Tim Keller: The Broad Jesus For the Broad Appeal For the Broad Road of Destruction

5 Salt has a short but good article and video of Tim Keller promoting his "Kings Cross" book on MSNBC (complete with the mockers).

Keller said:

...Truth bearers are not very kind. He [Jesus] brings together Mother Theresa [who is kind] and truth [Jesus is God].

.... every branch of Christianity has lost its cultural credibility

...why Jesus is so popular.

Here are my thoughts:

Just how "kind" was Teresa of Calcutta? She didn't seek healing for the suffering. That wasn't her goal. Where did the millions people throughout the world go when they gave to her charity? Did the lives improve? The facilities? No. Theresa's "kindness" was this: suffering is good for the soul.

On another note, Keller claims there is still a "Jesus Appeal", that people find Him "interesting." WHAT? Is this man serious? His "Jesus", maybe--the one who doesn't hold to absolutes, the one seeking for social justice, the one that is in Eastern mysticism and Romanism. THAT Jesus is appealing, sure. To the world. He doesn't tell people of their sin, His wrath against them, the reality of Hell and their earning their place there, the need to repent from their sins and foresake everything to follow HIM. No, that's what the REAL Jesus did.

Yes, he wrote the book with a "broad appeal" (time mark:24). That's because his fake Jesus is an idol, an imposter, one the world CAN embrace. The one that seeks common ground with the wicked.

Keller's Jesus loves everybody. But God said He hates the wicked:

Ps 5: ^5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; You hate all who do wrong. ^6 You destroy those WHO tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful MEN the LORD abhors.

Ps. 11: ^5 The LORD examines the righteous, but THE WICKED^ and THOSE WHO love violence His soul HATES. ^6 On THE WICKED He will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.

The Jesus of Scripture was direct, bold, and the world hated Him so much, they murdered Him. What did Jesus teach and what was the enormous crowd reaction to Him?

After feeding the 5,000 + people, He started to teach doctrine--the Gospel. Watch:

Joh 6:56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

Joh 6:57 "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.

Joh 6:58 "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever."

Joh 6:59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

Joh 6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?"

Joh 6:61 But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble?

Joh 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

Joh 6:64 "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.

Joh 6:65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."

Joh 6:66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.

They ceased to follow Jesus. They never went back. How utterly sad. Jesus was GREAT when He was healing them and feeding them, but when He told them they were dead, unspiritual, and without life and that they needed HIM to save them, that He is the ONLY way to heaven, they couldn't bear such teaching, got up, and walked away.

Mat 10:34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.

Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

He didn't seek social justice for anyone. He came with ONE PUROSE: to save wicked sinners from their sins, as a purchase by the Master, to make new men by His hand and for His glory.

So is this the Jesus of Keller? Jesus of Scripture did NOT have a "broad appeal".

2Co 11:4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

Keller, your own words condemn you: your "broad appeal", your easily accepted Jesus is not of God at all. Rather, you are helping masses of people on the BROAD ROAD TO DESTRUCTION. You are under God's wrath. Repent.