What must I believe or What must I do

+JMJ+ I’ve been watching videos, hearing people give explanations of Christianity—by both those who claim Christianity, or at least to be sympathetic to it, and those not—and it’s obvious that all they know is some form of Protestantism. I’ve heard some say that Christianity is all about what a person is supposed to believe but that other religions are more concerned with what a person is supposed to do. Now this just gets Christianity all wrong. Jesus says over and over what we are to do in order to have salvation. [This is part two of what is now an ongoing series. See part one.]

Examples from Scripture

The Rich Young Man, also Rich Man, Rich Young Ruler (see Mark 10:17-22 and Matthew 19:16-30),
The goats separated from the sheep (see Matthew 25:31-46),
If you love Me you will keep My commandments (see John 14:15-31)
The Great Commission (see Matthew 28:16-20).

18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. 19 Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
Matthew 28:16-20, Douay-Rheims Bible, public domain.

Teach all nations what to believe? No. It’ll be part of it but what He says is to teach them to observe what I have commanded you. This emphasis on doing, on what to do, on what must be done, is all through the New Testament. I don’t know how people miss this but I just read, yet again, someone quote Matthew 28:16-20, what is known as the Great Commission, and then turn right around and say that our emphasis is on belief. (I’m not going to link to this person to save him some embarrassment.) Once misconceptions get lodged in people’s heads it is very difficult to dislodge them. And they’ll keep parrotting those misconceptions until one day something or someone grabs their attention and gets through to them finally, and they hear, really hear the Gospel message for the first time.

And that message is not “to believe” and that’s all there is, it’s first to “Repent—turn away from sin, turn toward God—and believe—the word carries within it the meaning, not just to give intellectual assent to an idea, but to love, to trust, to hold dear—the Gospel, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:17, Douay-Rheims Bible, public domain.

And saying: The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel.
Mark 1:15, Douay-Rheims Bible, public domain.

Believe, verb, etymology: Middle English bileven, from Old English belyfan “to have faith or confidence” (in a person), earlier geleafa (Mercian), gelefa (Northumbrian), gelyfan (West Saxon), from Proto-Germanic *ga-laubjan “to believe,” perhaps literally “hold dear (or valuable, or satisfactory), to love” (source also of Old Saxon gilobian “believe,” Dutch geloven, Old High German gilouben, German glauben), ultimately a compound based on PIE root *leubh- “to care, desire, love” (see belief).

Belief, noun, etymology: late 12c., bileave, “confidence reposed in a person or thing; faith in a religion,” replacing Old English geleafa “belief, faith,” from West Germanic *ga-laubon “to hold dear, esteem, trust” (source also of Old Saxon gilobo, Middle Dutch gelove, Old High German giloubo, German Glaube), from *galaub- “dear, esteemed,” from intensive prefix *ga- + PIE root *leubh- “to care, desire, love.” The prefix in English was altered on analogy of the verb believe. The distinction of the final consonant from that of believe developed 15c.

Thank you for joining me here. I’m glad you did! May we grow in holiness and virtue, availing ourselves of the sacraments, praying the Rosary and meditating on His Word, united with Him, becoming the saints He means us to be. God bless you, and may His peace be always with you. +JMJ+

Join me on Fridays for the Rosary Project Live on Twitter at 8pm ET, 7pm CT, to cultivate a culture of Light, Life, Love, Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, for the conversion of sinners, and for the salvation of souls. There’s also a Rosary on the blog you can use anytime.

“The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times.” — Padre Pio

Notes and Links

What is Christianity? The Last Writings, by Pope Benedict XVI. Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook (Amazon affiliate links, see Full Disclosure below). I haven’t read this yet but I’m looking forward to it. It’s on the cyber nightstand in the to-read stack.

Image: Sermon on the Mount, by Carl Bloch, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

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