On Guard and Open

DEVOTION

1 CORINTHIANS

ON GUARD AND OPEN

1 Cor 16:10-11

10 If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. 11 No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.

NIV

Is there a chance the Corinthians would attack Timothy? Why should he have anything to fear from them? Why would they refuse to accept him? What can we learn from this personal note? Does it have anything for us to apply in our lives? Certainly the world was far more lawless in those days. Surely travel to foreign shores was not without possible harm. But we have nothing like that now. If a somewhat stranger comes to our fellowship we welcome him as he steps upon the stage and speaks. We embrace his ministry; we buy his cd’s or books. We make him out to be special. We send him on his way in peace and even a little better off than when he came to us. We even have the recommendation of some about his worth, his message, the value of listening to him. So then why would we need to learn anything from this passage? Of course Timothy might well be going to give them some very hard instructions about how they are to conduct themselves, and how they should develop in their fellowship. After all the corrections Paul had for them, they might not like someone else tell them more. But should we not be open to all instruction? Should we not be willing to listen? Of course we have the whole word of God, and we know if someone is giving instruction which does not comply with the word. They did not. But we should be willing to hear and even apply the principles of the truth brought to us by some traveling preacher. With the local leaders having to live among us, and are in some sense dependent on us for their jobs, they may not be so willing to speak out hard instructions of correct. It seems easy for some in the congregation to contact them with disapproval over what they said or how they are leading the church. Would we do that to some traveling preacher? Would we shun him or ride him out on a rail, because he preached the truth? It seems the truth here for us is that we should be open to instruction; open to correction, open to the Spirit in whatever form he determines to bring us the truth. Yes, be on guard against false prophets, but also be open to who God sends to us. On guard and open.