldom use the Bible, even though they presented themselves as the true “Bible-believers”. Just about the only passages they quote are Daniel 9: 25-27 and Malachi 3: 8-18. The first has been used only a little over 150 years to design a predetermined timetable for world events. It is imposed on the Book of Revelation to support the state of Israel, the restoration of the temple and animal sacrifice, and nuclear war. The second is used as the basis of the “seed money” law of creation that is really about contributions to their ministries insuring rewards from God. Any quick reading of either of these passage shows they have absolutely nothing to do with these misuses.
Bob is right; we shall always have false prophets among us. However, I think they are much more dangerous in our Electronic Age. The media gives them an exposure that has led even thoughtful Christians to believe their programs have a biblical basis. And then to top it off, the White House and Pentagon invite them to represent all Christians. In religion as in entertainment, the hollow and shallow celebrity is used for profit.
I think one simple step would go a long way in creating an “informed consumer”- recognize that the Gospel serves as the standard for reading the rest of the Bible. This was one of Martin Luther’s primary answers to the problem. Notice the false prophets among us are continually citing Old Testament passages. One way to expose them is to begin by judging all by the four gospels.
A good example is the position of women. The four gospels present women as the mother of Jesus, the first to recognize her birth is not a scandal; the first to anoint him Messiah, the first to receive a Resurrection Appearance, the first missionary, the first to teach Jesus to include the Gentiles, one of the first to confess him Messiah, the only ones brave enough to be at Golgotha and the burial, the first to visit the tomb on Easter. If we started and ended with the gospels, we’d have none of the nonsense about women being quiet in church and allowing men to rule the house.
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