Daily Passage on Works: Gal. 6:7-10

Posted on 10/27/2013 by Paul Pavao

Day 11:

Galatians 6:7-10: Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to the flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of faith.

Explanation of Purpose:

I am conducting an experiment. I am going to post one verse or passage a day for as long as I can that addresses works for the Christian. I’m guessing I can keep it up for at least six months. I won’t stretch any passages out by dividing them into individual verses. If a whole passage is discussing works, I’ll use the whole passage that day.

I am doing this because “works” has become a taboo word in many Christian circles. Every time it is used, an apology must be given, and someone must explain that we are not saved by works. This happens despite the fact that James said that we are “justified by works” without any apology or explanation. If he can violate our social taboos, we should, too.

These will be short, so they’re not in place of regular posts. If you entered on this blog’s home page, make sure you look at the second post, too, which is probably more important.

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Differences Among the Apostles (Bible Interpretation)

Posted on 10/27/2013 by Paul Pavao

I explained the purpose of this post in yesterday’s post.

We tend to think of the Bible as one book. It’s not. “Bible” is from the Greek and Latin words for “books.” The books of the Bible were written by many different authors, and even though they were inspired by God, those authors varied in their terminology and expressions.

An example is the use of “eternal life” by the apostles Paul and John. It is true that “the Bible” says that we have eternal life now. However, it is also true that “the Bible” says that eternal life is something we will not receive until the judgment.

Through John, “the Bible” says that we who believe have eternal life already. Through Paul (and Matthew), “the Bible” says that eternal life is a future gift handed out at the judgment (e.g. Matt. 25:31-46; Rom. 2:7; 6:22-23; Gal. 6:7-9).

Does “the Bible” contradict itself?

Well, frankly, yes. It uses eternal life two different ways.

However, Paul and John don’t contradict each other. They just talk differently.

Paul speaks of a life that comes from God, which we have on this earth. He just doesn’t call it eternal life. He simply says “life.” For example, in Galatians 2:20, he writes, “I am crucified with the King, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but the King lives in me, and the life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Hmm. That’s not a good verse to use because it doesn’t have “life” in it, but it’s such a good verse I’m going to leave it quoted there. Let’s try this one: “For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor. 4:11). That has “life” in it and goes pretty well with Gal. 2:20.

So Paul believes that we have the life of Jesus in us already, and that Jesus lives through us.

John agrees. He just calls it eternal life already. In fact, he refers to Jesus as the embodiment of eternal life (1 Jn. 1:1-2).

So how do we reconcile their two different ways of speaking? For me, John explains how their terminology is reconciled in 1 Jn. 5:11-12:

This is the testimony, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one that has the Son has the life; the one that does not have the Son does not have life.

Eternal life is in the Son of God. If we have the Son, we have eternal life because he is eternal life. The reward offered at the judgment, however, is immortality. Eternal life will not only be in the Son and our possession of it determined by whether we have the Son or do not have the Son. Instead, God will reward us with eternal life, and we will become immortal.

According to the early Christians, that is one of the reasons that there is a judgment and that only the worthy will walk with Jesus in white (Rev. 3:4). Giving us immortality—eternal life as a possession of our own—is the equivalent of Man in the garden eating from the tree of life and living forever. God stationed a cherubim with a flaming sword to keep sinful Man away from that tree.

At the judgment, he will admit the righteous to that tree. Immortality will be ours. It is a tremendous gift that cannot be given to the race of Adam. It is given only to those who overthrow Adam and become part of the new Man, the new creation brought about by Jesus Christ.

Quotes & References

[God] will repay everyone according to his works; to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality by patiently continuing to do good, he will repay eternal life. (Rom. 2:5-7)

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when the corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then the saying shall be brought to pass that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Cor. 15:53-54)

Be sober as an athlete of God: the prize set before you is immortality and eternal life. (Ignatius, Letter to Polycarp 2, c. AD 110)

Having through patience overcome the unjust governor and thus acquired the crown of immortality, [Polycarp] now, with the apostles and all the righteous, glorifies God with joy. (Martyrdom of  Polycarp 19, c. AD 165)

How blessed and wonderful, beloved, are the gifts of God! Life in immortality, splendor in righteousness, truth in perfect confidence, faith in assurance, self-control in holiness! … Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those that wait for him, in order that we may share in his promised gifts. (1 Clement 35, AD 95-96)

[Jesus] shall come from heaven with glory, accompanied by his angelic host, when he shall also raise the bodies of all men who have lived and shall clothe those of the worthy with immortality. (Justin, First Apology 52, c. AD 155)

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Daily Passage on Works: Romans 2:4-9

Posted on 10/26/2013 by Paul Pavao

In context, this passage is directed at Jews, even though it is in the letter to the Romans:

Day 10: Romans 2:4-9: Do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; who will pay back to everyone according to their works. To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life, but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation, oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Explanation of My Project

I am conducting an experiment. I am going to post one verse or passage a day for as long as I can that addresses works for the Christian. I’m guessing I can keep it up for at least six months. I won’t stretch any passages out by dividing them into individual verses. If a whole passage is discussing works, I’ll use the whole passage that day.

I am doing this because “works” has become a taboo word in many Christian circles. Every time it is used, an apology must be given, and someone must explain that we are not saved by works. This happens despite the fact that James said that we are “justified by works” without any apology or explanation. If he can violate our social taboos, we should, too.

These will be short, so they’re not in place of regular posts. If you entered on this blog’s home page, make sure you look at the second post, too, which is probably more important.

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Difficult Verses and Bible Interpretation

Posted on 10/26/2013 by Paul Pavao

I was exhorted in a comment to make my purposes clear in my posts. The apostles, I was told, always had a call to action. That thought led to this post, but I don’t know what my call to action is in this post.

I think that our modern doctrines create many contradictions in the Bible. Especially in our interpretations of Paul, we draw conclusions that make other apostles and the Gospels very difficult to understand.

Many years ago, I was very nervous about expressing alternative interpretations of Paul’s writings. Who am I? Why should anyone listen to me?

All I had 20 years ago was the ability to show people interpretations of the Scripture that took away most of the verses we would consider “difficult.” I got there by struggling over verses that didn’t make sense to me, the goal being to wind up with no “difficult” verses that seemed to contradict conclusions I’d drawn from other verses. I didn’t even know if that was possible, but over a few years, things started clicking into place.

Then someone gave me a book to review, called Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up. It was a review of the writings of 2nd and 3rd century Christians, writings I didn’t even know existed.

It was supposed to be a shocking revelation of the ancient church. The things David Bercot revealed in his book contained many ideas that modern Christians would call heresy (thus the title).

Not to me. To my surprise, I had finally found a group of people who agreed with me across the board.

Now I’m not just a guy with some Bible interpretations. At one time, my Bible interpretations were the norm.

I have this idea–maybe I’m fooling myself–that I can help others read the Bible without difficult verses.

Difficult Verses?

What do I mean by all this talk about difficult verses? Well, I’ll give you two examples.

I got the terminology, “difficult verses,” from two radio personalities, Hank Haanegraaf and Bob George, back in the 1990’s. Haanegraaf once compared John 10:28 and 2 Peter 2:20-21. He referred to John 10:28 as a “clear” verse and “2 Peter 2:20-21” as a “difficult” passage. Difficult passages, he said, should be interpreted in the light of clear ones.

The problem is that there is nothing unclear or difficult about 2 Peter 2:20-21. A child could understand what it says. The only difficult thing about that passage is that Hank Haanegraaf doesn’t agree with what it says. The other problem is that Haanegraaf can’t reconcile what it says with his interpretation of John 10:28.

Haanegraaf and millions of other Christians have the luxury, in that situation, of picking which verse they prefer and writing off the other one with a weak explanation.

I don’t have that luxury. To me, people like Haanegraaf are teaching Christians that it is normal for the Bible to say contradictory things.

My other example is from a systematic theology I read back in the 80’s. The book had a chapter on eternal security, and that chapter went through a long proof that anyone who is really saved can never lose their salvation. The chapter ended with a list of verses that “seemed” to contradict their conclusion.

The problem was that the list was somewhere around 50 verses long!

Do we really want to read the Bible this way? Is it really that difficult to find people who want their Bible to make sense, to agree with itself?

It’s not like I’m asking Christians to adopt some novel theology of mine. I’m talking about looking at the writings of people who grew up in churches started by apostles. I’m talking about doctrines that for 300 years after the time of the apostles were agreed upon by all Christians churches. I’m talking about history that is not alternative or hidden, but can be found in any Christian bookstore.

Well, this long plea and explanation of where I’m coming from is long enough that I will get to the point of my post tomorrow. I was going to give an example of interpreting the Bible without difficult verses using teachings of the early church. I still will, but tomorrow.

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Daily Passage on Works: Day 9

Posted on 10/25/2013 by Paul Pavao

I am conducting an experiment. I am going to post one verse or passage a day for as long as I can that addresses works for the Christian. I’m guessing I can keep it up for at least six months. I won’t stretch any passages out by dividing them into individual verses. If a whole passage is discussing works, I’ll use the whole passage that day.

I am doing this because “works” has become a taboo word in many Christian circles. Every time it is used, an apology must be given, and someone must explain that we are not saved by works. This happens despite the fact that James said that we are “justified by works” without any apology or explanation. If he can violate our social taboos, we should, too.

These will be short, so they’re not in place of regular posts. If you entered on this blog’s home page, make sure you look at the second post, too, which is probably more important.

Day 9: For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. (2 Pet. 2:20-21)

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2 Peter 1:5-7: The Normal Christian Life in 3 Verses

Posted on 10/25/2013 by Paul Pavao

This will probably be my favorite blog post ever.

Everything I am about to say about 2 Peter 1:5-7 assumes that you have already read verses 3-4 and understand them. We can do the things in verses 5-7 BECAUSE we have great and precious promises and have been made partakers of the divine nature. If you don’t have the power of verses 3-4, then verses 5-7 will be nothing but a goal that cannot be achieved.

There are seven steps listed in verses 5-7. We are to be growing in all of them, but when we see them as a sequence, we find a beautiful picture of the Christian life:

Faith

Faith is where we begin. Unless we are born again by  faith, we cannot see the kingdom of heaven, neither here on earth or in eternity, for the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom. Faith is what gives you access to grace, and grace will make you a new creature, “created in Christ Jesus for good works.”

Virtue

Some Bible versions translate this “moral excellence.” When we come to Christ, we come with a knowledge of what is moral and virtuous. That knowledge is not necessarily accurate, but the first thing that Peter tells us to “diligently” add to faith is virtue. The newly born again Christian should, and usually does, begin to live a moral life as best he knows how. This is called repentance.

Knowledge

We do not learn in the world what is truly virtuous. We learn that from God. As we begin to walk in virtue, we should make every effort to add knowledge. What really pleases God? The Scriptures and our brothers and sisters guide us in this. As we walk further down the path Jesus is leading us on, circumstances and the Spirit within us will refine our knowledge of what is pleasing to our Master.

Self-Control

Knowing what is pleasing to God and doing it are two different things. As James says, “Let us be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves” (1:22). Our increasing knowledge needs self-control added to it, lest we be found mere actors rather than real Christians.

Perseverance/Patience

A little self-control is a good thing. Continuing in self-control is more difficult. We must add perseverance to our self-control. When trials come, when hardships come, when times of boredom set in, we must persevere.

Godliness

The longer you walk with God–that you really walk with God, depending on him, knowing that apart  from him you can do nothing–the more your virtue, self-control, and perseverance will set into your soul. The Word of God (which is Jesus himself, not only the Scripture) has a goal to separate your soul and spirit (Heb. 4:12). The Spirit of God dwells in your spirit, mixing with it to become one just as  husband and wife should become one in flesh (1 Cor. 6:16-17).

We want more than obedience. We want godliness. That comes as we put to death our soul, denying its desires, and live by the desires that are set in our spirit by the Spirit of God. This will never happen without the trials that are required to produce the patience of the previous step (Jam. 1:2-4; Rom. 5:3-5). Those trials produce brokenness in us, destroying our trust in ourselves. God’s light can shine from us through the breaks and cracks that he has created in our soul so that his Spirit can shine from your spirit.

The result is not just righteousness, nor just good deeds. The result is godliness.

The end result is nothing short of divine, and we all long to be godly in this way. The path to godliness, however, comes through self-control and perseverance.

Brotherly Kindness

As we become godly, our tempers are tamed. Our pride is broken. We begin to be able to be more concerned for our brothers and sisters than for ourselves. We are finally able to produce real kindness, real care for those around us.

We would like to think we love. We should try to love, and we should grow in love, but real love, agape love, is far above what we mortals understand. It takes a long path of our effort (virtue, knowledge, self-control) and God’s intervention in our lives (troubles sent to create perseverance) just to get us to brotherly kindness!

The word for brotherly kindness, interestingly enough, is philadelphia. There is a phileo form of love that is true friendship. Agape, though, comes from God.

Love

This is the ultimate goal. To love is indeed something we can choose. We can act in love. However, true agape (the Greek word used in 2 Pet. 1:7) can only come from God. We must grow into it. Those who have become godly and are walking in philadelphia, the love of the brethren, begin to find love inside of them. It is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5), and the pure live in it.

The Holy Spirit lives in all of us who belong to Christ. There is infinite love inside of him, but that does not mean it is accessible to you or given to others. Your soul can be a hard shell around it, or be mixed with your spirit and dilute or completely block the divine nature Jesus created deep within you when you believed in him. That is why the Word of God (again, in Heb. 4:12-13, that’s clearly Jesus, not the Scriptures) must divide the soul from the Spirit.

It is a long path to truly walking in love. That is why we should be so excited about the trials that come our way. We want agape to be all that comes out of us. A bad day, a cold, a broken down car, or even cancer and chemotherapy. If it allows the agape love of the Spirit of God to pour out of us, then let us fall on the stone of stumbling and be broken. There is no greater goal for the Christian than to be like him. God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29).

That is God’s hope, and Peter explains to us the route in three short verses.

Note in reference to related articles below: WordPress suggests related articles to me when I blog, and  I choose from among WordPress’ suggestions. So if an article is listed at the end of a post of mine, it’s because I chose it. Sometimes that’s just to let you see an alternative opinion and how people came to it. Today, though, I want to specifically recommend “Am I depending on God or Myself?” It’s a good blog, and I highly recommend Jerry Bridges’ books, at least as far as they address the spiritual disciplines of a Christian.

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Daily Passage on Works: Day 8

Posted on 10/24/2013 by Paul Pavao

I am conducting an experiment. I am going to post one verse or passage a day for as long as I can that addresses works for the Christian. I’m guessing I can keep it up for at least six months. I won’t stretch any passages out by dividing them into individual verses. If a whole passage is discussing works, I’ll use the whole passage that day.

I am doing this because “works” has become a taboo word in many Christian circles. Every time it is used, an apology must be given, and someone must explain that we are not saved by works. This happens despite the fact that James said that we are “justified by works” without any apology or explanation. If he can violate our social taboos, we should, too.

These will be short, so they’re not in place of regular posts. If you entered on this blog’s home page, make sure you look at the second post, too, which is probably more important.

Day 8: Seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue, by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises, that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. Yes, and for this very cause, adding on your part all diligence, in your  faith supply moral excellence; in moral excellence, knowledge; in knowledge, self-control; in self-control, patience; in patience, godliness; in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. For if these things are in you and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotting the cleansing from his old sins. Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. (2 Pet. 1:3-11)

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Why?

Posted on 10/24/2013 by Paul Pavao

I saw a video the other day that explained one of the reasons I’m such a terrible salesman and marketer. I suspect it will be life-changing for me. It talked about products or ideas and the what, how, and why of those ideas.

He drew this illustration. (This is my drawing, not his, so don’t blame him for the chicken scratch writing.)

why-drawing-10-2013

He said most companies begin with “what,” and they may explain “how,” but they never get to “why.” Then he said people don’t buy what you have to sell. They buy what you believe. It is most important, he said, to tell them “why” you believe what you believe, not what you want your audience to receive.

I can’t really explain why that “clicked” for me.

I’ve always been told that I need to know who my audience is when I write. I’ve also been told that I need to write in such a way that my readers know what’s in it for them rather than just what I want to tell them. It’s about the reader, not about me.

I’ve never been able to get that. I kept thinking, “My audience is anyone who will listen to me. The message I have is important. How do I narrow that down?” I thought, “What does the reader get? The reader gets what I’m talking about. Usually, I’m talking about the church, about church life, and about the truth the apostles handed down to the church. I’m talking about preserving that truth. What could be more important than that?”

Somehow, I realized that because I’m stuck on “what” and my readers often don’t understand “why” I’m saying what I’m saying. As a result, they don’t really even understand “what” I’m saying. I’m rambling all over the landscape, talking about all sorts of things to them. To me, however, I’m always talking about one thing …

The Gospel as it was given by King Jesus to the apostles, and then by the apostles to the church.

The ramifications of pursuing that Gospel are phenomenal because we have lost so much of it.

Yes, we are doing good things. Yes, people are getting saved. Yes, there are some phenomenal, powerful Christians and churches in our day.

Yet, just because those things are true, do we really want to ignore the fact that 60% of Americans who think they are Christians admit they are either static or backsliding in their spiritual life? Do we really want to ignore the fact that the world sees Christianity as representing the height of division when Jesus said that our unity is what would prove he is the Son of God? (Jn. 17:20-23). Do we really want to ignore the fact that 90% or so of those who make a profession of faith, walk the aisle, or pray a sinner’s prayer are going to fall away? Do we really want to ignore the fact that most of our pastors have no close friends and that many need counseling as a result?

I could go on and on, but one primary issue that touches me is that God has promised to set the solitary in families, and we usually offer to set them in an audience. In best case scenarios, one person follows up on them in a mentor capacity.

When I write such things, I am not complaining. I am making a case for returning to the faith once delivered to the saints. It addresses every one of those problems without directly addressing any of them. Return to the faith the apostles preached, the Gospel that was lived out in their churches, and every one of those problems I just listed will disappear like a thick fog burned away by the sun.

We would have new problems instead. The kind of problems Paul, Peter, James, and John wrote about in their letters. The apostles writings would come alive to us because we would be reading them in the same environment they wrote them in.

The last thing the man in the video said was that our audience is the people who believe what we believe.

I believe that there is nothing greater than to continue daily in the apostles’ teaching, the breaking of bread, prayers, and fellowship. I believe there is nothing greater than sharing all things and being part of God’s family, headed up by King Jesus, love pouring down from heaven as the perfect bond of unity, and being taught together by the Lord God himself.

Everything I write is toward that purpose. To that I am willing to commit myself.

And if I am alive from the dead, living a second chance of life after recovery from a normally fatal disease, then that is what I am alive for. I will fight to my last breath for the faith once delivered to the saints because it delivers to the saints all the promises of God.

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Daily Passage on Works: Day 7

Posted on 10/23/2013 by Paul Pavao

I am conducting an experiment. I am going to post one verse or passage a day for as long as I can that addresses works for the Christian. I’m guessing I can keep it up for at least six months. I won’t stretch any passages out by dividing them into individual verses. If a whole passage is discussing works, I’ll use the whole passage that day.

These will be short, so they’re not in place of regular posts. If you entered on this blog’s home page, make sure you look at the second post, too, which is probably more important.

Day 7: If you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, then conduct yourself throughout the time of your sojourning here in fear. (1 Pet. 1:17)

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The Taboo Scriptures

Posted on 10/23/2013 by Paul Pavao

I was asked today by a friend, and a couple days ago on Facebook, if the Scriptures that I claim are “taboo” to American Christians all concern faith and works.

The answer is that verses on works comprise the majority of taboo verses, ones that modern Christians may know are in the Bible, but we’re not supposed to repeat them … at least not without explaining why they don’t mean what they say.

Today, though, I had a little time to think, and here’s some other categories:

The following verses are taboo. You can read them, but do not say them without explanation, and certainly don’t be deceived by what they say!

Note: Some of my choices of subjects below are going to make you think I’m “Church of Christ.” I am not, and if I were, I’d have my own list of ignored or explained away verses, especially ones having to do with walking in the Spirit.

Baptism:

  • 1 Peter 3:21: “… baptism now saves us”
  • Gal. 3:27: “As many of us as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
  • Acts 22:16 “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
  • John 3:5: “Most assuredly, I tell you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
  • Titus 3:5: “Not by works that we have done, but according to his mercy he has saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

Trinity:

  • Col. 1:15: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation”
  • Prov. 8:22: “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth was. When there were no deeps, I was born. … Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was born.”
  • John 17:3 (Jesus praying): “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and King Jesus, whom you have sent.”
  • 1 Cor. 8:6: “For us, there is but one God, the Father … and one Lord, King Jesus, the Son of God.”

Money:

  • Luke 18:24: “How hard it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God.”
  • Luke 12:32-33: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have, and give alms. Provide yourselves with bags that do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail … for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
  • 1 Tim. 6:9: “Those that want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap, and into many foolish and harmful desires, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”
  • Luke 14:33: “Whoever of you does not forsake everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

Fellowship:

  • Heb. 3:13: “Mentor one another day by day, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
  • Acts 4:32: “And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul, nor did any of them say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

Miscellaneous:

  • 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 (head coverings)
  • 1 Tim. 3:15 (church is the pillar and support of the truth)

Not all churches ignore 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. Some address it, and they explain it as cultural. Not all churches ignore Acts 4:32. They say it only happened in Jerusalem. (History says that’s not true.)

I don’t want to fault people where their interpretation is reasonable. Paul and James both talk about rich people in the church, so how could they have shared everything? Where churches are addressing those questions in some reasonable way, even if they disagree with me, I’m not complaining.

However, I think every other Scripture mentioned here, outside of the two I just addressed, are usually ignored like they don’t exist or dismissed with an excuse. I don’t want to honor those excuses by calling them an explanation or an interpretation. They are not. They are so pitiful that it is clear that the people making them do not care what Jesus or Paul or Peter or James or God himself is trying to tell them through that verse.

Really, though, that last paragraph is off subject.

My Point

My point is that these are verses that we just don’t say, except to explain them away. We direct them at no one. There is no situation where we would say to anyone the words of any of these verses.

When it is taboo to repeat things apostles said, or when we cannot think of any circumstance in which we would say or do what Jesus and the apostles said and did, then we have a problem.

Borrowing a phrase from the Declaration of Independence, I declare that truth to be self-evident, at least for “Bible-believing” Christians.

For any of you that feel I have my own list of ignored verses, you would only be doing me a favor if you pointed them out to me.

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