Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
(Part 9)
May 2023 GPS
The responsibilities we will look at this month are closely related to each other. They are the duties of instructing, teaching and admonishing one another. The verses that allude to these responsibilities are: “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14, ESV) “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16, ESV) We will look at the meanings of the words underlined above and then at the verses in which they are found. The three different English words in the above verses, “instruct, teach and admonish,” come from only two Greek words.
The Greek word behind “teaching” in the Colossians passage is the normal word for that activity, and it is used about 200 times in the New Testament, with the of giving instruction to someone. Undoubtedly the teaching in any of these cases was intended to affect the behavior of those receiving the instruction, but the word itself focuses attention on the act of imparting information to someone rather than on correcting or warning against wrong behavior. The Greek verb translated “instruct” in Romans 15:14 is the same Greek verb translated “admonishing” in Colossians 3:16. It is used only 8 times in the New Testament, and the ESV translates it as “admonish” 5 times, “warn” 2 times, and “instruct” once (in Romans 15:14). It focuses attention on correcting or warning against wrong behavior not just imparting information. We can get a feel for the meaning of this term by looking at two of its usages in the New Testament. 1. When Paul was saying goodbye to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, he said, “Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.” (Acts 20:31, ESV) Paul was seriously concerned about the spiritual welfare of his Ephesian brothers and sisters. His tears were evidence of his profound concern. To caution or warn would certainly be more accurate synonyms for the activity in which Paul had been engaged than “instruct”. 2. In 1 Corinthians, after Paul had scolded his readers for their attitude toward him, he wrote, ““I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.” (1 Corinthians 4:14, ESV) Again, the idea is close to warning or cautioning people about a wrong behavior. One of the two verses in the introduction of this study puts the two responsibilities together. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16, ESV)
Having looked at the words for teaching and admonishing, we will now see what we can learn from the contexts in which those responsibilities are found. The sentence in which we find Paul’s comment about instructing (or better admonishing) one another is significant. He wrote, “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14, ESV) Paul was satisfied (better convinced) that because the Roman believers were “full of goodness” and “filled with all knowledge” they would be able to do the instructing/admonishing that needed to be done. Notice that he did not say that they merely “had” goodness and knowledge but that they were “full” or “filled” with them. There was no doubt in Paul’s mind that they were equipped to do what was expected of them. If we remember that this epistle was written about 57 AD and that the church in Rome was probably founded by Jews who had gone to Jerusalem for the Passover in 33 AD and had experienced the events of Pentecost before returning to Rome and that as far as we know no Apostle had gone there to establish the church, Paul’s confidence in them is a powerful testimony to the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of his readers during those 24 intervening years. If they were equipped to do this work, surely we are as well.
The sentence in Colossians 3:16 is also enlightening . “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16, ESV) Actually, the instruction is, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” The participles (verbs ending in “ing”) that follow it simply state results that should flow out of the word of Christ dwelling richly in God’s people. ““The Word of Christ” does not exclude the Old Testament but includes the additional Word that Christ gave to his apostles who were to transmit it to the church. Although it was as yet only partly written, the New Testament was abundantly transmitted orally. “Let it dwell in you richly in all wisdom” = let it inhabit you as if you were the house and home of this Word, let it do this in a rich way by filling every nook and corner of your being with its blessed, spiritual wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge in the right and the wise way.”1 If God’s Word really does permeate our hearts and minds controlling our thoughts and wills, the result will be the kinds of activities which this verse describes.
Generally we do not want anyone telling us what we should or should not do. For that reason we are reticent to do this for others. The problem is that there are times when all of us need correction. Will our behavior be governed by the spirit of the age or by the Word of God?
1 Lenski, R. C. H. (1937). The interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, to Titus and to Philemon (p. 177). Lutheran Book Concern.
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
(Part 8)
April 2023 GPS
The responsibility we will look at this month is that we are to submit to one another. It is very closely related to that of serving one another, which was the responsibility we looked at last month. The passage which states that obligation is in Ephesians 5: “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21, ESV) This phrase is a small part of a larger sentence, and it comes at the end of that sentence. The whole sentence reads: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18–21, ESV) There are two commands in this sentence. The first is negative: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery.” The second is positive and is presented in contrast to the first: “be filled with the Spirit.” Three things should be noted about this instruction. In this article I would like to look at all three of them. The first two items come from the immediate context and the third comes from the way the word, “submit,” is used throughout the New Testament. (Before I get into the meat of this study I think it would be wise to note that this admonition, like the one we looked at in March, is very pertinent to our day, because freedom to do whatever one wants is often seen as the chief goal for all of life. “No one is going to tell me what to do” is the motto of many people in our society today. Every one of us is told that we are the most important people around and that satisfying our own desires is our first responsibility.)
Now, let’s take a closer look at the instruction for this month. First, from the immediate context, the command to be filled with the Spirit is followed by five participles (in bold type above) which give examples of actions that are results that flow out of being filled with the Spirit. All of these activities are results of a person’s being filled with (controlled by) the Holy Spirit. The first three have to do with music. The fourth has to do with giving thanks always. The fifth is the one we are studying: “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ”. We will look below at the meaning of this phrase, but now I would like to consider the relationship between the five participles and the command that governs them. Our behavior is not to be controlled by [something like] alcohol. It is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. The verb “be filled” is in the present tense (here indicating an action that is continuous). In other words, this “filling” or control is to be the continual experience of believers. Furthermore, the verb is in the passive voice (indicating that the subject is receiving the action). It is not an action accomplished by us but by someone else, in this case, the Holy Spirit. Since He is the one performing the action, our responsibility is to make sure we do not obstruct Him in His work but rather cooperate with Him. That is consistent with admonitions we see elsewhere such as: “Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19, ESV) “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30, ESV) “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25, ESV) In other words, the life of one who is continuously seeking to submit to the control of the Holy Spirit will include actions like the ones enumerated in those verses.
Second, also from the immediate context, the submission is to be done “out of reverence for (or fear of) Christ.” The NASB gives a very literal translation: “in the fear of Christ.” The preposition “in” in Greek (translated “out of” in ESV) that begins the phrase in Greek is extremely broad in its meanings. Here I take the reference to be something like the sphere in which the submission is to be rendered. In other words, we are to submit to one another “because of,” “in a way that is governed by” or “that reflects the character of” or “reverence for” Christ. The primary motivation for this submission is not to be found in the one we are submitting to or the consequences that will come if we are not submissive. The primary motivation is to be to honor, please, or imitate the Lord. (Obviously, that would eliminate any submission that would violate His precepts as in Acts 5:29.)
Third, the way the word “submit” is used throughout the New Testament is also significant. It is used 38 times in 31 verses in the New Testament, and each time it reflects submission to a God constituted authority or God designed situation. Examples are wives to husbands, children to parents, slaves to masters, citizens to governmental authorities, church members to their leaders, and everything and everyone to God. It does not indicate anything about intelligence or ability. The idea is to fit in with the plans of another in a way that is helpful, assuming that those plans do not violate Biblical guidelines. It means that we follow the leadership of those whom God has placed in authority over us rather than demanding to get our own way. The greatest example of this was the behavior of our Lord toward Mary and Joseph: “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:51, ESV) If He could be in submission to them, can we not be in submission to other humans?
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
(Part 7)
March 2023 GPS
The admonitions we will look at this month and the next, like those of the previous months, call us to do good for others, but they also address the matter of the attitude which is to govern what we do for one another. In today’s social climate these admonitions are especially needed. The one we will study this month is that we are to serve one another.
The call to serve one another is found in Paul’s epistle to the Galatians. “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13, ESV) The context of this verse helps us to get a better understanding of what it means. Paul has been talking about how in one sense we are no longer under the Mosaic Law code. Here he reminds his readers that they were not to use that freedom to satisfy their own personal desires. Rather, they were to use that freedom in a way that would serve one another. The culture in which we live in America today encourages us to think of ourselves first. From a song taught to children years ago that said, “The most important person in the whole wide world is you,” to today’s commercials that encourage us to buy items because “you deserve these things,” we are bombarded with the message that we are to think of ourselves first. We are even told that we cannot love others unless we love ourselves, so self-love is a morally positive responsibility. That mindset shows how countercultural it is to teach that we ought to serve others. In contrast to this mindset, Paul admonishes us: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3–4, ESV) Elsewhere he writes “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” (Romans 15:2, ESV)
This instruction was to be applied in all kinds of interpersonal contexts. In the New Testament world where slavery existed everywhere, Paul wrote, “Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.” (1 Timothy 6:2, ESV) In relation to a totally different kind of relationship Paul wrote, “But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.” (Philippians 2:22, ESV) I find it interesting that the Greek noun related to the verb “serve” is the word for “slave.” I am not suggesting that we are to attach all of the associations of being a slave to the meaning conveyed by “serve,” but I am suggesting that the mindset we are to have when we think of our relationship to other believers ought to be to minister to them rather than to satisfy our own desires.
Our Lord called His disciples to manifest this same attitude by reminding them that He had set the example Himself. “But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be and served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”” (Matthew 20:25–28, ESV) In his letter to the believers at Philippi Paul reminded his readers of this fact when he wrote, “Have this mind among yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5–7, ESV marginal reading) Since our Lord, God incarnate, came to earth not to be served but to serve, and since that service involved the great sacrifice that it did, and if we claim to be His followers, is it asking too much for us to make it a habit of life to seek to serve others rather than to be served, especially if they are fellow believers?
One other phrase in our Galatians passage needs to be noted as part of Paul’s instructions about serving one another. Galatians 5:13 says that this service is to be performed “through love.” It is not to be done with a resentful or resistant attitude but out of genuine love. Paul emphasizes the importance of love two more times in this context. The very next verse says: “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”” (Galatians 5:14, ESV) Earlier in the same section he said: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” (Galatians 5:6, ESV) We are called to serve others through love. When something is said to be done “through love,” I understand that to mean that acts or expressions of love are the means through which we are to serve others. Jesus said, ““A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (John 13:34–35, ESV) If we truly love, we will also serve.
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
(Part 6)
February 2023 GPS
This month we continue to study what the Bible says about how we are to treat one another as believers. We will do so by looking at two more general, less specific instructions about the way we are to do this. In a sense these instructions describe the overall goal for which we are to exercise the more specific commands like the call to bear with one another. For example, in his first epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul wrote: “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15, ESV)
The context of this verse sheds a bit of light on its use in this passage: “Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:13b–22, ESV) Notice that this admonition is located in the middle of a number of very brief general admonitions which are to guide our behavior as part of the family of God. Furthermore, this set of instructions comes at the end of this epistle. It is as though, having dealt with the primary topics that were the reason Paul wrote this epistle, he felt the need to quickly include a number of miscellaneous but important instructions for the Thessalonian believers whom he loved. It is what we might do when we come to the end of a letter to a loved one that we had written to address one or two important issues. We are about to conclude our letter with the normal end greetings but then remember a few matters that are too important to remain unsaid so we jot them down in brief at the end. That is what Paul is doing in these verses. All of his instructions are important but apparently he is not able to spend more time explaining each one of the responsibilities which he mentions. Still, they are too crucial to be omitted entirely, so he gives them in brief form.
The content of the verse is especially relevant for us because it is counter intuitive to the natural man. It talks about how we, as believers in Jesus, are to respond when evil is done to us. In that situation, the natural reaction is to get even, to return evil for evil. As believers, however, we are to do what is good for the person who has wronged us. It is insightful to notice the personnel and frequency included in the instruction in this verse: “no one,” “anyone,” “always,” and “everyone.” In other words, there is never a person or situation in which we are not called to do good things, even when we are wronged. This all-inclusive terminology is repeated in the other admonitions in that paragraph. Our whole lives as Christians are to be characterized as those who do good things. I think it is interesting that a pejorative description that is sometimes used to describe certain people today is that they are “do gooders.” In today’s usage it is not meant as a compliment! Still, this is how we are to live.
A nearly synonymous instruction to returning good for evil is found in a verse which we considered last month in another connection. That instruction is: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32, ESV) The act of being “kind” in that verse seems to be very closely related to being “tenderhearted” and willing to forgive those who have mistreated us. That is one way we can return good for evil. God, Himself, is the model we are to follow in being kind to those who have been unkind to us as He forgives those who have sinned against Him. That understanding of the word may be may be seen in two other passages. On one occasion Jesus said, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” (Luke 6:35, ESV) Notice the sorts of people to whom God is said to be kind: the ungrateful and the evil. In Romans, Paul reflects on this same attribute of God when he warns unbelievers to repent and not to assume that the kindness of God will continue indefinitely. “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4, ESV) God’s kindness in this passage is directed to those who have done wrong in His sight. His judgment will come in time if there is no repentance, but His forbearance and patience are manifested in the fact that He does not execute judgment quickly but rather waits, giving time to repent.
God calls us to do good and to be kind to one another. We are to behave this way at all times. It is true that in the verses we have looked at in this installment the applications were specifically addressed to situations in which we have been mistreated. I believe the reason for that is that those kinds of instances provide us with the greatest challenges to be kind and to do good. If we do good and kind deeds in those situations, we are certainly to behave the same way in less challenging circumstances. Do others see the character of our heavenly Father in the deeds of goodness and kindness we perform?
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
(Part 5)
January 2023 GPS
This month, as we continue to study what the Bible says about how we are to treat one another as believers, we will look at our responsibility to “bear with one another” and “forgive one another.” These two responsibilities are addressed in three passages. The first one is in Ephesians: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV) This passage reminds us that a “walk” or behavior that is worthy of our calling as Christians will include “bearing with one another in love.” If we do not walk/live that way we are not walking worthy of our calling as Christians. Furthermore, it remind us of the kinds of attitudes (humility, gentleness, and patience) that are to be the atmosphere in which we bear with one another. Finally, it tells us that a goal that is to be in the minds of such believers is that they will be eager (not just willing) to maintain the unity produced by the Holy Spirit. That unity is damaged when we do not bear with one another. Clearly, bearing with one another is an important responsibility. Exactly what does it mean “to bear with” one another? One New Testament dictionary defines the word translated “bear with” as meaning to “have patience with in regard to the errors or weaknesses of anyone.” It is to be done “in love” not bitterness or resentment. We see an example of Jesus doing this very thing in Matthew 17 when He came down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John. “And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.”” (Matthew 17:14–17, ESV) Jesus was saddened by the lack of peoples’ faith. Still, He cured the boy, explained to the disciples why they had not been able to produce a cure in this case, and continued to work with them.
The second passage, also in Ephesians 4, deals with the responsibility to forgive one another: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32, ESV) Similar to the case with the previous verse in Ephesians, this one notes that the kind of heart out of which the responsibility being commanded flows is characterized by kindness and tenderheartedness. Furthermore, the example which is set before us to follow in forgiving others is the way “God in Christ forgave” us. That should lead us to consider what the Bible says about the way God has forgiven us. In David’s description of God’s love for us he wrote, “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12, ESV)
Immediately after a verse in which God describes the sins of His people, He says through Isaiah, ““I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25, ESV) In Jeremiah’s beautiful elaboration of the terms of the New Covenant, the LORD says through the prophet, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”” (Jeremiah 31:34, ESV) Our Lord applied this same principle to the way we are to forgive when He answered Peter’s question. “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21–22, ESV) In essence Jesus was saying, “Forgive by forgetting.” If we keep track of wrongs done to us, we are not forgiving as God in Christ has forgiven us.
The third passage addresses both our responsibilities to bear with one and forgive one another. “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Colossians 3:12–13, ESV) Here, Paul calls us to behave as people who have been chosen (called) by God. That will mean “putting on” hearts characterized by kindness and humility and meekness and patience. Hearts with those qualities will be recognized by the fact that they bear with one another, and when they have a complaint, they forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven us. If we do not forgive in this way, it shows something about the condition of our hearts. Humility, gentleness, patience, kindness, tenderheartedness, compassion, and meekness are at least to some degree missing. One more thing should be said about this general topic. Although we are called to bear with one another and forgive one another, that does not mean we are to ignore sin when we encounter it. What are we to do? We will look at that responsibility in next month’s installment. Although I suppose one could bear with others or forgive them via electronic media, it is hard for me to believe that the kind of a relationship that is being described by these actions could be carried on without real personal contact.
-Pastor Robert Spicer1 Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG Publishers.
