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Thanks John. I'm glad you're here to greet
me.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 6:38
PM
Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Towards
edification
Great to have you back
-- even for a season.
a
friend
John
In a message dated 11/18/2004
4:33:05 PM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Hi all. Bill Taylor here, back from hiatus.
I have been lurking off and on
for some time now (as Lance and John and some others know). I have
anticipated posting again but have been reluctant to do so. The reason for
this has first to do with me and my responsibilities to you. I think it was
Slade -- although I am not sure, as it was several weeks ago -- who in
passing raised a question about whether or not what we at TT are doing is
"edifying" to each other. That question has stuck in my craw ever since.
This word, edify, is an interesting study. Often when it is
used in religious language, it seems to connote a wimpiness about the way we
as Christians may choose to fellowship. It's like either we are doing the
heavy work of teaching, rebuking, correcting, and instructing each other in
ways of righteousness -- you know, like we do here at TT --, or we lighten
things up to edify. My friends, the connotations are wrong. In all actuality
this is not a wimpy word -- not at all. It means to buttress or make strong,
to strengthen and build up. And when it is used in the New Testament, it
involves the entire vocation of the church. Over these last weeks I have
come to realize that edification is not just one of the things we do, as if
we stop with the heavy to edify; instead, it is why we do these other
things. Consider Paul's words to the Ephesians: "And [Christ] Himself gave
some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of
the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children,
tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but,
speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the
head -- Christ -- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what
every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part
does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in
love" (4.11-16).
It was this statement that
caused me pause. It forced me to ask myself if in my contribution I was
actually doing what it meant to edify. Were the words I was using making
Christians stronger or were they producing the negative effect of tearing
people down? Christ indeed is a master builder. I fear, some how, that I
caused him more work than I should.
I will participate again with
you now. But I want no part in weakening you. If it turns out that the
contribution my "joint supplies" does not cause growth for the edifying of
TT in love, I will cut it out. After all, it is not first your
responsibility to see that I am strengthening you.
Greetings,
Bill
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