It seems to have become the habit in the world of liberalism to redefine words and reapply passages of the Bible to suite false teachers and their doctrines.  One of the attempts is from the word edification.  Some would redefine the word edification to mean that a Christian cannot rebuke another.  They use the word edification in sentences where the implied meaning of the word is that you cannot do anything, including preaching a lesson of truth, that may offend a Christian.  I recently heard a statement from a Christian in which they repeatedly said, “You did not edify me.”  The statement was made because a preacher told them that there are false brethren in the church as the bible warns (Acts 20:28-30, II Peter 2:1-3, and Jude 4).  The Apostle Paul stated, (Galatians 4:16) “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”  We will learn that edification does mean at times the likely possibility of offending someone.  There are things that edify that we will not discuss, the aim of this article will be to show that truth edifies even when others do not want to hear it.  Sometimes understanding a meaning of a word can go a great way in understanding passages where God has chosen to use those words.

The Apostle Paul stated by inspiration to the church in Thessalonica, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do – I Thessalonians 5:11.”  It is a truth that Christians are to edify one another.  To do so we must understand what that word means.  The word in I Thessalonians 5:11 is “oikodomeo” Strong’s number 3618.  It is defined as, “building; the promotion of spiritual growth” – W.E. Vine.  Thayer includes in his definition “to promote growth in Christian wisdom.”  The Apostle Paul gave us one way to be built up.  (Acts 20:32) “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”  It is also a fact that love builds us up I Corinthians 8:1.  Interestingly truth and love have a common ground.  (Ephesians 4:15-16) “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

One brother in Christ stated, “What may build you up does not build me up.  I need love and tenderness from the pulpit.”  There is an old saying that goes like this, “if you through a rock out into a circle of dogs, the dog that jumps and hollers is the one you hit.”  Those that typically complain about the preaching of truth are those whom the truth has hit.  Sometimes those individuals may use edification as an argument by saying that this lesson or your comments did not edify me.  As Christians we should always be aiming to help other Christians be more stable in the faith by helping them see their errors.  Paul told Timothy to do so in preaching (II Timothy 4:2).  Does this mean that at times things will be said that are “harsh”?  Our Lord uses some words that those that are loose in the faith may call harsh.  In Matthew chapter twenty-three he used the word “hypocrites” to a group of Pharisees repeatedly.  Yet, we know that Christ displays the greatest love for all mankind by his act of love by taking the burden of the sins of mankind on Calvary’s cross (Hebrews 9:28 and I John 3:16).  Those that have a problem with forceful teaching and they fail to see this as edifying they need to realize one truth about building up.  If a builder goes to a site to fix a home and finds that it is torn up and the foundation is weak, that builder would make the decision to tear down that building and rebuild with a greater foundation.  This would be “building up”.  In a spiritual way we sometimes have to take an erring foundation out of the way before we can build a foundation on Jesus Christ and the truth (I Corinthians 3:10-11 and Ephesians 2:20-22).

When the word of God is accurately taught it should be able to build us up.  Sometimes we find after studying the truth or hearing it that we need to make changes in our lives according to that truth.  Such changes would be known as repentance.  Repentance is more than being sorry (II Corinthians 7:10-11), it is making the appropriate changes in our lives and turning back to God (Acts 26:20).  The truth is able to save us (I Peter 1:22-23 and Ephesians 1:13), sanctify us (John 17:17), build us up (Acts 20:32), and it is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and for instruction in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16-17).  If we want to build we need to look to the truth and not excuse weaknesses by redefining the term edification to mean not offending.