Growing in Christ - Put on forgiveness
Intro
In the fable “The Emperor’s New Clothes, an unscrupulous con artist, seeking royal favor, promises to provide the emperor with an outfit of clothing that would be very special. So delicate and rare would be the fabric that the clothes would be undetectable to the touch. More importantly, they would be invisible to anyone of poor character or inferior ability. When the emperor received the empty hanger on which his new outfit was supposedly displayed, he could hardly admit not seeing the clothes without impugning his own suitability for royal office. So he admired the clothes (as did his advisors), put them on, and strutted proudly around his kingdom—stark naked!
We Christians can fall into the same trap. In the first part of Colossians 3, Paul said to “take off” practices such as fornication, lying, greed, and so forth. But the point is that we are to “put on” new practices to replace the old ones. Have we really donned those positive attitudes and actions of compassion, kindness, humility?
Sometimes the answer is “No.” Instead, we parade around showing off our new clothes of righteousness and refusing to admit the truth: that we are really naked. And we walk about, blinded to the fact that the world is snickering behind our backs because they don’t want our kind of clothes!
Bear with one another.
Bear with one another.
but he more likely intends to present these actions as the natural outgrowth of the general attitude conveyed by all five virtues together. The two commands in the verse are, of course, related, but there is also a progression. The verb “bear with” (anechomai), as the translation suggests, indicates a somewhat grudging willingness to “put up with” difficult circumstances (e.g., persecutions—2 Cor. 4:12; 2 Thess. 1:4) or people (Jesus asks, referring to an “unbelieving and perverse generation,” “how long shall I put up with you?” [Matt. 17:17; par. Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41]). In the New Testament, it is only in the closely parallel Ephesians 4:2 that “bearing with each other” is presented, as here, so positively: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Therefore, while not requiring the greatest display of Christian kindness and patience, “bearing with one another” is nevertheless a first and necessary step in establishing community. The demand acknowledges that every Christian fellowship is made up of all kinds of people and that we will accordingly sometimes find ourselves in close fellowship with people who are very different than we are. For the sake of maintaining community, we will sometimes have to “put up with” people with whom we would not normally choose to associate.
to regard w. tolerance, endure, bear with, put up with
put up with” persons who rub us the wrong way. This does not suggest that we are simply cordial towards difficult neighbors in a detached way; rather, Paul calls us to be vulnerable to grace in order to achieve newfound intimacy where hostility once existed.
put up with” persons who rub us the wrong way. This does not suggest that we are simply cordial towards difficult neighbors in a detached way; rather, Paul calls us to be vulnerable to grace in order to achieve newfound intimacy where hostility once existed. Indeed, the measure of divine grace is what Wesley called “social holiness.”
To bear with each other means to “put up with” persons who rub us the wrong way. This does not suggest that we are simply cordial towards difficult neighbors in a detached way; rather, Paul calls us to be vulnerable to grace in order to achieve newfound intimacy where hostility once existed. Indeed, the measure of divine grace is what Wesley called “social holiness.”
The pattern set by early Methodists in founding medical dispensaries, alms houses, schools, orphanages and other charities has continued through various movements of social responsibility
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience are the very characteristics of the congregation’s life
while not requiring the greatest display of Christian kindness and patience, “bearing with one another” is nevertheless a first and necessary step in establishing community. The demand acknowledges that every Christian fellowship is made up of all kinds of people and that we will accordingly sometimes find ourselves in close fellowship with people who are very different than we are. For the sake of maintaining community, we will sometimes have to “put up with” people with whom we would not normally choose to associate.
but he more likely intends to present these actions as the natural outgrowth of the general attitude conveyed by all five virtues together. The two commands in the verse are, of course, related, but there is also a progression. The verb “bear with” (anechomai), as the translation suggests, indicates a somewhat grudging willingness to “put up with” difficult circumstances (e.g., persecutions—2 Cor. 4:12; 2 Thess. 1:4) or people (Jesus asks, referring to an “unbelieving and perverse generation,” “how long shall I put up with you?” [Matt. 17:17; par. Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41]). In the New Testament, it is only in the closely parallel Ephesians 4:2 that “bearing with each other” is presented, as here, so positively: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Therefore, while not requiring the greatest display of Christian kindness and patience, “bearing with one another” is nevertheless a first and necessary step in establishing community. The demand acknowledges that every Christian fellowship is made up of all kinds of people and that we will accordingly sometimes find ourselves in close fellowship with people who are very different than we are. For the sake of maintaining community, we will sometimes have to “put up with” people with whom we would not normally choose to associate.
Forgiving one another.
① to give freely as a favor, give graciously
to cancel a sum of money that is owed
to show oneself gracious by forgiving wrongdoing, forgive, pardon
conveys the idea that forgiving others is an act of grace, freely offered, often not “deserved.”
The implication of “forgiving each other” is that there will be not a few occasions when such forgiveness will be called for, that all members will be in the situation of having to forgive or needing forgiveness at some time or other, and that on many occasions there will be blame on both sides.
The implication of “forgiving each other” is that there will be not a few occasions when such forgiveness will be called for, that all members will be in the situation of having to forgive or needing forgiveness at some time or other, and that on many occasions there will be blame on both sides.
Forgiven in Christ.
The implication of “forgiving each other” is that there will be not a few occasions when such forgiveness will be called for, that all members will be in the situation of having to forgive or needing forgiveness at some time or other, and that on many occasions there will be blame on both sides.
A community has hope of holding together and growing together only when the need for forgiveness is recognized on each side where fault has been committed and only when forgiveness is both offered and received