The predominant message of Christian preachers and teachers today is that Jesus died to save us from our moral sins. This message is so prevalent and accepted that most Christians fail to recognize that Jesus never claimed that his ministry, as reflected in his life and teachings, was to save the world from sin. To the contrary, as the Bible makes clear, moral sin was never the primary focus of Jesus’ teachings.

This exegetical divide within Christianity over biblical interpretation raises fundamental questions.

• What did Jesus teach?
• Is salvation just spiritual, or is it earthly and even political?
• What does it mean to believe in the Bible if we disregard what Jesus and the early church taught?

Today’s topic will challenge many popular Christian assumptions and beliefs. My intent with this topic is to reclaim the early teachings of Jesus and his early followers, enabling us to reassess what we value, what we believe, and how we should conduct ourselves in the sacred interactions we call life.