Posted on 01/23/2022 6:33:32 AM PST by daniel1212
Goodwin was one of the co-founders of the influential Christian rap group The Cross Movement,..“I sent a letter to my church withdrawing my membership and saying that I am denouncing the Christian faith that I have believed, professed, proclaimed, and defended for the last 30 years,”...“I literally told God, ‘If I find one more thing in the scriptures that doesn’t have a good explanation without resorting to having to bend over backwards and hop over barrels to explain it—I might lose my faith,”...“It got to the point where the liberal dudes were the ones bringing the most comfort because they were the ones being the most honest about the issues,” he noted.
In the video, Goodwin confirmed the rumors that he had walked away from the faith after spending the last 30 years “traveling the world, preaching to others, preaching to others about what I wholeheartedly believed.” “In those five or six years since seminary when I wasn’t living in the text, all my presuppositions had fallen off,” he added.
Throughout 2021, Goodwin brought his issues to professors who knew the scriptures and the original languages. To his surprise, the professors looking at him were like, “you finally got here.”
Among those he met, one person told Goodwin, “If you can learn to deal with these issues, then you’ll be a mature Christian. To have wrestled with this and found a way to still believe—that’s when you know you’ve made it.”.
At the same time, however, Goodwin felt that adopting liberal Christianity would be uncomfortable and dishonest. As such, Goodwin decided to renounce Christianity altogether. He said in the video that he no longer believes in the gospel or the scriptures despite his understanding of it.
“...We bring people to church promising them bread, when we only have crumbs.
They search the scriptures and find miracles, then go to church on Sunday to have the pastor explain why those miracles don’t happen to them...”
A while back I rediscovered a ditty here on FR and it went something like...
First we teach the children about Santa Claus which later they find out later is a lie and doesn’t really exist.
Then we teach them about the Easter Bunny which later they find out later is a lie and doesn’t really exist.
And then we tell about the tooth fairy which later they find out is a lie and doesn’t really exist.
Then we teach them about Jesus...
How will you know when you are dealing with Jehovah and not a pretender?
It was more of a statement, but rather than having to solve all such conundrums, we should just live according to why we do know, including asking God to use us with open heart, such as to bring us into contract with those He would have us to show His love and Truth to, knowing that even our smallest actions/inactions can have eternal effects. And as he walked uprightly and did so, then he would find Christ alive (if we was born again) and more light would be given.
Some persons to extremes in solving problematic texts, even to divisive arguments (like as regards predestination) while instead we should obey the light we have, and place problematic issues (in Scripture as well as in life) in suspension while await more light. For while the main and plain things must be held and contended for, the unclear issues can see a limited degree of disagreement or bewilderment, which will be solved when the perfect revelation of Christ comes.
Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever. (Psalms 131)
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. (John 13:7)
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (1 Corinthians 13:9-10)
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3)
No, but the principle remains.
I think he should have gone and lived among some holy 3rd world Christians who have to see God work and seek God to use him, obeying the light that he has, rather than getting lost in academia (which has its place) and "rap" (which hardly does if at all).
Sort of like he’s saying if I have to be a liberal to still be a Christian, I’d rather not be a Christian anymore. Am I reading this wrong?
Faith is not unreasonable, but neither can it be made subject to reason. Our powers of reasoning fell with the rest of us, and our knowledge - the facts we use in applying reason - are beyond microscopic compared to God.
There is a fine balance. If you toss out reason entirely, you are ripe for delusion. But if you assume your reason is accurate enough to judge all of faith, then you don’t have faith at all. Faith takes over when reason falls short, as it must ALWAYS fall short in knowing Eternal God.
That is why we must come to God as children, trusting in part because we know we DON’T know.
I believe God will give a sincere heart all the reassurance needed, along with enough logical support. If we are not sincere, then we are grasping at God and will fail.
From reading other articles, it seems this guy has convinced himself that we have no way of knowing how to translate the Bible accurately. While no translation is perfect, we know far more than enough to get 99% of it translated correctly. Easier with Greek than with Hebrew, but no doctrine or belief about God is challenged by any vagueness in translations.
That is the objection of someone SEEKING an objection, not someone seeking God.
Yes, but I surmise that rather than obeying the light that he had and living by faith as a servant to be used by God in prayerful dependence on Him and His leading and providential care and intervention, and placing problematic texts in suspension awaiting more light as he did so, then he became preoccupied with such in academia, and used this to choose the broad and easier path.
The journey in "marching to Zion" is not without obstacles, some serve:
https://tubitv.com/movies/507867/the-pilgrim-s-progress
One big issue with “contradictions” some have is that critics will often lift one verse out of its nest of surrounding scriptures and blow the meanings way out of proprtion, sometimes adding in the critical political issues of the day and thus...the whole Bible is wrong and God is mean!
John 3:16 is a great verse by itself but it really flowers into spectacular spiritual bloom when you read it from verse 15 -20 or so.
It’s a good reminder to be aware of the devil’s snares; prowling about, seeking whom he may devour.
We have them here every summer on certain corners. All of them were donated by our local Baptist Church. They come already assembled with a sandwich sign, KJV bible translation, and brochures on how to properly say the “sinners prayer”
“I literally told God...”
What an idiot.
I can just imagine the Lord rolling his eyes and muttering, “Whatever. Bye, Felecia.” 🙄
“I literally told God...”
What an idiot.
I can just imagine the Lord rolling his eyes and muttering, “Whatever. Bye, Felecia.” 🙄
Yes, context is king, including the larger context of all Scripture.
"John 3:16 is a great verse by itself but it really flowers into spectacular spiritual bloom when you read it from verse 15 -20 or so."
You mean from from verse 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15) And He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36) Thanks be to God.
I could be read more like a plea, yet more likely it seems more like "You had better solve this or else I am leaving," with the latter being what he wanted, and thus it was not aprayer in Jesus name, but in his own. Not that I have not done so. Lord has mercy.
This goes hand in hand with the “let’s forgive God” movement that became the rage in the 80’s in some circles. It was the notion God is bigger than our little petty grievances we have against him as well as our unrepentent attitudes and sin, so if we “forgive” God, he will overlook our continuing issues and “forgive” and love us. It puts God and man on an equal transactional basis with each other which is blatantly heretical and unscriptural. It puts cart before the horse spiritually. Yes we become joint heirs of salvation but that is due to our submission and faith in Jesus and the rejection of our past sinful lives. God has done nothing for us to “forgive him” for. He has already provided forgiveness for us via Christ’s death on the cross. It is our submission to him in humility that he requires for him to act inside of us, which he is very gracious to do, in his own wisdom, time, and ways.
Well okay verse 14 then....LOL!
“brochures on how to properly say the “sinners prayer””
That’s because it isn’t in that KJV bible they are handing out.
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