Disciples and Disciple-making (13)
Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed…And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. Galatians 2.11, 13
Peter and Barnabas were friends; they had true affection for one another, as many friends do.
But they were not true spiritual friends, for their “friendship” failed to keep them from falling through temptation into sin. Aelred wrote: “…affection without reason is the sort of attraction mere beasts feel for each other; among humans it is given to forming attachments that are in many respects illicit—indeed, it cannot tell the difference between the licit and the illicit. However, we understand that often affection precedes friendship, but it ought never to be followed unless it is led by reason, moderated by a sense of honor, and ruled by justice.”
Peter’s affection for Barnabas and the other Jews with them there in Antioch was not tempered by sound reason. He loved these friends, but not enough to keep himself and them from falling into illicit activity. Affection which is not led by sound reason will be tempted to compromise for the sake of “friendship”. Friends are only truly spiritual friends when they are friends in heart and mind.
Paul was the true friend of both Peter and Barnabas, for he loved them enough to confront them in their sin, and that in front of a large company of their peers—those before whom they had sinned together. Paul had affection for Peter and Barnabas. But sound reason, rooted in the divine Word and focused on the upward calling of Christ, prevailed to risk “friendship” to strengthen true friendship in the Lord.
Teaching and learning as disciples
My conversation with Mike McQueen about discipleship and making disciples continues today as we turn to discuss the role of disciples in propagating the faith—and other disciples. Click the link at the top of this issue of Pastor to Pastor—or if you’re a visitor to our site, the audio bar above—to listen in.
Resources for Shepherds
Life is more than facts. More than getting ahead. More than financial security. It doesn’t take love to achieve such ends, but love is more important than them all. Charles Dickens believed that even those who were hardest of heart could discover love, though their hardness can be the cause of damage to many. It’s the message behind his novel, Hard Times. He challenges us to consider our own hardness of heart, to see whether we may not be injuring others by our lack of compassion. You can check out a brief review byclicking here.
Recently, I was encouraged as I read T. S. Eliot’s, The Idea of a Christian Society (click here for a review). He explained both the short-term and long-range requirements of working toward this end. Worldview thinkers would benefit from Eliot’s views, as would shepherds who are leading their flocks as salt, light, and leaven in their community.
Our ReVision series on “How to Pray for Your Church” continues today by exploring the relationship between the church and the Kingdom. Here’s the prayer we suggest:
Lord Jesus, let Your Kingdom come
on earth, as it is in heaven!
Let it come in me.
Let it come through me.
Let our church, in all that we are and do,
be a sign and outpost of the Kingdom
of righteousness, peace, and joy
in the Holy Spirit.
From the Celtic Revival
Wisdom is not a matter of profound words but a life well lived. Columbanus (d. 615) understood this well:
Therefore seek the supreme wisdom, not by verbal debate, but by the perfection of a good life, not with the tongue but with the faith which issues from singleness of heart.
– Columbanus, Sermon I, Irish, 7th century[1]
Wisdom as our supreme pursuit was the theme of last Thursday’s Crosfigell teaching letter. Columbanus certainly had wisdom because he worked hard at “the perfection of a good life”. Paul calls us all to work at bringing more of our salvation to light, and in bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God (Phil. 2.13; 2 Cor. 7.1). Wisdom comes with the outworking of faith into life.
You can sign up to receive Crosfigell in your email box every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am (Eastern US). Just use the subscription button to update your subscriptions (scroll to the bottom of the home page).
Our newest book is Ecclesiastes: A Matter of Perspective. It offers a thorough study of Ecclesiastes, and it’s available as a free PDF download by clicking here. I believe Ecclesiastes is one of the most timely and important of Biblical books, when so many people have chosen to live “under the sun” rather than “under the heavens.” Let this book help you prepare for preaching through Ecclesiastes or use it to take your leaders through a study of this great, neglected book. Make copies and share them around simply by attaching Ecclesiastes: A Matter of Perspective to an email.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this issue of Pastor to Pastor helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Support for Pastor to Pastor comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[1] Walker, 65, 67.
