Alas, the concept of mutual responsibility relative to mankind is almost a lost concept today, even among too many professing Christians.  All men affect others and, to a degree, we are each responsible for one another (cp. Rom. 14: 7). Cain was the - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Alas, the concept of mutual responsibility relative to mankind is almost a lost concept today, even among too many professing Christians.  All men affect others and, to a degree, we are each responsible for one another (cp. Rom. 14: 7). Cain was the

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Title: Alas, the concept of mutual responsibility relative to mankind is almost a lost concept today, even among too many professing Christians.  All men affect others and, to a degree, we are each responsible for one another (cp. Rom. 14: 7). Cain was the


1
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • Alas, the concept of "mutual responsibility"
    relative to mankind is almost a lost concept
    today, even among too many professing
    Christians.  All men affect others and, to a
    degree, we are each responsible for one another
    (cp. Rom. 14 7). Cain was the first to reflect
    the selfish human autonomy thinking when he
    asked, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen. 4 9). ."

Introduction
2
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Introduction...
There is in the general sense, a brotherhood of
men taught in the scriptures (cp. Acts 17 26
ff.). This "mutual responsibility" and moral
awareness and reciprocity circumstance is clearly
observed in the relationship Christians are to
experience one with another.  Paul expressed it
this way "So we, being many, are one body in
Christ, and every one members one of another"
(Rom. 12 5).
3
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Introduction...
  • As we establish a stage for the introduction of
    "Achan, a Study of Mutual Responsibility," allow
    me to mention one important role of the "Old
    Testament."  The many examples found in the
    Hebrew scriptures are profitable for us today (I
    Cor. 101ff.).  Hence, our study of Achan.

4
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Military defeat
  • "10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up
    wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?  11
    Israel hath sinned, and they have also
    transgressed my covenant which I commanded them
    for they have even taken of the accursed thing,
    and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and
    they have put it even among their own stuff. 12
    Therefore the children of Israel could not stand
    before their enemies, but turned their backs
    before their enemies, because they were accursed
    neither will I be with you any more, except ye
    destroy the accursed from among you" (Josh. 7).

5
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • In the case of Jericho, Israel was warned not to,
    "take of the accursed thing" (the spoils of war,
    Josh. 618).  We read, though, that this command
    had been violated.

"But the children of Israel committed a trespass
in the accursed thing for Achan, the son of
Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the
tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing and
the anger of the LORD was kindled against the
children of Israel" (Josh. 7 1).
6
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
A contradiction?
  • Notice the plural noun and pronouns in the case
    of who sinned, "Israel, "they."  Without
    question, "Israel hath sinned (Josh. 7
    10-12). Yet, upon closer examination, we are told
    that it was an individual named Achan who had
    sinned (Josh. 7 1).  The particularity of
    Achan's sin is provided. Upon a search of Israel
    as to the sin, Achan was discovered and he
    confessed his sin (Josh. 7 7ff.). 

7
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Achan's Sin
21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly
Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of
silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels
weight, then I coveted them, and took them and,
behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of
my tent, and the silver under it.
Joshua 7 21
He saw
He coveted
He took the accused
8
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Eve's Sin
  • 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good
    for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes,
    and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she
    took of the fruit thereof, and did eat (Gen. 3)

Genesis 3 6
9
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Eve's Sin
Achan's Sin
Joshua 7 21
He saw
He coveted
He took the accused
He and Israel punished
10
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • Notwithstanding the fact that it was Achan who
    had committed this flagrant trespass, the whole
    nation of Israel is held responsible and it was
    not until Israel had addressed Achan and his sin
    that Israel was again blessed of God.  I submit
    that herein lies a very relevant and powerful
    lesson for God's people today, one that most
    certainly involves "mutual responsibility."

11
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Back to Achan and Israel
  • Allow me to emphasize and further explain this
    mutual responsibility as seen in the instance of
    Israel and Achan by sharing some cogent
    quotations from the Pulpit Commentary. 
  • "The crime of this one man is imputed to all
    Israel on the principle of the organic unity of
    the nation. As the body is said to be diseased or
    wounded, though the malady may lie only in one of
    its members, so his trespass destroyed the moral
    integrity of the whole nation. We are reminded of
    certain ways in which a community may be
    implicated in a wrong actually done by only one
    of its members."

12
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Back to Achan and Israel
  • "Commentators have largely discussed the question
    how the sin of Achan could be held to extend to
    the whole people. But it seems sufficient to
    reply by pointing out the organic unity of the
    Israelitish nation. They were then, asChristians
    are now, the Church of the living God. And if one
    single member of the community violated the laws
    which God imposed on them, the whole body was
    liable for his sin, until it had purged itself by
    a public act of restitution (see Deuteronomy
    211-8)."

13
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Back to Achan and Israel
  • "The very words 'body politic' applied to a state
    imply the same idea that of a connection so
    intimate between the members of a community that
    the act of one affects the whole. And if this be
    admitted to be the case in ordinary societies,
    how much more so in the people of God, who were
    under His special protection, and had been
    specially set apart to His service?"  (Pulpit
    Commentary, Vol. 3, excerpts from both the
    exegetical and homiletic sections).

14
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • An examination of Paul's teaching to the church
    at Corinth exemplifies this same idea of "body
    politic."  While the church at Corinth as a whole
    was not engaged in the specific fornication
    addressed in chapter five of the first epistle,
    they (as a body) are still held responsible.

15
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • "1 It is reported commonly that there is
    fornication among you, and such fornication as is
    not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one
    should have his father's wife. 2 And ye are
    puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he
    that hath done this deed might be taken away from
    among you. 3 For I verily, as absent in body,
    but present in spirit, have judged already, as
    though I were present, concerning him that hath
    so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord
    Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and
    my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus
    Christ,

16
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the
    destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be
    saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (I Cor. 5,
    cp. 2 Thes. 3 6)....
  • "6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a
    little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge
    out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a
    new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ
    our passover is sacrificed for us" (I Cor. 5).

17
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • The principle of mutual responsibility is
    actually observed throughout the scriptures and
    its presence is precipitous to many truths and
    requisite acts.  For instance, we read how one is
    responsible for the "wicked" and "righteous" who
    go astray and to fail to warn them is to incur
    their blood (Ezek. 3 17-21).  Paul articulated
    this same truth (Acts 20 26, 27). 

18
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • The church at Thyatira is held answerable for the
    element of evil among them and the church as a
    whole is told to "repent" (Rev. 218-28, see also
    Pergamos, Rev. 2 12-17).

19
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • Achan is judged by the word and his deeds (Josh.
    7 16ff. cp. John 12 48, Rom. 2 6, Jesus shall
    be our righteous Judge, 2 Cor. 5 10, 2 Tim. 4
    8).

20
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
  • Achan is punished and evil is put away from
    Israel and they go on to be victorious in taking
    the land (Josh. 7ff.).

21
Achan, Mutual Responsibility
Conclusion
  • Let us learn from Achan the nature of the unity
    that God intends to characterize His people. Let
    us also be aware that we are our brothers keeper
    and that each is to do his part to help another
    and to keep the church pure.
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