Admonition

by Doodson, A. T. | Category: General | Feb 1955

The subject of admonition is often much misunderstood, and the elements of grace and love which are its true concomitants are too often overlooked. The Scriptural usage of the word in 1 Corinthians 10.11 helps us to understand its meaning:

"Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for Our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come."

This is not a matter of judgement or censure with penalties, but of learning or instruction. The word thus conveys to us the thought of reminding, teaching, warning, reproving. We are the favoured people unto whom has been conveyed the wealth of human experience as revealed in the word of God. Men in past days made many mistakes and we are liable to be no better than they, and we have need to take heed lest, though we stand, we fall. The admonition in the sense of warning is not complete without the words of grace:

"God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10.18).

Admonition, without words of grace, is not true admonition. In this very epistle, where the apostle has need to reprove the Corinthian saints, he does so with words of grace added thereto which are part of our spiritual heritage. He said:

"I write not these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my

beloved children. For though ye should have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers" (1 Corinthians 4.14, 15).

Then in Acts 20.31 we have a revelation of Paul, not as the austere man some think him to be, but as the man with a tender heart:

"Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years

I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears."

The whole of his address to the elders from Ephesus is a lovely example of admonition; there are words of warning, words of love, and words of prayer, all leading to that tender condition of heart which caused them all to weep sore, to fall on Paul's neck, and to kiss him. True admonition should result in tender affection and not in sullen resentment.

The same things may be seen in relation to children:

"Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6.4).

Chastening may indeed be necessary but there is instruction with regard to its necessity and purpose; the word of the Lord is brought to bear that the child might perceive the reason and so give honour to the parents who are nurturing it in love and patience, and who are themselves instructed of God.

True admonition can only be given by those who have themselves received it and have been affected by it. It is not something that can only be administered by rulers or overseers. Thus Paul writes to the

Romans:

"I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one

another" (Romans 15.14).

These were such as had received the words of Romans 15.4, 5:

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the Scriptures we might hoe hope. Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another." This is no picture of impatient men dealing out discipline with heavy hands, such as some would look on admonition. Patience! comfort! goodness! knowledge! These are the prerequisites in those who would seek to admonish. It is not therefore to be wondered at that we can admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts, and the word of Christ dwelling richly within us (Colossians 3.16; see also 1.28).

Some admonishments are of a serious nature and involve reproof and discipline as in 1 Thessalonians 5.14 and 2 Thessalonians 3.15, but even here the erring one is not an enemy to receive harsh words and heavy punishment, but is a brother in Christ, one for whom Christ died. If he is to receive admonishment from elders and the judgement of the assembly it is to be in all grace and knowledge, with no bitterness, recognizing the fact that in many things we all stumble. Again, public admonition is not only for the one who has sinned but is for all.

"Them that sin reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be

in fear " (1 Timothy 5.20).

Just as the errors done aforetime are for our admonition so also are the errors of our fellows. The public admonition is for us, that by the grace of God we may not sin, and also that our prayers be in meekness and humility for the erring one.

Admonition may be distressing to those, such as overseers, who have to give it. Sin is dreadful in all its aspects, and this is brought out by the law of the red heifer in Numbers 19. In order to cleanse an unclean man, there had to be a clean heifer condemned to death, slain by a clean priest. A clean man burned the carcass, another clean man gathered up the ashes and laid them up in a clean place, and when the ashes were used for the cleansing of the unclean man, a clean man had to sprinkle water from them upon the unclean person and his belongings. Now all these men who so acted, though they themselves were clean, and though they handled clean things, became unclean and were deprived of the privileges of the camp for at least a day. It seems strange that those who were not defiled were accounted as defiled because they dealt with a defiled person, but the lesson is a very solemn one. No man can defile himself without affecting others and it is indeed true that the process of admonition affects the spiritual life of the ones who would seek to act for the Lord; they spend time in reasoning with the erring person which could have been much more profitably spent, and their enjoyment of spiritual things is diminished and clouded over by this thing with which they have to deal. It would be good for all to consider the effect of their actions upon others and to be ready to give ear to the voice of admonition.

"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch on behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you"

(Hebrews 13.17).

Doodson, A. T. | Feb 1955
General