And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Romans 15:14
Would you like to become a plumber? If you take the necessary training and become skilled in the trade, you will probably be able to earn a good living. Many of the current plumbers are growing old, and there are plenty of opportunities in the trade. Where do you go to get the necessary training? I don’t know. But I know one place you should not go for this training: the Atlantic Police Academy in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. It’s not a bad school, in fact, it is highly rated as a place to train to become a police officer, a firefighter, or a conservation or corrections officer. But to date, this academy has not graduated one single plumber. The reason? This school does not have anyone on staff qualified to teach anyone to become a plumber. For this trade, you need qualified plumbing instructors. Just as in our lives as Christians, we need qualified instructors. And we should not take instruction from those who are not qualified.
Look carefully at the last phrase of our text today: ‘able also to admonish one another’. The word translated ‘admonish’ comes from the Greek word ‘noutheteo’, which is rendered elsewhere as ‘instruct’, ‘warn’, or ‘counsel’. The word is used in our Bibles in warnings against behavior that is not in accord with God’s will, and has both a preventive and corrective function, as in Acts 20:31: ‘Watch therefore, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn (noutheteo) every one night and day with tears’. We desperately need this admonishing, instruction, warning, and counselling today, as our deluded world is awash in false doctrines and in attacks on the Word of God. We need to be built up in our most holy faith to the extent that the false teachings have no room to penetrate our souls. And who is going to admonish us?
In Rome, Paul was confident there were some who were able to admonish one another. Granted, not everyone in the Assemblies in Rome had this ability. Some were disqualified because they were freshly saved, just learning the rudiments of their new faith. Some were disqualified because they entangled themselves in the affairs of Rome to the extent they had little interest or knowledge in the things of God. Some were careless or lazy or mixed up in their own understanding of the truth. But just like today, there were those who were able. Look around us and see those with this ability. We have the Lord’s preaching servants, well learned in the Scriptures, to admonish us. Be cautious, though, some of these are not as careful of the truth as they used to be. We have the brethren in Assembly oversight, exercising their guidance and care over the Lord’s people. Be cautious, because some of these may not always have the best interests of their Lord at heart. We have the godly sisters who are able and ready to provide wisdom and advice for the younger ones. In fact, most of us have some knowledge and interest to offer a word or encouragement or correction to each other when appropriate. Just make sure this is done at the Lord’s leading and not at our own sense of self-importance.
God has kindly equipped us with those who are able to admonish. Heed them well! -Jim MacIntosh