Low Blow

Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. (Isaiah 58:4)

1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. (Acts 23:1-2)

14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: (Philippians 1:14-15)

These passages are connected to the word "smite" in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. In one passage we see a man misusing his power from God to hurt God's servant. In the other we see men using the hurt of God's servant to spread his message. I can imagine Paul today, having his sermons parodied on YouTube, and even this bringing souls into the kingdom. Why isn't that kind of thing happening? I guess it's basically because we are not really doing anything worth mocking or persecuting.

In Isaiah 58:4 we find that God's people are fasting in order to punch someone unjustly. This could be literal, but when I read it I picture a professed believer fasting in order to score points in a debate. It is good to pray and fast together to resolve a debate. But not to use these sacred things as tools to manipulate the outcome of the debate.

There are many ways we can manipulate the church using good words and fair speeches (Rom 16:18). "Don't you want to help the starving children?" is not a good reason to sanction entertainment that is contrary to God's commandments, regardless of what it is raising funds for. "We can be a witness to them." is not a good reason to invite teachers of lies into God's church. These or similar lines of argument are used so often that they are almost a fact of life. But they always hurt, because they force those who will be faithful to God to appear devoid of feeling. If you relate to this then beware the danger that you do may actually become hardened in reality, and that is a perilous thing. You will need to be very generous to compensate for the false giving you need to abstain from.

If I do church God's way and it succeeds; then God gets the credit (glory). If I do church any other way and succeed; I get the credit and I betray God. I want to labour for God's cause in God's way.