Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers
Bonhoeffer-'The Word recognizes opposition when it meets it, and is prepared to suffer it. It is a hard lesson but a true one, that the gospel, unlike an ideology, reckons with impossibilities .
The disciples can even yield their ground and run away, provided they do so with the Word, provided their weakness is the weakness of the Word, and provided they do not leave the Word in the lurch in their flight. They are simply the servants and instruments of the Word; they have no wish to be strong where the Word chooses to be weak. To try and force the Word on the world by hook or crook is to make the Word of God into a mere idea, and the world would be perfectly justified in refusing to listen to an idea for which it had no use.
But at other times, the disciples must stick to their guns and refuse to run away, though of course only when the Word so wills. If they do not realize this weakness of the Word, they have failed to perceived the mystery of the divine humility. The same weak Word which is content to endure the gainsaying of sinners is also the mighty Word of mercy which can convert the hearts of sinners. Its strength is veiled in weakness; if it came in power that would mean that the day of judgment had arrived. The great task of the disciples is to recognize the limits of their commission. But if they use the Word amiss it will certainly turn against them.
What are the disciples to do when they encounter opposition and cannot penetrate the hearts of men? They must admit that in no circumstances do they possess any rights or powers over others, and that they have no direct access to them. The only way to reach others is through him in whose hands they are themselves like all other men.'
My thoughts-
Act 17:5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
Act 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
Act 17:7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
Act 17:8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
Act 17:9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
Act 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Act 14:5 And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,
Act 14:6 They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:
Act 14:7 And there they preached the gospel.
Jesus said- 'Mat 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another…'
*******
Sent away, fled- these are men of God, appointed to spread the word of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Bonhoeffer speaks of the Word being weak why is it that I cannot help but shudder at the thought? I understand what He's saying, but something in me just wants to shout that the Word is power unto salvation in Jesus Christ, how can it ever be weak. But this weakness he's speaking of is a knowledgeable weakness of which there can be NO shame. It is just as a child is not expected to have the strength of the adult, you don't feel shame as a child because it is something that is factual. A sick person cannot believe they should be strong when in truth their illness has taken that from them. Should they feel shame over something out of their control? The weakness of the gospel only means that it is NOT something that can be FORCED, not ever! It is not a power that uses evil in any way to become strong. It is LOVE and the power in the Word comes from Jesus Christ who WILLINGLY laid down His LIFE! Was He weak when He did that?! Those crucifying Him thought so. They mocked Him, they told Him if He truly were the Son of God to take Himself off the cross.
Luk 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
Luk 23:36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
Luk 23:37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
They clearly thought HIM weak, in fact the weakest of the weak possessing none of the power of the Father. Was He weak? NO!
The moral strength, the love strength that it took for our Savior to allow Himself to die, He who was GOD, IMMORTAL; He who could call ten thousand angels to save Him, it took everything He possessed to endure the painful, humiliating, crucifixion. The strength of His character, of the LOVE that God alone possesses was so intense that to call our Savior weak for enduring the cross would be totally ludicrous.
The Word of God is not weak in the sense men account weakness, but it will NOT be misused, it will NOT be forced upon anyone whatsoever! The love that is in the Word of God cannot be forced on others, and if people associate that with an inferior weakness they are mistaken. When Bonhoeffer says that the disciples can even run away as long as they do so with the WORD, He comprehends that it is NOT weakness to leave the place where the Word of God is rejected. The weakness comes when someone stays and tries to force the Word of God on those who are not inclined to it.
We have to be ever ready -
1Pe_3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear
But we are NOT to force others to listen, we are not to give answers where no one is asking for the reason. We can try to open the Word of God to others, but never argue it believing if only WE could convince them they'd understand, if only we could talk at them long enough the light would dawn on them. We cannot believe that we must wear people down so that they accept the Word falsely just to get us to shut up.
Truly it is the Holy Spirit who will convict the hearts NEVER US! We will NEVER, EVER convict a single heart of truth. Only the TRUTH can do that, and Jesus is that TRUTH!
The lyrics to this song impressed me a bit today, and the part where it reads 'The spirit inside is the spirit who brought the Son back to life' or something along those lines, really brings it home that it is NEVER us doing any good inside of us but the Spirit living in US, it is NOT by our own power we do anything good and we can't fool ourselves and believe it is. Only by the Spirit of Christ living in us do we do anything remotely good, and that good is simply our SUBMISSION to the Spirit, allowing Him to live in us all by the GRACE and MERCY of our GOD! All because our SAVIOR died so we could LIVE in HIM, through HIM- literally! Truly literally, a real living force living within us through HIM.
It's exhausting trying to do good and it should be, because we have to realize it's Christ in US that does the good, and we are NOT ever supposed to take any credit for doing any good. There is a great danger in our believing we've achieved some sort of level of goodness, all the goodness is CHRIST in US, all glory and power, all honor and praise, all thanksgiving to our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
We must YIELD to Christ, this isn't a suggestion but a fact, a real fact.
Please LORD, help us yield to YOU!
All in You, all through YOU!
Bonhoeffer-'The Word recognizes opposition when it meets it, and is prepared to suffer it. It is a hard lesson but a true one, that the gospel, unlike an ideology, reckons with impossibilities .
The disciples can even yield their ground and run away, provided they do so with the Word, provided their weakness is the weakness of the Word, and provided they do not leave the Word in the lurch in their flight. They are simply the servants and instruments of the Word; they have no wish to be strong where the Word chooses to be weak. To try and force the Word on the world by hook or crook is to make the Word of God into a mere idea, and the world would be perfectly justified in refusing to listen to an idea for which it had no use.
But at other times, the disciples must stick to their guns and refuse to run away, though of course only when the Word so wills. If they do not realize this weakness of the Word, they have failed to perceived the mystery of the divine humility. The same weak Word which is content to endure the gainsaying of sinners is also the mighty Word of mercy which can convert the hearts of sinners. Its strength is veiled in weakness; if it came in power that would mean that the day of judgment had arrived. The great task of the disciples is to recognize the limits of their commission. But if they use the Word amiss it will certainly turn against them.
What are the disciples to do when they encounter opposition and cannot penetrate the hearts of men? They must admit that in no circumstances do they possess any rights or powers over others, and that they have no direct access to them. The only way to reach others is through him in whose hands they are themselves like all other men.'
My thoughts-
Act 17:5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
Act 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
Act 17:7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
Act 17:8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
Act 17:9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
Act 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Act 14:5 And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,
Act 14:6 They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:
Act 14:7 And there they preached the gospel.
Jesus said- 'Mat 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another…'
*******
Sent away, fled- these are men of God, appointed to spread the word of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Bonhoeffer speaks of the Word being weak why is it that I cannot help but shudder at the thought? I understand what He's saying, but something in me just wants to shout that the Word is power unto salvation in Jesus Christ, how can it ever be weak. But this weakness he's speaking of is a knowledgeable weakness of which there can be NO shame. It is just as a child is not expected to have the strength of the adult, you don't feel shame as a child because it is something that is factual. A sick person cannot believe they should be strong when in truth their illness has taken that from them. Should they feel shame over something out of their control? The weakness of the gospel only means that it is NOT something that can be FORCED, not ever! It is not a power that uses evil in any way to become strong. It is LOVE and the power in the Word comes from Jesus Christ who WILLINGLY laid down His LIFE! Was He weak when He did that?! Those crucifying Him thought so. They mocked Him, they told Him if He truly were the Son of God to take Himself off the cross.
Luk 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
Luk 23:36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
Luk 23:37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
They clearly thought HIM weak, in fact the weakest of the weak possessing none of the power of the Father. Was He weak? NO!
The moral strength, the love strength that it took for our Savior to allow Himself to die, He who was GOD, IMMORTAL; He who could call ten thousand angels to save Him, it took everything He possessed to endure the painful, humiliating, crucifixion. The strength of His character, of the LOVE that God alone possesses was so intense that to call our Savior weak for enduring the cross would be totally ludicrous.
The Word of God is not weak in the sense men account weakness, but it will NOT be misused, it will NOT be forced upon anyone whatsoever! The love that is in the Word of God cannot be forced on others, and if people associate that with an inferior weakness they are mistaken. When Bonhoeffer says that the disciples can even run away as long as they do so with the WORD, He comprehends that it is NOT weakness to leave the place where the Word of God is rejected. The weakness comes when someone stays and tries to force the Word of God on those who are not inclined to it.
We have to be ever ready -
1Pe_3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear
But we are NOT to force others to listen, we are not to give answers where no one is asking for the reason. We can try to open the Word of God to others, but never argue it believing if only WE could convince them they'd understand, if only we could talk at them long enough the light would dawn on them. We cannot believe that we must wear people down so that they accept the Word falsely just to get us to shut up.
Truly it is the Holy Spirit who will convict the hearts NEVER US! We will NEVER, EVER convict a single heart of truth. Only the TRUTH can do that, and Jesus is that TRUTH!
The lyrics to this song impressed me a bit today, and the part where it reads 'The spirit inside is the spirit who brought the Son back to life' or something along those lines, really brings it home that it is NEVER us doing any good inside of us but the Spirit living in US, it is NOT by our own power we do anything good and we can't fool ourselves and believe it is. Only by the Spirit of Christ living in us do we do anything remotely good, and that good is simply our SUBMISSION to the Spirit, allowing Him to live in us all by the GRACE and MERCY of our GOD! All because our SAVIOR died so we could LIVE in HIM, through HIM- literally! Truly literally, a real living force living within us through HIM.
It's exhausting trying to do good and it should be, because we have to realize it's Christ in US that does the good, and we are NOT ever supposed to take any credit for doing any good. There is a great danger in our believing we've achieved some sort of level of goodness, all the goodness is CHRIST in US, all glory and power, all honor and praise, all thanksgiving to our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
We must YIELD to Christ, this isn't a suggestion but a fact, a real fact.
Please LORD, help us yield to YOU!
All in You, all through YOU!
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