John 21:21-23, “Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?”
This is an important Scripture to understand. The disciples misunderstood
what Jesus' said. So often people misunderstand and misquote other people.
Many Christians misquote the Scriptures, and in so doing misrepresent God.
It is very easy to take the Bible out-of-context and put words into God's
mouth that He did not say.
Jesus told Peter that if He wanted John to live until He returned, what did it matter to Peter? Rumor circulated that Jesus had said John wouldn't die, but that's not what Jesus said. Jesus simply said, what is it to you if I want John to live until I return? There are a few important truths to be learned here:
- Learn to listen carefully.
- Learn to speak carefully.
- Be careful not to misquote others.
- Be careful about repeating what you hear until you verify it first.
This passage of Scripture is a good lesson to be learned against the damage caused by gossiping. The brethren were innocently circulating a lie. We're all guilty of it. May we all be careful in this area of repeating what we hear. The Lord did not say what they were attributing to His lips. Jesus simply told Peter to mind his own business. A false doctrine was spread around town that Jesus said John wouldn't die before He returned, but that's not what Jesus said. God is the most misquoted Person in the world. People are always attributing false teachings to God.
Anyone can twist the Bible and claim that God said it, but that doesn't make it so. That's why Jesus told us in John 5:39 to personally SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES for ourselves.
Words are important, which is why we ought to raise a ruckus and make a fuss over greedy publishers who keep changing the Bible to copywrite it and make filthy lucre. The English language hasn't changed so much over the past 400-years to justify over 400 new versions of the Bible. Good night in the morning man!
Let us be careful with words, whether the words we hear, the words we write, or the words we speak. Words have the power to start wars, or to end wars. Words have the power to mend marriages, or destroy them. Words have the power of life, or death. Words can promote love and peace, or hatred and war. Words spoken cannot be taken back, as bullets fired from a gun. In fact, words are so important that Jesus promised in Matthew 12:36 that men shall give account on Judgment Day for every idle word spoken (wasted words). If God will hold men accountable for every idle word, then people will certainly give account for unkind, hateful, and lying words!
We live in a morally toxic society today in America surrounded by a multitude of fools who despise God, shun Biblical truth, and couldn't care less about morality. We are living in evil times, as it was prior to the flood of Noah's time (Matthew 24:37-38). All people want to do nowadays is eat, drink, have sex, and party. God means nothing in their daily life, evidenced by people's selfishness, unconcern for others, and woeful lack of truth in their life. I dare say that 1 out of 100 people are born-again Christians (Matthew 7:13-14). And of those who are genuinely saved, I dare say that 1 out of 10 truly love Jesus Christ enough to live for Him, go soul-winning, contend for the Biblical faith, and take a firm stand against sin. Philippians 2:21 tells us that most people didn't care in New Testament times either “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.” It is the sad story of humanity... self, self, self.
Most believers are so choked today by the cares, riches, and pleasures of this earthly life (Luke 8:14) that God's Words mean nothing to them. However, Psalm 138:2 teaches that God magnifies His Word even above His holy name. The reason is because God's name is only as good as God's Word. God keeps His promises!!! One of the things of Jesus Christ's that Philippians 2:21 speaks about is the integrity of God's Words. If God magnifies His Word above His name, then don't you think that we as Christians ought to also magnify God's Word above all? Yes, of course. The Bible is a big deal to God. Most churchgoers think that God is more concerned about praise, music, and worship; but that is not true at all. God is mainly concerned about truth, sound doctrine, and obedience to the Scriptures. I care about what is most important to God, and that is HIS WORD!
Perhaps you didn't realize the importance of Words until reading this article. God magnifies the Bible above His very own name, the name of Jesus Christ. The most important thing to God is HIS WORD, i.e., THE TRUTH. Jesus proclaimed to be the way, the truth, and the life in John 14:6. Jesus said that the truth would set us free, and He is that truth (John 8:32). Jesus said that God cannot be worshipped without the truth (John 4:24). Those who attempt to worship God through manmade traditions are wasting their time (Mark 6:13) and damning themselves to the Lake of Fire (Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 10:3-4).
Nearly all religious people are still hellbound in their sins. They have religion without truth. They have sinful self-righteousness; but they do NOT have the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (which only comes by childlike faith apart from all works of self-righteousness and religious devotion). The Pope speaks lies, doctrines of devils; yet foolish Catholics are taught to believe that the Pope speaks ex cathedra (i.e., it is as if God Himself is speaking). If you believe that the Pope speaks for God, then you have serious issues my friend. The Pope is a big sinner like anybody else, and so is your phony Catholic priest!
You had better burn your hell-spawned Catechism and allow the Lord Jesus Christ to open your eyes to the truth. Religion wants to fit you with glasses, to help you see God through the filter of religion; but the Lord wants to open your eyes. Jesus plainly warned in Matthew 5:20, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The reason why Jesus said this is because the religious Pharisees only had self-righteous religion. They rejected Christ completely, as do followers of Islam and Judaism today. It is tragic that 2,000-yearsb after the Jews rejected their King, most of them still do so today. Judaism blatantly rejects Jesus as the Messiah. The messiah they will accept is the Antichrist when he comes. Unbelievable, but true!
If you are not sure whether Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, then you have never been saved. You either believe or you don't. I believe and am trusting Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who forgave my sins and set me free over 30-years ago by faith! John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
