READ THIS FIRST
Since 2008, when Frank Viola was first professionally published, he has regularly responded to reader questions. He has done the same for those who listen to his podcasts, read his articles, and consume his YouTube channel.
It’s unheard of today for a bestselling author to answer questions from readers. Most of Frank’s peers are inaccessible; the exceptions are few.
If you wrote to Frank by email and asked him a question, it IS answered below. But you must search for it.
Every once in a while, someone will send in a question and we’ll refer them to this page, but they won’t take the time to look for the answer, but simply repeat the question.
That sort of laziness will not yield a different response. So if you sent a question, please do your due diligence and search for the answer. You may have to use various terms to find it, but we assure you it is here.
Some people take the time to read the entire page, and they’ve always benefited and learned far more than what they were initially looking for. So we recommend this also.
If you DIDN’T send us a question, but you came here to find an answer, yet it’s not here, there are instructions below on how to send it to us.
If it hasn’t already been answered, Frank will answer it, and it will be posted on the page somewhere near the top.
To search for a specific question, do the following:
* If you’re using a computer or tablet, click CTRL-F and type in the keyword that relates to your question. For example, “revival,” “Barna,” “heretic,” “kingdom,” “review,” “tithing,” “seminary,” “organic church,” “clergy,” “salary,” “donation,” “conference,” etc. Use a keyword associated with your question.
* If you’re using a smart phone, do the following:
- Tap “More” or the share icon
- Select “Find in page” or “Find on Page”
- Type your search term, then tap the search button
- After you have searched this page thoroughly, if your question isn’t answered on it, see the note at the very bottom of this page
Kind regards,
The Deeper Journey Team
The following is from Frank himself.
Ever since I hit my early 20s, I’ve been a voracious reader of Christian books. The problem I faced, however, is that the authors of those books were either dead or they were completely inaccessible.
There was no way to contact them with a question or even a comment.
So taking my cue from our Lord’s words, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” we’ve created this page.
What follows are the most frequently asked questions to date, along with my answers.
October 11, 2024: The following questions have come in from different people:
What does James mean by “salvation by works” in James chapter 2? Doesn’t Paul say salvation is by faith alone?
What is your view of Christian nationalism?
Is the church the New Israel?
What’s your view of the second coming of Christ?
What’s the proper mode of baptism?
Can a person who is saved lose their salvation?
What is the nature of hell and eternal punishment?
I see Christians trying in vain to keep the Mosaic Law. What is the relationship between the Christian and the Law?
What is your view on free will vs. God’s sovereignty? Do people really have free will? Does God control everything?
What is your view on homosexuality? Is it a sin or not?
What is your view on women pastors?
I answer all of these questions in episode #85 of the Christ is All podcast. It’s called Answers to Hot-Boling Questions.
September 2, 2024: I started listening to your conference messages, and wow, they are blowing my mind! I’ve heard thousands of sermons and have been to many conferences, but I’ve heard nothing like this. That led me to start listening to your Insurgence podcast which is amazing. Do you have any plans to transcribe the episodes? I’d love to read them as well as listen to them.
Thanks! They are being transcribed right now, and I plan to put them all into a two-volume book after we finish working through every reference to the kingdom of God in the New Testament. Note that reading them is a completely different experience than listening to my conversation partners and I have the conversations.
I’m glad you plan to do both. I don’t expect the book to come out for a few years since we still have a way to go in covering every reference to the kingdom in the New Testament. But if you’re on my email list, you’ll be notified.
August 1, 2024: Frank, I appreciate the direction your ministry has taken over the last decade. You’ve been focused on the entire body of Christ, including pastors in all denominations with your message on the eternal purpose, the centrality of Christ, unity, the deeper life, and the gospel of the kingdom. Your last 10 books have been amazing on these subjects. When did this shift take place?
Thanks! Yes, while I don’t disavow what I wrote in my books on radical church restoration from 2008 and 2009 — I still stand by every word — my focus shifted in 2010 with Jesus Manifesto (co-authored with Leonard Sweet). And then in 2012, I paused my work of planting organic churches to focus on ministering to the larger body of Christ (including working with pastors). This was by the Lord’s leading.
I plan to return to church planting in the future when the Lord brings us into a new season and gives me the green light. You can read about the shift in this article (“A New Season of Ministry”) which originally dropped in March 2012. It will bring you up to speed. Also, here’s my discography that gives dates for each publication. It shows the progression.
July 19, 2024: I have a family member who I believe is possessed or taken over by a dark spirit. Can you help?
It’s impossible for me (or anyone else) to deal with such an issue from long distance or virtually. My advice, since you asked, is to find a church in your area that believes the power of the Holy Spirit and the casting out of demons, call them, tell them about your situation, and ask for a meeting with some of the leaders there.
Keep in mind that demonic possession is sometimes misinterpreted by people who are close to the individual who they deem is possessed or captured. So it’s important to bring someone into the situation who is spiritually mature and local. If you don’t readily know someone like that, then begin calling churches in your area. You can read their websites to see if they believe in the perpetuity of spiritual gifts. If you’re in doubt, call the church and ask.
In the meantime, read my book Hang On, Let Go. It’s helped thousands of people who were in the midst of crisis, walking through hell on earth.
July 18, 2024: Your work has had a profound impact on my life as a believer. The books that have been especially transforming are God’s Favorite Place on Earth, Insurgence, ReGrace, Jesus Now, From Eternity to Here, Hang On, Let Go, and 48 Laws of Spiritual Power. I have most of them on audiobook but when you give a list of Scriptures, it’s hard for me to stop and look them up without breaking the flow. Do you have a list of the verses so I can go back and check them?
Thanks for the kind words. Those books you listed are my best so far. The answer to your question is YES, in the print version of the books. Audiobooks are never meant to do a deep dive on the content. That’s why they don’t even have the footnotes or endnotes.
Audiobooks are designed to give listeners a general overview of the book. It’s the print (and digital) versions that are designed for the deep dive. They include the biblical texts to look up as well as the endnotes and footnotes.
July 17, 2024: I live in Florida and I would love to meet you. Is this possible?
Unfortunately, given my limited bandwidth and many requests for in-person meetings, I’m unable to accommodate such requests. The best way to meet me in person is to approach a church, Bible school, seminary, or conference coordinator in your area and encourage them to invite me to speak. This is how I typically meet people.
My speaking page for pastors and conference hosts is here: frankviola.org/events. People like yourself simply pass the link on to them with a recommendation for an invitation. I’ve met many of my readers and those who listen to the podcasts this way.
July 16, 2024: I am not a fan of Donald Trump, but I’m a Christian who believes in the supernatural world, and I’m convinced that God protected former President Trump from being hit with a bullet during the assassination attempt the other day. It just grazed his ear. A millimeter over and it would have killed him. I believe in God’s sovereignty as most Christians do, but when I wrote on social media that it was angelic protection, some “progressive” Christians who support leftist politics and absolutely hate Trump started to attack me. They said things like, “Your theology is bad. If it was an angel, why didn’t the angel protect the person who was killed by the bullet? God is love and loves everyone so he wouldn’t protect one person and not another. You are projecting your views on God.” It was alarming. I thought they sounded like Deists rather than Christians. I’ve had angelic experiences in my life, in protection, I don’t think these people ever had.
What you’re describing does fit a Deistic worldview. Deists believe in a God who is not active in the world. He made the clock and left it on its own. (The clockmaker view of God was popularized by William Paley in his 1802 work “Natural Theology.”)
This viewpoint is hard to square with Scripture. According to the First and Second Testament, God is active and sovereign, yet there is also free will. This perspective reflects solid biblical theology.
I wonder how the people who objected to your statement would answer these questions: According to the book of Acts, Peter was delivered from prison by the intervention of an angel. However, the guards who were watching the apostle were executed as a consequence. Does that mean God isn’t love? Does it mean an angel didn’t deliver Peter and Luke made it up? James, the apostle, was killed not long after. Is God not love because he delivered Peter from prison and not James? There are numerous instances in the Gospels where Jesus healed many, not all. Does the fact that He left some ill indicate that God isn’t love or that Jesus didn’t really heal many who were sick?
Multiple examples like this can be given, and the logic doesn’t follow. The truth is, those who accuse people of projecting their own views upon God tend to be guilty of that very thing, yet they aren’t in touch with it.
Also, angelic intervention doesn’t equate to a political statement made by God. He is sovereign over all things, and He’s protected and even used unbelievers.
There are countless examples of this in the Old Testament. I can think of many: King Cyrus, King Hiram, etc.
Anyways, there’s absolutely nothing in your view that is doctrinally incorrect or theologically unsound. While angelic intervention cannot be proven (as is the case with all spiritual truths, even God’s existence cannot be proven!), that doesn’t discount it. And the objections you cited aren’t compelling.
July 15, 2024: What are your personal and biblical views on Zionism?
I understand Zionism to be a nationalist and political movement that supports the establishment and development of a Jewish state in the historical land of Israel, which is also referred to as “Zion” or “the Holy Land.”
This is a question that’s outside my calling and specific burden (hence, why I’ve never written or spoken on it).
My views on Israel’s place in the world are understood in their historical context. The arguments by scholars who assert that the borders of ancient Palestine (modern-day Israel) was divinely given to the Jewish people centuries ago are compelling. That is, if one believes the reliability of the Hebrew Scriptures (“Old Testament”), which I do.
At the same time, my burden is for Christians to understand that the New Testament redefines concepts of “Israel” and the “Promised Land” in light of Jesus’ ministry. That includes the Exodus. I explore these ideas in From Eternity to Here and Jesus: A Theography. (See them on this site. Go to the menu and click “Books.”)
The promises made to Israel are primarily fulfilled in Jesus Christ and His ekklesia.
I recognize the historical suffering and agony of the Jewish people, and I’m (naturally, of course) against all forms of suffering, abuse, bigotry (including anti-Semitism and abuse against those living in Palestinian communities).
I’m not a politician or political scientist, but I stand with those who advocate a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that acknowledges the rights and concerns of all humans, for all people are made in God’s image.
But my allegiance – and supreme interest — is to Jesus Christ and His body, so that means I’m loyal to God’s people in Christ who are part of Israel, part of Palestine, and part of other countries, including (and not exclusively) part of the United States.
I’m an American by birth. But a Chinese man who lives in China who knows and follows Jesus Christ is my brother. A woman who lives in Iran who follows Christ is my sister. While a fellow American who doesn’t know or follow Jesus Christ is not my brother.
It’s divine life that makes a person a brother or sister in Christ, not their nationality or race. So my loyalty is to Christ and His people, no matter their race or nation or tribe.
When it comes to the Jewish people, Paul says that the Gentiles who know Jesus should provoke the unbelieving Jews to jealousy (Romans 11).
My question is: Is that happening? Does your life as a follower of Jesus make a Jewish person jealous of your relationship with God?
That’s a question that I find more important (and more interesting) than the blood-letting debates over varying opinions on Zionism.
If “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11), it’s going to be because the body of Christ is making Jews who are outside of Christ jealous. It’s going to be because of a spiritual insurgence, something I’ve been writing and speaking on for years. Quite frankly, the masses of Christians are still clueless when it comes to the gospel of the kingdom.
My book Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom – and The Insurgence Podcast – explores this massive paradigm-shift of what the kingdom of God is and isn’t. God’s kingdom transcends nations and geo-politics.
Once a person fully understands the true kingdom message, their views begin to transcend the various sides of political debates that create so much carnage today. Just like Jesus transcended the politics of His day, neither siding with the Pharisees (the Right) or the Sadducees (the Left).
He came at issues from a completely different perspective, a perspective that didn’t fit neatly into Right or Left categories. This is one of the things that made His contemporaries furious with Him.
He’s the same today, and so are those who have His mind and follow in His steps.
June 14, 2024: Frank, you must get tired of being misrepresented. I’m 35 and me and my friends listen to your Christ is All podcast and your Insurgence podcast diligently. I have a friend who is older, late 60s, and he heard one of your episodes and concluded that you and your conversation partner “believe that a person cannot be a Christian if they are in the military.” I heard the same podcast and that is not what you or your conversation partner said at all. I just wanted you to confirm this so I can show him your answer.
You are correct. It is frustrating to be misrepresented by people who claim to be Christians. You are also right in that neither myself nor any of my conversation partners has ever said that a person cannot be a Christian if they serve (or served) in the military. Perhaps your friend is confusing me with someone else or perhaps he wasn’t listening carefully. I’m glad you set the record straight for him.
June 2, 2024: I saw that you reviewed a book from an author who I consider to be a heretic. Can you explain your reasoning?
First, I wrote ReGrace to deal with this very issue. There’s a chapter in it that explains what a “heresy” is according to the New Testament. It’s not what most Christians think. The word “heretical” has been thrown around quite often by religious people, labeling those they disagree with on some doctrinal point, or worse, based on hearsay or rumor or misrepresentations.
In most cases, such individuals have never gone directly to the people they are branding with this term to understand what they meant by something they said or wrote. That is a violation of Matthew 7:12, and it’s led to all sorts of problems.
Every servant of God whom the Lord has used in history was branded as a “heretic” by others. That would include Jesus and Paul.
Second, a book review is NOT an endorsement of a book or an author. Nor is it a statement approving every word an author has ever said, written, or done. I’ve reviewed hundreds of books over the years, and I haven’t read the whole catalog of each author’s books nor have I heard most of them speak. So I have no knowledge of what they’ve taught or said in their other works.
This is the case with virtually everyone who reviews a book by an author. It’s both unreasonable (and even impossible) for a reviewer to read every book and hear every spoken talk by an author before they decided to review one of their books.
Third, I disagree with some things in books I believe contain value, and no two Christians see eye to eye on every point. (They do if they’re part of a cult.)
I’d challenge you to read ReGrace from cover to cover. And after that Revise Us Again, from cover to cover.
If you take the challenge, I believe the Spirit will change your view on this subject … if your heart is open.
One of the greatest heresies of all is sectarianism and an elitist spirit. That’s what the meaning of “heresy” was in the New Testament.
May 8, 2024: I’m having trouble finding a church, a community, a fellowship or even one Christian who is on the deeper journey. Do you have a directory of churches or even Christians I can find? I live in [city, state].
We’ve answered this question many times on this page and in other places.
No, we don’t have a directory, and it would be impossible for us to do such a thing since we lack the bandwidth. Not only that, but those who have tried to create “directories” of a certain type of church or groups of people have always seen it backfire because the groups in those directories usually expire or they aren’t what they claim to be.
Even though I’ve addressed this question along with a practical solution concerning what to do, we just addressed it again.
Go to How to Find Fellowship Where You Live.
That is a cornerstone article (with audio) that answers the question.
May 9, 2024: Frank, I have questions about publishing a book. Also how to promote it and which publishing option is best for me. What do you suggest?
Over the last decade, I’ve received countless emails about publishing, writing, editing, promoting, etc. So many that I couldn’t answer them all. Therefore, some friends and I created an online training to cover all of it.
The online training opens once a year, and once you get it, you gain access to a private Facebook group of over 100 other authors as well as access to all the presenters, including me. I would have given my teeth for it if it existed when I started writing books. Go to ScribeOnline.org and join the wait list if the training isn’t currently open. You’ll be alerted by email once it reopens. Due to my limited bandwidth, the SCRIBE training is the only venue by which I can answer questions on this subject.
May 7, 2024: I’ve written a book that I’d like to send you and have you read and give me feedback on. Can I do this?
I receive such requests regularly and if I accepted them, that’s all I’d be doing. Reading the work of others. I have limited bandwidth and have trouble keeping up with my own books, articles, and podcasts. I’m not an editor either. The best thing I can recommend is to get the Scribe Online Training – join the wait list at ScribeOnline.org. You’ll be added to a closed Facebook group that will connect you with over 100 authors. And they read each other’s manuscripts and provide feedback. There are also some excellent editors in the group.
May 6, 2024: Do you have any recommendations of study resources when it comes to discipling and mentoring those with the gift of prophecy/high perceiver?
Let me break my answer up into two parts.
First, there is serious misunderstanding today regarding the prophetic ministry. So to clear away the debris, I’d encourage you to buy and read Prophetic Ministry by T. Austin-Sparks.
The book contains a paradigm-shift in this area. Lots of damage has been done by so-called “prophetic people,” so it’s important to get clear on how the New Testament portrays this ministry.
See also my article Rethinking the Five-Fold Ministry.
Second, regarding discipleship/mentoring, we have no biblical precedent for discipling/mentoring specific groups of Christians based on their giftings. The only exception is the apostolic ministry.
Those who are called to apostolic work are trained by older apostolic workers. I give the biblical pattern for this in two places:
Organic Church Planting: Restoring Apostolic Ministry
When Giants Walked the Earth (The Real Apostolic Succession)
With respect to discipling people – prophetic people and everyone else – the two best resources I can point to are:
Living by the Indwelling Life of Christ
The Deeper Christian Life Network
Those familiar with my work know that I create the resource (book, course, network, article, message, etc.) that I want to consume myself but that doesn’t exist.
While there is a plethora of “discipleship” resources available today, the above are unique. Simply read the testimonials on each page.
For the entire book catalog, see the Books page.
For conference messages, see the Messages page.
These work in tandem with the above.
April 8, 2024: I don’t live in the USA, and I’m trying to find the digital versions of your books. What websites can I find them on?
We don’t keep track of which websites sell the electronic versions of the books.
The first step is to go to this page which shows you all the in-print books that are officially authorized and legitimately published. Second, you will have to do your own research online to find out which books have digital versions.
In the USA and Canada, they are all available in print, digital, and most are on audiobook. The books page will take you to the landing pages which will direct you to the book seller sites. But we have no idea about countries outside the USA and Canada.
March 15, 2024: I listened to your message The Two Anointings recently, and it blew my mind. I’m a lead pastor, and I wanted to know if you make your sermon notes available? Thank you.
I’m glad you found the message valuable. First, I don’t preach sermons; I deliver messages. I’ve explained the difference elsewhere, but they aren’t the same.
Second, I rarely use notes when I speak. And I didn’t use them for that message.
However, this message, along with the messages I delivered before and after it (which you can check out here), have been transcribed. And we hope to put them in a future book. Be sure to join the email list so you’re alerted when it’s published.
March 12, 2024: What is the difference between a sermon and a message?
A sermon (homily) is a rehearsed piece of oratory that has a definite structure (intro, three to five points, a story, a conclusion, and a benediction). A message is a Spirit-inspired talk that has no discernable structure.
Sermons usually last 20 minutes and sometimes extend to 45 minutes. Messages often last 50 minutes to 90 minutes, though sometimes they are shorter. Often, if time permits, there’s a practical handle given at the end of a message since messages are designed to produce a specific goal. By contrast, sermons rarely change the hearers.
Historically, the sermon (homily) was derived from the Greek philosophers. Augustine and Chrysostom brought it into the Christian world and popularized it.
March 10, 2024: If you could recommend one study Bible, what would it be?
I could never recommend one study Bible (or Bible version for that matter) because all of them have flaws and shortcomings.
To my mind, every Christian should be armed with the following. They are the “bare minimum” when it comes to Bible study and learning.
If you cannot afford all of them all at once, buy them one at a time with extra income, gift money, etc.
The IVP Bible Background Commentaries of the New Testament and Old Testament
(All three Bibles together make up for where each one lacks. But even then, it’s not perfect.)
After (or instead of) the above, I recommend you purchase Logos Bible Software.
It comes with some of the resources listed above, but you can add more. And there are different editions that range in price.
If you use this link to purchase—Logos Bible Software, you’ll get a discount.
February 27, 2024: What is the difference between living by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and living by the Tree of Life and having spiritual discernment?
I have answered this question in the following places:
My books Jesus Manifesto and Part 2 of Jesus Speaks.
And in detail in the Living by the Indwelling Life of Christ course.
February 23, 2024: What are your favorite movies, favorite books, favorite songs, and favorite foods?
Answered in this episode on my 20 favorite things.
February 14, 2024: Where have you addressed the Lord’s Supper (Communion/the Eucharist)?
In two places, both old books of mine from 2008.
In Pagan Christianity, chapter 9, George Barna and I explain how the Lord’s Supper/Communion changed from a full, celebratory meal to a ritual that included a cracker and thimble of grape juice or wine.
In Reimagining Church, chapter 3, I discuss how the first-century Christians took the Lord’s Supper/Communion.
Keep in mind that these two books were written to a very narrow audience. They were addressed to serious Christians who love Jesus but who either left the organized form of church or were on their way out. They were NOT written to any other audience.
Therefore, pastors and those who enjoy traditional church services have (and will) misunderstand and misapply the content of those old books. My much newer books are for ALL Christians in ALL church forms. And to my mind, they are far better and more applicable to the times in which we live.
February 5, 2024: I’m going to be in Florida over the next few months. Are there any conferences going on there that you are speaking in?
We don’t advertise or promote the conferences I’m speaking in. But if you fill out the form on our Events Page, you can be alerted if I’m speaking in your area (or the area you specify on the form). I only accept a small number of invitations a year, so those who wish to hear me speak live usually send our Events Page to conference hosts and pastors, requesting an invitation to be sent.
February 1, 2024: Frank, I live in [name of country] and love your books, especially the ones on Jesus and the kingdom. However, most of the people in my country do not speak English like I do. Do I have permission to translate any of your books into my language?
I’m afraid that we cannot grant permission to translate any of my books. You have to reach out to the publisher of the specific book and ask to receive foreign rights.
A translation without written permission is an unauthorized bootleg and we cannot endorse it. Many of my books have been translated and published in different languages already, and some are under contract to do so. Go to our Foreign Translations page which will tell you how to reach each publisher. You can also ask them if the book is already published in your language or if there’s one under contract.
October 3, 2023: Any time we hear of a well-known pastor sinning sexually, a lot of people start saying with certainty that the pastor can be forgiven, but they can never return to ministry. They cannot preach or teach anymore forever. I don’t see this in the Bible, but what do you say about it?
There is an article on the Radical Resurgence website called What Disqualifies a Person from Ministry? It’s the best treatment of this subject I’ve ever seen. The arguments are compelling.
September 1, 2023: You’ve made a crystal clear case in your book Finding Organic Church that apostles travel. They are not stationary. All the apostolic workers you name traveled, and the New Testament makes that clear as well as church history. My question is about James, the Lord’s brother. Paul calls him an apostle in Galatians 1:9.
Great question. You must remember that Luke compresses his narrative (Acts) and also post-New Testament church history is sporadic, leaving a great deal out.
Here’s my thesis for this question. When the church in Jerusalem scattered, James left with the others. Acts 8:1 says the apostles stayed (probably going into hiding), but I believe Luke is speaking of the Twelve. Not Silas, Barnabas, etc. who later would be “sent” out as apostles. And not James (we don’t know when he was sent out).
Even though Luke doesn’t give us details, my guess is that James visited the new communities that were transplanted throughout Judea. So he was apostolic in that sense, especially if he helped lay foundations for those churches (the work of an apostle), which I assume he did. He also probably traveled later on because he appears to have firsthand knowledge of the assemblies he addressed in his epistle.
Paul confirms that James traveled when he says in 1 Corinthians 9:5 that the “brothers of the Lord” brought their wives when they traveled.
I passed this thesis by Thomas Schmidt, who is a New Testament scholar and an expert in post-apostolic history, and his response was: “I’d call your proposal plausible, better than possible and not as good as probable. The three “p’s” on the scale of certainty!”
In short, if James was an apostle, that means he had to have traveled and preached the gospel and raised up (or laid foundations for) kingdom communities (ekklesias).
August 3, 2023: Frank, I’ve been listening to your conference messages, and they are blowing my mind! I’ve been to many churches and conferences, and my question is, why aren’t other speakers bringing talks like these, they have so much depth and power?
Thank you. I’ve answered your question here.
August 3, 2023: Have you ever considered researching more deeply the concept of Original Sin?
I’m familiar with the debate, but I personally find it practically insignificant. All human beings are sinful, and they are in need of redemption. And Jesus is it.
That’s the clear teaching of Romans 3-5, 1 John 1:8-10, and the rest of the New Testament. Observing human behavior confirms it.
Trying to analyze the issue beyond that simple truth isn’t something I’ve ever seen bear any good fruit.
There are many other issues, like what exactly is the gospel presented in the New Testament, that are far more urgent and important. Hence, why I wrote an entire book on it and why the Insurgence podcast continues the discussion.
August 4, 2023: I’m a huge fan of your work. It’s changed my life and the lives of my friends (we are all in our 30s). My father wants to write you a letter of appreciation to your PO Box address. He wants to know if you will respond?
Thank you. I appreciate this testimonial. Every letter that goes to the PO Box is eventually read. However, I do not respond by snail mail. He will have to put his email address on the letter (clearly so it can be deciphered; I say this because several have done this, and we cannot make out the email address).
Responses are always sent by email. Never by snail mail.
Also, we encourage people to make their emails and their written letters (when that’s used) as short as possible. It’s difficult for me to read long letters. Every time I’ve received a lengthy email or letter, it could have been reduced to one or two pages without losing any thoughts. Just FYI.
July 7, 2023: I’ve been reading and re-reading all of your books on your site and my favorites are From Eternity to Here, God’s Favorite Place on Earth, Insurgence, 48 Laws of Spiritual Power, ReGrace, Hang On, Let Go, The Day I Met Jesus, and Revise Us Again. These books have changed my life. Sometimes I travel and forget one of the books I want to read. Is there a way that I can get them in PDF?
Thanks for the kind words about the books. The titles you listed are my most popular, and to my mind, the best.
Unfortunately, these are all books published by Christian publishers, so we don’t have access to any of them in PDF. In fact, we don’t sell the books ourselves. The good news is that all of these titles are on Kindle, Nook, Apple Books, etc. So you can get them all digitally. Go to frankviola.org/books to access each book and see where they are sold.
The only books we have in PDF are the small number of eBooks that we publish ourselves. Those are also on the book page (linked above) at the bottom.
July 3, 2023: I just finished your living by the indwelling life of Christ course and it was excellent! It’s changed my life, in fact. Where is the place to ask you follow-up questions about the course?
That is displayed clearly on the course page after you finish the course, with instructions. Please consult that page, and you’ll see it.
It’s vital that you add the correct subject line as instructed, and you will receive an email concerning where to post your questions.
June 3, 2023: I’ve been blown away by your exposition of the Old Testament, how you reveal Christ in it. I have read Jesus: A Theography and From Eternity to Here. They’ve both completely upended my understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures. Where else have you opened up the Old Testament in light of how the early Christians understood it?
I’ve answered this question in detail on this page.
June 2, 2023: I’m disturbed to see some Christians I know who I thought were on the deeper journey revert back to being back under the Law, following the rituals and regulations of the Mosaic Law that Christ fulfilled in Himself and that He nailed to His cross. Have you seen this also? I know you’ve written a great deal about the Law and its relationship to the Christian, any chance you can view all of them in one place? By the way, your Galatians in 3D Master Class and your book Insurgence have set me free from both legalism and libertinism, so thank you!
I’ve answered this question in detail on this page.
June 1, 2023: I grew up in a denomination that taught “the silence of Scripture.” I’ve come to realize that this was an error and those who believe it don’t follow it in all things. They teach that it’s wrong to use musical instruments in worshipping God. What do you think?
The silence of Scripture doctrine leads to many inconsistencies. And the idea that because the New Testament may simply mention something, one must follow it. For instance, Peter swam in the nude. So must Christians swim in the nude now?
There’s nothing in the New Testament that forbids musical instruments in worship. The passage in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3, in the Greek, when speaking of a Psalm indicates the strumming of an instrument. There’s good evidence that the Psalms were sung to a stringed instrument, so this makes perfect sense.
In addition, I see no spiritual reason why a musical instrument would be anathema.
What’s fascinating to me is that those I’ve met who hold to this doctrine listen to secular music played with instruments. Where in the Bible does it say it’s okay to listen to non-Christian music? I’m not suggesting it’s wrong, I’m simply using the same logic that such people use when condemning the use of musical instruments on the basis of “silence.”
Again, one could write an entire book of practices that aren’t mentioned in the New Testament, practices that those who hold to the “silence of Scripture” doctrine observe and follow.
As Romans 14 makes plain, if you are someone who is free to use musical instruments in worship, you have the liberty to. Those who don’t have that liberty shouldn’t use them, but it’s wrong to push their restrictions on to other believers as Paul made plain. While the issues were different in Romans, the principle is exactly the same.
March 5, 2023: I’m new to your ministry and your conference messages have blown my mind. I’m reading your books and they are giving me a total new experience and perspective. I’ve applied to a number of your trainings, SCRIBE, the Indwelling Life course, the Deeper Life Network, and your IXP Mastermind. I was wondering if you can tell me the cost of each one?
Once you join a wait list, you will receive all the details (including cost) when these resources open. It’s important that you join the wait list (and apply in the case of the IXP Mastermind) with an email that you check regularly. And always check all your folders (spam/junk/other and the Promotions folder for Gmail). Sometimes valuable emails land in those folders. It happens to me all the time.
Registration details are only sent to those who apply or join a wait list.
February 5, 2023: I’ve ordered dozens of your book Insurgence and From Eternity to Here to give to friends and leaders. But Amazon is having trouble with shipping. Is there any other way I can get your books at a discount? Does your ministry sell them?
We don’t sell my published books, so you’ll have to use the available retailers and search for the best prices. For instance, if you go to 48Laws.com, you’ll see the major retailers that sell 48 Laws of Spiritual Power as well as my other titles.
Regarding Amazon, we have no relationship with them at all. So you will have to search how to contact them. (I had to contact them several times over the years. I just searched online and found a phone number.)
February 3, 2023: In some of your work, you rightly criticize the abuse of proof texting from the Bible, but proof-texters seem to have ample precedent from New Testament writers who cherry pick quotes from the Old Testament in what often appears to be a cavalier fashion. They seem to me to be supporting valid teaching with inappropriate use of Scripture. What do you think?
I disagree.
The way the New Testament writers quoted the Hebrew Scriptures was NOT proof-texting. They understood the content and context of the texts they cited and quoted, so it wasn’t proof-texting. Proof-texting is when a Scripture is lifted out of its local context and pasted together with other out-of-context passages to form a doctrine or support a practice.
The key is that the biblical texts are taken out of their local context. In addition, the New Testament authors rightly understood the Spirit’s intent in a given text. Something Jesus Himself taught the apostles, which I explained in detail in the beginning of Jesus: A Theography.
Like so many other things, nuance is important here.
January 10, 2023: In both Mark and Matthew, Jesus says this generation will not pass away until it sees the Son of Man coming in power. In Matthew, it’s that the apostles won’t finish going through Israel before Jesus comes. Have you addressed these verses before?
Yes, in the book Insurgence, on the supplemental article page that’s listed in the book, the Mark text is addressed. It’s also addressed on the Insurgence podcast. And in a future episode, we plan to tackle the Matthew text. (We are still discussing every reference to the kingdom of God in the Gospels.)
January 7, 2023: How often should a church take the Lord’s supper?
There is nothing in the New Testament that gives a prescription or command for this. We know that some of the churches appeared to have taken the Lord’s supper weekly (at least during the time the New Testament was penned). Others we cannot be sure. I’ve found that those who push a legalistic “you must take it every week” don’t take it according to the New Testament (as a full celebratory meal). See my book Reimagining Church, chapter 3 for details.
January 5, 2023: I used to be part of your Thursday unfiltered email list, but I unsubscribed. Now I want to get back on the list. I’ve resubscribed, but I still am not getting the emails. What do I do?
Because you were once subscribed and removed yourself, you have to resubscribe HERE. (That’s a different subscribe form than what’s on this blog.)
Make sure you confirm that you’re a human (it should prompt you). You also may get a CONFIRMATION email after you subscribe.
Also, always check your PROMOTIONS folder (if you have Gmail), Spam, and Junk. Sometimes emails we opt-in for go into those folders.
It’s the bane of using email today.
December 20, 2022: I love your podcasts and have heard you say you were trying to get Frank Laubach’s book You Are My Friends back into print. Were you able to do that?
Yes. You can order it HERE. Please spread the word. This will help keep it in print.
December 10, 2022: I have many questions about organic church, from when to multiply, to how to select overseers, to what to do with the children, to apostolic workers (church planters), and much more. Also, I keep hearing people equate organic church with house church and simple church, but I’ve heard you say they aren’t the same. Where do you address all of these questions?
First, an organic expression of the church is NOT the same as a “house church.” Many (if not most) house churches are just as institutional as traditional churches.
The same is true for “simple church.” Organic expressions of the church are FAR from simple.
The meeting location – whether a house or a building – doesn’t determine if Jesus Christ is practically expressing Himself as head of a local gathering.
For this reason, I’ve gone on record saying that I don’t advocate house churches OR traditional churches.
Of course, God uses both, but my early books from 2008 and 2009 were about the church after God’s own heart. God will bless and even use that which falls short of His best and highest. Those early books seek to present God’s highest and best.
My passion and interest has always been the place of Jesus Christ and the functioning of His body and whether or not there is true ekklesia life (or “kingdom community”) in a given locality.
Where have I addressed the questions you’ve asked?
Four books which you can find at frankviola.org/books.
Reimagining Church
From Eternity to Here
Finding Organic Church
Insurgence
Three more places are below:
House Church vs. Organic Expression
Together, the above will give a comprehensive look at organic church life and they also address your questions.
P.S. I am unable to answer specific questions about your church and give you advice for the simple reason that unless I’ve been among your group, there is no way I can give any accurate input. I have to be there in person, get to know the group, and observe the dynamics. Consequently, if someone offers you advice from afar, “sight unseen,” I personally wouldn’t trust it. That conclusion is based on over thirty years of experience and observation.
December 3, 2022: Your book Hang On, Let Go saved my life. Thank you for writing it. I’ve recommended it to so many people and have given away copies. I’ve never read anything like it. In one of the chapters, you mention toxic people. Can you enlarge on what a toxic person is exactly and how to relate to them? Thanks!
A toxic person is an individual who poisons their relationships, almost always because of some kind of disfunction in their own personality that they’ve never successfully dealt with.
In my newest book, which released a few months ago, 48 Laws of Spiritual Power, I have an entire chapter called “Avoid Toxic People.” It’s Law 45. That chapter will give you my thoughts on how to relate to toxic individuals.
November 10, 2022: I’m not someone who is in full-time ministry (not a pastor or a teacher), but I find your new book (48 Laws of Spiritual Power) to be mesmerizing and really helpful. A friend thought it was just for ministers, which you say in the beginning isn’t the case. I want to know if anywhere you discuss how the book came about and what writing it was like.
You are correct, the book isn’t just for pastors, teachers, church planters, etc.
It’s for all disciples of Jesus. If you’re a Christian, your entire life is a mission trip.
We are all part of the priesthood of believers. Also, to live the Christian life, we need God’s power.
So the book is for all true believers, not just people in full-time ministry.
Regarding the behind the scenes of the book, go to 48Laws.com and you will find interviews where I answer your question.
We plan to drop more interviews on that page soon.
September 2, 2022: Do you have a statement of beliefs?
Institutional churches typically have a doctrinal statement. Since I’m not an institutional church nor am I associated with one, I do not.
However, anyone who has read my body of work knows what I believe. In addition, I explain my doctrinal/theological beliefs in this audio. In the beginning of the audio, I mention certain historical creeds that I align with. Those creeds are correct, but they are not complete. None are.
September 1, 2022: I know you aren’t the major league baseball pitcher by the same name, but do you know him?
We are distant relatives. We’ve corresponded once on social media. All he wrote was, “I love you, man.”
I’ve also talked with his wife on social media. We discussed exchanging a signed baseball for a signed book. Yeah, I think the other Frank V. would love a signed baseball by yours truly. 🙂
June 5, 2022: Frank, I love your newer books. A friend is reading a few of your old stuff on radical church restoration. He just got started but he was asking me about rebellion and the Old Testament stories, like the rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16 and other places. I told him that it’s a misuse to apply those stories to institutional church settings. What do you think?
You are correct. This is covered in some of the older books. Reimagining Church has a lengthy section at the very end where I answer objections like this. For example, it’s a mistake to use Moses as an illustration of a traditional church pastor. Moses is a type of Jesus Christ.
That said, rebellion is never acceptable for a believer. And there’s a big difference between submission and obedience. I cover this in Reimagining Church, the second half, and there’s a discussion of it in my upcoming book 48 Laws of Spiritual Power.
Unfortunately, some people have gotten the warped idea that rejecting the institutional church model is the same as rebelling against those who lead it. Barna and I actually warn against this and creating division in a congregation in our old book Pagan Christianity, both at the beginning and at the end. I also address it in How (Not) to Leave a Church.
March 3, 2022: Frank, I’ve read your ReChurch series as well as the newer books like Insurgence, which changed my life. I get tired of seeing people talk about Pagan Christianity without really knowing what they are talking about. Some of them are critics who obviously haven’t read the objections page you and Barna put together. Every time I see someone make an objection, their criticism has already been answered on that page, but they won’t read it. It’s irritating to me. Can you speak to this? I know the book is old, but I’d like to get your take since people still talk about it.
Thanks for the question. It’s one I’ve answered in different ways in different places, but perhaps by putting my response in this one place (here) it would give people like yourself a resource to send to people.
Here are some observations:
1) It’s amusing to me that when people criticize or praise the book they often only attribute me as the author. This saddens me because I’m not the solo author.
George Barna is regarded by many as the most brilliant researcher of our time and the most quoted Christian over the past 40 years. And he is the coauthor, so he should be credited also.
If a piece of research in that book wasn’t accurate, Barna wouldn’t have signed off on it. We both worked on the research together.
Because the book is historically accurate, high-caliber scholars like Robert Banks, Howard Snyder, Greg Boyd, Jon Zens, and many others endorsed and recommended it.
2) To date, the book has never been refuted or discounted, despite what some people loudly “claim.” The objections page (including the audios and full-length debates) has answered every objection thus far.
It would take a person months to go through that page fully since it contains hundreds of responses including the audio replies. If a person isn’t looking for the truth, they won’t do the necessary work.
That said, if a person goes through every single word on that page including the audios, and they see an objection that we didn’t answer there, they can email it to me, but only if it’s NOT already answered on the objections page as well as this FAQ. So far, no one has done so.
3) The main objections critics have had was that Barna and I used “secondhand sources,” which always makes me smile. First, the book does have plenty of firsthand sources, but the secondhand sources are from scholars and historians. And that move was deliberate.
We weren’t writing the book for scholars or academicians. It was written at a popular level. And we didn’t want to bog people down with firsthand works, many of which are not in English.
There’s nothing wrong with a secondhand source as long as it’s accurate. We aren’t quoting randos in the book, but historians and scholars.
I just read a book by my friend N.T. Wright and he only has a handful of citations. Most of the book is unsourced. Not even secondhand sources are put forth. There are hardly any sources beyond biblical references.
He’s received a tiny bit of blowback for this (not much). But the same people who criticized Barna and me about too many “secondhand” sources were quiet on Wright’s lack of documentation.
We could have written the book without any sources, but they were added for the benefit of most of our readers.
A genuine criticism would be to point out WHERE exactly a historical or scholarly source is wrong in the specific point we make, not that the source is “secondhand” or that someone doesn’t like the authority we are citing.
That whole way of thinking is both unreasonable and silly. It’s smoke and mirrors.
4) Beyond the above, the main thing I want people to know about Pagan is that:
(a) It’s a very old book and written for Christians who already left the organized church who are Protestants. If we wrote it for Catholics or people who are content with organized Christianity, the book would be very different.
(b) It’s not a stand-alone work. It only deconstructs. The sequels, which are part of the ReChurch series, construct and offer solutions. Pagan intentionally doesn’t do that. (If it did, the book would be over 1,000 pages.)
Consequently, when people read the book without the constructive sequels, 95% of them misunderstand what we are communicating and misapply it (for example, like going out and trying to start a “house church;” that’s a complete misinterpretation as we never suggest or recommend that).
Reading Pagan without the sequels is like hanging up the phone after the first fifteen minutes of a two-hour conversation.
The books that construct and complete the picture are Reimagining Church, From Eternity to Here, and Finding Organic Church. They all work together.
While Insurgence is a stand-alone book, I recommend people read that as well.
(c) We aren’t advocating “house church” in the book. We even mention that in the book. We are advocating “the organic expression of the church.” As I’ve pointed out elsewhere, many “house churches” today are the furthest thing from organic body life.
5) It doesn’t bother George or me when people make invalid criticisms. It just means the particular book isn’t for them. (And for some, they found the book threatening and so they weren’t intellectually honest in their critiques.)
6) My best books were written long after Pagan, which was released way back in 2008.
Since then, I’ve written three books with Dr. Leonard Sweet, who is regarded as a brilliant scholar and theologian. Also, I wrote three books where Dr. Craig Keener was my historical advisor (Keener is the leading scholar in the world on New Testament background).
The reason why Pagan got some criticism is because the claims Barna and I make are pretty unsettling for traditionalists. And that’s ALWAYS the case in every field.
Anyone who turns the sod has critics. (N.T. Wright has many because he makes some non-traditional claims about Jesus and the gospel. I don’t apologize for it and neither does George.)
My best and most important books to date, which are for the times in which we live, are:
Insurgence
God’s Favorite Place on Earth
From Eternity to Here
ReGrace
The Jesus Trilogy (with Leonard Sweet)
I remember N.T. Wright once saying that a reader really won’t understand where he’s coming from unless they read AND UNDERSTAND all of his work.
I fully relate to that. Reading and understanding are two different things.
February 5, 2022: Frank, I’m a little confused. I see you have masterminds for institutional church leaders. But your earlier books seem to say institutional church leadership roles aren’t found in the New Testament the way they are practiced today. Please help me reconcile this. Thanks.
I’ve only discussed ecclesiological leadership offices in two books, and they were published way back in 2008. I’ve written well over fifteen books since.
But even in those two early books, I made very clear that God uses the people who fill traditional church leadership roles.
He even uses Anglican and Catholic priests.
When I read the word “priest” in the New Testament, I don’t believe it’s referring to a modern-day priest in the Catholic and Anglican traditions. But that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t use such people.
(For instance, at the time that N.T. Wright and I spoke at a conference together, he was an Anglican bishop. While we may disagree on ecclesiology, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t brothers in God’s kingdom and that we can’t learn from one another.)
Consequently, just because I may disagree with a person’s ecclesiology does not at all mean that such people are not used by the Lord. Nor does it mean I can’t learn from them and vice versa.
Also, in a book I wrote many years ago with George Barna on the history of church traditions, I made a clear distinction between the pastoral office/role and pastors themselves.
Unfortunately, many people who read that book have not read the constructive sequels or my more recent books. Since that particular book wasn’t a stand-alone volume, they’ve not heard the entire argument or my full thoughts on ecclesiology and leadership.
My work since 2009 serves all of God‘s people who are on the deeper journey regardless of their ecclesiastical views, structures, or positions.
The old 2008 books were written to a very limited audience. Namely, to people who wanted biblical and historical permission to meet outside the organized church organically or who were moving in that direction.
There was no other audience I had in mind for those books.
Also, even in those early books, I have never been against institutional pastors or institutional churches; that includes Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Episcopal leaders and structures.
For example, while I’m not a Catholic on the ground of theology and ecclesiology, I’m not against the Catholic church. I have no interest in attacking it or trying to take it down.
Regrettably, a few people have misinterpreted my older work to mean that because I don’t think an institution is biblical that means I’m against it and everyone in it.
That’s a profound misunderstanding and misassumption.
In addition, I’ve never set out to try to change the existing institutions.
If a person reads my work carefully, they’ll discover that I believe all institutional forms of church will continue up until the time that Jesus returns.
And so will those who gather under the headship of Christ in an organic way, standing for His eternal purpose.
I have no agenda except to minister the riches of Christ to all who are hungry and thirsty for Him regardless of who they are or what kind of church in which they’re involved.
For this reason, many pastors and leaders in liturgical churches have benefited from my podcasts and my 15+ books published since 2009.
You can view all of my books on the Books page.
February 4, 2022: I love your books, especially INSURGENCE, GOD’S FAVORITE PLACE ON EARTH, JESUS MANIFESTO, HANG ON, LET GO, ReGRACE, and FROM ETERNITY TO HERE. They are all classics! Is there any way that I can order cases of these books to pass out to friends?
Thanks for the kind words. I agree that those are my best titles in the catalog.
The only way I know how to order bulk is through Amazon (probably your best price). Or you can contact the publisher and ask them for a bulk discount (the books you mentioned are published by Baker, David C. Cook, Tyndale, and Thomas Nelson).
We don’t sell any of the books, so that’s the only way I’m aware of how to secure them in bulk.
I will say this, however. Giving someone a book for free is typically a waste. Most people who are given books by well-meaning friends never read them. What’s far more effective is if someone encourages them to get a book, explaining how it changed one’s life.
This is what ends up causing a person to obtain and read a book. Since they’ve bought it themselves and have skin in the game, they are far more likely to read and benefit from it.
I’m glad you didn’t mention my earlier books on radical church reform from 2008 and 2009, because those books were written for a very small segment of Christians (those who left the organized form of church and are wanting clarity and direction) where the others you mentioned were written for all of God’s people.
You can see all the books and their publishers on the Discography page.
August 30, 2021: Your new book Hang On, Let Go is a game-changer! I read the Taste Test and listened to several interviews you did about it on the Christ is ALL podcast. I want to order paperback copies in [name of country outside the USA]. Where can I get the book in my country?
You can get the book in any country. You just have to search for online bookstores in your nation. If that doesn’t work, go to your local bookshop and ask them to order the book. In worst case scenarios, contact the publisher. They too can be reached online.
February 3, 2021: Do you know of any kingdom communities (ekklesias) or kingdom cells in [name of city]?
We have no directory of kingdom cells or kingdom communities, and we don’t keep track of them when people mention them to us now and then. Even if we did keep track, unless I visited one myself, I couldn’t recommend it to others in good conscience. People use labels like “kingdom” (or “organic”) all the time to describe their groups, even when they aren’t either in reality.
It’s our stated goal for everyone who is interested in kingdom life to begin their own kingdom cell where they live rather than trying to find an existing one (which is the way people look for “churches”).
This article lays out practical steps on how to begin one where you live: How to Form a Kingdom Cell (Outpost) Where You Live.
January 12, 2021: I’m excited to hear that you are revising and expanding your book The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. Do you plan to write a companion volume in the future telling the Old Testament narrative chronologically?
I do not. I’m exclusively focused on the New Testament. My other plan is to create a 3D Master Class for each of Paul’s epistles. You can see the complete series — some of which are already available — here.
January 10, 2021: Some of you sent Frank questions about his book Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom — questions he’s already answered. You can find his answers to those questions in 3 places:
- The Insurgence Podcast – we encourage you to hear all the episodes and subscribe to get the new ones, as he and his conversation partners continue to answer your questions. The podcast can be found on any podcast app.
- The Supplemental Articles on the Insurgence book website.
- The Gospel of the Kingdom blog series.
December 12, 2020: I just found your blog over the last six months. Your articles have helped me so much. Are your past articles available? If so, how can I read them?
Thanks and yes. Just go to HERE.
The articles appear from the most recent to the oldest. You can also use the green category buttons at the top to read them by category.
December 11, 2020: I’ve read all of your books and listen to your three podcasts. How are you so prolific, and how can I be more productive next year?
I unveil all of this in my PROLIFIC course.
December 10, 2020: Tell me more about your training for authors. I’ve written a book already but it doesn’t sell well. I also have a new book I want to write. Will your training help me?
Yes. I created this training for both aspiring authors and accomplished authors (like yourself). It’s called SCRIBE. And it’s now totally online so you don’t have to leave the house. Most years, it’s only available one time during the year, so join the wait list here as soon as you can.
December 9, 2020: Do I have your permission to share your articles?
We encourage sharing the articles by using the social media share buttons that appear below every article on the blog. Or by putting the article link on your social media feed or blog.
But please don’t copy and paste the article on social media or on your blog. This always creates problems and hurts the blog in the search engines.
December 8, 2020: I’ve noticed that unlike so many Christian leaders today, you never ask for donations. Does this mean you are not in need of money?
No, it doesn’t. In fact, right now, we have family members who have serious medical issues that require large sums of money (the issues aren’t covered by insurance).
I’ve never felt comfortable asking those who follow my work to give a donation, even though it’s standard for ministries today.
Interestingly, I was sharing some of these needs with a friend who is a well-known author, and he encouraged me to ask for a one-time donation from my email subscribers.
That said, occasionally (though rarely), someone who appreciates my work and who is doing well financially will ask how they can donate to my work. We never turn away such requests and are enormously thankful for them. We simply send them this Donation Page.
November 5, 2020: These are my questions about organic church:
What’s the difference between a house church, simple church, and organic church?
Would you be willing to lay the foundation for our church, the way you described how a church is to be raised up in Finding Organic Church?
Do you know any apostolic people in my city who are interested in starting an organic church?
Can you work with our present group and equip us to function and go deeper in the Lord?
If you are unable to work with our group, can you recommend someone who can?
Where can I find the kind of organic church life that you describe in Reimagining Church?
My group is having some problems, can you give us your advice on how to solve them?
I live in [name of city], do you know of any organic churches where I live?
I feel like leaving my current church. What is your advice on how best to leave?
Is “organic church” a movement?
I’ve answered all of these questions here. Make sure you read the articles linked at the bottom of the page when you get to it.
May 19, 2020: I have friends and family members who have gone bonkers on crazy conspiracy theories. They don’t talk about the Lord anymore, just these theories. I also want to know if you think God is judging the world with the corona pandemic. Thanks!
I’ve answered all of these questions in my eBook A Survival Guide for the Current Virus Crisis, which includes links to audios and articles that cover every question I’ve received so far on the subject, including the ones you’ve asked. You can get the Virus Guide free here. Make sure you check out the links in it, including “4 Reasons Why Christians Believe Conspiracy Theories.”
May 17, 2020: My sister is a Christian. She’s young and has kept herself pure. But she’s become lukewarm and a boy who doesn’t know the Lord is giving her a lot of attention. She’s attracted to him and they’ve just started dating. I have tried to warn my sister about this and where it can lead. Can you give me some advice on what the Bible says about a Christian dating an unbeliever?
I’ve answered this question in detail here. Be sure to watch the embedded video within the article also.
February 15, 2020: Frank, what are the different Master Classes you have and how can I obtain them?
The Master Classes are listed in the image below. We don’t make them public, but we make them available by email when people join the wait list. They are all part of The Deeper Christian Life Network.
February 12, 2019: Frank, I read your Dream Team Vision with interest. Just to make sure I understand, you aren’t asking people to be in this team, but you want us to send the document to the people who we think would be a good fit, right? What if they don’t have a public email address and there’s no way to reach them?
Correct. I wrote the Dream Team document so my readers can send it to those they feel would be a good fit for the team.
The criteria for the team appears at the bottom. The person(s) you send it to, in turn, should contact me if they are interested and I’ll talk to them about it if I feel they are a good fit (this is all explained in the document, but you are understanding correctly).
If one of the leaders isn’t accessible online, you can email their publisher and attach the document and ask the publisher to give it to them.
Every publisher is online and they all have email addresses. (Since one of the criteria is that they are published by a reputable publishing house, this should be fairly easy. But if you need help, let me know.)
February 2, 2019: Someone sent me one of the episodes in your new Insurgence podcast and it blew me away. I love the conversation format too. Can I access it on Podbean or YouTube or Apple Podcasts?
Yes. In fact, the podcast can be accessed on virtually any podcast platform or app. Go here to see all of them. That page will be updated as the podcast appears on more platforms and apps.
January 20, 2019: Frank, I’m new to your work. I just finished Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom and have to say it’s the best book I’ve ever read. I’m a podcast junkie. Do you have any podcasts that you do?
Yes. I have three:
The Insurgence Podcast is the newest.
Then there’s Christ is All.
Then The Deeper Journey.
We also have a new YouTube channel.
Thanks for the kind words about the book. I’m humbled by them.
January 19, 2019: How do you respond to people who say stupid things on Facebook? Like everyone but them is part of Babylon. Or idiotic statements about the Bible or political statements that aren’t true?
I don’t. I ignore them. See why here.
The only time I’ll respond to someone on social media is if they are spreading false and slanderous rumors about a friend of mine. (Matthew 7:12 explains why. This is a mark of a true friend.)
Martin Luther King Jr. rightly said, “In the end, it is not the words of our enemies that we will remember, but the silence of our friends.” Those who stand silent aren’t really your friends.
January 15, 2019: Your ministry has been life-changing for me. I know you don’t profit personally from it and I respect that, but the Bible says to bless those who have blessed us. I would like to send you a donation. How do I do that?
This is very kind of you.
Because I never ask for donations, I rarely receive them.
Yet when we do receive them, it’s a big deal for us (as there are many needs of the ministry), and we don’t take them lightly, but specifically pray for those who give them per Philippians 4:15-19.
There are three ways to donate. Just go to frankviola.org/donate for details.
January 10, 2019: What’s the difference between backsliding and committing apostasy, and how do you know if you are an apostate?
December 30, 2018: What questions do you answer in your “Hard Questions: Unconventional Answers” Series?
This series is on our YouTube channel in a special playlist. Here are the questions I address:
(1) What Was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?
(2) What is God’s View of Women in Ministry?
(3) What is the Nature of Hell?
(4) What’s the Problem with Pacifism Today?
(5) Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation?
December 12, 2018: I attended a spiritual retreat with a group of Catholics and Episcopalians. The teacher and the rest of the audience believe a doctrine that says every person born has God dwelling in them, they just aren’t aware of it. So to them being a Christian means being aware of what they already have (God inside them). This doesn’t sound biblical to me. What is your response to this doctrine?
You are right. It’s not biblical. I’ve discussed this question in Does God Dwell In Every Human & Is He The Father of All Mortals?
December 7, 2018: Can a true Christian lose their salvation?
December 5, 2018: Should Christians who are kingdom-minded and kingdom-seekers (Insurgents) vote in political elections and do you vote yourself?
To the first question, read this article. And listen to this podcast episode.
Regarding my own practice, that’s a personal, private matter. But if I did (or do), it’s based on the criteria I gave in the above article and podcast episode.
October 5, 2018: How do you understand the Old Testament portraits of God as being violent and ordering the extermination of nations and people? How does this reconcile with the portrait of Jesus in the New Testament?
This subject is complicated, so a short answer will not do. A theologian and I answer the question in episode #7 of the Insurgence podcast.
If you want more, these three books also give thoughtful answers to the question:
Did God Really Command Genocide?
Also, the violence in the Old Testament against the pagan nations was a type and shadow of the spiritual warfare that we wage against the powers of darkness. They depict for us how the powers of darkness (represented by the pagan nations) have been defeated by the cross of Christ (see Ephesians 6 and Colossians 2).
See Jesus: A Theography for this approach to the Old Testament.
October 4, 2018: I’m new to your blog, and I’ve been struggling with whether the Bible is reliable or not. What is your opinion?
As all my writings attest, I believe Scripture is fully inspired by God, fully reliable, and fully authoritative. The narrative it tells is true.
In the Titan, I have a meaty chapter on the reliability of the Bible. If you have the Titan, I suggest you read that chapter as it will answer your question. It also has a list of other resources on the topic.
One book that’s helped a lot of people is The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? It’s perhaps the best primer on the subject available.
This book should dismantle any misconceptions and doubts, showing that the central message of the Bible – which is the New Testament’s witness to Jesus – is completely reliable. If you are still doubting afterwards, there are other books that are more contemporary which build on Bruce’s work. But I’d start there.
August 23, 2018: Frank, your book Insurgence has shaken me and is doing incredible things in my life. I’m looking for people of like mind who are on the same page and have joined the Insurgence as I have. What do you suggest?
This is answered in 5 Ways to Spread the Insurgence (it’s been updated, so refresh when you get to the page).
I live in [name of city and state]. Can you come to my home and preach on the kingdom and help me form a kingdom cell? I can fill my house with people to hear you.
It’s simply not possible for me to take such requests as that’s all I’d be doing with my time. Traveling all over the world to establish kingdom cells isn’t my calling. My calling is to put into the world (and into your hands) tools so that people like yourself can form your own kingdom cell where you live.
I’ve written a super practical article on this very subject – How to Form a Kingdom Cell Where You Live. Since a kingdom cell only requires two people at a minimum, forming one isn’t terribly complicated.
There are also other resources on the supplemental website mentioned in the book that can be used as additional tools.
Frank, can you connect me with other Insurgents who are living out the gospel of the kingdom?
That’s not something we do. In fact, even if we wanted to, we don’t have the capacity to do it.
But again, I challenge you to stop trying to find others and form a kingdom cell where you live. That is the great need today. My role is to provide you with the tools and resources, which I’ve done.
I give further details on this question in episode #5 of the Insurgence podcast. Please listen to it.
Do you think the Insurgence is going to spread to where it becomes a big movement or will it remain within a remnant?
First, God is God. What happens with the Insurgence is in His hands. I’m not trying to start a movement. I’m simply seeking to be faithful in getting the message out in every way I can (books, podcasts, YouTube videos, blogs, live events, etc.).
If I had to guess, I think it will be a remnant since it’s always been that way. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be tiny.
For instance, right now there are Christian conferences going on in the USA that are drawing 5,000 to 10,000 people. I don’t envision a conference on the Insurgence ever drawing that many people. While it’s possible – I wouldn’t bet on it.
The gospel of the kingdom has never been popular, even in Jesus’ and Paul’s day. It’s just too costly. But I do see the Insurgence increasing each day.
What is the primary difference between the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of salvation?
I address this in the book Insurgence, but they are the same gospel. The gospel of the kingdom stresses the kingship of Jesus and its massive implications on our deliverance from the totality of the world system, our complete allegiance to Christ, and our devotion to His kingdom community (which is an alternative civilization on this earth).
The gospel of salvation emphasizes the Lord’s deliverance from the world, the flesh, the grip of the devil, and God’s judgment. They are two sides of the same incredible gospel message.
I just finished your kingdom book and it’s given me a personal revival. I’d like to invite you to speak on the gospel of the kingdom at our conference next year. How do I go about doing that?
All the information for invitations is on our speaking page.
I’m 32 years old and I can’t tell you much your work has transformed me and my wife. We’ll be forever grateful. I just wish I found you when I was in my 20s! I’d like to help you get your message out so what do you need to reach more people like me who haven’t heard of your work? I’d also like to know what things concern you the most?
I appreciate this very much. I’ll break my answer into two parts which correspond to your question.
PRESENT NEEDS
We have a need for a YouTube Promotions Expert.
Click here for more information and the initial application.
We have some other needs (financial) for the ministry, but I prefer to leave those with the Lord as I never ask for donations.
WHAT CONCERNS ME MOST
* The fact that most Christian leaders refuse to work with each other and the most gifted speakers of our day aren’t invited to speak in certain conferences. I wrote about this in Why Christian Leaders Don’t Work Together.
* The importance of and need for a ministry team. Let me say three things about this. First, the vision for a team isn’t my own idea, but something I’m convinced God has burdened me with. Second, if you read the PDF carefully – as opposed to skimming it – you know that I’m NOT asking you to submit names to me. The call in the article is the opposite. Third, the three-fold criteria, which some may not understand, is what the Lord has put on my heart in relation to this team.
* The fact that so many older servants of God refuse to pass the torch on and so few younger people who are called of God aren’t looking for older mentors from whom they can take the torch. I’m not speaking of going to seminary or Bible college either. I’ve written about what I mean in Passing the Torch.
I’d like to write a book and I have a friend who wrote a book but doesn’t know how to promote it. Don’t you have a training where you teach authors how to write a book and promote it?
Yes, it’s called SCRIBE, and in it, a NY Times bestselling author and I share everything we know about writing a compelling book, publishing options, and how to promote it in ways that actually work. 98% of those who attended last year’s SCRIBE event finished their book within a year and they either self published it (professionally) or landed a publishing deal. SCRIBE 2019 will be held in April, but registration is open now and we have seats left still. Go here to join the wait list ASAP and you’ll receive an email invitation with the details.
My son is in high school and I gave him Insurgence as a gift. He can’t put it down and it’s blowing his mind. I want your other readers who have kids in high school and college to know that your book could start a revival among the younger people! I want to buy more for my nieces and nephews, what is the best price I can get the book?
This is so encouraging because I wrote the book in such a way that a high school student could comprehend the message and a seasoned scholar/theologian could benefit as well.
The best price in the USA (and Canada) that I know of is through Amazon.
July 19, 2018: I’m almost finished reading your book Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom and it’s ruined me. I’m motivated to start a kingdom cell in my area, but was wondering if you connect people together somehow?
No, we don’t have the bandwidth nor the technology to do that virtually. However, in my article — 5 Ways to Spread the Insurgence — I offer five practical ways to create interest in others so people can contact you who wish to be part of the Insurgence (and by default, a kingdom cell which I explain at the end of the book).
One of the 5 ways is the creation of an Insurgence conference that will connect and equip people. At the time of this writing, I’m still waiting for a partner to appear for the conference launch (the criteria is in the article).
July 10, 2018: I’m blown away by your teaching on the gospel of the kingdom. Where can I learn more from you about it besides the book Insurgence?
We have a new website on the gospel of the kingdom that features all of my work on the topic, including free resources: GospeloftheKingdom.com.
April 18, 2018: I read someone say that you believe every Christian is part of the five-fold ministry. I have never seen you say such a thing, so I want you to confirm.
You are correct. That’s just another misrepresentation. I’m hard-pressed to figure out how anyone who reads my work could come up with such an idea because I make plain, both in my books and in many blog posts, that not all are prophets, apostles, evangelists, etc.
What I have taught is that every believer is part of the priesthood of all believers and thus functions in the body of Christ. But that’s not at all the same as saying that every believer is one of the ascension gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4.
Thanks for asking. It’s funny, most of the people who misrepresent my views never come to me directly to ask if they understand me correctly. It’s always other people who do that.
If the misrepresentations are intentional, that would explain it. Because I’m fully accessible on this blog and on email.
March 8, 2018: In 1 Corinthians 12:3, Paul says that a person cannot say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. How do you understand this?
I believe Paul has in mind people who aren’t just parroting words, but those who genuinely believe that He is Lord. The confession, then, is an expression of authentic faith, which comes by revelation of the Holy Spirit. There is an inseparable connection between the heart and the mouth (Rom. 10:10; 2 Cor. 4:13; Luke 6:45).
So we could paraphrase the text this way: “If a person says Jesus is cursed, they do not have the Spirit of God living in them. On the contrary, a person can only confess Jesus is Lord by an unveiling of the Holy Spirit to the heart. And it is the Spirit who declares Jesus is Lord.”
This text also gives us insight into how subtle the inspiration of the Spirit really is. People can say things inspired by (i.e., authored by) the Spirit of God without being conscious of the source of the inspiration.
February 2, 2018: I’m tired of all the division I see among Christians over doctrines, especially over man-made doctrines. How can Christians express their unity and agree to disagree over doctrines?
This is an involved and complicated matter. I have addressed it in my book, Revise Us Again.
January 10, 2018: I recently read a comment by someone who said that you believe that having carpets and chairs are wrong because they are pagan. That can’t be right. Please confirm.
It’s not right. In fact, the opposite is true. In our 2008 book, Pagan Christianity, George Barna and I made the point that just because something is pagan in origin, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. We use carpets, chairs, our calendar, etc. as examples. Here’s the exact quote.
It is clear that the Protestant order of worship did not originate with the Lord Jesus, the apostles, or the New Testament Scriptures. This in itself does not make the order of worship misguided. It just means it has no biblical basis. The use of chairs and pile carpets in Christian gatherings has no biblical support either. And both were invented by pagans. Nonetheless, who would claim that sitting in chairs or using carpets is “wrong” simply because they are postbiblical inventions authored by pagans? The fact is that we do many things in our culture that have pagan roots. Consider our accepted calendar. The days of our week and the months of our year are named after pagan gods. But using the accepted calendar does not make us pagans. (Pagan Christianity, Tyndale, 2008, pp. 74-75)
So this person misrepresented us. I applaud your integrity and faithfulness to the Lord for coming to me directly to ask for my response. Unfortunately, many “Christians” believe whatever they hear, which is irresponsible and reckless. I’ve written about this problem in the past. See Misrepresentations and Gutless Wonders. I’m completely accessible to anyone who has heard a rumor or allegation concerning me or any of my co-authors (George, Leonard, Mary) on what we’ve written or anything else.
December 28, 2017: How old do you think the earth is? Are you a young or old creationist?
This question intrigued me when I was in my 20s. But when I began to see Jesus Christ in all Scripture, it became unimportant. Genesis 1 and 2 are filled with Christ and God’s Eternal Purpose in Him. Jesus said, “All Scripture points to me.” That includes Genesis 1 and 2. I dedicate a lot of time to showing how in Jesus: A Theography.
If a Christian argues over whether the seven days are literal or not without seeing how they all reveal Christ, they are missing the most important point of the narrative. So I’d turn the question around and ask, “Do you know how all seven days of creation reveal your Lord?” If the answer is no, it doesn’t really matter if you believe if the earth is old or young or if you believe the days are literal or figurative. You’re missing the primary intent of the Holy Spirit in those chapters.
December 16, 2017: What are your views on fasting?
Fasting is a powerful spiritual tool, and it’s advocated in both Old and New Testaments. There are different kinds of fasts. (If it’s a food fast, consult with a medical professional if you have a health problem like diabetes or hypoglycemia.) Fasting is a big subject. Too much for this forum. So I recommend you get and read God’s Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis. It’s the best work I know of on this subject.
October 6, 2017: Your book Pagan Christianity with George Barna came out January 2008. That’s almost 10 years ago now. Have you changed your mind on any of it?
The answer is no. I stand by every word. Despite it being “the most reviewed book by those who never read it,” the book has never been refuted (see our Answers to Objections page which discounts the numerous bogus arguments leveled against it since its release).
However, there was a considerable amount of mistakes made in the Advanced Reader Copy as well as the first three reprints that were later corrected. Those typographical errors were corrected on the 4th reprint. (To check the reprint number you have, open to the page before the dedication and you will see some numbers at the very bottom. The largest number is the reprint number. So as long as it’s four or higher, you have the corrected edition. The softcover edition includes the corrections, too.)
We spotted a few minor typos, mostly in the footnotes. The corrections are on the front page of the Pagan Christianity website. Just scroll down. Typo corrections for Reimagining Church are also found on that page.
Finally, if you have the hardcover edition, you’ll want to read the updated preface to the softcover edition. You can freely do that here.
The only regret I have is that scores of readers never got the message that Pagan Christianity was not a stand-alone book. It’s simply part one of a series of constructive volumes. Without those follow-up books, Pagan Christianity is incomplete.
Oh, I also stand by every other book I’ve written on the subject of church since 2008 – Reimagining Church, From Eternity to Here, and Finding Organic Church.
June 12, 2017: I have a question about women covering their heads to pray. In the church that I used to go to, some of the women covered their heads to pray according to 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. The leadership used to say that when a woman prayed with her head uncovered, she is susceptible to the attack of demons. What is your take on this?
This question was asked and answered in the Monthly Q & A segment of The Deeper Christian Life Network. Here’s my answer.
Only a few small movements and denominations practice head covering for women today. I am familiar with them. They tend to be quite legalistic. In fact, in most of these groups, women must be silent in the meetings of the church. The bit about “susceptible to the attack of demons,” I believe is simply false. Most godly women don’t cover their heads while praying, and they aren’t being “attacked by demons” because of it.
Many scholars have pointed out that head covering in 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 was a cultural issue in the first century. Any good commentary will give you the nuts and bolts (e.g., see Gordon Fee and Ben Witherington on 1 Corinthians). Those cultural meanings aren’t present with us anymore. Paul simply used theological points to encourage the married women in Corinth to cover their heads due to the cultural significance of it.
May 5, 2017: I have a friend who read your book with Barna, Pagan Christianity, but I think he only skimmed it because he missed the nuances. He doesn’t understand the difference between a seminary education and taking an online master course, nor does he understand the difference between a sermon and a message. From reading your books, it’s clear to me that these are totally different, right?
Yes, and we make those points in the book. We aren’t against preaching or teaching or exhorting. We see those functions in the New Testament. But a sermon is quite different. In the book, we compare and contrast both.
In the same way, we aren’t against education. But we point out that the method of education given in a Bible school and seminary is very different from the way that Jesus Christ trained His disciples and how Paul duplicated the Lord’s method in Ephesus. In addition, the content and style of that education is different as well.
To understand our arguments, your friend needs to read more carefully. He also needs to read the constructive sequels, else he will misunderstand the whole picture we’re painting.
May 4, 2017: Frank, I read someone who quoted from your book with Barna, Pagan Christianity, and concluded that you and George believe that the ideal church has no elders. The quote didn’t say that at all. I read your book along with the sequel, and I don’t believe you have said that anywhere. Both books talk a lot about elders. Can you confirm?
You are correct. We never said that an ideal church has no elders. And anyone who has read my work knows that I don’t believe such a thing. In fact, in the constructive sequel, Reimagining Church, I dedicate two chapters to elders in a local ekklesia. What I do argue, however, is that Paul never acknowledged elders in any of the churches right away. And all the believers function in a church under Christ, and they are involved in decision-making also. Elders grow up in the soil of the ekklesia over time.
There is also no evidence to conclude that all the first-century churches acknowledged elders. For instance, there’s no mention of them in Antioch or Corinth. And it is clear from Galatians and the other epistles to the church that elders/overseers didn’t have the kind of super prominence that some modern Christians ascribe to them. For instance, when Paul wrote to the Galatians — four churches that were embroiled in a major crisis — Paul never once mentions or addresses the elders. The same is true for all of Paul’s other letters to the churches, except Philippians. But there, he merely greets them in the beginning of the letter, then he goes on to address the entire church.
So yes, this is a clear misrepresentation of my views by this author. I certainly believe in elders and their value.
Unfortunately, this author never came to me first to see if he was accurately reflecting my views, something I’ve rebuked authors for sloppily failing to do in Misrepresentations.
December 31, 2016: What do you think about Open Theism and do you embrace it?
See my answer below to the Calvinism vs. Arminianism question. I’ll just add that if a person understands that God is in space and time as well as outside of space and time, Open Theism doesn’t work. It greatly diminishes God’s power, making the future insecure. And it leaves the question open as to who will win in the end, so Revelation 21-22 have to be reinterpreted from their original intent, which rightly show us God’s future and our future.
Calvinism, Arminianism, and Open Theism spring out of applying Aristotelian logic to the Scriptures. And this approach, which I believe is misguided, will always lead people to unnaturally force (and bend) various biblical texts to fit the theological model.
December 20, 2016: What is your view of Calvinism and Arminianism?
I’m neither a Calvinist nor an Arminian, yet I hold to the tenets of both in tension.
I have given my answer to this question in Jesus Manifesto, which has been endorsed by some of the leading Calvinists of our time like Matt Chandler, Steve Brown, Ed Stetzer and also some of the leading Arminians like Jack Hayford and Francis Frangipane as well as Anglicans like Rowan Williams.
In short, no theological system can accurately contain divine truth because divine truth is paradoxical. Jesus is God and man, the Absolute Paradox. And there are countless paradoxes of Scripture that hold the same weight.
Physics teaches us that light is both a wave and a particle. Under some conditions, light acts like a wave. Under other conditions, light acts like a particle. This is a great paradox.
In the same way, Calvinism is true and explains certain parts of the spiritual life best. Arminianism is also true and explains other parts of the spiritual life best. Staying with the physics metaphor, Calvinism is a wave and Arminianism is a particle.
The wave: “Chosen before the foundation of the world.” The particle: “Whosoever will, let him come.” You get the idea. I explain this paradox more in Jesus Manifesto. Start there.
The crux of it all is that neither Calvin nor Arminius understood the concept of “outside of space and time.” Therefore, their theologies were restricted to their limited understanding of space and time. If you read Jesus: A Theography chapter 1 and listen to my message Epic Jesus, you’ll see what I mean.
December 11, 2016: Frank, I’m in my 60s. My son who is in his 30s turned me on to your blog and books. His friends, also in their 30s, love your blog too. I have come to love your blog and books too. But I’m wondering if your blog is for everyone, even though people in their 30s love it. What about people my age? Is your ministry for everyone?
Yes, my blog and books are for every person who wants more of the Lord no matter their age. We have subscribers in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and on up. While I am training the next generation to take the torch of God’s eternal purpose (something that Paul did in his ministry in Ephesus), my work is for everyone who wants a deeper walk with the Lord.
November 4, 2016: Frank, I have some questions about your 2009 book, From Eternity to Here, which I thought was amazing. I understand you answered questions on that book somewhere else. Is that right?
Yes, see below:
FAQ on FROM ETERNITY TO HERE 1
FAQ on FROM ETERNITY TO HERE 2
May 12, 2016: Frank, I’ve been following your work for years and I’m amazed at how much content you produce in such a short period of time. What’s your secret?
Your question is one I receive often. The truth is, I’m not a disciplined person by nature. My secret is that I’ve discovered systems and strategies that make me incredibly productive and give me lots of free time also. I unveil all of it in my new PROLIFIC productivity & creativity program.
April 1, 2016: I read Pagan Christianity a few years ago and was impressed by the book. I ran into a church leader who said that Frank had recanted the information in the book. This bothered me a lot and I would like to contact Frank to see if it is true or not.
It’s completely false. Neither George nor I have ever recanted the book. In fact, we have stated over the years, even to the present, that we stand by every word. I’ve gone further to say that I’m even more convinced today than I was back then that our historical analysis was correct. And it’s never been refuted.
What we have said, however, is that our focus has shifted to other topics. We wrote Pagan Christianity back in 2008 – that’s 8 years ago from the time of this writing. Since then, I’ve written over 20 books on the deeper Christian life, spiritual transformation, biblical narrative, and Jesus studies. And George has written on many other topics as well. But a shift in focus is not a recantation. So the church leader who told you this is bearing false witness.
July 5, 2015: Frank, I am new to your work and see that you used to write about organic church a long time ago. Do you ever intend to write about that subject again?
No, I have no plans to. I’ve said all I want to say about it in a few books on ecclesiology back in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, I moved on to write about Jesus studies and the deeper Christian life. (The exception is my spiritual memoir about church and my advice for Christian communities in my Rethinking Series, but both were written many years ago yet published this year.)
I also stopped using the term “organic church” because it’s meaningless today, and I’m not an advocate of “house church.” I’ve not written on the subject of “church” for many years, in fact. While I stand by every word of my earlier books from 2008 and 2009, I’ve moved on to focus on my broader ministry of the deeper journey, which is relevant for all believers regardless of their view of “church.” For details see House Church vs. Organic Expression and this article about the present season of ministry I’m in (which has much to do with helping the poor and the oppressed).
June 3, 2015: I have a friend who denounces “the ecumenical movement” and says that you, Barna, Sweet, Chandler, Chan, Platt, Warren, Piper, Washer, and Lucado are too ecumenical. I don’t get this because the Bible pleads for the unity of the Body. Can you comment?
One of the most egregious sins condemned in the New Testament is sectarianism. To be sectarian and divisive is like taking a butcher knife to Jesus Christ and cutting Him into pieces (that’s essentially the way Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 1). The root of sectarianism and divisiveness is pride (Paul talks about the carnality behind it in 1 Corinthians 3).
The so-called “ecumenical movement” is about as vague and undefined as the so-called “organic church movement.” Meaning, there are about 2,001 stripes and shades of each. Neither are monolithic “movements.” In fact, I wouldn’t call either one a movement.
As I said in my talk Living in the Divine Parenthesis, one can work with other believers of different theological persuasions in the work of the Kingdom without compromising one’s personal views on doctrine. It’s the principle of cooperation without compromise.
For example, I’m happy to join arms with believers in different denominations and organizations to help the poor in my city without diluting what I believe about the Lord and the Scriptures.
In addition, to exclude another member of the Body of Jesus Christ because they don’t agree with your personal views on peripheral issues is sectarian. My views on so-called “ecumenicism” — a word that I don’t particularly like because it’s essentially meaningless unless you specifically define what you’re speaking about — are unveiled in these articles:
(1) Getting Rid of a Sectarian Spirit Once and For All
(2) Read This Before You Drop the H-Bomb (“Heresy”) on Another Christian
(3) Rethinking Church Discipline & Excommunication
Each article covers the sins of sectarianism, divisiveness, and elitism, at the same time outlining the true basis of our unity in Christ according to the New Testament. The last article deals with the monumental problem of fellowshipping with and supporting those who have been officially excommunicated from the body (that’s the other side of the issue).
Even so, I’ve found that some who are quick to condemn God’s servants for being “too ecumenical” have been captured by the same spirit they oppose. I go into this problem in great depth in my book Revise Us Again.
I hope that helps. Your friend should also read my book ReGrace on the shocking beliefs of the great Christians. It makes the same point historically.
This image below sums it up well.
May 10, 2015: Frank, I don’t understand how pastors can give glowing reviews on your newer books. Can you explain?
I find your question puzzling. The only thing I can figure is that you only know me from one book I wrote with George Barna way back in 2008, Pagan Christianity, where we explained the roots of the modern form of the pastorate. That wasn’t a stand-alone book by the way.
A few things to consider:
(1) That book affirmed and commended pastors. At the same time, it traced the origins of the modern form of the pastoral office. (The person and the office are two completely different things.)
(2) I’ve written over 20 books since that title and most of them have been a great help to pastors.
(3) I love pastors and have great relationships with many of them. My ministry is focused on the deeper things of God (“the deeper journey”) which is for all of God’s people in all church forms. Anyone who is proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ and living a life of love (which is His greatest commandment that fulfills the whole Law), I affirm. Also, don’t forget Paul’s words in Philippians 1:15-18 or Jesus’ words in Mark 9:38-41.
(4) I don’t demand 100% agreement on my ecclesiology to fellowship with someone or to affirm Jesus Christ in them. The basis of our fellowship is Christ, not ecclesiology, eschatology, or any other doctrinal point. To think otherwise is to completely misjudge me and my work. If I made 100% agreement on ecclesiology a basis for fellowship, I would condemn myself as being sectarian, which is a monumental sin in the New Testament. To quote Paul, “we have not so learned Jesus Christ” to think in such ways.
April 7, 2015: What is heresy exactly and what makes a person a heretic?
Answered in this article by Greg Boyd and me.
April 5, 2015: I hear some people say that 1 Corinthians 14:26 is descriptive not prescriptive. This argument seems weak to me. What do you say?
1 Corinthians 14:26 is clearly prescriptive. In the chapter, Paul describes the problem, then he begins giving prescriptive guidelines. It’s a monumental stretch to say the passage is all descriptive and Paul (therefore) wants the church to look like a typical Sunday morning service.
Top rate scholars like Craig Keener, Gordon Fee, and countless others argue that the text is prescriptive, which is the position I explain in Reimagining Church in a practical way.
March 5, 2015: What is your view on Christians cussing, swearing, and using profanity?
Answered in The Swearing Christian and episode #10 of the Insurgence podcast.
March 2, 2015: What is your view of Christians defending themselves and using force to defend others?
According to Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” a Jesus-follower should not defend themselves, but turn the other cheek and return good for evil. Peter makes the same point in 1 Peter 2 and so does Paul in Romans 12 and other texts. This includes defending oneself when verbally attacked or lied about.
However, answering someone’s question is not defending oneself. Paul answered questions when asked and so did Jesus, except when He knew the questions themselves were ill-motivated . . . then He was silent.
Regarding defending another person, love dictates that we should be willing to put our lives at risk to defend others. Matthew 7:12 is clear on this. I won’t defend myself when unjustly attacked, but I will defend my friends to the hilt when they are lied about and attacked.
When it comes to the physical attack of another person, I have no problem with someone using force as a last resort in order to protect, defend, or save another human being. So for instance, if a husband is with his child in public and someone assaults the child, it’s a violation of love to watch the child die or passively watch him or her get abducted (which could mean physical or emotional abuse) without trying to protect the child, even if that means the use of force to protect the child. Again, Matthew 7:12 should be our guideline here and our spiritual instincts will always lead us in that direction.
Regrettably, many cases where people use force can be avoided, and there are other motives at work beyond defending another. So one must be very careful here. Consequently, each case must be taken on its own and Matthew 7:12 should be our benchmark.
February 2, 2015: Frank, I’m part of a Christian community. The first year was great then we started having problems. I know from Reimagining Church and Finding Organic Church, that we’d have seasons of trouble. Can you give us some advice on what we’re dealing with?
Years ago, I learned never to give advice on any situation if I’m not directly involved and can see everything firsthand on site, including hearing the different perspectives of the people involved (which is virtually always drastically different). I can tell you, however, that I’ve addressed the common problems that I’ve seen repeat over and over again within Christian communities for the last 25 years. I’ve done so in my book Practical Help for Christian Communities. This volume was written many years ago, but published more recently. You can check it out here. I’m fairly confident the root issue you all are facing is discussed and addressed in that book.
January 30, 2015: I’m 32 years old. I’ve listened to all your podcasts and read all your recent books and I’m interested in being mentored by you. Do you mentor young men who feel called by God?
Answered in Four Mentoring Tiers.
January 26, 2015: Are Christians obligated to keep the Sabbath day?
Answered in my post, Rethinking the Sabbath
April 1, 2014: I am looking for believers who meet, Christians who gather. I am trying to find a church. I live in [city, state, country]. Where can I find an organic church where I live?
Answered in the following articles:
- Your Questions About “Church”
- Why You Can’t Find an Organic Church
- Stop Looking for an Organic Church! It’s important that you read every word of this article or else you’ll likely misunderstand it. (A few people have because they skimmed it.)
March 3, 2014: Frank, I just ordered your library of books. They all interest me so I don’t know where to begin. What order should I read the books in?
You can read the back covers or descriptions for each volume to get an idea of what each is about. Start with the volume that appeals to you the most right now. If you are not sure, my suggestion is to start out with Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. In that book you will find references to all my other writings.
March 2, 2014: Frank, I have a friend who has only read your book with Barna, Pagan Christianity. He is clueless that the book isn’t a stand-alone and hasn’t taken the time to read your follow up works or your newer volumes. I’ve told him that Pagan was not written for pastors or people content in an institutional church. (I am subscribed to your blog and your podcast so I’ve heard you talk about this in the past.) Can you clarify so I can send this to him?
You are absolutely correct.
(1) Pagan Christianity was written in 2008 — over 20 books ago — and it was not written for traditional pastors or people who are happy with the institutional form of church. The target audience was people who have left the religious system and who needed historical and biblical permission to think about and practice church differently. It was also written for church leaders who know deep down in their hearts that there has to be something more than “church as we know it.” To those people, the book was to create dialogue, and lead them to read the other books in the series (the constructive sequels), and it certainly did. Just see the very lengthy Q & A page on the book that George Barna and I contributed to.
(2) I have many good friends who are pastors. I’ve even co-authored some published projects with them. We don’t agree on ecclesiology, but so what? As George and I stated in our book, God uses many pastors today. We love pastors and feel for so many of them who are lonely and frustrated.
(3) As I’ve repeated numerous times over the years, Pagan Christianity is not a stand-alone book. It’s a niche book and part of a series of books called the ReChurch Series. Reading Pagan Christianity on its own virtually always leads to misunderstanding. This is because it’s part of a larger conversation contained in the companion volumes.
(4) My books since 2009 (starting with From Eternity to Here) are my most important works, and they address struggles that just about every Christian faces today. Your friend can view them all here.
Thanks for the question. Feel free to pass it on to your friend and any others who heard the first ten minutes (Pagan Christianity) of a five-hour phone conversation and hung up the phone . . . to put it metaphorically.
March 1, 2014: Since the kind of church you’ve written about in your earlier books is biblical, why don’t we see such churches everywhere? Why are the real ones so rare today?
I’ve not written on church for many years. But in those old volumes, I pointed out that church that’s according to God’s heart has always been a rare thing on this earth. Remember, only 2% of God’s people went back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple when the doors finally opened after 70 years of captivity. Most preferred to stay in the strange land and worship God in the synagogues that they had built. (Since they couldn’t worship in God’s ordained mode of worship — the Temple — they built synagogues for worship. The synagogue was a human-made idea.)
The point there is that God’s highest and best was just too costly for them.
As I’ve pointed out before, organic church life simply doesn’t work without this element. And most Christians today are interested in what’s popular, what’s convenient, and what’s easy when it comes to community. Life together without a clergy is one of the most difficult things on the planet, and for it to flourish, it requires help from those who have experience (all the early churches received help from extra-local people with experience). Receiving help requires humility.
On the other hand, “house churches” are quite common. But few last long. And a “house church” isn’t the same as an organic expression of the church. See House Church vs. Organic Expression.
February 2, 2014: I’ve been reading your blog for years and you’ve inspired me to start a blog. I have a knack for writing and my dream is to become a professional blogger like you are. Can you give me any tips on how to start out?
Absolutely. Move heaven and earth to register for the Buzz Seminar Master Course. It’s an investment that, if it were around when I first started blogging and writing books, I’d give my teeth to get a hold of.
January 3, 2014: Someone told me that Jesus should be called Yahshua (Yeshua) instead of the so-called “pagan name” Jesus. They also say that God is a pagan name and should be called Yahweh. What this person said doesn’t seem right to me because every New Testament scholar and Bible commentator I’ve ever read uses Jesus and not Yeshua, as well as “God.”
You are correct. What this person has said is inaccurate.
By calling the Son of God “Jesus” we are following the New Testament authors themselves who call the Son of God Iesous (Jesus), not Yahshua.
Also, God is never called Yahweh in the New Testament. It’s actually YHWH, by the way.
New Testament scholars are agreed in regarding the suggestion that Greek names are “pagan” as nonsense as if those names carried some inherent non-Jewish religious flavor.
That’s simply not true.
Consider that many first-century Jews were named Simon or Philip or John. Those weren’t Hebrew names!
The foundational error in this sort of thinking is the failure to understand that the Judaism of Jesus’ day was Hellenized.
Therefore, many Jews – and Christians – took Greek names. (The New Testament authors wrote in Greek.) There’s nothing wrong with this, and it’s not religiously “pagan.”
In addition, the roots of our heritage trace further back than the nation of Israel or even Abraham. It’s rooted in the Eternal Son, the Christ of God, before time and creation.
That’s where the lineage of Jesus, the Son of God, originates and that’s where our true identity is located.
We Christians are part of a new creation which is neither Jew nor Greek, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. So we are neither Hebrew nor Gentile (see Colossians, Ephesians, and Galatians).
Although Jesus was Jewish in His flesh, He was an eternal being, the first of the new creation, neither Jew nor Greek, but the beginning of what the early Christians called “the third race” and “the new humanity.”
See the Introduction to Jesus: A Theography as well as From Eternity to Here for details on this point.
May 10, 2013: I just read your new book God’s Favorite Place on Earth, and it blessed me so much. I read it twice. I can read books like this one on the Bible all day. Do you plan to write any others in the same style and approach?
Thank you. I’m really honored by your comment. Yes, that’s the plan, God willing.
April 29, 2013: What Bible translation do you recommend?
I’ve answered that question here.
April 27, 2013: I love the cover of your book, God’s Favorite Place on Earth. Is it a picture of Bethany, the town?
Thanks and yes. It’s an image of what first-century Bethany looked like. Glad you like it. I’ve only heard a few people remark about the cover, so I had wondered if people didn’t like it.
April 26, 2013: I’m a seminary student and I’m in awe of the depth of your work. So much of what you’ve spoken and written has helped me tremendously but I’ve not heard any of my pastors or professors share them. What are your theological credentials? Have you ever been to seminary and do you have any theological degrees?
You’re very kind. When I was 17 years old, I knew that God called me to His work. I considered going to Bible school and then seminary, but the Lord directed me to attend a secular university and get my degree in non-religious studies. (I went to the University of South Florida and majored in social science education, taking psychology, history, sociology, and political science courses.)
So I intentionally chose not to receive any formal academic theological training. Instead, I deliberately opted to become an autodidact in the line of A.W. Tozer, Charles Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, Watchman Nee, D.L. Moody, and countless other servants of God.
That said, my work has been endorsed by many scholars and seminary-trained pastors and I’ve debated with some of the most prestigious scholars in the world. I’ve also authored two books with eminent seminary professor Leonard Sweet.
A seminary degree doesn’t equate spiritual stature, a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ, or the Scriptures. Similar to your kind remark, many of the people who have attended the conferences wherein I’ve spoken have been seminary-trained ministers who admitted their lack of spiritual life and depth.
George Barna and I dedicated an entire chapter in our book to the limitations of a seminary education. While I have no problem with those who choose to go into seminary (despite its limitations), it wasn’t the path that God led me into.
April 25, 2013: Hey Frank. I just want to let you know that I really appreciate you defending Rick Warren over the last few weeks. What some Christians are doing to him and spreading about him is just evil. I don’t know Rick and I don’t agree with him on everything but he’s a brother and no one deserves to be treated like that. I’ve also noticed that you never defend yourself against criticism and I’ve never seen you attack a person who said bad things about you. This has been an example to me because I’m quick to get defensive if someone misunderstands me, even. So thank you for setting a “high road” example for my wife and I. Can you give me your thoughts on this and how you came to this place in your life?
First, thanks for the wonderful encouragement. It means a lot. Second, I’m impressed that you noticed. As I said in my post, An Audience of One, we don’t follow the Lord’s more difficult teachings so that others will notice and applaud. We do it unto Him. But when someone does notice, it’s always an encouragement because you’re aware that you’re setting an example for other Christians.
I cut my teeth on being mentored by Watchman Nee and T. Austin-Sparks via their writings. These two men were major assets to the kingdom of God, and for that reason, the kingdom of darkness did their best to destroy their ministries and reputations.
I remember when reading Against the Tide (Nee’s biography), I literally wept at what he went through. The lies, the attacks, the slander, the ill-treatment, the betrayal by fellow believers. Nee sacrificed his life for God’s people, laying his life down for the saints again and again and again. And in the end, those who conjured up vicious and scurrilous rumors about him managed to convince some of the gullible people who Nee loved and served.
The same thing happened with T. Austin-Sparks. I’ve talked to some of his friends (before they passed) and they told me that Sparks was “the most hated Christian” in England during the time in which he lived. Both Nee and Sparks set an example for me as a young man never to defend myself when under personal attack.
Here’s my standard: Answer those who come to you in good faith and think the best of you, but never defend or counter-attack. (Scripture is clear that if we have an issue with a brother or sister, we are to go to them directly. Those who don’t do this typically have an evil agenda operating behind the shadows. Often, it’s rooted in jealousy.)
As I read the stories of Nee and Sparks in my 20s, I instinctively knew what was in store for me if I said “yes” to the unique calling that God had placed on my life. Everyone who is making a dent in the kingdom of darkness is going to draw fire from that realm. And it typically comes in the form of slander and false accusations. (The word “devil” means “slanderer” and he is called “the accuser of the brethren.”)
Like many of my friends who are turning the sod on some important matters in the Christian faith, I’ve got rumors on me that make The Walking Dead seem real!
(I’ve been confused with people with the same name, one of whom is a criminal. And yes, I also eat babies for breakfast and am a closet serial killer . . . but don’t tell anyone!)
All of this is par for the course.
In answer to your question, I’ve built certain things into my life and walk with Jesus over the years. One is to repent immediately when I do something wrong and apologize to those who are directly affected. I keep very short accounts for this reason. The second is to never defend myself under false attack. Instead, I’m to be silent just as my Lord was when He was falsely accused. (Take a look at some of the outrageous things that both He and Paul were accused of during their lifetime. It strains the bounds of credulity until they break.)
Parsing madness is a fool’s errand. I refuse to get into the pit and touch tar babies. Rolling around with mudslingers then trying to wipe off the mud only gets it into your clothes. If you leave it alone, the Lord has a way of drying it up until it falls off of you. Jesus and Paul taught us this well. Even Peter exhorts us to walk in the same path saying,
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps . . . when they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
The Lord knows how to defend His servants and deal with those who have given themselves over to the profound wickedness of lying about His servants.
As for Rick Warren, I love him. There’s no question that God’s favor is on the man’s life. If anyone doubts that, they aren’t in touch with their spiritual instincts. That doesn’t mean I agree with everything he has written. I don’t know any two well-known Christians who agree on everything. Shoot, I don’t agree with some of what I myself believed years ago!
But Rick is my brother and I will go to bat for any brother or sister in Christ who is being unjustly attacked like Rick has been recently.
The governing question in all of these things is very simple, and Jesus said it over and over again as being the greatest of all the commandments. Even fulfilling the Law and the Prophets.
Treat others the same way you want to be treated if you were in their shoes.
So when I see Rick being the subject of mud-slinging and stone-throwing, especially at the time of his greatest pain (losing a son), I go to bat for him. Why? Because I’d want the same treatment if it were me.
Martin Luther King Jr. once wisely said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
I don’t want to be guilty of being a “silent friend.” I’ve heard so much slander against people I know and respect in ministry that I’ve lost count. The sad thing is, that slander has come at the hands of fellow “Christians.”
In prophecy, Jesus said, “I was wounded in the house of My friends,” and, “Whatever happened to me will happen to you too.” Paul’s fiercest enemies were professing “Christians” who were driven by envy. Just read 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and Acts 13 to the end.
So whenever I hear something negative about another person, my default setting is “OFF” . . . meaning, I don’t buy one word of it. Why? Because I want to treat that person being attacked just like I would want to be treated if it were me being attacked (Matthew 7:12). If I have a concern, I follow what Jesus taught us to do: Go to them directly and privately and inquire with an open mind.
All human beings, whether Christian or non-Christian, would want the same treatment. If every person who names the name of Christ would treat others the same way they would want to be treated in the same circumstances, “the world would know” that Jesus of Nazareth is Lord and the Father sent Him. The reason why the world watches and laughs at believers today, not wanting anything to do with Jesus, is because this rarely happens.
So that’s my 13 cents on the matter. Thanks for asking.
April 12, 2013: I know you’ve not been involved in organic church for several years to focus on the poor, speak in conference, and write books on issues that don’t deal with ecclesiology. But can you share a little about what you do in helping the poor? I’m super interested in this.
Sure. There are four layers to it:
(1) There are a number of adults who I help on a regular basis with financial support. Some with emotional support and spiritual support. They are all classified as “the poor” for various reasons.
(2) Over the years, I’ve volunteered my time and money to help local ministries that aid the poor.
(3) I carry with me an envelope that has money, a short note about Jesus and the gospel, and the phone numbers of two organizations that help the poor and the homeless locally. Whenever I come in contact with people who need help (often in parking lots, etc., asking for money), I give them one of the envelopes. Brennan Manning inspired this idea years ago, but I’ve upgraded it a bit. In line with that, I have purchased meals for those who have asked me for money on the street.
(4) I support several global organizations that I like a lot: Bread for the World and Heifer International are two of them. You can look them up online.
That’s a quick sketch. See also Blessed Are the Undesirable and Following Your Spiritual Instincts Regarding the Poor.
April 10, 2013: Frank, one of the things I appreciate about you the most is that you don’t make any pretense that you’re better or greater or more spiritual than anyone else and you give all glory to God. It’s refreshing to see authors in the Christian world admit they’ve made mistakes and they are still learning. Your message on Remembering Peter really set me free in this area. How often are you putting up new podcast episodes and what are the ways that I can download them?
Thanks for the kind words and for noticing. Psalm 115:1 is my life’s verse. We are nothing, Christ is Everything. If someone pretends that they are perfect, they’re bluffing. Self-righteousness is one of the things that makes the Lord quite upset. Jesus was the only Person in the universe who has the right to be self-righteous, and He isn’t.
You can get the podcast on any podcast app. Click here for details.
April 7, 2023: I went to one of your older blog articles, and it says the article was revised and was published in your big Titan book. How can I read the article?
Only by getting the Titan. Sometimes the Titan is sold on eBay and other used bookstores. I’d keep an eye out. It won’t be reprinted. I’d also recommend getting on the wait list for the Titan, if one becomes available that we know about, you’ll be alerted. You’ll also be notified when the next Titan is printed.
April 2, 2013: Have you written on the subject of church membership, particularly the institutional church practice versus the way the early church did it?
Barna and I haven’t traced the origin of modern church memberships. Mainly because congregations do it differently, so the practice would be extremely difficult to trace. But I do treat the issue of being “membered” to the ekklesia in Reimagining Church.
April 1, 2013: I just found your blog and subscribed to it. How long will it take for me to get your free revised ebook, Rethinking the Will of God and the Next Reformation seminar?
It typically takes two to three weeks after subscribing. And they will come via Email. That window gives readers time to explore the blog and get the flavor of it.
February 20, 2013: I’m doing a study on tithing in the New Testament. I was told that you wrote something about this. Where can I find it?
In our book Pagan Christianity, George Barna and I dedicate an entire chapter on the subject from the Old Testament, New Testament, and church history.
January 2, 2013: I had some questions about your discipleship course Living by the Indwelling Life of Christ. One of them is why it opens and closes.
You can find a full list of questions and answers about the discipleship course here.
December 2, 2012: Where can I find your books in other languages (other than English)?
Click this link and you will be taken to our translations page. The page is being updated constantly as other titles are being translated each year.
November 14, 2012: Do you believe the spirit and soul of a person are different or the same?
I answer this in the third audio that’s linked in my free eBook Discipleship in Crisis. Click here to get the eBook.
November 13, 2012: Do you have a statement of faith?
My statement of faith is found in the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed. I explain my thoughts on the “essential doctrines” of the Christian faith in my book ReGrace. I also share my views on the Bible in this post.
November 1, 2012: How does church discipline work in the organic church?
Your question assumes something that’s not true. It assumes that “organic church” is a monolith. But as I’ve argued on this blog many times, there’s no such thing as an “organic church” that everyone agrees on nor is there an “organic church movement.” “Organic churches” vary about as much as plants do. The term has also been hijacked to represent groups that I would never call “organic” in any sense. That said, the better question is, “What does the New Testament have to say about correction, excommunication, and discipline?”
I’ve answered that question in How (Not) to Correct Another Christian and Rethinking Church Discipline & Excommunication.
August 2, 2012: I’ve been reading your blog for a year now and I’m really inspired by it. I’d like to begin writing. What tips can you give me about blogging and about writing and publishing books?
Everything I know on the subject can be found in the Buzz Seminar Master Course.
July 30, 2012: Frank, I’ve been a subscriber of your blog since January and I’ve also read your last four books. Do you still agree with those books?
Yes, absolutely. Your observation is correct in that the focus of my ministry has moved from organic missional church to the deeper Christian life and Jesus studies. I wrote about this shift here in some detail. Please read it.
Interestingly, N.T. Wright was asked this same question in a recent interview. And here was his response:
“Everything that I’ve said before I still want to endorse, but I now see certain themes more clearly — they stand out perhaps more sharply . . .”
I would say with Wright that I still endorse all that I’ve written about organic missional church in the past. In fact, as I said in a recent interview with George Barna, I am more convinced today about the things I’ve written in Pagan Christianity, Reimagining Church, and Finding Organic Church than when I originally wrote them.
However, since those books are readily available, there’s no reason to rehash the subjects again and again. I’ve moved on to exploring other areas that are on my heart and which “stand out more sharply.”
Epic Jesus summarizes everything I’ve ever written or spoken, tying it all together in one cohesive story.
June 27, 2012: I read your books Pagan Christianity and Reimagining Church. These books gave me words to describe how I’ve felt for a long time and they answered many questions I’ve had. I’ve been looking for an organic church but I cannot find any like what you describe in your books anywhere near me. When I bring the subject up to some of my friends, they have no idea what I’m talking about. I was able to find a few house churches in the area but they aren’t anything like what you talk about. They’re a lot like the weekly cell groups from one of the churches I used to attend. They’re just bible studies really. Where can I find an organic church?
Your question is extremely common. “Where do I find this?”
In the past, I used to refer people to the churches I’ve planted or am in a working relationship with. But I stopped doing that (except on rare occasions) because people had to relocate to be part of them (something I generally discourage).
Sometimes people would be so overwhelmed by the glory they found in these churches that they would quit their jobs and move without first finding work in the city where the church was located. This brought a great strain on their families as well as the church. In most cases of that sort, those same people ended up moving back to where their parents lived (to receive financial help).
In other cases, the churches were receiving so many visitors that they became overwhelmed and couldn’t move forward. Sometimes people made the mistake of moving to be in the church when they shouldn’t have. It clearly wasn’t the Lord’s will and the church suffered as a result.
So I stopped referring people to such churches except on rare occasions when the Lord clearly showed me that it was His desire for someone to visit and/or relocate to a particular fellowship. I don’t encourage people to relocate to be part of a church except in extremely rare situations and they feel that God is leading them that way already.
The fact is, authentic organic expressions of the church do exist (I know about a dozen of them — Christ-centered, experiencing community, and reaching out to the world around them — having worked with some of them firsthand). But they are rare in my experience and observation. The same can be said about any kind of church — institutional, denominational, etc. Excellent churches are a rare find in our day, period.
There are thousands of “house churches.” But that which I speak about in my books is something that is costly to birth, survive and thrive. So for those living in the West at least, it’s neither popular nor common. This has always been the case when it comes to authentic Christ-centered communities. History bears this out.
That said, I encourage people to begin the process of gathering under Christ where they live instead of trying to find a group to attach themselves to. The great need today is for more expressions of the body of Christ living in Christian community under the headship of Jesus. It is for this very reason that I wrote Finding Organic Church. In Part 3 of that book, I give step-by-step instructions on how to plant the seed for an organic expression of the church to take root right where you live.
Many churches have been spawned by the book. I’ve not planted most of them and have no relationship with them at all, they just carried out the principles in the book.
All of the suggestions in the book have come out of my experience of over 20 years of gathering with, planting, working with, and observing organic expressions of the church, including mistakes and successful discoveries from the journey. So the content isn’t theoretical; it was hammered out on the anvil of real life. I trust you will find it of help.
In the meantime, ask God to bring you into a relationship with people who love Jesus where you live. If you can find some, you’ve found a precious thing, regardless of the form it may take or the kind of church to which they might belong. Don’t make the mistake of getting hung up on insisting on finding the perfect organic church before you decline fellowship with other Christians. It may take years for the kind of church experience you’re seeking to come into existence, and God may want you to first develop friendships with the believers in your area, even though they may be in structures that are not according to your ideal.
June 12, 2012: My wife and I are planning on leaving our church. Do you have any suggestions on how best to do it?
I’ve received this question often over the years. So much so that I wrote an entire post answering it. You can find my 13 cents at How (Not) to Leave a Church.
June 11, 2012: Is Frank related to the baseball player, is he married to a wife, is he a father, does he have any pets, and what are his hobbies?
There’s no relationship to the baseball player except for distant roots in Italy. The rest is answered in the About page.
June 10, 2012: What are some of the ways that organic churches perform marriages (weddings) and funerals?
I’m glad you used the term “organic churches” because organic church isn’t a monolith. In fact, as I’ve argued many times, the term means nothing now because so many people use it to describe VERY different expressions of church. But non-traditional churches have weddings in all sorts of different ways. Some create their own weddings and the marriage license is signed before or later by a judge or sometimes an ex-pastor in the group who still has an unexpired clergy license.
In some states, any person who is regarded to be “clergy” can sign the certificate, so in many organic churches, everyone is viewed as the clergy, so anyone can sign the marriage certificate legally. Again, it depends on the state. Some couples like traditional weddings, so they go with that. Some get really creative, and with the help of the church, put on weddings that include dramas, plays, and have people in the church involved. A couple’s or group’s creativity is the limit. The same with funerals. Each family member (and church) does it the way they want. Again, organic church isn’t a monolith so each group does these things differently. There’s no one way of doing it and no “right” answer to the question.
June 4, 2012: I’ve read your books Reimagining Church and Finding Organic Church and it’s obvious to me that you have a lot of experience in organic church. You even mention that you were a non leader in an organic church before you started to plant organic churches. Can you briefly share a little about your experience?”
Sure. I’ve spoken about it in other places, but in brief, my first experience of organic church life was when I was in college. I was part of an informal community of believers who had a vibrant shared life in Christ. We had no “leaders” and didn’t call ourselves a church. But we touched the experience of body life and there was a lot of ministry (including the casting out of demons). I didn’t know it at the time of course, for I had no language or understanding for it. But it was a real, powerful, and healthy expression of organic church life. And it wrecked me for life.
Following that experience, I was part of a spontaneous burst of body life for 8 long years. The experience was so intense that we crammed 16 years into 8 in that church. That experience was the initial basis of my books and ministry to organic churches. It served as a seedbed of many experiences and lessons from which to draw — many from mistakes, failed experiments, and wonderful discoveries by God’s grace.
It was a healthy expression, glorious at times, but also filled with bouts of gore and crisis as is the case with all authentic organic churches (the NT is the summary witness of this, once you get past the honeymoon period). We had no pastor and no religious building, only Christ, and we survived for many years.
That 8-year experience of authentic Christian community is where I learned many of the lessons I’ve since written about, all born from real life experience. An oft-quoted statement of mine, “organic church life is a wedding of glory and gore” isn’t a bloodless platitude; it’s been my experience and observation for many years. In November of 1995, that church laid hands on me and sent me out to do the work of church planting. I spoke in the 2005 Portland Conference about many of the lessons I learned during that experience of body life. (I plan to release those messages someday in the future.)
Following that experience, I was part of another expression where I was again a non-leader, but a brother among other brothers and sisters. It was an “Antioch” of sorts for me; someone else had planted the church. I would travel and report back to the fellowship upon my return. The years in that fellowship were intense, and the group was pretty strong on the Christian community side while I was there (before I relocated to another city).
Since then, I’ve been part of several organic churches in the capacity of a brother as well as someone who laid the foundation with other coworking. Several years ago I was part of a church after the “Jerusalem” model where I and other coworkers lived among the saints while laying the foundation to a beautiful expression of the ekklesia.
Today, I’m in a new season where I’m not focused on organic church at all, but am building relationships with non-Christians and the poor. (See my post Blessed Are the Undesirable.) I am also traveling a lot and developing relationships with Christians and leaders who are part of institutional churches. But as you rightly pointed out, my books aren’t a study in armchair philosophy, but represent over 20 years of on-the-ground experience in authentic organic expressions of the church. I’ve never returned to the institutional church since I left 24 years ago (to date).
And as I’ve repeated elsewhere, much of what I’ve learned about the church comes from the body of Christ in the trenches. I consider myself to be an observing botanist, watching the life of the ekklesia in different forms and cultures and the various seasons through which she passes. I’ve often said that there are no experts in the business of the ekklesia, but experience is an invaluable teacher. And sometimes a painful one. Nonetheless, I’m still in school, and as my Twitter profile puts it: I’m “always learning, never arriving.”
May 6, 2012: I’ve been talking to a friend and want your feedback on something. My friend has never read any of your books, but he’s heard about Pagan Christianity and says that there is no difference between a pastor receiving a salary for his ministry and an author who receives money for books, a music artist who receives money for a CD, and a film producer who receives money for a film. I can think of a few differences between these and a pastor who gets paid to give sermons, but what is your response to this? Can you also talk about your own practice when it comes to book sales and receiving honorariums when you speak?
Great questions. I’ve already addressed this a few years ago elsewhere, but I’ll address it again here.
You are right. There are major differences. So the comparison is not valid. It’s like comparing bananas with lemons. Let me explain.
An author who writes a printed book – whether a Christian or not – is creating a tangible product that costs money to produce. The same with a music artist who puts out a CD or a film producer who creates a film or DVD. These are tangible products that cost money to produce. They don’t appear out of thin air.
I don’t personally know anyone who has a problem with a person – even a pastor – who produces a book and allows a publisher to charge for it. Or a person – even a pastor – who produces a music CD and recoups the cost by selling it. The same with a filmmaker. It would be different if these items cost nothing to produce. But they cost a lot of money, actually.
As to your other question, over 97% of my material is free of charge. Over 1,000 blog posts, over 120 podcast episodes, 3 of my eBooks (Rethinking the Will of God & Discipleship in Crisis & Where’s God?), and my audio seminar, The Next Reformation, are all free.
Plus, I don’t demand an honorarium when I speak.
And when I plant or work with a church, I don’t charge a penny.
(Oh, and it’s silly to compare a book that costs money to publish or a CD that costs money to produce to “Paul’s letters which were free.” My letters are free also. But the last time I checked, most quality Bibles cost money. So the comparison is ludicrous.)
While I have no problem with a pastor (or any other author or artist) who profits personally from their book sales, music sales, or film sales, I have chosen not to.
In addition, I don’t profit personally from my published book sales. That money is designated to help the poor and to pay for ministry expenses.
A clergy salary is a totally different animal from producing a tangible product like a printed book, CD, or DVD. Those like John Howard Yoder, Watchman Nee, Roland Allen, Jon Zens, and many others who have objected to clergy salaries on the basis of the New Testament and church history point out that salaried pastors are being paid to be a “professional religious specialist” and to regularly preach sermons to a congregation.
They are being paid to be “the minister” for a group of God’s people, when in fact the New Testament calls every believer to be a minister, a priest, and a functioning part of the body of Christ. In a church that’s operating according to New Testament principles, every member functions, ministers, serves, shares, contributes, etc.
(To such churches, paying a “minister” would be unthinkable. They would respond by saying, “Excuse me, but we are all carrying a piece of the ark. We all function, we all take care of the church, we all minister, we all serve, etc. Does that mean we all should get paid?”)
More and more scholars today are pointing out that the modern institutional church has separated God’s people into clergy and laity (a separation that both Karl Barth and James D.G. Dunn decried as being heretical).
And there is no biblical basis for this separation. Yet it is the major justification for modern clergy salaries. The clergy are the producers of spiritual commodities; the laity are the consumers. The clergy are the entertainers; the laity are the spectators.
Many of the 1,800+ pastors who leave the clergy system in the USA per month have left because they’ve come to the conviction that the pastorate in its modern form is unbiblical and their conscience doesn’t square with playing the role of a professional minister.
Click here to read testimonials from pastors about this.
Be sure to read the first testimonial.
I happen to agree. And for that reason (here’s the answer to your last question), I’ve never charged for my ministry of shepherding God’s people, instructing them, encouraging them, taking care of them, and navigating them through problems.
Nor do I charge an honorarium when I speak in a church or at a conference. If people wish to give a gift out of love or appreciation, that’s fine and perfectly scriptural (Galatians 6:6). But I don’t require or ask for it.
While I have no problem with authors who charge honorariums, I’ve chosen not to require this when I’m invited to speak somewhere. (This has raised a few eyebrows from conference hosts. They are not accustomed to it. Especially when some authors I know charge $10,000 a day for one talk.)
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul tells us that apostolic workers (who are itinerant and not local like elders/overseers are) have a spiritual right to receive financial support. This wasn’t a set salary (as Watchman Nee points out in his book, The Normal Christian Church Life. But it referred to financial gifts. Apostolic workers lived by faith then and they should do so today.).
However, Paul chose not to exercise this right, so as not to be a burden on God’s people. He also instructed the local elders to follow his example and not take from God’s people, but rather to give to them (Acts 20).
While I have no problem with genuine apostolic workers receiving financial support today (just as Peter did, for example), I’ve chosen to raise the same standard that Paul did. And I’d personally like to see more servants of the Lord do the same.
Yet Peter’s receiving financial support from God’s people is very different from a set clergy salary. (Watchman Nee’s argument differentiating the two in his book, The Normal Christian Church Life, is brilliant.)
I deal with the historical data for when the Christian clergy emerged and started to receive a salary in Pagan Christianity. And in Reimagining Church, I address the biblical data regarding ministry support in the New Testament, including the oft-quoted passage in 1 Timothy 5 that deals with granting “double-honor” to some of the elders.
Note that I have good friends who are salaried pastors and this issue doesn’t hinder our fellowship. As Christians, we can agree to disagree on various points of Scripture and still stand together with respect to the Lordship of Jesus. It’s not an issue.
Here are three other places where I’ve discussed this question. So you may want to check them out as well:
Jeff Goins’ superb article – Should Christians Promote, Market, and Sell Products & Services?
My Interview with Ray Edwards on the Twisted Way that Many Christians View Money
Frankly Speaking: “I Don’t Like Christians” (This addresses those demanding a “hand-out” from hard-working artists.)
Questions Answered from 2011 through 2008.
I’ve heard some say that the concept of God being triune (the Trinity) is pagan. What say you to this?
I don’t like the word “Trinity,” nor do I agree with many of the ways it’s been portrayed by those who believe that God is triune. But there’s no question in my mind that the Godhead is triune. You can see my full response to your question here.
Have you written anything on how to deal with writer’s block?
Yes, see How to Overcome Writer’s Block.
What is your view of the rapture and second coming of Christ?
See The Rapture Question.
In your opinion, what is the most important thing for churches that are strong in community and for Christian workers to know?
Answered in The Message Most Needed, But the One Few Want to Hear.
Can you give another example of Christianeze from what you wrote in Revise Us Again?
What do you think God’s role is in the mega disasters we are seeing around us and tragedies like school shootings of innocents?
Those questions are above my pay grade. So the short answer is, I don’t know.
However, I believe that God weeps with those who weep. And He isn’t the author of these horrific tragedies. How that exactly comports with an all-powerful, all-knowing God, here are some thoughts I have about that. In God’s Favorite Place on Earth, I address imponderables like the ones you mention saying,
In our suffering, we want an explanation. But Jesus wants to give us a revelation . . . of Himself. Every crisis in our lives is an opportunity to broaden, deepen, and heighten our revelation of Christ.
Isaiah says that God’s ways are higher than ours. The Lord works on levels that we cannot fathom. But He works all things for our good.
“Why hasn’t God answered this prayer? Why didn’t He fulfill this promise? Why did He let this happen to me? Why did He let this happen to him or her? Why is God silent when I need to hear Him most?”
These are the questions that plague the mind of the serious believer.
If you’ve not yet met the God who refuses to meet all your expectations, you will. And how you react in that day will reveal whether you are worshipping Jesus Christ or Santa Claus.
It will show whether or not you love God more than His promises (or your interpretation of those promises). Job said, “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?”
Would you still serve the Lord if it sent you to hell?
Recall the three Hebrew children. They lived lives loyal to their God. And the pagan king gave them an ultimatum:
“Worship the golden image or else you’re going to die in my fiery furnace.”
Their answer is telling: “We’re not going to serve your gods or worship the image. The Lord is able to deliver us from your furnace and He will deliver us. But even if He doesn’t, we still will not bow the knee to your gods.”
What attitude. What posture. What faith.
“God will deliver us. But even if He doesn’t, we will still follow Him.”
Those words contain thunder and lightning for every child of God.
If I can use an illustration, we mortals are living on pages 300 to 400 of a 2,000-page book. Only God can see the whole book—the entire story. And He has given us the ability to see only pages 300 to 400.
We have no capacity to understand what’s on pages 1 to 299 or pages 401 to 2,000. We can only speculate and assume what’s in them. Hence we create all sorts of intricate theological systems to explain mysteries we don’t understand.
The Lord doesn’t show us all His plot twists. So life comes down to trusting in the Lord rather than trying to figure out His ways through our finite, limited understanding. Yet with one another, we can better discover and understand what’s in pages 300 to 400 and thereby learn to live more effectively within them.
Mary of Bethany didn’t understand why Jesus didn’t come to heal Lazarus. But she trusted Him nonetheless.
Let us learn how to trust a God we don’t fully understand.
(Taken from my most important book, God’s Favorite Place on Earth.)
The big point is that God is infinite, and we mortals are not.
This was universally understood until the mid 18th century, when God’s existence was rendered impossible because of the existence of evil (the earthquake in Lisbon in 1755 is usually the point of reference for historians for this new kind of thinking).
Secularism developed around that time and humans exalted themselves as having both the wisdom and answers to solve all of their problems. The Enlightenment rendered God to be a myth that reflected primitive thinking.
But if God is beyond our comprehension, as my 2,000-page book analogy illustrates, then tragedy, evil, and suffering are inexplicable to us. But they aren’t to God.
We are like pawns who are able to move by ourselves, but the chessboard is so big we can’t even see the edges.
So we have a choice to either trust in the Lord’s wisdom or trust in our limited, pathetic understanding.
Christians have contended from the beginning that human reason is limited (see 1 Corinthians 1-2), and I believe it certainly is.
How do you explain the needless suffering, pain, and death in the world and can you give me any good books on the subject?
I can’t explain it. But I’ll present a few ideas that are built on my answer above.
I believe the cross of Jesus Christ gives us a peek into how God looks at human suffering. When Jesus died, everyone who followed Him — along with His enemies — regarded it as a defeat.
But in the ineffable counsels of the Godhead, it was a victory. If God can turn great good out of the slaying and suffering of the innocent Son of God, then He can do the same in our suffering.
Sometimes we come to understand the “greater good” in this life. Other times it is hidden from us.
As for books on the topic, here are the ones I recommend.
The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis – this does a good job with the free-will defense of evil. Though that defense is limited.
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis – more unsettling and written out of personal experience, but helpful.
Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller – a contemporary look at the subject that’s well crafted and carefully thought out.
On Losing a Loved One an interview with Ben Witherington – deals with the pain of losing a family member or close friend and Ben’s book on the subject.
Again, I deal with it also in God’s Favorite Place on Earth.
And of course, in Hang On, Let Go.
Do you mentor younger guys who want to learn from your experience?
Yes, go here and fill out the form.
I know that several years ago you paused your ministry of planting organic churches to focus on helping the poor and give attention on your more general ministry of the deeper Christian life. Are you still in that season or have you resumed your work with organic church?
For those who are new to the blog, awhile back I announced that my ministry was shifting focus. I’ve not been involved in “organic church” since that time. That includes planting new churches, encouraging and equipping existing ones, and writing books on the subject.
In fact, I’ve not written a book on ecclesiology since 2009. And the last church I planted was in 2010, four years ago.
Instead, my writing focus has been on “The Deeper Journey.”
Much of my time “on the ground” is spent helping the poor and developing relationships with non-Christians, which takes a lot of time.
So Frank Viola shouldn’t be considered “the organic church” guy. Most of my books aren’t on that topic, and the same is true for my podcast episodes and blog posts. In fact, I’ve only written 3 books on that topic!
Jesus Manifesto really sums up the heart of my ministry and my contribution to this generation.
My burden is for evangelical Christians to learn the deeper things of Christ — moving beyond the shallows of the faith — and to treat one another the same way they want to be treated in all situations (Matt. 7:12). That’s why this blog is called “Beyond Evangelical.” My book by the same name goes into detail on this topic.
Someday I will return to planting organic expressions of the church and working with Christian communities, but I’m not sure when that will be. It could be 5 to 10 years from now.
What is your view of universalism?
If by “universalism” you mean that God will save everyone in the end, without repentance and faith in Christ, then I disavow it. I hold to the orthodox creeds of the Christian faith.
That said, some of the church fathers believed that God would win everyone to repentance and faith in Christ in the end. While I hope this is true — because I wish God’s mercy on everyone and wish that none would perish — I can’t find a compelling case for the idea in the New Testament. But again, I would love if it were true.
What would your advice be to someone who left the organized church but for certain reasons has been called back to it for a season? Looking for some perspective. Trying to be obedient and love the people, but finding it easier said than done in a setting I find difficult to handle.
I’ve never encouraged a person to leave the institutional church nor have I ever encouraged someone to leave a non-institutional church. I’ve always maintained that leaving or becoming part of a local assembly — regardless of the type — is a decision that you (and your spouse, if you’re married) should make before the Lord.
I add more to this question in my post How (Not) to Leave a Church.
I’ve always been impressed with your ministry since I found out that you don’t profit personally from your books and don’t require an honorarium when you speak. This is unheard of today. What do you do for your personal income then?
I’ve done different things over the years from construction work, to teaching high school, to writing software for a mortgage company, to real estate investing, to buying stocks and selling them.
At the moment, my part of the family income (my wife works as a Pharmacist) comes from these income streams:
*Affiliates on my blog. (I only support what I use and believe in myself.)
*The SCRIBE online training for authors.
*The Buzz Seminar course.
*The PROLIFIC course.
*Hosting Masterminds (which require a great deal of time and energy).
While I don’t profit personally from my own book sales, I have no problem with the Max Lucados who do. Authoring books, whether Christian or not, is a legitimate trade.
As a Christian businessman, I’ve grown weary of Christians who have a distorted idea of money, marketing, and selling. They think that if a Christian produces something, it should be free. I think that’s crazy and a misuse of the verse, “freely you have received, freely give.” Have you ever written on this topic?
Yes, and the problem is pervasive. See these links that go into the subject.
Jeff Goins’ superb article – Should Christians Promote, Market, and Sell Products & Services?
An Embarrassing Confession About Money
Frankly Speaking – “I Don’t Like Christians”
If anyone goes over the above links with an open mind and heart, it will do a lot toward solving the problem that you are asking about. (I’ve also addressed it further in some of the earlier questions below.)
What do you say about the current trend to return to “Hebrew roots?”
If by “Hebrew roots” you mean the trend for Gentile Christians to begin observing Jewish customs and rituals, then I have two points to make.
1) Learning the story from Abraham to Jesus . . . and learning Second Temple Judaism . . . helps us to understand the Jesus Story. I’ve argued for and even demonstrated this in Jesus: A Theography.
2) But when it comes to making the observation of Jewish customs obligatory based on a notion of “Hebrew roots,” I believe this is misguided.
As I explained in From Eternity to Here, the Christian’s roots precede Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They go back to eternity past where we were chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world.” We are part of a new creation, which is neither Jew nor Gentile.
Jesus of Nazareth, our founder and head, was Jewish in His physical body. But His roots are eternal. He is the head of the new creation, which aren’t Jew or Gentile.
So for the Christian, our roots aren’t Hebrew.
They are part of something that extends far before.
In Christ, there is no Jew or Gentile. That’s not just a metaphor, it’s a reality. (See Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:10-11; Ephesians 2:11–20; 1 Corinthians 10:32 – Paul makes plain that the ekklesia is distinct from Jew or Gentile.)
While the physical body of Jesus came from a Jewish lineage, He was a creature of two realms: The heavenly realm and the earthly realm.
(Listen to the message The True Hybrid in the Beautiful Pursuit Master Class on The Deeper Christian Life Network.)
“Before Abraham was, I Am,” Jesus said.
Those are the true roots of the Christian.
The book of Hebrews addresses this as well. Our high priest is after the order of Melchizedek, not Aaron.
Anyone who is into “Hebrew roots” needs to get immersed in the letters of Ephesians, Galatians, and Colossians.
I’d recommend they listen to my Galatians in 3D Master Class (Spiritual Graffiti) on the Network as well as the Ephesians in 3D Master Class (Untraceable Riches). Again, Colossians in 3D is slated to drop in the future.
These classes have set many people free in this area after seeing how Paul viewed the Law vs. Jesus Christ.
I’m confused about elders, pastors, shepherds, and overseers. Have you written about this?
Yes, extensively in Reimagining Church. They are all the same person, but each title describes a different aspect of that person’s function. The New Testament makes this quite plain. Elders are overseers and shepherds (pastors).
What’s your view of water baptism?
Answered here: Rethinking Water Baptism and The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Have you done any work in apologetics, defending the gospel?
Yes, see Missional Living.
Tell me about the Anabaptists.
Answered in The Anabaptists and The Reformers and Their Stepchildren by Leonard Verduin (book).
How do I overcome hurts from God’s people as well as frustration, fear, discouragement, lethargy, and rejection?
I wrote a book that addresses and treats all of these problems. It’s called God’s Favorite Place on Earth.
When are you coming to South Africa? When are you coming to England? When are you coming to Miami? When are you coming to New Zealand?
When I’m invited by a church or a conference in those cities, I’ll prayerfully consider a visit.
See my events page on how to book for me for an event.
I’ve written about this previously, but I’m in a season right now where I’m not visiting small churches. I only travel 6 times a year right now, so I’m choosing the larger venues at this time. The truth is, I can reach far more people through my podcast messages and online courses than I can at live events without the cost of traveling, staying in a hotel, meals, etc.
So I’m very selective on what invitations I accept.
I know you teach on how to live by the indwelling life, but is it possible to really teach on how to live by a life not their own?
Of course. If not, I wouldn’t be preaching and teaching on it for years.
Can you put all of the songs you wrote in one place?
It’s already been done. At least some of them that I wrote. See 7 New Songs.
What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh?
Answered in Rethinking Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh.
Spiritual deserts/dark nights/“apparent desertion by God”- how to survive during those times?
I address this subject in a full chapter in my book Revise Us Again.
How did the early church meet?
Very broad question. I delve into it in my book Reimagining Church. It’s a presentation of how the first-century church compares and contrasts with most churches today.
What is your view of the gifts of the Spirit and the baptism of the Spirit?
I treat both topics in detail in my 800-page Titan. Be sure to watch the video at the top.
Tell us about tithing.
I wrote an entire chapter on it in Pagan Christianity with George Barna. Go there to read my thoughts. They are way too detailed for this post. The chapter includes full documentation.
How is it exactly that we are to “take up our cross,” what does it mean?
I wrote an article about this HERE.
Being Spiritual: What does it really mean?
According to the New Testament, it means walking in the Spirit and not the flesh or the natural life. So it’s a walk in love, treating others the way you want to be treated in every situation which includes self-denial.
Pray without ceasing. What does this practically look like in a Christian’s life nowadays?
I believe it refers to turning to the Lord throughout your waking hours. I cover this in detail (and very practically) in Living by the Indwelling Life of Christ.
Any chance of a “Pagan Christianity: Volume 2”?
Nope. I’ve moved on from writing on ecclesiological issues in 2009. Since then, I’ve been writing on God’s eternal purpose, Jesus studies, and the deeper Christian life. I plan to write on those three themes over the next five years as there’s a great deal more to explore. I’ve said all I want to say about radical church reform in my ReChurch series and the Pagan Christianity Q and A page.
Can you discuss ways that Christians can be more Christlike? Too many times Christians are so unkind and mean-spirited that it turns people away. Your thoughts?
I’ve covered this topic extensively on this blog as it’s part of my contribution to the Body of Christ. Here are some examples:
Warning: The World is Watching How We Christians Treat One Another
Scratch a Christian & You’ll Find Out What’s Underneath
How Ambition Destroys Discernment
5 Marks That God is Using You Tremendously
No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper
The Absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ
Three Kinds of Critics & How to Respond to Them
Who Are You? Accepting Your True Identity
An Important Insight from President Obama
Don’t Believe Everything You Read or Hear
Have You Heard? The Plague of Gossip & Slander in the Body of Christ
What is the Gospel?
Answered in Rethinking the Gospel and The Gospel of the Kingdom.
What is your view on women in ministry? Can they speak in the church (1 Corinthians 14:34-35) and can they teach (1 Timothy 2:11-14)?
Answered in Rethinking Women in Ministry.
One of my friends said you were part of the emerging/emergent church movement. I told him that he was misinformed, but I wanted to get it straight from the horse’s mouth.
You are correct. I’m not part of Emergent and never was. In fact, I criticized Emergent thinking in my books Jesus Manifesto and also in Beyond Evangelical.
Interestingly, my fiercest critics come from liberal Christian quarters who take issue with my belief that the Bible is fully reliable, authoritative, and inspired, my teaching that Jesus is fully divine and fully human and the only way to salvation, and my adherence to the Christian creeds.
It’s my understanding that the so-called Emergent church dissipated many years ago. So I don’t understand why people still use the term. Even so, I’m not part of the Progressive Left, either politically or theologically. Neither am I part of the Religious Right.
How is Christ more than just Jesus the man now?
A pretty big subject. I’ve addressed it in my books Epic Jesus and From Eternity to Here.
What is your view on Christian mysticism?
Answered in On Mysticism.
How do we apply NT church principles to today’s situation?
A very involved question. I go into detail on this in Reimagining Church and Finding Organic Church. What happened to Jesus between the cross and the resurrection?
Len Sweet and I answer this question in detail on this in Jesus: A Theography. Too much to cover here.
Frank has referenced his work with the homeless some. However, I would like to hear more about this ministry.
Frank, what’s happening with the most powerful Gospel presentations that have been sent to you?
I’m still sifting through them. They are videos so it takes a long time. Other projects beckon.
When will Frank stop being so ecumenical?
You have to be new to my ministry to ask such a question.
If by “ecumenical” you mean why do I fellowship with other Christians with whom I differ on peripheral doctrines and practices, then the answer is: When Jesus Christ returns, I’ll consider stopping.
Jesus and the apostles were quite clear: It’s carnal to be sectarian and sinful to be exclusive when it comes to those who have trusted in Christ.
Please read Getting Rid of a Sectarian Spirit Once and For All and Rethinking Christian Unity. And remember these words of Jesus from Mark 9:
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
I’ve written extensively on the principle of cooperation without compromise. For example, I can cooperate with a Catholic or an Anglican or someone from the Eastern Orthodox Church in the kingdom work of helping the poor, and not compromise my distinct beliefs about the ekklesia of God.
What are your thoughts on Christian Unity?
Answered in Rethinking Christian Unity.
The Trinity – how it relates to our relationship with God and people.
I’ve explained this extensively in From Eternity to Here, Reimagining Church, and Finding Organic Church. Though I prefer to use the term triune God. See this article about the triune nature of God.
What are your thoughts on grace vs. law?
Answered in these posts:
Legalism, License, Lordship, and Liberty
The Christian’s Relationship to the Law
I also recommend these two articles by my friend Jon Zens:
This is My Beloved Son, Hear Him
They Looked Up and Saw Jesus Only
As well as these two videos on Galatians:
Have you addressed equipping Church Planters anywhere?
Yes, in Finding Organic Church.
What do you think about the third wave movement?
Broad question. Some things I like about it, others I don’t. I talk about both in Reimagining Church, last chapter.
Were we sanctified, being sanctified, or will be sanctified?
The New Testament teaches all three. It does the same with the word “salvation.” For details, see my book Jesus Now.
What Bible tools do you recommend?
See these two lists:
The Best 100 Christian Books Ever Written
The Best Academic Christian Books
The Christian response to Mental Illness?
Answered in 3 Christian Responses to Mental Illness.
What are your thoughts on going to heaven?
The Bible teaches that heavenly places will descend on the earth (see Rev. 21-22). And the ultimate end of salvation is not going to heaven, but the bodily resurrection. I recommend N.T. Wright’s book, Surprised by Hope for details. I also treat it in From Eternity to Here.
The relationship of Israel and the Church; the place of Israel in end time prophecy; is replacement theology (or extension theology)?
I address this in Jesus: A Theography. I don’t believe in “replacement theology.” I would call the biblical view “fulfillment theology,” yet God may have something in store for national Israel according to Romans 9-11.
Can you comment on Acts 2:46, the temple vs. the house to house?
This is one of the most misunderstood and misused texts in the New Testament. I address the subject in detail in Reimagining Church.
What does New Testament “leadership” look like?
See The Myth of Christian Leadership and Reimagining Church. The second half of that book is all about leadership according to the New Testament.
Can you tell me about Jesus being a rabbi?
Answered in Jesus: A Theography. There’s much more to the subject than meets the eye.
What is the apostolic ministry today and how do we recognize it?
I’ve written an entire book answering this question. A very big subject. The book is called Finding Organic Church.
What is your view on discipleship and how we do it today?
Large topic. I’ve covered this extensively in my new eBook, Discipleship in Crisis. Click here to get a free copy.
What is your opinion of original sin?
Both Scripture and experience testify that we humans are born sinners. Our very nature is selfish, which is the opposite of love (the nature of God’s life). I don’t believe, however, that all humans share Adam’s guilt. But sin is inevitable because it’s in our DNA (see Romans 7).
I have a goofy friend who believes everything he comes across that’s negative about other people. He doesn’t know you or read your work but he tells me that you are part of the New Apostolic Reformation (N.A.R. or NAR), that you teach Contemplative Prayer, and that you’re a Muslim terrorist! I blurted out laughing when he said this. I know these accusations are crazy but what do you say to this insanity? Oh, he also read somewhere that you glowingly endorse the book The Shack.
I have three responses: Burp, bull, baloney.
Satan will be hosting the Ice Capades in hell before I’ll ever understand why “Christians” come up with and spread this sort of lunacy.
Here are the facts:
I know zero about the New Apostolic Reformation and don’t have any friends who are part of it.
Strangely, however, it’s quite common for “hate sites” (as they are commonly called) to accuse people they don’t know of being part of this organization. This has happened to two friends of mine who also have nothing to do with it.
Contemplative prayer is a clay term that is used to describe many different forms of prayer. I’ve only used it once over two decades ago, but I was referring to what John Piper describes in this video. (By the way, I don’t agree with a lot of what Piper teaches, but I agree with him on how he understands that term.)
So “contemplative prayer” is not something I teach. I’m against Eastern mysticism in all forms as I find it to be unscriptural.
I’ve found that most who use that term also believe that God lives in every individual, an idea that is biblically inaccurate.
Here’s the Muslim terrorist accusation which is so outrageous that it doesn’t dignify a response. All of this just underscores the fact that some Christians still haven’t learned an all-important lesson: Don’t Believe Everything You Read or Hear.
Especially on the Internet and social media.
As for me “glowingly endorsing” The Shack, that’s another falsehood.
I’ve never even read the book and don’t plan on reading it as I don’t read fiction books. So I have nothing to say about it either way.
I’m aware that some say the author holds to universalism. If that’s actually true, I obviously disagree as my work reveals. I have never held to universalism.
All told, I’m glad you came to me directly with these questions. One of the great sins in the Christian camp is to believe slander and then spread it. This is a profound violation of Matthew 7:12.
It’s also reckless (at best) and dishonest (at worst).
If someone has a concern about what an author teaches, go to them directly. Quotations are typically taken out of context also, so it’s best to always check the context (and ask the author directly) to make sure you’re understanding him/her correctly.
All of us would want the same treatment if someone were spreading misinformation about us.
In Pagan Christianity, Frank does a wonderful job at separating the biblical from the extra-biblical church traditions, and pointing out that many of our current church practices and traditions came from pagan roots. What does Frank think about the efforts of many American Christians to fight to keep “Christ” in Christmas, and to protect the religious aspect of Easter holidays? It is my understanding that these “Christian” holidays started as pagan celebrations that were co-opted by the Church for Christian purposes. As such, should Christians really be overly concerned about the secularization of these holidays?
This is a subject that doesn’t interest me at all. But I gave my thoughts on it years ago here.
For Q & A on Frank’s book From Eternity to Here, click the following links.
For tons of Q & A on Pagan Christianity & Reimagining Church, click here.