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Model of Correction
Paul often had to correct his brothers and sisters to protect them. If his correction ever seemed harsh, it was only because he loved them and did not want to see them enslaved by sin. He knew it would steal their joy and keep them from being productive in their mission to preach and live truth for God’s glory.
Paul did not differentiate between his brothers and sisters, but loved them equally by correcting them all when the Holy Spirit told him to. The apostle Peter was, in all respects, Paul’s big brother in the faith. Before Paul came on the scene, Peter had already accomplished much for the Kingdom. Some Christians might have been too intimidated to correct an elder in the faith, but Paul did not let Peter’s seniority stop him. He corrected Peter anyway and may have spared Peter future grief.
Paul understood the difference between conviction and guilt, conviction being the work of the Holy Spirit and guilt being the work of the Enemy. That is why he only said what needed to be said when it needed saying, no more, no less. By doing so, Paul gave the Holy Spirit room to show people where their words, actions, and attitudes did not line up with God’s will and character and to convict, or convince, them of this sin so they could repent and find relief. He became a tool of God (2 Corinthians 13:9-10).
Had Paul insisted on beating people over the head with their mistakes, he would have drowned out the Holy Spirit, made repentance seem out of reach, and become a tool of the Enemy, crippling those who were just learning how to live truth. Instead, he warned his brothers and sisters against doing just that (2 Corinthians 2:5-7).
How about you? Do you correct your brothers and sisters in Christ when they veer off course, or do you let them wander into deeper, more dangerous waters without saying a word?
Do you model God’s mercy and grace in the way you correct your brothers and sisters in Christ, or do you leave them feeling hopeless?
Do you encourage the repentant to rejoin Jesus’ mission to seek and save the lost, or do you cripple the mission by causing them to doubt their God-given eligibility?
What, if anything, needs to change? What would that look like?
About this Plan
Of all the apostles, Paul’s conversion/calling story was arguably the most notable and miraculous, his assignment to take the Gospel to the Gentiles the most unique, and the tangible results of his obedience the most impressive by human standards. Even so, Paul did not operate as a lone wolf, set apart from the pack and self-sufficient. On the contrary, this hero of the Christian faith understood the essential role his brothers and sisters played in his life and stayed connected to them even when his assignment to preach and live truth called him away for long stretches of time.
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