Your Esoteric Christianity Needs To Become Exoteric

Your Esoteric Christianity Needs To Become Exoteric

"The spirit of Wisdom, like that of Christianity, is aggressive." - Public Commentary - Old Testament

"The cry of wisdom is public and clear."

"The gospel meets men in their busy lives."

"The faithful preacher of the gospel must seek men in their haunts, not wait till they come to his smug retreat."

- all of the above quotes are from the Pulpit Commentary - Old Testament

Is your Christianity "esoteric" or "exoteric"? Is it limited to a small circle, private, and confidential or is it external and suitable to be imparted to the public?

No where in the Bible does it ever teach that the Gospel should be kept behind closed doors...that one's walk with the Lord should be a private issue...or that God calls some to be bold in their witness for Him while others are relegated to being - "shut-mouths."

Prayerfully, this message will stir all of its readers to get out of the church house or the "closet" and take this Blessed Gospel into the public arena where the people are.

Proverbs 1:20-21 says - "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words..."

"Wisdom," in this particular Scripture, is a personification for the Lord Jesus or any Gospel preacher. What does it say that she is doing? She "crieth," "uttereth her voice," and "uttereth her words." In other words, she is crying with a loud voice... calling aloud... publicly proclaiming... and elevating her voice that all may hear.

This concept dispels the "mush-mouthed" or "soft-tongued" Preachers that we see being "manufactured" from our Bible Schools today, doesn't it?

No, God didn't tell anyone to go forth and "squeak" out the Gospel message. He didn't tell anyone to speak softly so as not to offend anyone. Nor did He say to whisper the message - making sure that all have a problem in hearing it.

Instead, the Scriptures plainly state - "Wisdom crieth..." Can it get any plainer than that?

What is it about these verses that is so hard to understand? When the Bible says that - "Wisdom crieth" - and it means that she calls aloud and elevates her voice so that everyone can hear the message - why is it that some feel as though they have to "twist the Scriptures" to say something that it is not saying?

We ask you - is your Christianity "esoteric" or "exoteric"? Have you made it private when it should be public knowledge?

Moving along here...we see that "Wisdom" has a specific place that she "targets" for her message. That place is the place of the most common resort - the place where the people are!

Solomon could have simply written that "Wisdom" takes her message to the public. But he was so eager to get his point across as far as the openness and publicness of the Gospel ministry that he used five different terms in "spelling it out."

"Wisdom crieth without" - She takes her message abroad - to the open places as opposed to the space within walls.

"...she uttereth her voice in the streets..." - With all possible clearness and affection...in the broad places...in the most public places... openly before the world...in the streets and lanes of the city - she causes her voice to be heard.

"...She crieth in the chief place of concourse..." - As one in earnest, she boldly claims a place in the busiest life of the world.

"...She crieth...in the openings of the gates..." - Here we see that she takes her message to the place where magistrates and kings sit in judgment...where elders meet... where business and commerce is carried on...where conferences and markets are held...and where the general assembly of people are found.

"...in the city she uttereth her words..." - Through life and its experiences and to every part of the city - she preaches to mankind.

You will notice that "Wisdom's" "call" is a "cry" - a loud utterance - so as to arrest the people's attention and arouse their thoughtless living. That is the call of every Gospel preacher and should be the "call" of every child of God. It becomes their duty to be a herald of divine truth and not a guardian of an "esoteric" doctrine.

God did not "call" us to guard and "hide" His truths until He returns. He commanded us to - "Occupy"(Luke 19:13) - until He comes. That means that we are to declare His Gospel in the open - with a loud voice - boldly claiming a place in the busiest life of the world.

Are you taking the Gospel to the public arena? Or have you convinced yourself that this is the job for a select few? Is that what the Bible says?

Review the opening quotes from the Pulpit Commentary -

"The spirit of Wisdom, like that of Christianity, is aggressive." - Is your Christianity aggressive?

"The cry of wisdom is public and clear." - Is your cry public and clear?

"The gospel meets men in their busy lives." - Are you meeting men with the Gospel in their busy lives?

"The faithful preacher of the gospel must seek men in their haunts, not wait till they come to his smug retreat." - Are you meeting men in the public arena, or are you waiting for them to somehow stumble into your church on Sunday morning?

"Wisdom, Divine truth, does not merely whisper its doctrine in secret places where there are few to hear; she does not reserve her teaching to the closed classroom to which only some favoured ones find admittance; she speaks 'in the open,' where the 'ways meet,' in 'the chief places of concourse.' " - Are you guilty of "whispering your doctrine" in secret places - like the closed classroom - where there are few to hear? Or have you taken this Glorious Gospel "without" - to "the chief places of concourse"?

Once again we ask you - Is your Christianity "esoteric" or "exoteric"? Is it limited to a small circle, private, and confidential or is it external and suitable to be imparted to the public?

According to the Scriptures, there is only one way that your "faith" should be - and that is, "exoteric" - meaning that it should be shared with the world in the public arena.

After reading this message, how is your life going to change? What will you do with this "call"? Will you take heed or ignore what the Spirit of the Lord is saying?

"Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words..."

It can't get any plainer than that!

May God Bless His Word.

Connie