The predominant message of Christian preachers and teachers today is that Jesus died to save us from our moral sins. This message is so prevalent and accepted that most Christians fail to recognize that Jesus never claimed that his ministry, as reflected in his life and teachings, was to save the world from sin. To the contrary, as the Bible makes clear, moral sin was never the primary focus of Jesus’ teachings.

This exegetical divide within Christianity over biblical interpretation raises fundamental questions.

• What did Jesus teach?
• Is salvation just spiritual, or is it earthly and even political?
• What does it mean to believe in the Bible if we disregard what Jesus and the early church taught?

Today’s topic will challenge many popular Christian assumptions and beliefs. My intent with this topic is to reclaim the early teachings of Jesus and his early followers, enabling us to reassess what we value, what we believe, and how we should conduct ourselves in the sacred interactions we call life.

We live in violent times. Nations openly battle each other in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa, with the United States providing military aid to the countries we favor. And while most US citizens do not fear a direct military attack by another nation, we do fear surprise attacks from international terrorists as well as homegrown violent extremists.

But just what does Christianity teach about violence and war? And more specifically, when, if ever, is war and violence just?

These are the questions we all ask and the answers we all seek. I hope that this theological and historical analysis of our existential experience will enable us to reassess and reclaim what we value, what we believe, and how we should conduct ourselves in the sacred interactions we call life.

The predominant message of Christianity today is that through Jesus Christ we can be saved from sin and death, and that God’s judgment of every person will precipitate eternal salvation in heaven for the worthy and eternal punishment in hell for the unworthy.

However, Christianity also supports a dissenting and contrary vision of Christian salvation. This vision of Christianity emphasizes God’s call to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others in this earthly life, thereby seeking to provide God’s salvation to this world in this life through acts of justice, grace, and compassion. This call to Christian discipleship dismisses any focus on a future salvation or eternal life that follows death.

This theological divide within Christianity raises fundamental questions.

• Is salvation a present state or just a future reality?
• Is salvation earthly and even political, or is it just spiritual?
• Is it even Christian to focus on securing my personal, spiritual salvation when many people need salvation from lack food and medical care, while enduring crippling injustices?
• Does God save us for this world or from this world?

These are the questions I ask and the answers I seek—maybe you as well. Today’s topic will challenge many popular Christian assumptions and beliefs. My intent with this topic is not to convince anyone that what they believe is wrong but to enable us to reassess and reclaim what we value, what we believe, and how we should conduct ourselves in the sacred interactions we call life.