Beau, thank you as always. I try to follow my instructions from Jesus, although I generally fail miserably. Jesus is harder to follow than Paul, because Jesus explicitly calls us to rise above our human instincts. He was no pushover, though -- and the "turn the other cheek" was radical in placing the aggressor in an untenable position: the backhand slap on the right cheek was for an underling. Turning the other cheek, demanding to be hit with the open hand, was engagement with an equal. That's a Jesus who knows how to use the system to challenge people. This isn't wimpy doormat theology. It's hard. But my struggles with Jesus are struggles to meet his expectations, not struggles to understand inconsistencies and personal bias as with Paul. Yes, Paul's wisdom grew (and I wish the letters were chronological in the Bible), but he's still hard for me much of the time. Thanks for asking and caring!
Ik reageer even in mijn moedertaal, want dat gaat makkelijker. Het grappige is dat Paulus zelf zegt dat gelovigen zich niet moeten aansluiten bij team Paulus of team (vul een naam in), in 1 Korinthiërs 3. Maar dat alles begint en eindigt bij God. Voor mijzelf staat de Bergrede centraal als grondwet van Gods koninkrijk. In de Bergrede zegt Jezus ook: waar je schat is, daar zal ook je hart zijn. Wat we ten diepste het allerbelangrijkste vinden, daar geven we onze prioriteit aan. En als we dan volgers van Jezus zijn, laten we dan kijken naar waar zijn hart ligt. Jezus staat aan de kant van de underdogs, de misfits, de onderdrukten, de armen, de machtelozen, de kwetsbaren. Laat dat een constante spiegel voor ons allemaal zijn waar we onze prioriteiten leggen. En hoe we ons gedragen ten opzichte van medemensen. Dan zijn we echte Jezus volgers, christenen in de ware betekenis van het woord.
Thank you for your clarity, it’s so helpful as I’m learning a new way to read the Bible, having left my evangelical church and moved on to a mainline church where Jesus’ teachings are foremost.
Thanks for bringing us back to the basics, Jesus first. What Paul wrote and what Jesus said are both Scripture, but what Jesus said should definitely be prioritized.
As a young, mostly unchurched youth who read everything like a sponge (westerns, sci fi, biographies, fantasy, historical) I decided to read the Bible. As a twenty-sonething, still unchurched, I did the same. Both times I went all the way through the New Testament and most of the way through the old. (As an aside Job really bothered me, but I've dealt with it).
I found that the red words held great sacredness and beauty to me, while the Pauline ones seemed sometimes harsh or even against the ideas I read in the red words.
Friends from a local youth group would insist the only way to get to heaven is to declare (confess?) that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. In the 1980s I'd see video from Ethiopia of fly covered children starving, and I'd say, "What about them?" And the attitude seemed to be, "If they didn't know Jesus then they're cursed to eternal damnation."
That didn't square with my interpretation of the Gospel. Whether I was agnostic or a True Believer didn't matter, but if there was a God, if the Jesus that I read did exist, then that 8 year old that never harmed a soul had his ticket to salvation, even if he never heard a missionary try to lead him to the one and only entrance.
At 17, visiting a friend's SBC church, I responded to an altar call... "Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins?" they asked. "Umm. I guess so. Yes." I said (lied?).
The next Sunday afternoon a youth leader called to ask where I was because I was getting baptized in an hour. He came and got me, I was dunked and received my get out of jail free status, and had I followed the example of those good youth, I could have started going out to the end of the dirt road and partying on Saturday nights, because all my sins would be forgiven.
I recognized then as now that none of the above was for me. I didn't go back to that church, except maybe for a funeral one time). I was violated, but went along with it because the full church was expectantly waiting. No one followed up to teach me, to support me. They met their quota, I guess, and that was enough.
The Red Word Jesus saved me. I didn't need those folks' blessing. I lived by the golden rule because I believed it was a good way to be and the right thing to do. I learned to follow my conscience and not worry about the labels. I championed the Samaritan because he did the right thing - those guys who so properly followed their rule books not so much.
I am a member of a progressive church now. More for the community and for the sacred space we can build within it than for the words of some rule book. I believe most of my circle like to try to live by the example of those Red Words even though they don't articulate it that way.
Thank you Beau for being a voice in the wilderness of Christianity that dares to believe change is essential for a Christian.
You speak so eloquently on the hidden truth that we have been worshipping the created and not the creator for a very long time.
Your comment about how horrified Paul would feel struck me hard.
What would a letter from Paul to today's Christians look like?
Can it really be as simple as:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind."
The second is like unto the first
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus explained that these two commandments, when combined, summarize the entirety of the Law and the Prophets.
If we just tried to love, what would happen?
"We’d developed elaborate hermeneutical gymnastics to explain away Jesus’ most challenging teachings."
My observation is that, especially in Evangelical Protestant circles, the two sayings of Jesus most frequently "explained away" are the following:
"If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw **all** people to myself."
"This **is** My Body, this **is** My Blood."
Beau, thank you as always. I try to follow my instructions from Jesus, although I generally fail miserably. Jesus is harder to follow than Paul, because Jesus explicitly calls us to rise above our human instincts. He was no pushover, though -- and the "turn the other cheek" was radical in placing the aggressor in an untenable position: the backhand slap on the right cheek was for an underling. Turning the other cheek, demanding to be hit with the open hand, was engagement with an equal. That's a Jesus who knows how to use the system to challenge people. This isn't wimpy doormat theology. It's hard. But my struggles with Jesus are struggles to meet his expectations, not struggles to understand inconsistencies and personal bias as with Paul. Yes, Paul's wisdom grew (and I wish the letters were chronological in the Bible), but he's still hard for me much of the time. Thanks for asking and caring!
Ik reageer even in mijn moedertaal, want dat gaat makkelijker. Het grappige is dat Paulus zelf zegt dat gelovigen zich niet moeten aansluiten bij team Paulus of team (vul een naam in), in 1 Korinthiërs 3. Maar dat alles begint en eindigt bij God. Voor mijzelf staat de Bergrede centraal als grondwet van Gods koninkrijk. In de Bergrede zegt Jezus ook: waar je schat is, daar zal ook je hart zijn. Wat we ten diepste het allerbelangrijkste vinden, daar geven we onze prioriteit aan. En als we dan volgers van Jezus zijn, laten we dan kijken naar waar zijn hart ligt. Jezus staat aan de kant van de underdogs, de misfits, de onderdrukten, de armen, de machtelozen, de kwetsbaren. Laat dat een constante spiegel voor ons allemaal zijn waar we onze prioriteiten leggen. En hoe we ons gedragen ten opzichte van medemensen. Dan zijn we echte Jezus volgers, christenen in de ware betekenis van het woord.
Thank you for your clarity, it’s so helpful as I’m learning a new way to read the Bible, having left my evangelical church and moved on to a mainline church where Jesus’ teachings are foremost.
Thanks for bringing us back to the basics, Jesus first. What Paul wrote and what Jesus said are both Scripture, but what Jesus said should definitely be prioritized.
As a young, mostly unchurched youth who read everything like a sponge (westerns, sci fi, biographies, fantasy, historical) I decided to read the Bible. As a twenty-sonething, still unchurched, I did the same. Both times I went all the way through the New Testament and most of the way through the old. (As an aside Job really bothered me, but I've dealt with it).
I found that the red words held great sacredness and beauty to me, while the Pauline ones seemed sometimes harsh or even against the ideas I read in the red words.
Friends from a local youth group would insist the only way to get to heaven is to declare (confess?) that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. In the 1980s I'd see video from Ethiopia of fly covered children starving, and I'd say, "What about them?" And the attitude seemed to be, "If they didn't know Jesus then they're cursed to eternal damnation."
That didn't square with my interpretation of the Gospel. Whether I was agnostic or a True Believer didn't matter, but if there was a God, if the Jesus that I read did exist, then that 8 year old that never harmed a soul had his ticket to salvation, even if he never heard a missionary try to lead him to the one and only entrance.
At 17, visiting a friend's SBC church, I responded to an altar call... "Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins?" they asked. "Umm. I guess so. Yes." I said (lied?).
The next Sunday afternoon a youth leader called to ask where I was because I was getting baptized in an hour. He came and got me, I was dunked and received my get out of jail free status, and had I followed the example of those good youth, I could have started going out to the end of the dirt road and partying on Saturday nights, because all my sins would be forgiven.
I recognized then as now that none of the above was for me. I didn't go back to that church, except maybe for a funeral one time). I was violated, but went along with it because the full church was expectantly waiting. No one followed up to teach me, to support me. They met their quota, I guess, and that was enough.
The Red Word Jesus saved me. I didn't need those folks' blessing. I lived by the golden rule because I believed it was a good way to be and the right thing to do. I learned to follow my conscience and not worry about the labels. I championed the Samaritan because he did the right thing - those guys who so properly followed their rule books not so much.
I am a member of a progressive church now. More for the community and for the sacred space we can build within it than for the words of some rule book. I believe most of my circle like to try to live by the example of those Red Words even though they don't articulate it that way.
Love this!!