Update: For non-Bible readers and those otherwise unfamiliar with biblical exegesis (especially those attempting to trackback to this post), I use the term “liberal” in a non-political sense. A “liberal Christian” is one who doesn’t hold to the absolute authority of Scripture and considers it closely tied to social causes. If you want to trackback, please read my comment policy. Links leading to insulting, inane and useless posts will be deleted.
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The problem with liberal theology is that it’s liberal theology. By that I mean loose interpretations of the Bible as opposed to a fundamental belief in the Bible’s inerrancy and infallibility. Liberal theology is empty chatter which seeks to deny man’s spiritual condition and focus instead on social causes.
The Bible is not a book for the materially poor or rich or those with special knowledge. (Clarification: socio-economic status is irrelevant.) It is written for the person who recognizes a Creator in God and salvation through his son Jesus Christ. It is not a manual on how to lobby for government programs or a step-by-step guide on pitting race against race, class against class.
The Bible is the story of God and man, man’s separation and eventual redemption. One cannot read the Old Testament and miss this theme, which is weaved throughout its pages.
As Israel rebelled and God repeatedly forgave this wayward nation, we witness his wrath and his mercy and longsuffering. When Christ returns, the opportunity to be forgiven will be lost for eternity. You will stand before God and account for all of your sins.
Can you imagine? Every secret thing. God’s relationship with ancient Israel serves many functions, one of which is to warn us that God’s patience will run out.
I want to discuss this sentence in the Bible: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
I’m prompted to address it because I’ve read one too many misinterpretations of this passage. What God meant as a message to those seeking spiritual life, liberals use for class envy and proof text for government programs.
Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount with the “Beatitudes,” a series of blessings. This passage in particular is a favorite among liberals. A few months ago I wrote about how anti-war types quote this passage, stripped of its context, to support their agenda.
For instance, when Jesus says, “[W]hoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also,” he’s speaking of personal slights and persecution for the faith. But a liberal Christian will say he’s referring to any slight, physical or otherwise. We know that can’t be true. It defies common sense.
If someone breaks into your house and tries to rape your wife or child, for example, do you really believe God requires you to “turn the other cheek” while it happens and shirk your responsibility to protect your family, or exercise your God-given right to defend them?
The whole section of the sermon is about spiritual poverty, not material. If a non-Christian and/or someone unfamiliar with the Bible reads the Beatitudes for the first time and concludes otherwise, perhaps that is understandable. But for a Christian to do so is atrocious. If one believes in a social gospel rather than the one in the Bible, I guess that’s the only conclusion they’d come to. Unbelievable.
In light of the whole Bible, what do you think Jesus means when he says the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit? Does he mean that only poor people will be saved? That no materially wealthy people will go to heaven? Of course not. Jesus says no man can come to him unless the Father draws him. Those who have faith in him receive salvation, regardless of their material possessions. The Bible does not contradict itself, and God cannot lie. So what must you conclude about Matthew 5:3?
The Greek word for “poor” in this context is one of the keys to understanding the text. It describes one who is desperately poor and destitute, almost powerless to help themselves. If you’re a Christian and/or a regular reader of this blog, that should sound familiar. As unsaved people, we are spiritually poor, destitute and powerless to “help” ourselves achieve salvation.
Let me be clear at this point. Christians are commanded to help those in need, along with sharing the Gospel. I am not asserting that Bible-believing Christians are not to do so. I’m demonstrating that feeding the poor is only one of God’s commands. He also says, “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” When was the last time you heard a liberal (theologically speaking in this context, not politically) mention that command?
During his ministry, Jesus did many things, including physical feeding and healing. But that did not preclude what he really came to do: feed hungry souls and heal sin sickness. His physical acts were signs pointing to the spiritual comforts he came to provide. Why people miss this, I do not know.
I have to note that the sixth chapter of Luke also contains the Beatitudes, but the first sentence is rendered this way: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.” Although the word “spirit” is missing here, if we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, the phrase must be understood as “poor in spirit.”
Being poor is not an automatic ticket to heaven. Jesus is reserving a place for the spiritually poor who acknowledge their wretched condition and recognize that without Christ, they are poor indeed.
I will never get over Christians misreading the Bible. In the Beatitudes, Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of heaven, not of the earth. That kingdom belongs to Satan, who is described as the “prince of this world.” That is obvious to me. Why some Christians fail to understand this is astonishing. I hate seeing God’s word manipulated to fit a social agenda.
