Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good morning, fellow travelers.
Thus begins another package of possiblity and promise. I promise that your package will contain possibility. Obviously I'm just goofing around with words...and I don't really know what I'm saying. But I know that I want you to be blessed of the Lord as you process this day. So there.
Love and prayers.
Dad/Ray
Passage: Acts 8:9-40
Focus: “Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord.” Acts 8:22.
This may not be very devotional, but the passage before us prompts me to give some attention to the “ministry of rebuking.”
Firstly, let’s examine the leadership qualities of Peter in this particular confrontation with Simon the Sorcerer. Peter has come a long way since his own major failure. He has matured greatly by repentance, revelation knowledge, experience, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. He is now a man of burden to see people truly born into the family of God and filled with the Spirit. All these qualities of his new life in Christ combine to give him a holy boldness in attacking the flawed ideology presented by Simon the Sorcerer who seems inclined to promote “syncretism” (the attempt to blend Biblical Christianity with heathen paganism). Peter is not interested in wasting his time playing church games that tolerate sin, ignore Satan, and overlook selfish ambitions.
So when Simon the Sorcerer reveals his carnality and contaminated view of the Kingdom of God, Peter stands up and functions as a true church leader. He confronts Simon with truth, challenge, and warning. Peter recognizes that this man’s selfish and magical filter for processing the Gospel message is not only detrimental to Simon himself as a new believer, but poses a dangerous threat to the health of the entire local fellowship. There is no need to imagine Peter as speaking unkindly or angry or shaking his fist in Simon’s face. He simply responds to the urgency and opportunity presented and “speaks the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).
Too many church leaders would be silent. They would be afraid to hurt Simon’s feelings, or risk his anger, or discourage him in his new faith. Or they would feel prevented to speak because Simon was a local politician, a relative, or a major financial contributor. They would talk to others about him or privately pray for him. But the fact is that there was then, and still is today, a great need for church leaders, like Peter, to exercise the godly and scriptural ministry of rebuking. (See 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:13, 2:15; Gal. 6:1.)
You may not be an appointed leader in your church fellowship. But if you are a serious follower of Christ, you ARE a leader. So an important question is: What kind of leader are you? And: What kind of leader do you want to become?
“The surest way to mishandle a problem is to avoid facing up to it.”