Am I Your Enemy?

In the letters that Paul wrote to New Testament Christians, he aimed to correct various false teachings that many Christians were holding on to.

In his first letter to the church in Corinth, he corrected the false concept of divisions in the church. Paul identified the issue that there had been contentions in Chloes household. Some would say that they were of Paul, some of Apollos, and so on. However, in 1 Corinthians 1:10, Paul wrote, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

In his letter to the church in Galatia, he told the Christians there who were holding onto their Jewish heritage, that by trying to be justified according to the law, that they had fallen from grace! (cf. Gal. 5:4)

Many things that Paul shared with the church in the first century were hard to receive. He spoke boldly too. For example, how would someone in the world today respond if someone were to say, 'if anyone preaches another gospel to you, he is to be accursed!'? Paul said that very thing in Galatians 1:8, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed."

Paul spoke with boldness, but he spoke with love. Just as the title of this blog asks a question, Paul asked a question in Galatians 4:16, "Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?"

Certainly Paul was not an enemy of the first century church. Rather he wanted to help them to see the things in their lives that needed to change. Paul had direct inspiration from the Holy Spirit in order to do this too! Today, we have the full and complete revelation of God through His word, the Bible, to know what we ought to do, and what we ought not do. The Psalmist in Psalm 119:160 said, "the entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever."

Sometimes, the message of truth is not easy to receive, but it is the only thing that will set us free. Jesus said in John 8:31b-32, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Do you want to be free? Follow the one who is not your enemy.