True or False? - Rob Bell

Rob Bell is the founder and pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan. He attended Wheaton College without any specific goal in mind as to what he would study. At this time, he gained some attention locally from his work with the indie rock band _ton bundle. (That was not a typo). His rise to popularity in the Christian sphere later on was due to the NOOMA films, a series of short ministry films. Recently, he authored two books, “Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith” (Zondervan, 2005) and “Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality” (Zondervan, 2007). As he is relatively young and increasingly popular, many Christians consider his teachings to be useful in youth ministry. As a youth minister, it is highly likely that you will hear of or have already heard of Bell and his ministry.

However, as with all teachings, those of Rob Bell must be compared with the Word of God in order to determine whether or not they are true. Let's look at a quote from Bell in which he discusses the Bible:

The Bible itself, he writes, is a book that constantly must be wrestled with and re-interpreted. He dismisses claims that “Scripture alone” will answer all questions. Bible interpretation is colored by historical context, the reader's bias and current realities, he says. The more you study the Bible, the more questions it raises.

“It is not possible to simply do what the Bible says,” Bell writes. (Online source.)

The idea that the Bible must be "re-interpreted" is one of the most dangerous doctrines in Christianity today. There is only one correct interpretation for each verse of Scripture, and those interpretations do not change over time, just as God does not change. And what does Bell mean in saying that "Scripture alone" will not answer all questions? Sure, it won't tell you which pair of socks to put on in the morning, but answers to every problem a Christian faces can, indeed, be found in the Scriptures. If this is not true, then why even waste time going to the Bible for help?

In his books, the Bible translation primarily used by Bell is the new TNIV (Today's New International Version). Not only is this translation a paraphrase, but it is gender-neutralized, to the extent that it changes the meanings of many Bible verses. If Bell is using this "translation" as his guide, how much can we really trust his teachings to be accurate?

Elsewhere, Bell says, "We're rediscovering Christianity as an Eastern religion, as a way of life." An Eastern religion? Are we going to incorporate Hindu philosophy into our faith, like the New Agers, and thus come up with a mystical, humanistic "new" gospel?

And finally, let's simply look at the title of Bell's latest book: "Sex God". If that wasn't irreverent enough, what about the title of the first chapter, "God Wears Lipstick". How could anyone who truly wants to glorify God through his teachings and ministry ever make light of God in such a vulgar fashion?

Throughout his writings, Bell emphasizes "the glory of mankind" and proclaims a self-centered gospel based upon inaccurate paraphrases of Scripture and the teachings of less-than-Christian philosophers. I have only been able to give a short synopsis of his false teachings here, but I would encourage you to do more research on your own. As a youth minister, you must be zealously careful to analyze each new "fad" in Christianity using the Bible to keep false, detrimental teachings from pervading your ministry. Remember 1 John 4:1: "Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world." (Emphasis mine.)

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