Week 7, Day 5
Today’s Reading: Galatians 1:1-2:21
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
As I was reading through Romans chapter 15, one verse in particular stuck out to me:
Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
–Romans 15:14
in this verse, we are able to see Paul’s confidence in his brethren. Have you ever wondered what may have made him so confident? There are probably several things that could be taken into consideration, but I will share with you two that crossed my mind.
First, Paul could have confidence in these brethren because they had proven themselves to him. Paul could be thinking back to previous interactions with some of the brethren that may now be among the Roman Christians, and he could be thinking about how they had shown their goodness, their knowledge and their willingness to admonish one another in times passed. If this were the case, then it must have been a great encouragement to these brethren to hear of Paul’s confidence in them. Paul knew that they would take what he was delivering to them, and use it just as God intended. The word “admonish” means (according to Strong’s Lexicon) to admonish, warn, or exhort. The Christians in Rome were willing to take what was delivered to them, and because of their goodness, use it to admonish one another. Sometimes that meant that they would use it for exhortation. Other times, it meant that they would use it to warn their brethren. Those who strayed from the truth must be admonished!
Secondly, Paul could have confidence in these brethren because they were his brethren! Perhaps Paul was relying upon the goodness of these brethren simply because they were his brethren in Christ. He could have simply been giving them the benefit of the doubt. He didn’t know what any group would do when he sent them a letter. Would they listen to his teaching? Would they correct the things that were lacking? Would they reject him, and thus God for whom he spoke? Paul could not know these things (unless, of course, God showed it to him). Paul could have this confidence in them because he trusted their obedience to God. If they were the children of God, they would listen to Paul’s teachings, and make the proper adjustments to their lives!
I don’t know which of these explanations is right. There may be (and probably are) other explanations. But, it should strike us that Paul had such confidence in his fellow Christians. It makes me stop to question myself as to whether I have the kind of confidence in my brethren that I ought to have. How often do we hold things back from our brethren, or hide things from them, because we really do not have the kind of confidence in them that we should have? How often do we think the worst of someone who is a fellow Christian, even before they have an opportunity to make a statement for themselves? Why would we do such things? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that I am going to try and be like Paul, and have the kind of confidence in fellow servants that he had. Will you join me? Even those we have never met should be afforded the courtesy of having our confidence placed in their goodness. Perhaps some will prove that confidence misplaced, but better that than missing out on the blessing that trusting in brethren can provide!
Popularity: 46% [?]
One Comment »
The Higher Rock » Blog Archive » Week 8, Day 2: said :
March 3, 2009 at 5:12 pm
[...] what Paul has to say in Galatians 5:10. We recently discussed another passage that had to do with Paul’s confidence in his brethren. Here, Paul is confident that these brethren will heed his teaching, and that they will return to [...]