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.

[boatbums]

I appreciate all your hard work and scholarship on these threads. Some people have a very firm idee fixe (AKA obsession, mania, etc.) on certain things and no manner of proof can begin to loosen the grip it has on them. Cultist followers are especially susceptible to this no doubt because of their already sizable investment of time, money, reputation and faith in the cult leaders. Pride is their downfall. We can pray for their opened eyes and softened hearts.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

What'd I foretell about the reaction of those in a cult?

I won’t waste my time clicking on the satan bait you posted.

Denial without looking at anything, because it disagrees with what the Father cult figure taught.

Yehova’s appointed servants are not refuted by arrogant deceivers.

Demonstrating a believe in secret knowledge and status, while attacking personally.

Classic cult actions and beliefs.

[boatbums]

No translator, copy of the original writing of John in his language, in the Vatican archives. Get past the confusion of the Greek translations.

Be honest, a copy of one page of the original writing of John in his language, in the Vatican archives (that you don't know how old it is nor who did the translating). Get past the Roodian/Gordian confusion that presumes God is incapable of preserving and communicating the Divinely-inspired Scriptures in ANY or ALL languages. Hebrew would have handicapped the message of Jesus Christ that HE commanded to be preached unto all the world.

[metmom]

His claims are bunk.

This article exposes Miles Jones for the fraud he is.

https://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2012/09/26/Was-An-Archaeological-Forgery-Mistakenly-Portrayed-As-Authentic.aspx

[metmom]

But that doesn't make us right with God.

The only way to be right with God is to have the righteousness of Christ credited to our account.

We are corrupted by sin and unless we are delivered from THAT, the best we can do is filthy rags in the sight of God because they are tainted with sin.

Philippians 3:2-15 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 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. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

[editor-surveyor]

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Wake up!

Nobody did any translating! Its in the original language: Hebrew, the only language spoken by the House of Judah at that time. The only language in which any disciple was literate.

You’re at war with Yehova and his Holy Spirit.

The word definitely was not accurately translated into Greek in the majority of the NT writings. It was not translated by servants of Yehova.

Yehova did preserve his word in his language, just as Paul declared in his epistle to the Romans. If you’re at war with Paul’s declaration, guess who else you’re at war with!
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[editor-surveyor]

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You can live with your embraced confusion. I’ve given up trying to get through to you.
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[editor-surveyor]

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>> “But if James (who only mentions Christ twice, and never His death and resurrection) was teaching that the merit of works justifies one before God then he is contradicting both Moses and Paul.” <<

Works and obedience are two separate things.

Keeping Torah is not works, it is obedience based in faith.
That is what James and Paul both conveyed. It is also what Yeshua preached.

Works wherever it is mentioned in the NT is the keeping of the Pharisees false laws of Takanot and Ma’assim.

Those laws are the ‘burden that could not be borne” that was taken to the cross by Yeshua. They are most frequently called “the Law of Moses” in the NT.
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[imardmd1]

Just what I was thinking. Thanks for dealing with this accurately and concisely with insight on the Nehemia Gordon angle.

[editor-surveyor]

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>> “It sounds like we can sin and still be right with God without any repentence for our sin.” <<

That is explained well in 1John chapter 1.
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[boatbums]

There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary." Sister Lucia dos Santos

The REAL Lucy or the fake Lucy???

[editor-surveyor]

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The plain word of Yehova is nowhere secret.

But you do often ignore it, and accuse those that do not ignore it of all sorts of mischief.

The satanic bait was a clear embrace of the “inherited lies wherein there is no profit” spoken of by Jeremiah.

Yes they are arrogant deceivers!
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[metmom]

Which raises the question of just what else Vatican 2 faked.

[metmom]

The plain word of Yehova is nowhere secret.

Except for a bunch of secret manuscripts allegedly in Hebrew that nobody has ever seen.

[editor-surveyor]

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You support the work of the adversary?

That article is a clearly deliberate deception.

[imardmd1]

Yeah. There is a difference between having a hard head with a soft heart as compared to one who has a soft head and a hard heart. Thanks for your labors.

[editor-surveyor]

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Just because you choose to ignore them does not mean nobody sees them.

His sheep are hungry for them; Satan’s goats, not so much.
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[editor-surveyor]

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There are 100’s of paprii in that vault that are original language copies of gospels.

Stop twisting!
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[daniel1212]

Again, Abraham was not counted as righteous because he said he had faith, he was righteous because her was willing to do what God told him to do.

Actually, God said Abraham was counted as righteous because he had faith, which thus effected obedience. .

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-6)

But it seems today that if a preacher trys to make the young girls understand that they should not take their pants down for any creep that comes along they are accused of preaching salvation by works which in most cases is nothing but a lie.

Which is largely a strawman as directed to Bible Christians, while Catholics testify to being more libera l, and the secular school teachers are worst.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

The plain word of Yehova is nowhere secret. But you do often ignore it, and accuse those that do not ignore it of all sorts of mischief. The satanic bait was a clear embrace of the “inherited lies wherein there is no profit” spoken of by Jeremiah. Yes they are arrogant deceivers! .

Translation:

You arrogant heathen! The Scriptures mean only what we say they mean, using our insider knowledge.

You heathen ignore the plain meanings we alone know and insult us that are the chosen ones!

You post falsehoods that come from the pit of hell, which we alone know because we have secret knowledge.

Yes, everyone other than those who follow my cult-daddy, the fake rabbi, are deceivers!!!