10 Shocking Ways Jesus is Misquoted by Christians

Jesus is the most prominent and influential figure in the history of man. With this in mind, it is not difficult to find many people misquoting Him and attributing ideas that were never His in the first place.

Do you know what Jesus taught? Do you really know His way of life? Most importantly, do you know how so-called “Christians” misrepresented Jesus?

In this post, let us go through some of the popular teachings that most people thought that came from Jesus Christ.

10 Shocking Ways Jesus is Misquoted by Christians

10 Shocking Ways Jesus is Misquoted by Christians

Jesus Misquoted #1: You should NEVER judge.

Did Jesus really teach that it is wrong to judge the actions of other people? Much of the confusion came from Matthew 5:1 saying;

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“Judge not, that you be not judge.”

However, did you read what Matthew 7:24? It says:

“Do not judge according to appearance; but JUDGE with righteous judgment.”

At the surface, it seems that Jesus is contradicting Himself, but a deeper examination will reveal Jesus’ real intention in His earlier statement. The problem with people is that they never read the rest of Matthew 5.

Matthew 5:5 says, “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

This verse tells us that we need to remove the speck from our eyes first before we can “remove” or “judge” other people’s speck. In short, judge yourself first before judging the actions of other people.

To learn more about this topic, please read Is It Really Wrong To Judge?.

Jesus Misquoted #2: When you die as a good person, you will go to heaven.

Popular Christianity will tell you that you will go straight to heaven when you die. Did Jesus really say that? Let the Bible answer that. Read John 3:13.

stairway to heaven

NO ONE HAS EVER GONE INTO HEAVEN except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man.”

Nothing can be clearer than that! Contrary to what most pastors teach, Jesus actually told His audience that NO ONE has ever ascended to heaven except Himself! In addition to this, in His famous model prayer, Jesus prayed:

Your Kingdom COME, your will be done” (Matthew 6:10).

So instead of us going to heaven, heaven will go down here on earth!

FURTHERMORE, additional evidence: Read John 5:28.

“Do not marvel at this: for the hour is coming in which ALL who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth those who have done GOOD, to the resurrection of life…”

Did you read that? Jesus said that the righteous are in the grave waiting for the second coming of the Savior. If they are already in heaven, what’s the point of resurrection? The popular good-people-go-to-heaven doctrine can’t be found in the Bible.

To learn more about this topic, please read this Heaven Is Not The Reward For The Righteous.

Jesus Misquoted #3: The more you do good things, the more you will become richer.

This saying is better known as the prosperity gospel. To some extent, the concept of the prosperity gospel is true, but not entirely. I completely agree that you will be blessed by doing good, and good actions will lead to better outcomes, but there is more to the story than meets the eye. You need to see the other side of the coin.

Money_lunchRemember The Beatitudes? It is a list of people who are blessed. I believe it is worth it once again. Let’s read Matthew 5:3-11.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

Did you read that? The people we thought who are deprived are actually more blessed than those individuals who are rich. The truth is that we are blessed not because who we are, what we did or did not, but actually, it is God’s GOODNESS, MERCY, LOVE, and GRACE that allow blessings to come our way!

Jesus Misquoted #4: When I die, you are free from the Law of God.

One of the most common deceptions that led many Christians to astray is the thinking that the Law has been done away with and was nailed to the cross. But that is what people think and NOT what Jesus thinks. Please read Matthew 5:17-19.

DO NOT think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY, NOT AN IOTA, NOT A DOT, WILL PASS FROM THE LAW UNTIL ALL IS ACCOMPLISHED. Therefore whoever BREAKS one of the least of these commandments and TEACHES others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus already knew that after His death, people will get the idea that they don’t have to do the commandments of God. Thus He warned, “DO NOT THINK!” But of course, what Jesus would say, people won’t do, and what Jesus would not say, people will do – that is just how human nature works.

To learn more about this topic, please read What was Really Nailed To The Cross.

Jesus Misquoted #5: Jesus went to Church every Sunday

This might be shocking to many, but do you know that Jesus kept the Sabbath on the seventh day, which is Saturday? Yes, you read that right. Let me give you a scripture.

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“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. AND AS WAS HIS CUSTOM, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read” (Luke 4:16).

“And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath” (Luke 4:31). 

In fact, if you read Genesis to Revelation, from cover to cover of your Bible, YOU WILL NEVER READ a single passage that transfer the holiness of the Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) to Sunday. It was humans who changed the Sabbath day, and not God.

Now ask yourself, who will you obey? God and Jesus Christ or the people who try to create their own laws?

If you want to learn more, please read Which Day is the Sabbath Day.

Jesus Misquoted #6: All you need to do is believe and you will be saved.

It is unbiblical to think that all you have to do is to believe God and you will be saved. If that is the case, then the demons should be saved as well since the Apostle James said the demons don’t just believe, but they also tremble!

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“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). 

Actually, Jesus never taught that we just believe and be saved! While it is true that no one can earn salvation through works, Jesus still expects His followers to OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS.

Of course, I am not saying that believing should be out of the equation. In fact, it is the foundation of our faith. But if you just stop there and our faith does not translate into action, then we are no better than the demons.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and GREAT WAS THE FALL OF IT (Matthew 7:21-27).

Jesus Misquoted #7: Jesus came to save the world

Let me first give you the facts.

Yes, Jesus died for our sins so that salvation would be available to us.

Yes, Jesus came to the world to give the entire humanity, from Adam to the last person to be conceived, a chance to be part of God’s family.

HOWEVER, that does not automatically means that you and I will be saved without doing nothing.

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When Jesus first came to this world, He never tried, pleaded, or begged people to believe in Him. His main mission was not to save AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

In actuality, he said:

“He answered, “I WAS SENT ONLY TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL” (Matthew 15:24).

Jesus’ initial mission is to recover the lost sheep of Israel, but not the gentiles. If he intended to save the whole world at His first coming, He should have accepted the offer of the people to make Him a king (John 6:14-16).

In addition to this, Jesus expected that His followers will only be a few.

 “Fear not, LITTLE flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:18-19).

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are MANY. .For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are FEW” (Mat 7:13-14 ).

Time and again, Jesus tells us that this world is deceived and it is not His intention to save the majority of humanity at this time. Even the parables Jesus gave was never intended for His audience to understand. His disciples even have to ask him privately about the meaning of the parable.

Let me make myself clear at this point, Jesus came to this world to save the world, but not in the way that we thought He will. At this time, God and Jesus are only working with a few and select people who are known as the “called, chosen, and faithful” people (Revelation 17:14). When Jesus return here on earth, during his SECOND coming, then the rest of humanity will have their chance of salvation.

If want to learn more, please read God is Not Saving the Whole World TODAY.

Jesus Misquoted #8: Jesus died on a Friday afternoon and resurrected on a Sunday morning

Jesus said that He will be in the grave exactly 3 days and 3 nights.

“But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE GREAT FISH, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mat 12:39-40).

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From this scripture, it is obvious that dying in a Friday afternoon and rising on a Sunday morning is NOT equivalent to 3 days and 3 nights. Do the math; you will only have 2 NIGHTS and 1 DAY! How obvious is this flaw! Yet, no one seems to question this teaching.

The truth is that Jesus died on a Wednesday and resurrected on Saturday. This is a lengthy subject, and I would recommend that you read Three Days and Three Nights.

Jesus Misquoted no. 9: Jesus made all foods clean

When Jesus was in the flesh, He kept the food laws found in Leviticus 23. He didn’t eat pork, shrimp, oyster, crab, blood, and other meats designated as unclean by God. It is a written fact that we can prove from the Bible.

However, why would people believe that Jesus made all foods clean, thereby nullifying the food laws found in the Old Testament? If Jesus indeed made all foods clean, then why don’t we have any record of Jesus, the Apostles, and the first-century church eating pork, rodents, and other unclean animals? The obvious answer is that Jesus DID NOT make all foods clean.

People misquote Jesus in Mark 7:19. The NIV version puts it this way:

“For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)”

Other translations that agree with this interpretation include New Living Translation, English Standard Version, Berean Study Bible, and New American Standard Bible, among others. Now, notice, many of the translations that include the comment that all foods are clean are modern translations, and they are thought-for-thought translations. In fact, in word-for-word translations of the Bible such as the King James Version and New King James Version, you don’t see these words.

This is a huge topic, and I can’t cover all points in just one blog. So, please read the full explanation of this topic from this link.

Jesus Misquoted no. 10: Jesus supported the Trinity doctrine

Almost all people who claim to be Christians believe in the Trinity doctrine. In fact, they even consider you as a non-Christian if you don’t believe in Trinity. For them, not believing in the Trinity is paramount to denying the existence of God.

Trinity doctrine simply states that God the Father is not the same as Jesus; Jesus is not the same as the Holy Spirit; The Holy Spirit is not God the Father and yet, they are all ONE being. This is a dogma for many people, something that they can’t fully comprehend. How can you reconcile three beings who are different beings and yet the same?

If you look in the Bible, you won’t find the Trinity doctrine explicitly mentioned or taught. How can a huge and serious doctrine be fully proven from the pages of the Bible? The obvious answer is that the Trinity doctrine is unbiblical.

Most people use Matthew 28:19 to support the claim that Jesus indeed supported the Trinity doctrine. We read:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Scholars today would admit that this verse was tampered by people who want to find a verse to support the Trinity doctrine.

Here are some scholarly quotations about Matthew 28:19:

Bible Catechism

Only in the 4th Century did the formula “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” become customary.” — (Bible Catechism, Rev. John C Kersten, S.V.D., Catholic Book Publishing Co., N.Y., N.Y.; 1973, p. 164) [Emphasis added]

The Jerusalem Bible, A Scholarly Catholic Work, states:

“This formula, (Triune in Matthew 28:19) so far as the fullness of its expression is concerned, is perhaps a reflection of the liturgical usage established later in the primitive (Catholic) community. It will be remembered that Acts speaks of baptizing “in the name of Jesus [only].” [Emphasis added]

New Revised Standard Version (Footnote)

“Modern critics claim this formula is falsely ascribed to Jesus and that it represents later (Catholic) church tradition, for nowhere in the book of Acts (or any other book of the Bible) is baptism performed with the name of the Trinity…” [Emphasis added]

Again, this is a huge topic, please take your time to read this eye-opening article from Biblical Truths website.

Conclusion:

It is not enough that we believe whatever is taught to us. Knowing the truth is crucial to properly worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). Always remember that God’s truth will set you free (John 8:32) and His word cannot be broken (John 10:35; John 17:17).

Know the truth. Learn the truth. Live the truth!


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8 thoughts on “10 Shocking Ways Jesus is Misquoted by Christians

  1. Matthew 7: 24 doesn’t allow us to judge
    Check it out well, correct and teach but don’t judge.

    • Hi Simon,

      Jesus tells us to judge a righteous judgment (John 7:24). This clearly tells us to make a righteous judgment. In Matthew 5, Jesus is telling us to have the right attitude when it comes to judging. When the Bible is clear with something, then we can make a righteous judgment. We can say that homosexuality, murder, adultery, stealing and others are sin.

      • You pick and choose what scholars say about what was tampered with. If any was tampered with it is all suspect 2,000 yrs ago. It makes sense it would be. That said, what rings true is your personal relationship with God. Pray and you can’t go wrong. God will not damn you because you chose the wrong book, verse, or word translated. Jesus said follow me. Well, no need for a middle man then is there?

      • If any was tampered with it is all suspect 2,000 yrs ago. It makes sense it would be. That said, what rings true is your personal relationship with God. Pray and you can’t go wrong. God will not damn you because you chose the wrong book, verse, or word translated. Jesus said follow me. Well, no need for a middle man then is there?

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