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ROB BELL FALSE PREMISE #3. The phrase, "Personal Relationship" with Jesus not found in the Bible.
"The real issue, the one that can't
be avoided, is whether a person has
a 'personal relationship' with God
through Jesus. However that happens,
whoever told whomever, however it
was done, that's the bottom line:
a personal relationship. If you don't
have that you will die apart from God
and spend eternity in torment in hell.
The problem, however, is that
the phrase 'personal relationship'
is found nowhere in the Bible."-Love Wins, p. 10, bold mine
C'mon Rob! Are you serious? Do you expect us to take you seriously with such a elemental argument?
Well then, I think we need some additonal clarification from you Mr. Bell. In your "youtube response to criticism of 'Love Wins'" you say,
"I believe the Bible is God's word..." WHY? The phrase "the Bible is God's word" is found nowhere in the Bible.
"I believe in the communion of the saints..." The "communion of the saints?" WHY? The phrase "the communion of the saints" is found nowhere in the Bible.
Enough? Like you Mr. Bell, many of us believe that "the Bible is God's word." Likewise, many of us believe in "the communion of the saints," and in "the power of prayer." WHY? Because the Bible clearly teaches such things despite the absense of those specific phrases.
These are all examples of biblically based beliefs found in historic, orthodox Christianity. Further, the concepts of the "Trinity," and "Spiritual Warfare" are also CLEARLY TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE despite the fact that such "phrases" are not specifically used.
FOR THE RECORD: Biblical Christianity teaches a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" because it is CLEARLY TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE!
Rob Bell says,
"Nowhere in the Hebrew scriptures+,
nowhere in the New Testament.
Jesus never used the phrase.
Paul didn't use it. Nor did John, Peter,
James, or the woman who wrote
the Letter to the Hebrews." -Love Wins, p. 10
But Paul did say,
"I count all things to be loss
in view of the surpassing value
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and count them
but rubbish so that I may gain Christ...
that I may know* Him and the power
of His resurrection and the fellowship
of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."-Philippians 3:8,10, bold mine
And Jesus did say,
"This is eternal life,
that they may know* You,
the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3
And the Bible clearly teaches,"Not everyone who says to Me (Jesus),
'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but he who does the will
of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Many will say to Me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
Your name, and in Your name cast
out demons, and in Your name
perform many miracles?' And then I
will declare to them, 'I never knew* you;
Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"-Matthew 7:21-23, bold mine
*While it's true that our English translations never use the exact phrase "personal relationship," the original Greek language indicates precisely such a meaning. In each of the three cases above (as identified by the *) the Greek word for "know" is "ginosko," which practically means, "personal relationship."
+Actually, my favorite Old Testament (Hebrew scriptures) reference to a personal, intimate relationship with God is found in the following,
"'For as the waistband clings
to the waist of a man, so I made
the whole household of Israel
and the whole household of Judah
cling to Me,' declares the Lord,
'that they might be for Me a people,
for renown, for praise and for glory;
but they did not listen.'"-Jeremiah 13:11
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