section 1
Christ’s goal in His gentle dealings with us is to save, heal and restore romans 2:4 ii peter 3:9 ii samuel 14:14 . Even in His rebuking and discipline He is working towards a redemptive end ezekiel 18:23, 30-32 joel 2:25 ; for He did not come to condemn but to save john 3:17 . So, Christ’s gentleness is not characterized by some feeble pandering, but a determined psalm 33:11 , sacrificial ii corinthians 8:9 effort to sympathize and relate to us by putting Himself in our shoes hebrews 4:15-16 hebrews 2:10, 17-18 psalm 68:19 , so that He could lift us up out of our own mire isaiah 53:4-5 ii corinthians 1:3-7 psalm 18:35 . This is the kind of gentleness we ourselves should be aspiring to hebrews 13:3 .
Like Christ, our practice…our genuine effort should be to train our inner response (attitude) and our outward response (conduct towards others) to not cling to our own rights ii corinthians 10:1 but rather seek to appeal to the other’s soul philemon 8-9 by sacrificial, long-suffering romans 15:1-3 . That is, others are more important than self philippians 2:3-4 , so a gentle soul does not allow itself to be hindered by its own rights, but is meek, putting the needs of others over self’s protection, comfort, rights, impulses, feelings, even needs i corinthians 13:5 proverbs 19:11 i corinthians 4:21 .
For us this gentleness comes in the form of perspective alteration by striving to understand the other’s legitimate hebrews 13:3 james 3:13 and even illegitimate proverbs 18:2 proverbs 20:5 mindset so to meet their need i peter 2:19-24, 3:8-9 . Abraham Lincoln put it well, "I do not like that man. I must get to know him better."
Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
my notes:
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, He devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from Him.
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
"Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm— My great army that I sent among you.
my notes:
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
my notes:
God, for Whom and through Whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that He should make Jesus, through His suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.
Therefore, it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.
Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.
my notes:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.
Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!—
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—
my notes:
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please Himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on Me."
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
{Love} does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
my notes:
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him Who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
my notes:
section 2
Christ’s gentleness does not deny the truth of someone’s failings, but rather seeks to bring the sinner back from error james 5:19-20 luke 15:12, 16-17 ; even if that means looking like an easily-taken-advantage-of fool to some ii corinthians 11:16, 20-21 luke 15:28-30 and an antagonist to others galatians 4:16 matthew 25:24 . Gentleness is expending ii corinthians 12:15 your comfort, reputation, time, energy, money, feelings, etc. knowing full well the loss to be incurred, like a mother sharing her life fully and willingly with her child i thessalonians 2:7-8 .
We too, like Christ, should be sophisticatedly gentle isaiah 66:13 isaiah 40:11 ii corinthians 1:12 matthew 10:16 recognizing most are not willing to respond to our gentleness matthew 23:37 , but a suffering gentle-heart we should still practice in hope for the surprising few who respond matthew 11:28-30 ii timothy 2:10 .
My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
my notes:
The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting.
In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
my notes:
Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?
But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."
He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young
my notes:
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
my notes:
section 3
So, how do we gain this gentleness? How do we start to enable our eyes to have Christ’s insight into people’s perspectives, hurts, needs, etc. ii corinthians 5:16 ? How do we have a gentle attitude and a gentle approach to others? Start with your goal. We often mix Christ’s goals with our desire for justice. Christ’s gentleness is not about bringing people and situations to their just end now james 4:11-12 john 12:47-48 for that would mean the end of all of us sinners matthew 7:2 james 5:9 job 34:14-15 .
We only have insight when we are not seeking to please ourselves but rather seeking to please the Lord john 5:30 matthew 7:5 by loving others in replacement of self galatians 5:14 . Even in discipline we only go to the extent we’re forced to by the need of the other, not to gain justice for our hurts ii corinthians 2:5-11 ; we are looking to go ONLY as far as necessary to help the other come to their senses james 2:12-13 i corinthians 15:34 .
We are not to come down on someone, even when we have the right and cause, because we can luke 6:36 . No, it is better to think of coming beside someone to help philemon 6 ecclesiastes 4:9-12 because we too know what it is to fail job 33:1-7 ecclesiastes 7:21-22 .
We should, like Christ, stoop down to lift up psalm 18:35 romans 12:16 , not look down to puff ourselves up galatians 6:1-3 i corinthians 8:1-3 . So, we should be gentle…humble…considerate of each other titus 3:2 for the very goal of adjusting/sacrificing our own life, justice, rights, etc. is to meet the need of another in whatever form is necessary to save that soul i corinthians 9:12, 19-22 . That is gentleness.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
If anyone hears My Words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My Words; the very Words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
If it were His intention and He withdrew His spirit and breath, all humanity would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
my notes:
By Myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and My judgment is just, for I seek not to please Myself but Him Who sent Me.
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
my notes:
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.
and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
my notes:
But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say. I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue. My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Answer me then, if you can; stand up and argue your case before me. I am the same as you in God’s sight; I too am a piece of clay. No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy on you.
Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you— for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
my notes:
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that "We all possess knowledge." But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.
to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the Gospel of Christ.
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
my notes:
Scripture quotations taken from one or more of the following versions as noted:
ESV = The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
NIV = The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NLT = The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
NASB = NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), Copyright (C) 1960,1962,1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Used by Permission HCSB ©1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 Holman Bible Publishers. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
NKJV = New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.