Should a Christian Tithe?

Posted on March 12, 2025 by russellmckinney

Allow me to begin with a list of prominent preachers, pastors, theologians, Christian apologists, and Christian authors, ranging from the early days of the church up through today. Here goes:

  1. Justin Martyr (AD 100-AD 165): early church apologist, founder of a Christian school
  2. Irenaeus (AD 130-AD 202): early church Bishop, apologist
  3. Tertullian (AD 150-AD 225): early church apologist
  4. Origen (AD 185-AD 254): early church scholar, theologian, writer
  5. John Wycliffe (1330-1384): theologian, Bible translator, reformer, professor
  6. John Huss (1369-1415): excommunicated Catholic priest, theologian, reformer
  7. Martin Luther (1483-1546): theologian, leader of the Protestant Reformation
  8. John Wesley (1703-1791): missionary, preacher, founder of Methodism
  9. Matthew Henry (1662-1714): pastor, legendary commentator
  10. Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892): pastor, often called “The Prince of Preachers”
  11. C.I. Scofield (1843-1921): pastor, theologian, author of the Scofield Reference Bible
  12. G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945): pastor, evangelist, commentator
  13. C.S. Lewis (1898-1963): author (The Chronicles of Narnia, etc.), theologian, apologist
  14. J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988): pastor, radio minister, commentator
  15. F.F. Bruce (1910-1990): professor, author
  16. William MacDonald (1917-2007): author, commentator, Christian college president
  17. Charles Ryrie (1925-2016): professor, theologian, author of the Ryrie Study Bible
  18. James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000): pastor, theologian, radio minister
  19. John MacArthur (1939-present): pastor, radio minister, commentator
  20. John Piper (1946-present): pastor, author, theologian, seminary chancellor

Impressed? You should be, and you would be if you knew the full extent of the roles these men have played in the history of Christianity. They didn’t all come from the same denomination. They didn’t all hold to exactly the same doctrinal beliefs. And they didn’t all serve Christ in the same capacity. But they did all have one thing in common. Do you know what it was? They didn’t teach tithing. (By the way, my thanks to tithing.com for compiling such a list.) 

To tithe is to give a tenth, which means that a “tithe” is a “tenth.” The average Christian in America has heard plenty of sermons on tithing, so much so that he doesn’t think he needs to ever hear another one. However, that average Christian has probably never heard just exactly what the Bible does teach on the subject.

Let’s begin by looking at Leviticus 27:30-34, a passage that describes a tithe God commanded the people of Israel to pay each year. These verses say:

‘And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.’ These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai. (N.K.J.V.)

Okay, so God was to receive one-tenth of every kind of harvest and herd in Israel. Deuteronomy 12:5-7 tells us that each Israelite was to bring this tithe to the Tabernacle. Later on, the Jewish Temple was built to replace the Tabernacle, and the tithe was then to be brought there. Malachi 3:10 mentions “the storehouse,” which was a room in the Temple that was used for storing the tithes of crops and animals.

But what was this tithe used for? According to Numbers 18:21-24 it was used as provisions for the Levites who ministered in the Tabernacle/Temple. This explains why this tithe is known as “the Levite’s tithe.” In a very real way, it was God’s Old Testament way of taking care of the minister. For the record, the Levites themselves had to pay a tithe on the offerings that were brought to them. They paid this tithe by offering up a tenth of the offerings as a heave offering and then giving that offering to Israel’s High Priest. This is all explained in Numbers 18:25-32.

Of course, when the Old Testament talks about tithing, the focus is usually placed on things other than money, things such as herds, grain, fruits, and possessions. Job was the richest man in the East, but Job chapter 1 describes his wealth in terms of 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large household. This brings up a major problem with trying to tithe today: To completely pay a true tithe, a tenth of more than just your money would be involved.

Similar to the description of Job’s wealth, our text passage of Leviticus 27:30-34 passage describes tithing one’s flocks and herds. The Jews would line up their animals in single file and mark each tenth animal with a rod dipped in a colored substance. This is what God means by “whatever passes under the rod” (N.K.J.V.). The point is, God was to get each tenth animal. And what happened if a Jew got caught trying to manipulate the lining up so that his best animal didn’t end up tenth in line? God said, “If a man tries that, then I get the animal that should have been tenth in line and the animal that was actually placed tenth in line.”

You might also have noticed that the passage mentions the possibility of a tither redeeming (buying back) some of his tithes. What’s that all about? Well, let’s say that a Jew wanted to keep for himself something that he should otherwise use as part of his tithe. That tither could “buy back” that something from God. He did this by bringing the full value of the thing and then adding one-fifth of that value. In other words, the tither had to bring 100% of the thing’s value and then add an extra 20%.

And now, before we leave this passage let me pull one last point from it. Please don’t miss the fact that the passage’s last verse says these commandments are ones which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai. You see, this commandment to tithe is found in the book of Leviticus, and it was a part of God’s law for the people of Israel. Don’t try to make it God’s command to anybody else. All of the Bible was written for us, but not all of the Bible was written to us. We Gentiles are not Jews, and we do not live under Jewish law.

So, now we have looked at one tithe the Old Testament Jews were to bring. That tithe was brought to the Tabernacle/Temple and went to the upkeep of the Levites who ministered in the Tabernacle/Temple. But did you know that the Jews’ tithing didn’t stop at the paying of that one tithe? To read about a second tithe that God commanded them to bring, let’s look at Deuteronomy 14:22-26, which says:

“You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.” (N.K.J.V.)

These verses describe a second round of tithing the Jews were to pay each year. But whereas the first tithe went to the Levites, this second tithe was enjoyed by the tither himself. He and his household were to go to the Tabernacle/Temple with this tithe and eat a feast out of the tithe. That’s why this second tithe is known as “the festival tithe.”

Here again, though, we see some of the complexities involved with true tithing. The Jew was to pull this tithe from his flocks as well as his yearly harvests of grain, new wine, and oil. He was to load it all up and, with his family, make the journey to the Tabernacle/Temple. If, however, he lived too far away to allow for the safe transport of the tithe, he could sell the tithe for money, make his journey to the Tabernacle/Temple, and there buy whatever his heart desired to ensure that his family’s time of feasting from this tithe was a joyous, celebratory time.

Okay, what categories of yearly tithing have we covered thus far? We’ve covered “the Levitical tithe” and “the festival tithe.” Now, would you believe the Old Testament law commanded a third tithe? This third tithe was not a yearly one, but it was to be paid at the end of every third year. We read about it in Deuteronomy 14:27-29, which says:

“You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you. At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates.  And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.” (N.K.J.V.)

At the end of every third year, the Jew was to bring a special tithe to a designated place in his home city or town. Once there, this tithe went to feed the local Levites. The Levites operated in rotating shifts at the Tabernacle/Temple, and they had homes when they weren’t on duty. Just as they were supported by the Levitical tithe when they were on duty at the Tabernacle/Temple, they were supported by this third-year tithe when they were at home, not on duty.

Also, this third-year tithe went to support the needy strangers, fatherless, and widows of the city or town. Therefore, this tithe is known as “the poor tithe.” It was different from the other two tithes in that it was only paid once every three years and wasn’t to be taken to the Tabernacle/Temple. It was, instead, to be taken to the designated place in the city or town.

Well, by now, I trust that you are beginning to see that tithing under the Old Testament law was complex. First, the tithes involved a tenth of not just money but also livestock, oil, wine, fruit, and grain. Second, the tithing got to be much more than 10% because God required at least two tithes each year and a third tithe every third year.

What this means is that we grossly oversimplify a very complex system when we say, “If you make $600 a week, you should put $60 in church.” Furthermore, God pronounced a curse upon the nation of Israel if the Jews weren’t faithful regarding their tithes. This curse manifested itself by way of failed crops and empty harvests (Malachi 3:8-12). Does anybody want America to be held to that same bar of judgment today? I certainly don’t.

Thankfully, however, we are not held to that same bar of judgment. As scriptural evidence of this, let’s shift gears now by looking at what the New Testament has to say about giving. We find it in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. The backdrop for these verses involves the dire financial straits in which the Christians in Jerusalem found themselves at that time. The situation was so desperate that it led the apostle Paul to ask the various churches to which he ministered if they would take up a love offering for those Christians. As part of the closing section to his letter we know as the book of 1 Corinthians, he calls this love offering “the collection for the saints” and says to the church of Corinth:

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. (N.K.J.V.)

What’s important to see here is that Paul doesn’t say to those Christians of Corinth, “Bring your tithe to church on Sunday and let it count towards the love offering for the Christians in Jerusalem.” Actually, the truth is, you can search high and low but you will not find any New Testament passage where Christians are commanded to tithe. The reason is easy to understand: The tithe was a part of God’s law for Israel, and Christians do not live under that law. Paul himself frequently talked about Christian giving (1 Corinthians 9:1-14, 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:8-15, 9:6-15; Philippians 4:15-20; and 1 Timothy 6:17-19), but he never used the word “tithes.” (The only possible exceptions would be a handful of references to Old Testament tithing from the book of Hebrews, if indeed Paul was the unnamed author of Hebrews.)

And so, what is the New Testament’s standard of giving? It is giving in accordance with one’s prosperity. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 16:2, “…let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper…” Some people prefer the old K.J.V. rendering, which says: “…as God hath prospered him…”

We see this same standard of giving taught in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, which is another passage from Paul. This time he says to those Christians of Corinth:

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (N.K.J.V.)

Here again we find that Paul makes no mention of tithing. What he says is, “Every man should give as he purposes in his heart.” Let it be known, though, that Paul’s intent was to get Christians to be more generous in their giving, not less. We know this because he adds in the solemn reminder: “He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.” That doesn’t sound like a man who is trying to get Christians to give less, does it?

Now, to be fair to those who teach that tithing is mandatory for the Christian, let me mention that there are a couple of Old Testament, pre-law examples of tithing. First, in Genesis chapter 14 the Bible gives us the story of how Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils of a certain battle to Melchizedek, who was God’s priest in those pre-law days. And since that story has nothing to do with the Old Testament law, some take it as evidence that God has always wanted His people to pay a tithe and still does. Really, though, a careful study of Abraham’s life will show that God never instructed him to tithe or practice any kind of regular, systematic tithing.

Second, in Genesis chapter 28 the Bible gives us the story of how Jacob vowed that he would give a tenth of his possessions back to God if God would keep him safe and give him food and clothing as he made his way from Canaan to Padan Aram and back. Again, though, Jacob never practiced any kind of regular, systematic tithing. For that matter, there isn’t even a follow-up passage that says that he kept his vow and paid his promised tithe when he came back to Canaan. I figure that he did, but there is no Bible passage that confirms that he actually did.

What am I saying? I’m saying that God never commanded anybody to regularly and systematically tithe until He built that command into that body of law that He gave to the people of Israel. I’m saying that the Jews were the only people who were ever commanded to tithe.

Along these same lines, I should mention that Jesus spent His earthly life as a Jew living under Israel’s law. Therefore, it isn’t one bit surprising to find Him saying to the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:23:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” (N.K.J.V.)

Someone says, “Aha, right there it is. Jesus said the paying of tithes ought to be done.” Yes, He did say that, but He said it to Jews who, like Himself, were living under the Old Testament law. Everything would change following His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

Christian, Jesus doesn’t want you to live under any kind of forced legalism involving tithing. What He wants you to do is make Him Lord of every penny and possession you have. He wants you to seek His will in where to work, what to buy, what to finance, and (yes) how much to give as an offering. You don’t even have to have a fixed, set amount that you always give as an offering. Just as some weeks or months will be tougher than others, there will surely be some weeks or months when you will be able to give more than a tithe. The key is to get in tune with the Lord on this matter of giving and let Him guide you concerning every offering.

You see, when you come to a right understanding of New Testament giving, you can begin to approach your giving in an entirely different way. For example, when you get your car paid off, you won’t just immediately start looking for a new one and a new payment. Why not? It’s because God might burden you to drive that paid-off car for a while and have a season of putting more money in church. Or, when you finally get your house paid off, God might say to you, “Now I want you to really bump up your offering.”

As we all know, there are ebbs and flows to life, and if you are hopelessly tied to the idea of always giving a tenth, you will sometimes give more than God wants you to give and sometimes less than He wants you to give. I do believe that a tenth can be a good general reference point for how much you should give, but it shouldn’t be an end-all-be-all kind of deal. Don’t allow yourself to become a robot in your giving, always stoically paying your weekly or monthly tithe like you’d pay your union dues or property taxes. God wants you to become much more spiritually minded with your giving as you join Him on the great adventure that He calls the financial part of your life.

You say, “But Russell, if I based my giving on what you are describing, I would have to THINK about what to give and PRAY about it.” YES, THAT’S THE IDEA! Now you’re getting it! Never forget that Christianity is about liberty, not legalism. We’ve got far too many man-made rules in our churches today, and I’m sad to report that the rule of tithing is one of them.

Posted in Giving, Money, The Old Testament Law, Tithing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jesus: The Unkept Hippie

Posted on March 10, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #7)

Johnny Paycheck was a country music star who had his biggest success in the 1970s. He was most famous for his hit Take This Job & Shove It, which went to #1 on the country charts in 1977. That song was such a commercial success that in 1981 it inspired a major Hollywood movie by the same name.

Paycheck will always be associated with that song, but he did have lesser hits, some of which were I’m the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised), Me & the I.R.S., and D.O.A. (Drunk On Arrival). Can you spot a theme in all of those titles? Yes, Paycheck was a major player in the “outlaw country” movement of the 1970s. He was right up there with Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. I remember all this because my dad and mom, uncle and aunt, and a whole lot of other people I knew listened to country music back then.

In 1979, Paycheck released the single The Outlaw’s Prayer. The first time I heard it was on a Country Music top 40 countdown when I was 12 or 13. The song told the story (perhaps autobiographical but more likely fiction) of a Sunday morning in Fort Worth, Texas, after Paycheck and his band had played a Saturday night show there. As the song’s story went, Paycheck had some time to kill that Sunday morning before catching a flight that afternoon. So, he went for a walk around town and soon found himself standing right in front of a large downtown church. He could hear the singing and decided to step inside and enjoy the service. He hardly got past the door, however, before a young man walked over to him and said, “Excuse me, sir, but I can’t let you in with that big black hat, those jeans, that beard, and that long hair.”

After leaving the church, Paycheck got down on his knees on the curb outside the church and prayed what the song calls “The Outlaw’s Prayer.” The “prayer” touches upon many of the common themes that “outlaw” types typically hold against churches: one stained glass window from the church could feed a poor wino’s family for years, some of the ladies in the choir had been drinking beer and dancing at Paycheck’s show the night before, John the Baptist wouldn’t be welcomed into such a church, people should be judged by what’s in their heart, etc. The closing words of the prayer/song are as follows:

Oh, by the way, Lord, right before they kicked me out, didn’t I see a picture of you with sandals and a beard? Believe you had long hair too. Well, this is Paycheck signing off. I’ll be seein’ you Lord, I hope.

Ah, there He is, Jesus the unkept hippie! He has long hair, a beard, and wears sandals. And since He doesn’t worry about His own appearance, He doesn’t care about anyone else’s either. All He is interested in is the heart.

Okay, let’s start with the sandals. Assuming that Jesus wore them, why did He do it? Well, surely it was simply because that was what EVERYBODY in that culture wore. I really don’t think that Jesus meant for sandals to be viewed as more spiritual than other shoes. I figure that if He had preached the Sermon on the Mount at a basketball game, He would have worn sneakers.

And what about Jesus’ beard? Oh, there’s no doubt that He had one. The gospels don’t say anything about it, but Isaiah 50:6 is a Messianic verse that speaks of the Messiah (Jesus) having His beard plucked out. So, yes, Jesus had a beard. Most Jewish men of that day did. As is the case with the sandals, though, Jesus having a beard doesn’t mean that a beard is a mark of deeper spirituality.

Now let’s get to the hair. I have to assume that all those Renaissance artists who depicted Jesus in painting after painting had never read 1 Corinthians 11:14, where Paul asks the question, “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?” (N.K.J.V.) Frankly, that verse can be spun only so many ways. I’ll concede that we might debate just exactly what length constitutes “long” hair. For example, long hair in the Marines Corps is different than long hair in other settings. Nevertheless, with that being understood, it really isn’t all that difficult to discern whether or not a male’s hair is long enough to bring dishonor to him. Furthermore, if a man truly wants to be on the right side of God concerning his hair, he should miss short rather than miss long. This is not a hard concept.

But what about this business of God looking upon a person’s heart as opposed to the person’s appearance? Well, there’s no doubting the scriptural validity of that principle. Remember that God said to the prophet Samuel as Samuel was looking for Israel’s next king, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, N.K.J.V.). What I resent, though, is the implication that a right heart has such a difficult time producing acceptable attire, a neat beard, and a haircut worthy of a Christian. Does the old saying, “Come to Jesus and He’ll clean you up” apply only to thoughts, words, and deeds? Isn’t there some room in there for personal hygiene, appearance, and clothes?

Consider the following two passages from the New Testament:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2, N.K.J.V.)

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17, N.K.J.V.)

In regards to the Romans 12:1-2 passage, presenting your body as a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God must have a direct bearing on what you do with your body, what you put in your body, and what you put on your body. Likewise, in regards to the Colossians 3:17 passage, those words “whatever” and “all” must include the way you dress, the way you wear your hair, etc. Again, this is not a hard concept.

You see, before you start cultivating the “unkept hippie” look in honor of Jesus and tolerating everything in His name because your Jesus is so cool, laid back, and accepting, you’d do well to study the Bible. It could be that all those pictures you’ve seen of Jesus depicted Him wrongly. For that matter, even if they depicted Him correctly, you might still be reading far too much into Jesus’ appearance and clothing. What I mean is, just because He looked a certain way doesn’t mean that He thought a certain way. His looks could have been nothing more than the product of the culture in which He lived.

Johnny Paycheck’s career was seriously derailed in 1989 when, after several years of losing appeals, he was sentenced to a medium-security prison on the charge of aggravated assault. The charge stemmed from a 1985 bar fight in which Paycheck had shot a man, wounding the man’s ear. Paycheck ended up serving two years of a nine-year sentence before the rest of the sentence was commuted by Ohio governor, Richard F. Celeste. Just prior to the beginning of his prison term, Paycheck became a born-again Christian and quit alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.

If Paycheck’s salvation was genuine — and I have no reason to believe it wasn’t — his soul went straight to heaven at the moment of his death on February, 19, 2003, at the age of 64. Paycheck may have been a rebel in life, but there are no rebels in heaven. So, if he’s there, he’s not rebelling any more.

If Paycheck could speak to us today, I wonder how he would rate The Outlaw’s Prayer. Would he stand by it? Would he change it up some? Would he discard it altogether? I don’t know, but what I do know is that thinking of Jesus as an unkept hippie, complete with a hippie’s lax attitudes and low standards, does a real disservice to the infinitely holy King of King and Lord of Lords.

There’s no doubt that some Christians really are too uptight and persnickety in their efforts to please Jesus. And, unfortunately, these types tend to become the gatekeepers of the local church. On the other hand, though, there’s also no doubt that other Christians are far too laid back and hip when it comes to serving Jesus. Somewhere in it all there is a balance that we should strike, a balance of which the Lord approves. So, that being the case, all I can say is, here’s hoping that each of us find it.

Posted in Balance, Church, Church Attendance, Discernment, Discipleship, Dress and Appearance, Personal, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Salvation, Sanctification, Series: "The Jesus You Know" | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus: The Conservative Icon

Posted on March 7, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #6)

Ed Dobson was about as conservative as conservative gets. In 1979, when Rev. Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority (a Religious Right conservative movement that helped Ronald Reagan win the presidency in a landslide), Dobson was one of Falwell’s top lieutenants. In the years prior to and after 1979, Dobson served in a wide variety of roles for Falwell. He was a teacher and administrator at Falwell’s Liberty University, an associate pastor at Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church, a founding member of the board of Moral Majority, the editor of Falwell’s Fundamentalist Journal, and one of the ghost-writers of Falwell’s book, The Fundamentalist Phenomenon. 

By the mid-1980s, however, Dobson had begun to grow disillusioned with the Religious Right’s brand of Christian conservatism, particularly the basic assumption that cultural problems could be fixed by means of politics. In 1987, he left politics altogether and became the senior pastor of the non-denominational Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There he led the church to reach out in Christian love to the area’s homosexual community and provide care for Aids patients. He still believed the Bible’s teaching that homosexuality was a sin, but he was burdened to offer homosexuals an experience with Christians that was based upon love and dialogue rather than hate and name-calling. Ironically, years later in 2013, his own son Daniel would come out as gay.

In 1999, Dobson coauthored a book, Blinded by Might, with Cal Thomas, another prominent former member of the Moral Majority. Even though the book was quite critical of Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority, Dobson eased up a bit after Falwell’s death in 2007, saying in an interview for Christianity Today magazine, “I was an outspoken critic of Jerry Falwell and others. Recently, I’ve changed my mind. I think he was doing what he felt God was leading him to do, and I was doing what I felt God was leading me to do. The ultimate judgment is up to God, not me or Jerry.”

In 2000, at age of 50, Dobson was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and told he had 2-5 years to live. Following the diagnosis, he sat down and made a list of everyone he had ever offended. Then he began working through the list and asking forgiveness from each person. He resigned as the pastor of Calvary Church in 2005 but continued to defy expectations for how long he had to live. In 2008, he accepted the unpaid, voluntary role of Vice-President for Spiritual Formation at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

It was along about that same time that he devoted himself to a full year of trying to eat what Jesus ate, pray as Jesus prayed, observe the Jewish Sabbath and other Jewish holy days, and basically just live as Jesus lived. From that experience came a book, The Year of Living Like Jesus. But Dobson’s time at Cornerstone wasn’t without controversy. In late December of 2008 and early January of 2009, he came under fire for admitting in multiple media outlets, including a television interview on Good Morning America, that he had voted for Barack Obama in the recent presidential election and had drunk alcohol during his year of living like Jesus. Those two admissions were downright shocking to conservative Christians.

In a written response to his critics, Dobson explained that his vote for Barack Obama was based upon his pro-life belief, not in spite of it. He wrote: “I am pro-life before birth and pro-life after birth…For me, being pro-life includes not only the protection of the unborn but also how we treat people who are already born.” But he also wrote, “…I have little faith in politicians of either party. The real work of reducing abortions and extending love and compassion to the poor and oppressed should be done by those who are devoted followers of Jesus.”

As for Dobson’s defense of his consumption of alcohol, he said, “Jesus himself was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard. Obviously, he was neither! But he did eat food, and he did drink wine. He did frequent parties with tax collectors and sinners. So part of my journey was to try and emulate Jesus in this way.”

Ed Dobson died on December 26, 2015, just a few days shy of his 66th birthday. But the right-wing brand of Christian conservatism that he led and left in the 1980s is still very much alive and well. The problem is that now it’s so in bed with American nationalism, capitalism, consumerism, and the Republican party that it’s oftentimes hard to draw lines of distinction at all.

Lest you think that I am a liberal infidel for making such a statement, you might want to read my blog posts on the social issues of our day. By doing this you’ll find that I’m pro-life, anti-abortion, and anti-homosexuality. Furthermore, I am a registered Republican who usually votes Republican.

At my core, though, I’m a devout, discerning Christian, and that fact compels me to say that the Jesus that many conservatives are now presenting is a distorted savior. He’s disturbingly American, disturbingly white, disturbingly enamored with wealth, disturbingly unconcerned with the plight of the poor and the sick, disturbingly at ease with win-at-all-costs politics, disturbingly hypocritical when it comes to sexual sin, disturbingly paranoid about losing His place at the head of the table, disturbingly obsessed with guns and military might, and disturbingly unconcerned with the evangelization of the entire world.

This brings me back to Ed Dobson. He’s in heaven now, but I’d love to pick his brain on where things stand these days in regards to conservative Christianity’s relationship to American politics. Frankly, I think he saw the handwriting on the wall in the 1980s as to where it was all headed. And unlike Jerry Falwell and others, he just couldn’t make that direction mesh with the Jesus he read about in the Bible. So, he broke rank and charted a new course for himself, one that he felt would allow him to not only draw closer to his Savior but better serve Him.

Falwell is heaven now too, I figure, and I smile at the thought of him and Dobson enjoying eternity together. For that matter, the rest of us Christians will be there too one day. I guess that’s when we will all at last get this “Jesus thing” down pat. Until then, though, I hope you will join me, Christian, in admitting that trying to live for Jesus in this fallen world can get tricky sometimes. You see, if you can at least admit that, there’s hope for you when it comes to walking the fine line between serving Jesus and settling for the American, politicized, whitened, Republican, conservative version of Him.

Posted in Current Events, Discipleship, God's Work, Ministry, Personal, Politics, Preaching, Racism, Series: "The Jesus You Know" | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jesus: The Cosmic Santa Claus

Posted on March 5, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #5)

I was licensed to preach in October of 1992 and formally ordained into the ministry in February of 1993. Upon my ordination, I began my first pastorate. So, if we do the math, I have been preaching for a lot of years now.

Over the course of those years, I have watched and listened as the so-called “prosperity preachers” and “health-and-wealth preachers” of the Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations have absolutely dominated religious programming. Seriously, it can be hard to find any other type of message on religious television, especially Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

That message has been described as “name it and claim it” or “gab it and grab it.” It also goes by the titles the “word of faith” and “positive confession.” Whatever you call it, what it does is turn Jesus Christ into a cosmic Santa Claus. Do you need healing? Jesus is your man. Do you want to be rich? Jesus can get you there.

You see, according to the proposed logic, it’s already God’s will for you to have these things, even before you ask for them. The only reason you don’t have them now is that Satan has stolen them from you, and you must reclaim what is rightfully yours. To do that, all you need to do is put your trust in Jesus, claim your request by speaking it to Him in faith, and then sit back and watch Jesus do for you.

Now, to be fair, these preachers do cite various passages of scripture in their attempts to justify their doctrine. I mean, it’s not like they don’t use the Bible in their preaching. The problem is, they can only find texts that can be twisted, distorted, or misapplied to back up their faulty system of theology. All other texts are pretty much deemed not worthy for discussion. Here is a list of ten of the classic passages these preachers use (each passage as it is translated in the New King James translation):

  1. John 10:10 (used to show that Satan has stolen our health and prosperity): “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
  2. Isaiah 53:5 (used to claim healing in Jesus’ name): But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
  3. 2 Corinthians 8:9 (used to claim that Jesus wants us all to be rich): For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
  4. 3 John 1:2 (used to claim that Jesus wants us all to be wealthy and healthy): Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
  5. John 14:13-14 (used to claim that all we have to do to receive our desires is to ask for them in Jesus’ name): “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
  6. Mark 11:23-24 (used to claim that miracles simply have to be claimed, spoken into existence, and believed for): “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
  7. Luke 18:29-30 (used to claim that sacrificing for Jesus produces material rewards on earth): So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
  8. Proverbs 18:21 (used to claim that a word spoken in faith has special powers): Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
  9. Luke 18:40-41 (used to claim that the question Jesus asked of the blind beggar is the same one He asks each of us): So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”
  10. James 4:2c (used to claim that all we have to do is ask Jesus in faith for what we want): …Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

While every prosperity/health-and-wealth preacher knows these passages (and some similar ones), there is a bit of diversity in how the core doctrine is presented. For example, Kenneth Copeland and others teach that each Christian is nothing less than a “little god” (Copeland’s term) whose words spoken in faith carry the creative power of the divine. On the other hand, there is Richard Roberts, who focuses on “sowing a seed” in faith to claim your miracle. By the way, sowing that seed typically involves sending a donation to the Roberts ministry. And then there is Joel Osteen, who focuses on the power of positive (or “possibility”) thinking. As Osteen has said, “When the negative thoughts come — and they will; they come to all of us — it’s not enough just to not dwell on it. You’ve got to replace it with a positive thought.”

Just between you and me, I don’t like speaking or writing against the prosperity/health-and-wealth gospel. I don’t like it because it makes me sound like I think Jesus wants every Christian to be poor and sick. No, I don’t think that. My point is that we simply cannot run off so wild with this line of preaching and its pet verses that we get out of the banks of the Bible. And, for the record, here are ten Bible facts that flatly contradict the prosperity/health-and-wealth gospel:

  1. Jesus was not wealthy during His earthly life. (Luke 9:57-58)
  2. Jesus warned against the dangers of wealth. (Matthew 6:19-20; 19:23-24)
  3. The apostles lived lives of poverty. (1 Corinthians 4:9-13)
  4. The early Christians were often poor. (Revelation 2:8-9)
  5. Paul warned against the dangers of wealth. (1 Timothy 6:3-10)
  6. James warned against the dangers of wealth. (James 5:1-6)
  7. Paul was not cured of his physical infirmities. (Galatians 4:13-15)
  8. Paul left his friend Trophimus sick. (2 Timothy 4:20)
  9. Even Jesus didn’t heal everyone with whom He came into contact. (John 5:1-3)
  10. Satan isn’t the only cause of sickness and physical ailments. (Exodus 4:11)

In the end, as with most things about understanding the Bible rightly and serving Jesus correctly, what we need is balance. Like I said, I don’t believe the Lord wants every Christian to be poor and sick. Likewise, I’m sure that He wants us to keep a positive attitude about our walk with Him, make our requests to Him in faith, and look to Him to fix our problems, whether those problems be physical, monetary, or something else. But to turn Jesus into a cosmic Santa Claus that is required to grant our entire wish list as long as we bring it to Him in just the right way? That’s not scriptural. And how do we know it’s not scriptural? We know it because because the same Bible the prosperity/health-and-wealth preachers use to promote their doctrine can be used just as easily (even more so) to prove that the doctrine is false.

Posted in Balance, Belief, Bible Study, Covetousness, Desires, Doctrine, Faith, Giving, God's Will, God's Word, Money, Needs, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Preaching, Problems, Prosperity, Scripture, Series: "The Jesus You Know", The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus: The Compassionate Liberal

Posted on March 3, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #4)

It is remarkable how Jesus can be so many different things to so many different people. Thus far in this series, we’ve seen Him as the white supremacist’s sanction for segregation and the black Christian’s historical deliverer. Now, with this post, we’ll see Him as the liberal’s perfect example of compassion. And, by the way, please let the record show that I use the term “liberal” not in a derogatory way but simply as an expression of the individual’s beliefs. Truth be told, I’d hate to live in a world that only consisted of conservatives. We need both groups — liberals and conservatives — to keep us balanced.

America is currently fraught with hot-button political issues that are centered around individuals who don’t typically fit into the template of the mainstream. I’m talking about issues ranging from welfare reform and illegal immigration to the rights of homosexuals and transgenders. And while there are scores of conservatives who quote the Bible to support their positions on these issues, there are also plenty of liberals who evoke the example of Jesus to support their positions.

As these liberals view Jesus, compassion is His singular characteristic and tolerance is His driving motivation. As such, Jesus the compassionate liberal would freely give money to every poor person regardless of the individual’s work ethic or current circumstances. He would never force an immigrant who had entered America illegally to return to his or her native country. He would never pass a law that limited the rights of the homosexual or the transgender person. He would never side against any individual who was in any way somehow in the minority. Basically, Jesus the compassionate liberal is the great defender of the underdog, champion of the persecuted, and fighter for the bullied.

As for scriptural quotes from Jesus concerning America’s social issues, liberals are certainly not lacking. Here is a list of some of their go-to passages (all quotes from the N.K.J.V. unless otherwise noted):

  • On the subject of war, Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”
  • On the subject of capital punishment, Matthew 5:21: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.” (Liberals have to quote the classic King James translation on this one because all the modern translations use the more precise translation “murder” rather than “kill.”) 
  • On the subjects of homosexuality and transgenderism, Matthew 7:1: “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
  • On the subject of illegal immigration, Matthew 7:12: “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
  • On the subject of showing compassion to one and all, Matthew 22:37-40: Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
  • On the subject of programs for the poor, Matthew 24:34-36: “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”
  • On the subject of excess wealth, Mark 10:25: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
  • On the subject of health care, Luke 14:13-14: “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
  • On the subject of the separation of church and state, Luke 20:25: And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
  • On the subject of mercy shown to anyone caught in sin, John 8:7: So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her (the woman caught in the act of adultery) first.”

Obviously, each of these quotes has merit and should be a part of any discussions concerning these issues. No one is trying to water down Christ’s words. But what liberals willfully overlook is the fact that the same Jesus who uttered each of these quotes is the God who inspired the entire Bible (2 Timothy 3:16). That means that any quote from Jesus that is found in the four gospels must walk hand in hand with the totality of scripture. Putting it simply, it’s wrong to use Jesus’ own quotes against Him as if they are outliers that might seem to contradict the rest of the Bible.

And so, when we come at our list of quotes in this way, we are able to correctly interpret them, understand them, and apply them in a balanced, God-approved way. Let’s take them one at a time:

  • The Jesus who spoke Matthew 5:9 is not only the same God of Israel who sanctioned multiple wars fought by Israel in the Old Testament, He is the same Warrior King who will put to death all of the armies of the world at the Battle of Armageddon that ends the coming tribulation period (Revelation 19:11-21).
  • The Jesus who spoke Matthew 5:21 is not only the same God who deemed several sins to be “death penalty” offenses under the Old Testament law (Exodus 21:12-17; Exodus 22:18-20; Leviticus 20:1-27; etc.), He is the same God who inspired both Paul and Peter to teach the concept of capital punishment in their writings (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14).
  • The Jesus who spoke Matthew 7:1 is the same God who: laid waste to Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:1-29); made homosexuality a capital punishment offense under the Old Testament law (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13); verified the spiritual legitimacy of the Old Testament law (Matthew 5:17-20); reaffirmed the male-female concept of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6); cited the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of people who are eternally judged by God (Matthew 10:15); and inspired Paul and Jude to write against homosexuality (Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 1:7). As for transgenderism, the Old Testament law, which Jesus authored and confirmed, said: “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 22:5).
  • The Jesus who spoke Matthew 7:12 is the same God who: commanded Noah’s descendants to spread across the earth and replenish it after the flood (Genesis 9:1); judged the builders of the Tower of Babel because they were trying to settle down into one region and build a localized kingdom (Genesis 11:1-9); has historically determined the appointed times and boundaries of nations (Deuteronomy 32:8, Nehemiah 9:22, Daniel 2:21; Daniel 4:17,25; Acts 17:26); and ordains governments to enact and enforce laws for the protection of the peoples they represent (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14). Therefore, while the Lord commands us to treat immigrants with compassion (Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 19:33-34; Deuteronomy 10:19), that doesn’t mean that breaking the law in regards to the national borders that He has set should go unchecked. Neither does it mean that the Lord expects a nation to extend all its rights and privileges to immigrants who haven’t entered the nation legally and followed proper procedures to obtain legal standing in it (Ruth 2:10).
  • The Jesus who spoke Matthew 22:37-40 is the same Jesus who didn’t hesitate to twice run the money changers out of the Temple (John 2:13-22; Matthew 21:12-17); referred to those who refused to receive spiritual truth as “dogs” and “swine” (Matthew 7:6); pronounced “woe” upon the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum (Matthew 11:20-24; Luke 10:13-16); called Herod Antipas a “fox” (Luke 13:32); pronounced “woe” upon the scribes and Pharisees and called them “blind guides,” “fools,” “serpents,” and a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:1-36); said that He had come to bring a sword to the earth and set family member against family member (Matthew 10:34-37); and preached that those who wouldn’t repent and believe in Him would perish (Luke 13:1-5; John 3:16-20). Obviously, Jesus’ idea of loving others was a bit different from the mush-and-gush definition that liberals usually attach to it.
  • The Jesus who spoke Matthew 24:34-36 is the same Jesus who said, “For you have the poor with you always” (Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7). He’s also the same God who inspired Paul to teach that if someone will not (not cannot) work, that person should not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). So, while it’s certainly true that the Lord commands us to care for the poor and the needy (Galatians 2:10; James 1:27; James 2:1-16), it’s also true that He expects us to show wisdom, spiritual discernment, and good stewardship in not only who we help but in how we help them.
  • The Jesus who spoke Mark 10:25 is the same God who gives individuals the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18; 1 Samuel 2:8). Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Solomon, and Joseph of Arimathea were all wealthy and used by God. For that matter, even many liberals are very wealthy.
  • The Jesus who spoke Luke 14:13-14 is the same God who inspired Paul and Peter to describe the role of government (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 1:13-16), and it’s noteworthy that neither of them mentions health care as being part of that role. Both teach that a government’s primary role is to protect its citizens, even if that means resorting to the extreme of capital punishment if the situation calls for it. Summing up the Bible’s teaching on the subject, God’s plan is that individuals (especially individual Christians) should voluntarily handle caring for the sick and needy. Of course, I’m not living in a fantasy world where people (and that includes Christians) always do what they are supposed to do in regards to caring for others. Still, though, using Jesus’ words as proof that God wants our government to be in charge of a national health care system that provides services to all is really taking things too far in terms of the context, interpretation, and application of those words.
  • The Jesus who spoke Luke 20:25 is the same God who had a blank slate with which to work in regards to ancient Israel. And what did He initially establish in ancient Israel? He established a theocracy. And what is a theocracy? It’s a system of government in which God Himself is recognized as the supreme ruler over the nation. That’s about as far from a separation of church and state as you can get. Furthermore, Jesus Himself taught His followers that they are the “salt” and “light” of the earth, and that their salt must not lose its flavor or their light be hidden (Matthew 5:13-16). Certainly that teaching extends to the political arena. Actually, if Christians completely abandoned the political arena, America’s moral decline would be much, much worse than it already is.
  • The same Jesus who spoke John 8:7 also told the woman to “go and sin no more” (John 8:12). Clearly, He did not wink at her sin or excuse it. He called it what it was: sin. Yes, in Christ there is forgiveness to be found, but that forgiveness comes with the expectancy that the forgiven will repent of the sin.
Posted in Balance, Capital Punishment, Current Events, Extending Forgiveness, Money, Politics, Scripture, Series: "The Jesus You Know", Stewardship, The Bible, The Death Penalty, The Sermon On The Mount | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus: The Black Deliverer

Posted on February 28, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #3)

I was born October 3rd, 1966, which means that I am very much a product of the 1970s and ’80s. When I was young, one of my favorite television shows was “Good Times,” a sitcom that ran on CBS from 1974 to 1979. For anyone who doesn’t know, “Good Times” was about two black parents (James Evans and his wife Florida) who were raising their three kids (J.J., Thelma, and Michael) in a low-rent Chicago housing project. The show used humor to focus on the decidedly unfunny problems poor black families faced in the 1970s.

The character of J.J., the Evans’ teenage son, was played by comedian Jimmie Walker, who became the breakout star of the show. J.J.’s character was a gifted artist who dreamed of making a living selling his artwork despite the fact that his paintings typically featured images that clashed with the social norms of the day. In one of the show’s most memorable episodes, entitled Black Jesus, J.J. painted a painting that depicted Jesus as a black man. Keep in mind now that this was February of 1974, and this was just the second episode for “Good Times.” Talk about sending a shock wave through a seven-year-old white Southern Baptist sitting in his living room in western North Carolina!

My reaction to J.J.’s black Jesus was neither stunned disbelief nor outright anger. It was simply genuine amazement. I mean, the whole concept of a black Jesus was like something landing from Mars in my living room. I just sat there thinking, “Wow.” It was at that moment that it dawned on me for the first time in my short life that black people were expected to worship a white Savior. (At least, at the time, I thought He was white because of every picture I had ever seen of Him.) Of course, I was far too young back then to process all the differences between white American culture and black American culture, but one thing I did understand was that if Jesus really was black, some white people were in for a big surprise.

I do not, for even one second, condone the institution of slavery. Let me be clear about that. However, God being God, He was able to bring good out of even the wickedness of slavery. And what was that good? It was the fact that thousands of slaves learned about Jesus and believed in Him as Savior by being exposed to the Bible for the first time in their lives. This exposure occurred when they heard their masters read Bible stories or quote passages. As I pointed out in my previous post, many southern Christians before and during the civil war were experts at citing their pet passages in support of slavery. That was the bad. The good was that they also talked about Jesus. As Dr. Lawrence H. Mamiya, Professor of Religion & African Studies at Vassar College, has said:

On the one hand, well, Whites wanted to use Christianity to make slaves docile and obedient. On the other hand, the Africans adapted Christianity for their survival and liberation. 

Even though most masters barred their slaves from attending church or assembling together for any type of worship services, some allowed their slaves to hold slave services. Such a service would oftentimes be led by a slave preacher as long as he did not preach anything smacking of rebellion, uprising, or racial equality. To say that slave preachers had to walk a fine line between offering their congregations something relevant while always staying within the prescribed boundaries is an understatement. And it didn’t help that most slave preachers, no matter how eloquent or dynamic they were in their speaking, were illiterate.

It was this problem of illiteracy that caused Christian slaves to develop a way of praising and worshiping Jesus that did not involve reading and writing. This was the beginning of the negro spirituals. These songs focused on Jesus as the great hero of oppressed people. He was the one who could help you when no one else could. He was the one who could make a way where there seemed to be no way. He was the one who could get you through what you were having to face. He was the one who could help you leave this old world of pain and misery and make it to the promised land of heaven. In this way, whereas white Christians typically thought of Jesus as a Savior, black Christians came to think of Him as a Deliverer.

Jesus the Deliverer is still preached long and hard in most of America’s black churches today. This Jesus can deliver you from drugs. He can deliver you from alcoholism. He can deliver you from poverty. He can deliver you from life in a gang. He can deliver you from a life of crime. He can deliver you from the mess into which you’ve worked yourself.

Do I believe Jesus is black? No, I do not. Do I believe He is white? No, I do not. I feel confident in saying that during His earthly life He looked like a Jew, which means that He was to a large extent racially ambiguous, neither black nor white.

But what about now? What does He look like right now? Well, all I know is, the last person who personally saw the risen, glorified Jesus was the apostle John. That sighting occurred while John was in forced exile on the island of Patmos. And how did John describe Jesus? He said His head and hair were as white as snow, His eyes were like a flame of fire, and His feet were the color of fine brass (Revelation 1:14-15). That’s a description that shows us that Jesus, with all due respect to J.J.’s painting, is above and beyond all racial stereotyping.

John’s description also explains how Jesus can be a Savior that is every bit as important to a black person as He is to a white person. It’s been said that America’s most segregated hour is 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning, and, admittedly, that’s probably true. In eternity, though, there won’t be a service for white folks and a service for black folks. Instead, eternity’s worship services will incorporate all races (black, white, red, yellow, etc., etc., etc.) into one harmonious blend. This is the heaven the old negro spirituals guaranteed, and it’s the one that I’m looking forward to as well.

Posted in Church, Church Attendance, Heaven, Racism, Salvation, Series: "The Jesus You Know", Slavery | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Jesus: The White Supremist

Posted on February 26, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #2)

I was born and raised in Mitchell County, N.C., and have lived here virtually my entire life. The county is small (total population around 15,000) and sits nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountain range that is part of the overall Appalachian Mountain range. The county was formed in 1861, the first year of the Civil War.

Even though we Mitchell County folk speak with a definite twang, we are not part of what is classically defined as “the deep South.” Then again, we aren’t really part of the North, either. We’re just kind of right there in the middle. Not surprisingly, Mitchell was a divided county during the Civil War.

According to one reliable source, the county was home to 771 Confederate soldiers and 84 Union soldiers. A tax list from 1862 lists 65 slaves in the county, which indicates that slavery was an issue. Knowing Mitchell County people the way I do, I have no doubts that the matter of states rights was as well, but the blunt truth is that the primary right the Confederate states fought for was the right to keep slavery legal.

I’ve given you this brief history of my home county as a way of letting you know that I’m not some elitist from the North who doesn’t understand Southern culture or Southern religion. I should probably also mention that I’m currently serving as the pastor of a Baptist Church, which is a part of the Southern Baptist Convention denomination. Believe me, I know something about church in the south.

With all of this in mind, I take no pleasure in reporting that professing Christians in the Confederacy used the Bible to justify slavery and convince themselves that Jesus was with their cause. A primary text they used to teach the racial superiority of the white man was the story of Ham’s incident with his father, Noah (Genesis 9:18-27). As the erroneous interpretation of that story went, God spoke through Noah’s prophecy to curse Ham and decree that all of Ham’s descendants would be consigned to play the role of servants/slaves in the world. Some Confederate Christians even taught that God literally turned Ham into the world’s first black man.

The truth is, though, that a careful reading of the Genesis 9:18-27 story shows that even though it was Ham who committed the sin against Noah, no curse was pronounced upon Ham. Instead, the curse fell upon one of Ham’s son, Canaan. Why? That was God’s way of establishing the historical legitimacy of Israel’s future conquest of the land that came to be known by Canaan’s name and be occupied by his descendants, the Canaanites.

Over time, the term “Canaanites” became an umbrella term used to describe the various races of people who descended from Canaan and settled in that land. According to Deuteronomy 7:1, those races were: the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, and the Canaanites (the race that actually took Canaan’s name and occupied the territory that would become Phoenecia). But were any of those races black? No. Like Middle Eastern people today, their skin color was something between “white” and “black.”

Furthermore, the Genesis story offers no textual evidence whatsoever to support the idea that Noah’s prophetic curse extended to any of Ham’s other three sons. So, while it’s true that the African people can trace their lineage back to Ham (Genesis 10:6-20), it’s not true that every race that ultimately came from Ham through his sons was cursed by God. For that matter, even the curse upon Ham’s son Canaan (and by implication Canaan’s descendants the Canaanites) did not last forever. As evidence of that, a Canaanite harlot, Rahab, became a part of the genealogical line of Jesus (Matthew 1:5; Joshua 2:1-24).

To finish out the correct interpretation of the Ham story, let me tell you that Noah’s prophetic word about Canaan becoming a servant to Shem (Genesis 9:26) was fulfilled in Israel’s conquering of the land of Canaan. Shem’s descendants were, of course, the Israelites (Jews). As for Noah’s word about Canaan becoming a servant to Japheth, that was fulfilled by the eventual conquests of three world powers: the Medo-Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. Each of those races can be traced back to Japheth. You see, it is obvious that Noah’s prophetic word of cursing was fulfilled to completion long before the United States of America even existed, and it had nothing to do with Ham or blacks.

Unfortunately, many of the professing Christians of the Confederacy had other passages they attempted to use to scripturally legitimize slavery. Some of those passages were:

  • Genesis 14:14 and 21:9-10, which speak of Abraham having household servants (slaves)
  • Exodus 20:10 and 17, where manservants (slaves) and maidservants (slaves) are mentioned twice as part of the passage containing The Ten Commandments
  • Exodus 21:20-21, which says that if a man beats his servant (slave) with a rod, but doesn’t beat the servant (slave) to the point of death, the man should not be punished because the servant (slave) is his property
  • Ephesians 6:5-8, where the apostle Paul tells Christian servants (slaves) to be obedient to their masters and Christian masters to treat their servants (slaves) well
  • Colossians 3:22, where Paul tells servants (slaves) to obey their masters in all things
  • The book of Philemon, where Paul sends a runaway slave (Onesimus) back to his master (Philemon)

Furthermore, many of those professing Christians of the Confederacy pointed out that even though Jesus lived His life in the Roman empire, where slavery was widespread, He didn’t specifically preach against slavery. In this way, the Confederates could claim Jesus as their own. All they had to do was stick with quoting their cherry-picked passages and ignore all the other passages that didn’t fit so well with the institution of slavery. Some of those conveniently overlooked passages that could have been used to preach against slavery are:

  • Deuteronomy 23:15-16, where the Old Testament law forbade the oppression of a runaway slave
  • Matthew 7:12, where Jesus says that you should do unto others as you would have them do unto you
  • Matthew 22:39, where Jesus says to love your neighbor as yourself
  • John 3:16, where Jesus extends the offer of salvation to whoever believes in Him
  • Acts 17:26, which says that God has made from one blood every nation of people who dwell upon the earth
  • 1 Corinthians 12:13, which says that all Christians (Jews or Greeks, slaves or free men) have all been baptized into the body of Christ and made to drink from the same Spirit
  • Galatians 3:28, which says that all Christians (Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female) are one in Jesus
  • Titus 2:11, which says that the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men
  • Philemon 1:15-16, where Paul encourages Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a beloved Christian brother rather than a runaway slave
  • 1 John 2:2, which teaches that Jesus was the propitiation for the sins of the whole world

In closing, let me say that the zealous attempts the Confederate Christians made to bring Jesus over to their side of the Civil War are still alive in the white supremist movement of today. Not all white supremacists claim to be Christians, but a sizable percentage of them do. They read the Bible, pray, go to church, and sincerely believe that the order Jesus has ordained for the world puts the white population at the front of the line. All it takes to sustain this belief is a mindset of white superiority, a twisted slant on scripture, and a Jesus who racially discriminates. And, unfortunately for everybody, too many whites seem to have this whole package.

Posted in Current Events, Personal, Racism, Salvation, Series: "The Jesus You Know", Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Does Your Jesus Look Like?

Posted on February 24, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Jesus You Know” series (post #1)

Since none of us have ever seen Jesus face to face, we are left to conjure up our own images of Him in our minds. I myself am still detoxing from a mental image that I formed when I was a child. That image was indelibly stamped into me by a certain picture of Jesus that hung on the wall directly behind the pulpit of my home church.

The picture was more or less a bust shot of Jesus, and it depicted Him as having very long hair that hung way down past His shoulders. The hair was straight, lush, perfectly maintained, and had just a touch of curl to it. The Jesus in the picture had eyes and eyebrows that were blackish brown, and His face was long and narrow, actually quite angular. The long face gave Him the appearance of being tall. Also, He had a well-groomed beard that was thicker over His chin than His jawline, and He was wearing a plain white linen robe or something like that.

The picture’s background setting behind Jesus was a complex mix of soft colors (brown, black, gold, and yellow), and there was just a hint of light that fell upon His face. All in all, it looked like Jesus had scheduled a photography session with a professional photographer and this was an enlarged version of the package’s glossy 8 x 10. Basically, the Jesus in the picture had the handsome, striking features of a model, albeit a long-haired one.

Imagine my surprise then when, years later, I read Isaiah 53:2, a prophetic passage which says of the Messiah:

…He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. (N.I.V.)

Actually, it was this passage that led me to give serious consideration to the famous Shroud of Turin, which purports to be the burial cloth in which Jesus’ crucified body was wrapped. Even though I tend to believe that the Shroud is a brilliantly produced fake, I’ll admit that it does score a few points with me because of the face it depicts. That face is downright odd looking. It is long, squared, and has a big nose. It doesn’t even look particularly Jewish, certainly not like the face of a relatively young Jew who died at the age of 33. Again, I’m not saying that I think the Shroud is authentic. What I’m saying is that the face of the person depicted in the Shroud has a face that seems to match up with Isaiah 53:2.

Of course, I’ve encountered many, many depictions of Jesus since those early years of my childhood. I’ve seen these depictions by way of Sunday School literature, books, magazines, illustrated Bibles, television shows, movies, videos, internet sites, and billboards. But each depiction has had to pass through my mind’s filter of that picture of Jesus that hung behind my home church’s pulpit so many years ago. I guess once you’ve formulated a mental image of Jesus, it’s almost impossible to forget it.

Perhaps this should warn us against having pictures of Jesus hung all over the place in our homes and churches. I suppose there’s even a debate that might be had as to whether or not such pictures violate the second commandment (Exodus 20:4). Even if they don’t, we should at least admit that any pictures of Jesus we download into our brains play a role in how we think He looks. And why is this a problem? It’s a problem because once Jesus looks a certain way to you, you’ll tend to attribute to Him all the personality traits, characteristics, tendencies, favoritisms, and biases that you think a man who looks like that would show.

This, you see, is why the world features so many different versions of Jesus. If your mental Jesus is white, your Jesus primarily cares most about the problems of white people. If He is black, He primarily cares most about the problems of black people. If He is using a whip to drive the money changers from the Temple, He is a military type who rides out to right wrongs. If He is gently carrying or cuddling a lamb, He is an animal rights advocate who cares about animals almost as much as He does people. You get the idea.

This post is the opener in a series I’m calling The Jesus You Know, and in the coming posts I’m going to name and describe several of the versions of Jesus that we find on display today. Even more than just naming and describing those versions, I’ll attempt to offer a layman’s analysis as to some of the catalysts that created each version. So, I hope you will join me for what I believe you’ll find to be an interesting ride. With the next post, we’ll get started with the naming, and until then let me encourage you to examine your own mental image of Jesus. Trust me, you’ve got one, and my guess is that your image of Him affects your expectations of Him.

Posted in Current Events, Favoritism, God's Work, Individuality, Ministry, Missions, Personal, Priorities, Series: "The Jesus You Know" | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Becoming Childlike

Posted on February 21, 2025 by russellmckinney

A man was driving down a treacherous mountain road. Suddenly, a deer bolted out in front of him, causing him to instinctively jerk the steering wheel to his left. The next thing he knew he was headed off a steep cliff. At the last possible second, he bailed out of his truck and barrel rolled toward the cliff. As he headed over the edge, he managed to grab hold of a root that was half sticking out of the side of the mountain. So there he was, hanging for dear life by that root, watching his truck plunge to a fiery crash down below in the gorge.

As he hung there, he cried out for help, hoping against hope that someone would hear him and come to his rescue. Then he heard a voice say, “This is God, and I’m going to help you. I want you to turn loose of that root because My hands are underneath you to catch you. You just have to trust Me.” After thinking about that for a few seconds, the man answered, “Thanks God, but is there anybody else who can help?”

We do have trouble trusting God completely, don’t we? This is one of the reasons why Jesus says in Mark 10:15, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will be no means enter it.” Obviously, since the New Testament is filled with examples of adults getting saved, Jesus didn’t mean that if you don’t get saved when you are a child you will miss your chance. But what He did mean is that in order for you to experience the salvation offered in Him, you must become childlike.

Now, please note that I didn’t say you must become childish. There’s a big difference between being childlike and being childish. So, what does it mean to become childlike? Here’s the answer:

  • A little child is trusting. Small children implicitly trust others to take care of them.
  • A little child is dependent. Small children have no qualms depending on others for help.
  • A little child is simplistic. Small children haven’t lived long enough to learn all the devious, conniving ways of the world.
  • A little child is quick to accept a gift. Adults sometimes have problems accepting gifts because of pride, ego, or whatever, but small children never do. This is important because Ephesians 2:8 describes salvation as a gift. All you can do with a gift is receive it or reject it. The moment you try to do something to earn it, it becomes pay.

You see, all these characteristics come into play when it comes to being childlike. That’s why Jesus taught that it was a requirement for salvation. For that matter, even after you place saving belief in Him and become a Christian, you still need to remain childlike in regards to trusting Him and depending upon Him to meet your needs. The problem we adults have is that, like that fellow hanging from the side of that mountain, we oftentimes have real trouble with the concept of “letting go and letting God.” And so, I’ll just close this post by asking you, “How are you doing right now when it comes to being childlike in regards to your relationship to Christ?”

Posted in Assurance of Salvation, Belief, Children, Doubt, Faith, Fear, God's Provision, Heaven, Needs, Problems, Salvation, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Different Way of Responding to False Accusations

Posted on February 19, 2025 by russellmckinney

How do you respond when someone accuses you falsely? I must confess that my first reaction is to rise to my defense, jump right back at the person, and go for the jugular with my comeback. For me, responding in this way is as natural and instinctive as breathing. It’s how I’m wired.

Unfortunately, my way of responding to false accusations isn’t always God’s way. As Bible proof of this, take the odd story that is found in 2 Samuel 16:5-13. Israel’s King David has been temporarily forced to advocate his throne and flee Jerusalem because of a coup by his treacherous son, Absalom. Consequently, David, his royal staff, and hundreds of his most devoted followers have crossed over the Brook Kidron, just east of Jerusalem, made their way through the Jordan Valley, and ascended over the Mount of Olives. (By the way, David wrote Psalm 3 during this time of forced exile.)

As David and his group draw near to Bahurim, a man named Shimei meets them, throws rocks at them, and curses David prolifically. Shimei, you see, is a descendant of Saul, Israel’s first king, the king whom David had replaced on the throne decades earlier. God had ended not only Saul’s reign but also his life because of Saul’s arrogant, rebellious, sinful ways. Evidently, though, Shimei prefers a revisionist version of his family’s history.

The way Shimei sees things, David had been the cause of all Saul’s troubles and the sole reason why Saul’s kingly line had ended. In keeping with that wrong mindset, he taunts David by calling him some very ugly names. He also tells him that God has delivered the kingdom into Absalom’s hands as a way of bringing all the blood of the house of Saul down onto David’s head. These accusations were especially untrue in light of the fact that David had gone out of his way to spare Saul’s life on at least two occasions when he easily could have killed him and claimed the kingship (1 Samuel 24:1-22; 1 Samuel 26:1-25).

As you might expect, it doesn’t take David’s loyal followers long to grow tired on Shimei’s antics. In particular, Abisha (David’s nephew and one of his bodyguards) says to David, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head” (N.K.J.V.). David, however, declines the offer, and he does so for a strange reason.

David’s assessment is that God Himself has ordered Shimei to come out and curse him, and God might very well use the unjust cursing as justification for repaying David with good. David’s reaction reminds us of Jesus, of whom 1 Peter 2:23 says, “…when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…” (N.K.J.V.). So, David and his group just keep walking, and even as they make their way out of sight, Shimei runs along the hillside after them, continuing to curse them, throw rocks at them, kick up dust, and act like someone crazed.

And did God repay David with good for him quietly enduring Shimei’s false accusation and committing himself to Him who judges righteously? Yes, He did, as David’s exile was very brief, and he soon reclaimed his rightful place on Israel’s throne. This quick return to power was not without cost — Absalom lost his life in the process — but it did show that God was pleased with the way David handled the Shimei incident.

In light of all this, I’m going to close this post by offering an extended quote from A.B. Simpson, the great Canadian preacher, theologian, and denominational founder. This quote is found in the October 6th devotion of the classic devotional book, Streams In the Desert. Simpson does a better job than me at conveying the spiritual lesson that I’m trying to convey. On the subject of the Christian remaining silent and committing his or her cause to God when falsely accused, Simpson says:

What grace it requires when we are misunderstood yet handle it correctly, or when we are judged unkindly yet receive it with holy sweetness. Nothing tests our character as a Christian more than having something evil said about us. This kind of grinding test is what exposes whether we are solid gold or simply gold-plated metal. If we could only see the blessings that lie hidden in our trials, we would say like David, when Shimei cursed him, “Let him curse…It may be that the Lord will…repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today (2 Sam. 16:11-12).”

Some Christians are easily turned away from the greatness of their life’s calling by pursuing instead their own grievances and enemies. They ultimately turn their lives into one petty whirlwind of warfare. It reminds me to trying to deal with a hornet’s nest. You may be able to disperse the hornets, but you will probably be terribly stung and receive nothing for your pain, for even their honey has no value.

Posted in Adversity, Character, Complaining, Criticism, Discipleship, Humility, Justice, Persecution, Perseverance, Personal Holiness, Revenge, Reward, The Tongue, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments