Why are so many charismatics confusing spirituality with anti-intellectualism, and wearing the latter as a badge of the former? Maybe because of the following....
Someone said: “Piety is biblical, with an emphasis on the heart more than the mind. Head and heart must work together, but the heart is more important.”
The first sentence contrasts the "heart" with the "mind," and the second contrasts the "heart" with the "head." Thus, as in the usage of many others, the "head" refers to the "mind" – but then, what in the world is the "heart"? If the "heart" is not the mind, then is it non-mental? If it is non-mental, then what is non-mental piety? And how can non-mental piety interact with Scripture?
But if they (the heart and the mind) are both mental, then why speak of them as if they are different parts of the human being? Where is the biblical justification for making this distinction between the heart and the mind? And why is the "mind" referred to as the "head" in the first place?
In Scripture, the "mind" and the "heart" are never considered as two separate parts of the human being. The above is an example of using unbiblical language to make an unbiblical distinction, and much of the anti-intellectualistic teachings on sanctification are founded precisely on this false distinction. We must throw out this teaching completely and permanently.
As Gordon Clark writes,
"Therefore when someone in the pews hears the preacher contrasting the head and the heart, he will realize that the preacher either does not know or does not believe what the Bible says. That the gospel may be proclaimed in its purity and power, the churches should eliminate their Freudianism and other forms of contemporary psychology and return to God's Word."
7 comments:
The problem with most charismatics and evangelicals is their heads are up... in the clouds! I'll bet you thought I was going to say somewhere else!
Biblical faith is not a leap into the dark, but it involves knowledge....knowledge of what? Well God's Word and the Word provides evidence of it's truth.
also another thought..
Many seek to avoid conformity with the world, not by renewing the mind, but by closing the mind. Even the Apostle Paul studied pagan religions of his day to better present Christian truth to the unbelieving and quoted them, Acts 17:28.
Another thing is that sadly, I believe that the church has been the leader in the anti-intellectualism of this age and most likely conforming to the spirit of this age.
I hear it a lot that Jesus didn't go to bible college and he was the greatest teacher ever, but they really are potraying our savior as an uneducated man. I always reply with no...he started as every other jew did studying very young...
Also the Sanhedrin considered the Apostles as "uneducated" in reality they were taught for three and half years by God the Son. It seems that God uses highly educated men to move the church forward. Paul,Augustine,Luther,Calvin,etc. were all very learned men. A lot of people seem to put a premium on ignorance.This is not to say God can't also use "ordinary" people.
Case in point,
"Calvinism is the educated man's theology." (or something like that)
Statement, (admission?,) made from the pulpit, by an Arminian pastor.
So do we infer that Arminianism is for dummies? Or that Calvinism is unspiritual? i'm sure the latter was what was intended.
Unspiritual? Even if it were true it's better than the dog and pony show the Arminian pastor has each week!
Well it was Reformed Theology...Luther, Calvin and others who sparked modern education among other things, because they wanted people to be able to read the bible.
The Church should be the biggest proponent and center of all education. Including the support of home education.
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