The Biggest Mistakes In The Bible

By John Stallings


In the late 1930’s, actor Gary Cooper said, “I’m glad it will be Clark Gable falling on his face in “Gone with the wind” and not me.” Being as GWTW is the quintessential movie of all time; I guess old Coop made a mistake.

Since I don’t have the list in front of me of the stupid things that have been said over the years, I’ll try to recall a few. A top man at the U.S patent office said in 1899, “I believe just about everything that can be invented has already been invented.” Another “brilliant” industrial leader said in 1977, “I don’t think there’ll ever be a demand for personal computers in American homes.”

Speaking of Clark Gable, early in his career a studio head said of him, “He’ll never be popular, his ears are too big.” Seeing as how time proved that man shockingly wrong, the only thing that was too big was his mouth.

Back in the early 1960’s the man who ran Decca Records said, “I don’t think we’ll sign those boys because people are tired of Guitars & their hair-do’s will hold them back.” He spoke of “The Beatles.”

A leader in Great Britain made the following statement in the late 1930’s, “I don’t think Hitler’s Germany has the inclination or the ability to attack their neighbors.” The bones of perhaps as many as 100 million dead people world-wide rise up to testify, “That was an awfully ignorant statement, & a costly miscalculation.”

Voltaire, the French Atheistic writer & orator said in the late 1800’s, as he held up a Bible at a Paris anti-God rally, “In 100 years, the only way a person will be able to even see a copy of this book will be through the dingy glass of a book case in some museum.” Not only was Voltaire wrong but 25 years after his death the Geneva Bible Society bought his Paris home & turned it into a storage building for Bibles. Not only that, they actually used his printing press to print copies of the Bible.

Now that we’ve covered a few of the biggest mistakes in modern times, what are some of the biggest mistakes in the Bible?

1. Mistake number one was the mistake of Potiphar’s wife.

In Genesis 39:1-23 we have her story. Potiphar’s wife is obviously a person of means & she’s used to getting what she wants. We don’t know her first name so we’ll call her by her husbands name but we know her desire for sin isn’t just a passing fancy. She continues to pursue young Joseph to get him into bed with her long after he’s spurned her advances. Joseph tries to reason with her & tell her all the reasons it would be wrong for him to have sexual relations with her. One day she’s so desperate she tries to use force to get her way.

She pulls off his coat but Joseph runs away & leaves it with her. This boy just can’t hang on to a coat. His integrity stands in the way of her fulfilling her desires so she comes to hate that integrity. Quickly she devises a plan because if she can’t get what she wants she will punish him for it.

I’ve got a new idea for a bumper-sticker. “Some people just stink.” I won’t pursue that but if someone will, I’m sure they’ll get rich. You would think that by Joseph acting in the proper way toward this woman she’d have an attack of conscience. You’d think she’d wake up to her terrible immoral principles but all she sees is getting her way or making someone pay. The nerve of anyone questioning the validity of what she wants. Her desires consume her to the point that she can frame an innocent man. And she never comes clean. After Joseph is in jail she lives with the knowledge of what she’s done day after day, month after month & year after year with no compunction of conscience that we’re told of.

Do you see what I see in this story? Your upright, perfect testimony might not always be enough to protect you from calamity.

If you haven’t gotten your eyes open to these “Potiphar’s wives,” it’s high time you did. Also, we need to stress that what she had was a spirit & that spirit can inhabit both sexes, just as a Jezebel spirit can inhabit both genders. This spirit needs to be avoided at all cost. There are thousands of “Potiphar’s wives” in the world. Pray that you never marry one, have one in your extended family or go into business with one. They are people who want what they want & will tell any lie & use any tactic if their desires are thwarted in any way. The reason they reject the gospel isn’t that they’ve found a problem in the gospel, or are having problems with their faith. They reject the gospel because if they accept it they can’t live like the devil.

No matter how you may reason with these “Potiphar’s wives,” no matter how good of an example you are, no matter what you do or don’t do, they’re just never coming around. Something I’ve learned is, that when a good person has been hurt by a “Potiphar’s wife” they will think; --- “well I know they’ll come around someday. I know deep in their heart they’re hurting for what they did to me. If you could read their mind & heart you’d see that they’re hurting for hurting me & someday before I die or they die they’ll open their heart to me & apologize in tears.”

If you believe that, & if you’re dealing with a “potiphar’s wife,” you probably also believe---“God didn’t make little green apples, & it don’t rain in Indianapolis in the summertime.”

You must realize that these folk have a mind-set that isn’t going to be detoured. Without a direct intervention from God, & almost a Damascus road experience, time will only harden them. You can talk till your hair catches fire & they won’t be changed by the truth. They will try to drag you down with them & if you insist on acting rightly, they’ll hate & attack you even the more for it. If they see that they can’t compromise your integrity, now you’re really in trouble. You can try to appease them & feel that when they finally see how open your heart is & how forgiving you are they’ll change, but that’s not going to take place with a “potiphar’s wife,” because she’ll despise you for your very goodness.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying you don’t have to keep acting like a Christian; we’re never absolved from that. But your goodness will only make them more hostile because you’re confronting them with hateful aspects of themselves. When confronted with the truth it’s easier for them to hate you than themselves. Some people just hate virtue.

You are probably asking, why was what Potiphar’s wife did one of the biggest mistakes in the Bible. I believe God is on the side of those who are wrongly accused & He will vindicate them in His own good time.

Let’s sit at the breakfast table with Potiphar & his wife about thirteen years after Joseph was sent away to rot in jail because of Potiphar’s wife’s lie. Can you hear the conversation? Potiphar says, “Honey, do you remember that young kid who tried to rape you several years back & we threw him in jail?” She answers, “Oh yes, how could I forget?”

Potiphar asks, “You know honey, I’ve thought about it over the years & I do hope you told the truth when you said he raped you.” She answers in a huffy tone, “Well I can’t believe you’d doubt your wife about something like that, why would I lie?” Potiphar answers, “You know I love you honey-bunny but I do hope you told the truth, because not only is Joseph out of jail, the license tag on his new chariot reads NUMBER TWO, & I report to him to work this morning.” Obviously Potiphar’s wife made a big mistake because God will vindicate those who’re blasted by her ilk in his own time & in His own way.

2. Another mistake in the Bible was Christ’s crucifixion.

Let me explain. We know Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth. So from God’s perspective, when Jesus was killed by Jewish hate & Roman power, it wasn’t a mistake, but fit perfectly into heaven’s eternal scheme for the ages. If ever a man was born to die it was Jesus.

However, from Satan’s point of view, Calvary was a BIG MISTAKE. Listen to Paul;

--But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.—1 Cor.2:7-8

I don’t know if you’re familiar with the song I wrote entitled “Love grew where the blood fell,” but this scripture was the inspiration for that song.

“See my Jesus on the cross, the people crying,
Looking on a man would think it tragedy,
But what this world couldn't see,
Was when they nailed Him to that tree,
It would break the chains of sin’s captivity.

3. Another mistake in the Bible was made by the Roman soldiers at Christ’s tomb.

When Jesus was raised from the dead, something happened that shouldn’t be all that surprising. We’re told in Matthew 28: 9-15, that the guards who were the first to see Jesus in His resurrected body went into town to tell the leaders what they saw. This elite group of Roman Guards was the best Rome had to offer & they operated under the penalty of death. The powers that be, discerning what damage it would do to their leadership if the truth got out about Christ’s resurrection, immediately gave the guards money to keep their mouths shut about what really happened.

Think about that;-- the first witnesses that Christ rose from the dead, the men who had seen to it that Jesus was indeed dead & then saw Him alive were bought off to keep silent about it. They told an outright lie, that Jesus’ disciples came by night & stole His body.

These men could have been the world’s first Christian evangelists. They knew whereof they spoke. Just think what a blessing to the cause of Christ it would have been if these men could have just been truthful. Instead they allowed the love of money to buy them. Instead of becoming the first witnesses to Christ’s resurrection, they live in infamy; making the mistake of thinking the truth could be hidden.

4. Another big mistake in the Bible was made by King Agrippa.

In Acts 26, Paul stood before this king & preached the gospel. At the end of Paul’s testimony & defense of the gospel king Agrippa uttered these words;

“Almost thou persuadest me to become a Christian.”


Paul was in bonds, Agrippa was in bondage.

Paul was a prisoner of Rome; Agrippa was a prisoner of sin.

Paul was innocent before this earthly judge,

Agrippa was guilty before the judge of all the earth.

Paul was certain about Christianity,

Agrippa came close but retreated into unbelief.

Paul left unhurt, Agrippa left unhelped.


WHAT DOES AN “ALMOST CHRISTIAN” LOOK LIKE?

An “Almost Christian” sees the gospel as a guide to morality & they are smart enough to know that when the morals of a nation break down chaos overtakes a society.

An “Almost Christian” regards the gospel as a social tool to feed & clothe the poor.

An “Almost Christian” will quickly tell you that everywhere the gospel has gone it has upgraded humanity; such as equal rights for women, child labor laws & working conditions in mines & factories.

An “Almost Christian” will point you to the inspiration Christianity has been to the arts, such as Michelangelo’s works, Handel’s Messiah, & countless novels without which humanity would be impoverished.

An “Almost Christian” is near the Kingdom but not in it.

An “Almost Christian” doesn’t see that real Christianity is about a relationship with the living person of Jesus Christ.

An “Almost Christian” will knock on your door & ask you to “believe something” but never to “receive someone,” someone named Jesus Christ.

An “Almost Christian” will talk about Christianity’s usefulness but a real Christian will talk about its truthfulness.

We move from being an “Almost Christian” when we see that true faith is simply a living relationship with Jesus Christ; when we understand the words of Jesus when he said,

--If any man would be my disciple let him deny himself and take up his cross & follow me.

Don’t make Agrippa’s tragic mistake & settle for an “Almost Christianity.”


THAT WOULD BE A TRAGIC MISTAKE INDEED!



Blessings,


John