During his lifetime, Thomas Jefferson adamantly refused to believe that miracles are possible. This view put Jefferson in direct conflict with the Bible! But, rather than ignore the scriptures, Jefferson decided to force the Bible to agree with his beliefs.
Louis Sahagun, in his July, 2008 article in the Los Angeles Times entitled A Founding Father's view of God describes Jefferson's "solution" this way:
Making good on a promise to a friend to summarize his views on Christianity, Thomas Jefferson set to work with scissors, snipping out every miracle and inconsistency he could find in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.Then, relying on a cut-and-paste technique, he reassembled the excerpts into what he believed was a more coherent narrative and pasted them onto blank paper
Here's what Jefferson's "Bible" ended up looking like:
It clearly takes a lot of hubris to take your scissors to the Bible and physically remove those parts you don't agree with. But, have you stopped to consider the fact that there is an entire army of pastors who are effectively doing the same thing Sunday after Sunday? But, unlike Jefferson, these pastors won't publicly admit to what they're doing.
The technique they employ is different but the end result is the same. Here's how its done today.
These "pastors" believe that they've got to save Christianity from itself and make it relevant to today's postmodern culture. So, in the name of relevance, they carefully omit and never discuss those portions of the Bible that today's culture would be offended by or would be apt to strongly disagree with. Sunday after Sunday these relevant "pastors" weave together sermons that focus on life tips and relevant advice for more successful results in day to day living. While doing this they end up cutting out large portions of scripture that teach vital doctrines. For instance, they never preach on Romans 1 through 11 (the portion of Romans with the long discussion of original sin and justification by Grace alone through faith alone) but act as if the book of Romans begins at chapter 12 verse 2. These pastors carefully avoid preaching about Philippians 1 through 3 but make sure to talk about the importance of joy from chapter 4. They take great pains to never mention the book of Ephesians unless they decide to preach about marriage advice from the tail end of chapter 5. They will never preach through the book of Jeremiah and discuss God's judgement against idolatry and false religion but they will constantly quote Jeremiah 29:11 as if it were the only verse in that entire book.
The result of this kind of "preaching" is the exact same type of butchered Bible that Jefferson created. It's a Bible of your own making, fashioned to your liking, with all the parts you don't agree with removed. That's not The Bible that's an idol!
The Bible itself warns about this exact thing in 2 Timothy 4:1–5:
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Furthermore, its clear from Jesus' instructions given in the Great Commission that pastors are under orders to preach all of God's word:
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:17–20)
Another passage of scripture to consider on this matter is found in Acts 20 and records the Apostle Paul's farewell address to the churches of Ephesus. Note Paul's words regarding teaching the 'whole counsel of God':
“Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:26–32)
If your pastor is not doing his Biblical duty and refuses to preach the word, all of it, in season and out of season, but instead insists that he knows better than God as to what should be preached in order to make Christianity more relevant to today's culture, then he's the postmodern equivalent of Thomas Jefferson and like Jefferson, is an idolator.
Think about it.
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