Thursday, January 19, 2017

Christian teaching should identify, not trip over, the stumbling block of hatred among Christians

Update: I fault this text for ignoring the words of Christ on this matter. Christ defines the family of God in a very different way than John. 

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The apostle John identifies the stumbling block in his first letter:

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him." (1 John 5:1, NKJV)


"He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." (1 John 2:9-11, NKJV)

"Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (1 John 3:15, NKJV)

"If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" (1 John 4:20, NKJV)

Is your church teaching Christians to love as brothers and sisters all who believe that Jesus is the Christ?

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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