I’m glad you’ve pointed this out Aaron, that it’s nothing to do with interpretation, but people’s bias towards their own desires. In the garden the serpent also said “did God really say...?” Calling into question the words of God, which is also what progressive Christians are doing.
Excellent article, Aaron. You hit the nail on the head. I am grateful for the clarity that you bring, blowing away the smoke and mirrors. One additional thought that I have been musing on - was it Calvin who said that ‘ambition is the mother of all heresies’?
Thanks Fiona. Yes, self-glorification is certainly a tap root of much false teaching. This was the temptation of the garden, of course: "you shall be like God". Having said that, evangelicalism has also inherited an unbiblical distrust of *godly* ambition alongside the ungodly. Thus, anyone speaking up and out is accused of drawing attention to themselves - this is usually said by those who are too proud to have anyone think of them that they are drawing attention to themselves, and so they say little or nothing *publically* but remain privately "ambitious". Paul warns of the "fierce wolves" who will come among the sheep, seeking their own gain, and this is not limited to the loud wolves, but includes the stealthy wolves too. Many also accused Paul of ungodly ambitiousness himself (e.g. the Corinthians and the Galatians). The enemy will happily drag us into either ditch.
I’m glad you’ve pointed this out Aaron, that it’s nothing to do with interpretation, but people’s bias towards their own desires. In the garden the serpent also said “did God really say...?” Calling into question the words of God, which is also what progressive Christians are doing.
Yes, absolutely. The serpent was the world's first Biblical scholar.
Excellent article, Aaron. You hit the nail on the head. I am grateful for the clarity that you bring, blowing away the smoke and mirrors. One additional thought that I have been musing on - was it Calvin who said that ‘ambition is the mother of all heresies’?
Thanks Fiona. Yes, self-glorification is certainly a tap root of much false teaching. This was the temptation of the garden, of course: "you shall be like God". Having said that, evangelicalism has also inherited an unbiblical distrust of *godly* ambition alongside the ungodly. Thus, anyone speaking up and out is accused of drawing attention to themselves - this is usually said by those who are too proud to have anyone think of them that they are drawing attention to themselves, and so they say little or nothing *publically* but remain privately "ambitious". Paul warns of the "fierce wolves" who will come among the sheep, seeking their own gain, and this is not limited to the loud wolves, but includes the stealthy wolves too. Many also accused Paul of ungodly ambitiousness himself (e.g. the Corinthians and the Galatians). The enemy will happily drag us into either ditch.