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Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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Secrets of the Kingdom Life  /  Chapter 23: Bible Study and Reflection  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
The “blank slate” approach asks, “If I didn’t know better, what would I think this passage is saying?” and explicitly says easy believism negates many New Testament commands; what teachings of Jesus or the apostles become most uncomfortable when taken “at face value,” and how would early Christians—without modern debates about assurance and grace—likely have responded to those commands?
Another way to ask: Which of Jesus’ or the apostles’ teachings feel most uncomfortable when you take them in the plain, obvious way? If early Christians read those commands without today’s debates, how do you think they would have responded?

Direct Answer Bercot’s emphasis is that many New Testament “commandments” become uncomfortable because they require self-denial and cross-bearing, and modern “easy believism” tends to cancel their force. The transcript doesn’t describe early Christians’ detailed reactions, but it implies they would have read straightforwardly and focused on obeying the commands, even when God’s purpose wasn’t fully understood.

Support from Transcript:

  • Read with a blank slate: “If I didn’t know better, what would I think this passage is saying?”
  • “Read…as a little child, taking Scripture at face value…assume the passage means exactly what it says.”
  • “Today’s theology of easy believism negates many of the commands and other teachings of Scripture.”
  • Make a list of “commandments, instructions, and insights on the Christian life…assume those passages mean just what they say.”
  • “The important thing is to obey it, regardless of whether you understand God’s purpose.”
  • Many commands require “denying ourselves and carrying our cross,” which the flesh calls “heavy…oppressive burdens.”
Discussion Follow-ups Which commands do you instinctively try to qualify or limit? If obedience is primary even before full understanding, what would immediate, simple obedience look like this week?

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