Culture of the Kingdom
Today’s Topic: Spiritual Families: Resolving Disputes and the Role of the Spiritual Father
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21; 1 Corinthians 1; Galatians 3; Colossians 2:14-18; Ephesians 6:10-18; Philippians 3; 2 Thessalonians 2
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Resolving disputes in the Kingdom was one of the great attributes Paul had and one of the obvious reasons God chose him to be the grace to the Gentiles. Paul did not resolve issues by himself, He was counseled and led by Holy Spirit in resolving the issues in the various churches Paul wrote to. Let me show you!
The Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1)
The church at Corinth had a problem with divisions amongst them. There were spiritual households established (1 Corinthians 1:12) but the people missed that even though they belonged to different households they were still one because Christ is not divided (1 Corinthians 1:13).
The Galatians and the Colossians (Galatians 3 and Colossians 2:14-18)
The Galatians had a problem with living by the Law and not by grace and faith in Jesus Christ. They struggled with trying to keep the Law but also trying to live by faith. Paul was the chosen vessel to show them that the Law was a provision until faith would come by Jesus Christ and the Law will not and cannot save you. To the Colossians, Paul warns the Colossians not to let men judge you based on dietary practices, holy days, new moons and Sabbath days (The Law). Paul tells them that those things are a shadow, not the reality. Paul then says but the body is Christ.
The Ephesians (Ephesians 6:10-18)
The Ephesians had a problem with false god worship because they worshipped the goddess, Diana of the Ephesians. Hence Paul was sent to teach them about spiritual warfare and the armor of God. Paul taught them that you can combat this spiritual wickedness by putting on spiritual armor that will protect you and discern for you spiritual wickedness.
The Philippians (Philippians 3)
The people at Philippi had an issue of self righteousness and Paul wrote to them in chapter 3 of how He was self righteous in the Law but He counted everything a loss for the knowledge of Christ because Paul understood that after His encounter with Jesus everything He thought He knew was nothing compared to what He was learning. So He was teaching the Philippians to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It is Christ that knows you destiny and knows how to disciple you to see it’s fulfillment.
The Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 2)
The people of Thessalonica were having issues about what they were hearing about the return of the Lord and the gathering of the saints unto Him. Paul is sent to help them resolve this dispute between what they have heard and what is truth.
Now I went through all of that to show you that the spiritual father is the one who is to help resolve disputes between the sons of God. For example, my wife and I have a spiritual father. Now a spiritual father can either be a natural father or someone completely different. But if we have a dispute that spiritual father is treat us as children of God and resolve the issue as God would resolve him to resolve it. The spiritual father looks beyond the gender and the ethnicity and deals with the spirit of the individual. The spiritual father judges the matter on the basis of spiritual equality which is greater than natural family. This is why Paul understood the family of God and when the people of these nations had problems, the sent for Paul and Paul wrote to them how to resolve the problem but the words He spoke were not of Himself but of Holy Spirit. What I find to be unique about Paul is God chose Him to give advice on marriage and the order of the household, but Paul was never married. Hmm! Can we say, you do not have to have experience in an issue for God to speak through you to someone in that very situation? Nathan the prophet was not a king, but the Word of the Lord came through him to convict King David of what He did to Urriah and with Bathsheba. Do not put God in a box to think that only married people can talk to married people. Paul was not married but yet it is he that Jesus chose to teach us about marriage and the order of the home and what is expected. Spiritual fathers are to resolve disputes between the sons of God with love, correction and most of all the Word of God, spoken and/or written. The spoken Word of God is to help develop and mature our faith. The written Word of God is for our learning.
At the Father’s Service,
Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.
