Shaming Christian Leaders

    “Them [elders] that sin reprove in the sight of all, that the rest may be in fear.” (1 Timothy 5:20, American Standard Version)

In this passage Paul addresses the problem of church leaders, specifically elders, committing sin.  After a full investigation, Paul gives Timothy the authority to “reprove” elders.  Thayer notes that the word “reprove” is a Greek word “elegcho” that can mean “to shame”. (Thayer’ Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p.202)  In other words Paul directs Timothy to publicly shame Christian leaders who sin. Perhaps the shaming occurs during a church service, for Paul says that the reproving should happen “in the sight of all”.  Paul makes a similar statement in Galatians 2:14 when he publicly chastised Peter for pulling back from his commitment to live by faith instead of living by the law.  The reason why Paul wants sinful church leaders publicly shamed is to instill fear in the rest [of the elders].  Public shaming, Paul teaches, will have a disciplinary effect on the other elders.  Although some might accuse Paul of being too hard on his fellow Christians, Paul the Apostle wants to protect the church from the bad examples of leadership.  By leading sinful lives, church leaders often do irreparable harm to the church, ruin the testimony of other leaders, and cause other Christians to fall.  Instilling fear in other church leaders by publicly shaming the guilty church elder highlights the seriousness of the situation.  Paul acts deliberately and compassionately to confront the problem.  He acts with authority and determination to lessen the harm to the church by the sinful actions of elders.  

The recent revelations about some churches in the Southern Baptist Convention that have harbored and hidden sexual predators for years is heartbreaking.  The pain these notorious sinners perpetrated on innocent church members should make the Southern Baptist Convention blush with shame.  Exposing the sin is the first step to healing, but the real lesson here is that Southern Baptist Churches, all SBC churches, must adopt stringent checks on all ministers, church workers, teachers, church officers.  Also, churches must warn other churches about evil leaders.  Exposing sexual predators is crucial to the safety of the innocent.  Otherwise, the predators will strike again.  Jesus commanded the church to make disciples, not victims.  

02.18.21

02.18.21

“The Bible is God’s Word so far as God lets it be His Word, so far as God speaks through it.”  Karl Barth, “The Doctrine of the Word of God (Prolegomena to Church Dogmatics, being Vol.  I, Part  I) (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1963) 123.

Was something lost in the translation from German to English or was Barth trying to stretch language, but his assertion seems to be obscure and convoluted.    First, the apostolic witness of Paul is clear.   In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul says that “All Scripture is God-breathed…”  Other translations say, “inspired by God.”  The question Barth must answer is:  If the Bible is “God’s Word so far as God lets it be His Word,” then what parts are not the Word of God?  Either the Bible is the Word of God or it isn’t — all of it, at all times, in all places, to all people.  My impression is that Barth is using doubletalk.  Will he continue to use theological doubletalk in all thirteen volumes?

02.03.21 Blog

1 Corinthians 9:15-23 (ASV)

(ASV) 15 But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for it were good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.

17 For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me.

18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel.

19 For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

21 to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.

22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

23 And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

Rights.  Freedom.  Bondage.  As an apostle of God, Paul has rights.  He, like other apostles, has the right to the companionship of a wife on his mission tours.  He also has a right to receive compensation for his missionary work and travel, like the other apostles.  As an apostle, Paul has a right to enjoy the basic necessities of life.

But Paul surrenders these rights to reach more non-believers with the Gospel.  His goal, from which he will not be deterred, is to make disciples of Jews and non-Jew by preaching the Gospel to them without charge.  Rights are not the uppermost thing in Paul’s mind.  He makes this point clear in verse 23.  Paul does not boast about his many rights, but about the renunciation of his apostolic rights for the sake of the Gospel,

02.01.21 Blog

1 Corinthians 9:15-23 (ASV)

15 But I have used none of these things: and I write not these things that it may be so done in my case; for it were good for me rather to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.

17 For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me.

18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel.

19 For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

21 to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.

22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

23 And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

The “none of these things” Paul is referring to in verse fifteen are things people presume to enjoy in life: food and drink, marriage, and money.  Paul has freely chosen to relinquish his these things so that he might preach the Gospel without hindrance or charge.  Paul’s sole purpose in life is to preach the Gospel to the nations; the commission from the Lord was a stewardship until the end of his life.  

Blog 12.10.20

“If you don’t trust, you won’t last.” Isaiah 7:9b

King Ahaz of Judah was between a rock and a hard place.  Three of his enemies, the Edomites, the Philistines, and Rezin, the king of Damascus, were attacking King Ahaz on three fronts. Instead of humbling himself and seeking the Lord, King Ahaz sought out help from Assyria’s king, Tiglath-Pileser II.  King Ahaz’s policy of seeking help from a powerful ally instead of the Lord gives us an insight into his spiritual condition: he did not trust the Lord for his salvation. Rather, he trusted humans. His astonishing lack of trust in the Lord for the salvation and rescue of Judah resulted in military defeat.

As Christians, we are constantly under assault by our enemy, the devil and his evil forces. Ephesians 6:12 (ASV) reminds us: For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. The devil and his evil forces are stronger than humans.  Christians need an ally who is stronger than Satan.  Christians need the Lord.  Our only hope is the Lord.  

But Christians often follow King Ahaz’s course of action: we place our trust in inferior helpers.  We run away from the One who can deliver us from Satan instead of running into the arms of the Lord for our safety.  Distrust weakens our spiritual life, which makes us easy targets of Satan’s attacks. If you don’t trust, you won’t last.

On the other hand, if we place our trust in the Lord and look to Him for our salvation, then the Lord promises us that He will save us.  As Moses said in Deuteronomy 31:6 (ASV) promises:  Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be frightened by them: for the Lord your God, he it is that goes with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you. (cf. Hebrews 13:6)  If you trust the Lord, you will last.  

 

Blog 12:09.20 (ASV) Isaiah 6:3

(ASV) Isaiah 6:3 – Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

The vision of Isaiah is a vision of contrasts,  The first contrast is the mortality of the King of Judah, Uzziah, and the immortality of the Lord of hosts, who is sitting on his throne, high and lifted up above the earth and its inhabitants.  Uzziah is dead and buried, but the Lord sits enthroned in heaven.  

The next contrast is the thrice holy God and the thrice unholy Isaiah.  Notice what Isaiah says to contrast his position with a holy God:  (1) I am lost; (2) I am a man of unclean lips;  (3) I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Just as the Lord is thrice holy, Isaiah sees himself as thrice unholy.  

The third contrast in Isaiah 6 is between Isaiah and the people. Isaiah responds to the Lord’s call.  However, the people of Judah “hear, but they do not understand. They see, but do not perceive.”  Sin deafens our inner ear to receive the word of the Lord, and it blinds our eyes to the will of the Lord.  

As we draw nearer to Christmas, we noticed in the angel Gabriel’s announcement to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:35) that the child born to her would be holy.  Unlike Isaiah who needed cleansing from sin, Jesus will be born sinless and will remain sinless, though he will be tempted to sin.  

We also notice that on Christmas night, the angels gave glory to God in their announcement that a Savior is born (Luke 2:14), but Jesus laid aside his glory to walk among humans (Philippians 2:6ff).  

Jesus was the holy One from God, but he also came to make people holy by his sacrifice on the cross.

Blog 12.07.20

Psalms 132:17 (ASV)

There will I make the horn of David to bud:

I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

Psalm 132 is a messianic psalm.  While the psalm has as its immediate subject the lineage of King David, the psalm points to David’s ultimate heir, Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Luke 1:69, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, references Psalm 132:7 in his speech to his family and friends, after the Lord had opened his mouth after a nine-month hiatus of silence.  Zechariah’s quote from Psalm 132:7 suggests several things about Zechariah’s messianic focus.  

First, the “horn of salvation” refers to the power of salvation.  In this context the word “horn” symbolized power (Ezekiel 29:21)  The horn (power) of David is an assertion of the Messiah’s ability to achieve His anointed mission from God.  Neither David nor David’s descendants were able to rescue Israel from exile.  But Jesus was anointed with power from on high (Luke 4:18-19) to accomplish the rescue mission of salvation.  

Second, the mention of “a lamp” suggests that Jesus the Messiah will authoritatively guide His people to messianic living by His words.  In fact, the last line of Zechariah’s speech makes this very point: Luke 1:79 (ASV):  To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death;To guide our feet into the way of peace.  In fact, Jesus Himself was the lamp that lit the way for the world. (John 8:12)  

Third, Jesus was God’s anointed one.  Messiah means anointed one.  Samuel anointed David to be the king of Israel (1 Samuel 16).  Other people in the Old Testament were anointed for special service, including Cyrus, the king of Persia.  But none of the aforementioned were divine.  Jesus, God’s anointed one, was the divine Son of God, co-equal to God the Father. (John 1:1; 10:33)  He was the unique Son of God.

Psalm 132 foretells the coming Messiah.  Advent proclaims the coming of the Messiah to earth to judge both the quick and the dead.  As Psalm 132:18 says: (ASV)

 His enemies will I clothe with shame;

But upon himself shall his crown flourish.

Blog 12.04.20

1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7 (ASV)

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;

7 For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

The church that Paul founded in the Roman city of Thessalonica was a strategic church plant.  As a major port city of the Macedonian Province, Thessalonica attracted sailors, travelers, and business men and women from around the Roman Empire.  The church’s potential to reach the city’s visitors with the message of the Gospel was tremendous.

The church was a light in a city of spiritual darkness.  The spiritual darkness included rampant sexual immorality.  Although at least one Jewish synagogue existed in the city (Acts 17:1), the greatest religious influence at the time of Paul’s missionary visit was Dionysus.  A major part of the worship of Dionysus was drinking wine.  Worshipers would drink themselves into frenzied worship of the god.

        Accompanying the intoxication was sexual intercourse among the worshipers of Dionysus.  Ritual sex among the worshipers was a major part of the religion.  Sexual symbols were used during the religious processions through the city.  It would have shocked the religious sensibilities of Paul and Silas.

Writing to the nascent church later, Paul taught the newly baptized Christians that sexual immorality, in any form, was unacceptable to the Christian way of life.  Sanctification, not fornication, was the lifestyle Christians were to practice.  Of course, this included Paul’s mandate in Ephesians 5:18 where he said, “Do not get drunk with wine…” They could not be members of the Dionysian religion and members of the church.

In our culture saturated with sex, there is a current proverb that says,  “Love is Love.” The proverb promotes the acceptance of all sexual expressions.  As long as it is of love, then it must be accepted because “love is love.”  

But Paul’s prophetic teaching about the  sanctification of the Christian lifestyle and the abstention from sexual immorality criticizes that proverb, and presents an alternative proverb: Love is Holiness.  Love is proper and good only when it is holy.  When love is not holy, it becomes lust, which is evil and immoral. (1 Thessalonians 4:3).  John Wesley said: “Now this is properly the testimony of our own spirit; even the testimony of our conscience, that God hath given us to be holy of heart, and holy in outward conversation”. (conduct) (Wesley, John. Standard Sermons . Titus Books. Kindle Edition. Location 1731)  

Wesley echoes Paul's teaching that the church should be a contrast society to the dominant society in which it is immersed.  The love poured into our hearts by God’s Spirit is holy love, not immorality.  

        Holy love created a different community of love in immoral Thessalonica, and it will create a different community of love in immoral America.  

Blog 12.03.20

Isaiah 2:22 (ASV)

22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?

One of the grave sins of Israel committed in the time of Isaiah was overestimating the power of humans to help it in times of crisis.  Instead of trusting in the Lord and the covenant the Lord made with Israel through Abraham and Moses, Israel began to lean on its alliances with powerful nations and their religion that surrounded it.  Their trust in the nations and their gods supplanted their trust in the Lord.  The result was a disaster of apocalyptic proportions.

Isaiah warns Israel about its misplaced trust in Isaiah 2:22.  The verse harks back to Genesis 2:7 where it says:  Genesis 2:7 (ASV) “And Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”  Humanity can boast of great achievements, but humanity’s achievements depend on the Lord’s unique power to breathe life into humanity.  As the Psalmist writes in Psalms 8:4 (ASV):  “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?”  The Lord’s glory is infinitely brighter than humanity’s glory.  

Goethe said, “As long as on the earth he lives, So long it shall not be forbidden. Man ever errs the whole he strives.”  During the season of Advent, Christians reflect on the world’s need for a Savior who does not “err the whole he strives,” but who lived in perfect obedience to the heavenly Father.  Humans may reach great heights in achievements, but cannot overcome their own frailties and failures.  Only Jesus can breathe into our souls the Spirit of God that gives us eternal life.  

Blog 12.02.20

Luke 20:25 (ASV) And he [Jesus] said unto them, Then render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.

The scribes and chief priests approach Jesus through spies. The mission of the spies was to ask Jesus a setup question meant to entrap him in an incriminating answer, so they could present it to the Roman authorities which would ultimately result in Jesus’ prosecution and arrest.  But Jesus was inside their minds, and he knew what they were intending to accomplish by their crafty question (John 2:25).

Jesus’ answer to the spies is instructive because it separates Caesar and God.  The official state theology of Rome asserted that Caesar was a god.  But Jesus prophetically denounced that theology with his answer.  “Render to Caesar Caesar’s and to God God’s.” Jesus obliterated the notion that Caesar was a god by his answer.  

Through his answer, Jesus attacked the Roman propaganda about the Emperor.  Jesus affirmed that God was God, not Caesar.  

Advent reminds us that the One who came on the first Christmas was God incarnate.  Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary, was the unique Son of God who came to save the world. The first visitors to baby Jesus rendered to him what was due only to him: worship, adoration, and honor.  They bowed down to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

As we approach the Christmas season, Jesus’ wise and prophetic teaching is still authoritative for us in the twenty-first century.  Jesus is teaching Christians to render to God what is due to God – ourselves.  The best gift we can render this Christmas is the gift of ourselves to God. We must not render ourselves to anything or anyone else.  We belong to God, not Caesar.  

Blog 12.01.20

“so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proves our hearts.”

1 Thessalonians 2:4

(ASV)

Those who opposed Paul in Thessaloniki tried to cast doubt on his motives.  In Acts 17, the Jewish leaders of the city charged Paul and Silas with sedition and attempted to attack them with the help of an organized mob.  With the assistance of fellow believers, Paul and Silas escaped from the Jewish under the cover of night and traveled to Berea, which was approximately twenty miles west of Thessaloniki.

In his first letter to the church in Thessaloniki, Paul returns to the incident.  He makes the point that he preaches the gospel to please God, not humans.  Only God can know the motives of a person because God alone can look into the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)  In other words, we can fool people, but we cannot fool God because God can prove or test our motives.

On this third day of Advent, we ask God to prove our hearts.  May God probe and test our hearts and convict us of any wrong motives we might have as we begin our Advent journey to the coming of Christ.

Friederick Schiller once wrote:

“‘God alone sees the heart’ – and therefore,

since he alone sees it,

Be it our care that we, too, something that’s worthy

may see.”