But it is destroying traditional worship, and if you look at it fairly, you’ll see that.
My personal Bible is KJV but I also read freely from NIV because I like to see a different commonly accepted translation because I believe that the Bible means something in English as well as Greek and Hebrew.
You’re quite right though, in that debating you is a waste of time since you’ve already won the argument. Churches all over America are adopting your style and leaving mine. All you have to do is wait for people like me to die off and you’ve won. So why debate?
That’s a shame for dinosaurs like me. But as I said, you’ve won. Enjoy your victory.
Here’s what I honestly see.
The only person in our conversation who has talked about being offended is you. The only person in our conversation who has labeled another Christian as something else is you.
The only person who has called another person a Pharisee in this conversation, brother, is you.
You are, or were, a worship team leader, brother. You project an image on behalf of your church and ask your flock to follow your example as a worship leader.
I humbly suggest to you that you prayerfully and honestly examine the quality of your own witness to another Christian before you presume to judge mine.
Go in peace.
You are young for a dinosaur, grasshopper.
You say you use the KJV and the NIV. While I grew up reading the KJV, I have learned through the years, especially after I learned Greek and Hebrew that the KJV has many errors in it that are left over from the translator using either the Latin Vulgate or the translators own opinion when they had no ancient manuscripts to go by. This led to errors which have been corrected in the NKJV.
As for the NIV, one of the worse transliterations there has ever been in my opinion. Well, other than the nearly heretical NNIV translation.
Maybe you should do as I do, learn to use the Hebrew & Greek to compare the different translations and you will see that the NASB is the best translation, however I like the NKJV because it kept the poetic flow of the original KJV.
One example of the KJV being way wrong is the 6th Commandment. The KJV say “Thou Shall Not Kill”, however it is wrong. The original manuscripts and the truth is, “You Shall Not Murder”. By stating it is kill, many of Christians have been led astray to think God forbade us to kill anyone regardless of the reason, but he only forbade us to murder innocent people.
This error has even led many Christians to follow left wing liberals who use the misguided stance of no killing to gain power. Very dangerous, and that is but one error in the original KJV, but a huge one.
If you attended a Calvary chapel you would have learned that though, because it is one of the 10 Commandments.
Now, as for the NIV, at least the translators have the 6th Commandment right by stating “Murder” instead of “Killing”. has it as “Murder” and not “Kill”, but there are so many other errors in the NIV, that most scholars refer to it as the Non-Inspired-Version. So in my humble opinion, I may have problems with the original KJV, but at least there is a good reason for the errors in it. That being the lack of manuscripts at the time of its translation.
However, the translators of the NIV and the NNIV have no excuse. All the transcripts to correct the errors in the KJV were available when the NIV was translated.
Now as for the music, you are wrong, worship has not been destroyed in the Church. It can only be destroyed if God’s people refuse to worship God with all their mind, heart, and soul.
For a long time I was a pastor for a retirement center, and I used Gospel music because the men and women were from the generation that enjoyed them. I did bring some modern ones in from time to time just to get their opinion, and they all had no problem with them, but they preferred the traditional music.
Many of the ladies were widows who have walked with Christ since their childhood. Some were widows of pastors, and some were children of pastors, but they all worshiped God in spirit and truth from their heart. Nothing was going to destroy their faith, least of all modern worship music.
The archbishop of Milan, Aurelius Ambrosius, was the first one to use any sort of music to get the congregation ready for the word. Many at the time accused him of destroying Christianity by leading his followers astray. He was accused of secularizing Christianity in order to win new converts. Similar argument you use to attack modern worship music.
Like I said, even King David was attacked bu his wife for making a fool of himself by dancing half naked in the street while playing the harp as the Arc of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem. After all, you never would have seen Samuel doing such a silly and blasphemous thing, now would have Moses, or Joshua.
Be careful about what you claim to be heretical and Christ destroying. Many, many lost souls have come to God in the last 40 years, by a ministry that uses modern worship music. Many of these people are now great followers of Christ who teach the most conservative Christian message straight from the Bible.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again. I will put the knowledge of those who attend Calvary Chapels against any other ministry any day. I guarantee you will not find more knowledgeable and true followers of Christ anywhere. So it seems that modern worship music has not destroyed the message or faith of those singing it at Calvary Chapels.
I dare say that if anyone is losing faith and not learning the truth, it has NOTHING to do with the music, but EVERYTHING to do with the teaching. I also bet you will not find anyone falling in that category at a Calvary Chapel.