are you kidding me?!?!

Rob Bell's Co-Pastor Shane Hipps Says He Can't Know For Certain About Heaven or Hell

Posted by Christine Pack

“I have never died, so I don’t have a theological position on heaven or hell, I can only entertain theological possibilities.” - Shane Hipps

Shane Hipps, co-pastor of Rob Bell's church (Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, MI), has recently written the following blog post (entire post can be read here).

Members of Mars Hill "We don't Believe the" Bible Church, open your Bible to the concordance in the back of your bible, write down the addresses for all the verses on Heaven and Hell and then read them. When God the Holy Spirit awakens you to the fact that Rob Bell and Shane Hipps do not teach God's Word as they are commanded to do; feel free to move to Kansas City and you can come to a real Church with me sometime.

Scripture is Clear, Necessary, and Sufficient.

By Clear, Christians mean that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood.

Not that it is always immediately understandable, but that with faith, prayer, guidance by the Holy Spirit and some knowledge of the Grammar and Historical context then passages can be understood. 

By Necessity, Christians mean that the Bible is necessary for the knowledge of the gospel, Salvation (or Justification), for maintaining a spiritual life (Sanctification), and for certain knowledge of God's will, but is not necessary for knowing that a god exists or for knowing something about God's character and moral laws (many of those can be found within the God given conscience of Mankind).

By Sufficiency, Christians mean that the Bible contains all the words of God that he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains everything that we need God to tell us for Salvation, for Trusting Him, or for obeying Him. Also this means that any new guidance, doctrine, teaching or "narrative" cannot be blindly accepted and obeyed but must be tested by the truthfulness of Scripture. It also means that nothing is a Sin that is not forbidden by Scripture (like drinking as an example) and to add to Scripture's sin lists is acting like the Pharisees, who broke God's Laws yet held to their own.  It also means there are no new requirements for Salvation that need to be added to Scripture (like gaining 5 pounds or loosing 30 or circumcision or good works).

The Bible is both Authoritative and Inerrant

By the authority of Scripture,  Christians mean that all the words in Scripture are God's words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve of disobey God, himself.

By the inerrancy of Scripture, Christians mean that Scripture in the original manuscripts do no affirm anything which is contrary to fact (false or incorrect).

Just as an aside, because I know Satan has many pastors in American Churches today - if you read a good English translation it is at least 99.5% accurate on saying what the original texts say. Also if you read a good English translation Study Bible most Study Bible's will even point out the "in question text" for you by footnote. Just be aware that Satan's job though Liberal False Teachers is to have you question or reject Scripture as it is the God described in Scripture that you MUST believe in in order to be Saved.

what is systematic theology?

It is the Science of the study of God by the process of collecting and understanding all the relevant passages of Scripture on any topic.

CONCLUSION - The Canons of the Council of Orange 529 AD

It was concluded long ago in the Early Christian Church that those who thought that salvation, faith or the decision to "come to Jesus" was a product of Man's Free-will, those Men where Heretics. 

Where have all the Christians gone since 529AD? And what has happened to the American Church?

And thus according to the passages of holy scripture quoted above or the interpretations of the ancient Fathers we must, under the blessing of God, preach and believe as follows.The sin of the first man has so impaired and weakened free will that no one thereafter can either love God as he ought or believe in God or do good for God's sake, unless the grace of divine mercy has preceded him. We therefore believe that the glorious faith which was given to Abel the righteous, and Noah, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and to all the saints of old, and which the Apostle Paul commends in extolling them (Heb. 11), was not given through natural goodness as it was before to Adam, but was bestowed by the grace of God. And we know and also believe that even after the coming of our Lord this grace is not to be found in the free will of all who desire to be baptized, but is bestowed by the kindness of Christ, as has already been frequently stated and as the Apostle Paul declares, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" (Phil. 1:29). And again, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). And again, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and it is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). And as the Apostle says of himself, "I have obtained mercy to be faithful" (1 Cor. 7:25, cf. 1 Tim. 1:13). He did not say, "because I was faithful," but "to be faithful." And again, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). And again, "Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (Jas. 1:17). And again, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven" (John 3:27). There are innumerable passages of holy scripture which can be quoted to prove the case for grace, but they have been omitted for the sake of brevity, because further examples will not really be of use where few are deemed sufficient.

CONCLUSION - The Canons of the Council of Orange 529 AD

It was concluded long ago in the Early Christian Church that those who thought that salvation, faith or the decision to "come to Jesus" was a product of Man's Free-will, those Men where Heretics. 
Where have all the Christians gone since 529AD? 

And thus according to the passages of holy scripture quoted above or the interpretations of the ancient Fathers we must, under the blessing of God, preach and believe as follows. The sin of the first man has so impaired and weakened free will that no one thereafter can either love God as he ought or believe in God or do good for God's sake, unless the grace of divine mercy has preceded him. We therefore believe that the glorious faith which was given to Abel the righteous, and Noah, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and to all the saints of old, and which the Apostle Paul commends in extolling them (Heb. 11), was not given through natural goodness as it was before to Adam, but was bestowed by the grace of God. And we know and also believe that even after the coming of our Lord this grace is not to be found in the free will of all who desire to be baptized, but is bestowed by the kindness of Christ, as has already been frequently stated and as the Apostle Paul declares, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" (Phil. 1:29). And again, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). And again, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and it is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). And as the Apostle says of himself, "I have obtained mercy to be faithful" (1 Cor. 7:25, cf. 1 Tim. 1:13). He did not say, "because I was faithful," but "to be faithful." And again, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). And again, "Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (Jas. 1:17). And again, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven" (John 3:27). There are innumerable passages of holy scripture which can be quoted to prove the case for grace, but they have been omitted for the sake of brevity, because further examples will not really be of use where few are deemed sufficient.

Truly, truly I say unto you...

The Christ - (Jesus) is God and what He says is true, that's 1 degree of truth,
If God who always speaks the truth says what I'm about to say is true, that's a 2nd degree of truth,
If God who always speaks the truth says this is really really true (Truly, Truly), that's 3 degrees of truth,
Listen up - and pay attention!!!

This is all from the Gospel of John:

Ch 1 - And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Ch 3 - Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Ch 3 - Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
 
Ch 3 - Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

Ch 5 - So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Ch 5 - Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Ch 5 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

Ch 6 - Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

Ch 6 - Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

Ch 6 - Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

Ch 6 - So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Ch 8 - Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

Ch 8 - Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

Ch 8 - Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Ch 10 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.

Ch 10 - So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

Ch 12 - Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Ch 13 - Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

Ch 13 - Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Ch 13 - After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

Ch 13 - Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Ch 14 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Ch 16 - Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

Ch 16 - In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

Ch 21 - Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”