“This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.”
2 Peter 3:1-2 NLT
Within these few verses lies the ethic of the Christian minister. This is a good prescription for how we are to communicate amongst ourselves. Indeed, it is the same path amongst the Apostles as well with Jesus. For many Christians, admonishment comes from a foundation of feeling. For many, that feeling is a positive affection for their fellow believer. For some it is a paranoia or fear. For a few it is superiority or insecurity. Peter wants to establish that he has a patterned way of interacting transcends emotional confirmation and romantic pleas. Peter’s message is a continuation of the law before Jesus that was fulfilled in Jesus. This is the foundation for his admonishment. He wants the church to look for this in his teaching and correction, and ultimately to know how to measure themselves against the measuring rod of it. This was a pertinent tool for safety amidst the ever oncoming storm of emotions we face in life. It is also, perhaps, the most counter cultural virtue that the Bible contains. We, as ministers of reconciliation, must adopt it if we wish to be equally firm in our footing towards those we love.
JOSH McGARY. COM 