Thursday, April 26, 2007

The Gospel of Neal (or, Who Needs Nicaea?)

I probably need to study it more.
I'm not sure exactly what the Arians
believed. I think that the Council of Nicaea
was not a godly event. I was
watching the History Channel . . . .


IF YOU GO
to the "About" page on the Revolution 21 website, you'll run across this in the "whats and wherefores":
Revolution 21 is countercultural, and that includes a lot of the music we play. Revolution 21 -- while a radio station run by Christians -- doesn't obsess about playing only "Christian" artists. Revolution 21 believes music has meaning and validity above and beyond the particular artist.

In other words, art can stand on its own merits. So
Revolution 21
intends to leave art to the artists.

Format? We don't have no stinkin' format.

Well, actually, we do. But not like you're used to in the age of Corporate Radio. Instead,
Revolution 21
features a more-or-less "freeform" mix of "Christian" and "secular" rock and alternative music.

Also, you'll hear some punk and hip-hop, as well as "Christian" rap. Then add some singer-songwriters, some neo- and classic soul . . . plus a pinch of folk, and you start to get a whiff of our revolutionary brew.

Unlike the rest of the radio world -- "Christian" or "secular" --
Revolution 21
believes there are just two kinds of music . . . good and bad.

The bad, we don’t mess with.
THERE'S A REASON we don't play just "Christian" artists, and there's a reason why we'd prefer that the musicians worry about their art and not about being evangelistic associations. And there's a reason why we're not placing all our bets on the music being the entire message of Revolution 21.

And that's why this blog is here.

Prog-rock heavyweight Neal Morse used to be in the band Spock's Beard. Then -- and you know it's coming -- he found Jesus. Which meant he got out of Spock's facial hair and became a "Christian" artist, making music about Jesus and
. . . aaannnnnnd . . .

When I prayed to the Lord and asked what my gift was, I felt more like my gift was that of an evangelist. But these albums take on more of a teaching kind of mode, but they also could be considered evangelism. If I were to come to your church, my gift would be more of an evangelist. I testify a lot about what God has done in my life. I usually don't get into the meat of the doctrine. I guess I save that for the albums. I'd like to open people's eyes to more of God's truth, if God will allow it. He has to do it. The Spirit of the Lord has to reveal things and draw people.
BUT WHAT WOULD Morse try to sell poor pagans when he's in "more of a teaching kind of mode"?

How about something really close -- if not identical -- to one of the oldest and nastiest of all heresies?

From Christian Music Today.com:

Your message board has a long, ongoing discussion about your views on the Trinity and the nature of Jesus, but can you give a thumbnail sketch of what you believe?

Morse:
I believe there is one God the Father, that he has a son, Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the father; and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God. I'm neither Trinitarian nor Oneness Pentecostal. I think I'm something different. I simply like to say that I'm a disciple of Christ. I believe that the best thing to do is to stick with Scripture—sola scriptura.

Do you believe Jesus was a created being?

Morse:
I wouldn't put it that way. I think "begotten" may be distinct from "created." I don't want to make less of God's Son than some people say I do. He is the unique Son of God, and all power has been given to him in heaven and earth. But a son comes from a father. In 1 Corinthians 15:28, it says that in the end times Jesus is subjected to the Father. In the Gospel of John, Jesus doesn't do anything except what the Father tells him to do. I don't see in the Scriptures how Jesus and God can be co-equaI and the same person. I'm just trying to acknowledge what the Scriptures say—that all power has been given to him, and that we should worship him and serve him.

Weren't these issues settled for Christians at the Council of Nicaea, when the Arian view of Jesus as a created being was rejected and the Trinity affirmed?

Morse: I probably need to study it more. I'm not sure exactly what the Arians believed. I think that the Council of Nicaea was not a godly event. I was watching the History Channel where it showed that Constantine really didn't care how it came out; he just wanted unity so he could conquer other nations. So it seems to me that the spirit of conquering was very present there, but I wasn't there, and I don't want to pretend to be an expert on the Council of Nicaea.

WELL, NEAL, so you don't have to sprain your pickin' fingers by typing "Arianism" into a search engine, let me do it for you:

A-R-I-A-N-I-S-M

And what does The American Heritage Dictionary have to say about Arianism?

The doctrines of Arius, denying that Jesus was of the same substance as God and holding instead that he was only the highest of created beings, viewed as heretical by most Christian churches.
OK, how about . . . N-I-C-A-E-A

Let's try Wikipedia:

The First Council of Nicaea was convened by Constantine I upon the recommendations of a synod led by Hosius of Cordoba in the Eastertide of 325. This synod had been charged with investigation of the trouble brought about by the Arian controversy in the Greek-speaking east.[3] To most bishops, the teachings of Arius were heretical and a danger to the salvation of souls. In the summer of 325, the bishops of all provinces were summoned to Nicaea (now known as İznik, in modern-day Turkey), a place easily accessible to the majority of them, particularly those of Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Greece, and Thrace.

Approximately 300 bishops attended, from every region of the Empire except Britain. This was the first general council in the history of the Church since the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem, which had established the conditions upon which Gentiles could join the Church.[4] In the Council of Nicaea, “the Church had taken her first great step to define doctrine more precisely in response to a challenge from a heretical theology.”[5] The resolutions in the council, being ecumenical, were intended for the whole Church.

WELL, IT SEEMS that Neal Morse -- studiously avoiding the influence of "corrupt" church bodies, a subject that frames his latest album, Sola Scriptura -- just might have sola scripturaed himself into being a bald-faced heretic. An Arian, even. Or at least something really, really close.

And he intends to "evangelize" folks into his heretical view of salvation. Into a well-established lie.

But, hey, once you're born again and get yourself a Bible, and though a neophyte -- a baby -- in the faith, have just decided you're qualified to be Pope . . . .

After all, didn't somebody in one of them Gospels say somethin' about "What is truth?" Hell, maybe you can pull something out of your butt -- or your own interpretation of the Bible -- and make it so. And "evangelize" and "teach" that newly defined dogma -- let's call it the Gospel of Neal -- to all those folks looking for the gospel on the radio, or in a record store, instead of in a church.

I mean, once you've come to the conclusion that you're smarter and more insightful than all those brilliant minds and spiritual giants who've gotten together, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to decide lots of big questions over the past 2,000 years . . . what the hell!

Yes, what the Hell, indeed.




* * *


THE NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father.

Through Him all things were made. For us men and our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary , and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried.

On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.


Amen.

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