Word of Charity and Exhortation to those Walking the Narrow Way

An early Christian Bishop of Lyons [Province of France] named Irenaeus, in his first book against Gnosticism [in many of its various sects] explains to his "dear friend", perhaps another bishop, the formations and contradictions of gnosticism, and the base character of its adherents. It is very wordy and wearisome to read, and this he points out to his "dear friend", "I will not, however, weary thee by recounting their other interpretations," and, "Even to give an account of them is a tedious affair, as thou seest." Irenaeus says, "Impious indeed, beyond all impiety, are these men, who assert that the Maker of heaven and earth, the only God Almighty, besides whom there is no God, was produced by means of a defect, which itself sprang from another defect, so that, according to them, He was the product of the third defect."

But the point I am seeking to make with this post is in this next quote:

"I well know, my dear friend, that when thou hast read through all this, thou wilt indulge in a hearty laugh over this their inflated wise folly! But those men are really worthy of being mourned over, who promulgate such a kind of religion, and who so frigidly and perversely pull to pieces the greatness of the truly unspeakable power, and the dispensations of God in themselves so striking, by means of Alpha and Beta, and through the aid of numbers. [Irenaeus Book 1, Chapter 16, Part 3, Approx. 180 A.D.]"

Irenaeus understood that the doctrines of the gnostics were absurd and worthy of derision, and so he tells his dear friend, "I well know...that when thou hast read through all this, thou wilt indulge in a hearty laugh over this their inflated wise folly." Irenaeus understood that his friend would laugh and why.

Yet, he corrects his friend's behavior with these words, "But those men are really worthy of being mourned over, who promulgate such a kind of religion."

These are men whom Irenaeus interprets, "But as many as separate from the Church, and give heed to such old wives’ fables as these, are truly self-condemned; and these men Paul commands us, “after a first and second admonition, to avoid.” And John, the disciple of the Lord, has intensified their condemnation, when he desires us not even to address to them the salutation of “good-speed;” for, says he, “He that bids them be of good-speed is a partaker with their evil deeds [II John 9-11];” and that with reason, “for there is no good-speed to the ungodly,” saith the Lord." [Irenaeus Book 1, Chapter 16, Part 3]

If Irenaeus corrected his dear friend for "indulging in a hearty laugh" over the folly of others [even those who left the church], then where will we stand in the judgment if we indulge in laughing at the folly of other groups "Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites, Baptists, Charity, Methodists, Emergents, and others who leave our groups, etc."?

Many walking in a narrow way say they "appreciate" the early Christians, because they have "fellowship" or a "kindred" spirit with them. But do we really? If we make a sport or fill our conversations mocking and deriding the other people's folly and error, be not deceived, the early Christians would correct us, and say, "Those men are really worthy of being mourned over, who promulgate such a kind of religion, and who so frigidly and perversely pull to pieces the greatness of the truly unspeakable power, and the dispensations of God."

I do believe that many I know walking in a Narrow Way reflect in many ways the spirit of Christ that was in the early Christians...but we err; brethren we err, when we laugh and mock; we ought to mourn instead.

It is true: "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." [Proverbs 1:24-26]

Scripture does say that God will laugh at the self-willed person's calamity, and that He will mock when his fear cometh...but God is God, and this is one scripture...it is more profitable, and ministers to humility to remember these scriptures: "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked [Ezekiel 33:11]," and, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [Matthew 23:37]" and, "I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. [Romans 9:1-3]"