The first time I watched Spiderman 3 it spoke volumes to me and I am glad to see that others saw the same thing.

To the negative side of the house: if you don’t agree with the study, that is your perogative – pray for those of us that you think are wrong (I can always use prayer).

Judging and arguing your point is kind of like the plank/speck verse in Luke ch 6 don’t you think?

Just to be clear I completely agree with going into the world (enemy territory) to preach the Gospel. The Spider Man Bible study does not help accomplish this, it only waters down the message. Rather I would say lets take the true message to them. The relevancy will be in the message itself. Reaching the lost is so important, unfortunately Spidey is in no way like Paul, Jesus or anything else that is Biblical. I do not want to set a false precedence with unbelievers or believers and that is what these Bible studies do.

Grace and Peace,

Let me start with you, Buddy. You want to go fishing out where the fish are rather than sticking with the stained glass aquarium. Good! You want to use bait that will be attractive. The end doesn’t justify every bait but I’m willing to say that at least some movies could work. So you’ve got your line in the water and you’ve got your bait wet and maybe you’re even getting some nibbles. But are you prepared at any point to set the hook? Are you even using a hook?

I’m not arguing that you have to give an “altar call” every time you minister. I am arguing that people have to be challenged with the claims of Christ, and that if you don’t ever come to a point where somebody can reject your message because they just don’t believe Him, then you aren’t really doing what you set out to do.

Those who have written to take issue with your approach have brought some valid concerns, but in my view they have also missed the point a bit. Your critics are largely concerned with the negative side effects that may accompany your attempt at invading enemy territory with the Gospel. I don’t think our overriding concern can be with side effects (though I think we should be concerned about any strategy where the side effects turn out to be the only effects). I don’t agree that you shouldn’t go into the Areopagus, but if you go there, don’t leave without stirring up the pagans. Some may reject you but others will want to hear what you’re driving at.

Looks like I’m turning into a real radical in my old age… Better late than never.

bb

I just heard about the article in Christianity Today. Again this movie is not a Christian Movie.

What you are doing is called “reader response” you are interpreting something the way you want to do so. For example if you have read the story Little Red Riding Hood, you know it is a story about a girl, her grandmother and a wolf. It is not about Communism, and no matter how I want to interpret it, the author had an intent and it was NOT communism. The producer of this movie did NOT want to convert people to Christianity or help the Gospel in any way, he wanted to be relevant and make money. You are reading into the movie what you want to and it just isnt there.

The other issue I have with this is if you do this with a movie do you do this with the Bible as well? I would hope not, the Bible was written with Authorial Intent. We read it for what it says and how it applies to us, we do not get to self interpret the Bible and respond to it any way we want. Please take this valuable lesson from Scripture.

One thing I continually notice whenever I hear a rah-rah movie critique by believers is that they are always looking for “spiritual” content. They’ll talk about the spiritual content of the movie and people will feel all good inside about that spiritual content, but questions go unasked.

If no one comes to Christ through the spiritual content of the movie, how much spiritual content does it really have? What of the actual power of that spiritual content, too? Isn’t it just moralism instead of the Gospel?

We have Christianity today beset by moralism rather than actual Gospel content. Moralism saves no one. In fact, it may be the simplest way to distract Christians and unbelievers from the true Gospel. So many people are trapped in moralism, so it resonates as good when they see it, read it, or hear it. But it may very well be damaging their souls.

Just something to think about.

I came up with some Christian lyrics, put to the very familiar tune of the Spider-Man theme song. With the way they just flowed, and the end results, I believe it was from the Lord.

The song would be a good addition to your Bible study. Interested?

After God used Spider-Man 2 (and there is NO DOUBT that He did) to hit me square between the eyes with a powerful message about my own service to Him, I was looking for spiritual metaphors in Spider-Man 3… Boy did I find them. And I was not surprised to find that others had felt and done the same thing.

While I was waiting in line for hours to see the film for the 2nd time (it was better than the first), I sat with my Bible and wrote verse after verse that came to mind in connection with the story. Of course, waiting so long, I got to talking with folks around me and as it turned out, I was not the only one there doing that!

But I was shocked to find (well may-be not completely) that there are people out there who can’t see that this is a viable, God-inspired way to teach. Like parables. Surely they don’t think the stories Jesus told were just about farmers planting seeds and people buying real estate…

Actually, I’ve had some very bad experiences with Christians that sounded a lot like Andy and DLE… Those folks were as harsh and condeming as pharisees… My gut reaction is to not even bother with a debate lest I get sucked into their whirling vortex of legalism. *shudder*

I’ll be using both SM3 Bible Studies and my own insights to talk to my niece and nephew when I see the movie again with my extended family this weekend.

Thumbs up again! :)