Love, the apostle Paul, and unity in Christ

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phil112

Guest
#1
#1
My reading is now up to Philippians. As I start this book thoughts come to me about how we act towards each other, here and face to face.
There are some that denigrate Paul as arrogant and not credible. Paul boasting is easy to understand and one that I share with him. "His gospel" as he so often proclaims, is just that: his. No one else can have it or take it from him. He is intent on sharing it, and there is plenty for all, but you cannot have his. He is very possessive of his salvation, as we all should be.
But you cannot deny his love for his brothers and sisters in Christ. His lived only for them. His desire, as is mine, was to be with Christ, but Christ needed him to spread the gospel, and Paul did it faithfully.

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Paul said "For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ."
From the very depths, the love, of Christ, Paul wanted to be with, to fellowship with, his brethren. His only purpose for living was to bring the knowledge of Christ to them so that they too could share in his eternal life.

There is so much dissension in this forum. That is not serving God. That is not having the mind of Christ.

"Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice."

There were those in the Philippian church that took pleasure in Paul's incarceration. It gave them the chance to be the BMOC, so to speak. And altho that is a sinful attitude, Paul still rejoiced that the gospel was still reaching people.

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment
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One thing we must always do: Measure our actions and intent by the gospel. We should always strive to be of the same mind. Man will never agree with all men on every point, but on the gospel of Christ we should be in complete agreement. When we find ourselves in disagreement, we need to always examine our position and make sure it is truth. Not, WWJD, but "what did Jesus tell us to do".
We aren't Christ and never will be. We do not have the ability to do as He did. But we do have the ability to be in obedience to Him.

Paul has been accused of many things in error. He only brought to us what Christ told him to. To disregard instructions from Paul is to disregard Christ.
 
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Karol777

Guest
#2
#2
I've always loved Paul.
 
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elf3

Guest
#3
#3
Love is the great "connector" within the true Church of Christ. If we follow the two greatest commandments of Christ, love God, love others then everything else we do or say follows Christ teaching. Jesus showed us the greatest example of true love...that while we were yet sinners He died for us. I think you are correct that do we really show the love of Christ the way we talk on here? So many of the forums are argumentive that a non Christian reading them could be discouraged from Christianity. Is the knowledge of God that has been given me by the Holy Spirit so that I should "puff" myself up or give glory to God? I have given up on many discussions here because it's the same argument over the same thing and no one learns anything. We need more "study" forums.

I love Phillipians 4 where Paul talks about contentment in Christ. In fact I just read that myself this morning and was talking with one of my sisters here about it.
 
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riverlandfarmer

Guest
#4
#4
I wonder if it is Paul they don't like or the message that he preached. It's easier for us to discredit the messenger than the message if we don't agree with the message they bring. One may not be a fan of Paul but they for sure better listen to the message he brought. It was always Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is the foundation of Christianity. Take out the story of redemption at the cross and you have NO Christianity. What else is he going to preach? Self can save self ????
 
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elf3

Guest
#5
#5
riverlandfarmer said:
I wonder if it is Paul they don't like or the message that he preached. It's easier for us to discredit the messenger than the message if we don't agree with the message they bring. One may not be a fan of Paul but they for sure better listen to the message he brought. It was always Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is the foundation of Christianity. Take out the story of redemption at the cross and you have NO Christianity. What else is he going to preach? Self can save self ????
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I think it is the message Paul brings that they dislike. Paul never pulls any punches when preaching the Gospel. Paul brings the Gospel in a direct line that never "candy coats" it. I personally love this way of preaching as it brings hard truths directly into our face with things we don't want to hear because they hurt. But these things are what we need to hear if we are to live our lives for Christ.
 
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JesusistheChrist

Guest
#6
#6
phil112 said:
There is so much dissension in this forum. That is not serving God. That is not having the mind of Christ.
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Even such things as "division" and "heresy" have their purposes:

I Corinthians chapter 11

[18] For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
[19] For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

There are a lot of people who simply aren't "approved unto God" (II Timothy 2:15) and their doctrines/beliefs must be refuted with sound doctrine for their own potential good and also for the sakes of those who might be misled by them. Of course, everyone believes that it is the other person who is the heretic, but God's Word will triumph in the end. Present your case with scripture, IN CONTEXT, as cordially as possible and then pray for God to give the increase. The worst thing that any of us can do is to just join hands and sing "Kumbaya" while different factions are teaching and following a different "Christ" who may not be Christ at all.
 
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phil112

Guest
#7
#7
JesusistheChrist said:
Even such things as "division" and "heresy" have their purposes:

.............................
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That disagreement is the reason Paul wrote those letters to the church. To point out the truth and exhort the church to reconcile their differences and come to understand the word.
People around here reject Paul and resist, by that rejection, ever having any possibility of coming to have the mind of Christ. Christ put His mind in Paul. To say Paul is wrong is to blaspheme Christ.
 
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JesusistheChrist

Guest
#8
#8
phil112 said:
That disagreement is the reason Paul wrote those letters to the church. To point out the truth and exhort the church to reconcile their differences and come to understand the word.
People around here reject Paul and resist, by that rejection, ever having any possibility of coming to have the mind of Christ. Christ put His mind in Paul. To say Paul is wrong is to blaspheme Christ.
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Personally, I love Christ, Paul, all the writers of scripture and all the brethren. Beyond that, I even love my enemies...and pray for them regularly.

Have a blessed night in the Lord.
 
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