Hillsong’s Carl Lentz: They Killed Jesus Because He Wasn’t Interested in Rules and ‘All that Fancy Stuff You Do’ - by Staff Writer

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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Protestia (Pulpit and Pen) once again comes after Carl Lentz for some pretty innocuous things. We freely admit that Lentz's presentation is unsophisticated, but he is not in error. 

We should note that our intent is not to defend Lentz, but to evaluate the author's presentation.

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Hillsong NY Pastor Carl Lentz has demonstrated once again that his grasp of the scriptures and theology proper leaves much to be desired, when he appeared on the Logan Paul show Implausible to suggest that Jesus was killed because he wasn’t interested in the rule following of religions. (The author will variously twist and modify Lentz's statement until it no longer resembles what Lentz actually said.)

Q: What do you say to the people that will say “celebrities go to Hillsong because they’re lazy in their religion.” What do you say to people who have practiced strict catholicism for so long that they look at what you guys preach, which obviously I love, and say “this is not enough, this doesn’t get you a ticket to heaven. You’re not doing what needs to be done to-“

A: Well, that’s why they killed Jesus. Like just because something’s harder doesn’t make it better. Like it’s ok to do something smarter. So the reason why people freaked out with Jesus is cuz he was saying ‘all those rules-all that fancy stuff you do, I’m not interested. All you need is gonna be found in me.’ So for people who judge somebody, I don’t look at someone who’s ‘devout’ and what they do solely as the reason why I would respect that. You know, and I think ours is just as devout, it’s just different. Just because we’re not miserable, just because we’re not carrying these solemn faces, doesn’t mean this isn’t a life that takes discipline and dedication. But if people want to judge somebody else’s faith, go for your life.

Q: If I were to tell you religion scares me, what’s your response to that?

A: Religion should scare you. Because I don’t even believe in religion. Religion is a construct of things that you have to do. I believe in a relationship with God. And that’s totally different. Imagine thinking about something like a relationship rather than a parole visit…it’s almost like this dread.. like that’s ‘my religion’, and I have to go have the priest bless me, I have to go do this and I can’t do that. But if it’s a relationship this is an active conversation. This is alive. This is a God that actually wants to hear your voice, so often we’re just redefining who Jesus has always been because everybody thinks God’s so far.

It should go without saying that the reason why the Jews wanted to kill Jesus was not that he was “taking away the rules,” (This appears in quotes, which is supposed to mean that Lentz actually said this, but he didn't. Read the quotes. Watch the embedded video in the link to the article. Lentz never said it. We repeat: Lentz did not say this. The author is lying.

The question he was asked provides context for his answer. He was asked about how he would respond to a strict Catholic who thinks that what he preaches is not enough to to get to heaven. 

His answer is that the Pharisees thought the same thing about Jesus. Paraphrasing Jesus, Lentz said Jesus wasn't interested in the Pharisee's rules, because everything a person needs is found in Him. Lentz said nothing about "taking away the rules."

Lentz's assertions are so orthodox that we wonder why the author objects to them. The first assertion, He wasn't interested in their rules, is completely correct. Mt. 15:7-9: 

You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “`These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’“ [Isaiah 29:13]

The second assertion, that everything is found in Him, is also correct. Jn. 6:35: 

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.)

but rather because he was making himself equal to God. We see that very clearly in the early part of the gospel of John:

And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things (Miracles) on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:16-18) (Hmm. The author thinks the Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus *only* for claiming to be God. Which means Lentz is apparently in error because he said they wanted to kill Jesus for not following their rules.

This is the kind of bomb-throwing that grates on us. Launching into breathless hyperbole, the author informs us of a hyper-heretic's grievous false doctrine. This happens over and over with the "Doctrinal Police," who are constantly patrolling the Christian landscape for any hint of doctrinal error. The fact that they so often miss the mark never seems to dissuade them. We have commented often on the various follies of these so-called "discernment ministers."

So if we actually examine the Scriptures we find there are at least three reasons they wanted to kill Jesus:

• He healed on the Sabbath, which means He broke their rules, which is Lentz's statement. Mt. 12:12-14 "How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

• He claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of God, which is Protestia's statement. Mt. 26:63-65: But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. 64 “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered.

• He turned over tables in the temple. Mk. 11:15-18 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “`My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? [Isaiah 56:7] But you have made it `a den of robbers’.” [Jer. 7:11] 18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

This is what happens when the Doctrinal Police are so convinced that someone is a false teacher. They develop tunnel vision and fall into deception, unable to rightly discern the truth.)

Again, promoting theology that would not be out of place at a United Methodists pre-teen girls’ youth group, Lentz goes on to say that he doesn’t even “believe in religion,” which means he would have some explaining to do to Jesus’ brother James who famously said in his epistle:

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

(Again we see the deception offered by the author. Lentz gave his specific definition of religion in the context of explaining what he would tell a Catholic: Religion is a construct of things that you have to do. But in contrast, James tells us his definition of religion. Therefore, Lentz and James are discussing two different things. The author is unable to grasp this, thinking he scored a tennis ace when he actually was in the bleachers at a baseball game.) 

This is basic Christianity 101. This is theology at it’s (sic) simplest form. These are not difficult concepts to be wrestled with. (Ironic considering how the author has struggled to understand Lentz's basic statements.)

It’s not like we’re plumbing the depths and offering a defense of supralapsarianism or unpacking a treatise on the Communicatio Idiomatum. (Neither of which would the author be competent to do.)

Rather, this is point and click, then copy and paste theology that every pastor who has been in business for a decade should know.

The fact that Lentz doesn’t, and is leading thousands, is a shame.