“Put the Best Construction on Things”

"Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men."

Titus 3:1-2 NKJV

It is interesting to me to see the verse above sitting in the same chapter as the verse below.

"Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned."

Titus 3:10-11 NKJV

What’s more interesting is that Paul is the author of Titus and 2 Timothy and he writes to Timothy the following:

"Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;"

II Timothy 3:8 NKJV

Paul had some choice words for some people and it wasn’t gentle or peaceable.  Paul didn’t put the best construction on what the two men mentioned above did or those that were like them. Nor did he give the benefit of the doubt to Alexandria or Peter.

"Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works."

II Timothy 4:14 

"Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;"

Galatians 2:11 NKJV

There are others but my memory escapes me.  The point is that yes, we are to speak evil of no man and we are to be gentle, peaceable and humble, but there is obviously a point, as in the examples above, where it is appropriate to call a spade a spade as Paul did.

The problem I see is that when a Christian calls a spade a spade, they are often called on the carpet for slander, not giving a charitable judgement or not putting the best construction on things and being divisive.

As Christians we are to be peaceable , gentle, humble and all these good things, but Paul’s example also tells that we should not put the best construction on things when the evidence points to the contrary. If it’s a spade, then call it a spade. I believe many churches are going down a merry path to apostasy because they are putting the best construction on things  they shouldn’t be.

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