By: Obed Pineda
On a certain occasion, the Lord Christ exclaimed, “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes” (Matthew 18:7)! Prior to our Master’s exclamation, one learns that a certain dispute had transpired between His twelve, arguing over who among them was superior (cf. Matthew 18:1, Mark 9:33-35). It is undeniable that such vain talk illumines the mindset of a carnal man considering that such conversations can only lead to strife and division (cf. 1st Corinthians 3:1-4). Furthermore it, too, exposed a lapse of judgment on their behalf with regards to the Savior’s character since the inquiry implied the possibility of Him having a favorite among them. However, the association the Lord makes to such inadvisable conversations with offenses reveals one important detail that must not be missed; they tend to happen when the spiritual man is absent. After a report that the brethren in Corinth were causing a schism in the Church by playing favorites, the apostle to the Gentiles admonished, “Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a Church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you” (1st Corinthians 11:17-19). Let us beware not to misinterpret the apostle’s inspired words as an approval of a bitter split between the brethren. Recall that earlier in the epistle he spoke out against these factions and exhorted the Corinthians to be perfectly united with one another (cf. 1st Corinthians 1:10-13). Additionally, in the same passage Paul stated that they were assembling “not for the better but for the worse” (1st Corinthians 11:17b). Therefore, this proves that the inspired amanuensis is not condoning splinters in the Church, but instead is making the astute observation that when these unfortunate groups are formed, the spiritual man can be distinguished from the carnal man. Those who are spiritual are those who are actively “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). This also reveals that a precious characteristic of the spiritual Christian is selflessness. It is vital to notice that what provoked the dispute among the twelve disciples of Jesus and the Corinthians was selfish and self-seeking motives. In both instances the desire was to be viewed and received with great reverence and admiration. This is not so in the case of the spiritually minded. When it was petitioned of the Lord to grant Zebedee’s sons to sit on either side of Him in His Kingdom (i.e. positions of great honor, power, and authority) Jesus explained “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:20-28). Once again, it is important that we pay attention that James’ and John’s request to the Lord caused their ten fellow disciples to become “greatly displeased with the two brothers” (Matthew 20:24, cf. Mark 10:35-41). Their “humble” request yet again created a spirit of contention between the twelve because it was an imprudent and inconsiderate petition. In other words, they did not take into account their fellow peers or how it would affect them. The Savior unveiled that a person who is truly worthy of sitting by His side is the same who imitates His example of humility and self-sacrifice (cf. Philippians 2:5-11). The man with a servant’s heart has the extraordinary ability to lead effectively because he naturally understands the value of placing others before self (cf. Philippians 2:3-4). This display of Christlike behavior often earns the spiritual man the respect, trust, and admiration of his peers who voluntarily choose to follow him. There is no doubt that one major reason why the spiritual are entrusted to lead is because those who follow feel safe with and protected by them. Ergo, it is worth perceiving that when a congregation lacks spiritually minded members it finds itself vulnerable and exposed to the attacks of the enemy. The truth of this statement is immediately verified when one is reminded of the list of prerequisites that must already be exhibited by the Christian man who qualifies to serve as an overseer of the flock of Christ (cf. 1st Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9). The Hebrew writer contributes to this conclusion by exhorting, “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the Word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” (Hebrews 13:7). After Moses had died, Jehovah God established Joshua the son of Nun as his successor (cf. Numbers 27:12-23, Deuteronomy 31:1-8, Joshua 1:1-2). Joshua was chosen by God because he was Moses’ assistant and had learned from him how to serve God and Israel correctly (cf. Exodus 24:13, 33:11, Numbers 11:28-30, Deuteronomy 31:5-6). Moses’ faithful example to the Lord allowed Joshua the tools he required to learn how to lead Israel in the conquest of the Promised Land. Joshua, too, was witness to the multiple times that “Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them” (Psalm 106:23, cf. Numbers 14:11-25). Thus, this demonstrates the vitality that spiritual men and women offer the Church today. Their example is instrumental in the development and increase of strong, mature Christians in the congregations today. It is fair to not ignore the opposite effect that the absence of these godly men and women in a congregation will have (cf. Judges 2:7-23, Ezekiel 7:25-27). Indeed, Hophni and Phinehas manifest that the worst thing that can happen to a people is to be led by wicked, carnally minded men (cf. 1st Samuel 2:12-17, 22-36). Due to their self-seeking ways, these men who as priests were supposed to lead Israel in honoring God with their offerings, instead caused “the LORD’s people to transgress” (1st Samuel 2:24, cf. v. 17). There is no question that some of the duties of the spiritual are to guide, protect, and instruct the people of God in His ways and commandments. When this is so, the people will be blessed by God with prosperity and joy. Yet, it is righteous to acknowledge that when the selfish and carnal man is prevalent in a congregation, what follows is strife, misery, division, and ultimately spiritual death. Therefore, let us diligently work to become strong, mature Christians so that we may stand in the gap to defend those weaker than us. Let us heed the call for more servants ready to serve Christ and His Kingdom, making sure not to fall prey to pride, selfishness, and abuse of power (cf. Ezekiel 34:1-10, 1st Peter 5:1-4). May we be keenly aware of the instruction found in the counsel of God that proclaims, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2).