Biblical inconsistency?

OSV.com ^ | 07-25-18 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[Salvation]

Biblical inconsistency? Jesus does not negate himself but rather gives different teachings on following the commandments

Msgr. Charles Pope

7/25/2018

Question: In Matthew 5:19, Jesus rails against relaxing or changing even the least of the commandments, and yet verse 19 also says that if one does, “[he] will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” It seems the consequences should be “losing” the kingdom of heaven if Jesus is consistent with what follows in verse 20. Can you explain the seeming inconsistency? — Jim Flynn, via email

Answer: Two different teachings are being made here, hence it is not a matter of consistency.

In verse 19, the operative teaching is that while unrepented mortal sin excludes one from the kingdom of God, not all violations of the law are mortal. Even the Ten Commandments, while indicating grave sin in themselves admit of lighter matter.

For example, regarding the Seventh Commandment, stealing a large amount or something essential or irreplaceable is usually a mortal sin. However, taking something small or insignificant, while a sin, may not be a mortal sin that excludes one from the kingdom of God. Thus, if the Lord were to adopt your word, the condemnation might be too sweeping. It does not follow that if someone breaks the least of the commandments they necessarily lose the kingdom of God.

Further, you will note that there is a kind of parallelism or play of words at work here. The Lord is saying, in effect: “If you break even the least of my teachings, I am going to call you the least!” Preachers often use such sayings in order to be memorable.

For example, consider the following word stitch: “Say what you mean, and mean what you say. But don’t say it mean.” The word “mean” unites all three phrases, but in each case a slightly different sense of the word “mean” is used.

Here, the Lord is not only being careful not to imply that even small infractions would land us in hell, but he is also being artful, resourceful and memorable by his use of a parallelism.

As for verse 20, we encounter a different teaching: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Here we are dealing with the problem of minimalism. Though the Pharisees fancied themselves meticulous observers of the law, they were very minimalist in their application of it. Jesus said they were hypocrites because they followed exacting laws about small things, such as tithing, but neglected weightier matters of the law, such as justice and mercy (cf. Mt 23:23). It is one thing to pay tithes; this is good and required. But neglecting the poor and failing to feed and teach them is far more important to God.

Jesus will develop this teaching against minimalism in the verses that follow in the Sermon on the Mount. For example, he will teach that it is not enough to avoid murder; the command requires we let God banish vengeful hatred from our hearts. It is not enough to avoid acts of adultery; we must allow God to give us chaste minds and hearts. It is not enough to avoid excessive retaliation; we ought to avoid retaliation altogether.

Therefore, the message of verse 20 is a call to exceed the minimalist notions of the law. Grace equips us for more, and we are expected to attain more by that grace. The old law could not save. Only the “new law” of grace can save or make us sufficiently holy to enter heaven.

Thus verse 19 speaks of little things, verse 20 of weightier things.

[metmom]

Do you think a Christian who steals a paperclip is going to hell if he doesn't consciously repent of stealing the paperclip before he dies?

If you answer "no," then you, too, think that stealing a paperclip is a venial sin for Christians.

NO, it's a sin that can result in the condemnation of anyone if that was all they ever did in their entire life.

You are putting salvation on the basis of works, not grace, if you think that sin can damn a born again believer.

[metmom]

For the record the Catholic church doesn’t say you have to be baptized. God can do whatever he wants, he is not bound by anything.

Good, then there's no need for Catholicism at all.

Isn't it wonderful that God has the Roman Catholic church's permission to do what HE wants?

Where would God be without Catholicism?

[ealgeone]

For the record the Catholic church doesn’t say you have to be baptized.

You are in disagreement with your fellow Roman Catholics.

[nobamanomore]

So, how do you know that, my arrogant friend? I’m going by the catechism 1257.

[ealgeone]

So, how do you know that, my arrogant friend? I’m going by the catechism 1257.

You just can't help yourself can you?

But yet, proving once again my observation of Roman Catholics....they are usually, though not always, the first to resort to the personal attack and/or profanity when things go against them.

Your CCC is trying to have it both ways....either baptism is a requirement of salvation or it isn't.

Further, if it's going to be baptism then it must be baptism by immersion....something not always practiced in Roman Catholicism.

[ealgeone]

Isn't it wonderful that God has the Roman Catholic church's permission to do what HE wants?

Rome has some many caveats to its rules it's no wonder the average Roman Catholic cannot keep up with them all.

You have to be baptized but then you don't.

You have to follow Unam Sanctam and then you don't.

You have to follow the pope unless you disagree with him.

And on and on and on and on.

[Concentrate]

I can’t disagree. How do you know what Krishna/Baghavad Gita said was wrong? How can you be so sure?

How can you be sure that Islam is wrong? Or the Marxists? Or the Scientologists? How can you know?

[Concentrate]

One cannot prove a negative statement. Learned that right here. Give plausible evidence. (Not the placebo effect)

[kosciusko51]

Actually, you are missing one thing that verifies the Biblical text: prophetic writings. How many OT prophesies came to fruition in terms of Jesus Christ? Was not the rise and fall of Greece predicted by the OT?

As for the NT, depending on the earliest date of the earliest Synoptic Gospel, the fall of Jerusalem is predicted by Jesus, and was recorded before it happened.

Does any other source have that track record?

[Iscool]

Iscool often cuts to the chase ... simplicity is so refreshing ... and clarifying. Sadly, Catholic minds cannot hear it.

Finesse has never been one of my finer points...I chalk that up to a bad upbringing...

I heard a preacher once say that when dealing with lost people there are two approaches to nail them down...Some folks respond to a tack hammer while others require a jack hammer... :)

[Iscool]

I can see that for smoking, but the Bible stills says nothing about what an acceptable weight is for a person. It does condemn gluttony.

Pro 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Pro 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Winebibbers and riotous eaters are described as drunks and gluttons...

Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Also, there are many other activities that pose risks to the human body. In fact, most forms of exercise and sports can lead to injury. Should Christians not do these things?

In moderation...

1Ti 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

I'm not here to condemn since I too am guilty of some willful sins...And over eating is one of them...

The point is, God will be hard pressed to find a Christian who doesn't sin willfully at some time...And those who say they don't are lying to themselves and God...

But thank God for his Son who died that we will appear sinless before the Father...

Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

We can be fat and still go to heaven...Our fat, smoke filled, muscle bound bodies are going to die and we will be given brand new bodies that are fit for heaven...

[metmom]

They always have one exception after another for every rule.

Seems like it’s so that when some non-Catholic tells them what they read about Catholicism, they can go and tell that non-Catholic *You’re WRONG!* no matter what they say.

Even when they can back it up with Catholicism’s own documents.

[metmom]

Nice try but no cigar for you at trying to weasel out of supporting the comments you made.

[metmom]

What’s ironic is that Catholics have told us in the past that every sin is really willful to one degree or another.

So that makes every sin mortal since there was intent behind it.

[ealgeone]

That’s a point I’ve tried to convey.

[boatbums]

Sorry. I’m not a believer in sola scriptura.

Would you agree or disagree with the following:

All truth necessary for our salvation and spiritual life is taught either explicitly or implicitly in Scripture.

[rwa265]

True, man is born with a sin nature. But that sin nature is the result of the original sin that Adam committed when he ate the apple.

[metmom]

But baptism can’t erase the the sin nature, only the new birth can take care of that.

Water is not the thing that deals with sin.

It’s only the shedding of blood that can take away any sin.

[daniel1212]

I can’t disagree. How do you know what Krishna/Baghavad Gita said was wrong? How can you be so sure? How can you be sure that Islam is wrong? Or the Marxists? Or the Scientologists? How can you know? You only need to be persuaded that one is The Truth, and by which you may discern btwn the false and valid teachings of others. And which is initially based on a degree of evidential warrant.

God did not call Israel into covenant with Him until He had manifested Himself in power, and likewise the NT church manifested the reality of Christ.

As in entering into marriage, this does not require complete knowledge, but enough to take a step of faith, which (unlike some spouses) in the case of the Lord Jesus, results in profound changes in heart and life which correspond to the claims of Scripture. Likewise negative effects can be seen by disobedience.

The thousands of classic Christian hymns expressing this, as well as the abundant testimonies cannot be reasonably wholly attributed to naturalistic causes, though i am sure the committed atheist will resort to this no matter how many accounts he is shown.

Go to a Bible evangelical church and tell the pastor you want to interview members whom he considers to be faithful members, and then find out about what they were like in the years and even (if possible) the time just before their conversion and afterward. And then tell me what the cause is beyond the effect.

And or you could at least watch some nice video stories of such .

After I became born again even nature seemed new to me, and I experienced changes in heart and life that I did not expect, not were a result of indoctrination. Certainly other religions can profess similar conversion stories, but critically speaking those of born again evangelicals are in a class by themselves.

And unlike atheism, we have a supreme standard in Scripture by which to judge faithful versus carnal professors of faith, even though it can be subject to a limited scope of interpretation.

But what brought you as an atheist I presume, to the RF?

[daniel1212]

Do you think a Christian who steals a paperclip is going to hell if he doesn't consciously repent of stealing the paperclip before he dies? If you answer "no," then you, too, think that stealing a paperclip is a venial sin for Christians. No, it means that you are engaging in a false dilemma, for this is not a simple either/or situation.

While your premise that there are different grades of sins, from entertaining an unclean thought to premeditated murder, as well as different grades of guilt, from sins of ignorance to final apostasy ("the great transgression," "departing from the living God," "sin unto death"), yet salvation cannot require consciously repenting of every sin one committed.

For we are hardly conscious of all the the specifics and degrees we fail to love God with all we have, and our neighbor as ourselves, and can even forget what we did know. as some moment

Nor is justification obtained by having confessed and forsaken every sinful way we have.

Instead, it is faith out of a convicted poor and contrite repentant heart that obtains justification, rendering one "accepted in the Beloved" on Christ's account, and continually justifies.

Which saving faith effects obedience thru the Spirit, (Romans 8:14) and which includes repentance, (2 Corinthians 7:8) and penitent confession when convicted of not walking in obedience. Believers are And such obedience testifies to justifying faith

However, as it is such faith that justifies a person in conversion though he/she need not be know and remember and confess every sin, so also, while it is contrary to faith to reject conviction of sin and thus not ask forgiveness to the one offended, yet there are sins of ignorance, and it cannot be expected that one know and remember and confess every sin they have committed as a believer.

Instead, the faithful believer has a penitent attitude toward all sin, and it is this faith that justifies him despite his not know and remember and confessing every sin he has committed.

Of course, those who believe they must actually become good enough to be with God in this life or thru Purgatory, and confuse the effect of true heart-purifying justifying faith faith as being the actual cause of justification, have a different faith.