More examples of Bill Johnson's bias. On p.115 of WHIE he writes:-
"Someone once brought a book to my office that was critical of the revival that started in Toronto in January of 1994. I refused to read it and threw it away."
As you can see, this is the same kind of attitude he has with anyone who disagrees with him. He doesn't even listen to anyone except those who agree with him. He defends this as "protecting what God has given him" but it looks just like refusal of counsel. Furthermore, he writes on the same page:-
"If an author doesn't walk in power, don't listen, no matter how proficient they may be in another field."
He uses the example of an expert in biblical finances but he might as well say a bible teacher, or theologian. The logic is the same - his primary criteria is miracle working. This is so at odds with clear biblical teaching and yet because of the innate appeal of such anarchistic messages, many people subconsciously follow Bill in his error.
To prove that this is a fair representation of Bill's theology, on p.111 he writes:-
"Some, because of their fear of error, have said it's improper to seek for an experience with God. After all, many deceived groups have come from those who based their beliefs on experiences in conflict with Scripture. Under the guidance of such attitudes, fear becomes our teacher. But why aren't those individuals afraid of belonging to the doctrinally stable camps that are powerless?"
Here again you see his criteria - power, power, power. There is also the veiled implication that doctrinally stable camps are powerless. You have to hand it to Bill though - he is a master of rhetoric and knows how to play with the words to direct our emotions. Unless one is careful, we are likely to get swept up in his twisted logic.
Q: Does Bill's teaching sound anything like what the bible actually teaches?
Spirit of Religion
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Re: Spirit of Religion
On Bill's attack on the sufficiency of scripture. On p.93 Bill writes:-
"I don't want to discount a regular disciplined approach to study, or certainly those wonderful study tools, as it is God who gives us the hunger to learn. But in reality, the Bible is a closed book. Anything I can get from the Word without God will not change my life."
Bill says so much in these few sentences:-
1. disciplined study is good BUT in reality - it really is useless. See my comment about negating things using the word "but".
2. the Bible is a closed book - contrary to what John writes, it was written that we may believe who read it.
3. false dichotomy - to him getting something from the bible through reading it isn't good enough. Why does he imply that "anything I can get from the Word" is without God?
It's the subtleness and smoothness with which Bill slips these insinuations in that concern me most because he is a master at this from my reading of WHIE.
"I don't want to discount a regular disciplined approach to study, or certainly those wonderful study tools, as it is God who gives us the hunger to learn. But in reality, the Bible is a closed book. Anything I can get from the Word without God will not change my life."
Bill says so much in these few sentences:-
1. disciplined study is good BUT in reality - it really is useless. See my comment about negating things using the word "but".
2. the Bible is a closed book - contrary to what John writes, it was written that we may believe who read it.
3. false dichotomy - to him getting something from the bible through reading it isn't good enough. Why does he imply that "anything I can get from the Word" is without God?
It's the subtleness and smoothness with which Bill slips these insinuations in that concern me most because he is a master at this from my reading of WHIE.
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Re: Spirit of Religion
As I flip through the book, there are just too many examples of Bill attacking the church, the bible, through insinuations and double-speak. On the surface, he is careful to say things just enough so that he does not make his attack overt. Anyone who reads carefully will find many such examples - I'm just too tired to write every one out since he does it at such high intervals.
I would go so much as to say that this is a book that can brain-wash people.
I would go so much as to say that this is a book that can brain-wash people.