Paul is remarkable for his sympathy with the unpredictability of human nature. He recognises the forces which arise against us are so many, so subtle and strong, that sometimes we may become depressed because of the difficulty of ever being even remotely Christ-like. The apostle gives us encouragement with his words recorded in Romans chapter 12 and verse 21, which is the verse we are considering in this article:

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Adding fuel to the fire or quenching it?

If we try to overcome evil with evil is to spread it and increase it. Imagine what happens if you add fuel to a fire – it explodes and becomes even worse. You doing evil just gives the illness called evil even more strength. You cannot reconcile with your neighbour by becoming as crooked as them. The only weapons we are permitted to wield as believers are mercy and kindness. When not using these, our attitude must be that of patience and endurance.

The worldly virtues of bravery, courage, and similar, explain a great deal of the evil and misery of mankind. Evil has promoted evil. But goodness is stronger than it. The example of the interaction between David and Saul demonstrates how goodness is stronger than evil.

David and Saul at En Gedi

David had grown up as a shepherd boy. After the defeat of Goliath and the Philistines, Saul took David into his service. Saul was greatly impressed by David and wanted him to permanently be in his household. David progressed rapidly in Saul’s household and became respected by those around him. So much so that he was elevated to leadership in the army. However, David’s success stirred up Saul’s jealousy. He started to suspect that David would succeed him as king. Saul had fits of depression and this resulted in his mind being filled with a jealous hatred.

Saul decided to get rid of David and several times he made attempts on David’s life. Twice Saul attempted to kill David by throwing a javelin at him. After many more jealous attempts on David’s life he was forced to flee into the wilderness to save his life.

Over the coming period as an outlaw David travelled to many places. One place he chose to keep safe was at En Gedi. He chose this place because of the abundant fresh spring water amongst the surrounding barren hills. He would never be short of drinking water and he could bathe in the water. In addition, there were many caves where he could hide. The caves also provided protection from the elements and the area offered plenty of shade.

Saul heard that David was hiding at En Gedi. So he went there with 3,000 hand-picked men. The king went into a cave to rest but he didn’t realise that this was the cave where David was hiding. And this gave David and his men the opportunity to kill Saul but David stopped his men from harming him. Instead, whilst Saul was sleeping, David cut off part of Saul’s robe to demonstrate he didn’t want to harm Saul.

When he showed himself to Saul he said:

I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. (1 Samuel 24: 11-12)

Saul was touched by David’s mercy and said:

You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 1 Samuel 24: 17

This is a lesson for us, to return good for evil. Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians reminds us what to do when he says:

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5: 15

Jesus taught us that we are too love our enemies. It can be sometimes difficult to keep this command but despite this, we are commanded to do it. By obeying Christ’s commands and not pleasing ourselves, we draw nearer to God and become more like His son.

Saul was so overcome with David’s mercy, that he said to David:

And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 1 Samuel 24: 20

This did come true with David eventually becoming king.

Goodness to all men

We have been encouraged to show love to others and this must be accompanied by kindness. We are to do good unto all men, as we have opportunity. Christ says that if we do good only to those who do good to us, we are no better than the Pharisees and the sinners.

In the world, from the highest politician to the poorest citizen, retaliation is the order of the day. As soon as anybody shows the cold shoulder, the result is to resent. This must not be so with us. Christ has given commandment how we ought to live our life. John says we deceive ourselves if we say we are children of God, and do not keep His commandments. We are commanded to overcome evil with good, and not return evil for evil. The good deeds of those the believers who belong to God, will not depend upon external incitement, or attraction, or upon personal benefit, but will just naturally come to the forefront of that person’s character and actions.

The good things done for those who are fellow believers, will normally be very thorough, very cordial, very delightful.  However, at the same time, the unthankful and the evil must come in for a share of our kindness as well.

Harmless as doves

The command of the Lord is absolute, that we are to act the part of sheep in the midst of wolves; wise as serpents, but harmless as doves. The faithful of the first century recognised this as involving non-resistance. This is evident from James’ incidental remark to the cruel rich men of the twelve tribes:

You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. James 5:6

It is also distinctly evident from Paul’s words in 2 Cor. 11:20:

For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.

Expressed in another way, “it is a usual thing with you to submit, without resistance, to personal injury; how much more may you endure my words.” This shows that the duty of non-resistance in these cases was recognised and practised among the disciples, led by Paul. Indeed, he expressly commands it. He says:

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

As we saw earlier in this article, Paul also says in 1 Thessalonians 5:15:

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Paul continues along the same line in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 7:

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?

Such commandments are hard for humans: but they are only given to those who are being called by the great God to a higher level. It is a higher level which the heart of an unbeliever cannot comprehend. To obey the command behind these words of Paul is the wise and necessary thing to do as Peter says in 1 Peter 5:6:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

The evils of war

What about war? Does that count as evil or is it an unfortunate necessity of the world made up of many different groups of people? Some may be argue it does not count as evil as it is defending the country from outside aggressors.

We live in a world that always seems to have war between two opposing sides. We can think back to the two major wars of last century – World War 1 and 2. But there have been many other major wars since then – Korean War (1950-1953), Vietnam War (1955-1975), Gulf War (1990-1991). Currently there is the war between the Ukraine and Russia.

Many people talk of the necessity of war to achieve this aim or that aim. Yet, the Bible has a different view on war and whether we should engage in it.

As a believer we are not to engage in or encourage war, whether it be offensive or defensive as this goes against the teachings of Jesus and his fellow workers.

In conclusion

We must learn that we cannot eradicate evil unless we cultivate good. It is a vain thing to strive for the “negative righteousness” which consists merely of putting away that which is bad and evil but not trying to do good. It can only be done by the cultivation of the pure and noble and the wholesome.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

An agricultural background

Galatians 6:9 has as its context an agricultural background. We can see that by reading the verses surrounding it:

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6: 6-10

When a plant seeds are placed in the soil, it will eventually grow to be plant many times bigger than the original seeds. The plant is then reaped or harvested to obtain the reward or benefit of originally planting those seeds and growing that plant (or crop). The apostle Paul, in these verses from Galatians, teaches that what men reap is the result of what they have sown….except what they reap will be many times bigger than what they sowed.

Therefore, if you sow to the flesh (i.e. live independently of God) you will reap corruption (moral and spiritual decay leading to disobedience to God and eventual death). But if you sow to the Spirit (which leads to obedience to God) you will reap life everlasting (you will be granted eternal life in the future where you will never die).

In the Galatians passage above, the value of the reaping will be dependent on the quality of the sowing. If we dedicate our time to doing good, then we will find the harvest will be good. Eternal life will not be granted based on someone who lives a Christian life characterised by being half-hearted; being lukewarm; intentionally delaying God’s work (procrastinating); a temporary nature (sometimes God is in their life, other times he is not). In other words, sowers (believers) are expected to be persistent, faithful and hardworking. For a believer to sow is an act of faith. It is done hopefully, trusting that God will do His part, giving the increase and making harvest.

To do good means something which is fundamentally good and which is fair and beautiful. It means doing things which are honourable and noble, things which are ethically right.

What does it mean to be “doing good”?

Two verses explain what it means to be good or as some versions of the Bible say “Well-doing”.

who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:14

And also Hebrews 10:24:

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

I think most believers would agree that we must be doing good. However, they may not agree on what it actually means to be doing good. It is really up to the disciples to use their judgement. If we think about it, probably the best good work is to teach the Gospel to the unbelievers. For they are the ones who are lost and need saving. This probably should be the highest priority out of all the good works.

In Romans chapter 1 and verse 14, Paul said he was a debtor to the Greeks. This is how it is translated in the New King James Version:

I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.

So what did he mean by being a “debtor” to the Greeks. The English Standard Version shines a bit more light on what he meant:

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

It means that Paul saw himself as being in debt to any man who did not have salvation. Welldoing is to do that which is honourable and there is nothing better than honourably to discharge that debt. To have that opportunity and to neglect it is to be in debt dishonourably. His debt or obligation was to preach the message of salvation to everyone he encountered. If he didn’t do it he would be failing in his duty to God.

Paul had received the grace of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because this free gift was entrusted to him, he had an obligation to pass it on to others. Therefore, it means he had an obligation to that other person. He had a moral and spiritual duty as an apostle to the Gentiles. This is what it means to be doing “good works” or “doing good”.

Referring back to the verse we are considering (Galatian 6:9), it means sowing seed on dry, inhospitable ground and waiting to see if anything sprouts from that ground. This is what “doing good” is all about. It is good…it is fair…it is beautiful.

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:15

Other forms of “doing good”

Besides preaching the Gospel there are other ways of doing good. One of the best other ways of doing good is to do works of mercy, helping those in need and showing compassion to those who are either bereft or bereaved.

The story of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 verses 25 to 37 is a good example of, in mercy, doing good for others. It is well worth taking the time to read. The story teaches us a great deal about well-doing. Part of the reason it is “good” because it cost us time, money, trouble and inconvenience. In other words, it requires a sacrifice of some form from us to do this good work.

That story concludes with Jesus saying in verses 36 and 37:

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

We are being told by Jesus to likewise go and show mercy to others. In other words, be moved by compassion and go and do good to others in need.

Doing good works in secret

In Matthew 6 verses 1 to 4 we are given clear instruction about how we ought to perform this kind of well-doing.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The passage can be summed up by the words “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” It means when we arrange to do good works they must not be done in a showy fashion to impress others but as far as possible they must be done quietly and secretly. They need to be done efficiently and lovingly by all viable means……but as far as possible unobtrusively. That may mean works which are done by yourself or with another rather than in a crowd.

The motive of the person

When doing good, a person’s motive is very important. To repeat the verse quoted above:

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. Matthew 6:2

This is referring to what the Pharisees did – they craved the praise of others. Jesus tells us that this displeased God as it was not in harmony with His purpose. He wants the person doing the good works to have the correct motive (which is not seeking praise from others).

There are particular things related to doing good works that pleases God. He wants to see us doing good works for others in secret, he also wants to see self-denial, praying and giving. Doing good works or being kind should not be limited (or not done at all) because they need to be done in secret. Doing good works in secret is just to show us how we should do these in the correct way. We shouldn’t do them in a boastful way seeking praise from others.

If you choose to not be kind to someone, it should not be for the reason that somebody may find out. It is better to just do it and act with love towards that person. If the person is a stranger, that should not stop us from offering them a kind hand. Indeed that needy stranger may be influenced by your compassion and may want to learn about the God you worship.

To be a true disciple includes doing works of mercy towards those in need. When we show mercy, it should not be because we have to but rather because we want to with cheerfulness.

Growing weary

In the verse we are focused on, Galatians 6:9, it says “And let us not grow weary of doing good”. This is not talking about getting tired. Tiredness can be fixed by resting so that we are ready to go again. This verse is talking about something different – weariness. Weariness is losing heart and losing hope. It is heading towards being depressed and sighing instead of singing. It is not being motivated to do your best for God.

As a believer, we should keep the vision of reaping and the harvest bright, and be ready to push aside any weariness that we can feel coming on. Always remember those words of Galatians chapter 6 and verse 9:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The mercy and forgiveness of God

The mercy and forgiveness of God are abundantly bestowed upon those who come to Him in acknowledgement of their transgressions and in humble submission to His will. God talks about His mercy in Exodus 34:6-7:

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty,…

This clear statement of God’s merciful, compassionate and forgiving nature is very striking. It was meant to be significant for Israel, and it is just as significant for us. He is definite in his message to us.

The mercy and forgiveness is dependent on a person’s genuine repentance. This was the case of David, after his sin with Bath-Sheba and in the death of her husband, Uriah. When the sin is brought out into the open by Nathan, David’s immediate response was, “I have sinned against the Lord”—notice “against the Lord”, not just against Bath-Sheba and Uriah, thus indicating the genuineness of David’s repentance. As a result, we are told that God was prepared to put David’s sin behind Him, to remember it no more. The mercy of God came into immediate operation. The sin was forgiven and the repentant servant was restored to right relationship with his God.

David’s reflection on his experience

Upon what principle does God give mercy and forgiveness to those serving him? David understood this principle upon which God acted. The answer is provided very simply in David’s own words as he reflected upon his experience:

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Psalm 32:1-2

So it is possible, then, for a mortal man to be in that blessed state with God where his sins are forgiven. But there must be a spirit of no deceit or hypocrisy.

David then explains how it cannot, and how it can, be done:

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Psalm 32:4-5

In other words David is saying: When I kept silent about my sin, when I refused to confess it, I suffered. But then he says:

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:5

So there we have it: God will forgive our sins when they are freely and unreservedly confessed to Him, in a genuine spirit of humility and repentance, and with a real desire to forsake them. He does not insist on our waiting some time to prove the how genuine is our desire; He knows our hearts and restores us to fellowship with Himself. As a result, David can write in another psalm:

Bless the Lord, O my soul,…. who forgives all your iniquity,…. The Lord is merciful and gracious,    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. Psalm 103: 1, 3, 8-10

We must forgive others

In like manner to what God does, we must also forgive others who sin against us.

The Lord told the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35). The lord forgave his servant an enormous debt (10,000 talents) because he was “moved with compassion” when the servant “fell on his knees, imploring him”. This pardoned servant is then condemned because he would not extend mercy to his fellow servant over a comparatively tiny debt, and the parable is applied to the believers:

Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matt. 18: 32-35)

The lesson is clear to us, we must forgive others who sin against us.

Deliberately sinning

The words in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 26 speak of sinning deliberately or wilfully.

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

But when we think of the words of 1 John chapter 1 and verse 9 how do these two verses relate to each other. They seem to be contradicting each other. What does it mean to sin deliberately or wilfully? The answer is given in verses 28 and 29 of the same chapter in Hebrews:

Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

To sin wilfully describes declining in faith and practice back to the old ways before you were enlightened of God’s ways. It is an utter “forsaking” of the ways of righteousness. Such a return to the ways of sin will lead to death.

But what about the words recorded in 1 John 1:9?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John is talking about a different sort of sin. He is speaking of the errors made by those who are baptised believers and who deeply regret their sins and ask for forgiveness. The person referred to in 1 John 1:9 is a different type of person to the one spoken of in Hebrews 10:26. The ones in Hebrews 10:26 are those who have sunk to such a depth of wickedness that they are past praying for. This is what John says and it is also what God says as He forbade Jeremiah to pray for his wicked contemporaries. On the other hand, God commanded Job to pray for his “friends”. And the Lord Jesus prayed for his enemies. In a sense, all sin is “wilful,” but this is not what is meant in Heb. 10:26.

The key principle

From our consideration then we can see the absolute importance of genuine repentance. It involves the  bowing of our own will and a humble acceptance of the judgement of God on our sin; a willingness to acknowledge this, and equally a resolve to live our lives in harmony with His will.

In the New Testament, we are taught to strive and to endure but it is important to remember that despite this sin will nevertheless occur. This brings us back to the main verse we are considering in this article.

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1: 8-9

Sometimes believers who have recovered from an error, find themselves suffering its consequences and as a result think that God cannot have forgiven them. But if believers think this way they should remember the case of David. God forgave him, but did not remove the consequences of his sin, of which the rebellion of Absalom was the most obvious illustration. The same applies to us: the fact that consequences remain does not prove that God has forsaken us. Indeed, it is the very reverse, for they are often the means of His bringing us to a humbler frame of mind, as was undoubtedly the case with David.

The eagle is part of a group of birds known as the Birds of prey. There are 60 species of eagle worldwide. The eagle is one of the largest and strongest birds in the world. The eagle flies at high altitudes by its self (not in a flock) and conserves energy by gliding on top of thermal updrafts and also using air current to navigate the skies. Their lifespan is around 20 to 30 years in the wild.

Because eagles are fairly heavy they are not very efficient at pursuing their food in aerial pursuit. Therefore they rely on surprising their prey and overcoming it on the ground. They can fly at an average speed of 80 kpm (50 mph) and reach 160 kpm (100 mph) when diving to catch some prey. Their diet includes fish, other birds and small animal like bats, rabbits, rodents and snakes. The eagle is regarded as the strongest hunter in the world of birds and is able to attack prey as big as them. To assist with this, the eagle has strong large feet with curved talons.

The eagle’s eyes are among the sharpest out of all animals with them being up to 8 times stronger than a human being. It can see its prey on the ground up to 3 kilometres away. As it rapidly descends on the prey it adjusts the shape of its eyeballs so as to keep a sharp focus on the animal. The eagle gets most of its food from live prey. It does not eat dead things like a vulture would do.

The eagle mates for life having only one partner. Like most birds, they build a nest for raising their young. The nests are often in out of the way places like on cliffs. The male provides for the pair by hunting for food and the female keeps her eggs safe and warm. When the young get to a certain age the parents stop feeding them and, as a result, the young are forced to fly and find their own food.

The eagle is a strong bird and as a result it has become a symbol of war and power in some nations since the times of Babylon. A drawing of the eagle can be found on Greek and Roman coins along with some of the ruins of those nations.

The Eagle – too wonderful

In the book of Proverbs, Agur son of Jakeh, wrote these words:

Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky,…. (Proverbs 30: 18-19)

Agur includes at first place of his “too wonderful” list of things – the eagle. Probably because of the magnificent bird’s grace and power as it rises from the earth. As mentioned above, the eagle soars over the earth climbing over higher. It cruises on the thermals which lift it up into the higher altitudes. Eagles don’t avoid storms but rather fly into them as the air currents take them high above the storm.

They shall mount up with wings like eagles

In the prophet Isaiah, the eagle is used to draw our attention to redemption in Christ. It can be read in Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 31:

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

The prophet here is saying that those who believe and are baptised will not always be in a state of mortality (where they will eventually die). There will come a day, through the mercy and grace of God, that they will be given immortality where they will know the exhilarating tirelessness and dynamism that typifies the eagle in everything it does.

Those who by God’s grace are granted a place in the Kingdom will “mount up with wings as eagles” where weariness, pain, and even death itself shall no longer exercise dominion over them.

Soaring high above the earth

When the eagle takes to the sky, he can soar ever higher to give him a view across the land below him. So must the disciples of Christ lift their vision above earthly things. Paul encourages the members to the Colosse church (ecclesia) to:

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2)

The Psalmist says a similar thing:

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? (Psalm 121:1)

The vision of faith of a believer must rise beyond the corrupting influences of earth for as it says:

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:20

We are to focus on the things that truly matter in our lives. We wait for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The power and supremacy of the eagle

God spoke about the power and supremacy of the eagle when he communicated with Moses upon Mount Sinai:

You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. (Exodus 19:4)

The metaphor talks of the strength and might of God’s sustaining care, and His loving tenderness. This was seen in his concern for their welfare by sometimes disciplining them. Sometimes he tested them. He taught the lesson of endurance and faith, but He never tried them beyond what they were able to bear.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Cor. 10:13

The eagle and her young – stirring up the nest

The metaphor in relation to the eagle is expanded in Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 11 and 12. God uses the example of the eagle to speak about his protection of his people:

Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, the Lord alone guided him, no foreign god was with him.

The verse talks of the eagle stirring up its nest. The action of the eagle is to so disturb her young, as to excite them to be the more willing to leave the nest, learn to fly and to fend for themselves. How is this done? It is possibly through the parent bird returning with food, and so exciting the eaglets, and encouraging them to do likewise. In a similar way, God permitted Israel to be agitated and disturbed in the time of slavery in Egypt and later through the wilderness journeys. The purpose was to make them more willing to leave those areas for the land of plenty. Therefore, what was a problem to the people was to be to their ultimate benefit and good.

The eagle and her young – fluttering over its young

Verse 11 goes on to tell of the eagle fluttering over it young. This describes the mother bird protectively brooding over the young, caring for them, keeping them warm and preserving them from evil. God did likewise for His people. The eagle by its action of interacting with her brood gives the young her own vital warmth. This God did this for Israel by the influence of His Spirit Word, enlightening, encouraging and strengthening His people.

The eagle and her young – spreading outs its wings

The verse then goes on to tell of the eagle spreading out its wings, catching the young ones and bearing them on its pinions. In biology, a pinion refers to a bird’s wing, specifically the stiff outer flight feathers (quills) or the end joint of the wing.

It has been mistaken that the eagle actually carries the young ones in its wings. This is not what actually happens. The carrying refers to the strange manoeuvres of the parent bird in its desire to help the young to fly. The parent bird will fly around, and sometimes very closely underneath the young bird with the twofold aim of teaching it by example, and causing air currents that will help its flight.

Therefore, the metaphor is drawn of the eagle which is said to stir the fledglings out of the nest to teach them to fly, but continues to hover nearby to catch them if they fall. In every trial of Israel, whether threatened by the Egyptians, suffering the pangs of hunger and thirst, or challenged by the Amalekites, God was ever ready to help, and always responded to the prayer of faith uttered by Moses. The Israelites knew that, and therefore were in a position to respond to the appeal of His words. Therefore the verse tells of care of God for Israel. He trained and disciplined them to prepare them for the occupation of the Promised Land.

However, it is not God’s intention to ‘carry’ us into His Kingdom. He nevertheless provides an example, in His dear Son, and creates circumstances that assist us in aspiring to the heights He demands of His children. The process is expressed in Deuteronomy 32:12 (quoted above) by the phrase “the Lord alone guided him”.

Returning to the words of Exodus 19: 4, God says “how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself”. To bring Israel to Himself had been the purpose of God from the beginning. They had been slaves in Egypt, unlawfully claimed by Pharaoh as his own. They had been snatched from the oppressor, and brought into the presence of God. Now the terms of the covenant by which a permanent relationship could be secured were about to be given them.

The eagle used as a warning

The image of the eagle was also used by Moses in warning the Israelites of the penalties that would be inflicted upon them for disobedience:

The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand, (Deut.28:49)

This verse is prophetic and speaks of the Jewish revolt and the Roman invasion of AD 66 to 70. This resulted in the destruction of the Temple and the overthrow of the nation. This all happened because of the disapproval of God as a result of the Israelite people’s disobedience.

The eagle was the common ensign of the legions of the Roman army. A flying eagle, on the Roman standards, preceded the legions when they marched into battle. The word “eagle” is nesher which signifies to lacerate or tear. It therefore is a fitting symbol for the ruthless methods of warfare engaged upon by Rome.

A similar warning was given to the Israelites through the prophet Habakkuk:

For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves….they fly like an eagle swift to devour. (Habakkuk 1:6-8)

We can see in God’s words in verses 6 to 8 how fearsome the Babylonians truly were. They were under the control of Nebuchadnezzar. In verse 6 they took dwelling place that were not there’s. They will be like the eagle which has a sharp eye that can see its prey from long distance and flies in swiftly and unexpectedly to consume its prey. The Leopard, wolf and eagle describe Babylon and its attack on Judah. You can imagine the fear in the eyes of the people of Judah as they see the Babylonians for the first time coming over the hills. This happened because of the disobedience of the people of Judah.

Swifter than eagles

When the phrase “Swifter than eagles” is used in a verse it is a conveying the idea of power and invincibility. In David’s lamentation over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan on Mount Gilboa, in the war against the Philistines, he deemed them both to be “swifter than eagles”. He came up with this phrase because of his own observations of that mighty bird’s pre-eminence in the sky.

Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains; they lay in wait for us in the wilderness. (Lamentations 4:19)

The new life through resurrection

Near the beginning of this article we read Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 31:

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

It speaks in symbolism of life and power specifically in relation to the rising of baptised believers to a new life by way of resurrection. At that time of the return of Christ, their strength shall be renewed and they shall mount up with wings like eagles.

Jesus told his apostles that “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt.24:13). This same promise applies to those followers of Christ in this current day. They live in a world that has no interest in the things of God and the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ:

that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Philippians 2:15

In that great day of the Lord God, there will be a rising of faithful ones—the redeemed in Christ—who, in the love and mercy of God, will “mount up with wings like eagles”, and “they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint”. These are the ones who have been approved by God. They will be lifted up to the spiritual mountain tops to everlasting joy, and will see the glories of the Day of Redemption. The “Sun of righteousness” will have arisen “with healing in his wings”.

In conclusion

Almighty God uses the figure of the eagle, to encourage Israel, and ourselves, of His continuing care and guidance, as He is depicted as “fluttering over” the young in the nest (the church or “ecclesia”) and continuing that care as maturity develops. The final picture is beautifully expressed in Isaiah 40:31—“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles”.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

The pressures of the world

Most people will feel the pressures of the world. This is what it means when it says in verse 33 “In the world you will have tribulation”. The word “tribulation” in the original Greek is “thlipsis” which means literally “pressure”. Those who are disciples of Jesus will suffer from this pressure of the world as they are concerned more with spiritual values than with the actual physical situation they find themselves in. Therefore, it is comforting when the Lord says that in the world you shall have pressure but stay positive as he overcame the world.

The tribulation of Paul and Barnabas

In the first century, the man Saul changed his way of thinking and eventually accepted the Lord God and was converted. To signify this change, his new name was Paul. He is introduced as one of the selected brethren in Antioch, and is appointed to partner Barnabas for specific tasks, but ultimately assumes the prominent position of God’s appointed apostle to the Gentiles.

Paul preaching in Antioch of Pisidia demonstrated the violent reaction of those around him that Paul often received for teaching about the Bible. But this did not stop him and he defiantly continued to faithfully perform the work of God.  Paul and Barnabas had a lot of success in Antioch and this made some of Jews envious. Paul turned to the Gentiles and many of the Gentiles were glad for the offer of eternal life. As a result, the chief Jewish men of the city jealousy caused them to expel Paul and Barnabas from the city.

They moved on to Iconium where a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But once again they were threatened by both Jews and Gentiles and this leads them to fleeing from the city.

The next town was Lystra. Here he healed a crippled man but the people mistakenly saw Paul and Barnabas as gods and wanted to worship them. Paul pointed out they were not gods but men who brought good news relating to Jesus. What happened next is recorded in Acts chapter 14 and verses 19 to 23.

But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Paul once again had been persecuted in that he had been stoned and was severely injured, yet he continued on with his purpose. There is some sense of relief for Paul and Barnabas as they meet some who heard the message they were teaching and wanted to rejoice in the fellowship of people with a similar way of thinking.

Verse 22 in the passage above has been highlighted as it is relevant to the verse we are considering in this article. In a similar way to John chapter 16 and verse 33, we will face tribulations in life yet we must endure and “continue in the faith”. Paul was an example of someone who went through tribulations including being stoned yet this did not stop him in his single minded goal of telling the Jews and Gentiles the good news of the coming of Christ.

Continue in the Faith

In verse 22 of Acts chapter 14 (above), Paul says they must continue in the faith. Merely knowing “the faith” and accepting “the faith” will not, on its own, help someone to enter the kingdom. It is necessary to “continue in the faith”. The word “continue” in verse 22 occurs in three other passages (Acts 28:30; Gal. 3:10; Heb. 8:9). In Hebrews 8:9, it is related to the fact that Israel failed to “continue” in the covenant they had adopted, and because of this God said he had no concern for them.

It is used with equal force in Galatians 3:10 where it is clear that Paul felt a strong sense of responsibility to encourage the brethren to maintain their hold on the purity of the Truth; not merely in intellectual understanding, but in their way of life. They must not deviate; they must not allow themselves to be diverted from the way, either mentally or morally. Paul and Barnabas appealed to the brethren to become deeply affected by every consideration of influence to remain steadfast in the faith, unwavering in their loyalty to their Lord and King.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)

This is the answer of what we must do when we face tribulation. It means resolutely holding onto your faith and maintaining their way of life. If we are not overcome by life’s challenges then there is the promised blessing of the entry into the kingdom of God.

strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22)

A sense of gratitude

ONE of David’s greatest qualities was his gratitude towards God. It helped to shape his character, to become “a man after God’s own heart”. Even when he was engulfed by trials and persecutions he praised God continuously. Have a look at Psalm 100 for an example of this.

Life challenges us with situations that contribute to our spiritual growth. An old master in the art of making violins always used wood from the north side of the tree for his instruments. He found that the wood which had stood the force of the cold fierce wind, icy snow and raging storms, gave a finer tone to the violin and produced sweeter music.

As it says in Acts 14 and verse 22, life will have its challenges but there will also be promised blessings. If we have committed ourselves to God then no matter what the problems we have more reasons than any other human beings to be thankful to our heavenly Father. We should experience joy when things go wrong as well as when they are going right for us.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James 1:2-3)

As we saw above, Paul perhaps suffered more than any other disciple of Christ. Yet, despite this, his letters are full of gratitude and thanksgiving. He states very clearly in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 that we should “Rejoice always”. We cannot possibly rejoice if we keep complaining and counting our misfortunes. Our attitude is wrong if we forget the will of God.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Rejoicing, prayer, the giving of thanks, is commanded by God.

Conflicts for the believer

In the verse we are considering, John 16:33 it talks of there being tribulation for the believer. Jesus had spoken about a similar thing in the previous chapter of John:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. (John 15:18)

In these two verses, Jesus warns his disciples that the fundamental dislike that exists between God and the community of God on the one hand, and the world on the other, will from time to time lead to antagonism of the world to the Christian community, even to the extent of persecution.

The life of a Christian involves a turning away from the world and its standards and dedicating his/her loyalties to God alone.  It must result in painful conflicts from time to time between the Christian and his environment. His domestic and social environment could clash with his religious environment. It is important to emphasise that these conflicts are not sought by the Christian. The Christian is taught by his Lord to live at peace with all men, obeying the powers that be and praying for those who are set in authority over him. And so, from time to time, there will be conflicts, for the world loves its own and will not tolerate a way of life so incompatible with its own natural and normal interests.

The reward

A reward was promised to those who conquer, who overcome, who endure to the end.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matt.24:13

As we saw in the verse we are considering (John 16:33), in the world the disciple of Christ might have tribulation but the promise to them came from the One who had overcome the world.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

The believer can overcome as his Lord conquered. If he/she overcomes there will be a reward. That reward will be the granting of immortality, the promise that the victor’s life will be lived in bodies free from every human disability. It is difficult for us to visualise a life that knows no end but when this is associated with freedom from every human disability we are attempting to use human language to express ideas for which it is inadequate.

It will help if we think of Jesus. He was subject to disabilities similar to those experienced by his followers. The Lord suffered hunger, pain, fatigue and death. The apostles were his companions in that life and then, for 40 days, they saw him alive, freed for ever from all such disabilities. The Lord Jesus fully reflected the glory of God. He had a perfect immortal body.

We have the offer of the same if we overcome the tribulations we face in this current world and endure to the end.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

In your mouth and in your heart

For those who become part of God’s adopted family there is the offer of salvation and the promise of eternal life. Whether a man or woman will receive salvation in the future depends on whether he has allowed God to change his heart. In other words, it depends on whether God has changed his (or her) inner self.

The Lord God changes the heart through His Word (in the Bible).

“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. Deuteronomy 30:11-14

These verses are saying that the Word of God is very accessible for all people. It is not difficult to bring it into your life so that you can act on it.

Verse 14 says that the Word is in your mouth. It means that you can use the Word to speak words confessing your faith. It also can be used so that you preach to others through the words you say.

Verse 14 also says that the Word is in your heart. That means you have an inner conviction of the value and worth of the sacrificial death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. You understand what the actions of Jesus did for each one of us.

The apostle Paul in Romans chapter 10 and verses 8 to 10, talks more about this. He proclaims it as word of faith (the heart) which we preach (the mouth).

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 

So we as believers must hear the Word of God and then go and do it by confessing your faith and then preaching to others.

With all your heart

This brings us to the central verse we are considering in Matthew chapter 22 and verse 37 (also Deuteronomy 6:5).

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

The emphasis here is on the total involvement of the of the heart of the inner man. Our love for God must, like our love of the brethren, be true. It cannot be an outward act without feeling but rather one which comes from our inner most self. It something we deeply feel.

King David understood what it meant.

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; Psalm 9:1

It is the pure in heart (those with complete devotion) who shall see God.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

What does it mean to “see God”? It means to know Him and to become like Him. It means to demonstrate His characteristics in our own lives. To change ourselves so that we have characteristics which are like God. We are to act like God by forgiving others with our heart.  Only a heart in tune with its Maker can respond in this challenging way. It is this whole-hearted love of the Lord and sincere attempt to reflect the glory of His character that Paul writes about:

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, Romans 6:17

The motivation for the obedience is the effect of the Word of God on the inmost being of a man (or woman). Along with this is the desire that the Lord Jesus influences every aspect of that person’s life.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3: 14-17.

The heart refers to that inner self through which we experience and savour life and which is the basis of all our beliefs and the motivation of all our actions.

A mark of affection for our creator

In order to show our affection for our creator we are urged to comply with the commandments of God.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3

One of the commandments is that we believe the teachings of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 1 John 5:1

The love of God for us

All belief and faith leads back to God because God is love, and Jesus became the visible expression of that love so that men and women might see and believe. Jesus was “the word made flesh” that “dwelt among us”,….he was the manifestation of the love of God. The teachings of Jesus help us to obey the commandments of God.

We cannot fully comprehend the great love of God for his children, for whom He provides all things necessary for their existence upon the earth. Everything that we receive in our daily lives comes from a merciful God.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 1 Corinthians 1:3

This Divine love is very deep and completely beyond our limited understanding. This is the love that is ever ready to forgive repentant men and women, and to receive them back as His sons and daughters.

Our love for God

We, in turn, must respond to God’s love in the way that His Son commands:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37

We show our love for God when we keep His commandments and seek to do His will in all the circumstances of our lives. We also show our love for our God when we obey the teaching of Jesus to love our neighbour as ourselves.

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4: 20-21

Sometimes we need to think carefully before we take a course of action. We need to think what God would want us to do.

We have the assurance that the love of God is always there and that He will never forsake those who obey His commandments and put their trust in Him.

The verse we are considering in this article comes from the book of Proverbs at chapter 15 and verse 18.

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

There are a few words in this verse that we need to consider before we can understand the lesson being taught by this verse in the Bible. What does it mean to be hot-tempered? What is strife? What is contention?

Temper

Let’s firstly consider “hot-tempered”. What does it mean for a man to be hot-tempered? The word temper comes from the word temperament. Temperament refers to a person’s nature especially in reference to their behaviour. Therefore, it is describing the character of that person – it is their nature.

If the person behaves with anger towards others on a regular basis then people say they have an angry disagreeable temperament. The person’s normal behaviour is to be angry to others. If the person behaviour is one of being calm even in difficult situations then others may say that person’s temperament is peaceful, thoughtful and easy to talk to.

Temperament therefore is about a person’s nature or their character. It refers to how behave.

Therefore, the word temper which we read in this verse means a person’s state of mind. It refers to what they are thinking. What are the thoughts going through their mind and how have these thoughts affected their behaviour? If you have a calm nature then your thoughts are of peacefulness. They involve not having strong emotions but rather of being calm.

However, if you have an angry nature then your temper will be hot – your emotions are boiling inside you, your anger rises up and your behaviour is one of being aggressive to others. Maybe yelling at them with words that show you strongly disagree with them.

Strife

We have seen that a “hot-tempered man” is a person whose character or nature is one of being angry. As the verse says, he stirs up strife. What does the word strife mean? It means someone is causing trouble or creating difficulties for others. It could be that they are disagreeing with others over fundamental issues. Therefore, it involves causing conflict with others. If we consider the person creating this strife we find that they are being angry or bitter about something.

Strife can be seen in the world around us. Countries are seeking more wealth and power so they cause strife. They fight and go to war with others to wound and destroy. Their temperament is not one of calm and peace but rather of anger and aggressiveness.

Causing strife applies to countries but it also applies to us – men and women. We are to not be hot-tempered or angry but rather we are to be calm and peaceful.

The book of Proverbs has plenty to say about strife:

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins. Proverbs 10:12

By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom. Proverbs 13:10

The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. Proverbs 17:14

He who loves transgression loves strife, Proverb 17:19

It is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel. Proverbs 20:3

Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. Proverbs 26:20

To be a Christian, we are not to be angry with others but rather be gentle and patient. That is what it says in the second part of that verse we are considering (Proverbs 15:18) “he who is slow to anger quiets contention”.

Contention

The word “Contention” means disagreement. It comes from people arguing over something. They have opposing arguments in relation to an issue. It can be very easy for people to get hot-tempered and become angry with each other when there is disagreement about something.

Slow to anger

The verse we are considering gives advice on how strife can be avoided – “he who is slow to anger quiets contention”. We are to control our anger and not let it well up quickly within us.

The greatest example of one being slow to anger is the Lord God.

The words of the prophet Joel in Joel 2:13

Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.

The words of the prophet Jonah in Jonah 4:2

So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.

These words in Exodus 34:6-7 are very well known amongst Christians and quoted often. It is at the time, during the nation of Israel’s 40 years wandering in the wilderness, when Moses climbs Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, 

God is longsuffering which means that because of His goodness and tenderness, He is not easily irritated, but is merciful and kind. He is slow to anger. God has this patience in recognition of the weakness of humanity. It provides the opportunity for repentance and reformation by the people.

All true children of God should strive to develop this characteristic of God and then extend it to others. As Christians we should always be slow to anger – never being “hot-tempered”. This is what James teaches in chapter 1 and verses 19 to 20.

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20

In this verse James does not condemn anger altogether, but rather quick-temperedness. The reason is that when a man quickly becomes angry, he can become blind to reason and acts foolishly. He loses control of his behaviour.

Being slow to anger requires the characteristic of patience even when there might seem to be every justification for the anger. Thoughtfulness and faith in God will help to develop the virtue of patience in all circumstances. This is a virtue which is worth developing as it suggests in Proverbs 19:11:

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 16:32 gives encouraging words about being slow to anger:

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

As the first indicates, self-control is the key to controlling your anger. Men who have conquered whole kingdoms were then defeated when they tried to control themselves. Some people try to excuse their bad temper on the ground of natural weakness, but they should accept that it really is the result of unjudged pride and impatience.

There are many examples in the Bible of people who controlled their anger and others who did not. David remained calm even when he was cursed. Nehemiah showed that he could “rule his spirit” even when the enemy tried to overcome and destroy him. Unfortunately, Samson is an example of one who could not rule his spirit.  

Paul writes these words about anger:

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 4:26-27

From Paul’s words it is evident that anger can soon lead to sin if allowed to continue and to become uncontrolled.

Conclusion

Strife is the result of the people involved – it is not the result of the matter being discussed. People cause strife. So it is up to us to not stoke the embers of the fire, but rather bring the water to put out the fire with a soft answer. We can do this by using wisdom to pacify contention.

Let us always remember that the only reasons we are offered salvation is because:

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 103:8

We are indeed very fortunate that God is slow to anger. So let us take note of the exhortation from the Lord Jesus Christ:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Psalm 103:8

In the accompanying article “Resolving conflict and disagreement”, we looked at a number of ways to resolve conflict and disagreement using the Bible as a guide. In this article we are going to look at one particular incident involving Philemon, as it teaches us a valuable lesson about how to handle conflicts or disagreements between two brothers.

This article will take the form of a case study where we will be considering the book of Philemon. It would be worth reading that short book before reading this article. It shouldn’t take long for you to read it as it only has one chapter with 25 verses.

The background behind slavery

Slaves have always been a part of the society in which men live. Slavery still exists now like it existed in the first century. Roman law in the first century had laws in relation to slaves.

Slaves had two status….slaves were persons, but in addition they were, seen as being property. So they were seen as being people but also as being property. In other words, they were owned by other people.

Paul mentions slaves in his writings, but he just about always refers to those who worked in their master’s home. Some slaves were happy but others were not. As a result, slaves sometimes took the opportunity to escape if they were sent on an errand by their master. But if the slave was recaptured he would be punished severely.

The main reason behind this severe punishment was that the lost time of an escaped slave was lost money to the slave owner. But more importantly, slaves were not cheap, and they cost a lot of money to replace. So slave owners were not happy when their slaves disappeared. But the situation would be even worse if not only did that slave escape but he stole some of his master’s property at the same time.

The man Philemon

We’ll come back to slaves in a couple of minutes but first I want to consider a man who lived in the first century. In the first century there was a city called Colossae which was in the area now occupied by modern day Turkey. The man we are going to consider lived in this city called Colossae and was a wealthy disciple of high standing in the local ecclesia. Those around him found him to be warm and of a loving nature. He was an ideal type of brother for any ecclesia and one that others could easily look up to. His name was Philemon.

Even Paul had heard of the love and faith of this brother, as he commented on those characteristics in a letter addressed to Philemon written around the year 64. We are fortunate to have a copy of this letter in our Bibles and hopefully you have by now read that letter. In verses four and five we can see what Paul thought of him.

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints,

He indeed seemed to have the virtues which a brother should have. Why did Paul write this letter to Philemon besides expressing his love towards him? Well it seems that Philemon was a slave-owner and among those slaves who worked on his property was one called Onesimus.

The escape of Onesimus the slave

This slave named Onesimus one day ran away from the property but as he ran away he stole some of Philemon’s valuables. Onesimus travelled to Rome. He went to that city because his brother Tychicus was there. Even though the Bible doesn’t specifically say they were brothers, it is implied elsewhere in the Bible. It seems that Tychicus introduced his brother to the apostle Paul. Paul taught Onesimus about the Christ and the Bible and eventually this runaway slave was baptised and became his spiritual brother and a spiritual son of God. In other words, he entered the family of God. He became a brother in the “Truth” (the Truth meaning all things related to God and his son Jesus because it is all true).

Once Onesimus was baptised he gave himself over to assisting Paul in all matters concerned with the “Truth” and he became a good brother. However, after a short while Paul learnt that Onesimus had run away from Philemon and also stolen goods from him. Paul, knew Philemon personally, he instructed Onesimus to go back and submit himself to his master and ask for forgiveness, because of what Onesimus had done to Philemon.

Paul did this for two reasons. Firstly, he knew that Roman law stated that people were not allowed to harbor escaped slaves and if they did harbor them there were serious penalties. Secondly, Paul did it to try to reconcile the two brothers in the Truth. Paul knew that by Roman law Philemon could punish Onesimus severely, but he also knew that because Philemon was a brother in Christ, that Onesimus should have little to fear.

The meeting of Philemon and Onesimus

So Onesimus returned to Philemon with a letter written by Paul. We read this letter a few moments ago as it is recorded in the Book of Philemon.

It would have been interesting to have known what Onesimus was thinking as he travelled towards where Philemon lived. He would have felt some reassurance from what Paul had said.  But he would also have been thinking that Philemon is a man who he not only run away from when he was a slave but who he had also stolen from.

At the same time, it would be interesting to know what Philemon was thinking. When Philemon met Onesimus he may have initially felt his anger well up inside him. Here was a man walking towards him who had cost him a lot of money in stolen goods. Also Philemon probably wasted a lot of time and money finding a replacement slave.

This runaway slave now stood before him. But there was something special about this meeting. Onesimus held in his hand a letter from Philemon’s good friend Paul. Paul would have been like a spiritual father to Philemon. In this letter which we have a copy of in our Bible, we see Paul pleading the cause of the runaway slave. Paul urged Philemon to be reconciled to his slave and to receive him as a brother and fellow member of God’s family.

The meaning of reconciliation

Reconciliation means reestablishing relationships. And the best example of this is Christ reconciling the believer to God. He also helps believers reconcile to others. Many barriers come between people whether it be race, being male or female, social status, or personality differences. But Christ can break down all of these barriers.  And here is a great example. Jesus Christ changed Onesimus relationship to Philemon from a slave to a brother in the family of God. What a wonderful change or transformation. The same transformation can happen to us. Christ can likewise transform our most hopeless relationships into deep and loving friendships.

Using tact to reconcile

So this is what Paul is attempting to do in this letter – he is attempting to reconcile two brothers. As we consider him doing this we have an invaluable example of “tact”. To have “tact” means you have the skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues. Tact is the ability to avoid upsetting or offending people by being careful not to say or do things that would hurt their feelings.

We have an amazing example of tact recorded in this letter from Paul to Philemon!!

In his letter to Philemon, Paul makes a gentle plea for forgiveness of any alleged wrongs which this slave did to him. He then requested that if Philemon found it in his heart to forgive, then he should bring Onesimus back into his household. This way Onesimus could enjoy future affection from Philemon.  

Paul was so careful in this plea that he left Philemon plenty of scope to display the amount of generosity towards Onesimus that he felt he wanted to show. Paul didn’t pressure Philemon to do anything that he didn’t want to do.  In other words, Paul didn’t want to force Philemon to take back this slave. He left it up to this brother in Christ to show his love voluntarily.

Look at how Paul tactfully expresses himself. In verses ten to eighteen we read his amazing thoughtful words.

I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.

Paul showed outstanding skill in advocating the cause of Onesimus: He combined courtesy, dignity, generosity, prudence, affection and friendship.

So we learn from this letter that as believers we must show tact in all things. When we talk to other believers we should develop the ability to avoid upsetting or offending people by being careful not to say or do things that would hurt their feelings. We need to show tact.

Paul used his tact to bring out the love of Philemon and in so doing, this brought out the devotion of Onesimus. He knew the character of the brethren concerned, and tactfully and with confidence, brought out their finest qualities. Paul encouraged Onesimus to seek forgiveness and he encouraged Philemon to give it willingly. And if both did this, they would become reconciled in Christ. That is the thing which we all strive to do.

Galatians 3: 28 has these words:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

So the best way to reconcile ourselves one to another is to remember that we are all equal in God’s eyes. One is not greater than the other. We are all equal. Paul used great tact in delivering this message to Philemon – something we must also do when we interact with other believers. Sometimes there may be a disagreement between us. This is when we use tact to gently reconcile ourselves and overcome those differences.

Facing up to our obligations

As well as learning from this letter how to use tact in our relationship with other believers, we also learn another lesson. Onesimus learnt this second lesson. He learnt that he must face up to the obligations of life as a baptised believer. He had become a baptised brother in Christ whilst in Rome and it was up to him to go and seek forgiveness from Philemon for past wrongs.

The same goes for those of us who have been baptised. We cannot assume that everything is okay because we are a baptised believer. We must constantly ask for forgiveness for our sins, strive to overcome any temptations we face and generally try to grow in Christ. These are the obligations we face and we cannot assume that they will somehow correct themselves because we are a baptised believer.

Christ faced up to all the obligations he had to meet. He knew he had to die so that others might receive eternal life. He had an obligation to fulfil and he did not try to avoid carrying out the obligation.

Onesimus had an obligation to go and see Philemon to seek forgiveness for his past deeds so he went and did it because he was a baptised brother of Christ.

And We have an obligation to seek forgiveness of our sins and to attempt to overcome any future temptations.

Let us think of the lessons we have learnt in this article which are revealed through Paul, Philemon and Onesimus.

Through Paul it was revealed that we must show tact in all things we do. There are times in life where we may come into a situation of conflict or disagreement. Let’s try to resolve the issue by being gentle and using tact in our words.

Onesimus learned that he must face up to the obligations of life. Being a baptised brother or sister in Christ does not mean we can ignore obligations we have in life. We must constantly ask for forgiveness for our sins, strive to overcome any temptations we face and generally try to grow in Christ.

And ofcourse the central lesson of this letter is reconciliation. We have to reconcile ourselves to our fellow believers always ensuring there is nothing but love coming between us. We must also be continually reconciled to the Lord God by asking for forgiveness of our sins. It is only in this way that we will be reconciled to God.

What exactly is a conflict? The Cambridge dictionary says it is an active disagreement between people with opposing opinions or principles. Therefore, it is a serious disagreement or argument between two parties. It is a struggle or clash between opposing forces. The Oxford dictionary says it is a fight, struggle, collision or clash over opposing principles. From these definitions it is clear what we are talking about.

In summary then, conflicts can take the form of an argument or disagreement with the other party involving ideas, interests, etc.  Sometimes the use of words to express opposing views can escalate to an actual physical altercation involving physical aggression, force or contact.

Examples of conflict

Conflict is part of human life. There would not be a human in existence who has not had a conflict of some form with someone else at some stage in their life. For some it may be a minor disagreement, for others it was a major conflict which lead to severe consequences. 

There may be a conflict in the workplace between one person and a colleague about the best way to move forward on a project. Or it may be ongoing disagreement between an employee and his/her boss where they feel they have been unfairly criticised. It could be conflict between parents over what is best for their children. It could be conflict on the sports field where one team thinks the opposing team have broken the rules of the game. It could be conflict on the road where a driver has been cut off in his lane by another driver and this has led to a angry confrontation between them. There can be conflict between nations over land, religion, politics or even a historical grievance that has never been resolved. Conflicts can arise from internal competition for power among a nation’s leadership. The list goes on of situations where there is the potential for conflict between humans.

What does the Bible have to say about conflict and disagreement?

If we look through the pages of the Bible, just about all the greatest of the Bible men and women had conflict in their lives. King David had conflict with Saul, Moses had conflict with Pharaoh and the disobedient people of Israel, Jesus had conflicts with religious leaders, the Romans and even his own disciples.

Avoiding conflict through understanding the other side

Conflicts can be avoided by negotiating with the other party. Try to avoid assuming the worst about the intentions of others as this will only bring more trouble. Speak to the other party and hear the whole story. Understand the issue from their point of view and then be prepared to negotiate with them to come to a satisfactory conclusion of the matter.

An example of conflict being avoided through understanding the issue from the other party’s side is found in Joshua chapter 22 and verses 9 to 34. It is worth reading the whole passage to understand what took place. The tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar at the Jordan River. The remainder of Israel feared that these tribes were rebelling against God and gathered to make war against them. Phinehas the son of Eleazer the priest along with others came to people of Reuben/Gad/Manasseh to learn the truth. They said to the others:

Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord? Joshua 22:16

Phinehas was prepared to understand the thinking of the other side and then negotiate rather than fight a battle.  The people of Reuben and Gad pleaded their innocence.

Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.”’ Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!” Joshua 22:28-29

The altar had been built as a memorial rather than for pagan sacrifice. It was a misunderstanding between the two sides. As a result, war was averted and unity restored.

To resolve conflicts we would do well to take a similar approach. Assuming the worst about the intentions of others will only bring more trouble. Israel avoided war by simply speaking to the Reuben/Gad people. Hear the whole story before making assumptions.

Conflicts can be avoided by finding a common goal

In 2 Samuel chapter 2 we are told of the events leading to a long war between David’s followers and the troops loyal to Abner and Ish-bosheth. David was king of Judah and Ish-bosheth was made king of Israel.

There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. 2 Samuel 3:1

This civil war caused a lot of misery across the country with a great cost to both sides. If we consider this carefully we can see that this war occurred because Israel and Judah had lost sight of God’s vision and purpose.  His purpose had been to:

To settle the land (Genesis 12:7)

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

To drive out the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:1-4)

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you,…

To obey God’s law (Deuteronomy 8:1)

The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers.

Instead of coming together to accomplish these goals, they were fighting each other. When you are in conflict with someone, step back from the disagreement and consider whether you and the other party have common goals that are bigger than your differences. Focus on the common goals to work out a way to settle the differences which you disagree over.

Conflicts can be avoided by remembering their source.

Conflicts and disputes among believers are always harmful. James explains that these quarrels come from evil passions battling within us. We want more possessions, more money, higher status, more recognition.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. James 4:1-3

When we have desire for a passion or pleasure badly enough, we will fight, in order to get it. Instead of aggressively grabbing what we want, we should submit ourselves to God. Pray about getting rid of our selfish desires, and trust him to give us what we really need. If we do this then we can avoid a lot of conflict in our lives.

This is what Abraham did in the conflict with Lot in Genesis chapter 13 and verses 8 and 9:

Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

Abraham wanted to avoid conflict with Lot so he gave Lot first choice as to which land he could take. Instead of grabbing the land that he wanted, Abraham put the peace of the family ahead of his personal desires.

The advice of Paul on conflict

Paul gave some very sound advice to Timothy about conflict and disputes.

But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:23-26

The believer is being encouraged to not foolishly argue but rather be gentle, patient and humble in speaking to those of the other party.

Gentleness, patience and humility are not always those qualities which come to the fore in our dealings with our families or each other, never mind those out in the world, but their application in our lives can speak louder than a multitude of words!

For more on resolving conflict, please refer to the accompanying article in this series: Resolving conflict and disagreement – the Philemon case study. It tells of what Paul did to avoid conflict between two brothers.

So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 2 Kings 5:14

The little Israelite maid

Naaman was a commander of the Syrian army. We are told in verse 1 that by him the Lord God had given victory to Syria. The King of Syrian saw Naaman as a great man and as a result he had high favour with the king. Therefore, he was a mighty man who had been successful in battle but he was also a leper. In one of the raids on the land of Israel the army had captured a little girl and brought her back to Syria. She was given to Naaman’s wife to help as a maid. Noticing that Naaman had leprosy she said to her mistress:

“Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings Ch.5:3

Naaman’s wife told Naaman about this and as a result Naaman decided he needed to go to the land of Israel to be cured. He told the king of Syria about this and the king sent a letter to the king of Israel.

A little girl’s faith

Naaman appears to have ruled his own house well, so that this young girl became so content in her captivity that she could think a practical thought for the mistress’s leprous husband. Indeed we know how Naaman conducted himself, for God took note of him and of his incapacity and was moved to heal him.

The little girl had been taken from her family’s house in Israel and was now a slave in a foreign land. She must have been fearful initially. However, in her distress, she could recall with pride, and with faith and confidence, God’s prophet who was in Samaria. What is even more amazing is that her confidence was so absolute that she was believed by others.

But how did she know that Elisha could heal a leper when she said so confidently:

“Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings Ch.5:3

What is clear is that she knew that Elisha was a prophet of her Lord and that in that capacity he was a manifestation of God Himself and thus all-powerful. She had faith in this servant of the Lord God.

It is also a compliment to this little girl’s reputation in her new household that her wholehearted belief in what she had said was accepted as truth by her mistress and was passed on to the mistress husband, Naaman.  Naaman in turn was so convinced by her that he approached the king, his master!

We can just imagine how this girl from a foreign land would have been questioned by her mistress. Maybe she was also questioned by others in the household. Naaman may have also called her into his presence and asked her about this prophet she had such faith in. Ofcourse the king also had to be convinced. But what we know is that the king was so moved by what he heard that he sent a valuable present to the king of Israel of ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels.

The king was so confident about the outcome that he also wrote a letter to the king of Israel.

“When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:6

The king was anxious to see his brave officer restored to good health.  

Naaman travels to Elisha’s house

Naaman travels to the land of Israel. In Israel, Naaman was directed to Elisha. Elisha was a man of God and a prophet and he is the one who the little maid had been thinking could cure Naaman. He arrives at the prophet Elisha’s house in all his splendour with his attendants, his horses and chariots. 2 Kings chapter 5 and verse 10 tells us what happened next:

And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 2 Kings 5:10

Naaman was offended. He misunderstood how the power of God operates to heal the mental and physical illnesses of men and women. Naaman felt that at least Elisha himself should have come out of his house and appeared to him. He also was angry because he was told to wash and be clean in the Jordan River. To him it was an insignificant stream when compared to the mighty rivers of Damascus!

As he travelled to Elisha’s house he may have built up expectations as to how this prophet would cure him. Now he was outside Elisha’s house, he may have been wondering why this prophet didn’t come to him and strike the leprosy from his body. So Naaman was disappointed, and was preparing to return to Syria without going to the Jordan.

But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 2 Kings 5:11

From this verse we also learn that leprosy was not all over Naaman but only in a certain area – “over the place”.

Naaman is cured

One of the officers of Naaman spoke with him about his plan to not do as Elisha had said.

But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 2 Kings 5:13

The wise counsel made sense to Naaman so he humbled himself and did what Elisha had said to him. He bathed seven times in the River Jordan. His faith and obedience brought its reward – the leper was cleansed.

He returned to Elisha and thanked him. Thankfulness is all important as Jesus showed when only one of the ten lepers of Israel that he cured returned to thank him. Refer to Matthew chapter 17 and verses 11 to 19 to read more about this episode in Jesus life.

Naaman, truly, was the recipient of a great blessing. Christ emphasised this in Luke chapter 4 verse 27:

And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

Why was he given this great honour? Did God favour Naaman for a particular action? We don’t know. It is unlikely that Naaman had shown special kindness to his captives. But perhaps it was the little maiden who formed so important a link in the carrying through of this particular chain of events. Such would be quite in harmony with the God’s statement concerning Israel:

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse. Genesis 12:3

What is clear is that after the initial problems at Elisha’s house Naaman had shown faith and obedience in following Elisha’s instructions.

Obeying the directions of the Lord God

If we want to become sons and daughters of the living God then we must come to Him through the way he has indicated.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16

We become the living God’s sons and daughters by accepting His Gospel and being baptised into the sin covering name of Jesus. There is no other way to identify ourselves with God. The leprosy of sin is only removable by God’s set way. This is a lesson that Naaman had to learn.