Theology on the Internet

0:02 Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central. What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Internet theologians. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear someone say Internet theologians, Internet theologians. What if they stress it Internet theologians, or if they say Internet theologians, they don't really stress it, but it's the same idea, Internet theologians, Internet theologians. Do you have a positive reaction or a negative What if you hear Christian podcaster ooh did I give you a is it good or bad impression? What if a Christian blogger good reaction or negative reaction? Even if you hear the word forget internet or internet or Christian podcast forget it any What if we just use the term theologians good impression or negative impression? Now, from my experience, when you hear pastors for pastors of churches talk, they will speak typically very negative of those Internet theologians, Internet theologians, Christian podcasters, Christian bloggers,

1:36 and sometimes they will even criticize those theologians those and they will speak very negatively of all of them. Internet theologians, Internet theologians, Christian podcasters, Christian bloggers, and theologians in general. They seem in many cases to have a very negative attitude, a very negative perspective, a very negative feeling. I'm not saying everyone, I'm saying that that's my experience that that I feel that it happens frequently. Well, obviously, because I have had that experience, I've heard it, I've been sitting in buildings where those kinds of things are said. Because that has been my experience, then you can probably guess what my reaction was when I saw a new sermon being uploaded to the sermon's two point oh app entitled Internet Theologians Internet Theologians. My immediate response was, oh boy, here we go. I bet you it's an older pastor.

2:47 That was my first assumption. I bet you he's going to be negative about those Internet theologians. So I had a lot of presuppositions. Right, I'm just gonna be honest with you. I just immediately assumed it's going to be bad, it's going to be negative. I have clear, strong presuppositions about it. But you know what we're going to do. I'm not just gonna go Oh well, I bet you that is negative. I bet you he's going to criticize those so called Internet theologians. I'm not gonna bother. No, we are going to listen to it and find out if my presuppositions were right or if my presuppositions were wrong. And you know what, that's what we should always do, no matter what your presuppositions may be. We always have to listen and let someone speak for themselves. So that's what we're going to do, and we'll do that well right after I guess I say this, Good afternoon everyone.

3:41 It is Tuesday, November the twenty sixth, twenty twenty four, it is currently three twenty four pm Central time, and I'm coming to you live from the Theology Central Studio located right here in Abilene, Texas. Now, just that introduction, right, just that introduction, and it kind of tells you something. Right, Well, he's gonna he may be a little sensitive to this. He may he may have some strong feelings. I mean, he's a podcaster with a theology podcast, so he's one of those Christian podcasters. He's one of those so called Internet theologians. So obviously he may be very defensive. He may be very sensitive if someone even insinuates something negative, and you're right, look, let's just full transparency. I could be a little sensitive here, and I have strong presuppositions and strong just assumptions. If someone starts talking about internet theologians, I just immediately, well, this is getting ready to go negative.

4:50 They're gonna be criticizing it. And I do think that it's somewhat generational. I do think. I think if it's older pastors, they're just like, what's the internet stuff and podcasting and blogging? What's all? Back in my day, we rode, we rode to church on a horse, three miles uphill and the snow, and we liked it. And that's the way it should be. We should just cut off the internet, and we should just not have even have electricity. We shouldn't even have a microphone. Okay, maybe that's a little hyperbole, but I think it will be somewhat generational. I could be very wrong, right, I could start this. It could be a person in their twenties. Who knows, But we're going to listen to this and we're going to find out. Now this is all a part of our effort to bring this last month really of our sermons two point oh app Sermon Challenge of twenty twenty four to some kind of a dramatic conclusion. And what we're going to do is, I'm just going to try to keep watching what's going on on the sermon's two point oh app more and more, try to review, try to talk about it, and try to just see what we can do in the last month. Right, maybe we can really really accomplish something. Now, Sometimes when we listen to these sermons, let's just be very honest.

6:05 Sometimes we have found that it doesn't matter the title, doesn't even matter the scripture. Sometimes that has nothing to do with what we think it's going to be about. It'll be a sermon entitled First John chapter one, verse three, and after forty five minutes listening to the sermon, they never even mentioned First John chapter one, verse three. So there's always a danger in going and blind. But you also know I love sometimes going and blind because we don't know what's going to happen. So this is how we're going to approach this sermon. I am going to be honest with you. I have a presupposition. A sermon entitled Internet Theologians, Internet Theologians it's going to be negative. I just hear it being said in a negative way, right, I see the term Internet theologians. I hear it in my mind, those Internet theologians. Maybe I hear it with a Southern accent. I hear it being derogatory. That I'm just going in. That's my presupposition. My assumption is this is going to be negative. Now here's the danger. Because I have that presupposition. Because I have that assumption, I may not be able to hear in a fair way.

7:16 So I'm going to try to be very fair. If you believe I'm not being fair, if you believe I'm not being accurate, then by all means call me out. But I think i'm a I'm gonna do my best. I'm at least going and acknowledging it. Right, I'm already going to be a little bit defensive. I'm already gonna be like oh oh oh, because I mean, I'm the host of a podcast called Theology Central, which is of course on the internet. All right, so you can tell why I could be. But I've got to not allow my presupposition, my assumptions, even my possible defensiveness to so blind me to so make me deaf that I cannot hear criticism in a fair and accurate way. That's what I need to do. I have to be able to hear this. Now. I'm a little bit perplexed because this is called Internet again. I want to say it, and I want to really emphasize it Internet theologians, and the text I believe is like First John, chapter four. I just just make sure we understand they didn't have any Internet back then, all right, But so I don't know. Well, it's put it this way. The title did what it's supposed to do. It got my attention and I clicked on it. A title should get your attention if you're putting your stuff on the Internet. You Oh, wait a minute.

8:36 If this is a sermon criticizing Internet theologians and it's posted on the Internet, would not to make the person speaking an Internet something, an Internet Bible teacher, an Internet pastor, and Internet I mean, if you're going to credit it so already, that kind of seems a little odd. But we'll see which direction is going to go. But I'm acknowledging. I'm acknowledging, ladies and gentlemen, I have a presupposition. I have an assumption, and I have a possible in invested interest into being a little bit defensive. I got to set that all aside, to try to let the man speak, hear him clearly, and maybe say you, well, you're right, that's fair criticism. Now we will see and then you, obviously will then be able to judge if what I'm saying is fair and accurate. I mean, that's the way it works, right, Everybody judges everything. I mean, that's the way it works. So here we go. I don't know.

9:35 I've been waiting for this all day. I saw that this sermon was being uploaded this morning, but they never the audio would never show up. I kept waiting and waiting. Finally the audio showed up. So here we go without any further delay. But I just wanted to spend that time being very open and honest with you. I'm aware, I'm aware of this. I'm aware of this. So my feelings are based not on this sermon, because I haven't heard the sermon. It's based on my experiences. So I've got a presupposition, I've got an assumption, I've got experiences, and I've kind of got a vested interest, which makes this then listening to this fairly, maybe somewhat difficult. You'll have to see how well I do.

10:21 Here. We go. And so many folks that we've known one way or another through Day Spring, Bible College, Brother Mahoney and all folks, and through the trip to Israel, we got to know some of you, and just to know the caliber preachers that you have here in your ministry and what they mean, what they've stood for. And Brother Gilbert, I always have just really enjoyed listening to him, make a pointed when I come here to preach, being here for Sunday School, because I really enjoy listing to his message and always come up with outlines can steal and make people think we're my own. I did one already this morning, and so I'm grateful for that. But head, of course, doctor Arnold is just one of the great heroes of the Free Grace movement and known by many, and his influence many, and such a blessing, and we're so thankful for his ministry and the fruit of it, and your pastor then, what a sweet spirit, what a pastor's heart, what a joy to be around, and we're thankful for him and grateful for him and his friendship and for this invitation, appreciate it very much.

11:37 First John, Chapter four. It's a kind of a different type of message, but it is a real issue challenge of the time. Yeah, and by Internet theologians. All of a sudden, we have information coming at us from every angle and in a format that people are used to listening to. We've come to a place where people almost don't believe it unless they saw it on the Internet. And there's some interesting stuff on the Internet. I am. I'm probably the least techie guy you know.

12:20 All Right, here we go. I'm starting to hear a little bit of a tone, all right, starting to hear a little bit of a tone. And I can't I can't speak for his age. I don't know how he sounds like he's older. I'm starting to get I'm starting to get a little bit of a feeling. But see that, Am I being too overly sensitive? There's a high possibility. Am I being overly I mean come on, I mean I do a podcast called Theology Central, so you see, you see why I could be. So I gotta all right, slap myself. Stop stop stop stop stop, all right, they don't mean anything negative. This is gonna be they're gonna talk positive about all those of us who turn on microphones to talk theology on the internet. I bet you they're going to be happy about that, right, all right, I see that's sarcasm. Oh okay, come on, all right, come on, stop stop stop positive positive, positive, positive, no negativity.

13:21 Don't be cynical, don't be jaded, Be be joyful, be you know, be positive. That is that work. Okay, let's see what. Happens and it. But it is amazing what's happened in my own life with other people taking my preaching and my teaching putting it on the internet. It's just been some amazing things. One group I did a three hour interview with on the King James Bible, and and they just informed me recently that that's been downloaded now a million times. I'm thinking, I've preached thirty countries, forty nine states NonStop for over fifty years, and more people have heard that interview than have heard me live.

14:10 It's just amazing. Okay, well, this is a good thing. This is a good thing. He's talking about how positive it is to put your pilological discussions on the internet. So if he's going to talk about internet theologians. Then he would have to include himself there. Right, his information is on the Internet. It's had over a million downloads. That makes you an Internet theologian. Okay, over a million downloads would make you an Internet theologian. Now, so he's going to have to define what he means by Internet theologian because he's now placed himself very much in that camp. He's got content on the Internet that's had over a million downloads. Okay, you can't get much more Internet theologian than that, right, all right, So let's see. Now I'm kind of interested in which direction this is gonna maybe maybe, maybe this is going to be more positive. And I have been completely my presuppositions and my assumptions have been completely wrong.

15:19 Let's find out. It's hard to comprehend all of it. And I was preaching in Australian and in Australian church, and I was preaching Philipino churches there, but happened to be in Australian church that morning and a guy came up to me, so, yes, we appreciate you so much, and he said, our church listens to you every Wednesday night. And I thought he was from Australia. He wasn't he is from the Nation of Cook's Island. I didn't know there was a nation of Cook's Island. I had to look it up. It's a small island in the specific.

16:02 I mean, it's incredible what happens with all this and the influence of it all. And yet there's a lot of good, obviously that comes out of it. My ministry, I'm just the busiest I have ever been, and more offers and opportunities I knew what to do with, and mostly because of people posting me on the internet various fashions. But man, there's a lot of trouble on the internet today too. All right, So there's good and there's bad. All right, I'm trying to follow here, right, isn't there good churches, bad churches? Good teaching, bad teaching? Hasn't that been the argument for two thousand years of church history? Now, of course, who gets to say who's good and who's bad? That's the never ending debate. You may say that person's good, and someone else may say that person is bad. And you may say you're good and they may say you're bad. Yeah, it just so, all right, So guess what, ladies and gentlemen, on the internet, there's theology. There's some good and there's some bad, all right. I don't know of anyone who would ever say otherwise. Hey, you can go to a Christian bookstore. There's some good, there's some bad. You can turn on Christian radio, there's some good, there is bad.

17:34 You can turn on Christian television. There's a lot of bad. And nope, okay, there's probably some good. There's some good and some bad. And it doesn't matter the medium preaching vocal like a local church preaching sermons and print Christian books, Christian commentaries, Christian bookstores, Christian television, Christian radio, or the internet or the internet. It mean that, and that's the way it's always been. I mean, is there something I don't know here, Let's see where this goes. I find myself doing an interview, YouTube or podcast or something of that nature about once a week, and it's been my policy. I just do interviews for anybody. I don't ask who they are, check anything. I do interviews.

18:25 As long as I get the end of the interview to give the gospel. I'll go on with anybody. And I've been on with some interesting people. And there is a guy out in California, and I was been on his program three times and it's just an unusual person. And I'm always on because. At the end I know it's my time to give the gospel now, and just gives me the last few minutes. But he spends a lot of time talking about the Nephelim and there here on the earth today. And I've heard a lot of interesting things from him. And he talks about the green Nephilim and the gray Nephilim. They're giants and supernatural spirits, and the green Nephilim, you understand, are the good guys, and the gray Nephilim are very dangerous and they're responsible for all of the horrible things that are going on in our world today. And they using different politicians and figures and so forth. And he just goes on and on about this, and I just basically on the other end of the microphone, you know, and listened for a while and he'll say, what do you think about it? Well, I really don't know anything about that. And at the end I give the gospel for five minutes.

19:51 It's it's been amazing. Ah. He got some of that in from something called the Book of Inenich and a lot of people talking about the Book of Innich, and it's getting a lot of influenced. It is a book that was taken out of the Bible. The Book of Enoch that was taken out of the Bible. All right, now, wait, wait a minute here, Okay, If you don't know about the Book of Enoch, It's an ancient Jewish work. It's traditionally ascribed to Enoch, the great grandfather of Noah. It is not part of the canonical Hebrew Bible or most Christian Bibles, though it is considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The book is notable for its detailed exploration of angelology, eschatology, and cosmology. So what does he mean that the Book of Enoch taken out of the Bible. He's saying it was in the Bible and then it was out of the Bible. I'm a little bit I'm a little bit confused. If you don't know about the Book of EMBoK, it was likely composed, most believe somewhere basically in stages. I think that's how most people believe. It was put together, somewhere between like the third century BC and the first century AD. Right now,

21:25 if you're looking at probably an academic work. They're going to refer to it as third century BCE before the Common Era, and the first century CE Common era, I know, BC before christ ad Audio Domini the Year of Our Lord. Okay, we can get into all of the dating situation. It reflects themes of kind of a Jewish apocalyptic type worldview. It emphasizes judgment of the wicked, vindication of the righteous, and basically a lot of the idea of angels and their role in governance and divine governance. I think maybe would be the right way to say so, all right.

22:08 The Book of Enoch is quoted or referenced in several ancient Jewish and Christian texts, according to many claims. Many believe that if you look at Jude verses fourteen and fifteen, that that some say it's a direct quote from Enoch one chapter one, verse nine. Early Church fathers, Totolian and Origin referenced the Book of Enoch, but it was excluded from most Christian canons. So when he says it was removed from the Bible, like what which, I don't know what he's referencing here. I think many would believe that the Book of Enoch probably was more influential on Christian theology than maybe some people would like to acknowledge, right, especially some of our ideas about the fallen, fallen angels, apocalyptic judgment. Some of that may actually be more influenced by the Book of Enoch, even though people don't have it in their Bible and many Christians have never even read it. Yeah, I think I think a lot of people question its theology and its historical reliability. I think that's probably fair to say. So, what does he mean it was taken out of the Bible like it was in the Bible and feel like, hey, guys, we got to get this thing out of the Bible. Like, I don't think that that's inaccurate. I don't think it was pretty much always like it's not to be a part

23:40 of the canon. I don't think. I don't think there was major arguments for its inclusion in the canon. In fact, let me let. Me, I'm just gonna have to search here. I'm gonna have to search. I'm trying to go a lot of memory here. I'm gonna have to do a little bit of searching here. It was. They're a large bush to include the book in either the Old Testament or New Testament. Let's see what we can find, see what we can find here. I'm having to do a little research on this, Okay, from what Okay, this is what I'm finding. There was never a large organized push to include the Book of Enoch and the canon of either the Old Testament or the New Testament, though it was influential and widely read in some Jewish and early Christian communities the Jewish Canon.

24:38 The Book of Enoch was popular in certain Jewish circles, especially among apocalyptic sects, as advanced by the discovery of Enoch fragments among the Dead Sea scrolls. However, mainstream Jewish leaders, after the destruction of the Second Temple favored text with more legal and prophetic focus, which had led to its exclusion from the Hebrew Bible. So it sounds like there wasn't even much desire to put it even in the Hebrew Bible. The book speculative angelology, apocalyptic themes, and detailed eschatology likely contribute to its rejection by rabbinic authorities. Prioritized texts that supported the emerging Jewish theological framework, and Enoch's teachings were seen as too speculative or mystical, so it looked it never showed up in any Old Testament canon, so it wasn't taken out of the Bible. It never even found its way in, at least for the Old Testament.

25:33 Now when it comes to the New Testament, the Book of Enoch was known and quoted by early Christians, particularly some believe in the Epistle of Jude, which directly quotes again. Some say Enoch one to nine early Church fathers. Okay I was right. Totolian considered it valuable, even arguing for its inspiration. However, this view was not widespread, so Totolian may have been someone who actually believed the Book of Enoch was inspired origin referenced the book, but was cautious about it. He was like, oh, not so sure. The Book of Enoch was attributed to Enoch, a pre flood patriarchal patriarch mentioned in Genesis five one through twenty four, but its actual authorship and date of composition, spanning from three hundred BC to first century CE, was unclear, so we don't really know who wrote it. Maybe even the dating of it was very difficult, so that could possibly be a reason it was never included. Its detailed angelology and cosmology were viewed as speculative and potentially heretical by many earlier church leaders who preferred more straightforward theological text, with some communities valued it, the Book of Enoch did not enjoy widespread acceptance across the diverse Christian world. The Christian Old Testament was heavily influenced. The Christian Old Testament was heavily influenced by the Jewish Canon, which had already excluded Enoch. So whether it was the Jewish Bible or the Old the Christian New Old Testament, whatever the case may have been, nobody wanted it included. Tertolia may have

27:07 been even the maybe and I don't even know if he wanted it in the canon, but he thought it was inspired. So you can see there wasn't like this was never taken out of the Bible. It never ended up in Okay. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the major exception. They included the Book of Enoch and their Biblical Canon, where it still is regarded as scripture today. This inclusion likely reflects the church's geographical and theological separation from the broader Jewish and Christian community that excluded the book. So it was never taken out. It never ended up in unless you are an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian and they've got other theological issues. We won't even get into a right, So it was taken out of the Bible. I don't know what he meant. I think he misspoke. I think he misspoke. I think that's what he think. I think it was never included. He makes he misspoke. I'm going to give him credit there that he just misspoke. All right, So let let's see what happens here.

28:07 And that's really not the case. If you look at the list of scriptural books the canon, it only showed up once in one list in Ethiopia, and all the Ethiopians didn't buy it. One segment of the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia accepted the Book of encas scripture. Okay. I think what he was saying is that the guy on the podcast was saying it was taken out of the Bible. Okay, I think I miss I think I misunderstood what he was saying. I think it sounded like he was saying that, and I'm like, wait, no, no, no, no, all right, So you're right, the guy you went on his podcast with if he claimed the Book of Enoch was taken out of the Bible. Then you are absolutely right, that is incorrect. And now he's going through some of the information I just gave you. Okay, I probably should have just kept listening, but I misheard that. But all right, so a good thing you've got double the clarification. The Book of Noch was never taken out of the Bible.

29:04 Who was never in it? Okay, unless you're an Ethiopian, an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, then you're gonna be like, it's right here in my Bible, okay, But everyone else was no. And one Jewish group in Ethiopia accepted it a scripture, and folks have jumped on it today and it's being printed and it's going everywhere, and it talks about the Nephelimited, it's got all kinds of stuff in it. But it's popular today. It's all over the Internet and people are looking at it. And I'm going to ask you that with me to first John chapter four, longer title to this is cults, cultic movements, and Internet theologians. Internet theologian. I'm certainly not against ministry on the Internet. I just told you that's that's become a significant part of my life, to my absolute shock and surprise. Did an interview this last week with a guy it's got two.

30:05 Hundred thousand subscribers. I did two. Interviews with him before, and I'll hear just and over and over again from them. He's more sound guy. Again, some of the ones aren't so sound. But an internet. Theologian is a person whose primary ministry is on the Internet. And this is one of the warnings I like to give people. I don't trust people who that's their only ministry. Oh boy, all right, So if your primary ministry is in the Internet, he doesn't trust you. So if their ministry was also in a church, you would trust them.

30:54 Joe Olstein is a pastor of a church. Should I trust him? TD Jakes, And in a serious way, I do hope he's okay. He had a seizure last Sunday. I think during his sermon. Now I think his theology is abhorrent. I think his theology is a mess. But he's a pastor of a church. Now I do hope he's okay. I'm criticizing his theology as a man. I hope I want him to be okay. But he's a pastor of a church. I mean how many Mark Driscoll was a pastor of a church. I mean still he's a pastor of a church. Now, I mean I can go through pastor after pastor after pastor, who their ministry is in an institutionalized church, the institutionalized church. Not only is there false teaching, not only is there heretical teaching, there's sin, there's failure, there's sexual molestation of children. I mean, we can go on and on and on and on and on. So you don't trust someone whose primary ministry is on the internet, But if they were also serving in a church, then all of a sudden, now they would be trustworthy. Like I it makes no sense. I'm not necessarily a fan of that, right, I mean, especially in the non Catholic world. Right, in the non Catholic world, we are all about the scriptures. If someone studies, learns, and has the ability to communicate and they want to turn on a microphone and communicate with the technology available

32:26 to us, does it make them somehow not trustworthy because they're not ministering inside a church. What makes someone trustworthy because they're ministering inside a church. I've heard some of the most abhorred, crazy, insane things, not from people outside of the church, from people inside the church. Some of the most I mean some of the things we have reviewed on this those are things coming from inside the church. And are they any more trustworthy. Let's let give him the opportunity to explain why. Who doesn't have a ministry with real, live breathing people in front of them. Because the ministry like this, people know you. There has to be some accountability. Many of the folks that are preaching on the internet, nobody knows if they're using their real name, if their story is the least bit true, or if there are anything similar to what they described themselves as.

33:36 The same thing can be true. I mean, I mean, I guess in the church you may know they're using their real name. I mean, we had those I can't remember. I don't remember his name. He was going around claiming to be some expert on Islam, preaching a conferences, preaching in churches, was ministering in a church. Come to find out his entire story with a fraud was a lie, was not was made up. I mean, I. So you've got you've got to be ministering to real, live breathing people. Well, aren't you when you're when I'm talking right now, there's real, live, breathing people on the other side of this microphone, right, Do they know me? No?

34:19 So I guess there is an issue there. But there's people who minister in churches. Do people really know them? Be kind? A lot of times you come and find we had no idea. Well, I mean, do you do you really know anyone whether you're looking them in the eye or you're listening to them via the internet? I don't, Okay, But again, see I could be I could be very defensive here. I could be very defensive here. I could be very defensive. So let's I got to give him the opportunity to explain it. And I will tell you there's a whole lot of con artists with internet ministry.

35:00 There's a whole lot of con artists with internet industry. There's not corn artists within churches. I mean, come on, now, come on, I see. Look, if you're gonna put criticism at the Internet ministry, you can turn this around to the church. The church has been filled with con artists for two thousand years. Benny hen ministered in church. I mean, we can go through all the charismatics who stood behind pulpits in churches. There were nothing more than con artist and frauds, and they were ministering to real live people. Hey man, I okay, all right, all right, okay, okay, but see see what I told you. I'm coming this with a presupposition. I told you, I'm coming at this with assumptions. I'm coming at this with a bias. So I've got to be careful. I've got to be able to hear. I got to hear. I cannot just I've got to be able to listen to what may go against my I mean, I've got a vested interest. I do a podcast called Theology Central. You could say why why This title then would obviously draw me in. But I've got to be fair here. So I've got to listen. Here, I've got to listen.

36:19 And if you'll look at First John, chapter four, there are always new teachers. But we've got to learn to ask this question, who's the teacher? What qualifies them to teach? And where is their information coming from? All right, who is the teacher? Right? What is their qualification to teach? Now? Wait a minute, So in the Protestant world, we now have qualifications for teaching. Now, this is where it's going to get interesting, right, because in the Protestant world, I thought the idea that the person sitting in the pew had the responsibility, the authority, and the ability to judge if what is being preached is true or false. So now there has to be wait so that what gives someone the authority or right to teach? So you're saying the authority or right to teach has to come from a church. Well, if the church has the authority and right to teach, then what gives the the authority or right for the people sitting in the pew to determine if it's true or false?

37:28 The church would then have the authority and the right to teach. So should authority and right be given who? Since Luther was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church, did he have the right and authority to teach? Wasn't it? Bunyan John Bunyan who would not accept or go with I think the government was requiring pastors to be licensed by the state. He refused, So you don't want, we don't want to stay to be the one who determines it. But we also will say, well, if a church becomes corrupt, you can leave that church. Well. So, but then you can just establish the authority to teach on your own, Like, who gives you the authority to do It's got to be the people of the church that gives you the authority to teach. So the people of the church then could remove your authority to This raises all kinds of questions about how this is supposed to work.

38:29 First John, chapter four, Verse one, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they're of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. Now please note if you're going to use First John based off his introduction, John does not tell the people, Hey, beloved, this is the way. What do they have an internet ministry?

39:09 Don't trust him. He doesn't even say are they ministering in a church? He doesn't even use that as a qualifier or as a way to judge. He says, believe, beloved, believe not every spirit, But try the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Now in the historical context of First John, this is referring to the gnostics, so we won't get into First John is a polemic for against gnosticism. But he says hereby know ye the spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. He doesn't say, hey, see if they are teaching in a church, See if they're teaching people who are flesh and blood. Make sure that they're a ministering in a church. He doesn't even use that as a qualifier here as a test. Nothing. He goes with what they are teaching, what they are confessing, not if they're teaching in a church, out of a church, he doesn't. That's not even mentioned here at this point.

40:02 So does that work with his intro? And this is that spirit of Antichrist? Wherever you've heard that it should come even now already is it in the world? May I say a lot of people get confused on this passage. Says everybody that believes indeed of Christ. That means that they're a preacher of God and it's talking about spirits. Real spirits, real demonic spirits influence people. Man. The first question is where did they get their information? You have God little children have overcome them.

40:43 All right. So he's saying, okay, wait a minute, this is not referring to pastors. This is referring to spirits. So every spirit that confessed that Jesus Christ is come in the fleshes of God. This is the way you test a spirit. Okay, So let me let me do some questioning here. Let me. In first, John, for one. Hang on, if I can if I can spell correctly, John, should not be that difficult to spell, should it. It shouldn't be. But when you're trying to talk and type when it refers to spirits, Hang on? What are the different ways this has been interpreted? All right, Let's see what we can get here.

41:49 All right. He's just offering a dogmatic assertion, all right, all right, So there are some different ways. There's some there's some different ways to I know this is going to come as a shock to everyone. Okay, there's a lot of different ways to interpret these things. I know every single time I have to say that. All right, So it's been interpreted in various ways across Christian traditions. I know this is a shock, ladies and gentlemen, I am shocked to find out. There's all kinds of different interpretations, all right, supernatural beings, angel slash demons. Some interpret spirits as referring to supernatural beings such as angels or demons who influence human thought and action. This verse is understood as a warning to discern between divine and demonic influences. Okay, well this is about spirits that I don't know why he's talking about internet theologians because this would not be a way to I guess what he's going to say is Internet theologians could be getting their information from demons and not from God. So that we do do I get my information from God? Are you meaning from the Bible?

42:56 Okay? Oh, there's so many directions this could go, all right, So some would say this is supernatural beings, beings, angels, demons, that type of thing. Many would many overlya spiritualize the passage, focusing exclusively on external influence. So this versus basically, how do you discern between a divine and demonic influence? I guess the way you you're able to determine if it's demonic or if it's good. Is do they confess the deity of Christ? Now again, in the historical context, this is more about testing the gnostics. I mean, I mean, but I mean, who cares about historical context. We'll get into that all right now. Some believe that this is human teachers are prophets. This is this is not angels or demons. Spirits refer to the teachings and influence of human individuals, particularly those claiming to be prophets, are spiritual leaders.

43:57 The immediate context of First John four on through three, he mentions false prophets and their failure to confess Jesus Christ es central to their message. So they're saying that the basic argument here is it would make more sense to see these spirits as being human teachers or prophets, because that's what the text is about. Look at First John four to three, and and if you if you look here, in every spirit, okay, verse three, and every spirit that confesses not Jesus Christ has come into flesh is not is not of God. And this is the spirit of anti Christ. Wherefore you have heard that it should come and even now already's in the world all right. Uh, so the I know, look at verse one. Uh, because many false prophets are gone out in the world, So the context seems to be referring to false prophets, those who are speaking falsehoods. All right. So the strength of this view that it's human teachers. It's grounded in the context of early Christian struggles against heresies like gnosticism. Told you, I told you the The context here is about the gnostics.

45:01 This is about testing the gnostics, right, the false prophets, the anti Christs that were already present were the gnostics in First John. That's why context matters. Now, the weakness of this view could be it downplays the possibility of supernatural influence. But again, is this like, I don't know, so I could go there's how many different. Views are here? There are like five six views if we go through historical interpretations. The early Church particularly understood this as a warning against gnosticism. Home shocking. I've only been saying that I don't know for fifty years. Okay, First John is about gnosticism, all right. The reformers John Calvin emphasize testing, teaching, and character of individuals claiming spiritual authority. So Calvin is like, Hey, when someone claims spiritual authority, then we got to test them to see if they believe in Jesus Christ, his deity and he's come in the flesh his incarnation. Now, where you get to modern evangelicals, they focus on discernment between orthodox and heterodox teachings, especially in response to cults and modern ideologies. So the early chair, so let's see where he goes with this. Let's see where he goes with this. You see where he goes with this. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. No, I'm just all right. I just gotta let him try to.

46:30 I've got some obviously issues. But let's see where he goes with this. Because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. We're given this warning you don't believe everything you hear. Bible says in Proverbs the simple believeth every word. I agree, we don't believe everything we hear. That would include you. That would include masters who stand behind a pulpit ministering to people and looking them right in the eye, who are flesh and blood. And that would mean people who are broadcasting on the internet. That would mean people who's their entire ministry is Internet based, right, I mean, we could go through church history and see where all the hit just go through history. Now, I know this is a little unfair, but church history would be that all heresy and false teaching typically arises from within the church.

47:36 Even Paul warned that there's going to be ravening wolves that arise from within you. Paul was constantly having to go to churches to fix the problems inside churches. So historically the problems have always been inside the church, not by people broadcasting on the Internet. Now that's because obviously there's more history of it without the Internet than there is with it. But I'm just saying, like the internet's the Internet theologians are the problem, and you can't trust them because they're not ministering to people. Well, I've got two thousand years of church history of people ministering to people inside churches who were flat out heretical, charlatans, liars, deceivers, and everything else in the book.

48:24 Now, Internet theologians have become a real significant influence. You see it all the time. They're distracting new converts. People get saved, they start to grow, and then they get sidetracked by this person and this set of ideas. Oh wait, so internet theologians distract new converts. I know, because that never happened with let me see printed sermons, Christian books, commentaries, radio television, other churches, is fellow other friends who claim to be Christians who believe differently? Has this not been going on for two thousand years? So so let me guess. So what a new convert should do is not listen to anyone except his church. Is that is that is that where this is going. He should only listen to the magisterium of his local church because his local church is the bastion of truth. Right now, I'm not saying that's what he's saying, but that you see where you could get a logical progression here. Now, I look, I've been in churches of that independent fundamental Baptist churches. I said in many where like don't listen to this person, and don't listen to that, and you don't listen to that. I look, it was it was

49:55 told that you would be in trouble at the church I went to in uh Papilion, Nebraska back in the nineties, that he made a rule that you cannot go to a promise keeper's meeting, and you're like, what in the world you can't tell me which preaching I can listen to and not listen to? What this is not? This is becoming cult like? And which? Then that just led me that was the beginning of the end once I mentioned that, But it was very cult like. You're gonna tell me now which preaching I could listen to and not listen to, Like you're the pope, We're not Catholic, there is no magisterial authority does all the teaching and internet theologians? Does it distract new converts? Or is it just that they may hear something that disagrees with you and your message is on the internet. How about if your message is distracting a new convert who's a member of a church who doesn't agree with you, aren't you doing the very same thing that you could be accusing someone else of doing.

51:09 They infect local churches with false doctrine that the preacher would never have invited in. Internet theologians infect churches with false doctrine. You mean they infect the church with a doctrine that's different than yours. So you get to decide what is the true doctrine, and any doctrine that disagrees with you is false. Doctrine is that So you're gonna be the You're gonna be the pope, and you're gonna say, here's the true doctrine. If anything that disagrees with this is bad. Now, look we name it the way he's already approached First John four.

51:55 I can already show you there's plenty of people in church history that would disagree with him. He didn't even mention First John as a polemic against gnosticism. He may have done teaching on First John. Where he does that, I don't know. See that. Okay, let's just see where it goes. Let's see where it goes. And they challenge the role of the pastor that they try to become the teacher. God has a plan. Okay, they become the pastor. Hmm. You're right. When you post your internet, when you post your sermons on the Internet, you can kind of become the de facto pastor for people in other places. So if you by post posting your content on the Internet, could you not then be doing the very things you're accusing the Internet theologians of doing.

52:59 Any speaking of the Internet, theologians as if they're different from him. You've got content on the Internet. It's been downloaded over a million times. I would say, you're right there with the rest of us, all right, So all of us as internet theologians, look, every church that posts their sermons on the Internet. You can become the de facto church. You can become you can become the pastor of ten people, twenty people, fifty people, one hundred people. If you don't want that to happen, then don't put anything on. Get rid of sermon audio. Just disband it, be done with it. Sermon audio, you're hurting the local church because you're infecting it with other doctrines and other teachings.

53:43 You've got Presbyterians on there, Lutherans on their independent, Baptist, free will Baptists. You've got everything. Oh you're infect because not every look. I can listen to lots of things on sermonadio, and I mean I agree, there's Presbyterians on there. I clearly disagree with their view and fit Baptism. There's all millennial list on there. I clearly disagree with them. This sermon is on sermon audio. So you're on a platform that infects people and distracts people with doctrinal discussions and differences that may go against what their pastors teach. And you don't tell me those churches on sermonadio don't become the basically default church and ministry for other people.

54:27 That's just if you're gonna be on the internet, that's what happens. And even before the Internet, there were people who MacArthur was their pastor, Chucks Windahl was their pastor because I listened to them on Christian radio. There are probably people that Spurgeon was their pastor because his sermons were printed in the paper. There were people that Billy Graham basically was their pastor because they watched their crusade, his crusades. I I you know, okay, I got to see where this goes. I got to see where this goes.

55:10 God bless you all. You're in a local church this morning. God's plan is for you to be in a church. You to be taught the Bible by the leaders in that church, people who have the sanction of that church on them. They didn't just show up and decide to teach a pastor in inner city of Chicago, and Inner Chicago was an interesting place. We had all kinds of people wandering in all the time, and one fellaw wandered in one time. He had chosen to use the term Anabaptist to describe himself as an a Baptist, but said he was an Anabaptist ordained or appointed anointed preacher, and that God had sent him to teach in our church.

55:55 He didn't tell me this, He just wandering around telling people this. And one of our young men, who at that time was a good new convert and excited about the Lord, said. Well, this doesn't sound right. He said, do you know the pastor? No, he said, I need to meet the pastor. And he's saying, well, how do you know you're supposed to be teaching this church. So he came looking for me and found me and he said, there's this guy over here, and he told me what he said. And he said, he scares me. I said, so I went and talked to him, and he said, the Lord has led me here. I said, no, I didn't. He said, well, how do you know? Because because I'm the pastor and God works through the pastor, people don't just show up and teaching our church. Our church authorizes people to teach or to preach, and we would have to know something about you and your doctrine and what you believe, and what your purpose would be, and then we'd have to decide we had a reason to have you. I said, I have traveled a lot, and I know a lot of preachers, and I could never have all the good preachers that I know preaching the church. And I said, the Lord works in the local church through the pastor. I am acceptable to preach

57:26 to you here today for one reason. The pastor invited me. That means I have some accountability. That means he knows something about me. That means something about what I believe, something about what I stand for. So I explained to that fella, God did not. Lead you here to preach. And he kept saying you, well, there's been some misunderstanding. I said, yes, and it's yours has been a misunderstanding. You think God called you here to teach and preach, and I'm telling you if that, that's not possible because I'm the pastor and I didn't invite you. And he continued to hang around and ask folks if he could come to their home and hold Bible studies. So at that point I had to get up in the pulpit, say you see this gentleman over here, he's going around offering the whole Bible studies for you.

58:28 We don't have the faintest idea who he is, and he has no authorization or authority from the church, and he does not belong here doing that. And your pastor advises you, none of you, to let him come visit you home. You see, this is the challenge we're facing all over. Not so much today is often by people showing up, but people have access to you the internet. This was the procedure years ago. We protect our congregation, real simple, We're careful who we invited to preach, no problem. But it's never been that simple because they had radio, television books. That's just that's what year are you referring to?

59:17 What year were you referring to? They were they were produced as soon as especially if you just go from the Reformation moving forward, I mean, if you go from the Reformation moving forward, and once the printing press was available, all kinds of religious literature was being printed. So I mean, basically what he's seeming to be saying is, look, you just go to a local church and that's all you'll listen to the end boom, you cannot trust anybody else. Well, that seems to set up then that the church has the authority. They're the ones who interpret the scripture and you just listen to them. Well, then can anyone ever challenge the church? Can anyone ever question the church? Can any want ever lave the church? Now? I'm not saying that that's what he's saying. I am saying that that's the logical progression. This kind of thinking seems to be leading to.

1:00:14 We didn't have bad teachers in a pulpit, didn't have bad preachers in a pulpit that pretty much protected our people. You know, most of the time. Today you all have access to thousands of false teachers any time you please. They're a button or two away. And there's no way a pastor can protect everybody just by controlling the pulpit. I knew preachers who didn't used to want to talk about controversial things too much, or controversial people because my people don't anything about them, They don't need to hear about them. Just better off leaving and alone. And you might be able to make that argument of that case, But you can't do it now because everybody has access to a limited number of false teachers now.

1:01:03 And one of the things you saw during the pandemic. When folks were having to look for information services, etc. Lots of false teachers really flourished. During the pandemic. This is a huge challenge. And when we face and can I say to you that these false teachers often appeal to a certain type of personality, folks who want to feel special because they know something everybody doesn't know. The second church I pastored, I was just coming to my last few sundays there.

1:01:47 We'd met this family at some meeting and that they lived in the neighborhood and the English Church and were invited him to church and came. They started coming to church and they were using being in the church to pass out information on the Christian identity cult. That's a very dangerous cult. It's a cult that. Teaches that salvation is based on race not grace. That's their phrase, race not grace. They teach white folks are saved, that black folks don't have a soul, and not really sure about brown folks. I don't don't know how that works. And so they're coming to church and they're passing out literature to people, and so I heard about it, found out I said, you can't do that. You cannot pass out any that material here.

1:02:36 You do realize every one of his illustrations are about things that's happened inside the church. He's not used to any illustrations about people on the internet. It's about internet theologians. But all of he's talked about is the thing that's happened inside the church. You can't bring so you cannot come to church here if you're not willing to cooperate this. But so you cannot distribute any that material at church. So they became not quite so open about it. And on my last Sunday as pastor, I could see them in the back and I could see their arm motion going like this.

1:03:18 I couldn't see what they were passing out, but I had the idea it wasn't candy. And so one of my last axes, Pastor, I asked the ushers to see them out of the building. And that's not just a disagreement, that's a dangerous cultic idea. Now now. Right, And that was happening inside the church, and then you were gonna go, and then that there would have been back probably the next Sunday depending if you let like how oh, okay, I mean that's why inside churches there's church splits, there's fighting, there's all denominational splits. All these things happen inside the church. But okay, all right, so now he's gonna say, but now the internet, but now the inner Okay, all right, okay, let's see what he's going to say.

1:04:12 That idea is all over the place on the internet, not on radio much because radio stations won't deal with it. But it's all over the internet. And these kind of things appeal to certain people. Say say, you know, I know something everybody else doesn't know. Look at me, I'm special. There's a certain personality that wraps around that. Would you look back with me. It's a passage. You notice. That same attitude or spirit is in local churches. Oh we believe this, we teach this. We're different than that church, or that. Every church has to draw some distinction about why their church is better than the other churches, even if it's not explicitly dated, because well then people will go to the other churches. Right, everyone's got we've got a corner on something. We're different, we're unique, we're special.

1:05:09 That's just as much a local church issue as it is an Internet issue. We're told not to believe every spirit. You understand, they are false spirits at work in this world, providing false information. That's a fact, it's reality. It is where false theology comes from in big quantities are small quantities? Wrong theology comes from evil spirits? Hmm? Oh, we could get into a discussion here, could we not. We're going to run out, We're running out of time. We're already over an hour. I know. So, then that means good theology doesn't come from Bible study. It comes from good spirits.

1:05:59 The good Spirit tells me what to believe. Is that where we're getting ready to go? Because if so, we're about to enter into some very charismatic territory, are we not. Joseph Smith in the Mormons, Joseph Smith has that story about he saw an angel, and the angel Moroni but began to tell him about these golden plates and led him to these golden plates. And out of the golden plates come in the Book of Mormon. And in the Book of Mormon you'll find out that while Jesus was a great man who became God through his good works, the way that anybody can become God. He did not start out as God. And you also find out that Christianity is good if it's proper. But you have to be sure about a few things. One of them is which there's no blood atonement for sin. According to Joseph Smith, a spirit told him that. But you're not supposed to believe every spirit.

1:06:59 You're supposed to to try the spirits to see whether they're have God. Say, this is the question you have to ask with all these where did they get their information? And often you'll find out, though we'll be reluctant to tell you where they got the information. Islam itself started Joseph Smith. Okay, now wait a minute, we got a problem here. Okay, I'm gonna back this up. So he just he made some very specific claims about the Book of Mormon. Now, I I'm gonna be very cautious here, because you know, we've gotta test the spirits, right, and you can't trust every you know, those internet theologians cannot be trusted, right, So while his messages on the Internet, I'm gonna challenge I'm gonna at least think about this carefully because I've read the Book of Mormon. Multiple times. So I'm just gonna back up and make sure I know exactly what he says, and I'm gonta, I gotta verify a few things.

1:07:59 He may be right, but I'm just going to be a little careful here, all right, because lots of times people claim things, and so I'm going to see how far we can back this up. Let's see how if this is back far back, far enough, here we go Mormon. You'll find out that while Jesus was a great man who became God through his good works the way that anybody can become God, he did not start out as God. And you also find out that Christianity is good if it's proper. But you have to be sure about a few things. One of them is which there's no blood atonement for sin, all right. So one of those things is that the Book of Mormon teaches that there's no blood atonement for sin. Hmm, okay, So I had to look something up just to verify.

1:08:46 The Book of Mormon does not teach no blood atonement for sin, but rather emphasizes the necessity of Jesus christ atoning sacrifice, including the shedding of his blood, as central salvation. This is consistent with broader Christian doctrine on the atonement. Below are some of the key points and references from the Book of Mormon. All right, explicit references to Christ's atonement. Right, They quote from the Book of Mormon and Lo, he shall suffer temptations and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than he can suffer. Accept it be under death, Or behold, blood cometh from every poor, So great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. Another quote from the Book of Mormon discusses the necessity of faith and the coming of Christ, who atones for sin. And another part of the Book of Mormon, we read and behold, I am sent to speak these things unto you, that you may learn wisdom, that you may learn that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved only and through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. So where does this come from? Well, there is a potential source for misunderstanding the phrase blood atonement. Well, the Book of Mormon teaches what teaches about Christ atonement through his shed blood. The specific phrase blood atonement is associated with later Mormon teachings especially Brigham Young's controversial doctrines.

1:10:23 This has led to misunderstand misunderstandings about the Book of Mormon stance. So it's not the Book of Mormon. There's some later Mormon teaching that may cause some misunderstanding. Now again, he's on the internet. Hey, remember how internet teachers could distract young converts and how they could corrupt people and get false teaching inside churches. Well, he's saying things about Mormonism that may not be even accurate. Now, the blood atonement doctrine taught in nineteenth century Mormonism outside of the Book of Mormon suggested that certain grievous sins might require the shedding of the sinner's blood for forgiveness. This teaching is distinct from what is in the Book of Mormon and does not negate its focus on Christ's atonement, So there may be misunderstanding. Some critics may have mistakenly conflate extra biblical woman teachings with the doctrine of the Book of Mormon itself, leading to claims about that the Book of Mormon denies the necessity of christ shed blood. And I've got the actual quotes here from the Book of Mormon that would that I just read to you that that's not that's not the ca at Ah. So you're gonna you're gonna criticize internet theologians, Well, your message is on the internet, and in some Internet theologian has to listen to your message and say, well, wait a minute, I don't think that's accurate. But while you criticize internet

1:11:54 theologians and man man man, the Book of Mormon, here's how Ai summarizes it. Clearly affirms the necessity of christ atonement, including the shedding of His blood for the remission of sins. Any claim that the Book of Mormon teaches Noah blood atoneat appears to misunderstand or is misrepresenting its content. However, the controversy around the broader LDS teachings, especially historical ideas of the blood under atonement, may contribute to this misunderstanding.

1:12:36 In other words, there's very nuanced and layered things you have to understand. If you're going to say something about the Book of Mormon, then you may want to actually make sure what you're saying is true about the Book of Mormon. And I've heard pastors say things about the Satanic Bible completely not true. I've heard pastors say things about Catholicism completely not true. I've heard past Oh, and these are things happening in the local church while teaching people. Hm. But that's okay. But those internet theologians, those are the bad people. You can't trust them. You can always trust people who preach from the pulpit because they would never mislead, they would never get their information wrong. Never, it's unheard of.

1:13:21 According to Joseph Smith, a spirit told him that. But you're not supposed to believe every spirit. A spirit told him that there's no blood atonement. Well, considering he didn't teach it in the Book of Mormon, we've got problems because, look, I do not like Mormonism. I think it's a completely radical, false teaching. But you got to fairly represent it. You're supposed to try the spirits to see whether they're of God. Say, this is the question you have to ask with all these where did they get their information?

1:14:06 Exactly? Where did you get your information? Where did you get your information? Now I do not have my Book of Mormon. Handy. I do not now I have references from the Book of Mormon. So what I may do maybe not right now, I don't know if I'll get to it this evening. But what I may do is find my copy of the Book of Mormon, look up these specific references, and then read them from the Book of Mormon. Because he just made a claim about the Book of Mormon, he didn't tell me where did he get his information? Where? Oh, did he give it from a false from maybe from a demon? Is that what I'm supposed to assume here?

1:14:49 Because the information he just gave does not appear to be accurate in any way, shape or form. In fact, it's a complete misunderstanding. So where did he get his information? He just stood behind the pulpit, posted it on the internet. And often you'll find out that we'll be reluctant to tell you where they got the information. Islam itself started Joseph Smith married a rich widow. She had a caravan route. It was an overnight route between two cities, and they would stop at a certain oasis. There was a small cave at oasis, and Mohammed is taking the group the caravan and he's staying in the cave, and according to Mohammad himself, angels came.

1:15:31 And talked to him. Those angels told it that it's very very important for him to understand some things, one of which is that Jesus was not God. Even though he was a great prophet, he was not God. And one of which was that there was no such thing as a blood atonement for sin. Okay, so now he's making claims about Islam. Now, please note all the groups that he is siting here. All of this existed prior to the Internet. What any of this has to do with Internet theologians? All right? So did angels tell Mohammed there was no blood atonement for sin? All right?

1:16:25 Let's see what we can get here. Okay, yes, all right, So this seems to be at least what Islam teaches about atonement and sin, a direct forgiveness without sacrifice, denial of Jesus, crucifixion and atonement. All right. Mohammad claimed to have received the Koran through the Angel, which would be gebra, so we go through here. Islam does reject it. So he seems to be accurate here when it comes to Islam at least. To look that one up. Now with a Mormon one, I'm more I'm much more ready to go without looking things up, only because I spent a lot of time with Mormons coming to my house and having conversations and discussing many times, and then they would leave and then come back, bring more people, then bring more people. It would almost become a joke when Saturday here at this house downstairs from the studio, they literally pulled up with like a small van with all these people who came in to ask questions and like it. And then in my church in Nebraska where I taught Sunday school in Bellevue, Nebraska, Mormon elders came to my Sunday school class. So I've had lots of interaction with Mormons and with Mormonism, and I always ensured that I tried to read the Book of Mormon so that I could speak knowledge, because what happened to me is one time I was reading Christian books about what Mormonism teaches, right, and they made this claim

1:17:56 and disclaim. So I'm going back and forth with these Mormons, and I'm like, oh, I've got you. So I quote, I cite something about what Mormonism teaches from a Christian book, and They're like, that's fraudulent, that's not true. And I felt like an idiot. Now you can say, well, the Mormons were lying. Well, after a little bit of research, come to find out, well, what the Christian book said was not true. This was before the Internet. That was a book. And then here was claims about Mormonism that not accurate. So if we get so, where did you get your information? Is he going to tell me where? He says that these internet theologians don't tell you where you get your information. Are you going to tell me where you get your information? You didn't quote anything from the Book of Mormon. You didn't quote anything from Joseph Smith, you didn't quote anything from any official LDS doctrine.

1:18:52 And he began to wonder, and he began to fear at first that he was being influenced by demons. His own account, he went back and talked to his family, and he had an uncle said, oh no, no, those aren't Those aren't demons, those are angels. And they told him he had been. Anointed to return the truth to God's Earth. And out of that came Islam. You may have heard of the fuss A few years ago. A fellow wrote a book called the Satanic Verses, and he was from that region of the world. I appreciate your prayers. I will be doing a Bible conference in Egypt for eight days week after next, actually leave the next Wednesday for there, not this week, but the next week.

1:19:42 It's from that part of the world. And he wrote a book on the theory that maybe Mohammed got it right the first time, that those really were demons, and that thus the verses they gave him that became the Quran were Satanic, and they put out a fatwa on him, calling for him to be killed. And he lived in hiding in France for a number of years until relatively recently when he was attacked. It was identified and attacked. Beloved, believe not every spirit try the spirits where they of God? Why because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Okay, we have to come to griff with this.

1:20:26 There are. Okay, now we'll wait a minute. Wait a minute. Okay. The book The Satanic Verses, it is a novel. It is a complex, multi layered narrative that weaves together the lives of two protagonists. All right, gives me their names. I'm never going to get their names right, so I'm not going to try to pronounce them. These are people who survive a terrorist plane explosion and find themselves in England after their survival day, undergo surreal transformations, taking on angelic characteristics and becoming demonic. The duality allows the author to explore themes of identity, faith, and cultural conflict. The novel includes dream sequences and subplots, one of which depicts a fictionalized account of the early days of Islam. All right.

1:21:23 One of the novel's controversial aspects is the reference to the Islamic tradition of the Satanic verses historical incident where the prophet Mohammed is said to have temporarily accepted verses praising pagan deities, later retracting them as revelation from Satan rather than God. The narrative reimagined and reimagines this episode in a fictional and satirical way, questioning the reliability of divine revelation and exploring the dynamics of power and faith. So there's a lot more going on in the book than he kind of necessarily described here. It's a novel. It's looking at the is in a satirical way. He's stating it in a very straightforward way.

1:22:06 Man man man. Oh okay, And just so that we know that the idea within Islam is that Mohammad that basically what happened is that within Islamic tradition mentioned by early Islamic historians, the prophet Muhammad allegedly received revelation enduring endorsing three goddesses. Mohammad later recanted, saying that these verses were inspired by Satan and not Allah. This episode is not universally accepted in Islamic tradition and is generally rejected by Islamic scholarship.

1:22:51 So they say, there's all kinds of layers to all of that. If you're gonna mention it, you got to at least explain this stuff in some reasonable way. Lots of false teachers out in the world, and there are a lot of false teachers on the Internet, and a lot of these teachers you don't know anything about. They don't have any ministry dealing with real life, normal people that could hold them accountable for what they do. They can make up anything they want to make. They can make up anything they want to make up.

1:23:33 Oh boy, look, you draw your own conclusions, pick. Up about their past. They can invent any qualifications you can think of. They can give you any kind of information, but you need to know who they are and where did it come from? Now, this is a huge issue. You see it all over the place. Charles tas Russell found the job's witnesses, was teaching Sunday school and an evangelical church. He started teaching in the Sunday school class. There was no hell. They said, you can't be a Sunday school teacher here anymore. He quit going to church. He's sitting at home the week after he gets removed to the Sunday school teacher.

1:24:15 It's just funny, because all of these issues had mentioned happens within churches. Maybe he thinks that that I don't know, I don't know, I don't even know what to do with this. Well, I was excited to hear this. This has kind of gone in a direction that I wasn't necessarily intending it to go, because it kind of it just isn't there an irony to the Hey, those internet teachers, you don't know where they get their information. You don't know what they're saying is true. Well, he then makes an entire claim about Mormonism in the Book of Mormon that doesn't appear to be even remotely close to accurate. And he didn't tell me where he got his information. Is anybody gonna hold him accountable? His sermon is on the internet. It's gonna be listening to people all over the place. Young converts are gonna hear it, people who go to other churches are going to hear it. Who then may share this fraudulent information? Does anybody care? Who's gonna hold it accountable? Sermon audio gonn hold account Who's gonna hold it again? Nobody's gonna hold it accountable, and it'll get shared all over the internet. The very thing he's complaining about Internet theologians doing, is that not the irony of irony? I mean, is that not? I mean, is that not? I don't even is it ironic?

1:25:31 What is it? Absord? What is the correct term to utilize? Now, we didn't answer a lot of questions about Internet theologians. We didn't get because all of his explanations were about things not related to the Internet, So we really didn't get a good I mean, it's just interesting we're gonna talk about Internet theologians by talking about everything other than things that happened on the Internet. He's talking about everything that happened before the Internet was even existent, which just so I give up. Thanks for listening. Everyone, have a great oh Man, a great evening. I can't believe it's almost five o'clock. I just want to I want to cry now, ladies and gentlemen, I'm gonna land on the floor and cry.

1:26:14 Thanks for listening. God bless