Listen to all !

Call To Prayer

Title: Listen to all

By: Njuacha Hubert

Date: 12.05.2023

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves^[a] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

An observation I have made is that some Christians give the impression that only their pastor has the revelation of Christ. In a discussion with them, you hear them quoting their pastor more than they quote scriptures. Can it be that it is only your pastor that teaches Christ? Is limiting yourself only to a single source of teaching really sufficient?

As we know from the scriptures Jesus called 12 apostles. Although he appointed a leader among them, that is Peter, they all functioned in the same capacity. He could have made just one person his successor and then this person could have made just one person his successor so that perhaps today we won’t have a multiplicity of churches. Although that’s a very simple assumption to a very complex problem, however, the point here is that He chose more than one at the same time to propagate the good news. Without yet having an in-depth study and comparison, I observed that each apostle had an emphasis on His preaching. For instance, Paul mainly touches on Grace and righteousness by faith. But James emphasises works to prove that faith (James 2:26). Even when you read the four gospels you will notice that it is the same message but somehow different emphasis. Why am I making us see this variety? Because I believe it is intended by God that we combine all these angles and emphasis together. This comes from the understanding that we are one body in Christ, not different bodies. Can your hand live on its own? Can your legs live without hands? Now would the writings of Paul only be sufficient without the writings of James in the Bible? So should you also narrow yourself to one preacher? Well, a good pastor tries to teach all round but still, there is perhaps an involuntary human limitation on his emphasis.

For the sake of orderliness, we are to be committed to a particular church but we are to listen to other preachers when we have the opportunity. Don’t close yourself up because you might be in fact worshipping your man of God and thus falling into idolatry. Just as all scriptures are inspired by God and profitable for doctrine((2 Timothy 3:16-17) so too are all preachers of the gospel ideally to be heard. So that you are built spiritually all round. In fact, one known tactic of sects that disguise themselves as churches is that they try to make you believe everybody else is evil and only they are teaching the truth.

Prayer Point:

Let’s thank God for the word today. Let’s pray we don’t miss out on God’s word, however, He sends it.