Folgen
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This section is a little harder to read it is a referencing some events and issues that we canât really know about, but have to just kind of discern. But, it speaks of idolatry and sounds like it is addressing an issue whereby these Corinthian Christians were mixing some of the pagan worship practices with what Paul had taught them, and they were really starting to distort some of the message and the mission. And we do this too, we twist things and we adapt our practices, but it is so important that we hold to the fundamental truths at the root of our faith.
And Paul speaks of temptation, and he rattles off another one of my favorite verses there in 10:13: 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man (there isnât anything that I am experiencing that isnât common, that isnât experienced my many others...that is comforting for me). God is faithful (isnât He? I mean, can I really think of a time when God hasnât done exactly what He says He would do in scripture? No...), and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (and He may allow the temptation to come upon me...but He is there, and He provides a way out, a way to endure...and He wants me to see it as a test, as a rep on the weight machine...He wants me to hang in there to the finish line, to win the race in yesterdayâs analogy). Really good stuff. So strong and so encouraging.
And thatâs my prayer this morning...that I would be pure in what I belief, in what I hold to in terms of my faith...to the gospel. And I pray that I would be strong in the face of temptation, that I would see temptation as a test, and that in framing it that way I would be motivated to endure it and to overcome it. Frankly, when I see temptation in that way, when I simply get my mind right about it, it loses so much of its power. It is funny how that works.
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This chapter is largely about Paul defending his work and the work of the other apostles, and it seems like he is defending their right to earn some money and make a living as evangelists. This is an important topic, but for me, the part that really jumped out at me this morning is between v19 and the end of the chapter.
In verses 19-23, we see a great mantra, in a sense. I am going to read it:
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
Paul really likes these statements where he states his limits and his personal boundary...we have talked about 6:12. where he says, 12 âAll things are lawful for me,â but not all things are helpful. âAll things are lawful for me,â but I will not be dominated by anything; and this is similar, where he says he is free, but that he has bound himself to servanthood. That is awesome. And thatâs OUR calling...to bind ourselves, of our own free will and out of love of whatâs been done for us, by Christ, at the cross, to serve others, to love others. We are called to love others because of Christâs love for us, and not because they do or donât deserve it. We are called to be in the world...to adapt to their needs, to meet them where they are...all said so well by Paul in this text. In the world, not of the world - focused on expanding our influence for the sake of Christ...that is our calling in this world.
And then we get to some of the more famous verses, which I will also read: 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. Remember back in the introduction, part 2 of background, when we said that during this time there was an athletic event call the Isthmian Games? These were like the Olympics, second only to the Olympics and popularity, and they took place right there in Corinth. And we said that Corinth didnât have shelter for all the people who would flock to see these, so they would utilize tent makers. Well, Paul and his hosts, Pricilla and Aquila were, wait for it...tent makers, and they were right there in the midst of all of this action. They positioned themselves in the middle of the action so they could gain influence. This language we see here in these verses is Paulâs doing exactly what he is teaching...he was leveraging culture to make his case for Christ.
Am I leveraging my influence and my resources for Christ? Am I following Paul in that way? Great thoughts for today!
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Fehlende Folgen?
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This is a great little section that addresses an issue that we germane to the church, is mostly foreign to us, but is universally applicable in our daily living. Paul is addressing the church regarding the food they eat. There were so many competing religious ideas of the day and there were crazy religious eating rules and even some pagan food rituals, and everyone was trying to figure out what they could and couldnât eat as they were starting a life of following God. Paul really cuts straight to the heart of the matter - food doesnât make us clean, Jesusâ blood does. Food doesnât help us or hurt us in Godâs eyes. The caveat to that is this...we are called to bring others to Christ, to be a witness to others of Christâs saving Grace. To the extent that our food selection hinders that, we are to monitor our intake. In all of Paulâs letters, we see this theme pop up often - that we are to consider the effect we have on others, and on our witness. That is a powerful idea.
If the food we eat offends someone elseâs religious beliefs, will that attract them to us? No. What about drinking alcohol? What about drinking alcohol in front of an alcoholic? It isnât the thing, it is the impact of that thing that matters. The elegance of this ideal is that is requires us to think of others, which means it requires âloveâ from us. Imagine that. And, look at the verse in this chapter: âNow concerning food offered to idols: we know that âall of us possess knowledge.â This âknowledgeâ puffs up, but love builds up.â Paul is telling us that we canât lean on our knowledge of what is and isnât allowed, we have to lean on the love we have for others, and what we know about what they need. It goes back to his idea in 6:12, âAll things are lawful for me,â but not all things are helpful. âAll things are lawful for me,â but I will not be dominated by anything.â
Is what I am doing, is how I am living inviting for the sake of Godâs message about Jesus, or am I living in a way that distracts from that purpose? Great, great question for today.
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This section was a little confusing in how it was worded, and how it was answering a question or two that we arenât privy to and canât fully discern. But, the big take away from this for me is just how well balanced Paul is on this topic of marriage. Paul is clearly teaching how Jesus taught - that there arenât really very many black and white ârulesâ, but there are boundaries to our lifestyle, and God is ultimately about our hearts, not our actions. Paul isnât saying marriage is good or bad, or that sexual relations (within marriage) are good or bad, but he is expressing that the benefits of not marrying are really that we are able to have a single-minded focus on Godâs calling on our own life. When we get married, we have a new responsibility - we have to keep our spouseâs ideas in mind in order to love him of her well, and that divides our focus. None of that is hard to argue against.
We need to be thinking about our lives and our commitments that way in general - asking the question, âHow does this contribute or take away from me focus on God?â. Thatâs a great little question to pray through from time to time.
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Great little passage today...come as you are is essentially the message. And thatâs a great son that I havenât listened to in a while, by David Crowder. We are all called to God at different points in our lives, in different states, and with different conditions, but God doesnât care about that - He just calls us forward. He calls us to put down what we are carrying. He doesnât ask us to change. He doesnât ask for circumcision, He doesnât ask for a certain behavior, He doesnât ask for us to reach a certain level of purity or care...just come. Come taste the Grace, as Crowder says in his song.
Paul is is writing to address the misconceptions about circumcision and to clear the air for these Jewish Christians and non-Jewish Christians to be able to worship together. He is writing to make sure people understand that God doesnât call us to all be pastors either. God just calls us. And our calling is our own unique experience between us and God.
I am already enough, because it isnât about me. You are enough, because it isnât about you either. God has called us because HE is enough...He is enough to take us as we are, to use us as we are, and to grow us starting from right here, right now, into the person He wants us to be. It is a beautiful idea to start the day with today!
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The start of this chapter has an interesting comment from Paul, âNow concerning the matters about which you wrote...â; so we can see that Paul was actually writing in response to them. And, weâve already learned that this letter is actually likely to be the second letter that Paul wrote to them rather than the first (we just donât have that first one)...so there was some on-going coaching going on here. In antiquity, some people had a deep admiration for certain practices, often legalistic in nature, including celibacy, and authors seem to think that is the nature of the question. Paul makes every concession to their point of view. He agrees that celibacy is âgoodâ, and he points to some of its advantages. But he regards marriage as ânormalâ, and though there are some advantages in celibacy, there is a greater completeness in marriage in Paulâs mind. The other question that appears plausible to have been asked is about sexual relationships and whether a married man and woman are allowed to engaged in that manner...Paul obviously feels so.
And then the rest of this section really comes out of the one-ness, the wholeness, that a married husband and wife share together. I donât see this as much a teaching on the topic of divorce as I see this a teaching of the picture of marriage. Look, we are sinners and divorce was destined to happen from the beginning, and I donât by into the legalistic viewpoint that people are bound to stay together, or to never remarry, or to really much of any...Paul says it here, that we each have our own calling. It think this is a picture of the implications of marriage, that a husband and wife have come together and that there is some extent to which that almost canât come apart, or at least it isnât meant to be that way.
For me, the question that comes to mind as I am reading this is this - âAm I really âall inâ, meaning, have I really given myself completely to the needs and the desires and the visions that my wife has?â If I am being honest, I canât say âyesâ to that...I have work to do. And, Paul is clearly getting at this idea that a husband and a wife have that as their commitments to each other - completeness, and selflessness.
Another morning of strong words from Paul...there is plenty to come in this application section of our reading of 1 Corinthians.
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Flee...donât mess with, don't play around the edges, donât get close to the line...flee from sexual immorality. We have talked about this many times in our morning readings, that some things are things that we can work on, that we can pray our way through, that we can exert will power over...and others are better suited to go into the category of âfleeâ. Sexual immorality falls into the this flee category.
Another way to think about these kinds of issues is in terms of appetite. Those thing for which we develop an appetite, for which we develop a craving or a yearning, and that tend to cause us to move away from others and into hiding; those are the same sins we should flee.
And notice another element that Paul introduces, that sexual immorality is a sin against our own body - and that however we want to understand what he is actually communicating, it is unique.
For me, it all goes back to this first verse of this reading, âAll things are lawful for me,â but not all things are helpful. âAll things are lawful for me,â but I will not be dominated by anything. (ESV). Another translation says it this way, âI have the right to do anything,â you said - but not everything is beneficial. âI have the right to do anythingâ - but I will not be mastered by anything. (NIV)
However I look at this...I think an important question for consideration today is this - âWhat has mastered me, or what is in the process of mastering me, that I need to consider, that I need to address, and that I need to pray for either the courage to flee or the will power to manage?â Another great takeaway for us from Paul today!
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If you have read this passage, you know that this is about Paul addressing this group regarding some disputes that have apparently ended up in public courts. For some context and background, according to my study Bible, in Paul’s time people could not bring cases against those who were superior to them socially (e.g., son versus father or slave versus master). As a result, the elite used the court system to display their superiority over others. Juries were also influenced by the social or political status of an individual, making it difficult for the marginalized to obtain justice. This would have also made it a little silly for these people, living under a Christian worldview and faith, to go to court and hope for a reasonable outcome. Effectively, the system was rigged against them. Now, we don’t know much else about this, but we can kind of infer that there must have been a bunch of this going on, and we can assume that there was a fair amount of it that was fairly frivolous or Paul wouldn’t have been addressing this.
Here is another thought on this though - think about the courts for a minute; are courts charged with doing what’s ‘right’ or what’s ‘legal’? Obviously it is the latter. Having been through a divorce, and a specific type of divorce with specific circumstances, I can definitely attest to the fact that the courts aren’t supposed to apply any real moral lens to what they are doing...they are just applying the law. Perhaps Paul is putting a message out there that we shouldn’t be dealing with legalities and legal limits, our issues should be addressed through a moral lens first. Think about how unappealing this ruling might be for some people, “Bob, yes, Mike did wrong in that he stole from you. Here is what we are going to do - Mike, you are going to ask for forgiveness and Bob, you are going to extend it.” That is not what Bob wants, especially not in a state of anger. And Mike probably doesn’t want to ask for forgiveness. But, if these two were to really explore that process and were to explore reconciliation, that would probably end the issue more times than not. Now, obviously, not all issues can be settled this way, and there are issues of murder and more serious cases and all of that, but MUCH of what is in our court system today is likely this kind of stuff...petty issues that the church should be able to handle if believers come in faith, ready to live out their faith, and seeking reconciliation rather than revenge. The courts are a place where people seek revenge in today’s world...I have to think that was somewhat similar to Paul’s time in a lot of ways...in some ways, people never change because sin was around then as it is now.
So, my question for today...am I living subject to God’s commands? Really? Or do I take what’s convenient and leave what’s not, and then look for ways to leverage the Bible for my benefit? That’s what so many of us do as believers, we use the Bible as a whip. This is a great thought to consider and to pray about today. -
The rest of this chapter, which we started a couple of days ago, gives more color to the idea of judging those inside the church and those outside of the church. Paul makes a point that I think is so important - that as a body of believers, we are responsible for judging those INSIDE of the church, and NOT those OUTSIDE of the church. Here is a subtle way to think about this that - you ever sit in church and hear the pastor talking about something, and you thought, “I know someone who ought to hear this...”...ever think that? Well, perhaps it is ME that should be hearing it. It is so easy to look at others and to think about how what is being taught would be useful for others, but God wants to talk to us. We are responsible for us. And, the church that we belong to is responsible for caring for us, for holding us up and challenging us to grow, and for judging us who are members of the body. Just as our individual focus shouldn’t be on ‘others who need to hear this message’, as a church, we shouldn’t be thinking about judging the world, we should be thinking about how we can inspire our members to grow, how we can walk beside and support members who are participating in that growth and how we should be more direct in intercepting those who are in silent rebellion.
Here is the challenge though - it is sometimes (not always) hard to know if someone is really trying to grow and develop as a believer or not. That said, it is much easier to know that about ourselves. A healthy body of believers is a body that is self-aware and personally motivated to get better. And this brings us back to a big part of the importance of small groups, life groups, Sunday school, or whatever you want to call it. It is important that there is a ‘church within the church’ where there can be enough ‘being known’, enough intimacy, that we can be personally challenged.
It is a common misconception that we aren’t supposed to judge others...that’s not the whole truth. God calls us to judge the insiders, not to judge the outsiders. And, if we want a great example of how to do it, Paul is providing it hear. Paul is saying, “Follow me, do as I do...and if you don’t want to move in that direction, we love you, and we’ll be ready for you when you come back and decide to move in that way.”
Strong stuff! -
We are focusing only on a few verses this morning, because there is a very important idea being communicated. The background on this situation is movie-worthy...there is a small group of Christians gathering together and meeting, and like all churches they have sin festering inside of the church. I say âlike all churchesâ because all of our churches are full of people and people sin. And whatâs happening here is that there is a young guy who is sleeping with what seems to be his fatherâs wife, which is likely his step-mother or his fatherâs ex-wife (not his birth mother though). And, again, sin is sin and we all commit sins, and all sins are bad...but the issue here is the optics. Everyone can see this sin, everyone knows about it - heck, Paul even knows about it and Paul is miles away without Internet or Facebook to hear about it. The problem is that this is the very thing that makes it difficult for Christians to be attractive and inviting to outsiders...outsiders look at whatâs going on and what Christians proclaim to be all about and immediately see the hypocrisy.
Now, we all know that both Christians and non-Christians commit sins of all kinds, and we all know that Christians donât claim to be sinless, but some sins (like this one) are an obstruction to the mission of the church, which is to bring people into the faith. Further, different sins (while ALL offensive to God) require different remedies.
Paul is suggesting that the church send this guy out and let him do his thing, to love him from a distance instead of IN the group, so as to not hinder others from coming to Christ. Paul ISNâT saying throw him out and forget him. Paul isnât saying that this guy is any less a person and any less deserving of forgiveness and grace...Paul is saying that UNTIL THIS GUY COMES BACK OF HIS OWN FREE WILL, we should let him walk in the direction that he is already heading. Thatâs the judgement Paul has placed on him. And here is where the church and Christians get into trouble...we tell the world that affairs are wrong, and people on the outside see us âjudging themâ in that sense, and if we donât do the same with our own folks INSIDE of the church, we will be nothing by hypocrites. Again though, there is a difference between asking this guy not to come back to their gathering until he repents of his sin and shunning him, dropping him from your life, and withholding forgiveness. And, we donât know anything more than whatâs in these couple of verses, but we have to assume this has been going on for a bit and that initial discussions about this, and attempts to stop this, have been unsuccessful. So, we are down the road with this thing.
The point of today is that judgement INSIDE the church is important - we should have enough love for each other and enough mutual respect to hold each other accountable to the standards to which we are all committing. It isnât that we should hold each other perfectly accountable, it is that we should hold each other accountable to moving in a direction of growth. And as soon as someone knowingly moves in the other direction, they should be approached, and it should be addressed...at least that is what Paul seems to think.
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In todayâs reading, which is pretty strong and pointed from Paul, here is the verse that really jumped out at me:
10 âWe are fools for Christâs sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.â
When we peal back the onion on this verse a little, there is an idea that speaks to me. When he says fools, âwe are fools for Christâs sakeâ, looking at various translations and the interlinear literal translation, I am left thinking what Paul is communicating is that the âweâ, meaning âhe and his teaching cohortâ, live a life of âYes God, now what would you have me do?â vs. the Corinthians to which he is speaking who live a life of âWhat do you want God, so I can consider it?â. Paul is a fool for Christ in that he is fully bought it, heâs given Christ a blank check over his life, and heâll follow where Christ leads, heâll jump when He says jump. When he says that these Corinthians are wise in Christ, I believe he is saying that they KNOW their stuff, they KNOW about the resurrection and about Jesus and about God, but they arenât bought in...they havenât given Christ their checkbook. Or, we could use a car analogy - Paul is in the passenger seat of his own car with Christ in drive of his life...the Corinthians have Christ in the passagner seat. Subtle difference in orientation, big difference in outcomes. This is a GREAT idea to pray about, and a great idea to consider for ourselves...who is in front of the wheel in my life? Is Christ in the driverâs seat in some areas, but not all? Great, great thought!
And then Paul goes on to say that he is weak and they are strong, that he is disrespected and shamed and they are honored. What is implied here is that Paul is saying that he is being disrespected and shamed by culture, and that these folks are held in high esteem by culture...not by God. In other words, they are worried about what culture thinks about them, not what God thinks. This is another fantastic idea to ponder...and we talked about this yesterday when we asked this question: âFor whose benefit, to further whose mission, am I making this decision, Godâs or my own?â. Another way to ask this question would be, âWhose honor am I seeking...Godâs or my own?â. All great questions. All challenging questions.
The Lordâs Prayer, which is something I have been working on recently with my daughter, actually has this idea built into it: â.Our Father in Heaven, let the glory be to you. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.â, in other words, âGod, you are God, I am not...you are in control, you made the world, and you deserve all of the glory...you have given me everything I have and you can take it away in a moment. I know you have a plan for my life, and just pray that I would have wisdom to get a glimpse of it and the courage to come alongside of your mission and your vision while I am here on earth...I know thatâs my best shot at real joy in life.â That is the same as saying, âJesus take the wheelâ, or âJesus, yes...now what would you have me do.â Paul is giving us a great example of being an imitator of Christ, and asking that we follow him in that.
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In the first couple of verses, there are some things apparently going on in the original Greek that unlock some depth and meaning here. In the world of slavery, there were the slaves that did the lowest form of labor, which was essentially like grunt work. Then there were slaves that were basically in more of a management role, overseeing the work and directing the work so as to make sure things went smoothly for the master. In these lines, Paul is using that âmaster slaveâ kind of word, to indicate to these readers that they were entrusted by God and empowered by God, but that they were also accountable to God at the same time. And, at the same time, Paul is addressing a very common tendency that these readers and this culture had, to be overly concerned about their worldly appearance. In another word, their âreputationâ. This is as true of us today as it was of them then, that we care far too much about that as a culture. And lastly Paul tells the readers that He hasnât spent any time considering himself, judging himself in that way, or caring about what the culture says of him.
For me, in reading this, the thing that I am going to think about throughout the day is this idea of reputation...of really letting go of what others think about me. For me, this isnât an area where I have a tremendous struggle, but I would be foolish to think that I am immune to the influence of othersâ opinions. I can learn from Paul here, and I can be inspired by his message to trust God for my identity, and to look at God to get my cues as to how I am doing.
Paul is a great example of someone living on-mission, and staying on-mission. He calls us to the mat on this - to be stewards of the blessings and the message that weâve been given. It begs this question of us as we are making decisions in our daily lives, âFor whose benefit, to further whose mission, am I making this decision, Godâs or my own?â
Great reading this morning, and strong words from a great example to follow.
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God is going to do what God is going to do, with or without you. God will reward us for our participation in His vision for our future...some how, some way. In the end, I think thatâs really the gist of what I read this morning. Paul wonders through a bit of a restatement of the topics from chapters 1 and 2 here in chapter 3, and I have read it 4-5 times and havenât really come away with anything to which I feel all that compelled to dive into like I normally do. These two truths are definitely embedded in this text though, and we see these same ideas scattered across scripture in various places and in various ways.
We donât know what hangs in the balance when we take a step forward in our faith, when we take God up on His invitation for us to join Him in our journey. Thatâs an amazing reality for us.
This morning, I am going to stop early and I am going to pray a little more, a little longer, and I am going to give God the extra time that I havenât used in writing and journaling. Perhaps thatâs what He wanted from me today. See you tomorrow.
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This is a somewhat short chapter with 2 distinct themes. The first theme belongs to the first 5 verses and it continues from the last chapter in addressing eloquence of speech, and how Paul felt very strongly that we should hold to the main ideas more often than not when preaching...the fact that Christ was crucified. Now, I am not suggesting that this is the only topic that should be covered on Sundays and in small group teaching sessions...and I donât think thatâs Paul point either. I think Paul is communicating that we need to fight to keep the main thing the main thing. Last reading we talked about divisions in the church, and denominations, and those arise largely on the ares of discussion that ARENâT the main thing. It isnât he resurrection that divides the Baptists and the Presbyterians or even the Protestants, Catholics, and Assyrians...these differ in the small things. But weâve allowed the small things to define us. I think thatâs Paulâs point - we are missing the point. On this, I think Paul has a great point. As I said yesterday, I have yet to come across a non-Christian believer who has told me that the reason they are NOT a Christian is because they have thoroughly investigated the claims of the resurrection and has decided that they arenât true. It is always something else...and that is exactly what Paul was wanting the church to avoid.
And then he gets into the topic of the spirit, which spills into tomorrowâs reading as well...but this is a heavy topic. I will let tomorrowâs potentially get into the more âthornyâ spiritual stuff, but today I want to point out a simple takeaway idea from what Paul is saying, something I have heard said many times during my reading and studying. That is this: âIf youâll do as God says, youâll see as God seesâ. It is a simple idea that I think kind of gets at some of what Paul is communicating here - that God has placed a spirit inside of us, His spirit, at the point that we accept Christ, and that spirit guides us in our lives from that point on. We can be in-tune with it, or we can miss it, but it is there. These folks, in Paulâs mind, received that spirit, but they havenât leaned into it and led their lives in a manner that positioned them to be led by it. Thatâs what Paul is getting at with them. Thatâs what he is getting at with us.
So thatâs the question for me to day. Am I praying like this: âGod, please give me your wisdom and show me what to doâ, at which point I am subtly and subconsciously thinking â...so I can decide if that sounds good to me and then I will do it if it doesâ; or am I praying âGod, yes, I will do your will...no what do are you calling me to do?â. That second prayer is WAY more vulnerable and WAY more in-keeping with Paulâs view here that we are spiritual beings to be led by God. And I will tell you, it is both freeing and scary to pray that second prayer. Sometimes, I will just pray this, âGod, I want to want what you want for me life...I really do...please help me to get thereâ. Thatâs an honest prayer, way more honest than the first one...and it is me telling God that I am messed up and I know it. But I have seen God answer that prayer in my life...He has shown up to help my heart to change. Thatâs my prayer today!
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Verse 18 is really interesting to me - Paul says that the Words of the cross are folly to those who are perishing, who are dying...and I think it is meaning those who are falling away from God and living in the world; destined for eternal death. But these same words have power for those who have turned to God. And, you know, that is so true in my experience. When I opened my heart to God, I started to hear things communicated in His word, I started to be able to see things I didnât see before. When we turn to God, we are able to hear from Him for the first time. This is a great little nugget of truth to get this section of reading going.
And the remainder of this chapter is brilliant...just brilliant. Paul is arguing about how Jews want signs and Gentiles want wisdom and that these groups think these are the âproofâ they need to believe in God. In reality, God has given both and both groups have obviously missed them. And, further, God did something in the world that runs counter to their ideas, that runs counter to our worldly wisdom, that makes it so obvious that God is Who He says He is, that it canât be missed. I mean, wisdom says dead people stay dead. If you want a sign, what more do you want than a man was obviously dead and then was seen walking around amongst friends, after proclaiming it would happen ahead of time. What other signs to you want other than the hundreds of prophecies that were given in the Jewish Old Testament that were fulfilled in Jesus? The Jews couldnât accept this as their sign because, get this, their traditions say that dead people canât rise from the grave. And the world says Jesus canât exist because dead people canât rise from the grave...science has shown that to us. But, if God created science, is He really going to be bound by it? Wouldnât it make sense that His proof would be something OUTSIDE of science rather than inside of the bounds of science? What other sign would you want other than something so obviously âof Godâ than that?
I think Paul is trying to shake these Christians awake and say, âGuys, this isnât that complicated...Jesus was dead and now He isnât, and we are therefore, as believers, charged to live the life He taught because He is obviously God.â And, of course, he is communicating one other idea, â...and guys, this life that you are living ainât it.â.
Such great stuff from Paul in this chapter. Just so well written.
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When you read this text, it is obvious that there are divisions popping up in the church, and that various leaders are being followed and it seems like they are almost being idolized. We know the point isnât that these leaders are set up on a pedestal, but that God would be honored and glorified and worshipped, so we know there is an imbalance.
Thinking about denominations - letâs first identify the positives. Christians, and all people, like to belong to groups. We like being a part of something bigger than ourselves. We like connection to others. We like when our beliefs are aligned. And, we know that there are areas of our worship where we donât have definitive answers as to âhowâ to do things based on scripture alone. A classic example is baptism. If we just look at this one element of Christian religious practice, we can find a myriad of methods and practices that have been adopted by different groups. And thatâs just ONE element. If you Google âChristian Denominationsâ and go to images, you will see some great charts and graphs that show how things have progressed over time. And, the thing is, that looks (to me) kind of negative, because it looks like there is so much division. But, in another sense, it means that wherever you land in your faith journey, and whatever I believe and however I want to practice my faith, there is likely to be a group that I can be a part of and feel that sense of unity. Think of it this way...since it is March Madness season...people are fans of college basketball while holding to different ideas about how certain rules should be changed, whether college athletes should or shouldnât get paid, and whether having various leagues and divisions are better than others...but we love college basketball, and those arguments we have about those nuances are because we want to make it better. Perhaps denominational Christianity is somewhat akin to that.
Obviously though, there is a negative side to all of this as well. I think the MOST negative result to all of that division is that it doesnât look great to those outside the faith. It looks like division. It looks like chaos. It definitely looks confusing...heck, it is confusing for most of us as well. It doesnât look âinvitingâ. We may be able to agree to disagree and still love each other inside of the Christian community, but that doesnât change the fact that those outside of the community just see division.
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The biggest theme that I can spot that really flows through this entire section of this letter is that we arenât to serve our religious practices, our traditions, and our bodies. We are to live lives that direct our bodies to reflect our love for God and for those around us. There were so many âhollowâ practicing Christians who would go through the motions and try to check the boxes and get God on their side rather than trying to orient their lives around living on mission for God. And that hasnât really changed today...in fact, I know I am guilty of that at various degrees and at various points in my life. It is a natural thing to be be self-centered and self-serving and to try to do just enough to get God on our side but to do what we want to do, when we want to do it, and with whom we want to do it. But Paul is really teaching us through this second half of Corinthians that life is about more than that...it is about actually transforming our minds to a life of service to God rather than service to self. It isnât easy, but it is the point that Paul is driving towards.
Throughout the rest of this letter, he shows us how our faith can be expressed through physical action as it relates to the foods we eat, to how we do ministry both avocationally and vocationally, how we can live âinâ the world but not âofâ the world, and how we can live out our faiths in our marital relationships as well. There is a ton of stuff in here that we can use and apply in our lives and weâll really dig into this stuff when we go back through this more methodically.
The last thing I will say is that we see Paul mention this idea yet again of follow me and do what I do instead of watch me and do what I say. I think this can be overlooked really easily, but it is so important. We should live our lives in a way that invites people to follow us. We should know that our lives are an example. Our faith is caught more than taught...meaning, people are going to decide what they think about the Christian faith based on how we act. Too many times people, me included, are Sunday Christians in that we tend to put on the Christian face for one day each week and then go about living our lives in a manner that doesnât reflect our faith. If our faith isnât constantly challenging our lifestyle, we arenât growing. We should have a dull ache within us as we consider this thought, âIf I REALLY believed what I say I believe, then I probably would do ____ or wouldnât do ____â. Our faith should be informing and shaping our lives continuously. Paul is showing us various ways in which we can apply that idea throughout the rest of Corinthians with this morningâs reading.
Tomorrow, 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and weâll dig in deeper!
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Here are some talking points and topics I pulled from the first 7 chapters of this read-through.
Paul really starts off taking a jab at the way church was being done, and it sounds a LOT like denomination type stuff that is a part of our church ethos even now. He talks about how some followed one teacher and some another...you know, I really think this is something worth looking into and it may be that I spend some time on this. Are denominations antithetical to the faith Jesus gave us? Really interesting stuff.
Then he talked about living spiritually vs. living in the flesh and this is a study that could last a lifetime...or, that really SHOULD last a lifetime. He then expands on that by discussing talking vs. doing, about being an example and living by leading vs. being a hypocrite. Strong, strong stuff.
When we get to chapter 5 - he says that he has already pronounced judgement on this group of believers, about an almost incestual relationship, and he shows us when and who we are to judge as a church. This is a really important chapter for the church.
He talks about how all things are âlawfulâ, not all things are âhelpfulâ. And this goes straight to the heart of the book that I just read, âBetter Decisions, Fewer Regretsâ, but Andy Stanley. Paul is teaching that we should, essentially, use wisdom and Godâs will as our guide, not the legal and moral boundaries. If we are talking about those boundaries, we are already in trouble and headed the wrong direction.
And I love that Paul goes on to teach that we are only to live the life God has given us...our own journey, our own life, our own unique calling. I am not accountable for the life you life, nor am I judged in comparison to you, nor you me...we each have a unique calling. And Paul doesnât say this, but my life certainly has taught me that I may never know the impact that MY faith has on you, and yours on mine, but our faith is our story and our greatest contribution to this world. When we follow God, we do the most impactful living possible. Thatâs a great message.
Tomorrow we will pick up in chapter 8 for our read through of 1 Corinthians.
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As we ease into this, it is important to remember that Paul was raised in a devout Jewish home, he was a Pharisee by training, and he was both Greek and a Roman citizen. So, he was very well equipped to understand the culture of Rome and or Corinth. In terms of 1 Corinthians, this letter was written about 18 years after Jesusâ resurrection and Acts 18 lays out some background on when Paul came to Corinth and Priscilla and Aquila. It seems like this is the place where Paulâs ministry really pivoted from the Jews to the Gentiles there in Corinth. There were thought to be around 100 people in this church there in Corinth. Paul stayed in Corinth for about a year and a half and it was about 2 years later, after leaving Corinth, while Paul was in Ephesus, that this letter was actually written.
Corinth was one of the most important cities in the ancient world. In 146 BC, the Romans decimated the city and it laid bare for about a hundred years until Julius Caesar issued a decree to rebuild it in about 46 BC. Roman soldiers were given land there, Greeks flocked there to rebuild it, and immigrants from all over landed there because of its central location between major shipping lines and Rome in general, and Egypt and North Africa. The population was about 100,000 people, 5 times bigger than Athens, and Corinth was about 100 years old when Paul showed up.
Interesting tidbit; when people wanted to sail around the peninsula just south of Corinth, The currents and the winds were so bad that what they would often do heâs come in and dark on the South side of Corinth, unload all of their cargo from the ship, have some of the crew carry or push the cargo across the 4 mile bridge that was the width of Corinth, and they would sell the ship around the peninsula empty to avoid shipwrecks, or at least to protect the cargo if there is one. Sometimes they might even try to pull the boat itself across the land to avoid the journey around the Southern tip. This was a busy place, metropolitan, a place where slaves could earn their freedom and become wealthy, a melting pot of cultures, and there was even an athletic event called the Isthmian Games. These were like the Olympics, second only to the Olympics and popularity, and they took place right there in Corinth. And Corinth didnât have shelter for all the people who would flock to these - they would utilize tent makers. That puts Paul and his hosts, Pricilla and Aquila, in the midst of all of that. In fact, Paul apparently witnessed at least one of these games while he was there in Corinth, and it is thought that this influenced some of Paulâs writing; think about 1 Cor 9:24. That sounds like it draws from that setting, athletic games, doesnât it?
So, it is easy to see that Corinth really resembles America in a lot of ways. And it places this letter, and the second, into a context that really applies to us. I am looking forward to diving into this tomorrow!
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To start off on the background of Corinthians - there is no good reason to think that Paul isnât the author of these letters. Originally we think there were 4, but we only have 2 of them. Corinth was an economic hub of this time period, in the early to mid 50s AD. It sat in the center of a major sea-bound thorough-fair, which made it a center of various cultures and peoples; it was very diverse. Corinth was also a center of entertainment - at this time, one of the things that was popular was ticketed events to see orators who would teach, entertain, and philosophize. When Paul got to Corinth, he befriended Priscilla and Aquila who were tentmakers by trade and who took Paul in as he launched his ministry. Later Paul bumps into Apollo, who was a skilled Christian apologist as well, and finds out that Apollos had been in Corinth around the same time as Paul. So, there was definitely some action in Corinth at this time in terms of the spreading of the Christian faith.
In terms of the purpose of this letter, Paul had planted a church there and he was writing to them. By âchurchâ, I am meaning that he has gone and taught and a group of believers had formed and started meeting regularly to discuss the teaching and to examine their lives against the faith they were professing. It is probably much more like what we would call a small group or something like a kind of Sunday school than a âchurchâ. At any rate, it sounds like things werenât going all that well and that Paul had received communication about this, and about confusion from a previous letter he had sent to them, and that prompted Paul to write to them again in a more thorough manner - in this letter, he was giving instruction on how to apply their faith and to live a God-centered life. The church in Corinth was plagued with an arrogance and an underlying tone of abuse as it relates to that free will that is given to Christians by way of Godâs Grace. I use the word abuse because the people were essentially using the gift of Grace as an excuse to live the way they wanted rather than a motivation for living the way God would have them live. In this way, and in so much of these letters to this church, I see parallels with how many of us treat Godâs Grace. That makes these letters very relatable and applicable to us.
The way the letter is set up, Paul leads us through this letter that is divided into 5 sections, addressing 5 themes - divisions, sex, food, the gathering, and the resurrection. And with each one of them Paul does the same thing, describing an element of the Gospel and then leading us through how to apply that truth in our lives.
Tomorrow morning, I am going to continue working through background before doing the read-through of Corinthians, and I will work through a study on 1 Corinthians from Lakewood church that Joel Osteenâs brother, Paul Osteen, does...it looks really interesting and I stumbled upon it this morning when doing some research for this - should be interesting. The link to that is in the show notes below if you are inclined to watch it.
https://youtu.be/iDzKPAofh8c
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