Once in a while, I open my Bible and it hits me between the eyes. The words I read speak so clearly to our situation in the world today that it us uncanny.
During a word study this week on the Greek word for rebuke in Matthew 16:22, I was led to the use of the same word in 2 Timothy 4:2: "Convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths."
Rebuke means something like, "To correct, with the intent of preventing something from happening, or to stop something from continuing." As brothers and sisters in Christ, this passage invites us to be patient teachers with one another, helping each other to hold to the basic doctrines of the Church that have withstood the test of time. Sometimes it may be a convincing argument, sometimes it may be stern admonishment, sometimes it may actually be words of encouragement! But the bottom line is that we should help each other not to be swept away by myths and false teachings.
Myths abound today. We continue to battle the fairy tale that money can buy us happiness, or that the more toys we accumulate the better our lives will be. We face the myth that we are our own gods! We have no need for the Church. After all, can't I just worship God on the golf course or in my fishing boat on Sunday mornings? And we battle the myth that sexuality is our God ... that we can define our own sexual standards, so long as two consenting adults agree.
Myths. All of them.
There are many more.
I grow frustrated at times by our lack of discipline in the Church; we allow ourselves to be swept away so easily by myths. We believe the words of any teacher of the day that stands up and professes to know what is true. As always, our task is to match what others (and we ourselves say) by the standard of Scripture. If it does not measure up, then it simply is not true!
I will confess, I grow angry from time to time and need to hold myself in check. I realize this is ridiculous. I am just as apt to be swept away by myths as the next person. They are a powerful force that will indeed sweep us away if we grow complacent.
This passage invites us, however, not to become bitter and angry Christians. When we do, it destroys our credible witness, and as the old saying goes, anger, like acid, does more harm to the vessel that contains it. I am grateful that this passage rebukes my anger and invites us to become teachers who demonstrate the utmost patience with one another. It also invites us to remain students who allows ourselves to be continually guided and molded by the instruction of others in the Church (and the pages of Scripture itself).
What do you think? Do I sound like a grumpy old man? Are these myths that I have identified actually myths? Are there others that are a threat to the Church today?
No comments:
Post a Comment