July 21 - 1 John 4: 1-6 Test the spirits

One of the third-year students came to a biblical exegesis class on Monday morning in a state of confusion. On Sunday, a pastor had preached a sermon on redeeming the firstborn from Numbers 4:40-51. He told the congregation that each person needed to bring money the following Sunday to redeem their families. The reason for this, he explained, was that Jesus’ death on the cross is not enough to save us or our families. We also need to pay the money required in Numbers to obtain redemption. He then calculated the amount in local currency, according to the “sanctuary shekel.” It came to a substantial sum. Our student was distressed. She knew from her exegetical studies in Numbers that this was an incorrect application of the passage. Yet, she wanted to respect and obey her pastor. What should she do?