Blog

01Jul
2023

I have seen some heated exchanges in Bible class before…

Like many of you, I have seen a lot in my years on this earth. Teaching in prisons for the last 19 years has given me a wide range of experiences – some good and some bad. This quarter I want to share with you an interesting event that happened one night recently in my group Bible study at Lawtey CI.

The class consists of about 30 inmates and me. We study random topics. I usually take Bible questions and then use those questions to guide the class. I had a question about Romans 14 and the idea of “disputable” things. I started in 1 Corinthians 8 and was emphasizing what Paul said in v.2 – love builds up! and v.13 – “if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” I drew the comparison of what Jesus said in Matthew 18:6 about causing a “little one” to stumble. We talked about the power of our example and how we are accountable for the sins we lead others into. I was trying to help them see that loving God and others dictates that I want what is best spiritually for my brother. How could I do something that could lead him into sin if I loved him?

The men seemed to be getting the point. I was then asked a question by one of the inmates. During his question he stopped addressing me and addressed another inmate sitting close to him. He believed that inmate had laughed about his question. That inmate then answered with anger and basically told him to jump in the lake – much coarser words were used. That statement brought the other inmate to his feet and with fists clenched began to challenge the other inmate to a fight. They then both started yelling obscenities to each other. They never fought because a couple of the other inmates stepped in and escorted the first inmate out of the room.

I have seen some heated exchanges in Bible class before but never to this extent. Both these men are faithful to our weekly worship service and Bible studies. Both have been to prison multiple times. Yet, while literally talking about loving our brother and what that means, a fight broke out! Rarely in the free world among brothers in Christ, do we see played out in front of us the brutal honesty and sad condition of men’s hearts. Usually in the free world there is enough self-control and civility to mask such intentions, but I believe we are deceiving ourselves if we think they are not there.

Paul addressed that very thing in 1 Corinthians 13 when he spoke of love…

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 (ESV) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

You see, we can attend all the Bible studies and worship services, smile at each other and seem like we care, but if we don’t have love then we have gained nothing. The question that this incident has caused me to ask myself is this me? Even though I may not stand up and curse someone and challenge them to a fight, is it possible I am looking at them with hatred, or bitterness, or anger, or ill will in my heart? Is my service toward God and others lacking love? It can be a problem for any of us.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is designed to reveal the “thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The NLT translation says God’s word “exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Those men had been carrying around bad thinking and intentions in their “innermost.” It just took the right set of circumstances for what was inside them to be revealed. Had they been reading God’s word? If so, had they been using it to challenge what was in their hearts? Do we?

Finally, on a lighter note, I want to give a shout out to a faithful companion of mine since July 2007 – see picture below. My Honda Civic Hybrid. I bought her new in 2007. I justified the extra cost of the Hybrid because of the many miles I drive. I estimated at the time that if I could drive her at least three years with gas prices staying the same, I would make up the difference in price. Well, I made that and then some. I was a little disappointed with her in the end. I was hoping to make it to 500,000 miles, but the engine finally died at 478,618! She has been a good friend and faithful tool in this work. No, I didn’t bury her. I decided to replace the engine and keep her in service. It is hard to let some friends go!