What or Who?      
 

by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr.

 

“You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7 NKJV) The Apostle Paul’s wording of this question to his brethren in Galatia strikes me as interesting. He did not ask What hindered them, but Who... . Do you think he may have recognized that most hindrances were not some impersonal things (kind of like germs) floating around in the air or seeping through cracks in our armor? I suspect so. Judging the way that we sometimes address church problems, one would think problems are nebulous entities completely detached from any person. When we learn of a problem, we just kind of naturally ask, “What is the problem? But, to be more precise, maybe we should ask, “Who is the problem?” In Romans 16:17, Paul tells the Romans to mark those causing division among them. They not only needed to identify the division, but also those causing it and deal with them. The manner in which we deal with the person causing a problem may vary according to circumstances, but the person still needs to be dealt with. So, if the church is being hindered, it is being hindered by someone, not merely something. It is extremely hard to stop a hindrance without dealing with the hinderer.        Other Articles by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. A Convenient Doctrine Cutting Wood and Restoring N. T. Christianity About Christians Feeling Unworthy and Undone Holding a Church Hostage What Can God do? Undercover Agents for Christ Reformation or Transformation? Be Careful With the Blame Game Is Unrestricted Loyalty a Virtue? A New Dogma How to Raise a Heartache The Right Baptism Standing Alone     For Past Auburn Beacons go to: www.aubeacon.com/Bulletins.htm   Anyone can join the mailing list for the Auburn Beacon! Send your request to: larryrouse@aubeacon.com