Apostles and Apostolic Ministry – Paul’s Apostolic Ethos: 'Monday Morning Musings - June 7, 2021'

 

In many Charismatic leaning type of congregations the term apostle is used broadly and loosely. Too often it is used as a title implying significance, rank, positional authority, and governmental hierarchy–a hyper-spiritual veneer for naked ego and ambition. Paul’s cruciform “apostolic ethos” is plain and costly. It is also plain that many who profess to be apostles, do not possess it.

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Copyright 2021. Dr. Stephen R. Crosbywww.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

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Playing the God told Me Card: 'Monday Morning Musings - February 8, 2021'

In some churches (particularly Pentecostal and Charismatic) you may frequently hear language like: “God told me,” or “God showed me,” or “God revealed to me” or “God downloaded . . ., etc. It is common, yet very relationally dysfunctional. Here’s why. 

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We Don’t Need to Know: 'How to Handle Personal Spiritual Experiences'

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How to Handle Spiritual Experiences

The Spirit of the Lord could subjectively instruct you to take all the pots and pans out of your kitchen and bang on them and make a joyful noise unto His Name. You could have a legitimate, transcendent, spiritual experience doing so. That does not mean:

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The Incarnation: 'God Dwells Among Humanity'

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The Incarnation

Without getting into all the technical language details, the Prologue to John’s Gospel makes some profound declarations concerning Jesus. Jesus is the localized presence of God in the earth and Jesus is the glory (shekinah) of God. Jesus has replaced the Temple as the localization of both. That’s a pretty gutsy declaration for a Jew to make. A few observations:

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Gnostic Evangelical Christianity: 'Monday Morning Musings - November 9, 2020'

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“You are a spirit, who has a soul, and lives in a body.” Have you ever heard that? ” Jesus was ‘”God in a zipper-suit.” Have you ever heard that? I have heard both, hundreds of times growing up in evangelical/Charismatic churches. They are 100% Gnostic; 100% mishandling of 1 Thess. 5:23 and in my experience, common beliefs among thousands of poorly taught Evangelical believers.

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Copyright 2020. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

The Long War Against Thinking in Pentecostalism/Charismatic Churches: 'Monday Morning Musings 9-21-2020 - "What . . . . IF?"'

There is a prevalent strain of anti-intellectualism that has infected some forms of Western Protestantism for one hundred years, particularly some Pentecostal and Charismatic brands. It goes like this: “I don’t need any one to teach me what the Bible says. The Holy Spirit gives me ‘downloads.” All that education just gets in the way of the ‘anointing’ and ‘revelation'”. In this episode, I use the simple English word “if” to demonstrate how foolish that paradigm truly is.

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Copyright 2020. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

So You Think You are an Apostle: 'Reflections on Modern Day Claims of Apostleship'

Apostle or Poser?

Reflections on being an apostle of Christ

Many today (especially in Charismatic and non-denomination circles) claim for themselves the title and ministry of apostle. Most I have met do not claim equivalency with the twelve disciples of the Lamb. Yet they seem to invariably claim for themselves rights, privileges, primacy of place, and “positional governmental authority in the church” to which others must yield. The phenomenon is sometimes couched in language of “spiritual covering.” What they espouse and claim for themselves as apostles has no biblical legitimacy.

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Steven J. Wylie Podcast Interview: Augustine’s Influence on Western Theology

For those who might be interested to listen, here’s an interview with Steve Wylie on his podcast. I talk a bit about the influence (mostly negative IMHO) of Augustine in the formation of western theologies, and the possibilities of legitimate perspectives other than his. If you are happy in your Evangelical Protestantism, don’t listen to this one. It will just upset you. If you have begun to ask questions about things not making sense for you any more, you might enjoy this, and the crazy humor in the beginning.  Steve interviews me about my migration out of mainstream Protestantism and we morph into some critique of Augustinian theology. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5-dr-stephen-crosby-discusses-his-departure-from-mainstream/id1461732073?i=1000441163487

 

 

It’s 2019 and God is Not Taking You to New Levels

Manipulating People wioth New Levels Language

God is Not taking you to New Levels in 2019

Every year about this time, social media is saturated with naïve and manipulative Christian “blessings” and “predictions” like this:  “In 2019 God is going to take you to new levels!”

That kind of language is not just associated with New Year promises, but it is also stock and trade language in many churches. Well it is 2019, and here is my prediction: God is not going to take you to new levels. Why? Because there is no such thing.

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