Educated Hate
Being Scholarly should come with humility and love.
Our thoughts,
We've been long enough in the church now to recognize brethren of high reputation, well known and respected to many, scholarly, knowing the law in all its elaborate details, proclaiming and defending the rules with boldness, be, or associate themselves with, evil workers, unwilling to discern the difference between Diotrephes and Demetrius. How can such a thing be true among certain Brethren of exceeding education? Should the academics of the law be more than sufficient? No. The widow's mite had more weight than all the cunning "welldoers" of the congregation. A few reasons are loyalty to cloth over Christ, pride, selfish ambition, and the followership of the "brotherhood" cliques.
Dear saints, just because he "knows the Bible" doesn't make Diotrephes a "sound gospel preacher." These kinds in the church ravage the local assembly and cause much sorrow; they are without empathy, remorse, or care. This sad portion of our reality is a fact of our spiritual walk we've had to persevere through, for we see it play out every day on social media, otherwise knowledgeable brethren, siding with wolves in sheep's clothing.
"and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." - Paul.
The cure? The love of Christ, "spirit and truth," humility, compassion, forgiveness, and the willingness to learn and grow.
One day, the deceivers' names will be publicly reported, brought to God as the Judge, and shame will come upon all who supported divisive sources; till then, we remain focused on the work and His goal.
Your servant,
SM