Do you believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ...or the Gospel of The West?
There are things I have believed my entire Christian life which simply are not true. Below are just a few of them.
Vision
Without vision, the people perish....
- Proverbs 29:18
This passage has been used for decades to support the concept that God calls us to dream for Him and have dreams for our own lives. He does not. This is a Western concept, not at all what God had in mind. The word translated here as "vision" actually refers to divine revelation; in other words, without hearing from God (e.g., the Bible for us today), the people perish.
Hopes and goals are great. Set grounded goals and faithfully go after them, for God's glory. If, though, you insist on "having a dream for your life," you just don't get to get upset with God or lose faith if it doesn't work out. You have no Biblical guarantees of dreams coming true regarding relationships, career, where you live, or anything else earthly.
(Fortunately, in this case, even the NIV has recently been updated to reflect a more accurate translation: "Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.")
My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
- Isaiah 55:8
This passage is used so often to convey things like, "well, there's no telling why this is happening in my/your life, cuz you know, God's ways aren't our ways." That is not what it's about. Contextually, God is explaining why He will have mercy on those who turn back to Him, as opposed to the typical human ways of not showing mercy or having grace.
Can this be applied more broadly? Possibly. We need to be cautious (!), though, when trying to use Scripture for something other than its original intent.
Plans For Your Future
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
- Jeremiah 29:11
Oh boy. So, some promises are universal (all followers for all time) and some are for the specific audience at that time. Unfortunately, this is one of the latter. God makes other promises for all of us that could, maybe be argued to amount to this to some degree, but quite simply we have no Biblical guarantees of earthly prosperity, ease, or anything else of that nature.
Turning The Other Cheek
But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
- Matthew 5:39
Used to teach people that we should not resist, physically or otherwise, when someone is trying to hurt or harm us, this is not at all what the original hearers took from it. In that culture, there is a big difference between your right and left hands. One is used for all things clean, the other for the unclean. If someone struck you, they were obviously in the wrong, regardless of station or status. Forcing them to strike you a second time with the unclean hand by turning your head, though, put them on display in a far more humiliating and taboo way.
Where You Live
From one man he made all the people of the world. Now they live all over the earth. He decided exactly when they should live. And he decided exactly where they should live.
- Acts 17:26
This has been used to teach that God chooses where we live (i.e., exact address) and when. It actually refers to the times and places God determined for entire peoples, i.e., cultures and nations throughout history. Fortunately, this translation too has been updated: From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
Nationalism/Patriotism
"God bless America."
Yeah, no. Jesus/God is apolitical, at best. God loves, works for, and fights for America no more than He does any other temporary human organization. We are not His people any more than anyone else (the Hebrews were for a while, but we never were). You literally cannot serve both "God and country" (same as Money); one must come first.
"Conclusion"
All I have attempted to do here is present the truth (these are just some examples) with some suggested places to start digging (below). I do this, and in this way, for three reasons:
- By misunderstanding, misusing, and misrepresenting the word of God, we set ourselves and others up for possibly years of frustration and wasted time;
- Once you fully embrace the fact that the Scriptures were written to a vastly different audience and culture and that this matters, you begin a journey of discovery and re-discovery that brings them to life more than ever before; and,
- I am in no way qualified to try to lead you on this journey.
I pray you take the challenge and dig deep. I pray too that you find the same joy, depth, and new life that I have only begun to find!
