Elliott Epsteins’ latest guest column (Sept. 20) about whether Jesus would support wearing masks during the pandemic left me a little unsettled because I agreed with his conclusion, but not with his explanation of the scriptural record that he used — or didn’t use — to support his remarks.

First, although Mr. Epstein claims that he was not exposed to “the Gospel” during his “Hebrew school education,” he was, if he was exposed to the Hebrew Scriptures. Therein God’s plan of salvation for the world is clearly laid out in progressive revelation from Genesis to Malachi, too extensive to outline here. But I can give a sample of references: Genesis 3:15; the books of Ruth and Jonah; Psalms 2 and 22; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; and, of course, Isaiah 53 and Micah 5:2-5.

Second, it is very common to treat Jesus only as a good teacher and maybe an astute prophet, but Jesus’ ministry of healing and other miracles were specifically displayed to affirm his deity, something he and the apostles declared repeatedly well before “later church doctrine would emphasize [his] deity.”

Yes, “Jesus went about doing good,” but if Mr. Epstein remembers, the gospels recount Jesus’ many confrontations with the religious leaders of the day for their refusal to acknowledge his deity through these miracles and their misunderstanding of the law and Prophets regarding Messiah, thus their charge of blasphemy against him for saying, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”

Finally, every follower of Jesus Christ will be held accountable for their refusal to wear masks in light of Romans 13:1. Placing other people’s health in jeopardy by not wearing masks hardly fulfills loving “the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength…”

If every Christian were to love Jesus Christ that way, our neighbors would be astonished and some probably not as sick, to say nothing of being saved from the wrath to come.

Mark Wood, Poland