More knowledgeable Christians should never mock or disdain weaker believers, nor should they become stumblingstones toward these brethren.
The salutations given by one saint to another are to be given through prayer having both the word of God and the will of God in mind.
Throughout man’s sordid history, people have mocked, rejected, and forsaken the Lord. They have chosen to look to gods that cannot save or help.
No man is to be respected above another person in a form of unrighteous judgment. However, does not infer nondiscrimination in every matter.
World leaders constantly claim that they hold the solution for how to rid the world of poverty. Yet, the Lord stated that mankind would always have a problem with poverty, at least until the millennium. Believers should be willing to help the poor but must keep in mind that they will never eliminate world poverty. According to Deuteronomy 15:11, “the poor shall never cease out of the land.” In other words, regardless of man’s efforts to give and help, there will always be a group of people who struggle financially. With this in mind, believers should not ignore the physical needs of the poor but should be most concerned with offering the poor spiritual help (Acts 3:6).
Authority resides upon those who have the right to rule; but, unfortunately, it is not always combined with the ability to rule wisely. In the most basic sense, authority is the right and responsibility to rule others as given to one individual by another. The centurion in Matthew 8:9 expressed this truth when he said that his authority gave him the right to issue commands to his soldiers. The apostle Paul referred to his authority to call for the arrest and persecution of Christians (Acts 9:14; Acts 26:10, 12). This truth was also taught in the parable of the nobleman and his servants where the reward given was authority to rule over cities (Luke 19:17). Unfortunately, this desire for authority over others has been the source of problems and troubles throughout history.
As the world seeks to further weaken any distinctions between men and women, it becomes even more important to stand firm upon God’s principles. God has a defined order in the home and the worldly attitudes do not alter God’s precepts. Someone has to be the leader of each home and bear the responsibility. According to 1 Corinthians 11:3, the proper order is a woman submitted to a man, who is submitted to Christ, who is submitted to the heavenly Father. Christ’s submission to the Father in no way suggested inferiority to the Father, nor does a submissive wife indicate any type of inferiority to her husband. In fact, it takes a stronger woman to follow God’s plan of submission. A godly home follows the scripture even when it contradicts the generally accepted teachings of the day.
The Bible plainly points out that God is not the author (or originator) of the confusion in the life of any believer. In fact, God desires for every individual to have clarity of mind when it comes to the truths found in His word. He wants man to know for a certainty concerning his eternal destination, whether heaven or hell. God furthermore wants man to have perfect clarity in distinguishing sin from righteousness. Simply put, God has no desire for believers to live in a confused state of mind. Had sin never entered into the world, there would be no conflicting feelings or voices introducing the confusion so prevalent today. Yet, God’s truth becomes even more essential in order to clear up the confusion caused by sin and Satan.
Every person cannot give the same amount, but every person can give. According to our passage, “Every man shall give as he is able.” Because some people might use this as an excuse not to give, the Lord further states that giving should be “according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.” The New Testament repeats this same principle in 1 Corinthians 16:2. Every man is to give “as God hath prospered him.” The book of Acts gives a practical example. In Acts 11:29, the disciples sent relief to their brethren and every man did so “according to his ability.” Each believer should give to the Lord corresponding to how the Lord has prospered him.
The Bible reveals that carnality infected and infested the first century Corinthian church. Divisions were commonplace as the believers were polluted by strife and envy. When the believers gathered together, every man did that which was self-pleasing. Every believer desired to be the center of attention rather than giving others first place. Every one of them had a psalm, or a doctrine, or a tongue, or a revelation, or an interpretation; but nobody sought to use those things for edification. Each of these things could have been used for good, but Paul said that the church being edified was most needed (1 Corinthians 14:5). As believers, every aspect of our service to God should seek to edify others. This most especially includes the times when we gather together.
