Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
There are some sins that only certain people can commit. For example, only twelve people on earth could have betrayed Jesus and led Israel's angry rulers with the mob of officers to the Lord's secret place of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene. Many others in Israel at that time would have betrayed Jesus if they could have, but they were not close enough to him. Judas knew where Jesus would be that night because he was one of Jesus' closest companions. He committed a sin that only a few could have possibly committed. One must qualify to be a "Judas", and the qualifications are neither few nor minor.
So, it is clear that there are some transgressions that can be made only by a few. In his sermon in 1981, my father said, "The more educated you are, the bigger fool you can be." He was right. Only a few people on earth qualify to teach the foolish doctrines that some theological professors teach. The man who works hard all day doesn't have the idle time to contrive new theories concerning divine things. And those without high educational degrees do not have the opportunity to stand before a class of seminary students and pontificate vaguely on various methods of higher forms of biblical criticism.
When I attended the seminary, I was instructed unrelentingly on the "J-E-D-P theory" of Old Testament authorship. (Don't ask; it is not worth your time.) I was taught all about the mysterious "Q source" of the gospels. In Systematic Theology class, I was required to read such erudite writings as that of Paul Tillich, whose godless ideas included the notion that the accounts of miracles in the holy Bible were not merely untrue, they were actually demonically inspired. Not just anybody can write a book of such idiocy, have it published by a prestigious publishing firm, and then have that book be required by professors for their students. You couldn't do it. I hope you don't want to.
One New Testament professor pronounced during a lecture, "We KNOW that Jesus did not walk on the water. Science excludes that!" One day in class, another New Testament professor mocked the precious hope of the saints, the return of our Lord Jesus, by running to the window, as if he saw Jesus coming, and then saying in mock disappointment, "Oh shucks, it was just a wasp on the window pane." My Old Testament professor taught that God spoke through such men as Mozart, Beethoven, Raphael, and Michelangelo as much as (he most likely thought, better than) God did through Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. In fact, according to that particular seminary professor, as well as the others, Isaiah did not write the book of Isaiah, Jeremiah did not write the book of Jeremiah, and Ezekiel didn't write the book of Ezekiel. (Remember J-E-D-P?) One honor student who lived across the hall from me in the dormitory, an honors student and professor's assistant, didn't even believe in life after death!
A fool with a lot of money is a rich fool. And a rich fool can do some foolish things that a poor fool cannot. A fool with a pretty face is a pretty fool. And a pretty fool can allure some to join them in their foolishness when ugly fools would not be able. A fool with a lot of education is an educated fool. And an educated fool can make a bigger fool of himself than an uneducated fool because he can quote so many other educated fools and make his foolishness seem authoritative.
Don't be any kind of fool. Be wise. Paul warned us not to be moved from the simplicity that is in Christ. John told us to beware lest someone steal our crown. If you cannot be moved away from simple faith in Jesus, you are wiser than any fool on earth, for no fool will be able to persuade you, either with riches, beauty, or erudition, to trade your crown of life for his gift of death.