Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #85 |
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JESUS calls US to be |
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The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide. |
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Should Christians
Communicate?
In a series of studies on Excitement from Ephesians!
Jay Wilson writes about Paul's Communication Network.
How can Christians communicate if they never talk with one another? Is it right to visit about affairs of the churches, or when does such sharing become gossip? Is it sometimes malicious gossip?
When Paul wrote to the congregation of believers in Corinth in anticipation of his next visit to that city, he expressed some anxieties about the church there -- "I'm afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish, that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances" (2 Corinthians 12:20). Right in the middle of all the "church fight" words is GOSSIP. God caused Paul to say that He did not like gossip (malicious gossip).
Yet in his first letter to the Corinthian brethren (the first made part of our New Testament), Paul notes, "I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you" (1 Cor. 1:11).
Were Chloe's relatives a bunch of whispering gossips? Was Paul out of line in entertaining their comments? It is implicit that the Holy Spirit did not condemn the legitimate concern and comments relayed to Paul about the status of the Lord's work in that Achaian center.
Paul had developed an excellent set of communications within the congregations functioning, as he put it, with his "sphere." Thus, as he wrote to the church in Ephesus, in a letter dictated from prison concurrently with the epistle to the Colossian brethren and the note to Philemon also of Colosse, he stated, "For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints..." (Ephesians 1:15).
It was not that the apostle had never been to Ephesus (or that someone else actually wrote this letter). Paul had simply set in motion a communication network by which the continuing growth in numbers, in faith, and in love could be shared with him in his travels. Absolute honesty with God, coupled with a bond of teamwork, attached to a great scriptural word -- sensible -- provide guidelines for what is acceptable or unacceptable communication among Christians.
Contrasting Communication Methods GOSSIP -- Idle or pointless talk about people. Gossip is counter-productive in that talking about people or brethren without some positive scriptural focus is not to further the faith (it's not "from faith," and is therefore sin. MALICIOUS GOSSIP -- Not just idle chatter. This is chatter with an attempt to hurt or destroy the person spoken of. Malicious gossip is clearly forbidden to Christians. Those who are "grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts" (Jude 16), continually seek to put others down in a twisted attempt to lift themselves above others.
EDIFYING COMMUNICATION -- The Father of all desires that His children build themselves up in "the most holy faith" (Jude 20). Edifying conversation does not mean that problems cannot be discussed -- they MUST be brought out in the open. It simply means that problems are discussed in an atmosphere where the desire is to find a scriptural, considerate, victorious solution for those difficulties. The discussion will be with people who have the opportunity to be a part of the solution rather than just spreading the problem.
In following the apostolic example of consecrated communication, church leadership builds communication networks in each local congregation, and in what the apostle Peter called "the brotherhood" (1 Peter 2:17 -- of interrelated congregations), whose purpose is not only to keep track of the doctrines being believed and practiced, not only to become aware of problems or potential problems, but also to note and credit the praiseworthy accomplishments among the brethren, and to share good news.
In this letter to the Ephesian church, Paul focused on the praiseworthy. He was pleased, and said so, that he had heard of their faith in the Lord, and their love for all the saints!
Let us also be excited to spread truly good news along our communication networks.
Jay Wilson is evangelist for Christ's Church which
meets at 1935 Nelson Road in
Bozeman MT (zip 59715). You can send him a note at
wilsonj@mcn.net.