"God’s people are still prone to think with carnal minds. When they read in the prophecies of the Bible about the gathering of kings unto battle, and the fighting of great wars, immediately their attention is focused on world events rather than on the things of God. This fallacy-ridden practice has given rise to what has been rightly termed “newspaper eschatology” — studying current events in the arena of “this present evil world” rather than searching the mind of the Spirit for the wisdom and understanding God gives of the true thing He is doing in the earth by His Spirit! The work of God is not currently outside of us, not out there in the world of darkness with all of its plans and efforts and shamefully fleshly activities and wicked schemes. The work of God is within His people! “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Sons of God do not derive their theology from the newspapers nor the television news casts. What you read and hear there is not what God is doing! Nor is it what God is talking about! That is not where God’s work is seen! Nor is that what God is concerned with! The Holy Spirit of God has not come within us to show us what the world system is up to — He has come to “take the things of Christ and show them unto us!”
Much more in the link:
I would invite you to take a look at the whole study, beginning with the first essay.
Here is the link:
https://www.godfire.net/eby/
I've been in the study for over a year now, I'm not an expert on Bible interpretation, but I've been around, I find Eby's reasoning for a spiritual symbolism interpretation to be the best I've found on the topic. Eby spent a lifetime on such matters, he recently passed away this year :)
What you (and J. Preston Eby) are espousing is "Latter Rain Movement" teaching, which is heretical.
Latter Rain teaching is characterized by a highly typological hermeneutic. That is, the Bible is interpreted in a symbolic, extremely stylized manner. An emphasis is placed on extra-biblical revelation, such as personal prophecies, experiences, and directives straight from God
Many “apostles” in the Latter Rain Movement also teach the doctrine of “the manifest sons of God.” This is a heretical doctrine which says that the Church will give rise to a special group of “overcomers” who will receive spiritual bodies, becoming immortal.
For more information on the Latter Rain Movement see here:
https://www.gotquestions.org/latter-rain-movement.html
I know the doctrine, there is no present day Latter Day Reign movement, if there is, I'm not aware. Eby speaks of his time in that movement, he is/was no longer a part of it, he left all organized sectarian groups. Christ is the head we are His body.
Anyway, his doctrine does take some getting used to, but mostly doesn't ruin his spiritual interpretation, you just have to eat the fish and spit out the bones. I have the ability to do that, it seems most other prefer locked into sectarianism.
You of course know heresy is party spirit or sectarianism. My group is the right group type of thinking, Christ is not devided.
Give it a critical read if you're of a mind to, I share it because I think the Body of Christ needs it.
While he may have removed himself from that movement, it is clear he didn't remove their teachings from his biblical hermeneutic. After reading through a few of the links on his site (thank you for providing it), it is painfully obvious that he was heavily influenced by their heretical teachings.
Yes, I'd agree that he still teaches some doctrine not acceptable to mainstream Christianity, I had a hard time figuring it out at first, his doctrine, but I stuck with it and am getting a pretty good handle on it. One thing he teaches that I agree with is that our teacher is Christ, it's a practice.
It's a little self referential to accuse me of having a "my group is the right group" type of thinking, while in the same breath claiming you have the right type of thinking on biblical hermeneutics. You're doing the very thing you're accusing me of.
There is a right way and a wrong way to handle scripture. Don't take my word for it, take Paul's:
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
It's simply not the case that everyone's interpretation, so long as it's a "spiritual" one (whatever that means), is the correct hermeneutic to bring to the Biblical text.
I only share the above link because I think the Body of Christ needs more discernment in their spiritual lives to distinguish that which is true from that which isn't quite so true.
I made no accusation, I just figured you would know what heresy is, the Bible word and how it's used. Heresy is simply sectarianism.
Sure, been doing that for a while, I don't think Eby mishandles scripture, that's why I like his teaching.
I totally agree. I've been "proving all things" and paying attention to doctrine for a while now. There are things I get, and things I have not yet been shown.
Right, protect the Body of Christ from heresy. There must be heresies, so we can tell who or what is approved.
1 Corinthians 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
Sorry I hit the wrong button, had to edit.