Beware of the "Trap" of Hero Worship! -- Part 1
Dr. Harley Howard
Nothing provokes me more sometimes than that which arouses me
out of a deep sleep! Sometimes the Holy Spirit will not allow me to
rest comfortably unless the thoughts that are on my heart are
placed on paper. I want to state right from the start that I have no
axe to grind about any particular preacher, pastor, etc. I also realize
that unless you meditate and take heed to the warning that you are
about to read, you may well fall (if you haven't already!) into this
trap. I know of it from personal experience and from watching and
being involved in thousands of lives throughout 20+ years of
Pastoring, radio, conferences, writing and now a Seminary
professor. There are others before me who have already warned
the saints (and have done a far better job too). I am just one in a
(sad to say) small minority of men who either have repented from
our madness or who have had the sense never to get started in it.
Be prayerful and objective and you will be blessed. I have had
some time to meditate on the subject (or warning) that I am writing
to you about--a lot of time! It is this most serious subject of what I
call (and of what it is in truth) "Hero Worship". This is a most
disturbing trend, and I guess that it has been going on for some
time throughout redemptive history (1st Corinthians 1:10-17). I will
refer back to this passage later on.
It seems to me that where you have Biblical ignorance--a lack of or
absence of a "whole Biblical concept of scripture in teaching,
preaching and of how one conducts all aspects of his or her own
professed Christian life", this "trend" of hero worship arises.
By hero worship, I mean that it is clear that instead of the scriptures
being the central focus of preaching and teaching, we have now
leaned to "Heroes" for support and are not ashamed to quote as
many names as possible, both of alive and of dead heroes. ...
Dr. Harley Howard
Nothing provokes me more sometimes than that which arouses me
out of a deep sleep! Sometimes the Holy Spirit will not allow me to
rest comfortably unless the thoughts that are on my heart are
placed on paper. I want to state right from the start that I have no
axe to grind about any particular preacher, pastor, etc. I also realize
that unless you meditate and take heed to the warning that you are
about to read, you may well fall (if you haven't already!) into this
trap. I know of it from personal experience and from watching and
being involved in thousands of lives throughout 20+ years of
Pastoring, radio, conferences, writing and now a Seminary
professor. There are others before me who have already warned
the saints (and have done a far better job too). I am just one in a
(sad to say) small minority of men who either have repented from
our madness or who have had the sense never to get started in it.
Be prayerful and objective and you will be blessed. I have had
some time to meditate on the subject (or warning) that I am writing
to you about--a lot of time! It is this most serious subject of what I
call (and of what it is in truth) "Hero Worship". This is a most
disturbing trend, and I guess that it has been going on for some
time throughout redemptive history (1st Corinthians 1:10-17). I will
refer back to this passage later on.
It seems to me that where you have Biblical ignorance--a lack of or
absence of a "whole Biblical concept of scripture in teaching,
preaching and of how one conducts all aspects of his or her own
professed Christian life", this "trend" of hero worship arises.
By hero worship, I mean that it is clear that instead of the scriptures
being the central focus of preaching and teaching, we have now
leaned to "Heroes" for support and are not ashamed to quote as
many names as possible, both of alive and of dead heroes. ...
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