Dismembering The Body

I recently received an e-mail from an Orthodox brother accusing me of having a bad spirit toward the non-orthodox. He used one of my recent posts as the example. He said I have compared the non-orthodox with Hitler. No, I compared Martin Luther with Hitler in that they both hated Jews and wished for their destruction. My brother, Are not Jews non-orthodox as well? Should we stand by and say nothing to the millions of Protestants who have no idea that the origin of their faith and their separation from the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church comes from this man's loins? What you see as an attack on the non-Orthodox I see as a battle for their very souls!

A reminder of the martyrs of the faith and of the saints of old who stood their ground and then shed their blood would be beneficial for my accusing brother. If it weren't for those who grabbed the reins of the Emperor as did Athanasius or fought the Arians as did the whole of the Church, there would be no Church.

Was Jesus mean spirited when He took a whip to the non-Orthodox moneychangers in the Temple? There is such a pervasive idea in this society that confrontation is somehow unspiritual. It is the "can't we all just get along" idea. Don't offend, by all means don't offend! The scripture says,

"It is impossible but that offenses will come."

A Prophet can walk into a room saying nothing and the controlling spirits and the tainted flesh of the people present will react strongly. Is the Prophet at fault? Or could it be that this is why God has gifted him so, to expose the dark inner workings of the evil one? Thank God for those who stir up trouble in this way. Thank God for our Bishops, Metropolitans and Priests who war for our souls. I assure you they have seemed unloving and unkind to the recipients of some of their confrontations.

God bless those with differing gifts who can speak a kind, quiet word void of seeming confrontation. I too, at often times, must do the same according to the leading of the discernment of Holy Spirit. A quiet word, a gentle spirit. There is a time for that but, dare I say, "a time for peace, AND a time for war"?

It would do my brother good to understand the nature of spiritual gifts and personalities in the body of Christ, to understand his own gifts by taking this test, to restudy the spiritual gifts and the body of Christ remembering that we are all gifted according to the grace of God. We have gifts differing from one another, yet part of the same body. These gifts by nature serve different purposes in the body. Does an Exhorter take the same approach as a Prophet? In layman's terms, the fact that I may approach a matter differently from my brother does not make my approach wrong. Neither would his approach be. It is different and thank God for that. God chose Peter. Impulsive, passionate, Peter who was quick to take up the sword. God chose Paul, a persecutor by vocation. He took these brash men and molded them, but in his molding did not remove the fire in their souls nor the tenacious courage to confront lies with truth for the salvation of the souls of men. They made some mad enough to kill them.

Will my accusing brother cut off his arm? Will the body be dismembered? God forbid. Christ, in his mercy uses us all to build his Kingdom. All are needed. Christ had a perfect balance of all gifts. The same hand that healed, held a whip. Both are needed. Both are justified. Both are Christ.

Years ago, I was amazed at the tenderness of Christian Radio Talk Show host Bob Larson in dealing with his call-in audience. He was able to minister to pagans, wiccans, satanists, by giving a gentle word. He had an ability to see to the core of their wounds and bring healing balm. As the years progressed, however, Bob began to show impatience by arguing and cutting the callers down, even cutting them off and hanging up on them. It was a striking change in tone and I hurt for his callers. I have always been aware of what happens when one so gifted in using of the Sword of the Spirit to divide to the very bone and marrow, begins swinging widely and indiscriminately. He wounds and draws the blood of the very ones he is sent to heal. I confess that I must guard against such for I too am a sinner and can in every way sin. God forbid that I sin at all, but God forbid that I sin particularly in that way.

I do commit to this friend and to all JTO readers to guard my heart and words. I also ask the JTO readers to commit to pray for me. For should the sword I yield be my own, then the battle is lost. Still, isn't it amazing that God uses and chooses any of us?

Nathan (Paul)