{"id":1913,"date":"2009-12-23T11:50:08","date_gmt":"2009-12-23T15:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?p=1913"},"modified":"2026-07-19T15:12:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T22:12:29","slug":"article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative\/","title":{"rendered":"Article on Mark Driscoll’s Site Takes Scripture Out of Context to Defend Contemplative"},"content":{"rendered":"

LTRP Note:<\/strong> The following comment was sent to Lighthouse Trails from a man in Holland regarding our recent article, Mark Driscoll IS a Contemplative Proponent<\/a>. We have posted it to help people see how contemplative proponents have taken Scripture out of context to erroneously defend mystical-type spirituality. To see another example of this misuse of Scripture regarding contemplative, see Ray Yungen’s comments at bottom of this post.<\/p>\n

I read the article \u2018How to Practice Meditative Prayer\u2019 by Winfield Bevins on the website you mentioned in your newsletter. A few things struck me as I\u00a0 read it:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Scripture verse that he is referring to in Phil.4:8 has nothing to do with meditative prayer but is a command to think of these things. That means I must make a decision in my heart not to think on wrong things, but to think on the things that are pleasing to God and that is not a matter of meditation, but a decision of the will.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The illustration of Martha and Mary is an incorrect illustration out of context, as Mary was literally sitting at Jesus\u2019 feet and literally hearing His voice. That is quite different than a Christian sitting and reading the Word of God and rejoicing in his heart (by the inner working of and enlightenment by the Holy Spirit) because of what he is reading and realizing the promises and goodness of God.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The example of Samuel who supposedly ‘opened his heart to hear the Lord\u2019s voice’ and said “Speak, for your servant hears” is incorrect and totally out of context. Samuel was asleep when God called him and was not at all meditating and waiting for the \u2018silent voice of the Lord\u2019. God intruded in his life, woke Him up and spoke to him in a very clear, loud and unmistakable way! There was not a question of doubt with Samuel. The voice was so clear, that he thought Eli had called him. It was only after that the Lord called him three times that he knew it had to God\u2019s voice and answered in these words.<\/p>\n

It is this mystical approach to prayer and to supposedly \u2018silently hearing the voice of God\u2019 that is so confusing to many people. That is, unfortunately, what I find here in Holland.–W.E. Bible school teacher and Christ follower in Holland<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(from A Time of Departing<\/em> by Ray Yungen): Question:<\/strong> Isn\u2019t I Kings 19:12 an example of when contemplative prayer is condoned in Scripture? Elijah heard a \u201cstill, small voice.\u201d Isn\u2019t that referring to the silence?
\nAnswer:<\/strong> This passage in no way indicates that Elijah was practicing a mantra exercise. On the contrary, it was the prophets of Baal who \u201ccalled on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, \u2018O Baal, hear us!\u201d (I Kings 18:26). Now Elijah was in a cave, not to practice contemplative prayer, but to hide from Jezebel\u2019s threat to take his life. Also, his encounter with God was something he did not initiate but God initiated Himself, thereby emphasizing that Elijah was not practicing a mantra. If anything, from his conversation with God, we might conclude that he was also hiding from his ministry and God Himself, as he was feeling hopeless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LTRP Note: The following comment…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[87,2312,29],"tags":[788,2315,30,91,198,200],"class_list":["post-1913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-word-of-god-defending-the-faith","category-calvinist-reformed","category-contemplative-spirituality","tag-mars-hill","tag-driscoll","tag-contemplative-prayer","tag-meditation","tag-mark-driscoll","tag-scripture","wpcat-87-id","wpcat-2312-id","wpcat-29-id"],"yoast_head":"\nArticle on Mark Driscoll's Site Takes Scripture Out of Context to Defend Contemplative - From the Lighthouse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Article on Mark Driscoll's Site Takes Scripture Out of Context to Defend Contemplative\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"LTRP Note: The following comment...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"From the Lighthouse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LighthouseTrailsResearch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2009-12-23T15:50:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-19T22:12:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lighthouse Trails Editors\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@LTrails\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@LTrails\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lighthouse Trails Editors\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lighthouse Trails Editors\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a36b703d7722ce85599858df8bacc0a5\"},\"headline\":\"Article on Mark Driscoll’s Site Takes Scripture Out of Context to Defend Contemplative\",\"datePublished\":\"2009-12-23T15:50:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-19T22:12:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":555,\"commentCount\":0,\"keywords\":[\"Mars Hill\",\"driscoll\",\"contemplative prayer\",\"meditation\",\"Mark Driscoll\",\"Scripture\"],\"articleSection\":[\"The Word of God\",\"CALVINISM\\\/REFORMED\",\"CONTEMPLATIVE\\\/SPIRITUAL FORMATION\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/article-on-mark-driscolls-site-takes-scripture-out-of-context-to-defend-contemplative\\\/\",\"name\":\"Article on Mark Driscoll's Site Takes Scripture Out of Context to Defend Contemplative - 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