Luke 11:23
Whoever is Against Jesus is Working Against Him
23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
John 15:14-17
Jesus Chose His Disciples for a Reason
14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.17 This is my command: Love each other.
Acts 4:8-19
Ordinary and Unschooled Men Teaching the Gospel
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Acts 5:29-39
Schooled Men Fighting Against God and Ordinary Unschooled Men Spreading the Gospel
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things,and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Luke 2:52
Jesus Grew in Wisdom
52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
John 14:6
Jesus is Truth
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus in the King James Version of the Bible says "He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth."...To me, He is saying something about everyone's belief and belief system...And He is saying something about our faith and our belief system...Those who are not with Him and believe Him have another belief...Other belief systems do not help His teachings...Everyone who is against Him and who do not believe in Him, is working against Him...They are scattering and diluting His teachings...And in every religion and belief system two things come to my mind...What is the Truth and Who is the Authority behind one's belief...Jesus' teachings are simple in this respect...He stood up and said He is Truth...And all of His life and His teachings have His Father as the central figure in everything He does...His Father in heaven is the Authority...
He said this statement two thousand years ago, that men and women would try to scatter His message instead of defending it and passing it on...Everyone believes in something and we all believe in something a little different at times...And there is a difference in understanding something and believing in something...There are those who believe in Jesus and those who do not...There are many wise and unwise people that believe in Him and many wise and unwise who do not believe in Him...God gives us this choice...
I used to think that all the ancient authors of the Bible were wise and brilliant men, and I still believe this...Yet, at the same time, Jesus chose His Twelve Disciples who were four fisherman, a tax collector, and one would even betray Him (and He knew this would happen) among His other disciples...When they were picked by the Wisest Man ever to walk the earth, one of my impressions were that none of the Twelve really stood out as leaders...They seemed to me to be twelve common and average men...And it was Jesus who handpicked these Twelve Disciples...He could have chosen anyone...And the Twelve are described as ordinary and unschooled men right after His death, by the Jewish Religious Officials and the Sanhedrin (and the Jewish Officials and Sanhedrin were scholars, intelligent, wise, and well schooled men)...These Twelve would be the ones that would spread His word...If His word and teachings were to spread to all nations then it would be done by these Twelve ordinary and unschooled men...Let us not forget God through His Son chose these Twelve unschooled and ordinary men for a reason...(I would like to add that Paul, a minister to the Gentiles, did much great work -but he was chosen later by Jesus on the road to Damascus...Paul was not one of the original Twelve Disciples for a reason)...
I have sometimes wondered why Jesus did not hand pick the best writers or scribes or best orators and the wisest and most intelligent men of His time...Possible choosing even those who knew the Scriptures the best would be a good choice in the normal thinking process...Maybe He might have chosen those of the strongest faith in God...He would have certainly have known all of these men and women...And He tells the group that He has chosen "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."...Then He tells them to love one another (He has to tell them to love one another -thinking maybe problems might come up down the road among them)...He may be reminding them to get along together, so you can spread His Word...And He certainly handpicked these men, these twelve, for all the right reasons...God does not think like man and thus He chose the right twelve, even though one would betray Him...
Today, I still think there are those who want to scatter His message...There are the non-believer (in fact many non-believers), well educated and well spoken and great writers, who want the believer to give up on His teachings and try to find a new belief or new beliefs...And what is interesting about their beliefs, they are generally their own personal ones...They must believe that their belief (as a non-believer) is just as important as the believer in Jesus ...And this is fine if there beliefs and what they believe in are Truth...Why believe in anything else but the Truth?...
This is a topic of personal belief with no right or wrong answer to those who strongly believe as each of us as we do...Or is there a right and a wrong answer?...What I can say, and I get back to what Jesus added at the end of the statement why He chose these Twelve...He commanded them after three years of being with Him -to love one another...We do at times need to be reminded that we love someone...This is true, if one believes in what Jesus said to the disciples and His teachings on LOVE...St. Paul said the Jews demand signs and Greeks demand wisdom...In some religions and beliefs we look for zen, and for bliss, and for enlightenment...Miracles and being wise and the search for mental paradise and enlightenment are good things...We have seen powerful religious leaders in many different faiths...But how odd it is for one religion to base itself on One born of a virgin...Who would believe that, and how would that religion have staying power?...Why would a Baby born in a manger be surrounded by both the lowliest of the shepherds as well as to the most intelligent of wise men...Who would believe that Leader born around animals in a manger would be around for two thousand years?...And as this young Man aged, He would grow in wisdom and stature...He could do many types of different miracles...He spoke on mercy and forgiveness and related those and most things to His Father...He spoke very much about love and God's LOVE...He spoke at times very hard things to do and some of His teachings are very hard to follow...How odd a death, He dies on a cross...And to make it almost impossible to believe, He came back from His death...And it was not like He was resuscitated immediately, He came back to life three days after His death...And the stories about His death on this cross, was that He died for mankind's sins...Again, who is going to believe that one?...And when we reflect on Him, He seems like a Loner...He is completely focused on the Person of God, who all throughout His ministry He says is His very own Father...And His Father created all these things in the universe and worlds and keeps them finely tuned so man can live on the earth and seek Him...And if you believe in Him and His Father, you will receive eternal life after your death -but wait the only way to God and heaven is first through Him...All these things are so odd and weird...
It is so easy for the skeptic and cynic not to believe these things...Everyone of these things seems so odd, and much too difficult to explain and understand...But most of my life, I have been a skeptic and a cynic -and one can believe you know...And one cannot just believe in one or two of these odd and strange things, but the believer must believe in all these things...And if you believe in all these very odd things then you are a follower of His...And best of all you are working with Him and for Him and not scattering things against Him...