The Threat of the Monoculture: Acts 4:7-12 & 18-20
7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
18So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
v.18 They could do whatever they wanted; they could speak and teach whatever they wanted to so long as it was not done in the name of Christ. Driven by ecumenism the monoculture must embrace every deity and yet acknowledge none, as antithetical as this might appear it is true. The ecumenical monoculture cannot acknowledge Christ as supreme over other Gods and in fact, because of Christ’s own claim to supremacy over all other gods the monoculture cannot acknowledge Him at all. Christ is, by His nature supreme; therefore, if the monoculture acknowledges Him it also acknowledges his supremacy. Because of this, the monoculture must oppose Christ.
v.19-20 Many within modern Christianity are being dictated to by the culture rather than transforming it, this is true of everything from music to church planting/growth models and preaching. In stark contrast to this unbiblical trend, Peter offers these words “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge.” Man’s opinion is inconsequential. Our chief concern, in any and every situation, is what is right in the sight of God. Above all else, our lives must be pleasing to God. Preaching a narrow-minded, exclusive, and foolish message is right in the eyes of God regardless of what society thinks.
v.12 This is the threat of the monoculture: that through abandoning sound doctrine and embracing suicidal ecumenism no one will be saved. Salvation is in Christ alone. There is salvation in no other belief system or deity and salvation cannot be earned through good works. A frequently asked question in response to this is “What about the man on the island who has never heard about Christ?” Apart from a man on a boat with a Bible, the man on the island has no hope; he cannot earn his salvation nor does his lack of knowledge about Christ exempt him from being held accountable for his sins. The offensive message of Christ must be preached lest everyone be like that man on the island with no access to the gospel and no hope for salvation.
18So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
v.18 They could do whatever they wanted; they could speak and teach whatever they wanted to so long as it was not done in the name of Christ. Driven by ecumenism the monoculture must embrace every deity and yet acknowledge none, as antithetical as this might appear it is true. The ecumenical monoculture cannot acknowledge Christ as supreme over other Gods and in fact, because of Christ’s own claim to supremacy over all other gods the monoculture cannot acknowledge Him at all. Christ is, by His nature supreme; therefore, if the monoculture acknowledges Him it also acknowledges his supremacy. Because of this, the monoculture must oppose Christ.
v.19-20 Many within modern Christianity are being dictated to by the culture rather than transforming it, this is true of everything from music to church planting/growth models and preaching. In stark contrast to this unbiblical trend, Peter offers these words “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge.” Man’s opinion is inconsequential. Our chief concern, in any and every situation, is what is right in the sight of God. Above all else, our lives must be pleasing to God. Preaching a narrow-minded, exclusive, and foolish message is right in the eyes of God regardless of what society thinks.
v.12 This is the threat of the monoculture: that through abandoning sound doctrine and embracing suicidal ecumenism no one will be saved. Salvation is in Christ alone. There is salvation in no other belief system or deity and salvation cannot be earned through good works. A frequently asked question in response to this is “What about the man on the island who has never heard about Christ?” Apart from a man on a boat with a Bible, the man on the island has no hope; he cannot earn his salvation nor does his lack of knowledge about Christ exempt him from being held accountable for his sins. The offensive message of Christ must be preached lest everyone be like that man on the island with no access to the gospel and no hope for salvation.
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