Brothers if ever someone may be being overtaken in some offense, you the one spiritual, equip this one in a spirit of meekness, take heed yourself so that you may not be tried also, of one another the burdens be you bearing and thus fill up the law of the Christ (Galatians 6:1-2).
The Greek word for offense in this passage is paraptóma which means to fall away; pará, "from close-beside" and píptō, "to fall" – properly, fall away from close-beside. Understanding this is essential to discipleship and our walk with Christ; as we walk with Christ, those who walk close to us, who fall, need to be equipped (not condemned, judged, etc...) through meekness bearing their burdens.[1] God disciplines those he loves, equipping them through love and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome, his purpose for the church is to equip, to build up the body in love. To do this fulfills the law of Christ, as the greater principles of love are being lived out which glorifies him (Romans 13:10; Matthew 22:38-40). How often do we obey this law of Christ? To obey His greatest principles, and not to put other secondary principles before it.
Most think that this passage warns that we might be tempted in the offense that this person has fallen into, usually associating the offense with some external sin and temptation, but it means more, responding with meekness implies that the trying is something else. It is human nature to take it personal when we feel attacked. When you ask people, outside the church, what they believe are the characteristics of Christians, being judgmental is usually at the top. If someone is angry, frustrated, or arrogant, how we respond will either build up or tear down. It is difficult to hold others to a standard that they are not meeting or have fallen away from, but it is possible and this passage states how; to closely walk beside, equipping in meekness. Walking close with Christ and others implies that we are 100% accountable to God but also to those we are walking close beside. It involves trust.
The Greek word for offense in this passage is paraptóma which means to fall away; pará, "from close-beside" and píptō, "to fall" – properly, fall away from close-beside. Understanding this is essential to discipleship and our walk with Christ; as we walk with Christ, those who walk close to us, who fall, need to be equipped (not condemned, judged, etc...) through meekness bearing their burdens.[1] God disciplines those he loves, equipping them through love and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome, his purpose for the church is to equip, to build up the body in love. To do this fulfills the law of Christ, as the greater principles of love are being lived out which glorifies him (Romans 13:10; Matthew 22:38-40). How often do we obey this law of Christ? To obey His greatest principles, and not to put other secondary principles before it.
Most think that this passage warns that we might be tempted in the offense that this person has fallen into, usually associating the offense with some external sin and temptation, but it means more, responding with meekness implies that the trying is something else. It is human nature to take it personal when we feel attacked. When you ask people, outside the church, what they believe are the characteristics of Christians, being judgmental is usually at the top. If someone is angry, frustrated, or arrogant, how we respond will either build up or tear down. It is difficult to hold others to a standard that they are not meeting or have fallen away from, but it is possible and this passage states how; to closely walk beside, equipping in meekness. Walking close with Christ and others implies that we are 100% accountable to God but also to those we are walking close beside. It involves trust.
Discipline is defined, in the 1913 Webster dictionary, primarily as to educate; to develop by instruction and exercise; to train.[1] Discipline comes from the Latin word discipulus, disciple also comes from this word. A disciple is one who receives instruction from another.[2] Discipline also has secondary meanings of obedience and correction, a disciple must be faithful, available, and teachable. Today we are taught that chastisement is the greatest principle of discipline, even today's Merriam-Webster dictionary defines discipline primarily as punishment and says it is obsolete to refer to it as instruction.[3] Instruction has been replaced by control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed, punishing if not.[4]
Our misunderstanding of discipline may explain people's resistance to accountability. Discipline is holding others accountable, which is not an easy thing to do, it requires purity, strength, transparency,[5] integrity,[6] responsibility,[7] and mercy.[8] If we ourselves are not spiritual, walking close beside Christ, they will not see Christ in us but the enemy will use this as a chance to condemn them or to point a finger back, they see the plank in our eye.[9] When it is done correctly, in Christ, by those who we trust, and in meekness, it produces Godly results. This is the basis of accountability which is an important part of discipleship. Discipleship is instructing and walking close beside someone equipping them to live out God's plan. Many have been burnt, judged and condemned, by those in the church who hold to misguided principles.
Let's look at the person you walk close beside. Jesus spent several years with his disciples, I will use two years and the assumption that Jesus spent sixteen hours a day with his disciples. I will also assume the average person spends four hours a week in discipleship with someone. With these assumptions Jesus spent 11,648 hours or 5824 hours a year or 112 hours a week with his disciples. With a hearty meeting of four hours a week it would take 56 years to comparably walk beside someone as Jesus did. Now let's look at where you "work", if we work 40 hours a week at 2080 hours a year, it would take us 5.6 years, a 10 fold difference, to comparably walk with someone as Jesus did. The church is to equip for the work of His service or ministry, "as you go" making disciples, yet often we do not think of the workplace as His service or ministry.
The Greek word for discipline used in the New Testament is paideia. In the culture of ancient Greece, the term paideia referred to the discipline or rearing and the education of children to the ideal of kalos kagathos, "beautiful and good." This ideal is similar to that of the medieval knights and the English concept of gentleman. Along with Godly principles this ideal of discipline was developed by early Christians.[10] While discipline ultimately means such training as God approves we must be careful not to confuse old and new covenants.[11] In a new covenant of grace with man, God writes his laws on our heart, equipping us with his love and power, disciplining us to live out his plan. God promises us that if we discipline(train), in His way, others will not depart from it. We learn this from those we are walking close beside.
Our misunderstanding of discipline may explain people's resistance to accountability. Discipline is holding others accountable, which is not an easy thing to do, it requires purity, strength, transparency,[5] integrity,[6] responsibility,[7] and mercy.[8] If we ourselves are not spiritual, walking close beside Christ, they will not see Christ in us but the enemy will use this as a chance to condemn them or to point a finger back, they see the plank in our eye.[9] When it is done correctly, in Christ, by those who we trust, and in meekness, it produces Godly results. This is the basis of accountability which is an important part of discipleship. Discipleship is instructing and walking close beside someone equipping them to live out God's plan. Many have been burnt, judged and condemned, by those in the church who hold to misguided principles.
Let's look at the person you walk close beside. Jesus spent several years with his disciples, I will use two years and the assumption that Jesus spent sixteen hours a day with his disciples. I will also assume the average person spends four hours a week in discipleship with someone. With these assumptions Jesus spent 11,648 hours or 5824 hours a year or 112 hours a week with his disciples. With a hearty meeting of four hours a week it would take 56 years to comparably walk beside someone as Jesus did. Now let's look at where you "work", if we work 40 hours a week at 2080 hours a year, it would take us 5.6 years, a 10 fold difference, to comparably walk with someone as Jesus did. The church is to equip for the work of His service or ministry, "as you go" making disciples, yet often we do not think of the workplace as His service or ministry.
The Greek word for discipline used in the New Testament is paideia. In the culture of ancient Greece, the term paideia referred to the discipline or rearing and the education of children to the ideal of kalos kagathos, "beautiful and good." This ideal is similar to that of the medieval knights and the English concept of gentleman. Along with Godly principles this ideal of discipline was developed by early Christians.[10] While discipline ultimately means such training as God approves we must be careful not to confuse old and new covenants.[11] In a new covenant of grace with man, God writes his laws on our heart, equipping us with his love and power, disciplining us to live out his plan. God promises us that if we discipline(train), in His way, others will not depart from it. We learn this from those we are walking close beside.
"but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-25).
By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North
By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North