John the Baptist

Posted on January 15, 2025 by admin

Matthew 3 tells us about the ministry of John the Baptist prior to when Jesus appeared on the scene. About half of Matthew 3 is John berating the religious leaders of his day because while they came to his baptism, hey did not “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matthew 3:8 ESV). In other words, their actions did not correspond with their words.

John’s words apply to us as well. We can claim to be Christians, we can be baptized, attend church, tithe, take communion. But all these are meaningless if we do not bear fruit, which means we change our lives, change our person, change our soul so it is like Christ. We can take all sorts of action that makes us seem to be a Christian but as God tells Samuel:  “. . .For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”  (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV).

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What Is a Christian?                                                                                                            

Posted on January 7, 2025 by admin

So what exactly is a Christian?   Webster’s defines it as “pertaining to or derived from Jesus Christ or his teachings”.  That does not provide much help because there are many conflicting ideas of what Jesus taught.  As we noted in the last blog, there are scores of different Christian organizations each with differing doctrinal statements all of which claim to be based on Jesus’ teachings.

Could we define Christianity with only three doctrinal statements?

  1. Love God with all your soul and mind.
  2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
  3. Acceptance that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.

I choose the first two because Jesus says all the Law and Prophets are based on them. 

“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”  (Matthew 22:37-40 ESV).

Additionally, Christianity is more than a belief system it requires action and love is an action not a feeling or emotion (1 Corinthians 13).

 I choose the third because the apostle Paul says it is of first importance.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV)

What do you think?

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Defining Christianity

Posted on November 30, 2024 by admin

WORLD recently published an article on faith and politics.  In the article they quoted a political scientist at a university as saying:  “. . .the label ‘Christianity’ doesn’t mean much anymore, at least when it comes to politics: while a majority [of candidates] claim to be Christian, defining what that means is complicated.” [1]

Why is it so difficult to define what it means to be a Christian?  What is complicated about being a Christian?  If God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), he would not make it complicated.  Instead, we have a multitude of different Christian denominations, and each denomination has pages of doctrinal statements each of which they claim is God’s truth.

True, Jesus does say the way to destruction is easy and wide and the way to life is difficult and narrow.  He did not say the narrow way was complicated (Matthew 7:13-14).

God is not the one who makes being a Christian complicated; we do.  One reason is that everyone wants to use Christianity to their material advantage.  Our Christianity is defined by what provides us with the most advantage in our material existence.  Instead, we should be striving to remake our soul so it becomes more like God.

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[1]   Elizabeth Russell and Christina Grube.   “Faith and politics”.  WORLD, September 2024, p.19.

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John 3:16

Posted on October 29, 2024 by admin

John 3:16 might be the most famous verse in the Bible. We see it displayed at sporting events and Christian organizations are named after it, but have you read John 3:36?

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36 ESV)

However, other translations give a different interpretation.  For example:

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36 KJV)

Why is there such a difference in how this verse is translated?  Why does one translation say “believe” and another says “obey”?

In the original Greek, we are dealing with two different words.  In the first half of John 3:36, the word translated as “belief“ is correctly translated in both of the above translations.  However, the word translated “belief” or “obey” in the second half of the verse implies obedience that can be observed and is produced by belief. [1]  This is what the whole book of James teaches.  “. . .Faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:26 ESV)  If we truly believe something, there will be consequences of that belief in terms of our conduct.  As Christians has our beliefs changed our conduct?

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[1]   Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, copyright 1985.

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A More Excellent Way

Posted on October 8, 2024 by admin

In his letter to the Corinthians Paul compares the Christian church to the human body which is one body but has many different parts each of which has different functions (1 Corinthians 12).  In order for the body to function properly, all these different functions are necessary.  Earlier in the chapter Paul lists the functions or gifts within the Christian body or community:

  1. Apostles
  2. Prophets
  3. Teachers
  4. Workers of miracles
  5. Healing
  6. Helping
  7. Administrating
  8. Speaking in tongues
  9. Interpretation of tongues

Paul instructs us to “earnestly desire” these gifts.  However, in the last sentence in chapter 12 Paul tells us he knows “a still more excellent way.”

In chapter 13, Paul describes the more excellent way as love.  He defines love as an action, not as an emotion.  It is how we treat one another.  And Paul places so high a priority on love that he states we ought to desire it more than being an apostle or having the ability to heal others or any of the other gifts he mentions in chapter 12.

As Christians, do we place a higher priority on developing and utilizing our “gifts” than on how we treat others?  Is holding a position of influence in a Christian organization more important than being “patient and kind” with those with whom we work?  Developing and using our gifts and talents is important (Matthew 25:14-30) but not at the expense of how we treat others.

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My Dad passed away in June of this year at the age of 97.  It is difficult to describe his influence on my life because he was such an integral part of it.  I have been coming to terms with the loss of such a towering figure in my life.  That is why I have not contributed to this blog over the past few weeks. 

My Dad must have enjoyed variety in his work life. It seems that as soon as he mastered one trade he would move on to something else.  He was a farmer, served in the Army at the end of World War II in the Aleutian Islands as a supply clerk, put himself through college working in a warehouse while supporting a wife and four kids, a pastor, a variety of positions in various Christian organizations including a foreign mission agency where he purchased and shipped supplies all over the world, managed motels, managed a lawn and garden equipment shop, was a machinist, and a prison chaplain.

Dad was involved in Christian organizations for most of his life and he remained fully committed to Christianity his whole life.  So when I began to ask questions about Christianity, sparks did fly.  However, in spite of our disagreements, there was never a question that Dad loved me and he did provide much assistance.  Looking back on my relationship with Dad, I realize the greatest gift he (and Mom) gave me was the security of knowing that whatever curves life threw me, whatever dumb decisions I made, there was always a place called home to which I could turn.

Posted on September 10, 2024 by admin | Leave a comment

What the Bible Says

Posted on June 3, 2024 by admin

I was raised in a Christian community and was always taught that salvation is only through belief in Jesus.  In this blog, we argue that salvation is through the change of our soul so it becomes like God and we have a quite lengthy list of Biblical passages that support this conclusion (see the tab entitled “What the Bible Says about Salvation”).  For those of you who do not have the time to look up all those passages, we have compiled a list of seven passages which documents our conclusion.

  • Belief in God – Acts 10:34-35 – So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
  • Repentance of our sins –  2 Corinthians 7:10 – For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
  • Conduct or holiness — Romans 2:6-12-  He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.  There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.  For God shows no partiality.
  • Persistence – Hebrews 6:4-6 – For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
  • Development of our abilities – Matthew 25:14-30 [This is the parable of the talents and Jesus concludes by saying]:  For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
  • Salvation is a process, not an event – Philippians 2:12 – Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
  • Not being cowardly – Revelation 21:8 – But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.  [How many sermons have you heard about how being cowardly can send you to hell?]

Just remember there are 70 other verses that teach the same.  My question is:  If every word of the Bible is inspired by God, why did he place these verses in the Bible?

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Actions Matching Our Words

Posted on February 29, 2024 by admin

At the church I attend, we are studying the book of James on Wednesday night.  We are using a study guide by David Jeremiah and he asks:  “Why is it so important that our actions align with our words?”. [1]  He lists James 2:12 as a hint.  “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” (James 2:12 ESV).  He also lists Matthew 7:15-23 where Jesus states that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter heaven but only those who do the will of God.

What Jesus and James are telling us is that it takes more than a verbal statement of belief in Jesus to go to heaven; it takes a change in our lives to match what Jesus taught.  Since we will be judged as to whether our actions match our words or not, it behooves us to make this change.  Is this what mainstream Christianity teaches?

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[1]   Dr. David Jeremiah.  James.  Grand Rapids, MI:  HarperChrisitian Resources, 2021, p.55.

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Knowing vs. Doing

Posted on January 29, 2024 by admin

A college president recently stated that “knowing is higher than doing” because we need to know how we are to act before we can act. [1]  I understand his point.

However, understanding how we are to act and then not acting is, in terms of results, the same as not knowing.  And we all know we do not always live up to our ideals.  “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15 ESV)

It seems to me we must have both knowing and doing.  What is the purpose of knowing, of learning?  Is it not to change our doing, to change how we live our lives?

That is why the definition of the Greek word for belief includes more than just knowledge but also includes faithfulness, obedience, and a personal relationship. [2]

By their fruits we will know them (Matthew 7:16).  It is not just by someone’s knowledge that we know them.

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[1]  Larry P. Arnn.  “Hillsdale’s Mission and the Politics of Freedom”.  Imprimis, November 2023, p. 2.

[2[   Gerhard Kittle and Gerhard Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 6, pp. 175ff.

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Doing What Is Right

Posted on January 4, 2024 by admin

I have been reading in Proverbs lately.  One does not expect lessons in theology from Proverbs but two verses highlight what we have been saying in this blog.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.  (Proverbs 21:2-3 ESV)

On what basis does God judge us?  Verse 2 says God weighs our heart, and our heart is more than our belief system.  Our heart is what we are at our core, what our soul is like.

Sacrifices in the Old Testament were the God ordained requirement from the beginning of time for the remembrance and atonement of sins committed yet this passage (and many others) state that to do right and justice are more important.  Evidently our actions are more important than following some ritual.  Why?  Because God wants our entire soul changed and we change our soul when we take actions that at times will require a sacrifice of us, that will cost us financially, socially, politically.

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”  (Hebrews 13:16 ESV).

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