The Commandments of Christ
GENTLENESS
Speaking to the Church to edify, exhort, and comfort:
1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
Christ commands us to be gentle (meekness in the KJV), which is one of the fruits of the Spirit. The Greek word is prautes. Christ cultivates this quality in His flock:
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gentleness in us is the soothing, soft quality to turn away wrath/anger:
Pro 15:1 a soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
It is the ability to bridle our tongues:
1Pe 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
Gentleness is the ability to have our emotions under control:
1Co 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
1Co 14:32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
We control our anger, our revenge, our reproaches, and our bitterness, just to mention a few emotions:
Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
1Ti 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Gentleness of conduct in the face of great power (the Commands of Christ) have us to be clothed with humility:
1Pe 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
We err on the side of forgiveness:
Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
An example of humbleness in the OT is Moses, a faithful friend and servant of Christ.
Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
Christ, THE I AM, is the ultimate example, and we follow in His steps.
Mat 27:11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
Mat 27:12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
Mat 27:13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
Mat 27:14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Christ gently cares for us:
Isa 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall lead those that are with young.
Here is Paul following after Christ:
1Th 2:6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
1Th 2:7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
Paul goes to the Corinthians in a spirit of meekness:
1Co 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
1Co 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
1Co 4:21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
Paul beseech us through the gentleness of Christ:
2Co 10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
We receive the Word with meekness/gentleness:
Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
We restore in gentleness:
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
We correct those in opposition with gentleness:
2Ti 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
We give an answer with meekness/gentleness concerning Christ in us, the Hope of Glory:
1Pe 3:15 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:
A wise man in Christ is considered gentle:
Jas 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Wives seek the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit:
1Pe 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
1Pe 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
1Pe 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
1Pe 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
We bear with each other with tender hearts:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
We, as the children of God, strive to:
1Ti 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
We see that gentleness/meekness is a kind behavior founded in love, which are the Commands of the Lord. His gentleness makes us great:
Psa 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Gentleness/meekness is what makes us multiply, increase, or be great in the eyes of the Lord. It is submission to what He is working in our lives according to His will, trusting Him to the keeping of our souls:
Psa 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
We have the Spirit of Christ in down payment because as He is, so are we (1 Jn 4:17). As His little flock we preach Good tidings (the Good News, the Gospel, His Name) to ourselves and to God’s children. We preach to the meek:
Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
As Christ’s wife, His Body, His little flock, our gentle and quiet spirit symbolizes ceasing from our own works that is to say ceasing from our own ideas, thoughts, and reasonings and accepting His salvation which are His commands to change us into a new vessel, giving us a heart of flesh, taking away our hearts of stone.
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Old things are passing away, we, being reborn, changing into His image day by day, being partakers of His divine nature, no longer put our trust in the pride of life which is our knowledge (which has its place) or in (good deeds which are needful) but we now put our trust in Christ’s Name, the things He commands us to do. This is the better Covenant He makes with us today.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
It is a covenant of peace that is a lasting Covenant:
Isa 54:10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
We are given the promise that the meek shall inherit the earth:
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Psa 149:4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
Today we put childish things away because that which is perfect IS come:
1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Gentleness/meekness is one of Christ’s Commands, given to Him by God, the Father, that which is perfect, that which IS COME for us today, hearing and reading this Word (Jn 16:13).
Mat 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.