Suspicion

 

[From my letter to my congregation sent out today, 6 March 2024]

I find it interesting that Christian people were suspicious of Paul. In fact, there were individuals suspicious of Paul in the church at Corinth: “I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:2). To recognize that suspiciousness was in the earlier church, and even more, it was a suspiciousness of Paul, causes me to pause when I find suspiciousness rising up in my own heart. “Maybe,” I think to myself, “I should be suspicious of my own suspiciousness.” Yes, I do talk to myself a bunch.

 

And so, I was quite fascinated this morning as I was reading “Spurgeon’s Lectures to His Students”. These are lectures he gave to young men who were studying to become Baptist and Independent ministers in the late 1800s. In Lecture 21, “The Blind Eye and the Deaf Ear,” he is encouraging these ministers to take what they hear from others with a grain of salt. And then he pops out with this invaluable advice:

 

“Learn to disbelieve those who have no faith in their brethren. Suspect those who would lead you to suspect others. A resolute unbelief in all scandal-mongers will do much to repress their mischievous energies” (310).

 

Spurgeon’s counsel fits well with Proverbs (6:16-19; 11:27; 18:6-8, 17, 21; 26:17-28; and so much more). Maybe, in a day of much scandal-mongering, we should learn to become more suspicious of our suspiciousness, but especially suspicious of those promoting suspiciousness.[1] 


Pastor Mike


[1] Just to make sure I’m clear, I am not aware of anyone being of suspicious of me, so this has nothing to do with defending myself. It simply struck me this morning as I was reading Spurgeon.


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