I Corinthians 12: 1-3
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.
Paul is going to talk about spiritual gifts, but he prefaces that discussion with this:
You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
These people were saved out of a culture that recognized many gods, and worshiped them as idols or statues. Statues have no life, but demons can be behind these statues, to answer prayers or do miracles. So they had been led to honor and adore these idols.
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed;"
Jesus took upon Himself the curse God had put on Mankind, and the Scripture says,
If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree; his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that same day; (for he who is hanged is cursed of God;) that your land be not defiled, which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
That's why they had to take Him down off the Cross before nightfall. But even though Jesus took our curse upon Himself, He was not cursed.
and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
When we say that Jesus is our Lord, we're considering Him to be the Boss who tells us what to do. These are not just words, they mean that we are obeying His rules, because we are thinking His thoughts and adopting His attitudes toward life. The only way we can do that is by the power of the Holy Spirit in us.
This is Paul's introduction to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Why he would cover this first is probably to differentiate between the power of demons through the idols and God's true power through His Holy Spirit in us through His spiritual gifts.
O my Father, thank You for all Your goodness to all of us every day. You have known us, and even though we are Your enemies who have rebelled against You, You have still Loved us more than we can imagine, sending Your own Son to be our Savior from the power of sin over us. And Redeeming us out of the slave-market of sin to give us New Life in Your own Holy Spirit, causing us to be born spiritually, comparable to how we were born physically.
And You have equipped us to do Your work, Father; to accomplish Your plans for all of us, for each of us to play our part. You have planned out the whole panoply of existence, before You made any of it. And You have placed us where and when You have for us to play out all You want done.
Teach us, Father, how to use all the gifts You have given us, along with all our natural abilities You caused us to be born with, with all the different personalities You gave us, from all the experiences we have lived through so far. And You have given to each one of us a heart to love and enjoy and desire what You are pleased to grant us.
Help us all, my Father, as Your children, to display Your sterling character in each of our relationships, and to use all the tools at our disposal to accomplish with skill all You want done to prepare for the coming of Your Son, our King.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I Corinthians 11: 17-34
Now in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.
Now Paul is talking about another matter, that they just are not understanding. So they're not doing any good by it.
For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you, and in part I believe it.
Since this is a new section, I don't think he's talking about the kind of divisions he dealt with in chapters one to three, I think he's referring to different views of what the Lord's Supper is supposed to be.
For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.
"Factions" refers to different opinions, like an opposing political party. It's rendered as "heresies" in the King James Bible, with a note that it could also be translated "sects."
This is very strong language, which shows how passionate Paul feels about this issue. Maybe we need to think of the Lord's Supper in more weighty terms.
Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper,
They were meeting for church, but Paul insists that it is not the right way to meet to celebrate this Ordinance of the church.
for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
It appears that these Corinthians are bringing their own suppers to the church gathering and not sharing their food, so that some of the members go hungry and others have even showed up inebriated.
What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.
These people are not showing any concern for one another, and Paul refuses to compliment any part of these goings on.
Now Paul will set them straight about what the Lord's Supper is all about.
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you,
He's telling them exactly what the Lord taught him.
that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
Now he describes the Last Supper. The one part, where Jesus institutes this Ordinance. They had already finished the meal, and Jesus picks up a piece of the bread they had been eating, and says that the "bread" we eat is His "body," what nourishes us. Previously He explained to the disciples that,
It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).
So the physical piece of bread has no worth in the spiritual realm. It is a reminder for us to see, to remember that He took our death on the Cross.
In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, This cup is the New Covenant in My Blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.
In the same way, the cup represents His Blood, that spattered the sides of His altar, the Cross, to wash away our sins. Sins can only be dealt with by blood, the blood of the animal sacrifices covered the sins so that the people could be forgiven, now the Blood of Jesus, God's own Blood, fulfills those sacrifices, and has the unlimited value to wash away all of our sins completely. Now we don't have to offer animals on an altar any more.
The Old Covenant was the animal sacrifices. Now He is instituting a New Covenant, based on the Blood He shed in His Sacrifice to end all other sacrifices.
As often as you drink it, to keep it on our minds continually.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
This is the whole purpose for this Ordinance: To announce that Jesus has died as the Lamb of God, our atoning Sacrifice; and that He was buried, and rose from the dead, and will return one Day to set up His Kingdom on this Earth.
Therefore whoever eats the Bread or drinks the Cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the Body and the Blood of the Lord.
This is a very solemn and pivotal Ordinance that we need to take seriously. To be flippant about this is to flip off the whole purpose for which Jesus left His glory in Heaven to become our Savior and Redeemer. To take as trivial the great Sacrifice He suffered for each of us, making it all meaningless.
But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the Bread and drink of the Cup.
We are to look at our own hearts, our own weaknesses and failings, and get right with the Lord; giving respect to the importance of remembering what He has accomplished for us by His death and shedding His Blood.
For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the Body rightly.
If we do not have the reverence and respect for the Body of our Lord that was broken for us, then we are calling down God's judgment on us to have to pay it personally.
For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
The church in Corinth had members who were suffering failing health, and some had even died, because of their attitudes toward the Lord's Supper. This is serious, with consequences.
But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.
When we face our own sins, and confess them and forsake them, seeing them as God sees them, then He will not pour out His wrath on us, having already put it on Jesus on the Cross in our place.
But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the World.
Those in Corinth who are sick and weak and have died are being disciplined by our Loving Father so that He will not have to condemn them with the rest of the World.
So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment.
Paul concludes this discussion with giving them practical advice to follow: Consider how sacred this Ordinance is and act accordingly, by eating your meals at home and having consideration for one another. He considers these Christians as his brothers in the Lord, and sincerely wants them to get it right.
And in writing this out for them in this letter, God has also given us this instruction today. This is how we are to think of the Lord's Supper, giving Christ the honor He deserves, and having consideration for one another.
The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.
Other items of concern he needed to talk to them about were probably specific to their circumstances at that point in time.
So there are also items of concern we need to face and deal with in our time.
Each time has its own problems and concerns, and God has given us all the foundational principles under all the issues we will ever need to take care of each day, in whatever time and culture we are living.
O my Father, thank You for Your written Word, that we can read and study and draw out all the things You put into it. Every time I turn to it to dig into what You have told us, I find that I come to a fuller, deeper, more expansive understanding than what I had before.
Father, help all of us Your children to view this Ordinance in the light of what our Lord Jesus did for us, and continually keep in mind how much You Love us, to have sent Him, Your Most Precious, to be our personal Sacrifice! How it must have broken Your heart to do that to Your own Son, but You considered each of us worth that extreme Sacrifice!
Help us, also, Father, to love one another the way You have Loved us, to be willing to also sacrifice our most precious possessions for the benefit of our brothers and sisters.
Teach us how to love You back, Father, and to show our love for You in our treatment of those You Love: all the people who live in this World.
Strengthen us and prosper us to share and go and broadcast Your precious Seed in all the fields of this World, so that every person of every Nation and every tribe and every tongue will hear. Until every person alive, from the smallest child to the most elderly citizen will be able to understand enough to make an informed decision to accept or reject Your gracious offer.
Then You will send Your Son back to us, to reward the saints, to judge the wicked, and to set up Your Kingdom on this Earth. And Your Kingdom will never end, and will continue to increase throughout all eternity!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I Corinthians 11: 4-16
Paul now comes to an issue they had a problem with in that day. Covering the head was a very visual and important way the people of that culture expressed who was in authority and who submitted to authority.
Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.
Because he was putting himself in submission to authority, instead of assuming the authority of his position.
But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.
The woman was under the authority of the man in charge in the home or in the church, but if she uncovered her head she was rebelling against her husband or her pastor's authority over her.
For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.
Here is an "if." If it is disgraceful. In our society today there is no connection between covering the head and authority. Except for certain cults, we cover our heads for warmth in cold weather, or to keep the sun off of our head and out of our eyes. And there are godly women who prefer their hair cut short, and also godly men who wear pony tails.
Our question today is do we have an attitude supporting proper authority?
For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
They attached great importance to the signs of authority. So if a man covered his head, he was disrespecting God, whose image he was to portray. And the woman was to show that she accepted that her husband and/or pastor taught her, and took care of her, and didn't assert her own opinions over theirs.
For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;
for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake.
Here he goes back to Adam and Eve. Adam was made first of the dust of the ground, then God made Eve from Adam's body. Eve was made to be Adam's wife, his companion. For Adam's benefit.
Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the Angels.
In that culture, the head covering signified submission. And God's Angels are watching us, curious as to what kind of beings we are, that God would love us so much.
However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
This does not mean that the husband is worth more, or is more important than the woman. We are equal in value to God, just as God the Father and God the Son are both God.
For as woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.
So both the man and the woman have come from one another, so neither is more important that the other. We are both important to God.
Judge for yourselves:
Paul is not giving any hard-and-fast rules here, he says we are to evaluate the situation for ourselves to decide what would be right. Our culture does not have the same outward evidences as the Corinthian culture in Paul's day.
is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
He is asking a question which we are free to answer.
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,
Like I said before, hair length has no cultural significance to us today, whether we cut it short or let it grow long.
but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
He says here that a woman's hair is her head covering, if she chooses to grow it long. And long hair is still admired on a woman today in some circles.
But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.
But if anyone wants to argue about it, Paul says that it's an individual choice, that there is no general practice that is to be enforced.
The issue Paul is really addressing here is authority. Are we assuming the responsibility of the authority God has given us as teachers and pastors? And are we submitting to the leadership of our husbands and pastors?
God has never been as concerned for outward appearances as He is for the condition of our hearts. Today we have very few outward conventions related to head coverings and length of hair, but we still need to have the right heart attitudes concerning the order God has among Himself in His three Persons, and that He has put into His Creation and our Earth for us. Order is always better than chaos, in every situation.
And our understanding of the order of authority is the linchpin of our faith in God. And our love for Him and for one another. For our submitting to one another in love, considering the other one before ourselves. This is the foundation under all the Law--the rules and precepts and regulations, and the sacrifices, too.
O my Father, You are so good to us, every day. Thank You for teaching us how orderly we can live our lives, just paying attention to what authority we have and are to submit to, to value others as You value us, and to realize how much You value each of us so highly.
The banishment of the chaos in our lives brings peacefulness and calm even in the midst of the storms of life, knowing how You have the ultimate authority over all and we are in Your hand.
Father, thank You that You have taught us that Your Love is the order You placed in what You made, so that it will all function as a well-oiled machine. And Your Holy Spirit is the oil that keeps it all running smoothly.
Help our pastors and teachers and others who You have put over us take the responsibility of their authority seriously; to lead us humbly, recognizing that their authority is under Yours, and to exercise it gently and compassionately. And help us who are under their leadership to follow them wisely with discernment and respect.
And to remember that we each are an important part of Your Plan of the Ages, one thread in Your great Tapestry of Time. Weave us skillfully into the beautiful patterns that will shine out Your glory forever, Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I Corinthians 11: 1-3
Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
Just as Paul has learned to live his life in a Christ-like way, he holds himself up as an example to follow.
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.
Paul is commending them for following the directions he gave them when he was with them, teaching them by word of mouth because the New Testament had not yet been written. But Paul is now writing a lot of it, himself.
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
God's order of authority is the basis of understanding how everything works. God the Father has authority over God the Son, and God the Son has authority over God the Holy Spirit. They are all equal, and they are all God. But there is order in their relationship.
So we need to understand this order of authority. It comes down to Christ having authority over the man, and the man has authority over his wife, who in turn has authority over the children.
Jesus commended the Centurion for his faith when he demonstrated an understanding of how authority worked (Matthew 8:5-10). So conceding that God has authority over us to tell us what to do is foundational to our faith and trust in Him. And it will go a long way in our getting along with one another as we live here in this World.
We are to submit to one another, to give one another authority over us instead of setting ourselves up as the authority over ourselves. Satan tells us that we are smart enough to make our own decisions, and we are our own gods over ourselves. And we are accountable for our choices and must experience their consequences. But we are not the authority over ourselves to decide what is right and wrong according to ourselves.
We are to consider the other as having precedence over ourselves, and to love them as Christ has loved us, whatever it may cost us.
And in the family, there must be the order of who has authority over whom.
Having authority doesn't mean that they are better than the other, because in the Godhead all three are equal in being God. And those in authority are not to lord it over the other, but fulfill their duties in the attitude of serving the other.
O my Father, please help us to understand Your order that You placed into this Universe, including our Earth and us upon it. Teach us how to submit to the authority over us, and to exercise the authority we have over others in the humility of knowing that we are not better than them.
Father, Your Love is the order You placed in Your creation. Teach us how to love one another as You have Loved us, yielding the authority when needed, and exercising authority in gentleness and compassion.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I Corinthians 10: 12-33
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
Let's not deceive ourselves into thinking we're all right.
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
Nothing you've ever been tempted with has been unique to you, others have suffered the same pull to do whatever it is. And God is faithful, because He has said He would help us and strengthen us. And He is just because He has already put our punishment on Jesus on the Cross. So He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, beyond what He will enable you to withstand. But will also provide the way of escape, a way you can run away from it. So that you will be able to endure it, you will have no excuse, you'll always be able to say No!
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
Putting anything ahead of God in your priorities is making it your idol. Run away from this kind of thinking. Our personal relationship with God is always of prime importance, that everything else depends on. Then comes your family, then your ministry, your work for the Lord and your work to make a living. Everything else comes after these priorities.
I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say.
Paul says to evaluate the reasonableness of what he is saying.
Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the Blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?
He is referring to the communion table, as the church all participates together.
Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of one bread.
Since we all take communion together, we are all spiritually nourished as one body, the body of Christ, and He is the Head.
Look at the Nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?
Everyone who brought his personal animal to the priest for sacrifice ate part of the animal as part of the ritual of sacrifice. Many of the sacrifices are called feasts, because of how much meat is on each animal, to share with all who participated.
What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No,
There is no life in a statue, so it can't affect anything given to it.
but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God;
Whatever power an idol seemed to have came from demons who were deceiving them.
and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.
Don't think that any power but God's can do good for you; don't think any of these other things can benefit you in any real sense.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
If you consider yourself a Christian, are you going to astrologers for advise? Or any other source of worldly wisdom?
Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?
Do we think that we can make God chase us, or pursue us, if we turn away from Him like that?
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
Just because something is permitted or allowed, it doesn't mean that it is beneficial.
Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.
This is another way of saying to love your neighbor as the Lord has loved you.
Eat anything sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience' sake;
For the Earth is the Lord's, and all it contains (Psalm 24:1).
Everything God made belongs to Him, and He has given us authority to manage it and use it for our benefit, so every kind of food that is eaten is permissible to eat, no questions asked.
If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience' sake.
If you're invited to dinner at a friend's house, don't even ask where the meat came from, to not instigate any arguments.
But if anyone says to you, This is meat sacrificed to idols, do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience' sake;
If they say that, then they are trying to bait you, to see what you will do.
I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?
I know it's okay to eat it, but if he attaches some spiritual meaning to it, then I don't want to fall into his trap. My conscience is clear either way, but I will not let him condemn me for going against his conscience.
If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
So if I am eating and appreciating the delicious food God provides, giving Him thanks and glory, then why should I allow someone to speak against me for it?
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
So even in such basic life activities as eating a meal, we are to do everything we do in thanksgiving and giving God the credit for providing it.
Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;
Without injuring any one else's
sensibilities. We don't want to be the stumbling stone in someone's way
to coming to faith in Christ.
just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.
Paul was not a people-pleaser, but he did try to be aware of not deliberately offending others.
We all have our own ideas about what is good or acceptable. Those who have the understanding that everything God provides is permissible are not to flaunt our "maturity" before those who consider some of these things to be wrong or off-limits. We need to be sensitive to their feelings, to not offend them.
Paul was willing to limit his own freedom for the sake of those he wanted to win for the Lord, by not even eating any meat.
Father, what is it in my life that I am enjoying with thanksgiving, that may be offensive to my neighbors? Paul uses food as an example, but this is a principle that can be applied to any part of life and living every day.
Show me how to shine Your light in the darkness of this World in a gracious and compassionate way, so I will not be the blockage to anyone coming to You, Father.
O Father, teach me how Paul could be aware of others' sensibilities, so that I can also be a worker who does not need to be ashamed. Help me to share Your Love with those who desperately need You, even if they don't know they are.
Teach me how to reach out, how to befriend, how to attract others to You, Father. Show me how to be, among people who are not like me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I Corinthians 10: 1-12
For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;
and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
When the Hebrews were released from their slavery in Egypt, Moses led them through the Red Sea as it was split, leaving a dry path through it, and God went with them in the form of the pillar of cloud the whole time they wandered in the wilderness for forty years.
So they were all "baptized" in the sea and under the cloud. From the primary verb, bap-to, to whelm, or cover fully as with a liquid. So they were all inside the sea, and the cloud covered them all, protecting and leading them.
and all ate the same spiritual food;
The Manna was the "food of Angels" (Psalm 78:25), supernaturally provided six days a week for 40 years.
and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual Rock which followed them; and that Rock was Christ.
This was the Rock God told Moses to strike with his staff the first time, but then told him to "speak to the Rock" later. The water that came from this Rock was supernaturally provided.
Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.
Even though God did all these miracles for these people, that didn't mean that He had saved them, except from Earthly situations. They weren't right with God, in spite of His goodness to them.
Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.
God wanted us to know what happened then, so that we would learn that just because God is good to us, even in supernatural ways, it doesn't mean that we are right with Him.
These people wanted all the material things that would make life easier, but they weren't seeking to have a real relationship with Him.
Do not be idolators, as some of them were; as it is written,
The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play (Exodus 32:6).
The verse before this one in Exodus tells us that they had first sacrificed to the golden calf as an idol, then they sat down to eat the sacrificial meal, and stood up to dance and participate in sexual rites associated with pagan worship.
Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day (Numbers 25:1-9).
This was when Balaam was hired by King Balak of Moab to curse these Hebrews, because he was afraid of them. But, since God would not let Balaam curse them, he instead arranged for the Moabite women to entice the men into Baal worship, including the sexual practices associated with this cult.
It seems like men of every culture are susceptible to sexual sin. We women have this great power over men, so we need to be careful, too.
Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents (Numbers 21:5-6).
The people were saying that they were sick and tired of eating the same manna every day, and were complaining against both God and Moses. Not appreciating God's sustaining miracles didn't sit well with God, so He sent "fiery serpents" among them to turn around their attitudes.
Nor grumble as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Numbers 14:2 is when the people complained again, for the tenth time, and God said in verses 22-23 that,
Because all those men which have seen My glory, and My miracles, which I did in Egypt, and in the Wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked [despised] Me see it;
Then God had them wander for all those years, until every one of those men had died, except for Caleb and Joshua, who had believed Him.
Now all these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come.
So God wants us to learn the lessons those people back then refused to learn. God did everything He could to show these people how much He loved them, but they were stubborn and proud and refused to take to heart all God was doing for them.
Let us not be like them, and take their experiences to heart, to realize God's Love for us, and appreciate all He does for us every day meeting our needs, even if they're not miraculous.
Jesus is coming soon, that's why Paul said that the "end of the ages" is coming on us, this generation.
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
So let us take care; and if we think we're doing all right, then be careful that we don't let things slide, and end up in a pickle.
O my Father, please don't let us think that we're all right when we're not! Our own hearts lie to us, and the World and our enemy just add to the deception and confusion.
Father, show us when we're fostering negative attitudes, and not appreciating the good You are bringing into all of our lives every day. Open our eyes to see, and open our minds and hearts to perceive and appreciate all the wonderful things You give us and do for us all the time.
Father, Your patience is long, but when everyone has heard about Your Love for them and understood well enough to make an informed decision to accept or reject Your generous offer, then Your patience will end, and You will allow Your Son to return as Judge, and set up His Kingdom here on this Earth (Matthew 24:14).
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Christ and Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I Corinthians 9: 1-27
Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
If to others I am not an Apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my Apostleship in the Lord.
Now Paul is explaining his own motivations to dispel any gossip or slander that had been spread about him. He says even if other people don't consider him to have the authority he has, then these Corinthians know better because they know him.
My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the Apostles and the brothers in the Lord and Cephas (Peter)?
Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working?
Now he's talking about rights. Today the big discussion is about rights, so we need to pay attention to the principles he's explaining here.
He says that he's no different from the rest of the Apostles and believers who have the same right to earn a living and to be married and have a family.
Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense?
Armies are raised by the king or the government and are paid by them, so they aren't to go out and get other jobs.
Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?
Anyone who puts in the work of planting and caring for animals only does it so they can live off of the proceeds they are producing. People put forth the effort to work at a job because they expect to be paid.
I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I?
Isn't this how the World works? You get a job or start a company so that you can make money to live off of. Only people who already have some income can afford to volunteer, the rest of us need to "get a job!"
Or does not the Law also say these things?
For it is written in the Law of Moses:
You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing (Deuteronomy 25:4).
God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.
God put into the Law that even animals who work should not be forbidden to eat a little of the grain they are threshing; how much more should people expect to get their income from the work they do. This is how God designed this Earth to operate.
We work to produce something that is valued by others, so they will pay for it, and we can receive a paycheck, and everybody gets the benefits.
If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?
If Paul and Barnabas are giving valuable spiritual things to these people, it is not unreasonable that these people would pay for it in providing Paul's and Barnabas' physical needs. That is why we pay our pastors.
If others share the right over you, do we not more?
So if these Corinthians are paying their pastors a living wage so they don't need to go out and get other work, don't the planters of this church also need to be paid?
Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the Gospel of Christ.
But Paul never asked them to give him a paycheck, or provide for his food or clothing. He didn't want to put anything in the way of their receiving this Good News. He wanted everyone to hear, no matter how rich or poor they were.
Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the Temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar?
The priest who offers the sacrifice was always to eat some of the meat of the animal sacrificed, as part of the ritual. God wanted to make sure that His full-time workers would have their full time to serve. And what else would they do with all that meat? It was to sustain their families and all the workers who were needed to do the work in the Temple.
So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the Gospel to get their living from the Gospel.
We don't serve God with animal sacrifices any more, but by sharing that Jesus fulfilled all those sacrifices, and done all the work to satisfy God's judgment, so now we can freely come to God through Christ. So the same principle applies here also, to get his living from the work he does, in proclaiming the Gospel.
But I have used none of these things.
But Paul never asked for this. He never did assert his right to receive this.
And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case;
And he's not saying these things to get them to support him.
for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.
Paul really feels strongly about this issue--he doesn't want them to be compelled to do anything for him, he has volunteered himself to them, and doesn't want any material reward or payment for it from them.
For if I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel.
He doesn't think he's doing anything to be congratulated for, since he has to share God's Love since God gave him such grace and mercy.
For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.
He says that God will reward him if he is willing to do this, but even if he has to force himself to do it, it's still his duty and responsibility.
What then is my reward? That, when I preach the Gospel, I may offer the Gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel.
He says that his reward is not having to charge an entry fee to come "see his show," so he won't demand his rights.
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
Even though he is a free man, he is Christ's slave, ministering to everyone so that everybody can hear the Good News of the Gospel and be saved.
To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
to those who are without Law, as without Law, though not being without the Law of God but under the Law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without Law.
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
No matter what a person's state in life, Paul wanted to identify with them, to commiserate with them, and befriend them; so that they would listen to the remedy for whatever ailed them or worried them or bothered them. That remedy was and always is Jesus Christ.
I do all things for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
Everything he does every day is because he wants everyone to realize how much God loves them. He is single-minded, and doesn't allow distractions to dilute his focus.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
He's referencing the Olympic Games here.
Everyone who competes in the Games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
Those who compete in the Olympics are very dedicated to train and be prepared for the event they are entering, in order to be sure they are giving their very best performance, to win the prize.
The prize they won was a wreath woven from laurel branches, which was beautiful, but would fade.
We are working for a much better prize than they did, so we should train and prepare to do our best with an even greater passion and determination, because the reward we will receive will never fade, but will last forever.
Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
Paul doesn't shadow-box, he aims to hit his target squarely.
but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Paul wants to be able to travel and have the energy to preach passionately, so he wants to make sure that he is healthy and strong, to be physically able to do what he needs to do to accomplish all of this ministry God has given him.
He doesn't want to wimp out at the end, and lose out on any of the rewards for not being able to finish the job.
O my Father, I also don't want to wimp out. I want to be able to do what I see is before me to accomplish. Teach me how to do everything I need to do to prepare and do the ministry You have placed before me to accomplish, also.
Father, You are so good to me, You have always provided everything I have needed in the past, and I am confident that You will also provide for everything I will need in the future, so I don't need to worry about that. I see Your provision for today, so help me to finish today what is today's work, so that tomorrow will take care of itself, as Jesus said (Matthew 6:34).
So I am confident, Father, that my efforts will be rewarded eternally, and I will be able to do everything You have planned for me to accomplish for Your Kingdom.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I Corinthians 8: 1-13
Now Paul will answer another question. In this culture there were a lot of statues set up all over the city that were honored with sacrifices, and they asked if it was okay to buy these meats that were sold inexpensively.
Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.
As Christians, we all have learned about God. But just knowing what He's done for us can make us think we're better than others. But when we love God back, and love other people with His Love, then that will build them up.
If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
To only know the facts about something is to just see the surface of it, not to see what lies underneath it.
but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
When you realize how much God Loves you to have saved you as He did, then you will love Him back, and have a much better understanding that Love undergirds all the facts.
Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols,
Now Paul applies this principle to the question they asked him.
we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the World, and that there is no God but one.
We know that an idol is only a statue, and that there is nobody in that image, it's only wood or stone.
For even if there are so-called gods whether in Heaven or on Earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
People worship and honor all kinds of things instead of God, and what they put first in their lives is their god, so there are many gods in this World; and someone's lord is whatever is boss over them, like an addiction.
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
For us Christians, we know the one real God, that He is the Father who created us; and our Boss is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, by whom the Father created all of us.
However not all men have this knowledge;
Some new Christians who have been steeped in all the idolatry, may not have realized this yet, and still attribute power and value to the statues.
but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
So if they eat the meat that had honored the idol, they consider it as giving honor and worship to the idol instead of to God, and their conscience is wounded.
But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.
Food is just material nourishment for our bodies, and it really makes no difference to God where that nourishment came from, since He gave us all the plants and animals for food.
Even if someone has taken an animal and sacrificed it to an idol, then sold it in the butcher shop or restaurant; since the idol is only a statue, it could have no effect on the quality of the meat, it's still a good steak or chop, but it can be sold for less money because the animal was already paid for to sacrifice it.
But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
So if you realize this, that you can get these good meats at a bargain price, so you want to take advantage of this good deal. But be careful how you do it. Appearances can be powerful influencers.
For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
So if you take your wife to one of these restaurants where the good meal costs less, and someone who is a new Christians sees you there eating, how is he going to understand this, if he still thinks there's something powerful in the idol? Might he conclude that it's all right to make use of the idol's "powers" for his own benefit, as well as the Lord Jesus?
For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
So my liberty in the Lord has caused a new Christian to remain in the idolatry that he was saved out of.
And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Loving my new brother in Christ will make me more aware of how he will see my life. I must consider how others take what I do, and be careful to not give a wrong impression in doing what is right.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
So Paul says that if eating these meats may cause a problem for someone else, then he just doesn't need to eat meat any more. He is willing to limit his own freedom in Christ for the sake of appearances, to not offend someone else or cause them to stumble.
This is a good general principle to follow no matter what the situation may be. We live in glass houses as Christians, because others are watching us. We may be living our lives righteously as we understand it, but if we don't consider how others may see what we're doing, even though it's all right, they may have some skewed view of things, and consider what we're doing to be wrong.
In today's World, our enemy has deceived people so much that their thinking processes are twisted in viewing good things as bad, ugly things as beautiful, and wrong things as right. They see genuine Love as hatred, and tolerance and promotion of evil as good.
They have turned the World upside down and see it as normal. Then when we, as God's people, turn it back upright, they are upset. That's why they said that Paul had "turned the World upside down" (Acts 17:6), when he was really setting things upright.
That's why we need to be very careful about how we say what we say to people who are new Christians or who don't know Christ yet. And we need to be prepared to answer their questions with gentleness and compassion. And to patiently bear whatever persecution will come as a backlash to our evangelism.
O my Father, this is such an important chapter for all of us to take to heart. Father, help us to consider how we may be seen by others. Let Your light shine through us into this dark World, to show up what is not right. Strengthen us in Your Love to love others so much that we are willing to sacrifice whatever is needed of our own abundance or reputation or friendships, to let others know Your Love, also.
Help us who have knowledge share with others to increase their knowledge, so we all can see more of Your big picture of who You are and what You are doing. Father, help us to all be prepared to face whatever is coming in each of our lives, in our serving You and promoting Your Kingdom; so that every person everywhere will hear Your Good News, and understand enough to make an informed decision to either accept or reject You.
And draw all of Your lost sheep into the safety of the fold, that there will be One Fold with One Shepherd.
And every eye shall see, and every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I Corinthians 7: 25-40
Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.
We have seen that Paul sometimes
gives his own opinions when he doesn't have a direct command from the
Lord, and this section is one of those.
But
I think that God had him write these, as an expansion and application
of the general principles of the laws, considering the political and
sociological condition the people were living in at that time.
So it also is a good application for us to consider, to guide our thinking.
I think then that this is good in view of the present distress,
They were under persecution at this time.
that it is good for a man to remain as he is.
The whole last section dealt with not being concerned with changing your state in life just because you got saved.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Do you not have a wife? Do not seek a wife.
This is staying in the same situation.
But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.
It's not wrong to want to get married, but it will complicate your life.
But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;
and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;
and those who use the World, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this World is passing away.
I'm not sure what all Paul is trying to convey here, but what we do or have in this World is not as important as what we do for the Kingdom. This World is temporary and is passing away, but the Kingdom is permanent and will last forever.
But I want you to be free from concern.
This is Paul's main consideration for this whole section.
One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
but one who is married is concerned about the things of the World, how he may please his wife,
and his interests are divided.
This makes sense. We don't want our minds to be divided. Having the responsibility of a family can complicate a simple life, and Paul really appreciates being available to serve the Lord freely.
The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the World, how she may please her husband.
The same situation is true for a girl or woman.
This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
Paul isn't trying to hold them to his standard, but he is trying to show them that it is easier to be devoted to the Lord without all the distractions.
But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter if she is past her youth and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.
In Paul's society, the father made the decision whether his daughter would marry. In most societies today we would ask the girl.
But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.
So if the girl has decided she wants to stay single and can keep herself pure, then she should be commended.
So both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.
So Paul concludes that staying single is better than getting married because it is easier to serve the Lord without all the distractions and complications of having a family.
A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
The marriage vow holds "unto death," but if she is a widow, then she has no constraint from marrying another husband, especially if he is also a Christian.
But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
Paul here is asserting his opinion and wanting it to be trusted, because, of course, he has the Spirit of God, as all God's children have. And God did have him write these letters which have been included into the cannon of Scripture as God-breathed.
These are not hard-and-fast rules, but just guidelines to direct our thinking processes. We don't have to automatically assume that every single person needs a spouse, every young girl doesn't have to marry, every single guy doesn't have to be on the prowl looking for satisfaction of his carnal desires.
We can also consider keeping ourselves available to serve the Lord freely as Paul has, but we can also consider marrying if we fall in love.
Paul said previously that every man and every woman should have their own spouse to avoid fornication. Singleness is not a gift given to every child of God. We are all given different gifts, and if God has shown you that He wants you to serve Him free of all encumbrances, then decide not to look for someone to marry. But if you really want to have a marital relationship, and have fallen in love with someone you are attracted to, then by all means, you should get married.
There is no Law either forbidding or commanding marriage, it's all up to us. We are free to decide for ourselves. There is no compulsion either way.
God is good, and He wants us to have everything He planned for us to have and use for His Kingdom and His glory. He has brought some people together to marry so that they can help each other in their serving the Lord. Others He has strengthened to remain single and available to serve Him freely, like Paul.
O my Father, You are so good to have given us everything we need. Father, You had Paul write his opinions so that we could have guidelines to follow, and not feel compelled into any relationship, but still free to pursue the life You want for each of us, whether to marry or not.
Please lead us according to Your plan for each of us. Help us and strengthen us to do the things You would have us do, whether with a partner or not. Father, if a partner will help me serve You better, then bring him into my life. Either way, show me where You would have me go and what You would have me do to further Your Kingdom.
O Father, I want everyone to know how much You love them! Show me how to do what I can do in this endeavor.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord God Almighty, our sovereign King of the Universe, to the glory of Almighty God the Father!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
