Examining "A More Christlike Word"
by Brad Jersak
“For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” (Paul’s concern from 2 Corinthians 11:4)
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The False Filter |
The Biblical Filter |
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The word OR the Word |
The Word THROUGH the word |
I begin this day’s Journal
Journey OVERJOYED!
Yes,
it was my exercise day, which meant listening to God’s word while I worked out.
I was able to hear the last chapter of Galatians, and the whole of Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians, and I Thessalonians, all thanks to the fact that the
older I get the longer my routine takes!
The
bitter side of this is that last night a video recommendation showed up on my
Youtube site that was clearly another one of the BJs pushing the same deceptive
narrative. I had to remind myself that Jesus' sheep will hear his voice, and I
just need to keep sharing the warnings against these false teachers along with
the good news of the Scriptures that are absolutely reliable as the breathed-out
words of God.
The “sweet”
side of this is how much came up in Paul’s epistles to the churches that
answers the teachings BJ is promoting in his book. I will share them as a
testimony for the Scriptures, and against the BJs and other peddlers and
twisters of God’s word. I want everyone to know that if we will read and hear
God’s word, both in the magnifying glass focus in our morning time with God,
and the tapestry focus of reading or listening to longer portions of God’s
word, we will see how masterfully it has been put together in the Bible so
there is no doubt that God is both the Composer and Orchestrator of this glorious
Book of Life.
1. Living Worthy By Avoiding Deceitful
Schemes.
In Ephesians 4, Paul described how “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (vs 1). This requires the church to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (vs 3), and to have the leaders
“to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (vss 12-13).
But
then Paul includes a warning, “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to
and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human
cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (vs 14). The way that people are
uniting around “every wind of doctrine” that is the creation of “human cunning”
and the “craftiness” of the BJs “in deceitful schemes” is a serious warning
that we have fallen away from God’s design for how churches “walk in a manner
worthy” of our calling!
One of the biggest ways to combat this is what Paul says next,
“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (vss 15-16).
My
focus in taking such time to plod down BJ’s garden path is because his “deceitful
schemes” need a good dose of “truth in love”, and I testify that I am sharing
both truth and love in what I am sharing. I would love it if BJ would have his
eyes and ears opened so he could understand the Scriptures. I would be so happy
if I heard he had felt God’s kindness leading him to repentance so he would
rejoice to tell people the good news of the kingdom just like Paul got all
turned around when he came to the true Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord.
2. The Difference Between a “Bad Motive”
and a “Bad Gospel”
In
Philippians 1, Paul was encouraging the brothers that, even though he was in
prison, the gospel was still spreading because “the whole imperial guard” had
now heard the gospel since they all had to take turns being chained to him (vs
13)! The most literal captive audience!
Paul
then spoke well of the fact that “most of the brothers, having become confident
in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without
fear” (vs 14). Paul was thankful for this, that instead of the brothers being
afraid of proclaiming Christ because of the trouble he was in, they were
encouraged to make Jesus known all the more.
However, Paul had to admit that
“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment” (vss 15-17).
What
stands out is that both these groups “preach Christ”. The difference is not in
the message but in the motive. Some are motivated by love, others by selfish
ambition.
My
point is that, as long as the message was the same, and everyone was preaching the
true Christ by the true Spirit by the true Gospel, Paul could say, “What then?
Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed,
and in that I rejoice” (vs 18).
However, when we are dealing with “another Jesus”, “a different Spirit,”
and “a different gospel” like we are getting from the BJs, then Paul has to
say, “you put up with it readily enough” (II Corinthians 11:4). My testimony is
that I am seeking to proclaim the same Jesus as Paul, and with the same love
for all the saints as Paul exemplified. I want Jesus Christ to be glorified for
the good of everyone who reads my daily Journal Journeys.
3. The Dogs Who Mutilate Flesh
I find
it fascinating how strongly Paul warns against false teachers. He encourages
the Philippians about his writing from prison by saying, “To write the same
things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you” (3:1). The “safe” part is
that it helps the churches sift through the things they hear and reject the deceptive
schemes.
So, he
says next, “Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for
those who mutilate the flesh” (3:2). Paul called the men who were trying to mix
Old Covenant laws into New Covenant freedoms “dogs”, “evildoers”, “mutilators”
of flesh. What once was required by the law (circumcision) is now just
mutilating flesh because it has no place in the New Covenant.
This
ties in with BJ’s aim to bring the church back to an annual cycle of Old
Covenant festivals and feasts. They have no place in the church because the old
has gone, and the new has come.
4. The Mature Who “Think This Way”
In
Philippians 3:15, Paul wrote, “Let those of us who are mature think this way,
and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” This
not only applies to what he had just written, but it obviously applies to
everything Paul wrote in his letters. He was an apostle. He was carried along
by the Holy Spirit to write down the breathed-out words of God. Of course we
should think the same way as him. And no one who thinks “otherwise” in a “deceitful
schemes” kind of way is mature!
5. The Examples of Faith and the
Enemies of the Cross
On one
side, Paul wrote, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those
who walk according to the example you have in us” (Philippians 3:17). The
apostles set an example that we ought to follow.
On the other side,
“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (vss 18-19).
The BJs are “enemies of the cross of Christ” because they
are deceiving people to believe contrary to what God has said in his own words.
The present section where BJ is determined to deceive people that the Father
did not present his Son as the propitiation for our sins, that we are not
sinners with deceitful hearts, and that the cross wasn’t about saving us from
the wrath of God are exactly what Paul was warning about. People who are
enemies of the cross will do anything to keep people from knowing what God
and his Son did for us in providing so great a salvation as what we see
revealed in the Scriptures.
6. Delusions and Self-Made Religion
In
Colossians 2, Paul warned against those who want to “delude you with plausible
arguments” (vs 4). This is clearly what the BJs are doing and people do not
recognize that plausible arguments do not mean they are true, only that they
are cleverly worded to delude people by sounding plausible.
He
continues by warning about those who want to take “you captive by philosophy
and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental
spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (vs 8). The BJs “another Jesus”,
“different spirit,” and “different gospel”, certainly apply!
And, after pointing out some other rules people are trying to push on the church, he says,
“These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (vs 23).
Yes, there are things that have
the appearance of wisdom (the way counterfeit money is made to look like the
real thing), but it is “promoting self-made religion” as BJ is doing, and it is
clearly to be avoided, not applauded.
7. The Gospel as the “Word of the Lord”
In I Thessalonians
1, Paul speaks of how “our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in
power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (vs 5). Paul was pointing
out “our gospel”, not like it was his, but that it was the one given to the
apostles, not the one being pushed by deceivers.
A few
verses later, he calls “our gospel” “the word of the Lord” (vs 8). This stood
out simply because it was understood that Paul’s letters were Scripture, and
the gospel he proclaimed was the word of the Lord. We must treat it with its
due honor, not as the BJs are dishonoring it with their "plausible" arguments.
8. The Gospel, Not Flattery or Greed
In I
Thessalonians 2, Paul speaks of how “we have been approved by God to be
entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God
who tests our hearts” (vs 4), and then clarifies, “For we never came with words
of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness” (vs 5).
This stood
out because of the way BJ’s gospel is not approved by God, he was not entrusted
by God with the “different gospel” he proclaims, he is speaking “to please man”
instead of God, he is using flattery to tell us our hearts are not as deceitful
as the Bible says but that Jesus adores us for how good we are, and it is a
pretext for greed as he charges exorbitant prices even for a digital copy of
his book just so a guy can critique it!
9. The Gospel as the “word” of God
It was standing out how Paul referred to the message of the cross in I Thessalonians. He called it “our gospel” (1;5), “the gospel of God” (2:2), “the gospel” (2:4), “the gospel of God” (2:8), “the gospel of God” (2:9), and “the gospel of Christ” (3:2). But he also called it “the word of the Lord” (1:8), and even clarified,
“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers” (2:13).
This
shows that the early church knew that the gospel proclaimed by the apostles was
indeed the word of God, just as much Scripture as the Old Testament, and every
bit as authoritative as any word that came from the mouth of God.
10. To Know His Labor was Not in Vain
As
Paul expressed to the Corinthians, he had to also address with the Thessalonians,
“For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your
faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be
in vain” (3:5). This is what Paul would write all the readers of BJ’s book. The
tempter is asking his question, “Did God actually say?” and so many are turning
away from their sincere and pure devotion to Jesus Christ in the true gospel
and accepting one that has no power to save anyone at all.
11. The Lord is an Avenger
In I Thessalonians
4, Paul repeats one of his themes, that the believers would know “how you ought
to walk and to please God”. As he clarifies how we are to live differently from
the “Gentiles who do not know God” (vs 5), he states, “that no one transgress
and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all
these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you” (vs 6). The
word translated “avenger” means “punisher
n. — a person who enforces observance of laws and rules; especially as harming
someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done” (Bible Sense
Lexicon). This certainly flies in the face of BJ’s determined deception to
prove that God does not avenge his people or deal with injustice.
And then he continues, “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore
whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit
to you” (vss 7-8). Paul again states that to disregard what he is writing means
to disregard God. That satisfies the first part of authoritative, that the
Scriptures carry that sense of authority. Paul is speaking and writing with God’s
authority. And we know that Paul’s letters met the second sense of authoritative because they were treated as authoritative by the
church from the very beginning. Peter referred to them along with the “other
Scriptures” and they are included in the earliest collections of the New
Testament Scriptures.
12. The Sudden Destruction of the Day of
the Lord
As Paul encourages the believers with the beautiful description of Jesus’ return in I Thessalonians 4, when he moves into chapter 5 he continues,
“For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (vss 2-3).
This is a central theme of Scripture that what
God does for his people for safety and blessing is to their enemies a horror
and threat. The pillar of cloud and fire that accompanied Israel from Egypt to
the Promised Land was their promise of security on one side, but a warning to
all their enemies on the other side.
So, it
is no surprise that God would follow up the wonderful picture of Jesus’ return
to gather the elect to be with him forever with what the same event will be
like for the enemies of God who wanted nothing to do with him. The word for “destruction”
means, “ruin
(worthlessness) n. — an event or act that results in destruction; especially
the loss of all that gives worth to existence” (BSL). And the adjective “sudden”
means “sudden adj. — happening without warning or in a short space of time”
(BSL). Once again, BJ is absolutely wrong!
Concluding Thoughts
Each of these passages of Scripture simply stood
out in my exercise time because they so clearly rebuke the BJs for teaching
contrary to the will of God. As the author has been failing to prove his case
in everything he attempts, God’s word is consistent in its message that a major
aspect of salvation is that “Jesus… delivers us from the wrath to come” (I
Thessalonians 1:10).
At the same time, the warnings of Jesus and the apostles against false teachers like the BJs is not the whole focus of the Scriptures. Everything is written to build up our faith, but
“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (I peter 5:8-9).
So, “Let no one deceive you with empty
words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of
disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6). Instead, “Walk as children of light” which is
the positive focus of living for Christ “(for the fruit of light is found in
all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to
the Lord” (vss 8-10). At the same time, “Take no part in the unfruitful works
of darkness, but instead expose them” (vs 11).
I urge you to
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).
The “word of Christ” is what we now have in our Bibles. It doesn’t take much of letting it “dwell in us richly” and we realize that what the BJs are trying to pull off is as old as the serpent’s first words to Eve, “Did God actually say…?”
© 2024
Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8
Email: in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the
English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text
Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.)
A More Christlike Word © 2021 by Bradley Jersak Whitaker House 1030 Hunt
Valley Circle • New Kensington, PA 15068 www.whitakerhouse.com
Jersak, Bradley. A More Christlike Word: Reading Scripture the
Emmaus Way. Whitaker House. Kindle Edition.
Definitions from the Bible Sense Lexicon (BSL) in Logos Bible
Systems
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