Your answer was too complex and misinterpreted the Scriptures

Question:

Mr. Hamilton,

I read one of your website answers to the question, "What must I do to go to Heaven when I die?" As a pastor, you should have known the answer would be quite simple, one that would easily have pointed the individual in a single direction -- to the Lord. Instead, your answer was so convoluted that the poor inquisitor was led in numerous directions. Littered with misinterpreted and misapplied scriptural references, your answer seemed to be focused on impressing the reader with your supposed Bible knowledge than on rendering assistance. It seems to me in your vast pastoral awareness, you should have remembered Titus 1:14. Your answer was as if a member of the flock asked for water to quench his thirst, yet you demonstrated your culinary prowess by presenting numerous food creations -- "I have pizza, bananas foster, T-bone steak, hamburgers, and bratwurst." Meanwhile, the questioner remained in great need of a mere drink of water.

If this is an example of your ministerial abilities, I'm thankful you are not my pastor. The needs of your ego overshadow those of your congregation. "Ye have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not visited them ..." (Jeremiah 23:2).

Answer:

That you would have not answered the question as I did does not make your answer correct or my answer wrong. That is determined by God's teaching alone. What I note is that you complain that the answer was "littered with misinterpreted and misapplied" Scriptures; yet, you never bother to prove your point. That leaves everyone with the impression that you have no point -- you only want to make it known that you don't like the answer.

If you were truly interested in what I teach or what this man wanted to learn, you would have provided what you thought was a correct answer. "To the Lord" is technically correct. What I provided was moving the person toward Christ, but as you demonstrate the meaning of "to the Lord" changes when different people have different ideas about what direction is toward the Lord. I gave details so that the direction was clear. You prefer vague "feel good" answers that give no clear direction.

Personally, I suspect that the reason you don't like the thoroughness of the answer is that you have no answers to the points made, and you want a reason for not thinking about them. "A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge is easy to him who understands" (Proverbs 14:6).

Question:

Thank you for your response and for substantiating your narcissistic character. The blatant ignorance in your assumptions and vehemence in your remarks further illustrates your lack of knowledge and poor ministerial skills. Though you may not understand this, I appreciate the time you invested in your correspondence with me.

Answer:

"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (II Timothy 4:2-4).

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