The tendency of the course is to speed through or do a fly over of the Bible in general. Even the importance of the Great Commission is missing.Īlso missing is the essential element of salvation by grace alone in Christ alone by faith alone. The crucial elements of Communion, Calvary, the cross, the reason for Christ’s sacrifice, and the inerrancy of the Word of God, and the Bible, are not emphasized. Dangers are that the main message of the gospel is glossed over to make it have basically little or no effect. The Alpha Course is now the fastest growing Christian education course in the world, according to Christianity Today, and it is growing at an exponential rate. The central focal point is not Christ but the gifts of the Spirit, which is contrary to what Christ taught the disciples in His High Priestly Prayer in the Gospel of John. The gifts of the Spirit are sought after, prayed for, and raised in importance above that of Jesus Christ’s rightful place in the church. The Holy Spirit in many cases, Whose purpose is to always point too and glorify Christ, is elevated in status and importance over Jesus Christ and the Father. Actually the role of the Holy Spirit is over emphasized giving a slightly different view of the Spirit. The course is highly superficial and there are very few specifics except in the gifts of the Spirit. These are the main themes of the Gospel, yet they are glossed over by the course and instead give ambiguous information about Christianity in general. The Alphas Course, by not defining sin properly, fails to give the emphasis of Jesus sacrifice, the reason for His sacrifice, and for His resurrection. It tends to completely ignore the Great Commission, even though Jesus’ imperative command was given 5 times just before His Ascension. What theologians say about Jesus is emphasized above and over His actual ministry and commands. The narrowness of these courses do little to allow an all-encompassing view of the story of redemption, the fall of man, the work at Calvary by Christ, and the duty of Christians in the church. There is also a gaping hole where major doctrines are not taught, like sin, sanctification, glorifying Jesus Christ, and loving one another. This course tends to over emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit instead of Jesus Christ and His glorification. This is just the opposite of the way the books in the New Testament were intended by their writers. Conversely, the letters (epistles) of the New Testament are not so much normative but address specific issues that affect churches and are not construed as specific doctrines. For example, the Book of Acts is taught as normative doctrine instead of its intended use as a historical account of the church. What is not ignored, and in fact is overemphasized, is the infilling of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of the Spirit, tongues, and healing by prayer and therein lies some of the problems with this course. Baptist’s are upset that teachings on baptism are ignored. For example, Roman Catholics have complained that there is no emphasis on the Virgin Mary. The Alpha Course tends to generalize Christianity and glosses over many of the distinctive doctrines of the many different denominations. Today, over 35,000 courses have been offered in over 170 countries and almost 20 million people have taken the course. There are specific courses for specific locations and vocations, like Alpha in the Workplace, Alpha for Prisons, Senior Alphas, Student Alphas, and several others. It has been hailed as a way to explore the meaning of life and is being widely used in churches, homes, prisons, universities, and a variety of locations. It was created for new believers and the brainchild of the Holy Trinity Brompton Anglican church in London in the 1980’s, so it has been around for over 30 years now. In general, it is a fly-over and a shallow look at God and the Bible. What exactly is the Alpha Course? It is basically an introductory course to the Christian faith. Many denominations are using it to introduce new believers to the Bible and biblical doctrines. This course is sweeping across America and is rapidly spreading around the globe. Maybe you haven’t even heard of the Alpha Course, but you may be hearing about it soon. Is the Alpha Course good for new Christians? Is it good for beginners in the Bible? Is there a hidden danger in the Alpha Course? What is the Alpha Course? The Alpha Course is sweeping the nation and the world.
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