Philippians 2:12-18, Let’s Dialogue! Or Not! (2)

·       Lk 3:15(v): people mused whether John was the Christ or not.  Again, we must say that this is a good discussion to have.  But the outcome will be determined by pride.  Later (Luke 7:29-30) it would be noted that those commonly called “sinners” (even the tax collectors) justified God by being baptized by John; the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God and thus rejected John’s ministry.  And by the way, note the NKJV translation here, “muse.”  To me that refers to a dialogue that you might not consider essential to complete, on a subject not so important.  So we “muse” about it.  That’s a potential problem with dialogue.

·       Lk 5:22(n): Jesus asked the scribes, What do you reason in your hearts? (about the paralytic).  Revealer of hearts.  No secrets permitted.

·       Lk 9:46,47(nn): A dispute arose among the disciples about who was greatest (again). Jesus knowing their disputing used a child to illustrate humility.

·       Luke 12:17(v): The rich fool reasoned w/self about what to do w/crops.  Again, he needed to get outside of himself because his reasonings were faulty.

·       Lk 20:14(v): The people reasoned, "This is the heir; let's kill him ..."  Here’s one of those places where Jesus reveals hearts.  People who reject Christ might not say they want to kill Him, but actually that is what their thoughts mean. 

·       Lk 24:38(n): Jesus appeared in the upper room after His resurrection: "why do thoughts arise in your hearts?"  Having seen the risen Christ, there should be no dialogue about who Christ is and our response of worship!

We now move from the Gospels to the Epistles.  It’s all negative here.

·       Rom 1:21(n): The thoughts of the wicked became vain / futile.  Given the sinfulness of people, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit by God’s grace, their dialogues never come out good.  Sinful dialogue will often try to find a “third way” so to speak, a compromise or way out.  But since no man can serve two masters, the thoughts of those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness will always be empty, non-satisfying to the soul.

·       Rom 14:1(n): To the church in Rome Paul said, don't receive the weak in faith for purpose of quarrels about reasonings (arguments).

·       1 Cor 3:20(n): the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are vain.  Again, it’s the thoughts of the natural man.

·       Phil 2:14(n): Do everything w/o complaining or arguing.  These dialogues have no place in the Church, Christ’s tool for building up believers.

·       1 Tim 2:8(n): Men are to lift up holy hands without anger or disputing.

·       Jas 2:4(n): Those partial against the poor have become judges with evil thoughts.

Interesting, isn’t it?  Once we come to Christ, and place ourselves under the authority of the word of God, dialogue is a problem.