Jeff Durbin Responds to Critics

Evangelical Beliefs, Sin, and Church Attendance

Yeah US adults the holiness of God. Are you ready for this? Okay, even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation. What do you think about that? Do you agree with James in James chapter 2 whosoever should keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point?

He is guilty of all. Keep the whole law stumble in one point guilty of the whole thing. That's what James says. Well American evangelicals for it fat they found that Even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation.

23 agreed great job. 23

Versus.

69 disagree. 69 of American evangelicals do not believe that ultimately sin separates us from God again.

There's that the first question we read. You know, we think that we offer something, right?

Yeah, that there's something good right within us that we can produce our own righteousness. Statement number 20 worshiping alone.

Or with one's family is a valid replacement for regularly. I am so glad they asked this question. Yeah.

Yeah, it's for all. The satellite campus is coming to play.

58 of American evangelicals agree in 2018 that worshiping alone or with one's family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church. So apparently they don't agree with the writer of Hebrews Says not to forsake the gathering yourselves together and to submit to those who are an authority over you.

All those qualifications for pastors deacons and all that together one another love one another forgive one another. All the meeting together on the first day of the week gathering together for worship all that just first century weirdness.

Pastoral Care, Local Church, and Evangelical Drift

Yeah, you know, we get a lot of messages from people that are asking questions. They should be asking their pastors. You know not and I usually you can usually tell you know I'll try to answer questions about that.

I'm like, hey, do you have a pastor and they're like no. Well, and then I'll send him a link that says here's the church in your area you can go to but like that's that's where We're at. Yeah. Yeah, and so I'm just saying this because we're not your pastors.

I'm glad to help you and send you links and encourage. Glad to be a blessing. Yes, but I am NOT your pastor and I cannot. It's not possible for me to pastor you long-distance. That's right. So just for the record.

Can I suggest this. Is there a connection between this majority of people believing that you don't need to be a part of a local church and 78 of American evangelicals thinking that Jesus was created by the Father.

Is there a connection between those two things? I think there's probably a connection now. How about this one statement number 30 religious belief is a matter of personal opinion. It is not about objective truth.

Upper story. Religious belief is a matter of personal opinion. It's not about objective truth. This isn't really true. It's just a feeling right. 60 of American evangelicals in 2018 agree that religious belief is a matter of personal opinion.

It's not about objective truth. Yeah, that's powerful. That's powerful. Wow, the Bible's condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn't apply today. The Bible's condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn't apply today.

American evangelicals 2018 44 agree. Well. Not as bad as some of the other little there. Yeah. Here we go. Abortion is a sin. 52 agree. 38 disagree. American evangelicals professing evangelicals.

Here we go. Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior received God's free gift of eternal salvation. 62 of participants age 18 to 34 agree up from 53 in 2016. Oh, there you go.

I like how there was zero note not sures on this one. All the others had like a bunch of not sures.

Everybody was pretty on this positive on them.

Yeah, or negative but the Bible like all sacred writings went on this. The Bible like all sacred writings contains helpful accounts of ancient Myths, but it's not not literally true. 53 of participants 18 to 34 agree higher than in 2016 so over half of evangelicals Believe that's like all sacred writings.

The Bible contains helpful accounts of ancient myths, but it's not literally true.

Oh, and there you go, brothers and sisters. Someone did comment and say that These there's Catholics included in this number because they would get some result evangelicals. Okay, and if you take out you can actually pull out the Catholics and the numbers get better, but still It's still this is where we're at.

So yeah. Yeah, I I know I sure this other day and I was like I think this very accurately Displays why our culture is where it's at. Yeah. Yes.

Agreed agreed agreed. All right guys, so let's move quickly into the next little segment here. Let's let's just go quite fast. All right. So last week if you guys watch the show last week, we did a little bit of a response to some gentlemen.

Responding to Misrepresentation and the Need for Homework

Who.

Well, they did it they did a Program a little show about us it was apparent in in watching some of the comments that they made that they weren't very clear about who we are what we believe and they did a follow-up video after our discussion last week and Honestly because it we're so busy with pastoral duties and speaking to the local City Council and some other things We haven't got a chance to listen to the entire hour long video.

I've only made it about 20 minutes in and It was a difficult 20 minutes I'll tell you I'll tell you that and just because it just is clear that It I think maybe on the one gentleman Caleb Caleb. I think Caleb is It sounds seems like he's more committed to trying to understand Perspective than the other gentlemen.

I don't I don't I don't it doesn't seem that he's really even even concerned himself with trying to understand Really our position at all, which is you know disheartening. So from our perspective what we wanted to do last week is just respond a bit I made comments last week that we don't fully understand their perspective and We made comments related to comments that they made in the video.

We I even said several times I don't make too many assumptions And so what we said was if they believe such-and-such then this is what we would say in response to it But I just wanted at least for today's show.

We're running out of time here Play some of their response just to give you somewhat of somewhat of an idea of what we're dealing with when Communicating with these two gentlemen as they started off their show in response to our show.

Well, I'll just play it. This was one of the first comments that were made.

Jeff Durbin. He's very accomplished martial artist. He I think he has a five five black belts and five black belts. Wow. That's that's that takes a lot of dedication. Oh, man, and he was he was like a champion and I watched some videos of him fighting and I Would never want to fight him with this.

That's for sure he's he's very impressive and one of the things that the guys here in the office said is that he's noticed that that people who who.

Are.

Well versed in martial arts tend to really enjoy the. The fight of it, maybe not fight. Maybe that's that but you know the spar those.

Right.

It's interesting to see. It's interesting to see. Durbin, you know kind of try to respond to this.

Now I just I just want to say briefly and I'm not I'm not gonna Give a lot of credence to what they're saying here. I just want to say.

Just.

Just a suggestion there. It's just it just bothers me because you obviously don't know me. That my being a martial artist somehow plays into my loving to fight theological battles.

Yeah.

I can assure you that my desire to fight these theological battles is a love for God and love for my neighbor and is not Connected to my five black belts or my being a world champion or anything like that at all.

It's not for the sport of it. Are doing these videos this ministry itself. Let me just say it's not for the sport of it. So it's a bit, you know disheartening to hear you guys suggest such a thing.

And I was I'll say to the only reason we're even having this discussion is because they initiated right video, you know mischaracterizing us, right. So.

Continuing on.

Even though I think that.

Well, I wonder if he spent more time with martial arts study and practice than in the Word of God.

We call that here at apology a radio a Jesus juke. So this gives everyone just a bit of an idea of what we're dealing with with these two gentlemen. Starting the off the programming talking about, you know, you know, we talked about how you know.

He's a martial artist and you know. They really love to spar. Martial artists love to spar. And then of course the really really low blow and just jab. I wonder if he spent more time practicing martial arts than reading his Bible.

I just you know, it's not something I wouldn't want to do. I'll just give you my commitment on that. It's not something that I want to want to do to to just deliver a low blow and a jab. Like that if I'm going to say something confrontational and very straightforward to you.

It's gonna be based off of your theological beliefs and system. I'm gonna address your system. I'm not gonna say hey, you know this gentleman. Let's say he likes to ride bikes. I'm not gonna find out he likes to ride bikes and go.

I'm wondering if he's reading his Bible morning. He's riding his bicycle. You know, that's yeah, it's just an unnecessary jab. That's called ad hominem. Yeah, and it just doesn't it doesn't further the discussion and honestly, I have no respect for that kind of communication.

He's certainly a brother in the Lord. I don't want to put him down and actually that's that was I think one of the Most disappointing things at the end. Thank you Caleb. Next.

Let's play this portion so you guys can get a little bit of a handle on what we're dealing with here. This was again. This is maybe first 20 minutes of the show. It's about 10 minutes in and this was very very hard to hear.

But like not even trying to interact with that kind of realm of scholarship and I'm not. I've watched more of their videos to try to understand exactly where they're coming from in terms of their code.

Thank you and times it seems to me and I you know, this could be they might balk at this and so. You know, but from what I've understand it almost feels like they're like they got like a post-millennial.

Postmillennialism, Dominion Theology, and the Criticism of Wealth

Are they so pause there Caleb, thank you. And let me just say it shouldn't have been let me just put all the cards on the table. It shouldn't have even been sort of like foggy or hazy we are hardcore pipe-hitting post-millennial is Calvinist and That's obvious to everybody I mean hundreds of hours of content videos preaching across around the world on this subject get criticized.

We're talking about it too much. Yeah. Yeah, so it's not kind of like we're post-millennialist. We are in the Puritan tradition and like Virtually everybody on this continent early on in America. We are post-millennial is our patron saint Athanasius.

He's yes, we are hardcore unashamed Post-millennialists absolutely without question. So Caleb. Thank you for taking note of that. But This was interesting. Listen to the direction.

Yeah, you know what the Dominion theologians like the idea and I again, you know like I was a Gary North and Rush Dooney the idea that At least the way I understand it is that Wealthy Christians Should expand their their capital right expand their their material possessions because this is in fact Foundational to God's kingdom in the world.

That might be the worst definition.

I I want to say I want to say this with as much gentleness and respect to you as I possibly can. That was one of the most.

Embarrassing.

Embarrassing answers. I have honestly ever heard of somebody trying to describe post millennial and post-millennial ism. It almost seems like you have never ever Studied this never done your homework on it and you're trying to speak publicly on it.

So I just want to say and I mean this is with as much gentleness as possible. That is an embarrassingly bad answer Caleb. Good on you trying to figure it out. Yes or post-millennial is.

But.

This gentleman here next to you trying to explain post-millennial ism. I mean he even mentioned North and Rush Dooney so he knows he knows their names, right? Those of course are men who yeah, they're post-millennial is we don't necessarily agree with North and Rush Dooney on everything.

But I know for sure that North and Rush Dooney would never define post-millennial ism. Like you just said they would repeat. Neither with the Puritans or anybody in church history who was post-millennial or has been post-millennial.

I'm just I just want to say this with respect to you. That was an embarrassingly bad answer. I Just can't imagine Doing that in terms of trying to define a position and say, you know, this is you know, what they believe wealthy Christians expanding the material possessions.

Yeah, and I'll say Caleb if you watch this like I Had a very hard time I got 23 minutes in I had a very hard time watching. Anymore after this point when I got to that I just it was I cringed. I was like, come on.

Like you you asked us when we said, please do your homework. This is exactly what we mean. No homework was done. A completely ridiculous explanation was thrown out for something and it's not even not even in the same universe and You know and it just it just makes it makes it hard for you to be credible.

It makes it hard to take you guys seriously when this is you know. Especially I think you're you're but your friend and I can't remember his name and I apologize. I think he he even made a jab somewhere in there about being scholastic and like this is the farthest thing from that.

Go ahead. Yeah. No, that's I think that's the point is is it's an issue of credibility. We made a comment last week when we responded to a short bit of your video. That's we not we're not gonna make too many assumptions on your beliefs.

We said this is we defined our terms. This is what we believe. Here's what we believe and we said it if somebody is teaching a B or C. Then this is what we would say in response to that but not making too many assumptions on your belief.

We played through some of your comments and directly responded to your Comments themselves in terms of your own definitions and those sorts of things. So that's what we're trying to do. We admit that we don't know everything about you guys.

And we've tried to keep our comments to a minimum in terms of if somebody is teaching this this is how we would respond. But what is just so difficult to take in and listening to this and I haven't got through the whole thing yet.

And I think Luke's exactly right. It really does speak to your credibility in terms of when you make comments like this or you make jabs at me in terms of I wonder if he's read the Bible as much as he's practiced martial arts and you define post-millennialism as as Wealthy Christians expanding their capital and their wealth to expand dominion or whatever else you said.

It just goes toward your credibility and for someone who prides themselves on. You know being a scholastic and and I'm sure you know. You do you know a lot in terms of the Greek language all those things.

I would just call you to just just do better do better in the future in terms of response.