Today’s episode deals with the Bob’s teaching (and Bob is one of the very best Bible teachers you’ll ever hear from…and he’ll tell you so, over and over and over…and over. So will “his” faithful 
) :
Below, are 3 verses that describe what the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God, and wisdom can bring into our lives, along with a sobering statement about the loneliness of being a scoffer. [Yes, "scoffers" can be lonely...and can lose lots of friends, board members, assistant pastors, and long-time lay-people who used to give lots of money].
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.
Proverbs 9:12 f you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.
[True. But, what does "scoffing" really mean? What is the Context? I mean, "scoffing" couldn't mean something Jesus did in spades, could it? That couldn't be the right definition...right?]
The verse about the Fear of the Lord comes right after a few verses which talk about scoffers who won’t listen to God’s counsel, and wise men who will. [Question, "God's" Counsel via Scripture...or Chuck's counsel / Bob's counsel?]
Solomon is describing the Fear of the Lord in 9:10, it’s the beginning of wisdom. And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. [Amen, it sure is.]
So, to break those down just a little…..To fear God is the starting place of wisdom, or skill in living, be it in battle, or the daily affairs of life, the spiritual life we live, and or having skill in matters of what is right and what is wrong. [Not so sure I buy the whole of this definition...however, the Fear of God is certainly the beginning of wisdom...and one who truly fears God, and preaches such from a pulpit, would be in fear of the Judgment for lying and for not leaving his gift at the altar and seeking reconciliation, as CC Pastor Daniel Fusco recently taught at the CC Senior Pastor's Conference.]
Understanding, is to have insight, to be able to discern and distinguish what is right and wrong. [Yes. With you here. Wrong = Don't abuse your kids or molest your homosexual son. Don't steal money from your church. Don't take too many prescription pills and get "stoned" on them. Don't be mean to your wife, physically and mentally and don't put her in the position to have to make a choice between you and her children and grandchildren. Don't keep lying about your abuses and minimizing them to this day. Right = Confess and repent and seek reconciliation.]
Both wisdom and understanding come from God, and our relationship with Him, our knowledge of Him. To know Him, is to have these things in our lives, they are some of the fruit that He brings to us. [Yeppers.]
We can have a long and fruitful life because of our association with God, and our knowledge of God, or we can not. [If Bob, you are asserting some sort of Empirical Principle that if you practice such the way you've articulated then you will be guaranteed a long and fruitful life, in the Context of living to a ripe old age and having lots of good stuff...I disagree. Many with lots of Godly Wisdom die young. Many who are evil wretches grow very very old and very very wealthy...some with big "churches" to boot.]
Scoffing, and scoffers are mentioned many, many times in the Book of Proverbs. [Yep. And, in what CONTEXT is "scoffing" and "mocking" defined in the New Covenant there Mr. Dispensational Calvary Chapel Pastor? Read the New Testament much?]
To scoff is to mock, it is to talk arrogantly, it is to be inflated with oneself, it is to deride others, (act contemptuously towards others, to ridicule, to mock, to jeer, to sneer, taunt, disdain, denigrate, disrespect, insult, lampoon, and be satirical). [Well, that would be the World's Definition for sure. But, is one who exhibits what you describe above necessarily "sinning"? We're about to find out.]
The truth in Proverbs, is that if you are a scoffer, (one who will not really listen to wisdom when they should) that you will incur it’s penalty. You will be alone. You will find yourself cut off from others, you will not be growing in fellowship with others etc, etc…… [Ya, I kind of get that having watched your life unfold.]
So, God’s wisdom is for us to live in the fear of the Lord (Respecting God and letting that respect show up in the way we live.) God’s wisdom is for us to know Him personally, intimately, consistently, and to gain His understanding about life, and to be blessed in our lives with His blessings. We can enjoy the fruit of a relationship with God……. [H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.T.E.]
Thank You Lord for the Book of Proverbs. [And, thank you God for giving us the Prophet Bob to example the opposite for us! Woohoo! Such a good case study in saying one thing and doing another!]
In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Senior Pastor, Calvary Chapel Visalia”
http://pastorbobgrenier.blogspot.com/2011/06/fear-of-lord-knowledge-of-god-and.html
OK, let’s clear the palate.
Now let’s examine Bob’s Thesis (and don’t be fooled the reason he’s saying what he did is to frame me and others who challenge him and call him out on his sin as “scoffers” and therefore not “of God”, blah, blah, blah. Seen him frame things and “attack” his “enemies” from the safety of the Pulpit many many times over the years. This is nothing new. Same ‘ol Bob. I know his playbook well.
Let’s look first at “Bob’s” definition of “Scoffers” and “mocking” above and the implication that it’s sin and wrong…necessarily so:
“To scoff is to mock, it is to talk arrogantly, it is to be inflated with oneself, it is to deride others, (act contemptuously towards others, to ridicule, to mock, to jeer, to sneer, taunt, disdain, denigrate, disrespect, insult, lampoon, and be satirical).”
OK. If one was to “teach the Bible simply” and interpret in a similar manner…as Bob claims all the time…what would be the “simple” conclusion one would draw from these words?
Matthew 23:
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [14] [b]15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it.22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
By Bob’s definition…Jesus our Christ sure sounds like Bob’s calling Him a “scoffer” and “mocker” to me.
Clearly, Bob’s assertion (in the Context of “why”…the heart…he’s saying it from his Pulpit)…is wrong. God is Judge. Not Bob. “Scoffing” and “Mocking” as Bob describes it and tries to frame it…just might be righteous…if the reason for it is to scold the Hypocritical Religious leaders and to call them to repentance. That’s my heart. It must’ve been the heart of Jesus as Bob also professes that Jesus is perfect and without sin (I think Bob and Calvary Chapel still believe that ).
Paul the Apostle was pretty sarcastic and pretty insulting, disrespectful, deriding, etc etc as well when he confronted Peter, the Judaizers, Alexander the Coppersmith, etc etc.
Galatians 5:12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
Paul was frustrated with the Judaizers who were leading people astray. He was pretty sarcastic and irreverent above. He basically says, “I wish they go the whole way and cut their nuts off!” Hilarious. Makes the point rather strongly indeed! He got my attention.
Elisha “mocks” the Prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18. Read it, it’s hilarious!
The New Testament does use the word in Greek for “Scoffer” or “Mocker” in two places:
Jude 1:18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”
2 Peter 3:3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
The Greek word used for “Scoffers” or “Mockers” in the New Testament is “empaiktés”.
empaiktés:
a mocker, i.e. by impl. a false teacher. Original Word: ἐμπαίκτης, ου, ὁ Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine. Transliteration: empaiktés. Phonetic Spelling: (emp-aheek-tace’)Short Definition: a mocker. Definition: a mocker, scoffer.
Word Origin from empaizó. Definition a mocker, i.e. by impl. a false teacher, mocker, scoffer.
From empaizo; a derider, i.e. (by implication) a false teacher — mocker, scoffer.
So, Bob is “kind of” right above, but not really. And, knowing Bob as intimately as I do, having witnessed this stuff play out many many times over the years…Bob’s motive is most likely to defend his stubborn position and attack those who are seeking Justice and Mercy and confession and repentance from a man who “says” one thing…yet practices (which I submit is a louder “doctrine” than what he says) another.
I submit that Bob is the “Scoffer” and the “Mocker” by standing at the Pulpit every Sunday, preaching one thing…but not practicing it…which is teaching by example…and is a false teaching by way of his actions. I submit that I am not “mocking” God, I am mocking Bob and Calvary Chapel.
