 | Pastor Dave grew up in northern New Jersey in a very diverse cultural area. He attended Central College in Pella, Iowa received a BA in sociology and psychology. He was an offensive guard for their NCAA Div III National Championship team in 1974. In speaking for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he sensed a call to full time ministry. Meeting is future wife Sandy at Central, went to Michigan to finish her college while Dave started Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Dave married Sandy in 77 and completed his Masters of Divinity degree in 78. Pastor Dave’s first church was in Fort Lee, New Jersey, home of the George Washington Bridge. Their three children were born there and he also served as a Police and Fire Chaplain for the city. In February 1991, they came to Wichita to start Harvest Community Church. In 2006, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological (Presbyterian) Seminary in St Louis. During that year he gained a daughter-in-law with now 2 grandsons of 3 years and 6 months old. Besides Pastoring at HCC for the past 20 years, he has been Director of the SCSD & WPD Police Chaplains for 11.
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Religion
2011-09-26 14:42:32
Contradictions in scripture?
Q: While I understand from time to time there might be a contradiction in the way a Bible passage is interpreted, there is one that is causing me some difficulty....it says in one passage that if you do not acknowledge God before man, Jesus will not acknowledge you before His Father. In another passage it says that one should not boast of doing things in honor of God for if you do, you will have already received your reward. Are these not contradictory?
A: This is a good example of understanding some simple rules of interpretation. When we follow them, it eliminates confusion and brings a wonderful opportunity to understand eternal truth.
First, ask “Who?” In both passages, Jesus speaks. One passage He speaks to the crowds and the disciples and the other just to the disciples. Second, ask “What”? What are the circumstances, situations, problems Jesus is addressing and dealing with. This is all part of the context. Third, how does it apply to us today?
An example of this I remember is the night before I went to college my mother gave me a crash course in doing laundry. I learned (context) separating the lights from the darks, putting them in the machine at different times with the right temperature of water and laundry soap. I also learned whites got hot water along with bleach, but whites only. It is all about doing laundry, but not all laundry is handled the same way. With Jesus it is all about our hearts. Circumstances reveal our hearts allegiance. He directs His disciples and us with the appropriate faith actions in particular situations to express our hearts love.
Lets deal with the second passage first because it happens earlier in the ministry of Jesus. It is as part of what we know as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says, ““Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”{Matthew 6:1} Jesus is trying to teach the crowds and his disciples {5:1} the difference between true and phony righteousness. The hypocritical phony righteousness “do gooder” wants to announce to the world one’s goodness and greatness that appears on the outside but is devoid of compassion and love for others. It’s all about benefiting one’s ego, all for show and appearances for others to notice the do gooder but is really a hallow motive. {1 Corinthians 13:1-3} Jesus even alludes to the Pharisees who like to blow a trumpet (“blowing their own horn”) in the synagogue and street corners when they gave to the poor.{6:2}These empty acts will get accolades with pats on the back from men but means nothing to God because He knows the motive. It’s all about the “do gooder!” They better enjoy the praise of men for that’s all they will get. True righteous giving is not letting anyone know but about doing it out of compassion for another and God getting the glory. God rewards that in heaven. That is true, genuine, godly righteousness when it is given out of a heart of pure love to God and another.
The second heart issue is in a different context. Jesus is preparing His disciples to be sent in the world to proclaim the gospel in Matthew 10:32-33. Jesus is talking to them about the persecution they will receive for proclaiming His gospel to the world. He pulls no punches and tells them they will be beat {10:17-18}, jailed {19}, betrayed by family {21}, hated {22} persecuted from city to city {23} and accused falsely just as He had been {24-25}. In the midst of this Jesus is affirming them not to fear over the evil done to them. It will come to light in the end {26-27} even if they hurt them physically; the Father knows and is in control. But they can’t send anyone to hell {28}.The witness is of great value to the Father so don’t fear {29-31}.With that backdrop Jesus gives His followers even more reason to proclaim the message of the gospel bravely when He shares the verses in question; {32}“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. {33}“But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” What Jesus is encouraging is boldness of the proclamation of the gospel by His disciples when they are being persecuted and dragged into the courts.
What we find is not contradiction but different situations where God is to be glorified and not about us. Good works are not about us getting the glory but expressing God’s goodness through our acts of kindness and righteousness. Our suffering for proclaiming His name is not about us but moving aside our worries and fears and boldly proclaiming God’s truth with no thought of our security, safety or even social status. In both instances from two sides of the spectrum is the importance of God and His glory and not us. As John the Baptist who later was martyred for speaking the truth of God to Herod {Matthew 14:10-11}, said it well in summary of the truth in these two passages, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” {John 3:30}
My prayer is that Jesus is glorified in our righteous acts of goodness and when we are called to speak boldly the truth of Jesus saving work no matter what the conditions we do so without fear.
