THE
SPIRIT’S
SWORD 

Volume VI, Number 47
March 30, 2003

Published by

Mt. Baker
church of Christ
Bellingham, WA
(1860 Mt. Baker HWY)
(360) 752-2692

Sunday:
Bible Classes..........9:30 AM
Worship............10:30 & 6:00
Wednesday:
Bible Classes...........7:00 PM

Web sites:
www.bibleanswer.com/mtbaker
www.bibleanswer.com

Editor................Joe R. Price

"And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17)

In this issue:

• Sermon Outlines:
  • Corrective Church Discipline (Part 3): Carrying Out Corrective Discipline
  • Bible Question Box (March, 2003)

Intro.

Corrective church discipline is a necessary part of helping sinning Christians repent & be saved – 1 Ths. 5:14; 2 Ths. 3:6, 15.

I. WHO IS SUBJECT TO CORRECTIVE DISCIPLINE?

  A. Every Christian Who Walks Disorderly – 2 Ths. 3:6.
    1. ataktos – “out of ranks (often so of soldiers)…deviating from the prescribed order or rule.
      -3:6 – Apostolic tradition (teaching from them, doctrine – 2:15).
    2. Overtaken in sin & refuse to repent - Gal. 6:1; Jas. 5:19; Matt. 18:17.
    3. False teachers – Rom. 16:17-18.
    4. Factious – Titus 3:10-11.

II. PRIVATELY KNOWN SIN – Matt. 18:15-20 (Jas. 5:19-20; Gal. 6:1).

  A. Sin Between / Against Brethren – Matt. 18:15.
  B. Individual’s Duty - Matt. 18:15-16.
  C. Church’s Duty – 18:17.

III. PUBLICLY KNOWN SIN.

  A. Moral Sins – 1 Cor. 5:1-5.
    1. Common knowledge – 5:1 (“reported”).
    2. No one, two or three, then church procedure here – 5:3, 4-5.
  B. Doctrinal Errors – Rom. 16:17-18.
    1. Mark (skopeo) – “note” (NKJV); “to look at, observe, contemplate; to mark” (Thayer, 579) “to fix one’s eyes upon, direct one’s attention to, anyone" (Online Bible Greek Lexicon).
    2. Avoid (ekklino) – “to turn (one’s self) away, to turn away from, keep aloof from one’s society” (Online Bible Greek Lexicon).
  C. Divisive (factious) Behavior – Titus 3:10-11. -(paraiteomai) – “Refuse” (ASV); “decline…to shun, avoid” (OBGL).
  D. Every Christian Who Walks Disorderly – 2 Ths. 3:6, 14-15.
    1. Withdraw (stello) – “to remove one’s self, withdraw one’s self, to depart; to abstain from familiar intercourse with one” (OBGL).
    2. Note (semeioo) – “to mark, to note, distinguish by marking; to mark or note for one’s self” (OBGL).
  E. New Testament Examples:
    1. 1 Cor. 5:3-5 – In congregational gathering – deliver to Satan.
    2. Gal. 2:11-14 – Immediate, public resistance of the sin. (By the individual saint without congregational action! cf. 1 Tim. 5:20)
    3. 1 Tim. 1:19-20 – Delivered to Satan (charges & persons stated publicly). - cf. 2 Tim. 2:17-18; 4:14-15

IV. CONGREGATIONAL ACTION.

  A. Publicly Identify the Disorderly Christian, Noting His Sin –1 Cor. 5:4-5.
    -The “marking” or “noting” of the Christian who is walking in sin, as well as the false teacher whose doctrine is divisive, deceitful &  destructive to faith (1 Tim. 1:20).

V. INDIVIDUAL ACTION.

  A. Remove Social Interaction:
    1. “Keep no company with” – 1 Cor. 5:11.
    2. “Put away from yourselves that wicked person” – 1 Cor. 5:13.
    3. “Withdraw yourselves” – 2 Ths. 3:6, 14.
  B. Continue to Warn the Erring Christian – 2 Ths. 3:15.
    -Have no fellowship with, but reprove – cf. 2 Tim. 3:5 (Eph. 5:11; 2 Jno. 10-11).

VI. WHEN CORRECTIVE DISCIPLINE IS NOT APPLIED.

  A. Without Congregational Action, Sin Infiltrates the Church – 1 Cor. 5:6-7 (2).
  B. Without Individual Action, no Pressure is Brought to Bear on the Sinner (emboldened to remain as he is) – 2 Cor. 2:6-7.

Conclusion

1. When we apply corrective discipline in the way God wants us to, souls will be saved & protected (“peaceable fruit of righteousness” - Heb. 12:11).
2. When we don’t, we fail to obey God, thus sinning against Him! (2 Cor. 2:9)

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#1 – 1 John 3:7-8: Explain the three that bear witness in verse 8. What does it mean “they bear witness”? Is the Spirit in verse 8 the same Spirit in verse 7?

  1. Context: Faith that Jesus it the Son of God – 5:4-5.
  2. A three-fold testimony is provided by God that Jesus is the Son of God – 5:6-9.
    a. Cerinthians (followers of Cerinthus) believed Jesus was the Christ after His baptism, but denied He was the Christ in His crucifixion.
    b. This text answers that heresy.
  3. Corruption in the KJV & NKJV text. ASV offers the more accurate translation of 1 Jno. 5:6-9:
     6  This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood.
     7  And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth.
     8  For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.
     9  If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for the witness of God is this, that he hath borne witness concerning  his Son.

-What does it mean “they bear witness”?
  1. Divine testimony has been given that Jesus is the Son of God.
    a. Water (5:6, ASV) – At his baptism: Matt. 3:13-17; Jno. 1:29-34.
    b. Blood (5:6, ASV) – At his crucifixion: Mk. 15:39; Isa. 53:11-12; Matt 20:28 (16:16, 21).
    c. Spirit (5:7, ASV) – Inspired testimony via apostles – (Jno. 16:13)  Acts 2:32-36; 1 Jno. 1:1-4.

-1 Jno. 5:7 is present tense & supports this conclusion rather than the H.S. at His baptism.

-Is the Spirit in verse 8 the same Spirit in verse 7?
  1. Yes, this is the Holy Spirit.
  2. 1 Jno. 5:8 - The inspired testimony of the apostles (“the Spirit”) agrees with the “water” (baptism of Jesus) & the “blood” (crucifixion of Jesus) that He is the Son of God.
  3. 1 Jno. 5:9 – This is God’s witness that Jesus is the Son of God.
  4. Those who denied that Jesus was Christ in His crucifixion were in error (false teachers, 1 Jno. 4:1, 6).

#2 – I’ve heard that the Book of Job was fictional, yet I’ve always thought it was factual. -What evidence supports it as factual?

  1) The testimony of Scripture:
    a) Ezek. 14:14, 16, 18, 20 – Job is named with Noah & Daniel as a real & righteous man.
    b) Jas. 5:11 – Real person setting a real example of patience for real people! (Holy Spirit chose to use the example of Job.)
    c) Quoted as Scripture – 1 Cor. 3:19 (Job 5:13).
  2) Job was a real person, and the book of Job is really historical.

-What do those who claim it is fiction use as evidence?

  1) Supposed artificial numbers re. Job’s possessions:
    a) 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen & 500 female donkeys – Job 1:3 – Exactly doubled after his trial (Job 42:12). Rounded numbers approximate exact figures & are entirely appropriate concerning the “greatest of all the people of the East” (Job 1:3).
    b) Recurrence of numbers 7 & 3 (7 sons, 3 daughters, 1:3; 42:13); 7,000 sheep & 3,000 camels; 3 friends & 7 nights. No reason to reject or question their validity.
  2) Satan’s interview with the Lord.
    a) All events in the invisible realm must be revealed to us (our only source of knowledge of such things is supernatural).
    b) Could such really have taken place? Yes!
  3) Style.
    a) Poetic prose could not have been spontaneous, thus, must be of later origin & compilation.
    b) Probably not extemporaneous. 7 days before the first speech; not unreasonable to think there was also periods of time between the other speeches (though not stated).
    c) Or, perhaps we owe the poetic structure of this dialogue between Job & his friends to the inspired writer who penned it.

-How did the Jews of OT times view this book?
-As inspired Scripture (“the writings”).
-When did they start claiming it as fiction?
-Probably when most similar claims surfaced, during the 18th & 19th centuries when the verbal inspiration of the Bible began to be widely rejected.

#3 – Is it correct to say that since Paul was so strongly persecuting Christians (Acts 9:1-2) that Jesus chose him to help alleviate “fear” of being a Christian in Judea, Galilee & Samaria (Acts 9:31) – as well as to further the Gospel’s message?

  1. No, but it is correct to conclude that this was the effect of Jesus choosing Saul to be an apostle – Acts 9:31.
    a. Acts 9:31 is 3 years after Saul’s conversion – Gal. 2:15-21; Acts 9:18-30.
    b. To conclude peace from persecution was the purpose of Saul being chosen is to assign a reason not given in the Scriptures.
  2. Purpose: Chosen vessel (apostle) to the Gentiles & Israel – Acts 9:15 (22:15-16).
  3. Result: Saul shown the many things he must suffer for the name of Christ – Acts 9:16.
  4. Saul’s presence in Jerusalem stirred up conflict – Sent to Tarsus – Acts 9:28-30.

-So, if anything, the “peace” of Acts 9:31 is directly connected to Saul’s departure to Tarsus (9:30), not his selection as an apostle.

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The Spirit's Sword is a free, weekly publication of the Mt. Baker church of Christ, Bellingham, WA
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