“Finally, brethren, farewell, Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you…The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God…be with you all. Amen” (II Cor. 13:11-14).
These positive words close Paul’s letter to the brethren at Corinth.
The exhortations seem clear enough: “be perfect” — be spiritually complete without anything missing; “be of good comfort” — settle each other’s minds with spiritual words of comfort; “be of one mind” — agree with each other; “live in peace” — get along together.
While the first two phrases may be clear, the last two bear further consideration. How can we be of one mind or live at peace with those who are wrong?
Live in peace
This same phrase occurs in Romans 12:18: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” The exhortation is given in the knowledge that Jesus came “not to send peace, but a sword” (Mt. 10:34).
As soon as we publicly declare our allegiance to the Truth, it is inevitable that we will encounter opposition from acquaintances, parents, siblings or even our spouse. Yet Christ has made it our duty to live peaceably with such opposers of the Truth.
Probably the most difficult situation is when a believing wife is opposed by an unbelieving husband. Addressing that specific point, Peter writes, “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 (behavior) of the wives” (1 Peter 3:1). By a sister’s patient effort at peacemaking, the husband can be won over. If that is possible in this case, then the same may be true in other situations as well.
To “be” something implies a previous stage of planning, effort and activity that has brought about the existing state of “being.”
Hezekiah’s effort
At the community level, Hezekiah carried out the spirit of Paul’s exhortation throughout the nation of Israel. “Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. ..be not ye like your father, which trespassed against the LORD God their fathers.” Many in Israel mocked the invitation but “divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart.. .”(II Chron. 30:6-12).
Hezekiah was no doubt taking advantage of the current political situation in trying to reconcile the remnant of the northern kingdom. They were the descendants of those whom Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made to sin. Although there is little direct indication of God’s pleasure in the king’s effort, the spirit of his effort was surely right. He was trying to unite the nation with religious reformation set out as a prerequisite.
His efforts reflected the attitude of God who spared no effort in winning back His errant people: “Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them” (Jer. 7:25).
Jehoshaphat’s failure
Many years before Hezekiah’ s reign, king Jehoshaphat also tried to bring unity between north and south. Although he was a godly king in many ways (II Chron. 17:3-4), he sinned greatly by making an alliance with Ahab, king of Israel (19:2). The reason was that he tried to be of one mind with a person who hated the Lord. “And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses” (I Kg. 22:4).
Unfortunately, in attempting to promote unity, Jehoshaphat put the cart before the horse and began working in cooperation with Ahab as if there was no difference in their religious worship.
Rather than being of one mind, there seems to have been an agreement of mutual toleration between the two kings. “And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so” (II Chron. 18:7).
This would indicate that Jehoshaphat’s plan was to win over Ahab (who hated God) by co-operating with him with the hope of later working on the religious differences.
We know the disastrous consequences that resulted. His son, Jehoram, was married to Jezebel’s daughter, Athaliah, and “walked in the way of the kings of Israel” compelling his subjects to practice pagan abominations (II Chron. 21: 5- 6,11).
Jehoshaphat’s mistake evident
Reflecting on good king Jehoshaphat’s mistake, it is easy for us to see the flaw in his strategy to reunite the twelve tribes. He and Ahab were not “of one mind” in spiritual matters when they made their alliance to work together. When they did cooperate, the mind of the flesh triumphed over the mind of the spirit. Such collaboration is like marrying an unbeliever with the hope of later converting them. Spiritual compatibility should first exist before working together is attempted.
As a consequence of this wrong union, virtually all of Jehoshaphat’s immediate family was destroyed. Further, the objectives of the pagan priesthood were greatly advanced with the penetration of their religion into the royal court of Judah.
Hezekiah ‘s way was right
Hezekiah took the proper course in seeking for the northern kingdom to “be of one mind” with Judah in the one true worship. The ultimate result of Hezekiah’s effort was that, when the temple was restored 200 years later, all twelve tribes were represented among the worshipers (Ezra 6:17; 8:24,35). As their subsequent history would demonstrate, these northerners, along with their southern brethren who survived Babylonian captivity, had been purged forever of idolatry.
Jehoshaphat’s cooperation with Ahab led to calamity; Hezekiah’s cooperation with God led to reform.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One