Understanding the difference between magic and the miraculous...

by Dr Andrew Corbett,
President ICI College Australia and Lecturer in Ethics and Contemporary Issues, Worldview Centre for Intercultural Studies

I believe in the miraculous. I believe the Scriptures present the Creator of the universe as able to do the seemingly impossible. Whenever He intervenes in the affairs of mankind in an extrordinary way we refer to this as "miraculous." I also acknowledge that the Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit is able to gift certain believers with the gift of miracles (1Cor. 12). But there is an alarming and extremely dangerous trend in some parts of the Church to believe that they have "authority" or "power" to exercise the pseudo-miraculous. This is what we might call "magic."

Magic might be considered, in a spiritual sense, the human manipulation of events to make them appear to be supernatural...

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MAGIC MYTH #1: MAGIC APOSTLES...

I believe in the valid ministry function of apostle and prophet. But what often passes for "apostolic" is nothing more than hierarchal networking and borders on offering magical results labelled as "miraculous."

These teachers claim that God has called them to be apostles and bring divine order to the church. By doing so, they claim, it will unleash a flurry of God's blessing.

This repulsive doctrine is being spread by certain mavericks who disguise it with such appeals for "Biblical order", "the new move of God", "the key to the great end time harvest-revival." The problem with these appeals is the lack of Biblical support for their positions. If such things are clearly Biblical, why aren't they clearly in the Bible? If you have to attend seminars, conferences, networks, and the like to "get it" then just how obviously Biblical is it?

One of the clues to this type of teaching being a gross and serious error is the emphasis placed on money. In what must be considered one of the most blatant reversals of what the New Testament actually teaches, these apostles set themselves up as "fathers" and teach that their "spiritual children" should financially supprt them. They cite Paul's words to the Corinthians as a proof text.

1Cor. 4:15- For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. (NKJV)

But Paul goes on to say-

2Cor. 12:14- Now I am coming to you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. I don’t want what you have; I want you. And anyway, little children don’t pay for their parents’ food. It’s the other way around; parents supply food for their children. (NLT)

"Fathers", "Apostles" according to the New Testament are obligated to support their children, not the other way around. Any support that Paul the Apostle received was not solicited by him, as he makes plain on several ocassions. Yet these modern self-appointed apostles (who sometimes place themselves over cities! and therefore by default over all of the churches within that city!!!) seem to do the opposite. Even in Australia there are men claiming to be "Spiritual Fathers" who are all too willing to adopt new spiritual sons and daughters (and often for a regular monthly gift). This is just downright unhelpful.

Before any writes off my comments as being too conservative, too religious, or too old school, I would like to point out that these matters where the focus of a doctoral dissertation I undertook. The result was that I concluded that God has indeed gifted with the Church with people who function apostolically and prophetically- but for the large part they get on with their ministry unheralded. Local churches do need a sense of external connection and accountability---but not to a group of unaccountable self-appointed network leaders! Thus, there is a genuine fathering available today. There is a genuine sense of right order. There is a genuine diversity of ministry gifts available today. But those in the "New Apostolic Reformation" or "Emerging Church" are not it.

If you would like to read my ebook on Authentic Apostolic Leadership it may help to challenge some of the more magical claims made by these teachers.

MAGIC MYTH #2: CITY CHURCH UNITY

There is something curious about the global phenomena of the local church. While there are an increasing number of mega-churches emerging around the world whose congregations number into the thousands, by far the most common congregational size around the world is between 40 - 70 people. Even in the USA these figures hold true according to John Rowell in his book, Magnify Your Vision For The Small Church. He asks the question that if Christ is Lord of the Church and the most common congregational size globally is between 40 -70 people then what might Christ know about ecclesiology that we don't?

Could it be a divine blueprint for the Body of Christ to be organised congregationally across a city rather than there being just one all encompassing city-wide church?

Is unity of the Church the mission of the Church? I have a suspicion that Christ does not see multiple Churches, but one Church. My suspicion leads me to believe that unity of the Body of Christ in the eyes of God is a given. From a human perspective though we fail to recognise one Church because we have differences with each other and meet congregationally at different times, places and around diverse liturgies. It looks like we're not united. But the Biblical and theological reality is much different. If I am in Christ and a brother with whom I have never met is also in Christ we automatically share a unity because of Christ- not our combined church service!

Therefore, telling the Body of Christ that they need to be united is like trying to convince a person that he should breath. If you're alive, you breath. If you're a Christian, you're in Christ, and therefore united with all other Christians whether you fellowship together or not.

Of course what is promoted as unity is nothing of the sort. It is actually an appeal for unison. At times this is called for. But it requires humility and frank discussions where our ideas and interpretations can be challenged. But all too often this necessary process is circumvented by an appeal to put aside differences rather than sort them out.

The magical component of this appeal for unison is the claim that if we can simply establish a city-wide church we will invoke the revival blessing of God and the result will be a great harvest of conversions. There are several major flaws to this magical idea.

1. There are times throughout history where there was only one church organisation, the Middle Ages 500AD-1450AD, and yet there was no great harvest of conversions.

2. Secondly, who determines when this magical level of unity has been achieved?

3. Thirdly, who determines what the criteria is for such unity?

4. Fourthly, do those who are advocating this magical type of unity have the qualifications for unity earned from leading their own congregations to the type of unity they are advocating for their city?

MAGICAL MYTH #3: SOON COMING REVIVAL

I hope I'm wrong. But I question whether there is soon about to be a magical time when thousands of people will be magically converted to Christ and added to the Church. Yet there are many who are claiming that this is exactly what is about to happen.

The New Testament does not teach this. What is does teach is that we are to sow and water and the leave the Harvest up to God. Therefore, without much sowing, there can not be much reaping. But this false hope of mass conversion, variously called- 'revival', 'end-time harvest', is promoted as an impending event which will be received by those who have joined the right networks, given the right amount, or invited the right itinerant speaker.

THE NEED FOR FAITHFULNESS NOT MAGIC...

Human nature craves the easy way out, short-cut solutions, and unlimited power. The offers of some itinerant Christian network leaders to have special authority, revelation, or power to make the job a local church pastor easier in his attempts to reach out to his community and fulfil his obligations toward the Great Commission if he will only align himself with the right network and sow enough financial seed deserves to be treated with great scepticism.

Rather than some offer of magical church growth, the New Testament exhorts believers to seek God, pray, be fruitful, love people, witness, exercise ministry gifts, and endure hardship. So let's get on with it.

Andrew Corbett, 14th July 2005