Part 2 of 4

 “The Sermon On The Mount” And “Great Commission”

Do these well meaning Christians who ask “Which should bear the greater weight with us, the words of Jesus, or the words of Paul?” question Paul’s words because they truly desire to obey the “words of Jesus of Nazareth” spoken on earth? Apparently they do not because they actually certainly disregard and disobey Jesus’ words from both His “the Sermon on the Mount” and concerning His so-called “Great Commission.”

One would suppose that if “the Sermon on the Mount” and “Great Commission” are to be highly lauded as being for us today, then we should expect to see them lived out by those who preach it. So let’s now examine the instructions Jesus gave to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” in “the Sermon on the Mount” to see if the co-called Bible believing Christians today actually obey the Jesus’ words of “the Sermon on the Mount.”

1) Do today’s Preachers who erroneously promote “the law of Moses” subject themselves to “the law of Moses” as the “Sermon on the Mount” esteems it? Let’s see what Jesus said to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel ” in the “Sermon on the Mount.”

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. ¹⁸ For verily I say unto you, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS, ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW, till all be fulfilled. ¹⁹ Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19

Notice what Jesus of Nazareth says concerning “the Law” for Israel ; “…ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW…” Then also Jesus established the condition of “Law-keeping” as the basis for being considered “great in the kingdom.”

Then is “the Law” being kept today by the preachers of “the Sermon on the Mount”? Are they keeping “the Law” that includes stoning anyone who do not keep the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14)? Ask yourself; when is the last time you saw or heard of a Sabbath abuser being stoned to death for working on the Sabbath, per the Law? It is not done. Do they obey all the dietary laws and keep all the feast, etc.? So obviously they only select certain Laws, such as “tithing,” for the believers to follow today even though it was given only in the Old Testament to and for Israel , not the church today.

So actually, they are selective in promoting only the Laws they prefer. Actually, if they knew and truly valued Paul’s unique “gospel of the grace of God” (Act 20:24, Eph 3:2) for this age they would not consider themselves under “the Law” but “under grace.” Paul clearly wrote this to the Roman believers of today’s age of “the grace of God” as follows; … YE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE.” (Romans 6:14).

Now let’s look at more of the “Sermon of the Mount” to see if it is actually being carefully obeyed today by those who esteem it because “Jesus of Nazareth” spoke it.

2) Do they “bring gifts to altars” of sacrifice as Jesus spoke in Matt 5:23, 24. I think not.

3) Do they “give freely to all who ask of them” as Jesus spoke in Matt 5:42; 10:8, 9. I think not.

4) Do they refrain from “laying up treasures on earth” as Jesus spoke in Matt 6:19, 25-26? I think not.

5) Do they “sell all they have and give alms” to the poor, as Jesus spoke in Luke 6:30; 12:33. I think not.

So it should be obvious that nobody today really keeps to Jesus’ words of the “Sermon on the Mount” that so many hold in high esteem as something we should keep today.

The fact is these words are not for us today; they were for Israel , just as Jesus was proclaiming that the Kingdom promised to Abraham’s seed ( Israel ) was “at hand.” The biblical fact is that Israel and the Kingdom of heaven have been put in abeyance. Israel has been set aside for this time in favor of the Gentiles in this age.

“For I (Paul) would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; THAT BLINDNESS IN PART IS HAPPENED TO ISRAEL, UNTIL THE FULNESS OF THE GENTILES BE COME IN.” (Romans 11:25b)

That’s the Sermon on the Mount; now let’s consider the “Great Commission.”

While professing obedience to the so-called “Great Commission” as “the Church’s marching orders,” do those today who proclaim it actually carry it out per Jesus of Nazareth’s instruction?

6) Jesus clearly said only; “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…” (Mark 16:16)

Do they today proclaim faith and water baptism as the two requirements for salvation? Fundamentalist don’t, but the Modernist and Rome do.

Paul’s gospel says we should not require both faith and baptism to be saved. Luke wrote Paul’s words here; “… BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED …” Acts 16:31. Paul elsewhere wrote; we today are “saved by grace through faith alone.”

“For BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: ⁹ NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Let’s now look further at the so-called “Great Commission” that the church today takes as its marching orders. Let’s see if it’s working in those who still promote it, as if it applies to “the body of Christ.”

7) Do they perform miraculous “signs” that Jesus clearly listed as those signs which would follow them under the “Great Commission.” I think not.

^”And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
(Mark 16:17-18)

8) Do they heal ALL that come to them as Jesus did? “…he (Jesus) cast out the spirits with his word, and HEALED ALL THAT WERE SICK: (Matthew 8:16). I think not.

It’s obvious that today we sparingly see physical healings, and those that we see are by the loving mercy of the Lord. They are not in accord with the Great Commission. Many years ago I was part of the Charismatic/Pentecostal affiliation that often claimed the Great Commission, but I never witness these things being accomplished or fulfilled per Jesus’ explicit instructions. That’s because they are not for today but they were for “the lost sheep of the house of Israel .” Today we have a higher and grander commission.

Let’s look as some more of the terms of Jesus of Nazareth’s “Great Commission.”

9) Do those who promote the “Great Commission” today follow it in giving the “Jew first” place in their ministry, per Jesus’ instructions seen here in Luke 24:47 and Acts 1:8? I think not.

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM. Luke 24:47
“… shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem , and in all Judaea, and in Samaria , and (then) unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

10) Do they preach and teach others to “observe all things” that Messiah on earth commanded (Matt. 28:20 cf. 23:1-3)? I think not.

So it certainly seems that professing Christians today, who claim “the Sermon of the Mount” and “the Great Commission” as being for today, do not live accordingly. Can we call this hypocrisy since they do not do, nor achieve, these aforementioned things as was specified by Jesus to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel ,” or is this out of confusion and ignorance of proper Bible interpretation?

In the next installment we will see how the confusion and contradiction can be clarified.