Investigating the Bible: Painful accountability

By DAVID CARLSON PASTOR

Attempts to evade taxes have a long history. In the 1950s a man reported that he had imbibed two quarts of wine each week and two quarts of gin each month to conserve water during a drought, and therefore his expenses for this alcohol were deductible. The claim was rejected. Honest accountability is a common theme in the Bible and sometimes the consequences could be painful.

The apostle Paul wrote eloquent words describing love: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3, English Standard Version used throughout.) Paul put, in a different letter, harsh words of judgment against some in the church who had denied important fundamentals of Christian belief. They had “…made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:19-20).

Paul didn’t give details of Satan’s pending affliction. Satan is a cruel taskmaster who delights in human suffering when God allows it. In another situation, Paul was shocked that a man in the church was sleeping with his father’s wife. He told church leaders to “…deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 5:5).

In the Old Testament, God gave Satan free rein with godly Job. Satan killed all of Job’s children, took his wealth, and then “…struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” (Job 2:7). After long days of suffering, Job said to God, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job “…repented in dust and ashes” and “…the Lord restored the fortunes of Job.” (Job 42:2,6,10).

In the New Testament, Satan “…entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve [apostles]. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.” (Luke 22:3-4). After Jesus was arrested, Judas threw “…down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:5).

Paul knew from his own experience both accountability and mercy from God. On the road to Damascus and using his birth name of Saul, he intended to arrest Christians. He was struck with blindness and heard a voice say: “… Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? ... I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:5-5). He recovered sight in three days and discovered the mercy of God. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life, has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2).

Ulysses S. Grant was a skilled Civil War general and two-term president. However, in retirement he entered into partnership with dishonest men. They used Grant’s name and swindled from investors sixteen million dollars, equivalent today to more than half a billion dollars of debt! Grant accepted accountability. He sold his homes, farms, trophies, and even his swords to pay off all the debt, leaving him and his wife with nothing. He was dying from throat cancer, but he labored through his pain to write his memoirs. Three days before he died, he wrote the last chapter. Mark Twain published them and they earned his widow, Julia, nearly $500,000 in royalties.

David Carlson Pastor (yes, that is his last name, not his profession) is a Polk County resident and graduate of Bethel Theological Seminary in Minnesota (M.Div., M.Th.).