On the first three: No matter your theological bent, you could structure an argument like this in your favor.

 

An Arminian could say, “Jesus never said He would only die for a few.”

 

A Calvinist could say, “Jesus never said He would die for every single person throughout history.”

 

Even a Jehovah's Witness could say “Jesus never said He was God.”

 

Obviously, if you’re on the side of the one making the claim, you may be tempted to think these are great points. But if you’re on the opposing side, you’re going to be calling foul.

 

Why?

 

Well, for one, just because an idea doesn’t appear in the Gospels using a particular wording, doesn’t mean it (or, at least some version of it) isn’t true.

 

For example, for his number 1, Jesus said, “nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19). He also said believers could drink poison and not be harmed (Mark 16:18.) He even said the hair on our head would be safe (Luke 21:18.) In John 10:9, Jesus says those who enter by Him will be saved. The word, “saved” used in this passage appears throughout the Gospels to describe when Jesus physically healed someone. It means, “to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. To save a suffering one from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health.” We talk more about this idea and respond to common objections to it in our FAQ on healing (see end of FAQ under "Salvation Means Healing".

​

For his number 2, Jesus said the meek would inherit the whole earth (Matt 5:5). He also said we would receive a hundredfold of houses and lands now in this time (Mark 10:30).

 

To me, that sounds like wealth. If it doesn’t to you, then I’d be glad to hear what definition of, “wealth” you’re using that excludes the whole earth, lands, and houses.

 

For his number 3, Jesus said all things are possible to someone who believes (Mark 9:23, Matt 17:20). Even going so far as to say whosoever speaks to this mountain, without doubting, will have whatever they say (Mark 11:23).

​

Again, it’s going to depend on what one means by the terms they use, but it’s hard to imagine a way that these things would not constitute absolute and total success with any endeavor.

​

The other issue that surfaces fairly quickly upon hearing this kind of statement is---Are we limiting truth to only the Gospels? If so, why? Jesus didn’t just speak in the Gospels. The entire Bible is God’s Word, after all. So we could go back over those first three and include statements from Psalms, Proverbs, and many other places in the Scripture which speak to health, wealth, and success. This is dealt with more in our FAQ on prosperity

​

Finally, the last 3 are true. You’ll get no argument from me, here. But we need to be careful that, in our desire to push one narrative, we don’t speak dishonestly about other narratives which are equally as true. I find pitting Bible verses/narratives against one another to be a fairly common occurrence in the Body of Christ. And it’s unnecessary. It’s all true. As representatives of Christ, we should not shy away from affirming all aspects of the truth.

​

To learn more about the idea of apparent conflicting truths, check out our resources below:

Argument From Incredulity Fallacy

​

American Gospel Response part 3

​

FAQ About Healing (See objection #6)

​

back