Not long back I had a retired Pastor reprove me very sharply, for making some interesting points while preaching on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. He was very old school, and he referred to 1 Tim 1.4 “nor to be taken up with with myths and never ending genealogies.. ”

I quietly and respectfully asked him if I had said anything that was heretical or inappropriate to which he answered. “No”. I explained that this Scripture was never meant to exclude genuine enquiry into the Bible, but rather it was targeting the false philosophy of Gnosticism. But he would not have it.

Gnosticism had been so influential in the new Testament times, and the new Testament writings, how could a pastor of 40 years experience not know this. It is important for pastors to know these things, and to teach their congregation in order that they might understand and interpret their Bible well.

Tragically, a large proportion of pastors preach light weight messages, are so very shallow so that the congregation hardly grow in the Bible and interpretation skills. Pastors love to preach ‘moral essays’ and ‘warming affirmations’ because, if we truly ‘love’, others, this is what we will do.

It seems that, so long as we are positive and ‘nice’ to all, it really doesn’t matter if Christians are falling between the cracks because of a lack of knowledge.

Let’s face it, the more ‘relevant’ we become, to the world, the less relevant we Christians are in point of fact, to the world. :o(

There is far more to the Kingdom than ‘feel good’ messages and favorite topics. Teachers preach on a text from Song of Solomon as well as a piece about a man of courage from 2 Samuel; topical sermon from Luke followed by the a firm belief in god of Jeremiah or the integrity of Lot.

Bits from here and there, but we don’t put it all together, in a clear understandable, easy to remember perspective with a good Bible TimeLine including Church History.

We seem to have a constant flow of new books and ideas, with dangerous Liberal leanings. We are repeating history, but if we were to teach the basics of Church history, we would be more equipped to avoid repeating that history.

Let us correctly prepare the Church to understand God and the Bible, but piecing together the fragments of his Word into a beautiful seamless mosaic.

It’s not a difficult thing to accomplish, we just need to put in some study and prayer.

John 17:17 Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. (NAB)

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