Which Jesus Will You Follow?

Unfortunately, Jesus didn’t leave us with a book of teachings or an autobiography. Why not? I don’t know–maybe we’d worship them or do other wacky things.

The way Jesus commands us to remember Him isn’t by receiving a book of sayings He writes for us; it’s by actually receiving Him. Although He didn’t write us a book, He did commission His apostles to spread the good news. He knew He was leaving, and that it was now the Holy Spirit’s job to speak through the Apostles’ hands and mouths in taking the Gospel to all the world for all times. We can’t get around the fact that 2,000 years later, if there was no written documentation of the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as the Apostles’ Spirit-led understanding of Jesus’ life and teachings, where would we be today? How much truth would be lost by now? Just look at what the Catholic Church today claims was passed down orally by the Apostles–much of it isn’t found in Scripture, and some of it seems to even be opposed to it. How much crazier would Christianity look like today if the Apostles hadn’t written anything at all? Would it at all be faithful to Jesus’ teachings? Would it even still be around?

That’s why, several blogs and days later, I have come to the conclusion that the major difference between orthodox Christianity and other “better” versions of Christianity all boils down to this:

OPTION 1:

You come to the discussion assuming that the Old Testament Prophets/authors, Apostles and Gospel writers got it right. They accurately recall the history between God and His people, and interpret who Jesus was, what He did, and what His life means for the world. If modern-day thinking seems to contradict Scripture, that thinking is in error no matter how attractive or compelling it sounds. Authentic Christianity comes by understanding more fully what the authors of Scripture were trying to say, because they were writing under the expiration (breathing out) of the Holy Spirit. Scripture is ultimately authored by God. New ideas of Jesus’ message cannot be accepted if they contradict the message of Scripture. These types of “new ideas” have been occurring throughout history, and each of them have faded away in time, because God’s Word alone lasts forever. Following Christ is as clear as reading the Scriptures, and following them, because they all point to Christ. Those who do will find new life in Christ in this world and in the world to come. Those who refuse to follow Scripture are refusing to follow Christ, and can expect devastating consequences.

OPTION 2:

You come to the discussion assuming that humanity’s understanding of who God is and what He wants from us continues to progress, and therefore when we look to both the Old and New Testaments, which indeed contain many great truths about God, we will yet continue to find misunderstandings, rabbit trails, and errors of thinking as more time goes on. The Old Testament is quite outdated and mistaken; much of it is better laid aside in light of Jesus’ revelations. Yet, since Jesus himself didn’t leave written materials behind, we mustn’t fully trust everything from the human authors who recount his life and teachings. They couldn’t help but interpret their perceptions of Jesus’ words and life, according to their limited understandings. People like Paul, who also lived in such an ancient culture yet didn’t even follow Jesus’ earthly ministry, are even more susceptible to misinterpreting Jesus’ message. While we didn’t live and walk with Jesus ourselves either, we have the benefit of 2,000 years of theological discussions to enlighten us. Even ideas and stories in other religions may shed some light on God’s truths. Perhaps Jesus’ message was intentionally fluid enough to be able to change and adapt into the sensibilities of each time period–so let’s not write a “gospel” down in stone. As we continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom, the message of the Gospel will show other sides and new ideas that we have not yet seen.

THE CONCLUSION

In other words, I now realize that while Christianity has always been described as trusting Jesus–Christianity really is this: do you trust everything that the Law, Prophets, and Apostles say about Jesus? It seems that many people within our churches today feel they no longer can. This makes me so sad, and is the reason so much of my blog continues to be devoted to these issues. I know as a result of what I have witnessed firsthand, I will never be the same. This experience has changed me for life.

While I always have maintained that the center of our faith is the Gospel message, I realize more today that the Gospel message is found where? In Scripture. So when Scripture is doubted and picked apart, it is inevitable that the Gospel ends up a bloody casualty. I see it happening. Deep inside, I am in mourning. Jesus was already crucified once–are we trying to kill off his message once again? Today, we hear yet again a “new” or “better” Gospel that reflects only portions of Scripture that appeal to us. We discard the rest. There is nothing new about this. These things pop up all the time. There is nothing better about this either. We are breezing over our only hope for salvation, and I don’t know what else I can say except: God, please do something to wake us back up to the truth.