I said, “Don’t trust Christians who rarely quote the bible.”
You said, “It’s not enough to just quote scripture. We’re supposed to live according to what scripture teaches! Faith without works is dead!!” (I do appreciate you not calling me a jerk.)
Yeah, but it’s not enough to live according to scripture because your righteousness is as filthy rags!!! Your works cannot save you!! It God’s grace and the atoning blood of Christ that erases sin and justifies you before God!!!!!! (Now you can call me a jerk if you like.)
When you say something true, it is not helpful or polite of me to chastise you because you didn’t say some other true thing. That’s what you’re doing when you remind me that some people quote the bible but don’t live by it.
When I say, “Plants need water,” I’m not denying that they also need sunshine and nutrients from the soil. I can’t say all the true things about plants. I can’t say everything that’s true about Christianity either. Articulation of one truth is not necessarily denial of other truths.
I am aware that some people are hypocrites. I know some folks ‘twist scripture’ and take it out of context. I understand misapplication of biblical teaching happens. I have first hand experience with people who use the bible to justify great evil. Christians should quote scripture anyway.
Christians who rarely speak the words in the bible are speaking words from some other source. (You may be tempted to say something like, “We can’t just speak bible verses exclusively!” but please don’t.) It is not possible to LIVE according to bible teaching if you don’t know what the bible teaches. From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
(Proverbs 7:1) My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
2 Responses
“Articulation of one truth is not necessarily denial of other truths.”
Touche’. Or touchy, depending on the level of the always easily offended dolts in this world.
Curious what your take on Hollyweird’s liberties and inaccuracies of “The Chosen” in twisting, omitting, and misrepresenting scripture is? Blurring the lines between actual scripture and Jenkins fantasies have many Christians we know personally, giddy for the next episode. Never seen them get so excited about the actual recorded Word…My husband and I are the only ones not watching it. We feel compelled and drawn away from it, from discernment that cannot be explained.
Bring it. 😆
I haven’t seen The Chosen. From what I understand, it is the story of Jesus from the disciples perspective. It’s problematic because, as you said, many people who aren’t good at discerning between fiction and scripture. My knee-jerk take (again, having not seen a single episode) is that the producer of the show is not responsible for how the show is interpreted (or misinterpreted). I’ve been blamed for misrepresenting the Christian faith many times. I’ve been accused of scripture twisting and heresy more times than I can count.
Jenkins has been clear that he is producing a work of fiction. He isn’t claiming to be historically accurate. Everyone who reads the Bible brings their personal bias and perspective into it. That being said, it’s correct to be wary and ask questions.