THE LORD SPOKE (May 25)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: I Kings 22

I Kings 22:5 - "First seek the counsel of the Lord."

Jehoshaphat's requirement and personal example of seeking counsel from the Lord has a lot to teach us. It worked in the 9th century BC and it still does today. What principles can we draw from this passage?

1. Be sure of the source of the counsel you are getting (I Ki. 22:6-7). Just because someone says, "I have a word from the Lord", does not make it true. There are many false prophets today too and we must continually evaluate the quality of a person's counsel according to what the Scriptures say.
2. Be careful to not hear just what you want to hear (I Ki. 22:8). Surrounding yourself with "yes-men" will get you in trouble quick. You need honest counselors who will help you discern truth.
3. Do not pay attention to the flashy presentations (I Ki. 22:11-12). It's often the one with the most panache that gets a hearing. We must listen for God's "still small voice" and not let the thunder and lightening distract us.
4. Just because it appears as a majority opinion doesn't make it correct (I Ki. 22:13). When it comes to truth, you don't count noses - you count texts. In our day, spiritual counselors help us to see the correct interpretation and application of Scripture to our problem. Frequently, the "conventional wisdom" is unbiblical and it's wrong to take a vote on what the Bible means. It must be studied out carefully and the biblical arguments marshaled to determine truth.
5. Look for a preacher/counselor who is not afraid to proclaim God's Word, even when it's unpopular (I Ki. 22:14). Being positive or "pc" in our speech is not wrong but there are definite limits to how far it should go. Speaking the truth is even more important than personal relationships (I Ki. 22:20-23).
6. Look at the results: does this counsel bring the right conclusion? did it happen like he said? (See I Ki. 22:25; c.f. I Kings 20:30.) By the way, do you remember what is to be done to the false prophet who's word does not come to pass 100% as stated? See Deuteronomy 13:5! Some modern day "prophets" and unwise counselors should be glad that we live under the New Covenant.
7. A man who has suffered for the truth in the past is worth listening to (I Ki. 22:27-28).

By inspiration, Solomon told us several times that there is "safety in the multitude of counselors" (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 24:6). Let us always listen to them through the grid of Scripture, but let us listen to them! In fact, follow Jehoshaphat's example and actively seek them out.


New Testament: I Corinthians 12

Multichotomy. Nobody uses the term but it’s an accurate description of the human make-up. Traditionally there have been dichotomists and trichotomists. Those who say man has basically two parts - the spiritual and the physical - are known as “dichotomists” (from Greek for “two” + “cutting”).

Others stress the biblical references to “body, soul, and spirit” (e.g. I Thes. 5:23) and say those are the three basic “parts” of man’s composition. They’re called “trichotomists”. But the problem with this position are the many other biblical references to “parts”, such as the heart, conscience, mind, flesh, and will. Just as the physical body has many parts but functions as a unity, so also the spiritual side of man has many parts, none of which operates individually. They’re all part of the whole.

So, maybe it’s okay to say man is a dichotomy - physical and spiritual. But better yet (because it uses biblical terminology) is the definition of man as “a bipartite unity”. That’s what we find here in I Corinthians 12:12 - “the body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts, and though all its parts are many, they form one body.”

But Paul’s primary topic here is not the human body. Rather, he’s explaining the composition of the church under the figure of “the body of Christ”. Since he’s addressing a local church at Corinth, he’s applying this universal truth to a local situation (I Cor. 12:28). There is both a unity and a diversity of spiritual gifts exercised within the church. God has gifted each one to minister to the whole. None can function independently and the whole is impaired if an individual is missing, hurting, or not able to function as designed.

God didn’t make any mistakes. He has gifted His church with exactly the elements it needs. Diversity is healthy; unity is essential, interdependence is the key.