A Commentary by Penny Olive
on
Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism by Bishop John Shelby Spong
Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers -
not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be,
not greedy for money, but eager to serve;
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
And when the Chief Shepherd appears,
you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
1Peter 5:2-4
As I read This Hebrew Lord, I could not help but hear the voice of a young John Shelby rebelling against the teachings of his fundamentalist mother. My prayer for Bishop Spong is that in his quest to find meaning for his life, these words of Scripture will become a reality for him.
It is a sad fact today, that we in the church try hard to fit the gospel to people's ways, rather than the other way around. Having just read This Hebrew Lord, it hardly seems worth the task to examine another book of Bishop Spong's in light of scriptural context, when I know that this same Scripture holds no water with him:
Scripture is myth, legend, folklore;
Sin is our state of separation from our truest self;
Jesus is only human;
The Holy Spirit has been relegated to a "power" he calls the "ChristPower"
This concept of "Christpower" has a New Age and 60's "Love Power" feel to it. In reality, if all it took was human love to transform this world, let's face it, we would have been saved many times over. Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, and countless other unnamed souls - we can all name one - have all demonstrated to us the merits of a good life, a giving life, a kind life, a loving life. Could they not have saved the world, if not individually, then corporately? No, it would take more than human love to save the world.
And so the task of addressing this book, "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism" is an important one, not to those who do not care, but to those who do. And I do.
I accept by faith that the Bible is the Inspired Word of God. My saying this, however, does not mean that I have put my intelligence quota on a shelf somewhere - but rather, that I am open to seeing what this Book, the Holy Bible, has to say to me about God, about myself, and about the world that I live in.
Having now read both "This Hebrew Lord" and "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism" by Bishop Spong, I have decided not to examine the context in which Bishop Spong has presented his various Scripture verses. For how can one refute the word of someone who does not believe that the Bible is the Inspired Word of God?
You see...
- Bishop Spong does not believe that the Bible is inerrant, literal, or infallible.
- Bishop Spong does not believe that the Bible is the Inspired Word of God.
- Bishop Spong does not believe that Jesus Christ is the divinely incarnated Son of God.
Neither will I address the mishmash of ideas and musings that Bishop Spong has presented in "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism". When our belief system is skewed, everything we believe falls into question. Again, reading "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism", as well as "This Hebrew Lord", the reader gets a very real sense of a young John Shelby rebelling in his later years against a restraining fundamentalist upbringing. It is unfortunate that Bishop Spong is doing this at the expense of the flock that he has been commissioned to care for.
What is happening here with the phenomenon of this book, "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism", is nothing new. Paul, and countless others after him, have addressed many similar issues that have plagued the Church over the centuries. The bottom line is, not everyone has faith. 2Thessalonians 3:2
And so, it is for those of us who do have faith that I write this, in the hope that we will find that there is more Truth in the Bible than meets the eye - for it is with the eyes of faith and not of man that we must view this Book - and I strongly believe that the Bible does indeed hold Truth for us:
Scientific Truth
Biblical Truth
Spiritual Truth
And it is this thematic approach that I will take in order to respond to John Shelby Spong's, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism.
Under Scientific Truth, I will touch on: A flat earth? ; The Creation of Man ; and Neanderthal Man.
Under Biblical Truth, I will touch on: Genealogy ; Literary Style ; and Inerrancy.
Under Spiritual Truth, I will touch on: "The Messianic Secret" ; Revelations ; and Parables.
To begin, Bishop Spong is right in pointing out the many ways in which Bible verse has been taken out of context over the centuries, in order to relegate others to places of powerlessness and submission, for example segregation and the subjugation of women. But is the answer to this problem, to remove the validity of Bible verse as a reliable source, as Bishop Spong suggests in his book, "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism"? Or, is the answer to take a closer look, to repent, and then to move forward? I suggest the second - and more than this. I suggest that it is time to rethink the way we use Scripture to our own advantage, and to look at it for what it actually says.
Bishop Spong suggests in his book, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, that we rethink the meaning of Scripture.
I suggest that we rethink our interpretation of Scripture.
For, if we look closely at what Bishop Spong and many others are saying and have said about the Bible, we will see that there is a vast difference between the issue of, accepting the literal, inerrant, & infallible Word of God, and,
There is Literal, Infallible, and Inerrant Truth that is the Holy Bible. And, if we accept by faith that this is the Word of God, there is more.
The Holy Spirit can "open the Scriptures" to us.
When this happens, when receive a new understanding of Scripture, we call it "revelation". The Bible calls it "opening the Scriptures".
The two disciples were on the road to Emmaus. They had been instructed to go to Jerusalem and to wait for power on high, the promised Holy Spirit. But they did not go, they were on their way to Emmaus. Jesus came alongside of them. They did not recognize him. As he spoke, he "opened the Scriptures" to them. When he broke bread, they recognized him.
They said, "Were not our hearts burning within us when he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
This is the reality of the Bible.
I invite you to come along with me on a journey of faith, as we try to see what God has to say to us in His Book, the Holy Bible.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
I suggest that the Bible does indeed hold scientific Truth, and I suggest that it is we as human beings who have been limited in our understanding, and thereby our interpretation, of Bible verse.
(Underlining mine.)
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.
Genesis 1:9
As I read the above Scripture verse, what came to me was the Theory of Continental Drift, set forth by Alfred Lothar Wegener (1880-1930), a German geologist, meteorologist, and Arctic explorer . According to Wegener, the present continents on earth were originally one large landmass he called Pangaea, that gradually separated and drifted apart. He argued that the continents were still in the process of change and are still altering. His evidence included the jigsaw lineup of certain continents including the coast of Brazil and Africa's Gulf of Guinea, and paleontological similarities on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. His ideas were supported by some, including A. L. Dutoit, but rejected by most scientists until the early 1960s when scientists found paleomagnetic evidence of continental drift.
As I reflected on this Scripture verse, the image of a huge blue globule came to me, planet earth, water taking up most of its surface, the land massed together in one place - a gigantic blue pearl in God's hand, the land part glistening under His creative eye.
* It is interesting to note that Jerusalem seems to be at the epicentre of the land mass called Pangaea. What scriptural implication this?
Wegener called it "The Theory of Continental Drift".
I call it the "pearl of great value". Mt 13:46
The voice of Thy thunder is in the spheres, lightnings have lightened the world, the earth, yea, it shaketh.
Psalm 77:18 Strong's Concordance, Young's Literal Translation.
"Spheres" are global in form, not flat disks.
It is He that buildeth His spheres in the heavens and hath founded His troops on the earth. He that calleth forth the waters of the sea and poureth them out on the face of the earth - the Lord is His name.
Amos 9:6 Third Millenium Bible, Strong's Concordance.
Again, "spheres" are global in form.
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:45-46
Of all the cosmos that the Lord had created, of all the pearls that He beheld - the planets, the stars, the sun, and the moon - our planet earth was the "pearl" of great value. God gave everything He had, His precious Son, and we were bought at a price. It is interesting to me that the metaphor for planet earth that is used in this Scripture verse is a pearl, which is global in form.
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.
Isaiah 40:22
As I was musing over Isaiah 40:22, and the words circle of the earth, I mentioned the Scripture to my husband. His comment was simply that if you were looking down from high above the earth, it would look like a circle, no matter where you were. I look up at the moon, and I see a circle. That does not mean that the moon is flat. No matter where the Lord was when He looked down upon the earth, I thought, He too, would see a circle.
I looked up "circle" in Strong's Concordance:
chuwg (Hebrew) {khoog}
circle, circuit, compass
vault
to encircle, encompass, describe a circle, draw round, make a circle, to encircle, encompass
Rather than "flatness", as in a round flat disk, these words suggest depth to me, as in the "vault" of the earth, "encompassing" the earth, "encircling" the earth.In reference to the scientific aspect of the Bible, there can also be found many scripture verses referring to meteorology and celestial phenomena.
For example: Evaporation - Psalm 135:7, Jeremiah 10:13, and Amos 5:8, 9:6
There are also a myriad of references that can be found on lightening, earthquakes, thunder, clouds, etceteras, in Strong's Concordance, to corraborate that, although the Bible is not a scientific text book per se, it is certainly based on scientific truth.
As Bishop Spong has pointed out, it is true that the Hebrews, and many others over the centuries, have believed that the earth is flat. This is not what the Bible says, however. This is what man has believed, and what man, over the centuries, has interpreted the Bible to say.
So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman', for she was taken out of man." Genesis 2:21-23
What came to me as I read this Scripture verse was the word, "Cloning". For the feminists among us who would take slight with this, please bear in mind that the man was formed from the "dust" of the ground.
First, The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
Then, the Lord God took one of the man's ribs, and made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man.
Did we as human beings really think that we were the first to come up with the idea of creating life using a cell from a living thing?
The difference between what man is doing today through the cloning procedure, and what God did so long ago, is that, as it is written,
The difference is the Holy Spirit.
And man is limited to what he can do. Even when we isolate a living cell, we still need an egg from another host to attach it to, and we still need a mechanical device that will "jumpstart" the joining of the cell and the egg. And even then, we will need a living womb to then host the living organism.
A far cry indeed from the cradling Hand and Breath of God.
As I now began to research biblical genealogy, Neanderthal Man, and evolution, etc., I had the thought that the Word of God, Scientific, Biblical, and Spiritual Truth, is the Salvation History of man - and not of prehistoric man. And so I decided to find out exactly where researchers stood in reference to the theory of evolution, Neanderthal Man, and human beings.
I was pleasantly surprised.
There is no evidence to indicate that interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans took place. Neanderthals were an ancient race of people who inhabited Europe, the Near East, Central Asia and probably western Siberia far back in prehistory. Then during the middle of the last Ice Age, from about 30,000 to 40,000 years ago, a new type of human began to proliferate in the Neanderthals' domain. Researchers refer to these new people as "early modern humans".
Archaeological evidence reveals that the Neanderthals disappeared somewhat abruptly 25,000 to 30,000 years ago. Their demise was preceded by the arrival of modern man.
DNA from the bones of a Neanderthal baby who died 29,000 years ago offers further evidence that Neanderthals are cousins rather than ancestors of modern humans. 1
Results indicate that Neanderthals did not contribute mitochondrial DNA to modern humans, and that Neanderthals are not our ancestors. Current consensus is that Neanderthals became extinct only 30,000 years ago.
"While the two species may have lived at the same time, Neanderthals did not contribute genetic material to modern humans, the researchers report."2
1. ABC News, A Breed Apart, DNA Tests: Humans not Descended from Neanderthals, by Kenneth Chang
2. Access Excellence, The National Health Museum, the Site for Health & Bioscience Teachers and Learners, What's News, Science Updates, Neanderthal: No Relation, by Sean Henahan
These new developments in the scientific world have certainly put creation, Adam and Eve, and biblical genealogies in a new light for me, for I too have been nonplussed when others have brought up the subject of dinosaurs and the like. I have never changed in the way that I think, but I now feel quite comfortable stating what I believe to be the Truth.
- God did create the world "In the beginning". Even scientists who promolgate the Big Bang Theory acknowledge some kind of divine intervention in the beginning. And, since with God, a day is like a thousand years, the wording of a seven day creation story is not a problem for me. In fact, I personally believe that we are still in the seventh day in the sense that God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. This is still the case, is it not? He is still resting from all the work of creating he had done.
Indeed, it is we who have not entered into His rest.
Therefore God again set a certain day,
calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David,
as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."
Hebrews 4:7- God did take a rib from the man and make a woman. Man has now come full circle back to the garden, in his recent discovery of the "cloning" procedure.
- And now, with this new found scientific knowledge of man through DNA test results, we learn that we are not related to, nor descended from, Neanderthal Man, and that modern man first appeared on the scene between 30 and 40,000 years ago.
A biblical genealogy, therefore, of 30,000 years or so, is now quite feasible.
This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man."
When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. Genesis 5:1-5
Reading and researching the genealogy of biblical mankind was quite interesting, because as I did, I noticed a few things along the way.
First, I realized that, regardless of what the numbers said, they were more managable now. We no longer had to worry about calculating in Neanderthal Man. And if modern man had been around for 25,000 or so years, the numbers made more sense...Adam's line to Noah, time for the flood, Noah's descendents down through Abraham, a number of missing generations after Joseph (while the Hebrews multiplied greatly to the dismay of the Egyptians), as well as missing generations between nominal Patriarchs - and we were all set.
From an archeaological and historical standpoint, I noticed a few things:
- Genesis 4:20 mentions Jabal who "was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock."
- Genesis 4:17-22, a brief genealogy of Cain, mentions "Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron."
- Genesis 10:8 mentions Nimrod who was a mighty hunter and warrior.
- Genesis 10:25 mentions Peleg, born after the flood, and who was so-named "because in his time the earth was divided."
Could these Scripture verses be possible reference to the following?
- The Continental Drift Theory, Alfred Lothar Wegener, geologist, 1880-1930
- The Neolithic Period (emergence of herding and agriculture), 8500-4300 BCE, Sir John Lubbock, archaeologist, 1834-1913
- The Mesolithic Period (hunters) 10,500-8500 BCE, same as above
- The Bronze and Iron Ages, Christian Thomsen, archaeologist, 1788-1865
I also saw that there were 10 generations listed in each line, Adam to Noah, Genesis 5, and Shem to Abram, Genesis 11. Matthew uses 3 sets of 14 generations for his genealogy.
It is important to note that the Bible often refers to individuals as "sons" or "daughters" of biblical patriarchs, to indicate their lineage - their forefathers - rather than their parenthood. For instance, Jesus is referred to as the Son of David and as the Son of Abraham in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. This is not to say that David and Abraham were Jesus' fathers, but rather, that they were his "forefathers". In Matthew 1:20, the Lord addresses Joseph, Mary's husband-to-be, as "son of David". Again, this does not mean that David was Joseph's father, but that Joseph is descended from the line of David. In Luke 13:16, Jesus refers to the woman he has just healed as "a daughter of Abraham". Again, the woman is obviously not Abraham's daughter, but rather, she is a descendant of the line of Abraham.
The purpose of biblical genealogy then, is not to be chronological, but rather, to establish lines of descent.
Luke's genealogy of Jesus begins with the baptism of Jesus and the Father's Voice, You are my Son, and ends with Adam, the son of God. Jesus is God's Son. Adam was God's son. Luke 3:21-37Matthew's genealogy of Jesus begins with Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham - Jesus is the anointed one, the Christ, the prophesied Messiah of the line of David. Matthew 1:1-17
Adam's line begins with a reminder from the creation story.
When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man". Genesis 5:1-2
Then we hear it repeated, again and again: Death has now entered the world of man. Man is now made in his own likeness Genesis 5:3. And he dies. Each descendent is named, and then, each descendent dies. Genesis 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31. Only Enoch is different.
Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Genesis 5:24
A promise in the midst of death.
And so, the purpose of the genealogy of Adam's line, is not to provide figures so that we can calculate how long man has lived on the earth, but to show man that the wages of sin is death. Genesis 5:1-32* As an aside:
The Nephilim: There is interesting mention of the Nephilim in Genesis 6:4, and again in Numbers 13:33; we do not know who they were. I looked the word up in Strong's Concordance:
1. giants, The Nephilim
from naphal, a primitive root
to fall of violent death, lie, be cast down, fail, to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before, to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of, fall short of, to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to etc.
The term in Hebrew implies not so much the idea of great stature as of reckless ferocity, impious and daring characters, who spread devastation and carnage far and wide. (Crosswalk.com, bible Study Tools, Commentary JFB)
DNA test results indicate that the two species, Neanderthal Man and modern man, co-existed for a while before Neanderthal Man became extinct. Some researchers believe that at one time there could have been some interbreeding. This could explain the mention of "The Nephilim" in the Bible, of whom we know nothing, save that it is written that they were on the earth in those days. Just a thought.The Table of Nations is the account of the sons of Noah after the flood. The purpose of this genealogical account is to describe how people settled as clans and nations in the land throughout the Mediterranean. Logically speaking, this would have taken generations of their descendents. Genesis 10:1-32
Genealogies then, are accurate in the sense that they establish lines of descent rather than numerical calculations; they also establish theological and geographical realities; they accomplish the purpose for which they were written; they are Historical Truth.
I love reading things written by Billy Graham. The warmth and love of the man, his genuine concern for his fellow man, and his love for God, come through in his writing. I once read something in his autobiography, Just As I Am, that has always stayed with me.
In the late 1940s, Billy attended a conference in California. Some young theologians were also there, who were expressing their doubts about the authority of the Bible. Suddenly, Billy writes, he wondered if the Bible could be trusted completely. He began to study the subject intensely, turning to the Scriptures themselves for guidance. "The Apostle Paul," Billy said, "had written to Timothy saying, 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.' Jesus himself had said, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away but my Word shall not pass away.' I thought also of Christ's own attitude. He loved the Scriptures, quoted from them constantly, and never once intimated that they might be false."
That night, Billy Graham writes that he prayed in the moonlight on his knees, making the decision to accept the Bible as God's Word by faith.
One month later began The Christ for Greater Los Angelos campaign, the milestone crusade for Billy Graham's ministry. God had answered prayer.
It was 1949, and the year that I was born.
I have written a number of things during my lifetime, from make-believe school tests for my younger siblings, to poems, bank reports, budgets, witnesses, teachings, and prophetic word that I have received. A good example of the diversity with which I write is my website, Life and Doctrine.
I have read the Documentary Hypothesis, and it is quite feasible. At the same time, as a writer, I can also see that my own hand has penned things that are quite unique and distinct one from the other, depending on the focus and the purpose of the work in question.
And I have had many "Editors" along the way.
Sharing Magazine:
Note: Sharing Magazing is the official publication of the International Order of St. Luke the Physician. Sharing is an interdenominational, international magazine of Christian healing, dedicated to the healing of body, soul, and spirit.
Marjorie George, the Editor of Sharing Magazine, has been a source of encouragement to me. I send articles to her, knowing that they will be received in the same good faith that they have been sent. At times, Marjorie has edited my work, by removing or by rephrasing text. This has been done for reasons of brevity, clarity, and focus. Never has the context of what I have written, been changed.
The Guardian:
Note: The Guardian is the church newsletter of St. Michael and All Angels, Pierrefonds, Quebec.
Jacqui Hoitz, Editor of The Guardian, welcomes the work that I send her in true Christian fashion. She is encouraging, insightful, and discerning. She is also wise in the ways of web life, and has tutored me well in the world of the home page. There have been times, when what I had written did not quite fit the focus of The Guardian, when what I had written needed clarification, when what I had written needed updating. She has never hesitated to touch base with me, to solicit work from me, to counsel me, to advise me, or to get help when needed. She is my kind of editor.
Workshops on Prayer:
Note: I was led to design a series of workshops on prayer for a weekend called, "A Call to Prayer, From Spiritual Milk to Spiritual Food...". Along with 5 other speakers, I prepared a series of talks, on: The Gifts of the Spirit; Morning Devotions; Intercession; Praying With Others; and Spiritual Direction. The workshops were held at The Church of St. Michael and All Angels in March 2000.
Our parish priest at the time, The Rev. Alex Cameron, was our Editor. He was kept apprised of all the details as we prepared for the weekend. A monumental task, Alex screened most of our talks, the weekend schedule, and the Group Leaders' Guides. We thoroughly appeciated his candor, his advice, his hard work, and his editing. As laity, it was a new experience for most of us, and we made the changes he suggested without hesitation, knowing that the Lord was guiding us all through this time. Most of the changes were small and subtle, and for clarity's sake. All of the changes were for the Glory of God.
Web Site:
Note: Life and Doctrine is a bilingual web site containing various teachings, testimonials, commentary, and Prophetic Word, on God, the Church, and today's changing culture.
My Editor-in-Chief here is the Lord. I also run things by my husband and by those who are mentioned in my witness accounts. One could say that I have more freedom here, but in a very real sense, I believe there is less. Because you see, I am accountable to the Lord for what I put here. I do not add anything to the site unless I feel led. And, when I do feel led, I pray, and I ask others to pray with me. This is His work. He is the Editor.
Budgets, Bank Reports, and Letters:
Note: I was a Banker for most of my life, and so most of my early "writing" experience was methodical, exacting, and routine. Later, in my work with World Vision, I had the experience of working in both languages, primarily in French.
THE BANK - Budgets and Reports: My "editors" during this time were not all human. "Banks love paper," I used to say - because there was so much of it. The reason for this was "Control". There were guidelines and controls and previous reports to peruse and to adhere to. There is probably more internal fraud than anything else in the banking business, and so it is easy to see the reason for all the controls that are put in place. Nevertheless, for me, there was also an Unseen Editor, Who was always working in my heart, to keep my integrity intact and to keep me on the straight and narrow. I used to tell my children, "If there was a penny on the ground, I wouldn't pick it up. Because it wouldn't be mine."
WORLD VISION - Correspondance: As for my French letter-writing years at World Vision, my "editors" were: my trusty Bescherelle, my Larousse dictionaries, my numerous courses, books, and professors at Concordia, and last of all, but not least, my former superiors and colleagues. Dan Malfara, Jacques-Alain Lavallée, Mireille Filiatreault, and Luc Marchessault were instrumental in boosting my confidence in this area of my life, and I will be eternally grateful to them for their kindness, encouragement, and faithfulness. They were more than my editors. They were my family in Christ.
These were my Editors. They sharpened my focus and kept me on the straight and narrow. Not one of them changed the context of any of my writings.
Many different writings with a diversity of themes, styles, and focus. One writer.
Me.
No matter who we are, no matter what we do, we all have "editors" of some sort or other in our lives. The hallmark of a good editor, however, is that the context of what is being edited is not being changed.
Over the centuries scholars and theologians have struggled with interpretation of bible text, its meaning, its sources, and its compilation. Some of the results of that work are the following:
- The Documentary Hypothesis
- Textual criticism
- Source criticism
- Modernism
- Critical realism
- Form criticism
- Redaction criticism
- Post-modernism
- The Synoptics
However, these theories of man should not be studied in a vacuum.
And now comes my plug for Education For Ministry.
Because you see, it is not enough for us today to close our eyes and hope that it will all go away. There will always be new ideas, and theories, and concepts thrown our way. That's life. And it is very Scriptural. But we do have options. And EFM is one of them.
Education For Ministry is a distance learning program of theological education for lay people. Completion of the program takes four years, during which participants study the Bible, church history, and twentieth century theology. Each seminar group of six to twelve students is led by a Mentor. The group usually meets once a week during a nine-month cycle to reflect theologically, discuss the materials they have read, and to worship together.
And that is the key. The material is not studied in a vacuum, but in a worshiping and praying Christian community.
In Year 3 of Education For Ministry, Church History, we read about Bishop Irenaeus of Lyons, the first Christian theologian from whom substantial material still exists. We learn much about early Christian heresies from his writings.Sound familiar? It seems that Bishop Spong is not writing something new, but something rather old. And it is...getting old.By the time of Irenaeus, a canon of Christian teaching - the "Christian Testament" - was available to inform and enrich the Christian faith and defend it against its heretics. He himself as a young man, had known the aged Bishop Polycarp, martyred in 156 at Smyrna, and had been taught by him. Polycarp, in turn, had known some of the disciples of the Lord, especially John. For Irenaeus, the teaching of the church was sure because it was derived directly from Jesus and because in every generation it was kept safe by reference to this source.
Irenaeus addressed such heresies as Docetism, Ebionism, Marcionism, and Gnosticism, but it is to the heresy of Ebionism that we turn for the moment. Ebionism emphasized that Jesus was a human being and denied his divinity.
Ebionites believe(d) the following:
- Jesus was human but not divine
- Jesus was the human son of Mary and Joseph
- Jesus was a man inspired by God and enabled to live the Torah to its fullest
Reference:
EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY - CANADA, Year 3, Church History
Chapter 3 - Early Christian Documents
Chapter 4 - The Apologists: Justin and Irenaeus
DOCUMENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, Third Edition, Henry Bettenson & Chris Maunder
Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, 29, 39, 32 f., 39ff., 74 ff., 81 f., 307
It was to false teachings such as Ebionism that Irenaeus responded so long ago. So must we. Because not much has changed.
'Nuff said. To learn more about Education For Ministry, you can visit our web site at www.pacificcoast.net/~efm-canada, or click on the address provided at the end of this commentary.
Another option is to read, for example, Pheme Perkin's Reading the New Testament, An Introduction, or perhaps, Reading the Old Testament, An Introduction by Lawrence Boadt.
There is One Perfect Editor. And it is He Who has edited the Holy Bible. And it is God Himself, through His Own Holy Spirit.
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.
John 14:6-7
Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life. This is not just a nice way of describing him. It means something. Something profound.
It is quite simple. It is like a correlary in Math.
If a = d
and if
a + b = c
then
d + b = c
Scripturally speaking,
Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in him. John 14:10
He is one with the Father, the Father being in him, and he being in the Father. John 17:21
He knows the way to the Father's house. John 14:2-3
Jesus is the Way.Jesus promises to come to us. John 14:18
He promises the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. John 14:16-17
He tells his disciples that the Spirit will take what is his and make it known to them. John 16:13-15
Jesus is the Truth.Eternal life is knowing the Father and Jesus Christ. John 17:3
Jesus is the Life.
Jesus is the Truth. Someone who is the Truth cannot but speak the Truth.
He speaks the Truth in referring to various personnages in the Bible.
In the Book of Luke Jesus refers to:
Elijah, Elisha, and Naaman the Syrian, Luke 4:25-27
Moses, Luke 5:14
David, Luke 6:3-4
Jonah, the Queen of the South, and Solomon, Luke 11:29-32
Abel and Zechariah, Luke 11:50-51
Solomon, Luke 12:27
Abraham, Luke 13:16
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Luke 13:28
Abraham and Moses, Luke 16:19-31
Noah, Luke 17:26-27
Lot, Luke 17:28-29, 32
Lot's wife, Luke 17:32
Abraham, Luke 19:9
Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Luke 20:37-38
David, Luke 20:41-44
Moses, Luke 24:44
Jesus speaks the Truth in quoting Scripture. Speaking the Truth also means not taking Scripture verse out of context.
In the Book of Luke, Jesus quotes the following Scripture verses.
Jesus has been in the desert for 40 days without eating. He is hungry. The devil tempts him to use his power to change a stone into bread to satisfy his hunger. Jesus responds with a Scripture from Deuteronomy 8:3. Moses has been speaking to the Israelites. They are at the end of their 40 years in the desert, and he is telling them not to forget the Lord, and to remember that He fed them with manna, which neither they nor their fathers had known, to teach them that man does not live on bread alone.
Luke 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3The devil tempts Jesus by showing him all the kingdoms of the world, and telling him that if he worships him, he will give Jesus all their authority and splendor. Jesus responds with a Scripture from Deuteronomy 6:13. Moses is reminding the people that when they enter into the promised land with large, flourishing cities, and houses, and wells, and vineyards and olive groves, when they eat and are satisfied, to be careful not to forget the Lord. He tells them, Fear the Lord your God, serve him only.
Luke 4:8, Deuteronomy 6:13The devil leads Jesus to Jerusalem and has him stand on the highest point of the temple. The devil then misquotes Psalm 91:11-12 (leaving out the words "in all your ways"), and tries to tempt Jesus to throw himself down, telling him that God will command his angels to catch him. Jesus responds with a Scripture verse from Deuteronomy 6:16. Moses is warning the Israelites not to test the Lord God, as they did in Massah where they quarreled and tested the Lord.
Luke 4:12, Deuteronomy 6:16, Exodus 17:7It was the Sabbath, and Jesus' disciples began to pick heads of grain and to eat the kernels. The Pharisees tell Jesus that they are doing something unlawful. Jesus reminds the Pharisees of the time when David and his companions had entered the house of God and had eaten consecrated bread when they were hungry. David had been anointed by Samuel to be king; Saul was trying to kill him. The Pharisees are looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. Jesus, the promised Messiah, tells the Pharisees that he is Lord of the Sabbath.
Luke 6:1-5, 1Samuel 21:1-6
As we can see from the previous Scripture verses, not only did Jesus demonstrate a confidence in the integrity of the Scriptures by quoting them, he never took Scripture verse out of context, and neither should we.
We in the Church today, are the ones who have coined the phrase, "The Messianic Secret". Nowhere in the Holy Bible do these words appear.
Once again, we have, in our limited understanding, put words on something that we did not fully understand. Once again, man has taken Scripture verse out of context.
Let us first look at the various reasons that have been given for Jesus's instructions to be quiet about who he was:
- One cannot follow Christ unless we unite our own suffering to his to receive eternal life
- We cannot understand the Messiah until we understand his suffering
- The disciples did not understand Jesus as yet, and he wanted them to fully comprehend who he was before they went out to preach. This would happen after the Resurrection
- Jesus did not want people to associate him with demons
- People would persecute him
- To delay the crucifixion
- Jesus had such pressure on him already that people further proclaiming his name would increase the mobs and thus take more out of him.
- To avoid political notions of messiahship
- To teach humility and servitude
- So as not to mislead people into dreams of a paradise on earth
- A sudden revelation about the suffering Christ would only create a scandal among the disciples
- To teach that only in the light of the resurrection and through the eyes of faith can the disciples perceive the secret of Jesus' identity
- One extreme is the following:
In 1901, William Wrede wrote a work called "The Messianic Secret". In this work he addressed the instances in the Gospel of Mark in which the pre-Easter Jesus attempts to conceal his messiahship. Wrede concluded that these instances do not reflect historical events, but are theological retrojections created in light of the resurrection. Wrede did not regard the messianic secret as historical; rather he thought that it came from Mark's community, and that as Christianity developed, the idea that Jesus was the Messiah developed along with it.
These and other explanations and interpretations have been offered to explain Christ's instructions to be quiet. But what is the reality behind Jesus' instructions to the disciples, to the newly healed, the newly delivered, the demons?
Cana, John 2:1-11
The Wedding at Cana was the first of the miraculous signs that Jesus performed. It was a miracle performed in a very public place, and at a very public event, a wedding. All the disciples were there. Jesus' mother was there. His words to his mother were that his time had not yet come. He did not say anything about keeping a secret. And this was at the beginning of his ministry.
Jesus' instructions throughout Scripture to be quiet about who he was do not have anything to do with keeping a "secret". But there is a very real reason behind why Jesus gave these instructions at various times throughout his ministry.
Again, a close examination of Scripture verse will help us to understand the rationale behind the Lord's words. We will use the following Scripture verses as a basis for this study:
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven." Matthew 16:15-17
We will now examine Scripture verse onto which we have tacked the coined phrase, "The Messianic Secret". The reference point for this study will be the above-mentioned Scripture verses.
Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!"
"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" Mark 1:23-25
John 6:44a tells us that no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him. John 16:13-15 tells us that the Spirit will take what is Jesus' and make it known to us. As written in John 16:8-11, it is the Holy Spirit Who convicts the world. Jesus told the demon to be quiet because no one can come to the Lord through the witness of a demon's words, but only through the Holy Spirit of God, and the demon was saying these words in the synagogue where people could hear.He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Mark 1:34b
The demons know who Jesus is because they already stand condemned, as is written in John 16:8-11 Again, the people could not be drawn to Jesus through hearing the words of the demons, but only by the Father through the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus would not permit them to speak. It was not a secret. Demons do not have the authority to witness to who Jesus is. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, as written in John 16:8-11Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Mark 1:41-43
Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. People who had leprosy were to keep themselves separate from society. They were to continually cry out "Unclean!" "Unclean!", as they walked, to warn people that they were coming. They were ostracized from society. In telling the man not to tell anyone about his healing, Jesus was not implying that it was a secret. Jesus was simply instructing the man as to the right thing to do according to the Law, now that he was healed: he told him to go and show himself to the priest and to offer the sacrifices that Moses had commanded for his cleansing as a testimony to them. Then the priests would publicly pronounce him clean, thereby restoring him to community, as well as witnessing to what God had done. There was nothing secret about what Jesus said to the man. He was simply instructing him as to the right thing to do at this point, the thing that would be the best for him, and that would restore him to community: A public announcement of his cleansing by the priests.Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was. Mark 3:11-12
Again, Jesus is not implying secrecy by his words, but authority. We can only be drawn to Jesus by the Father, through the Holy Spirit. No one can come to the knowledge of who Jesus is through the words of demons or evil spirits. And so Jesus instructed them not to tell who he was. They did not have the authority to witness who he was to human beings. As it is written, it is the Holy Spirit of God Who convicts the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. John 16:8-11Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. Mark 8:29b-30
The Scriptures above apply here as well. No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him, through the Holy Spirit. Pentecost had not yet happened. Peter had not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4b-5 It was not that Jesus being the Christ was a secret, but that Peter did not yet have the authority, had not yet been sent out, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to call people to Jesus, and to witness who Jesus was. Luke 24:46-49 It is He the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Jesus. John 16:8-11 We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to witness, because it is not us, but the Holy Spirit in us who convicts the world of sin. John 16:8-11The Transfiguration: As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Mark 9:9
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him and leads them up a high mountain. There, Jesus is transfigured before them, Elijah and Moses appear before them, a cloud envelopes them, and a voice says, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"
It is the same with this Scripture verse. Peter, James, and John have not yet been anointed by the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4b-5 No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him, through the Holy Spirit. John 6:44a Pentecost has not yet happened. The issue is not secrecy, but authority. The only One Who can convict of sin is the Holy Spirit John 16:8-11, and the disciples had not yet experienced Pentecost and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4b-5Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Mark 14:61b-62
Jesus himself can reveal who he is because he is filled with the Holy Spirit. He is in the Father and the Father is in him. As it is written, he is one with the Father. He can testify on his own behalf, as it is written in John 8:14-18"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. Mark 15:2
Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, can testify on his own behalf, as the Scripture says.
In conclusion then, the issue is not "secrecy" concerning who Jesus is, as implied by the coined phrase "The Messianic Secret", but rather, "authority" to witness who Jesus is.
- The disciples had not yet been baptized with the Holy Spirit. This would happen at Pentecost. The risen Christ instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had been clothed with power from on high, the promised Holy Spirit.- Jesus can testify on his own behalf, as the Scripture says. Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is one with the Father.
- Although demons and evil spirits know who Jesus is, they cannot witness to humankind who he is. They know because, as it is written, they stand condemned. They know Who has judged them. A demon cannot lead a man to Christ. As the Scripture says, no one comes to me unless the Father draws him. As it is written, it is the Holy Spirit Who convicts the world of guilt.
This is food for thought for the Church today. Programs and the like do have their place. For just as Jesus provided "on the job training" for the disciples as he walked on the earth, so too, we can be equipped for the task at hand. But, if we wonder why our churches are not filled to overflowing, we need look no further than our own hearts. For we too, cannot witness to the Lord in our own flesh. Like the disciples, we too need to be Holy Spirit people.
In closing, I would like to reiterate that there is no such thing as "The Messianic Secret". This is man's invention for something that he did not understand.
The reason for Jesus' instructions to be quiet about who he was in various places in Bible Scripture is scripturally clear: Mankind can only hear about Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
For a more complete and systematic exploration of Scripture verse vis-à-vis William Wrede's theory of The Messianic Secret, please read The Messianic Secret - Truth or Contrivance?
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13
There is more to God's Word than meets the eye, and I would like to share a little of what I have been shown through Scripture. These thing have added much to my life, and have brought me to a clearer understanding of God, myself, and my fellow man. But it is through the eyes of faith that I have seen these things, and not through the eyes of man.
It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Word of God is revelation for humankind. Accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour, accepting by faith that the Bible is God's Inspired Word, diligent study, participating in a faith community, and much prayer have contributed much to my life in Christ.
But it is the Lord Himself Who has revealed these things to me.
Book of Philemon, journal entry April 2, 1997...
Onesimus was sent back to Philemon. He was no longer a slave. and so he was not sent to be with Philemon because of his status as a former slave, but now to bring freedom to those who were still slaves.
So too, we, when we are freed, are often led by the Lord to those very places that we walked as slaves, not to be returned to where we were, but to bring freedom to those who are still there as slaves.Note: We can't be freed from bondage unless we know we are in bondage. And the way we learn we are in bondage is by spending time in God's Word. It is written, 'and the truth shall set you free.' and Jesus is the Truth, and Jesus is the Word.
James 2:8-13, John 8:32, Romans 8:2
Philippians 2:5, hand-written note in my bible...
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5
If God, in the flesh in Jesus Christ,
could put aside His Divinity,
to live and experience the things of humankind -
surely man, alive now in Christ Jesus,
can put aside his human understanding,
to live and experience the things of God.
Cana, The Water and The Wine, John 2:1-11
The Wedding at Cana is more than the story of a miracle. It is the story of man's salvation.
The following is an excerpt from my spiritual journal dated October 19, 1996.The wine created from water is the Holy Spirit alive in man.
The Holy Spirit was alive in man in the beginning, and then man chose his own way.
The Son came, and lo and behold, the water poured from his side, and the Spirit was poured out a hundredfold upon mankind.
The best was saved for the last and the children of the kingdom drink their fill.
The Holy Spirit is available to all in abundance, but not all will drink of this.
Some will have filled themselves with the wine of the world, and so to drink this new and better wine, will not taste the goodness, for they are drunk with the things of this world.
"Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8a
"Lord, increase my faith."
Excerpt from my spiritual journal, on Job Chapters 1 and 2
April 10, 1998
(I am thinking of going to Bible study at church on Job. I had prayed before I read the two chapters, 'Lord, increase my faith.' As I prayed it came to me that for my faith to increase I may pass through hard times. Then as I prepared to read, I heard the Lord direct me to get a pen. I read Job, Chapters 1 and 2, and these are the words the Lord gave to me. And in my prayer time, I reamember that I had thought that the Lord had not been speaking to me for a while. I am at the end of my salary continuance with World Vision. Is unemployment next? I leave this in His hands, and my anxiety concerning all these things.)Write these words, My child.
No one on this earth can curse the Lord for He is Lord and from Him comes all of creation and to Him returns all of creation.
If a man curse God, shall he die? Shall he perish? Shall he have coals heaped upon his head? Shall he receive praise?
All comes from the Lord and all returns to Him.
You who hold these things against your Lord, shall He come and speak to you? Shall He comfort you in your pain? Shall He withold comfort? Shall He even bring more calamity upon your head?
Let us reason together. If this man suffered, was it not to strengthen his faith? Was it not to prove him to the Lord? Can your faith increase in peace? Can it grow in times of prosperity? Even the Holy One, the One anointed for the salvation of the world, had to suffer and die. This was not to increase His faith, for He is faithfulness itself. Yet in His humaness He cast Himself upon the Lord God Almighty, Who held His very life in His hands.
You too, when calamity falls upon you, cast yourself upon the Lord for He will increase your faith and great will be your joy. Look not to the world for peace, for I alone bring peace. All else is fleeting and temporal but the Word of the Lord stands forever. This man in his nakedness and pain knew this deep in his heart. Do you think his suffering was only for him? Or do you in your wisdom see the good in watching another who, in his suffering shall cast himself on the Lord?
That you know the Glory of God, the world watched as the Christ entered into His rest. So too, you, watch as your brother enters into his rest. Watch with each other and pray this Word:
'Lord, increase our faith.' Yet know what this Word means. For to increase your faith is to bear up in all circumstance, to cast yourslef upon your Lord, and to watch with your brother as each enters into My rest.
Glory to the Lord forever and ever.
Undivided Devotion to the Lord
Prepare the Way by Penny Olive - Gender Issues, Chapter 3
But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord; how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world; how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world; how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.
1Corinthians 7:32-35
Do you think that the apostle looks at these things in a negative way? I think not. Why then do the people of this world view these things in this way?
I am Lord. I dictate to My people the way they are to live.
If one would live with his wife and give his glory to her, what is that to me? If another would live with her husband and give her glory to him, what is that to Me? I then will remove that glory, for glory is Mine alone.
You then, hear My words.
Many will come and say theirs is the right way. This has been so since the beginning of time. You then do this: Come before Me that the Truth be made known to you. I alone in My Glory can bring My Glory to each one.
Is he alone? My Glory is there.
Is he with his wife? My Glory is there.
Is she with her husband? My Glory is there.
My Glory is not limited or restricted to the number of persons before Me.
Yet this is Truth: Come before Me at all times, whether alone or in the company of another. And I will make the Truth known to you.
This one (Paul) in his glory, made known the glory of one that is alone. Yet there are others who brought glory to Me in their company with another.
Is there a limit to My Glory? Is it that I can only hold one man or woman in My Hand?
This is not so.
Yet know this: For My Glory, I have set some aside to be alone, and others to be in the company of another.
Do not let your interests be divided. If you are alone, look to what I put before you, and not to other things. If you are with another, look to what I put before you, and not to other things.
This then is the meaning of these things: Man in his desire to please must put aside what he sees with his eyes.
His interest when he is alone can be divided. He can look to the world to satisfy his desire. Yet I desire that he not be divided. Then that one, who has put aside his own personal desire, shall not be divided, shall not desire that which is not of Me, and shall put his hand to the task.
So too are you when you are with another. Put aside the desires of your own heart that you will not be divided. For what one can work these things on his own? His desire is for things outside of the relationship, and so he is divided.
Set these things aside that you not be divided in your union. For what house divided against itself can stand? Now you too, with the one you are with, are undivided. Your interests are of Me and I direct you. So too, you in your union shall move as one to My Glory.
What man divided against himself can move to do My Will?
Yet you in your union are undivided, and so have the same interests in your heart as I.
Do not be conformed to this world yet be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Look not to these things as one divided. For then you shall see with your eyes. Look to these things with the eyes of My heart, that you may know the desire of the One Who saves.
This then is the meaning of these things:
It is good for a man to be alone. He puts his hand to the task as one, and the work is done for My Glory.
It is good for a man to be with his wife, for as one, they put their hand to the task and are undivided. And the work is done to My Glory.
It is good for a woman to be one with her husband, for they shall put their hand to the task as one, and My Glory will shine on their work.
Yet know this: He who is divided, whether alone or with another, is divided unto himself, and is of no use in the Kingdom. Be of one mind, whether alone or with another. That the Glory of God work for the advancement of the Kingdom.
Hallelujah!
He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,
'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"
Mark 4:11
When Jesus walked on this earth, the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out on the earth for all men.
And so he spoke to the people in parables, and many of us today still only understand in parables.
Jesus shared with the disciples the secrets of the kingdom, but they were told to wait for the Counsellor, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit. Until that time, he spoke in parables to the people, and he explained the parables himself to the disciples.
Jesus was able to explain the meaning of Scripture because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. So too, today, the Scripture is opened to us by Jesus, through the Holy Spirit. The prophets themselves were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it is only as we too are anointed with the Holy Spirit that we are able to understand Holy Scripture.
There is literal Biblical Truth. And it is also true, as Bishop Spong suggests, that we need to see beyond the literal message of the Bible. But to deny its literalness as Bishop Spong suggests, is to lose everything. Accepting the literal Biblical Truth of the Bible, one can then be like the disciples on the road to Emmaus. As the Holy Spirit speaks to us, our minds and hearts burn within us with the Spiritual Truth that is found within the literal Truth that is the Holy Bible.
Jesus said to his disciples,
He was speaking to people who believed in him. And that is the key.
There are many ways that we in the western world refer to the act of giving our lives to Christ:
- Accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour
- Making a decision for Christ
- Being born again
- Being saved
- Coming to the Lord
- Inviting the Lord into your heart
- Becoming a believer
For myself, I have prayed the following very simple prayer, and I have not looked back since:
A simple prayer, but life-changing.
And, I invite you to do the same.
Otherwise, you too may fall prey to the myriad of themes and schemes of men that are contrary to the Bible.
You too may buy into all of these things - Hook, Line, & Sinker.
