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 In
a fit of anger, being highly provoked, Joe lashed out with his
fist. The blow had scarcely fallen when Joe regained control of
himself, was shocked that he had so reacted, and apologized for
his rashness. Considering the public nature of the deed, Joe
publicly acknowledged his sin at the first opportunity, and
asked both man and God for forgiveness. He now endeavors to live
a quiet, godly life, "forgetting those things which are
behind" (PHI.3:13).
But
Joe had struck with his fist, and that is a "carnal
weapon" — so Bill spreads the news. The Bible says,
"the weapons of our warfare are not carnal"
(2CO.10:4). and Bill can quote it word for word. He
"uses" the incident time after time to discredit Joe.
He "uses" it to cast reflections upon the church of
which Joe is a member. He "uses" it in place of
scriptural authority for his own faith and practice. "Just
look what Joe did!"
And
it never occurs to Bill that the incident has become his carnal
weapon. He is blind to the fact that he wields, day after day,
deliberately and maliciously, a weapon every bit as carnal as
the one Joe used in
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an unguarded moment. If Joe was in error —
and he certainly was — Bill is in error, and compounds the
error day by day.
Carnal
weapons are not limited to guns and clubs. In fact, the
"war after the flesh" which provoked Paul's statement
in 2CO.10: was one waged by his spiritual enemies; the false
teachers who made light of Paul's bodily presence and questioned
his authority (vs. 7-18)
It
is sectarian and carnal to ridicule, quarantine, or by other
like methods seek to overcome those who differ with us
religiously. "Party" battles may be fought with
prejudice-producing labels, but one does not "fight the
good fight of faith" with such weapons. And this applies as
much to conservative brethren as to the more liberal. Will we
never learn?
One
error can not justify another. I am not a big man physically or
spiritually, because I call — or even prove — another to be
small.
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