40 Days Absurdity

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Warren’s weird way of wielding his Biblical sword causes him to say some really outrageous and silly things.

Case in point, after denying that faith alone is enough to please God in week one of the program, Warren turns around in week two and misapplies one of the clear passages of scripture that refutes his claim from week one.

The verse I am referring to is Hebrews 11:6, which states, “And without faith it is impossible to please God…”

If Warren was correct that “Love” is the thing that we need to please God, then Hebrews 11:6 would state that without ‘love’ it is impossible to please God.”

But in typical fashion, Warren glosses over what the text actually says. Rips it out of context and applies the verse in ways that defy all laws of logic and sound Biblical interpretation.

Listen to these sound bites and notice how he applies Heb 11:6 to the mandatory ‘outreach project’ that each small group is supposed to complete during the 40 Days of Community.

Sound Bite 6 - Without Faith 1

Sound Bite 7 - Without Faith 2

Did you catch that??? Warren, in referring to the outreach projects said, “The goal must be greater than the resources at hand otherwise it doesn’t require faith. If you do it on your own you don’t need God’s help. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God.”

First of all when you read Hebrews 11:6 IN CONTEXT you find that it is referring to saving faith not to outreach projects. (If you don’t believe me back up and read the last 4 verses of chapter 10. Then keep reading all the way through to Hebrews 12:2.)

I don’t see anything in chapters 10, 11 or 12 that should make me assume that the faith being referred to has anything to do with accomplishing tasks in which I don’t have all the necessary resources.

In fact, MOST of the examples of faith given in chapter 11 don’t fit Warren’s interpretation of verse 6 because the people mentioned HAD the resources to accomplish the tasks that are listed. Here are a few examples.

• Abraham had the resources to move from Haran to Canaan.
  
• Abraham had the physical body parts (resources) necessary to impregnate Sarah.
  
• Abraham had the resources, the wood and the knife, to offer his Son Isaac.
  
• Isaac had the resources to bless Jacob and Esau.
  
• Jacob had the resources to bless each of Joseph’s sons.
  
• Moses parents had the resources to hide their son from Pharoah.
  
• Moses had the resources to leave Egypt and to come back and observe the Passover.
  
• Rahab the prostitute had the resources to hide the spies.

Get the picture??

Secondly, Warren’s misinterpretation of this verse leads to some very silly conclusions and thus further exposes the fact that he is not properly handling God’s word.

In order to prove this, I’ll assume that Warren interpretation of the passage is correct.

If Warren is right then I can presume that every endeavor that I embark on "in Jesus’ name" in which I do not posses all the resources necessary to accomplish the task meets the Biblical standard for pleasing God.

So, if I were a Christian Mountain Climber, and I really want to please God, an obvious way for me to do that would be to attempt to climb Mt. Everest wearing only a Speedo and an oxygen tank. That would really take a lot of faith. Based on Warren’s application of this verse I should assume that God would really be pleased with that endeavor because it meets the Biblical standard for pleasing God.

Or I could jump out of an airplane without a parachute and have faith that God will let me land safely on the ground. After all, jumping with a parachute would mean that I have all the resources I need to land safely, therefore it wouldn’t require faith and wouldn’t meet God’s standard for pleasing Him.

Also, if my church has all the resources necessary to feed 200 families this Thanksgiving, I should assume that God will not be pleased with that endeavor because my church doesn’t need God’s help to accomplish the task.

Do you see how ridiculous and absurd Warren’s misinterpretation of this passage is?

Warren needs to be much more careful when interpreting and teaching God's Word.

Comments

[Mary]

Wow Chris that's bold. I love your critical mind. I have a paper which will enhance what you're saying. i'll try to remember to bring it to church Sunday. God bless.

[Andrew]

Insightful post. I'm reminded of a different "40 days" and a different misapplication of Scripture...

Matt 4,5-7: Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"