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MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Claims Jesus Didn’t Preach ‘Fire and Brimstone’ — But Is This True?

Mar. 14, 2013 2:49pm Billy Hallowell

Earlier this week, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews took to the airwaves to discuss faith and religion. The center of discussion was the host’s views on the Christian faith and Jesus’ teaching. In addition to unfavorable comments about Pope Benedict XVI, he also issued some curious proclamations about Jesus’ teachings.

In commenting about the pope emeritus, the liberal host said he’s never been a fan of Benedict, adding, ”I don’t think he matters.”

As for the Christian faith more generally, Matthews separated its teachings from those embraced by other religious systems, noting that compassion and care for the poor distinguish it.

“What separates Christianity from all the other religions? It’s compassion. It’s looking out for the little people,” he said. “Mary Magdalene is one of my favorite figures from the New testament. She’s a prostitute and Jesus loved her. He was a buddy of hers.”

MSNBCs Chris Matthews Claims Jesus Didnt Preach Fire and Brimstone But Is This True?

Photo Credit: AP

There is debate, however, surrounding this characterization of Magdalene as a prostitute — one that was advanced during the Christianity’s early years. Also, some would contend that what separates the Christian faith from other religions is its inclusion of a savior — God’s son — who perished to save the sins of humanity.

But Matthews wasn’t done there.

“If you look at the Bible, who’s he curing and who’s he taking care of, Jesus — he’s going after the people who are blind and crippled and outcast for sexual misbehavior, if you will,” Matthews continues. “He’s looking out for those people. He’s not preaching fire and brimstone.”

As Townhall notes, though, Jesus didn’t just roam about healing the afflicted. While this was a major role as presented in the Bible, he also spoke about redemption and what was needed for one to reach heaven (elements some would consider “fire and brimstone”). Consider John 3:3, when he told Nicodemus, a religious leader, that one must be “born again” in order to be with the Lord after death.

Here’s how verses 3-5 read (as per Bible Gateway):

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”

⁴“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. ⁷You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’ ⁸The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[d]

Of course, that’s only one example. While it’s true that the tactics Jesus used were not “fire and brimstone” in a more vicious sense, he surely preached about heaven and hell and what was expected of humanity.

Watch Matthews’ words below:

What do you think? Was the host incorrect in his statements? Let us know in the comments section.

(H/T: Townhall)

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Comments (132)

TheGrtDcptn
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 5:07pm
…religion this, religion that…who cares…?!?!

God is NOT a religion…

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spirited
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 5:06pm
No “fire and brimstone” hu?

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged…
First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1, 5).

“The Pharisees pressured Jesus to show them a sign from heaven to prove himself.
He told them they were missing the signs right in front of them.
He said their request was evil and the only sign they’d get was that of Jonah.
Then he walked away.” (Matthew 16:1-4).

>Interpretation and context.

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TheGrtDcptn
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 5:00pm
‘Mary Magdalene is one of my favorite figures from the New testament. She’s a prostitute and Jesus loved her.’

Jesus loves everyone…So what’s his point…?!…Loving and Condoning Sin are two different issues…Jesus does NOT condone sin, period…

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ammypearson
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:46pm
BORN AGAIN? Really Bible Gateway is your source? Jesus said born again huh?
WOW, no wonder people hate religion with all of you idiots incorrectly quoting the Bible.
SMH!

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wowjustwow
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:46pm
It’s funny…this is one of the most hateful and unhappy sites on the internet and everyone is quoting scripture! Hilarious!!!

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- TheGrtDcptn
  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 5:30pm
  ‘this is one of the most hateful and unhappy sites on the internet’
  
  …and here YOU are, imagine that…!!
  
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- wowjustwow
  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 10:04pm
  Yes, I am here. I, like some others, come here because it’s fascinating.
  
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Frodo RinosBane
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:42pm
Chrissie, you’re a genius. If you could read the Bible through the spittle on the page (stop talking while you read), you would see “Neither do I condemn you. GO AND SEND NO MORE.” (ephasis mine). Jesus accepts us just as we are. He never condones our sin.

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txannie
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:37pm
Chris Matthews is what is known as a ‘gillette christian’. If they don’t like what the Bible said, they just take their handy little gillette razor and cut that part out. Doesn’t quite work that way.

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spirited
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:35pm
And of course Chris Mathews exudes “compassion”. -lol

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PapaJohannesPatriot
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:23pm
Matthews can actually read a Bible?

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AboveMyPayGrade
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:22pm
Anybody who takes seriously ANYTHING that Chris Matthews says these days all but certainly is somebody who ALREADY regards what the Bible has to say as total malarkey.

It was already quite clear long before this, even though he doesn’t have the courage and honesty to openly admit it and for whatever reason still wants to regard himself as a Catholic as though it’s an ethnic/racial identity like being, say, Polish or Chinese, that Matthews HIMSELF has absolutely no regard for what the Bible has to say. Anyone who would say publicly, as Matthews has more than once, that Obama is “perfect” is quite clearly looking for an earthly Messiah in place of THE Messiah, Jesus Christ.

And unless he comes to a spiritual ephiphany before he meets his Maker, Matthews will perish right along with his earthly messiah Obama.

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matt_c
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:19pm
A liberal’s uses for the bible:
1. Twist its words to promote their nanny state agenda
2. Use it as a bludgeon against those who truly believe in it.

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independent1958
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:15pm
Mathews should have said blind and disabled, not crippled. He is so politically incorrect!

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carl_in_ohio
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:10pm
why is Chris Matthews talking about something he knows nothing about?
why is he preaching about Jesus? where is the ACLU to promote?

Why is a NEWS REPORTER (a poor one) not sticking to the news, rather than giving religious commentary???

and most importantly, why do we care what Matthews thinks anyways?

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chucksue351
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:09pm
he’s the prostitute

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notsurewhatshappeninghere
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:04pm
I’m not extremely religious, and putting aside the whole main theme of this article (and the fact that Matthews is utterly insane…), I swear Chris Matthews needs a bib, and one of the those suction things dentists use when you salivate too much. Is it just me, or does it ALWAYS sound like he is spitting when he talks? Maybe it’s because he gets so excited about talking about his liberal gods. Don’t know, but jeepers, I thought enunciation was one the most important things needed to be a “journalist”…

Pretty sad when not only is you ideology and belief structure flawed and borderline psychotic, but your ability to express yourself verbally is equally distorted. What a complete tool. If I believed in hell, I would say there is a very special place being held there for this Rompur Room reject…

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E.Z. Las Vegas
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:00pm
Apparently, Chris Matthews has decided that being the first affirmative action appointed spokesman for the black community is not enough of a mission in life.
Now, having determined that the Cardinals obviously made a grievous error in failing to name him the new Pope, it was time for him to issue his first encyclical as ex-officio Pope, known henceforth as Pompous the First.
It is nice to know that Matthews has vapid, brainless opinions on subjects other than politics.

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commoncents5
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:56pm
Christians need to keep in mind that our enemy is Satan not other Christians. The Father is the judge and it is possible that if Matthews decided to search for the TRUTH, knowledge would be given to him just like it was given to us as sinners. We are now in the 5th trump a time of teaching before the false christ appears on the earth. In my opinion Mr O is an example of how people can easily be deceived.
And how these end times are not from famine of bread but from famine of TRUTH. The flood of lies and deception we have experineced these few short years is unbelievable to me and that the scriptures are amazing like a road map.

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- shamar
  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 5:01pm
  So true.
  
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KickinBack
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:47pm
A liberal who’s favorite is a prostitute. Who’dda thunk it.

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charjan
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:47pm
Matthews never checks out his view for accuracy but gets paid well anyway, even with low ratings.

The following from wikipedia may have helped him if he wasn’t agenda oriented:
Mary Magdalene’s image has been tarnished through history by the inaccurate linkage of Magdalene with the unnamed “sinner” (commonly thought to have been a prostitute) in Luke 7:36-50. This misrepresentation stems from a homily given by Pope Gregory around the year 600, where he identified Magdalene not only with the anonymous sinner but also with Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. In the 14 times that Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the Gospels, never once is she identified as a prostitute or a sinner.[6]

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fastfacts
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:45pm
The media is attacking him for being “social conservative”, he’s not a ‘social conservative’ per sea. HE’S CATHOLIC.

Here is a clip of another reporter just reporting the facts on the popes stance on these issues (clip shows the pope walking out on the balcony for the first time) http://www.thedailycandidate.com/video/2013/mar/pope_social_conservative.html

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jakartaman
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:41pm
My God
prissy chrissy – You now are an expert on our Lord and Savior.
Please< I implore, stick to your kooky socialist progressive political opinions.
"You will always have the poor" This however does not mean we should not be charitrable.
It also means let what is Caesars be Caesars and let what is Gods be Gods.
It does Not mean let Obama take from the workers and give to his lazy plantation crowd.

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Wacko bird
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:39pm
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me.

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.

45 But because I say the truth, ye believe me not.

46 Which of you convicteth me of sin? If I say truth, why do ye not believe me?

47 He that is of God heareth the words of God: for this cause ye hear them not, because ye are not of God.

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todd147
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:39pm
Jesus reached out to people of every social class and status. Chris got it half right. And I think he was mostly correct in explaining Christ’ grace. However to say he didn’t preach fire and brimstone, he would have to ignore much of the Bible. I don’t understand the papacy at all. But I’m grateful that this pope is orthodox in his beliefs. I think that will reach millions of Catholics. And the poor should be taken care of. The Bible explains very simply how to care for the poor, the widow and the foreigner. But it doesn’t begin with creating more poor people.

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JamieReckless
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:37pm
i think for once, chris matthews hit the nail on the head. he is right in every thing he said. the pope, doesn’t matter. the fact jesus did look out for “the little guy”, the broken, the sick, the outcasts….

that being said. jesus also, said repent & sin no more. theologically speaking, we all know its impossible not to sin anymore. but, the effort & the daily repentance comes a new salvation everyday. in that salvation we have grace, mercy, love & can grow in that grace. we lose the appetite for sin. we try harder daily not to sin. jesus takes us as we are, but he in NO WAY leaves us like he found us. we have to put forth an effort to serve him w/ our life. there is no half way w/ god.

so, while chris was absolutely right in a portion of his sermon. he should stick to msnbc’s brand of “journalism” & leave the preaching to the pastors. i give him a thumbs up for the effort though. he’s so so close to speaking truth.

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plmbcrzy
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:36pm
Wait I’m confused…I thought Chris Matthews thinks Obama is Jesus and all he does is preach fire and brimstone.

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- cosette
  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 3:46pm
  I clicked on this story in order to comment, but, after reading yours, why bother? It can’t be topped….LOL
  
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- JGraham III
  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 4:05pm
  The more people like Chris Mathews comment on “what Jesus said’ or “what the Bible says” convinces me they have little real understanding of either Him or the Bible. John 8 & 9 are an excellent record of Jesus getting in the face of the religious/political leaders of His day. The best part of it all is where he asks them why it is they cannot hear His words and then tells them the answer “you are of your father the devil.” While I wouldn’t necessarily say Mathews falls into the same category as the Pharisees and Sadducees there are plenty in government whether it be secular or religious who most certainly fit the description. The Lord always had confrontational words for them. Many times He spoke to them not because there was much chance of the religious ones changing and believing, but for the sake of those standing by watching He spoke to them. Peter James and John had similar opportunity in Acts 3 thru 6. Likewise I do not see the value of trying to convince goats like Mathews but there are plenty of ‘sheep’ that have not been poisoned by eating too much ‘goat food’.
  
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