1 Corinthians 16:1-4

“Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.”

Paul gives clear instructions for the financial support of the church’s work. His instructions contain instructions which are specific to his time and his situation, and also principles which apply equally to us today. Let’s take a closer look …

“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside …” Paul instucts church members to be regular in their giving. Doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor; taking the same financial action on a planned regular basis makes it less of a burden. The true disciple of Christ plans to give, and prepares to make that gift. Only the uncommitted wait until they are in church, then check their wallet to see what they can spare.

“store it up” In Paul’s specific situation, the Corinthian church was preparing to make a significant gift to releive the extreme poverty of their brothers in Jerusalem. By storing it up, they could make a significant gift without creating an equally significant burden upon themselves by having to give it all at one time. This was specific to Paul’s time and to the need for which they were giving; it may or may not apply today. Consider offering your gift weekly, unless there is a good reason to do otherwise.

“as he may prosper” Paul advocates for proportionate giving. Someone like Bill Gates may be able to give significantly more than I can. I on the other hand may be able to give more than some others in my church. One concept I’ve given much thought and prayer to lately is to consider how I’ve been prospered. I used to think this meant strictly how I’ve been prospered monitarily. I now think in much broader terms. God’s blessings to me are so much more than money.

“I will send those whom you accredit” Rather than carrying the Corinthians’ gift himself to Jerusalem, Paul planned to send it with trusted men whom the Corinthians themselves had chosen. The concept for us today is that all financial affairs of the church should be transparent and without reproach; all things conducted in a thoroughly honorable fashion. For those who are or may become a part of the church’s financial team, this is a sobering reminder of the responsibility. For others, this provides a measure to evaluate a local church. If the church’s handling of finances is questionable, this might be an indicator for us that it’s time to move on.

1 Corinthians 15

“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. … If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-14, 19)

Ask any Christian … is life better walking in step with Christ? Of course it is!! But the benefits of faith in this life are but a tiny speck of the eternal gift which God gives us through Christ. It’s like tasting a tiny bit of chocolate frosting on your finger. Wouldn’t it be better to have the whole cake?! Do you struggle to believe in the resurrection? It’s true, we’ve never seen one before, but Jesus’ bodily resurrection gives us the evidence we need that His promise is real; God can do what He has promised to do!

There are two promises which it seems many Christians fail to fully embrace … forgiveness of their sins, and their future resurrection. We struggle to forgive ourselves, and therefore assume that it must be difficult for God to forgive us as well. We continue in sin because we haven’t fully forgiven ourselves, and haven’t fully accepted the totality of God’s forgiving. We struggle to fully believe in the resurrection, so we live our lives as if this life is all we’ve got! Coors advertises their beer based on this disbelief in ressurection: “You only live once, but if you do it right …”.

I can write about these stuggles because they are much of the story of my life. How about you? Have you totally accepted God’s complete and permanent forgiving? Are you living for this life alone, or living to prepare for the next? How do we move the “head knowledge” of redemption and ressurection downward about 12 inches to make it “heart knowledge”?

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-23)

Praise God, we need have no doubt regarding the resurrection! Adam brought death into the world, but then Christ brought redemption and resurrection into the world. Christ is raised first; that’s already history in our sense of time. When He returns to redeem His church, it’s our turn. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 57)

“Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?” (1 Corinthians 15:29)

Paul drops a mystery on us here, causing some to wonder if the Corinthian Christians were being baptized on behalf of their dead? This would seem to be, however, an issue local to the Corinthians of that time period.

This verse probably refers to proxy baptism: the custom of undergoing baptism for someone who died before he or she could undergo baptism. … Baptism for the dead was a custom in at least one of the Greek mystery religions, one that was based close to Corinth in the neighboring town of Eleusis, namely, the Eleusian mystery religion. … Corinthian believers were evidently influenced by this custom. It appears again that the spirit of the city of Corinth had invaded the church. (Dr. Thomas L. Constable).

Even though it is not valid Christian practice, it would require a belief in resurrection in any religeon to adopt a practice of proxy baptism. Paul is not approving of proxy baptism here, but only using the example to present a logical argument for resurrection.

In verses 35 to 54, Paul addresses questions about the resurrection body. I’ll not dive in here; that is a topic for another blog post. I’ll only say that, personally, I have no doubt whatsoever about God’s power to do just what Paul says He will do. My only hope is that he will leave the arthritis in the grave, and perhaps in loving kindness, give me an extra inch or two in stature!

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Paul delivers as brief and succinct a summary of the gospel as can be written here. He is launching a discussion and defense of the ressurection, a critical topic. I want to dig deeply into Paul’s main point here, and I will in a future (perhaps the next) blog entry, but first I want to share my thoughts arising out of just these two verses.

Paul says that the gospel, as summarized here, was recieved and then delivered on as of first importance. Where does the gospel rank in my priorities, especially the sharing of the gospel with others? Is it of first importance? If not, why not? What is in first place in my priorities? What should my priorities really be?

Note also that Paul keeps this summary of the gospel really simple! Just a few basic facts; Jesus died for my sins, was buried according to Jewish custom, and was raised on the third day. No other world religion teaches atonement for sin by the God against whom we’ve sinned. Islam teaches that repentance, remorse, and resolution to change are sufficient to gain Allah’s forgiveness of sins; no atonement is necessary. In Islam, sin isn’t sufficient to create a complete and permanent rift between man and God. Buddhism teaches that there is no forgiveness of sin, no escape from the consequences. For Christians, Jesus IS God, and He chose to die in our place to atone for our sins.

The fact of the burial, and the witnesses thereof, are important to establish that Jesus really did die on the cross. There was no chance of faking out those Roman soldiers, who were experts at visiting death upon the conquered.

It is Jesus’ resurrection which gives us hope! Hope first of all that Jesus is exactly who He said he was, and therefore His promises to forgive our sins are valid and trustworthy. Hope for an eternal life with Jesus in heaven, after mortal death.

I don’t need a degree in theology to share the gospel, and I don’t need to teach significant theological concepts to share faith in Jesus as the one and only path to saving grace.

So again, what are my priorities? Is sharing the gospel of first importance in my life? Is the gospel I’m sharing presented in simple terms and concepts which anyone can understand and accept?

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Paul wraps up his discourse on the superiority of love to other spiritual gifts (see chapters 12-13) with the statement “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts.” Many books have been written regarding these spiritual gifts and their place in today’s Christian life, and I’m not going to start another one here. Rather, I will simply ask myself how I will apply these verses to myself.

How will I pursue love? I believe Paul gives me the answer right here … by seeking God’s plan to be a blessing to those around me, both within my community and within the household of faith.

In these verses, Paul identifies a specific blessing, that of teaching or prophesying to others. That is indeed a blessing to give, but it is certainly not the only way to bless others in God’s name. In James 3:1, Paul writes “Not many of you should become teachers”, because “we who teach will be judged with greater strictness”. God gives the gift of teaching, or prophesying, to some but not to all. Rather than pursuing use of the spiritual gift we want God to give us, or the one we think He should give us, we each should seek to discover what gifts God has given us, and how we may best use those gifts.

True love is, like God’s love for us, selfless. We seek to bless others using the gifts God has given us, not to make ourselves feel better about ourselves, but to honor God. That’s what it means to serve others in God’s name … to serve others in such a way as to bring honor and glory to Him!

1 Corinthians 13

In this chapter, Paul argues for the superiority of love over spiritual gifts such as those mentioned in 12:27 to 13:3. There are two levels at which I seek to study and understand this chapter; first, in the context in which Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians, and second, in the current-time application to myself.

In the context of Paul’s time, it seems the Corinthians were seeking to possess and to use the named spiritual gifts in a selfish manner, trying to glorify themselves rather than giving all the glory to God. In doing so, they were ministering to others through these spiritual gifts without any significant love for those to whom they ministered. In case they missed his point, Paul explains how genuine love is demonstrated, through patience, kindness, humility, civility, flexibility, devotion to God’s truth, perseverance and optimistic hope in God’s provision.

What will we take into heaven with us? It won’t be knowledge or prophecy, because in God’s presence, we won’t need these. We won’t need the miraculous messages delivered through angelic tongues and interpreters, because we’ll hear God’s voice directly. Faith will then be sight; hope will then be fulfilled. All we will need to take with us into heaven will be our love for God, our devotion to our Savior, and our loving joy at spending eternity with our beloved universal church.

This can be, however, a very painful chapter to apply personally. I read it as a checklist, to determine the health of my love relationship with my wife, my children and grandchildren, my church, and my community. Here’s a brief checklist based on this chapter:

[ ] Am I patient with the world around me? How about in Charlotte traffic?
[ ] Am I kind to people who are unkind to me?
[ ] Am I humble, or arrogant? In what subtle ways do I think myself better than others?
[ ] Am I unfailingly polite? Do I remain civil to people who are rude to me?
[ ] Am I irritable, grouchy or touchy? Hangry, maybe? How would my wife answer that question for me?
[ ] Am I resentful, holding on to the rude slights of others? Do I give up my resentments into my Savior’s hands?
[ ] Do I consistently turn away from wrong thoughts and actions, or still dabble my toes in them?
[ ] Am I consistently enduring, cheerful and hopeful in hard times? Do I hold on to faith in God’s provision when unexpected demands on my life pop up?

As I write this, I realize I’ve got a lot of work to do!! I would encourge anyone reading this to run their own life and attitudes against this checklist. How are you doing? Come back in a year and see if you’re doing better!

Also, what questions would you add to this checklist, further applying this magnificent chapter in Paul’s letter to your own life?

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

“Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.” (verses 4-5)

In Biblical times, the Christian church was the only place where women could gather as equals with men, where the poor could gather as equals with the rich, and the slaves could gather as equals with their owners. At the foot of the cross, the ground is level.

Some were taking that newfound freedom too far!

These verses refer both to a general principle equally applicable in all places at all times, and to some specifics applicable to first-century Corinth. How do we unravel the two?

Every time and every society has its “norms”, conventions which cause people to “fit in” if followed, and cause people to stand out and be noticed when the conventions are disavowed. For example, when I was in elementary school, it was quite common for men to wear hats. Going to church, even at eight years old, I was expected to wear my dress hat. BUT, the moment I stepped through the door, I either removed my hat, or my father removed it for me! Men never wore hats indoors. At the same time, my mother and all the other women also wore women’s styled dress hats, but in their case, the hats stayed on until we returned home.

We don’t see much of that today. Times have changed. The principle, however, has not. We still go to church looking respectable and reverent, in whatever way that is expressed in the current time and place.

Paul’s problem with covered or uncovered heads, to some extent, had to do with what was considered respectable dress in first-century Corinth. In that place and time, men wore their hair short and uncovered. Women wore their hair long and covered with a shawl. To do otherwise was to flaunt the norms of society, and disrepect the people around you. They had an additional social expectation to deal with as well. Corinth, in its pagan worship, had temple prostitutes, who wore their hair very short and uncovered, as a walking advertisement of their availability. To wear the same look into the Christian church was shameful.

Paul’s problem was also with the minds and hearts of the worshippers. Were they coming to fellowship with other believers, and to show their reverence in worshipping God? Or were they coming to show off how “modern” and “free” they could be within a new fellowship, to the discomfort and dismay of their fellow Christians? THIS is the message from Paul which is universal, for all times and all places! It’s not about “fitting in”, but rather about coming to the assembly with the right heart and right motives.

So, how do we apply this one? I would ask myself first whether I’m entering the sanctuary with my mind really on worshipping God, or still stewing about that “idiot driver” on Highway 51. Am I at peace with the brothers and sisters around me, or still scowling at the one member with whom I’m still angry?

How about asking a question which I know will really hurt?! Is my first priority to rejoice in my morning spent with church members whom I love and enjoy visiting with, or is my first priority to worship the God who offers me grace, and the Lord who died in my place so that I might receive it?

1 Corinthians 10:6

“Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” (1 Corinthians 6)

How do you learn? Some would say there are two ways of learning; either learning by your own experiences (and mistakes!), or by observing others’ experiences and the results of their actions.

Paul is reminding the Corinthian church that their actions have eternal consequences, and it’s far better to learn from ancestors’ mistakes and consequences than to ignore those and learn from your own.

In this case, the experiences are those of the Israelites when they were redeemed from Egypt and set on the road to a nation of their own. Paul reminded the Corinthians that the Israelites “… sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” (v. 7), and that they “commit[ed] sexual immorality” (v. 8). The result of their sins? God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. (v. 5).

Paul drives home his point in verses 11-13, and his admonishments to the Corinthians are equally applicable to us today. Here are three points we can and must take to heart:

Be careful about arrogance regarding your own spiritual strength. You can and will fall to temptation when you think you can’t.
Be careful about feeling superior to others when they fall to temptation. We all will face the same common temptations.
You cannot withstand temptation on your own strength, but you can stand against all temptations with the power of God to strengthen you. God always provides a way out.

As Paul so clearly pointed out, God takes sin seriously! We should be equally serious about keeping ourselves away from sin. As saved Christians, we cannot lose our salvation, but we can lose the opportunity to be rewarded in Heaven.

Continuing to live in sin should cause us to reflect on the genuineness of our faith. True saving faith changes our hearts, and is reflected in changes in our deeds and words.

Are my deeds and words proving that my faith is genuine, or calling it into question?

Romans 1:24-25

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

As we continue reading Paul’s letter to the Romans from here forward, it appears that Paul is introducing the topic of homosexuality in these two verses. Within the context of the chapter, I can’t argue with that, but I also believe there is a more universal truth revealed here, which we’ll get to in just a moment.

First, however, we must ask “What’s the ‘therefore’ there for?”

Looking back to the previous passage, the reason may be best summarized in verse 21: “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

They knew God. They did not honor Him as God. The failure to honor God in their minds, hearts, and lives may be the very definition of futile thinking and a darkened heart.

The mental picture I get reading verses 24-25 is one of God throwing up His hands in exasperation, saying “OK, then, have it your way.” These ungodly people “worshiped and served the creature”, ignoring God.

In Paul’s letter, he goes on to specifics about how these people dishonored themselves and exchanged God’s truth for the lies they wanted to believe, in this case regarding their sexuality. However, doesn’t this describe any of us, when we turn our backs on God and go our own way? It doesn’t have to be sexual sin. We may “serve the creature (ourselves)” when we choose a career path that makes it difficult to serve our family and our church as we ought. We serve ourselves when we use the resources God has provided to feed our own passions rather than dedicating whatever we can to God’s service.

It can be something as simple as a father watching the ball game instead of spending time with his son, who desparately needs his father’s love and attention. There may be moments every day where we choose to serve our own desires and comforts rather than looking outside of ourselves to see where God would have us focus our attention, compassion, time, energy and resources.

So my application is as simple as it is profound: What am I doing in my life to serve myself, instead of serving God?

1 Corinthians 8:6

Throughout all of chapter 8, Paul addresses the questions raised by the Corinthian church regarding the eating of, or avoidance of, meat which had been sacrificed to idols in the Corinthian pantheistic society. I want to come back and examine the chapter in a later post. For now, let’s look exclusively at verse 6:

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

This verse is somewhat a departure from the rest of the chapter, in that Paul digs in deeply, if however briefly, into man’s relationship to God. It’s worth pausing over this one verse to see what lessons we can learn.

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father…” We would instantly claim to be monotheistic, believing in the existence of one and only one God. But is that how we live our lives?

The truth is that we can make a god out of anything in our lives which takes precedence and elbows the one True God off to the side. We see this done daily with career advancement, the prestige of promotion, the material indicators of wealth, or the pleasures of the flesh. Every one of us can name someone in our life history whom we’ve known to put one or more of these things in priority over God in their lives.

But what about me? What is in my life that is tempting me to put something ahead of God in my life? Is there truly only one God in my life?

“… from whom are all things …” What do you see in your life that didn’t come from God? What did you have for breakfast? Egg and toast? Who created the chicken that laid the egg? Who created the wheat plant? Who created the rain that nourished the wheat plant?

While we’re at it, how many breaths did you breathe while reading the previous paragraph? Who made the air? Who designed the lungs?

Am I giving God my thanks and praise for all of His creation supporting and blessing my life? Are you?

“… for whom we exist …” This is a really tough one!! It’s so easy to slip into thinking that I set the priorities in my own life; that I determine my purpose in life and set my goals. That, however, is Satan’s lie! I exist to serve and to honor God! I am not my own! I exist for God’s glory, not for my own.

Does my life reflect that truth? If not, what do I need to change?

“… one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”" Did you realize that Jesus was present and an active participant in the creation? Take a closer look at the creation of Adam in Genesis 1:26. “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Why the plural forms? Because creation was the work of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In John chapter 8, Jesus made it clear to the Jewish leadership that He is eternal, existing outside of time as we experience it: “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’”

The first few verses of Hebrews state plainly that it was through Jesus that the world was created, and it is through Jesus that the ongoing existence of the world is sustained.

This is the Jesus who gave His life to atone for my sins, and for yours! Does my life reflect my understanding of who Jesus is to me and to the world around me? Does yours?

1 Corinthians 7

Read the scripture

Verses 1-9

It is important to remember that, as Paul wrote these verses, he was responding to specific questions which the Corinthian church had written to him. These verses should therefore not be taken as a complete theology of marriage.

Paul was unmarried, and found that state was advantageous to him. His recommendation here is to give careful consideration to what will work best for each person, marriage or celibacy. Remaining single has definate advantages, but not everyone can do it.

For those who choose marriage, selfishness has no place in the home. Husbands and wives are to each take their partner’s needs into account. Neither I nor my wife are living just for ourselves. We both live for each other, and we both live to serve God.

Application

Am I fully aware of my wife’s needs and putting her first in my thoughts and actions? Am I being selfish with my time and energy?

Verses 10-11

There are other scriptures covering divorce and re-marriage. Paul gives us here a brief summary which is consistent with the rest of the Bible. I took note of the ESV translation “should not separate”, and compared it with other translations. In this case, only the ESV seems to leave open the possibility of divorce; the NIV and Berean Standard translate the original as “must not separate”. The NLT says “must not leave”. The Greek phrase is “μὴ χωρισθῆναι”, which translates literally as “no to be separated”.

My personal conclusion from these verses is that, for a Christian marriage, divorce does not exist. A Christian husband and wife must remain married, submit to Christ, and work things out in their marriage.

Application

Do I stand firmly for the sanctity and permanency of marriage? Am I strong enough to confess that, in the past within my family, I haven’t always done so?

Verses 12-16

Paul moves on to address the marriages where one partner is an unbeliever. Christians should do everything they can in this circumstance to make the marriage work, and to be a faithful example and influence to lead their spouse and their children to faith in Christ. HOWEVER, the Christian spouse is not held responsible if the unbeliever chooses to leave the marriage.

Perhaps the most important verse here is “God has called you to peace”. God doesn’t want us to live in perpetual conflict.

Application

How will I counsel a couple living in a mixed (Christian / unbeliever) marriage? Will I remember to point them to Paul’s words of wisdom here?

Verses 17-24

“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.”

Are you content with your life? Am I? Christians should be open to God’s leading in their lives, but content with doing God’s will where He has placed them. God doesn’t call all of us to prominent, high-profile roles within our church, or within our place of employment. God doesn’t give us all the same resources (see Matthew 25:14-30), but He assigns roles and resources according to our ability to manage them.

This does NOT preclude taking advantage of opportunities to improve our situation when God makes such opportunities available to us. “But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.” Look carefully at opportunities for promotion, or step-up jobs, and ask whether the opportunity will bring you closer to God, or challenge you to remain faithful to Him.

Verse 23: “You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.” What does this say to the Christian about going into debt? I realize this wasn’t the point Paul was making here, but doesn’t the principle apply? One of the meanings of “bondservant” in Bible times is one who voluntarily became a servant or slave of another. How is that different from purchasing that which I cannot afford with money which I can only assume I will earn later?

Digging even deeper, when we consider “You were bought with a price”, this phrase says quite a lot about our relationship to God. When we choose activities or lifestyles which are not approved by God, we’re acting as if we are our own owners. Paul says this is a false belief. It is GOD who has the right to choose whether I will drink that spirit, smoke that cigarette, or pursue that extramarital affair. I don’t have the right to choose; I’ve been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Application

Am I content with the roles in life to which God has assigned me? Am I living each day as a bondservant of God, purchased by the sacrifice of Jesus? Am I taking every thought captive to remain obedient to Christ?

Verses 25-38

Most commentators believe that the “present distress” Paul mentions in verse 26 is the persecution of the church. In many places it was flat-out illegal to be a Christian, and punishments in those days tended to be quite harsh. As Paul gives his advice and recommendations, you can discern between the lines his concern for their well-being and protection. In very harsh and perilous times, it only makes sense as Paul explains to remain independent and avoid taking on the additional responsibility for a family.

This passage makes me realize that we modern-day American Christians really don’t know what persecution is! We refuse to bake a wedding cake for a gay wedding, the government puts us out of business, and we think ourselves persecuted! So far as I know, nobody in America has actually been murdered for his/her faith. Not so in other parts of the world. Be thankful you’re not trying to live as a Christian, and spread the gospel message, in places such as Afghanistan or North Korea.

Application

Am I praying daily for those in very repressive parts of the world, who are in peril for their lives simply by following Jesus? What am I doing to preserve and protect our religeous freedoms here?

Verses 39-40

Paul ends with a final reminder that marriage is for life. There is no such thing as a “trial marriage”; no such thing as an “escape clause”. Wives are free to re-marry only if and when the husband passes into Heaven. Also Paul wrote this specifically to wives, perhaps because the men were in greater peril of execution as Christians, I see no reason this would not apply equally to husbands whose wives have passed on. Paul was, after all, writing here to answer specific questions the Corinthians had asked.

Application

Have I completely and totally forsworn the possibility of divorce? Am I doing all I can each day to make our marriage one that my wife will want to remain in? Am I praying for my wife and for my marriage each day?