Truth Captive

In a story, the truth is what separates heroes from villains. Both might hold beliefs and convictions very tightly, but the villain is believing a lie and the hero is believing the truth.

The Apostle Paul knew this. The church of Jesus Christ is at war, but not a war fought with guns and bombs. It is a war fought with ideas. And the powerful weapon that we have to win this war is the truth of the gospel. Paul told the Corinthian church as much in 2 Corinthians 10.

Often his exhortation to “take captive every thought†is applied to fantasizing about the opposite sex, but this is not at all what the passage is about (2 Corinthians 10:5). Instead, Paul was talking about all the lies that oppose themselves to the truth of Jesus.

These could be anything contrary to the gospel of Christ, especially lies that have infiltrated the church itself. In the Corinthians’ case, they were tempted to believe God would not raise the bodies of dead believers. They also celebrated evil practices. By believing lies, they had become villains.

Paul wanted them to fight. To beat back the lies with the truth of the risen and victorious Christ. And his message applies to us just as much. The church in our time is also swamped with lies and their awful consequences. Racism. Sexism. The lie that Jesus will give you material wealth. The lie that your body does not matter. The list goes on and on.

So, fight the war of ideas on the side of the truth Himself—Jesus Christ (John 14:6). • Kevin Zeller

• What lies have you seen creep into the church’s teachings or attitudes?

• What lies have you allowed yourself to try to mix with the gospel?

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

Read Verses:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5