"God, I Thank Thee . . . "
Two men went down to the church hall to pray; the one a "Pharisee", and the other a bubba. The "Pharisee" stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this bubba. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess."
And the bubba, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner." (Lk. 18: 10-13, paraphrased).
"Hey, bubba," the Pharisee called out, "Don't be so hard on yourself. Blaming the victim is politically incorrect. Your problems were totally due to an unrighteous Ruler. Be thankful, like me, that you are no longer following that sinner!"
"What do you mean when you say "sinner"?", the bubba asked.
"Why everyone knows that he taught FALSE DOCTRINES!" yelled the Pharisee, unable to speak of the Ruler without emotion.
"Do you mean he didn't teach 7th day Sabbath-keeping?" asked the bubba.
"NO! I'm talking about the other doctrines, the FALSE ONES he taught!"
"Keeping the Ten Commandments in both letter and spirit? The seven annual Holy Days and Feasts? The plan of salvation revealed in the Holy Days?" asked the bubba.
"NO! NO! NO!!!!", yelled the Pharisee, "The FALSE DOCTRINES!"
"That Judgment now is only for those who are called now? To abstain from unclean meats? Adult baptism? Laying on of hands? Both law and grace? Both faith and works?" asked the bubba.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!", screamed the Pharisee, "You're changing the subject. The subject is that he was a sinner. And you're refusing to admit that!"
"Sorry.", responded the bubba, "I'm just trying to understand which of the doctrines that the ruler taught, were wrong. Was it that there are two Divine Beings (no trinity)? Was it that there can be no charismatic (human) working-up of the Holy Spirit? No requirement to exclusively use "sacred names" for God? I don't remember his teaching falsely regarding any of these doctrines.
"You're AVOIDING the issue", yelled the Pharisee.
"Well, did he teach those true doctrines or not?" asked the bubba.
"That DOESN'T matter! What matters is that he taught FALSE doctrines and that he was a sinner!" argued the Pharisee.
"Well, if those doctrines don't matter, what does?, asked the bubba. "What did he teach that was false?"
"I'LL tell you what he taught, he taught a false form of church government and the exclusivity of his organization, and he eventually tried to base it on the alleged primacy of Peter."
"That was true.", agreed the bubba, " Is he still teaching it?"
"NO, he's dead." gloated the Pharisee.
"So what is the problem, then?" asked the bubba.
"The PROBLEM is that some are still "idolizing" him." roared the Pharisee.
"You mean his original organization?", asked the bubba.
"Well, no. Nearly all, if not all, of them have rejected his teachings in favor of mainstream protestant beliefs." admitted the Pharisee. "It's the spin-off groups that are still "idolizing" him."
"So you're saying that his original organization, which previously kept all those true teachings and the false teaching about church structure, rejected all those teachings, both the true and the false?", asked the bubba.
"No, they kept the false church structure and rejected the true teachings." admitted the Pharisee.
"So, you're saying they originally had truth and error, and now that he's dead, they have only error.", said the bubba, who wasn't really asking a question.
"There you go avoiding the issue again," charged the Pharisee. "You're ignoring his sins and his false teaching!"
The bubba thought for a minute and then asked, "What do you mean, that some are still idolizing him?"
"They continue to believe his false doctrine and REFUSE TO ADMIT HIS SINS!" thundered the Pharisee.
"Did he originate the false doctrine of church structure?", asked the bubba. "If not, and he is dead, then isn't it no longer his false doctrine, but the false doctrine of those teaching it now? If you want to compare your righteousness with others, why not thank God that you are not like those who are teaching it now? Why rail at a dead man, when it's the living who are teaching the false doctrine?
If you prove the dead ruler wrong, will it stop these living teachers? Does railing at King David prevent adultery? Does his adultery prevent people from appreciating the things David did right? Does David's sin, regardless of his repentance, mean that his righteous acts were unrighteous? Does the dead ruler's false doctrine mean that his true doctrines were unrighteous? If the dead ruler did not repent of his false doctrine, does that make his true doctrines, untrue?""YOU'RE not getting the point!", yelled the Pharisee.
"Well, what else did he do?" asked the bubba.
"He CLAIMED to be an apostle!" charged the Pharisee.
"So, you're thankful, that you don't claim to be an apostle?" asked the bubba.
"YES, well, NO, by his claiming to be an apostle, a lot of people were hurt!" explained the Pharisee.
"So, if he had not claimed to be an apostle, these people would not have been hurt? Did the people not follow him before he claimed to be an apostle? Didn't he publicly deny being an apostle up until at least 1971?
"THE POINT IS, HE DID CLAIM to be an apostle! Stop trying to confuse the issue with facts or dates! We've got to help others understand that he taught false doctrines and that he sinned so they will stop idolizing him!"
"You mean the ones still in the original organization?" asked the bubba. "I thought they were now protestant, having rejected all the true doctrines, which the ruler taught."
"NO, I mean those who still hold his false doctrine and don't admit that the ruler was a sinner."
"So some don't recognize the scripture that says, "all men have sinned"?" asked the bubba.
"THAT'S beside the point! The point is that some STILL BELIEVE that God used him." roared the Pharisee.
"So, if he had been without sin, and taught perfect doctrine, then you would have believed that God used him? How would, or how can you believe the disciples since they, being men, were sinners, and there was only one perfect teacher?", asked the bubba.
"YOU'RE in denial!", charged the Pharisee, "You've got to repent of your IDOLATRY before you can ever hope to understand. YOU cannot worship God and Jesus Christ in truth, until you admit to idolatry of the ruler."
"BUT I NEVER KNEW THIS RULER, I just heard about him.", protested the bubba.
"Wall, I say, boy, I say, just let me explain all about him, then, I say boy, pay attention, boy, I say, then you can repent of your idolatry, and help me spread the gospel, boy, that's the gospel (bad news) about the "good news", that is.", said the Pharisee, taking hold of the bubba's coat.
But the bubba fled, leaving his coat in the Pharisee's hand.
And the Pharisee, returned to his praying, with himself, saying, "Self, er Lord, I thank thee that I'm not like this poor, deceived, and naked bubba."
**************
Footnotes:
God's attitude toward those whom sin:"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23
"For you are not a God that has pleasure in wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with you. The foolish shall not stand in your sight: you hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy them that speak lying: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man." Psa. 5: 4-6.
"But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8
Regarding our attitudes toward others whom sin:
"After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which are in heaven:..." "... forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,... Amen."
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, you heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Mat. 6:9-15, (in part.)
"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus said unto him, I say not unto you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." Mat. 18:21-22.Notice that repentance is not a condition for the forgiveness of others. At his crucifixion, Christ did not ask his Father to forgive only those who had repented. Repentance is by the individual toward God.
"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Lk. 6:44
"But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." Jas. 3:8-10.
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