False Accusations, Persecutions, and Schisms
by Hien Nguyen
(Missionary Preacher of Brisbane B-P Church)
We do thank God for our Perfect Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Luke 2:11), who was sent by His Father into this world to seek and do His Father’s will (John 5:19, 30; 6:38), to speak His Father’s Word (John 12:47-50), to proclaim His Father’s doctrine (John 7:16-17), to finish His Father’s work (John 17:4), to bear witness to the Truth (John 18:37), and to be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Phil 2:8).
Our Lord Jesus Christ faced a lot of opposition, false accusations and persecutions from sinful men:
“And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people…The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil” (John 7:12, 20).
“Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” (John 8:48).
“Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner” (John 9:24).
“And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?” (John 10:20).
“Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death” (John 11:53).
Our Lord Jesus Christ was not surprised by the blasphemies and rejection of sinful men, for He said unto them:
“I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you … And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God” (John 8:37, 46, 47).
“But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:26-27).
“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47-48).
“And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt 12:32-37).
Our Lord Jesus Christ commands us to remember His Word of encouragement:
“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:1-2).
“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matt 10:24-25).
Then let us look unto our Lord Jesus Christ and follow His steps:
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Pet 2:21-25).
Concerning division or schism, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division” (Luke 12:51). Although Luke used the term diamerismon (dissension, disunity), it has the same meaning as the term schisma which John used in his Gospel:
“And there was a division (schisma) among them” (John 9:16).
“There was a division (schisma) therefore again among the Jews for these sayings” (John 10:19).
The term schisma occurs 8 times in the Bible (Matt 9:16, Mark 2:21, John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19; 1 Cor 1:10; 11:18; 12:25), and means “split, division, dissension, or schism.”
Truly, there should be no schism or division in the church or in the body of Christ due to selfish motives, ambitions or pride (1 Cor 1:10; 11:18; 12:25). However, if it concerns Biblical doctrines, true Bible believing Christians cannot compromise God’s Word (God’s Truth) for the sake of unity. Divisions or schisms cannot be avoided if there is an absence of full submission to the Lord and His Word among church members. God commands His people to put the doctrine of Biblical separation into practice (2 Cor 6: 14-18; 2 Thess 3:6-15; 2 John 10-11), and those who do not submit themselves to the Lord and the authority of His Perfect Word have no grounds to blame others for the division or schism.
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THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter 21
John 21:20-25
John not immortal but Jesus is!
After our Lord had conferred the martyr’s crown on Peter, the chief of apostles was curious to know John’s future. Calvin says, “We have in Peter an instance of our not merely superfluous but even harmful curiosity, that we are drawn away from our duty by looking at others.” As the saying goes “to compare is odious”, we should heed what is given as a gentle admonition by our Lord in reply to Peter. “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me” (v. 22). What is God’s plan for your life? What is His holy will that should consume you like fire charcoal? Let your whole being be given up to do His bidding. In Paul’s words, “But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:12). Let us learn from Paul to “pursue” Christ.
Out of Christ’s cryptic saying, “If I will that he tarry till I come” there went about a rumour that John was the one promised immortality by our Lord. This was an erroneous notion, perhaps circulating on the whispering lips of John’s own congregation at Ephesus. A fable was spread of John how he ordered a grave to be dug for him and went into it, and the next day it was found empty! In this Epilogue the Apostle John once for all explodes the myth that was beginning to be spread about him.
There is one truly Immortal, the Risen Saviour who dined with them that early morning. His Immortality is made the more Immortal by the records made of his Life which “if they should be written everyone, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” May you, dear Reader, find life, life everlasting, life more abundant by going over and over again this Gospel of Life!
Sing them over again to me, Wonderful words of life;
Let me more of the beauty see, Wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty, Teach me faith and duty;
Beautiful words, wonderful words, Wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words, Wonderful words of life.
