Two Passages Which Everyone Gets Wrong...

Odd things happen when the Bible enters into pop culture.  Sometimes you hear a verse used again and again in a certain way... only to look it up and see that's not what it means.

Today I want to look at two examples of that.


The Omnipotence Verse:

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  
- Phil 4:11-13

This passage comes from Paul's letter to the Philippians, which is basically a "Thank-You" letter for all the support they've given him.  The passage comes toward the end of the letter, and it is usually understood like this:

“God is with me, so I can do anything I put my mind to!”

...and it has spawned any number of Christian motivational posters.

 Now let’s spoil the fun by look at the preceding verses:

“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  - Phil 4:11-13

Paul is telling his audience how his vocation has taken him through times of plenty and high esteem, to poverty and revilement.  And yet he found contentment in every circumstance because God empowered him to make it through.

So the passage is more rightly understood as:

“God will empower me endure any circumstance which He leads me into.”

... which, in a way, is even better news.  If you think Phil 4:13 means God will ensure the success of your ambitions, you will eventually be disappointed.  And after some big failure you may find yourself wondering if God is really with you.  Wasn't He supposed to empower me to do anything?

But understood correctly, the passage means God is with you in times of success and failure.



A Massive Condemnation?

“For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” 
- Romans 14:23

I have heard non-Catholic preachers explain this passage as such:

“Prior to becoming a Christian, everything you do is corrupted by sin and merits eternal damnation.”

In other words, any action taken by a non-Christian is objectively hateful to God.  Even if it’s a Muslim giving his shoes to a man with no shoes.  Or even this Chinese guy who spends his free time saving people from suicide.  All of these actions really warrant eternal damnation.

Alternatively, sometimes it is read this way:

“Everything you do, other than have faith, is a sin and warrants eternal damnation.”

This would be the same principle, only applied to Christians too.

Now let’s look at the preceding passages:

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. […] Let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. […] 

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” - Romans 14:1-2, 13-15,20-23

Paul’s concern in this chapter is Christians disputing about whether it is permissible to eat the meat found in pagan marketplaces.  Some Christians sincerely believed eating the meat would be participation in idolatry.  Others say it is fine - (and Paul sides with them) - but he warns everyone to stop arguing about it.

Most importantly, Paul tells the Meat-Eaters that if they find a person who thinks its sinful to eat meat from the market, by all means they must not tempt the person to do it. 

Why? 

Because the person's mistaken belief that it would be sinful would actually make it sinful  if he violates his conscience by doing it.  In other words, they'd be tempting the guy to do something which he believes is offensive to God.  And that would be sinful regardless.

We also run into a translation issue here.  It happens that the word for “faith” in Greek can also be translated as “belief”.  Most English translations put the word "faith" here, but the word “belief” is far more appropriate given the context.  Here's what it looks like if you do that:

“The belief that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from belief. and whatever is not out of belief is sin.” - Romans 14:20-23

So what Paul is really saying is:

“It is sinful to act against what you sincerely believe is acceptable to God.”

This means your intuition about the Muslim man and Chinese guy is correct.  Their actions are not hateful to God.  And a more applicable passage would be this:

"For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts..." - Romans 2:14-16