Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

Church Family: Supernatural Diversity

I became a Christian in college at 19 and got involved with a great church where the people loved Jesus and taught the Bible. The pastor was a wonderful person, and it was a beautiful place to start as a new believer. I’m so grateful for where God had me start my faith journey with Jesus and the Church.

But I had gone all the way through high school as a non-Christian, so I didn’t really have many Christian friends other than Grace. Then, I heard a guy I went to high school with had also become a Christian. I was so excited to hear his story and share mine. During a break in the school year, I reconnected with my friend and asked if we could get together. Then we met and shared our stories, and it was great. I was excited to have an old friend become a new brother in the Lord.

I went off to college again, but every time I came home for a break, I made it a goal to get together with my friend. But I quickly realized that our relationship would get worse every time we got together, and our conversation would get sadder. The first time, my friend asked me if I was reading my Bible, and I told him I was and that I was really enjoying it. Then he asked me what translation I was reading. My internal antennae went up, and I thought, This feels like a trick question. I asked my friend what version he had read, and he replied that the King James Version is the only “right” translation of the Bible. All other versions were corrupted, pagan, and even demonic in his eyes. I respectfully disagreed. My friend then gave me a large book on why the King James Version is the only version of the Bible.

During my next visit, my friend asked if I had been baptized. I was excited to share that I had indeed been baptized. He then asked, “Was it in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?” I told him it was the latter because that’s what Jesus says to do. Well, my friend said I did it wrong. He got baptized in the name of Jesus, and according to him, baptism doesn’t count if you don’t do it that way. My friend gave me another book, this time on why the way I was baptized was wrong, and his way was right. (Continued on Day 322 ...)

Today’s Reflection

How do you respond when another believer criticizes the way you express your devotion to God?