Here’s a question…if you met another Christian who you see if living a life separate from the world, he prays and believes that Jesus died for our sins…but he has a different opinion on the details, like whether he died on a cross or an upright stake…why would it be so important to you to change their mind?
Something I’m beginning to tolerate less and less of, is Christians who make declarative statements as a matter of facts…when the Bible doesn’t explicitly state the claim they’re making.
What they’re actually doing is declaring their interpretation of the Scriptures as facts. But an interpretation is an opinion. An opinion can be wrong.
POINTS DISCUSSED:
- Is It Wrong to Have Your Own Opinion?
- When Christians Need to Back Off
- Are You Saving Them or Protecting Yourself
- How Christians Turn People Away
- The Bible Gives You Power
- Using “Don’t Lean on Your Understanding” as a Weapon
- IF You Don’t Share My Beliefs, You Will Die for Your Sins
- Protect Your Spiritual Boundaries
- Paul Tells Christians to “Back Off” in Romans Chapter 14
Is It Wrong to Have Your Own Opinion?
And I’m not saying we’re wrong to have opinions. I encourage everyone to read the Bible for themselves and form their opinions (interpretations)…and hold it with convictions.
If someone else comes along and gives you new information that challenges your opinion…sure, give it some thought. If you think they’re right, change your opinion. I think that’s a great thing. It’s what we’re supposed to do.
And I’m not saying that you shouldn’t say something when someone is doing what God explicitly says is wrong or an abomination. What do I mean?
For example. According to the English Standard Version of the Bible, Leviticus 20:13 states, “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.”
So, if I say that God thinks a man lying with a man as with a woman is an abomination. That’s a fact. It’s not my interpretation. It’s not my opinion. It says that explicitly in the Bible.
However, if you take this popular verse at John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
While there are succeeding verses to imply that Jesus is the Word, and thus, Jesus is God…it does not explicitly state that.
You as the human, have to read other verses and “connect the dots” to interpret what the Apostle John is really saying, or what he means by these verses.
And if other followers of Christ don’t interpret it the same way you do…does that mean they really aren’t Christians?
Back away from those verses and really think about the question at hand. If other Christians don’t believe the same interpretations you believe, does that mean they aren’t really Christians?
That’s what we’re going to get into.
When Christians Need to Back Off
First things first…when another Christian hears your opinions. Listens to your reasons. And at the end of the day, they still think they’re right in their interpretations…you as a Christian need to back off.
Because unless they’re asking for your further critique, you run the risk of being disrespectful and dismissive of the work they already put in to reach their interpretations, which is counterproductive to the results you “think” you’re going for.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been there when I’ve heard someone say something that I clearly think is wrong in their interpretations. So, bear with me as I explain.
For a lot of Christians, their faith, their belief and interpretations are no small things.
They take their relationship with God very seriously, with love and reverence.
So, if you come in and imply that we “don’t really love God” or we’re not really a Christian just because we don’t have the same interpretations as you do…you’re not just attacking that our beliefs, you’re attacking our relationship.
And I’m not sure about the rest of you, but when it comes to those who are truly near and dear to my heart…I can get pretty aggressive in protecting those relationships.
Think about it. How would you feel if you’ve spent years of hard work and sacrifice, missing out on events, letting go of other friends, and even marriage and family because you’ve been putting your relationship with God first.
Then all the sudden, someone who barely knows you, hears something about your beliefs that they disagree with, and they start saying things like, “You know, you’re not really a follower of Christ. Because you don’t fast.”
Or because you don’t tithe. Or because you haven’t been baptized with a church.
I’m not saying you can’t discern or have an opinion about other Christians or the way they live. But when it comes telling them they’re wrong, one has to wonder about your motives.
Are You Saving Them or Protecting Yourself
Are you arguing with this Christian because you don’t think he’s saved for not having the same interpretation as you? Think about it.
I’m not calling people pharisees. I think that’s overused, like people saying “don’t judge,” when they never say that after they’ve done something good.
But from personal experience, I have started to wonder if “Christians” are more concerned with protecting their own ego and the beliefs they themselves have invested in.
Because even if you land on the whole “agree to disagree”…what that really means is that one of you is right and the other is wrong.
Can you really live with that? Can you be in the same room with that person, a theocratic meeting where the subject comes up and you just keep your mouth shut out of respect because you know you’re going to disagree?
I don’t think most people can. I think deep down, when they hear someone has a different interpretation, they feel offended and insulted. Not for God’s sake…but their own.
Believe me, I’ve experienced this for half of 2023, where a church group leader and I clearly disagreed on the point of Baptisms, and even though I held back from speaking up on the topic in future meetings…this guy continuously harped on how wrong I was every time the topic came up.
He’d look for a head nod in agreement, and I never gave it to him. Instead, I resented him for failing to respect my own beliefs. Eventually, I left the group.
How Christians Turn People Away
Ladies and gentlemen…I’ll be 40 this year (2026).
You’re reading the words of a man who’s dealt with Christian disagreements his whole life. And while that might sound bad…I think it does a great service towards the commission Jesus commanded, which was to go forth and make disciples.
What do I mean…well, I understand those who struggle with Christianity. I understand why people would want to give up on religions and turn their back on the Bible. I understand why people roll their eyes the moment someone starts talking about Jesus in the room.
Baptized as a Baptist when I was seven, my parents converted to being Jehovah’s Witnesses when I was eleven…and while I was open minded to the new religion at first, by the time I was fourteen, I started to see some things I simply didn’t agree with.
And I noticed… a common tactic Christians tend to use is the False Dilemma Fallacy. Where, if you don’t believe the way they believe, if you don’t follow their interpretations of the Bible, then not only are you wrong, but you’re against Jehovah God himself.
To even question the religion’s beliefs will get you labeled a Rebel.
I’ve been called that since I was fourteen.
And here’s the thing…this is why a lot of people turn away.
People can sense that friction. They see the hypocrisy. They see that things aren’t adding up, but without the knowledge…they got no defense against the arguments the “righteous” Christians use against them, confusing their confidence with authority.
So, people turn their backs on religion. They hate it. I hated it.
Because of the scars and oppressions of my youth, I refused to pick up the Bible for nearly ten years.
Long story short, by the time I was 28, I started praying again. And it was my brother who hit me with, “It’s good that you talk to God, but wouldn’t you want him to talk to you too?”
Thus…I picked up the Bible and read it for myself.
The Bible Gives You Power
My friends…that decision changed my life and I’m extremely grateful to our Heavenly Father for blessing us with the knowledge, the Truth.
That knowledge…IS YOUR DEFENSE! Your sword and shield of Ephesians 6: 10-20!
The arguments Christians used against me were no longer as powerful because now I knew those same Scriptures and I had a greater understanding. So, I was no longer vulnerable to being manipulated and guilt-tripped for not believing the way they believed.
Here’s a classic example.
Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays and the main reason they use to justify it is King Herod’s birthday, which ended up with John the Baptist being beheaded.
For those who don’t know, Herod held a celebration for his birthday where he invited a group of powerful and influential men. His daughter performed a dance for them. So impressed with his daughter, Herod promised to grant any wish she wanted, up to half his kingdom.
The daughter went to her mother. The mother called for John to be beheaded…and John was beheaded.
JWs use this to explain why celebrating your birthday is wrong. They also say Jesus never celebrated his birthday.
For years, I felt guilty, like I was opposing God because I wanted to feel special on my birthday. When I was seventeen, I went the whole day not even realizing it was my birthday until the last period of class when I wrote down the date. I wanted to cry.
Well…after reading the entire Bible, I landed on my own interpretation of the events.
Guess what…I’m not an evil monster! To me, it wasn’t “celebrating” your Birthday that was the problem. The problem was making such a lofty promise in front of important figures like that.
Herod didn’t really want to behead John the Baptist, but because he made that promise in front of important men…he’d be shamed and embarrassed to go back on that promise. Badda-bing, badda-boom!
And as far as the “Jesus never celebrated his birthday” argument. We are indeed to be Christ-like, but there’s a lot of things Jesus Christ never did (or was recorded to have done) during his time on earth. Jesus never got married or had kids. Jesus never had to deal with a wife.
And I find super convenient that people leave out the stuff Jesus Christ actually did, to create their own hippy version of Jesus.
“Oh, Jesus Christ would preach with softness, love, and compassion. Never out of anger or aggression.”
I don’t know about you guys, but my Lord and Savior called people a Brood of Vipers. He flipped over tables in the temple and called Peter “Satan” when Peter was tempting him not to go to Jerusalem where Jesus was to be handed over and killed.
My point being…if JWs believe strongly in their reasons as to why they don’t celebrate birthdays, I say “all power to them.”
I’m not here to say they’re wrong for their beliefs. Only that I disagree, and I don’t think I’m not “saved” because we disagree.
Using “Don’t Lean on Your Understanding” as a Weapon
Here’s where some Christians would be like “Well, you shouldn’t lean upon your own understanding“. Drawing from Proverbs 3: 5-6.
As I mentioned in my last essay, in my Marriage Group a couple of months ago, I had a disagreement with the group about the essence of the Holy Spirit. They believed that the Holy Spirit was a specific person and also God, not just an extension of God’s power and spirit.
I asked them, “Why doesn’t the Bible explicitly say that? It implies it sure, but there’s a lot of personifications in the Bible. Israel is frequently referred to as the bride and in the book of Proverbs, Wisdom is described as a ‘she’. So, if it was really that important for us to nail down whether the Holy Spirit is a person or not, why doesn’t the Bible say it?”
Then a woman responded with, “Sometimes, it’s on us to connect the dots.”
There…I don’t disagree with her. But the thing is, who gets to say that the dots she connected are right, and the dots that I connected are wrong? And who’s to say she didn’t lean upon her own understanding to connect those dots?
Do you see my point here?
Jehovah God through his word the Bible explained a lot. There’s a lot of knowledge given to us. But there’s also a lot that isn’t.
I’m not saying humans are wrong for connecting the dots and interpreting scriptures to mean things that aren’t clearly stated in the Bible. But when you present the interpretations as fact and use it to tell another Christian they’re wrong…you’re going too far.
One thing I’ve come to interpret, is if something really was important for us to know…God would have told us.
He would’ve made it clear, as he did with the Israelites in the Wilderness, as Jesus Christ did when it came to talking about the end times, as Paul did through the holy spirit when it comes to instructing how husband and wives should treat each other.
Or the sins God deems as abominations, or the lifestyles and behaviors that have no place in the kingdom of Heaven. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
IF You Don’t Share My Beliefs, You Will Die for Your Sins
I was watching this Youtuber who produced an amazing Christian video.
But sad to say, he went too far.
He quoted John 8:24 which says, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
The Youtuber goes on to state his interpretation by claiming that Jesus was saying “if you don’t believe I am God, then you will die in your sins.”
Jesus never said that. This is what I mean when Christians make declarative statements as facts…when really, it’s their interpretation (opinions) of the facts (scriptures).
“Alright, Rock. Well, who do you think he’s referring to when he says, ‘I am he?’ Who do you think the ‘he‘ is?”
That you have even ask, or that we could legit have an hour-long debate about it is exactly what I’m talking about. It’s disputable.
I’m not saying he’s wrong or you’re wrong for having those interpretations. But telling another Christian that, because they haven’t reached the same interpretation as he did, then that Christian will die in their sins…that’s too far. That is wrong.
This is the comment I left on his Youtube channel:
“Just about to gain a new follower until I got to @7:41. I appreciate your sentiments and the topic of this video. But I’d encourage people to read the entire Bible for themselves. Jesus Christ taught a lot. And he explained a lot. The parables he taught the crowds. He explained them.
“Thus, if it was so important for us the believe that Jesus Christ was “God himself”…why didn’t he ever say that. I know a lot of people use scriptures like John 1 where he’s talking the Word to describe Jesus as God, and even your Scripture of John 8:24 to allude to Jesus saying he’s the same I Am as the Old Testament…but if you read the entire Bible then you’d know that if these specific details were important for the believer to know…God would’ve told us through his word the Bible.
“Instead, the beliefs and interpretations that are passed down are based on Human interpretations, humans connecting the dots. I’m not saying you’re right or wrong…but I also wouldn’t tell another Christian that because he failed to connect the same dots you did, he’s not really a follower of Christ.
“Some of us simply follow the Bible’s authority over Man’s.
“If the Bible calls Jesus the Son of God, the Christ, the Messiah, a spiritual being that came to earth in human form…then that’s who Jesus is to me. I do believe that it was through Jesus that all things were created. But I also believe what the Bible says about Jesus sitting at the right hand of someone else…the father. I call him Yahweh or Jehovah.
“Jesus himself said the no one knows the end times except the father…. indicating that he and the father are distinctly two different beings. And if there is only one God as the Bible says, then that God is the Father. When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, he wasn’t praying to himself.
“When Jesus was baptized and a voice came saying, this is my son whom I am pleased…that was someone else saying this about someone else.
“Again…I’m not saying people aren’t Christians because they don’t believe the way I believe. But I do think we come close to stumbling others by making declarative statements that the Bible does not explicitly state.”
So when you ask, “who do you think he’s referring to when Jesus said ‘he‘”…I think he’s referring to the Messiah, the Christ, the Redeemer, the Son of God. Pretty much, I believe he’s referring to exactly what the Bible explicitly states that Jesus is.
I don’t think I’m wrong for not leaping to the title of God. Because the Bible doesn’t explicitly call Jesus God. It implies it.
Instead, there are multiple scriptures that explicitly state that there is one God, and that is the father, Jehovah.
Protect Your Spiritual Boundaries
On April 2nd, 2026, I was in Augusta, Georgia to attend Christ’s Memorial with my parents JW congregation.
Before that event, I had to stop by and see my old mentor, Brother Moses…a now 89-year-old black man who’s still sharp as a whip.
He’s the one to whom I said, “I really hate this world.”
And he chuckled and said, “I know, I hate it too.”
I didn’t have to friggin spell it out for him, what I meant. He simply understood. I didn’t have to tell him, what I really mean is that I hate Satan’s influence on the world, or that so many fall for his influence…Brother Moses simply got it.
And one of the last things he told me during that meeting was, “never stop asking questions. Never stop doing research.”
Essentially…never stop pursuing the truth.
Talking to Brother Moses…sad to say, it hardened my heart and strengthen my resolve when it comes to dealing with inconsiderate and rude Christians who don’t know when they’re crossing some lines and being too persistent.
There is a certain level of respect I require.
If you can’t accept that another Christian through his convictions landed on a different interpretation than you…that sounds like a you problem.
When I’m conversing with Christians, I can tell within the first few minutes how strong their convictions are.
Even if I disagree with their interpretations, I understand why they have their interpretations.
Unless they’re struggling to understand, unless they have questions, unless they’re struggling to understand some doctrine…I don’t care about trying to convince them to see things my way.
Why?
Because I believe that nine times out of ten, the things we disagree on, won’t keep them from salvation.
The fact that so many Christians believe in things like the Trinity, or the Seven Deadly Sins, or that Jesus Christ is God himself…I don’t think those beliefs will keep them from being saved.
“But Rock…the problem is, those Christians believe that you aren’t saved if you don’t believe those things. That’s why they’re persistent. That’s why they keep challenging you in your interpretations.”
I understand that. And if that was really true, that the main thing they cared about was my salvation, I’d respect and appreciate that.
But even, as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. So, even if I gave the Christian the benefit of the doubt that they cared about my well-being, if they don’t have the wherewithal to read the room and realize they’re about to cross some lines…well…how much stock would you really put into the words of a stupid person.
I don’t say that to call names, but I’m literally referring to the textbook definition of the word.
Paul Tells Christians to “Back Off” in Romans Chapter 14
I’ll end it with this.
Romans Chapter 14 was perhaps the greatest chapter when it comes to quarreling over disputable matters, or our “differences”.
Had I known the Chapter when I was a teenager, I would’ve shut down a lot of intense arguments.
In it, the Apostle Paul was writing to the Romans who were arguing over things like which foods were clean and unclean to eat. Some Christians believed certain foods were clean to eat. And others believed those Christians were wrong because the foods were unclean
Paul wrote in verse 3, “The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.”
Ladies and gentlemen…that’s the ultimate “Back OFF” verse everyone should hear.
In verse 13 it goes on to say, “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”
My friends…stop stumbling others. NEVER go so far as to say a believer isn’t really a Christian because they don’t believe the way you believe.
Even sinners who are struggling, like homosexuals…I would never go so far as to say one of them isn’t “really a Christian.”
I don’t know their hearts. We all have our vices, things that we’re struggling with. And as Paul writes in Chapter 14, each of us will be held accountable to God as individuals.
What does that mean? Well…lean in, because I want to make this crystal clear.
You are not responsible for my salvation.
I am.
AMEN I JESUS HE SAVES ❤
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