Lessons #253 and 254
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Food sacrificed to idols: knowledge and love (1 Cor 8:1-3)
1Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But the man who loves God is known by God.
In the introduction of this eighth chapter of 1 Corinthians, we indicated that there are three declarations that are contained in it. A first declaration derived from verses 1 to 3 is that dealing with food sacrificed to idols requires differentiating knowledge and love. The second is that dealing with food sacrificed to idols is affected by the knowledge one possesses about supernatural beings as Apostle Paul discoursed in verses 4 to 7. The third is that dealing with the subject of food sacrificed to idol is to be governed by care for the weak as we derived from verses 8 to 13. We started in our last study with the first declaration that we indicated has the message: You must temper knowledge with love when you deal with any debatable subject matter. The message contains two important concepts of knowledge and love. We considered the subject of knowledge and noted that the apostle conveyed that not every kind of knowledge puffs up but knowledge of certain quality. Subsequently, we considered examples of the type of knowledge that puffs up or causes a person to be arrogant. So, we begin our study today with the second concept of “love.”
We want to be clear that we are not going to consider the concept of love in detail at this point in our study of 1 Corinthians. This is because the apostle merely introduced the concept of love in the passage we are considering, but he dealt with it in more details in the thirteenth chapter of this epistle. So, we will give a brief treatment of the concept as it is necessary to expound our message of the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 8. Our concern is primarily with the clause of 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds up that is intended to contrast between knowledge of certain kind and love. The contrast that is intended between what certain kind of knowledge does and what love does is introduced by the conjunction “but.”
The apostle implies that love he introduced in the clause of 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds up is by enlarge to be considered almost being in a class by itself. In other words, that the love he wrote here should be considered the top of the class of all the Greek nouns that can be used to describe love or we can say that the love in view here is in a class by itself. The reason for this declaration is that the apostle used the article “the” before the Greek word that is translated “love” in our clause that we will get to shortly. You see, the recipients of the epistle were primarily Greek speaking so they would know that there were other three Greek nouns for expressing the major senses of love. The first of these other words is a Greek noun (erōs) that refers to sexual love or passionate love. This is what most people in this culture understand love to mean as can be seen on what is portrayed on the TV as love. The erotic love needs no explanation, except to say that most problems attributed to love relationships could be traced to this kind of love. The believer should remember that this can form a part of love that is advocated in the clause we are considering under one condition only – marriage bound, understood as that unique bond between a man and a woman not what people here in the West now define as marriage. This Greek word does not appear in the NT and for a good reason since the NT is concerned much more with higher form of love. This is not to say that the concept of romantic love does not appear in the Bible or that there is anything wrong with romantic love under proper condition of marriage since this Greek word is used in the Septuagint for illicit sexual relationship in Proverbs 7:18:
Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
The word “love” appears twice in this verse of Proverbs 7. The first word “love” is translated from a third Greek (philia) word we will consider shortly while the second “love” is translated from the Greek word (erōs) we said pertains to sexual love. A second of the other Greek nouns for major expression of love is a Greek word (storgē) that the authorities tell us refers either to the tender feelings that parents naturally feel toward their children or children toward their siblings and parents, or to the bond that unites husband and wife. This word does not appear in our inspired word of God although it is found in the Apocryphal of third and fourth Maccabees. A third of the other Greek nouns for major expression of love is a Greek word (philia) that again the authorities tell us is more concerned with friendship so is always characterized by a kindly attitude and goodwill. It is used in the Septuagint to contrast love and hatred in Proverbs 15:17:
Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.
However, none of these three Greek words was used by the apostle; instead, he used a different Greek word that has some uniqueness to it.
The word “love” in the clause of 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds up is translated from a Greek word (agapē) that, as we have indicated, has several uniqueness from the other three Greek words for expressing major concept of love. It is unique in its usages both in the classical Greek and in Greek Bible. Scholars in the past have stated that it does not appear in classical Greek but there is at least one doubtful occurrence of the word in classical Greek that cause some to think that the word must have been used in classical Greek literature. Because the supposed occurrence is doubtful, we could say, for all practical purposes, that the scholars who state that the word is not used in classical Greek as a word for love may indeed be correct. The first appearance of our Greek word is in the Septuagint where it is used in at least three ways. It is used for love in the sense of human passion toward another of the type once possessed by those who have died that they no longer have towards those who are alive, as it is used in the Septuagint of Ecclesiastes 9:6:
Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.
The word is used in the Septuagint to describe sexual love in Song of Solomon 3:5:
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
It is used only once in the Septuagint to describe human love for God presented in the imagery of bride’s love for the husband in the Septuagint of Jeremiah 2:2:
“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown.
These usages in the Septuagint notwithstanding, the word is used more commonly in the NT in ways that are different from its usage in the Septuagint. We say this because except for our Greek word, the only other Greek noun of the Greek words for major concept of love that we mentioned found in the NT is the Greek word (philia) that means “friendship” and it appears only once in the NT as it is used in James 4:4:
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
The Greek word (agapē) used in the clause of 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds up is used in distinctive ways in the NT. It is the Greek word that is used although in the plural to describe the common meal eaten by early church in connection with their worship, for the purpose of fostering and expressing mutual affection and concern and so means “fellowship meal, love-feast”, as it is used in Jude 12:
These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.
Our Greek word is the only Greek noun of all the Greek nouns used to express the major concept of love in Greek that is used to describe the relationship between God the Father and God the Son using the word “love” in the English as it is used in the priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus, as recorded in John 17:26:
I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
We should be careful to understand that we said that our word is the only noun that is used to express the relationship of the Father and the Son because there is a Greek verb (phileō) related to the Greek noun (philia) that is used once to describe that relationship in John 5:20:
For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.
Our Greek word (agapē) is used distinctively to express the redeeming love of God through Christ. Thus, Apostle Paul described of God’s love that is demonstrated in Christ’s death for our sins using the Greek word agapē in Romans 5:8:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The apostle used the word to describe the love of God through or because of Christ that nothing can change in Romans 8:39:
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is the redeeming love of Christ that Apostle Paul conveyed in 2 Corinthians 5:14:
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
Another distinctiveness of our Greek word is for the uniqueness of the Christian life in relation to others. Thus, it is the word the apostle used more commonly to describe the expected relationship of believers with one another. Writing to the Corinthians, he used our word to describe his unique relationship with them in terms of love, as we read in 2 Corinthians 2:4:
For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.
To the Galatians, he used our Greek word in encouraging them regarding serving one another, according to Galatians 5:13:
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
The apostle used the word in his thanksgiving to the Lord about the Ephesians for their love for one another, as we read in Ephesians 1:15:
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
It is our Greek word that Apostle Paul used to encourage the Thessalonians to demonstrate their love for each other, as stated in 1 Thessalonians 3:12:
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
The Thessalonians obeyed this instruction as implied in the second letter of the apostle to them, as we read in 2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.
Apostle Peter used our Greek word to describe the distinctive uniqueness of expression of love among believers through a special kind of kiss in 1 Peter 5:14:
Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Another distinctiveness of our Greek word is that it is the word that is used most in the NT to describe the love that God the Holy Spirit produces in the believer. Hence, Apostle Paul referenced this love that Holy Spirit produces in Romans 5:5:
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Consequently, the apostle used our Greek word to describe love as an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
The distinctiveness of the use of the Greek word in question helps to understand that the Greek word is used predominantly in the NT to refer to the quality of warm regard for and interest in another hence may mean “esteem, affection, regard, love.” So, the meaning “love” in our passage of 1 Corinthians 8:1 has the sense of strong affection and interest in the affairs of another. There is a sense that love is personified so that instead of thinking of love in the way we have explained, we should think of a person who exercises this love. It is the person who has love that would be involved in building up another.
Be that as it may, our primary interest is in the contrast between knowledge and love the apostle made in the clause of 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds up. The wrong type of knowledge is incapable of doing what love in a person can do. Anyway, the apostle wrote but love builds up. To understand what the apostle means we also need to consider the expression “builds up” that is translated from a Greek word (oikodomeō) that may mean “to build” in the sense of “to erect a structure” as it is used in the Lord Jesus’ charge against the Jews of His time for building monuments for the prophets their forefathers killed, as we read in Luke 11:48:
So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.
The word may mean to help improve ability to function in living responsibly and effectively hence it means “to strengthen” as it is used to describe the action of the Holy Spirit in the early church, as we read in Acts 9:31:
Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
The word means “to build up” in the sense of believers strengthening one another as the word is used in 1 Thessalonians 5:11:
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
The word may mean “to rebuild” as Apostle Paul used it to describe a return to the law that he has preached against, as not required for salvation that came through Jesus Christ in Galatians 2:18:
If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 8:1, the word means “to build up” in the sense of to help improve a person’s moral strength or conscience or simply to strengthen a person spiritually.
The meanings of the two key words in the clause of 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds up that we have considered enable us to understand what the apostle meant. He meant that affection or regard for the interest of another person leads in helping another individual to improve spiritually. The implication of this is that one with love would seek to help two kinds of people to improve spiritually – unbelievers and believers. Our concern is how to carry this out, that is, how to ensure that one with love is improving the spiritual life of another. Before we address how this is to be done, we should state from the start that improving of anyone’s spiritual life begins with application of God’s word. This is because whether we are dealing with believers or unbelievers, the word of God remains essential for improving an individual’s spiritual life. For the unbeliever, we know that it is the word of God that is essential for regeneration as we read, for example, in James 1:18:
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Similar truth is conveyed in 1 Peter 1:23:
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
For the believer, the word of God is also the means for improving oneself spiritually. This is the reason for instructing believers to have their souls saturated with the word of God, so they be able to help others spiritually, as we read in Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Apostle Paul implies that it is the word of God or the message of God’s goodness that will help to build up the believers in Ephesus as we read in his farewell address to the elders of the church of Ephesus according to Acts 20:32:
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Hence, whether we are concerned with an unbeliever or a believer, the word of God is essential in helping an individual improve spiritually. Anyway, we consider first what is required of a person with love to help the unbeliever.
A person with love or affection for an unbeliever would do one thing to help the individual to improve his/her spiritual life in the sense of being spiritually alive. The thing to do is to present the gospel message to the unbeliever who is the target of the person’s love or affection. No wonder Apostle Paul conveys that love for Christ is a compelling force for him and others to be involved in reconciliation ministry or preaching the gospel, as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:14:
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
If you have the kind of love that we are explaining then you will be compelled to give the gospel to everyone that you come in contact that you are not sure is a believer. There is no one that you will discriminate against when it comes to the gospel; no one is too sinful to be saved. So, a person who has this type of love would not hesitate to present the gospel to an unbeliever, knowing that what is at stake is the place such an individual would spend eternity. I am saying that a person with love would be concerned that no one spends eternity in the lake of fire although many will, but such an individual does not know ahead of time those who are not of the elect. So, the believer with this love we are concerned will do everything in God given power to present to unbelievers the message of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Anyway, it is the presentation of the gospel message that is the means of ensuring the assertion that love builds up an unbeliever spiritually since it is through the gospel message that such a person would become regenerated and so be much better spiritually than when the individual was an unbeliever. With this point we have made, we shift our attention to believers.
Love or affection for a believer that helps the individual to improve spiritually involves first the kind of communication that is conveyed to the person. This communication is given first negatively then positively by Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:29:
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
We will spend time examining this verse as it relates to the subject of helping improve other believers spiritually. The reason this passage is important in our consideration of the clause of 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds up is because of the phrase of Ephesians 4:29 helpful for building others up is related to what we have in 1 Corinthians 8:1. The expression building... up is translated from the noun form of the Greek verb that is translated in 1 Corinthians 8:1 with the verbal phrase builds up. The expression “building...up” in Ephesians 4:29 is translated from a Greek noun (oikodomē) that literally refers to the process of building and so means “building, construction.” However, the word is used figuratively for spiritual strengthening, hence means “edifying, edification, building up.” It is in this sense that the word is used in Romans 14:19:
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Anyway, we are concerned with kind of communication that should help improve another believer spiritually as given in Ephesians 4:29. As we indicated, the communication given in the verse is both negatively and positively, so we begin with the negative aspect of the communication that should be avoided by the believer who exercises love in trying to help another believer spiritually.
Negative communication that is to be avoided by one with love is given in the command of Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths. This command should remind us that our words to others have the potential of harming or healing them as the Holy Spirit conveyed in Proverbs 12:18:
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Reckless words are those that people utter too quickly without adequate thought. Such words have the potential of harming others while words that are carefully chosen described here with the phrase the tongue of the wise brings healing. That aside, the instruction of Ephesians 4:29 is Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths.
What is “unwholesome talk”? It refers to any harmful speech that a person utters. Thus, a believer who has love that helps another believer spiritually should avoid such a speech. How does a believer carryout this instruction? It begins with understanding the command issued here. To do this requires we understand what the Scripture says about the speech of unbelievers who are often described as the wicked in the OT Scriptures. One thing that we know about the speech of unbelievers or those who persecute believers is that their words cannot be trusted, as implied in Psalm 5:9:
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.
This aside, the Holy Spirit describes the characteristics of the distorted speech of unbelievers or the wicked through the psalmist in Psalm 73:8–9:
8They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. 9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
The psalmist gives us three characteristics of the speech of the unbeliever or the wicked. A first characteristic of the speech of the wicked is that it is full of mockery, as in the first sentence of Psalm 73: 8 they scoff, and speak with malice. The implication of this sentence is that the wicked or the unbeliever mocks God and the believer. They mock believers about their trust in God. They mock God when they imply that He does not do certain things like carrying out immediate justice. Unbelievers in their speech mock the existence of God, as the psalmist states in Psalm 53:1:
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.
A second characteristic of the distorted speech of the wicked or unbeliever is that it is threatening and oppressive in nature. This characteristic is given in the last sentence of Psalm 73: 8 in their arrogance they threaten oppression. An oppressive speech is one that is intended to bring fear on those who hear it because of its impact. Furthermore, such a speech incites others to be destructive towards the recipients of the oppressive speech. It was this kind of speech that was delivered to the Egyptians by their Pharaoh that started the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt, as recorded in Exodus 1:8-10:
8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."
Pharaoh’s speech was intended to incite the hatred of the Israelites in Egypt and so was oppressive in nature. A leader can inspire hatred of some residents by what he says. Thus, whenever a person gives a speech that results in taking negative action towards those who have not hurt an individual that type of speech is indeed oppressive. A third characteristic of the distorted speech of the wicked or unbeliever is that it is full of unrealistic claims, as described in Psalm 73:9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. The unbeliever or the wicked makes claims that cannot be substantiated. In the context of Psalm 73, the wicked or the unbeliever claims to have the support of heaven behind him because of his apparent success in the control of some individuals on this earth. Our concern at this point is simply to understand that the speech of unbelievers is characterized by unrealistic claims similar to what the Apostle Peter said about the false teachers in 2 Peter 2:18:
For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.
The three characteristics of the speech of unbelievers we have cited help us to recognize what we should do to carry out the instruction of Ephesians 4:29 do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths. Thus, love that builds up a believer spiritually would avoid speech that mocks another believer or one that makes claims that cannot be substantiated from the Scripture while passing off such statement as true or use speech to incite another believer to do what is wrong. Love that builds up another believer spiritually avoids passing rumors to other people since rumors harm their objects. So, a person with love that builds up is careful not to bring any accusation or charges against anyone if the individual is not certain of the facts in the accusation. In addition, such a person would not raise questions that are disingenuous or that are intended to bring unnecessary doubt on the part of a fellow believer with respect to God’s truth. The point is that love that avoids negative communication would cause one with it that wants to help another believer spiritually to carefully weigh or be thoughtful of the words spoken to another to ensure no harm is done to another believer.
Positive communication that is becoming of one that has love that helps another believer spiritually is given in the second clause of Ephesian 4:29 but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. This clause indicates that the type of communication that should come out from the mouth of a believer that has love that helps another believer improve spiritually must be the type that leads to spiritual strengthening of another believer. Therefore, the kind of words that should come out of the mouth of one with love are those that can bring about spiritual benefits to another believer. Because the words of a believer with love are intended to provide spiritual benefits to another believer, then the kind of words that should come out of such a person’s mouth should be rooted in the word of God or should be concerned with God. The implication is that there are specific kinds of words that such a person should ensure to come out of the individual’s mouth. These words must contain truth or as we said, God’s word. This will be in keeping to the kind of requirements of parents with respect to their children where they are to make every effort to present them the word of God, as encouraged in Deuteronomy 6:6–9:
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
The believer with love that helps another believer to improve spiritually should also endeavor to give testimonies of God’s goodness to a fellow believer as that will help in building up spiritually that person. We are saying that personal testimonies of God’s goodness to us are helpful in building up the faith of another believer. Involvement in personal testimonies of God’s goodness to us will be similar to what the psalmist states several times. He indicates of his determination to testify to God’s goodness to others in Psalm 71:24:
My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.
He also speaks to the necessity of passing truth to subsequent generations in Psalm 78:4:
We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
If the one with love is going to help another believer spiritually by what comes out of the individual’s mouth, then such a person should be making effort to saturate the soul with God’s truth so that the individual will have something to pass on to another believer that will help to strengthen spiritually this other believer.
We took a side trip to Ephesians 4:29 because it contains the noun form of the Greek verb that is translated “builds up” in the clause of 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds up, so we continue to consider in what other ways a believer with love could help another believer improve spiritually. As in our consideration of Ephesians 4:29, we focus on negative and positive actions that such a believer should be aware.
Negatively, a believer that has love that is intended to help another believer improve spiritually should endeavor to avoid putting a stumbling block before another believer through the individual’s action. The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul makes this point in a command that should govern everything we do in 1 Corinthians 10:31–32:
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—
The apostle also indicated that he endeavors to avoid putting a stumbling block before anyone, as we read in 2 Corinthians 6:3–4:
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
The point is that if a person has the love that the apostle states in the clause of 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds, up such an individual should try not to put a stumbling block or do something that will cause another believer to fail or to sin. The apostle later in this eighth chapter gives a general instruction that is intended to ensure that a believer puts no stumbling block before a fellow believer in the exercise of one’s spiritual freedom, as we read in 1 Corinthians 8:9:
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
Anyhow, negatively, a believer with love that builds up another believer should avoid doing anything that would be construed as putting a stumbling block before another believer.
Positively, a believer with love or affection for another believer should be involved in actions that bring encouragement to another believer. Hence, Apostle Paul could commend his friend, Philemon, regarding the encouragement that his love brings to him in Philemon 7:
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
The phrase Your love should be understood as an action-oriented word because of the verbal phrase have refreshed the hearts of the saints. Although the apostle did not specify what constituted love on the part of Philemon that brought great joy and encouragement to the apostle but there are at least two possible ways Philemon could have demonstrated his love. First, he might have been very generous to the Christians in his city not only because he opened his house for them to use for worship but also as a rich believer, he must have helped many needy Christians, so he relieved some of their suffering and gave some the rest of knowing that they have a place to worship God in his house. Second, as a pastor, he must have taught doctrine continuously to sustain believers’ souls. It is important to refresh people by meeting their physical needs as much as it is within one’s power, but there is no greater refreshment of the soul than that of the teaching of the word of God. When a pastor or a teacher of the word teaches truth, that truth would refresh the soul of those in need of encouragement. I say those who need encouragement, but the truth is that we all need constant encouragement. It is interesting that the Greek word translated “refreshed” here is the same Greek word that the Lord used in His invitation to those who are burdened to receive rest from Him in Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
The expression “give rest” as we have indicated is a translation of the Greek word (anapauō) translated “refreshed” in Philemon 7. When people are burdened either by sin or any other kind of pressure the best thing a person can do is to provide them the message of comfort from the Scripture. If you do, then you would be refreshing someone. Therefore, it should be clear that one way that a pastor could demonstrate his love towards his congregation is teaching them the truth in God’s word. Philemon, probably, through his teaching caused his congregation not only to find stability or peace of soul but also to become sensitive to the needs of others. Hence, we can say that his teaching revived the compassion that has been dormant among believers in his city. Many times, we all need to be constantly reminded of the need to be compassionate and sensitive towards others. Philemon realized this and so taught his congregation so they would continue to grow spiritually. On a practical level, let me ask you a personal question. Have you refreshed others both physically and spiritually? If not, would you make up your mind that such a ministry is worth being involved in as a demonstration of love? You and I, as believers, have the privilege of refreshing others with our material and spiritual assets. So, you must make up your mind not to be one of those who drain other believers of their spiritual energy, so to speak, by being always negative and critical of them.
In any event, when the apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 8:1 but love builds up he implies that the partisanship and other problems that the church faced in Corinth is because believers do not have the love that builds up. Therefore, he encouraged them to have that love. We all should do the same so that we will have genuine concern for each other in this local church.
09/04/20