{"id":19216,"date":"2009-06-14T21:49:00","date_gmt":"2009-06-15T02:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=19216"},"modified":"2020-01-28T21:53:10","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T03:53:10","slug":"did-jesus-use-carnal-methods-to-attract-crowds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-jesus-use-carnal-methods-to-attract-crowds\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Jesus Use Carnal Methods to Attract Crowds?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\tby Greg Gwin
\nvia Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 23, June 7, 2009.\n

Many religious groups use a variety of carnal appeals to draw people to their assemblies. For instance, there are suppers and ice cream socials, ball games and entertainment events, etc. When asked to justify these activities they will commonly refer to the episodes where Jesus fed the multitudes. Some have said, ‘if you first feed a man’s body, then you’ll have a chance to feed his soul.’ Let’s see if their reference to Jesus’ activities will really support their practices. There were two separate instances in which Jesus miraculously fed huge crowds of people with small quantities of food. One time there were 5000 men, plus women and children (Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14). On another occasion, there were 4000 men, plus women and children (Matthew 15:32-38; Mark 8:1-9).<\/p>\n

\"\"

Feeding of the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:19-20)<\/p><\/div>\n

In both instances, the people had followed Jesus to hear His marvelous teaching and to see His amazing miracles. There had never been a promise of food to draw them. In fact, both episodes show people following long distances and for a long time before they were offered food. For example, in Matthew 15:32 we read “Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest the faint in the way.<\/em>” Do you see it? The people were not lured to follow by an offer of food. The food came afterward<\/strong>, as an act of compassion to fulfill a need at the time for food for those who had not eaten in days. The people had not <\/b>come in anticipation of being fed.<\/p>\n

We have one reference where Jesus suspected that the people did, indeed, come with a desire of receiving food (John 6:22ff) On that occasion He did not<\/strong>\u00a0feed them!<\/p>\n

Those who would use the example of Jesus feeding the multitudes to justify their carnal practices today are simply wrong!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Greg Gwin via Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 23, June 7, 2009. Many religious groups use a variety of carnal appeals to draw people to their assemblies. For instance, there are suppers and ice cream socials, ball games and entertainment events, etc. When asked to justify these activities they will commonly refer to the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[152],"class_list":["post-19216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-social-activities"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":38698,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/carnal-appeals\/","url_meta":{"origin":19216,"position":0},"title":"Carnal Appeals","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Greg Gwin Free pizza, clowns, hot air balloon rides ... you name it, and some religious group has tried it as a scheme to draw folks to their services. These things are fun! Who wouldn't like to play ball, eat good food, and be entertained? But, here's the problem\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/pizza-300x199.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13212,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/feeding-the-poor\/","url_meta":{"origin":19216,"position":1},"title":"Feeding the Poor","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edwin Crozier Where in the Bible did Jesus feed the poor? My only goal is to provoke some intense thinking and searching. I'll just say at the outset that I know my point here is going to make me an outlier. I know I'm cutting against the grain and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/feeding-the-poor-300x148.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":38696,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-use-instrumental-music-during-a-talent-show-at-the-building\/","url_meta":{"origin":19216,"position":2},"title":"Is it wrong to use instrumental music during a talent show at the building?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I know musical instruments are not to be used in the\u00a0worship\u00a0setting. But our leadership is too biblical at times. Some are so biblical that they rather call an event a Gospel meeting and not a revival. I know that we must obey those who rule over us, but you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36667,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-the-feeding-of-the-5000-show-we-should-feed-people-when-we-teach-them\/","url_meta":{"origin":19216,"position":3},"title":"Does the feeding of the 5,000 show we should feed people when we teach them?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Matthew 14 says Jesus fed and healed the 5,000. He said they do not need to go away hungry, give them something to eat. Should we take this literally as an example and feed, help, and teach the lost? Answer: You are seeing what you want to see in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":69767,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-a-church-organize-social-activities\/","url_meta":{"origin":19216,"position":4},"title":"Should a church organize social activities?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have been a Christian for nearly 40 years and recently became a member of a new congregation after moving. One of the initial impressions is the focus among the brethren about various social activities. Card playing clubs, baseball outings, book clubs, etc. Some of these are promoted from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55964,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-miracles-occur-every-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":19216,"position":5},"title":"Do Miracles Occur Every Day?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 20, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Leon Mauldin via\u00a0Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 40, Oct. 12, 2008. What does the Bible teach regarding miracles? Is it true, as some claim, that miracles are happening every day? 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