A believer has a debt to the weak (1–6). The strong Born again Christian is to bear the weak up and help them grow, and that takes love and patience. If we live to please ourselves, we will not follow the example of Christ who lived to please the Father and help others.
A believer has a debt to the lost (7–21). God saved the Jews so that they might reach and win the Gentiles and lead them in praising the Lord. God has saved us so that we might win others. We have a debt to pay (1:14).
A believer has a debt to Israel (22–33). The Gentiles are indebted to the Jews (John 4:22). And that debt is paid by praying for them (Ps. 122:6), witnessing to them in love, and sharing our material gifts to assist them.
“To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell.” ~ Thomas Merton
It is such a strange and sorrowful thing when the fellowship of believers, a local church—meant to be a garden of love and grace—in some pockets turns into a power struggle and battlefield of egos.
There are a lot of very decent, healthy churches teaching the Bible with exemplary leaders, but not all leaders are what they appear to be in public.
Too often, we find not servants but self-appointed monarchs in our midst, small-souled emperors eager to rule their tiny hill of influence. They smile in the hallway and quote Scripture in the classroom, but behind closed doors their tongues become swords, cutting down those who might threaten their little kingdom. This is not the Spirit of Christ.
God’s vision for His Church is far higher, holier, and humbler. “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:5–7). The Church was never meant to be a stage for ambition. It is the living body of Christ, where every member is to work in harmony so that Christ Himself is seen—not our petty rivalries.
But what do we do when unity feels impossible? When the person beside us in the pew acts more like Diotrephes—“who loves to be first” (3 John 1:9)—than like Christ? The answer is not to mimic their behavior, nor to abandon the call to unity, but to remember that our conduct is measured not by their carnality but by God’s commands. We are to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21), to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), and, if necessary, to “mark those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine” (Romans 16:17) without becoming divisive ourselves.
And as for leadership, Scripture leaves no room for hypocrisy. Those who serve as deacons—and by extension anyone who leads in Christ’s name—must live by the standard God sets, not their own ambitions. Paul lists the qualities clearly (1 Timothy 3:8–13):
They must be dignified—men and women of genuine respect.
Not double-tongued—honest and consistent, not two-faced.
Not given to much wine—disciplined and sober-minded. (I say if your leader don't drink at all cuz you need to make wise evaluations and decisions)
Not greedy for dishonest gain—free from selfish motives.
Holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience—deeply rooted in sound doctrine and integrity.
Tested and proven—faithfulness demonstrated over time.
Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded and faithful.
They must manage their children and households well.
Such leaders do not fight to be kings of small hills. They stoop low to wash feet. They do not smear their brethren but bear their burdens. They do not grasp for power but pour themselves out in service. This is the way of Christ—and anything less is not leadership but theatre.
The Church’s witness to the world depends on the difference.
It is one of the great griefs of the Christian life: sometimes, those who bear Christ’s name wound more deeply than those who deny Him altogether. Liney and I have been treated with more kindness, respect, and honesty in certain secular workplaces than in a few church halls that claimed to be houses of grace. That should never be. The local church—Christ’s bride—is meant to be a refuge of love, not a field of competition. And yet, even among those who open Bibles on Sunday, we sometimes find hearts that are closed on Monday.
A.W. Tozer once warned, “The church that can’t weep over its own sin is too blind to weep over the sins of the world.” Sadly, too many fellowships are poisoned not by false doctrine, but by fleshly ambition.
Elders and pastors are called to set the spiritual temperature, modeling humility, accessibility, doctrinal soundness, and above all, Christlike love. Paul’s charge remains: “An overseer must be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” (1 Timothy 3:2–3). If the shepherds are proud, dismissive, or cold, the flock will mirror them.
The wounds inflicted by lost “religious” leaders are not small. Dishonest, competitive, self-promoting deacons do more than offend—they corrode trust and deform the witness of the gospel. Charles Spurgeon put it bluntly: “Of all men, we who serve at God’s altar should be the humblest. Pride is doubly monstrous in the pulpit.” Some love their titles more than their Lord. They crave recognition, make promises they never intend to keep, and speak piously in public while gossiping in private.
They position themselves for influence, stepping on others as they climb the church ladder. And when they do, the result is often tragic: disillusioned volunteers, embittered servants, and cynical hearts that want nothing to do with “church” again.
But hear me: Christ is not like them. If you confuse the failures of men with the character of God, you will stop praying, stop trusting, and eventually stop gathering. Jesus warned that “tares” would grow among the wheat (Matthew 13:24–30), and that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” truly belongs to Him (Matthew 7:21–23).
Hypocrites among God’s people are not new. Think of Diotrephes, “who loves to be first” and refused to welcome fellow believers (3 John 1:9–10), or the Pharisees, who “honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). God records these stories not to embitter us, but to warn us—and to teach us what never to become.
Even the injustices we suffer can become teachers. I’ve been promised platforms only to have the microphone snatched away. I’ve watched others jockey for visibility while claiming to “serve.” Yet even here, God whispers: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Bitterness is a prison we build for ourselves. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
There will be a reckoning. “Each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). At the Judgment Seat of Christ, every hidden motive will be laid bare (1 Corinthians 4:5). At the Great White Throne, every false profession will be exposed (Revelation 20:11–15).
The goats will be separated from the sheep (Matthew 25:32), and the wheat from the tares (Matthew 13:39–43). Until then, we press on—not becoming bitter, but better.
So forgive people and God. He's never done you wrong. Be encouraged and comforted in Christ's Spirit and His word.
Choose to be spiritual, and the encouraging voice in a cynical room. Be the gentle presence among the harsh. Be the Christlike servant when others seek the spotlight.
As Corrie ten Boom said, “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred.” And never forget: the failures of the Church’s people cannot undo the faithfulness of Christ Himself. God delights to use people in both evangelism and biblical discipleship. He is still building His Church—and the gates of hell, nor the pride of hypocrites, will prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
