Jesus Loves Me
(An existential version of that favorite childhood song.
I encourage you to have some fun by singing along as you read it.)
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Postmodern grace has made it so.
With His Spirit in my heart,
External truth now has no part.
Chorus:
Did Jesus tell me?
Oh, how can I know?
I feel Jesus told me,
I hope that makes it so.
Additional Verses:
The Bible says that I must go,
Proclaim His Word – oh no no no!
Now existential I’ve become,
‘Cause His commands just leave me numb
My sense of Jesus is true light,
I do not worry what is right.
With my sensibilities,
I do not need moralities.
The Bible’s NOT the Word of God.
My own perceptions earn my nod!
The Jesus I have come to see,
Surprisingly looks just like me.
I only want the Living Word,
The Bible seems just too absurd.
Now I perceive reality,
The way I want it all to be.
Sorry for this brief interlude from our regularly scheduled series. I was feeling the Holy Spirit speak to my heart and this song arose – so it must be from God (right?). Who am I to thwart His leading? đ
This song is my tongue-in-cheek response to Jamal Jivanjee and his “Beyond” colleagues like Milt Rodriguez, who in a January blog and its comments elevate their own existential “revelation” over scripture – as they boldly proclaim that the Bible is a relic, NOT the Word of God, and that anyone who disagrees is a nasty old “legalist”.
Sigh…
~ Jim Wright
Related articles
- Beyond Scripture? (Part 1) (crossroadjunction.com)
- Beyond Scripture? (Part 3) (crossroadjunction.com)
- Plenary Authority (crossroadjunction.com)
Crossroad Junction 
So sad but true. I’ll share this to the guys I minister to.
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Being new in my awareness of the “organic” church, I am busy trying to get a grip on the mind-set involved. I have read 4-5 of the books by the experts and appreciate the emphasis on reaching out to share the gospel while our own salvation experience is new and fresh. But I am mystified by the rejection of the word, by the rejection of wise counsel from leaders who have spent their lives growing and learning the word. Apparently, among this group, even the babe in Christ need not be instructed, but mainlines Jesus into their souls through prayer and fellowship. The last 35 years I have immersed myself in Hebrew, Greek, Jewish & Church history, 1st century culture, systematic theology, etc to be able to instruct others in the way. I seek to live what I have been given daily and allow Christ deeper into my heart to be like Him more and more. When I speak, it is an educated & experienced wisdom that is offered. Yet, to this growing tangent of the church, there is equal Christian wisdom to be heard from the newly saved as they channel Jesus in the moment. While the committed outreaching of the organic, missional church is to be admired, the arrogance of rejecting God’s word and those who are gifted to teach the word is not. It seems to be a mile wide and an inch deep, with no root or foundation, just a feeling in the moment. The sad part is that when God allows the hard times to come, that loving feeling will have no root to sustain it, no wisdom to understand it and it will give way to disillusion and despair. Good job Jim and smiles on the song.
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Thanks, Al.
Our fellowships are thoroughly “organic”, but have done well because we had enough discernment from the beginning to question and probe into the theological roots and resulting practices of the “Beyond Evangelical” authors like Frank Viola, Milt Rodriquez and Jon Zens – and their associated bloggers like Jamal Jivanjee and Kat Huff.
As a result, we were never tempted to become trapped by their extreme existentialism and rejection of the plenary authority of scripture as the Word of God. Although their own fellowships have fared very poorly and few still survive, unfortunately their ongoing influence through their writings remains large.
As the organic church community moves forward, we must learn to grab hold of the good, but reject the bad.
This blog series is my attempt to help others and their fellowships to do the same, and thus emerge into health and vigor.
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Jim, Glad to hear that you are including the good with the good from different traditional approaches. Every legitimate spiritual thrust begins well but holds not to Christ the Head or to the mind of Christ as revealed by His apostles and prophets who are the foundation of the faith. Humble and balanced seems to be wise counsel.
A few concepts for those who don’t want teachers
Act 2:42 continually devoted to the Apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread (Eucharist & Love Feast) and prayer. Initially the Apostles taught the church, then prophets emerged and then Pastor-Teachers as they were gifted and assigned ministries from the Spirit. Some taught while others learned. Writer of Hebrews said that the learners who grew would become teachers as well.
Jam 3:1 Not many should be teachers indicating that some teach and others learn.
1Cor 12 – we are not all gifted the same way to perform the same service to the body of Christ.
1Pet 4:10-11 Spiritual gifts manifest God’s grace in different forms, some speak the message of God while others serve as God has enabled.
I clearly see that the traditional church has stagnated and needs the dynamics that the “organic” church has found, yet without jettisoning the core absolutes that never change. Without holding to the absolutes of the word, we are blown about by every wind from false teaching like a rudderless ship (Eph 4:14).
Carry on your work. He who turns the deceived from their error covers a multitude of sins.
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The Bible doesn’t state anywhere that Jesus loves me specifically. Instead, it says that “God so loved the world” (Jn. 3:16), that “nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:39), and that “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5), etc. But nowhere does it explicitly state that Jesus loves me. While I can assume this to be true, I cannot KNOW this to be true apart from the revelation and impartation of God’s Spirit to my heart. This is where God’s Spirit is able to do what the biblical writings cannot do, that is, make Jesus real to me personally, as in the following rendition of this same song:
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For His Spirit tells me so.
In my weakness He is strong,
So I’ll praise Him all day long.
Contrary to what it states above in the chorus of your modified version of this song, we also don’t know that Jesus loves us because we “feel” Jesus tell us He loves us. We know that Jesus loves us because we HEAR Jesus tell us He loves us through His Holy Spirit, which is consistent with John 10:27, where Jesus said, “My sheep hear [not FEEL] my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” We also know that Jesus loves us because we have EXPERIENCED His love being poured into our hearts by His Holy Spirit—not merely because the Bible contains a statement to this effect.
So, I think it’s really inappropriate for you to rewrite this song for the purpose of mocking the experiential reality of Jesus’ love, of hearing His voice, and of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our hearts merely because you reject the belief that the Bible is not God’s Word. While I applaud your efforts to emphasize the value and importance of the Bible in an era when so many others are throwing it out the window, I think you would benefit from doing some additional research on what your existential brethren actually believe about the Bible before you write any more articles like this one.
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Tom,
I’m with you in bringing balance to what Jimâs post seems to be saying. Having said that, based on other posts that Jim has written, I doubt very much that he excludes your view. (Belatedly,I see that his reply to you confirms this).
In what you have said though, I do think that your own thoughts on the Bible are overreaching when you say “This is where Godâs Spirit is able to do what the biblical writings cannot do …â.
The Biblical writings are God-breathed, living and active and are intended for bringing about faith, both for salvation and for our daily walk with God. For example, the gospels were written so that people would come to faith in Christ. The Gospel of John was written so that people could come to have life through its words. In John 20:31 it says, “these are WRITTEN so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
The written word is equal with personal words from God or any other means of communication from God as a way to faith and living by faith. But, as a safeguard, the written word is a living communication that I should evaluate my other impressions, words etc. against. Sadly, the Bible is often regarded as unnecessary or secondary in favor of the “my experience of Jesus is…” view. While we should all develop in our individual and corporate experiences of Jesus where we learn to hear His voice personally, it shouldn’t contradict his Word, a living standard and safeguard.
Rob
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Correction: The Bible states that ânothing can separate us [not ME] from the love of God in Christ Jesusâ (Rom. 8:39).
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Tom, to be clear, I am NOT rejecting the existential (i.e., subjective, relational, personal) realities of our walk with the Lord. I delight in my ongoing, deeply personal, dynamic and constant walk and talk with the Lord.
I simply reject elevating that – which always involves my subjective and thus fallible feelings – as more authoritative than the Lord’s external written Word of scripture. That is the issue. I don’t want a fractured Jesus. I want both His existential reality and His authoritative, God-breathed written Word, and I submit my subjective perceptions to the latter.
As to your points about Jesus loving the world but not individuals, I really don’t get what you are saying. But that is not the topic of this particular blog.
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Went to Jamal Jivanjee blog and it got very difficult to be sure exactly what he was saying…reminded me of the expression, ” Trying to nail Jello to a tree.” From comments you’ve posted, I assume he pruned the comments he got back. He seemed to postulate that the word in John 1 was only Jesus Christ, but the context doesn’t make that an unavoidable conclusion, since you could argue that Jesus was more than a word and presumably God used other words as well…not enough ground there to build a firm foundation.
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I’ll be citing and quoting extensively from the existential proponents in my next installment. When taken in total, there is no real ambiguity in their rejection of the plenary authority of scripture in lieu of their own private “revelations” – which differ from author to author but share a common root.
What is very interesting in that January blog I reference, as you also note, is how confused and muddled things become when to buy into existential theology and reject our historic, Biblical foundations.
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Jim, I love the bible and I love and respect you and who you are along with your heart but I’m not sure you really understand what you are attempting to do here.
Let’s think this through…
– Not a single word of scripture was written after the bible was canonized, therefore to say that any verse within the cannon refers to the cannon is simply asinine.
– The Word of God is often speaking of Jesus Christ specifically.
– Other times the word of God is speaking of words from God’s mouth (or words from God’s heart delivered through the mouths of prophets, kings, priests, disciples, etc), but never the indiscriminate words of various authors of scripture. (For example when Solomon said “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men.” Another example from the same author and the same book is “For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.”
– There are some things in the bible that are clearly not aligned with the heart of God. For example Deuteronomy 22:28-29 âIf a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the girlâs father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.
– Yes Paul says to Timothy that all scripture is inspired by God, but you don’t believe that Jim! You believe that Paul was wrong when he said all sacred writing is inspired by God because you believe only that the 66 books that were canonized are inspired. Once again a grouping (cannon) that would come along much later in history. I’m not opposed to the 66 book cannon, but I’m just pointing out that you pick and choose what you believe just like every other Christian. We have to pick and choose with God’s voice as our guide. If we didn’t we’d believe that Solomon was right when he said that men and beast both have one fate – death and vanity.
– Beyond that, Paul uses a word in that passage that was never used before as far as we can tell and wasn’t used anywhere else in sacred or secular writing to tell us about “inspiration.” Therefore we are really guessing at what he meant by that word. The word I am speaking of here is the word we’ve translated inspiration.
Now let’s get a bit more clear about what you Jim are doing… You are inflating the cannon, a man made NEVER spoken of by Jesus grouping of scared literature, to the point that a man’s opinion of it is higher than the way that God actually picked to speak to His people.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; John 10:27
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;” John 14:16
“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” Hebrews 1:1-4
This is essentially what you are saying Jim – “The bible is more important to man than the Holy Spirit and the example of Jesus.”
I love my bible, I read from it nearly everyday.
The bible is a great tool to use to compare what a person believes they are hearing from God with. God’s direction and God’s words to me that I privately hear from Him because I am His sheep usually fits very neatly into the historical guidelines of scripture, but sometimes we hear His voice and it changes something that we’ve believed based on scripture alone in the past.
Two examples of that and I’m done… we used to be a very misogynistic people based on the scriptures alone… then God led us as a people away from that through His direct communication with people. At first we balked based on our understanding of passages like 1 Timothy 3 “husband of one wife” but later we realized that scripture did in fact align with a non-sexist society when we realized that Jesus says that He doesn’t see male nor female slave nor free etc.
The second example is slavery. The battle of slavery had many Christians fighting on the WRONG side based on their reading of scripture. However, God spoke to some hearts and we corrected that poor reading of scripture and now we realize that God never intended for man to own other men!
Be careful Jim… it is great to love the bible, but you’re in danger of loving the bible and ignoring Jesus.
One final scripture for you to ponder… John 5:39-40 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life ; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
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Josh, I think Miguel Labrador in his blog did a very effective job knocking down your specific arguments – which all go back to how your perceptions of Jesus trump the written Word of Jesus. Rather than repeat his refutations, I will defer to Miguel’s series at http://www.pathwaysinternational.org/2012/10/the-anti-scripture-scriptures-part-v-hebrews-412-the-nuclear-option/. He has some good stuff there.
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Make sure you are reading Jamal’s blog carefully. Those who deny that scripture is the “Word of God” (again, I really don’t care about the capitalization) deny that Jesus Himself calls scripture the “Word of God” (Matt. 15 and Luke 10) and deny the numerous references to the Apostolic teachings which became the NT as being the “Word of God”.
They misdirect criticism of their denials by then claiming that the Bible only contains the “words of God” – meaning it is not entirely authoritative but only parts of it, which they believe contain God’s “words”, are authoritative. Of course, that begs the question: Which parts and which “words”?
So we are left once again with the existential theology of the individual being the final arbiter of what is authoritative. We get to pick and choose which parts of the Bible we think contain the “words” of God, thus denying the plenary authority of scripture.
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II think Tom makes some excellent points in response to this blog. I would add that although I believe that it is dangerous to elevate a subjective personal experience with God over His written word, I also believe it is equally dangerous to elevate “the bible” over having a personal and intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ. For centuries the bible has been used and misused to advance the evil agendas of man, but it has also been used to bring about conviction of both sin and righteousness unto salvation.
With that said, God’s word must be rightly divided and put in proper perspective. Jesus said, “all the scriptures speak of ME.”. And the Psalmist wrote, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against You.” And still another passage talks about how the scripture is good for teaching, rebuking, instructing, and encouraging. But the scripture, like the law of Moses, when not viewed in light of the Holy Spirit (the Life of Christ within us), can bring death, bondage, and the rules of man instead of the Life of God. So there is a call for balance.
I have read some of the blogs of the people that are criticized in this article, and I have found that there is a balance between relying of Christâs written word and relying on Christâs Life inside of us. It’s not my job to defend anyone’s teaching, because if it is of God it will stand. But I can say that most of what I have read from these people has been spiritually edifying and biblically sound. You can never agree with someone 100%-we are all only human. No one has a perfect interpretation of scripture.
Reading the bible does not make one a moral person (although it can make us wise unto salvation by causing us to reach out for Jesus); it is Christ Himself who is perfectly moral, and we become like Him, when we die and let His life live in us and through us.
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Jesus never calls the bible the word of God, the Word of God or the word of god – there are no capitals in the original language so having an argument about capitals seems really silly. But the point is Jesus calls some words or statements or phrases Words of God, but to say that Jesus calls the “cannon” the word of God involves either ignorance or Dr. Emmett Brown and his time traveling DeLorean!
We can believe in God’s words as being perfect without believing that the popular compilation of books has God’s overarching stamp of approval. You do realize that the 66 book cannon that we have today was never agreed on by any council. Also, if you want to say that a council did agree on this 66 book cannon (although that is false) you should also look at what other things that council agreed on. None of us would agree with everything that came out of any of those councils.
Jim your words place a man made cannon over the God of the scriptures. There is no other way to see this.
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Josh, that’s the crux of it, isn’t it? I don’t elevate the scripture over God – but neither do I de-elevate it by calling it “man made”.
All scripture comes from His very breath and thus is His very Word. 2 Tim. 3:16. I therefore refuse to accept your fractured Jesus (see Part 1).
To get to your position, you deny that Jesus was referring to the OT when calling it the “word of God” (again, the capitalization is meaningless). You also must deny the numerous references to the apostolic teachings that became the NT as being the “word of God”.
Really, it is amazing how far some of you stretch scripture to deny scripture.
I would far more accept God’s own breathed words of scripture and their authoritative revelation of Christ than your private perceptions of Christ divorced from the authority of scripture.
As to this, we will never agree, and I will continue to contend with those who want to entrap the Church in their autonomous existentialism which puts themselves over God’s written Word of scripture.
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Jim you said… “To get to your position, you deny that Jesus was referring to the OT when calling it the âword of Godâ (again, the capitalization is meaningless). You also must deny the numerous references to the apostolic teachings that became the NT as being the âword of Godâ.”
I don’t deny that Jesus was referring to words of God when He says word of God, I deny that He (Jesus) was putting all the words of the 39 OT books into the mouth of God. Truth is – you do too. You don’t think Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes were all the words of God but some of those words were simply record of Solomon’s words and you don’t believe that God was speaking in Deuteronomy 22:28-29… Shoot surely to heavens you don’t believe Paul’s words when he clearly said this is my thought not God’s was “God’s words” instead you believe they were Paul’s words.
I don’t deny that Jesus was speaking of God’s words and calling those words God’s words, what I do deny is that Jesus was approving your time ignoring word smithing to make the bible cannon in its entirety the “word of God.” This is unfair, unhealthy, deceptive and flat out unethical. It is wrong and if you will back up and think fairly for a moment you’ll see that you would do much better to be truthful and lift up Jesus and trust Him. The truth is… you trust your ability to control people with scripture more than you trust God’s ability to teach people with grace.
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This is why hermeneutics is such a sorely missed lost skill.
I taught the Book of Solomon in a college class, so let’s address your specific point. In places, that book records the words of despair of a man who had EVERYTHING, but rebelled against God. It is God’s authoritative record of what that man said in his despair, without always adopting Solomon’s words as God’s perspective.
Can you not make that clear distinction?
In your zeal to discredit scripture, can you not understand that what is accurately descriptive in the Word of God is not always prescriptive?
Josh, this is really getting out of hand. I suggest you develop your own blog, or do one of your podcasts, to further your view. I think we get your points, and I think I have responded. More is just redundant noise.
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The Word of God is clearly Jesus as in John 1:1, but the word of God is a quote from God.
My point though is that the bible is a compilation of books that Jesus never spoke about. No where did Jesus ever say that a specific set of books was God’s word. Nor did He ever encourage us to put together a specific group of books. The cannon happened, but that canonization was a man made idea. Not necessarily a bad idea, but an idea with danger… I’m not sure it could have been predicted but the danger is that people will worship a canon instead of God. That has happened to some extent today. I think Jim is close to an example of that.
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just josh,
The fact that there has been a dispute at various times over a handful of the 66 books in the Canon doesn’t remove the fact that there is a category that is regarded as God-breathed scripture. Firstly, it doesn’t take much effort to determine that the Old Testament is Scripture. For example, Jesus referred to the body of accepted Scripture in His time as the Law and the Prophets.
Then, Paul’s writings are scripture too, as Peter, an Apostle of Jesus, speaks of them as such. Consider 2Pe 3:15-16, âAnd count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.â
We can consider the merits of each book for their inclusion in the group called Scripture of which Paul says the following in 2Ti 3:16-17, â All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.â
By all means exclude whatever book you think should be excluded, but know this, a body of books called Scripture does exist, to which we are called to engage.
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I recently wrote a post, Where the Bible is, God is, where I suggest that separating the Bible from Jesus is like separating a person from his words. It’s ludicrous!!! Just as we are accountable to whatever we’ve said in the past, much more so, God backs the Scriptures, of which ALL is God-breathed. And, being God-breathed, makes them by implication Jesus’ words too. Also, being the I AM, whatever God has said, he is still saying, unless He has rescinded it.
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Jim, its clear to me that you’re creating a division where no division exists. I hope other people who read this blog will recognize that the way you characterize other peopleâs perspective of scripture is simply not true. It seems that most people agree with your supposition without actually reading statements from the people you attack. After reading the blogs of others you attack its clear to me that they have a high esteem of the bible and they also seek to live by it, and their character demonstrates it.
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Sigh.
Jason, someone can have a “high esteem of the Bible”, but a higher esteem of their existential perceptions of Christ. That’s my only point.
Likewise, folks can “seek to live by it” where it does not conflict with their existential sensibilities, but then resort to picking and choosing which part of it contain the “words of God” when it suits their needs.
BTW, Jamal stated in his blog today that his January blog “is not really about grammar as the title suggests.” I hope that puts to rest your mistaken contention (which you started with in your first comment) that he was merely making some translational/grammatical point of favoring the “word of God” over the “Word of God” – when in fact he clearly was rejecting both phrases when applied to scripture.
I’ll have more to say about today’s blog by Jamal in my next installment.
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Jim,
I think your drawing a fine line here, that is dangerous. We all access God by faith, he is revealed to us by faith. Paulâs letter to the Galatians was all about living by faith walking out our faith, and having liberty in the spirit. His council in that letter was to not use your liberty to indulge the flesh, but rather serve one another out of love and not devour one another. If you are simply judging our brother Jamalâs âexistential perceptionâ I prefer the term revelation of Christ, simply because its different than yours, then I would be careful that you donât fall into the category of someone who is living by the flesh. We now the fruit of the flesh is sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. Your blog post tend to focus heavily on several of these dissensions, factions, hatred, discord, and may be motivated by selfish ambition, and jealousy. I donât see the fruit of the Spirit displayed at all in many of your writings, this fruit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Again in this issue you have the opportunity to work toward peace, you have the opportunity to be kind, you have the opportunity to forbear, to be gentle, and to exercise self-control, but you are choosing to not do so.
It sounds to me that you have an issue that Jamal is living by a different revelation of Christ than you do, however, as long as he is still uplifting Christ, and that his Christ is the Christ found in scripture, you would be well served to allow him to be different than you . Everything I have read by Jamal simply uplifted the Christ found in scripture. I may not agree 100% with him, but I find it much preferable to exercise the fruit of the spirit towards this brother than the fruit of the flesh.
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Sometimes, there are valid lines to be drawn. Sorry if that offends.
On an essential issue of demonstrated relevance to healthy fellowships, as long as the discourse is civil and honest, then it is proper to have open dialog and debate. Certainly, we see that happening time and again in the New Testament.
If I have not been civil or not honest, or have raised concerns over petty things, then I should be held to account. But I’ve not heard that from you (unless disagreement itself is petty and always wrong).
I think even in the comments above, I have always responded in a civil, honest and substantive way. If that is not true, then tell me. Otherwise, the lines I’ve drawn are valid and needed and must be addressed as we look to the future of the organic church community here in the West.
As I stated to Josh, I think you have enjoyed a full opportunity to air your views and concerns, and those who wanted to respond to your points have done so. More would be redundant. If you must have the last word, then feel free to do so. Otherwise, I suggest we just agree to disagree and move on.
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Jim,
Your treatment of Jamal is unwarranted and despicable. I have watched you attack this man countless times and give your verbose, convoluted reasons for doing so. Let me tell you that the fact Jamal wrote the blog he did yesterday speaks volumes. Your behavior does not in any way reflect Christ or point anyone in the direction of Him. It repels people- plain and simple. Simply put- if you oppose Jamal Jivangee, Milt Rodriguez, Frank Viola, and the other brothers and sisters who seek the riches of Christ with them, that is entirely your right. But, it is NOT your right to outright harassment. And that, sir, is my “tongue-in-cheek” response to you.
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These are critical issues that must be hashed out by every Christian generation. There is a more basic issue underlying this discussion that is being played out in the church at large. The post-modern generation who have been weaned on the internet and social media, who have been given an equal voice with all others, believe that the church should operate like Twitter and Facebook. No one has authority, no one is more qualified to speak, everyone is given equal footing and status. Their existential experience (ee) is just as valid as the next person’s ee and anyone who challenges this by suggesting that there is an authoritative standard to which they must submit, is outdated, overbearing or God forbid, a traditionalist.
The core issue in the Angelic Revolt was their refusal to submit to God’s right as the Creator to be the authority. They rejected His standard of rightness and decided to establish their own. Eve allowed herself to be influenced to do the same. She rejected God’s authority to tell her what was right and decided for herself. The aversion toward the existence of an authoritative standard to guide personal experience or behavior reeks of the same mind-set. Like Israel in the day of the Judges, “there was no king in Israel and everyone did was right in his own eyes” Jdg 17:6. A time of chaos. Like sheep who don’t want a shepherd.
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Here, Jesus is the shepherd and, ironically, some sheep want to tell Him how He can and can not authoritatively speak. And when you challenge that, you are intolerant. Sigh…
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