Fight the good fight of the faith. The Christian life is the active life. Sin does not just leave us alone, we have to flee from it. And we are also told to pursue righteousness and other good things including gentleness.
To say we must pursue it implies we are not perfect at it right away—there is more room for growth. This verse is showing us that sin will try to keep us back from spiritual growth, but we have to fight for it! Public speakers face a particularly tough test when it comes to gentleness. If you are verbally questioned, having your ideas questioned in front of other people, you will be tempted to prove your rightness by showing your strength.
You will be tempted to yell, to ridicule, to make fun, or other sinful things. But where does our power really come from? Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
In the last verse and in this one, we see that the biblical response to evil and suffering is gentleness. Gentleness is powerful enough to convert a person to Christ, while unrighteous anger and spite may only drive them farther away!
By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
And we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat.
We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
I urge you, then, be imitators of me. Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words? Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever? And especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones,. Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.
Contact me: openbibleinfo at gmail. How would you know? Gentleness, or meekness , is often defined by culture as softness, usually implying weakness. Christians sometimes define it as controlled strength. But Wilhelmus a Brakel points us to a description more consistent with the New Testament uses of the term. In short, gentle people are approachable people. Meek people have something worth communicating or transferring to the souls of others, and they work to do so.
In the New Testament, gentleness usually has to do with communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Gentle people reach out to others in ways that make others want to reach out to them. You can read my full affiliate disclosure here.
Gentleness is the quality or characteristic of being kind, tender, mild-mannered, compassionate, and considerate. To be gentle means that you show love and care for others in the way you act and speak.
To have gentleness is to have a gentle spirit or nature about you. In the Old Testament, gentleness is illustrated in the bible as a stream or river Isaiah and also to a shepherd caring for his flock of lambs Isaiah God himself spoke to Elijah as a gentle whisper 1 Kings From these examples of gentleness in the bible, we can picture a soft touch, calm reassurance, and a loving hand.
That is, gently parent my children the way Jesus would. Paul then continues to model gentleness in the way he preaches 1 Thes and 1 Cor These great examples of gentleness help us to see practically what that looks like in everyday life.
There is a strong connection in the bible between gentleness and the power of words. Proverbs indicates that gentle words turn away wrath and are a tree of life Proverbs ,4.
These verses can be applied to any relationship or interaction with have with others. The power of our words can be life-giving and diffuse a tense situation. It is important to remember that as Christians we are called to more than this. In sharing the good news of the gospel we are to do so with gentleness and respect 1 Peter In doing so we will win over those who hear us. Other faithful followers found this to be true Job , 2 Timothy We are to be calm and respectful when speaking with others.
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