LOS LÍMITES DEL COMPAÑERISMO

LOS LÍMITES DEL COMPAÑERISMO (2 JUAN 1:7-11)

La primera cosa que pensé cuando vi el tema fue: ¿Qué tiene que ver el anticristo con los límites del compañerismo?, solo bastó leer el texto para que quedara en claro para mí. Por lo que le animó a hacer una pausa a esta lectura y leer estos versículos. COMPAÑERISMO

Agradezco al editor por asignarme este tema, pues personalmente he tenido que lidiar con falsos maestros muy potentes que han causado muchos males y aunque desearía dirigir mi atención a todos los elementos circunstanciales, es mi obligación en esta oportunidad lidiar con el texto que está en cuestión.

Parece ser que Juan pasa abruptamente de estimular la verdad a oponerse tajantemente al error.  Unió su voz a la de Pedro para advertir de los muchos engañadores que hay en el mundo eran una amenaza a la salvación. La palabra “engañador” va mucho más allá que solo enseñar doctrina falsa, también indica vivir en una vida errada. En 2 Pedro 2:2 encontramos la razón por la que hay muchos engañadores, él dice: “…y muchos seguirán sus disoluciones”. Me causa gran molestia observar como algunos toman las prescripciones de Juan en estos versos completamente a la ligera. Expresiones como: “Yo no lo hice fue él”, “Tengo comunión con él, porque sigue siendo mi hermano”, o “ Quien cree de esa manera es él no yo”, entre otras expresiones semejantes, que son pretensiones arrogantes de aquellos que con mucha osadía y con ineptitud desechan por completo lo que 2 Juan 7-11 tiene que prescribir. Observe con conmigo cuales son los límites del compañerismo con los falsos maestros:

Límite N.1. No retroceder. (v.8). El texto dice “…para que no perdáis el fruto de vuestro trabajo”. Alguien dijo correctamente que los falsos maestros te ofrecen algo que no tienen, mientras te quitan aquello que ya posees. He sido testigo ocular de cómo antes de hundirse los falsos maestros ofrecen (ya sea, amistad, dinero, patrocinio o estudios) a los ingenuos, cuando realmente no poseen nada de estas cosas. Cuando te das cuenta, estás inmerso en el mismo mundo donde se encuentran ellos,  eso es el mundo del caos. La reputación que tenías delante de Dios ya no existe y has retrocedido para la perdición. Pablo estaba consciente de este mecanismo de trabajo del error, y los Gálatas pensaron que NO era la gran cosa, ni “el fin del mundo”, al menos los judaizantes merecían ser escuchados. Comparto la frase tan fuerte que es expresada a ellos cuando se les llama “insensatos” (Gal.3:1) el vocablo ἀνόητος (anóetos) que significa; necios, sin inteligencia es empleado aquí. Pablo temía que el trabajo entre ellos fuese en vano (4:11) el error había logrado su objetivo, había hecho que ellos retrocedieran.

Límite N.2. No adelantarse (v.9). El otro vocablo griego interesante es παραβαίνω (parabaíno)  que es traducido como “extravía”, significa correr delante, ir más rápido, traspasar o quebrantar. De hecho la versión en Inglés (ASV)  traduce “onward” sosteniendo la misma idea de adelantarse de forma más clara. El hermano Wayne Jackson comenta lo siguiente: “La falsa doctrina es infecciosa. El lenguaje de Juan podría sonar duro en un mundo ecuménico light, pero la dulce tolerancia ha destruido muchas iglesias, y un sin número de almas”. Tener al hijo significa honrar su último testamento y voluntad. La psicología, postgrados en teología, experiencia en la vida y el poder, podrían llevar a algunos de corazón impuro a, saltar los límites e ir más allá de lo que la santa inspiración dicta. Todo lo demás mencionado deberían de ser herramientas de la verdad y no trampolines para saltarse la verdad. Si alguien comparte y tiene comunión, con algún transgresor, el furor del Señor y la exhortación de Juan están sobre ese individuo, que ha pasado a ser un estorbo a la causa Gloriosa de Cristo, pasó a ser un problema en vez de una solución, de cual debe de arrepentirse y abandonar completamente para regresar al camino y no extraviar a otros (1Tim.4:16)

Límite N.3. No acompañar (vv.10-11).  Juan advirtió a los cristianos que no mostraran ningún tipo de hospitalidad para con los falsos maestros. Alguien podría no ir adelante con ellos, o quizás retener lo que tienen y no ir hacía atrás, pero si acompañas o muestras simpatía con un enemigo de la cruz, el juicio de Dios estará sobre ti.  Juan, quien se expresa con frases como “hijitos”, “amados”, luego es tajante con asuntos de doctrina. Warren Wiersbe menciona una historia en cuanto al apóstol Juan que ilustra su posición respecto a la falsa doctrina. Cuando vivía en Éfeso, un día fue a los baños públicos y allí vio a Cerinto, líder de una secta herética. Juan salió corriendo de los edificios porque temía que se cayeran como castigo de Dios. Cerinto enseñaba que Jesús era el hijo natural de José y María, y no Dios venido en carne.

Juan, Pablo, Pedro, Thomas, …etc. Sin lugar a duda los apóstoles tomaron la doctrina de Cristo muy en serio. Los anticristos siguen estando en nuestro mundo, y es muy probable que estén en nuestras propias congregaciones. Hoy más que nunca debemos estar alertas a cada palabra e idea preparada que no se conforma a la verdad llana del evangelio. El compañerismo claramente tiene sus límites, quebrar o traspasar esos límites resultará en condenación eterna, pues no está “jugando a ser Dios”.

Cierro, con las remarcables palabras del hermano Guy. N. Woods quien hace notar en su comentario de 2 Juan, él dice: “El modernismo bajo la dirección del progresismo, modela y presume su nuevo método de abordaje. Inicia recordándonos que vivimos en el siglo 21 y no el primero; de que las condiciones han cambiado y que la demanda de nuestros días es de relevancia y una aproximación novedosa. El Nuevo Testamento, nunca fue pensado para que se quedara en la serie de arreglos que tiene para todas las edades.”

El anticristo es real en palabras dulces zalameras llenas de “sabiduría”. La respuesta al error sigue siendo la misma que desde el siglo primero, no se trata de odiar a nadie ni ser enemigo de la persona como tal pero sí enemigo de la doctrina o estilo de vida de tal falso maestro, con ellos tenemos; cero tolerancia, nada de amistad, y por supuesto un compañerismo completamente nulo. 

Referencias

Jackson, Wayne. (2019 ). Comentario de todo el Nuevo Testamento (Segunda de Juan 9).

Christian Courier Publications. Jackson, TN.

Wiersbe, Warren. (1984). Alertas en Cristo (Estudio Expositivo de Segunda de Juan). 

Editorial Bautista Independiente. Sebring, Fl.

Woods, N.Guy.(1959). Epístolas del Nuevo Testamento Pedro, Juan y Judas. Gospel

Advocate Company. Nashville, TN.

Zondervan ASV (American standar version) (2002). Full ref. ed. Kenneth L. Barker, gen.

ed. Grand Rapids, MI.   
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Eagles and Providence

Eagles and Providence

The last day Moses lived on this earth he called all of Israel together to teach them the Song of Moses. The imagery in this poetic language stirs the heart of the righteous and gives so much hope to the saints.   The song describes what God did for the Jews as He brought them out of Egypt. “He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up carrying them on its wings” (Deut. 32:10-11).

We know the words of Jesus as He described how often He had longed to gather Jerusalem as a hen gathers her young under its wings, but the words of Moses take it to another level. The young eaglet is learning to fly, and he does this because he learns how to fly sitting on the back of its parent. The parent does not just push the young eagle out of the nest but takes it up and carries it on his back.

Look at these words from one who visited Canaan many years ago about what he saw. “Two parent eagles were teaching their offspring, two young birds, the maneuvers of flight. They began by rising from the top of a mountain, in the eye of the sun. It was about midday, and bright for this climate. They at first made small circles, and the young imitated them; they paused on their wings, waiting till they had made their first flight, holding them on their expanded wings when they appeared exhausted, and then took a second and larger gyration, always rising towards the sun, and enlarging their circle of flight, so as to make a gradually ascending spiral” (Pulpit Commentary on Deut. 32:11).

David also used similar imagery when he said, “Hide me under the shadow of your wings” (Psa. 17:8). “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wing” (Psa. 36:7). “In the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by” (Psa. 57:1). “You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice” (Psa. 63:7). Oh, that we could have the heart of this man whose heart was like God’s heart!

In the midst of trials, trust God “until these calamities have passed by.” We are sheltered under His wings, but when we reach the limits of our endurance He does far more. Think about that young eaglet, whose world was seemingly about to end, and then his parent came and carried him on its back. God does that for us.

Remember the words from our Master in the Sermon on the Mount: “Behold the fowls of the air.”

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Proverb Plans

Proverb Plans

One of my plans for this year is to read a chapter of Proverbs each day. It’s a simple plan: just read the chapter corresponding to the date. In months with less than 31 days just read a few extra chapters on the last day.proverbs plan

I also plan to pick a passage from each chapter as the day’s focus. I know many preachers and other Christians who follow this plan. It is good advice.

And speaking of good advice, here is my focus for the day:

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels…” (Proverbs 1:5 KJV)
Are you listening to the wisdom only God’s Word can provide? Are you striving daily to learn God’s will and to gain understanding of His ways? Are you following the whole counsel of God?

Read 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:15-17; Acts 20:26-27

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Born in Sin

Born in Sin

Does Psalm 51:5 teach that babies are born in sin? The New King James Version translates Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,And in sin my mother conceived me.” The English Standard Version, American Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, and Revised Standard Version translate this verse almost identically as the NKJV. The King James Version says: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” In contrast, the New International Version says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” The Christian Standard Bible says, “Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;I was sinful when my mother conceived me.”The NIV and CSB translations declare explicitly that David was born in sin.baby monkey

In the KJV, NKJV, ESV, ASV, NASB, and RSV, the prepositional phrases “in iniquity,” and “in sin” are adverbial modifying the two verbs “was brought forth,” and “conceived” respectively. Interpreted literally, it wasn’t David that sinned, but his mother. Obviously, that isn’t what David is saying. Rather, he is expressing the depth of his guilt after Nathan the prophet confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. That means that this passage must not be understood literally, but figuratively. The NIV and CSB strip this figure away and make the language literal when it is not.David was expressing the depth of his guilt by figuratively extending it to his mother’s conception and birth of him. This is not an objective statement about David’s birth; it is a subjective statement about how David felt about his birth after He sinned. So, this verse teaches that David felt very badly about his sin; it does not teach that babies are born in sin.

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Do it Again!

Do it Again!

There are those events in our lives which need to be repeated. There was great reward when we did them the first time. To do them again can often bring even greater rewards. Consider the following verses which contain the word “again” to see just how true this is.

When we became a Christian, our lives were changed as the old man of sin died, and in baptism we became a new person. “For as many of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). We began our new lives seeking to follow the example He set for us. However, some Christians lose sight of this goal and become complacent and stop growing.

This is what happened in the churches in Galatia. Paul established these churches on his first missionary journey and apparently visited them on each of his journeys. False teachers had come among them, and they were about to leave the Lord. “I marvel that you are turning so soon away from Him into the grace of Christ” (Gal. 1:6). He wrote to them and said these words, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19). Paul had witnessed their transformation, but it had stopped. His agony and anxiety, described as being a labor, had returned. He was again in labor as he saw the direction they were headed. Those who teach others fully understand the labor pains he was having again.

What is the solution to those who have stagnated in their growth into the full image of Christ? The church in Ephesus had done this. While they had not left the Lord, He said to them, “You have left your first love” (Rev. 2:4). That devotion and joy they had when they had become Christians had diminished. He then told them the solution to this problem, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do your first works” (Rev. 2:5). Christians can remember the joy they had when they were saved and how fervently they worshiped and the zeal they had in their lives. The solution for our stagnation is simple. Do the works again. Serve the Lord again with that enthusiasm we once had. Do it again.

Solomon describes the righteous man and his walk with the Lord. “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Prov. 24:16). Regardless of how many times you may make mistakes in your Christian life, rise up again and continue the journey. That is what Peter did after he had denied Jesus three times.  He arose and continued his life having learned from his mistakes.

Spiritual growth is so simple—love Him with all your heart and if you stumble rise up, renew that love again. He will help you again and again and again and again and again and…

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