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Biblical inconsistency?
OSV.com ^
| 07-25-18
| Msgr. Charles Pope
Posted on 07/28/2018 8:00:05 AM PDT by 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.
TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: bible; catholic; context; ignoretrolls; tickytackytrolling; yopios
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To: editor-surveyor
Mark, Luke and John are in the works and will be out soon.That's nice.
441
posted on
08/04/2018 5:07:09 AM PDT
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: Concentrate
I don’t do long videos; and I’ve already witnessed ‘evidence’ that has convinced me that the Bible is a bit more than a ‘lot’ of truth.
If there is something specific you’d like me to see; give me the time it is found in the video.
442
posted on
08/04/2018 5:10:49 AM PDT
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: Concentrate
443
posted on
08/04/2018 5:18:15 AM PDT
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: Elsie
I don’t know. That would be a lot of work, and I’m old and lazy. I’ve watched the entire video many times. Try skipping around.
There’s a part 2 also, about mesas being the stumps of ancient giant trees, too.
I think pat 2 is actually easier to get. Much less complicated. And shorter! If it pops up again,I’ll post it for you.
444
posted on
08/04/2018 11:21:26 AM PDT
by
Concentrate
(ex-texan was right and Always Right was wrong, which is why we lost the election. Podesta the molest)
To: Elsie
Wow! Thanks for the video. Pretty impressive! :)
445
posted on
08/04/2018 11:24:28 AM PDT
by
Concentrate
(ex-texan was right and Always Right was wrong, which is why we lost the election. Podesta the molest)
To: Elsie
OK, can you relate to me (or us) your evidence? I’ve shown you mine, now you show me yours. :)
No, really. I need a solid footing to help me through this.
446
posted on
08/04/2018 11:28:57 AM PDT
by
Concentrate
(ex-texan was right and Always Right was wrong, which is why we lost the election. Podesta the molest)
To: Elsie
447
posted on
08/04/2018 12:38:54 PM PDT
by
editor-surveyor
(Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
To: editor-surveyor; daniel1212; Luircin; kosciusko51; Elsie; imardmd1
Our God has told us how to gain his righteousness, and it is not even related to the above beliefs.
That is about the way i see it and Jesus said if you loved me you would keep my commandments.
“No apostle ever called obedience to Torah works.
I am not sure what you mean but James referred to the things which Jesus told us to do ( such as the good Samaritan and the parable of the sheep and Goats ) as works.
People today thinks of the word work as a bad word, i think it is a very good word.
But i would like to make a point here.
When i first commented on this thread i was only questioning the idea that a believer would go to heaven no matter how much they sinned.
I question it because although i doubt it i don`t really know.
I agree with all of you that we are saved by grace through faith but if we can sin all we want then why did Paul tell the church that they should get rid of that man who was having an affair with his dads wife?
1 Cor 5:1
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
I don`t really know but i believe Paul was just telling them
to get him out of the Church, but maybe kill him.
Many people use Pauls writings to get the idea across that believers can do anything they want except work or obey Jesus and still be saved, but maybe Paul was not quite as liberal as some think.
These same people who believes we can sin all we want and still be saved are the first ones who will bash the Catholics, they say for worshiping Mary or idols.
Or bashing the Mormons because a couple of them has more than one wife.
If believers can sin all they want and still be saved what does it matter?
People will use any scripture to justify their belief and that is fine but why not read the the scriptures that will justify the belief of others also.
448
posted on
08/04/2018 1:21:01 PM PDT
by
ravenwolf
(Left lane drivers and tailgaters have the smallest brains in the world.)
To: ravenwolf
From
John Calvin: ANTIDOTE TO THE CANONS OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, Canon 11
I wish the reader to understand that as often as we mention Faith alone in this question, we are not thinking of a dead faith, which worketh not by love, but holding faith to be the only cause of justification. (Galatians 5:6; Romans 3:22.) It is therefore faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone: just as it is the heat alone of the sun which warms the earth, and yet in the sun it is not alone, because it is constantly conjoined with light. Wherefore we do not separate the whole grace of regeneration from faith, but claim the power and faculty of justifying entirely for faith, as we ought.
To: ravenwolf
These same people who believes we can sin all we want and still be saved are the first ones who will bash the Catholics, they say for worshiping Mary or idols. Or bashing the Mormons because a couple of them has more than one wife. If believers can sin all they want and still be saved what does it matter? People will use any scripture to justify their belief and that is fine but why not read the the scriptures that will justify the belief of others also. Why do you keep on asserting ANYONE has advocated "believers can sin all they want and still be saved"??? NOBODY has stated that! Can you appreciate the difference between the truth that our works are not what save us but that our works are what demonstrate that we have genuine faith and have been born again into the family of God? Why the misdirection and untrue accusations?
Those who would try to be justified by their works are "fallen from grace". It's that simple, please don't permit the legalists and Judaizer-accursed gospel to confuse you. We are saved by the grace of God THROUGH faith and not by our works. That is the true good news! It is NOT a license to sin - the same accusation that Paul had to deal with that he addressed in his epistle to the Galatians and that apply to us all. We CAN'T save ourselves - it is ALL because of God's grace.
450
posted on
08/04/2018 2:07:34 PM PDT
by
boatbums
(Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy he saved us.)
To: ravenwolf; daniel1212; metmom
If believers can sin all they want and still be saved what does it matter?
***
Will you STOP using that strawman argument please?
It’s not only not at ALL what I believe, but it’s highly insulting.
And says a lot about you when you think that the only reason that anyone would do good works would be because they’d be punished otherwise.
Though if you insist on smearing me with that argument, I have to ask you this in return. If you do good works in order to avoid punishment, are they REALLY good works from the heart?
Personally I would say that a good work from a Protestant who does it out of gratitude for God saving him would count for more than ten good works done by a Catholic who’s only doing them because he doesn’t want to go to Hell.
451
posted on
08/04/2018 2:36:26 PM PDT
by
Luircin
To: Luircin
It also says a lot about a person and what’s in their heart if they think that security in salvation gives someone license to sin.
It’s called *projection* and I’m convinced many think that way because that’s what they’d do if they were in that position.
Those born of the Spirit love God and want to please Him and are grieved when they sin. They are not using God as fire insurance, so they can sin all they want and get away with it.
Nor to they understand what the fruit of the Spirit of self-control is.
We don’t need threats of damnation to keep us in line. We don’t need the outside forces compeling us under duress to behave or else. We have the internal desire to please God and live in a way that pleases Him and brings glory to Him.
452
posted on
08/04/2018 3:02:47 PM PDT
by
metmom
( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith......)
To: Luircin
If you do good works in order to avoid punishment, are they REALLY good works from the heart? No.
It's service based on fear, not love and gratitude.
The new birth is completely lost on them.
453
posted on
08/04/2018 3:03:50 PM PDT
by
metmom
( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith......)
To: boatbums
454
posted on
08/04/2018 3:50:31 PM PDT
by
Mark17
(Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning GOD....And the rest, as they say, is HIS-story)
To: Elsie
Would that be the nephilim?
455
posted on
08/04/2018 3:59:46 PM PDT
by
Mark17
(Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning GOD....And the rest, as they say, is HIS-story)
To: rwa265
It’s got to do with Paul’s efforts to attain right standing with God by adherence to the Law, IOW, works.
All the effort he made, he realized, means nothing compared to being found in Christ and having Christ’s righteousness imputed to him through faith is far better than having his own which he tried to attain by works.
All his technical sinless perfection under the law means nothing. It did not give him the righteousness he sought after.
It’s being found *in Christ* is all that matters, thus not having a righteousness of his own.
456
posted on
08/04/2018 6:51:48 PM PDT
by
metmom
( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith......)
To: rwa265; metmom
Is it your contention that God will credit the righteousness of Christ to our account without us confessing our sins? It seems we are trying to deal with some hypothetical situations, than can be very difficult to explain on an Internet forum like this. I will try, however. First, let me say, that God is the ONLY one who truly knows the heart, whether a person is truly saved or not. We only see from the outside.
Now, when I was 21, I became a born again Christian. His righteousness was imputed to me. My life began to miraculously change. Thats how I knew it was real. Hypothetically speaking again, I would say if a person claims to have become a born again Christian, and yet has no change in his life, is he truly saved? Hypothetically, I would say the answer is probably not, but only God knows for sure.
Once I had His righteousness imputed to me, it was a once and forever experience. The relationship has been permanently established. Now, I had two natures in me, Gods imputed nature and the old sin nature, at war with each other, both fighting for dominance. Sometimes I have victory over sin, and sometimes I dont, but the relationship is never broken. We are never to use our relationship as an excuse for wickedness, but sometimes we still sin, which harms fellowship with God, but not the relationship. Thats when we do a 1 John 1:9, and confess. It restores the fellowship, but the relationship was always there.
Now, can a true born again Christian fall into some bad sinning. Hypothetically, I would say it is possible, but I would also say that if they do, God may hypothetically kill them. Its possible that God will not long tolerate a true Christian bringing disrespect to His name. Doesnt mean their relationship has ended, but their life on earth might, hypothetically of course. That is what I think is the sin unto death. It refers to physical death, not spiritual death. Remember Ananias and Sapphira. Hypothetically, true Christians, who sinned, and were removed from the earth. Hypothetically, they were saved, but were still taken out. I feel that if a true Christian wants to lead a long, fruitful, productive life, he should do his best to stay on the straight and narrow, not to get saved, but because he is saved. I hope this might help. 😁👍😇
457
posted on
08/04/2018 8:32:29 PM PDT
by
Mark17
(Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning GOD....And the rest, as they say, is HIS-story)
To: Mark17
Would that be the nephilim?There are no doubt HUNDREDS who cling to this and say, "yes!!!"; however...
Genesis 6:1-8
1 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those daysand also afterwardwhen the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have createdand with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the groundfor I regret that I have made them. 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
It does NOT say the GIANTs mated with the Humans; it merely says they were on the earth.
???
So; just WHO are the sons of God and the daughters of humans???
The BOOK says: Let Us create Man in Our image. So there you get some 'sons of God'; right??
The BOOK also says, in Genesis 5:3-4
When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
These things happened BEFORE Genesis chapter 6....
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
To get GIANTS being OTHER than what GOD's word says; one must go offline to extra biblical writings.
458
posted on
08/05/2018 2:15:49 PM PDT
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: Elsie
459
posted on
08/05/2018 8:11:28 PM PDT
by
imardmd1
(Fiat Lux)
To: daniel1212; Luircin
Because it really sounds like youre saying that daniel1212 has told you that no, this is not what he believes, and youve just said I dont care; Im going to keep on attacking in this manner anyways.
Talk about nonsense? i don`t think i even mentioned daniel1212 which world are you in?
460
posted on
08/06/2018 9:39:29 AM PDT
by
ravenwolf
(Left lane drivers and tailgaters have the smallest brains in the world.)
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