Great Things for Who?

The world says, “Show me a person with high self-esteem, and I’ll show you someone who will accomplish great things for the world.” God says, “Show me a person who does not esteem himself at all, and I”ll show you someone who will do great things for me.”

- Victor Kuligin, Ten Things I Wish Jesus Never Said

Glorious Gospel

“Man never could or would have invented a gospel which would lay him low,
and give to the Lord God all the glory and praise.”

- Charles Spurgeon

Why Do You Follow Jesus?

Jesus has always many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few who bear his cross.

He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial.

He finds many to share his table, but few to take part in his fasting.

All desire to be happy with him; few wish to suffer anything for him.

Many follow him to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of his passion.

Many revere his miracles; few approach the shame of the cross.

Many love him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless him as long as they receive some comfort from him.

- Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

How Scholarship Protects us from the Bible

“The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obligated to act accordingly.

“Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship.

“Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close.

“Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.”

- Soren Kierkegaard