TGC doesn’t want you listening to anyone but the Evangelical Elite
The Gospel Coalition put out an article the other day called The Church Doesn’t Need Online Watchmen. From a strictly technical standpoint, I would agree with that statement. Forget what the church needs, but GOD doesn’t need “online watchmen”. At the same time, God doesn’t actually NEED any of us, no matter what role we may find ourselves in. God doesn’t need a pastor, a denomination… or even The Gospel Coalition, itself!
This article just seems to be yet another attempt by the Evangelical Elite to shut down all criticism and try to get you to only listen to the “experts”… which just happens to be them. The TGC is simply borrowing the strategy of the Progressive Left by saying that you are too stupid to understand what’s really going on, so leave it to the experts.
This is the same strategy that was employed by the Catholic Church when Martin Luther had enough and started the Reformation with his 95 Theses. The Catholic Church controlled all of the beliefs of its church by keeping Scripture only in Latin, thus making it to where only the priests could actually read the Bible. This allowed the elites to abuse their congregations because there were no checks and balances.
The same thing is happening today. Those who went to seminary are not allowed to be questioned by a “common” Christian who hasn’t had training in the original Greek language. Christianity is returning to the elitism of the Catholic Church and even the Pharisees of Jesus’ time.
The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. -Matthew 23:2-5
Let me tell you something: Just because someone is a pastor, went to seminary or can read the Bible in a different language does not make them Super Christians. If you believe that a pastor is teaching error, you have the responsibility to correct that heresy to protect those around you from that false teaching. Here’s the dirty little secret: Pastors who went to seminary can be wrong.
Don’t let the Evangelical Elite make you feel inferior simply because you aren’t a famous pastor or work for a multi-million dollar “Christian” organization. There’s this thing called the Priesthood of All Believers (1 Peter 2:9). There’s not a separation of classes within Christianity, just a division of roles within the Body of Christ. A pastor is no greater than his congregation, he simply has the role of teaching the Bible. He is not superior, and that is something important to remember.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. -1 Corinthians 12:12
If it weren’t for the “online watchmen”, the Evangelical Elite would be causing even more harm to The Body than they already are. Think about it, if it weren’t for Thomas Littleton, we wouldn’t realize just how sinister Albert Mohler and Russell Moore are. If it weren’t for Bobby Lopez, we wouldn’t understand just how deep the Marxists have infiltrated into our seminaries. If it weren’t for women like Dee Parsons, Julie Anne or Marci Preheim, we wouldn’t understand just how much spiritual and sexual abuse is covered up by the Evangelical Elitist pastors.
Think about it: Jesus was not a part of the Religious Elite. He and His disciples would’ve been a part of the “online watchmen” community, according to the religious leaders of His day.
The Gospel Coalition may not like being criticized, but it may be because they don’t like being exposed for who they really are.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. - Matthew 23:25-28
I’m one who wants more voices, not less. I want more blogs and podcasts, not less. I want more debates. More discussions. More perspectives. Let the arguments win or lose based on their merits, not on who is saying them.
Don’t let the Evangelical Elite shut you up. Stand up to them, just as Jesus did with the Religious Elite of His day. If these Evangelical Elitist Pastors are wrong (which they often times are), expose them for all to see. This is the example that Jesus left us to follow. So let’s follow His example!
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. -1 Corinthians 11:1
