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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