Recovering Abused Bible Verses (Part 6) - Luke 18:25

5. When Jesus talks about a camel going through the eye of a needle He is actually talking about the gate to an ancient city.

This is a very popular idea among the Word Faith teachers. I have heard it taught in Australia, the US and Europe. The most frightening thing about this teaching is not the teaching itself (as bad as that is) but what it says about how little teachers and church members in these churches know their Bibles.

Here's an example of this teaching:



The motive behind the teaching seems quite clear. They want to say that it is good to be rich, you just have to be like the camel that has to bow down as it enters the narrow gate of the city. Likewise the rich man only has to bow down in humility to enter heaven’s gate.

Just a very quick glance at this passage of Scripture shows this teaching to be wrong. But, equally tragically, it ignores a truth that is way more exciting than anything this world has to offer. Let’s pick this up at Luke 18:22 near the end of Jesus’ conversation with the “rich young ruler”:

22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 23But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." 26Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" 27But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Luke 18:22-27)

Is the eye of the needle the gate of a city? We can be certain it is not because in verse 26 the disciples understood it as something impossible “who can be saved” and in verse 27 Jesus confirms that he is describing something physically impossible. But Jesus is explaining that salvation is impossible unless God works a miracle. I found it the greatest irony that the people who teach that the eye of the needle is the gate to a city also invite people to make a decision to become a Christian. Even though the text says that “with man this is impossible”.

Here is the great truth we learn from Luke 18:

Conclusion 5: Man is utterly incapable of saving himself. But God is fully able to save sinners – conversion is a miracle!

It is a miracle made possible by the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Once again, it all points to Christ's redemptive work. Those who abuse Scriptuire continually point away from the cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross is where we must begin and end our theology. We need to preach the Cross again and again. It needs to take center stage in our preaching. The older preachers knew this. Spurgeon was once told that his sermons all sounded alike. His response:

That may be so. I can take any verse in the Bible and make a bee-line for the Cross.

As we have gone through this series I have wanted to make these two major points. In all of the five abused Bible verses i have discussed, each can be clearly understood by reading the surrounding text. It is true in fact that most interpretive problems are readily solved by a plain reading of the surrounding text. My other major point has been that sound teachers always take the text they preach and show how it ultimately points to the cross of Jesus Christ - as we will now see as we conclude by reviewing this series.

In Part 2 (John 3:17) we learned that :

Jesus did not come to condemn because this world is already condemned under the wrath of God.

In Part 3 (Romans 2:4) we learned that:

The kindness of God that leads to repentance is shown in that He delays His wrath giving sinners time to repent.

In Part 4 (Matthew 18:20) we learned that:

Two or more of us gathering in God's Name for the purposes of church discipline gives those of us in the church confidence that we have Divine authority to deal with unrepentant sin within our camp.

In Part 5 (Jeremiah 29:11) we learned that:

Jeremiah 29:11 was a promise of blessing to a particular future generation of the Israelites in Babylonian slavery - it is not a verse that we can apply as a personal promise from God to us. If that were the case then we would also have to apply the verses personally that concern God cursing certain people. The major message to 21st century Christians from Jeremiah 29:11 is that God does not abandon His people!

And in Part 6 (Luke 18:25) we learned that:

The eye of the needle Jesus spoke about was not the gate to a city. The following two verses clearly refute this bogus teaching. Jesus' major point here is that man is utterly incapable of saving himself. But God is fully able to save sinners – conversion is a miracle!

Coming Soon - Popular Myths Embraced By Popular Teachers.

Go Back To Part 5
Go Back To Part 1

The Real Prosperity Gospel

Those who know me or read this blog should know that I'm a pretty transparent guy. Getting a good feel for what I love and what I hate requires almost no hermeneutical skill whatsoever. I love the Gospel, the beautiful glorious Gospel which reveals the stunning kindness of God in saving wretched unworthy sinners like myself through the unspeakable substitutionary death of Christ in the place of sinners, satisfying God's holy wrath that I deserved. Grace is amazing when you understand that God punished Christ as if he had committed my litany of crimes, and I get rewarded as if I lived Christ's flawless holy life. The glorious mystery of how God could grant me pardon without violating His character and nature. These are precious things of infinite value.

On the other hand, I hate the so called "prosperity gospel" that dominates the airwaves of modern "Christian television". Those who make Jesus a means to an end instead of exalting Him as the glorious bottom line of everything in life. The fact that they focus so much time on the material things of this world and the gratification of our flesh only serves to show how little they think of the infinite price Christ paid with His lifes blood in order that sinners could be reconciled to a Holy God. I've had one too many run-ins with this so called "gospel" in recent weeks and I thought it appropriate on the Lord's day to expound the true prosperity gospel.

It is also no secret that I love the preaching ministry of Paul Washer. He is a real man who is not enticed with the empty riches of this world but tirelessly preaches Christ crucified. I can't think of anyone better to illuminate the true biblical prosperity gospel . . .

Man's Inventions v God's Directions - Can You Spot The Difference

Let me ask you what are you being fed in your "local church"? Does it come from the tree of man made religion or God breathed Scripture? When you sit in your pew this sunday listen carefully to the preaching and discern whether humanity is portrayed as the victim or the perpetrator, and whether the God being preached offers happiness or righteousness. Answer these questions and you will have a good idea whether you are eating at the right table.

Washer Wednesday - The Real Prosperity Gospel

Is prosperity in the Bible?
Yes it is!

Can we prosper as Christians?
Yes we can!

Have modern proponents of the "Prosperity gospel" preached this kind of prosperity? No they haven't . . . .

Charismatic Credit Card Machine

My family and I attended a Pentecostal fellowship located near our home last sunday. One thing synonymous with Pentecostal churches is dancing or as a friend of mine once called it "the Pentecostal two-step". I know this is not everyones cup of tea but I don't think it is an issue worth arguing over.

Ironically, dancing almost got banned at my wedding by a faction of old timers from the Pentecostal tradition. A tense stand-off brewed as we faced the very real prospect of some cessationalists being forbidden from dancing! I can still remember from my early days as a Christian being told (tongue in cheek) by a Pentecostal preacher that he didn't believe in pre-marital sex because it might lead to dancing. Though I jest, I think the issue has very much to do with the idea that one form is dancing before the Lord while the other is dancing with the opposite sex - at least I thought so until my pastor banned me from doing the "moonwalk".

But the "Pentecostal two-step" is a dance that has been sanctioned by the movement. I have always contended, however, that church members should be required to show proof of their ability to do the "two step" without impeding the "hand raising" gestures of others before they kick up their heels in a public gathering.

All of these memories came flooding back last sunday when I realised that they had installed a credit card facility in the meeting hall. I was actually seated two rows behind the machine as I witnessed the surreal images during offering time (music playing) of people lining up in front of the machine with credit card in hand all the while doing the "two step". I then watched with amazement as people managed to coordinate operating the machine and doing the "two step" at the same time. This feat was simply beyond my athletic ability so I opted for the far less hazardous "money in the bucket" method.

But on a deeper level I must confess to cringing as I witnessed these goings on. The idea of the machine in the church building bothered me and I don't know why, perhaps it seemed irreverent. Maybe I'm getting old fashioned and should start a modernised Amish community with VHS players and Analogue TV. Is it me who has the problem here or is there something wrong that I can't put my finger on. Please comment on this - I want to hear your thoughts