The knowledge of something wrong helps a spiritual person avoid such activity. On the surface, one might fail to distinguish much of a difference between the fruit of knowledge and charity in today’s passage. Both evidently build up the believer. Yet, a closer look reveals the major difference. The Bible says that knowledge “puffeth up.” The idea is that knowledge makes one feel superior and can offer a false strength. Knowledge seems to do the same work as charity, but knowledge without the charity serves as a façade. Charity, however, offers real growth and stability. Unlike knowledge, charity edifieth. Charity not only builds up the believer but also those who associate with that believer. The only way to be edified and the only way to edify others involves seeking the Lord for pure, unadulterated charity.
The Christian life usually contains some very difficult decisions. Life's choices do not always involve choosing between good and evil; sometimes our choices involve choosing between something good and something better or best. For instance, a choice may involve something not necessarily wicked, but equally not edifying. This choice may not involve sin, but also fails to build others in the Lord. Believers who truly love the Lord may, at times, have to choose to forsake some things in life because they do not edify. Our passage confirms these truths as it says that all things do not edify. Paul emphasized this when he stated, “if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth” (1 Corinthians 8:13). Clearly, edification serves a much greater purpose than simple convenience or liberty.
We communicate those things which we think are important. If we find something that we genuinely enjoy, we want others to know about it so that they too can enjoy it. Is there anything more important or better than knowing Jesus Christ? Apparently, Philemon communicated his faith to others around him, partly through his actions, but likely through his willingness to speak of his love for the Lord and faith in the Lord. As believers, the Lord has given us a tremendous opportunity to speak to others about our wonderful salvation and the many benefits experienced daily. Paul said of the believers at Rome that their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world (Romans 1:8). It is our duty and privilege to communicate what the Lord has done for us with others.
God desires for each of His children to walk in the Spirit and be spiritually minded. Yielding our minds to carnality violates God’s will. In fact, “to be carnally minded is death” (Romans 8:6). When we give our minds over to the flesh, we die spiritually. We also miss out on the things that tend toward “life and peace” (Romans 8:6). According to scripture, “the carnal mind is enmity against God” (Romans 8:7). The word enmity is associated with the word enemy demonstrating that a carnal mind is the enemy of God and His will. In fact, the carnal mind not only will not, but cannot be subject to God’s law (Romans 8:7). Christians who are actively walking after the Spirit are the only ones faithfully obeying the Lord.
The Lord frequently uses comparison and contrast to provide insight for discovering biblical definitions. For instance, our text verse contrasts the carnal with the spiritual. This truth is not limited to our text as 1 Corinthians 3:1 also sets forth this teaching and contrast. In a related study, the Bible repeatedly contrasts the spirit and flesh (Isaiah 31:3; Matthew 26:41; John 3:6; John 6:63; Galatians 5:17). By considering these truths together, we find that the Lord defined a “carnal mind” (Romans 8:7) as someone who is “in the flesh” (Romans 8:8). Based upon these verses and others, we understand the word carnal to mean that which is earthly, natural, or fleshly.
The Bible says that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34). This means that the words proceeding out of our mouths originate in our hearts. When we speak bitter words, it is because there is bitterness within our hearts. David likened bitter words to arrows that pierce the flesh (Psalm 64:3). Our words ought to be “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6); instead, we often allow our words to pierce through others. We tear people down rather than building them up. Why is this? Because we have a root of bitterness growing inside that finds its way from our hearts into and out of our mouths. Those who demean others generally do so because they are bitter. Attempts to justify this behaviour are fruitless because the Lord knows the root of the problem stems from our heart.
During the first century, hard times had come upon the believers in Jerusalem. Some specific time of trial, persecution, or tribulation had put them in a difficult situation. The Bible offers specific guidance as to when to assist others who have fallen on hard times.Believers in other cities saw the need and determined to make “a certain contribution for the poor saints” at Jerusalem (Romans 15:26). This contribution was either a monetary donation or a material contribution as the Bible says the assistance was “in carnal things” (Romans 15:27). Today, this would be akin to one body of believers assisting another body of believers, or one individual assisting another individual. Whatever the case, we ought to help others when a real need arises and it is in our power to assist them.
Men often separate sins into categories of what they consider big and little sins. Murder and adultery are often classified as big sins, while little sins might include things like pride, “white” lies, or backbiting. Yet a closer look at Romans chapter 1 suggests that God’s viewpoint of sin varies greatly from ours. According to the scripture, a person given over to a reprobate mind is capable of all of these sins. Furthermore, the passage tells us that those “which commit such things are worthy of death” (Romans 1:32). Imagine that! The Lord views backbiting as a sin just as wicked and vile as murder. Not only does the Lord find the backbiter guilty, but also judges those who “have pleasure in them” that do the backbiting and other such sins.
The apostle Paul was troubled greatly by the behaviour of the Corinthian believers. Due to their carnality, he could not speak to them as he would mature believers (1 Corinthians 3:1). Not only was Paul troubled by their actions during his absence, but also feared their condition when they would again meet face-to-face. He warned the believers that he would not be pleased if he found them guilty of such sins. Among the other shortcomings, Paul expressly mentioned their backbiting ways. The hope was that the Corinthian believers would repent of these grievous sins and simply do right. These admonitions should make believers reflect on the fact that the Lord Jesus could also come at any moment. How would He find us? Would we too be guilty of “debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings,” and “tumults”?
Believers should be zealous of good works, but their zeal must not spring from a position of ignorance. The Bible points to the Jews as a zealous people, but their zeal was not according to knowledge. Nobody worked harder trying to reach a righteous state than did the Jews. However, they failed to realize that true righteousness comes as an unmerited gift from God. Yet, the Jews were “ignorant of God's righteousness,” and went “about to establish their own righteousness” (Romans 10:3). Paul repeatedly testified concerning the futility of trying to earn God's favour through one’s own efforts (Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:6). Before Paul came to know Christ, he thought he should fight against Christ’s followers and zealously persecute the church of God. He even placed many of the new believers into prison and caused their deaths. Yet, he declared that all this was done in ignorance (1 Timothy 1:13). He, like the Jews, had a tremendous zeal, but that zeal was not according to knowledge.
