The Seven Ecumenical Councils

I just finished reading The Councils of the Church by Norman P. Tanner. An interesting and succinct text, it is my first foray into the details of the Councils. I may have to buy Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils 2 Volume Set so I can get a more complete understanding of the machinations surrounding these gatherings.

My initial reaction is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. It is unfortunate that these errors continue, and even grow in strength through the centuries. It is easy to see, though, how quickly the errors can multiply when, in a modern age, we are faced with preachers who seemingly have little understanding of the traditional interpretation of scripture, and who can broadcast their error to a huge television audience.

I witnessed one such preacher today, a fellow by the name of Creflo Dollar (quite the appellation, considering his work in the so-called prosperity gospel). The contortions he performed in the fourth chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke would have filled a Chinese gymnast with envy. The desired result of the remarkable transformation of this gospel passage was to lead his congregation to believe that when Our Lord read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, the reference to preaching the gospel to the poor meant that Our Lord had come to make them rich. It took some work in selective repetition to convince even his gullible congregation of that meaning.

Now, I suspect that this preacher, dressed in his two thousand dollar suit, is a showman first and foremost. Certainly he has done well financially by preaching that which his flock seemingly wants to hear. I just keep hearing the little voice, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"