What is even more alarming is that uncertainty and ambiguity seem to be the chief jewels of his crown. And he places this crown in front of us all...for the world to see. Did you catch the irony? All but his own crown seem to be ambiguous. We are left not knowing a whole lot about Christ, man, heaven and hell; but we do know a lot about Rob Bell. We may not know what he believes, but we know who he is and what he looks like.
I understand this is a statement with strong implications. I do, however, feel that it is far from arbitrary and/or dogmatic. He has given more than a sufficient supply of premises upon which to base such conclusions.
After watching this video, I got the impression, as I feel the reporter did as well, that this is all somewhat of a game to Bell - something to smile about and to laugh about.
When people are not understanding us in Gospel matters - heaven and hell matters - matters of eternity - I find it hardly a laughing matter. It is devastating. Clarity in speech and thought should permeate our banner of love. When we are unclear, we are less than loving. I am not so sure that Martin Bashir came away from his encounter with Pastor Bell feeling loved. This, too, is irony.
Hey Scott,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your thoughts, and I agree that it is a tragedy to relish ambiguity when eternal destinies are at stake. Although, now I think we may be learning that for Bell, eternal destinies aren't really at stake because God wins regardless.
Anyways, wanted to pass on link. Southern is doing a round-table discussion on this topic this Thursday. Al Mohler, Justin Taylor, Russel Moore, and Denny Burke are going to discuss the book (which comes out on Wednesday). The school will be doing a live stream from campus, so anyone can join in. You should be able to find info here: http://www.sbts.edu/
Thanks for your ministry, Scott! I pray the Lord will continue to use you for his kingdom...
-Jonathan