Iron Sharpeneth Iron
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” (Proverbs 27:17)
During the past three months, half a dozen of us gospel preachers have met for study and thus far have engaged several “weightier matters of the law.” Yes, even gospel preachers profit from being taught, and teaching each other as brethren (i.e., dear friends) is what Solomon means by “iron sharpeneth iron.” As one preacher described it years ago, “Ever once in a while, you need to whet the edge of your sword.” Of course, he meant your knowledge of God’s word since God’s word itself can never be improved. The benefits of such studies are immeasurable! We take notes, confess to learning things we had not heretofore considered, and find ourselves enriched from the bountiful feasting of God’s word with these discussions.
Regardless of one’s knowledge of God’s word, no one is beyond the need for growth in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). The sharing of this knowledge is paramount to this growth. Notice the directive given to Timothy from the apostle Paul: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2) Without the advantages of “iron sharpening iron,” stimulation of thought and reason are stifled. While God needed no sharpening, He commanded Israel to “Come now and let us reason together,” (Isaiah 1:18). Further, Paul admonished the Philippians, “…think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8) and told Timothy, “Meditate on these things.” (1 Timothy 4:15) Devoting ourselves to the exchange of righteous understanding of God’s word remains a staple to our spiritual growth!
Knowing iron sharpens iron, the “sharpness” of our minds is paramount to being successful in our service to God. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear,” (1 Peter 3:15 is not a suggestion! Christians must be ready to give an answer for the reason of our hope! But if we are “dull of hearing” (cf. Acts 28:27) God’s truth, then what we speak will be “dull” as well. How does one make sure his “sword,” i.e., personal acuity of God’s word, stays sharp? Why not try attending more bible studies where an open discussion of God’s word permits such reasoning? (Isaiah 1:18)
We can do this as we sing as well! Notice from Colossians 3:16 that we teach one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Brethren love to sing! But sadly, many sing the tunes they enjoy; i.e., the harmonizing of voices instead of reading and contemplating the words they are singing! None of us would permit false doctrines to be uttered from our pulpits or in our bible studies. Yet, because we “accept the poetic license of songs as facts,” at the very least, false ideas are perpetuated and at the worst, false doctrine is accepted without challenge! TAKE THE TIME TO READ THE WORDS BEFORE YOU SING THEM! While the tune may be quite melodic and pleasing to our ears, if the words we sing convey falsehood, it is sin! (1 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 4:3; Titus 1:9; 2:1; et al)
I remember my grandpa taking from the middle breast pocket of his bib overalls, a “whet stone” that looked more like a gray stick of stone. He used one of his scythes to cut his grass and another to cut wheat, but for both, he kept that “stick” in his bibs. Every so often, he would pull that stick out and whet the edge of his scythe. He wanted a sharp edge on those tools; it made his work much easier when they were sharp. The same is true for each of us: our work for the Master is made much easier when we are sharp enough to cut through the tough growing blades of sin’s productions. Let’s keep our spiritual acuity sharp and ready for use at all times. Keep that “whet stone” handy and don’t spare its use! The world needs God’s truth, and each Christian must tell it to all he meets! Let’s not fear the benefits of iron sharpening iron. Those benefits are eternal!