Man’s doctrine vs. Biblical doctrine.

I LURV my friends. My friends are wonderfully intelligent and because of this they pose wonderful insights and questions. I really like the questions that during the process of answering, I discover or sometimes re-discover or realize something anew.

I must insist, as we continue, on one thing. Don’t believe me. READ the versus I am summarizing so that you also, can take the words in the correct context.

One such statement/question was posed to me this very day. My friend posed the question or rather stated the existence of a cult/sect of Christians who, taking out of context the words of Jesus, do no work and rely on charity and a lifestyle of social support. (specifically in the Gospels Matthew 6:26 & Luke12:24)

*Consider the birds, They do not sow or reap or gather, yet your heavenly Father feed them. Are you not worth more than these?

I think the position of my friend was to point out inconsistency in “OUR” doctrine of faith. However this is clear to me to be a false teaching. This is definitively a wonderful example of the Doctrine of Man being used to subvert the Biblical Doctrine.

Any one line can be taken out of context and used to support any number of disassociated conclusions. I could have just as easily taken that to be a call to eat bugs and worms in place of normal human fare since this is what the birds would eat.

The context is IMMENSELY important. The context of these passages is the renowned sermon on the mound. Jesus is speaking on a hillside in Galilee. Jesus has begun his ministry, preaching and teaching in the synagogue and witnessing the very Doctrine of Man at work as it attempts to overshadow the Biblical teachings. He finds Himself with his disciples with a large crowd having followed him up the mountainside. So He sits and begins to teach. What He begins to teach are a count of the attributes of Holiness and what it means to be a follower.

This is the recap, summary edition. Please read His word for the complete account Matthew 4:25-7:27

He begins with the Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor… the mourners… the gentle (meek)… the hungry… the merciful… and so on.

Then he begins with the instructions. Believers are the Salt of the Earth… How to obey the Law… Removing Hate and Lust from the heart… How to Give… How to Pray… and finally (for our conversation any way) How to honor God by removing greed from your heart.

Matthew 6:19 Don’t collect for yourselves, treasures on earth…

Matthew 6:20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven…

Why???? answered in Matthew 6:21-24 For where your treasure is, there to will your heart be. … … You cannot be slave to God and to money.

Get it? The very next verse continues this thought.

Matthew 6:25  This is why I have told you: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26Consider the birds, They do not sow or reap or gather, yet your heavenly Father feed them. Are you not worth more than these?

Here we find we are where we started…. At this last verse, He is addressing the stress we go through as we try to do more than provide for our families. Jesus is addressing the symptoms of materialism of His day, symptoms that still prevale today. The worries of money and debt. The race for better faster stronger, shinier, toys that CAUSE us to fall into debt (earthly treasures)… His point is simple, God will take care of your basics because, You are special and His beloved children. but consider the thoughts Do you need that brass ring. Or in our time do you NEED that plasma flat screen. (or for me: should I REALLY be eating that additional piece of cheesecake (my personal weakness. noooo) )

*Note: Jesus later expounds on this teaching when talking about being a good steward of those resources and using money (called talents) to prosper the master’s house in a later sermon. (Matthew 25:15-28)

Remember, at this point Jesus is not talking to JUST his disciples. He is addressing the MASSES of people who followed him up this mountain. This is not a call to laziness or even entitlement. He is making social commentary and instruction on how to be pleasing to God and BE BETTER in every way in every day. Additionally, this is one of the first conveyances of His title: Prince of Peace.

My ultimate point here is the example of the creation of a false doctrine based on taking a piece of scripture out of context.

There is more danger and harm done when we take His word out of its historical and literal context. We see this every day in “Hate Speech” as some sit in judgement of others… So Please, take some time to read it, and understand it, and you may understand why I to Love His Word and choose to consume it like air.

Thanks you for reading and for the ensuing flame war. 😉

I Love you all…
Thank you for reading and for comments…
– Be Yourself, Be Well, and Be Loved,

Gary Cartagena is a dedicated husband and father.
He is Founder and consultant for Tek Management,
Founder of the Men’s Leadership site: CalebStrong.org,
Co-Founder of the online Bible study app: BibleCounts

View Gary Cartagena’s profile

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