OK, this is my test, my probe of what Rob Bell is asking the reader to do on the back cover of his book, Velvet Elvis. I am sitting at my computer as I read. I will make comments as I proceed. I've been asked to read this book. I already know that some believers like it, while others dislike it. I'm going to reserve this critique to the issues I would be critical of as I probe the teaching.
As stated on the front cover, Rob Bell is repainting the Christian faith. That’s a bold statement in itself.
P. 012:
He wants to keep reforming. And what he means is reforming “theology.” “Our beliefs about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation, the future.”
I must say, at this early point in my reading I have a caution flag. Theology is the painting Bell is concerned about reforming. Let’s continue.
P. 021
Bell writes, “Jesus at one point claimed to be the “the way, the truth, and the life”. Jesus was not making claims about one religion being better than all other religions. That completely misses the point, the depth, and the truth. Rather, he was telling those who were following him that his way is the way to the depth of reality.”
If Bell’s meaning of “depth of reality” is Christ is the only way to the Father in heaven, then we’re tracking on the same track. It doesn’t sound like he's trying to make that interpretation. It may be that Bell has missed the point of what Jesus said.
John 14:5-6
5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
The point here, is going to the Father only through Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. His use of the phrase “depth of reality” keeps my caution flag up at this point.
P. 022
Bell refers to the springs on a trampoline as follows. “I would call these the doctrines of the Christian faith. They aren’t the point.”
Ok, my caution flag has just been joined by another flag. I hope he is not subtly attacking the doctrines of the Christian faith. They are the point. They are the very foundation of our faith and our daily living as believers. But let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.
Bell writes,
“Take, for example, the doctrine – the spring – called the Trinity. This doctrine is central to historic, orthodox Christian faith. While there is only one God, God is somehow present everywhere. People began to call this presence, this power of God, his “Spirit”. So there is God, and then there is God’s Spirit.”
UG…Bell writes, “God is somehow present everywhere. People began to call this presence, this power of God, his “Spirit”.
This is simply not true. People did not “begin to call this presence, this power of God, his “Spirit.”. Jesus taught very clearly about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The ministry of the Spirit is seen in the Old Testament and clearly taught in the New Testament. People didn’t “begin” to call this presence…his Spirit. I now have more than just caution flags. I now proceed with a Berean attitude to what this man is trying to teach me.
Bell writes, “This three-in-oneness understanding of God emerged in the several hundred years after Jesus’ resurrection.”
Bell writes, “It is a spring, and people jumped for thousands of years without it. It was added later. We can take it out and examine it. Discuss it, probe it, question it. It flexes, and it stretches.”
“It was added later?” It’s amazing, I find myself, on page 22, needing to defend the doctrine of the Trinity. This spring was not added later, unless he is referring to Jesus' day as later than the Old Testament days. In any case, what's there to probe here? Very deceptive. This is beginning to sound like a liberal theology which has no place in the Christian church. Our words are not absolute, but God’s Word is.
P. 026
Bell continues to question the importance of holding to all the “springs” or doctrines of the Christian faith. He asks, If one of the springs were removed, would you still be able to bounce on the trampoline? My answer: If our doctrines were actually springs on a trampoline, yes, you could remove a few of them and continue to bounce. But our foundational doctrines are not springs. Next, he gives the example of the “spring,” or the doctrine of the virgin birth.
Bell writes, “What if that spring was seriously questioned? Could a person keep jumping? Could a person still love God? Could you still be a Christian?
Good question. In other words, is Jesus the same Jesus if someone believes the gospel writers lied about the virgin birth? If a person believed a man named “Larry” actually was the father of Jesus, (Bell's example in his book), that would make Jesus the Son of Larry, rather than the Son of God. Could this Jesus, the son of Larry save? It appears that Bell would answer “yes.” I, without hesitation, would answer “No.” This would be a different Jesus, a different gospel, taught by a different spirit (2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:4). There are many different Jesus' out there. I played baseball with a man named Jesus. That Jesus could never save. Only the Son of (Fathered by) God. The doctrines of the Christian faith are not springs on a trampoline. If one removes the truth of the virgin birth, the credibility of Scripture and the gospel writers are all discredited. It all falls. His liberal attack is no longer subtle.
Bell writes, “But if the whole faith falls apart when we reexamine and rethink one spring, then it wasn’t that strong in the first place, was it?” P. 027
Our Christian faith rests on certain doctrines. The virgin birth is one of them. It certainly does not rest on the doctrine of “last days.” But Bell is picking on Jesus Christ, the Corner Stone. Remove it, and the building crumbles. He appears to be stumbling on the Stone.
The other issue is the purity of the Word of God. The issue is the defense of the faith once delivered to the saints. The foundational doctrines of the faith come as a package. The imputation of sin, the virgin birth, the sinless life of Christ, the atoning death on the cross, His burial and resurrection three days later, His ascension, providing forgiveness of sin for all who believe in Him are a package deal. Yes, if any of these are removed, our “whole faith” falls apart. The trampoline falls. The resurrection is another spring on the trampoline, that if removed, the whole trampoline falls. Paul said if Christ did not raise from the dead we are still in our sin, not saved.
P. 027
Bell writes, “I am far more interested in jumping than I am in arguing about whose trampoline is better. You rarely defend the things you love. You enjoy them and tell others about them…”
Is Mr. Bell making an excuse for his poor doctrine?
Bell writes, “You rarely defend the things you love”?
I love my Lord, my wife, my children, my church. When they are attacked, I will certainly defend them. Wouldn't you? I also love the Word of God…When the Word is being attacked, I will certainly defend it. Wouldn't you? When our faith is attacked, we must contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Especially the Shepherds of the local church. That's one of their responsibilities. Is there really a need to repaint the Christian faith (doctrines)?
P. 034
Back to the trampoline analogy, Bell writes, “Talking about trampolines isn’t jumping; it’s talking. Two vastly different things. And so we invite others to jump with us, to live the way of Jesus and see what happens. You don’t have to know anything about the springs to pursue living “the way”.
I understand Bell's desire for believers to live their faith. But he's throwing out the baby with the bath water and doesn't even know it. Is Bell actually saying, “You don’t have to know anything about the springs (doctrine, the teaching of Scripture), to pursue living “the way?” Yes, he is. I disagree with him.
Psalms 119:11-12
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.
John 17:17-20
17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
19 "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
Our Christian life flows from our doctrine, or our knowledge of Truth, God’s Word. If you are going to pursue living the way of Jesus, you must know what the Word (Jesus) has to say. You must know the doctrines of the faith.
Bell has a problem with doctrine. Doctrine is not dead. It's not dry. From it flows all our life decisions, direction, attitudes, worship and trust. But experience without doctrine is very liberal and dangerous. It looks like Bell has not seen a true expression of God's Word flowing from a persons life that studies to show themselves approved unto God, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
P. 048
Here's an example of Bell's theology.
Bell writes, “Notice what Jesus says in one of his first messages: ‘I have not come to abolish [the Torah] but to fulfill [it].’ He was essentially saying, ‘I didn’t come to do away with the words of God; I came to show people what it looks like when the Torah is lived out perfectly, right down to the smallest punctuation marks.’”
What did Jesus mean when He said, "I did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it." Here’s Bell’s interpretation. “He was essentially saying, ‘I didn’t come to do away with the words of God; I came to show people what it looks like when the Torah (Law) is lived out perfectly.” Is that what Jesus came to do? To show us how to live the Law? No! Was not Jesus’ meaning in fulfilling the Law, the giving of His life as the spotless Lamb of God, the atoning sacrifice, and thus taking on Himself the penalty of breaking the Law – death? He lived a sinless life, only to fulfill the Laws penalty. Jesus was the only One who could fulfill, perfectly, the demands of the Law. The liberal understanding is that Jesus came to be our example, to show us how to live out the Law. In Bell's own words, Jesus "came to show people what it looks like when the Torah is lived out perfectly." Except the purpose of the Law was to reveal sin, condemn man, and reveal man’s complete inability to keep it (Romans 3:19-20).
P. 50
Bell writes, “Notice what Jesus says in the book of Matthew: ‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’”
Bell continues,
“What he is doing here is significant. He is giving his followers the authority to make new interpretations of the Bible.”
Here’s another step in his progression toward liberalism. Bell continues to lay a foundation for reinterpreting the springs in the trampoline (the doctrines of the faith). He now has laid the foundation for making “new” interpretations of the Bible. I would say to proceed with great caution from here.
P. 58
Bell writes, “Is the greatest truth about Adam and Eve and the fruit that it happened, or that it happens? This story, one of the first in the Bible, is true for us because it is our story. We have all taken the fruit...Their story is our story…The story is true for us because it happened and because it happens.
The greatest truth about Adam and Eve is the fact that it happened, not that it continues to happen. It’s true because it happened. It’s recorded in Scripture. That’s what makes it true. Mankind’s present state of sinfulness is because of Adam. The earth is groaning because of Adam. We are not responsible for our own spiritual death, Adam is. Romans 5:17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Our sin today as believers is certainly not the same as Adams sin. It does not continue to happen. We have actually been restored. Our sonship is not broken when we sin. We do not spiritually die when we sin, but Adam did.
P. 67-68
Bell writes, “This is part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that ‘Scripture alone’ is our guide. It sounds nice, but it is not true.”
He continues to build upon his foundation of reinterpreting the doctrines of Scripture, and repainting the Christian faith. Incredibly, Bell says “Scripture alone” is not our guide. I certainly disagree with his understanding of the sufficiency and necessity of God’s Word for the light and guide of our life. Bell is repainting Elvis. I won’t buy it. I don’t like his painting. It’s subtle, liberal, and dangerous. All of our teaching and experiences must line up with Scripture. At least, it must never disagree with the intent of the revealed Word. Example: We find no Christian radio in Scripture, but there’s no violation with the principles in the Word of God, so we are safe to proceed with Christian radio.
Every believer ought to have "red flags" flying everywhere when someone teaches them, "It's not true that Scripture alone is our guide." Yes, Scripture alone is our guide. 2 Peter 1:2-4; Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. Note: I would have thrown this book down long ago, if it werent' for the knowledge that Christians are reading it and actually believing what Bell is teaching. It's hard for me to understand how a mature believer could receive this teaching and not judge it for what it is.
P. 112
Not to be too picky again, but Pastors don’t have moral failures because they are looking for a break that will certainly come when caught in immorality.
P. 119
I keep finding statements as I continue to read, such as the following.
“It is hard to look deep inside yourself. My experience has been that very few people do the long, hard work of the soul. Maybe that’s why Jesus said the way is narrow.”
What? That’s not why Jesus said the way is narrow. The way is narrow because eternal life is only found in Jesus Christ. The road is broad that leads to destruction, and many find it. I know Bell is calling for us to rethink, reinterpret the Words of God, but how can any teacher make this kind of statement about the narrow road meaning the hard work of the soul? Is anyone holding him accountable for his principles of biblical interpretation?
P. 131
Bell attempts to remove the supernatural power of God from Jesus’ initial call to the disciples to follow Him. Why did these men just up and leave their nets and follow Jesus when Jesus said, "Follow me"? Bell’s answer: because a rabbi believes they could do what he does. I have to admit, this one is interesting and different. I believe there was more to their call and choosing than we can see.
P. 134
Bell believes that since the Jewish rabbi only chose disciples that he believed in, that Jesus (a rabbi) only chooses those He believes in. Bell writes, “The entire rabbinical system was based on the rabbi having faith in his disciples.”
Bell writes,
“God has an incredibly high view of people. God believes that people are capable of amazing things.”
Does this mean Bell believes that Jesus chose His disciples based upon their ability that Jesus saw in them? I must also disagree with his theology that God has an incredibly high view of people. It’s just the opposite. God sees people dead in trespasses and sins. God believes there is none good, no not one. God sees the complete inability of you and me.
1 Cor 1:26-30
26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus,
He makes us alive. He completes the good work in us. All glory goes to Him.
for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13). God does not believe that people are capable of amazing things, as Bell states. Jesus said, "for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
P. 146
Bell now makes a revealing “reinterpretation” statement. “Heaven is full of forgiven people. Hell is full of forgiven people. Heaven is full of people God loves, whom Jesus died for. Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for. The difference is how we choose to live, which story we choose to live in, which version of reality we trust.”
This is certainly a “new” interpretation of Scripture. Is it true? Let me ask a couple of questions. How can hell be full of forgiven people…whom Jesus died for? Let’s get doctrinal. A forgiven person is a Christian. Their sins are no longer held against them. A forgiven person cannot go to hell, because Jesus would have paid sins penalty for that person. That’s what the atonement is all about.
Acts 10:43
"Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins." Unbelievers in hell are not forgiven
Bell is revealing his dangerous, liberal theology at this point very clearly. The person who does not believe in Jesus and dies, contrary to what Bell teaches, will die in his sins…unforgiven, condemned. Certainly not forgiven.
John 3:36
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
How can the wrath of God adide on forgiven people?
John 8:23-24
23 And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
This does not sound like they will die in forgiveness.
2 Peter 3:7
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
There's a difference between ungodly men and godly men.
Isa 13:9
Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it.
Men in hell are not forgiven men.
Does God love all people? I know of one person in hell that Scripture says God hated. His name was Esau.
Rom 9:10-13
10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;
11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,
12 it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."
13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."
Bell writes, “The difference is how we choose to live,”
The difference between the man in heaven and the man in hell is how they choose to live? This is certainly a reinterpretation of Scripture. This sounds like Bell is preaching a works based salvation, a different gospel.
Galatians 1:8-9
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
P. 147
Bell writes, “There is this place, this realm, heaven, where things are as God desires them to be. As we live this way, heaven comes here. To this place, this world, the one we’re living in.”
Heaven will not come to this sin-cursed world. This world is presently the devils realm. Jesus said we are not to love the world or the things in the world (John 2:15). Jesus said, in this world we shall have tribulation (John16:33). Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12).
Bell writes, "As we live this way, heaven comes here. To this place, this world, the one we're living in." I'm sorry, Scripture simply doesn't teach that. That sounds like the gospel I was taught in the 1970's. Believe in Jesus and all your problems will go away.
P. 147
Bell writes, “For Jesus, the question wasn’t how do I get into heaven? But how do I bring heaven here?” … “The goal for Jesus isn’t to get into heaven. The goal is to get heaven here.”
Wow! So, according to Mr. Bell, the real issue for Jesus was trying to bring heaven here. He actually means, "to this place, this world, the one we're living in." According to Bell, this is the job of the Christian church. Is it really our job to get heaven to come to this sin cursed earth? I would like to see the Scripture that backs this statement. Jesus taught just the opposite. This is postmillennialism.
But if you believe Bells repainting of the Christian faith, then the foundation of Scripture is not always the issue. Scripture alone is not our guide. You can remove “springs” and question the doctrines of the faith. You are free to make new interpretations. This is very scary.
Let's listen to how Jesus prays before He returns to heaven.
14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 " They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world (John 17:14-16).
"Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world (John 17:24).
And when He returns, the earth and its works will be destroyed and burn in judgment.
Only after His wrath is poured out, only after his final judgment of all mankind, will he create new heavens and a new earth. The purpose of the church is not to bring this “new heaven and new earth” to this present earth.
P. 148
Bell writes, “As a Christian, I want to do what I can to resist hell coming to earth. Poverty, injustice, suffering – they are all hells on earth, and as Christians we oppose them with all our energies. Jesus told us to.”
Jesus told us to? With all our energies? Where does Scripture tells us this?
As a Christian, I don’t want to resist hell coming to earth. I want to proclaim the life-saving gospel to as many people as I can to keep them from going to hell.
Bell writes, “What’s disturbing then is when people talk more about hell after this life than they do about hell here and now.”
I’ll guarantee you that the hell after this life is ultimately more important to talk about than the hell here and now! This is a liberal believer whose new theology should find no acceptance in the Christian church.
P. 150
Bell continues, and writes, “The goal isn’t escaping this world but making this world the kind of place God can come to. And God is remaking us into the kind of people who can do this kind of work.”
No. Our goal, our work is making disciples of all nations. God doesn’t need for us to make this world the kind of place He can come to. He’s here, calling out a posterity for His name. This is a direct heretical attack on the Word of God.
P. 156 & 192 footnote 140
Bell advocates the “principle of first meaning.”
All I can say is…?
P 160
Bell states, “Remember, when God made the world, he called it good. Why would God destroy something he thinks is good?
God called the creation good before the fall. The present creation is groaning. And Bell forgets that God did destroy the world He created with the flood. He will once again destroy this world in the judgment of fire on the Day of the Lord.
2 Peter 3:7
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
2 Peter 3:13
This present world will be destroyed. But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
P. 164
Bell writes, “To try to prove there was an empty tomb wouldn’t have gotten very far with the average citizen of the Roman Empire; they had heard it all before.”
I totally disagree with Bell’s statement. From the following passage it doesn’t sound like they had all heard it all before.
Acts 17:18-20
"He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities," -- because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming?
20 "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean."
The Word of God, which includes the truth of the resurrection, is spiritually discerned. In other words, it’s foolishness until the Holy Spirit opens an individuals mind to understand it (1 Cor. 1:18; 2:14). The resurrection is the foundational truth of the gospel message. We must proclaim it, and leave the proving to the Holy Spirit. Bell seems to approach the gospel from a human and intellectual point of view. Salvation is by God’s miracle of grace, not through human intelligence. And it comes through “hearing” the Word of Christ (Rom. 10:17).
Bell continues, “This is why so many passages about the early church deal with possessions and meals and generosity. They understood that people are rarely persuaded by arguments, but more often by experiences.”
The example of a godly life is certainly crucial to the presentation of the gospel. But salvation only comes from hearing the Word. The apostle Paul certainly did not hold to this idea. Nor the twelve apostles. Nor should you and I.
Acts 4:33
And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.
Conclusion: Although I found myself agreeing with what Bell wrote in the last few pages of his book, his repainting of the Christian faith went, in my opinion, well beyond the bounds of what Scripture allows. As a shepherd of a flock of God’s people, I would not recommend this book. I believe this repainting of the Christian faith falls into the camp of heresy.
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