Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen …
Summary: Whether we are kids in grade school or adults at work, we all crave attention. Everyone wants to be popular. When a “new kid” comes to town, they seem to upset the balance of power and suddenly everyone is vying for attention.
Here is an interesting thought: How does going into “great detail” impact a story?
Does adding detail add to the story, or is the purpose of “great detail” to add credibility to the storyteller?
As I ponder Paul’s words in this passage I find myself reflecting on what people say and how they say it. Paul is pointing out a characteristic of a certain type of people. These are not ordinary, every-day people, but these are people who have a mission to corrupt the faith of believers.
Paul is describing people who are promoting claims that detract from the Gospel rather than add to it.
In the Old Testament days, the kings of Israel and Judah had a similar problem. They knew that God spoke through his prophets, but they didn’t always know who the prophets were until after their prophecies had come true.*
Why do people do such things? Why make claims and invent details when there is no truth to them?
One possibility is that, like monkeys, we like to do what we see others doing.
Imagine life in Paul’s day. You are a Jew who lives in a Gentile city. There is a community of Jews who make up your “church” group. Then there are your business associates and the rest of the Gentiles who make up the population of the town you live in.
Life is generally based on routine. Your Jewish heritage provides daily and weekly things to do. You honor the Sabbath and keep the laws. Every festival is observed, if not in the way of the patriarchs, at least in the ways approved for Jews in exile.
Then, one day, a man named Paul appears. He is a tentmaker by trade and a Pharisee by education. He is also what they call a “Christian.”
Paul introduces himself on the first Sabbath he is in town. He speaks at the synagogue and makes the claim that Jesus is the Messiah. Then, he draws on his extensive knowledge of the Scriptures to buttress his claims. People listen. Many accept his teachings as true.
As if that wasn’t enough, Paul is also teaching people in the streets, in Gentile houses, and in the public square. Gentiles and Jews alike are drawn to his message. Before long, life in “Gentile City” has been upended! Everything is different.
Some who watch all this happen, see the attention Paul is getting, and they are envious of it. They’ve missed the message itself, but they see Paul talking and they think, “I can do that!” And so they do.
They invent their own details and jump in, trying to get what Paul seems to have. The difference is that Paul is on a mission from God. They are on a mission for ego.
Application: Be aware that “false prophets” are still in business, even today.
Food for Thought: How do “details” provide clues to whether something is true or not?
*See 2 Chronicles 18 for an example. Specifically, verse 10 illustrates the false prophet’s details.
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How do “details” provide clues to whether something is true or not?
The devil is in the details!
Is something a known fact, a specific detail based on truths or an opinion, a conclusion which may or may not be based on facts?
We speak English at 140-180 words per minute, we listen, comprehend at about 400 wpm which gives us time to evaluate what is being verbally communicated to us. Do we listen accordingly?
The Holy Spirit gives believers discernment which is the ability to hear, see God in this often deceptive noisy world.
Philippians 1:9-10, And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
Hebrews 5:14, But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Walk with God, be engaged and enjoy this world He has given us. At the same time we should be aware of our surroundings, remember our purpose on earth and live accordingly.
I was visiting a church one Sunday. The sermon was on Revelations, The preacher was on a roll, then I heard him say, “ Sometimes I think John may have been on drugs when he wrote Revelations. “
At that point, I mentally went fishing. I was no longer engaged in this mans words.
Good comments Ron.
What did you catch?
Thank you, Ron!
The devil is indeed in the details! Well said.
I also appreciate your point about needed the Holy Spirit’s guidance for discernment. Soooo important!
Its a bit like reading an advertisement for a restaurant that says “Dinner for only $10.” Then you go and eat, and after the meal you are handed a bill for $20. You look at the bill and see a $10 entrée, but the drink, tax, fees, and tip drove up the cost. A savvy person might call the restaurant beforehand and ask about the details. Otherwise, they would not understand the full cost until the meal is over.
As believers, I believe, God openly invites us to seek all the details.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
There are some that have said to me that Christianity is about “blindly” following the Word of God as it is written and to the letter. I have found that the Word of God is truth because the application of the Word in my life has proved it to be true. It was in the application that the details became important. So, when I say, the Word of God is true on a personal level, it is because I found God in the details.
When I read the words “Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen” it makes me think of someone trying to sell me something. When someone it trying to sell something, they usually accentuate the details that are a selling point, and leave out the details that are a detractor. We know how that worked out for Adam and Eve. To know the truth, we have to know the whole truth. All the details will reveal the whole truth about what is being said.
Valuable Words Chris.
Thank You,
Ron
Thanks, Chris!
You made me think about how it is not the “details” were are given as much as it is the ones that go unsaid.