Calvary Chapel teaches the doctrine of literalism, that the Bible says what it means more-or-less. This, IMO, is an extremely dangerous belief; it is illogical (circular reasoning) and it ignores the rich metaphore, hyperbole, and symbolism that the Bible contains. It also ignores centuries-old accurate understanding and interpretations as well, a part of the Christian heritage.
This hasn't been my experience at the Calvary Chapel I attend, like i said, maybe I just lucked out and ended up with a fabulous Bible believing pastor who actually knows what He is teaching from the Word of God.
I find it curious you capitalize "his" when you are speaking about your pastor.
Don't find it interesting. I have very poor grammer and typing skills, I have gone back and re-read some of my posts on CF and I noticed that I didn't capotilize "his" when speaking of our Lord and sometimes I did. I also have noticed my terrible spelling and misuse of puncuation. It really doesn't mean anything in regards to my feelings of my pastor or anyone else, it is just poor grammor usage on my part.
From my research, I've learned that Calvary Chapel is extremely emotionally-driven, which, IMO, isn't very healthy.
I wouldn't doubt that some of the CC's are this way. Like I said, not my experience at the one I attend.
A lot of this emotionally-driven feavor comes from the direction of the pastor with the sermon. Despite the fact that they have no seminary training and their core beliefs must agree with those of the denomination's founder, the people just nod and agree I've noticed. The pastors have no training in the languages either and its a KJVO church. I personally find this very, very scary.
What leads you to believe that all CC minister have no training in languages? Mine is very knowlegable in Greek....I don't know about Hebrew though.
By "colorful," I mean "colorful." I don't want to say anything more than may violate CF rules.
That is self-contradictory and extremely heterodox. Jesus is equally God and equally Man. Equally Divine and equally human. His humanity is just as important as his Divinity and visa versa. He wasn't an illusion, He didn't give up any of His divinity, and He wasn't any less a human. Without an complete and equal balance, Jesus could not have been the Savior. Please reread the Creed of St. Athanasius.
Perhaps I did not state what I meant very well. I agree with everything you have said above. What I was trying to say is that for Jesus to have paid the price for our sin, he had to be God also, he could not have done it if he was just sinnful man but He was both God and man without sin and he did pay the price for our sins as God and man.
Like chiliasm? Nestorianism? Montanism? Christological heresies? How do they know what is heresy without knowing the history and truth of early Christianity? Of the Early Church? Of the ancient Creeds? Of the the Ecumenical Councils? All this is a part of orthodox, traditional Christianity.
Things which my pastor has discussed in sermons and is in agreement with.
The main things that I have noticed when He talks of false teachings is that he really warns against people believing in the oneness beliefs, like the oneness penticostals teach and warns against the teachins that man can become gods or earn their own salvation by works. He has also taught against the teachings of the "name it an claim it" and "the faith healer" groups. He is big on the belief that when we are in Christ and we sin, the Holy Spirit will convict us of sin and we will have a full desire to please God and leave that sin behind and follow the will of God. He in no way promotes or condones staying in sin or the "once saved, always saved" beliefs that many people have.
Bible colleges and schools are
not the same as seminaries.
I realize this but what I am telling you is that I always study FOR MYSELF, what the pastor says in sermon, always. I have not to this point found ANTHING he has taught to go against the Word of God. He knows his stuff. Now, if in my personal studies, I were to notice something that did go against the word of God, I would not only pray about it but I would personally go to the pastor, talk to him about it and if I did understand correctly what he said and he was in error, I would call him on it, if he did not openly acknowlege and correct the error, I would leave that church. That is the truth. My salvation is in Christ, not a church....I go to church to worship, fellowship with other believers and to hear the Word of God and find stregnth to apply it to my life. If I am attending a church that starts to teach contrary to the Word of God, there is no reason for me to stay there, but every reason for me to leave.
I must agree whole-heartedly.
My friends who invited me are utter iconoclasts (another heresy; see the Seventh Ecumenical Council) because of Calvary Chapel. They've basically been taught that Catholics worship Mary and the Saints, etc. And from my own experiences, research, and from what I've heard from you, I'm becoming more and more worried about this church.
I do not believe that Catholics worship mary nor the saints. It might suprise you to know that I also attend Anglican services and find great peace and joy in the traditions of the church
Again, I want to say that there
may be some Calvary Chapel churches that are different from what I, Lotar, and others have described. My worries aren't of them but of the rest (most even?) of the denomination (and yes, it is a denomination; its considered to be a non-denominational charismatic renewal church). I just find it very frightening the more I learn.
Well, like I said, maybe I am just blessed to attend the CC chapel that I do and maybe ours is different than the other CC's. I really don't know.
**decides this will be his last post since this is becoming a little too hot of a topic for him**