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Purpose of the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible is to View the Bible Through the Lens of Spiritual Formation

Reading the Bible through the Lens of Spiritual Formation

The stated purpose of the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible is to “view the Bible through the lens of Christian Spiritual Formation.” (p. xv.)  To accomplish this the reader is directed to such Renovare Resources as the Spiritual Classics, where the reader can read Ignatius Loyola directly on the rules for Discerning the Spirits. The introduction to the Spiritual Classics tells us that “the spiritual disciplines are pointed toward spiritual formation-and transformation.” (xiii).

The Renovare Spiritual Formation movement blends the reading of Catholic Fathers, Catholic mystics, Jesuit scholars, and Ignatius Loyola, along with such Protestants as Martin Luther and John Calvin, to make Catholicism palatable to Protestants, disarming them to their deadly peril.

Reading the Bible “In Conversation With” the Catholic Fathers

The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible itself states how the Bible is now to be read:

 “So we read the Bible in conversation with Origen and Jerome, Augustine of Hippo and Hildegard of Bingen. John Chrysostom and John Calvin, Martin Luther and Richard Baxter, Watchman Nee and Sundar Singh [note: the last two are popular with today’s evangelicals] –and many others, including wise and mature interpreters of Scripture today. This corporate reading of the Bible illuminates for us the multifaceted ways the Immanuel Principle is experienced in ordinary life.” Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, Xxxv., xxxii.

Origen completely messed up biblical interpretation with his concept of multilevel allegorical interpretation for over 1,000 years, until the Protestant Reformation restored the historical grammatical method of Biblical interpretation. Jerome translated the Latin Vulgate, which became the official Roman Catholic version. Augustine built his theology on Plato’s philosophy, and developed the dogma of original sin.

The Ecumenical Thrust – All Christian Religions Have the Same Objective

“Although the many Christian traditions differ over the details of spiritual formation, they all have the same objective: the transformation of the person into one of greater Christ likeness. ‘Spiritual formation’ is the process of transforming the inner reality of the self (the ‘inward being’ of the psalmist) in such a way that the overall with-God life seen in the Bible naturally and freely come to pass in us.” Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, Xxix.

Using the ‘Spiritual Disciplines” to Form and Transform Human Personality So That Responses Are Automatic

“Training in the Spiritual Disciplines is the God-ordained means for forming and transforming the human personality, so that when we are in the crisis we can be ‘responsible-able’-able to respond appropriately.” Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, Xxxv.  Spiritual Disciplines is another term for the Spiritual Exercises.

The Bible tells us that we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” through absolute self-surrender to Christ, not through Spiritual Disciples.

The Jesuits Are Welding Together All Religion Under Their Direction of Spiritual Formation

The Jesuits are blending Jesuit Spiritual Exercises with the best of Protestantism-from Luther to John Bunyan. The Jesuits are welding together, at the deepest spiritual level of the actual interaction with God, all of Christianity under the direction of spiritual formation.

Eliminating the Primacy of the Individual Union With Christ by Faith

“For to me to live is Christ.” Philippians 1:21.

Eliminating the Direct Relationship With God

The Jesuits are using a totally skewed approach attempting to eliminate the primacy of the individual union with God.  Renovare declares falsely:

“But God-with-us in direct, conversational relationship cannot be our whole life. It gives us neither character nor identity. It promotes passively instead of vigorous righteousness and self-identity with God, whether He is present or absent.” Renovare, p. 4. The union with God, to the contrary, is our whole life. The Lord declares:

“For to me to live is Christ.” Philippians 1:21.

“A union with Christ by living faith is enduring: every other union must perish.” MYP 118.

Union With Christ is Righteousness by Faith, Giving Character and Identity

Without Me, ye can do nothing, Jesus said. The union with Christ gives character, the character of Christ Himself. The answer to the call of Christ makes a man an individual, gives him individuality. Communion with God gives action to the will: “Unbroken communion with God gives increased knowledge of his truth and will, and of the soul’s susceptibilities and powers; and the result will be unselfish motives and right traits of character.” ST 3-5-85. Unbroken communion with God gives character, and motivates to action.

Writing of John the Beloved, the Lord says:

“Day by day his heart was drawn out toward Christ, until he lost sight of self in love for his Master. His resentful, ambitious temper was yielding to the molding power of Christ. The regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit renewed his heart. The power of love of Christ wrought a transformation of character. This is the sure result of union with Jesus. When Christ abides in the heart, the whole nature is transformed. Christ’s Spirit, His love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and raises the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven.” SC 73. 

Rome’s Concept: Spiritual Formation is Never Just Between Me and God

The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible declares, “Spiritual Formation can never take place in isolation or develop in impersonal or functional ways. Spiritual formation is never just between me and God.” Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, p. 2046, introduction to Romans, section “Insistence on Community.”

Rome Insists Upon the Concept of Community and Rejects the Idea that Religion is a Function of the Individual Person

Here is Rome’s insistence on community and reduction of individuality. The Jesuit John L. McKenzie, S.J., in the very first sentence of his book the Roman Catholic Church writes significantly:

“Religion is a social phenomenon; that is, it is a function of man in society and not of the individual person.” –John L. McKenzie, S.J., The Roman Catholic Church. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1969, p. 1. Note the official stamp of approval by the hierarchy of Rome at the beginning of the book: Imprimi Potest: Robertus F. Harvanek, S.J., Acting Provincial of the Chicago Province; Nihil Obstat: Gall Higgins, O.F.M.Cap. [Order of Franciscan Minors, Captain], Censor Librorum; Imprimatur: Joseph P. O’Brien, S.T.D. [Sacrae Theolgiae Doctor (Latin-Doctor of Sacred theology)], Vicar General Archdiocese of New York, May 14, 1969. “The nihil obstat and imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error.” With that statement and those imprimaturs, Rome endorses the teaching in the book.

Much of the teaching of the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible follows the first few pages of the Jesuit McKenzie’s book on Roman Catholicism.

Rome Hates the Individuality of True discipleship

Think of all the trouble that individuals have caused Rome-Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Theodore Beza, etc. Rome hates the concept of individual religion, and the individuality of discipleship.

Greatest Character of Those Born of Woman Formed Alone in the Wilderness

John the Baptist had the greatest character of all those born by women, Jesus said. [Matthew 11:11] John separated himself even from his family at a young age, to grow up in the solitude of the desert and mountains: “It was a lonely region where he found his home, in the midst of barren hill, wild ravines, and rocky caves. But it was his choice to forgo the enjoyments and luxuries of life for the stern discipline of the wilderness. Here his surroundings were favorable to habits of simplicity and self-denial. Uninterrupted by the clamor of the world, he could here study the lesson of nature, of revelations, and of Providence. The words of the angel to Zacharias had been often repeated to John by his God-fearing parents. From his childhood, his mission had been kept before him, and he accepted the Holy trust. To him the solitude of the desert was a welcome escape from society in which suspicion, unbelief, and impurity had become well nigh all pervading. He distrusted his own power to withstand temptation, and shrank from constant contact with sin, lest he should lose the sense of its exceeding sinfulness.” DA 101, 102.

Attack on the Mediation of Christ

The Effort of the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible is to Remove the Person from Individual Personal Union With Christ and Put Him Under the Hierarchy

The whole effort of the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible is to take the person away from the individual, personal union with God, and put him under the jurisdiction of human hierarchy. The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible declares: “What is lacking in this early stage [Patriarchs before the flood] of human history is, in a word, mediation. “From this point onward, God will use mediation to be present with us even when he is ‘absent.’ Examples of this mediation are social structures such as family, the tribe, the nation, and religious institutions such as the tabernacle, the Temple, and the Church. Mediation will now be the ongoing story of God-with-us developing through various forms from Abraham, the friend of God, to the end of the Church age, reaching its fulfillment and perfection in the mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus 1 Timothy 2:5, and in his continuing incarnation in his body, the Church.” Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, 4.

The Mediator Christ Was There From Everlasting

The truth is that the Mediator, Christ was there from the moment man sinned. “After the fall Christ became Adam’s instructor. He acted in God’s stead toward humanity, saving the race from immediate death. He took upon him the office of mediator.” CC 20.

Christ was appointed Mediator from the creation of God: “Christ was appointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety.” LHU 74.

Rome is Seeking Anew to Remove the Mediation of Christ From Protestantism Through the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible

It is clear that the old-age effort of Ignatius Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises, is hard at work here, seeking to eliminate the moral independence of true discipleship, of One Master, and supplanting in a de facto way, Christ with “the Church.” The Renovare Spiritual Exercise Bible does not believe that there was mediation before the Flood, and believes that mediation comes through human structures. When the word “mediation” is used it is not really referring to the mediation of Christ but exalting human, social structures to the place of “mediation,” thus eclipsing Christ the mediator, the very work that Rome has done for centuries.

Rome Takes Away the TAMID Mediatorial Ministry of Christ

Daniel warned of Rome’s work in taking away the mediatorial work of Christ: “Yea, he [the Little Horn] magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and from Him he lifted up, took away, the Tamid-the continual dimensions of the mediation of Christ-and cast down the place of His sanctuary.” Daniel 8:11 (Hebrew amplified)

Thus, Daniel revealed the work of Rome in removing the direct mediation of Christ to the soul.

Cadaver Obedience to Ecclesiastical Structure

The Spiritual Exercises were designed to make the Jesuit in training completely submissive, as a corpse, called cadaver obedience, in the hands and will of his superior, thus creating an entire army of Jesuits moved by the hand of one man, the Black Pope, the Superior General of the society of Jesus. Wherever Spiritual Formation is applied the effort is the same-to create in society submission to the hierarchy-which the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible sees as mediation. Roma has always seen the priesthood as mediation. The priest forgives sin, the priest creates the creator-this is the teaching of Rome.

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