Dr. Jerry Bergman
Montpelier, Ohio
Except for the conclusion, this true story was told by one who lived it.
I had a very happy childhood until I was nine years old. My father was the co-owner of a successful business with another man who was an elder in our church.
The central focus of our family was church. When I was eight, my father discovered that his partner had sold the business and absconded with the money. He had kept the books and, unbeknownst to my father, put everything connected with the business in his name as the sole owner.
Thus, there was nothing we could do. He was a millionaire, and we were destitute. Broke as a family, we had to struggle. The church blamed what happened on my father’s naivety, which was true, but this did not justify losing everything.
After a year, my parents divorced, and my two brothers and I struggled. I remember my mother cried for weeks after. She never did adjust and she also left the church, partly because she had to work full time now.
I was the only one who continued to be involved in our church. During this time, I devoured the New Testament, realizing that much of Christ’s message related to the central importance of Christian behavior.
What happened to our family made me realize that, at its core, those involved in the tragedy did not display Christian behavior. I was determined to follow Christ’s teaching on being a Christian.
Whenever I saw someone in need, usually due to concerns not related to material needs, I responded. Most of our church members were educated and had everything they needed materially.
I became a Sunday School teacher, actively visiting the sick and those in rest homes. I made it a point to get to know all those who attended, about 200 in my church.
I worked as a carpenter, a fitting occupation given Christ’s ministry, and I attended Bible college at night. When I graduated, I went into the mission field, which required learning Spanish. In the mission field, I practiced my trade in the poor areas of the world.
Needless to say, I found serving others very rewarding. Jesus taught in Matthew 22:36-40 to “love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your mind.”
This is the first and great commandment. And the second like it, is love your neighbor as yourself”. Galatians 5:14 added that the whole law can be summed up in one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
After serving four productive years in the mission field, I was murdered by a rebel terrorist group and found myself in front of my Maker and Judge. He explained I must pass one more test, which was to answer the following questions.
1. According to The Acts of Pilate, Nicodemus: A. Never become a disciple of Jesus. B. This book never commented on him. C. Became a dedicated disciple of Jesus. D. Became dedicated to opposing Jesus.
2. How many hours was Jesus on the cross? A. 1, B. 3, C. 6, D. 9. When I learned how long Jesus had hung on the cross, it helped me appreciate what Jesus did for us.
3. Mordecai was a: A. Benjaminite, B. Israelite, C. Canaanite, D. None of the above.
4. The man who sacrificed his career to assist the prophet Jehoiakim was A. Baruch, B. Benaiah, C. Adonijah.
I had no idea who. I spent much time studying history but did not see how it helped me become a better Christian.
I focused on the New Testament as central to living my life as a Christian. The details of historical events did not seem to be of much importance.
5. Jonathan was punished by being struck by leprosy for what reason? A. mistreating Ahaz. B. For burning incense in the temple. C. For dishonoring his father., D. The Bible does not explain why.
6. Jaddua was: A. The last of the high priests named in the Old Testament. B. The wife of Heber. C. Punished for adultery. D. None of the above.
7. Ichabod learned _____ died violently when she was pregnant. A. Her husband. B. Her brother-in-law. C. Her father-in-law. D. All of the above.
8. Ibzan was: A. A native of Bethlehem. B. The tenth Judge of Israel. C. Able to marry all of his 30 daughters outside of his clan. D. Give large gifts to the bride’s parents to marry his 30 sons. E. C and D.
9. Naaman was: A. A king of Israel. B. A commander of the Syrian army. C. A successor to the throne of Jeroboam. D. Lived during the early part of the judges rule.
10. Jeroboam was: A. The apostate king of Israel who weakened the Israelite nation. B. One of the most longed-lived kings of Israel. C. A faithful servant of God during his entire rule. D. None of the above.
I wondered what was the point of knowing these arcane historical details.. I studied much of this, but being a Christian is a matter of following Christ, living a Christian life. Not being a history professor.
When I turned in my test, I was informed I had five correct answers. To enter heaven, I was required to have six out of ten correct. I missed Heaven by one question. I was then cast into the everlasting lake of fire mentioned in Matthew 25:41.
Summary: the Bible teaches salvation is not based on works or knowledge of History, but the full acceptance of Jesus’ blood atonement. That acceptance results in faithfully following in Christ’s footsteps.
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Dr. Jerry Bergman has taught biology, genetics, chemistry, biochemistry, anthropology, geology, and microbiology for over 40 years at several colleges and universities including Bowling Green State University, Medical College of Ohio where he was a research associate in experimental pathology, and The University of Toledo. He is a graduate of the Medical College of Ohio, Wayne State University in Detroit, the University of Toledo, and Bowling Green State University. He has over 1,800 publications in 12 languages and 60 books and monographs. His books and textbooks that include chapters that he authored are in over 1,500 college libraries in 27 countries. All 60 of Bergman’s books are on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other bookstores.