2 Corinthians, chapter 11

One of the things that bothers me in this day and age is when groups of people try to build a doctrine on one small part of the Bible. The infamous Westboro Baptist Church is a prime example. It’s leader, Fred Phelps, has built a culture of hatred based on a couple of verses in the Bible. He tries to back up his beliefs by saying that he is following God’s word, but instead he comes off as a raving loon and gives Christians a bad name. Is he right that homosexuality is a sin? Yes. Is he right to go out and protest funerals, rejoicing in the deaths of U.S. soldiers, and saying that they deserved what they got? Absolutely not!

This is a fool that does not understand the basic concept that Jesus taught of hating the sin, but loving the sinner. It is also an example of what Paul talks about here in 2 Corinthians 11.

4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. 5But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles." 6I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. – 2 Corinthians 11:4-6

I do have a point here in a roundabout way. We must always remember that Christ should be the focus of any Christians. It cannot be hate. It cannot be a personal agenda. Most people don’t want to make Christ the sole focus of a message because that glorious light points out many of their wrongs. How does the fact that Jesus stated he came to die for EVERYONE stand in the face of a message of hate as presented by the Westboro Baptist church? Basically, they are saying with their message that God loves everyone, as long as you follow their set of rules. The very idea of that is exclusionary and flies in the face of what Jesus taught.

Jesus’ message is so beautiful in its simplicity, but as humans we make it so complicated because we try to take more meaning from it. There is no other meaning to take. It is very black and white. What is so hard to understand bout, “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one can know the Father without knowing me.” It does not say, “No one can know the father without hating this group of people and excluding them. If you are a member of this group you are SOL.”

12And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. – 2 Corinthians 11:12-15

I bet that is one passage the Westboro Baptist Church conveniently glosses over. As always, the focus of any message must be solely on Christ. We cannot inject ourselves and our aims into that otherwise it will skew what is trying to be said. I try to do that here, and I hope I am successful.