When the pastor step into the pulpit, they expect to shepherd their flocks with wisdom, grace, and a deeply rooted foundation in Bible.
Sadly, that wasn’t what happened last Sunday at the Great Missionary Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Instead of preaching the gospel, Dr. Steve Cordr used his sermon as a platform to promote violence. This is an ominous departure from the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Caudle’s message, entitled “A violent Kingdom,” was far from the truth of the Bible. He not only criticised politicians and business leaders like Elon Musk, but also went to suggest that violence was not only justified, but was necessary. “No one likes violence, but sometimes it requires violence,” Caudle declared. “If Elon Musk enters the US Treasury Department and threatens to steal your personal information and social security checks, there is a possibility of violence.”
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Let’s be clear. This is not how a biblical pastor acts. Jesus’ teachings are clear when it comes to violence. In Matthew 5:39, Jesus instructs: If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn it to the other cheek as well. “Nowhere in the Gospels, Jesus does not seek physical violence against our fellow people. Instead, he preached love, forgiveness, and other cheeks. Dr. Caudre is a useful message for things you’ve forgotten.
What’s even more surprising was Caudle’s attempt to justify his violent rhetoric by claiming that Jesus had done the same thing. “Someone might say, pastor, you shouldn’t talk about violence. This is Christians,” Caudle said. “Why not talk like this, since Jesus did it?” As a Gateway critic reported, this blatant misrepresentation of Christ’s message is not merely false, it is dangerous.
This kind of rhetoric identifies a greater problem within several churches across the country. It’s a lack of Bible foundation. When pastors lose their biblical teachings and allow personal or political dissatisfaction to direct their sermons, they become wolves in sheep’s clothing, misleading their congregations. Christians across America must exercise biblical identification to recognize and reject such false teachings.
This tells him he’s trying to hide a massive scam https://t.co/vmc4lmynwg
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2025
Elon Musk himself responded to Caudle’s inflammatory sermon, writing, “This says he’s trying to hide a massive fraud.” Musk’s reaction highlights the absurdity of Caudle’s claims, but also the real-world consequences of such reckless speeches.
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Imagine a conservative pastor called for violence against Democratic leaders in the same way. The protest is quick and obvious. Regardless of political affiliation, violence does not exist in the pulpit. Christ’s message transcends politics and calls us to be peacemakers in a world filled with divisions.
It is time for Christians to return to the true gospel: love, grace, forgiveness. We must hold pastors accountable. And when they meet leaders like Dr. Caudle, they must misuse their positions to sow discord, and, worse, call them on what they are: sheep’s clothing Wolf.
The pulpit is not the place for messages of violence. It is a place of truth, and the truth of Christ is clear. For the fertile people are called the children of God.
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James Rusher is a staff writer for Charismatic Media.
