Pt.3

A Fresh View of Scripture

“Following this pattern, our new paradigm for taking dominion includes a dual task: the evangelistic mandate (saving souls) and the cultural mandate (transforming society). Once we have this in mind, we will have mental tools to take a fresh look at two biblical passages that have been favorites of us evangelicals.

The first is Luke 19:10, which reads, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Our old paradigm interpretation would make it read, “to save those who were lost.” But it does not say this. It says “that which was lost.” What is “that”? It is dominion over creation, which was lost in the Garden of Eden by the first Adam. Jesus, as the second Adam, wants to mobilize us to take back what the enemy has stolen.

The second passage is the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” It does not tell us to make disciples of individuals in all the nations, which has been our standard, old-paradigm interpretation. Instead, we are supposed to make disciples of panta ta ethne, which in Greek means all ethnic units or social units or people groups. This is a term that denotes sociological groupings of individuals. The whole unit, or nation (including, of course, the individuals who belong to it), is supposed to be Jesus’ collective disciple and to observe in that society what Jesus commanded. We now see that the Great Commission’s biblical goal is nothing short of social transformation.”

Wagner’s interpretation is so far off its amazing that anyone would accept this. Does Jesus mean our dominion is lost? Where does He teach He is seeking to save our dominion instead of people? This is a perfect example of taking a Scripture out of its context and isolating it to make it mean something else. This is what the cults do.

Lets see this verse in its context: Luke 19:9-10: And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  Salvation- man- son of Abraham all bring clarity to this Scriptures meaning. It does not mean what Wagner is saying at all. With this kind of distortion I can honestly say he is unfit to teach. To further solidify how wrong Wagner’s interpretation is, Matthew 18:11-12 explains, “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?”

Is Jesus seeking our restored dominion? Or is he seeking people who have strayed? Jesus says in John 12:47 “for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.” Which is related to his message in Jn.3:16, which is the motivation of and nature of the gospel- to save people.

This also brings into question his false interpretation “the Great Commission’s biblical goal is nothing short of social transformation” “It does not tell us to make disciples of individuals in all the nations”

Matthew 28:18-20: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:19 They were to go to the Gentiles that are in every land to make learners Gr. matheeteusate- such as they were themselves.

Matthew 28:19 rightly, “make disciples of” (from Vincent's Word Studies of the New Testament)

Matthew 28:20 Teaching them didaskontes (from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament)

 “Them” is a pronoun in Greek.  It will always refer to a noun and not a verb.  “Make ye (disciples) . . .” is a verb, the word “them” refers to the noun “nations,” and this word (Gr. ethnos) means nations, of the world. 

Gr. ethnos means all the different people of these nations, a race, it has always been understood to mean the people of, not a nation or country. It means making disciples or learners from the nations, teaching all the different people.

This is obviously speaking of a diversity of people. The idea of redeeming cultures or social transformation nationally is a wrong interpretation that is being promoted in new missionary endeavors.

 So how does this Great Commission literally read? V.19 “As you go on your way, teach all the nations making them your pupils (of Jesus), baptizing them.”  How do we know this is about people? All we need to do is see what the apostles did in action in the book of Acts and what they taught the church to do.  They preached the Gospel for each person to be saved.  Acts 15:7 Peter says, “That by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.”

If what Wagner is saying is accurate then no one has upheld the great commission yet. What whole city or group of people were converted by the apostles?  This is not to say that certain tribes or groupings of people will not come to know the lord, but to claim this is actually what this means is not accurate. We know what this means by the other gospels referring to this same command-

Mark 16:15-16: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

This is what is meant by Luke 24:47 :“that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Acts 1:8: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

the command is a going out to preach the gospel to people in all countries, tribes, ethnicities.

Revelation 7:9 “I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues.” Certainly He means from all these people groups.

We know this is the correct meaning because the word “nations” is used elsewhere:

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate his sheep from the goats -individuals (Matt. 25:32).

Wagner’s disregard for accurate bible Hermeneutics, what he calls an “old-paradigm interpretation” of this passage shows his intentions for changing the meaning of the Scripture on the church. It is based on a mans flawed interpretation of Scripture to promote HIS OWN AGENDA- which is…

What Is Missing?

“How do we explain the fact that with the best leadership, with state-of-the-art spiritual methodologies, with commitment of time, money and energy toward city transformation, the results still are not there? I have described Los Angeles because that is the prayer effort in which I was most personally involved, but I have heard similar reports from numerous other cities.

There are at least four ways that this could be explained:

1. We have the wrong goal. We have no Christian mandate for city transformation, and therefore we are out of the will of God. It goes without saying that I cannot accept this explanation.

2. We have the right goal, but we are using the wrong methods. If this is the case, we have been victims of massive deception because Christian leadership across the board has regarded our methodology as originating with the Holy Spirit and it has been developed by some of the most gifted and godly servants of the Lord.

3. We have the right goal and the right methods, but we need to do it more. In other words, if we have been working toward social transformation in America for 15 years, we need to do the same things for another 15 years and hope for the best. This explanation does not appeal to me because in 15 years, I will be 90 years old!

4. Our goal and methods are good, but there is something missing. I like this explanation the best. Let’s look into it more. We can still use the same methods that surfaced in the 1990s and that we have since fine-tuned, but we need to add something needs to the equation.

“state-of-the-art spiritual methodologies,” does not mean God’s instructions in the word of God that is living. Active, eternal, powerful and life giving.

Wagner seems to be concerned he will not taste the fruit of his own garden. What a shame.

What, then, is missing?

“I believe it will help matters a great deal if we can avoid trivial answers to this question. For example, I recently received a rather lengthy report related to winning the war for social transformation. In it, the author suggested that three things were needed in order for us to turn the corner and see results: intimacy with God, unity in the regional church, and holiness and righteousness. I read that with dismay, because for 15 years we have been preaching those three things fervently and have been doing our best to attain them. All were present in Love L.A. I agree that we cannot do without these things, but analytically speaking, I cannot see how any of these would provide a tipping point.

Apostolic Leadership

“During the 1990s, we knew very little about apostolic leadership. Neither did we know much about the church in the workplace. But now we do. In chapter 1, I tried to make a case for the church in the workplace, and in chapter 2, I argued that there are apostles in the workplace. We need to move beyond the 1990s and integrate these concepts into our social-transformation efforts. Let’s look, once again, at the social-transformation graphic.

One of the two major columns that support social transformation is the church in the workplace, and workplace apostles help to tie the whole structure together.

A very important role in social transformation is that of territorial apostles. These are apostles to whom God has assigned key apostolic authority over a certain geographical region. I have no doubt that some nuclear-church apostles are also God-ordained territorial apostles. However, this new paradigm of the church in the workplace has brought me to the strong conclusion that the majority of territorial apostles will probably turn out to be extended-church apostles rather than nuclear-church apostles.

This means that we need to get on with the task of identifying workplace apostles, writing their job descriptions, commissioning them and supporting and encouraging them in every way. Until we do, stories contributing to transformation fatigue are likely to increase. We will continue to wonder why it is so difficult to implement the commission that Jesus, the second Adam, has given us—the commission to take dominion.

Let’s decide to move forward. Let’s take dominion now!” C. Peter Wagner, Let’s Take Dominion Now!, exerpt from the book Dominion!, In The Workplace, http://www.intheworkplace.com/articles_view.asp?articleid=22902&columnid=1935) 

Thanks to Wagner and the apostles and prophets influence, all of these concepts are now in the church. “workplace apostles” “territorial apostles” are not ever found in the Scripture- so the whole concept is removed from the Bibles meaning. An apostle is one who plants a church and teaches sound doctrine, there’s none of this here.

The church reigning or even the concept of Christ reigning through the church over cities, workplaces etc. when He is not physically present on earth is not a teaching found in the Bible. We have not been completely transformed so we are not suitable to rule. It is a new view that comes from Reconstructionism, found in Preterism and Charismatic Dominionism. Here is the agenda of Wagner and his apostolic leadership and it is always the same- to have the apostles/prophets ruling in the church; he makes it clear this is what is needed for the church to succeed.

These teachings of Peter Wagner are not new, but recently admitted by Wagner

“Our theological bedrock is what has been known as Dominion Theology. This means that our divine mandate is to do whatever is necessary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to retake the dominion of God's creation which Adam forfeited to Satan in the Garden of Eden. It is nothing less than seeing God's kingdom coming and His will being done here on earth as it is in heaven. (C. Peter Wagner, letter, May 31, 2007)

[underline mine]
 
“The cultural mandate, which some refer to as Christian social responsibility goes as far back as the Garden of Eden. After God created Adam and Eve, He said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing... Both the cultural mandate and the evangelistic mandate are essential parts of biblical mission, in my opinion. Neither is optional. There is a growing consensus on this point in Evangelical circles” (C. Peter Wagner, “On the Cutting Edge of Mission Strategy,” Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, A Reader, Revised Edition (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1981,1992), pp. D-45-46.)

If this is true then we have a major shift from a Biblical model to a secular one. Wagners approach is similar to the Theonomy of Calvin in Geneva. He appeals to Charismatics that have no discernment, and presents his ideas as if they are not harmful but helpful.  This has become a dangerous mix of the worlds wisdom with Christian terminology.
Since the new apostolic and prophetic movement has been fed into the churches bloodstream, small shifts have taken place, and continue to, until we will find ourselves in an about face positrion. Since it is not in the plan and will of God, other facets need to be accepeted and implemented. He claims this is the spirit speaking to the churches- the question is what spirit – since it is not at all how the Spirit spoke to the churches by Jesus’ mouth in the book of Revelation to John. Thus, He is claiming new Revelation that is more important than what John wrote for us.

Here is an example of C. Peter Wagner using his own rationale to implement his plan for the church:
“See, the problem is, is that Satan has had too much of his way in our society because he has a government! And the only way to overthrow a government is with a government. It won’t happen otherwise. So therefore the government of the church has to get into place in the extended church just like we do have it very well in place, we haven’t reached our goal yet, but it’s very well established in the nuclear church. ... These apostles in the workplace are the ones that are going to come into the picture and with them we’ll be open these gates, without them we can have all the prayer meetings we want, all the marches for Jesus we want, all the prayer walking we want, the gates aren’t going to be opened. Because it takes a government to overthrow a government. Gate number one, letter A, the gate of social transformation, the gate of social transformation. ... This gate will be opened when we understand about the church in the workplace, that the church has a government, that it takes a government to overthrow a government, and when we understand this, if we renew our minds, if we embrace this paradigm shift, if we see, if we hear what the spirit is saying to the churches, if we recognize ministry in the extended church and government in the extended church, the revival we’ve been praying for is just around the corner. We will see it. ... in the days to come will be going out to their ministries in the workplace, and I impart to them an anointing, I impart to them an anointing for not seeing a job, but seeing a ministry in the workplace. And I impart an anointing to them and to this whole community to recognize and raise up apostles who will set the church in the workplace in order so that our cities, our communities, our states, and our nations will be transformed for Your glory, in Jesus’ name” (C. Peter Wagner, Arise Prophetic Conference, Gateway Church, San Jose, CA, 10/10/2004) [underline mine]

The revival we’ve been praying for is just around the corner-- is always promised by false teachers who tell us it depends on our involvement and our obedience to their words “if we hear what the spirit is saying to the churches.” It is the same promises you hear from the faith healers and the miracle movement of today. They are all empty and void of any relation to a true biblical revival.

Here we have a self- appointed end time apostle confused about what the Bible clearly teaches on last day events. He has convinced himself to be an apostle because he does not understand the basics of Scripture. Wagner makes it perfectly clear where he is leading the church by “his” apostles and prophets of his new government. But we have a choice.  Receive their impartation, and anointing to come under their spiritual authority or be servants to God by staying under His authority and His anointing.

Social transformation has far more implication than what we think; it is part of Unesco of the UN. Peter Drucker published is an article in The Atlantic Monthly on “The Age of Social Transformation” (Nov. 1994). This is whom Rick Warren had as a mentor. These men are well aware of where we are headed as a world and their participation in it is forging the direction of the church.

The new age calls this a “planetary crises,” that necessitates a paradigm shift in consciousness. Evolving to a global consciousness will affect every aspect of our lives. Ssocial, and cultural development will be the first to be displayed, Spirituality and technology will be the next. The evolution of change in Society is the main carrier of the transformation program. Yoked with this change is the social transformation.

There is a spiritual/social engineering appearing at the basic levels of the human condition that discounts the source of all mans ills- sin. Thus, it leaves out the remedy for sin- Jesus Christ. Along with the social structure in society being transformed; the church runs on a parallel course. One can say they are two rails of the trains course toward an eventual fulfilling of prophecy. There is a church which uses Jesus’ name for their own plans and ways, a substitute to what Jesus had intended for the church. A church kingdom is then born that has no connection to the church that is

In Luke 17:20-28 Jesus “when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

Jesus told the Pharisees, that they missed the Kingdom because they refused the King! Are they not doing the same today by not believing what Jesus said it would be like? Jesus left to set up the actual, literal kingdom for a future time. In the meantime the kingdom was to be within those who are willing to follow the King and wait for His return.

The kingdom comes- the Son of man comes, they are synonymous. There will be judgment, he will destroy them all as he did in Noah's day-- The Kingdom of God will not come with signs accompanying Jesus as the first time, with healings and deliverance from demons. These  apostles like Wagner and those under him always have stories about their alleged signs and wonders, trying to prove that they are establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. Do not go after or follow those who claim we are seeing the kingdom now- it only comes with Jesus, and he will be as a flash of light from the east to the west. When the Kingdom of God comes in the end times, it comes when the King returns, not before.  any the earthly kingdom they established will be destroyed by Jesus.

 Another time his apostles asked Jesus “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:6-8) This has not changed.

Christ suffered first and rose from the dead and ascended to his place in heaven. Peter then tells the Jewish people (and us)

Acts 3:19-21 “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”

We wait--1 Timothy 6:14-15 “until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing , which He will manifest in His own time”  2 Timothy 4:1 “who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.” 2 Timothy 4:8 “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing .

Politics united with religion was never the intention of Jesus for his church. The government is upon his shoulders, not ours. He is the only righteous ruler. When this combination rears its ugly head as it had in the past it is always going to bring bondage and remove people from their true mission Jesus gave.

“we feel that God wants us to start governmentally, connecting with the apostles of the region. God has already raised up for us a key apostle in one of the strategic nations of the Middle East, and other apostles are already coming on board. Once we have the apostles in place, we will then bring the intercessors and the prophets into the inner circle, and we will end up with the spiritual core we need to move ahead for retaking the dominion that is rightfully ours” ( C. Peter Wagner 11/01/05, Global Link newsletter Global Harvest Ministries).

 In the end 10 kings will give their allegiance to the beast, and the beast is worshipped (Daniel 7:24). Revelation 17:13: “These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.” Revelation 17:17: “For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”

 Revelation 13:7-8 “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Since the fall, Satan has ruled the world and introduced his system and government into it. We cannot use these ideas of the world and Christianize them, add Jesus name and think they are acceptable to God and that he will bless them. For it is Christ who will restore the earth in the Millennium and He has not given this authority over into the hands of any man.   

Psalm 2:6-8, “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” “I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”

God has NOT given us (the church) the nations, this is God the Father promising this to his only begotten Son.  Jesus is “to rule all nations with a rod of iron” (Revelation 12:5, 19:5). 

Daniel 7:21-22: “I was watching; and the same horn (little horn) was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.”  Clearly, God has no Church government to rule triumphantly now in the interim, we are to wait UNTIL Christ come back. That is the choice the churches must make – whom will they side with, Jesus or the new apostolic agenda of the spirit speaking something completely different to the church.

Good article http://www.discernment-ministries.org/ChristianImperialism.htm