Recently I wrote about 5 reasons you should listen to Christian podcasts. Today I’m playing devil’s advocate and giving you 5 reasons you should be wary of Christian podcasts.

 

 

1. “Christian” podcasts often contain heretical teaching. Just because you find someone on the religious section of iTunes, and just because they claim to be Christian, doesn’t mean that the teaching you are about to hear is orthodox. In fact, many of the top “Christian” podcasts on iTunes contain heretical teaching.
2. Christian podcasts cannot take the place of your church. Anyone who think they can skip church and simply listen to a podcast is exchanging church for learning. There are many “one another” passages in the New Testament that you can never put into practice if you’re only listening to a podcast in isolation from others.
3. Christian podcasts cannot take the place of your pastor. The role of pastor involves preaching, but it also involves “soul care.” No TV preacher or podcast speaker will visit you in the hospital, counsel you in crisis, or preach your funeral. God does not want a distant, unresponsive voice to be your pastor, and neither should you.
4. Christian podcasts can contribute to a cult of personality. American Christians are really bad about this. Our celebrity culture has infiltrated the church, and many simply chase the latest, hottest, coolest, edgiest pastor. Celebrity pastors have always been an issue (Paul, Apollos, Peter), but technology exacerbates the problem.
5. Christian podcasts can encourage doctrinal arrogance. Many feel like they have access to the “experts” because of podcasts. This access can breed arrogance in the hearts of some who love to debate doctrinal issues. The irony is that with today’s technology, virtually any fool can have a podcast or a blog (just look at me!).

Yes, I think Christians should take advantage of the opportunity to learn by listening to podcasts. I also think there are serious dangers to beware of when listening to your favorite Christian podcast.

Tomorrow I’ll be posting my top 10 favorite podcasts in my weekly Wednesday Wisdom post. Until then, I’d love to hear your thoughts about the dangers of Christian podcasts.

Originally published February 7, 2017 on landoncoleman.com.