Author: jbwatson

Jason B. Watson is a follower of Christ who enjoys "thinking out loud" when he has time to do so.

Render to Caesar

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Tax day is here again. I do not know anyone who gets excited about tax day, or about paying taxes. Sure, those who get nice refund checks after filing look forward to their refund, but that is not happiness about taxes. After all, if you’re entitled to a refund, that refund simply means that the government has been holding your money for a year or so, getting an interest-free loan from you. So taxes are not fun, but they are necessary, and Christians do have a responsibility to pay them.

Perhaps the fact that I feel a need to point that out strikes you as odd, but I have actually had intelligent, well-informed and articulate Christians tell me that paying taxes is wrong, and that Christians should not pay taxes. If you’ll allow me, then, I would look to point out several examples where the New Testament very clearly instructs that Christians in fact should pay their taxes.

Probably the clearest example is found in Matthew 21. In this chapter the Pharisees are up to their favorite activity–trying to trick Jesus. Verse 15 says that they “plotted how to entangle him in his words” (ESV). How did they intend to do this? By asking Jesus this question: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and their followers in His usual way, calling them hypocrites, but He proceeded to answer the question. First He asked for a coin, and He was handed a denarius. Jesus then asked those assembled whose likeness was on the coin, to which they replied that it was Caesar’s likeness. Jesus then told them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

The fact that Caesar’s likeness was on the coin was indicative of the fact that the coins were issued by the government…much like coins in the U.S. say “United States of America” and “E Pluribus Unum.” Jesus was making the point that it would be foolish to accept and use money issued by the government and then refuse to pay the taxes that support the government. The issuance of money is one of those responsibilities which clearly belongs to government–then and now.

There are other passages that make it equally clear that Christians are called to submit to the government. In Titus 3, for example, Paul writes, “…[B]e submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work…” (ESV). In Romans Paul writes, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (Romans 13:1-2). That passage goes on for several more verses to stress the responsibility of believers to obey the government.

Now, am I saying that Christians are instructed to be supportive of the tax code regardless of how severe the tax burden may become? Of course not. Christians have the same rights as any other citizen, and perhaps even greater responsibility, to be informed, involved and influential in government affairs. In The United States, Caesar is “We the people,” and therefore we ultimately have no one to blame but ourselves for the actions of the government. Now that oversimplifies things, I know, but you get the point (I hope). We may not like the tax code, we may not like the government’s policies, and we may not like individual people who hold elected or appointed positions. In such cases we should work to bring about change, but we must still submit and obey in the meantime. Unless and until the government requires Christians to do something (or not do something) which is contrary to God’s Word, we have the responsibility to obey.

Think that Paul didn’t exactly have taxes in mind when he wrote his letter to the Italians? Read the rest of the passage: “Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Romans 13:5-7).

Happy Tax Day!

Courageous

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Wow…a week has elapsed since I last posted. Not for lack of anything to say, I assure you. Rather, I have had one of those stretches we all find ourselves in from time to time, when every time I turn around it seems there is something else I need to do and those things which I intended to do kept getting pushed off. And, in the grand scheme of things, blogging is not that important, so the blog often ended up at the bottom of the pile. Today I finally found the bottom!

The title of this entry also happens to be the title of a movie which has received an incredible amount of attention in Christian circles over the past year, but this blog actually has nothing to do with that film. Instead, it has to do with a senior class, and four seniors in particular, whom I found to be courageous last Wednesday evening.

Courageous is one of those words that falls into the category of words that the dictionary defines by using its root word. Quite irritating, if you ask me. After all, if one does not know what “courageous” means, looking it up and finding that it means, “possessing or characterized by courage” is not likely to help much. So, turning to “courage,” the dictionary provides this definition: “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.” If you look it up on dictionary.com you will also see referenced the idiom, “have the courage of one’s convictions,” which it defines as, “to act in accordance with one’s beliefs, especially in spite of criticism.”

Last Wednesday a group of students from the senior class at Sunshine Bible Academy led the student chapel in its entirety. They planned it, from the songs that would be sung, to the students who would be involved in leading the singing, to which students would pray, which would speak, and which would lead the small group discussions afterwards. Now, seniors at SBA have to present a “senior chapel” as one of their graduation requirements, so this does not seem unusual at first. However, this particular chapel was in addition to the required chapel. Most of the students involved have already presented their senior chapel. There was no requirement that they do this, and no asked them to do so. Rather, feeling led by the Spirit after their senior trip, Mega Teen retreat, Spiritual Life Emphasis Week, and the realization that graduation is rapidly approaching, these seniors realized that there was something they wanted to say to their fellow students.

So, after the time of singing, two boys and two girls–Cameron, Katie, Beth and Christian–spoke to the middle and high school students from their heart, sharing the lessons that they have learned in their years at SBA and in their walk with the Lord. The lessons shared were not trite or cliche, either. Yes, Cameron talked about the need to spend more time reading the Bible and praying, but he was speaking out if his own experience, and sharing how he had come to this realization in his own life, and the difference that it had made for him personally. Katie bravely encouraged students to be selective about the extracurricular activities in which they are involved and even (gasp!) to curtail their involvement in order to focus on what they really want to do, to do it well, and to avoid becoming overwhelmed by trying to do everything. Beth spoke about not dating in high school. That’s right, NOT dating. We live in a culture that encourages students to date early and often, and at ever-younger ages, and yet Beth explained why dating in high school may not be such a good idea after all. And Christian addressed the importance of attitude, and how attitude really does make as huge difference…and is ultimately a matter of choice.

The things that Cameron, Katie, Beth and Christian spoke about are not necessarily popular, even in a Christian school. Yet they chose to be courageous, to take a stand and to speak out, encouraging their fellow students. They chose to follow the advice that Paul gave to Timothy when he wrote, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” (NASB).

Then Came the Morning

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On that first Easter morning, no one was looking forward expectantly to seeing an empty tomb. The Gospels contain several accounts of what happened that morning, and not one of them includes any evidence of anyone expecting to see the tomb empty, expecting to see Jesus alive, or initially responding with anything other than sorrow, dread or doubt when it was discovered that the tomb was indeed empty. From our 21st century vantage point it can be easy to look back at the disciplines and others and think, “How could you not get it? Were you not listening at all to what Jesus told you?” After all, Jesus had certainly explained to His followers that He was going to die…and that He was going to rise again. As is so often the case with looking back on events of the past from the perspective of our added knowledge, though, I think it would be foolish to think that I would not have reacted in the same way had I been there.

The exciting thing about Easter, though, is that the confused and fearful reactions of those who first discovered the empty tomb were quickly replaced by joy, praise, gratitude and exhilaration once they realized the truth…Jesus IS ALIVE!

I borrowed the title of this entry from one of my favorite Easter songs. The song includes these lines:

Then came the morning, night turned into day;
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn.
Then came the morning, shadows vanished before the sun,
Death had lost and life had won, for morning had come.

There are many songs about Easter, and Christ’s triumph over death, hell and Satan that I love to sing. Some are old hymns, some are new songs, but what they have in common is the celebration of the dramatic change in circumstances that is captured in the lyric above–night turned to day; shadows vanished before the sun light; death lost and life won. HOPE had risen!

There is nothing more exciting to read, and more foundational to the Christian faith, than the biblical account of that first Easter Sunday…

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” Matthew 28:1-10 (ESV)

It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ that separates Christianity from any other religion. It is because Jesus rose from the grave, conquering death, that we who have accepted Christ can have the hope of eternal life in heaven with God rather than an eternal life in hell, separated from God. It is because the perfect Son of God took the sins of the world upon Him, suffered and died to pay the penalty for those sins, and arose victorious that we have any hope at all.

The apostle Paul makes very clear the importance of the resurrection…

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (ESV)

If Jesus Christ did not rise from the grave, we have no reason to hope. Everything else in the Bible is in vain. It is all worthless. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which all other elements of the Christian faith rest. Without it, it counts for naught. So praise God that Paul did not stop writing in verse 19, but went on in verse 20 to write, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.”

Amen!

The Night Before Easter

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As I type this, it is the night before Easter. As I look forward to tomorrow and think about the significance of Easter, I cannot help but think about what this night must have been like for Jesus’s followers on that night before the very first Easter. It was the Sabbath–the Lord’s day was Saturday, remember. What must it have been like for the disciples? For Mary? For the other followers of Christ? They had watched Christ die. They had seen Him buried. If they had slept at all Friday night they had surely awoken tired, weary and completely in despair. How difficult it must have been for them to observe that Sabbath day…to worship God after watching Jesus crucifixion.

Any of us who have been through times of intense personal loss can relate at least at some level to what these followers must have felt. More than likely the day had been full of going through the motions. In many ways, they were probably on auto-pilot…eating because they were supposed to, not because they wanted to or really felt hungry, for example. What conversation there was was almost certainly in hushed tones. There may have been some fond reminiscences of things Jesus had said or done, but for the most part I imagine their entire day was overshadowed by grief.

Mark 15:47 says, “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid” (ESV). To me, this means that they stayed close enough to Jesus to see exactly what happened each step of the way…from removing His body from the cross, to wrapping it in a shroud, to placing it in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, to seeing that tomb sealed with a stone. These women, like John and the other disciples, and many other individuals unknown to us by name, knew that Jesus was dead. This man whom they had spent an incredible amount of time with other the last three years (or, in Mary’s case, His whole life), whose teachings that had heard, whose miracles they had witnessed…He was dead.

These individuals had misunderstood much of Jesus’s teachings about why He came to earth and how He would save the sinners, and therefore these was no hope in their hearts. This is evidenced by the fact that the women went to the tomb on Sunday morning with burial spices to dress the body.

At the same time, the night before the first Easter must have been the most joyous and celebratory day in history for Satan and his minions. Satan had been trying throughout the earthly ministry of Jesus to destroy Jesus’ ability to be the unblemished redeemer. He had tempted Him in the wilderness three times at the beginning, and now he thought he had won, because Jesus was dead…

—To be continued—

Life’s Warning Signs

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Sometimes life’s warning signs can really get on your nerves, can’t they? A few years ago my family and I were vacationing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. For the entire time that we were there the red “No Swimming” flags were flying, meaning that we were not allowed to get into the ocean. Now, some people go to the ocean to soak up the rays on the beach or to build sand castles or to collect sea shells. But others–like me–go to swim in the ocean, which means that red flags are a real disappointment.

The truth is, though, that the “No Swimming” flags were there because someone knew more about the situation than I did. For people who like to play in the ocean, body surf, and battle the waves–again, people like me–the water looked very inviting. It looked like there was enough wave action to make it quite fun. I could not see, of course, that there was also a very strong rip current, and swimming out in the ocean would have been very dangerous, possibly even life threatening. Fortunately, those people who knew more about the realities of the situation and the possible risks took the time to post the flags. The flags were not there to ruin my fun; rather, they were there to protect me from potentially serious consequences.

Life works much the same way. Our world is filled with warning signs. Some are so redundant that we see them all the time and do not think much about them, like the “Do Not Enter/Wrong Way” signs that we see all the time to prevent us from going the wrong way down a road, against oncoming traffic. Others are seemingly ridiculous, like the warning on irons not to iron clothes while wearing them. (I suppose someone actually tried that once, resulting in this now-universal warning). Probably the most well-known example of a ridiculous warning is the one that now graces cups of coffee purchased from fast food and other coffee shops–“Warning: Beverage is Hot.” Odd that this would require a warning, given that people purchase coffee fully expecting it to be hot. Indeed, they would be disappointed if it was not hot. Other warning signs, like the “No Swimming” flags or “Bridge Out” signs, as two examples among many, are there to protect people from dangers they otherwise would not know were there.

Parents, and schools, operate the same way. Rules and policies are in place for children and students because the parents and school administrators know, from experience, that there are some things that children can do and some things that they cannot do–at least not without getting in trouble or even getting hurt, whether that hurt is physical, emotional or even spiritual. The children/students do not always like those rules, of course–but then very few of us like all the rules we have to follow.

The Bible is like that, too. God provides, through His Word, many warnings and cautions and even commands about what we should and should not do. As is the case with the red flags at the beach, those biblical instructions are there not to rain on our parade, so to speak, but to protect us from dangers and consequences we may not know are there. Just like someone knew more about the rip currents than I did, God knows far more about human behavior and potential consequences than we do. Red flags, and the inability to swim in the ocean may have resulted in a vacation that was not as fun or exciting as I had hoped. Considering the potential alternative, though, I should have been grateful for those flags.

The trick thing is that sometimes people can ignore rules and seemingly get away with it. Other times, other people ignore rules and suffer serious, if not life-ending, consequences the very first time. We never know, though–which is why the rules are there in the first place: to prevent us from finding out, the hard way.

Like anyone else, I sometimes ignore the warnings and go ahead and do my own thing. In the end, though, it always turns out that God was right…and He always will be right. We just have to heed the warnings and remember that they really are there for our own good. And we can have much more fun by following the rules than we ever could by flaunting them.

Going On…

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During my tenure as administrator of a children’s home there was a young man there for several years. His name was Dakota, and one thing that always made me smile about Dakota was the way in which he answered whenever someone asked him how old he was. His answer would, without fail, sound like this: “I’m twelve, going on thirteen.” It wouldn’t matter if he was going to be thirteen in ten days on ten months, he was “going on” whatever age was next. The only thing that ever changed about his answers was the age he was and the age he was going on.

Anyone who has ever seen the classic film The Sound of Music will remember the famous gazebo scene in which Liesl and Rolf sing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” Amazing how much difference a year can make, if the lyrics of that song are to be believed! Liesl had so much she did not know, so much she needed…and Rolf, just one year older, seemed to be the answer to all of her needs.

While these illustrations may be amusing, the idea of “going on” is biblical. For Dakota, the moment he reached a birthday he was looking forward to the next one. He had achieved one goal, and wasted no time setting his focus on the next one. Not everyone verbalizes this as succinctly and frequently as Dakota did, but the principle is true for all of us. After all, I don’t think anyone sets a goal of sixteen, thirty-five, sixty (whatever, just pick an age) and, upon reaching that milestone, says, “Whew! I made it. I’m at the finish line.” With our physical age, of course, we don’t have a choice. Time marches on, and the birthdays will keep coming ’round whether we want them to or not. Not so with our spiritual walk, however.

When it comes to spiritual growth, some individuals set no goals. Others may realize a need for growth and identify a target, but upon reaching it they begin to coast. Neither of these, however, is consistent with what God asks of us. Neither, come to think of it, are they consistent with anyone who is serious about anything else in life. Professional athletes don’t set arbitrary goals and then coast once they’ve been reached. No basketball player would accomplish 100 consecutive free throws made and then decide he never needed to practice again. No golfer would get a hole-in-one and decide her training days were over. On the contrary, they would, like Dakota, simply shift what had been the goal to the achievement, and insert a new “going on.” The same holds true of artists, musicians, engineers, chefs, mechanics, carpenters, teachers… The vocation doesn’t matter; the point is that the exceptional individuals in any career path are always seeking to grow and improve.

Likewise, Scripture teaches that we should have that same mindset when it comes to our spiritual growth. Philippians 3:12 is probably the best known verse on this topic. Paul writes, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (ESV). Had Paul obtained anything in his Christian walk? Of course. Far more than many others, in fact, yet he “had not obtained.” Accordingly, he would continue to “press on.”

In other passages Paul talks about this “going on” principle with the phrase “more and more.” In Philippians 1:9 Paul writes, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment.” In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.” And just a few verses later, in 9-11, “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more” (all ESV). Peter references the same idea, writing, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18, ESV).

In each of these passages the instruction is clear…when it comes to spiritual maturity, we can never “make it.” Until we reach heaven, we must always be “going on.” What has always struck me the most in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is that they were already doing well. In 4:1, Paul references walking to please God, and then says “just as you are doing.” Then he says, of loving one another, “that indeed is what you are doing.” Yet Paul does not say, “Way to go! You made it!” Neither does he say, “Just keep doing what you’re doing!” Rather, he tells them–and us–to do “more and more.”

So, how is your Christian walk? Are you spending time each day in prayer? If so, that’s great. But don’t get comfortable, do more and more. Are you regularly reading the Bible? Yes? Wonderful…now do it more and more. Are you faithfully tithing? Do more and more. Are you demonstrating Christian love in everything you do and say? No, I didn’t think so. Me either. I do okay sometimes…but there is plenty of room for “more and more.” We have plenty of “going on” to do, don’t we?

Sin Makes Us Stupid

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It occurred to me this morning as I was sitting in a chapel service listening to the speaker talk about sin that sin makes us stupid. Think back to one of my former posts when I defined stupid as “refusing to use the intelligence that we have.” The Bible is full of examples of stupidity that follows very shortly after sin. In most instances, I guess, it occurs when people are confronted with their sin. So maybe it would be more accurate to say that having our sins brought to our attention makes us stupid.

Take a look with me at just a few examples…

* Cain — In Genesis 4 we find the first example of murder. Cain was reprimanded by God for not bringing an offering that was pleasing to Him. In anger and jealousy, Cain killed his brother, Abel. Not too long thereafter God Himself spoke to Cain and asked him where Abel was. Cain’s response? “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” A contemporary paraphrase reflective of Cain’s attitude might be, “How should I know?” How stupid is that? Not only does Cain know full well that Abel is dead, but he was talking to GOD! Once in a while we might get away with an answer like Cain’s when talking to another human, but God knows. God always knows.

* Aaron — Jumping forward several chapters to Exodus 32 we find Moses on the mountain talking to God. Because he had been up there longer than the Israelites thought reasonable they get testy. They asked Aaron to make them false gods to worship, and he complied. Taking the gold from each of the Israelites’ jewelry, he melted it down and formed it into a golden calf. Verse 4 says that Aaron, “fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf” (ESV). What happened when Moses came down from the mountain and confronted Aaron? Aaron said the people gave him the gold, he put it into the fire, and “out came this calf” (v. 24). Aaron’s version of what happened was that this calf just formed itself out of all the melted gold and jumped out of the fire. Amazing! Amazingly stupid, is more like it….

* David — Probably one of the more famous sins in Scripture is David sleeping with Bathsheba. When he saw her bathing, he called for a servant to bring her to him. This servant reminded David that she was the wife of one of his greatest soldiers. This did not stop David; he had her brought and he slept with her anyway. Stupidity example number one. Then, when Bathsheba informed David that she was pregnant, David had Uriah sent back from the front to report on the war (at least that was the guise David used). He then got Uriah drunk, hoping he would go home to Bathsheba and sleep with her, and then Uriah–and everyone else–could assume the baby belonged to Uriah and Bathsheba. Stupidity example number two. After this proved to be unsuccessful a second time, David sent Uriah back to the battle and had him carry with him instructions that caused his own death. Stupidity example number three.

These are but three Old Testament examples. I could provide many more. You can probably think of many more. But you get the point. When we sin–when we stray off course, and miss God’s mark–we will eventually get caught. And when we do, we have a choice. Will we lie, like Cain? Will we make up ridiculous and completely unbelievable excuses like Aaron? Will we try to cover our tracks so someone else takes the blame, like David? If that fails, will we go so far as to murder someone in an effort to avoid taking responsibility? I hope not.

The much better alternative, the one that God desires when we do fall short, is to acknowledge our sins, confess them, ask forgiveness, and repent. But the choice is yours…and mine. Will we confess and repent…or will we be stupid?

The Game of Chess

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Lately my five year old son has been interested in learning how to play chess. I do not remember where he first saw chess being played or how he decided he wanted to learn how to play, but I have been happy to teach him. It is an exercise in patience, of course, because at five he does not necessarily understand all of the intricacies of the game, but he has come close to mastering the names of the various pieces and how they can move. Turns out, he even “taught” my wife how to play one day!

Chess is a fantastic game. It requires real concentration, attention and planning. It requires thinking ahead and planning for the future, asking questions and anticipating their answers. What will this move enable me to do next time? What am I trying to accomplish by trying to move this piece? But a good chess player must also be able to adjust his plans in response to his opponent’s moves. Before any of this is even possible, though, you have to know how to play the game! It would make no sense for me to try to teach my son about strategy without first telling him the names of the pieces and what they can and cannot do. Then he can learn how to use the pieces wisely to accomplish his goals while protecting his king. A wise chess player knows how to use each of the pieces together in order to win; it would be difficult if not impossible to win a chess game using only one piece. Chess is also very unique in that any player can always improve. It is not simply a matter of learning how to play, and that’s it. Each time the game is played, the players are confronted with different scenarios, depending on the opponent and his strategy.

In many ways, life is like chess. Life is always changing. We can never know for sure what lies ahead or what obstacles may be in our way. Even our best-laid plans may be impacted by the unexpected circumstances of life. But we can learn the basics of responsibility, honesty, courage, determination and dedication. We can learn how to respond appropriately when we come upon something unexpected. A wise chess player does not overreact or give up when his opponent makes an unexpected move that derails his plans. Likewise, a responsible adult does not overreact or give up when things do not go his way or when life just doesn’t seem fair.

A wise chess player also looks to see what the consequences of a certain move would be before he makes the move. If he just moves pieces here and there without looking to see what the moves might allow his opponent to do, he will be defeated easily. In life, we have to look to see how our actions will impact others, as well as what the consequences of our actions will be. Responsible adults think before they act.

The fact that we never know what life will send our way does not mean, of course, that we do not make plans. It means that we make plans and learn to be flexible when things do not go as planned. We pray, seek the Lord’s guidance and direction, and plan accordingly, but we adapt when things do not adhere to our plan. Furthermore, just like a good chess player would never use only one piece, we learn that it is almost impossible to make it through life “on our own,” never asking for or accepting help from others. Finally, mature adults don’t settle for mediocre, average or “okay.” All of us have room for improvement. We may know how to play the game, and we may even do it well, but there is always room for improvement.

What the Bible Really Says

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If you read or listen to Christian news, you may have heard about the controversy surrounding translations of the Bible for Muslim audiences. The problem stems from the translation of the term “Son of God.” Many have suggested that this term is offensive to Muslims because it implies that God had sexual relations with Mary, and therefore it is necessary to use an alternative translation in order to effectively communicate to Muslims what the Bible really says. Specifically, Frontiers has produced a translation of the Gospel of Matthew in Turkish that uses wording that means approximately “representative of God” where Son of God should appear. Since the term “God the Father” has the same implications, that title is presented as “great protector.”

Frontiers has explained that the new wording is essential to efforts to reach Turkey, where 99.8 percent of the population is Muslim. The U.S. director of Frontiers, Bob Blincoe, has been quoted in WORLD Magazine as saying that “these are paraphrases that help a conservative Sunni Muslim audience know what the Bible really says.”

With all due respect to Mr. Blincoe and Frontiers, how can you help someone understand what the Bible really says by telling them something that it doesn’t really say? If I was attempting to explain to someone who does not speak English that I am the son of Robert, it would never occur to me to tell them that I am Robert’s representative. And cultural differences aside, the Bible itself promises that it will be offensive. The very message of Scripture is offensive to unbelievers. But I see several glaring problems with this new version of Matthew.

First, it violates Scripture. Revelation 22:18-19 makes it clear that it is dangerous to mess the Word of God, either by adding to it or taking away from it. Proverbs 30 makes it clear that every word of God is pure. 2 Timothy 3:16 states that “all Scripture” is given by God, and is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (ESV). Furthermore, John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (ESV). It was not the representative of God that became flesh; rather, it was God Himself in the person of God the Son, Jesus Christ.

Second, one of the strongest testimonies to the authority of Scripture is the fact that so many lives have been completely transformed by faith in Christ. From John and Peter telling the Sanhedrin that they would obey God rather than man when there is a contradiction between the two, to the disciples dying martyr’s deaths rather than deny faith in Christ, to many examples over the two thousand years since of people who have willingly endured persecution, torture and even death because of the faith in the Scripture, because of their confidence that through the birth, life, death burial and resurrection of God’s Son that they have been saved and can look forward to eternity in the presence of God.

Third, I would be the first to agree that it is important to use methods that take culture into consideration. In other words, I would not expect anyone to go plant a church in the jungles of Brazil, the deserts of Africa or the slums of India and utilize the exact same approach that is used by churches in suburban USA. Part of spreading God’s message is doing it in a way that will effectively reach the people. Paul talked about becoming all things to all people in hopes that he would reach some with the message of salvation (1 Corinthians 9:22). So methods can and should change, and should reflect the culture in which the gospel is being shared unless and until that presents a conflict with Scripture. What should not change is Scripture itself.

Is it hard for a Muslim to understand that God exists in three persons, Father, Son and Spirit? I’m sure it is. It is hard for me to understand, too. Does it boggle the mind to think that Mary could carry a human baby without ever having had sexual relations, that she could give birth to God in human form? Absolutely. I don’t know anyone who thinks that makes perfect sense and is not amazed by it at all. The point is, the gospel message is not an easy one. It is simple, yet incredibly complicated. But if the foundational aspect of the message can be changed in order to prevent giving offense, what else might be changed? If, in an effort to win the lost, it is okay to say that God’s representative was born of Mary, and that, after his baptism by John, the great protector said that he was well pleased with God’s representative, what is to stop someone from changing other offensive parts? You know, the parts about the blood, the crucifixion, the complete worthlessness of human works?

At the end of the day, you simply cannot explain what the Bible says by changing what the Bible says.

Casting Stones

~ jbwatson ~ Leave a comment

Several years ago I attended a conference for leaders of Christian ministries and non-profit organizations in Denver, Colorado. The event included several “big names” in Christian ministry for keynote addresses, including Ted Haggard, who at the time was the president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Not long after that conference–two months or so, if I remember correctly–I was sitting in my office in Virginia. I do not remember if I read something in print or online, but I saw that Ted Haggard had allegedly been using crystal meth and meeting a homosexual escort for services for several years. I remember feeling instantly upset. I was angry that Mr. Haggard could have, just weeks earlier, stood before an audience of hundreds of Christian leaders to speak about leadership in Christian ministry and his own activities as the pastor of a very large church in Colorado Springs and the president of NAE, all while being engaged in that kind of sin. In fact, I seem to recall walking quickly down the hall to the office of the colleague who had attended the conference with me, showing him the report, and saying something like, “Can you believe this? He stood there in front of that crowd…” Blah, blah, blah. I’m sure I said something that clearly conveyed my judgmental attitude toward Mr. Haggard. I think I was still stewing about it when I returned to my office.

At some point not very long thereafter, though, I felt strongly convicted. I don’t believe I have ever heard the audible voice of the Lord, but my heart was definitely being pricked by the Holy Spirit at that moment. I remember, in the midst of my “righteous rage,” suddenly asking myself, “Who are you to judge him…as if you have never spoken to your staff or taught your Sunday school class with sin in your own life?”

Ouch! It was one of those less-than-pleasant moments of conviction, realizing that I am not nearly as great as I think I am. I, like so many other Christians, had a tendency to rank sin. Sure, I messed up from time to time. I might lose my temper, or be less than forthright at times, or neglect my prayer and Bible reading, or think impure thoughts on occasion, but I wasn’t using drugs, and I certainly wasn’t meeting a homosexual escort! But just like that the prompting of the Holy Spirit had shattered my comfortable opinion of myself. In no uncertain terms, I sensed the Lord telling me that yes, Ted Haggard was a sinner and he had messed up big time, but the same was true of me. Yes, from a human perspective, Mr. Haggard’s sins were more egregious than mine, but God doesn’t look at things from a human perspective.

James 2:10 makes it quite clear: “…whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (ESV). I had stumbled in more than one point, so what excuse did I have to be judging anyone else? An evangelist friend of mine illustrates this idea quite well by using the example of a window. If I break the window, it really doesn’t matter if I broke it with a pebble or a two-by-four, whether it cracked or shattered; the bottom line is that the window is broken. God’s law is the same. Whether I refuse to correct the cashier who gives me more change that I am owed, swipe a candy bar or rob a bank, it really doesn’t matter, because I have sinned, and I have come short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23).

Jesus made it clear to the religious leaders of his day that it is not a good idea to demand judgment for others’ sins when we have our own sin to worry about. With the woman who was caught in adultery the crowd demanded that she be stoned. Jesus sent the crowd scattering when He said that the person without sin should cast the first stone (John 8:6-8). The same principle is found when Jesus said that I ought not focus on removing the speck in another’s eye when there is a log in my own eye (Matthew 7:3-5, Luke 6:41-42).

I am not saying that Ted Haggard’s sin should be disregarded, nor am I suggesting that he should not be held accountable for his actions. Quite frankly, I was dismayed to learn that he left the counseling and accountability group that had been working with him before they felt he should in order to start a new church. But the real point is that I have no right to assume an attitude of righteous indignation and demand justice for Ted Haggard–or anyone else. After all, based on the standard Jesus set, I have no right to cast stones.