“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pititul, be courteous.”
Having been involved in church work for fifty-six years, twenty-seven as a pastor, twenty-three as a Director of Missions, working with churches in an association, then about one year as an interim pastor, then finally serving a church for two years, I am qualified to say that “living in harmony” is a real need in churches. Peter tells us how to live in harmony in this verse. First, he told them to have compassion for each other. This doesn’t mean to just tolerate each other. To have real compassion, frankly, we have to have the mind of Christ and also heed to have the pull of the Holy Spirit. We can get awfully callous in our treatment of each other in churches. I had to watch this in my own heart as a pastor and as a Director of Missions. I had to deal with this in the treatment of church members with each other. Having real compassion for each other, will make us careful how we treat each other. Second, he told them to love as brothers/sisters. In a real sense, a church is like a big family. This means that we are joined together in the family of God by the blood of Jesus, which makes it necessary for us to love one another as brothers and sisters. Sometimes with brothers and sisters we have to overlook some personality quirks. This is true of brothers and sisters in church. Sometimes with brothers and sisters we have to just accept them because we have the same father and mother. We have to accept each other as brothers and sisters because we have the same Savior. (I might also add that Peter was not joking or speaking lightly about this matter.) Third, he told them to “be pitiful and be courteous.” “Pitiful” can be translated as “humble.” We are to act in common courteousy with our brothers and sisters in church. Sometimes we just have to “get off of our high horse” as problems arise in churches and be humbly courteous. This would sure curtail a lot of church fusses. You just have to agree with Peter’s reasoning. Think of your own relationships with people in your church. Are you really in harmony with them? Do you have compassion for them? Do you love them as brothers and sisters in Christ? Are you humbly courteous in your dealings with them? If your church was like you, would your church be in harmony? Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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September 2021
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