The Emergent Church

Wikipedia’s definition of the Emergent Church is that it “is a diverse movement within Christianity that arose in the late 20th century as a reaction to the influence of modernism in Western Christianity.” It takes its name from the idea that as culture changes, the church changes and emerges to respond to the changes. It is a response by many different church leaders to the current era and culture of post-moderation. The emerging church can be thought of as a dissolution of “cold, hard fact” that is in favor of “make you happy and pleasing subjectivity” which is what post-modernism is. So in search of answers about the emerging church, my main question has been; is it right or wrong. You read what I found out and decide for yourself.

Post -modernism thinking is about experience over reason, spirituality over religion, images over words, subjectivity over objectivity and outward over inward. This is exactly how the emerging church thinks as well. It is thought that it is necessary to think this way in order to engage in contemporary culture. There are many groups within the emergent church and each group takes their post-modernism approach towards Christianity to different lengths. One group may take it all the way when another does not go as far into the post-moderate thoughts. Of course the groups who do not get into the post-modernism are usually more biblically sound than those who take it much further. Most of the groups do embrace the post-moderate way of thinking which leads to liberal and loose translations of the Bible.

The emergent church who does take the post-modernism further, as most of them do, feel that experience is much more important and valuable than reason and the truth becomes relative. This of course makes for many problems and destroys standards that the Bible is absolute truth. Since this is the case and the Bible is not considered absolute truth and our personal experiences are allowed to define and interpret what truth is, and then a saving faith in Jesus Christ is meaningless.

In Revelation 2:14-17 Jesus clearly warns against tolerating those who teach and live by false doctrine, yet the emerging church is encouraging ecumenism which is unity among all religions. This means that they want unity among those who are different religions and have different ethic backgrounds, those who do not believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, those who worship other gods and so on. We are to witness to these people and try to help them see the light, but not be in unity with them.

One must take great care when deciding whether or not to become a part of an emerging church group. Matthew 7: 15-20 says “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Seeking new ways to witness to people is a great thing, learning how to reach people in the modern world is very important but utilizing ways which compromise the Truth of the Gospel is nothing more than promoting false doctrine which is of course leading people away from Christ instead of to Him.