In preparation for the overview of the 9-church epistles
INTRODUCTION:
In his epistles, Paul uses a few analogies that indicate progression. Consider, milk and meat. Also consider babes, to children, to sons. How about from carnal to spiritual, from the outer man to the inner man and from the natural to the spiritual. All these examples can be applied to the 9-church epistles which make up the curriculum for the grace believer. Using these analogies helps to clarify the fact that the curriculum is indeed progressive and importantly, it should be recognised, studied, and understood in this manner to.
In this post, I’d like to draw your attention to this progressive concept by working through an overview of the 9-epistles, and assigning these analogical classifications to them, so you can identify the primary theme of the epistles and start to understand their position within the curriculum.
Before we get into the epistles however, it is necessary to define some terms that are used within the epistle comparisons. Please take note of these terms and consider them when working through the rest of this post.
Epistle Format
- Doctrine: The set of principles or teachings laid out in Paul’s letters that we are to know and obey (not by our own power, but by the Spirit working within us).
- Reproof: Identifying and expressing disapproval or criticism of a mistake or fault.
- Correction: Providing guidance or actions to rectifying or improving a mistake or fault.
- Instruction: Providing knowledge, information, or direction to help someone learn and grow.
Milk and Meat
To truly grasp the significance of the terms, “milk” and “meat” when used as analogies in the curriculum, it is important to understand what they really mean. Many will logically understand the milk is the beginner level of doctrine, whereas the meat has deeper, or more mature, significance. However, we learn more valuable insights into these terms when we turn to the scripture and learn of more intricate spiritual understanding. Have a look at the following verses,
1 Cor.3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. [2] I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear [process, understand] it, neither yet now are ye able. [3] For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Heb.5:13-14 For every one that useth MILK is unskilful [ignorant] in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe --- [who’s mind is in visible things]. [14] But STRONG MEAT belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use [habit, practice, understanding] have their [mental] senses [the faculty of perceiving truth;] exercised to discern both good and evil [sound and unsound doctrine].
Thus, understand that carnal believers cannot understand the meat of the word, which as we will see from Hebrews, pertains to more spiritual doctrine. If you look at the Corinthians, they exhibited characteristics that relate to the natural realm. They were controlled by the outer man and were influenced by their 5-senses, swayed by feelings and emotions. There was no spiritual depth or maturity in them, and they were unskillful in the word of righteousness.
On the other hand, the passage in Hebrews clearly tells us that those who could understand the meat of the word were strong in faith and had a maturity about them which allowed them to perceive and understand spiritual truths, allowing them to discern good doctrine from false doctrine. A believer’s level of maturity would result in them being able to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God, Rom.12:2. Additional scriptures that enforce this view, which all happen to come from epistles further up in the curriculum, are as follows,
Eph.5:17-18: "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"
Phil.1:9-10: "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;"
Col.1:9-10: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"
1Thess.5:21-22: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil."
2Tim.2:7: "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."
Faith, Love, and Hope
There is a more obscure analogy that Paul uses, but it is nevertheless still progressive, not in imagery, but more so in understanding. This analogy starts with faith, which produces love, which then provides the hope to endure while waiting for the return of the Lord. Notice the progressive revelation of this analogy as we advance through Paul’s epistles.
In Romans, the foundational epistle, we are encouraged to learn and obey “the” faith. The faith Paul refers to here is our doctrine, the grace doctrine, specific to grace believers who make up the body of Christ. Faith is the first step as a believer. There must be a grounding or establishment that happens first, which is our justification through the grace gospel. Thereafter, we are to learn about “the” faith, and grow in knowledge of it in order to become stablished (stabilized, Rom.16:25; Col.2:7; 1Th.3:13) as believer; not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, Eph.4:14.
Rom.1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
Rom.16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
As “the” faith starts to renew the mind and take root in the heart, it will produce love, 1Jn.2:3-6, which also happens to be the first of the fruits of the Spirit (which is the word dwelling within you), Gal.5:22. This love is not something manufactured by the believer. It is not something produced by their own willpower, or mental ascent. There is no true love present in sinful flesh. What produces a naturally manifesting, godly love, which comes without effort on the part of the believer, is when an overflow of “the” faith in the heart and mind starts to innately influence the life of the believer. Their choices, their actions, their speech, and their behaviours, will align with the faith they now believe in, and its overflow will start to produce the works of righteousness as mentioned in Rom.4:5. This is when that labour of love is manifested. When the word of God is exercised in sincere obedience, the word of God will naturally produce love. Notice how Paul hints on this happening in the believers at Colossae and at Thessalonica. First there was obedience to a work of faith. That produced a natural outflow of a labour of love,
Col.1:4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
Finally, we come to hope, the third part of this progressive analogy. Paul says that the greatest attribute between faith, hope, and love, is love. It is the power of love that sustains hope, and it is hope that helps a believer to endure in this corrupt world as they look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Tit 2:13.
Paul sums up this progressive analogy beautifully in the verse below, written to the Thessalonians, who are at the pinnacle of our curriculum, who are mature believers, adopted sons of God, ensamples for all who believe, 1Th.1:7, and who may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye suffered, 2Th.1:5,
1Th.1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1Th.5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
I encourage you to remember these progressive analogies and especially the deeper spiritual truths they represent as we now dive into the comparison of the 9-church epistles. You will see these terms being used in their context as we move up the curriculum and as the growth and maturing of the saints naturally occur through their knowledge of the truth (of our doctrine) and their labour of love depicted in these letters.
In the next post we will begin the overview of each epistle in relation to the analogies above and additional comparative details mentioned within the overview.
