11:4 For if he who
comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you
receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel
which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
5 For I consider
that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. 6 Even
though I am untrained in speech, yet not in knowledge. But we
have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
Paul's greatest concern for Corinth, for Galatia, (Galatians
chapter 1) and for all the churches he planted was that others would come after
him teaching and preaching a different Jesus. Did it happen? You better believe
it did. It did not just happen in local churches either. It happened on a
massive scale. 'Another Jesus' became the official teaching of Christianity for
centuries. What do I mean? Well first we have to know what Jesus Paul was
preaching. Once we get a clear picture of the authentic Jesus, the lies and
counterfeits become easy to see. Paul preached Jesus as the Lamb of God who
took away the sins of the whole world. Study Romans and you will clearly see
this. Jesus died for us when we were still His enemies. The wages of sin is
death but Jesus came to offer a gift. That gift is life eternal with Him. A
gift is only a gift if it is free. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the
forbidden tree Jesus came to them in the garden free of charge. He killed an
animal free of charge. He used the skin to cover them free of charge. He made
them a promise that there was a way back from this tragic choice. The way back
was also free.
When Jesus came to earth as one of us He boldly declared
"I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by
Me." He offered this Way (Himself) to everyone free of charge. Not once
was cost ever attached to anything Jesus did or offered. The Bible declares
"Come and buy without money and without price."
However Christianity began to change. It was subtle at first.
Jesus plus circumcision was one teaching. Jesus plus feast keeping was another
teaching. Slowly and subtly over decades and centuries Jesus was less than
enough. By the turn of the first millennium the church was developing a complex
payment system for buying forgiveness. Jesus was painted and sculpted as still
on the cross. Celebrating the Lord's supper turned into literally eating His
flesh and drinking His blood, killing Him over and over. Why? Because once
wasn't enough even the Bible boldly and clearly states that Jesus died once for
all, rose from the dead and is seated in victory over sin and death beside His
Father.
Teachings like confession to a human priest, penance, and
indulgences became not only common place in Christianity but necessary. If you
could afford to pay you had a chance to be forgiven. If you couldn't you were
hopeless. This complex and demonic system of buying God's love and forgiveness
took over Christianity almost completely until the dam broke in the 1500's and
men like Martin Luther (himself a priest) stood up against the lies and
declared what the Bible had been saying all along "The just will live by
faith". As Jesus said over and over the only "requirement" is to
believe that He has taken care of everything.
Sadly the war between the authentic Jesus and the elusive
Jesus who demands payment of some kind continues in the hearts and lives of
every person searching for peace with God. We still have churches and pastors
even within my own church who present a Jesus + something else path to heaven.
Don't listen to them. Go back to the Story. There is only One God, One Bible,
and One story and His love, His grace, His mercy, His Son, His Spirit,
everything is full and free to every single person on the planet. Good. News.
Love Wins.
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