The Gospel of Jesus Christ is strange to the people of this world. It is foolishness in their eyes. Those who preach the pure truth are shamed and persecuted. Some preachers have decided to remove the scandal so that they can escape the shame that is attached to the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. Removing the scandal renders the Gospel ineffective.
What is scandal? It is a circumstance or action that offends propriety or established moral conceptions or disgraces those associated with it; loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety : Disgrace; malicious or defamatory gossip (Merriam Webster Dictionary).
What does the Bible say about this? The Bible says that we shall be hated for His name’s sake.
Here are some Bible verses:
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9 )
“But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues” (Matthew 10:17).
“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks FOOLISHNESS; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)
If we must follow Jesus Christ we must deny ourselves and everything that can stand on our way. We should know that there’s a price to pay, there’s a cross to carry daily: “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
