Matthew 5:44 Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

I was wondering this morning what radical Christianity would look like. When I opened my bible app to read the Word, this was the verse of the day. I was about to look up the verse about being hated for His name’s sake, but this is more appropriate, don’t you think?

A zealot is said to be one who will not change their mind or the subject. I haven’t seen Christianity as being like that. We invest our time in people. We get to know them, build trust, understand their needs and hopefully can show them the love that abides within us. Such is the Christian life.

It is not that way for all Christians. Some live surrounded by a people who hatefully despise them just because they are Christian. This is nothing new. The stories about Christian persecution date back to the first century and Rome. Irony is that Rome is now the seat of the largest Christian religion. The hatred of Rome was conquered by love.

When Christianity was in danger from within its own ranks, it was a zealot that sought to free Christians from the ranks of the persecuted within its own system. Faith always wins out over injustice. In these present times the only thing that really has changed is the ability for people to witness the battle in real time through social media. This instant society expects instant results.

What happens to faith when a people have an expectation of instant results?

Psalm 37:14-15 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

Impatient faith fails to find solace in the truth.

Psalm 97:10 Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

אֹהֲבֵי יְהוָה שִׂנְאוּ רָע שֹׁמֵר נַפְשֹׁות חֲסִידָיו מִיַּד רְשָׁעִים

For those of you that do not speak Hebrew, that second verse is also Psalm 97:10. Please note the lack of punctuation. While I do not read Hebrew, I can see that it does not contain English punctuation.

Would the use of periods in verse 10 render a different meaning where a colon and semi-colon are used? In the past I have allowed men to argue their position on scriptures by pointing out the placement of colons and semi-colons in scripture. Is that the right attitude considering such punctuation wasn’t used in the original language?

While I would need a degree in the Hebrew language to translate the original text to another language, I do not need a degree of any sort to understand the spirit of the Word. I do not need to use punctuation to prove a point. (pun intended)

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

I sit before scholars and teachers and preachers and evangelist, but when I listen to them I listen for the Holy Spirit. If you ask me how I can do that, I must say I cannot teach you that. The Holy Spirit speaks through the bible. If we allow our only source of Holy Scripture to be in the form of the speech of men, then we are cutting off the source of speech of the spirit.

Proverbs 19:15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep

Given without punctuation, without distraction, allowing the word of truth to speak for itself.