II Corinthians 8:23 Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.
24 Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.
The Lord’s work is not a one man show. A church has a pastor and if necessary deacons. The pastor is the under shepherd but his authority comes from the Lord.
The apostle Paul appreciated Titus and the other brethren. Titus was a partner and fellowhelper as far as the Corinthians were concerned. Titus could be trusted just as much as the apostle Paul.
We do not have any apostles now but we have the completed Word of God. It is God’s Word that is inspired. It is God’s Word that has the authority. Paul reminded the saints that the brethren were the messengers of the churches. Again we are reminded that there is no universal church. There are churches established under the authority of God and Jesus Christ. That excludes most buildings and groups that call themselves churches today. A church is an assembly. Most churches assemble but not under God’s authority. Paul’s brethren were serving to the glory of Christ. That is important.
Paul was exhorting the saints to testify before the brethren and before the churches of their love. Paul had been speaking highly of the saints. He wanted them to give evidence of his boasting on their behalf. The church in Corinth had gone through a low time. Thankfully they had come through that time and now they needed to continue to move forward. Saints can get off track. When they do, they need to be rebuked. When they repent and get straightened out, they need to press forward, not look backward.
God is good and He is merciful. Those who are His children need to put their trust in Him on a daily basis.
Today is the Lord’s Day. We have another opportunity to go to a good local church to hear the preaching of God’s Word. There is no substitute for the sound preaching of God’s Word. Your soul longs for that. If you are unsaved, your soul is not alive. You need to be saved and made alive. There is no better place than in the house of God to be challenged to be made alive. Jesus Christ is the Life-giver. For those who are saved, the true local church is there to encourage you to grow in the Lord. It is not a tedious task to grow in the Lord. It is what you are designed to do as a child of God. Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity God has given you today.
By the way, today is Father’s Day. A good father attends a good church and takes his family there as well. Leave a legacy that is worth remembering.
Pastor Bartel