By Timothy

Is someone who tells you that you can buy a gift of God or they can sell such your brother?

I say as Peter said, they are not a brother, but one in need of repentance. If they hold to their perverted doctrines, may their silver perish with them.

Acts 8:18-23 (New American Standard Bible)

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

21 “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.

22 “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.

23 “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”

I say as Paul said, that those who claim godliness as a means of gain are of a depraved mind and deprived of the truth.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 (New American Standard Bible)

3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,

4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,

5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Melanie, I believe that every word of scripture is the Word of God, that it is exactly what God Himself says on these matters.

I look forward to your response to my question.

Hi hope you are well.

There is a difference between a legalist and speaking the Truth in Love.

When somebody comes we should not accept them. Read Galatians 1:8.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not about prosperity. In fact a large part about it includes suffering. “Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2Timothy 3:12. Are they teaching you that on the cable tv shows?

Love,

John

Hi hope you are well. What do you think the epistles of Paul, Peter and John are about. A great deal of teaching is dealing with apostate brethren. 3John Verse 9 even names one, Diotrephes. If somebody is preaching a false gospel we have every right to teach the true gospel!

Love,

John

By Timothy

If you chastise your brother…it’s supposed to be between you and your brother. Paul and Peter never put out a special report to tell the world when Brother so and so messed up.

I’m not trying to be funny or offensive. It’s just that it lets me know that my prayers have to be more fervent. For you, I’m praying that God will gift you with a heart open to compassion for your fellow brethern and not just when it suits you. That’s not love.

We all fall short, my prayer is that whatever we need to focus on…that each of us will. I’m not supposed to be even writing to you. I just do it as a courtesy. I repent of God because I want God to get Glory from my writings that they may not be in vain. I pray for you that God will take you to higher levels and that you will walk worthy of the vocation to which you have been called. In Jesus Name and by his blood. Blessings

“Also, how is that you feel that God gets glory from your putting down other Christians? I’m just curious.”

Two things.

1. Apostates, heretics, and blasphemers are not Christians. The Bible makes that clear. Please read the epistles of Peter, Timothy, John, and Jude.

2. Even among Christians, issuing warnings and rebukes to Christians when they are wrong is not only appropriate, but it is REQUIRED. If you see your brother sinning and refuse to try to help him, you cannot claim to love him or God. If you loved him, you would try to stop him from causing himself grievous spiritual harm by sinning. If you loved God, you would want your brother to stop offending God – for God hates sin! – with his wayward actions. Further, read Galatians. If Paul was able to correct Peter, we should correct each other. And before you state that Paul received his authority to correct by being an apostle, please recall that Peter was an apostle as well. So yes, God is glorified by my A) standing up for His truth and B) helping get a wayward Christian back o the right path.

Incidentally, if it is wrong to “put other Christians down”, exactly what is it that you feel pastors are supposed to do? Preaching is only part of a pastor’s job. (As a matter of fact, not all preachers are pastors, and all pastors need not necessarily preach.) When you look at the original context and especially the original language, the pastor is the SHEPHERD of a local congregation, and the members of the congregation are HIS SHEEP. As you know, sheep get into all sorts of trouble, and frequently need the shepherd to get them out of it. Sheep often get lost, and need the shepherd to go find them and bring them back into the fold. Sister Melanie, if “putting other Christians down” does not glorify God, then how is a pastor supposed to keep his sheep in line? What is he supposed to do if his members start cheating, gossiping, lying, idling, boasting, or committing adultery if condemning their sinful behavior does not honor God?

That people even have this attitude that we are not supposed to criticize Christians when they do wrong and are wrong shows how far the current church has gotten not only from the early church, but even from the Christianity of a mere 40 years ago! Unless God sends another “Great Awakening” type of revival, it really makes me wonder what the mindset of Christians is going to be 40 years from now.