No Church Answers‪!‬ Bill Cox

In a super-sized podcast before our summer break, we take a deep dive into Season 3 of The Chosen. Jesus’s disciples attempt to live by his teachings, doing their best to speak plainly, forgive and put others first. For some it proves difficult. We talk about the modern overtones in the relationships between Simon and Eden, Mary and Tamar and Matthew and his parents. And , amid the miracles and preaching, opposition is rising from both Jerusalem and Rome, and in places like Decapolis east of Galilee, the new Gospel is bringing division and hostility, not peace. Spoiler Alert!
Catch up on our discussions of earlier seasons
The Chosen Season 1 -- Podcast 311
The Chosen Season 2 -- Podcast 317

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In a provocative podcast, we talk about whether God makes any distinction in severity among sins. We touch on the Catholic doctrine of mortal and venial sins, and contrast that with Paul's assertion that the wages of sin--all sin--is death. We question why, if adultery is against God's law, why Israel's patriarchs and kings got a pass for multiple wives and concubines, while being judged and punished for other forms of disobedience. And we look at the New Testament teachings on sin, grace and forgiveness and to where that points.
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The fellows wrap up their look at the Sermon on the Mount with a discussion of modern false prophets inside and outside the church, the touchy topic of whether non-Christians can be true disciples of Jesus and if the principles outlined in the Sermon can be separated from the foundational directive of "seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness."
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Is the Sermon on the Mount analogous to an MRPG strategy guide? The fellows are mischievous enough to suggest it. If our Christian mission is to work alongside God to establish the Kingdom of God on earth, Jesus give us an awful lot of information as to how to do it, beginning with your character traits (the Beatitudes), your role (to be salt and light), information about how best to follow the rules as you navigate levels (turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, surrender your tunic and your coat) right up to the counterintuitive advice of "Enter through the narrow gate," a section we discuss this week.
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Seek first the Kingdom of God and all we need will be given to us. This is hard to believe. Yet for Christians it stands as a promise from the Son of God himself and therefore demands to be taken seriously. Material wealth won't last. Worry accomplishes nothing. Judgment leads to hypocrisy. These sections of the Sermon on the Mount get to the heart of its counterculture nature. Join the fellows as they discuss the ramifications of this pointed verses.
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Jesus teaches the Christian approach to religious disciplines of charity, prayer and fasting should be practiced with humility. The fellows discuss the definition of true humility, which lies somewhere between boastful arrogance and self-erasure. We talk about the difficulty of avoiding temptation of making gifts or personal service all about oneself, and try to resolve that with the idea that recognizing the "awesome" value of someone's devotion to others point to a "light" in the darkness.
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