Is Christianity a competition or a cooperation between Christians? Judaizing teachers troubled the early church by painting the Gentiles as second-rate Christians; they made them question their salvation if they were not circumcised and keeping the law of Moses (Acts 15:1) But Paul wrote in Galatians 5:14-15, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” The faith of Jesus Christ is the basis of our salvation, not fleshly accolades. Following the flesh leads to conceit and envy (Gal. 5:25). The flesh produces a carping attitude that pulls others down to prop up self, but following the Spirit leads to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:19-23). If we follow the flesh, then, instead of helping one another go to heaven, we will bite, devour, and consume one another.

My brother has recently undertaken the venture of raising hens. We had no chickens growing up, so peculiarities he tells me about their nature have been revelatory to me whereas they might be commonplace to those accustomed to them. He had to separate one of the hens from the others because it had a sore. Evidently, if the red spot of a sore becomes visible to the other chickens, they will keep pecking at it until the injured fowl dies. Can we not see a parallel in human behavior? How does the church respond to someone whose spiritual sore becomes apparent? Are we critical? Do we tear them down or help them? Do we bite and peck at them behind their back? Or do we love them enough to work toward healing their spiritual injury? Galatians 6:1 goes on to command the spiritual to restore the brother overtaken in sin. The word “restore” in the original is the idea of setting a broken bone; careful action must be taken to set erring brothers and sisters straight, to help bear their burdens, all the while considering our own weaknesses (Gal. 6:1-2).

Paul described the church as a body, a living organism with each part cooperating to maintain the health of the whole being, writing, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). If any part of our physical body is hurting, the other parts of the body rush to the aid. The church is the spiritual body of Christ. By one Spirit we have all been baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13). The Spirit teaches us in God’s word to, “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits” (Rom. 12:15-16). To reach out and help those hurting in sin is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s will; Jesus came to earth, died, and rose again to save us from the terminal disease of sin (Rom. 6:23). Let Christ’s church be distinct from the world in the realm of loving others as ourselves.

-Mark Day

In the article this week I would like for us to examine Paul’s exhortation to Titus in Titus 2:7-8. Previous to our text, Paul had addressed Titus’ teaching regarding aged men (vs. 2), aged women (vs. 3), young women (vv. 4-5), and young men (vs. 6). Titus was not exempt from Paul’s admonition as Titus is to “⁷In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, ⁸Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.” While Titus was a preacher, he was first and foremost a Christian. What was written to him has application to all Christians.

In verse 7 we are taught, in all things (in every aspect of life) one must show themselves (practice what they teach and preach) to be a pattern (example) of good works. These good works would include works of obedience and benevolent works toward others, demonstrating the Christian’s character.

Christians are to show uncorruptness in doctrine (teaching). To be uncorrupt is to be free from taint, pure; it speaks to the soundness of our teaching. This statement requires all who would teach the Gospel to present the Gospel message in its pure state, without any mixing with of human philosophy or false teaching.

Christians in teaching are to show “gravity” (dignity and seriousness). This is referring to the consciousness of having the tremendous responsibility of being a teacher of God’s Word in a world where mankind, lost in sin, are in a desperate predicament. This is to be done in sincerity. This is likely indicating purity of motive.

Verse 8 says we are to use “sound speech that cannot be condemned”. The Christians speech is to be the kind of words that will help spiritually sick people get well. When people hear our words, their spiritual lives are not damaged or hurt.

If we use the pure word of God in our preaching and teaching, no one could properly find fault with our message. In doing so, the result will be that those opponents (those of the contrary part) who resist sound doctrine would be ashamed. Why will they be ashamed? Opponents would be ashamed when it is shown that their charges of wrongdoing against Christians were unfounded, since there is nothing either in the life or the teaching of the Christian which can be fairly criticized.

Christians do not punch a time clock; we are always on duty. Christians must be careful to practice what one preaches. The world is always watching. We must be the same person in the church building and out of it. Christians must strive to be the best example possible. The pure lives of New Testament Christians will put to shame opposition to the Lord.

Christ is an example for us (John 13:15); Timothy was to be an example of the believers (1 Timothy 4:12); Titus was to be a pattern of good works (Titus 2:7). Theory and practice were never to be separated by them. Brother Guy N. Woods has well said, “It is highly significant and worthy of our consideration that the apostle does not recognize the distinction between doctrine and practice often characteristic of us today. He made no attempt to separate theory from practice. We ought to be impressed with the fact that character and conduct are inseparable. Sound doctrine manifests itself in holy conduct.” (Quoted by Robert R. Taylor, Studies in First & Second Timothy, Titus, & Philemon, page 157.)

-Jerry D. Sturgill

By inspiration, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, wrote, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust” (Psalm 103:13-14). The forgiveness and salvation God provides is like the compassion a father has on his children. A father who is committed to the care of his children will avoid provoking them to wrath, but instead will concentrate his efforts on training and instructing them (Ephesians 6:4). A caring father understands the disposition of his child and knows the way to discipline him so as to encourage him to do right. God knows our frame. He understands our frailties. He knows we are but dust (Gen. 2:7).

            As our Father, God wants to see us succeed. He wants us to go to heaven more than we desire to go to heaven. He disciplines His children for their good (Heb. 12:5-7). Such disciple is not pleasant when it is administered, but it is intended to bring about righteousness (Heb. 12:11). He loves us so much that He gave us His own beloved Son (John 3:16; Rom. 8:32). God is not eagerly looking for a loophole or technicality with which He can condemn us. He does demand obedience, but we should not have irrational fears of our Father; His love for us is portrayed in the father’s response to the prodigal son: “But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). When the son knew he was no longer worthy to be called a son, and thus petitioned to be allowed to be a servant (Luke 15:21), the Father responded with these words, “Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:22-24).

            Think about how good God has been to you. When you count your blessings, it should move you to repent—give up any sin in your life and come to Him. The goodness of God leads you to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Christians, it would be good for us to take a step back and marvel at how blessed we are to be children of God. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). The Bible teaches that while we are to have a healthy, fearful respect for God, we are also to be deeply moved by our Father’s love (1 John 4:7-14). Take some time to dwell on the wonderful gifts that come from the Father of lights (James 1:17).

-Mark Day

To those who seem to know only one verse from the Bible—”Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1)—we often respond with another command from the lips of Jesus: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). It is clear that Jesus was forbidding hypocritical judgment in Matthew 7, the type of judging where a man with a beam in his eye tries to take a speck out of his brother’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5). Jesus is not saying one cannot exercise moral discernment, or even identify that certain people are like dogs and hogs (Matthew 7:6). Furthermore, one must inspect the fruit of false teachers in order to beware of them and avoid following them to destruction (Matthew 7:12-20).

However, what is the context of John 7:24? If Matthew 7:1 can be quoted out of context, we must make sure we understand the context of John 7:24. Hearing the teaching of Jesus, the Jews were astonished at His mastery of the Scriptures since He had not been trained in the rabbinical schools (v. 15). In order to show that He was not drawing His teaching from man-made tradition, nor originating it Himself, Jesus replied, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me” (v. 16). Jesus then showed that citing the pedantic debates of past rabbis—whose egos were wrapped up in their teaching—was not the key to knowing God’s will, but rather having a sincere desire to do His will. He said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him” (vv. 17-18). Jesus selflessly came to speak the words the Father gave Him to save people, yet the religious leaders at the feast in John 7—who had the law, but did not keep the law—sought to kill Him because He threatened their self-importance: their control of the people who looked to them for guidance (v. 19; cf. 11:48).

To make His point, Jesus presented one miraculous work He had done that caused people to marvel that He would do such on the Sabbath (v. 21). Jesus flouted rabbinical tradition and accepted norms of Sabbath observance in John 5 by healing a man who had been lame for thirty-eight years and telling him to take up his pallet and walk on the Sabbath. God’s law had required a holy rest from one’s normal work during the week in order to focus on the Lord on the seventh day (Ex. 20:8-11), yet many policies had been developed by rabbis over the years concerning what was and was not breaking the Sabbath. In their zealous reaction to Jewish assimilation of Greek culture, the Jewish leaders had attempted to make a fence around the law by forbidding what God had not banned. What they ended up doing was making a fence through the law because their traditions — which had become to many people more binding and important than God’s law—set up false criteria for who was and who was not following God. By their criteria, Jesus was a sinner and they were virtuous, yet in reality they were seeking to kill Jesus and He never sinned but always pleased the Father (Jn. 8:29, 46). Jesus showed that even these religious leaders recognized that the law requiring circumcision of a male baby on the eighth day (Lev. 12:3) meant that it should be carried out even if that eighth day fell on the Sabbath; this is why even though circumcision had been around before Moses (Gen. 17), God had Moses command it to give a precedent for certain vital activities, (such as the healing Jesus had engaged in), on the Sabbath (Jn. 7:22; cf. Lk . 13:14-15). If they could perform surgery on one member of the body on the Sabbath to fulfill a positive law, then certainly Jesus could heal an entire body to fulfill God’s will in showing mercy (John 7:23).

Thus, John 7:24, while commanding righteous judgment, reprimands judgment “according to appearance,” which, according to the context, is superficial judgment of religious people who set up false criteria for who is pleasing to God. This is still common today among religious people who want to maintain their self-righteous status, instead of humbling themselves to truly do the will of God and give Him glory. So remember John 7:17-18 before you quote John 7:24 to someone.

–Mark Day

For a number of reasons, questions about marriage are among the most interesting and important to human beings. And, among the most important of those questions is this: who can marry without committing sin in so doing? The Bible answer is plain. The Bible makes clear that, ideally speaking, God intends that marriage is to be a lifetime contract (Romans 7:1-4). Jesus gave one exception. He sets out one ground upon which one may put away his companion and marry another: that of marital unfaithfulness (fornication, Matthew 19:9). God joins together two people in marriage only when both parties to that marriage are eligible (according to Bible standards of eligibility) to be married. Even if a person is eligible to be married, if he/she marries someone who is not eligible, then he/she commits adultery. With the above introductory matters in mind, may each reader prayerfully consider those who, according the Bible, are eligible to be married (and who, therefore, can marry without committing sin in so doing).

1. Those who have never been married previously may, without sin, marry – so long as they themselves marry an eligible (in the sight of God) partner. “But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned” (1 Corinthians 7:28; cf. 1 Corinthians 7:9).
2. Those who have been previously married but whose former companion is dead. Paul stated the matter in this fashion: “For the woman which hath a husband is bound by law to the husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of the husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband be dead, she is free from the law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man” (Romans 7:2, 3).
3. Those who have been previously married but whose former companion was guilty of fornication (unfaithfulness to the marriage vow). Here, our text (Matthew 19:9), shows plainly that Jesus gave to the innocent party the right to seek another marriage partner. If Jesus had given no exception, his language would have taught that every person who puts away his companion and marries another is guilty of adultery. But Jesus did not do that – he did give an exception, making it clear that those whose companions have been guilty of sexual unfaithfulness may put them away and marry another, not being guilty of adultery in so doing. This means physical unfaithfulness – the actual act of sexual intercourse – not merely lusting in one’s heart (Matthew 5:28).

The negation, put in simple terms, is a setting forth of those who cannot marry without sinning in so doing. Or, it might be stated as follows: those who do sin when they marry. Just who are these? 1. Those who have a living former companion who was not put away because of fornication. According to Matthew 19:9, Jesus forbade divorce and remarriage except on the ground of marital unfaithfulness (fornication). 2. Those who marry anyone who has a former companion (still living) who was not put away because of fornication. In Matthew 19:9, Jesus said, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away committeth adultery” (compare Matthew 5:32). 3. Those who were put away because of their marital unfaithfulness (fornication) (Matt. 5:32; cf.19:9). The guilty party (that is, one who has been put away because of fornication) is not free to marry. The teaching of Jesus on this matter is too plain for denial. It was with infinite wisdom that God has set forth the privileges and the bounds of marriage, divorce and remarriage. It is by God’s wisdom that fornication has been designated the one and only ground for divorce and remarriage. It was God who instituted marriage. It was God who has protected it by setting the limitations.

While our hearts ache for those who are involved in marriages which the Bible makes clear are not pleasing to God, it would not be the loving thing to counsel those so involved to stay in sinful relationships. The wise and loving counsel is always, “Obey the Lord. If you do, He will never leave you or forsake you.” Let each of us remember: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

– Thomas B. Warren, The Spiritual Sword, April, 1984 (adapted)
—submitted by Jerry D. Sturgill