Thank you for your good letter that I received yesterday.

I have thoroughly examined my heart regarding the situation here in Horten and the matter we have corresponded about to see if it was at all possible to agree with those who feel they have suffered unjustly.

God has given me a mind where I wholeheartedly desire to support those who are in the right. But I have seen that my opponents’ judgments do not fit my transgressions.

In my zeal for the truth, I’ve often gone too far, and my enemies have then rejoiced and dug in their claws. But God has always given me grace to overcome them again and keep them at a distance.

I’m afraid that if they got the upper hand, they would treat me like the Philistines treated Samson; but God hasn’t allowed that, and He won’t allow it as long as I abide in the truth. I know that I have many faults; I acknowledge that. I also know that in the heat of battle, blows can be struck that are not exactly lawful. But this in no way means that my enemies will be allowed to overcome me and then poke out my eyes. Jesus’ enemies lay in wait to attempt to trap Him in what He said, and the same sort of scheming goes on today. However, it is the spirit in the matter that we must test, not the words themselves. If the spirit is false, it can be refuted, even if the words themselves are correct. However, if the spirit is right—even if the words are wrong—there is nothing they can get hold of.

I cannot remember having used the word “ridicule,” but Br. Ellefsen used it with P. Roa. I agree with you that P. Roa should not have pushed Ellefsen that far the other morning; but on the other hand, it was pointless for Ellefsen to give in out of discouragement the way he did.

I believe that there is a liberty among those who are close in spirit that cannot be exercised among those who are not. You told me how you had to restrain yourself when you were together with Br. Anthony. You can throw off this restraint when we are together. The farther apart two people are spiritually, the more restraint one has to exercise in order to avoid violating the other’s conscience. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. I love this liberty with all my heart, and I long for it to be practiced among the brothers and sisters. However, I understand more and more that we must constantly exercise restraint and simply feel our way forward to find what is pleasing for others. As a result, we have less and less liberty, and we once again become enslaved—not for our own sake, but for the sake of others.

The prophet Elijah made Baal’s prophets look like complete fools. He asked them to shout louder in case their god was out traveling or perhaps had gone to sleep. You also spoke about this in Missionæren when you attacked those who had preached about “skipping over” Romans 7 and going straight to Romans 8, but who now don’t even attempt to defend what they themselves had preached before.

I don’t think that the prophet Elijah’s “ridicule” was of the devil; on the contrary, I think that it was perfectly appropriate. We must examine the motives, including the motives for the “ridicule.”

When conviction and light clearly expose the folly of a situation, then ridicule can be a useful tool.

However, I understand what you are saying, and in the future I will take more heed to myself, because there is a certain satisfaction in exposing others’ faults; and in that, even the flesh can receive nourishment. Exposing people in this way ought to be accompanied by suffering. Then they will have a positive effect on the one whose faults are exposed and will create confidence and trust. On the other hand, if we allow the flesh to gain any satisfaction from exposing others’ faults, then the one who has been exposed will become even more hardened, and the situation will go from bad to worse.

The point is that we need to consider whether we can win the person or not. A fool should be answered according to his folly so that he doesn’t become wise in his own eyes.

However, the main thing is this: If we love Jesus Christ and desire to do what is right, then things will go well for us, even when everything is upside down.

Warmest greetings from your brother,