As I watch the NFL conference championship games, I've seen a few commercials for the "He Gets Us" campaign. I'm not usually a big TV watcher, so I hadn't seen these before. I went to the website, read the main page and then clicked the "About" link.

The about page includes this prominent statement:

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My question is on the word, "confounding". Why would Christ's love be described as confounding? Is it confounding the world? If so, it's very odd phrasing. Is this a particular phrase used in some branches of Evangelical Christianity (or elsewhere)? There are many instances of the word confound in the Bible, especially the OT. But didn't find anything using the phrase "confounding love". I did see that Max Lucado has some books that use this phrase.

Every definition of confounding that I know (and have looked up in the OED and Merriam Webster) states that this word means, "to throw into confusion, refute, damn, baffle frustrate" (as a verb). This is not a phrase that  could see myself ever using in reference to the Savior's love.

What does this mean? And please, speak as you might to a young child, or a golden retriever.

And also what are the forum members thoughts on this campaign? I have read a few complaints on it from both the political left and right as well as a lot of praise for it.

The superficial 'pop culture' tone they use is revealing.
Like many approaches of manipulators, His message is not straightforwardly presented in its simplicity or source Book

Nor is His legacy of the Trinity and Living Spirit confounding

One of Many Articles

"The He Gets Us campaign sends Jesus out, like another mascot at the Super Bowl, to distract and entertain the crowds while the campaign’s backers fund legislation and support litigation to reshape the cultural, economic and political playing field."

"Jesus was fed up with politics too."

Murky Modernism -

"One of the “featured articles” is titled “Did Jesus Struggle to be a good role model?” As with all of their articles, it features a well-made short video to help illustrate the article. The He Gets Us Campaign said that as they searched out themes to share with the world about Jesus, “it became It is (sic) apparent to us that Jesus set a high bar for himself and for others.” They go on to say it must have been really hard for him to practice what he preached while he was mocked, betrayed, and crucified. They conclude “We realized how hard it must have been, even for Jesus, we recognized that he faced similar pressure to be a good example as we do today.” Let me make this clear, Jesus was not primarily concerned about being a good moral example for you. He was primarily concerned with being a ransom for many, the bread of life, the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep. (Mt 20:28; John 6:35; and John 10:11). This “authentic Jesus” which He Gets Us wants to share is a moralistic man who was a good person so you can be one too.

The “authentic” Jesus doesn’t want you to go to a church.

The campaign website answers the question “Is this a campaign to get me to go to church?” The emphatic answer is “No.” Instead, they want “all to consider the story of a man who created a radical love movement that continues to impact the world thousands of years later” (emphasis mine). We again see that they shy away from the Deity of Christ in order to focus on the humanity of Jesus, “we invite you to hear about Jesus and be inspired by his example.” On this page, we see that whoever is really behind this campaign in no apparent way supports what the Bible says about regeneration or conversion. They seem to shy away from those biblical themes. They much rather present themselves as “a movement – of people who have considered his [Jesus] story and found it deeply and personally transformational. For some, it has been a religious experience, and for others, it’s simply a call to strive to love others better.”

The “authentic” Jesus wants you to be an activist."

I pretty much agree. When I've seen the ad come on, I ask my wife to change the channel. And she understands, gets it (no pun intended).

It’s thinly veiled leftism using Jesus’ commands for love and charity to push a political agenda. Anything even remotely glorifying to God wouldn’t be allowed on broadcast television (see the recent example of NBC editing out a football player giving thanks to Christ for his performance).

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No disagreements from me on any of this. But my question still stands. What does "confounding love" mean? It's just a weird phrase.

They want us to believe their lies instead of teaching the truth about God's love. They do this because they have social and political agendas to push. They actually want their target audience to remain confounded. This sounds much like what the movers and shakers of the "Jesus movement" were doing in the 60's-70's.

God's love is not "confounding" if we desire to know Him. Established resources abound, and are available for the asking.

Very interesting.   It sounds as if the ad copy was written by Russian, Chinese, Ebonics  or maybe Spanish speaking operators.   “Confounding” is not the right word for English speakers.

Yep. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33).

The Blessed Mother is reduced to a fornicator and St. Joseph is reduced to a cuckold in this one. David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby, is apparently the main funder of this blasphemous ad campaign that only succeeds in pissing off Biblical Christians and the irreligious simultaneously. Quite a feat!

Don't get hung up on adjectives.

God's love is not like the love people outside of Christ know.  Thus is is surprising and can be confusing to them, i.e. "confounding".

Wow. Just wow.

One definition of confounding:
adjective
perplexing or bewildering:




It is a reference to the basic tenet of Christianity that it makes no earthly sense that God would give his Son for us.

"while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  


That said, that campaign is a sad attempt to mold the gospel to fit the world and not the other way around.

I would reply to that, the ads aren't directed at people who know and have entered into a relationship with the Jesus.  So the target audience would have a confounding view of God's love.



So should we just sit around and wait for unbelievers to ask us questions?
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Roman's 10:14)




And yet Jesus spoke in parables so that "because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."(Matthew 13:10-17)

I don't really have a problem with the ad that aired at the superbowl admittedly i haven't watchedall of them.  Someone spent a lot of money to point people to reading a Bible and learning about Jesus.  Are they going to get it all right?  No and neither am I.

it's just marketing, everyone needs a hook to sell their story, and Max Lucado's is "Confounding Love"

dude allegedly sold 145 million books, so it is working.