Rob Bell Continues His Journey into Heresy

Rob Bell, emerging church superstar, appears to move farther from the truth with each passing year. Perhaps it is the fruit of his contemplative prayer practices whereby he is in touch with demons masquerading as angels of light. I first learned of Bell in about 2007 while doing research into the emerging church and read his book Velvet Elvis. In 2009, I heard him speak at the National Pastor’s Conference in San Diego, where he joined hands with fellow speaker Paul Young, author of The Shack. In 2011, Bell published Love Wins, in which he said that hell is in this life and most men will eventually be saved. Bell called the doctrine of eternal hell “misguided and toxic,” a “cheap view of God,” and “lethal.” He says that a God that would send sinners to eternal hell is “terrifying and traumatizing and unbearable” (Love Wins, Kindle location 1273-1287, 2098-2113). Bell founded the hipster Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but these days he doesn't attend church. He would rather surf the waves near his home in California (“Whatever Happened to Rob Bell,” Charisma News, Dec. 3, 2014). He has teamed up with New Ager Oprah Winfrey, touring the country with her Life You Want Weekend. The Rob Bell Show premieres December 21 on Oprah’s network. In his new book, The Zimzum of Love: A New Way of Understanding Marriage, Bell says he would conduct a same-sex wedding ceremony, arguing, “This is a justice issue. We believe people should not be denied the right to have someone to journey with.” One review of The Zimzum of Love says, “If Christianity were outlawed and a mob amassed to burn Christian books, The Zimzum of Love would not be at risk.”

(Friday Church News Notes, December 19, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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