8 And above all things have fervent charity
among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 Use hospitality one to another without
grudging. 10 As every man hath received
the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God. 11 If any man
speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it
as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified
through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Peter continues from verse 7’s thought about being sober and
prayerful to tell the believers to have charity, which in the Bible refers to
love between Christians. We use the phrase to
act charitably today as a sort of throwback to that former definition as
being kind, gracious, or understanding in your dealings. If you do not express
this in your own family you are not likely to do it in the church and if you do
it in the church and not in your own family it is a sham. Read the entire
chapter of 1Corinthians 13 (verse 3 of that chapter shows you that the meaning
of charity
here is not our common definition today) and the following verses;
2Peter 1:5 ¶ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to
your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It was a new commandment from Christ Himself, to love the
brethren as a sign of their love of Him.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye
love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By
this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another.
The fighting for position in a church family, the competitiveness,
the treating of others as spiritual inferiors because of their social class or
gender or ethnicity, trying to dominate or control them is not of God, nor can
it be pleasing to God.
Romans 12:16 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.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in
Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or
vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than
themselves.
Hospitality, opening up your home and your time to a brother
or sister in Christ, particularly one in
need, spending time together and providing a meal as a gracious host is
something honoring to God.
Romans 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints;
given to hospitality.
We hold the grace of God as stewards and we are called to do
right by it. Are you gracious and merciful, as God? What about in your own
family? Has someone let you down, sought forgiveness, and been shown it by you
or are you unyielding, a pharisaical boor, demanding your respect and banishing
anyone who doesn’t comply with your convictions? You will be the same in the
church, no doubt.
It is important to understand the world in which these
people lived. Pagan Roman and Greek religion, by the first century, had become
devoid of all moral teachings and were mere following of ritual. You might get
a pontiff or priest to act as a kind of lawyer between you and the gods so you
didn’t anger them. However, moral philosophy and philosophers took over that
part of religion that teaches and corrects morality for us. The most important
moral philosophy of first century Rome was Stoicism, mentioned in Acts 17. In
this philosophy which guided the Roman mind there was little compassion. One of
its tenets was justice without sympathy, absolute moral standards without
deviation, and virtue for virtue’s sake or as some modern pagans dressed in
Christian clothes would say, “virtue is its own reward.” Christianity called
for compassion and genuine love and concern plus mercy between members of a
church, and by extension, I have made the point that it should extend within a family,
as well.(8) The view that the poor are poor because they deserve to be poor or
that if you mess your bed we’ll make sure you sleep in it is more pagan Stoic
than representing the compassion of God for a fallen race of beings. Christians
were called to truly care for each other, to forgive freely each other, and to
express genuine concern for others.
James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy,
that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
If you think that someone in church doesn’t do as much as
you do and you gnash your spiritual teeth at them for not doing what you
consider to be their share, because after all they aren’t serving God
sacrificially and selflessly like you are, do you think you are acting as a
Christian, or a Stoic philosopher? Are we in a human army and should we stand
at attention, salute, and drop for pushups if a button is missing from our
clothing? Do you practice the religion of Christ or the philosophy of Zeno, the
founder of Stoicism. Do you have the attitude, “that person probably isn’t
saved because they don’t act like I do?” Do you think you deserve some special
treat from God (or the gods) because of your devotion?
The Stoic does right because it is the right thing to do.
The Christian does right because He loves Christ, wants to please Him and show
his love for Him. The Stoic regards others who have misfortunes as just not
being right with God. The Christian, knowing the book of Job tells them that
bad things can happen even to the most righteous acting person, feels
compassion and empathy and wants to help their brother or sister. The Stoic
thinks, “speaking the truth in love,” is ripping into someone for their
failures, their lack of organization, lack of planning ahead, physical
weakness, mental illness, or some other failing. The Christian leads by example
and puts a supporting arm out for someone who is stumbling.
As the end times approach us we need to decide who we are; a
pagan Stoic who believes that following the Golden
Rule of ‘doing unto others as you would have them do unto you’ is evidence
of their character and standards or a Christian who wants to do for others in
his or her small part what Christ has done for them, as a good steward of the manifold grace of God.
When we speak it must always be something as if God Himself
would say it, as something that glorifies Him. As Paul told us;
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers.
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned
with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
And James gave this warning;
James 3:1 ¶ My brethren, be not many masters, knowing
that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man
offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the
whole body. 3 Behold, we put bits in the
horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be
so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very
small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and
boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of
iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body,
and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and
of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of
mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man
tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and
therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and
cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place
sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree,
my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both
yield salt water and fresh.
Christian lies regarding speech that undercut our testimony
with each other include, “I’m not trying to tell you what to do…,” or, “I don’t
mean to criticize you,”, and other things that prepare you to next say
something you insist you aren’t saying. Christians need to guard their tongues
and eschew all manipulative and insulting speech that demeans others. We should
speak God’s words and intent to others in the church and in our families, and
not just what we wish God would say either.
Peter warns these Christians to get ready for the end times
which he thinks are upon them and as they are upon all of us in every
generation we should act and speak toward each other understanding the impact
of our speech and how important it is to glorify God in all we do and say,
measuring our speech and not speaking in a careless or hurtful manner. He is
getting ready to expand on this in dealing with persecution.
(8) William Ralph Inge, Society
in Rome under the Caesars (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1888), 22,
23.
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