Adrian Warnock has been writing a lot about Rob Bell and his book. Much as I disagree with Adrian on a number of issues I have avoided commenting on this sos far. However, this one hit me too hard to ignore.
Adrian begins his post Heaven, Hell, and Rob Bell – How DARE you question God? with:
Bell asks, is it unjust for God to not save everyone? I reply: how dare you question God? Rob thinks he is God, that he can somehow help the whole of humanity
How dare you question God?
This is so unbiblical and so far from most (even all?) Christian theology that I was shocked to read it.The Bible has numerous examples of people daring to question, to challenge God.
The Hebrew Scriptures have so many examples that I will limit myself to exclaiming in wonder "Has Adrian never read the Psalms or the book of Job? Has he not read any of the Prophets or stories of 'heroes' like Gideon?"
In the New Testament we even have examples of Jesus questioning God (at least that is one way of understanding the Garden of Gethsemene). The disciples are always questioning Jesus, not just those who stand against him but his closest followers.John the Baptist sends his followers to question Jesus, to challenge him because Jesus is not doing the things John expects of the Messiah.
To say "How dare you question God?" to someone sets you against the witness of Scripture. To do it while claiming that the other person is rejecting Scripture is appalling and Adrian does not limit his accusation to rejecting or mis-understanding Scripture but goes further saying "The following quotes from Bell’s book are in my view verging on blasphemy".
how dare you question God? Rob thinks he is God
When these two are juxtaposed then the irony is that Adrian appears to do exactly what he accuses Rob Bell of doing. Adrian comes across as entirely certain his understanding of God is correct and completely confident that he can speak for God. There is no "in my opinion" or "in my understanding" or "it seems to me", or "in my tradition we understand", no humility but the confident belief that Adrian speaks for God and that in this area Adrian fully knows the mind of God. At what point does a confidence that you understand God completely, that you can speak for God become you thinking you are God?
A very sad post in a long line of sad posts.
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