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The LEFT’S UNBALANCED VIEW of Christ & Christianity

In this article we’re going to look at the view of Jesus Christ that Leftwingers tend to embrace, which they use to oppose & mock believers who don’t share their perspective, meaning those who are Independents or Conservatives and, especially, those they consider Rightwing, which – to the Far Left – basically means anyone who’s not a radical Liberal.

First, it’s important to understand that…

The Rightly-Divided Scriptures Are the Basis for Correction in Christianity

All Christians — whatever tag they choose to go by — have to meet at the blueprint for Christianity, which is the Bible and what it clearly & consistently teaches from a New Covenant perspective based on sound hermeneutics. This is the basis for doctrinal & moral correction, as observed here:

and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:15-17

Paul was writing to his protégé Timothy here. What did he say was going to make Timothy — and, by extension, any believer — wise? The Holy Scriptures! Verse 16 goes on to explain why this is so: Because “all Scripture is God-breathed,” which simply means that the writers whom the LORD chose to chronicle Scripture “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). As such, Scripture is “useful” for several things: “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” It’s through the rightly divided instruction of Scripture and the corrections & training thereof that the believer is “thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

This explains a rule that Paul & Apollos had in their ministries that’s applicable to all believers, including us today: “Do not go beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6). What this means is that our perspective on any given relevant topic must be rooted in what the balanced Scriptures teach from a New Covenant perspective (with the understanding that we’re under the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant). How much more is this true if the topic is Jesus Christ, the heart of Christianity?

Responding to Leftwing Arguments

Let’s now look at how Leftwingers generally view Jesus Christ & Christianity and how they use this one-dimensional outlook to attack their opponents, which is any believer who’s not radical Liberal. The purpose of this article is to show you straight from the Scriptures that their perspective of Christ & Christianity is unbalanced at best and therefore at least partially erroneous. This will help you when you come across those from the Far Left who use these arguments to oppose & mock you.

Let’s start with…

‘Jesus was a Leftist’

This is a gross lie seeing as how…

Need I go on?

‘Jesus was a humble servant of the abject poor’

It is true that Christ was a humble servant (Matthew 11:28-30; 20:28), but this doesn’t discount that he was simultaneously the Mighty LORD. He was specifically called to serve the lost sheep of Israel but occasionally ministered to worthy Gentiles (Matthew 15:21-28). Of course he died for the whole world as a substitutionary sacrifice so that “whoever” believes may be reconciled to God and receive eternal life (John 3:16; 3:36).

While Christ often ministered to poor people when he was on Earth, his service wasn’t limited to poor people. For instance, Matthew was a wealthy tax-collector before the Lord called him and he became one of the Messiah’s twelve disciples.

Jesus never ludicrously taught that simply being financially poor made someone intrinsically noble nor that being wealthy made the person inherently evil. After all, several godly men in the Bible were materially prosperous, like Job, Abraham, David and Solomon. I’ve personally met several poor people who were guilty of the love of money, which is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). I’ve also met many prosperous people who were godly and generous with their wealth.

Really, the only people whom Christ could reach and change were those who were “poor in spirit,” meaning those humble souls who knew they were spiritually bankrupt and desperately needed God’s grace (Matthew 5:3).

Consider a couple of relevant observations about money & prosperity: When Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy on rich people in his assembly he didn’t tell Timothy to rebuke them for being wealthy, he simply exhorted Timothy to tell them not to be arrogant, but to put their hope in God rather than their riches, and “to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:17-18). Why did Timothy have to tell them not to be arrogant? Because the attainment of material wealth tends to feed the fleshly ego and tempts people to look down on those with less. This is a form of greed, which Christ blatantly condemned (Luke 12:15); so is putting on airs to impress others. Needless to say, if you’re wealthy don’t let it go to your head. Instead, develop the spirit of a giver as giving is the antidote to greed (Romans 12:8). Yet don’t become arrogant of your giving and look down on those you presume don’t give as much and condemn them as not truly saved or what have you.

Also keep in mind that it’s not money that’s the root of all kinds of evil, but rather the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10). It’s fine to have money; it’s just not fine for money to have you.

For important insights on money and “prosperity” go here.

‘Jesus was homeless’

Christ was a carpenter up until the age of 30; his erstwhile neighbors in Nazareth recognized him by his prior occupation (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55). The Greek word for ‘carpenter’ is tektón (TEK-tohn), which refers to a craftsman, carpenter or artisan. Tektón is where we get the words tectonic and architect. In 1st Century Israel a tektón was a general craftsman who worked with wood, stone or metal in building projects, small or large. In other words, Christ did more than make tables & chairs.

Quality carpenters/builders/architects today make good money, as do people of any profession that takes skill and is in demand (Proverbs 22:29). Imagine how skilled the Messiah was as a builder since he created everything that exists (Colossians 1:16-17)!

Scholars say that families involved in a trade in Israel back then would’ve at least been of lower-middle income status. Tradition suggests that Christ’s’ stepfather, Joseph, died a few years before he entered public ministry at the age of 30 and thus, as the eldest son, Jesus became the one primarily responsible as the family breadwinner. His four brothers would’ve worked too of course.

After entering fulltime ministry and serving as a traveling minister, there’s indication that Christ had a home in Capernaum (Mark 2:1). In  John 1:38-43 we observe John & Andrew visiting Jesus’ abode with Andrew wasting no time encouraging his bother Peter to come over as well. Mark 1:29 shows that Peter lived in Capernaum. Did Christ own this home or rent it? How long did he have it? The Bible doesn’t say.

It’s true that Christ said “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58), but ‘Context is King’: Whom was the Lord talking to? What statement was he was responding to? And what exactly did he mean by his answer? The Messiah was explaining the cost of being a disciple to a well-to-do scribe who claimed “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” In this particular case, following the Lord wherever he went meant traveling from town to town throughout Israel & points nearby, staying at the homes of hospitable people and such (Luke 10:3-7). Think of it in terms of modern musicians or entertainers who go on tour for months on end. It’s a challenging lifestyle, to say the least. How much more so if you’re constantly ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of people?

Yet Christ and his disciples weren’t poor when they traveled in ministry. Part of their wages was the places they stayed and the food provided for them (Luke 10:7), but they also received constant donations, which were gathered in the ministry’s money box (or bag), aka their treasury (Luke 8:3; John 13:29). So much money came in that Judas regularly stole from the treasury without being detected (John 12:6).

So Christ was never ‘homeless’ in the sense of living on the street and begging for food. Rather, Jesus ministered to such people (e.g. Luke 18:35-42).

‘Conservatives have turned Jesus into a symbol for gun rights’

Many followers of Christ believe in the right to bear arms for protection from thugs. In the USA this human right is the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which is thusly stated: “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” However, I don’t know of any believers who’ve made the Messiah into a “symbol for gun rights.”

Many people – including Leftwingers – believe that Jesus instructed Christians to be ‘doormats’ to criminal attacks. Is this true? Absolutely not. The Torah permitted Hebrew citizens to kill criminals if necessary (Exodus 22:2-3); and Christ pointed out the obvious right of protecting oneself from thugs (Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:39). Those who work for the state as police officers, executioners or military personnel have the authority to execute when applicable, which is what the “sword” represents in Romans 13:4 (naturally believers who work for the state possess this authority as well). But such govt personnel are usually not around when wicked criminals attack their innocent prey, which means citizens have to protect themselves and their loved ones in such cases.

This explains Christ’s instructions to the disciples just prior to leaving for Gethsemane and his subsequent arrest: “and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one” (Luke 22:35-38). This instruction was in contrast to previous occasions where the disciples ministered without such an item in their travels. Possessing swords obviously pertained to protection, not aggression, as the threat of criminal persecution of believers would increase after Christ’s crucifixion.

This is backed up later in the same chapter when the disciples asked, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” (verse 49). The point is that Jesus clearly authorized his disciples to carry instruments of protection, which was wise when they were out traveling/ministering from town-to-town. Keep in mind that they had a money box full of donations that would attract thieves (John 12:6).  Why did they have swords after walking with Christ for over three years? Obviously because the Lord allowed it.

Of course Christ told Peter in Gethsemane after he rashly cut a soldier’s ear off, “Those who live by the sword will perish by the sword,” but his initial instruction was for Peter to “put the sword back in its place,” NOT throw it away (Matthew 26:52). Also, there’s a difference between living by the sword and utilizing it when necessary. For instance, when the returning Jews restored the walls of Jerusalem they posted armed guards for protection from deadly enemies (Nehemiah 4:7-9). Simply put, in a wicked world arms are sometimes necessary, such as any life-threatening situation (see this article for more details).

‘But Jesus said to “turn the cheek” ’

He did, but he was not referring to situations of criminal assault, as just covered. That is a separate subject and you can read about the differences of these two topics here. In Matthew’s account of Christ’s instruction about turning the cheek the Lord specified an enemy striking the right cheek (Matthew 5:39). Since most people are right-handed this indicates a backhanded slap to the face, which was an act of disrespect in that culture (see 1 Kings 22:24, Acts 23:2 & 2 Corinthians 11:20). So Yeshua was addressing personal insults and not being physically assaulted, which is criminal. To turn the cheek simply means to initially ignore any act of disrespect and contempt. This is not just a New Testament principle; the Old Testament teaches it as well:

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

Proverbs 12:16

You can read details about turning the cheek here.

‘Some Christians have turned Jesus into a symbol for “prosperity theology” when Christ taught that we should give everything we have to the poor’

Actually the Lord specifically said this particular statement to a rich man who had made his wealth an ‘idol’ in his life. Let’s read the entire account:

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Mark 10:17-31

Christ zeroed-in on this man’s weakness, he had made wealth an idol in his life, which is revealed in the NKJV rendering of verse 24: “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!.” This explains the Lord’s radical instruction: To sell everything he had and give it to the poor. Unfortunately the man had made material riches his god and wasn’t willing to give it up, so he sadly walked away from the Lord.

In verses 29-30 the Messiah acknowledges that believers will be led to give up certain things in order to fulfill their God-given call – their specific assignment from the LORD (which could be any number of things) – but then Jesus promises them that they’ll receive back “a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — along with persecutions — and in the age to come eternal life.” The phrase “a hundred times as much” is a figure of speech for a hefty figure. In other words, what they receive back from God for what they gave up will make the obedient sacrifice more than worth it. And notice that a couple of the items on the list relate to earthly wealth – homes and fields.

This shows that Christ didn’t teach that believers in general “should give everything we have to the poor,” as the Leftwing argument suggests. After all, why would the Lord bless you with a home and field “in this present age” if he didn’t want you to possess anything? Why bless you with a house and property if everything that you do possess must be given to the poor? Not to mention, if it’s inherently wrong to possess anything material then the Lord wouldn’t instruct giving to the poor in the first place because then the poor would possess something. Are you following? Moreover, if believers literally gave everything they possessed to the poor they’d end up walking around naked & homeless and wouldn’t have anything to give to those in need. Remember, you can only bless others according to the extent that you’ve been blessed. If you don’t have it, you can’t give it. Thus passages like Luke 12:33-34 have to be interpreted in a balanced manner, allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. Rightly-dividing the Scriptures is vital to properly understanding them, as noted at the beginning of this article.

This also shows that Christ didn’t teach giving and… receiving nothing back; rather, he taught the principle of giving and receiving, as shown here:

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 6:37-38

Verse 38 reveals the Law of Reciprocity: Give and it will be given to you. In verse 37 Yeshua relates this principle to not judging and not condemning, as well as forgiving when applicable, but it can relate to anything you give, including possessions and money.

Consider, for a moment, the body gift of “giving” (Romans 12:6-8). This is an anointing for certain members of the body of Christ to give above and beyond the average believer. People who have the gift of giving also have the gift of making because you can’t regularly give if you don’t have and you can’t have unless you first make. So believers with the gift of giving have a sort of “Midas touch” – they tend to acquire wealth easily, which enables them to give more generously than others.

With the understanding of the above, Christ did teach that believers will need to give up everything they have in order to be an effective disciple of God, as detailed here:

25Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them, 26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. 27And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.

28Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? 29Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’

31Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.

33In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:25-33

Not all believers are disciples, but all believers are called to be disciples (John 8:31-32). And one requirement of being a disciple is that the believer must “give up everything.” This means giving up anything that you might place higher than God, including a relationship, like your father, mother, spouse, children or friend. Bear in mind that when Jesus said “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple” he was using hyperbole, which is exaggeration for effect. We know this is exaggeration because elsewhere he emphatically instructed believers to love others (John 15:17; Matthew 5:44). He was basically saying that a disciple’s love for the LORD should be so great that love for others would seem like hate by comparison. Let’s say the Spirit leads you to go to a certain assembly or maybe to Bible college and your father, spouse or friends ridicule you and discourage you. Who do you love more, the Lord or these people? If you love God more, you show it by following the Spirit’s instruction and disregarding what these people say.

So “giving up everything” means not having any idols in your life; that is, anything put above the LORD and what God has called you to do.

As far as “prosperity theology” goes, dubious ministers who essentially make Christianity out to be a get-rich-quick scheme or use the gospel as a means to get rich (1 Timothy 6:9) are as rare as the dodo bird. Christ plainly warned about the corruption of greed (Luke 12:15), but he also promised God’s provision (John 16:24) and life to the full (John 10:10) because God is a fountain of life, not a fountain of poverty (Psalm 36:9).

For balanced biblical details on provision, money and “prosperity” see this article.

‘Christians have turned Jesus into a symbol of anti-science’

This statement is so general it’s a worthless point. It begs the question: What topic specifically and is the ‘science’ in question reliable or dubious? For instance, climate alarmists have a long history of false predictions supposedly based on ‘science.’ The current ‘Climate Change’ hysteria is a Leftwing agenda and politically motivated. As such, the scientists they use to support their position are basically ‘yes men’ and ‘yes women’ because their jobs and financing depend on agreeing with the false narrative and backing it up with supposed evidence. See these videos for insights: My Gift To Climate Alarmists,  Are We Doomed? and Climate Scam No Longer Needed.

We must understand that the Bible is a theological work and not a scientific one. It shares some info that’s applicable to the sciences in a general sense, but often requires further study on part of the one seeking knowledge. For instance, the Bible is not an astronomy book, but it does support the basic idea that the Earth is an orb-like body suspended in the empty space of the Universe, which disproves the idea of a flat Earth (Isaiah 40:22 & Job 26:7). The Scriptures teach that the Universe constantly “pours forth speech” and “displays knowledge” to “all the Earth” (Psalm 19:1-4); Paul backed this up by the Spirit in different words (Romans 1:19-20). So the LORD knew we’d acquire important details through our astronomical observations and studies.

Or consider the human brain. The Bible tells us a lot about the human mind, but it doesn’t give us details about the physical brain or brain surgery. We naturally obtain knowledge of the latter through specific studies.

Here are a few biblical tidbits that relate to science:

We have to get away from this modern-day notion that scientists are infallible gods. Just because they say something is so doesn’t necessarily mean it is. Christ said to be “wise as serpents” not gullible as idiots (Matthew 10:16). For one thing, they’re not God. For another, scientists disagree all the time based on the data they acknowledge and their agenda. Thirdly, scientists are perfectly capable of presenting data in a skewed way to back up their case for decidedly selfish reasons, like apprehending funds or keeping their job. Being a scientist doesn’t make a person immune to being a liar. As for those scientists who say there is no God, however smart they might be, the Bible calls them fools (Psalm 53:1 & Psalm 10:4).

By the way, I’m not telling you what to believe on any of these issues. They’re peripheral topics not crucial to salvation. As it is said, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” Honestly seek out the subject in question and draw your own conclusion without concern for being ‘hip.’

‘Conservatives have turned Jesus into a symbol for limited government (that neglects the destitute) and fierce nationalism’

I don’t know of any believers who’ve turned Christ into a “symbol for limited government and fierce nationalism.” It’s just that Christianity is all about true freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1;  John 8:36) and so spiritually mature believers veer away from political parties that favor “Big Government” and all the negative things that go with it – high taxes, wasteful programs, useless bureaucrats, overregulation, tyrannical overreach, gross fraud, money laundering, etc. “Big Government” naturally tends to make a god out of the state and therefore is anti-God and anti-Christian in its policies. As such, Christians understandably favor small government. It’s not rocket science.

Government welfare is good for people who genuinely need it, like disabled people (mentally or physically), as well as those who’ve fallen on bad times and need a helping hand up. Beyond this, it shouldn’t be misused by becoming a way of life, which creates an arrogant entitlement attitude as well as stifles ambition. Need, after all, is a great motivator.

Meanwhile, studies have shown that Christians are the most generous givers, obviously because of their new spiritual nature (Titus 3:5) and myriad biblical instructions on generosity and giving to the poor (e.g. Luke 6:38 2, Corinthians 8:7 & 9:6-8).

As for Christians supposedly making Jesus Christ a “symbol of fierce nationalism,” the Bible encourages believers to have a fierce nationalism toward the “holy nation” of which they belong, which is the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33; 1 Peter 2:9).

Regarding the earthly nation the believer happens to reside in, as well as the governing authorities thereof, Christ said “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:15-22) and the epistles support submitting to the governing authorities and paying taxes (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14).

The only exception to this rule is if government oversteps its bounds by intruding upon the realm of God and universal morality. In such cases believers are required to obey the LORD rather than the governing authorities. Examples in the Scriptures include:

While disobeying governing authorities is generally wrong it’s unavoidable in cases where human law supersedes God’s Word. How do we reconcile this with the fact that God established (aka allowed) the existing authorities? Simple: Although God’s authority stands behind the governing authorities, right or wrong, it also stands over them; hence, Christians who belong to this higher authority are permitted to supersede the human authorities if there’s no other recourse.

As for being patriotic toward one’s country, the Bible instructs believers to “honor the emperor,” not to mention honoring those we owe, which includes respect and honor for one’s country (1 Peter 2:17; Romans 13:7).

‘Jesus never said “If poor people don’t want to be poor they should just get a job like everyone else” ’

We’ve already covered how the New Testament encourages generosity and giving to those in need. However, there’s a rule for believers: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). This is an example of tough love. Healthy, able-bodied Christians are encouraged to be productive – doing something useful, working with their talents (1 Thessalonians 4:11; Ephesians 4:28). The Bible repeatedly rebukes the folly of laziness; here are several passages for verification.

 

These last two Leftwing arguments go hand-in-hand, but I’m splitting them up to effectively address them:

‘The Bible says we should welcome the foreigner, heal the sick, respect others’

The implication here, of course, is that America under President Trump (at the time of this writing) doesn’t do these things.

As far as welcoming foreigners goes, America welcomes foreigners every day, but understandably requires passports and visas. The nation also welcomes new citizens from other countries through a reasonable vetting process and legal pathway, which you can read about here. Without borders there is no nation; moreover, citizenship is a privilege, not a right to the nearly 8 billion souls on Earth.

Speaking of which, the USA is very compassionate in receiving and caring for refugees and those seeking sanctuary. However, entering the country illegally is a crime. While it’s understood that people who do this want a better life, there’s a legal route to entering and becoming a citizen. To brazenly ignore this is disrespectful, unacceptable and criminal. The Bible encourages us to obey the righteous laws of the land, as covered earlier (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17).

As for healing the sick, the Bible shows that the ultimate source for health & healing is the LORD and offers wisdom on how to live a healthy life and receive healing. In America there’s already a law that emergency wards cannot turn away those in need and healthcare is already available to the needy to a generous degree. But since when did “the government” become a Nanny who’s obligated to & responsible for absolutely every health issue of every soul within its borders, including fools who live self-destructively? Since when did “universal healthcare” become this idol as the all-and-end-all of society? Gee, what did American settlers do back in the day without “universal healthcare”?

As far as respecting others goes, I presume this is a criticism of President Trump or Conservatives in general being curt with the looniness and corruption of Liberals, like Trump amusingly mocking Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas.” She has no one to blame but herself since she used trace amounts of AmerIndian DNA to claim minority status and boost her career at Harvard and in politics when, actually, she’s 1/1024 Cherokee, which is less than the average American. Showing proper respect to people should always be a priority, but sometimes open rebuke is in order (Proverbs 27:5), which is an expression of tough love.

‘The Bible says we should not lie, not commit adultery and not steal, so why do Christians support Donald Trump in America?’

Every person reading this has either lied in a carnal sense, committed adultery — in mind, if not deed — or taken something they didn’t own, even it was just a candy bar or pencil. In other words, all of us have sinned one way or another and many of us have done worse things. The question is, have we repented of these things and are we currently walking in a state of grace? This applies to President Trump and every politician in America or other countries, great and small.

We have to be careful not to become faultfinders, which is a sin (Jude 1:16). Those who engage in faultfinding arrogantly pretend to know the personal lives of those they criticize; and so they negatively judge them, their intentions and motivations.

We must understand that there is no such thing as a perfect politician, whether president, prime minister, king or queen. David was the greatest king of Israel, but he committed adultery and tried to cover it up thru murder (2 Samuel 11). He also fell prey to arrogance (1 Chronicles 21). Moreover, there’s no such thing as a perfect disciple of Christ, which you can read about here and here.

What we must focus on with politicians is their intent and their policies; in short, their actual output, not empty words. Christ emphasized this (Matthew 21:28-32). We distinguish the true from the false “by their fruit,” not mere words (Matthew 7:15-23).

Former president Obama, for instance, was a skilled and convincing speech-maker during his presidency (with the help of a teleprompter, of course), but his actual practices & policies were corrupt, incompetent or perverse. Some obvious examples include:

Need I go on? Obama talked a good talk, but his actual fruit was another story. Brutal truth is always preferable to eloquent lies.

To more specifically answer the question of why many Christians support President Trump, Fountain of Life is a Christian service that specializes in teaching from the God-breathed Scriptures free from a sectarian bent. Hence, some may understandably criticize that this ministry shouldn’t comment on issues that concern American politics. However, our topic is Leftwingers’ unbalanced perspective of Christ & Christianity, which naturally ties into their political stance and opposition to Trump, Christians and Conservativism in general. As such, I have no choice but to address relevant politicos & political issues to some degree here. With this understanding, allow me to close this article by answering…

Why Do Christians Tend to Support Trump?

The Holy Scriptures never encourage us to trust people, but rather to TRUST GOD. People are flawed, even the best of us; they’ll always let you down, one way or another.

I advocate Trump because he SUPPORTS Judeo-Christian morality and wise common sense policies. His actions as president from 2017-2021 and from 2025-present have borne this out. But I never claimed he was a perfect moral specimen, nor do other believers.

Let’s face it, in the USA there are only two viable presidential options for every such election. In other words, only one of these two people has a chance of being president (if you vote for a third party candidate you’re basically throwing away your vote and, worse, helping the Leftwing fascists gain power). So believers & those with common sense wisdom have a choice to pick (1) a candidate that presumably supports Judeo-Christian morality and wise, common sense policies or (2) the Democrat candidate that supports loony Liberal policies, like the absurd Green New Deal, allowing mentally ill men to legally use the women’s restroom, Big Government with perpetual useless bureaucrats, the corresponding high taxes, anti-small business measures, unbalanced trade agreements, overregulation, pro-sexual deviance policies, killing babies, pro-Marxist strategies (Socialism/Communism), gross fraud and laundering, etc., etc.

Since the Democrats are obviously Satan’s favorite political party in America — which they’ve repeatedly proven through their consistent bad “fruit” — and thus voting for a Democrat is the worst possible thing a wise person can do in the USA, there’s only one practical choice. That’s why my wife & I voted for Trump and support his presidency, as well as most seasoned believers, not because he’s the most eminent example of Judeo-Christian morality. He’s a shrewd businessman turned politician at the age of 70 because he loves America, not a fivefold minister, like a pastor (Ephesians 4:11-13). He was elected to be the Commander-in-Chief of the USA, not the Pastor-in-Chief.

As far as morality goes, what’s the beef that Dems/Libs & their auxiliary media have with him? He’s been a happily married man to a beautiful, intelligent woman since January 2005 and has an impressive family. I admit that I didn’t like it when he boasted during his first term, which was juvenile, but he’s learned his lesson since then. As for being gruff, this is fitting since America desperately needs someone with the spine to stand up to the LIEberal fascism that has been taking the nation over the cliff of gross folly & immorality, unlike pathetic RINOs, e.g. Mitt Romney. Boldness is a virtue and standing up to the corrupt Leftwing mob is something to be commended, not condemned.

Jesus Christ, by the way, is the Mighty LORD, not a weak milksop; see for yourself here.

Related Topics:

Understanding “the Right” and “the Left” from a Biblical Perspective

Understanding the Religion of LIEberalism

Q&A on HUMAN NATURE: Spirit, Mind & Flesh

(Pseudo) SCIENCE Is the “New God” and Dubious SCIENTISTS Are the “New Gods”

What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?

Image credit: Picasa

Can You PRAY IN YOUR MIND Without Speaking?

Prayer has to do with communicating with God; in other words, it’s talking to your Creator. While prayer is normally associated with speaking verbally, even if it’s just whispered, it is possible to pray to God in your mind. Here’s an example of this in the Scriptures when childless Hannah went to the Tabernacle:

9Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

12As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard.

1 Samuel 1:9-13a

Not only does the Bible not condemn Hannah for praying in this manner, but the LORD answered her prayer, as observed by verses 20 and 27.

Of course prayer should be voiced verbally in normal circumstances due to the power of words and speaking in faith, but obviously the LORD is perfectly able to ‘hear’ a prayer from one’s heart. Let me give an example from my own life: Sometimes I’ll be in bed ready to go to sleep. Carol might be sleeping at my side or not, but I’ll pray in my heart by giving thanks for this or that; it’s basically a  quiet state of praise & worship and a great prep for sleep. David did this, as observed in this verse:

On my bed I remember you;

    I think of you through the watches of the night.

Psalm 63:6

It could be argued that David was talking specifically about meditation, but the phrasing suggests both prayer (communion) and meditation.

Here are some other relevant passages to chew on:

The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked,

    but gracious words are pure in his sight.

Proverbs 15:26

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

    be pleasing in your sight,

    LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.

1 Peter 3:15a

“’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.“

Matthew 15:8

“…all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.”

Revelation 2:23b

1You have searched me, Lord,

     and you know me.

2You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3You discern my going out and my lying down;

     you are familiar with all my ways.

4Before a word is on my tongue

     you, Lord, know it completely.

Psalm 139:1-4

Closing Word

While atheists like to make fun of believers for having a relationship with their “invisible friend,” people were created to have a relationship with their Creator. In other words, fellowship with God is perfectly normal and is actually the first order of life. This explains Christ’s statement “seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). (Please notice that he said “seek first” and not “seek only”).

As far as personal relationship goes,

All of these people from the Old Testament had a relationship with the LORD despite the fact that they had an inferior covenant with God. Today a vastly superior covenant is available to all people through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 8:6-7). This is the awesome message of the gospel — we can reconcile with our Creator, be forgiven of sin, have a relationship, and receive eternal life & immortality (2 Timothy 1:10).

Related Topics:

PRAYER IS Communing with God

What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?

What Is the PRAYER OF JABEZ?

Does Christianity Make a Person INACTIVE or LAZY?

Biblical Christianity does not support laziness or the idea that God provides everything whilst the believer just sits on his/her derrière. Rather, the LORD is the believer’s helper (e.g. Psalm 121:2). Being your helper is vastly different from being your do-everything-for-you-so-you-don’t-have-to-do-anything-at-all-er.

For instance, God called the apostle Paul to take three missionary journeys in the eastern Mediterranean and set up assemblies from Judea to Rome over the course of almost two decades, which was an in incredibly arduous task. The LORD helped him accomplish this, but certainly didn’t do it for him. Paul had to get off his rump and carry it out, suffering many persecutions and hardships in the process (2 Corinthians 11:23-33).

As for laziness, the Bible is expressly against it, e.g. the proverb “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied” (Proverbs 13:4 ESV). Meanwhile the church in Thessaloniki had a rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Related Topics:

How to OBTAIN YOUR DESIRES

What Are the BASICS OF CHRISTIANITY?

REPENTANCE Is the First Doctrine of Christianity (for Jews AND Gentiles)

The Greek word for ‘repent’ is metanoia (meh-TAHN-oy-ah), which means to change your mind for the positive and therefore make practical reformations, if applicable. Repentance is dependent on first receiving a word of truth, whatever that truth might be (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17). After all, why would you change your mind about anything if you don’t first receive new information or a revelation? If you believe such a word of truth — that is, you have faith concerning it — you’ll change your mind accordingly and, consequently, your actions, one way or another.

This explains why repentance and faith go hand-and-hand; they’re two sides of the same coin, as pointed out by both Christ and Paul in the Scriptures (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21). The fact that they go hand-in-hand reveals why repentance and faith are the first two doctrines of biblical Christianity, as verified by Hebrews 6:1-2.*

* For details on the six basic doctrines of Christianity, go here.

This, in turn, explains why the very first word of John the Baptist’s first sermon was ‘repent,’ as well as Jesus Christ’s first sermon:

1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Matthew 3:1-2

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Matthew 4:17

Keep in mind that the New Covenant — i.e. the New Testament — started with the preaching of John the Baptist, as verified by the LORD (Luke 16:16).

While John’s ministry was short-lived — lasting only about a year — Christ continued to preach repentance during his 3.5 years of earthly ministry:

1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Luke 13:3-5

Did the Apostles of Christ in the 1st Century Follow Suit?

Of course. Read for yourself what James, Peter and John taught…

James

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James 1:21

6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.” c

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:6-10

While the apostle doesn’t technically mention ‘repent’ or ‘repentance’ in these passages, it’s precisely what he was talking about.

Peter

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38

1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

1 Peter 2:1-2

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

2 Peter 2:11

As with the examples from James’ epistle, Peter doesn’t technically mention the words ‘repent’ or ‘repentance’ in the latter two cases, but that is indeed what he was talking about.

John

8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:8-9

Confessing your sins is “keeping with repentance,” as John the Baptist put it (Matthew 3:8; Luke 3:8). Practice this regularly (and daily, if necessary) because it keeps your spiritual arteries clear of the build-up of unconfessed sin, which will block the flow of God’s grace/favor into your life if ignored.

What About Paul?

Paul was an apostle of the Lord too, as verified by several passages, it’s just that he didn’t meet Christ personally until after the Lord’s resurrection, which is why he referred to himself as one “abnormally born” (1 Corinthians 15:3-9).

The difference between Paul and the prior apostles is that he was commissioned to reach the Gentiles primarily (Galatians 2:8 – 2:9), but not exclusively, seeing as how Jews lived all over the landscape and were a minority in virtually every predominantly Gentile fellowship (1 Corinthians 9:19-21).

Did Paul preach repentance, like the other apostles? Absolutely:

I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Acts 20:21

Notice how Paul’s preaching corresponds to the aforementioned first two doctrines of biblical Christianity: Repentance and faith (Hebrews 6:1-2).

Consider a couple of other examples from Paul’s epistles:

9Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men a 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Paul was talking to believers here, not unbelievers. He stressed “do not be deceived” on the matter: Those who live a lifestyle of sin without care of penitence “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” However, believers who “keep with repentance” (Matthew 3:8; Luke 3:8) are forgiven on a daily basis and “cleansed from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21

Once again, Paul was speaking to believers and stressed that “those who live like this” — obviously without care of repentance — “will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

Titus 1:16

Paul was talking about those who claim to be Christians while their impenitent actions clearly deny the Lord. It explains why Christ said  that you can recognize people who falsely represent God “by their fruit” (Matthew 7:15-23). And, by the way, all genuine believers are called to represent God as witnesses and even speak for Him (Ephesians 5:1; 1 Peter 4:11).

The Lord Preached Repentance to Believers After His Ascension

This can be observed with the resurrected Christ’s instructions to five of the seven predominantly Gentile churches in Revelation 2-3, as follows:

The Lord used the word ‘repent’ seven times while addressing these five New Covenant assemblies. Keep in mind that Revelation was the final book of the New Testament canon of Scripture and thus it contains the final written instructions of Jesus Christ to his Church. Was he in error to speak to predominantly Gentile believers in this way? It’s a rhetorical question.

Why Is This Important?

The reason this scriptural info is vital is because there’s a whole segment of Evangelicals today who claim that keeping with repentance is irrelevant to salvation when, in fact, it’s the very first doctrine of biblical Christianity with faith being the second (Hebrews 6:1-2). Again, repentance and faith go hand-in-hand; they’re two sides of the same coin (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21). If you don’t “change your mind” corresponding to the truth you receive — whether that’s the Christian gospel or any other truth — than you don’t actually believe it, which means you don’t really have faith.

Then there’s the camp who claim that Gentile believers are only obligated to follow Paul’s instructions in his thirteen epistles from Romans to Philemon, which isn’t true as proven in this article. They also claim that Paul didn’t preach repentance, which is also a brazenly false doctrine, as observed by the crystal clear passages noted above, amongst others.

Related Topics:

What Are the BASICS OF CHRISTIANITY?

Once Saved Always Saved? — ANSWERING THE BEST ARGUMENTS

Does Christ’s GREAT COMMISSION Only Apply to Jewish Believers?

Are Believers ONLY to Receive From THE EPISTLES OF PAUL?

Did PAUL’S MESSAGE Contradict Jesus & James’ Gospel?

The SIX BASIC DOCTRINES of Christianity

Beware: The Enemy Will Attack BECAUSE OF THE WORD

Did you ever learn some exciting new truth from the Scriptures and suddenly found yourself facing troubles or persecutions out of nowhere? How can this be explained? It’s the kingdom of darkness trying to steal that particular truth from you, along with the corresponding blessings. The Lord explained it in his Parable of the Sower:

3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

9Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Mark 4:3-9

The disciples didn’t understand the parable, so the Lord explained the symbolism:

13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Mark 4:13-20

Verse 15 plainly shows that the kingdom of darkness will actively try to steal the word of truth that was sown in your heart from you. Notice how Luke’s account describes this:

“Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”

Luke 8:12

This parable doesn’t just refer to the word of the gospel of Christ, but any truth from God’s Word that “saves” you in one manner or another — blessing your spiritual walk and life in general — such as the word of truth concerning healing by faith or spiritual growth.

I’m sharing this article as a warning to growing believers: The enemy does not want you to mature spiritually and be set free of the flesh; he doesn’t want you to receive any blessing from the LORD and be fruitful in the kingdom of God. So, the kingdom of darkness will up the ante in troubles and persecution to compel you to spit out the word you received. The enemy does this “because of the word” or, as the KJV and NKJV put it, “for the word’s sake.” Don’t let the kingdom of darkness rob you. Resist and stand in faith, as Peter instructed:

6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:6-10

Peruse the suggested articles below to effectively arm yourself spiritually so you’ll overcome when the enemy inevitably attacks…

Related Topics:

What Are THE FOUR STAGES of Spiritual Growth?

The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH

What Are the BASICS OF CHRISTIANITY?

What Is the ARMOR & WEAPONRY of God?

SPIRITUAL WARFARE — Do You Know What You’re Fighting For?

What Are the SEVEN BODY GIFTS in the Church?

Led of the Spirit, Paul cited seven gifts in the body of Christ:

4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your a faith; 7if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, b do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:4-8

Every member of the worldwide Church has at least one of these gifts and should be operating in it on a regular basis. Let’s examine all seven…

1. Prophesying

Believers who have this gift shouldn’t be equated with occultist fortunetellers. The root word for prophesying (prof-ay-TIH-ah) is prophétés (prof-AY-tays), which means “an interpreter or forth-teller of the divine will.” A prophetic word includes the interpretation of tongues and is encouraging. It’s able to touch believers in that specific area where they need ministered. For example, Acts 15:32 says, “Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.” This is the purpose of the prophetic gift in the Church and reveals why it is so necessary — it encourages and strengthens believers. If you are ever in the spiritual doldrums, a strategic prophetic word is just thing to break you out of the malaise and spur you forward.

The difference between this “body gift” and the fivefold minister who functions in the position of prophet, is the level of anointing and scope of ministry.

2. Serving

The Greek word for this gift is diakonia (dee-ak-on-EE-ah), which stems from the root dee-AH-koh-nos (dee-AK-on-os). It means:

This is obviously where we get the word deacon. All official deacons in an assembly function in this gift, but not every believer who has the body gift of serving is a deacon in the official sense of the position. Official deacons function as ushers, secretaries, sound operators, security guards and so forth. Those with the “body gift” of serving perform similar services, such as greeting visitors and helping them to feel comfortable in the fellowship or getting a cup of coffee for the pastor or visiting minister and so forth. They’re just not official deacons and operate in a sort of “behind-the-scenes” capacity.

3. Teaching

The Greek word is the verb didaskó (did-AS-koh), which means to impart knowledge, instruct or “cause to learn.” Believers with this gift have a knack for understanding the Scriptures and explaining them to others, making a verse “come alive” with interesting insights.

As with the gift of prophesying, the difference between believers who function in this “body gift” and fivefold teachers is the level of anointing and scope of ministry.

4. Encouraging

This is self-explanatory. The Greek verb is parakaleó (pah-rah-kah-LEH-oh), which means:

5. Giving

This gift is also self-explanatory. It means to support someone or a group of people financially or materially. Every official ministry in the Church will have key givers who offer considerably more than tithing congregants. Those who have this gift have a knack for making money, sort of like a “Midas touch.” After all, you can’t give money or anything else unless you first have it or make it. Are you following?

This gift is vital because effective ministry costs money. I’m not just talking about the cost of getting God’s Word out to people and the technology and mediums necessary to do that (sound systems, books, tracts, websites, hosting, maintenance, etc.) but also the money and housing for fivefold ministers to focus on prayer and the ministry of the word as opposed to working a secular job to pay the bills. See Acts 6:1-4 to get my drift.

6. Leading

The Greek verb is proistemi (pro-IS-tay-mee), which means “to maintain, be over, rule.” Hence, believers with this gift have the grace to oversee others. You could say they’re “naturally born leaders.” It’s the gift of oversight.

We looked at the gifts of prophesying and teaching above. Just because someone has the ability to prophesy or teach, it doesn’t mean they have the grace of oversight. For instance, I’m a teacher and can teach on hundreds of topics effectively, as this website illustrates, but I have little interest in overseeing believers. By contrast, all group leaders, pastors and apostles (or those called to these positions) will have this gift.

It’s a good and necessary gift in the body of Christ, as long as the person is walking in the spirit. If not, head to the hills.

7. Showing Mercy

The Greek verb for this gift is eleeó (el-eh-eh’-o), which means to have and show compassion in word or deed. Like most of these gifts, it’s pretty self-explanatory.

 

What is your gift? Search you’re heart in prayer. Whatever it is, please operate in it on a regular basis. The body of Christ needs it… and you.

Related Topics:

What Are the Nine GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT?

The FIVEFOLD MINISTRY Gifts — Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher

PROPHETS — New Testament and Old Testament (There’s a Difference)

Official Prophets (Ministers) and Independent Prophets (Ministers)

Mentor & Protégé Dynamics

MINISTERIAL ABUSE — The Diotrephes Spirit vs. the Davidic Spirit

What is Cessationism and is it Biblical?

What Are the BASICS OF CHRISTIANITY?

Does Christ’s GREAT COMMISSION Only Apply to Jewish Believers?

There’s a popular teaching going around the Evangelical community that claims the Great Commission is only for Jewish believers and that Gentile believers are only obligated to fulfill what they call Paul’s commission. What does the Bible say?

Let’s start with defining Jesus Christ’s “great commission” from the Scriptures. Here it is from the Gospel of Matthew:

16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16-20

If the Great Commission only applies to “Israel’s apostles” and only to the Jewish people they were commissioned to reach, why did the Lord instruct in verse 19: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”? The Greek word for “nations” is ethnos, which means all ethnicities/peoples, not just people of Hebraic descent. Christ goes on to instruct in the next verse: “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” He was talking to the original disciples who very soon became apostles and instructs them to teach “all nations”—all ethnicities around the globe—to “obey everything” he commanded them.

It is true that these eleven disciples he was addressing were of Jewish heritage, so what? Led of the Spirit, Paul later pointed out:

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Colossians 3:11

Also see Romans 10:12.

 

Now let’s consider several other arguments from this flawed perspective and compare them to what the rightly-divided Scriptures say. All of these dubious arguments (in red italics) appear on a meme that’s going around:

‘The four gospels don’t apply to Gentile believers, only Paul’s epistles from Romans-Philemon’

The Lord plainly instructed his disciples (who, again, became the apostles):

“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached”

Luke 16:16

This clearly shows that the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6) started with the ministry of John the Baptist.

Speaking of which, the people who embrace this false doctrine basically teach that there are two new covenants, one for Jewish people and another for Gentiles. But…

The eleven apostles simply focused on reaching the Hebrews whereas Paul focused on reaching the Gentiles (Galatians 2:8 – 2:9). They had to adjust their approach accordingly, which explains Paul’s statement: “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law” (1 Corinthians 9:19-21).

What is “Christ’s law”? It’s the law of love, which the Lord plainly taught in Matthew 22:37-40; and Paul likewise preached (Galatians 6:2), nicely summing it up as: “Whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8).

Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 9 shows that he didn’t exclusively reach and minister to Gentiles since there were Hebrews practically everywhere he traveled, which explains what he told the Ephesian elders: “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks [Gentiles] that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21). Notice that he didn’t preach one gospel to the Jews and a different gospel to the Gentiles. Also notice that, whether a person is a Jew or a Gentile, turning to God through the gospel is a matter of repentance and faith, which go hand-and-hand, as Jesus taught (Mark 1:15). This explains why repentance and faith are the first two basic doctrines of Christianity, as revealed in Hebrews 6:1-2. They’re two sides of the same coin because, if you believe something (that is, have faith), you’ll change your thinking accordingly — that is, repent — which naturally has an effect on your actions or lifestyle.

One last thing on this topic, if Paul taught a different gospel from the one James, Peter and John taught, why were some Gentile believers in Corinth — an assembly that Paul pioneered — saying “I follow Cephas” (i.e. Peter) and “I follow Apollos,” as observed in 1 Corinthians 1:12-13? Keep in mind that Peter and Apollos were commissioned to focus on reaching the Jewish people (Galatians 2:8 – 2:9).

Similarly, why were there believers in Peter’s audience who also received from Paul’s epistles, as observed in 2 Peter 3:16? This shows that Paul and Peter (as well as James, John and Apollos) all taught the same gospel of Christ. They just acclimated the Christian message in relation to the people they were assigned to reach, whether Gentile or Jew. You’ll see this in the modern day: One minister will be commissioned to reach the general demographic of a certain area whereas another minister will focus on reaching minorities in the inner city; one minister will acclimate the gospel to reach simple rural folks while another will adjust it to serve educated metropolitan people. It’s the same message of Christ, just tweaked to effectively reach the people in question.

‘Paul said “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel” so Gentile believers don’t have to baptize believers as Christ instructed in Matthew 28:19‘

This argument fails to acknowledge the previous three verses of 1 Corinthians 1:17 where Paul noted that he baptized Crispus, Gaius and the household of Stephanas (1 Corinthians 1:14-16). The other people in Corinth who believed the gospel were simply water baptized by other believers. Paul’s focus at the time — his mission — was to plant assemblies across the landscape by preaching the gospel of Christ, teach the believers the basics, and move on to start additional assemblies.

Keep in mind that the Church fulfills the Great Commission in a collective sense, which is why Paul said, “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation” (1 Corinthians 14:26). Likewise, he elsewhere taught…

 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:6-8

In short, Christianity is not a matter of one person doing everything, but rather all believers fulfilling their particular assignment, small or great.

‘Paul’s commission doesn’t include signs and wonders, like Christ’s Great Commission’

This implies that Paul’s ministry didn’t include signs and wonders, yet he plainly said to the Corinthian believers: “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:4). And, later: “I persevered in demonstrating among you [Gentiles] the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles” (2 Corinthians 12:12).

This is not to suggest that all genuine believers in the worldwide Church — including fivefold ministers — are going to believe in or flow in the gifts of the Spirit, as explained here.

‘Christ’s last words to the Church were from Heaven to Paul, not the Great Commission’

Actually, Jesus addressed the seven churches in Asia (Turkey today) in the final New Testament book, which we known as Revelation, given to John via Christ around 95 AD (some 28 years after Paul’s last epistle of the New Testament). These seven assemblies were made up mostly of Gentiles, but not exclusively since there were Jews in each of them. In Revelation 2-3, the Lord addresses all of these churches as seven units of believers wherein he doesn’t once change his message corresponding to whether the believers were Jew or Gentile. Chew on that.

‘Paul’s commission is to “rightly divide the word of truth” and “preach the word” (2 Timothy 2:15; 4:2)’

Contextually, this was Paul’s instructions to his protégé Timothy corresponding to the young man’s duties as a pastor in Ephesus, although they apply to all believers in a general sense. Such instructions are not a separate commission, but rather part of Christ’s Great Commission, specifically:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Matthew 28:19-20

All believers are called to fulfill this commission, whether Jew or Gentile.

This article is also available in book form as part of chapter 7 of…

Related Topics:

Are Believers Only to Receive From THE EPISTLES OF PAUL?

Did PAUL’S MESSAGE Contradict Jesus & James’ Gospel?

When Did THE NEW TESTAMENT Start? When Did THE CHURCH Begin?

What Is THE BEREAN SPIRIT? How Do You Cultivate It?

HERMENEUTICS — Proper Bible Interpretation

The BASICS of Christianity

Why Did God Love Jacob but HATE ESAU?

Paul quoted God from the Hebraic Scriptures, saying: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Romans 9:13).  This raises several theological questions, including: Why did the LORD hate Esau? Was Esau in conflict with God? Isn’t God love, according to 1 John 4:16?

For answers, let’s start with the source of Paul’s quote:

1A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. a

Israel Doubts God’s Love

2“I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

Malachi 1:1-3

Esau and Jacob were twin sons of Isaac and grandsons of Abraham, our father of faith (Galatians 3:6-9). Only one of them could provide the family line through which the Messiah would come. God chose Jacob and thus made a covenant with him for that special role and not Esau. Thus ‘hatred’ for Jacob could be viewed as hyperbole in contrast God’s loyal love for Jacob, who was chosen to be a key instrument in God’s plan for humanity’s redemption.

Hyperbole is exaggeration for effect. To illustrate, consider Christ’s radical statement:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:26

Since the Lord clearly instructed us elsewhere to love others, including our parents (Mark 12:30-31; Matthew 15:1-4), we know he’s employing hyperbole here. In other words, our love for God is to be so great that our love for parents, spouses, children and siblings should seem like hatred by comparison.

Here’s another way of looking at it: Since Jacob played an important role in the redemption of humanity and Esau didn’t, you could say that God loved making redemption available for fallen humanity and hated the idea of humanity remaining in a fallen state.

For additional insights, consider how the writer of Hebrews describes Esau:

16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

Hebrews 12:16-17

Esau gave up his birthright for a single meal (Genesis 25:27-34) and this reveals something about his character: He put immediate gratification above long-term interests. Thus the writer of Hebrews describes him as “godless,” which is the Greek word bebélos (beh’-bay-los), meaning “worldly, profane, a godless person.” In other words, Esau was Earth-focused and therefore generally disinterested in the things of God & eternity. You could say he was interested only in the here-and-now. Despite his flaws, Jacob was the opposite, which can be observed in his amazing encounter with the LORD in Genesis 32:22-32.

Thus God favored Jacob above Esau. Nevertheless, Esau prospered greatly in the two decades after Jacob fled from his brother’s wrath (Genesis 27:41) and the LORD answered Jacob’s prayers, softening Esau’s heart (Genesis 33:1-11).

Related Topics:

GODLINESS and RELIGION — What’s the Diff?

HEBREWS / ISRAELITES / JEWS — Why Did God Choose Them?

REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation

The BASICS of Christianity

Why Did Paul BOAST in 2 Corinthians 11?

The Bible shows that arrogant boasting of one’s achievements, possessions or plans is carnal and foolish (Jeremiah 9:23-24; 1 Corinthians 5:6; James 4:16). The book of wisdom puts it like this:

Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;

    an outsider, and not your own lips.

Proverbs 27:2

So, why did Paul the apostle boast of several things in this passage…

12And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

16I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. 18Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. 19You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!

Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. 32In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. 33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.

2 Corinthians 11:12-33

Paul started the assembly in Corinth around 50-52 AD before moving on to pioneer other fellowships. In his absence, some tried to stake their claim as apostles and called into question the very one who pioneered the assembly, raising doubts about Paul’s character, motives and methods, even criticizing his supposedly weak presence in comparison to his forceful letters (2 Corinthians 10:9-11).

Paul plainly admits in this passage that he is “speaking as a fool” and was “out of [his] mind to talk like this” (verses 21 and 23), but he was backed against the wall and had no recourse but to defend himself against the carnal individuals who were unjustly trying to discredit him. As such, he lists his impressive ministry ‘credentials’ in verses 21-28.

Consider this Psalm passage:

Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly;

    But the proud He knows from afar.

Psalm 138:6 (NKJV)

Those close to the LORD and serving in the fivefold ministry are (ideally) extremely humble people. They are not boasters, but rather let their works and service speak for themselves. However, higher levels, bigger devils. In other words, anyone advancing the Kingdom of God will draw attack: The Enemy will raise up false believers to slander God’s servants in an attempt to discredit them by poisoning people’s minds with lies and negative spinning. That’s what was going on in Corinth. If this happens to you, like Paul, you might have no recourse but to “speak like a fool” to defend yourself and your service for the Kingdom (verses 21 and 23; 2 Corinthians 12:11).

I used to have a negative view of President Trump’s occasional bragging during his first term, but then it struck me that, similar to Paul, he was forced into a corner to “speak like a fool” due to the continuous slander of the lamestream media and LIEberal political opponents.

Related Topics:

LEGALISM — Understanding Its Many Forms

Avoiding Ministerial PITFALLS and ABUSES

MINISTERIAL ABUSE — The Diotrephes Spirit vs. the Davidic Spirit

The BASICS of Christianity

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