After delivering a
tough, hard to understand message to many disciples, Jesus asked a very simple
question in John 6:61: “Does this offend you?”
There are at least two
ways in which the word “offend” is utilized in the Scriptures; one way is used
to imply that someone is caused to err or stumble (Mark 9:42 - KJV) and the
other is to cause anger or irritation (John 6:61). Modern definitions of “offend” fit both of
these Scriptural usages and allow the context of the word to emphasize which
meaning is being utilized. In fact, “offend”
is defined as:
- To irritate, annoy or anger; cause resentful displeasure in.
- To affect (the sense, taste, etc.) disagreeably.
- To violate or transgress (a criminal, religious, or moral law).
- To hurt or cause pain to.
- (In Biblical use) to cause to fall into sinful ways. [1]
Was Jesus asking if His
own teachings were causing others to fall into sinful ways? The context of the
word tells us that no, He was not saying this.
Therefore, we can only logically conclude that Jesus was asking if they
were irritated or angered by His teachings.
Did this stop Him from teaching? Did this alter the truth of what He
taught?
In many Bible
discussions today, the argument “it isn’t what you said, it was how
you said it” is often utilized.
Essentially, this is a red herring argument (meant to distract from the
topic at hand); too many times discussions degenerate into name calling and
complaints about how things are said or written rather than a thoughtful,
logical, careful study of God’s word.
Generally speaking, this takes place because truth is not actually being
sought, and so complaints are filed about how “harsh” the other person was and
it is said that “if they had only said it nicer
I would have accepted it as the truth.”
Does an honest
examination of the Scriptures support such a view? Many Christians today claim
that only a “nice” approach to teaching the Scriptures is appropriate (and indeed,
sometimes that approach IS what is best for the individual
being taught), and anything other than that is could cause someone to be
offended (fall into sinful ways).
Question for thought: how can we cause someone who is already in sin to
fall into sinful ways?
Obviously, there are
some difficult and hard to understand concepts that Jesus taught in John 6, as
well as some rather harsh rebukes (John 6:26).
Was Jesus rejected simply because He had not presented His message in a
cordial manner? Had Jesus withheld His rebuke of why they sought Him, would He
have been more successful?
Consider Luke 4:16-30. In this passage, Jesus reveals that He was
the fulfillment of a particular prophesy from the book of Isaiah (ironically,
the prophesy regards Jesus healing the brokenhearted, proclaiming liberty, and
many other obviously compassionate activities that Jesus obviously fulfilled in
a spiritual sense). However, Jesus
informs His audience that while He is the fulfillment of this prophesy, that He
would be unable to do so in that particular region (Nazareth) because they
would reject Him. In other words, it was
not that He was unwilling to do these compassionate duties for them, but that
their attitude would cause it to be impossible.
We are then told in 4:28 that the audience was angered by His
words. Were His words too harsh?
Actually, this is an instance in which Jesus seemed to utilize calm, rather
nice words to express His message, and yet the result was actually worse than what
would happen in John 6. While many in
John 6 left Him and would walk no more with Him, the audience in Luke 4
actually make an attempt on His life (Luke 4:28-30).
Jesus obviously employed
a great many different teaching styles throughout His ministry on earth, and
applied appropriate levels of gentleness and/or harshness depending on the
specific needs of His audience. For
Jesus, there was no “one size fits all” approach to teaching and often the
style He used was designed to separate those who were sincerely seeking truth
from those who were not (Matthew 3:12 is a prediction of this and Luke 4 and
John 6 both emphasize this fact).
If this was the method
of Christ, then why do we often assume that our way is better than His? To
assume such is to assume that we are better equipped than the Lord at teaching
His will; do we really want to make such an assumption? Instead of worrying so
much about whether or not we are saying it “nice” enough, we need to worry
about whether we are teaching the truth.
Many today are offended if you even bring up the Bible…do we have the
right to stop using it simply because it offends someone?
Often, Christians are
afraid to make someone sorry for the sin in their lives. Is this the appropriate attitude to have? We
have forgotten what sin is and how disgusting it actually is; the Bible treats
it as a sow going back to the mire and a dog eating vomit…are either of those a
picture of something that isn’t so bad? Christians today must remember that the
Bible should cause an individual to be sorry about the sin in their life, and
THEN to offer them the hope of salvation.
We cannot get it out of order! We do not offer them the hope of
salvation, and then HOPE that they will feel sorry enough to repent! Like Paul,
we as Christians do not rejoice that a person is sorrowful, but that their
sorrow (if godly) leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:8-12).
For those that are not
diligently and honestly seeking the truth, the words of the Bible will always
offend them (irritate and anger them), and it does not matter how nicely it is
said. This point has been illustrated by
a great many Christians who have simply quoted the Bible and added no
commentary, yet have been condemned as unloving and harsh. Should such accusations be taken seriously?
Is such a person making an accusation truly offended (caused to stumble), or
are they simply mad about the truth?
“Therefore I testify to
you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the
whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27).
[1] offend. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com
Unabridged. Random House, Inc.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/offend (accessed: September 17, 2014).
