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Question 7

Dean says if you designed a church to do the opposite of Jesus’ commands—lawsuits, divorce/remarriage, storing riches, enemy-love—it would look “frighteningly similar to the modern American church”; which of his examples hits closest to home for your congregation or life, and what “theological reasons” have you heard (or used) to make disobedience feel acceptable?

Another way to ask: Which example feels most true in your church or life—lawsuits, divorce and remarriage, piling up wealth, or not loving enemies? What “Bible reasons” have you heard or used to make disobedience seem okay?

Direct Answer Dean’s warning is that the modern church can normalize practices that directly contradict Jesus, then use “theological reasons” to make that feel faithful. The transcript names several examples but doesn’t rank them; the closest-to-home one will depend on your context.

Support from Transcript:

Dean imagines a church built to do “everything opposite of what Jesus said,” listing: “go to court and sue your brother,” “divorce and remarry…promote it,” “store up riches,” and rejecting “love your enemies.”
He says that outcome looked “frighteningly similar to the modern American church,” and “that really scared us.”
He describes being trained to dodge Jesus’ literal meaning: “the theologians are going to have a good reason for this one.”
He admits his background placed Jesus’ words into another time (“different dispensation…maybe…in heaven”), which functions as a theological excuse.
He points to just-war defenses as another “theological reason,” but says their arguments used Scripture “out of context.”

Discussion Follow-ups Which “opposite” feels most normal in your church culture—money, conflict, marriage, or enemies? When you justify it, do you appeal more to Jesus’ words or to systems, experts, and exceptions?

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