The Pit and the Pendulum Pt.2: The Answer to the Question

In my previous post The Pit and the Pendulum: Blogging and Popularity, I posed the following example and questions:

Here's an example which makes a good general point. There's a man who is the author of a book which is a best seller. He is popular with millions of people worldwide and considered an authority on religious matters and Christianity in particular. There is criticism of those who read his book, particularly those who promote it as the book for the times. There's criticism of people's motives for following his advice too. You would be right in saying that just as he has numerous people who seem to hang on his every word, he has also amassed a significant number of critics. In fact some people don't like him purely because he is so popular. Do you know who he is? Does his popularity in itself make him a Pharisee?

There were several interesting answers to the question in the comments, and Paula of Listen In answered correctly:

"I'm guessing the author of the book is God/Jesus and the book is the Bible."

Actually, it is interesting to ask, "Who is the author of the Bible?". We know that the Holy Spirit inspired the men who penned the books. I chose to say Jesus because the Godhead dwells in him bodily - and because Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in unity and although three are also one.

During some of his time walking the earth Jesus was extremely popular. As his popularity grew his critics and opponents grew in vehemence. Some disliked him because he was popular - we are told they acted "out of envy". And the Bible is a bestseller - not on the top list for the week perhaps, but read by millions of people throughout the world.

I used the example generally to illustrate that popularity is in itself not a measure of spiritual maturity or orthodoxy, or an indicator of motive. Jesus also became unpopular and died the death of a criminal although he had committed no legal or moral offense. Yet in both situations - popular or unpopular - he was true. So I was really saying that we cannot judge by the external appearance alone. To be as Jesus was, consistently true in all situations - now that is the real challenge.