Offenders, Offences and the Offended 2Cor. 6:3-7
Introduction:
It has happened to all of us at one time or another where someone has done something, said something or maybe even heard something that has offended us. Some of us have been so offended where we shut ourselves down and have decided to stop progress on anything we are currently engaged in. We have been unable to function, to move beyond the moment. We are in a sense stuck in time unable to get over the shock and awe of what has just occurred.
Others of us while we have been able to move beyond the shock and awe we walked right by talking the matter over with God onto strategizing and plotting how we can get even with those who have hurt us so deeply.
How do offences begin? who becomes the target? Is there a way to prevent from being offended? How does God feel about offences, offenders and the offended.
I would like to begin a series on this topic that I know affects all of us. Today I would like to lay some groundwork for our study. First, we will define some key terms to help with our understanding, next we will examine the offence cycle and lastly we will discover the first offender present in our lives and how to deal with him appropriately.
Definition of terms:
Offense-“Proskomma” an obstacle, stumbling block that causes temptation (Isa 8:14; Mat 16:23; 18:7). Greek skandalon, properly that at which one stumbles or takes offence. The "offence of the cross" (Gal 5:11) is the offence the Jews took at the teaching that salvation was by the crucified One, and by him alone. Salvation by the cross was a stumbling-block to their national pride.
Offend-from skandalon (OFFENSE, No. 1), signifies "to put a snare or stumbling block in the way," always metaphorically in the NT. It is used 14 times in Matthew, 8 in Mark, twice in Luke, twice in John; elsewhere in 1Cr 8:13 (twice); 2Cr 11:29. It is absent in the most authentic mss. in Rom 14:21. The RV renders it by the verb "to stumble," or "cause to stumble," in every place save the following, where it uses the verb "to offend," Mat 13:57; 15:12, 26:31, 33; Mar 6:3; 14:27, 29. This is the act itself of setting a trap or snare for someone.
Offender – debtor or sinner a wrong-doer Lk 13:1-4. "one who owes anything to another," primarily in regard to money; in Mat 18:24, "who owed" (lit., "one was brought, a debtor to him of ten thousand talents"). The slave could own property, and so become a "debtor" to his master, who might seize him for payment.
It is used metaphorically, of those who have not yet made amends to those whom they have injured, Mat 6:12, "our debtors;" of some whose disaster was liable to be regarded as a due punishment, Luk 13:4 (RV, "offenders;" AV, sinners;" marg., "debtors").
Offended – Naturally, is one who has fallen victim of an offense.
The Offense Cycle
How does the cycle of offence occur? First there is a “Proskomma” an offense, something that has caused us to stumble and perhaps yield to the temptation of sin either literally or metaphorically.
Literal Example: Someone laid a snare to literally cause us to do something that we know we shouldn’t do gossip, steal, sexual acts outside of Gods parameters etc. In these cases perhaps we weren’t looking for the opportunity but it presented itself to us or sought us out and we being unprepared and perhaps vulnerable fell into the trap.
Figurative example: Sin that takes place in the mind, immoral thoughts and evil plotting. In many cases the one who has laid this snare may not even know they have done it including us. Also, in this case many times we will find out that we have been our biggest contributor to ensnaring ourselves. Why? Because of the lack of control we tend to exhibit over our thought life.
In both cases someone or something has enticed us to betray our thoughts of staying true to our core values and systems of beliefs. Which in the case of the believer, it is the Word of God. This often times leads us to want to offend (Skandalon) to set a snare, trap or obstacle so that those who caused us to stumble will know that we are angry and we want revenge.
Offenses do not necessarily come just from the ones we are offending. That may be the case most times. However, as we have seen and often times experience in life, we offend others in our lives whom we do not mean to offend because we have been offended by someone else. They just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Then that starts another cycle of offense.
Now what’s interesting about this is, if we begin to examine the process that leads to us planning to offend (Skandolizo) or set a trap for others it is because there has already been an offense within us.
Our First Offender
The offense within leads to our offending others. That which is within us, drives us to offend. We know it by other terms such as our sin nature, carnal nature, worldly desire and fleshly appetites.
James 1:14 gives us a more descriptive picture of this truth. Where he says every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. There is an offender within, someone who sets traps for us. If we are going to have a better understanding of why we offend others we must first understand that by nature we have within us not only the ability to offend but the desire as well.
It is that which betrays us within that lead us to betray those without. In other words there is something on the inside that does not care about the consequences of carrying out its desires or actions no matter how harmful they may be to himself or others around him.
Clinically, a person who is deemed to be a threat to himself and to others is considered to be emotionally unstable and in need of psychiatric help.
It’s bad enough when we come to the realization that people places and things don’t have our best interest at heart but when we are confronted with the truth that we are an enemy to ourselves that hits us even deeper. It’s almost hard for us to swallow. It doesn’t make logical sense that we would end up becoming our own worst enemy.
Oh we know that person in the mirror well. We have seen him in action throughout our lives. We have seen him make decision after decision without caring about where it would leave us, or how we were going to get back. It came, did its thing and then left us to deal with the consequences. When we look at someone outside of ourselves who has done this we begin to think of all the ways we can get even or get back. We are furious, the feelings of being taken advantage of and being used and being handled like a piece of meat infuriates us.
However when we feel like that and the person who offended is us we find ourselves in a pickle. We want to get even but we don’t know how. How do I punish myself. How do I get even with myself for having caused all this havoc in my life. It wasn’t momma, it wasn’t daddy, it wasn’t my brother or my sister, it wasn’t my best friend, it wasn’t the church folk or the church house, this time it was me. Some of us need to stop right there and receive the deliverance that just comes at the point of admittance of the true problem. You’ve been playing the blame game and living your life in denial long enough. It’s time to take ownership of your part, and with the truth that you have betrayed yourself.
How do we deal with this offender?
What do we do and how do we get control of this enemy within. Simple, you need someone who can go in where he is and do battle with him and tame him. That is; to make him no longer a threat to you. Someone needs to go in there and snatch control back and strip him of his ability to offend you. To immobilize his attempts to set straps for you. That person is none other than the Holy Spirit.
Paul says I am crucified with Christ, but yet I am still alive. In other words just as Christ was physically crucified, Paul says I too have died. What he means is that the reign of sin and its power to control him has come to an end. But he is still alive. Something peculiar has happened to Paul.
He has experienced a death yet he did not physically die, He was beginning to see power demonstrated over sin that he hadn’t experienced before, being that he wasn’t in heaven, it had to be because of something else. What could possibly have taken the power of sin off of his life thereby giving him the ability to walk godly though still being in this flesh. Then it dawns on Him. It is the Christ within, for He alone has the power over sin, death, hell and the grave and He now resides on the inside of him. So then, he says, this life which I am now living, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave His life for me.
So then, one must first allow Christ through the person of the Holy Spirit to take governance of our thoughts, drive our passions and control our emotions.
Well I have done that you say. Then the next step is for you to exercise self-control. You now have the liberty to exercise power over the urges you have to offend others and to be offended.
We’ll talk about that next time.
Cite This Article:
Easton, M. G. "Offence," Easton’s Bible Dictionary. Blue Letter Bible. 1897. 1 Apr 2007. 27 Dec 2008.
type=GetTopic&Topic=Offence&DictList=2#Easton’s> Cite This Page: Vine, W. E. "Debtor," Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Blue Letter Bible. 1940. 1 Apr 2007. 27 Dec 2008. type=GetTopic&Topic=Debtor&DictList=9#Vine’s>
