College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
2 Corinthians 13 - Introduction
Butler's Commentary
Chapter Thirteen
THE PROBLEM OF CHRISTIAN MATURITY
IDEAS TO INVESTIGATE:
1.
What is the charge Paul says must be sustained by evidence?
2.
Why bring up the subject of Christ's weakness?
3.
What test must the Christian not fail to meet?
4.
What improvement does Paul want the Corinthians to make?
5.
Do Christians have to agree with one another?
APPREHENSIONS:
1.
How many visits did Paul make to Corinth?
2.
What is Paul indicating he is going to clear up when he arrives in Corinth?
3.
What does the Bible say about accusations, slander, gossip how is it to be dealt with in the kingdom of God?
4.
What did Paul mean when he said he would not spare them?
5.
Was Jesus crucified because he was weak?
6.
How did God prove Jesus-' death was not due to weakness?
7.
Are Christians to examine themselves, or not?
8.
How is this examination to be conducted?
9.
Was Paul's ministry to Corinth a failure? How do we know?
10.
What if it had been a failure?
11.
Why did the Corinthians need improving?
12.
Was being of the same mind significant at Corinth? Why? How do you know?
APPLICATIONS:
1.
Is the Biblical instruction on dealing with accusations, offenses, disharmony relevant for today's circumstances and situations in the church?
2.
Are these instructions being followed by the 20th century church? Why?
3.
Did Paul have any right to warn the Corinthians that he would not spare them on his next visit?
4.
Should Christians today consider the apostolic writings as warnings to them.
5.
What should be done about apostolic warnings?
6.
Do you have any power from Christ in your daily life? What? How?
7.
Have you examined yourself lately to see whether you are in the faith?
8.
How did you conduct that examination?
9.
Can any person (Christian or non-Christian) make the same examination?
10.
What if another Christian fails in his Christian witness? Does that mean you do not have to do right? Why?
11.
Does God expect us to always be for the truth? Are we? How much should we love the truth?
12.
What improvements or restoration have you made in your Christian life recently? Have you ever had to mend your ways?
13.
If you had everything taken away from you like Job, and had left only the grace of Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, would it be enough for you?
Special Study
THE TASK OF THE CHURCH IS TO EQUIP MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL
The end product: An evangelist:
1.
Whose aim is love issuing from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith, 1 Timothy 1:5
2.
Who will be committed to waging the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. 1 Timothy 1:18
3.
Who will urge supplications and prayers for political leaders in order that the gospel may be preached. 1 Timothy 2:1 ff
4.
Who will know how brethren ought to behave in the church of God and be able to lead in selecting elders and deacons. 1 Timothy 3:1 ff
5.
Who will be able to instruct the brethren about deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1-5
6.
Who will have nothing to do with silly myths. 1 Timothy 4:7
7.
Who will train himself in godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7
8.
Who will so command and teach that no one will be offended at his youthfulness. 1 Timothy 4:11-12
9.
Who will set an example in speech, conduct, love, purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
10.
Who will attend to public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. 1 Timothy 4:13
11.
Who will practice the above duties, who will devote himself to them, so that all may see his progress. 1 Timothy 4:13
12.
Who will be able to treat properly younger and older men and women, instructing them. 1 Timothy 5:1 ff
13.
Who will know how to properly make public rebuke of persistent sinners. This he is charged to do in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels. 1 Timothy 5:20 Who will not be partial. 1 Timothy 5:21.
14.
Who will not participate in wrong doing. 1 Timothy 5:22
15.
Who will take care of his physical condition. 1 Timothy 4:8; 1 Timothy 5:23
16.
Who will teach and urge proper human relationships with the world. 1 Timothy 6:1-2
17.
Who will shun materialism. 1 Timothy 6:3-10
18.
Who will aim for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness and gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11 ff
19.
Who will charge the rich in this world to do good deeds with their riches. 1 Timothy 6:17 ff
20.
Who will avoid godless chatter and contradictions or what is falsely called knowledge. 1 Timothy 6:20-21
21.
Who will kindle a spirit of power and love and self-control in himself. 2 Timothy 1:7
22.
Who will not be ashamed of testifying of Christ. 2 Timothy 1:8
23.
Who will take his share of suffering for Christ. 2 Timothy 1:8
24.
Who will follow the pattern of apostolic sound words. 2 Timothy 1:13
25.
Who will guard the truth. 2 Timothy 1:14
26.
Who will be strong in grace. 2 Timothy 2:1
27.
Who will commit the gospel to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2
28.
Who will shun encumbrances not relative to service for Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3 ff
29.
Who will be able to charge others not to dispute about words. 2 Timothy 2:14 ff
30.
Who will be able to handle aright the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
31.
Who will purify himself as a vessel for the Lord. 2 Timothy 2:21
32.
Who will shun youthful passions. 2 Timothy 2:22
33.
Who will not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone. 2 Timothy 2:24
34.
Who will be an apt teacher. 2 Timothy 2:24
35.
Who will comprehend real opposers of the truth and avoid them. 2 Timothy 3:1-9
36.
Who will continue in what he has learned and know those from whom he has learned it. 2 Timothy 3:14
37.
Who will preach the word even when it is not seasonable, with urgency and long suffering. 2 Timothy 4:1-4
38.
Who will be always steady, and endure suffering. 2 Timothy 4:5
39.
Who will do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill his ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5
40.
Who will beware of the enemies of the gospel. 2 Timothy 4:9 ff
41.
Who will assist and strengthen the hands of their fathers in the faith 2 Timothy 4:9 ff
The raw material: Young and old people from all circumstances:
Examples of all types may be found in the scriptures
1.
a.
not many wise
b.
not many powerful
c.
not many of noble birth
d.
the foolish
e.
the weak
f.
the low and despised
2.
a.
babes in Christ
b.
jealous
c.
divisive and factious
3.
a.
formerly immoral
b.
formerly idolaters
c.
formerly adulterers
d.
formerly homosexuals
e.
formerly thieves
f.
formerly greedy
g.
formerly drunkards
h.
formerly revilers
i.
formerly robbers
4.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-14
a.
nosy
b.
busybodies
c.
lazy
d.
overly dependent on others
e.
idle
f.
unruly
5.
a.
incapable of distinguishing good from evil
6.
a.
those of differing talents and capacities
7.
a.
those who misunderstand spirituality
8.
Galatians and Romans
a.
those with tendencies to legalism
Examples of all types may be found in the apostles
1.
Peter - impetuous, big-mouthed, rough and ready to fight
2.
Simon the Zealot - politically right-winger
3.
Matthew - social outcast
4.
Thomas - melancholy, dubious
5.
James & John - ambitious, sectarian
6.
Philip - inquisitive but dense
7.
Judas Iscariot - complainer, criticizer, thief, traitor
8.
Paul - pharisaic, intellectual, cultured, zealous
9.
Nathanael - guileless, naive
All the apostles had some of the following characteristics provincialism, pride, ambition, materialism, sectarianism, spiritual dullness, impetuosity
Our task: demands as much of the nature of the Master Teacher we can assimilate:
1.
The propositionally revealed Word of God, the Bible, must always take precedence in training evangelists. Content, methods, ministerial ethics must all conform to this Word
2.
Instructional excellence
3.
Understanding, humor, sincerity
4.
Patience, longsuffering, love, forgiveness
5.
Forthrightness, consistency, adaptability
6.
Firmness, discipline
7.
Courage to face and denounce that which if false
8.
Sacrifice of self for the end product
9.
Refusal to accept anything but the best from each individual
In short, our task is greater than imparting a few methods or ways to quick success. We are not even primarily interested in preparing persons for a life's vocation. We are not aiming just at changing the lifestyles of people. WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF CONVERTING PEOPLE. IF WE SUCCEED IN CONVERTING, WE SHALL SUCCEED IN EQUIPPING A MINISTRY. IF WE FAIL IN CONVERTING, WE SHALL FAIL IN EQUIPPING!
Special Study
VALUES ARE.
Introduction
C.C. Crawford, in Common Sense Ethics, defines the subject: Morality is the relation of man's free deliberate acts to the standard to which they must conform in order to be suitable to man as such, to confer on him the perfection of which he is capable and to bring him to the ends for which he exists.
I.
THE MORALS AND VALUES OF MAN ARE AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE TOTALITY OF BEING.
A.
When Gentiles who have not the law (revealed standard of right and wrong) do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts. Romans 2:14-15.
B.
Ultimate moral truth is incorporated in the structure of human nature and human natural relationships. This is sometimes called natural moral law, or just the moral law.
C.
Cicero said: The law is not in opinion but in nature. In other words, there is a common standard of right and wrong which may be understood by anyone with common sense, and it has nothing to do with individual feelings.
D.
There is a universal moral law, as distinct from a moral code, which consists of certain statements of fact about the nature of man; and by behaving in conformity with this moral law, man enjoys his true freedom:
1.
The universal moral law is not a question of feeling, but of fact.
2.
When it has been ascertained, a moral code can be drawn up to direct human behavior and prevent men, as far as possible, from doing violence to their own nature.
3.
Defy this moral law and the race will perish in a few generations (See Romans 1:18-32, esp. Romans 1:28).
E.
Man's external relationships, seen from this natural moral order are three:
1.
Dependenceupon the laws of nature and nature's God.
2.
Equalitywith his fellow human beings.
3.
Proprietorship over subhuman orders and creation.
These relationships inhere in the nature of things; they are the givensman does not create them, nor can he change them in any way; he finds them here on his arrival in the world; and from them all his rights and obligations derive.
F.
THE MORAL LAW IS THAT LAW WHICH IS THE PROMULGATION IN MAN OF THE ETERNAL LAW, THE WILL OF GOD, THE LAW BY WHICH THE HUMAN BEING IS CONSTITUTED A PERSON AND BY WHICH, THEREFORE, HUMAN NATURE AND HUMAN NATURAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE ORDAINED TO BE PRECISELY WHAT-THEY ARE.
1.
The primary principles of the Moral Law are set forth in the TWO Great Commandments (Matthew 22:35-40, etc.).
2.
The secondary principles of the Moral Law are incorporated in the broad general norms of the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) Exodus 20:1-17.
G.
The basic principles of the moral law are amenable to human apprehension (even to reason unaided by special revelation) by means of the principle of universalization.
1.
The determination of the goodness or badness of an act on the ground of what the result would be if the act were universalizedthat is, if everybody did it.
2.
Murder, theft, adultery, lying, perjury, covenant breaking, disrespect for parentsuniversalized, would destroy social order!!!
II.
VALUES, DEFINED, (GREEK WORD FOR VALUES IS AXIOS, WORTH)
A.
Value-judgments are the very core of our being. They are the essential fibers of life. To live is to act, and to act is to choose, and to choose is to evaluate.
All human beings have a set of values or a value-system by which they make choices and act.
B.
Values come from meanings. In other words, we evaluate everythingthings, actions, peopleaccording to our concept of the meaning of existence and life.
C.
Meanings come from what we believe about origins, purposes, goals, destinies.
D.
The bottom line is that our values depend upon what we believe! There are no people who believe nothing! Everyone has a faith-system because everyone has a belief about meanings and everyone evaluates and makes moral decisions on the basis of that belief!
E.
Values are what human beings live for and live by. Our thoughts motives, and actions are geared to our value-system. Every facet of human life is affected by our value-system. We choose our jobs, our mates, our education, our friends according to our values. We rear our children according to our values.
We try to make our life count according to what we value most.
F.
Value means worth. We rate things and people and life by our value-system. We rate things and ideas and actions and relationships on a worth-scale. And we invariably, inevitably live out our lives doing, thinking, relating, to what we have decided is WORTH the most!
G.
The crucial question, then, becomes, WHO OR WHAT DETERMINES FOR A PERSON WHAT IS WORTH THE MOST?
H.
Principle is another synonym for value. A principle is an ultimate, a primary basis of thought and action, a settled rule, a governing motive for action. A moral principle is a truth (principle) for resolving competing claims. There are exceptions to rules, but never to principles. A moral principle is not only a rule of action, but a reason for action.
III.
VALUES WILL ALWAYS BE ADOPTED AND DECIDED ON THE BASIS OF SOME AUTHORITY
A.
The human mind finds meaning and reality from some authority. To find ultimate meaning and reality, there has to be an ultimate authority! Authority determines meaningmeaning determines values. Values are always chosen on the basis of what is believed to be ultimately real, ultimately final, (absolutely real or final).
B.
Authority is not optionalwithout it there is chaos and anarchy. All of life necessarily revolves around authority; learning, the social structure of the home, civil society, vocationall depend upon some authority for their very existence.
C.
Authority is inseparably connected with life. We cannot enjoy life or accomplish anything of worth without authority. Man is not the author of his own existence; he is creature not Creator.
Man is a contingent being (dependent). Every human being inevitably subjects himself to some authority outside himself whether he thinks so or not (even the Bible tells us this in Romans 6:16; Proverbs 5:22; John 8:34; Acts 8:32; Romans 7:23; 2 Peter 2:19).
D.
If human equality has any worthwhile significance, it is obvious that no person has any inherent authority over another person. How, then, can nothing be added to nothing (some 250,000,000 times, or ad infinitum) and get something? Sovereignty, therefore, cannot de facto be in the people. Hence, it is a fundamental of Biblical ethics that God alone is Sovereign of the universe; that, therefore, all human exercise of authority is by His sufferance. Cf. Romans 13:1; Jeremiah 18:7-10; Jeremiah 27:1-15; Isaiah 10:5-19, 1 Peter 2:13-17, etc.).
E.
Values derived from human authority alone are inadequate!
1.
Logic proves it. The mind of man must think functionally within the framework of reality (this present creation). The mind receives information from the data of realitysifts that info through the innate logical categoriesand produces concepts and ideas. The great apostle Paul tells us that our data (creation) forces the mind to acknowledge a power or authority higher than itself (a god) (Romans 1:18 ff). Now the human mind may refuse to acknowledge Jehovah as that higher authoritybut it cannot dismiss the logical demand for a higher authority!
2.
History (both ancient and contemporary) proves it. Surely the history of man is long enough, broad enough, detailed enough to document the bankruptcy of human concepts of a higher (divine) authority. The inhumanities and obscenities of ancient civilizations, compared with the moral stature and cultural refinement of the Israelites (when they accepted the authority of Jehovah) show the stark contrast! The ethical and cultural leavening of society by true, Biblical Christianity contrasted with godless ideological (fascist, communist) societies proves it.
3.
Contemporary experience proves it. Evolutionism has proven irrelevant and powerless to fulfill the needs of contemporary man. Humanism (man as the ultimate authority, ultimate meaning, ultimate reality) has proven not only impotent, but illogical and self-contradictory.
All humanistic systems of authority and value have experientially produced only despairthis can be documented from the writings of humanistic philosophers, theologians, and artists.
The Nego (Life magazine, May 25, 1962). This is a world of madness-absurd, stupid. Nothing's solid. There are no values to depend upon.. I haven-'t any goals because I don-'t know what to aim for..
THESE WERE STUDENTS FROM SOME OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS PREP-SCHOOLS IN AMERICA, 25 YEARS AGO, INTERVIEWED ABOUT THEIR VIEWS OF LIFE'S MEANING, VALUES, GOALS. AND DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY PUT THE BLAME FOR THEIR DESPAIR? ON DARWINISM, FREUDIANISM, HUMANISM!
4.
Man is finite and all his knowledge is limited by his finiteness. Death is the ultimate authority on the human leveland that can produce no other perspective (viewpoint, meaning, reality) than DESPAIR!
All humanistic values, when death is the ultimate, become worthless!
Life is never more absurd than at the graveCamus. Existential philosophy is teaching people today (young people in H.S. and college) that man is a meaningless passion thrust into an unwanted, meaningless, existence.
If meaningless is man's ultimate authorityhis value-system will tell him that there is no value in anything or anyonenot even in life itself!
VALUES CANNOT BE DETERMINED BY CONSEQUENCES (PRAGMATISM) BECAUSE MAN DOES NOT KNOW THE FUTURE.. NOR CAN HE PERCEIVE OR PREDICT HIDDEN CONSEQUENCES!
III.
VALUES ARE NEEDSNOT WANTS
A.
Values must come from some objectivity outside the human ego itself. Values cannot be left to total subjectivity for their source.
1.
Man is innately self-centered, egoistic, selfish. The flesh (humanness) focuses on self-preservation at all costs.
2.
When human beings are honest with themselves they will admit this (Paul the apostle didRomans 7:15-25; Galatians 5:16-17).
Everyday experience teaches us this truth. We are always wanting and seldom saying, I needespecially when it may be physically or psychologically unpleasant.
3.
Conscience proves this truth! Often we want things or evaluate things (or relationships) as worthy against our conscience which tells us we do not need what we want.
4.
The very fact that we feel oughtness tells us that our value-system must come from withoutapart from our own selves.
5.
All human beings do, as a matter of fact, come to their values from some source outside themselves.
Even those humanists and existentialists who strongly advocate that values must come solely from within the human being himself, ARE TELLING OTHERS (AND WHEN YOU TELL SOMEONE SOMETHING YOU BECOME AN AUTHORITY) WHAT THE SOURCE OF THEIR VALUES SHOULD BE!!
B.
Because values are primarily what we NEED instead of what we want we must have values revealed to us from an ABSOLUTE SOURCE. AN ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY. We must find an absolutely Sovereign Person who knows and is able to reveal what is absolutely valuable for us.
1.
Without an absolute, infallible source, revealing values to finite human beings, such beings are left with finite, relativistic values.
2.
Without an absolute, final, unimpeachable source for values outside of finite man himself, he will invariably decide what is valuable for him relative to THE FLESH, TO HIS HUMANNESS, AND SELFISHLY. EGOCENTRICALLY!
3.
Of course, the humanist is going to say, What is wrong with ego-centricity?
What is wrong with it isMAN IS A SOCIAL BEING! He is thrust into a social existence, whether he wants it or not. He does not, cannot, exist without others and relationships with them.
To practice a value-system based totally on egocentricity is impossible, and, were it possible, it would lead to social chaos and destruction.
4.
Total egocentricity in the determination of meaning, choice of values, and in actions is the EXISTENTIAL DOCTRINE (but not the existential practice).
C.
The Bible clearly teaches that what man often wants is not what he always NEEDS!
1.
Paul wanted God to take away his thorn in the flesh, but God said that His grace was sufficient (what Paul needed) for Paul 2 Corinthians 12:1-21.
2.
What the rich young ruler wanted was to be a disciple of Jesus and keep his riches; Jesus said what he needed was to give all his riches to the poor and then be a follower, Matthew 19:1-30; Mark 10:1-52; Luke 18:1-43.
3.
What the seven churches of Asia Minor wanted and what Jesus said they needed (repentance) were very different.
4.
Even things which seem innocent and correct enough in themselves are not always valuable or needed (I Cor. 8-9-10; Romans 14:1-23).
5.
THE ONLY WAY MAN CAN BE SURE HIS VALUES ARE WHAT HE NEEDS AND NOT MERELY WHAT HE WANTS IS TO LET AN INFALLIBLE SOURCE REVEAL IT TO HIM!
V.
VALUES ARE ULTIMATELY SPIRITUAL
A.
Human beings are not just matternot just physical beings, they are also spiritualessentially, spiritual.
1.
Man transcends physical limitations (by mind). He can transcend time and space mentally. He reasons; he communicates; he plans; remembers; ideates (conceptualizes); symbolizes; loves; hates; wishes; imagines.
2.
If man were only physical, he would function only by instinct without any conscience (he would neither regret nor approve); he would condemn no, one else's behavior nor approve it. He would be completely amoralhave no feeling of responsibility.
3.
Man is an eternal spirit, made in the image of his Creator who is Eternal Spirit.
B.
Human beings are persons.
1.
Their problems are personal problemsnot merely mechanical or physical problems. They often have problems totally unrelated to that which is material and physical. And even those problems that seem related only to the physical are ultimately related to the spiritualphilosophicalmental essence of man.
2.
We cannot be sure of what is valuable or worthy until we see it proven worthy or valuable in a person.
3.
The reality or non-reality of the world, of life, and of values (or morality) must be found preeminently in a person, and the ultimate point where reality meets our problems will be acceptable ONLY IN AN ULTIMATE PERSON!
C.
Truth and Love and Life and Immortality are more than abstractionsthey are personalthey deal with the spirit and not the material.
1.
If the reality of the world and morality is to be affirmed or denied, it must be at the personal, philosophical, spiritual level not the physical.
2.
If the meaning of existence is to be found, it must be at the personal, spiritual level. If the meaning of suffering is to be found, it must be at the personal, spiritual, philosophical level, not the physical (2 Corinthians 12:1-21, etc.)
D.
Spiritual beings must have a spiritual authority-source by which to establish their values.
1.
Spiritual values cannot be established scientifically (empirically). They cannot be arrived at through biological, physiological experimentation.
2.
They must be arrived at mentally, philosophically, through a faith-systema spiritual pilgrimage.
3.
This spiritual authority must be a spiritual Person.
VI.
THE VERY STRUCTURAL FOUNDATION OF LIFE
A.
Values are motivators.
1.
People's actions are predictable according to their values because people are motivated in the direction of their chosen values.
2.
What people consider worthwhile, is what they do. determines why they act, what they act for, and what they expect to result from their actions.
3.
People do not act according to biological conditioning, they act according to philosophical conditioning which has to do with meanings, values.
The reason so many people act like animals today is not because they are animals. but they have been taught to believe that gratification of animal (physical urges) is the ultimate meaning in life and the only thing valuable in life.
ANIMALS LIVE TOTALLY ON THE PHYSICAL PLANE BECAUSE OF INSTINCT. ANIMALS HAVE NO CHOICE. THEY HAVE NO OTHER VALUES TO CHOOSE. BUT MEN DO!
4.
To change human behavior, we must change what a human values.
5.
It is not necessary to change environment or stimuli to change human behaviorhuman beings can change their behavior in spite of their environment if their values are changed.
THIS IS WHERE IT'S AT TO USE POOR ENGLISH AND THE HIP VERNACULAR! THIS IS WHAT JESUS CAME TO DO WITH THE GOSPEL. TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S VALUES AND THUS TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR!
AND WE MUST GET THIS IN THE RIGHT ORDER. WE MUST BE HONEST, FACE REALITY, AND QUIT TRYING TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR WITHOUT FIRST CHANGING VALUES (CONVERTING PEOPLE)
PEOPLE CANNOT BE FORCED, MANIPULATED, CONDITIONED, OR MANAGED INTO RIGHT BEHAVIOR IF THEIR VALUES ARE WRONG!
B.
Values are character-builders.
1.
People become what they value. Hosea 9:10.
2.
If people have despicable values, false values, fleshly values, that is the kind of persons they become. that is their viewpoint, and that is their character.
3.
People can be trusted only so far as their values are trustworthy! What a person values is what he is! AND THAT IS WHAT HE WILL BE FOR ETERNITY!
C.
Values provide reasons for living. they determine how we will use our lives and what we will use life for. Values determine what a person expects to get from life
D.
Values determine how we relate to other peoplewhat our evaluation of another person's worth is; how we will treat another person (WHETHER WE WILL USE THEM AS A MEANS TO AN END. TO BE MANIPULATED FOR OUR OWN BENEFIT, OR WHETHER WE WILL SERVE THEM FOR THEIR BENEFIT.
E.
Values determine our concept of ourselves. worth, identity, meaning.
Special Study
VALUES ARE ESTABLISHED BY.
Introduction
DO YOUNG PEOPLE NEED A VALUE-SYSTEM TODAY?
Pursue a discussion with any rebellious youth as to why he commits acts that the older generation regards as depraved, self-destructive or irresponsible, and again and again you will hear the reply, -Why not?-' Try to answer -Why not?-' If you are a transitional creature living in a half-way house, one who has given up faith while continuing (in order to hold your life together) to act as if you still had it, you have no answer. True, you stillby and largelive by certain moral principles, but you cannot say why. Therein lies the basis of the curious guilt so often felt by parents in the face of insufferable behavior by their young, and their consequent indulgence of children who reject them.
The young rebel's -Why not?-' has at least two meanings: not only -What's to stop me?-' but simultaneously, -Give me a reason I can accept.-' For the young person wants, needs, is in fact desperate, to believe in something. He is in constant search of itin -mind-bending-' drugs, in Zen Buddhism, in puppy-love, astrology, the Peace Corps, a new society, radicalism, hedonism, nihilismanything but his parents-' ism, which he regards as dishonest and cowardly.
The young rebel has not found his belief yet. The experience of learning that an entire civilization is founded on nothing solid morally; that it is shot through and through with what he regards as hypocrisy; that he finds nothing in it to give his life meaningthis has been so overwhelming a shock that it has left him largely mute, inarticulate, confused, unable to cope. He can literally be sure of nothing. And if there is one word that most aptly describes the emotional reaction of the young to finding society without a useable moral basis, it is disgust.
Reader's Digest, March, 1970IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR GOD? by David R. Klein
Dr. John J. Meng of Fordham University states: In the college classroom, Subjects are almost always discussed in terms of problems, almost never in terms of absolutes. Now a student does need to be made aware of the problems of lifebut if this is all he gets from his educational experience, the results can be tragic.
The professors, he concludes, have no final answer to anything! Can he be blamed if he concludes that ethical and moral principles are as subject to change as are the theories of economics or the historical interpretations of the causes of the First World War?
... by saying nothing, we commit a grave sin of omission that leaves the young person at the mercy of his highly unreliable feelings and drives. We make it easy, too easy, for him to be immoral.
I have found, from my experience, that often the students are more inclined to be strict than the faculty. They know, and want, rules to give them some support as they struggle to make moral decisions. They don-'t want to be confused by a multiplicity of unanswered problems and a paucity of positive replies to the great questions of life. Without a minimum agreement, at least, on a set of ethical and moral values, our colleges and universities will continue to teach only a part of the truth they are dedicated to pursuing.
JUST THIS WEEK, OUR JOPLIN SCHOOL BOARD APPOINTED A COMMITTEE TO INSTITUTE A PROGRAM FOR THE TEACHING OF VALUES AND MORAL STANDARDS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS!!!!
I.
INDOCTRINATION(TEACHING)
A.
Redemptive (Christian) values are learnedthey are not innate or genetically inherited. (Certain general values, as we said in the first lecture, may be revealed in the natural order of things. all man has innately are logical categories [categories by which to reason] and the moral imperative [oughtness or conscience]. But those values by which we are redeemed for the kingdom of heaven we must LEARN from Christ.
1.
People value what they do because that is what they have been taught to value.
2.
The Television advertizers know that! The average American child watches an average of 7 hours of television per day! During that time he sees an average of 135 commercial ads! IS IT ANY WONDER THAT THE VALUES OF TV'S GENERATIONS ARE FOCUSED ON MATERIALISM??
3.
Paul wrote in Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians in that marvelous 4th and 5th Chapter s, ... you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.. You did not so learn Christ.. Let no one deceive you with empty words. try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
4.
Then, in the 6th chapter he commanded, Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord 2 Corinthians 6:4.
B.
Redemptive values are learned from the Bibleand from no other source.
1.
Joseph T. Bayly wrote nearly 20 years ago in Eternity magazine, ... you-'d think that young people who have grown up in an evangelical milieu would be firmly grounded in the Bible's authority. They-'re not. In my experience, at least, I don-'t usually find the reflex, -The Bibles says it and so it must be true,-' among young men and women. The reaction of a student in a Christian college, from an evangelical background, on being reminded that the Bible forbids premarital intercourse, is rather typical of the attitude I-'ve found. -Maybe the Bible says it, but if it does, that isn-'t what it means.-'
If my impressions are correct, we are in danger. since it is questionable whether morality and ethicseven faith (Romans 10:17) can stand, apart from the support of accepted biblical authority.
2.
This is the really important thing to communicate to the youngcomplete submission to the Bible's authority..
C.
The Christian Gospel offers the only absolute, workable, MOTIVE for morality. MOTIVE (RATIONALE, REASON WHY, POWER-TO-DO) IS PRIMARY, CRUCIAL!
1.
Sydney Cave said, The Christian Gospel is Good News of God, not news of man, and has for its first concern not what men must do but what God has done.. In Christ's words and deeds, in his cross and resurrection, there is disclosed the nature of God's character and rule, and so the secret of this mysterious universe. Christian ethics is derivative; it asks, Since God has so acted, what ought we men to do?
2.
... the Christian message is not to be commended because it meets. patent needs of modern men. Were it merely useful, it would soon cease to be of use. It demands attention not because it may be helpful BUT BECAUSE IT IS TRUE.
3.
The contribution of Christianity to the problems of personal character and corporate activity does not lie merely, or even chiefly, in the teaching of Jesus (per se). It lies in the significance of God's action for men in Jesus Christ. for the grace of God in Christ demanded and received the response of faith; and gratitude to God for what he had done in Christ became the inspiration and the norm for Christian character. To know what God would have us do, we need to remember what God himself has done.
4.
The absoluteness of the Gospel (or of God's revelation, the Bible) for a moral norm has its foundation in GOD'S EXISTENCE AND IN GOD'S CHARACTER. If the existence (his omnipotence, omniscience) and his character (justice, love, faithfulness) be demonstrated we have a sufficiently authoritative motive for moral behavior.
a.
The Bible is a historical record documenting God's existence HE HAS ACTED, IN HISTORY THROUGH DEEDS AND PERSONS, AND FINALLY CAME TO EARTH AS A PERSON HIMSELF IN JESUS CHRIST.
b.
The Bible is a historical record documenting God's character HE IS FAITHFUL TO KEEP HIS WORDthousands of prophecies have come to pass showing HIS WORDS ALWAYS COME TO PASS
c.
The Bible has demonstrated itself to be a divine bookhistorically, archaeologically, scientifically, philologically, pragmatically, prophetically, textually, and every other way.
5.
If ever we are to bring young people in their free deliberate acts to the standards to which they must conform in order to be suitable to man as such, to confer on them the perfection of which they are capable and bring them to the ends for which they exist. IT WILL HAVE TO BE THROUGH TEACHING THEM TO RESPOND TO THE GRACIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST WHICH DELINEATES THE CHARACTER OF GOD UPON A SOUL!
FOR THE GRACE OF GOD IS THE ONLY SUFFICIENT MOTIVE TO PRODUCE A GODLY MORAL CHARACTER IN ANY HUMAN BEING'S HEART!
Alexander Campbell wrote in The Christian System: Moral facts develop moral character. all the works and words of God are moral facts and truths. you find the works and words of God in the Bible. when these moral facts are brought into immediate contact with the mind of man, they delineate the image of God upon the human soul..
Alexander remembers. It was the rule that every family member should memorize, during each day, some portion of the Bible, to be recited at evening worship.. They (the Scriptures) have not only been written on the tablet of my memory, but incorporated with my modes of thinking and speaking.
I AM NOT PERSUADED WE HAVE GIVEN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE A WONDERFUL ENOUGH MOTIVE FOR CHOOSING RIGHT VALUES!
WE HAVE NOT GIVEN THEM CREDIT FOR ABILITY TO BE MOTIVATED BY WHO GOD IS AND WHAT GOD HAS DONE.. WE HAVE THOUGHT TO MOTIVATE THEM BY PAMPERING, ENTERTAINING, ATTRACTING THEM RATHER THAN TEACHING THEM ABOUT GOD!
D.
We have not taught them!
1.
In 20 years or more of giving the simple AABC Bible Content Test to incoming Bible college freshmen, the average scores continue to be in the 30% to 40% correct level. THESE YOUNG PEOPLE COMING, FOR THE MOST PART, FROM RESTORATION MOVEMENT, PEOPLE OF THE BOOK CHURCHES, CANNOT EVEN PASS A SIMPLE MULTIPLE CHOICE BIBLE CONTENT EXAM! CAN-'T EVEN SCORE 50%!!!
2.
The church has only one mandateTEACH!!! Every thing the church of Jesus Christ does is to center in TEACHING. Worship in its purest form teaches us; evangelism cannot be done without teaching; benevolence teaches us about God's character. The work of ministry is teaching (see Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:1-29; Colossians 2:1-23).
3.
Of course, the church's work of teaching cannot be done only on Sunday and Wednesday! It has to be done in the home, every day of the week!
SOME WAY, OR ANOTHER, THE CORPORATE CONGREGATION (THE CHURCH) MUST SEE THAT IT'S YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TAUGHT BIBLICAL CONTENT SO THEY WILL LEARN BIBLICAL VALUES! YOU CAN-'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER!
E.
The Christian Gospel (the Bible) offers the only absolute, workable CONTENT for morality and values worthy of mankind.
1.
All humanistic systems of ethics and values logically and inevitably reduce to totalitarianism, either of the individual or a class of individuals. Man is left to his own limited, finite, fallible resources to determine what is moral and to try to motivate himself and others to do what he feels is moral.
Manifestly, there must be a law somewhere that has higher obligatory power than the law of the individual, tribe or state. There must be a law that is superior to the will of one man or that of a few men, or even that of a majority of men.
2.
The Christian Gospel is that highest of all value-systems. The Christian Gospel (which includes all the New Testament writings) offers both absolute precepts and absolute principles.
a.
There are certain, definite, clearly enunciated precepts which are absolute and imperative (commanded)both dos-' and don-'ts.
THE N.T. FORBIDS, LYING, MURDERING, PRE-MARITAL AND EXTRA-MARITAL SEX,
DRUNKENNESS, HOMOSEXUALITY, THIEVERY, ROBBERY, IDOLATRY, REVILING, GREED, HATRED, AND MANY OTHER SUCH SINS.
b.
The N.T. clearly commands that it is right to feed the hungry, to tell the truth, to pay taxes for government services, to punish evil doers (even capital punishment), to forgive those who offend us, to work for a living, to mind our own affairs, etc.
3.
But, Christianity, as the N.T. presents it, is not a value-system of legalism (and there is a difference between law and legalism). The Christian value-system does not provide us with a code of rules dealing with every case of conduct.
Instead, it speaks of the grace of God in Christ which evokes the response of a faith which leads inevitably to LOVE.
4.
In the main, Christianity exhorts us to be God-like because of what God is like! (Ephesians 5:1-2). In other words what sort of men ought those be, who have experienced God's grace in Christand then it tells us and shows us what we ought to be like by showing us what God is like as He revealed himself in Christ Jesus and through the Spirit in the N.T.
5.
Agape love is the fundamental power offered to us for a value system (2 Corinthians 5:14The love of Christ constrains (controls) us.; and 1 John 4:19We love because he first loved us.) So also is our hope of heaven a controlling factor (1 John 3:1-3); ... the love you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Colossians 1:5.
Even the fear of the Lord is to be used in developing our value-system. Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. 2 Corinthians 5:11.
DON-'T EVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT BEING GOOD THROUGH FEARING THE LORD ALMIGHTY IS AN UNACCEPTABLE MOTIVE. IT IS CONSISTENTLY TAUGHT IN THE N.T. BY JESUS AND THE APOSTLES! ALONG WITH LOVE.
Christian love is not some sentimental mush. it is not really based on feelings at all! It is a deliberate principle of the mind and a deliberate conquest and achievement of the willOFTEN IN SPITE OF FEELINGS. It is the power to love the unloveable, to love people whom we do not like. to care for people when one does not care for their ways.
It involves three deliberate acts; recognition, consideration, care. It does not have its origin in passion or philanthropy.
It is not a matter of taste or inclination.
To love in the sense of recognizing, considering and caring is a matter that lies with the control of the will and therefore we can RIGHTLY BE COMMANDED TO LOVE in the Biblical sense.
If agape love for God and our fellow man is our directing principle of behavior, all actions, all persons, all thoughts will become relative NOT to feelings and selfish desires, BUT TO GOD'S REVEALED ENDS FOR MAN'S REDEMPTION AND REGENERATION!
WE HAVE GOT TO CONVINCE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT CHRIST COMMANDS THEM TO LOVE (CARE). LOVING FOR THE CHRISTIAN IS NOT A MATTER OF CHOICE. IT IS A COMMAND!
CHRISTIAN LOVE IS TAUGHT. IT IS LEARNED. IT IS SOMETHING WE DO. WE ARE NOT BORN WITH IT, IT IS NOT INNATE. NOT INHERITED (EXCEPT BY EXAMPLE).
AND LOVE IS NOT SELF-DEFINING! CHRISTIAN LOVE IS NOT FELT. IT IS REVEALED. GOD TELLS US EXACTLY WHAT AND HOW TO LOVE IN HIS WORD. WE CANNOT DECIDE IT ON OUR OWN!
F.
Aside from the clear, direct dos and don-'ts, there are certain principles (absolute principles) mainly written out in Paul's epistles.
1.
Christian freedom in matters not spelled out in the N.T.
2.
The Christian is to do everything so it will glorify (bring honor and weightrespect, authority) to God.
Nothing in life is excluded from this principle (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17)
Christian liberty is bounded by the glory of God.
The Christian is never free to do anything which would bring dishonor to God and Christ.
3.
The Christian is to do nothing that would defile his own conscience.
4.
The Christian must never do anything that would cause a weaker person to sin or violate his conscience.
G.
Is the Bible all-sufficient as a basis for establishing a value-system, a morals-system in this life? IT CLAIMS TO BE.
1.
It claims to be able to keep man from sin, Psalms 119:9-11; Psalms 37:31
2.
It claims to sustain life everlasting, Deuteronomy 8:3; John 6:63
3.
It claims that it gives all that is necessary to life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3-5.
4.
It claims to equip the man of God completely for all good works, 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
5.
Romans 5:1-21; Romans 6:1-23; Col. 1-5 claims that sin (and the N.T. lists a number of attitudes and actions which are clearly sinful) needs to be put to death in our lives because we do not need sinful actions and things to enjoy life even in the here and now.
On the other side, the N.T. tells us to bring alive in our lives certain specified righteous attitudes and actions because we DO need these things to enjoy life now. Christian ethics are based on our faith (trust) in these pronouncements. In other words, we trust these pronouncements because we believe Christ's resurrection gives him the authority to call us to this kind of value-system.
As Paul says, If Christ is not raised, let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:32.
6.
New Testament system of values is, of course, for the citizen of the kingdom of Godone who has willingly accepted the rule of Christ over his life. The Christian is constrained by the love of Christ. He sees everything and decides everything from a spiritual viewpoint. (See 2 Corinthians 5:11-16; 2 Corinthians 8:21; Romans 6:11; Romans 8:5-8; Galatians 2:20-21; Philippians 2:5-13; Galatians 5:22-24). CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE FORCED TO DO RIGHT.
On the other hand, LAW AND FORCE restrain the carnal minded worldling. Those outside God's kingdom must be forced to do right. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:12; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Romans 13:1-7; Acts 25:11; 1 Peter 2:13-17, etc.). If Law is to restrain it must have a penalty and that penalty must be commensurate to the crime and MUST BE ENFORCED.
H.
Even a Christian value-system (ethical system) to be practiced in this present world where wickedness is on every side, must be designed for the world that now is, not for the world, that OUGHT TO BE. AND THE BIBLE HAS THE ANSWER FOR THAT PROBLEM, TOO!
1.
There is, in the Bible, apparently a condescension on God's part to the fact that even Christians must practice (when dealing with wicked people) a HIERARCHY OF PRINCIPLES. It is apparently practiced in some cases in both O.T. and N.T. with God's approval (we will illustrate later).
2.
The HIERARCHY operates on a scale beginning with the highest ideal and scales downward according to necessary circumstances.
a.
W-1 The glorification of God.
W-2 The attainment of God's redemptive purpose for as many people as possible.
W-3 The preservation of human life.
W-4 The maintenance and development of God's creation.
W-5 The avoidance of pain and discomfort of God's creatures, particularly human beings.
W-6 The representation of truth to others.
W-7 The maintenance of relationships of mutual trust among people.
3.
The HIERARCHICAL approach:
a.
Draws a distinction between good and right.
b.
Posits the good as an ideal which may or may not be fully realizable.
c.
Posits it as right, however, to do that which would most fully actualize the good.
d.
Contends that it would be wrong to do less than maximum good, if one could do more.
e.
This recognizes that there will be some cases in which the best that can be done falls far short of the ideal.
f.
The best option available may be the lesser of two evils (for this approach does believe in intrinsically good and intrinsically evil).
g.
Yet this action, although it cannot be unequivocally termed good, is right in the sense that it is that which one ought to do.
h.
The hierarchical approach attempts to recognize and acknowledge the brokenness (hardness of heart) of the world in which we now live. which is not the ideal or the kingdom of God in totality.
i.
Whereas there is an ideal that god desires men to attain, the world as we now find it may be in such a state as to render that objective unattainable in practice.
j.
Thus God's will in the ultimate sense (W-1) would be the fully good. Yet God's will (W-2 or W-3 or W-4, etc.) is that man should do what most nearly approximates that complete goodthe ideal.
4.
Example of HIERARCHICAL VALUE-SYSTEM
a.
It may be God's will that no human life should ever have to be taken. This would be the good (absolute good).
b.
Yet, given our world in which men are greedy, hateful, lustful, lawless, fearful, I may find myself called upon to take the life of another human to defend an innocent victim.
c.
We may say in this case then (with Biblical precedent to back it up) that this was God's will (W-2 or 3 or 4, etc.) down the scale of hierarchical principles and it thus becomes the right while it is not the ultimate good.
d.
I cannot say that what was done was good (W-l), but I can say that what was done (defending the innocent) was right. For doing right I should feel no guilt. But I should regret intensely that sin in man's heart makes such a choice necessary. It should make all men repent of the sin which causes such action (capital punishment) necessary.
e.
The distinction between the good (the ideal) and the right (the expedient), is an important one. For a Christian to discuss the morality of war, divorce, civil order, civil rights, civil protest, taxation, etc., WITHOUT OBSERVING THIS DISTINCTION invites confusion and frustration.
f.
Christians must clearly face the reality that they live in a sinful, corrupted world. The Bible does! It is a world in which the BEST that can be done is far from the IDEAL that God wants.
g.
Ideally, no enemies to God would exist; no marital unfaithfulness would exist; no thievery would occur, no hatred and murder would be perpetrated.
h.
Under the IDEAL, complete, verbal truthfulness could be practiced. Vows and contracts would be kept; property of others would be safe.
i.
Under the IDEAL there would be no need for secrecy, deception, spying, force, prisons, courts, wars, policemen, legal contracts, no need for lawyers.
j.
An ethic, a value-system to be practiced presently in this world of the far-less-than-ideal, must be a system designed for the world THAT NOW IS, not for the world THAT OUGHT TO BE!
God's Ideals
Man's Ethical Expedients
1.
No taking of human life at all
1.
Wars of defense against aggressions, death penalty, self defense.
2.
No divorce at all
2.
Divorce for unfaithfulness, remarriage, divorce for desertion.
3.
No withholding truth at all
3.
Secrecy, deception, no right to know for those who would use truth to harm, etc.
4.
No enslavement or bondage at all
4.
Bondage to governments in conscription in war time; to employers; to creditors, etc.
5.
Biblical examples of HIERARCHICAL ETHICS practiced
a.
Abraham and the kings of the East
b.
Jacob and Esau
c.
Hebrew mothers and mid-wives
d.
Jonathan and Saul
e.
Joshua (God) and Ai (Joshua ch. 8)
f.
Jesus and Herod
g.
Apostles and two swords
II.
EXPERIENCE
A.
Human beings do most of their learning by doing.
1.
Hebrews 5:11-14 ... For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of God's word.. You need milk, not solid food; for every one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child. (WE ARE TO BECOME SKILLED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS) But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good and evil.
The word translated practice is the Greek word from which we get gymnasium. RIGHTEOUS LIVING IS SOMETHING YOU PRACTICE LIKE YOU WOULD SHOOTING BASKETS. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!
2.
Repetition, habit, practice is a fundamental principle of learningeven in learning what is right vs. what is wrong.
Aristotle said: Moral excellence is the result of habit or custom. By doing just acts we become just, and by doing acts of self-control and courage we become self-controlled and courageous. acts of any kind produce habits or characters of the same kind..
The Duke of Wellington said, Habit is ten times nature.
3.
The way we learn morality, ultimately, is by engaging in moral actions. All learning is a private, individual activity.
4.
Adults, parents, teachers, youth leaders, must have the patience, concern, and wisdom to allow our young people to face the realities of life and the realities of God's absolute word about values and guide these young people into habitual acts of righteousness as God's word defines righteousness. THEY LEARN WHAT GOOD IS BY DOING GOOD!
5.
Shepherds of youth must allow young people to be hurt by the consequences of wrong moral choices. THIS IS ANOTHER PART OF LEARNING BY EXPERIENCING!
We all, even adults, learn through reward and punishment. That is a Biblical way of learning values. The Bible teaches this principle both by precept and demonstration in history.
B.
There could be actual learning-by-doing events planned and carried out with young people participating in DOING GOOD, and thus learning to make right value judgments by doing.
1.
Works of benevolence will go a long way in learning values by doing. They will learn the value of service, the value of help, the value of human life, the value of thankfulness, the value of being responsible, true, compassionate, etc.
2.
Placing youngsters in positions of trustwhere they will have to choose honesty vs. dishonesty, responsibility vs. irresponsibility, truth vs. falsehood, is also a good way to learn values by doing.
3.
Discipline, correction, punishmentwhen necessary to reinforce that a wrong value was chosen, is a way of learning-by-doing.
DON-'T NEGLECT IT, OR DOWNGRADE IT. PRACTICE IT, FAIRLY, FIRMLY, CONSISTENTLY AND FAITHFULLY.
III.
LEADERSHIP
A.
Adults must supply authority resources for youngsters.
1.
Parents, youth leaders MUST BECOME A PRIMARY SOURCE OF AUTHORITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
2.
Adults not only have a Biblical mandate to BE (to a certain extent) the AUTHORITY in values for young people, they are ordered to BE by Jesus Christ in the Bible. (e.g. parents are ordered to do so in Ephesians 6:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-7, esp. 1 Timothy 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:1; 1 Timothy 5:17 ff; Titus 2:1-10. and of course the O.T. is profuse in such instruction).
3.
There is a great deal said about the younger, and spiritually immature obeying the older Christians AS SOURCES OF AUTHORITY IN LEARNING AND DOING GOOD (see scriptures listed above plus Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17 etc.).
4.
The simple fact of life is, young people need, must have, their value systems authoritatively given to them by adults!
Al Capp, famous creator of the comic strip, Li-'l Abner was being interviewed on a college campus
Student: Do you think the opinions of 18-year-olds are valuable?
Capp: Certainly. But only on subjects they know something about, such as puberty and hubcaps.
Same Student: But only a few weeks ago, on that very platform, a politician told us he considered 18-year-old students just as smart as he is.
Capp: Any man over 40 who thinks 18-year-olds are just as smart as he is, is probably right.
B.
Young people want adults to BE authoritative so they may have a ground of wisdom and experience upon which to base their value choices.
1.
They may say they don-'t want anyone telling them what is right and wrong, but that is only surfaceit is a signal they are struggling with finding identity.
Deep down, their insecurities, fears, confusions are crying out for leadership, authority, reality, truth to guide them in finding their identity.
Jesus even told adults (Peter at Caesarea Philippi) that they would find their identity when they surrendered to His authority! Matthew 16:1-28.
2.
Dr. Bruno Bettelheim, director of the school for psychotic children at University of Chicago writes: The political content of student revolt (back in the 60'S) is most of all a desperate wish that the parents should have been strong in the convictions that motivate his actions. from The Permissive Society, by Boris Sokiloff, p. 213.
3.
Peer pressure is extremely unsafe as an authoritative basis for teenagers (or even for adults) in finding a value system. Peer pressure is only pooled teenage insecurity and ignorance. It is what Al Capp said multiplied by as many teenagers as it takes to make a peer group.
4.
Teens have not lived enough years and faced enough realities of life as it is really lived to act on any basis but their own immediate feelings!
They have not garnered enough experience concerning the consequences of moral choosing (either from their own personal experiences or that of their peers) to THINK clearly and logically, and thus to exercise any convictions about what is valuable and what is not.
5.
The Bible clearly teaches that young people must respect their elders (and I don-'t mean necessarily church officers)the older generation. According to the Bible, age is supposed to be equated with wisdom, leadership, authority.
That isn-'t always the case, of course. Some older people are more immature than the younger generation. Usually because they are afraid of growing older and try to think and behave like youngsters!
YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT REALLY WANT THEIR YOUTH LEADERS TO THINK AND ACT LIKE CHILDREN! WHAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP AND AUTHORITY DOES THAT PROVIDE FOR THEM?
C.
The time is now! ADULTS MUST EXERCISE THE AUTHORITY GOD INTENDED THEM TO EXERCISE, IN THE COMPASSIONATE, FIRM, FAITHFUL WAY GOD INTENDED THEM TO EXERCISE IT.
1.
Authority, God-saturated and centered authority, is imperative to perpetuating a God-revealed value-system.
2.
Christian value-systems have to be handed from one generation to the next. CHRISTIAN VALUES DO NOT HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY! They are not bred into peoplethey are taught! AND THERE IS NO TEACHING WHATEVER WITHOUT THE EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY!
3.
YOU, S.S. TEACHERS, PREACHERS, YOUTH LEADERS, ELDERS, DEACONS, AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, PARENTS, MUST NOT ABDICATE AN AUTHORITATIVE APPROACH TO PASSING ON VALUE-SYSTEMS TO THE NEXT GENERATION.
The hue and cry today from the President of the U.S. down to the school board member in Joplin, Missouri, is that the adult world (parents, churches, schools) HAVE abdicated the authoritative approach to perpetuating value-systems.
4.
IT MUST NOT BE SO AMONG YOU.
You must tell them what God has told the world in his Word and you must speak and teach it with authority. Then, most significantly, you must live what you tell!
Applebury's Comments
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Analysis
A.
Paul reminded the Corinthians of the things he intended to do when he came to them on this third visit (2 Corinthians 13:1-4).
1.
He stated the basis on which any testimony would be accepted (2 Corinthians 13:1).
2.
He warned that he would not spare those who had sinned (2 Corinthians 13:2).
a)
He had told them about this in the first epistle, and was repeating it for their benefit.
b)
He had warned them when he was present the second time (that is, through his first epistle to them).
c)
He was repeating it in his absence, warning them that he would not spare those who had sinned or the rest when he came again.
3.
He gave his reasons for this intended action against sinners in their midst (2 Corinthians 13:3-4).
a)
They had desired proof that Christ was speaking through him (2 Corinthians 13:3 a).
b)
Christ is not weak, but powerful in His dealing with them (2 Corinthians 13:3 b).
c)
Explanation of the issue of weakness and power (2 Corinthians 13:4).
(1)
He was crucified in weaknessvoluntarily submitting to death on the crossbut He lives by the power of God as demonstrated by His resurrection.
(2)
In the same way, Paul declared that he was weak in Him, but lived with Him by the power of God. God's power raised him from death in sin and enabled him to live for their sakes.
B.
He urged them to settle their problems in the light of the truth (2 Corinthians 13:5-10).
1.
The issue to be settled was their relation to Christ (2 Corinthians 13:5-7).
a)
They were to examine their relation to the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5 a).
b)
They were to test their relation to Christ (2 Corinthians 13:5 b).
(1)
Were they in Christ?
(2)
Were they rejected? Had they failed to pass the test of true relationship to Him?
c)
Paul expressed his hope and prayer for them (2 Corinthians 13:6-7).
(1)
He hoped that they would not fail in their relation to Christ (2 Corinthians 13:6).
(2)
He prayed that they might do no wrong (2 Corinthians 13:7).
(a)
This was not that he might appear to have been vindicated.
(b)
He wanted them to do what was right.
2.
He was writing to help them do this very thing (2 Corinthians 13:8-10).
a)
In doing so, he must act according to truth.
b)
He rejoiced in his own weakness when they were strong.
c)
He prayed that they might settle their problems.
d)
He wrote while absent that he might not have to use the authority which the Lord gave him to build up and not to tear down (2 Corinthians 13:10).
C.
He closed the epistle with words of admonition, promise, greeting, and benediction (2 Corinthians 13:11-14).
1.
Admonition (2 Corinthians 13:11 a).
a)
Rejoice (good-bye).
b)
Settle your own problemsput things in order.
c)
Be comfortedaccept his help.
d)
Straighten out your thinkingthink the same thing.
e)
Live in peace.
2.
Promise: The God of love and peace will be with you (2 Corinthians 13:11 b).
3.
Greeting (2 Corinthians 13:12-13).
a)
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
b)
All the saints greet you.
4.
Benediction: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14).
Questions
1.
Why did Paul repeat his statement that he was about to make a third visit to Corinth?
2.
What had he expected them to accomplish before he arrived?
3.
Why did he insist that everything was to be established by two or three witnesses? To what things did he refer?
4.
How had Paul dealt with the charges against them when he was present in spirit?
5.
What punishment had been meted out by the church to those who had sinned?
6.
What may this suggest as to the action Paul intended to take through the authority the Lord had given him?
7.
Since Titus had reported that they had obeyed the instructions of the first letter, why did Paul anticipate the possible need for further disciplinary action on this third visit?
8.
What proof were some demanding of Paul? Why?
9.
How had Paul responded to this demand?
10.
In what sense was Christ crucified through weakness?
11.
How was the power of God demonstrated in Him?
12.
What effect did this have on the Corinthians? on Paul?
13.
What was the nature of Paul's weakness about which he boasted?
14.
How will the power of Christ be used against the disobedient when He comes?
15.
What does it mean to be crucified with Christ?
16.
What does it mean for Christ to live in the Christian?
17.
Why did Paul tell the Corinthians to try themselves?
18.
How were they to do this?
19.
How were they to know that Christ was in their midst?
20.
What would demonstrate that they were unapproved by Christ?
21.
Why did he say I hope that you will know that we are not unapproved?
22.
Whom did he include in this expressed hope? Why?
23.
Who had been suggesting that Paul did not have the approval of Christ?
24.
Why did Paul say, We can do nothing against the truth?
25.
Why did Paul rejoice when false teachers called him weak?
26.
In what did he rejoice in the lives of the Christians at Corinth?
27.
What did he mean by your perfecting?
28.
Did Paul teach perfectionismthe doctrine that holds that it is possible to reach a state in this life in which it is impossible to commit an act of sin?
29.
What are some of the ways in which the word translated perfect was used in Paul's time?
30.
Why did Paul, in his closing words, refer to the Corinthians as brethren after having just warned them about their sins?
31.
Why is God called the God of love and peace?
32.
What is the Christian's obligation and privilege in the matter of greeting others?
33.
What did Paul mean by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ?
34.
What did he mean by the love of God?
35.
What did he mean by the communion of the Holy Spirit?
For Discussion
1.
In the light of Paul's instruction for the Corinthians to try themselves, how can the Lord's supper be made a meaningful experience to the conscientious Christian?
2.
What is the place of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in the life of the faithful Christian.