For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires…” vs. 3
2 Timothy 4:1-5
Early Christian leaders were aware of how fickle their congregations could be. Charismatic preachers traveled from city to city with messages that were confusing and misleading. Often their teaching undermined the centrality of Christ and provided alternate perspectives on the way of salvation. Only by focusing on Jesus and the message of the cross could pastors keep their little congregations from being divided. Through the centuries there has been no shortage of such divisive teaching in the church, and we can see it clearly in our time in the work of those who would like to merge the teachings of Christianity with the widely held belief in American exceptionalism. Powerful politicians are joining forces with evangelical Christians to promote America as a Christian nation. For those who love Jesus and who love America this sounds like a reasonable proposal, but one of our country’s guiding principles has always been the separation of church and state. History teaches us that any merger of religion and country will always breed oppression and division. What a blessing it is to live in a nation in which all faiths are respected and honored! It’s in this setting that those who love Jesus can worship and serve to their hearts delight. How sad it would be for that ideal to be undermined!
Thought for the Day: What is it like to have itchy ears?
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