The Tower of Babel Method

What is this page about?

The man who writes this site has seen churches that teach a ladder to God. He wrote down ten examples. These are his words, made shorter.

1. Come to the meeting in the middle of the week. This shows that you are serious.
2. Do not ask questions about what the church teaches. Then God will show you more.
3. Do not spend time with people the pastor does not like.
4. Do not spend time with people who are “not spiritual”. God is finished with them.
5. Spend more time at church and less time at work. Your job does not matter to God.
6. Give more money. Do not ask where it goes.
7. Be baptised again. Your first baptism does not count.
8. Pray long, beautiful prayers so that people can see how spiritual you are.
9. Send your children to every church activity.
10. A church project costs ten times more than the plan. Do not ask why. Agree with everyone else.

This page does not name any church or any pastor. It tests the idea. It does not judge people.

There are two ways to think about this. This page gives them short names.

Eight points

1. The ten examples make one ladder. Each step is something other people can watch. The pastor is at the top.
2. At Babel, people wanted to make a name for themselves. God gave Abram a great name as a gift.
3. In the Bible, the ladder comes down. God spoke to Jacob when Jacob had done nothing good.
4. At Pentecost, God came down. He gave the same gift to everyone.
5. The early church said no to a “higher class” of Christians.
6. The Bible praises people who check what they are taught.
7. Work and ordinary people are not bad for your faith. Jesus ate with sinners.
8. A ladder has no top. You can never know if you have done enough.

The tower of Babel

The idea of a ladder comes from an old story in the Bible. It is about a city called Babel and a very tall tower.

They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.”

Genesis 11:4 · World English Bible

In simple words: They said, “Let us build a city and a very tall tower. Let us make ourselves famous. Then we will not be spread out over the world.”

See the words “let us”. The people made the plan. They wanted to be famous. And they did not want to spread out, though God had told people to fill the earth.

Then the Bible says this:

Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

Genesis 11:5 · World English Bible

In simple words: The LORD came down to look at the city and the tower that people had built.

This is a little joke in the story. The people wanted a tower up to the sky. But it was so small that God had to come down to see it. Then God mixed up their languages and spread them over the earth.

In the next part of the Bible, God speaks to a man named Abram.

I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

Genesis 12:2 · World English Bible

In simple words: I will make your family into a great people. I will be good to you. I will make you famous. You will bring good to others.

The people of Babel tried to make a name for themselves. They failed. Abram did not try. God gave him a great name as a gift.

The ladder that comes down

There is another story about a ladder in the Bible. It is about a man named Jacob.

Jacob had done bad things. He lied to his father. He stole a blessing from his brother. Now his brother wanted to kill him. So Jacob ran away. At night he slept on the ground, with a stone under his head.

That night Jacob had a dream. He saw a ladder from the earth up to heaven. Angels went up and down on it. And God spoke to him. God made him many promises. God said, “I am with you. I will not leave you.”

Jacob did nothing to earn this. He did not climb. God came to him.

Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”

Genesis 28:16 · World English Bible

In simple words: Jacob woke up. He said, “The LORD is really here, and I did not know it.”

Many years later, Jesus said that he himself is this ladder. He is the place where heaven and earth meet. And Jesus said this:

No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

John 3:13 · World English Bible

In simple words: Nobody has gone up into heaven. Only the one who came down from heaven has gone up. That is me, the Son of Man.

So we do not climb up to God. Jesus came down to us.

Babel turned around

At Babel, people stopped understanding each other’s language.

Many years later, after Jesus went back to heaven, something new happened. It was a feast day called Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came down from heaven on Jesus’ friends. They spoke, and people from many countries understood them, each in his own language. Long ago, church teachers saw that this was like Babel turned around.

The people asked Peter, “What shall we do?” This was a good moment to give them a ladder. But Peter did not give them a ladder.

Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”

Acts 2:38–39 · World English Bible

In simple words: Turn away from your sins. Every one of you, be baptised in the name of Jesus. God will forgive your sins. He will give you the Holy Spirit as a gift. This promise is for you, for your children, and for people far away.

See the words “every one of you”. Everyone got the same gift. Nobody had to climb.

Glory or the cross

About 500 years ago a teacher named Martin Luther wrote about two ways to look for God.

The first way looks for God in things that are big and impressive. Success. Power. People doing great things. Luther called this “the theology of glory”.

The second way looks for God where God really showed himself. That is in Jesus, dying on a cross. Nobody expected to find God there. Luther called this “the theology of the cross”.

Luther wrote this: “A theology of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theology of the cross calls the thing what it actually is.”

Think of the church project that cost ten times more than the plan. Some people say, “That is faith. Don’t ask.” That is calling a bad thing good. A person who asks, “What went wrong?” is saying what is true.

There is an old story by Hans Christian Andersen, called “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. Two men sell the king some cloth. They say only clever people can see it. Really, there is no cloth. Nobody wants to look stupid, so everyone says, “What beautiful clothes!” Then a child says, “The king has no clothes on!” The child tells the truth because he is not afraid of looking foolish.

No higher class of Christians

A ladder makes two kinds of Christians. Low Christians, who just believe. High Christians, who know secret things.

The early church met this idea. About the year 180, a church leader named Irenaeus wrote about some teachers. They called themselves “perfect”. They called ordinary church members “ignorant”. They said that ordinary members needed good works, but they themselves did not.

Irenaeus said that this was wrong. The apostles did not have secret teachings for a few special people. They taught everything in the open, to every church.

The Bible says the same.

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

1 Corinthians 8:1 · World English Bible

In simple words: Knowing a lot can make a person proud. Love helps other people grow.

Paul once called some Christians “not spiritual”. Why? Because they followed different leaders and argued. One said, “I follow Paul.” Another said, “I follow Apollos.” Paul said that this was the problem.

Asking questions

Some churches say, “Do not ask questions.” The Bible says something different.

Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Acts 17:11 · World English Bible

In simple words: The people in the town of Berea were better than the people in Thessalonica. They were happy to hear God’s word. And every day they read the Bible to check if Paul’s teaching was true.

These people checked the teaching of Paul, a great apostle. The Bible says they were good to do it.

The Bible also says we should obey our leaders.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account.

Hebrews 13:17 · World English Bible

In simple words: Obey your leaders. They take care of you, and one day they must tell God how they did it.

So leaders must “give account”. That means they must answer for what they do. This verse does not say, “Never ask your leaders a question.”

Money

Paul collected money for poor Christians in Jerusalem. He did not say, “Trust me. Do not ask.” He did this:

We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us. Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

2 Corinthians 8:20–21 · World English Bible

In simple words: We do not want anyone to say bad things about how we use this money. So we try to be honest in a way that God can see, and in a way that people can see too.

Paul let the churches choose a man to travel with the money. People could see that it was used well.

Long before, Moses collected gifts to build God’s tent. When there was enough, Moses told the people to stop giving. Then they counted everything and wrote it down. You can read the numbers in the Bible, in Exodus chapter 38.

Work and other people

Some churches say your job does not matter to God. The Bible says it does.

And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23–24 · World English Bible

In simple words: In all your work, work hard, as if you are working for God, not for people. God will reward you. You are serving Christ.

Paul wrote these words to slaves. Even the hardest, most ordinary work was service to Jesus. Paul himself had a job. He made tents.

Some churches say, “Stay away from people who are not spiritual.” But look at Jesus. Religious leaders were angry because Jesus ate with sinners.

When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Mark 2:17 · World English Bible

In simple words: Healthy people do not need a doctor. Sick people need a doctor. I came for sinners, to call them back to God.

The Bible does say that a church must sometimes stop being close to a person. This is for a Christian who keeps doing very wrong things and will not stop, or for a false teacher. The whole church decides, in the open. And the goal is to bring the person back. The Bible never says, “Stay away from people because the pastor does not like them.”

The same gifts for everyone

God gives some gifts to every Christian. They are the same for everyone.

There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.

Ephesians 4:4–6 · World English Bible

In simple words: There is one church, one Holy Spirit and one hope. There is one Lord, one faith and one baptism. There is one God, the Father of everyone.

“One baptism” means that baptism is something all Christians share. It is not a step to climb higher. You do not need a second one to be a better Christian.

Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.

1 Corinthians 10:17 · World English Bible

In simple words: At the Lord’s Supper there is one bread. We are many people, but we are one body, because we all eat the same bread.

Jesus also talked about prayer.

When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

Matthew 6:5 · World English Bible

In simple words: Do not pray like people who only want others to see them. They get what they want: people see them. That is all they get.

Jesus told a story about two men who prayed. One was a proud religious man. He told God all the good things he did. The other was a tax collector, a man people hated.

But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.

Luke 18:13–14 · World English Bible

In simple words: The tax collector stood far back. He did not even look up. He hit his chest and said, “God, please be kind to me. I am a sinner.” Jesus said: this man went home right with God. The proud man did not.

Why a ladder hurts people

A ladder has no top. How many meetings are enough? How much money? Nobody knows. So nobody can rest. Jesus said:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 · World English Bible

In simple words: Come to me, all of you who are tired and carrying heavy things. I will give you rest.

Someone stands at the top. If asking questions is “not spiritual”, then nobody can ask the leader anything. Once, Jesus’ friends argued about who was the greatest. Jesus said:

But not so with you. Rather, the one who is greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves.

Luke 22:26 · World English Bible

In simple words: You must not be like that. The greatest among you must be like the youngest. The leader must be like a servant.

Some people are always at the bottom. Who cannot come to every meeting? A nurse who works at night. A father with two jobs. A mother with three small children. A man who looks after his old, sick mother. A ladder says these people are low. But they are doing what God asked them to do.

Check it yourself

1. Read Genesis 11:1-9 and 12:1-3. Who says “let us”? Who says “I will”?
2. Read Genesis 28:10-22. What had Jacob done before God spoke to him?
3. Read Acts 2. What did Peter tell “every one” to do?
4. Read Acts 17:10-12 and Luke 18:9-14. Who checked the teaching? Who went home right with God?
5. Make a list. Write down what your church asks a good member to do. Next to each thing, write a Bible verse that asks for it. Which things are gifts for everyone? Which are steps on a ladder?