EARTHLY WISDOM – James 3:15-16

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In my previous study on verse 14, James gave a warning to his readers at that time, and the warning applies to us today: “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.”

In verse 15, James gives a name to the kind of wisdom he has just described. He calls it “earthly wisdom”. This kind of wisdom does not “come down from above”. In other words, God does not give this kind of wisdom. James also uses two more words to describe this wisdom, and with each word the description seems to become worse and worse. Not only is it “earthly” wisdom (wisdom that does not come from God), but it is also “natural” wisdom. The Greek word suggests that this wisdom has to do with the body and the soul or emotions, but not with the spirit. So this wisdom James speaks of is not only not from God, it has nothing to do with God. When you think it can’t get any worse than that, it does. James goes on to say that this wisdom is demonic. Satan and his demons evidenced this kind of wisdom when they became filled with envy and rebelled against God. Therefore a person with this kind of wisdom is easily influenced by Satan.

Earthly wisdom is an end in itself. People strive for it so that they might boast about it, and so that others might tell them how wise or smart they are, and pass the word on to still others. On the other hand, godly wisdom is not an end in itself but a means to an end. King Solomon in the Old Testament is considered to be one of the wisest men who ever lived. Let’s take a look at how Solomon received that wisdom, and why he received such wisdom from God. In I Kings 3 we read that King Solomon loved the Lord and walked in obedience to Him. And while Solomon was at Gibeon, after he had offered sacrifices there on the altar, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he wanted. That’s quite an offer! In verses seven and eight of I Kings 3 Solomon says, “And now, O Lord my God, Thou hast made Thy servant King in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out and come in. And Thy servant is in the midst of a people which Thou hast chosen, a great people who cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine.” God answered Solomon’s request and gave him far more than he asked for.

In contrast, we see in the Scriptures what human wisdom has acccomplished. It began with Adam and Eve’s removal from the Garden of Eden and the affects of their sin upon our world. Earthly wisdom has also resulted in wars, discrimination, poverty, and pollution of our environment to name a few. In our churches human wisdom has led to church fights, church splits, and churches closing their doors, among other issues.

In verse 16 James sums up the effects of earthly wisdom. He says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” When Christians act in this way it also leaves a bad impression on others. As one Christian put it: “Self is spiritual BO!”

A prime example of jealousy and selfish ambition in the Bible is found in the OId Testament book of Esther. Haman the Agagite, in Esther, chapter 7, constructs a gallows on which he intends to hang Mordecai the Jew in order to satisfy his own selfish desires and demonstrate his power. However, his plan backfires! Queen Esther learns of his plot and intervenes. As a result, the king orders that Haman be hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai the Jew. Not only that but all of Haman’s ten sons are killed also. That’s a very high price to pay for his selfish motives and actions!

As in the case of Haman, pride and selfishness can have harmful or tragic side effects on innocent people. Let me give you another case in point. Other examples may come to your mind.

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea, causing a tragic loss of life. The news of the disaster was further darkened, however, when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident, which hurled hundreds of passengers into the icy waters. The tragedy was not traced to some major problem like a breakdown in radar or thick fog. The blame was attributed to human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence. Both could have taken evasive action to avert the collision. But according to news reports, neither wanted to give way to the other. It seems that each was too proud to yield and make the first move. By the time they saw the error of their ways, it was too late.

There’s been a lot of talk about pride, envy, and boasting in this sermon so far. How about you? Does life seem unfair sometimes? Are others better off than yourself? Do others seem to get all the “lucky breaks” in life? Do others seem to get away with things that aren’t right? Are you tired of listening to all the boasting that’s being done by others? We’ve all had those thoughts and feelings before, haven’t we? I have! Even the psalmist expresses those feelings in Psalm 73:3. He says, “I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness”.

When this happens, we’ve lost our perspective and have begun to fall into the habit pattern of using “earthly wisdom”. God wants us to look at life from the perspective of eternity. If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; if you’ve repented of your sins and invited Him to reign as Lord in your life, then you’re going to spend eternity with Him in heaven and your joy will be unending. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Doesn’t our envy seem to be a waste of time in comparison to what’s already ours for eternity? Shouldn’t it be reminding us to pray for those who have this world’s wisdom and this world’s goods, yet will forfeit their souls? When envious thoughts begin to fill our minds, let’s spend time alone with God in His Word and in prayer, and ask Him to put things back into their proper perspective.

This section is still under construction. Thought you might like to see how it’s coming along. It’s still a “work in progress”, and so am I (and so are you)!

II TIMOTHY – Background and Survey

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I. INTRODUCTION:

John Calvin, the great theologian and preacher of the Protestant Reformation, had this to say about I and II Timothy: he said, “What I owe to these two epistles to TImothy can never be told.” In other words, he couldn’t say enough about them and their effect on his life. II Timothy is one of the great heart-warming letters of the Scriptures. It has been called Paul’s last will and testament to Timothy, and through him to the church.

Try to imagine how Timothy must have felt when he received this letter from his friend and spiritual father who had recently been taken away from him forcibly by Nero’s soldiers. Timothy probably thought that Paul had already been put to death by the Roman emperor, Nero. What joy and encouragement must have filled Timothy’s heart as he read about Paul’s affection for him, and about Paul’s appeals to him and promises to Him from the Lord Jesus Christ! Tears must have filled Timothy’s eyes as he read this letter, realizing the sufferings Paul was experiencing and the death he faced because of his committment to Jesus Christ.

II. BACKGROUND:

The apostle Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy in 67 or 68 A.D., just five years after his first letter to Timothy. Paul experienced two imprisonments in Rome. The first was more like a house arrest. Paul lived in his own rented house and was given a great deal of freedom. After this first imprisonment at the end of Acts 28, Paul made some more missionary journeys. Then there developed a dramatic change in attitude toward Christianity on the part of the Roman government. Just a few years before the writing of this epistle, in July of 64 A.D., a great fire destroyed a large part of the city of Rome. There was evidence that the fire had been ordered by Nero himself, and those rumors spread. In a desperate effort to clear himself and get the focus of attention away from himself, Nero blamed the fire on the Christians. The result was that many of the enemies of Christianity took sides with Nero and started persecuting and killing Christians. This perseccution spread to all the Roman provinces. It was not known for sure where the apostle Paul was when he was again arrested, but it may have been at Troas because Paul’s cloak and his precious books and parchments were left there.

The aged apostle Paul was now in chains in the dungeon of a Roman prison, locked in his cell and chained to a Roman guard day and night. This epistle to Timothy must have been written only a few months before Paul’s death. Whether or not Timothy arrived at Paul’s side before his execution is not known.

Timothy had been Paul’s faithful missionary companion for over 15 years. He had travelled with Paul throughout most of his second and third missionary journeys. He also went with Paul to Jerusalem in Acts 20 and may have been with him on his voyage to Rome. Paul mentions Timothy’s name along with his own when he writes to Philemon and to the Philippian and Colossian churches. In I Corinthians 4:17 Paul calls Timothy his “beloved and faithful child in the Lord.” He also calls Timothy his “brother and God’s faithful servant in the gospel of Christ” in I Thessalonians 3:2. Because of Timothy’s genuine concern for the welfare of the churches, and because of the loyalty with which he served with Paul “as a son with his father”, in Philippians 2:20-22 Paul went so far as to say, “I have no one like him.” Among all of Paul’s associates, Timothy was unique.

After Paul’s first imprisonment, Paul left Timothy in Ephesis as the accepted leader of that church. But though he was in leadership, Timothy still had some things that weren’t in his favor. Timothy was still young. He was probably in his mid-thirties, but at that time a person of that age was still considered a youth in the Greek and Roman cultures. He was also a frail person with several physical ailments, and he was apparently a shy person.

III. PURPOSE AND CONTENT OF THE LETTER

Imagine for a moment the aged apostle Paul in a dungeon in Rome with no escape but death. His apostolic work is over. But now he must make sure that the work of Christ is carried on to future generations. As Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy, Paul must have been thinking, “Who is going to continue the battle for the truth of the Gospel after I’m dead?”

Paul’ purpose in writing is to remind Timothy again that the precious Gospel is now committed to him, and now it’s his turn to assume responsibility for it, to preach it, to teach it, to defend it, and to preserve it for future generations. In II Timothy 2:1,2 Paul says, “My son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who may be able to teach others also.”

Paul’s main purpose in this letter is to focus on the character of the Christian, and he gives several images or portraits of the ideal Christian minister. He is to be like his Master, the “suffering servant” described by the prophet Isaiah: patient, gentle, hopeful, and praying for his enemies. He is to be like a soldier who is single-minded and ready to obey his commanding officer. Thirdly, he is to be like an athlete, running the race according to the rules of the contest, and fourthly, he is to be like a farmer, working hard and earning his reward. Paul also gives an image or portrait of himself. In II Timothy 4:7-8, in the face of death, Paul is unafraid, and gives his own eulogy. He says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”

It is significant that the last time Timothy’s name is mentioned in the New Testament is in Hebrews 13:23 where it is reported that Timothy was recently released from prison. He too is keeping the faith in Christ regardless of the consequences to himself.

IV. AN OUTLINE OF II TIMOTHY:

There are many outlines of the second letter of Paul to TImothy, but my favorite is taken from John Stott’s book entitled, “Guard the Gospel”. I like this outline because it is simple and easy to remember; and also because it views Paul’s letter as a series of challenges to Timothy. Here is his outline:

Chapter 1 – The Charge to Guard the Gospel

Chapter 2 – The Charge to Suffer for the Gospel

Chapter 3 The Charge to Continue in the Gospel

Chapter 4 – The Charge to Proclaim the Gospel

V. THE SIGNIFICANCE AND APPLICATION TO US:

This church, and every church of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, needs to heed the message in this second letter of Paul to Timothy because many churches and many Christians are relaxing their grip on the Gospel, and in danger of letting it slip from their hands. They are no longer determined to proclaim it; they are unprepared to suffer for it; and they are are unwilling to pass it on pure and uncorrupted to the next generation of Christians who will rise up after them.

In II TImothy we see that even though the aged apostle Paul faces death in prison, his passion for fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission by making disciples is as strong as ever. What does the Lord require of us? He requires faithfulness to Him and His work, not only on Sundays but throughout every day of every week for the rest of our lives. God wants us to finish the race He has entered us in, looking forward to the day when we shall see Christ face-to-face in heaven. Paul’s final charge to Timothy is “Guard what has been entrusted to you”, and his final words are “Grace be with you.”

DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH – I Corinthians 1:10-17

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INTRODUCTION:

How important is it that there be unity within the Church? How important is it that there be unity in the Church where you fellowship? How important was unity to the apostle Paul, and to the Holy Spirit who moved Him to write this letter to the Church in Corinth?

This issue was so important that Paul devotes the first four chapters of I Corinthians to divisions in the church. In verses 10-17 of Chapter 1, Paul establishes the fact that there are divisions and begins to deal with them.

I. PAUL’S APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12)

In verses 10-12, Paul begins by giving an appeal for unity. In verse 10 we see both Paul’s affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He addresses them as “brethren”. They are his family in Christ. And he speaks “in the name of” or by the authority of, our Lord Jesus Christ. There are several important terms in this passage. Paul exhorts them to “agree”. The Greek word used here literally means “to say the same thing”. This doesn’t mean that they have to agree on the minutest points in areas where there is no clear teaching in Scripture. In these cases, there should be freedom to “agree to disagree”. But when it comes to the clear teachings of God’s Word, there cannot be two conflicting views that are both right. God is not confused, and He does not contradict Himself. His Word does not disagree with itself. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on God’s Word. He appeals to them “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. In other words, there must be agreement with Christ, with His will, and with His Word. For a local church to be spiritually healthy and effective, and for there to be harmony in the local church, there must be doctrinal unity. Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that “there be no divisions among you”. The word “divisions” comes from the Greek word “schismata”, from which we get our English word “schism”. This word was normally used to refer to a tear in a garment. What happens when you get a tear in a piece of clothing and you keep washing and wearing that piece of clothing with the tear in it? Unless it’s mended, the tear gets bigger and bigger, doesn’t it? The church in Corinth was a group of people who were tearing themselves apart!

Paul doesn’t want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. Instead of tearing themselves apart, he urges them to be “made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment”. The words “made complete” mean “to be perfectly joined together”, like a jigsaw puzzle. How many of you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? Every piece of that jigsaw puzzle is different, isn’t it? But when each piece is fitted together into its proper place in the puzzle, you have a beautiful and complete picture. Have you ever tried to put a jigsaw puzzle together with the pieces turned upside down so that they are all blank? Try it some time. It’s a lot harder! On a large jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces or more, it’s almost impossible to put it together upside down! That’s not the way a jigsaw puzzle was meant to be put together. In the same way, that’s not the way the Church was meant to be fitted together. God wants the local church congregation and the local community to see the beauty of a church that is unified and “fitted together” in love.

Unity in the church is something that requires cooperation with each other and with the Spirit of God. We need to be “perfectly joined together” in the love of Christ. One day in Africa, a small boy was lost. The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. The anxiety of the child’s mother continued to grow, for she knew that her boy was somewhere out in the darkness where wild animals were constantly on the prowl. When daylight again appeared, they looked for him with renewed energy but still without success. In desperation, they returned and held a meeting. Perhaps, in their individual efforts, they had missed some spots; so the suggestion was made, “Let’s all join hands and go through the long grass again.” Finally, the child was found, but it was too late. When the lifeless body of the little one was carried back to the anxious mother, she cried aloud, “Oh why didn’t’ you join hands before?”

When it comes to seeking the spiritually lost for Christ, we can be much more effective if we are “perfectly joined together” in an unfailing zeal for God’s glory, not our own. Believers who are joined in heart should not find it difficult to be joined in hand, working together for the common good and for the glory of Christ. This applies also to the leadership in the church. The elders should make their decisions with “the same mind and the same judgment. There should be unanimous agreement. Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. There should be oneness of mind, no matter how long it takes. Because the Holy Spirit has but one will, and because a church must be in complete harmony with His will, the leaders must be in complete harmony with each other in that will. The congregation then is to submit to the elders because it has confidence that their decisions were made under the Holy Spirit’s direction and power.

The words “made complete” in verse 10 are translated from a Greek word that was used to speak of mending such things as nets, bones, dislocated joints, broken utensils, and torn garments. The basic meaning is to put back together and make one again something that was broken or separated. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members.

In her book, “The Key to a Loving Heart”, Karen Mains includes a parable about the church entitled “The Brawling Bride”. It tells about the most climactic moment in a wedding ceremony. The families have been seated. The groom and his attendants are in their places. The minister is waiting, Bible in hand. The bridesmaids have come down the aisle. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. A gasp bursts from the guests! The bride is limping! Her gown is ripped and covered with mud! Bruises show on her arm! Her nose is bloody! One eye is purple and swollen! Her hair is messed up!

In this parable, the groom is Christ. “Doesn’t He deserve better than this?” the author asks. “His bride, the Church, has been fighting again!”

Ridiculous? Not when we hear of churches with factions or cliques of people who sit on opposite sides of the aisle. Not when one part of the congregation meets in one part of the building, and the other part of the congregation meets in another spot. Not when some people in the congregation won’t look at, speak to, or even acknowledge the existence of certain other people in the congregation. These kinds of things happen when there are divisions in a church.

In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. We do not know who the people were who belonged to “the house of Cloe”, but we must commend them for their courage and devotion. They did not try to hide the problems. They were burdened about them, and they went to the right person with them. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Paul’s letter to the church.

Verse 12 tells us the source of this problem. Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. There were: the followers of Paul, the followers of Apollos, the followers of Cephas or Peter, and the followers of Christ. The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. They may have carried Paul’s teachings of justification by faith and freedom from the Law to an extreme and felt free to do whatever they wanted. Apollos was an intellectual. Acts 18:24 says that Apollos was “an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man”. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. His followers in the Corinthian church may have viewed Christianity as a philosophy rather than a relationship with a Person – Jesus Christ. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. The followers of Jesus may have believed in Jesus’ words only, and did not believe that the writings of Peter, Paul, and the other apostles were really Scripture. We have “Jesus only” groups even today.

II. PAUL’S CONDEMNATION (verse 13)

Paul condemns their behavior in verse 13 by saying, “Has Christ been divided?” In other words, have different amounts of Christ been given to different people? In Matthew 12:25 the Lord Jesus says, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”

Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. Luke says in Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved.” The ground is level at the cross. We are all equally undeserving of salvation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. Christ belongs fully to every believer in His spiritual body, the Church. I Corinthians 12:12,13 says, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, and whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” You and I can’t have more of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can give Him more of ourselves, and experience more fully what is already ours as children of God.

III. PAUL’S EXAMPLE (verses 14-16)

In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is very careful to focus the attention on Christ and not on himself. There was nothing wrong with Paul baptizing people, but Paul didn’t want people to boast about the fact that he baptized them. In Philippians 2:9 Paul said of Christ, “Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.” No Christian, no Christian minister, is to put himself in Christ’s place, or allow himself to be put in Christ’s place, and take the authority and honor that is due to Christ alone.

IV. PAUL’S CALLING (verse 17)

In verse 17, Paul says that his calling of God was to “preach the Gospel”, and the focus of the Gospel is the cross of Christ. Paul says that he does not preach “in cleverness of speech” because the power of the gospel lies in the facts of the gospel, and not in any man’s presentation of them.

CONCLUSION:

We’ve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? If you will turn in your Bibles with me to John 17:20-23, I will read the passage to you. The Lord Jesus is praying to the Father, and this is part of His prayer for us:

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (NKJV)

Having listened to Paul’s words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? Are we willing and ready to pray for unity in His Church, and work at building a stronger unity among fellow members of the congregations where we fellowship and serve? Will we do so by the strength which God alone can and will supply? Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. Remember, a believer who is at war with his brother or sister in Christ cannot be at peace with our heavenly Father.