The Ballestero Blog

Do You Own A Copy Of The Jefferson Bible?

Mr. Thomas Jefferson is rightly honored as one of the most brilliant minds in American history. He is remembered for many achievements in his public life and in his service to our nation.

1. He served as Governor of Virginia.
2. U.S. Minister to France.
3. Secretary of State under President George Washington.
4. Vice President in the administration of John Adams.
5. President of The United States from 1801-1809.

His tombstone makes no mention of those accomplishments. It says rather, that he was the “author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.”

What a man. What a mind. Yet, with all of his understanding, somehow Mr. Jefferson could not actually believe anything about the supernatural, or stories of miracles, as found in the Bible.

He loved the principles of life as taught by Jesus Christ. He approved of almost all of the Lord’s teachings. What he could not accept was anything supernatural. So, he did what he thought best. He made his own bible.

He calmly sat down with two exact Bibles, and began to cut out the parts that he liked. He would then paste all of the verses he liked into a scrapbook. Now, there would be nothing in his new bible that would make him uncomfortable.

Beliefnet Blog: Separating The ‘Diamonds’ From The ‘Dunghill’

“Done with his official work for the day, Thomas Jefferson sat in the new presidential mansion in Washington in 1804, and opened his Bible — not to pray, but to cut. He scoured the text for Jesus’ greatest teachings, sliced out his favorite portions and glued them into an empty volume. He called it “The Philosophy of Jesus.” In 1819, he started over and created a new version called “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth,” often referred to now as The Jefferson Bible. In Jefferson’s version, Jesus was not divine.”

The virgin birth – gone.
Christ’s bodily resurrection – gone.
The miracles of the loaves, walking on water, raising Lazarus – none of them made Jefferson’s book.

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Faith-Tools/The-Founding-Faith-Archive/Separating-Diamonds-From-The-Dunghill.aspx

The bad news is that the story doesn’t end there. Although Thomas Jefferson did that 200 years ago, almost everyone is doing it now. It happens in personal lives, homes, churches and denominations. Folks are only taking from the Bible, the parts they like best and they are leaving the rest on the table.

Even some Apostolic Pentecostals have problems in this area. Listen to the audience when the preacher preaches next time. Do they say amen or do they remain quiet? To the preacher, it would be easy to judge the silence of the congregation as non-acceptance. Maybe it is.

The Preacher Can Expect A Good Response If He Preaches On:

1. Love
2. Mercy/Forgiveness
3. Faith/Miracles/Healing
4. Blessings/Prosperity
5. Winning Souls
6. Baptism In Jesus Name
7. Receiving The Holy Ghost
8. One God

However:

• What happens if the same man preaches on Worldliness?
• What happens if he preaches against the ungodly influence of Hollywood?
• How loud is the sound of amen, when the pastor reads Bible passages about women Cutting their Hair?
• If he reads scriptures about not Loving the World, does the crowd get silent?
• Maybe, it’s when he reads the part about women not Wearing Men’s Apparel?
• Does the crowd grow silent when scriptures warning about Ornamentation are read?
• What about the subject of Tithes? Can they still say amen?
• How about when the preacher reads verses about Modest Apparel?
• What if he just reads verses about Doctrine, is anyone bored yet?

Let’s Talk Some More:

• What does the crowd do when the man of God reads verses on Forgiving One Another and Bitterness?
• Does is tense up when he reads about Gossip and Backbiters and Hatred?
• What do they do when he finds a verse about Jealousy and Envy?
• How about the verses on Submission and Pastoral Authority?
• What about when he reads verses on Loving your Neighbor as yourself, while preaching against Racism? What is the response then?
• What about the audience’s response when the pastor reads verses on Fornication and Adultery?
• What is the reaction when the pastor reads verses about Rebellion?
• How about the ones on Unity?
• When he reads verses about being Faithful to God’s House, what is the reaction of the crowd?
• Do they get uncomfortable when he reads the one about, “not setting any wicked thing before my eyes?’ How does that go over?

Pentecostals have openly talked about having their ‘candy sticks.’ As a rule, that’s a good thing. The downside is that some have taken only their candy sticks, and thrown most of the rest away. It’s kind of like swallowing a camel and straining a gnat.

• All some want to see in their Bible, are verses on Love.
• Others may only be in search of New Birth scriptures in their Bible.
• Then there are those that are only interested in Holiness subjects
• A few hang up on themes like: Faith, Healing, Miracles, Worship, Prophecy, Divorce, Pastoral Authority, and Prayer, to name a few.

Why not just take it all? Let no one be guilty of only taking the part of the Bible they like, and leaving the rest for others. I am convinced that the Jefferson Bible is alive and well in most Jesus Name Pentecostal churches today.

We easily break fellowship with those who have not cut out the same portions of the Bible that we have.

I submit to every gentle reader, that many are crippling their walk with God because they refuse to take the entire Bible. Do not treat God’s Word like a buffet line, and only choose what you like. Choose it all.

Do You Own A Copy Of The Jefferson Bible?