THE COMING GLOBAL CHRISTIAN COUNCIL

What do you believe about the future? “Kingdom now” or “apocalypse next”? Did you know that if you are not willing to accept an ecumenical unity for establishing the Kingdom of God you may soon be labeled dangerous by a “global Christian council”? Today’s program will explain how this may come about.

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Some news headlines attract my attention. This one certainly did. Listen carefully as I read it: “Lutheran leader calls for ecumenical council to address growing biblical fundamentalism.” [1]

Now, in order to explain what this headline means, I will quote from the article:

The leader of the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination has called for a global Christian council to address an “identity crisis” on how churches interpret and understand the Bible. Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Church in America called for Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches to come together to combat a “fundamentalist-millenialist-apocalypticist reading of the Scripture.” [2]

Perhaps you may be wondering! How significant is this statement? Who is Bishop Mark Hanson and what is he really advocating?

 Here’s the answer. Hanson called for the formation of a “global ecumenical council” during the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s Assembly in Orlando, Florida in August of 2005. Hanson is also president of the Geneva-based Lutheran World Federation. [3] His request for a group to monitor and expose anti-ecumenists who take the Bible literally carries some weight!

Hanson’s message contained other statements that indicate his disdain for Bible believing Christians – particularly those who take Bible prophecy seriously and see Israel and the Middle East crisis as an end times sign post. For example he said:  “Mainline churches traditionally are uneasy with literal readings of Scripture, particularly in fundamentalist churches, regarding the end of the world and political unrest in the Middle East.” [4]

Now, let’s evaluate what Bishop Hanson actually said. If you are a believer in a biblical end-times scenario based on taking the Bible literally, in Hanson’s eyes, you are a dangerous fundamentalist- millenialist - apocalypticist. He would like to form a council made up of Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and like-minded Lutherans to investigate and deal with this “crisis”.

Bishop Hanson views those who reject “Kingdom now” and believe in an “apocalypse next” as “crack-pots.”

But there is more. Hanson seems to believe the reformation was without cause and that the church must embrace the Roman Catholic Eucharistic Jesus in order to bring about an ecumenical unity and the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Quoting once more from the article:

Hanson also urged the Vatican to work with the Lutheran World Federation to develop a joint statement on the Eucharist to mark the 500^th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017.

What does this mean? If you want to know, you will have to listen to tomorrow’s program. However, before I close, I will give you one clue. In order to embrace an ecumenical unity focused on the Eucharist, you would have to accept the Roman Catholic view of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I wonder how the “global Christian council” will view those who refuse!

I am Roger Oakland. This has been a biblical perspective to help understand the times.

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