What Did Jesus Say?

I am often accused of writing anti-Christian propaganda. I don’t. The best, closest description of what I write is anti-institutionalism criticism and analysis. That too may be a misnomer as I am, in truth, questioning what has become of the Baptist Church, just as Jesus called into question the teachings of his own Pharisees brethren (or close cousins). I do firmly question the wisdom of the Baptist traditions and teachings. I do have the gall to question the preachers of the Religious Right.
In the mid 1970s, the Baptist Church began drifting away from God’s love, as expressed by Jesus Christ, to a roomful of civil baggage, which one had to believe in order to be considered a good Christian. While such beliefs, if personally held by the conviction of the mind or soul, are respectable, they are false and contemptuous if forced for social conformity. This baggage includes, but is by no means limited to:

·      Anti-Abortion/Pro-Life
·      Inerrancy of scripture
·      Personal wealth as a sign of righteousness
·      The supremacy of the GOP as the party of God
·      The United States as the expression of God’s chosen people
·      The hype of the Second Coming of Jesus
·      The abolition of the themes of social equity in scripture
·      Winner-take-all competition
·      Cut-throat capitalism
·      Individualism over and above social responsibility
·      The intrusion into individual’s private life
·      The absolute disregard for the suffering inflicted upon others by the corrupt application of any or all of the stances listed above.

Of all the crimes committed against the people of the United States today, the last point, a travesty of any of the teachings of Jesus Christ, is the most exasperating. This is what Jesus taught:

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.[1]

It is not exactly the hell fire and brimstone of the Southern Baptist. It is not about sex, abortion, submission, or social placement. It is about what you do and do not do for others!



[1] Matthew 25:31-46 KJV
Location: Fort Worth, TX, USA

Comments

  1. Steve FinnellNovember 4, 2014 at 9:56 PM

    WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE BY STEVE FINNELL

    I believe every word of the Bible. I believe every verse of Scripture. I believe everything God says in His book.

    WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE IS WHAT THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY.

    I believed Jesus when He said, in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that who ever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

    WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE, IS WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY IN John 3:16.

    1. Jesus did not say, sprinkling water on infants, is Christian baptism.
    2. Jesus did not say water baptism precedes believing in Him.
    3. Jesus did not say, to baptize unbelieving babies or unbelieving adults and then teach them to have faith at a later date. ( If you can baptized non-believing babies, then why not baptize non-believing adults?)
    4. Jesus did not say, infants who have been sprinkled are part of His body.
    5. Jesus did not say, men are saved by "faith only."
    6. Jesus did not say, men are saved by "grace alone."
    7. Jesus did not say, men are saved before they are baptized in water.
    8. Jesus did not say, water baptism is just a testimony of the believers faith and has nothing to do with the forgiveness of sins.
    9. Jesus did not say, God has selected a few men to be saved and has appointed all others to burn in hell.
    10. Jesus did not say, men did not have to repent to have their sins forgiven.(Repentance means to make the commitment to turn from sin and turn toward God)
    11. Jesus did not say, men do not have to confess Him, as the Son of God, in order to have their sins forgiven.
    12. Jesus did not say that men do not have to confess Him as Lord and Savior in order to enter the kingdom of God.
    13. Jesus did not say men do not have to believe in His death, His burial, and His resurrection from the grave in order to be saved.
    14. Jesus did not say men will will be saved as long as they are sincere in what they believe.
    15. Jesus did not say, I am just one of many ways to the Father.
    16. Jesus did not say, there is not a literal hell where the lost will spend eternity.
    17. Jesus did not say, you do not have to be born of water and Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God.
    18. Jesus did not say, God will give, those He selects for salvation, the faith to believe, so they can be saved.
    19. Jesus did not say, speaking in tongues is evidence that men have been saved.
    20. Jesus did not say, if you were on on your death bed and wanted to believe, but died before you believed that He would saved you anyway.
    21. Jesus did not say, if you believed, but died before you had time to be baptized in water, that you would sill be saved.
    22. Jesus did not say, water baptism is not essential to have your sins forgiven.
    23. Jesus did not say, you can be saved without faith.
    24. Jesus did not say, you can be saved without confessing Him.
    25. Jesus did not say, you can have your sins forgiven without repentance.
    26 Jesus did not say, water baptism is just an act of obedience.


    WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE IS WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY.

    WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE IS DOCTRINE NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE.

    WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE IS MAN-MADE DOCTRINE.

    (Scripture quote from : NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)

    YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY BLOG. http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cliff PottsNovember 5, 2014 at 6:45 AM

    Jesus did not say anything in John 3:16. John 3:16 is commentary by John about Jesus.

    ReplyDelete

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