Rob Bell (born August 23, 1970) is a best-selling author, Christian speaker, and the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I love this quote and believe fully that this year the Church should radically re-think our, ‘you’re in or out’ mindset.
“If the gospel isn’t good news for everybody, then it isn’t good news for anybody. And this is because the most powerful things happen when the church surrenders its desire to convert people and convince them to join. It is when the church gives itself away in radical acts of service and compassion, expecting nothing in return, that the way of Jesus is most vividly put on display. To do this, the church must stop thinking about everybody primarily in categories of in or out, saved or not, believer or nonbeliever. Besides the fact that these terms are offensive to those who are the “un” and “non”, they work against Jesus’ teachings about how we are to treat each other. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor, and our neighbor can be anybody. We are all created in the image of God, and we are all sacred, valuable creations of God. Everybody matters. To treat people differently based on who believes what is to fail to respect the image of God in everyone. As the book of James says, “God shows no favoritism.” So we don’t either.”
I can’t really make my mind up about Bell to be honest. I love some of the stuff he produces, but some of what he says concerns me a fair bit too.
For example, I really agree very strongly with the later half of this quote where he says that God created everyone, that we all matter and that He doesn’t have favourites. If the point he’s making is that we (Christians) shouldn’t be treating anyone differently because they are unbelievers, then he is correct. It’s horrendous to think that Christians treat unbelievers differently. We haven’t earned our salvation, we haven’t received it because we are more deserving of it or worthy. It’s a gift, completely undeserved, but given because Jesus is so loving and gracious.
However, I disagree with the beginning of the quote (“If the gospel isn’t good news for everybody, then it isn’t good news for anybody”). The gospel is clear that there is a heaven and hell. We all deserve hell, but Jesus in his mercy died on our behalf so that if we accept and follow him, then we can be saved. That is good news for those that follow him, but it is very bad news for those that don’t.
The truth is, and I’m sure those of us who can remember what we were like before we became Christians, is that the gospel is offensive to the unbeliever. It basically says that if you continue on this path, it will lead to destruction… but then there is a huge BUT… here’s what Jesus has done about it.
Bell is right that the Church should be engaging in “radical acts of service and compassion” and of course, expect nothing in return… but it should all be with the ultimate hope and desire that people will turn to Jesus, or to use the phrase in the quote; “convert”. Without preaching the gospel and simply engaging in radical acts of service and compassion, we’d essentially be like a paramedic, applying bandages to a dead man. Both are needed.
However, to be fair to Bell, I’m aware that there is a huge problem in the States where people go out on the streets, basically get people to say the “I accept Jesus” prayer and then leave. I guess that is what he is addressing with the “covert people and convince them to join” phrase. I just get concerned when I hear people blur the distinction between faiths and even belief and unbelief. It’s not too uncommon now to find a church that basically holds the attitude of “Hey, everyone goes to heaven if they’re good – so relax”.
You have some clear and defined points here Jonny and yet I am somewhere between you and fan of Bell. I like him in once sense because he stirs up such emotion in people, reminds me of Jesus stirring people up without even having to really challenge them. I like that he speaks into issue that church have been failing on for many years. The church has become a museum of saints rather than a hospital for the sinners. We spend a large proportion of our time slapping each other on the back and forget how much of a stuff we have made.
You are right when you say that the ultimate aim to stop unbeliever descending into the firey pits of hell (Not your words Jonny). That language has scared people and abused people into a believer born out of fear, not out of the love, excitement and interest in the Good News.
I love this quote by Robert Capon Farrar “We have lost our astonishment. The Good News is no longer good news, it is okay news. Christianity is no longer life changing, it is life enhancing. Jesus doesn’t change people into wild-eyed radicals anymore, He changes them into ‘nice people’. But radical Christianity wasn’t nice; it was category-smashing, life-threatening, anti-institutional; it spread like wildfire throught he 1st century and was considered by those in power to be dangerous.” I think Good News is good news now to people on this earth at this time and/as well as for the future (entirety). It is in fact good news not okay news.
Think Bell is onto something here and think your response is valid and understandable and many churches have watered down the gospel to say that everyone is going to heaven because it means that it has the easy ride.
I like Rob Bell because he has a real excitement – not like some old-style ‘tellyvangelist’ but more real. I think Rob Bell scares a lot of Christians because he challenges them to live in a Christian lifestyle, not just with a belief and faith. Not that everyone who has an issue with him feels like that, but he is very good at making people uncomfortable. Uncomfortable is good cos it makes us think – whether or not we agree.
I’m going to try and write this comment in
the
style
of Rob Bell.
I certainly have found it an incredible source of joy and peace to be in a community where my salvation is affirmed and encouraged, so in that sense ‘in’ and ‘out’ are really important lines to draw.
And the statement ‘To do this, the church must stop thinking about everybody primarily in categories of in or out, saved or not, believer or nonbeliever.’ seems to contradict Jesus’ teaching on discipleship:
‘And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector’ (Matt 18:17 ESV)
But thats not the point of this bit of writing. He is clearly writing to encourage the church to acts of service with no expectation of ‘conversion’.
So not everything people like Rob Bell say are going to be systematic theologies. if they were they would be very boring indeed. This of course means that if you probe it, there will be weaknesses.
Clearly Rob does believe in the community of believers, otherwise he wouldn’t pastor a church!