February 2025 – Edwin Cohea

February 28, 2025February 28, 2025

The Bible and Other Ancient Sources

For Christians who are students of the Bible and disciplined about using Bible reference resources and reading books about the Bible, there are times authors and scholars will refer to non-biblical sources in their discussions. Three of the most common sources referenced are the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Apocrypha, and the Gnostic writings. Here I give a brief introduction to each of these ancient sources.

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Finding the Dead Sea Scrolls is arguably the most important biblical studies discovery of the 20^th century—some would even argue the providential nature of their discovery. They were found in an area called Qumran near Jerusalem in 1947. A shepherd, searching for his goats, threw a rock into a cave and heard a clay pot shatter. When he went in to look, he discovered several pots containing ancient documents. In the years that followed, 972 documents from eleven different caves were obtained, including over 200 Old Testament writings from 300 BC to 70 AD. These documents were likely hidden in these caves by the men living in Qumran to protect them from destruction by the Romans and others.

In some cases, these manuscripts are more than 1000 years older than previously known Hebrew documents. They included parts of every Old Testament book except Esther. Scholars have used these writings to confirm the carefully disciplined copying methods used by Jewish scribes producing a very high level of accuracy between these early copies of Old Testament books and the later copies that were being used for translating the Hebrew Bible into other languages.

Of all the manuscripts discovered, Isaiah was the most plentiful. This may indicate the popularity of this book during the New Testament era and may provide insight into why the book of Isaiah was quoted so often in the New Testament. Jesus himself chose a passage from the book of Isaiah when he stood to read in the synagogue at Nazareth, choosing that passage to identify himself as the Messiah (Isaiah 61:1-2).

Prior to this discovery, some scholars argued a later date for several Old Testament books because of the accuracy with which prophecies contained within them proved to be fulfilled by Jesus. After the discovery of the Dead Seas scrolls, however, these handwritten copies that clearly existed prior to the time of Christ confirmed their prophetic accuracy.

For more than seven decades, scholars have continued to glean more insight from these manuscripts, enhancing our understanding of the Old Testament texts and the community responsible for copying these manuscripts in the first place.

The Apocrypha

The Apocrypha, sometimes called the Deuterocanonical Books, are found in Catholic Bibles and are used by some Protestant traditions, as well. The term apocrypha means “hidden.” These books were written during the intertestamental period that took place from approximately 400 BC until the birth of Jesus. The most common books included in the Apocrypha are 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, the Prayer of Manassa, and 1 & 2 Maccabees. There are also additions to the books of Esther, Daniel, and Psalms.

The Apocrypha is not quoted by Jesus in the Gospels, nor by the authors of the other New Testament documents. Within Judaism, these books are considered important but were never included in any version of the Hebrew Bible. Because of these facts, early church leaders did not consider them inspired either. Jerome, who first translated the Bible into Latin, considered the books of the Apocrypha to be non-inspired and did not include them as part of the Bible.

Many Catholics accepted the Apocrypha as biblical quite early on, nevertheless, they were not officially added to the Catholic Bible until the council of Trent in the mid-1500s—this was primarily in reaction to the Protestant reformers and their rejection of these books. From the Apocrypha came many Catholic doctrines and traditions that are not held by Protestants. It is the evangelical position that these books should be held as important for historical reasons but should not be considered sacred in the same sense of Old Testament and New Testament books.

The Nag Hammadi library

The collection of Gnostic writings called the Nag Hammadi library were found in Egypt in 1945 by a local farmer. The codices were buried under a boulder near the town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt. This collection of manuscripts was composed mostly between the 2nd and 4th century AD. These manuscripts included writings such as the Gospel of Philip, the Apocalypse of Paul, the Gospel of Mary Magdelene, and others—the library includes over 50 titles, with the earliest generally listed as the gospel of Thomas written in the 2nd century. Many of these works had been unknown to modern scholars until their discovery.

Gnostics were people who practiced a religion and philosophy that emphasized secret knowledge and the salvation of the soul. The term “Gnostic” comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means “knowledge.” Gnostics believed that the human spirit was good but was trapped in an evil body.

They believed that salvation came from discovering secret knowledge and that this knowledge would provide release from this corrupt world that was created by a being who was not the true God. The goal of their faith was to free the spirit from the body and return to the Parent-Spirit.

A significant difference between the gnostic gospels and the New Testament gospels is their time of composition. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as the other books of the New Testament, were written during the lifetimes of the apostles and other leaders of the first century. The gnostic gospels, on the other hand, were written after eyewitnesses of Jesus and the Apostles had died. They are not “lost” gospels, as some claim, but were known and rejected as uninspired writings—many of the gnostic writings were mentioned and condemned by early Christian leaders who lived near the time they were composed.

Many books and movies draw material from the Gnostic writings, the most well-known of which may be “The Da Vinci Code.” Dan Brown drew many concepts for his story from these texts, especially the Gospel of Philip and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, which present alternative interpretations of Jesus’ life, including the idea that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, a central theme in the novel; however, scholars widely criticize the book for misrepresenting these ancient texts for fictional purposes.

Though Gnostic writings are not on par with the New Testament documents for many reasons, they are historically interesting for the study of early Christianity—they provide insights into many significant theological issues that were of concern in the early church. For the student of church history they are worth investigating, however, it will become immediately obvious the bizarre nature of these ancient documents.

This article or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author. Please contact the author at coheablog@gmail.com.

February 20, 2025February 21, 2025

Jesus as God in the Gospel of Mark – The Divinity of Jesus Chapter by Chapter

One of the most common objections to or misunderstandings about Christianity relates to the divinity of Jesus Christ. Many people fail to understand that Jesus’ claims in the Gospels to be divine, in fact, to be God incarnate, are the most powerful assertions in all of the Bible.

The Bible, from Genesis through the Book of the Revelation, is the story of God carrying out his plan to redeem humanity. He does this by, without forsaking his divinity, becoming a human being, a true human being indeed. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the many core theological implications of the divinity of Jesus Christ or the mysteries of the incarnation. Instead, we will be focusing on the ways the Lord Jesus demonstrates, through word and deed, his divinity in each chapter of the Gospel of Mark. This will not be an exhaustive list but will include those passages that are quite specific in revealing Jesus as the true God.

Chapter 1

Of all the Gospels, Mark begins most abruptly, “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” —“a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’” (Mark 1:1-3).

Mark quotes this passage from Isaiah (40:3) as a reference to the work of John the Baptist in preparing the way for the Messiah. What is most telling about this quote is that in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, the “LORD” referred to is the one true God, Yahweh. John recognizes that the work he is doing is to prepare the way for Yahweh himself—clearly identifying Jesus as the God of Israel (and the world).

Chapter 2

In the 2nd chapter, Mark includes two powerful events in which Jesus clearly identifies himself as having the authority that only belongs to God. In the first passage, some men bring a paralyzed man and place him before Jesus, hoping that Jesus will heal him. Rather than immediately healing him, this happens, When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:5-7).

There were some Jewish teachers observing this encounter who recognized that Jesus claimed to have the same authority as God, this is why they accused him of blasphemy. Jesus goes on to heal the man and remove any doubt as to what he believes about himself, “I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home” (Mark 2:10-11).

Later in this chapter, there is a confrontation between Jesus and some Pharisees. It is the Sabbath day, and the Pharisees have strict regulations based on Old Testament law about harvesting food on the Sabbath. As Jesus and his disciples are traveling through a wheat field, the disciples are stripping heads of wheat from the stalks and munching on them. The Pharisees confront Jesus about this. After some discussion, Jesus makes this astounding statement, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Jesus could not have said something more shocking! Almighty God established from the very beginning of time that the Sabbath day would be a day of rest and worship—Jesus has just stated that he himself is the Lord of the Sabbath. The implications of that statement would have rattled the bones of all Jewish people listening to him.

Chapter 3

In chapter 3, Jesus doubles down on his authority over the Sabbath. As the chapter begins, we find Jesus in the local synagogue on the Sabbath day. There was a man there who had a “shriveled” arm, and some of those in the synagogue watched to see what Jesus would do for the sole purpose of condemning him. Sadly, Mark records that Jesus “looked at them in anger and was deeply distressed because of their hardened hearts” (Mark 3:5). Then he spoke and healed the man. He did not call on the name of God, he did not pray for the man in the name of God, he did not engage in any spiritual tradition to try to bring healing to the man, he spoke, as only God could do, and the man’s arm was immediately healed.

Later in the chapter, Jesus is accused by some teachers of the law of casting out demons by the power of satan. Again, Jesus does not do so in the name of God or through any of the Jewish traditions for exorcism, he simply speaks and the demons leave. He claims to have power and authority over satan, clearly a divine attribute. In response to the accusations, Jesus says, “No one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house” (Mark 3:27). In other words, Jesus has the power and authority to bind satan and then destroy his works.

Chapter 4

In the next chapter, we see one of the most powerful testimonies to Jesus’s divinity in all of Scripture. We find Jesus in a boat with his disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee—a storm is raging. Jesus is asleep and the disciples are fearing for their lives. In a panic, they wake him up, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:39, 41). Even the disciples were just beginning to realize that Jesus was far more than a mere rabbi—controlling winds and waves is certainly only within the powers of God.

This story becomes even more significant when connected to a passage in Psalm 107, a Psalm about crying out to God in various distresses. Note first of all, the similarities between what Jesus did and what the writer of the Psalm records. Note also, that the one the writer is calling out to is none other than Yahweh, the true God: Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven (Psalm 107:28-30).

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 begins with Jesus casting a “legion” of demons from a man who identifies Jesus as “the Son of the Most High God” (El Elyon in Hebrew). Clearly this demon recognizes Jesus with more than human eyes (Mark 5:7). However, the passage we are going to focus on is Jesus restoring to life a 12-year-old girl who has died.

In this story, Jesus has been summoned to the house of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue in town, to heal his young daughter from some grave illness. However, as Jesus is on his way, he is notified that the little girl has died. Nevertheless, he continues to Jairus’ home. Jesus takes the girl’s parents, as well as Peter, James, and John, into the house, and, in a veiled expression of his authority over the Old Testament law, he takes the dead girl by the hand (thus defiling himself according to the laws of Moses), and speaks the words, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41)—immediately the little girl stood up. Those who saw it were completely astonished. Once again, Jesus demonstrates that he has the power, not only to heal, but to actually rebuke death and give life. Obviously, this is something only within the powers of God.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 contains two very powerful stories that declare the divine power of Jesus. In the first of them, Jesus is in a field where he has been teaching thousands of people. It is getting late in the day and Jesus, in his compassion, realizes these people either have not eaten, or have eaten very little, throughout the day. He resolves this by taking five loaves and two fish from a little boy who had brought them along. He then, in a way that only God can do, creates. These five loaves and two fish are miraculously multiplied to the extent that, according to Mark, more than 5,000 people are fed. Creating something from nothing harkens back to Genesis chapter 1, where God speaks all of creation into existence. This story also draws our attention to God providing mana for the Israelites in the wilderness. This story, recorded by all four Gospel writers, is intended to make us see Jesus as the Creator.

The second story in chapter 6 is a very well-known miracle. However, the power of the imagery cannot be overstated. I will let Mark share what happens, “Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed” (Mark 6:47-51). Once again, who but God can defy the laws of physics and actually walk on top of water?

Chapter 7

In this passage, Jesus encounters a man who cannot speak and cannot hear. Mark records, “After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly” (Mark 7:33-35).

Once again, to restore a man’s hearing and speech is within the powers of God—remember the words God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, “And the LORD said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?’” (Exodus 4:11).

Chapter 8

In chapter 8, similar to chapter 5, Mark records a story of Jesus feeding another giant crowd of people. All that was said regarding that miracle is also true for this one, “They had seven loaves and a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. About four thousand were present” (Mark 8:6-9).

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 contains possibly the most amazing event in the ministry of Jesus. In this chapter, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John, to the top of a mountain (traditionally Mt. Tabor) where he is transfigured (Mark 9:2-4). Mark records that Jesus’ “clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.” It appears that the three disciples who accompanied Jesus saw him in his absolute glorification. However, he was not alone—there with him was Moses and Elijah.

Many possibilities are put forward as to why these two men met with him, a popular theory is that Moses represented the law of the Old Testament and Elijah represented the prophets of the Old Testament. One thing is for sure true, both of these men met with God on mountain tops, Moses at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24) and Elijah at Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19). The message in this event is most likely that Moses and Elijah are meeting once again with God on a mountain top. This is very powerful imagery.

Chapter 10

In chapter 10, James and John approach Jesus to ask him if they can sit at his right hand and his left hand when he is reigning in heaven, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory” (Mark 10:37). The language here is important, the disciples recognize the authority of Jesus, an authority that would typically only be attributed to God. To seek to sit at the right hand or left hand of Jesus in his glory would be a blasphemous statement if the disciples did not believe that Jesus was indeed God.

Chapter 11

Mark records this unusual story in Chapter 11: The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” (Mark 11:12-14, 21-22).

The meaning of this story is beyond the scope of this article, but what has happened here is very much tied up in imagery related to the nation of Israel, this story serves as a kind of parable. However, what is astounding, is that Jesus has the power and authority to speak to a tree and have it wither. Again, this is very clearly an action that can be accomplished only by divine power.

Chapter 12

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: “‘The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight (Mark 12:35-37).

In Mark 12:36, when Jesus says “The Lord said to my Lord,” he is quoting Psalm 110:1, which is interpreted as a prophecy where David, a human king, refers to the coming Messiah as his “Lord,” thus establishing that the Messiah is superior to David and has a divine nature, even though he will be descended from David’s lineage, essentially arguing that the Messiah is both David’s son and his Lord. The first “Lord” refers to God the Father, and the second “Lord” refers to the Messiah (Jesus). By quoting this verse, Jesus is claiming that Psalm 110 is a prophecy about him, indicating his divine status. Jesus uses this passage to challenge the religious leaders who were trying to downplay his divinity by emphasizing only his lineage from David.

Chapters 13 and 14

Possibly the most powerful prophecy regarding Jesus in the Old Testament comes from Daniel chapter 7. We will look at the passage as a whole in just a moment. In Mark chapters 13 and 14, Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man who will be coming on the clouds of heaven. This is a direct reference to the passage in Daniel and is quite possibly the most well-known passage to the Jews about the authority and power of the Messiah. In fact, in Mark 14:64, the high priest is so acutely aware of the reference Jesus is making, that he calls Jesus a blasphemer. Here is the passage from Daniel,

In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14).

Jesus is identifying himself as the one who is led into the presence of God and given dominion, glory, and kingship over every nation and language of the world so that they should serve him. His dominion will never pass away and his kingdom will never be destroyed. The Son of Man spoken of in Daniel’s vision is clearly divine and eternal. The New Testament underscores these attributes of Jesus and his kingdom time and time again.

Chapter 15

This passage in chapter 15 is very powerful. Here we have the testimony of a centurion, a Gentile, testifying to the fact that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. For this Roman soldier, the title “Son of God” would certainly be an affirmation of the divinity of Jesus. It is significant because the Roman emperors claimed “Son of God” as one of their many titles, and here this Roman centurion is identifying Jesus, a crucified criminal, with a title only the emperors had claimed, “And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39).

As Jesus breathed his last, the sky grew dark like night, there was a great earthquake, and the veil in the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was ripped from top to bottom. These extraordinary events caused this Roman soldier to recognize that Jesus certainly was more than a man and ascribed to him the highest title he could.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16 contains the culmination of all of these events we have Considered. Could there be a greater testimony to the divinity of the Lord Jesus than his resurrection? An event no other human being in the history of humanity has ever experienced (thus far!). Mark records it this way, “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” (Mark 16:6-7).

In John 10, Jesus says, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father” (John 10:17-18). In this passage, Jesus claims authority to take up his own life again. Not only has Jesus shown that he has the power to restore life to others who have died, in his own resurrection, he has shown that he has the power to restore his own life, a spectacular claim and feat to say the least. This is why his resurrection is the greatest confirmation of his own divinity we have in the Bible.

The Divine Acts of the Lord Jesus Recorded in the Gospel of Mark

1:2f John’s affirmation of preparing the way for the “LORD,” that is, Yahweh.

1:21ff Jesus drives out an impure spirit

1:29ff Jesus heals many in Capernaum

1:40ff Jesus touches and heals a man with leprosy

2:1ff Jesus heals and forgives the sins of a paralytic man

2:27f Jesus claims authority over the Sabbath

3:1ff Jesus heals a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath

3:27 Jesus claims authority over satan

4:39 Jesus speaks and calms the storm

5:1ff A demon refers to Jesus as “Son of the Most High God”

5:21ff Jesus heals a woman with a chronic flow of blood

5:41ff Jesus restores life to a 12-year-old girl

6:30ff Jesus feeds more than 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish

6:45ff Jesus walks of the surface of the Sea if Galilee

7:31ff Jesus heals a deaf and mute man

8:1ff Jesus feeds more than 4,000 people with seven loaves and a few small fish

8:22ff Jesus heals a blind man

9:2ff Jesus is transfigured and meets with Moses and Elijah on a mountain top

9:14ff Jesus heals a boy possessed by an unclean spirit

10:35ff James and John aske to sit beside Jesus when he is in his glory

10:46ff Jesus heals a blind man

11:12ff Jesus causes the fig tree to wither

12:35ff Jesus claims the role of the Messiah by quoting David in Psalm 110

13:26ff Jesus claims the prophecy of the divine Son of Man in Daniel is about him

14:62ff Jesus claims the prophecy of the divine Son of Man in Daniel is about him

15:29 Jesus is identified as the Son of God by the Roman centurion

16:1ff Jesus has risen from the dead

Here we have at least 27 different expressions of the divinity of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. Of course, if we include the other Gospels, especially the Gospel of John, this number grows higher. In the Gospel of John, there are several passages that express without doubt Jesus’ claim to be God.

Throughout the history of the world and the history of the Church, many people have made claims to divinity and divine power. However, no human being has ever had the ability to consistently use words to cause the healing of the blind, deaf, mute, lame, paralyzed, diseased, or dead. No human being has ever had the ability to use words to stop storms and cause trees to wither. No human being has ever had the power to defy the laws of physics by walking on the surface of deep waters. No human being has ever had the ability to feed thousands with a few loaves of bread and a few fish. No human being has ever declared that they will die and then three days later will rise again and actually do it.

Jesus, though completely fully human, is also completely and fully God. This is what places him in the unique role of being able to offer himself as the full and satisfactory sacrifice for the sins of humanity. He is the Creator himself, and he chose to take on the flesh of his creation, to live a perfectly sinless life, and to offer himself as the atoning sacrifice that would create the means of reconciliation between human beings and the true God. This is the overarching message of the entire Bible and the core message of the gospel.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

February 6, 2025February 12, 2025

Misunderstanding Jesus – Three Well-Known Sayings of the Lord Jesus Most of Us Get Wrong

In our politically charged culture, it is not unusual to hear the words sound bite, deep fake, fact check, misinformation, disinformation, or even fake news altogether. There is so much going on in our country and world, it is hard to follow up on everything we hear, even for those who are intentional about it. Unfortunately, many Americans, on either side of the aisle, are comfortably reliant on their favored news source to keep them abreast of the most important issues of our times, giving very little thought to the fact that what they are hearing has likely been filtered through a certain agenda or perspective, and what is ultimately reported is some editorialized version of the truth. For those of us trying to be more careful about what we embrace as the truth, we will search for the original source and listen to what was said in the broader context—only by doing this can we be confident about what we are hearing, having gotten our news “straight from the horse’s mouth,” so to speak.

This is true regarding biblical information as well—what we believe about the Bible, however, is far more important than contemporary political issues. Far too many Christians are content accepting what they are told about the Bible or a biblical teaching without ever reading the relevant passages for themselves. Few of us follow up on the information presented to us or consider the context from which the passage or verse was taken in the first place. I find it quite chilling how many Christians are more apt to watch a five-minute YouTube video about a biblical issue rather than reading the Bible itself. Many of us are convinced that the Bible is too hard to understand and consequently acquiesce to someone telling us what we ought to believe, without doing the work necessary to confirm that what we are being told is actually the truth. The Church in our culture is suffering because of the lack of knowledge among those who identify as followers of Jesus.

To demonstrate this, I have chosen three passages from the New Testament, all of them the words of Jesus—these verses are very often misunderstood and misrepresented. This misunderstanding is not limited to lay people either, many times I have heard these passages taught or referenced by Christian leaders who have misunderstood them as well. Certainly, all of us who follow Jesus, can agree that understanding his words contextually and accurately should be our highest priority. This is not to say that guidance, direction, and explanation from learned pastors, Christian leaders, and Bible teachers is not necessary—indeed, it is! If it wasn’t, this blog would be entirely pointless! Certainly, there are passages in the Bible that are quite difficult and the help of a trusted leader to shed light on these complexities is priceless. However, the passages we look at here, are not complicated passages, they are simply sayings of Jesus that have been so frequently misrepresented, that very few Christians question whether what is being said is accurate. This blog simply serves as a reminder that we must be careful and diligent when it comes to the things we embrace as biblical truth.

1. The Truth Will Set You Free

This is one of the most quoted statements of Jesus, by Christian and non-Christian alike, and is often used, I believe, by people who do not know they are actually quoting Jesus Christ. I have heard these words in many different contexts, as if the truth Jesus is referring to is any kind of truth at all. Though I am sure we can all agree that truth is always better than “not truth,” any truth is not what Jesus is referring to here. This statement, unfortunately, is typically quoted without the first half of what Jesus actually said. It is the first half of the statement that clarifies the truth that Jesus is referring to. Here is the entire statement,

John 8:31-32 – 31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Contextually (John 8:12ff.), Jesus is speaking in the temple in Jerusalem during the feast of Hanukkah. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greeks in 164 BC and the rededication of the Jewish Temple to God—a dedication that was crowned by the lighting of the Temple’s menorah (the word Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew). Hanukkah is also known as the “Festival of Lights.” As the Jewish winter festival, this celebration brings light to the darkness of the cold season with warm and beautiful flames being lit throughout the city. It is in this setting that Jesus stands in the temple and declares himself to be “the Light of the World.” You can see how these words would have a powerful impact, for better or worse, in the context of a festival celebrating lights. It turns out that, “As he was saying these things, many believed in him” (John 8:30). It is here, as Jesus was speaking directly to a group of Jewish people who had come to believe that he is indeed the Messiah, that he speaks the powerful words about truth and freedom.

Jesus’ words not only have a context, they have a contingency, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.” Jesus wastes no time making sure those who have placed their faith in him understand two things: they must be intentional about abiding in, remaining in, persevering in his word, and that they must be his disciples, not mere followers of a well-known rabbi. He then says, if these two things are true, they will know the truth, and that truth will bring them freedom. Later in John, Jesus openly declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). When Jesus declares that there is a truth that brings freedom, the truth that he speaks of is ultimately himself. This is why the contingency exists—it is not some ethereal truth the Jesus refers to, but the truth that can be found only in a devoted relationship to him, characterized by knowing his word (that is, being his student, i.e., his disciple) and living intentionally by the truth that he speaks.

Next time you hear the phrase, “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free,” remember that the truth being spoken of, whether the person saying it realizes it or not, is the fact that Jesus Christ says freedom is found in the truth that he alone is the only way to be reconciled to God. That truth can only be realized, as we embrace and obey the words of the Lord. It is not merely those who believe in Jesus who find this freedom, it is those who abide in his word and make the choice to live as his disciples.

2. Come to Me, All Who Are Weary and Burdened

Matthew 11:28-30 is one of the most frequently quoted passages from the New Testament for the purpose of bringing comfort and solace to the hearer. Often, these verses are quoted with the intention of representing Jesus as a tender shepherd, meek and mild, calling people from a complicated world into a haven of rest. I sometimes wonder if people get the impression that Jesus is inviting us to come and sit on his lap. The irony of this perception is the fact that these verses come in the context of Jesus denouncing the inhabitants of several major cities for refusing to repent from their sins and turn to him (see Matthew 11:20-24). Far from being mere words of comfort, these words are a call to repentance. In verse 27, Jesus declares, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Essentially, Jesus is calling out to his hearers to not be like the unrepentant people of the cities he has denounced, but rather to come to him, and learn from him, that he may reveal his Father to them. Listen to his words,

Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In this powerful appeal, we hear these wonderful promises: I will give you rest, you will find rest for your souls, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. But with these promises there are three commands: Come to me, take my yoke, and learn from me. The first command is so much more than an invitation, it is a burning appeal! The Greek word “come” used here is an exclamatory word and should be understood as, “Come!” In the Greek of the New Testament, this phrase is in the imperative mood—the mood of command. This is less like a parent inviting a child to “come and sit beside me,” and more like a parent saying, “You come here right now!” Jesus has just denounced people who would not repent, he is now calling his listeners to not make the same fatal mistake!

Secondly, Jesus commands that his listeners “take his yoke upon them.” This statement is in the imperative mood, as well. A yoke is for the sole purpose of controlling a team of oxen or other beasts of burden. This would have been a very common sight for the listeners of Jesus. All of them would have immediately recognized the metaphor Jesus is using—taking his yoke would have implied a surrender to his control, his leadership, it is in doing this that they would find rest for their souls. The unrepentant people Jesus has identified are those who refuse to submit to his yoke, to their own peril.

The third imperative in this statement is “learn from me.” Jesus is once again announcing to his listeners that they are to become his students, his disciples. He is not merely seeking those who will follow him at a distance, but those who will sit at his feet, regularly, and learn from him. To what end? To be like him. As in John 8:31-32 above, to abide in his word is evidence of discipleship, and in this is freedom and rest. In the New Testament, rest goes beyond physical respite to include spiritual peace and refreshment found in Christ. The Greek word often translated as “easy” in this passage is far richer than this simple word—it is often used to describe qualities that are gentle, pleasant, and morally good. Jesus describes his burden as “light,” as opposed to the heavy burdens of legalistic practices.

Responding to this remarkable call means choosing to become a disciple—these are not simply comforting words for stressed out people. To come to Jesus means to surrender our lives to him, to take his yoke means to submit ourselves to his will, and to learn from him means to become like him. This invitation is a call to leave the wide path of the world that leads to destruction and join Jesus on the narrow path that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:14); it is an invitation sent out across time with the whole world in mind—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, all the way to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

3. Behold, I stand at the Door and Knock

Throughout the New Testament, Christians are commanded to go into all the world preaching the gospel. As Jesus states in the “Great Commission,” his intention for us is that we go throughout the world making disciples and teaching them to obey all that he has commanded. It is important to note, as we have discussed in numbers 1and 2 above, that the intent of preaching the gospel is to make disciples and not merely converts. As Christians go about doing this, there are many favored verses in the New Testament used to communicate the Good News. However, one that is frequently used actually has nothing to do with evangelism at all. In the Book of the Revelation we find these words,

Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

I would imagine that many reading this blog, have seen the painting from the 1940s by Warner Sallman of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus, standing at the door of a small cabin in a garden knocking. Whether correctly or not, much ado has been made of the fact that the artist did not put a doorknob on the outside of the door, apparently intending to imply that Jesus will not open the door and invite himself in, but will patiently stand waiting for the inhabitant to open the door and invite him in. I would imagine that millions of prints of this painting have been sold over the decades. Unfortunately, this verse has nothing to do with evangelism, nor does it have anything to do with a gentle Jesus standing and knocking at the door of the hearts of lost people.

Once again, when we look at the context of this verse, we will see that it is found after a scathing rebuke of Christians failing to live out the faith they claim. This rebuke comes with some of the gravest warnings in the New Testament. Because this is so important, I will quote the entire passage below.

Revelation 3:14-22 – 14“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

In context, we see that Jesus’ statement is about knocking at the door of Christians on the verge of apostasy. He is promising them, if they are willing to repent, he will once again restore fellowship with them, by entering their home and sharing a meal. This was a common image in 1st century Judaism regarding restoration of relationship. We should all take to heart the rebuke and the warnings given to the Christians of Laodicea—this should stand as a reminder to all of us that we must be attentive to our relationship with the Lord Jesus and intentional about the way we live out our faith.

In one sense, understanding this verse in the context of this passage is quite beautiful, maybe even more so than seeing it in the context of evangelism. It is precious to know that the Lord Jesus loves his own. In this passage he states clearly that he reproves and disciplines those that he loves. Then these beautiful words come, as we repent and get right with the one who loves us most, he stands at the door, ready to enter in and restore us to relationship with himself. This, indeed, is a beautiful image of his love for us.

In conclusion, there are many, many more passages of the Bible that are very often misrepresented by those who misunderstand the original context and purpose. I give this sampling only because these passages are so well known and so commonly misrepresented. I pray that these will serve as examples to us who follow Christ, that we must give due diligence to the study of his word, never neglecting our need to fully understand him to the best of our ability, and, certainly, never wanting to misrepresent him to someone else.