Jesus' disciples, including at least the Twelve (Matthew 10:1–4) and perhaps others, have come to Him about the parables He is teaching the crowds. It is likely this conversation takes place after Jesus has finished teaching the crowds while sitting in the boat on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 13:1–2). The disciples have asked Jesus why He is speaking to the people in parables.
When Jesus uses them, parables often take the form of small stories. These are meant to symbolize larger truths about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus' answer shows how differently He sees the motives of the large crowds that come to hear Him, as compared to His own disciples.
Jesus tells the disciples that it has been given to them to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. It has not been given to those in the crowds, the general population of Israel, at large. Jesus wants His disciples to know that a) He expects them to understand the parables and the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, b) their understanding of those things is a gift to them, not a result of their own effort or wisdom; and c) that others in Israel have not been given the same gift.
What are the secrets of the kingdom of heaven? Jesus' parables were intended to reveal how the kingdom of heaven worked and what it was like. The following verses will describe more specifically what these secrets are that are given to some and kept from others.
Matthew 13:10–17 comes in between Jesus' telling of the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1–9) and His explanation of that story (Mathew 13:18–23). The disciples ask why Jesus so often uses parables when teaching crowds of people. According to Jesus, the disciples are privileged to know secrets that the prophets and righteous people longed to know. His use of unexplained parables, in part, is because Israel has rejected Jesus as the Messiah. This will fulfill Isaiah's prophecy about those with dull hearts who will hear without understanding. Otherwise, they would turn and be healed.
Church leaders
are
commanded
to
teach
sound doctrine
(Titus 2:1)
doctrine that is reliable, accurate, and faithful
to the Bible,
and all Christians are to keep
a close watch on their life and doctrine
(1 Tim 4:16)
“For this cause also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10. That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
This text reminds us that we need to be always be seeking that we will increase “in the knowledge of God.” We call this growing in the Lord, or growing in faith. How can we increase in our knowledge of God? I want to share three thoughts with you about how we can do this.
Genesis 8:6-12
Then Noah sent out a dove to find out if the water
had dried up from the ground.
The dove could not find a place to land because
water still covered the earth,
so it came back to the boat. Noah reached out his hand and
took the
bird
and brought it back into the boat
Ephesians 4:14
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
The disciples have asked Jesus
why He teaches the
larger crowds in parables
(Matthew 13:10),
rather than in the straightforward way
He did in
the Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 5—7)
Jesus has said the disciples have been privileged
to know
the secrets of the kingdom of heaven;
that blessing
has not been granted to Israel, at large.
He has added that to those who already have
this knowledge
more will be given.
Those who do not have it will have whatever
they do have taken away
(Matthew 13:11–12).
In this passage, Jesus states clearly that He is teaching in parables both to put the truth in front of the people and to keep them from fully understanding it. He says that though seeing they don't really see and that though hearing they do not really hear. In short, they don't understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven even though He is presenting them in the form of these small stories and descriptions. This is both because of their own resistance, and God's intervention.
Taken out of context, this might seem cruel, as if God is deliberately withholding information from those who are sincerely seeking it. However, in the previous chapter Jesus condemned the Pharisees and "this generation" of Israelites for their unbelief. Most people express a shallow, superficial interest, but not a truly repentant, submissive faith (Matthew 7:13–14). During the Exodus, God responded to Pharaoh's stubbornness (Exodus 8:32) by making him even more stubborn, as a form of judgment (Exodus 14:4). Jesus is presenting a picture of understanding the truth being both rejected by the people of Israel and kept from them.
Israel, through her religious leaders and the nation as a whole, has rejected Jesus as the Messiah. At least part of this is because He did not fit their conception of what Messiah should do in the kingdom He should establish. Rather than submit to what they see and hear, they resist. So, Jesus says He will keep the religious leaders and the people from understanding. This, also, fulfills prophecy, as explained in the following verses (Matthew 13:14–15).
The word discern
and its derivatives are translations of the Greek word anakrino in the New Testament. It means “to distinguish, to separate out by diligent search, to examine.” Discernment is the ability to properly discriminate or make determinations. It is related to wisdom. The Word of God itself is said to discern the thoughts and intentions of one’s heart (Hebrews 4:12).
A discerning mind demonstrates wisdom and insight that go beyond what is seen and heard. For example, God’s Word is “spiritually discerned.” To the human mind without the Spirit, the things of God are “foolishness” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
The Spirit, then, gives us spiritual discernment.
In the middle of His great Sermon on the Mount, the Lord turns to the topic of anxiety or worry, encouraging His followers to trust in God as their provider. He asks His followers, “Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28–30, ESV).
This section of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25–34) might be titled simply “Stop Worrying!” Jesus repeats the word worry or worries at least five times. The Lord had just finished teaching about wealth, contrasting temporary earthly riches with eternal heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:19–24). He drives home the point that true kingdom servants aren’t to live for transient esteem here on earth, but instead are to look toward heaven and the rewards being stored up for them in eternity. The purpose of this life, Jesus reveals, is to prepare us for the world to come.
Building on the theme, Christ teaches that the pursuit of wealth may be the single greatest rival for our devotion to God: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). The Lord desires our undivided loyalty and affection.
After addressing the topic of money, the Lord moves straight to worry, which is likely the next biggest contender for our time and devotion. Jesus tells His disciples, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25). The faithful servant who is wholly committed to the King need not worry about everyday life. The essence of our existence is so much more than what we will eat and what we will wear.
Jesus uses food and clothing as general examples to signify our basic needs. We might just as easily insert “the rent,” “the power bill,” “the grocery budget,” or any number of everyday concerns that are a source of anxiety for us.
We should consider the birds of the air, according to Jesus. They don’t farm the soil or store their food in barns. No, their heavenly Father feeds them. “Aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?” asks Jesus (Matthew 6:26, NLT). It does us no good to worry about our basic needs. Jesus asks, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (verse 27). Trusting God as our provider means believing He will take care of what we need. God has the power of life and death in His hands, and He will sustain His servants as long as they need to endure (Job 1:21; 33:4; James 4:12).
We should also consider the lilies of the field. They grow and yet don’t have to work to produce their clothing (Matthew 6:28). “Yet I tell you,” Jesus stresses, “that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these” (verse 29). The lilies of the field are here today and gone tomorrow, explains Jesus. If God cares so tenderly for short-lived wildflowers, how much more will He care for us who are of great value to Him (verse 30)? Not only does Jesus encourage us to trust in our heavenly Father, but He also affirms our great worth in God’s eyes.
Nearing the close of this section on worry, Jesus asks, “Why do you have so little faith?” (Matthew 6:30, ESV). Bible commentaries suggest that Jesus’ tone here is not condescending or scolding, but persuading and reasoning. He punctuates His main point with a penetrating question: “Do you truly trust your Heavenly Father?” Jesus encourages the disciples to look up and look beyond this life, just as Paul urges the Corinthians: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). If our priorities are in proper order, if we “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,” then “all these things” (our basic needs for this life) will be provided for us by the King (Matthew 6:33).
We should consider the lilies of the field because they remind us to trust our Heavenly Father to care for us and provide for our everyday needs. God loves us deeply and therefore will feed and clothe us. “In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind,” says Job 12:10. We don’t have to worry because our lives are in God’s hands. We should also consider the lilies of the field because they represent the fleeting nature of our time on this earth (see Isaiah 40:8). Our focus must remain on eternity and our real purpose in this life. And we should consider the lilies of the field because they call to mind how precious we are in God’s eyes.
Jesus warned us that “false Christs and false prophets”
will come and
will attempt to deceive even God’s elect
(Matthew 24:23-27; see also 2 Peter 3:3 and Jude 17-18).
The best way to guard yourself against falsehood and false teachers is to know the truth. To spot a counterfeit, study the real thing. Any believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and who makes a careful study of the Bible can identify false doctrine. For example, a believer who has read the activities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:16-17 will immediately question any doctrine that denies the Trinity. Therefore, step one is to study the Bible and judge all teaching by what the Scripture says.
Jesus said “a tree is recognized by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). When looking for “fruit,” here are three specific tests to apply to any teacher to determine the accuracy of his or her teaching
For further study, review those books of the Bible that were written specifically to combat false teaching within the church: Galatians, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, and Jude. It is often difficult to spot a false teacher/false prophet. Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and his ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:15).
Only by being thoroughly familiar
with the truth will we
be able to recognize a counterfeit.
Scripture repeatedly warns against
false teaching,
false teachers and false prophets
(Matthew 7:15; Colossians 2:8; 2 Peter 2:1-3).
The occult (from Latin: occultus, lit. 'hidden' or 'secret')
is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of biblical truth, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysticism.
The New Testament
also charges the church—especially its leaders—to uphold
“sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict”
(Titus 1:9).
The revealed word was John's encounter
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the revealed Word of God.
Through Him, the disciples came to
know the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This encounter transformed their lives forever.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes,
he will guide you into all the truth.
He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears,
and he will tell you what is yet to come
(John 16:13).
Paul often wrote of the importance of maturity for believers (1 Corinthians 2:6; 14:20; Philippians 3:15; Colossians 1:28; 4:12). Hebrews 5:14 adds that "solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."
Why Is the Spirit of Truth So Important? The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, enables this understanding within us, so that we can begin to comprehend and appreciate things beyond the physical world we see, know, and understand the Truth.
It is difficult for us to even imagine, isn’t it? These men and women had been with Jesus from the beginning. Spent countless hours walking together; spending nights in who-knows-where type of places.
They watched in awe as he performed miracle after miracle, healing after healing. They knew he was special. Eventually, they also knew he was the Messiah. The Chosen One. The Son of God.
Jesus was forever teaching them. Helping them. Guiding them. And yet…
They also watched as he challenged — no, confronted is more like it — the religious leaders of the day. He stood up to them. Defied them. And those he challenged didn’t like it.
More than once he told them that he was going to be leaving them soon. Knowing their doubts and fears, as he always does, Jesus reassured them he would not leave them alone. He would leave them with an advocate. A counselor (John 14:25-27).
And he gave them an inkling into who the Advocate is and what he would do:
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father — the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father — he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning (John 15:26-27).
Why Is the Spirit of Truth Significant?The Bible is so much more than just words written on a page. It is more than what the words seem to mean in whatever language or translation version we happen to be reading.
It is far more than a list of do’s and don’ts, rules and regulations, or rites and rituals. Yet so many of us have failed at some point to move to the next level of understanding.
Often, the disciples themselves did not understand the teachings found in Jesus’ words. They asked him why he taught in parables (Matthew 13:11-13).
But despite their lack of understanding, Jesus did not leave them without a hope to eventually understand the spiritual intent of Jesus’ words (John 14:16-21; 16:12-15).
“I have more to say to you, more than you can now bear.” Jesus knew the disciples would be unable to understand the spiritual meaning, the spiritual truth, of His words at that moment.
The Holy Spirit was with them, but not yet inthem (John 14:17) — thus, they were hearing the words but were not yet able to grasp a full understanding.
It would not be until they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, after Christ’s death and resurrection (Acts 2:4) that they would have the power to begin to understand the Truth of who Christ is, and the true spiritual meaning of his teachings.
And boy, how it changed them.
The Spirit of Truth Is Revealed to UsIn his letter to the Corinthians, Paul referred to these two levels of understanding: mind vs. heart; human understanding vs. spiritual understanding; born of the flesh vs. taught by the Spirit of God.
No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him — these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words (1 Corinthians 2:7-13).
- God’s wisdom — a mystery (v. 7).
- Which none of the rulers of this age understood (v. 8).
- Wisdom “no eye has seen or ears has heard, and no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him” (v. 9).
- These are things that God has revealed to us by his Spirit (v. 10).
Clearly, we can possess human knowledge, math and the sciences, and the like. But there is knowledge we humans are not capable of knowing, or discerning, without the help of the Spirit.
That same knowledge, which God reveals to those who give themselves to Jesus. Those he calls by his Spirit.
God’s Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. He guides us so that God’s wisdom can travel the 12 inches from our heads to our hearts.
Just as the “spirit of the world” enables us to understand the things of the world, so God’s Spirit helps us understand the spiritual truths of God.
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit (v. 14).
No one who does not have the Spirit of Truth living within them can begin to understand the spiritual truths of God. They are considered foolishness to them.
Jesus knew his words would fall on many deaf ears. It was not his intent that the multitudes would understand the spiritual meaning of his teachings — yet. So, when the disciples asked, “Why do you speak in parables?” Jesus answered with the Truth.
He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them” (Matthew 13:11).
And then Jesus said this:
But God has blessed you. You understand what you see with your eyes. And you understand what you hear with your ears (v. 16).
What Does This Mean?Will we have all the answers? Of course not. But the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, enables this understanding within us, so that we can begin to comprehend and appreciate things beyond the physical world we see, know, and understand the Truth.
And the Truth will set us free (John 8:32).
In the verses leading up to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we note some truths concerning the mind of Christ:
1) The mind of Christ stands in sharp contrast to the wisdom of man (verses 5-6).
2) The mind of Christ involves wisdom from God, once hidden but now revealed (verse 7).
3) The mind of Christ is given to believers through the Spirit of God (verses 10-12).
4) The mind of Christ cannot be understood by those without the Spirit (verse 14).
5) The mind of Christ gives believers discernment in spiritual matters (verse 15).
In order to have the mind of Christ, one must first have saving faith in Christ (John 1:12; 1 John 5:12). After salvation, the believer lives a life under God’s influence. The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens the believer, infusing him with wisdom—the mind of Christ. The believer bears a responsibility to yield to the Spirit’s leading (Ephesians 4:30) and to allow the Spirit to transform and renew his mind (Romans 12:1-2).
The truth of the gospel—the "good news" about Jesus—is veiled from those who are perishing. This was Paul's comment in the previous verse (2 Corinthians 4:3). In the previous chapter, Paul wrote about a veil that keeps those hardened by sin from being able to see God's glory. This glory is revealed to humanity in Christ, but the veil is only removed from those who turn to the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:16). Then they can see God's glory. Those who resist will be made unable to see the truth, at all.
After insisting that he and his co-workers openly and clearly teach the gospel, Paul has repeated that this does not mean everyone understands his teaching. The truth obscured from those currently destined for eternal death apart from God. They are perishing because they do not understand the truth, and they cannot understand it, because they refuse to.
Now Paul shows that someone is at work to keep those who are perishing from coming to Christ. There is an actual person making an effort, behind the scenes, to keep people from being freed from this lack of understanding. Paul refers to this entity as "the god of this world." Paul is describing the work of Satan on earth (Ephesians 2:2). The Devil actively participates in blinding the minds of those who don't believe in Jesus, to keep them from coming to faith in Christ. His purpose is to keep them from seeing the light.
Paul describes truth as the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Christ is literally God's revelation of Himself to humanity (John 1:14; Hebrews 1:3). God means for humans to know Him by knowing Christ. Only those who come to Him through faith in Christ can see God's glory. Those who see it begin to be transformed to become more and more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18).
So Paul has now identified two sources of spiritual blindness: sin inside of unbelievers and the work of Satan to keep them spiritually blind.
Doctrine is “a set of ideas or beliefs that are taught or believed to be true.” Biblical doctrine refers to teachings that align with the revealed Word of God, the Bible. False doctrine is any idea that adds to, takes away from, contradicts, or nullifies the doctrine given in God’s Word. For example, any teaching about Jesus that denies His virgin birthis a false doctrine, because it contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture (Matthew 1:18).
As early as the first century AD, false doctrine was already infiltrating the church, and many of the letters in the New Testament were written to address those errors (Galatians 1:6–9; Colossians 2:20–23; Titus 1:10–11). Paul exhorted his protégé Timothy to guard against those who were peddling heresies and confusing the flock: “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing” (1 Timothy 6:3–4).
As followers of Christ, we have no excuse for remaining ignorant of theology because we have the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) available to us—the Bible is complete. As we “study to show ourselves approved unto God” (2 Timothy 2:15), we are less likely to be taken in by smooth talkers and false prophets. When we know God’s Word, “we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
It is important to point out the difference between false doctrine and denominational disagreements. Different congregational groups see secondary issues in Scripture differently. These differences are not always due to false doctrine on anyone’s part. Church policies, governmental decisions, style of worship, etc., are all open for discussion, since they are not directly addressed in Scripture. Even those issues that are addressed in Scripture are often debated by equally sincere disciples of Christ. Differences in interpretation or practice do not necessarily qualify as false doctrine, nor should they divide the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:10).
False doctrine is that which opposes some fundamental truth or that which is necessary for salvation
The Sermon on the Mount
is the sermon that
Jesus gave in Matthew chapters 5-7.
Matthew 5:1-2
is the reason it is known as
the Sermon on the Mount:
"Now when He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them..."
The Sermon on the Mount is the most famous sermon Jesus ever gave, perhaps the most famous sermon ever given by anyone.
The Sermon on the Mount covers several different topics. It is not the purpose of this article to comment on every section, but rather to give a brief summary of what it contains. If we were to summarize the Sermon on the Mount in a single sentence, it would be something like this: How to live a life that is dedicated to and pleasing to God, free from hypocrisy, full of love and grace, full of wisdom and discernment.
Matthew 5:3-12 - The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:13-16 - Salt and Light
Matthew 5:17-20 - Jesus fulfilled the Law
Matthew 5:21-26 - Anger and Murder
Matthew 5:27-30 - Lust and Adultery
Matthew 5:31-32 - Divorce and Remarriage
Matthew 5:33-37 - Oaths
Matthew 5:38-42 - Eye for an Eye
Matthew 5:43-48 - Love your enemies
Matthew 6:1-4 - Give to the Needy
Matthew 6:5-15 - How to Pray
Matthew 6:16-18 - How to Fast
Matthew 6:19-24 - Treasures in Heaven
Matthew 6:25-34 - Do not worry
Matthew 7:1-6 - Do not judge hypocritically
Matthew 7:7-12 - Ask, Seek, Knock
Matthew 7:13-14 - The Narrow Gate
Matthew 7:15-23 - False Prophets
Matthew 7:24-27 - The Wise Builder
Matthew 7:28-29 concludes the Sermon on the Mount with the following statement: "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." May we all continue to be amazed at His teaching and follow the principles that He taught in the Sermon on the Mount!
The Parable of the Sower (also known as the Parable of the Four Soils) is found in Matthew 13:3-9; Mark 4:2-9; and Luke 8:4-8. After presenting this parable to the multitude, Jesus interprets it for His disciples in Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20; and Luke 8:11-15.
The Parable of the Sower concerns a sower who scatters seed, which falls on four different types of ground. The hard ground “by the way side” prevents the seed from sprouting at all, and the seed becomes nothing more than bird food. The stony ground provides enough soil for the seeds to germinate and begin to grow, but because there is “no deepness of earth,” the plants do not take root and are soon withered in the sun. The thorny ground allows the seed to grow, but the competing thorns choke the life out of the beneficial plants. The good ground receives the seed and produces much fruit.
Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower highlights four different responses to the gospel. The seed is “the word of the kingdom.” The hard ground represents someone who is hardened by sin; he hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away, keeping the heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression. The stony ground pictures a man who professes delight with the Word; however, his heart is not changed, and when trouble arises, his so-called faith quickly disappears. The thorny ground depicts one who seems to receive the Word, but whose heart is full of riches, pleasures, and lusts; the things of this world take his time and attention away from the Word, and he ends up having no time for it. The good ground portrays the one who hears, understands, and receives the Word—and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life. The man represented by the “good ground” is the only one of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit (Matthew 3:7-8; 7:15-20).
To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower: “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” May our faith and our lives exemplify the "good soil" in the Parable of the Sower.
In the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Jesus’ command to "follow me" appears repeatedly (e.g., Matthew 8:22; 9:9, Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27; John 1:43). In many cases, Jesus was calling the twelve men who would become His disciples (Matthew 10:3–4). But other times, He was speaking to anyone who wanted what He had to offer (John 3:16; Mark 8:34).
In Matthew 10:34–39, Jesus stated clearly what it means to follow Him. He said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."
Jesus’ bringing a “sword” and turning family members against each other can seem a little harsh after words like "whosoever believes on Him shall not perish" (John 3:16). But Jesus never softened the truth, and the truth is that following Him leads to difficult choices. Sometimes turning back may seem very appealing. When Jesus’ teaching went from the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–11) to the coming cross, many who had followed him turned away (John 6:66). Even the disciples decided that following Jesus was too difficult the night He was arrested. Every one of them deserted Him (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50). On that night, following Christ meant possible arrest and execution. Rather than risk his own life, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69–75).
To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to us. Everyone follows something: friends, popular culture, family, selfish desires, or God. We can only follow one thing at a time (Matthew 6:24). God states we are to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7; Mark 12:30). To truly follow Christ means we do not follow anything else. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." There is no such thing as a "halfway disciple." As the disciples demonstrated, no one can follow Christ by the strength of his own willpower. The Pharisees were good examples of those who were trying to obey God in their own strength. Their self-effort led only to arrogance and distortion of the whole purpose of God’s Law (Luke 11:39; Matthew 23:24).
Jesus gave His disciples the secret to faithfully following Him, but they did not recognize it at the time. He said, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing" (John 6:63). And "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them” (verse 65). The disciples had walked with Jesus for three years, learning, observing, and participating in His miracles. Yet, even they could not follow Him faithfully in their own strength. They needed a Helper.
Jesus promised many times that, once He had ascended to the Father, He would send a "Helper" to them—the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26). In fact, He told them that it was for their good that He was going away so that the Holy Spirit could come (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit indwells the heart of every believer (Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:16; Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20). Jesus warned His followers that they were not to begin testifying of Him "until you have been clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). When the Holy Spirit came upon those first believers at Pentecost, they suddenly had all the power they needed to follow Christ, even to the death, if needed (Acts 2:1–4; 4:31; 7:59-60).
Following Jesus means striving to be like Him. He always obeyed His Father, so that’s what we strive to do (John 8:29; 15:10). To truly follow Christ means to make Him the Boss. That’s what it means to make Jesus Lord of our lives (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 4:5). Every decision and dream is filtered through His Word with the goal of glorifying Him in everything (1 Corinthians 10:31). We are not saved by the things we do for Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9) but by what He has done for us. Because of His grace, we want to please Him in everything. All this is accomplished as we allow the Holy Spirit to have complete control of every area of our lives (Ephesians 5:18). He explains the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:14), empowers us with spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), comforts us (John 14:16), and guides us (John 14:26). To follow Christ means we apply the truths we learn from His Word and live as if Jesus walked beside us in person.
In the middle of His great Sermon on the Mount, the Lord turns to the topic of anxiety or worry, encouraging His followers to trust in God as their provider. He asks His followers, “Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28–30, ESV).
This section of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25–34) might be titled simply “Stop Worrying!” Jesus repeats the word worry or worries at least five times. The Lord had just finished teaching about wealth, contrasting temporary earthly riches with eternal heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:19–24). He drives home the point that true kingdom servants aren’t to live for transient esteem here on earth, but instead are to look toward heaven and the rewards being stored up for them in eternity. The purpose of this life, Jesus reveals, is to prepare us for the world to come.
Building on the theme, Christ teaches that the pursuit of wealth may be the single greatest rival for our devotion to God: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). The Lord desires our undivided loyalty and affection.
After addressing the topic of money, the Lord moves straight to worry, which is likely the next biggest contender for our time and devotion. Jesus tells His disciples, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25). The faithful servant who is wholly committed to the King need not worry about everyday life. The essence of our existence is so much more than what we will eat and what we will wear.
Jesus uses food and clothing as general examples to signify our basic needs. We might just as easily insert “the rent,” “the power bill,” “the grocery budget,” or any number of everyday concerns that are a source of anxiety for us.
We should consider the birds of the air, according to Jesus. They don’t farm the soil or store their food in barns. No, their heavenly Father feeds them. “Aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?” asks Jesus (Matthew 6:26, NLT). It does us no good to worry about our basic needs. Jesus asks, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (verse 27). Trusting God as our provider means believing He will take care of what we need. God has the power of life and death in His hands, and He will sustain His servants as long as they need to endure (Job 1:21; 33:4; James 4:12).
We should also consider the lilies of the field. They grow and yet don’t have to work to produce their clothing (Matthew 6:28). “Yet I tell you,” Jesus stresses, “that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these” (verse 29). The lilies of the field are here today and gone tomorrow, explains Jesus. If God cares so tenderly for short-lived wildflowers, how much more will He care for us who are of great value to Him (verse 30)? Not only does Jesus encourage us to trust in our heavenly Father, but He also affirms our great worth in God’s eyes.
Nearing the close of this section on worry, Jesus asks, “Why do you have so little faith?” (Matthew 6:30, ESV). Bible commentaries suggest that Jesus’ tone here is not condescending or scolding, but persuading and reasoning. He punctuates His main point with a penetrating question: “Do you truly trust your Heavenly Father?” Jesus encourages the disciples to look up and look beyond this life, just as Paul urges the Corinthians: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). If our priorities are in proper order, if we “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,” then “all these things” (our basic needs for this life) will be provided for us by the King (Matthew 6:33).
We should consider the lilies of the field because they remind us to trust our Heavenly Father to care for us and provide for our everyday needs. God loves us deeply and therefore will feed and clothe us. “In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind,” says Job 12:10. We don’t have to worry because our lives are in God’s hands. We should also consider the lilies of the field because they represent the fleeting nature of our time on this earth (see Isaiah 40:8). Our focus must remain on eternity and our real purpose in this life. And we should consider the lilies of the field because they call to mind how precious we are in God’s eyes.
Matthew 6:24
"But I want both." This is a common reaction when we're faced with a choice between two desirable things. It's also a natural response to this teaching from Jesus on money (Matthew 6:19–23), part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). Those committed to the Lord desire to store up treasure, or rewards in heaven. They desire to serve Him by making right choices out of sincere devotion. God-fearing people can also desire to build wealth in this world, to feel financially secure, to accumulate possessions and experiences that please them. This is human nature.
Jesus does not say here that it is wrong to want both service to God and material wealth. What He does say, in crystal-clear terms, is one cannot place ultimate priority on both at the same time. At some moments in life, one must choose which is more important. Christ's calling forces those who would follow Him into such choices.
Scripture puts this in the context of servanthood. It doesn't work for a servant to be co-owned by two independent masters—this is why such a thing isn't practiced. The servant can only prioritize one or the other. They might be "loyal," in a sense, to both. But separate masters will command the servant in different, competing directions. As a result, the servant will naturally grow to hate or despise one of the two, while growing to love and be devoted to the other.
Jesus is casting human beings as slaves either to God or money. He uses the Greek word mammōna, which comes from the Aramaic word for wealth. Those who surrender themselves to following Jesus become servants of God for life (Romans 6:17–18). Those who prioritize building wealth for themselves on earth surrender themselves as slaves to materialism. As slaves depend on their masters to provide everything that is needed, those devoted to money or to God also depend on their respective masters to provide for them. The demands of those two masters will always compete.
So, Jesus concludes, a person cannot serve both God and money. This does not mean that someone who serves God whole-heartedly will not have money or possessions. Jesus is not suggesting that Christians must be poor, or destitute, or flee from any kind of luxury. It doesn't mean that being a Christian is incompatible with being "rich." What He means is that a person sincerely serving God will not organize their lives around acquisition of wealth. Money, for a righteous person, is just another tool given by God to be used for His purposes.
Similarly, this does not mean someone who lives for money can never acknowledge or honor God, in any way. However, there can only be one "most important" thing in any person's life. The materialistic person who honors God only does so in the margins or for false motives. They live out their days in the moral darkness Jesus described in the previous verses.
Our Savior was a master of enigma, a device by which he made his hearers think. In Matthew 6:22–23 we find a teaching whose initially enigmatic character resolves, under patient study, into delightful clarity.
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (ESV)Light and darkness in this passage clearly refer to morality. Our nature as sinners created in God’s image results in this dual moral character: good and evil. The passage’s final statement is an exclamation that the person whose very best is thoroughly evil is evil indeed, beyond measure. This much is easy enough to understand.
What, though, does the eye have to do with it? The words “healthy” and “bad” seem to imply that Jesus is talking about the physical organ, but in context a moral reference seems more likely. While many plausible guesses have emerged, a search for other passages using the same or similar language is methodologically wise and, as happens often, yields information that renders such guesswork unnecessary.
First, though, let’s notice the variety of renderings found among major English versions for the Greek words translated by the ESV as “healthy” and “bad.”
KJVsingle/evilNKVJgood/bad
RSVsound/
not soundNRSVhealthy/
unhealthy
NASBclear/badNEThealthy/
diseased
CSBhealthy/badNIVhealthy/
unhealthyMost of these versions imply that Jesus is talking—at least on the concrete level in this figurative passage—about the physical eye’s functional condition. The KJV, though, points us in a slightly different direction that provides a better understanding.
The bad eyeMany cultures have an expression, “the evil eye,” for various kinds of destructive actions or dispositions. The Hebrew Old Testament uses this exact expression or a very close parallel at least five times (Deut. 15:9; 28:54, 56; Prov. 23:6; 28:22). Each relates to money or material things and refers to viewing others through the lens of one’s own wealth or gratification. The basic idea of the “evil eye” in the OT, then, is greed or covetousness.
This meaning perfectly fits Jesus’ use of the expression in Matthew 20:15, in reply to the day-long workers in the vineyard who protest that they received no greater pay than those who found labor only at the eleventh hour: “Do you begrudge my generosity?” (ESV), which, translated literally, reads, “Is your eye evil because I am good?”
Those whom Jesus portrays as in moral darkness (v. 23b), then, are those who view and treat others selfishly, especially in the material realm, as the extended context of Matthew 5supports. Though material wealth may get the focus, more psychological forms of narcissism seem to warrant inclusion as well.
The healthy eyeFrom here it becomes easy to understand what Jesus means, in contrast, by the “healthy” or “single” eye. The basic meaning of the Greek adjective here (haplous) is that something is single that might possibly instead be multiple or divided. The person with an “evil eye” often has a dual agenda: a generous exterior masking a greedy heart. Those with a “single eye” have no greed to mask: they view others, rather, as people whom they can selflessly serve. This understanding of the expression strongly coincides with other NT usages of this word family (see the Logos Bible Word Study note below), which strongly feature self-giving service and devotion. Only with such a selfless outlook will we have the moral clarity to see life’s issues rightly (and thus find true joy!); covetousness and narcissism blind and leave us in the profoundest moral darkness.
The term double-minded comes from the Greek word dipsuchos, meaning “a person with two minds or souls.” It’s interesting that this word appears only in the book of James (James 1:8; 4:8). Bible scholars conclude that James might have coined this word. To grasp the full meaning of this word, it is best to understand how it is used within its context.
James writes of the doubting person that he is “like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” (James 1:6–8). A doubter is a double-minded person. Jesus had in mind such a person when He spoke of the one who tries to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). As such, he is “unstable,” which comes from a Greek word meaning “unsteady, wavering, in both his character and feelings.”
A double-minded person is restless and confused in his thoughts, his actions, and his behavior. Such a person is always in conflict with himself. One torn by such inner conflict can never lean with confidence on God and His gracious promises. Correspondingly, the term unstable is analogous to a drunken man unable to walk a straight line, swaying one way, then another. He has no defined direction and as a result doesn’t get anywhere. Such a person is “unstable in all he does.”
Those who are double-minded do not have the faith spoken of in Hebrews 11:1, 3: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. . . . By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” We cannot be both “certain” and doubting, as is the double-minded person. One part of his mind is sure of something, while the other part doubts. It brings to mind the “pushmi-pullyu” of the Dr. Doolittle stories, an animal with a head at either end of its body and which was constantly trying to walk in two directions at once. Such is the double-minded man.
Jesus declared, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). God and the things of this world are of such opposite natures that it is impossible to love either one completely without hating the other. Those who try to love both will become unstable in all their ways. If someone struggles with being double-minded, he or she should read, study, and memorize the Word, for it is the Word of God that produces faith (Romans 10:17). And he or she should pray for faith. God freely gives what is good to those who ask Him (Luke 11:9–12), and it’s good to ask for an increase of faith (Luke 17:5; Mark 9:24).
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” He spoke these words as part of His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7), in which He had said it was foolish to store up treasures on earth where “moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19–20); rather, He urged us to store up treasure in heaven where it will last forever. The obstacle that prevents us from wise investment is the heart. Wherever our treasure is, there will our hearts be (Matthew 6:21). We follow what has captivated our hearts, and Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve two masters.
In Jesus’ warning that we cannot serve two masters, He specifies money (or “mammon” or “wealth” in other translations) as a master in opposition to God.
Jesus’ call to follow Him is a call to abandon all other masters. He called Matthew from the tax collector’s booth (Matthew 9:9). Matthew obeyed and walked away from extravagant wealth and dirty deals. Jesus called Peter, James, and John from the fishing docks (Mark 1:16–18). To obey Jesus’ call meant that they had to leave behind everything they knew, everything they’d worked for. Jesus called Paul, a successful Pharisee, with the words, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16). Those words will never make it into a mass-market ad campaign for Christianity—but maybe they should, because that’s what it means to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). We must forsake everything else, no matter the cost (Matthew 10:34–39).
The Lord describes Himself as a “jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). This means He guards what is rightfully His. He is righteously jealous for our affections because we were created to know and love Him (Colossians 1:16). He is not jealous for His own sake; He needs nothing (Psalm 50:9–10). He is jealous for us because we need Him (Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37). When we serve another master such as money, we rob ourselves of all we were created to be, and we rob God of His rightful adoration.
Jesus’ claim to us is exclusive. He bought us with His own blood and delivered us from our former master, sin (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Romans 6:17). He doesn’t share His throne with anyone. During Jesus’ time on earth, some people followed Him for a ways, but their devotion was superficial (Luke 9:57–62). They wanted something Jesus offered, but they weren’t committed (Mark 10:17–22). Other things were more important. They wanted to serve two masters.
We cannot serve two masters because, as Jesus pointed out, we end up hating one and loving the other. It’s only natural. Opposing masters demand different things and lead down different paths. The Lord is headed in one direction, and our flesh and the world are headed in the other. A choice must be made. When we follow Christ, we must die to everything else. We will be like some of the seeds in Jesus’ parable (Luke 8:5–15)—only a portion of those seeds actually bore fruit. Some sprouted at first but then withered and died. They were not deeply rooted in good soil.
If we attempt to serve two masters, we will have divided loyalties, and, when the difficulties of discipleship clash with the lure of fleshly pleasure, the magnetic pull of wealth and worldly success will draw us away from Christ (see 2 Timothy 4:10). The call to godliness goes against our sinful nature. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we remain devoted to one Master (John 6:44).
The word mammon comes from the Greek word mammonas. Similar root words exist in Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic, Chaldean, and Syriac. They all translate to “money, wealth, and material possessions.”
In biblical culture the word mammon often carried a negative connotation. It was sometimes used to describe all lusts and excesses: gluttony, greed, and dishonest worldly gain. Ultimately, mammon described an idol of materialism, which many trusted as a foundation for their world and philosophy. While the King James Version retains the term Mammon in Matthew 6:24, other versions translate the Greek as “money,” “wealth,” or “riches.”
The city of Babylon (Revelation 18), with all its avarice and greed, is a description of a world given over to the spirit of Mammon. Some scholars cite Mammon as the name of a Syrian and Chaldean god, similar to the Greek god of wealth, Plutus.
Just as Wisdom is personified in Proverbs 1:21–33, Mammon is personified in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13. Jesus’ words here show a powerful contrast between the worship of the material world and the worship of God. Later, writers such as Augustine, Danté (The Divine Comedy), Milton (Paradise Lost), and Spenser (The Faerie Queene) used personifications of Mammon to show the insidious nature of materialism and its seduction of humanity.
Worship of mammon can show up in many ways. It isn’t always through a continual lust for more money. When we envy others’ wealth, are anxious over potentially unmet needs, disobey God’s directives about the use of wealth, or fail to trust God’s love and faithfulness, our thinking is out of balance concerning material wealth.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches about our relationship to material goods. He says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. . . . But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. . . . No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money [mammon]” (Matthew 6:19–24).
The apostle Paul writes of the godly perspective toward mammon: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6: 6–10).
Solomon writes of the futility of chasing after mammon: “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Lust of any kind is insatiable, no matter how much time or effort is poured into the pursuit of the object of lust.
In Luke 16:14–15, Jesus rebukes those who refused to hear His admonition to choose God over mammon: “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.’”
The parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13–21) is the story of a man who lives to increase his wealth yet in the end he loses his soul because he “is not rich toward God” (verse 21). Mark 4:19 warns of the deceitfulness of mammon and its ability to “choke the Word, making it unfruitful.”
Mammon cannot produce peace in us, and it certainly cannot produce righteousness. A love of money shows we are out of balance in our relationship to God. Proverbs 8:18 speaks of true, lasting riches: “With me [Wisdom] are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.” Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:19–34 to not worry about our physical needs, about houses or clothes or food, but to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (verse 33).
In John 14:17, Jesus says, “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (ESV). Because the ESV capitalizes Spirit, modern readers can easily infer that the spirit in question is the Holy Spirit. To understand why Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth,” let us review the context of John 14.
John 14 is part of the Upper Room Discourse (John 13—17), a collection of teachings delivered by Jesus to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. In these final moments, the disciples were greatly distressed about the impending departure of their beloved friend, Jesus (John 14:1). For this reason, Jesus took an extended moment to calm their troubled hearts and reassure them that “another Helper” was on the way (John 14:16, ESV).
The Greek term translated as “Helper” (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) is paráklētos. The form of this word is passive and means “one who is called alongside.” At the Son’s request, the Father will send another Helper to encourage and exhort the disciples.
John’s use of the term another implies that the disciples already had a helper—the one who would soon depart from the earth. Although the Gospel writers never explicitly refer to Jesus as a paráklētos, the term is applied to Him in 1 John 2:1. Thus, in the context of John 14:16, Jesus promises to send His disciples a helper of the same type, and that helper would continue the ministry that Jesus began.
In John 14:17, the identity of the helper is now revealed: He is the Spirit of truth (cf. John 15:26; 16:13). The Spirit of truth is God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. The Father will send the Spirit to come alongside the disciples. He is called the Spirit of truth because He bears witness to the truth of Jesus Christ (see John 14:6).
In contrast to the work of the Holy Spirit is the work of the devil, a being who does not hold “to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Because the unbelieving world remains ensnared by satanic falsehoods, they cannot receive the Spirit of truth (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14). Tragically, unbelievers prefer to walk by sight and not by faith, failing to understand that sight guarantees nothing.
At the moment of His baptism, Jesus received the Holy Spirit: John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him” (John 1:32, ESV). So, in a sense, the Spirit of truth was already withthe disciples. Following the departure of Jesus, however, the disciples will know the Spirit more intimately because He would be in them (cf. Romans 8:9–11 and Ephesians 1:13–14).
Before the disciples began their ministry, Jesus instructed them to remain in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit: “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’” (Acts 1:4–5, ESV). Once the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were fully equipped to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ (verse 8).
Believers should be thankful that the Spirit of truth is with us, in us, and upon us. For, without His guidance and light, we could not distinguish truth from error.
Matthew chapter 6
the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 6:19-2
(Matthew 6:22-23) Some people want whatever their eyes see, rather than those few things which are needful. This lust of the eye plunges people, body and soul, into darkness. The enlightened person understands what few things are really needful for the body and for life, and takes the attitude, to"If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content" (1Timothy 6:8-10). There is, of course, nothing wrong in being fortunate to enjoy more than these. But grasping for more than these leads us away from the light of eternal life and our treasure in heaven.
Debt (Matthew 6:24) Some people get what they want by borrowing money, and soon find that they become the servants of Mammon. The Bible clearly says, to "Owe nothing to anyone" (Romans 13:8). Whilst there are other ways to serve Mammon, burdensome debt is by far the most common way. Remember that what everybody calls "credit" is really not credit at all. It is actually debit! Beware of it. Don’t become its slave.
Money, money, money.
You think about money.
You work for money.
You save money.
You spend money.
You tithe your money (sometimes using online giving).
You stress over money.
Even though money isn’t an essential thing in your life. A significant portion of your life will revolve around earning, saving, giving, and spending money. So your relationship with money isn’t something you can just brush aside as unspiritual or unnecessary.
So, what does the bible say about money management? To help you manage your money well, we reviewed over a hundred Bible verses about money, money management, and money trouble to see what God has to say about this critical piece of life.
In this post, we’re going to address these three big topics relate bible verses about money:
- What is money?
-
- How many bible verses about money are there?
- What does the Bible say about money?
- Why does the church talk so much about money?
- God owns everything
- Money is a tool
- Worship with your money
- Get that money
- Fight for contentment
- Kill greed in your heart
- Be mindful of debt
- Manage your finances
- Mo’ money, mo’ problems
Let’s get ready to dig in!
What is money?
In short, money is a medium of exchange. It’s an agreed upon item you can use to make a purchase, trade, or pay off a debt. The medium of exchange will differ in many countries. What is more, the use of money makes it a whole lot easier to get what you need instead of having swap your pet dog for a box of cereal.
Here’s something you need to know about money: Bible verses or not, money is amoral.
Money doesn’t have a life. It cannot act on its own. It cannot do good deeds, and it cannot commit crimes. Basically, it’s neither good or bad. No matter how many bible verses about money there is.
Money can only do what you tell it to do.
Money is not the root of all evil. But the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10).
If the concept of money is so simple and it doesn’t have a power emanating from its core drawing us to it, then why do we sweat over money so much? Why does the church talk so often about money? These are great questions, which leads me to my next point.
How many bible verses about money are there?So, what does the Bible say about money and wealth? The bible is packed with over 2,000 scriptures about money, tithing in the Bible, and possessions. That's twice as many bible verses about money than faith and prayer combined. So, what the Bible says about money must be important.
What does the bible say about money?What does the Bible say about finances and money? The bible says many things about money, but the heart of the matter is this: money can become something that rules our lives—an idol of sorts. God's desire is for us to have life to the full andHe knows that worshiping money will keep us from that.
From the seduction of success to the lure of lust, many things in this world will vie for your affection and devotion. But the most significant idol you will face is money (Matt. 6:24).
Why does the Church talk so much about money?There are two good reasons why the Church talks so often about money. First, the reason the Church talks about money is because God talks about money. Consider these statistics on verses about money in the bible:
- 16 out of 38 of Jesus’ parables deal with money and possessions
- Nearly 25% of Jesus’ words in the New Testament deal with biblical stewardship
- 1 out of 10 verses in the Gospels deal with money
- There are more than 2,000 scriptures on tithing in the Bible, money, and possessions in the Bible, which is twice as many as faith and prayer combined
Second, bible verses about money are frequently used because there’s a direct correlation between the way we handle our money and our faith.
When it comes to money, we will either worship wealth or worship with our wealth.
Read that again.
There’s a big difference between the two.
From the seduction of success to the lure of lust, many things in this world will vie for your affection and devotion. But the most significant idol you will face is money (Matt. 6:24).
God desires our devotion, and he knows you will come face-to-face with the temptation of money, which is why he speaks so often about it.
Money itself may be amoral. But it’s our attachment to and our worship of money that will lead us into sin and making poor financial decisions.
9 things Bible verses say about moneySo, what did Jesus say about money? In the words of Jesus, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). After reviewing Bible verses about money, there are a nine big principles that come to the surface, including:
- God owns everything
- Money is about discipleship
- Worship with your money
- Get that money
- Fight for contentment
- Kill greed in your heart
- Be mindful of debt
- Manage your finances
- Mo’ money, mo’ problems
How many times is money mentioned in the Bible? There are roughly 2,000 Bible verses about money and possessions, which means there are way more nuances talked about in the Bible than these nine.
All I’m saying is that these nine principles appear to be the most prominent. Because, you know, "the love of money is the... "
1. God owns everythingGod doesn’t talk about money because he’s broke and needs a helping hand. Far from it. God owns everything (Ex. 19:5). Since God is the rightful owner of everything we have, this means the money we earn actually belongs to God. So, what does God say about money? Practically speaking, God calls us to manage the money we accumulate on his behalf not to have a love of money. This is the essence of biblical stewardship.
- Exodus 19:5: Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.
- Job 41:11: Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.
- Psalm 24:1: The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,
- 1 Timothy 4:3-5: Who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need."
Are you struggling financially? Or are you swimming in a financial abundance? Do you have a love of money that isn't healthy?
Regardless of your situation, instead of asking “why” or just saying “thanks,” be sure to ask God what you can learn since there is a connection between your faith and money.
- Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
- Luke 12:34: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
- Luke 16:11-12: "If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?"
- “Be careful!”
- “Guard your heart!”
- “Don’t be a fool with your money!”
When it comes to money, wealthy people are not the only ones who will be tempted to sin. Regardless of how much money you have, you’ll be tempted to sin in different ways.
Instead of placing your hope in money or whatever generates income, place your hope in God. He owns everything, and he will provide you with what you need to live your life for him.
Check out these Bible verses about putting your hope in money:
1 Samuel 2:7: "The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.”
4. Fight for contentmentIt’s difficult to be content—with yourself, with your work, with your family, and with your possessions. We are bombarded with a slew of messages and images everywhere we go that entice us to pursue something “better.” From wanting a new car, getting a bigger house, or coveting a promotion at work, the world we live in compels us to be dissatisfied with who we are and what we have.
Discontentment may not sound like a big deal on the surface. But it’s a subtle sin leading us to desire more or something different, yet it leaves us lacking and empty-handed in the end.
Living in a state of discontentment can tempt you to take on unnecessary debt, cheat on your spouse, or make unwise decisions at work in an attempt to get ahead.
Now, contentment is more than just being happy with who you are and what you have—contentment is rooted in God’s love for you. It's learning to be satisfied wholly in Christ regardless if you have a little or a lot of money.
In Bible verses about contentment, we learn two essential truths:
- You have to fight for contentment
- You can be content
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Here is a list of Bible verses about contentment to help you fight for contentment:
- Job 36:11: "If they listen and serve him, they complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness.”
- Proverbs 19:23: "The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”
- Psalm 37:16-17: "Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.”
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
- Philippians 4:11-13: "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
- Philippians 4:19: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
- 1 Timothy 6:6-12: "But godliness with contentment is great gain, or we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of God
To support people who are unable to provide for him or herself, in general, God has provided three different layers of support:
- The family
- The church
- The state
Now, on the other side of this coin, we also observe many examples and commands in the Bible encouraging Christians to work diligently. Since we are created in the image of God, we are hardwired to work, to create. What is more, God has commanded us to work.
When it comes to God’s command to work, it was given before sin entered the world and the human heart. Work is rooted in God’s good created order.
There are many positive benefits associated with gainful employment. However, since sin has entered the world, we will be tempted to worship work (make it our god), reject work (become lazy), or twist work (do something sinful).
In Christ, God redeems work.
He took the “thorns and thistles” we work among (Gen. 1:18), and he wore a crown of thorns on his head as a reminder that he is the “Kind of kings and the Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16).
Practically, this means through faith in Jesus, you will be empowered to glorify God in your work and for the good of others.
Check out these verses about providing for the poor, and working hard for your money:
- Exodus 22:22: "You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.”
- Exodus 22:25: “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him."
- Deuteronomy 22:22: “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.”
- Deuteronomy 23:19: “You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest.”
- Deuteronomy 24:20: "When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.”
- Proverbs 10:22: "The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.”
- Proverbs 11:14: "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
- Proverbs 13:11: "Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
- Proverbs 17:16: "Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?”
- Proverbs 22:1: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”
- Psalm 49:10-12: "For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.”
- Malachi 3:5: “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.”
- Matthew 19:21-26: "Jesus said to him, 'If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.' When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
- Matthew 21:12-13: "And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, 'It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.’”
- Luke 3:14: "Soldiers also asked him, 'And we, what shall we do?' And he said to them, 'Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.’”
- Luke 12:33: "Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.”
- Acts 4:34: "There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold.”
- Acts 6:1: "Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”
- Acts 8:20: "But Peter said to him, 'May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!’”
- Acts 20:35: "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
- Galatians 6:5: "For each will have to bear his own load.”
- 1 Timothy 5:3-10: "Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work." For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
- 1 Timothy 6:17-19: "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-14: "Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.”
- James 1:27: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
- 1 John 2:15-17: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
- Revelation 3:17: "For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked."
Greed is bad, and it’s something all of us will have to fight in our life. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5).
There’s a good chance you probably don’t think you have a greed problem. But let me ask you these questions:
- Are you satisfied with how much money you make?
- Do you want to purchase more things?
- Does your desire for more money and possessions choke out your interest in God?
- Genesis 12:1-3: Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”
- Deuteronomy 8:18: "You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
- Proverbs 15:27: "Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.”
- Proverbs 28:22: "A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.”
- Proverbs 28:25: "A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.”
- Matthew 13:22: "As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
- Mark 7:21-22: "For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.”
- Luke 12:13-21: "Someone in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’But he said to him, 'Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?' And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.' And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
- Romans 7:7: "What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.’”
- 1 Corinthians 5:11: "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
- Ephesians 5:5: "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:5: "For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.”
- Hebrews 13:5: "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
- 1 Peter 5:2-3: "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”
- 2 Peter 2:14-15: "They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing.”
- James 5:1-6: "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you."
Since debt is so common in the United States, and is a the leading cause of financial stress, it’s essential to get God’s perspective on debt so that you can best manage your finances.
So what does the Bible say about debt? After you review the Bible verses about debt, you’ll discover three principles:
- God does not forbid debt
- God does highly caution against debt
- Taking on debt is generally a bad thing
If you are in debt (not including your mortgage), prayerfully consider the steps you can take to get out of debt as soon as possible—especially when it comes to paying off credit cards.
- Deuteronomy 28:12: "The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”
- Ecclesiastes 5:4: "When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.”
- Proverbs 6:1-5: "My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.”
- Proverbs 20:16: "Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.”
- Proverbs 22:7: "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.”
- Proverbs 22:26: "Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts.”
- Psalm 37:21: "The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.”
- Matthew 5:42: "Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”
- Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
- Luke 6:35: "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”
- Luke 14:28: "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”
- Romans 13:7-8: "Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law."
- Make a plan
- Work your plan
First, you need a plan.
In your financial plan, you need to answer the following questions:
- What’s your total income?
- How much do you need to tithe?
- How much money do you need to save and invest?
- What are your monthly expenses and debt repayments?
- What costs can you reduce?
- How much more money can you pay toward your debts?
- Can you give more money to your church or a nonprofit organization?
- How can you save more money?
Second, after you make a plan, you have to work your plan.
For this step, you have to look in the mirror and realize there’s nobody else in your life who can take responsibility for your financial situation.
You have to pay your bills.
You have to use mobile giving or online giving to your church.
You have to fight the temptation of accumulating more debt.
Thankfully, you’re not left alone in your decisions. You can find forgiveness for poor financial choices in Christ, and you can be hopeful that he will help you to get out of your financial troubles.
- Deuteronomy 15:7: “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.”
- Ecclesiastes 7:12: "For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.”
- Proverbs 3:9-10: "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”
- Proverbs 10:4: "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
- Proverbs 14:8: "The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.”
Luke 14:28-30: "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’"
If I could only get a raise.
It would be awesome if I scored that sweet promotion.
I’d love to score big on the lottery some day.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a high-paying side hustle?
These are some thoughts that may go through your mind from time-to-time (though I’m not advocating for gambling). But here’s the deal about making more money:
Acquiring more money may not fix your financial problems.
According to Richard Watts, author of Fables of Fortune, more money may actually cause you more problems.
Making more money sounds good on the surface, and it may be the best course of action you can take. But it’s not the silver bullet to every financial problem.
To solve your financial problems, Bible verses about money worries encourage us to take this first step:
Trust the Lord.
I know this sounds trite, but hear me out.
Yes, you’ll need to make a plan, curb your spending, and get out of debt. But the heart of your problem isn’t your finances.
The heart of your problem is whether or not you’re worshipping your money or worshiping with your money.
Here’s what we learn about God and our money from the Bible verses about money trouble:
- God will provide for you
- God is aware of your financial situation
- God will forgive you if you’ve made sinful financial choices
- God doesn’t want you to worry about money
- God wants you to know that life is more about your relationship with God
- God wants you to seek him first before you go after more money
Bible Verses About Money
- 1 Chronicles 29:14: “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.”
- Ecclesiastes 5:10: "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”
- Proverbs 3:9-10: "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”
- Proverbs 11:28: "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.”
- Proverbs 12:25: "Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”
- Proverbs 23:4-5: "Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.”
- Psalm 55:22: "Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
- Psalm 56:3: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
- Psalm 62:10: "Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.”
- Psalm 94:19: "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”
- Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
- Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
- Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
- Mark 4:19: “But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
- Mark 8:36:" For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
- Luke 8:14: "And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”
- Luke 12:22-34: "And he said to his disciples, 'Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
- Luke 16:10-12: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”
- John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
- Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
- Hebrews 13:5-6: "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
There are certainly many resources available to the Christian community pertaining to the various aspects of building the Kingdom of God. I do not believe it is necessary that we agree one hundred percent with everything a particular resource has to say. It may very well be that we not only have to pick and choose the individual resources, but also pick and choose the ideas and suggestions within a particular resource. However, several concerns should be kept in mind when Christian leaders or a church utilize a resource. First, they should be concerned whether the particular ideas gleaned from the resource are true and godly. Just because certain ideas contribute to the success of a given initiative does not mean the idea is predicated upon something true or godly. The danger is that a false idea may initially yield seemingly beneficial results, but later it may become ingrained into one’s world view and yield unhealthy results.
Second, Christian leaders or the church should take care about what signals they are sending to the church family when they tacitly endorse certain ideas or individuals. While a particular idea may appear benign, that resource may be attended with or be proximate to other ideas that are antithetical to the Christian world view and Christian life.
I decided to look through some material written by John C. Maxwell after I had agreed to be on a “team” to help implement a new initiative at my local church. I was invited to consult a web site to avail myself to leadership and teamwork principles supplied by an internet ministry headed by Maxwell. What I found on the web site gave me pause. With my concern aroused, I decided to look more closely at some materials John Maxwell had written.1 I was even more dismayed at what I found.
My main concerns about the Maxwell material, broadly speaking, are: First, the manner in which Maxwell handles the Scriptures to “teach” his principles is sometimes egregiously mistaken. It is my contention that the Bible is not necessarily teaching the principles that Maxwell thinks. His handling of the Scripture indicates Maxwell does not know (or at least is not utilizing) the proper methods of Biblical interpretation.2 This is not to say I necessarily disagree with the principles themselves. I might agree with some of them and disagree with others. But I believe it is of paramount importance that we let the Bible teach what it does and not try to justify our own ideas (even if those ideas are true) by violating sound principles of Biblical interpretation. I regret that the use of Maxwell’s materials sends the wrong signals to the church family as to how to use and interpret the Bible. This is especially of concern regarding the younger Christians in the church family.
Second, Maxwell either implicitly or explicitly endorses some New Age teachers and doctrines. Even if Maxwell himself (or the church leadership) understands the dangers of New Age doctrines, it is a dangerous thing to give such tacit endorsement in front of a church family, especially considering those who are younger in their faith.
Third, in addition to the New Age elements peppered throughout his material, Maxwell also employs questionable theological doctrines-such as a mistaken notion of the miraculous, a conspicuous absence of the cross-and questionable psychological doctrines-including self-esteem psychology and temperaments psychology. It is to each of these concerns I now would like to direct my attention.
SPECIFIC CONCERNS
Maxwell’s Misuse of Scripture
Bear in mind that my concern in this section is not whether a particular conclusion is true or false. Rather, my concern here is whether these passages of Scripture teach what Maxwell employs them to teach. I contend that they do not. The danger, therefore, is how Maxwell models an inappropriate way of handling the Scriptures.
Proverbs 29:18 — “Where there is no vision the people perish.”*
In The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork (ILT), Maxwell asserts that “vision gives team members direction and confidence.” (ILT, p. 96) The context shows that Maxwell is thinking of a vision as the ability of the team to “look beyond current circumstances and any obvious shortcomings of current teammates to see the potential of the team.” (ILT, p. 95) Maxwell’s use of this verse displays a common misunderstanding that is perhaps created by the ambiguity of the English term vision used in the King James Version. The word translated vision in the King James Version is the Hebrew word hazon.
According to Hebrew scholar Thomas Howe, it is “primarily used in the OT to refer to a divine communication, i.e., when a prophet receives a vision.”3 The Hebrew is better translated in more modern versions as (with the complete verse) “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.” (New King James Version) Notice the contrasts in the parallelism of the verse. The “no revelation” (no vision) is a parallel contrasting “law” (Hebrew, Torah) and the “cast off restraint” is a parallel contrasting “happy.” One can see this verse is teaching that without the Word of God, God’s people become unrestrained; and only with instruction (Torah) can God’s people be happy or blessed. Thus, the verse has nothing to do with what Maxwell is discussing. Howe comments, “There does not seem to be a single instance where this word is used in the OT according to the popular way the word ‘vision’ is used (the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom, or a mental image of what the future will or could be like).”
My criticism here should not be misunderstood. I am not necessarily disagreeing with Maxwell about the importance of the team being able to have such insight and foresight. Rather, my criticism is that, whether Maxwell’s point is true or false, Proverbs 29:18 has nothing to do with it.
John 2 — Jesus at the Cana wedding
On pages 12-13 in The Winning Attitude (TWA), Maxwell uses the story of Jesus at the Cana wedding to illustrate several principles. Whether these principles are true or not is not my concern at this point. (Later in this article, I criticize Maxwell’s view of miracles from this context.) His discussion here is illustrative of how many Christians misuse their Bible, especially if the passage in question is historical narrative. Rather than taking the narrative at face value and trying to understand what it is saying, Christians often “allegorize” or “moralize” the text. This means taking the elements of the story and trying to make each element symbolize some aspect of the Christian life. Here, for example, Maxwell takes the overall “lesson” of the story to be obedience. This lesson of obedience, according to Maxwell, tells us that we are to obey Jesus even if “you are not in the right place” (TWA, p. 12) and takes the fact that Jesus performed His miracle at a wedding instead of a church to mean we can expect “some of God’s greatest blessings will be at ‘other places’ if we are obedient to Him.” Maxwell goes on to point out how other elements of the narrative illustrate obedience in our Christian lives. One should be obedient (1) when “you have lots of problems,” (2) when “you are not encouraged,” (3) when “you have not walked with Him very long,” (4) when “you have not seen Him work miracles in your life,” and (5) when “you don’t understand the entire process.” (TWA, p. 13) These principles supposedly are taught in the narrative when the characters (1) run out of wine, (2) when Jesus says, “My hour has not yet come,” (3) because the disciples had just met Jesus, (4) because this was Jesus’ first miracle, and (5) because the characters did what Jesus commanded even in light of not knowing what Jesus was up to. While these might be useful points in some sense, it is my contention that these have nothing to do with Jesus at the Cana Wedding.
1 Samuel 17 — David and Goliath
In The Winning Attitude Maxwell says, “When Goliath came up against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, He’s so big we can never kill him. David looked at the same giant and thought, He’s so big I can’t miss.” (TWA, p. 31, emphasis in original) This again is an example of missing the real reason why the narrative tells us a story. To take Goliath as if he is illustrative of problems or obstacles in our lives, the Israelite’s reaction as negative thinking, and David’s reaction as positive thinking, is again to completely violate sound principles of Biblical interpretation regarding historical narrative. It is my contention that Maxwell’s use of this passage has nothing to do with why God’s Word tells us this story.
Romans 10:7 — “Faith comes by hearing …”
Maxwell discusses how the negative and positive words we hear can either encourage or discourage us. (TWA, pp. 56-57) What he thinks Romans 10:7 has to do with this is not clear in his discussion. I can only assume he thinks it is relevant since he quotes part of the verse as a heading introducing this discussion. I take issue later on with the categories of “positive” and “negative” in these discussions. Let it suffice to say here that Paul’s point in Romans 10 has nothing to do with positive or negative words and the impact they might have on us being encouraged or discouraged. Rather, Paul is concerned with the truths contained in the Word of God and how the hearing of God’s truths can give rise to faith in God. Taking Romans 10:7 the way Maxwell ignores the context, reduces Paul’s words to a mere platitude, and misses Paul’s meaning altogether.
Proverbs 23:7 — “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.”
Here is another example of a verse that is commonly taken out of context to say something it clearly does not mean. As Maxwell discusses one’s self-image, he comments, “It is impossible to perform consistently in a manner inconsistent with the way we see ourselves. In other words, we usually act in direct response to our self-image.” (TWA, p. 61-62) Whether this is true or not, I contend that this passage from Proverbs has nothing to do with one’s self-image. When one reads this verse, a question he should ask is “Who is the ‘he’ referring to?” In answering the question about what is the antecedent of the pronoun, we have to look to the context. Consider the fuller citation: “Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies; For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. ‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you, But his heart is not with you.” (vv. 6-7) It should be clear that this passage has nothing to do with self-image. Rather, the writer is warning that though the miser outwardly seems to be hospitable, inwardly he resents the fact you are eating his food. So, the counsel goes, do not be deceived by his hypocritical outward actions, but be aware that how he is inwardly toward you (as he thinks in his heart) is his true disposition.
Further, Maxwell recounts a testimony where one uses this passage as a commentary on how one sees the world around him; how one’s attitude can make a difference. (TWA, pp. 132-134) Again, it should be clear this has nothing to do with the passage. At the risk of being too redundant, my criticism here is not whether Maxwell’s point is true or false. Rather, I am saying that the passage in question has nothing to do with his point.
Numbers 13 & 14 — Israel’s Failure to Enter the Promised Land
Maxwell uses the story of Israel’s failure to enter the Promised Land in Numbers 13 and 14 as illustrative of how “negative thinking limits God and our potential.” (TWA, p. 122) I do not want to anticipate my criticisms of the notions of “positive thinking” and “negative thinking.” At this point, I simply want to reason that Maxwell’s use of this passage misses the real reason why Israel failed to reap God’s promises. It had nothing to do with being “positive” or “negative.” Rather, Israel’s failure was due to unbelief. There was no question that God repeatedly had promised Israel that He was going to give them this land. This promise constituted God’s inauguration through Abraham of His relationship with His chosen people. (Genesis 12:1-3) The difference between the two reactions of the spies and the nation was that Caleb and Joshua believed God’s promise, and the others did not. It is as simple as that. The lesson is profound. The issue of believing God resounds throughout the entire Bible. In fact, our very salvation is a function of believing God. “For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3-5) To reduce the Numbers passage to the categories of positive and negative thinking rather than belief and unbelief in God is to tragically miss the whole point of the passage and neglect a perfect opportunity to teach one of the most important doctrines of the entire Bible.
Matthew 21:21 — “If you have faith, and do not doubt, you shall … say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and it shall happen.”
Maxwell employs this passage to teach that “the only thing that will guarantee the success of a doubtful undertaking is the faith from the beginning that you can do it.” (TWA, p. 139) There are several things wrong with taking the passage this way. First, one’s faith is not to be in one’s self. I need not have faith that I can do it. Rather, faith should be directed toward God. He is the one that can do it. But what is it He can, or will, do? This is the second problem with Maxwell’s use of Scripture here. Faith is believing what God has said. If the mountain is to be cast into the sea, it will only be because that is God’s will. We do not bring it about simply because we believe it. First John 5:14 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” If something is not God’s will, then no amount of my believing it or having “faith” in my ability to do something will be able to bring it about. But, how are we to know whether God has willed it? A full discussion of God’s will is not possible here. I contend that God’s will is fully revealed in His Word-the Bible. If we pray and ask according to the Bible, we can know God will grant our petitions. This is not to say that we cannot pray for things about which the Bible is silent. We are invited to “cast our cares upon Him” (1 Peter 5:7). However, we must be willing to accept God’s will even if it conflicts with ours. We cannot presume that God would give us anything we ask if He has not promised it in His word.
Maxwell’s Use of New Age Teachers and Philosophies
The following is a sampling of Maxwell’s use of New Age teachers and philosophies; the use of which may cause some believers not only to embrace the material Maxwell presents, but also view these teachers and doctrines as harmless.
Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking: On several occasions, Maxwell seems to favorably quote or refer to Norman Vincent Peale. (TWA, p. 47, 172) In fact in The Winning Attitude, Maxwell recounts an episode that, to my mind, illustrates one of the dangers of endorsing writers such as Peale. He says, “My father has always been a positive influence in my life. Once, while visiting my parents back east, I noticed he was reading Norman Vincent Peale’s book The Power of Positive Thinking. When I noted that he had read this book previously, he replied enthusiastically, ‘Of course! I must keep building my attitude.’“ (TWA, p. 47) It is regrettable how much of the Christian community has considered Peale’s doctrine to be consistent with the Christian world view. Space will not allow a thorough examination of Peale’s teachings. A few references, however, should suffice to show the doctrines of The Power of Positive Thinking are not Christian.
Many mistakenly think Peale’s “positive thinking” is merely an encouragement to be optimistic in one’s outlook on life. Many mistakenly think all Peale is saying is that one should try to look for the good in every situation. This is not “positive thinking.” But even if it were, I maintain it still is not a Christian attitude for several reasons. First, the Bible encourages us to think truly-not optimistically. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally brethren, whatever things are true … meditate on these things.” In the Bible, sometimes God was very “negative.” “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’ ” (Genesis 2:16-17) In the Bible, sometimes Satan was very “positive.” “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’” (Genesis 3:4) As I will argue later, the categories of “positive” and “negative” do not necessarily track the categories of “good” and “evil.”
The second problem with Peale’s position, even if he were talking about being optimistic (which I contend he was not), is that we have no right to encourage anyone to be optimistic unless and until that person has believed on Christ for eternal life. If we help the lost person to gain an optimistic attitude, we may be keeping him from ever seeing his need for a Savior. The lost person should not be optimistic because he is doomed without Christ.
However, there is a conspicuous lack of the cross in Peale’s “positive thinking.” He does not necessarily link the fruits of “positive thinking” to an acknowledgement of one’s own sin and the provision that God has made through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. So, even if Peale’s point were that one should have an optimistic attitude toward life, this still would be misguided because of the greater need that one have a realistic, or true, attitude and recognize that one is entitled to genuine optimism only if one has believed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As I have pointed out, however, an optimistic attitude toward life is not what Norman Vincent Peale’s Power of Positive Thinking is all about. Rather, this “power” is something by which one can “rise above obstacles which ordinarily might defeat you”7 by “channeling spiritual power through your thoughts.”8 For Peale, this power is not merely an attitude, but is a real power that resides in us. Peale encourages his readers to “believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”9 Peale likens this power in other places as a “Higher Power” that “is constantly available. If you open to it, it will rush in like a mighty tide. It is there for anybody under any circumstances or in any conditions.” (Even in the condition of unbelief?) Tragically, Peale wants to relate this power to God. He credits a friend of his for making him realize that he should “practice resting … in God [for] His support and power. Believe that He is giving it to you now and don’t get out touch with that power. Yield yourself to it-let it flow through you.”10
One more quote should suffice to illustrate that the ideas of Norman Vincent Peale depart from an orthodox Christian world view. In relating this power to God, Peale comments, “Contact with God establishes within us a flow of the same type of energy that re-creates the world and that renews springtime every year. When in spiritual contact with God through our thought processes, the Divine energy flows through the personality, automatically renewing the original creative act.”
This type of thinking should sound familiar to anyone who has studied New Thought, New Age, or Occult Philosophy.12) For Maxwell to favorably mention Peale in his material is misleading at best and potentially heretical at worst.
The Categories of “Positive” and “Negative:”
In both The Winning Attitude and Becoming a Person of Influence, Maxwell uses the categories of “positive” and “negative.” He talks about the positive and negative influences on us (TWA, p. 44), our positive and negative influence on others (BPI, p. 8-11), positive and negative words and attitudes (TWA, pp. 57-58), and positive and negative thoughts (TWA, pp. 119 ff.). To put it as directly as I can: the categories of “positive” and “negative” are impotent to capture a proper understanding of reality vis-Ã -vis our personal and spiritual lives. Rather, “positive” and “negative” are better suited to a discussion of an energy like electricity. In terms of a discussion of spiritual matters, “positive” and “negative” bespeak more of New Age and Occult philosophy. Because New Thought, New Age, and Occult philosophies hold that the spiritual realm is an “energy” of sorts, one finds the categories of “positive” and “negative” used extensively in such literature.13 Instead of “positive” and “negative,” the Bible speaks in terms of “true” and “false,” “good” and “evil,” “righteous” and “unrighteous,” and “godly” and “ungodly.” I assert that in a discussion of things like influences and attitudes, these Biblical categories serve us much better than the categories of “positive” and “negative.”
Positive Mental Attitude Pioneer Napoleon Hill:
My concerns about Maxwell quoting Napoleon Hill (IQL, p. 69) are similar to my concerns about him quoting Norman Vincent Peale, except Napoleon Hill is much more overtly Occult. Admittedly, here Maxwell does not give an overall endorsement of Napoleon Hill, but my concern is how a young or undiscerning Christian might read this reference and mistakenly conclude Napoleon Hill is a safe resource from which a Christian might draw safe advice. Hill is the author of Think and Grow Rich which is probably one of the most widely read “positive mental attitude” and success-motivational books around. The thrust of the book is that success is a function of one’s attitude. Specifically, Hill teaches there is a “Supreme Secret” that is the key to life. The secret is: “Anything the human mind can believe, the human mind can achieve.”14 In other words, the power of mind is the key to bring what is needed in life. This is classic Occult philosophy. But what is worse is Hill’s testimony as to how he learned this secret. An extended quote should suffice to show that this book is anti-Christian:
Now and again I have had evidence that unseen friends hover about me, unknowable to ordinary senses. In my studies I discovered there is a group of strange beings who maintain a school of wisdom which must be ten thousand years old …I was alone in my study and all was very still. A voice spoke. I saw nobody. I cannot tell you whence the voice came. … “I have come,” said the voice, “to give you one more section to include in your book. …” I whispered: “Who are you?” In a softened voice … the unseen speaker replied: “I come from the Great School of the Masters. I am one of the Council of Thirty-Three who serve the Great School and its initiates on the physical plane.” … The School has Masters who can disembody themselves and travel instantly to any place they choose in order to acquire essential knowledge, or to give knowledge directly, by voice, to anyone else. Now I knew that one of these Masters had come across thousands of miles, through the night, into my study. “You have earned the right to reveal a Supreme Secret to others,” said the vibrant voice. … Now you must give to the world a blue print …. 15
Clearly, Hill is in contact with something that is not holy. No Christian leader should reference such material without clearly indicating the dangers contained in it. But, tragically, Maxwell, to my knowledge, never warns his readers of these Occult teachings when he references Napoleon Hill.
Mystical Christian Writer Richard Foster:
In The Winning Attitude, Maxwell quotes Christian writer Richard Foster. (TWA, pp. 174-175) One of Foster’s works is Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth.16) Again, while Maxwell does not necessarily give a wholehearted endorsement of Foster’s writings, because of the troublesome doctrines in Foster’s material, one should be careful not to quote an author without disclaiming an endorsement of that writer’s other ideas. A few comments should adequately show that some of Foster’s doctrines are problematic.
First, Foster teaches techniques of meditation by saying, “the imagination is stronger than conceptual thought and stronger than the will. In the West, our tendency to deify the merits of rationalism-and it does have merit-has caused us to ignore the value of the imagination.”17 He goes on to advocate listening to our dreams. “For fifteen centuries Christians overwhelmingly considered dreams as a natural way in which the spiritual world broke into our lives.”18 He suggests that “we can specifically pray, inviting God to inform us through our dreams. We should tell Him of our willingness to allow Him to speak to us in this way.” But then Foster adds, “At the same time, it is wise to pray a prayer of protection, since to open ourselves to spiritual influence can be dangerous as well as profitable.”19 Foster appeals to the fact that many of the Church Fathers looked to dreams to encourage the reader to give dreams a try. Conspicuously, he makes little appeal to the Bible to justify these teachings. Further, Foster thinks if one practices at meditation, he can develop his skills in order to internalize and personalize the Scriptures. For example, He claims that in meditating on a parable of Jesus, one enters “not as a passive observer but as an active participant, remember that since Jesus lives in the Eternal Now and is not bound by time, this event in the past is a living presentment experience for Him. Hence, you can actually encounter the living Christ in the event, be addressed by His voice and be touched by His healing power.”
Second, Foster advocates what looks to me like out-of-body experiences. He teaches:“In your imagination allow your spiritual body, shining with light, to rise out of your physical body. Look back so that you can see yourself lying in the grass and reassure your body that you will return momentarily. Imagine your spiritual self, alive and vibrant, rising up through the clouds and into the stratosphere. Observe your physical body, the knoll, and the forest shrink as you leave the earth. Go deeper and deeper into outer space until there is nothing except the warm presence of the eternal Creator.”
Third, Foster also endorses the New Age writer Agnes Sanford,22 author of the book Healing Gifts of the Spirit.23 He says, “This advice, and much more, was given to me by Agnes Sanford. I have discovered her to be an extremely wise and skillful counselor in these matters. Her book The Healing Gifts of the Spirit is an excellent resource.”24 To my mind, this is an extremely careless statement for a Christian to make. Agnes Sanford is a Pantheist. She says, regarding the earth, the sea, the clouds, the birds and the sun, “all these God made and He made them out of Himself.”
Further, Sanford teaches: “You see, God is actually in the flowers and the growing grass and all the little chirping, singing things. He made everything out of Himself and somehow He put a part of Himself into everything.”
Regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she says, “But no experience ever equaled in bliss this baptism of pure light and power that came to me from God, not through the medium of man counseling and praying with me, but through the sun and the waters of the lake and the wind in the pine trees.”27 Sanford appeals to the New Age writer Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s works The Phenomena of Man and The Divine Milieu as an authority for her own teachings.28 The fact Foster likes her as much as he does says something to me about his own discernment and world view.
Last, Foster seems to include himself in the New Age Movement. He says, “We of the New Age can risk going against the tide. Let us with abandon relish the fantasy games of children. Let’s see visions and dream dreams.”29 Now, perhaps I cannot be sure what Foster means by the term “New Age,” but it is important to note that his book came out at the time the New Age Movement was propagating similar views. Thus, the fact Maxwell quotes Foster without any disclaimer is troubling.
New Age Psychologist James Allen:
On page 13 of The Winning Attitude, Maxwell quotes James Allen. Among author Allen’s works is As a Man Thinketh.30 Allen is another installment of those positive-thinking, New-Age writers who carelessly weaves verses from the Bible with New Age Occult philosophy. In the grand tradition of the New Thought Movement,31) Allen claims: “all that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.”32 Further, Allen maintains that “as a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his own thought, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he will.”33 The contrast between this and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ should be obvious. Again, while Maxwell nowhere indicates that he wholeheartedly embraces the teaching of James Allen, I contend that it is dangerous for him to have an unqualified quote from such a resource without disclaiming the Occult world view that informs Allen’s material.
Maxwell’s Use of Questionable Doctrines
QUESTIONABLE THEOLOGY:
I have already dealt with some theological problems, such as Maxwell’s confusion about faith in his use of Matthew 21:21. (See section on page 12.) A few other theological problems need mentioning.
Maxwell’s Notion of the Miraculous:
In The Winning Attitude, Maxwell gives a “four-step formula to handle fear” from Acts 4:29-30. (TWA, pp. 139-142) While this could also serve as another example of Maxwell taking verses out of context, the application here is more serious since not only does he take these verses out of context, but he also uses these verses to teach a troublesome doctrine. Maxwell takes v. 30 to say that just as the First-Century Apostles had their ministries attended with miracles, “This must happen in your life.” (TWA, p. 141) But the Christian should not expect his life and ministry to be attended with the miraculous the way the Apostles’ lives and ministries were attended with the miraculous. This is not to say God cannot perform a miracle in someone’s life as God sees fit, but it is to say that here Maxwell is missing the significance of the presence of miracles in the ministries of the Apostles. It is beyond the scope of this work to explore fully the doctrine of miracles.34) Let me state my position as succinctly and directly as I can. Primarily, miracles are God’s supernatural intervention in the affairs of humans in order to vindicate His special revelation and messenger. Throughout the Bible, God used miracles to prove that a given prophet or apostle was speaking in God’s name. God used miracles to vindicate the ministries of Moses, the Prophets, the Apostles of Jesus, and most significantly, of Jesus Himself. To teach that any Christian should expect the miraculous in his life is to dilute the significance of the miracles in the Bible.
A Conspicuous Absence of the Cross:
In Chapter 14 of The Winning Attitude titled “The God Above You,” (TWA pp. 169-179) Maxwell ostensibly turns to a discussion about how, with one’s security in Christ, “I can afford to take a risk in my life. Only the insecure cannot afford to risk failure. The secure can be honest about themselves. They can admit failure. They are able to seek help and try again. They can change.” (TWA, p. 169) Maxwell discusses how one can draw strength from God’s Word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. What is disturbing about his discussion is that nowhere does Maxwell clearly link these prerogatives to having eternal life through trust in what Christ did for us on the cross. Though he mentions a number of verses, including Paul’s discussion of our security in Romans 8, he says little that could not have been said by a liberal Christian or someone speaking from a generic religious perspective. Maxwell summarizes the change wrought in the disciples’ lives by the Holy Spirit as “changing an attitude.” (TWA, p. 178) Maxwell remarks:
They were filled [with the Holy Spirit]. The early Church was launched! The theme of this growing group of believers was “forward through storm.” Seven difficult problems confronted this New Testament Church of the book of Acts. After each obstacle, we read that the Church was enlarged and the Word of God was multiplied. Setbacks became springboards. Obstacles were turned into opportunities. Barriers turned out to be blessings. Cowards became courageous. Why? Those within the Church were filled with the Holy Spirit. That same power can be given to you. (TWA, p. 178)
But how, according to Maxwell, is this power made available? One might think that because Maxwell uses terms such as “conversion to Christ” and “experience of salvation” he is discussing the empowerment that comes from the Gospel. But a closer looks shows that for Maxwell, the key to living life is a change in attitude. In recounting a story about a man named Jim, Maxwell tells us how Jim had an early conversion to Christ, later fell away, returned to God, and had a genuine experience of salvation. But, according to Jim, something was missing. Jim comments:
“However, it was more than two years before I began to see a light at the end of the tunnel for my rotten attitude. It was during class at Bible college when the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. I raised my hand and was recognized. I said ‘Professor, would you pray for me? My attitude stinks.’” (TWA, pp. 178-179)
Throughout Maxwell’s discussion of the power the Holy Spirit gives, Maxwell characterizes that power as a power to be successful rather than a power to live a righteous life and witness for Christ. Perhaps someone may say I am being too harsh on Maxwell here. But I claim that when the power of the Gospel is relegated to merely a change in attitude, rather than to a saving relationship with God through the Cross of Christ and being conformed to the image of Christ through the exigencies of life (cf. Proverbs 15:31, Phil. 3:7-15, James 1:2-4), then something is missing.
QUESTIONABLE PSYCHOLOGY:
The following addresses some of the problems with the particular psychological applications Maxwell advocates.
Self-esteem Psychology:
In The Winning Attitude, Maxwell assumes a self-image psychology. (TWA, p. 61 ff.) Self-image and self-esteem are ideas that are widespread throughout the evangelical church. I am, perhaps, in a minority in my criticisms. Suffice it to say that I believe such an encroachment of psychology is unhealthy for a growing Christian life. Rather, the Gospel of Christ admonishes us to deny ourselves (Matt. 16:24). It is telling us that Paul’s “self-image” seems to deteriorate as he grew closer to Christ. In 1 Cor. 15:9, Paul describes himself as the “least of the apostles.” Later in his life he says that he is the “least of all the saints” (Eph. 3:8). Near the end of his life, Paul’s self-assessment was that he was “chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). Paul understood the key to his relationship with God was an increasing love for Christ and an increasing disregard for himself.35)
Four Temperaments Psychology:
Maxwell also endorses Tim LaHaye’s Four Temperaments teachings. (TWA, p. 54) What is disturbing about such an approach is that not only is the four temperaments psychology not taught in the Bible, but one would be hard pressed to find such teaching in any academic textbook on psychology. Educational Psychologist Martin Bobgan and his wife and co-writer Deidre comment: “Christian authors promoting the four temperaments and similar typologies base their ideas on unproven psychological theories and subjective observations which are based on neither the rigors of scientific investigation nor the rigors of exegetical Bible study.”
CONCLUSION
This work has been an attempt to alert the reader to the explicit and implicit dangers in the writing of John C. Maxwell. As I understand it, I have no problems with the initiative at my local church that prompted the leaders to seek Maxwell’s material. I have no reason to doubt that Mr. Maxwell is a sincere Christian who cares deeply for the Church. But his misuse of Scripture, his tacit endorsements of New Age writers and doctrines, and his questionable doctrines of theology and psychology should give any Christian concern in the use of his material in otherwise legitimate local church initiatives. It is with that concern that this article is offered.
*All Scripture quotations are from the New King James version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.
We thank our friend Richard Howe for his contribution to this issue. Richard G. Howe has a B.A. in Bible from Mississippi College, an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Mississippi, and is currently finishing his Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Arkansas. Richard has traveled the eastern United States and Canada lecturing, leading workshops, and debating on university campuses, at conferences, churches and on radio and television on such topics as the Existence of God, World Views, Theology, Creation/Evolution, Cults, the Occult, the New Age Movement, and Christian Apologetics. He has taught Philosophy courses at the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Marquette University; and Philosophy and Apologetics courses at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. He and his wife Rebekah reside in Springdale, Arkansas and are members of University Baptist Church, Fayetteville. [All institutions listed are for identification purposes only and are not responsible for the content of this article. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of these institutions.]
First century Cults and Jesus as the Word of Gods Truth
I would like to begin this morning with a definition of the term occult. I designate anything as belonging to the occult that involves dealings with the world of spirits or of supra-normal forces which (dealings) are not oriented on Jesus as he is revealed in the Bible. With this definition I am assuming the reality of a spirit world and of mysterious supra-normal forces. I am assuming that the church makes a grave mistake when it says that supra-natural phenomena are restricted to another age or that only godly people can work miracles. Such a mistake lays the church open to the power of evil precisely because it refuses to recognize the presence of that power. The definition is also intentionally very broad. I mean to include everything from the most blatant Satan worship to the most commonly accepted use of horoscopes. As examples I would mention séances, necromancy, and all forms of communicating with the dead, PSI, ESP, and all forms of supra-natural psychic phenomena, real magic (as opposed to simple sleight-of-hand tricks), fortune telling, the casting of spells, wearing of charms, the use of ouija boards, astrology, etc., etc. What I would like to show this morning is first, that the Scripture forbids God's people to be involved in these practices, second, why this is so, and third, what our positive alternative should be.
Scripture Condemns the OccultFirst, let me lay before you the Word of God which clearly bans the occult from the life of his people. We begin with the morning text which assembles more terms for the occult than any other single biblical text, Deuteronomy 18:9–12. Moses addresses the people just before they cross the Jordan River to enter the promised land and drive out the pagan nations. He says,
When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur (that is, an enchanter, one who looks for and uses omens), or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord; and because of these abominable practices the Lord your God is driving them out before you.Moses mentions eight spiritist activities: divination, soothsaying, augury, sorcery, the use of charms, mediums, wizardry, or necromancy. These are not clearly distinct activities; they overlap and are sometimes used interchangeably. What they have in common is that they all involve efforts to obtain knowledge which is ordinarily hidden, and the means of attaining it is through dealings with the spirit world or with mysterious supra-natural forces.
There is something else these eight activities have in common. The knowledge sought is not out of idle curiosity but out of a desire to exert some power over people or events. This is clearest in the term "charmer" in verse 11. The word means "one who binds a spell." This is the use of psychic or spiritual forces to control another person or the course of events. This is the goal, more or less, for all the other activities as well.
For example, when the king of Moab sent to Balaam money for divination, as it says in Numbers 22:7, his aim was not merely to find out if Israel was going to conquer his land; his aim was to have Balaam pronounce a curse on Israel by his magic arts. But Balaam says, finally, in Numbers 23:23, "There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel." Divination is for the purpose of gaining power over destiny, and for controlling people and events to your liking. (But God frustrates it when directed against his people.) So these eight occult activities mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:10, 11 are meant to illustrate all those activities by which people deal with the world of spirits or forces in order to get secret knowledge and have power over people and circumstances.
Now what does Moses say about such activities? First, in verse 9, he calls them "abominations." This means that God regards them as detestable, abhorrent, loathsome. It is a very strong word. We will do well to ask ourselves whether some seemingly innocent activity we are engaged in may be an abomination in the eyes of God. Second, according to verse 12, the persons who do such things are an abomination to the Lord. Not merely the activity but also the persons become abominable in God's eyes. It is an unbiblical sentiment which says, "God only hates the sin, never the sinner." When a person gives himself over to will, to delight in, and to follow abominable practices, he makes himself abominable in the eyes of God. Of course, this does not put a person beyond the reach of God's love. The glory of divine love is that it reaches out to justify and to sanctify precisely those whom God abominates because of their sin. Third, according to verse 10, activities of the occult are ranked alongside infanticide, the burning of children as sacrifices. This particular sin is probably mentioned in this context because we all feel in our stomachs that such a thing is loathsome. The point is, then: view charms, horoscopes, ouija boards, fortune telling, magic, and PSI with just as much loathing.
Fourth, according to verse 12, the Lord dispossesses and destroys those who practice these things. That is, they eventually fall under his judgment, as the nations did who were driven out by Israel because of these abominations. Fifth, according to verse 9, it follows that God would command, "You shall not learn to follow these abominable practices." This is very strong. Not only, "Don't do them," but also, "Don't even learnto do them. Don't equip yourself to do them; don't prepare in any way to be a part of them; do not experiment with them." Where the deed is evil, every inclination to the deed is evil. This is the heart of my first main point, namely, that the Scripture forbids God's people from any participation in the occult. Sixth, according to verse 10, no one who practices these activities is to be allowed to stay among God's people. Both in the Old Testament people of God and in the New Testament church provision was made for excluding from the fellowship persons who willfully continued in abominable practices. Moses impresses on our minds the seriousness of the occult by saying that those who practice it are not to be found among God's people.
Clearly then, from Deuteronomy 18, it is contrary to God's will that his people engage in any activities of the occult. But it may strengthen our admonition if we show that this teaching has a broader base in Scripture than just Deuteronomy. The word "Deuteronomy" means "second law." It is a restatement and expansion of what had been laid down by God at Mount Sinai. So it is no surprise to find in Leviticus commands like these: "You shall not practice augury or soothsaying" (19:26), "Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God" (19:31), "If a person turns to mediums and wizards, playing the harlot after them, I will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people" (20:6).
Later on in the history of Israel among the sins that brought on the judgment of God were activities of the occult. For example, 2 Kings 17:16, 17 says that Judah and Israel "forsook all the commandments of the Lord their God . . . And they burned their sons and daughters as offerings, and used divination and sorcery." The evils of Judah probably reached their worst under king Manasseh. 2 Kings 21:6 says, "He burned his son as an offering, and practiced soothsaying and augury, and dealt with mediums and wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger."
Isaiah was one of the prophets God sent to Judah to warn the nation of the coming judgment if it did not turn from its sin to God. You can see his attitude toward omens and divination in 44:24–26:
Thus says the Lord your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: "I am the Lord who made all things, who stretched out the heavens alone, who spread out the earth—Who was with me?—who frustrates the omens of liars, and makes fools of diviners . . . who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers."God frustrates omens and makes fools of diviners, but he confirms the word of his chosen spokesmen. Then in 47:12, 13 Isaiah uses biting irony to point out the folly of looking to the occult for help.
Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed, perhaps you may inspire terror. You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at new moon predict what shall befall you.Woe to those who dabble in astrology and look for guidance to their horoscope, and strive to know what the day will bring. The judgment of God will fall on such people, as Isaiah says in 2:6,
For thou has rejected thy people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of diviners from the east and of soothsayers like the Philistines.If we turn to the New Testament we find nothing to change this divine rejection of the occult. On the contrary the rejection is confirmed. For example, in Acts 19:18 the results of Paul's evangelistic endeavor in Ephesus is described like this:
Many of those who were now believers came confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all . . . So the word of the Lord grew and prevailed mightily.When the word of Christ captures a person's mind and heart, all involvement with magical arts goes. It is Jesus versus the occult; you cannot have both. Besides this illustration in Acts, Galatians 5:20 lists sorcery as one of the works of the flesh, and Revelation 21:8 lists it along with murder (just like Deuteronomy 18:10) and fornication and idolatry as grounds for condemnation.
Therefore, it seems to me to be a clear teaching of Scripture that God's people should not be involved in any practices of the occult—practices which involve dealings with the world of spirits or supra-normal forces which are not oriented on Jesus as he is revealed in the Bible.
Belittling God and Exalting ManThe second thing I want to show from Scripture is why God is so opposed to our participation in the occult. I'll describe what I think the basic reason is and then illustrate it from several texts. God opposes our involvement in the occult because it belittles God and exalts man. Or to put it another way, the occult is simply a continuation of the ancient satanic deception in Genesis 3:5: "Go beyond what God has appointed, and you shall become like God." All forms of the occult present us with a similar temptation: will we act like humble children of the heavenly Father and submit to God's wisdom in limiting our knowledge and power, or will we, like Adam and Eve, hanker for the fruit that can make us "wise" and for the power that belongs to God? Will we belittle God and exalt ourselves, or will we humble ourselves and exalt God by being content with his revelation and his use of power on our behalf?
Let's begin again with our text in Deuteronomy 18. In verses 15–19 God promises to raise up a prophet from among the people like Moses. The apostles saw the final and decisive fulfillment of this prophecy in Jesus Christ (Acts 3:22–23). He was the final great prophet like Moses. The point of this prophecy in Deuteronomy 18 is that God has appointed a Revealer of his will, and no other medium of revelation should be sought. In verse 14 Moses says, "These nations, which you are about to dispossess, give heed to soothsayers and to diviners." Then in verse 15 he gives God's alternative: "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet . . . Him you shall heed." Then he adds in verse 19, "Whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him." God has appointed for himself a Revealer of that which he desires to be known, and when we turn from or go beyond that Revealer and consult other mediums, we belittle God and exalt ourselves. We devalue the revelation of Jesus Christ and take to ourselves the prerogatives of deity. No one who loves Jesus Christ and orients all of his life around the revelation of Jesus can turn to the occult for knowledge or power.
Isaiah shows us in one place how incongruous it is for people who claim to rely on God to seek wisdom in the occult. He says in 8:19, "When they say to you, 'Consult the mediums and the wizards who chirp and mutter,' should not a people consult their God?" It is unthinkable to the prophet Isaiah that a person who knows God and has his teaching and testimony (v. 20) in Scripture should consult mediums. But someone may say, "God has not said enough. God is silent where I need knowledge.'' So it was with king Saul in 1 Samuel 28. The Lord closed his mouth against Saul and would not answer him about the approaching Philistines. So instead of humbling himself for his earlier disobedience and waiting patiently for the Lord, Saul goes to the witch of Endor and asks her to do what he knows is unlawful—to call up from the dead the spirit of Samuel who will tell him what he shall do (v. 15). When the death of Saul is later recounted in 1 Chronicles 10:13f., this sin is mentioned:
So Saul died for his unfaithfulness; he was unfaithful to the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance, and did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord slew him and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.Consulting mediums, tea leaves, fortune cookies, horoscopes, crystal balls, palmists, or any other oracles beyond God's Word is wrong because it belittles God as an inadequate revealer of mysteries. It says that God is either unable or unwilling to tell me all that is good for me to know. Therefore, he lacks the power or the goodness to help me, and so I will take matters into my own hands. Therefore, people who really love God and trust his goodness and depend on his sovereign power shun all practices of the occult.
Earlier in his life Saul had disobeyed the command of God in another situation. God had commanded him to destroy the Amalekites and their spoil. But Saul took the best animals to offer for a sacrifice to God. Samuel approaches Saul with God's rebuke and says,
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of ram. For rebellion is as the sin of divination.Rebellion is as the sin of divination. That is no accidental comparison. Divination means having dealings with supra-normal spirits or forces to get knowledge and power. And Samuel says that is the same as rebellion against God. Man in the occult is man in rebellion. Whether he realizes it clearly or not, he is involved in a seditious effort to throw off the absoluteness of the yoke of God's sovereignty and position himself at a higher level in the government of the universe.
The whole field of the occult is Satan's seed-bed of pride. Every activity offers man the opportunity to shed his finitude and take on the wisdom and power that belongs to God. "Eat this fruit and you will become like God." Simon the magician typifies where the occult is leading. He is described in Acts 8:9–11,
There was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the nation of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all gave heed to him from the least to the greatest saying, "This man is that power of God which is called Great." And they gave heed to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.No matter how innocent the practices of the occult seem at first, they are all dimensions of the one rebellion that has been underway since the Garden of Eden: the aim to avoid at all costs childlike submission to the limitations and provisions of a sovereign God, and to get instead a power which can be called great. Man in the occult is man in rebellion.
Spiritual HarlotryAnother way of revealing the evil of involvement in the occult is to say that man in the occult is man in harlotry. Leviticus 20:6 says, "If a person turns to mediums and wizards, playing the harlot after them, I will set my face against that person." Consulting mediums is like committing adultery against God. Jesus Christ is the husband of the church. He is God's fullest revelation. All that we need to know and all the power which it is good for us to have comes through him and his Word. When we go after other secret oracles and psychic powers, we say in effect that our husband is unsatisfactory and we must seek for lovers elsewhere. When a Christian peeks at his horoscope, he is treating Jesus the same way a husband treats a wife when he peeks at Playboy to provide the titillation he no longer gets from her. Involvement in the occult is wrong because it is spiritual adultery, it is rebellion against the sovereignty of God, and it belittles his revelation while exalting human pride.
Therefore, in conclusion, what is the positive Christian alternative to the occult? The answer is one and the same everywhere in the New Testament: This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Over against all the allurements of the occult stands Jesus Christ, the embodiment of all God's revelation. Faith takes its stand on the sufficiency of this revelation and seeks no other secret knowledge. Faith lays itself open to the power of God through Jesus Christ alone and seeks no other psychic or spiritual power. Faith cleaves to Jesus, loves Jesus, adores Jesus, trusts Jesus, extols the all-sufficiency of Jesus, and shuns, in all her many garments, the temptress of the occult.
Word of Faith teaching is decidedly unbiblical. It is not a denomination and does not have a formal organization or hierarchy. Instead, it is a movement that is heavily influenced by a number of high-profile pastors and teachers such as Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paul and Jan Crouch, and Fred Price.
The Word of Faith movement grew out of the Pentecostal movement in the late 20th century. Its founder was E. W. Kenyon, who studied the metaphysical New Thought teachings of Phineas Quimby. Mind science (where "name it and claim it" originated) was combined with Pentecostalism, resulting in a peculiar mix of orthodox Christianity and mysticism. Kenneth Hagin, in turn, studied under E. W. Kenyon and made the Word of Faith movement what it is today. Although individual teachings range from completely heretical to completely ridiculous, what follows is the basic theology most Word of Faith teachers align themselves with.
At the heart of the Word of Faith movement is the belief in the "force of faith." It is believed words can be used to manipulate the faith-force, and thus actually create what they believe Scripture promises (health and wealth). Laws supposedly governing the faith-force are said to operate independently of God’s sovereign will and that God Himself is subject to these laws. This is nothing short of idolatry, turning our faith—and by extension ourselves—into god.
From here, its theology just strays further and further from Scripture: it claims that God created human beings in His literal, physical image as little gods. Before the fall, humans had the potential to call things into existence by using the faith-force. After the fall, humans took on Satan’s nature and lost the ability to call things into existence. In order to correct this situation, Jesus Christ gave up His divinity and became a man, died spiritually, took Satan’s nature upon Himself, went to hell, was born again, and rose from the dead with God’s nature. After this, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to replicate the Incarnation in believers so they could become little gods as God had originally intended.
Following the natural progression of these teachings, as little gods we again have the ability to manipulate the faith-force and become prosperous in all areas of life. Illness, sin, and failure are the result of a lack of faith, and are remedied by confession—claiming God’s promises for oneself into existence. Simply put, the Word of Faith movement exalts man to god-status and reduces God to man-status. Needless to say, this is a false representation of what Christianity is all about. Obviously, Word of Faith teaching does not take into account what is found in Scripture. Personal revelation, not Scripture, is highly relied upon in order to come up with such absurd beliefs, which is just one more proof of its heretical nature.
Countering Word of Faith teaching is a simple matter of reading the Bible. God alone is the Sovereign Creator of the Universe (Genesis 1:3; 1 Timothy 6:15) and does not need faith—He is the object of faith (Mark 11:22; Hebrews 11:3). God is spirit and does not have a physical body (John 4:24). Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27; 9:6), but this does not make him a little god or divine. Only God has a divine nature (Galatians 4:8; Isaiah 1:6-11, 43:10, 44:6; Ezekiel 28:2; Psalm 8:6-8). Christ is Eternal, the Only Begotten Son, and the only incarnation of God (John 1:1, 2, 14, 15, 18; 3:16; 1 John 4:1). In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). By becoming a man, Jesus gave up the glory of heaven but not His divinity (Philippians 2:6-7), though He did choose to withhold His power while walking the earth as man.
The Word of Faith movement is deceiving countless people, causing them to grasp after a way of life and faith that is not biblical. At its core is the same lie Satan has been telling since the Garden: “You shall be as God” (Genesis 3:5). Sadly, those who buy into the Word of Faith movement are still listening to him. Our hope is in the Lord, not in our own words, not even in our own faith (Psalm 33:20-22). Our faith comes from God in the first place (Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 12:2) and is not something we create for ourselves. So, be wary of the Word of Faith movement and any church that aligns itself with Word of Faith teachings.
In the prosperity gospel, also known as the “Word of Faith Movement,” the believer is told to use God, whereas the truth of biblical Christianity is just the opposite—God uses the believer. Prosperity theology sees the Holy Spirit as a power to be put to use for whatever the believer wills. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a Person who enables the believer to do God’s will. The prosperity gospel movement closely resembles some of the destructive greed sects that infiltrated the early church. Paul and the other apostles were not accommodating to or conciliatory with the false teachers who propagated such heresy. They identified them as dangerous false teachers and urged Christians to avoid them.
Paul warned Timothy about such men in 1 Timothy 6:5, 9-11. These men of “corrupt mind” supposed godliness was a means of gain and their desire for riches was a trap that brought them “into ruin and destruction” (v. 9). The pursuit of wealth is a dangerous path for Christians and one which God warns about: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (v. 10). If riches were a reasonable goal for the godly, Jesus would have pursued it. But He did not, preferring instead to have no place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20) and teaching His disciples to do the same. It should also be remembered that the only disciple concerned with wealth was Judas.
Paul said covetousness is idolatry (Ephesians 5:5) and instructed the Ephesians to avoid anyone who brought a message of immorality or covetousness (Ephesians 5:6-7). Prosperity teaching prohibits God from working on His own, meaning that God is not Lord of all because He cannot work until we release Him to do so. Faith, according to the Word of Faith doctrine, is not submissive trust in God; faith is a formula by which we manipulate the spiritual laws that prosperity teachers believe govern the universe. As the name “Word of Faith” implies, this movement teaches that faith is a matter of what we say more than whom we trust or what truths we embrace and affirm in our hearts.
A favorite term of prosperity gospel teachers is “positive confession.” This refers to the teaching that words themselves have creative power. What you say, prosperity teachers claim, determines everything that happens to you. Your confessions, especially the favors you demand of God, must all be stated positively and without wavering. Then God is required to answer (as though man could require anything of God!). Thus, God’s ability to bless us supposedly hangs on our faith. James 4:13-16 clearly contradicts this teaching: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Far from speaking things into existence in the future, we do not even know what tomorrow will bring or even whether we will be alive.
Instead of stressing the importance of wealth, the Bible warns against pursuing it. Believers, especially leaders in the church (1 Timothy 3:3), are to be free from the love of money (Hebrews 13:5). The love of money leads to all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). In sharp contrast to the prosperity gospel emphasis on gaining money and possessions in this life, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). The irreconcilable contradictions between prosperity teaching and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is best summed up in the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve both God and money.”
False apostles are people who masquerade as Christian leaders, get other people to follow them, and then lead them astray. A true apostle is one who is “sent” by God as an ambassador of Jesus Christ with a divine message. A false apostle is a pretender who does not truly represent Christ and whose message is false.
In 2 Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul addresses the problem of false apostles invading the Corinthian church. He describes the false apostles as “those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about” (verse 12). The book of 2 Corinthians is one of Paul’s more “sarcastic” letters, as he contends with the church to recognize the error that had crept into their midst. He contrasts his selfless service with that of the “super-apostles” (verse 5) who were seducing the church with their smooth speech and apparent wisdom. These impostors were pretending to be true servants of Christ, but they did not know the Lord. They were deceivers, preying on gullible Christians in Corinth to profit themselves and boost their ego. Paul chides the church that they “even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face” (verse 20). He even compares these impostors to Satan himself, who also “masquerades as an angel of light” (verse 14).
Paul warned the Ephesian elders about false apostles as well: “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29). They must have heeded his words, because in Revelation 2:2, Jesus commends the church at Ephesus for spotting the false apostles in their midst and rejecting them.
False teachers and false apostles have been plentiful throughout the history of the church. They still infiltrate unsuspecting churches and have even led whole denominations into heresy and apostasy (see 1 Timothy 4:1–4). Scripture gives us clear warning if we will pay attention. First John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prays to His Father, saying, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). In this verse, Jesus communicates two important facts: God’s Word is truth—God’s Word equals truth—and it’s by that truth that God sanctifies us, or sets us apart for holy service to Himself.
In the same prayer, Jesus prays for His disciples and all who will believe in Him through the gospel (John 17:20). Believers accept God’s words (John 17:6) and accept Jesus as God’s Word (John 17:8). God is truth, and His truth brings salvation to all who accept it (Titus 2:11). Further, God’s written and living Word will sustain believers as they are in the world (John 17:14).
In the High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Jesus confirms that He brought the message of salvation to the world: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Jesus’ mission of bringing the truth has been accomplished (John 17:4), and He turns the focus of His prayer to God working through the disciples and other believers. He confirms that believers will be rejected by the world for believing “Your word is truth,” but believers are also assured joy, God’s protection from the evil one, and sanctification by God’s Word (John 17:13–19).
The Old and New Testaments both affirm that the words recorded in the Bible are God’s words and that they are true. Since God cannot lie, His Word is truth: “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless” (Psalm 18:30). Since God is eternal and unchanging, His Word is always the same: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35; cf. Isaiah 40:8). Jesus uses the Word as He rebukes the devil who was tempting Him: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 8:3).
If we want to know truth, we will look in God’s written Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17) and look to Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 1:3). John refers to Jesus Christ in John 1:1–2, saying, “In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” The Word is God’s total message, and Jesus embodied that full message, which is why He is called the “Logos,” or “Word,” of God (Colossians 1:19; 2:9). God is truth. His Word is truth. Salvation comes by accepting Jesus and agreeing that “Your word is truth.”
Jesus said, “Your word is truth.” When we look at the Bible, we see truth. The Bible does not merely contain the truth; it is the truth. Every word is truth, in every part of the Bible. “The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times” (Psalm 12:6). This is the doctrine of the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture.
How we respond to God’s written Word and the Word made flesh has an eternal impact on us. Since God’s Word is truth, rejecting the Bible and rejecting Jesus is rejecting God Himself. Believing, cherishing, studying, and obeying God’s Word is the key to salvation, understanding God, and living abundantly (John 10:10). No matter what we may face in this world, we are sustained by the truth prayed over us in Jesus’ prayer: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).
Second Peter 3:18 tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” To grow in grace is to mature as a Christian. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), and we mature and are sanctified by grace alone. We know that grace is a blessing that we don’t deserve. It is God’s grace that justifies us, sanctifies us, and eventually glorifies us in heaven. The sanctification process, becoming more like Christ, is synonymous with growing in grace.
We grow in grace by reading God’s Word and letting it “dwell in us richly” (Colossians 3:16) and by praying. Those actions by themselves don’t mature us, but God uses these spiritual disciplines to help us grow. Therefore, maturing in our Christian life is not about what we do, but about what God does in us, by His grace. Understanding and applying God’s grace in our lives is important. We are not to impair it by being proud, because God says that He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Grace is that attribute of God that enables us to break free of our sinful nature and follow Him. It gives us strength and protects us. Without God’s grace, His favor, we would be hopelessly lost in this world. The more grace we have and ask God for, the more mature as Christians we will be.
To grow in grace does not mean gaining more grace from God. God’s grace never increases; it is infinite, it cannot be more, and according to the nature of God, it could never be less. He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him should be saved (John 3:16). How much more grace could there possibly be than that? But to grow in grace is to grow in our understanding of what Jesus did and to grow in our appreciation of the grace we have been given. The more we learn about Jesus, the more we will appreciate all He has done, and the more we appreciate His love and sacrifice for us, the more we will perceive the never-ending grace of God.
Peter also confirms that we need to grow in our knowledge of Jesus and to have that intimate relationship with Him because the more we know of Him, the more of Him will be seen in our lives. Paul said in Colossians 3:1–4: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
The Scriptures contain all the knowledge we will ever need to learn of God, His Son, and His Spirit, at least in this life. God`s desire for those He has saved is their sanctification and transformation. He wants us to become more holy like Himself. He wants to transform us into the image of His Son. The way to do this is by meditating on the Scriptures and applying their principles to our lives as we yield to the conviction and power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Then we will prove 2 Corinthians 3:18: “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord.”
The idea of “circumcision of the heart” is found in Romans 2:29. It refers to having a pure heart, separated unto God. Paul writes, “A Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” These words conclude a sometimes confusing passage of Scripture regarding circumcision and the Christian. Verses 25-29 provide context:
“For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”
Paul is discussing the role of the Old Testament Law as it relates to Christianity. He argues that Jewish circumcision is only an outward sign of being set apart to God. However, if the heart is sinful, then physical circumcision is of no avail. A circumcised body and a sinful heart are at odds with each other. Rather than focus on external rites, Paul focuses on the condition of the heart. Using circumcision as a metaphor, he says that only the Holy Spirit can purify a heart and set us apart to God. Ultimately, circumcision cannot make a person right with God; the Law is not enough. A person’s heart must change. Paul calls this change “circumcision of the heart.”
This concept was not original with the apostle Paul. As a Jew trained in the Law of Moses, he was certainly aware of this discussion from Deuteronomy 30. There, the Lord used the same metaphor to communicate His desire for a holy people: “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). Physical circumcision was a sign of Israel’s covenant with God; circumcision of the heart, therefore, would indicate Israel’s being set apart to love God fully, inside and out.
John the Baptist warned the Pharisees against taking pride in their physical heritage and boasting in their circumcision: “Do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham” (Matthew 3:9).
True “children of Abraham” are those who follow Abraham’s example of believing God (Genesis 15:6). Physical circumcision does not make one a child of God; faith does. Believers in Jesus Christ can truly say they are children of “Father Abraham.” “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).
God has always wanted more from His people than just external conformity to a set of rules. He has always wanted them to possess a heart to love, know, and follow Him. That’s why God is not concerned with a circumcision of the flesh. Even in the Old Testament, God’s priority was a spiritual circumcision of the heart: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done” (Jeremiah 4:4).
Both Testaments focus on the need for repentance and inward change in order to be right with God. In Jesus, the Law has been fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). Through Him, a person can be made right with God and receive eternal life (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). As Paul said, true circumcision is a matter of the heart, performed by the Spirit of God.
After Paul explains to the Colossians their new position in Christ, he exhorts them to keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father (Colossians 3:1). This means that believers should value what Christ values, and one of those things that believers should highly value is to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16, ESV). Believers should be setting their minds on things above, not on the things of earth because of where Christ is and because our lives are hidden in Him (Colossians 3:2–3). One day we will be revealed with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4), but in the meantime we ought to consider the members of our bodies as dead to sinful things (Colossians 3:5–9). We ought to put on the new self—to actually walk according to our new natures—and be renewed according to the true knowledge of Christ (Colossians 3:10).
Second Corinthians 2:15 says, “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” To understand what the apostle Paul meant when he said that Christians are the “aroma of Christ,” we must look at the verses immediately surrounding the expression: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?” (verses 14–16).
For Jewish people, the apostle Paul’s analogy of “the pleasing aroma of Christ” would present an immediate association. In the Old Testament, the scent of burnt offerings was described as “an aroma pleasing to the Lord” (Genesis 8:20–21; Leviticus 23:18; Numbers 28:27). For the Gentiles, this phrase would suggest the scent of incense being burned as an offering to the gods. However, Paul had a more specific picture in mind.
The apostle was speaking to the Corinthians about recent events in his ministry of evangelism. Despite all the difficulties and disappointments he’d faced while traveling from city to city spreading the gospel, Paul was able to reflect on God’s goodness with thanksgiving. The apostle then compared this ministry of evangelism to the triumphal military parades that were common at that time in the Roman world.
Paul’s metaphor would be readily understood by his audience, with the apostle and his co-laborers portrayed as victorious soldiers in a triumphal procession. During these Roman military parades, captives of war would be marched through the streets as garlands of flowers were carried and incense was burned to the gods. The aromatic perfumes wafted on the air as spectators and those in the procession breathed in their fragrance. At the parade’s finale, many prisoners would be put to death. Thus, the aromas were pleasing and life-giving to the victors, but they were the smell of death to those who had been defeated.
In Paul’s analogy, he separates humanity into two groups: those on the path of salvation and those on the road to destruction. The aroma spread everywhere by the ministry of evangelism was the knowledge of God as victor. Christians who spread the gospel are members of God’s victorious army led by Jesus Christ. Believers are like the aroma or fragrance spread during the victory processions. Both the victors and those perishing smell the aroma; however, it has a different meaning for the two groups. For the victorious army and its peoples, the aroma would relate to the joy of triumph. But for the prisoners of war, the fragrance would be associated with defeat, slavery, and death.
This brilliant metaphor contrasts Christian and non-Christian responses to hearing the gospel. To non-Christians, those on the road to destruction, believers who preach the gospel spread the smell of death, as it were. To Christians, those on the path to salvation, they produce the fragrance of life.
Overwhelmed by the extreme importance of this ministry of spreading the gospel, Paul exclaimed, “And who is equal to such a task?” The implication is that no one is worthy. Paul was astounded that God would appoint humans to share in this task. Later, in 2 Corinthians 3:5–6, Paul affirms that our ability rests solely on God: “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
In the Bible, Baal is not a single individual but rather a complex figure with various connotations. Baal is primarily associated with a group of ancient Semitic deities worshipped in the region, particularly in the context of Canaanite and Phoenician religions. The name "Baal" itself means "lord" or "master" in Semitic languages and was used both as a title and as a name for specific deities.
It doesn’t take an extensive read-through of the Old Testament to note the pervasive influence of idolatry in Israel’s history. Though God had established a covenant relationship with the nation of Israel, instructing His people to separate themselves from the religion and practices of their neighbors, the Israelites frequently turned to other gods and idol worship, including Baal, the supreme deity of the Canaanites. The word Baal means "lord" and was the supreme male divinity of the Phoenician and Canannitish nations.
Who Was Baal?The name Baal in the Bible is most commonly associated with the Canaanite and Phoenician god of fertility, the rain, the sun, and the storm.
Baal was considered the supreme god and master of all the other gods. In many instances, various cities would have their own special Baal. This is where we see the name used in conjunction with a specific locality, such as Baal-Peor, Baal-Gad, and Baal-Hermon. The Baals or Baalim (plural) were considered the lords of their respective lands.
Baal as a Title:
The word "Baal" itself translates to "lord" or "master" in Semitic languages. In the Bible, it is sometimes used as a title rather than a specific name. Various places and people were associated with Baal, such as Baal-Peor (Numbers 25:3), Baal-zebub (2 Kings 1:2), and Baal-gad (Joshua 11:17).
Baal as a Deity:
Baal is most commonly associated with a group of ancient Semitic deities worshipped in the region, often called "Baalim" in plural. These gods were considered patrons of various natural forces, including fertility, rain, and agriculture. The Canaanite god Baal, also known as Baal Hadad, was one of the prominent deities in this pantheon.
Baal in Idolatry:
Throughout the Old Testament, there are numerous accounts of the Israelites turning to the worship of Baal, which is consistently condemned as idolatry. The worship of Baal involved rituals, sacrifices, and the construction of idols, which ran counter to the commandments of the God of Israel.
Prophets of Baal:
Perhaps the most famous encounter involving Baal is the story of the prophet Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). This event serves as a dramatic demonstration of the power and authority of the God of Israel over Baal.
Baal's Decline:
Over time, the worship of Baal waned, and the prophets of Israel consistently condemned it. The Bible narrates the eventual decline of the worship of Baal, aligning with the historical shifts in the region.
Where Is Baal Mentioned in the Bible?When Baal is mentioned in the Old Testament, most references and meanings point to the singular pagan deity.
It is important to note, however, that the word “baal” was earlier used as a common noun that meant “owner” or “lord”. Proper names could incorporate “baal” in this regard, and the Hebrews would sometimes refer to Yahweh as their “baal” to signify His place as the “master” or “lord” of their life. In this context “baal” was a term of reverence and respect, not exclusively idol worship.
Over time, though, “baal” became more synonymous with the god of fertility in Canaanite religion. It was then elevated to a proper noun (Baal) to fit Baal’s cultural status as a “prince” or “lord” of the earth.
Like most things corrupted by sin, even language can be twisted and perverted. For this reason, the word “baal” became repugnant and abhorrent to the Yahweh, given Israel’s history with Baal worship.
In fact, in the time of Hosea, God instructed His people to remove all mention of “baal” from their conversations:
“’In that day,’ declares the Lord, ‘you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master’ (or my baal). I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.’” (Hosea 2:16-17)
Following the exodus from Egypt, God warned His people to stay away from the gods of the Canaanites and trust in Him alone. After all, it was Yahweh who had heard their cries from slavery, delivered them from Egypt in glorious fashion, and provided for them every step of the way. That didn’t stop the Israelites from supplementing their faith in Yahweh with prayers to local deities. In some instances, the Israelites outright abandoned God in favor of carven idols.
The Worship of Baal in the BibleIn the episode with the golden calf
(Exodus 32), the Israelites proved how quickly they had forgotten the wonders and promises of God, not to mention His first and second commandments:
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” (Exodus 20:1-2)
Instead of keeping their end of the bargain and following God’s command to remain in an exclusive relationship, the Israelites turned to other gods and idols for guidance and provision (Exodus 32).
This trend would continue throughout the Old Testament.
In Number 25, we find the first mention of Israel being enticed to worship the Baal of Peor.
“While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel became followers of Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel.” (Numbers 25:1-3)
God had warned His people to avoid the religious practices of their neighbors before entering the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 6:14-15). Unfortunately, the influence of Canaanite culture, religion, and idolatry proved too pervasive and attractive to resist.
The Israelites had also not done themselves any favors by intermarrying with Canaanite women and allowing their religious practices to infiltrate their homes.
In the time of the Judges, Baal worship became even more prominent (Judges 2:11). The prophet Samuel warned God’s people to turn away from their idols or suffer the consequences of foreign oppression at the hands of the Philistines (1 Samuel 7:3-4).
It wasn’t until the reign of King Ahab, however, that Baal worship became normalized and widespread. Influenced by the religion of his Phoenician wife Jezebel, Ahab allowed Baal worship to become a dominant religion in Israel, as he erected altars, temples, and statues to Baal and Asherah throughout the land. Ahab and his queen even employed 450 prophets and priests to lead God’s people in ritual worship, prayer, and sacrifice to Baal. In fact, 1 Kings tells us that “Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” (1 Kings 16:33)
As a direct challenge to the Israelites’ faith in Baal, who they worshipped as the “god of rain”, God withheld rain and dew from the land for three years to prove that He alone was Creator and Lord (1 Kings 17:1).
In those days, God also sent His prophet Elijah to admonish Ahab and direct the hearts of Israel back to God. On Mount Carmel, Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to a showdown to settle once and for all who was God over Israel (1 Kings 18)
In the challenge, Elijah and the prophets of Baal were each to call out to their god to send fire from heaven to ignite the altar erected in their name. The 450 prophets of Baal called out to Baal all day and night, “but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.” (1 Kings 18:29)
Exhausted, the prophets of Baal finally gave up. Then, in a simple prayer, Elijah called out to God and God swiftly answered with fire from heaven, putting the prophets of Baal and Baal himself to shame. “When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘the Lord, He is God; the Lord; He is God.” (1 Kings 18:40)
However, though God’s display on Mount Carmel had demonstrated His power over Baal and His sovereignty over creation, revival in Israel was short-lived.
The Israelites would continue to worship idols and look to foreign gods, influencing their brothers in Judah to the South with their pagan practices (2 Kings 17:19)
Unfortunately, it took exile and captivity at the hands of Babylon to finally put an end to Baal worship in Israel and break God’s people of their idolatry (Zephaniah 1:4-6).
In the New Testament, Jesus would go on to refer to Satan as “Beelzebub” (Matthew 12:27), equating the devil with Baal-Zebub, the Philistine god of flies (2 Kings 1:2).
What Does the Bible Tell Us about Baal and Those Who Worshipped Him?Historical evidence and the Bible tell us that those who worshipped Baal looked to the pagan god for rain to water their crops, strength to defeat their enemies, and fertility to produce children.
Temple prostitution and sensual forms of worship were common in Baal worship as was occasional human sacrifice, namely children, who were burnt alive to appease the god of fertility (Jeremiah 18:5). In fact, King Ahaz of Judah was said to have made molten images of the Baals, burning his own sons alive in fire “according to the abominations of the nations” (2 Chronicles 28:3)
We also see in the showdown on Mount Carmel, the priests of Baal were known for ritual worship that involved loud, ecstatic cries, frenzied behavior, and various forms of cutting and self-mutilation (1 Kings 18).
God, of course, had no love or tolerance for the abominable practices of those who worshipped Baal, demanding that Israel purge these pagan rituals and images from their midst. When they did, God’s mercy was plentiful. When they didn’t, His judgment was severe.
What Can We Learn about Our Own Faith from Other Gods?Christians today may be quick to dismiss Baal worship and other forms of idolatry mentioned in the Old Testament as antiquated or extinct. It is true that God used Israel’s time in captivity to break His people of the habitual sin of idolatry, and when the remnant of Israel returned to Jerusalem, it seems they had learned their lesson and finally done away with their worship of Baal and other idols. Furthermore, we would be hard-pressed to find many today who openly worship Baal or any of the pagan gods of the Old Testament by name.
However, as was the case in the Old Testament, various forms of idol worship often evolve and rather than outright disappear. The same evil and rebellious nature that we read about in the Old Testament has never gone away. It has simply repackaged itself for today’s generations.
Today, the devil is much more subtle and subversive in luring humanity away from God than we often realize. Many things can present themselves as substitutes or alternatives to God, including human leaders, government, various forms of technology, pleasure, entertainment, fame, and money, which can all manifest as the gods of people’s lives. It has been happening for centuries.
In Israel’s case, the people often fell into idolatry when they no longer understood or cherished their relationship with God or simply forgot their history and the miracles of God altogether (Judges 2:10-12). The same is true for believers today when we forget the love, grace, and promises of God.
Of course, there are numerous attributes of God revealed in Scripture that blatantly expose the false, inadequate nature of all other gods and religions.
For example, unlike the pagan gods of the Old Testament …
- God hears His people and answers their cries
- God delivers His people
- God provides for His people
- God forgives and redeems His people
And though it may seem frivolous to worship a statue or inanimate object, the apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians that those who sacrifice to pagan gods might actually be sacrificing to demons who pose as gods (1 Corinthians 10:20). Moses gave the same warning to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 32.
In any case, Christians today would be wise to learn from the mistakes of Israel and become more vigilant in keeping all forms of evil and idolatry far from their lives. God’s expectations for His followers are clear. He alone is trustworthy, and He alone is worthy of praise.
The Significance of BaalBaal's presence in the Bible is a testament to the religious and cultural context of the time. The Israelites' struggle to remain faithful to the God of Israel, despite the allure of Baal worship, serves as a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament. Here are some ways that Christians today can learn from the example of Baal in the Bible:
True Worship: The worship of Baal in the Old Testament is idolatry, a violation of the First Commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). For Christians today, this serves as a reminder of the importance of exclusive worship of the One True God, revealed to us as the Holy Trinity. Avoiding idolatry means recognizing God as the sole object of worship and devotion.
Discernment of False Beliefs: Baal worship in the Bible is associated with false beliefs, superstitions, and rituals contrary to God's teachings. Today, Christians can learn from this and exercise discernment, critically evaluating beliefs, practices, and ideologies that may conflict with their Christian faith.
Renouncing Materialism: Baal was often associated with fertility and agricultural concerns. In modern times, avoiding idolatry may involve not letting material wealth, success, or possessions become idols that precede one's relationship with God. It serves as a reminder to prioritize spiritual values over material ones.
In conclusion, Baal in the Bible represents not just a single character but a multifaceted concept encompassing idolatry, a polytheistic pantheon, and a challenge to the faith of the Israelites. Understanding Baal's significance in the Bible enriches our comprehension of the historical and religious dynamics of the ancient world, offering valuable insights into the development of the Christian tradition.
Jesus alerts us to “watch out for false prophets” in Matthew 7:15. He compares these false prophets to wolves in sheep’s clothing. Jesus also tells us how to identify these false prophets: we will recognize them by their fruit (Matthew 7:20).
Throughout the Bible, people are warned about false prophets (Ezekiel 13, Matthew 24:23–27, 2 Peter 3:3). False prophets claim to speak for God, but they speak falsehood. To gain a hearing, they come to people “in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). No matter how innocent and harmless these teachers appear on the outside, they have the nature of wolves—they are intent on destroying faith, causing spiritual carnage in the church, and enriching themselves. They “secretly introduce destructive heresies,” “bring the way of truth into disrepute,” and “exploit you with fabricated stories” (2 Peter 2:1–3).
The false teachers don “sheep’s clothing” so they can mingle with the sheep without arousing suspicion. They usually are not up front about what they believe; rather, they mix in some truth with their falsehood and carefully choose their words to sound orthodox. In reality, they “follow their own ungodly desires” (Jude 1:17–18), and “they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed” (2 Peter 3:14).
By contrast, a true prophet teaches God’s Word fully (Deuteronomy 18:20). Wolves in sheep’s clothing twist God’s Word to deceive or influence the audience for their own purposes. Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and his ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:15).
The best way to guard against wolves in sheep’s clothing is to heed the warnings of Scripture and know the truth. A believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and carefully studies the Bible will be able to identify false prophets. Christians must judge all teaching against what Scripture says. Believers will also be able to identify false prophets by their fruit—their words, actions, and lifestyles. Jesus said, “A tree is recognized by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33; cf. Matthew 7:20). Peter described false teachers as having “depraved conduct” and who “carouse” as “slaves of depravity” (2 Peter 2:2, 13, 19). If a teacher in the church does not live according to God’s Word, he is one of those wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Here are three specific questions to identify false prophets, or wolves in sheep’s clothing:
1) What does the teacher say about Jesus? In John 10:30, Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” The Jews understood Jesus’ statement as a claim to be God and wanted to stone him (John 10:33). Anyone who denies Jesus as Lord (1 John 4:1–3) is a false prophet.
2) Does the teacher preach the biblical gospel? Anyone who teaches an incomplete or unbiblical gospel is to be eternally condemned (Galatians 1:9). Any gospel apart from what the Bible tells us (1 Corinthians 15:1–4) is not the true good news.
3) Does this teacher exhibit godly character qualities? Jesus said to beware of teachers whose moral behavior does not match what the Bible says. He says we will know wolves in sheep’s clothing by their fruits (Matthew 7:15–20)
It doesn’t matter how large a church a preacher has, how many books he has sold, or how many people applaud him. If he “teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,” then he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing (1 Timothy 6:3).
Jesus told us to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). He linked this command to the desire of our hearts: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21; see also verses 10–20).
The Bible mentions rewards that await the believer who serves the Lord faithfully in this world (Matthew 10:41). A “great” reward is promised to those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Various crowns are mentioned (in 2 Timothy 4:8, e.g.). Jesus says that He will bring rewards with Him when He returns (Revelation 22:12).
We are to treasure the Lord Jesus most of all. When Jesus is our treasure, we will commit our resources—our money, our time, our talents—to His work in this world. Our motivation for what we do is important (1 Corinthians 10:31). Paul encourages servants that God has an eternal reward for those who are motivated to serve Christ: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23–24).
When we live sacrificially for Jesus’ sake or serve Him by serving the body of Christ, we store up treasure in heaven. Even seemingly small acts of service do not go unnoticed by God. “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward” (Matthew 10:42).
Some with more visible gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12) such as teaching, singing, or playing a musical instrument might be tempted to use their gift for their own glory. Those who use their talents or spiritual gifts coveting the praise of men rather than seeking God’s glory receive their “payment” in full here and now. The applause of men was the extent of the Pharisees’ reward (Matthew 6:16). Why should we work for worldly plaudits, however, when we can have so much more in heaven?
The Lord will be faithful to reward us for the service we give Him (Hebrews 6:10). Our ministries may differ, but the Lord we serve is the same. “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8).
The rich young man loved his money more than God in Matthew 19:16–30, a fact that Jesus incisively pointed out. The issue wasn’t that the young man was rich but that he “treasured” his riches and did not “treasure” what he could have in Christ. Jesus told the man to sell his possessions and give to the poor, “and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (verse 21). The young man left Jesus sad, because he was very rich. He chose this world’s treasure and so did not lay up treasure in heaven. He was unwilling to make Jesus his treasure. The young man was very religious, but Jesus exposed his heart of greed.
We are warned not to lose our full reward by following after false teachers (2 John 1:8). This is why it is so important to be in God’s Word daily (2 Timothy 2:15). That way we can recognize false teaching when we hear it.
The treasures that await the child of God will far outweigh any trouble, inconvenience, or persecution we may face (Romans 8:18). We can serve the Lord wholeheartedly, knowing that God is the One keeping score, and His reward will be abundantly gracious. “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
God’s life is never-ending and imperishable. And it’s what the New Testament authors call “eternal life,” which is also the ultimate reward in Heaven. In his high priestly prayer, Jesus says, “Now this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).
The statement “you will know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:16) is part of Jesus’ teaching about recognizing true followers and avoiding false prophets.
Beginning with verse 15, we read this context: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15–20).
The seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew is a gold mine of teaching from the popular verse 1 to the well-known parable about the wise man building his house upon the rock (verses 24–27). In verses 21–23, Jesus makes a chilling announcement to many who assumed they belonged to Him. He warned them that on Judgment Day they will hear Him say, “Depart from me. I never knew you.” Just before that warning, Jesus had indicted those who pretended to follow Him but whose lives indicated something else. He told His followers that the “fruit” of their lives proved what was inside their hearts (cf. Mark 7:20–23).
When Jesus says, “You will know them by their fruit,” what does “fruit” mean? Jesus gave the illustration of grape vines and fig trees. When we see grape vines, we expect them to contain grapes in season. We also expect fig trees to produce figs. A produce farmer who notices one of his fruit trees not bearing any fruit will cut it down. It is useless. Likewise, we would not come to a field of thistles and expect to harvest fruit. Thistles and thorn bushes can never produce fruit because of their nature. It is impossible. They have no capacity to produce anything but thorns (Matthew 12:33).
In our lives, every word and every action is fruit from our hearts. Sinners sin because that’s what is in their hearts. Thieves steal, rapists attack, and adulterers cheat because those sins are the fruit being produced from an evil heart. Bad hearts produce bad fruit. When Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit” concerning false teachers, He was giving us a guide for identifying them. False prophets, speakers of lies, will have actions that correspond to their errant message. Just as their message is anti-God, so will be their works. They will stray from the path of righteousness.
When we repent of our sin and receive Jesus as Lord of our lives (John 1:12; Acts 2:38), He changes our hearts (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now the fruit that is produced is good fruit. Galatians 5:22 lists some of the fruit produced by a heart in tune with God. Our attitudes, actions, words, and perspectives change as we walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit (1 John 1:6–7). When our hearts change, our fruit changes.
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said,
“No one can serve two masters.
Either you will hate the one and love the other,
or you will be devoted
to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money.”
He spoke these words as part of His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7), in which He had said it was foolish to store up treasures on earth where “moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19–20); rather, He urged us to store up treasure in heaven where it will last forever. The obstacle that prevents us from wise investment is the heart. Wherever our treasure is, there will our hearts be (Matthew 6:21). We follow what has captivated our hearts, and Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve two masters.
Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:33). The verse’s meaning is as direct as it sounds. We are to seek the things of God as a priority over the things of the world. Primarily, it means we are to seek the salvation that is inherent in the kingdom of God because it is of greater value than all the world’s riches.
God has promised to provide for His own, supplying every need (Philippians 4:19), but His idea of what we need is often different from ours, and His timing will only occasionally meet our expectations. For example, we may see our need as riches or advancement, but perhaps God knows that what truly we need is a time of poverty, loss or solitude. When this happens, we are in good company. God loved both Job and Elijah, but He allowed Satan to absolutely pound Job (all under His watchful eye), and He let that evil woman, Jezebel, break the spirit of His own prophet Elijah (Job 1–2; 1 Kings 18–19). In both cases, God followed these trials with restoration and sustenance.
These “negative” aspects of the kingdom run counter to a heresy that is gaining ground around the world, the so-called "prosperity" gospel. A growing number of false teachers are gathering followers under the message “God wants you to be rich!” But that philosophy is not the counsel of the Bible—and it is certainly not the counsel of Matthew 6:33, which is not a formula for gaining wealth. It is a description of how God works. Jesus taught that our focus should be shifted away from this world—its status and its lying allurements—and placed upon the things of God’s kingdom.
“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace”
(1 Corinthians 14:33, NKJV).
The context of 1 Corinthians 14 deals with some problems the Corinthians had regarding speaking in tongues and prophesying during the gathering of believers for worship, prayer, and teaching—what we would today call the “church service.” Things had been getting out of hand in Corinth. When the church met, people were speaking in tongues with no one interpreting, and more than one person was prophesying at the same time. Pandemonium and chaos were the result.
Paul says that this babble—this confusion—is neither proper nor beneficial in the church, and he gives some practical life examples: “Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying?” (1 Corinthians 14:7–9).
Then Paul makes application: “So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?” (verse 23). Or, as the NLT puts it, “If unbelievers . . . hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy.” God is not the author of such confusion.
To keep order, if a person speaks in tongues as part of a church service, there must be an interpreter present to translate for everyone else. If there is no one to interpret, then the one speaking in tongues should refrain from speaking. Even if there is an interpreter, no more than two or three should speak in tongues during the service (verses 27–28). If someone has a prophecy to share, only one can speak at a time and, again, two or three at most during the service, with others (perhaps the leaders) evaluating what is said (verses 29–32). “Everything must be done so that the church may be built up” (verse 26).
Paul sums up his objection to the Corinthians’ chaotic services by saying, “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (KJV). This is also translated “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (NIV) and “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (NASB, ESV). The church services in Corinth were confused, chaotic, and unintelligible, and they were blaming it on the Holy Spirit! In their view, the Spirit was moving in such a way that they had to express themselves in tongues and prophecies, and there were no limits on who said what or when. Paul says that this confusion is counter to the character of God. God’s character is not confused, chaotic, or disorderly. Confusion and chaos do not express who He is and is not characteristic of the work of the Holy Spirit in the church.
In Paul’s final admonition in the chapter is a plea for balance: “So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:39–40).
Many Pentecostal and Charismatic churches today have a high tolerance for chaos and confusion in their services, and they may even see the bedlam as evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work among them. But God’s Word is clear: “God is not the author of confusion.”
From Genesis to Revelation, we see that one of our Creator King’s primary qualities is his lavish generosity. We are made in the image of this generous King, wired to reflect his generosity to the rest of creation. Indeed, giving back to God and to his people is part of our DNA, a sign of our family resemblance to our generous Creator. “Giving is what we do best”; “the air into which we were born.” Giving signals and solidifies our allegiance to and dependence on God and his kingdom.
Idolatry is an economic issue. When we read about the Israelites worshiping the god Baal in 1 Kings 18, we tend to think of them developing a preference for wooden idol images. But the primary attraction to Baal wasn’t a pretty statue; it was an economic promise. For the nations around Israel, Baal was the “rider of the clouds,” who brought the rains and blessed the earth.When Baal showed up, the heavens rained oil, the rivers ran with honey, mothers gave birth to healthy children, and even the dead could be raised. Little wonder, then, that when King Ahab chose to marry a woman from Baal territory, the farmers in Israel built a house for this new god and welcomed him to the neighborhood (see 1 Kings 16:31).
Of course, most Israelites probably didn’t totally reject Yahweh, the God of Israel. They likely continued going to church, paying their tithes, and saying a prayer or two now and again—especially on holidays. They just added Baal worship to their insurance policy. After all, if you’re a farmer, it’s only practical to invest in getting the rider of the clouds to like you.
Yahweh would have none of it. He sent his prophet Elijah to tell Israel to stop “limping between two different opinions” (1 Kings 18:21 ESV). Through Elijah, God declared that Baal couldn’t deliver the goods and his people couldn’t have it both ways.
To win his people back, God demonstrated his power and mocked Baal along the way. Baal promised the rains, so God sent a drought at the word of his prophet (see 1 Kings 17:1). While Baal worshipers went hungry during the drought, God fed Elijah meat and bread delivered to him daily by carrier ravens (see v. 6).
Even on Baal’s home turf, people starved while waiting for Baal to bring his promised abundance. Meanwhile, in the midst of Baal country, God made oil and flour overflow for Elijah and his newfound friends (vv. 14–16). When Baal’s people died, it was Elijah who raised them to life (v. 22). Yahweh took care of his own while the king who had turned to Baal because of his claim to bring home the economic bacon wandered the countryside hoping to find a bit of grass for the few horses and mules who hadn’t died yet (see 1 Kings 18:4–5). Baal’s 450 prophets worked themselves into a frenzy, cutting themselves, dancing, and chanting to their god. “But there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention” (v. 29 ESV).
But God listened to his prophet. He sent fire from heaven. He sent the rain in torrents. He turned the hearts of his people back to himself. He solicited their allegiance, work, and worship—for himself and his kingdom. The battle for their hearts took place in part on the battlefield of their bank accounts. Worship, after all, is an economic issue.
From Pretty Statues to Silver and Gold: Jesus or Mammon?
Jesus knew all about gods such as Baal. He also recognized, though, that people in his day faced a new, subtler, and perhaps even stronger temptation: to treat money as an idol like Baal, an idol to worship as a god to get what they wanted. But humans cannot serve two kings. Jesus reminds us that when we try, we risk devoting ourselves to money and hating him (see Luke 16:13).
In fact, the New Testament teaches that money and greed are often the loudest and most appealing idols seeking to steal our attention. Paul declares that greed is idolatry, that to be greedy is to worship other gods (see Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:3). Once we remember that the Jews saw idolatry as the ultimate sin that put one outside the community of faith, we can hear the full force of Paul’s words. Idols had always threatened to steal the love, trust, and service God deserves and demands.By equating greed with idolatry, Paul provocatively told the church they didn’t have to go into a rival temple to worship another god. Their greedy hearts created other gods out of every coin in their coffers.
That’s why Jesus warned his followers to watch out for all kinds of greed (see Luke 12:15). His parables tell of farmers destroyed in the midst of their prosperity because they hoarded wealth and failed to be rich toward God (see vv. 16–21), of rich men sent to hell for their failure to let go of their wealth for the sake of their neighbor (see Luke 16:19–31), and of eternal judgment declared on the basis of one’s willingness to share with those in need (Matt. 25:31–46). All these parables point in the same direction:
money wants our worship. But every bit of ourselves we give to our stuff we snatch away from our true King.
Mauled by Money: The Cost of Economic Idolatry
The Bible also teaches us that the wages of our economic idolatry is death. “[People] who want to get rich,” Paul declares, “fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (1 Tim. 6:9)
Stop for a moment. Do you believe that? That wanting to get rich inevitably causes such destruction? Paul goes even further. He writes that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” that has led some to wander from the faith and pierce themselves with “many griefs” (v. 10). In Paul’s opinion, love of money wounds the worshiper, woos them away from the faith, and wells up in all sorts of other evils.
Because our material possessions so often seduce us into worshiping them like gods, they pose possibly the preeminent threat to worshiping Jesus. When we worship money, it mauls us. Money becomes a spiritual power that too often uses us rather than the other way around.
In a truly horrific passage, Jeremiah writes that our worship of idols consumes not only our “flocks and herds” but also our “sons and daughters” (Jer. 3:24). Our idols never stop consuming and destroying that which we hold most dear. In the end, “Those who make [idols] will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them” (Ps. 115:8 NET). When we give, we reflect the image of our giving God. But when we worship the idol of money, when our lives are oriented primarily toward earning, getting, and keeping, we become deformed, reflecting not the image of Yahweh, Lord of heaven and earth, but money, the god of me and mine. We become increasingly committed to a lifestyle of an abundance of possessions.
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6). This passage is often used as a proof text to condemn all our acts of goodness as nothing more than “filthy rags” in the eyes of God. The context of this passage is referring specifically to the Israelites in Isaiah’s time (760—670 B.C.) who had strayed from God. Isaiah was writing concerning his nation and their hypocrisy. Yet he includes himself in the description, saying “we” and “our.” Isaiah was redeemed and set apart as a prophet of God, yet he saw himself as part of a group that was utterly sinful. The doctrine of total depravity is taught clearly elsewhere in Scripture (e.g., Ephesians 2:1–5), and the illustration of Isaiah 64:6 could rightly be applied to the whole world, especially given Isaiah’s inclusion of himself in the description.
The term “filthy rags” is quite strong. The word filthy is a translation of the Hebrew word iddah, which literally means “the bodily fluids from a woman’s menstrual cycle.” The word rags is a translation of begged, meaning “a rag or garment.” Therefore, these “righteous acts” are considered by God as repugnant as a soiled feminine hygiene product.
As Isaiah wrote this, the Israelites had been the recipients of numerous miraculous blessings from God. Yet they had turned their backs on Him by worshiping false gods (Isaiah 42:17), making sacrifices and burning incense on strange altars (Isaiah 65:3–5). Isaiah had even called Jerusalem a harlot and compared it to Sodom (Isaiah 3:9). These people had an illusion of their own self-righteousness. Yet God did not esteem their acts of righteousness as anything but “polluted garments” or “filthy rags.” Their apostasy, or falling away from the law of God, had rendered their righteous works totally unclean. “Like the wind, [their] sins were sweeping them away” (Isaiah 64:6). Martin Luther said, “The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is that somehow he can make himself good enough to deserve to live forever with an all-holy God.”
Though self-righteousness is condemned throughout the Bible (Ezekiel 33:13; Romans 3:27; Titus 3:5), we are, in fact, commanded to do good works. Paul explained that we cannot do anything to save ourselves, but our salvation comes only as a result of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8–9). Then he proclaimed that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10; see also 2 Corinthians 3:5).
Our salvation is not the result of any of our efforts, abilities, intelligent choices, personal characteristics, or acts of service we may perform. However, as believers, we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works”—to help and serve others. While there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are saved not merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church (Ephesians 4:12). This reconciles the seeming conflict between faith and works. Our righteous acts do not produce salvation but are, in fact, evidence of our salvation (James 1:22; 2:14–26).
In the end, we must recognize that even our righteous acts come as a result of God within us, not of ourselves. On our own, our “righteousness” is simply self-righteousness, and vain, hypocritical religion produces nothing more than “filthy rags.”
In John 14:17,
Jesus says,
“Even the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (ESV). Because the ESV capitalizes Spirit, modern readers can easily infer that the spirit in question is the Holy Spirit. To understand why Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth,” let us review the context of John 14.
John 14 is part of the Upper Room Discourse (John 13—17), a collection of teachings delivered by Jesus to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. In these final moments, the disciples were greatly distressed about the impending departure of their beloved friend, Jesus (John 14:1). For this reason, Jesus took an extended moment to calm their troubled hearts and reassure them that “another Helper” was on the way (John 14:16, ESV).
The Greek term translated as “Helper” (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) is paráklētos. The form of this word is passive and means “one who is called alongside.” At the Son’s request, the Father will send another Helper to encourage and exhort the disciples.
John’s use of the term another implies that the disciples already had a helper—the one who would soon depart from the earth. Although the Gospel writers never explicitly refer to Jesus as a paráklētos, the term is applied to Him in 1 John 2:1. Thus, in the context of John 14:16, Jesus promises to send His disciples a helper of the same type, and that helper would continue the ministry that Jesus began.
In John 14:17, the identity of the helper is now revealed: He is the Spirit of truth (cf. John 15:26; 16:13). The Spirit of truth is God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. The Father will send the Spirit to come alongside the disciples. He is called the Spirit of truth because He bears witness to the truth of Jesus Christ (see John 14:6).
In contrast to the work of the Holy Spirit is the work of the devil, a being who does not hold “to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Because the unbelieving world remains ensnared by satanic falsehoods, they cannot receive the Spirit of truth (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14). Tragically, unbelievers prefer to walk by sight and not by faith, failing to understand that sight guarantees nothing.
At the moment of His baptism, Jesus received the Holy Spirit: John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him” (John 1:32, ESV). So, in a sense, the Spirit of truth was already withthe disciples. Following the departure of Jesus, however, the disciples will know the Spirit more intimately because He would be in them (cf. Romans 8:9–11 and Ephesians 1:13–14).
Before the disciples began their ministry, Jesus instructed them to remain in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit: “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’” (Acts 1:4–5, ESV). Once the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were fully equipped to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ (verse 8).
Believers should be thankful that the Spirit of truth is with us, in us, and upon us. For, without His guidance and light, we could not distinguish truth from error.
The only way for anyone to be forgiven for their sins, any sin, is through faith in Jesus (John 3:16–18). Faith in Christ causes God to take Jesus' death as payment for our sin and to give us the credit for Jesus' righteous life (2 Corinthians 5:21). A major work of the Holy Spirit is leading people to faith in Jesus (John 16:7–11). In a broad sense, those who "blaspheme the Holy Spirit" today are those who continue to reject the Spirit's message. They keep saying "no" to the Holy Spirit's leading, in essence calling Him a liar.
Those who persist in stubbornness and disbelief will not be forgiven, because they refuse to trust in Christ as the Holy Spirit is leading them to do. Since there is no other path to forgiveness except through faith in Jesus, their choice to consistently reject the Spirit's leading causes them to remain unforgiven (John 3:36).
It is important to
understand the doctrine that
John was defending.
In saying, “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh,” John affirms that Jesus is both fully God and truly man. He also addressed this issue in 1 John 4:2, telling his readers how to identify false teachers and the spirits who drive them. The first test of a true teacher/prophet of God is that he proclaims that Jesus is God incarnate (see John 1:14). A godly teacher will teach both the full deity and true humanity of Christ. The Holy Spirit testifies to the true nature of Christ, while Satan and his demonic host deny that true nature. The Gnostics of John’s day denied the true humanity of Christ. Today, there are many who deny the full deity of Christ
It is also important to understand the context of John’s epistle. John is writing to “the elect lady and her children” (2 John 1:1). This lady was engaged in a ministry of hospitality. In the name of Christian love (verse 6), this kind-hearted woman was receiving itinerant preachers into her home, providing room and board for them, and sending them on their way with her blessing. John writes this quick note to her to warn her about the many false teachers who would gladly take advantage of her generosity. Her love needed to be tempered by truth. Boundaries had to be drawn. Hospitality should not be extended to charlatans, hucksters, and the devil’s own emissaries. That’s why John tells her, “Do not take them into your house or welcome them” (verse 10). And he tells her why: “Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work” (verse 11).
John gives the hospitable lady a litmus test: what does the traveling preacher teach about Jesus Christ? If he is presenting the full deity and full humanity of Christ, then he can be welcomed into her home as a guest. However, if the teacher mitigates, obscures, or equivocates on the fact that Jesus is fully man and fully God, then the lady is to have nothing to do with him. Such false teachers are not to receive help from believers, not even so much as a greeting. To give material aid or spiritual encouragement to the purveyors of false doctrine is to partake in their wickedness (verse 11).
What should be our response, then, when cultists or false teachers come knocking at the door? It is not wrong to share the truth with them or to relate our testimony. We are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). However, we must be careful not to do anything that would give the appearance that we approve of their message. We should never invite them into our home for an extended stay, donate money to their cause, or allow them to conduct a “Bible study” with us.
Here are some things to remember: First, cultists are master deceivers who are well trained in techniques that will confuse those whose knowledge of Scripture is limited. Well-meaning and compassionate souls (like the elect lady in 2 John) can be coaxed to dialogue with cultists and then be fooled by them. Second, Christians are of Christ; cultists are anti-Christ (2 John 1:7), no matter how kind, sincere, and charming they may appear. Third, believers should not give the cultists or anyone else the impression that the cult has legitimate claims, doctrines, or opinions. Fourth, Jesus tells us to “watch out” for false teachers (Matthew 7:15), and Paul tells us to “avoid them” (Romans 16:17) and declares them to be “accursed” (Galatians 1:8). Therefore, we should build no close associations with those who teach a false gospel. Fifth, John tells the lady in 2 John not to “welcome” a false teacher (or “bid him God speed” in the KJV). This phrase in the Greek means “to cheerfully or joyfully hail someone.” In other words, we are not to bless false teachers or wish them well.
We are to be always ready with an answer for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15), but we must do so in the Holy Spirit’s power, following His lead. When cultists or false teachers knock at the door, it could be an opportunity to relate the truth about Jesus to them, or it could be an opportunity to “leave them; they are blind guides” (Matthew 15:14). In any case, we must rely on the Lord’s wisdom (James 1:5) and be cautious not to cast our pearls before pigs (Matthew 7:6).
When we hear the word heresy, we might conjure up images of medieval torture chambers and heresy trials. There was a period of church history that certainly included those things. If we are not history buffs or religious scholars, we might know that heresy is a bad thing, but still be rather foggy on the details. So, what exactly is heresy, and what does the Bible have to say about it?
A basic definition of heresy, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, is “adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma.” A second definition is “dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice.” That’s a good starting point for us. These definitions identify two key elements: a dominant position and a contrary position. With regards to religion, any belief or practice that goes against the official position of the church is considered heretical.
The apostle Paul wrote a warning for the church: “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3).
The Greek word translated “itching” literally means “to itch, rub, scratch, or tickle.” To want one’s ears “tickled” is to desire massages rather than messages—sermons that charm rather than challenge, entertain rather than edify, and please rather than preach. The people Paul warns about will have, as one commentator put it, “ears which have to be continually titillated with novelties.”
“Itching ears” is a figure of speech that refers to people’s desires, felt needs, or wants. It is these desires that impel a person to believe whatever he wants to believe rather than the actual truth itself. When people have “itching ears,” they decide for themselves what is right or wrong, and they seek out others to support their notions. “Itching ears” are concerned with what feels good or comfortable, not with the truth—after all, truth is often uncomfortable. Paul’s warning is that the church would one day contain those who only opened their ears to those who would scratch their “itch.”
Those with “itching ears” only want teachers who will assure them that all is well, teachers who say, “Peace, peace . . . when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). Where there is a demand for something, the suppliers are not far away. Paul says that not only will there be great demand for watered-down, personalized messages, but there will be “a great number of teachers” willing to provide such pap and steer people away from “sound doctrine.”
Evidence today of people having “itching ears” includes the popularity of messages that people are not required to change, as if repentance were outmoded; that people are basically good; that God is too loving to judge anyone; that the cross, with all its blood, is not really necessary; and that God wants His children to be healthy, wealthy, and content in this world. As people turn their backs on the truth about sin and condemnation, they disregard their need for repentance and forgiveness. And a craving for “new” and “fresher” ideas grows—even though there is “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9–10)—accompanied by a longing to feel good about who they are and where they’re going. Messages that tickle ears can fill a lot of churches, sell a lot of books, and buy a lot of time on cable tv.
Some of the early followers of Jesus complained about some of the Lord’s words: “Many of his disciples said, ʻThis is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:60, 66). Walking away from hard truth is easy to do.
In today’s postmodern church, we see many walking away from the hard truth. Some churches that once preached sound doctrine now teach as acceptable the very evils the Bible condemns. Some pastors are afraid to preach on certain passages of the Bible. “Christian feminists” deny God as a heavenly Father, calling Him a “she.” “Gay Christians” are not only welcomed without repentance into church fellowship but into the pulpit, as well.
The church’s remedy for those who have “itching ears” is found in the same passage of 2 Timothy: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). It is a solemn charge, made “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom” (verse 1). And it contains all the elements needed to combat the temptation to tickle ears: preach, correct, rebuke, and encourage. The content of preaching must be the written Word of God, and it must be preached when convenient and when inconvenient. This takes “great patience and careful instruction,” but sound doctrine is worth it.
The church’s quest to manage the comfort level of its audience must never take priority over preaching the Word. The fear of offending people’s sensibilities can never supersede the fear of offending God. Rather, the church should follow the example of the apostles: “We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2).
The church today, more than ever, needs to re-examine the teachings it endorses. We need to ask ourselves the following questions:
• Are our teachings truly from God or simply itches we want to scratch?
• Are we standing on solid biblical grounds, or have we allowed the world to influence our thinking?
• Have we guarded ourselves from the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6:11)?
• Are we keeping ourselves “blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)?
The truth is, God is not concerned with scratching our itches but in transforming us into the image of His Son (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
Ephesians 4:13
Church leaders are to equip believers to serve, in order to build up the community of believers (Ephesians 4:12). This verse adds three additional reasons. First, Paul wants believers to live in unity. This unity is based on the essentials of our faith. It does not imply compromising necessary beliefs, or a lack of beliefs.
Second, believers are to grow in "knowledge of the Son of God." The focus of church leaders is preparing Christians to serve others, in practical ways. And yet, knowledge is a critically important part of effective service.
Third, Paul wants every believer to grow in maturity. Obviously, Paul is not referring to biology. Instead, he means spiritual growth, which includes increases in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and our love for both God and others (Matthew 22:37–40). The end goal is to be "full" of Christ or the "fullness of Christ" (also Ephesians 1:23: 3:19). Paul often wrote of the importance of maturity for believers (1 Corinthians 2:6; 14:20; Philippians 3:15; Colossians 1:28; 4:12). Hebrews 5:14 adds that "solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."
Col 1:9-10
“For this cause also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10. That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
This text reminds us that we need to be always be seeking that we will increase “in the knowledge of God.” We call this growing in the Lord, or growing in faith. How can we increase in our knowledge of God? I want to share three thoughts with you about how we can do this.
“But let him (who prays to God) ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his way” (James 1:6-8).
Double-mindedness can be described as carnality or worldliness. When Christians are trying to please God and still fit in with the world at the same time, they’re double-minded. Their loyalty or allegiance is neither fully with God nor with the world.
Unfortunately, such a mindset exists all too commonly in our church today, more often than we are aware of. It has existed of old, and continue to frequently occur today.
1. The children of Israel who resettled in Samaria after the fall of Israel were described as being double-minded in their worship. They were afraid that if they only prayed to one God, they would offend other gods. Or they were simply being ‘kiasu’, being willing to pray to any god who is able to grant their requests.
“So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away” (2 Kings 17:33).
As a result, they remained under God’s judgment and punishment as long as they were double-minded.
2. We can easily be double-minded in our lives today as well. One obvious example is us seeking our pursuits, yet claiming to believe and trust in God. This can be seen in some of us prioritising our own interests and convenience on a Sunday above the corporate worship of God which he commands, yet still wanting to be a Christian.
Such a person should not think that they will receive any blessings from God (James 1:7). And when I speak of blessings, I am referring to the divine bestowment of peace, assurance and the presence of God in one’s life rather than simply health, wealth or success. Such godly blessings can only come about when one is fully obedient and devoted to the Lord.
Jesus warns us in no uncertain terms, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24).
Double-mindedness is ultimately idolatry because, at its root, it is concern for ourselves alone and not worship of God. We are double-minded because we only want all the possible blessings for ourselves and our own well-being. And we don’t care how we go about achieving it. We can serve any “god” as long as it can give us what we want. It may not go to the extent of praying to another religion but it is idolatry nevertheless. We are not committed to living for God’s kingdom and glory but for our own purposes.
Beloved, let us not fall into the trap of
double-mindedness.
It is a satanic deception that we can have our cake and eat it too.
If the Lord is God, then serve him with all of your heart, mind and life.
You will then receive the divine blessings that come from pursuing him single-mindedly.
Any thing taught, that is not found in
the word of God,
is called false doctrine.
The apostle John
told us what to do concerning those that
teach false doctrine;
II John 1:10: “If there come any unto you, and
bring not this doctrine,
receive him not into your house,
neither bid him God speed.”
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