What is the true meaning of religion according to Amos?

22 Pages·2013·0.81 MB·English

What is the true meaning of
religion according to Amos?
CHONG HO YU
Target audience
 Christians who prioritizes
politics over religious truths
 Christians who do not want to
challenge their religious leaders
and cover up problems
 Christians who have a false sense
of security
Confrontation between
Amaziah and Amos
 Amos 7:10-17
 Amaziah accused Amos of conspiring
against Israel and Amaziah said that
the land was not able to bear Amos's
word.
 The reason given by the priest is: it is
the king's sanctuary, and it is a
temple of the kingdom. In Amaziah’s
value system, political interests
(serving the King) are more
important than the words of God.
BGEA’s controversy
 During the 2012 Presidential Election, I encountered
many Evangelical Christians who support the
Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
BGEA’s controversy
 Before the Election, Mitt Romney visited Rev. Billy
Graham at his home in Montreat, NC, and got his
endorsement. Then, Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association (BGEA) removed Mormonism from the
list of heresies and cults from the BGEA’s website.
Defense and criticisms
 The BGEA said it removed the offensive language
against Mormonism "because we do not wish to
participate in a theological debate about something
that has become politicized during this campaign."
 Rev. Samuel Wynn, Superintendent of a United
Methodist Church district in Fayetteville, N.C:
“What's more important for the kingdom of God:
politics or the message of Jesus Christ?”
Defense and criticisms
 Pastor Robert Jeffress, First Baptist Church, Dallas,
TX:
 “It is unfortunate that the BGEA chose to remove the
cult designation describing Mormonism this week. It
will appear to the world that the Graham
organization has chosen political expediency over
spiritual conviction. It is possible to endorse Mitt
Romney, as I have done, and yet maintain that
Mormonism is a false religion that leads people away
from the one true God."
Defense and criticisms
 Paul Louis Metzger, Professor at
Multnomah Biblical Seminary
defended for the BGEA: “We should
describe rather than label
groups…Jesus never objectified,
labeled or wrote anyone off…He
always got beyond stereotypes and
moved through doctrinal formulas to
engage people graciously and
truthfully, to bring the good news
home, and to bring people home to
be with him in his Father’s house in
eternity.”
What did Jesus say?
 But indeed Jesus
labeled people and
bluntly criticized
religious leaders, just
like Amos rebuked the
Priest. What did Jesus
say about Pharisees and
Scribes ?
Matthew 23
 “1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’
seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell
you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice
what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome
loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they
themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make
their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their
garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets
and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they
love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to
be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.”