Expert: Dr Eddy Cheong - 10/23/2009

Question
I have read through the bible and recently re-read through the New Testament.  I think Jesus brings a strong message through the text but I do not see that message being carried out through most churches and Christians that I have met.  Jesus seems pretty clear about loving one another and most of what he talks about in the beatitudes seems very hard to live out in society...but I still think he must be correct.  How come most churches do not talk more about being peacemakers or being poor or meek?  Because that is what I got out of the book but all my christian friends only ever talk about how God wants us to fight in wars, and other people are going to hell, and how God wants us to  be financially rich and not poor.  I know other people who i do not think are christian but really act more like the Jesus in the bible than some of my christian friends.   Arent my christian friends wrong? are their churches wrong if they talk about God supporting war and rich people because Jesus always seemed to support the complete opposite? Am i missing something? just kind of confused, Thanks for your time...
~Jason Haldeman

Answer
There are all kinds of "christians" in this world and the really true christians are those who teach and practise what the Bible preaches. Even in Jesus's time, there are religious people whom he denounced as 'hypocrites'....
13"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.[c]

15"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

16"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' 19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

23"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.


Judge what so called professed christians say and do by the Word of God. Only then will you know whether the person is really a true christian. Look at my book entitled "Biblical Christian Living" at http://www.geocities.com/athens/troy/9519