Christian Commentary Encouraging Devotions

My brothers, some have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 1 Corinthians 1:11-13

What I mean is this:

One of you says, "I follow Rick Warren";

another, "I follow Brian McLaren";

another, "I follow Rob Bell";

still another, "I follow Christ."

Is Christ divided?

Was Rick Warren crucified for you?

Were you baptized into the name of Rob Bell?

The emerging church (or emergent church) movement favors the sharing of experiences and interactions

such as testimonies, prayer, group recitation, sharing meals and other communal practices,

which they believe are personal and sincere over

propositional, dogmatic presentation of the Gospel.

Teaching in the Emerging Church tends to view the Bible and its stories

through a lens which they believe finds significance and meaning

for their community's social and personal stories

rather than for the purpose of finding cross-cultural, propositional absolutes

regarding salvation and conduct. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergent_church

For the time will come, is coming,

when they will not endure sound doctrine;

when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching.

but after their own lusts

shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.

To suit their own desires,

they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

They will turn their ears away from the truth,

they will reject the truth.

and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3

But you,

keep your head in all situations,

keep a clear mind,

endure hardship,

don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord,

do the work of an evangelist... 2 Timothy 4:4-5

The Bible says it's all about the cross.

Christ sent me to preach the Good News—

and not with clever speech,

not with words of human wisdom,

for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power,

lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power,

be made of none effect. 1 Corinthians 1:17

The message of the cross is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

As the Scriptures say,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise

and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." 1 Corinthians 1:19

I will discard their most brilliant ideas.

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters?

God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.

God has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense.

Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom,

He has used the foolishness of preaching (the message of the cross)

to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:20-21