Questions From Genesis (Part 6)
The question from Genesis being dealt with for the past two weeks is: “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” The answer set forth in the Word is, “Yes.” In fact, in the New Testament, we find at least 30 “one another” passages (20 encouragements and 10 prohibitions). This week this series will conclude with those remaining to be discussed. [These were originally published in Great Old Testament Questions from the 2003 Bellview lectures and reappear here with permission (and minor edits).]
24. “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col. 3:9, NKJ). Since Christians have been born again and are a new creation, we must jettison old habits and patterns of living, and for most Americans that includes lying. In 1991 a book by James Patterson and Peter Kim was published; the title of it was The Day America Told the Truth. Among other interesting items, their research revealed that “ninety-one percent of us lie regularly”; these are not spur-of-the-moment inventions but “conscious, premeditated lies.” The authors concluded: “Lying has become a cultural trait in America. Lying is embedded in our national character” (Crismier 85).
Those who become Christians will need to abandon this practice. God disapproves of it so strongly that He did not tolerate it when Ananias and Sapphira tried to deceive the church (Acts 5:1-11). Lies have been responsible for much evil in the world. Among the list of things that God hates from Proverbs 6 are “a lying tongue” (v. 17) and a “false witness that speaketh lies” (v. 19). This action is so repugnant to God that He has decreed that all liars shall have their place in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Rev. 21:8). Surely, Christians will not want to lie to one another.
25. Perhaps not unrelated to the two previous commands is this one set forth by James: “Speak not evil one of another, brethren…” (4:11). It is bad enough to judge a fellow Christian’s motives; it is even worse to begin spreading around one’s suspicions. If one has a legitimate grievance with a brother, Jesus provided a means of resolution (Mat. 18:15-17). No one needs to know the charges unless the person in question refuses to acknowledge his wrongdoing. Nothing needs to be spread around the congregation (or the brotherhood) until it is established that a legitimate problem exists. Again, we ought to treat others as we would want to be treated (Mat. 7:12).
26. Paul admonished the Galatians not to provoke or envy one another (5:26). While we are enjoined to “consider one another to provoke unto love and good works” (Heb. 10:24), we do not want to provoke one another in a negative way. The word used in Galatians means “to call forth to challenge to combat” (Robertson 4:314). What strange behavior to exercise against our fellow pilgrims! How we need to remember that the enemy is the devil, not ourselves!
Again, the source of the discord may be rooted in envy. The problem in Galatia may have arisen from the Judaizing teachers who were insisting that the Law of Moses still be observed. Had two parties formed, both of whom were attempting to outdo the other? Paul did mention later that some preached Christ from the wrong motives (Phil. 1:16-17). Differences in doctrine must be resolved; we have an obligation to “be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). Brethren must be united in our Gospel efforts—not rivals.
27. In the same passage in Galatians Paul warns the brethren not to “bite and devour one another,” lest they be “consumed one of another” (5:15). Vincent says of the terms used here that they are “strong expressions of partisan hatred exerting itself for mutual injury” (2:996). This picture is a savage one; the combatants seem to be fighting to the death, with the destruction of each other being their steadfast commitment. Probably, Paul is using these terms to show the viciousness of brethren who go after each other relentlessly with a view toward cutting, tearing, and destroying each other’s souls. How ironic that such verbal dogfights often break out only moments after singing, “Angry words, O let them never from the tongue unbridled slip,” or “Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.” How hard is it to see that something is wrong with such behavior? No wonder Solomon wrote: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Pr. 18:21). How many brethren have left the church (and ultimately lost their souls) because of the “deadly poison” in a brother’s tongue (James 3:8)? Let us rather speak words of encouragement and edification.
28. Some have carried their grudges beyond the family of God. Paul asks: “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?” (1 Cor. 6:1). He charges that brethren ought to have enough wisdom to settle their own problems (v. 5) and that, if necessary, we allow ourselves to be defrauded (v. 7). Some would say, “What? Do you know how much money being silent is going to cost me?” We might ask in return, “How much is it going to cost the church when the community discovers that the adherents of this new religion cannot even get along with each other? Besides, it may not be a coincidence that Paul includes as causes for withdrawing fellowship from a brother the sins of thievery, covetousness, and extortion (1 Cor. 6:10). Some who call themselves brethren may get away with stealing from members of the church, but they will never inherit the kingdom of God. They have all the reward they will ever get. Faithful brethren should not let others despise the church.
29. “Do not sow discord one against another.” One may not be able to find a verse that says these specific words, but the very idea of sowing discord implies an intent to divide brother against brother. In the Old Testament God calls the one who sows discord among brethren an abomination (Pro. 6:19). The New Testament’s doctrine concerning this subject is no less sobering: “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Cor. 3:17). Truly, such discord results from carnal-minded brethren, who envy, create strife, and cause divisions (1 Cor. 3:3). James told brethren not to glory if they had “bitter envying and strife” in their hearts (Jam. 3:14).
Strife’s motives are usually envy and arrogance. How else can Diotrephes be explained? How would anyone dare to refuse to receive an inspired apostle who knew Jesus personally, to speak against him with malicious words, and to go so far as to cast some brethren out of the church (3 John 9-10). Some so-called Christians possess no real love of God, respect for Christ or His church, or the Word inspired of the Holy Spirit; they think the church belongs to them and that it is theirs to do with as they will, like a child who has been given a new toy.
Sowers of discord, who defile the temple of God with their ungodly antics, shall be destroyed by God. It would be better in the judgment for them to have been an ignorant savage who never knew the Truth than to despise the spiritual blessings available to them so that they could usurp and exercise authority over others (cf. 2 Pet. 2:21).
30. Another practice of non-Christians (in addition to that of lying, as seen above) is “hating one another” (Titus 3:3). Surely, no child of God could be guilty of such a thing. Diotrephes must have been. John was aware of the overt animosity that some “brethren” possessed: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). This attitude goes far beyond “hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (Jude 23); this individual has no desire to save the soul of the one he despises, which demonstrates his utter hatred of a brother in Christ and contempt for Jesus, who died for all—even while they were sinners (Rom. 5:8). We all must fight against sin—the lusts of the flesh, as well as false doctrine. We must, however, beware of transferring a member’s conduct to that individual personally. What he does is different from who he is. We cannot afford to hate one another.
CONCLUSION
If these thirty Scriptural considerations have not convinced us that we are our brother’s keeper, one wonders what it would take. The Word of God is thorough regarding the relationship church members are to have with one another. How we should and should not treat each other are spelled out in such a way as to be unmistakable.
These questions in Genesis are not the only ones found in the book, but they are the main questions asked in the first four chapters. Below is the list of questions dealt with in this five-article series:
Satan to Eve: “Has God actually said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1). The important thing to remember with this question is that God and His judgment are being called into question. As created beings, we must realize that God has always given commands in our best interests (cf. Deut. 10:12-13). When people say things like, “God hasn’t actually condemned homosexuality, has He?” (or name any other sin people want approval for), then we must realize they have taken Satan’s part. Our attitude must consistently be one of confidence: God knows what He is doing.
God to Adam: “Where are you?” We should ask that question to ourselves—even if we have not just engaged in rebelling against His will. Are we complacent, lukewarm, nominal, uncommitted? What is our current level of zeal? Are we improving or stagnant? Self-evaluation is important.
God to Adam: “Who told you that you were naked?” Adam tripped himself up; covering up for our sins will do that to us.
God to Adam: “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” When God puts it that way, it sounds so stark and blunt. He does not recognize our attempts to soft-soap sin.
God to Eve: “What is this you have done?” and God to Cain: “What have you done?” Human beings often get caught up in the expectations of the benefits of a sin—without considering the consequences. It only takes seconds or minutes to sin, but we must live with the results of our actions for years.
God to Cain: “Why are you angry?” How often are we not actually justified (Pr. 16:32)?
God to Cain: “And why has your countenance fallen?” Mistakes should be used as springboards for improvement. Being angry at someone else doesn’t help. Our emotion should be put to positive use.
God to Cain: “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” Yes! God does not just look at sins; He also considers repentance and improvement.
9. God to Cain: “Where is Abel your brother?” God knows all things. Do we imagine we can hide our sins from Him (Ecc. 12:14)?
10. Cain to God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Yes, we are all our brothers’ keepers, as the New Testament abundantly explains.