What’s going on here? A few years ago, I was told Vanderbilt University Divinity School was a Methodist-related school. Then, I was told it had become an interdenominational school. Then, I read that it had a Muslim chaplain. Then, I saw on TV that student groups have been told that they cannot have faith-based requirements for their leaders (Christian groups cannot require their leaders to be Christians, etc.). Now, I have read that to make the school better, it has hired an out-spoken homosexual ordained American Baptist clergywoman to be its dean, this was the best person the school could find for the job, a church choir sang a Michael Jackson song at her convocation, and the school hired her female gay partner to be a professor of religious studies.
It is enough to make me wonder what caused this institution of so-called higher education to abandon its lofty level of learning go on an obvious downward spiral of politically correct (not biblically correct) worldly standards and lower its once high standards to such great depths. Is Vanderbilt Divinity School among those latter times groups that Paul said would depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (1Timothy 4:1)? Has Vanderbilt Divinity School fallen so hard that it needs to hire people who are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth to improve the school (2 Timothy 3:7)? Are we witnessing a commitment to train false teachers to bring in damnable heresies among us (2 Peter 2:1)?
The Bible says, “Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity,” but the evidence seems to indicate that this Divinity School dean and professor are entangled in fleshly lusts and worldly pleasures that they apparently have no intention of departing from (2 Timothy 2:19). As they see it, they are enlightened, but the Bible that they purportedly believe and teach indicates that their hearts may have been darkened (Romans 1:20-24).
Also, the only way they can do such unnatural things and not be troubled by the Holy Spirit is for them to not be indwelt by the Holy Spirit or to have their consciences so seared with a hot iron that they are numb to the fornication they appear to be involved in (1 Timothy 4:2). As the school sees it, the dean’s homosexuality is not relevant, but the school has a commitment to confront homophobia. As the school sees it, their new dean is a progressive pioneering scholar, but she doesn’t seem to understand some of the Scriptures that she teaches or she is blatantly distorting them (distortion of the Word is a sin that can be traced back to Satan in the Garden of Eden). And fornication is one of the sins that caused God to firebomb Sodom and Gomorrah in ancient times (2 Peter 2:6-8). There is nothing enlightened, progressive or pioneering about that (Genesis 1:27-28; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; 1 Corinthians 7:2; Romans 1:20-32).
It is a mistake for anyone to ignore or distort God’s Word, but morally weak Divinity Schools, deans and professors that ignore or distort God’s Word may do great harm by producing morally weak preachers that do the same thing or at least approve of it. Unless those morally week preachers change, some of them may ultimately ignore or distort the Word and bring reproach upon the church. They may also produce morally weak members that will be lukewarm and possibly bring reproach upon the church.
In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor and some to dishonor (2 Timothy 2:20). It should be the desire of every Divinity School to employ morally strong and faithful vessels of honor to strengthen the church and not to weaken it. If the best person that Vanderbilt Divinity School officials could find to fill a position is an immoral person who trumpets an immoral lifestyle and tries to turn evil into good, then corruption has taken root and that school is no longer qualified to teach the Scriptures. A real Divinity School should know that the beginning of knowledge is a respect for God and that does not mean the god of pleasure. And the true Christian lifestyle is a narrow way not a broad way.
The good news is that Vanderbilt Divinity School can choose to stop ignoring the Scriptures and turn back to the godly teachings that earned it great recognition and respect in the past. And this dean and professor can repent of the sin that is preventing them from living a Christian lifestyle, be forgiven, become truly enlightened and go about our Father’s business sowing pure wheat instead of wheat mixed with tares (Matthew 13:24-43).
One last thing, Christians should not be surprised by this: A falling away from the faith (2 Thessalonians 2:5), taking pleasure in unrighteousness or choosing unrighteousness over righteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12), without natural affection (2 Timothy 3:3), loving pleasures more than loving God (2 Timothy 3:4), a form of godliness (2 Timothy 3:5), and being lukewarm and spiritually blind are signs of the approaching Rapture (Revelation 3:16-17).
FYI: God Has Spoken (And We Know It) by Daymond Duck is available (linked at raptureready.com to my publisher). Books and a Kindle version are available at amazon.com. A Nook version is available at bn.com. Check out what it says about Syria, Russia, Iran, Egypt, natural disasters, the Two-State Solution, etc. Please post a comment.
Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck