Does not Matter...

This morning we met at 6AM in the Savoy restaurant to talk about Romans 5.  There were five of us around the table.  At one point there were seven.  But due to work and life circumstances the number has been four plus me for the past several months.  At 8 I was on a skype call discussing Romans 1 with a pastor halfway around the world.

I know a great deal about the Bible.  I have studied and outlined all 66 books.  I have studied most of the New Testament books multiple times.  I have translated most of the New Testament from Greek to English.  I have a lot of verses memorized.  None of that matters at 6 AM or 8 AM.  What matters are what the four guys at 6 saw and what the one guy at 8 saw.  And with all I know, they made observations that I had not seen.

As someone who is working with others in the Word of God, it does not matter what I know.  It matters that those with whom I work are equipped to see more than they have in the past, and by extension see things that I have not seen.  That is the genius of Ephesians 4:11 – 16.  The gifts are given to build up the others in the body to fulfill their place in the body.  In so doing those who are being built up build up those who initially helped them.  Paul referred to this in Romans 1:12.  He expected to be ministered to, to have his faith strengthened by the Roman believers when he was able to finally come and minister to them.

That is true with those who we help.  It is also true for our kids.  They will grow to build us up.  If we are doing our job.