On "The Primary Teaching of Every Religion?
Over this past weekend an image started circulating facebook that looked like this:
I lack enough knowledge on eight of those religions to determine whether that's truly their primary teachings or not. But I do have some thoughts on the "Christianity" block.
As you can see, it quotes Matthew 7:12, which reads (for the record, I'm not sure which translation is used above; it's not KJV, NIV, NLT, or ESV):
For the sake of addressing this image, let's assume that one sentence can in fact sum up the teachings of the Christian faith. Is this that sentence? There are two clauses in this sentence: The first is "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them"; and, "for this is the law of the prophets."
The first clause is pretty simple. It gives the instruction to treat others like you would want to be treated. Most Bibles include the title for this section as "The Golden Rule." Please keep in mind that when Matthew wrote this book, he didn't label any section. That title was added in later. The second clause explains that the previous instruction sums up the law of the prophets. This clarification is what we need to focus on for the time being.
Jesus, of course, didn't say that this was the most important part of following Him. He said it summed up the law of the prophets. What else did Jesus say about following the law? Two chapters earlier, in Matthew 2, Jesus says:
Jesus ends this section by then saying that if we aren't better than the Pharisees, we won't even enter the kingdom of heaven. So what did Jesus say about the Pharisees? Well, in Matthew 23 Jesus says to "observe what they tell you, but not the works they do" (Matthew 23:3, ESV). So basically, do what they say, but not what they do. Again, this is important. The Pharisees, who are teaching about the Law of the Prophets, are teaching correctly, but they are following the Law incorrectly. Because of this, Jesus calls them: Hypocrites (a lot), blind fools, serpents, and a brood of vipers. And we need to be better than them to reach heaven? I'm not sure doing unto others as we would have them do unto us is going to cut it.
So the question is: How can we get to heaven? Does Jesus even answer this question?
Yet, along with "The Golden Rule", many arguing that Christianity is primarily about what we do will point to the second half of "The Great Commandment"; you know, the part about loving your neighbor. Which is, of course, incredibly important, but it is not the greatest commandment.
I lack enough knowledge on eight of those religions to determine whether that's truly their primary teachings or not. But I do have some thoughts on the "Christianity" block.
As you can see, it quotes Matthew 7:12, which reads (for the record, I'm not sure which translation is used above; it's not KJV, NIV, NLT, or ESV):
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them; for this is the law of the prophets. (Matthew 7:12, ESV)To be clear, the Bible is a thousand pages long, with 66 books. Four books contain a play-by-play, so to speak, of Jesus' teachings. The book that follows those four demonstrates how the Christian church began. The next 21 books are letters from individuals who were taught by Jesus (Luke, Paul, Peter, James, and Jude) and explained his teachings to new believes, Jews and Gentiles alike. So let's just pause a second on the idea that one sentence can summarize the entirety of Christianity.
For the sake of addressing this image, let's assume that one sentence can in fact sum up the teachings of the Christian faith. Is this that sentence? There are two clauses in this sentence: The first is "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them"; and, "for this is the law of the prophets."
The first clause is pretty simple. It gives the instruction to treat others like you would want to be treated. Most Bibles include the title for this section as "The Golden Rule." Please keep in mind that when Matthew wrote this book, he didn't label any section. That title was added in later. The second clause explains that the previous instruction sums up the law of the prophets. This clarification is what we need to focus on for the time being.
Jesus, of course, didn't say that this was the most important part of following Him. He said it summed up the law of the prophets. What else did Jesus say about following the law? Two chapters earlier, in Matthew 2, Jesus says:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law of the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 2:17-20, ESV)Jesus makes it clear that the Law of the Prophets is critical. This would include not stealing, not murdering, worshiping only the one true God, not committing adultery, not performing acts of homosexuality, and a number of other things. So all of those teachings (all of them, including the ones you think are "judgmental") are important to follow "until heaven and earth pass away." So, we should be following them now. In fact, Jesus says that anyone who gives even a little on any of theses teachings "will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven." That's pretty serious. Even budging an inch from the Law lowers our standing with God.
Jesus ends this section by then saying that if we aren't better than the Pharisees, we won't even enter the kingdom of heaven. So what did Jesus say about the Pharisees? Well, in Matthew 23 Jesus says to "observe what they tell you, but not the works they do" (Matthew 23:3, ESV). So basically, do what they say, but not what they do. Again, this is important. The Pharisees, who are teaching about the Law of the Prophets, are teaching correctly, but they are following the Law incorrectly. Because of this, Jesus calls them: Hypocrites (a lot), blind fools, serpents, and a brood of vipers. And we need to be better than them to reach heaven? I'm not sure doing unto others as we would have them do unto us is going to cut it.
So the question is: How can we get to heaven? Does Jesus even answer this question?
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:1-7, ESV)The only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ, which was also summed up earlier in John:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:16-18)It's really starting to sound like the primary teaching of Christianity is a little less about what we do, and more about Christ. That the religion is called Christianity should probably have been a dead giveaway.
Yet, along with "The Golden Rule", many arguing that Christianity is primarily about what we do will point to the second half of "The Great Commandment"; you know, the part about loving your neighbor. Which is, of course, incredibly important, but it is not the greatest commandment.
And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and Prophets." (Matthew 22:35-40, ESV)So while Jesus clearly tells us that it's imperative to love our neighbors, it is the second great commandment. What was the first? Loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind. And who is Jesus?
"I and the Father am one." (John 10:30, ESV)Maybe if we were to come up with one sentence to describe the primary teaching of Christianity, we should include something about worshiping the Christ.
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