If I had a dime for all the times I heard it said “of like precious faith,” I’d likely be very rich today (but only if I didn’t give all those dimes away in the offering).
“Of like precious faith” was a code phrase, much like other code phrases that were common in the group I grew up in. Now, when I read anything from that group, I read things that others without that background do not get. I’ve often shown a friend or co-worker something to explain the subtle mental and spiritual abuse, only to have them look at me blankly and ask, “what does this and that mean?” We had our own language that only the special “chosen few” could understand.
The phrase “of like precious faith” did not refer to all other believers, as one might think. It referred only to those who had your own special brand of salvation, doctrine, and dress code. It meant you were in the “in” crowd, the one where people were somehow perceived to be closer to God.
“Of like precious faith” did not mean you were truly a person who had a lot of faith in God–you might perhaps have no faith in God whatsoever, but only believe in your own works to save you. It didn’t mean that you were a person who was precious to be around either. It was quite possible you would be a nasty spirited person who criticized and judged everyone. In fact, often “of like precious faith” meant you were one of the group who looked down on others as being lesser than you and your in crowd.
In reality, the term “of like precious faith” was more like a code name for quite the opposite than what it implied. Often, one could’ve just as easily said “of like minded abuse” and been more accurate. This “precious faith” simply meant that you were one of the elite few who had it made, as far as going to heaven went. You had figured out the formula for the “Kool-aid” that would mark you as one of the group. You had the right clothing on, the right hairstyle, and the judgmental attitude to boot.
All kinds of abusers flew under that flag! Sociopaths were welcome, especially in leadership. Bring your Narcissistic self right on up in your fancy clothing, big Bible in hand. You were already labeled as one of the superior race of Christian, God’s own apostle, regardless of how you treated your family or those in your congregation.
It was a phrase that marked you apart and let people know you were “safe”–they could believe every word that came out of your mouth and they’d better accept you with open arms, lest they prove to not be “of like precious faith” themselves.
Friday I shared with a female co-worker just a hint of something I’d been going through. She asked if I was a person who prayed. I said, “yes.” She asked if she could pray with me. I readily agreed. She began praying “Father, Daddy, …” and what followed was the most anointed prayer that really touched Heaven and instantly calmed my anxiety. Oh, wait! She wasn’t “of that precious faith”! She was Anglican…yet never a more fervent prayer has been prayed over me.
Where did the phrase “of like precious faith” originate? What “big wig” preacher started this? It ran like wild-fire through the ranks. It could never be said of a Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, or Presbyterian. In fact, behind the backs of such individuals, even the term “Christian” had to be said with air commas to show you truly believed the individual to be eternally lost and not Christian at all.
Recently a co-worker called me, confused. He is a therapist in a school district and was setting up an intake for a new client, when the clients mom began crying hysterically. He patiently began the job of calming her down. Her problem? She was Pentecostal and she couldn’t go to a counselor that wasn’t a “Christian counselor.” I reminded him that he is a Christian and he is a counselor, but I assured him that might not even be enough for her. I felt much pity and compassion, wondering if her pastor would be upset if she went to a counselor with real credentials, instead of just his own Bible with his man-made interpretation of it. My co-worker wasn’t “of like precious faith.”
Here we are, a lot of wounded souls, all affected by those “like minded abusers.” We once thought they were precious, once believed they were men and women of faith. But then the caressing words and the outpouring of “love” turned to criticism and shaming. Yet, again, here we are. We may be down, we may have been shoved out, shunned, belittled, and downtrodden, but we are alive.
We are learning a new word–FREEDOM. Step by slow step we are learning to find our way through the pain. We are doing it together…people of “like minded pain,” those of “like minded precious grace.” We are learning that there really are true Christians, and we find them in the halls of Anglican churches, on Episcopalian pews, and in many other places…people who do not express to us their religious beliefs per se–but they hold our hands, they hug us, they help us, and they show us true love.
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Powerful words that resonate deeply with me. Thank you for sharing.
And then there is ‘the truth’. Are you in the truth? Are they in the truth? They left the truth? I can’t listen to them because they are not in the truth? Sounds a bit cultish now, same as of like precious faith.
“Where did the phrase “of like precious faith” originate? What “big wig” preacher started this?” For me that comment unravels the entirety of the post and just says: jaded, victim mentality without the intent or purpose of a healing and/or positive conclusion to the matter. What is the intent? To perpetuate the abuse experienced and in turn abuse and destroy “them” at every opportunity? If scripture is true, well, it is true. It’s still appropriate to implement scriptures into Christian living. Not doing so towards individuals who have wronged you makes you no better than them…thus you become what you claim to hate. (“You” being just a general term here, not an indictment necessarily.) I could post the scriptures, but this comment would become quite lengthy.
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
I believe you may have misread what she was writing. She isn’t claiming the phrase is found nowhere in the Bible, but rather is showing how it has been distorted and misused by some who believe they are the few ones with ‘the truth’, and thus not including thousands upon thousands and thousands of other believers. Sharing about how phrases or words are misused doesn’t equate to attempting to “abuse and destroy” those people. That’s sure reading an awful lot into the article, IMO.
I apologize that the one line was distracting to you, Bekah. Being the author, I can truly say that I did indeed know that it was pulled from a verse in the Bible. My intention was to refer to the way the verse was completely misused and twisted to mean that only one group’s belief system made them “of like precious faith”.
I may also, being the author in question, express my intention in regards to purpose of the article. I was secluded from many other precious believers due to this ideology. I was raised to believe that every other person who called themselves a Christian or served Christ was actually lost and going to a burning hell, because they didn’t believe the exact doctrine of the church I grew up in. Because of this, I grew up around people who were jaded and bitter, who judged everyone as inferior to themselves because they did not agree with the group’s exact beliefs. It was a general attitude similar to the Pharisees’ in the Bible, and it caused me to become judgmental as well, and to seclude myself from others who would’ve been a tremendous blessing in my life. It became abusive as they added and added more man-made rules and ideology to explain what “of like precious faith” meant to them. It became “of like abuse” as they began to spread the controlling and judgmental attitude across the ranks.
In regards to 2 Peter 1:1, Peter’s original comments that included this phrase were about the fact that it was that precious faith that saved us through the righteousness of God, and our Savior Jesus Christ, (not our own works of righteousness). What the article was intended to do is point out how this religious group took the words of Peter and twisted them to mean something totally opposite.
I didn’t at all misread what was written and clearly delineated why I responded the way that I did. The writer definitely indicated that they did not know the phrase was biblical with this statement: “Where did the phrase “of like precious faith” originate? What “big wig” preacher started this? It ran like wild-fire through the ranks.” That is not stating that the scripture has been distorted or misused. If the article had truly been about the misappropriation of scripture, my response would have not been what it was. I stated that the quoted phrase was what derailed me completely.
The words have been in the bible a long time. The meaning behind them as used in examples here has not. I, too, wonder who uprooted them from their passage and reinterpretted them into the false exclusivity and pride the meaning in these examples represents.
You assumed the author did not know. But she did and does. If you go on to read what is stated about how the term was used, it shows that the author is speaking of its distorted use.
Lois, I read the article in its entirety. Have you read my responses in their entirety? It is starting to seem doubtful as I am repeating myself at this point. I only read what was written and the question was penned, ““Where did the phrase “of like precious faith” originate? What “big wig” preacher started this?”. If you want to say that I assumed the author did not know, you may do so, but when a question is asked it’s fairly safe to assume one does not know the answer. I very clearly stated that, for me, the unraveling of the article hinged on that statement. In my opinion, it’s more about the coined phrase by a man and not about misuse of scripture. That’s what bothers me the most. Words are powerful so they must be used appropriately. Isn’t that what the gist of this article is anyway?
Yes, I have completely read your responses. We will have to agree to disagree.
Mary, I agree. I don’t know that’ll ever be drilled down to a specific “who”, but I think we could determine behaviour and mindsets that ushered in the ugly…..and determine in ourselves to stay away from such.