"But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way."
The higher gifts! How can there be higher gifts for us to desire when the whole point of the passage seems to be indicating that we are all important and that there are no higher gifts? I believe that today's reader naturally assumes something about this verse that is misleading. There is nothing wrong with the verse, but our understanding of it is flawed.
Here are two other translations/paraphrases that seem to fit the context better. The first says "And yet some of you keep competing for so-called 'important' parts. But now I want to lay out a far better way for you" (The Message). The second says "So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all" (New Living Translation).
Both of these translations reflect the fact that spiritual gifts are not to be desired for selfish reasons. The Message interprets the statement as a rebuke for those who were selfishly desiring the gift(s) that they had erroneously viewed as more important, presumably because the exercising of the gift was more public. The New Living Translation takes the position that "higher" means most helpful. Therefore, you should desire gifts that will allow you to be the most help to the church that you can be.
I think that The Message's interpretation fits the context most naturally. This is what you have been doing, but there is a better way. Then we enter chapter 13, showing us that better way.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:27-30
"Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?"
The members of the church don’t just make up some nebulous cooperative body. They make up the body of Christ. This knowledge puts a new level of importance on our individually being unified members of the church. And the way that this chapter admonishes us to be unified is by recognizing that though the church is one body, it is made up of many different parts. God has given the church many different gifts, but He doesn’t give one particular gift to all people.
The members of the church don’t just make up some nebulous cooperative body. They make up the body of Christ. This knowledge puts a new level of importance on our individually being unified members of the church. And the way that this chapter admonishes us to be unified is by recognizing that though the church is one body, it is made up of many different parts. God has given the church many different gifts, but He doesn’t give one particular gift to all people.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:24b-26
"But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."
I don’t believe that the church today attains this level of unity. Do I suffer when another suffers? Do I rejoice at the advancement of others? Or have I so misunderstood my role in the church, that I (and others with the same mindset) am so fractured that I am not acting like part of a body at all. When I stub my toe, my whole body is unhappy, and when I am given a good massage, my whole body relaxes. But when one in the church is blessed, do I have to fight jealousy? When one is suffering, am I disinterested? If I'm not unified with the other members of the church, then this is not what God intended.
God wants us to be such a part of each other’s lives that we are looked at and seem as one. Our care and involvement goes to such levels, that we are actually a single body. This is accomplished by the more gifted/honored parts of the body reaching out to those who lack, in order to lift them up. This may involve financial assistance, but I believe that it goes far deeper than that. You don’t just want their physical needs to be met, you want to see them elevated to a place of spiritual maturity, and you are so involved in seeing that happen that when they succeed, you rejoice as if you have succeeded; when they are hurt, you weep as if you have been wounded; and when they fail, you lament as if you have failed.
I don’t believe that the church today attains this level of unity. Do I suffer when another suffers? Do I rejoice at the advancement of others? Or have I so misunderstood my role in the church, that I (and others with the same mindset) am so fractured that I am not acting like part of a body at all. When I stub my toe, my whole body is unhappy, and when I am given a good massage, my whole body relaxes. But when one in the church is blessed, do I have to fight jealousy? When one is suffering, am I disinterested? If I'm not unified with the other members of the church, then this is not what God intended.
God wants us to be such a part of each other’s lives that we are looked at and seem as one. Our care and involvement goes to such levels, that we are actually a single body. This is accomplished by the more gifted/honored parts of the body reaching out to those who lack, in order to lift them up. This may involve financial assistance, but I believe that it goes far deeper than that. You don’t just want their physical needs to be met, you want to see them elevated to a place of spiritual maturity, and you are so involved in seeing that happen that when they succeed, you rejoice as if you have succeeded; when they are hurt, you weep as if you have been wounded; and when they fail, you lament as if you have failed.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:23-24
"And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it."
Our weaker or less honorable body parts are given greater care. Late last month, I strained my right knee. The pain is mostly gone, but I still favor the knee. The day it happened, I put almost no weight on the knee at all. My knee was hurt and temporarily unable to perform like the rest of my body, but I did not get rid of it. I gave it a special place of honor, allowing it time to recover from the stress of my accident.
Also, we honor parts of our body that work fine but are not to be displayed by carefully concealing them. Why go through the trouble? Why not get rid of these areas or at least throw off this sense of modesty and treat all of our body the same? Because there are certain parts that are indispensable (as the former post explored) and yet deserving of special care.
The solution is not dismemberment but special attention and greater honor for these less honorable parts. God made the church this way too. There are people in the church who lack honor. They deserve greater honor. They may take more time to help. They may need things that others can go without. But we should not push these less honorable individuals to the side, to help or work exclusively with those we believe have greater potential. Everyone in the church is important, and everyone needs to be cared for regardless of how much care they need.
Our weaker or less honorable body parts are given greater care. Late last month, I strained my right knee. The pain is mostly gone, but I still favor the knee. The day it happened, I put almost no weight on the knee at all. My knee was hurt and temporarily unable to perform like the rest of my body, but I did not get rid of it. I gave it a special place of honor, allowing it time to recover from the stress of my accident.
Also, we honor parts of our body that work fine but are not to be displayed by carefully concealing them. Why go through the trouble? Why not get rid of these areas or at least throw off this sense of modesty and treat all of our body the same? Because there are certain parts that are indispensable (as the former post explored) and yet deserving of special care.
The solution is not dismemberment but special attention and greater honor for these less honorable parts. God made the church this way too. There are people in the church who lack honor. They deserve greater honor. They may take more time to help. They may need things that others can go without. But we should not push these less honorable individuals to the side, to help or work exclusively with those we believe have greater potential. Everyone in the church is important, and everyone needs to be cared for regardless of how much care they need.
Friday, April 25, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:21-22
"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.' On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable."
If you are part of the church, the church needs you. Other people may not think this, and you may not even think that you are needed, but you are. Just as you are needed so are all other people in the church. This includes physically or mentally handicapped people and people you might secretly (or not so secretly) view as beneath yourself in some way. The church would not be better off without such people.
Perhaps you have had similar thoughts. "His physical/social awkwardness is embarrassing. I wish he weren’t here." But the idea that a weak believer is disposable is grossly unbiblical. The church needs everyone God incorporates into the body. Perhaps God put someone in your church simply to shape the character of other members. If you think ill of others in the church body, you need to readjust your thinking. Those that seem less important are truly indispensable members. If you were to get rid of them, you would seriously injure or even destroy the church.
If you are part of the church, the church needs you. Other people may not think this, and you may not even think that you are needed, but you are. Just as you are needed so are all other people in the church. This includes physically or mentally handicapped people and people you might secretly (or not so secretly) view as beneath yourself in some way. The church would not be better off without such people.
Perhaps you have had similar thoughts. "His physical/social awkwardness is embarrassing. I wish he weren’t here." But the idea that a weak believer is disposable is grossly unbiblical. The church needs everyone God incorporates into the body. Perhaps God put someone in your church simply to shape the character of other members. If you think ill of others in the church body, you need to readjust your thinking. Those that seem less important are truly indispensable members. If you were to get rid of them, you would seriously injure or even destroy the church.
Monday, April 21, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:18-20
"But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body."
God choses what gifts to equip you with. And knowing the uselessness of a single-function church, he puts many differently gifted people together. We are different people doing different jobs, but we are one body.
Just as God knew how to properly create us, He knows how to put the church together. We should embrace our role, whatever it is, knowing that the performing our role displays God’s creative wisdom.
God choses what gifts to equip you with. And knowing the uselessness of a single-function church, he puts many differently gifted people together. We are different people doing different jobs, but we are one body.
Just as God knew how to properly create us, He knows how to put the church together. We should embrace our role, whatever it is, knowing that the performing our role displays God’s creative wisdom.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:14-17
"For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?"
What would be the value of being just an eye or just an ear? You would be grotesquely incomplete. You would be incapable of doing things that God designed bodies to do.
Consider Bob, the eye. Bob is rolling down the street. You want to say hello, so you call out to him. You just wasted your breath. Bob can’t hear you, because he’s just an eye.
People are made up of many different parts. These parts each perform their own necessary function. The idea of one particular organ or appendage deciding that it is no longer part of the body is ridiculous. Such rebellion is inconceivable in the human body. But sadly, many vital parts of the church are in that kind of rebellion. They want to perform a function that they have not been given, and if they don’t get to be the part that they want to be they might leave. Their rebellion is selfish and foolish. The church needs all of it’s parts.
Has God made you the janitor at your church when you want to be the preacher? Will you leave or complain about the injustice of your being the foot when you want to be the hand? Your work as janitor is just as important as the pastor’s work. If no one does your work, people will most likely stop coming and then what use will the pastor be? This is true of nursery workers, assistant pastors, secretaries, bus drivers, youth workers, Sunday school teachers, any anyone else in the church who performs some kind of function, even if it is as simple as saying hello to visitors or having others over for fellowship. Your role in the body is important.
What would be the value of being just an eye or just an ear? You would be grotesquely incomplete. You would be incapable of doing things that God designed bodies to do.
Consider Bob, the eye. Bob is rolling down the street. You want to say hello, so you call out to him. You just wasted your breath. Bob can’t hear you, because he’s just an eye.
People are made up of many different parts. These parts each perform their own necessary function. The idea of one particular organ or appendage deciding that it is no longer part of the body is ridiculous. Such rebellion is inconceivable in the human body. But sadly, many vital parts of the church are in that kind of rebellion. They want to perform a function that they have not been given, and if they don’t get to be the part that they want to be they might leave. Their rebellion is selfish and foolish. The church needs all of it’s parts.
Has God made you the janitor at your church when you want to be the preacher? Will you leave or complain about the injustice of your being the foot when you want to be the hand? Your work as janitor is just as important as the pastor’s work. If no one does your work, people will most likely stop coming and then what use will the pastor be? This is true of nursery workers, assistant pastors, secretaries, bus drivers, youth workers, Sunday school teachers, any anyone else in the church who performs some kind of function, even if it is as simple as saying hello to visitors or having others over for fellowship. Your role in the body is important.
Friday, April 18, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."
I have fingers, toes, shoulders, kneecaps, tendons around my kneecaps (which have made their presence known in my recent activities), a spinal cord protected by quite a few vertebrae, elbows, eyes, ears, a nose, lips, teeth, a tongue, skin, an ankle, a liver, a heart, lungs, a thyroid, kidneys, a brain with several different mysterious sections, and many, many other parts. All of these individual parts, put together, make up my body. Though there many, many parts, they make up just one body.
Likewise, the Spirit takes people from many different social, religious, and economic backgrounds and makes one body (the church) out of them. If you gave the world’s most skilled surgeon all of the parts needed to build a human body from scratch, he wouldn’t be able to do it. Such an accomplishment would be well beyond his ability. But through the Spirit, a body of believers (equally complex) is brought together under the work of Christ.
I find this truth both fearful and wonderful. What God has done in constituting the church is wonderful because it is mind-blowing hard and shows His greatness. But the oneness of the body is also a fearful thing. In a human body, if one organ is malfunctioning, the whole body is effected. In fact, you can take one cell and let it go bad, and if it is allowed to spread, a person can die of cancer. How important then is each member’s walk with God. I am part of a whole, and I must do my part.
I have fingers, toes, shoulders, kneecaps, tendons around my kneecaps (which have made their presence known in my recent activities), a spinal cord protected by quite a few vertebrae, elbows, eyes, ears, a nose, lips, teeth, a tongue, skin, an ankle, a liver, a heart, lungs, a thyroid, kidneys, a brain with several different mysterious sections, and many, many other parts. All of these individual parts, put together, make up my body. Though there many, many parts, they make up just one body.
Likewise, the Spirit takes people from many different social, religious, and economic backgrounds and makes one body (the church) out of them. If you gave the world’s most skilled surgeon all of the parts needed to build a human body from scratch, he wouldn’t be able to do it. Such an accomplishment would be well beyond his ability. But through the Spirit, a body of believers (equally complex) is brought together under the work of Christ.
I find this truth both fearful and wonderful. What God has done in constituting the church is wonderful because it is mind-blowing hard and shows His greatness. But the oneness of the body is also a fearful thing. In a human body, if one organ is malfunctioning, the whole body is effected. In fact, you can take one cell and let it go bad, and if it is allowed to spread, a person can die of cancer. How important then is each member’s walk with God. I am part of a whole, and I must do my part.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:8-11
"For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."
The Spirit has complete liberty to grant whatever gifts He chooses to grant. If you know my belief concerning miraculous sign gifts—that they have stopped and are not for today—you might think my last statement to be contradictory. But I don’t feel in conflict with myself on this matter. I have an understanding from scripture that I believe is accurate and universal. However, God is not confined by my understanding of Him or by how He typically does things. He can do whatever He wants whenever He wants.
So what kind of gifts does He grant (or has he granted in the past)? I have not studied these phrases in depth. Therefore, the following definitions are in no way authoritative but are my thoughts on what these gifts might look like.
Utterance of wisdom / knowledge - these are two different gifts, but both have to do with the ability to communicate something true. God has gifted some believers with an amazing ability to communicate truth in an interesting and understandable manner.
Faith - all believers have been given the gift of saving faith. But some believers have been given a special measure of faith. For us, this gift seems to be coming through the experiences that God has been allowing to come into our lives.
Gifts of healing - the text does not specify whether the gift is the ability to heal someone or if it is the gift of personal healing from some kind of illness. Both might have been in view at the time of the book’s writing. However, I don’t believe God uses healers anymore, but I do believe that God miraculously heals people. Why else would we pray for sick people?
Working of miracles - I believe that God still does miracles and that He can use an individual as a vessel through which that miracle flows. However, I don’t believe that God is currently gifting people to work the supernatural. And yet, our lives as Christians ought to be filled with things that unbelievers can’t explain.
Prophecy - a much broader term than we think of it today. It goes beyond foretelling the future and focuses primarily on the message of truth from God for those in need. Frequently, prophecy was a call to turn from sin. In the Old Testament, it was said that people would prophecy on musical instruments. Both men and women should be declaring God’s truth in church today.
Ability to distinguish between spirits - some people trust everyone. They haven’t met someone who isn’t a great guy (until they stab them in the back later). But others are more discerning. I have met some people that seem to be able to accurately describe a person after talking with them for five minutes. My pastor seems to be this way. Early in our relationship, he kept on saying, “Joshua you are like this (and he would describe some personality trait of mine), and therefore you will need to do this.” I would think, “Yes, that’s right, but how do you know that?” Perhaps it is a special ability given to him by the Spirit.
Various kinds of tongues / interpretation of tongues - these gifts are dealt with in greater detail later. I will address them then.
The Spirit has complete liberty to grant whatever gifts He chooses to grant. If you know my belief concerning miraculous sign gifts—that they have stopped and are not for today—you might think my last statement to be contradictory. But I don’t feel in conflict with myself on this matter. I have an understanding from scripture that I believe is accurate and universal. However, God is not confined by my understanding of Him or by how He typically does things. He can do whatever He wants whenever He wants.
So what kind of gifts does He grant (or has he granted in the past)? I have not studied these phrases in depth. Therefore, the following definitions are in no way authoritative but are my thoughts on what these gifts might look like.
Utterance of wisdom / knowledge - these are two different gifts, but both have to do with the ability to communicate something true. God has gifted some believers with an amazing ability to communicate truth in an interesting and understandable manner.
Faith - all believers have been given the gift of saving faith. But some believers have been given a special measure of faith. For us, this gift seems to be coming through the experiences that God has been allowing to come into our lives.
Gifts of healing - the text does not specify whether the gift is the ability to heal someone or if it is the gift of personal healing from some kind of illness. Both might have been in view at the time of the book’s writing. However, I don’t believe God uses healers anymore, but I do believe that God miraculously heals people. Why else would we pray for sick people?
Working of miracles - I believe that God still does miracles and that He can use an individual as a vessel through which that miracle flows. However, I don’t believe that God is currently gifting people to work the supernatural. And yet, our lives as Christians ought to be filled with things that unbelievers can’t explain.
Prophecy - a much broader term than we think of it today. It goes beyond foretelling the future and focuses primarily on the message of truth from God for those in need. Frequently, prophecy was a call to turn from sin. In the Old Testament, it was said that people would prophecy on musical instruments. Both men and women should be declaring God’s truth in church today.
Ability to distinguish between spirits - some people trust everyone. They haven’t met someone who isn’t a great guy (until they stab them in the back later). But others are more discerning. I have met some people that seem to be able to accurately describe a person after talking with them for five minutes. My pastor seems to be this way. Early in our relationship, he kept on saying, “Joshua you are like this (and he would describe some personality trait of mine), and therefore you will need to do this.” I would think, “Yes, that’s right, but how do you know that?” Perhaps it is a special ability given to him by the Spirit.
Various kinds of tongues / interpretation of tongues - these gifts are dealt with in greater detail later. I will address them then.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
All people naturally differ by virtue of the physical and mental gifts that God has given them. This diversity is then compounded among Christians by the variety of spiritual gifts that God has given. We do not all receive the same set of gifts, neither do we all do the same work. There is great diversity among us. And yet, there is also great unity among us.
The same Spirit works in all our lives, equipping us with the gifts designed for us. We all serve the same God with the gifts that we have given. And beyond this, we actually have the same God in us, empowering us for service. And though we have many different gifts and different tasks to accomplish, the purpose of all our gifts is the same—the common good of the whole body of believers.
If you are a Christian, we have a great deal in common, but we are not the same. God has something special in store for you and you alone. Likewise, God has something for me and me alone. However, what He is doing in each of our lives goes beyond the individual and is for the benefit of others.
All people naturally differ by virtue of the physical and mental gifts that God has given them. This diversity is then compounded among Christians by the variety of spiritual gifts that God has given. We do not all receive the same set of gifts, neither do we all do the same work. There is great diversity among us. And yet, there is also great unity among us.
The same Spirit works in all our lives, equipping us with the gifts designed for us. We all serve the same God with the gifts that we have given. And beyond this, we actually have the same God in us, empowering us for service. And though we have many different gifts and different tasks to accomplish, the purpose of all our gifts is the same—the common good of the whole body of believers.
If you are a Christian, we have a great deal in common, but we are not the same. God has something special in store for you and you alone. Likewise, God has something for me and me alone. However, what He is doing in each of our lives goes beyond the individual and is for the benefit of others.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
1 Corinthians 12:1-3
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says 'Jesus is accursed!' and no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit."
Those who are not believers live lives of worthlessness. They are led astray to passionately pursue things that have no value. They follow after powerless, motionless, speechless idols. They worship physical idols of wood or metal, or they worship the modern idols of our western world—success, happiness, entertainment, physical pleasure, or one or more of the many other false god’s set up in our western pantheons.
I find it interesting that they are “led astray to mute idols.” It’s not even the idols that lead them astray. The idols cannot lead anyone. They are powerless. Nevertheless people are led to them. By whom? I believe they are led to the idols by evil—by Satan and his demons, through the influence of the world system, and by their own sinful fallen nature. People are led to idols hoping for fulfillment, but they find no lasting satisfaction.
In contrast to that sad estate, a person who comes to Christ finds great fulfillment and is richly blessed in many ways. One way in which he is blessed is through spiritual gifts. What spiritual gifts God gives and how they should be exercised will be discussed later, in this and the following two chapters. But for now, God simply indicates that one who is exercising a spiritual gift will be led by the Spirit to affirm truth. One who is exercising a spiritual gift will not deny truths about Jesus’ nature; he will affirm them.
Those who are not believers live lives of worthlessness. They are led astray to passionately pursue things that have no value. They follow after powerless, motionless, speechless idols. They worship physical idols of wood or metal, or they worship the modern idols of our western world—success, happiness, entertainment, physical pleasure, or one or more of the many other false god’s set up in our western pantheons.
I find it interesting that they are “led astray to mute idols.” It’s not even the idols that lead them astray. The idols cannot lead anyone. They are powerless. Nevertheless people are led to them. By whom? I believe they are led to the idols by evil—by Satan and his demons, through the influence of the world system, and by their own sinful fallen nature. People are led to idols hoping for fulfillment, but they find no lasting satisfaction.
In contrast to that sad estate, a person who comes to Christ finds great fulfillment and is richly blessed in many ways. One way in which he is blessed is through spiritual gifts. What spiritual gifts God gives and how they should be exercised will be discussed later, in this and the following two chapters. But for now, God simply indicates that one who is exercising a spiritual gift will be led by the Spirit to affirm truth. One who is exercising a spiritual gift will not deny truths about Jesus’ nature; he will affirm them.
Monday, April 14, 2008
1 Corinthians 11:33-34
"So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come."
This chapter’s final words on the Lord’s Table wrap things up by addressing the subjects of unity and respect. The call for unity comes in the directive to observe the ordinance together. In the book of Ephesians, the church is described as one body with many members that are to be walking together in unity. We get a glimpse of that in these verses. The ordinance is to be observed by everyone at the same time. It is something that you all do together.
And the motivation for this unity is the respect that you have for other believers. You should not to be eating feasts in front of the hungry because, unlike most of the world, you care about the hungry, especially if they are believers. It is perhaps surprising that the respect is not for the Lord Himself. Surely that is a part of the equation. But here we see that God is keenly interested in our being rightly related to one another.
If we fail to walk in unity and respect for other believers, especially while participating in the Lord’s table, we will be judged. Our relationships with others are important to God.
This chapter’s final words on the Lord’s Table wrap things up by addressing the subjects of unity and respect. The call for unity comes in the directive to observe the ordinance together. In the book of Ephesians, the church is described as one body with many members that are to be walking together in unity. We get a glimpse of that in these verses. The ordinance is to be observed by everyone at the same time. It is something that you all do together.
And the motivation for this unity is the respect that you have for other believers. You should not to be eating feasts in front of the hungry because, unlike most of the world, you care about the hungry, especially if they are believers. It is perhaps surprising that the respect is not for the Lord Himself. Surely that is a part of the equation. But here we see that God is keenly interested in our being rightly related to one another.
If we fail to walk in unity and respect for other believers, especially while participating in the Lord’s table, we will be judged. Our relationships with others are important to God.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32
"But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world."
When we examine ourselves, God already knows what we will find. God knows what is in your heart and life that needs to be confessed, and we need to be honest with the Lord about what we find. If we perform a self-examination and fail to be honest, we might as well not examine ourselves in the first place.
If we properly examine ourselves, we will not be judged by God. However, if we fail to truly judge ourselves and are then judged by God, the judgment is better explained as discipline. God is working on us, bringing us to a point that we will be rightly and honestly related to the Lord.
When we examine ourselves, God already knows what we will find. God knows what is in your heart and life that needs to be confessed, and we need to be honest with the Lord about what we find. If we perform a self-examination and fail to be honest, we might as well not examine ourselves in the first place.
If we properly examine ourselves, we will not be judged by God. However, if we fail to truly judge ourselves and are then judged by God, the judgment is better explained as discipline. God is working on us, bringing us to a point that we will be rightly and honestly related to the Lord.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
1 Corinthians 11:27-30
"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. "
Continuing to show the importance of carefully observing the Lord’s Table, we are told to examine ourselves before participating in the Lord’s Table. Flippancy brings guilt and judgment. The good act of observing the Lord’s Table, if done the wrong way, can bring illness or even death.
With consequences that are so severe and with warnings that seem to be so frequent, one might come to the conclusion that it would be better just to abstain. Some times that is true. If you are not willing to examine yourself, you better not take communion. However, these verse are not encouraging abstinence but rather careful observance. We are told to examine ourselves and then partake.
Consider your relationship with the Lord. Is there anything between you and the Lord? Is there any anger, bitterness, envy? Are you willing to deal with it? Focus on what God has done for you, and let it effect your life and relationships. Before and as you partake, think on these things.
Continuing to show the importance of carefully observing the Lord’s Table, we are told to examine ourselves before participating in the Lord’s Table. Flippancy brings guilt and judgment. The good act of observing the Lord’s Table, if done the wrong way, can bring illness or even death.
With consequences that are so severe and with warnings that seem to be so frequent, one might come to the conclusion that it would be better just to abstain. Some times that is true. If you are not willing to examine yourself, you better not take communion. However, these verse are not encouraging abstinence but rather careful observance. We are told to examine ourselves and then partake.
Consider your relationship with the Lord. Is there anything between you and the Lord? Is there any anger, bitterness, envy? Are you willing to deal with it? Focus on what God has done for you, and let it effect your life and relationships. Before and as you partake, think on these things.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
"For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
God used men to write the Bible, but He breathed out all of the words. And yet, in some special way, these directives carry with them an extra weightiness beyond the rest of this letter because they were “received from the Lord.”
Further supporting the importance of this practice is the time that it was instituted—”the night when he was betrayed.” In the face of the most difficult experience of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he takes time to teach the disciples. Knowing that He was going away, He set up the means whereby all who follow after Him would remember Him pictorially in the bread and the cup. When we celebrate the Lord’s supper, we give thanks and remember his sacrificial, substitutionary death.
But Communion goes beyond mere remembrance. When the Lord’s Table is observed, the participants are actively proclaiming the Lord’s death. How important it is then to do this the right way! Worship should never be approached casually or carelessly. But remembering and proclaiming the Lord’s death should be with even greater care.
God used men to write the Bible, but He breathed out all of the words. And yet, in some special way, these directives carry with them an extra weightiness beyond the rest of this letter because they were “received from the Lord.”
Further supporting the importance of this practice is the time that it was instituted—”the night when he was betrayed.” In the face of the most difficult experience of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he takes time to teach the disciples. Knowing that He was going away, He set up the means whereby all who follow after Him would remember Him pictorially in the bread and the cup. When we celebrate the Lord’s supper, we give thanks and remember his sacrificial, substitutionary death.
But Communion goes beyond mere remembrance. When the Lord’s Table is observed, the participants are actively proclaiming the Lord’s death. How important it is then to do this the right way! Worship should never be approached casually or carelessly. But remembering and proclaiming the Lord’s death should be with even greater care.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
1 Corinthians 11:20-22
"When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not."
The Corinthians’ way of observing the Lord’s Table was so far off that they were told that they weren’t actually observing the Lord’s Table at all. They were coming to church, and they were eating, but they were not honoring the Lord. Their error was two-fold: 1) they were simply eating. They weren’t properly remembering the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection. 2) And they were selfishly eating their own meal without any thought of what other people had to eat.
How can you possibly remember the Lord and His sacrifice with a large meal that you eat around hungry believers who have nothing? How can you keep everything to yourself, when Jesus gave everything He had for you? To act this way is to "despise the church of God." You don’t love them, you despise them. Rather than edifying, the Corinthians’ aberrant behavior was humiliating the poorer believers in the congregation. And Paul had nothing positive to say to them about what they were doing.
So how might this apply to me? After all, all the churches I’ve ever attended observe the Lord’s Table with far less than you would eat at a meal. Furthermore, when we have a large meal, everyone almost always has access to the same amount. So are we without fault here? Have we corrected all the mistakes the Corinthians were making at the Lord’s Table? I think that we have both corrected the first mistake but made the second mistakes but in a more subtle (though slightly less damaging) way.
All churches I have attended treat Communion with great respect. Sometimes entire services are devoted to the Lord’s Table, and whenever we partake of the elements, we are careful to remember the Lord’s death. So in this matter, I believe that we have corrected the Corinthians’ mistake.
But our obedience is less complete in the irradiation of our selfishness. Today if we have meals at church in America, we don’t eat in front of hungry people. But this may be partially due to the fact that our churches tend to be divided along economic lines. Many wealthy churches have no one who lacks in their congregation. I say that this is slightly less damaging because you are not humiliating those who are less privileged. In fact, if someone came into a church who lacked, he would probably be able to eat like everyone else. However, some of our churches have become so economically divided from one another, that the poor person wouldn’t even consider going to the church in the first place. This is a problem.
The Corinthians’ way of observing the Lord’s Table was so far off that they were told that they weren’t actually observing the Lord’s Table at all. They were coming to church, and they were eating, but they were not honoring the Lord. Their error was two-fold: 1) they were simply eating. They weren’t properly remembering the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection. 2) And they were selfishly eating their own meal without any thought of what other people had to eat.
How can you possibly remember the Lord and His sacrifice with a large meal that you eat around hungry believers who have nothing? How can you keep everything to yourself, when Jesus gave everything He had for you? To act this way is to "despise the church of God." You don’t love them, you despise them. Rather than edifying, the Corinthians’ aberrant behavior was humiliating the poorer believers in the congregation. And Paul had nothing positive to say to them about what they were doing.
So how might this apply to me? After all, all the churches I’ve ever attended observe the Lord’s Table with far less than you would eat at a meal. Furthermore, when we have a large meal, everyone almost always has access to the same amount. So are we without fault here? Have we corrected all the mistakes the Corinthians were making at the Lord’s Table? I think that we have both corrected the first mistake but made the second mistakes but in a more subtle (though slightly less damaging) way.
All churches I have attended treat Communion with great respect. Sometimes entire services are devoted to the Lord’s Table, and whenever we partake of the elements, we are careful to remember the Lord’s death. So in this matter, I believe that we have corrected the Corinthians’ mistake.
But our obedience is less complete in the irradiation of our selfishness. Today if we have meals at church in America, we don’t eat in front of hungry people. But this may be partially due to the fact that our churches tend to be divided along economic lines. Many wealthy churches have no one who lacks in their congregation. I say that this is slightly less damaging because you are not humiliating those who are less privileged. In fact, if someone came into a church who lacked, he would probably be able to eat like everyone else. However, some of our churches have become so economically divided from one another, that the poor person wouldn’t even consider going to the church in the first place. This is a problem.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
1 Corinthians 11:17-19
"But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized."
How pitiful it would be for a Christian to faithfully go to church week after week, even multiple times a week and for God to say to him, "Your going to church was a waste of time," or perhaps closer to the text, "Your going to church hurt your walk with Me." Such a statement would be devastating, but the seriousness of these instructions warrants the severity of the warning.
The Corinthians were observing the Lord’s Table (or communion) in a fashion that was so damaging that it made church attendance counterproductive. Before addressing the specific problems with their observance of the Lord’s Table, Paul shows us the foundational problem—divisions among the believers.
Verse eighteen says, "when you come together as a church, . . . there are divisions among you." They were coming together, and yet they were not together. The divisions mentioned in earlier chapters were among factions within the church. Groups of believers had aligned themselves with this or that person. But here the divisions are social and economic. People were allowing what they had to make a clear distinction between them and their fellow believers.
There are some distinctions that are natural and beneficial. For example, there are some people in churches who passionately follow after God. When they come to church, they sing from their heart, and throughout the week you can see that God has done something special and humanly unexplainable in their lives. Other people in churches profess to know God, but when you look at their lives, you cannot see anything different in their lives from the life of an unbeliever. That kind of natural distinction must be recognized because it helps us know how to better minister to the different types of people in our church. However, separating believers on the basis of something as spiritually irrelevant as economic status, is in no way beneficial. In fact, those kind of distinctions can make church attendance worthless.
How pitiful it would be for a Christian to faithfully go to church week after week, even multiple times a week and for God to say to him, "Your going to church was a waste of time," or perhaps closer to the text, "Your going to church hurt your walk with Me." Such a statement would be devastating, but the seriousness of these instructions warrants the severity of the warning.
The Corinthians were observing the Lord’s Table (or communion) in a fashion that was so damaging that it made church attendance counterproductive. Before addressing the specific problems with their observance of the Lord’s Table, Paul shows us the foundational problem—divisions among the believers.
Verse eighteen says, "when you come together as a church, . . . there are divisions among you." They were coming together, and yet they were not together. The divisions mentioned in earlier chapters were among factions within the church. Groups of believers had aligned themselves with this or that person. But here the divisions are social and economic. People were allowing what they had to make a clear distinction between them and their fellow believers.
There are some distinctions that are natural and beneficial. For example, there are some people in churches who passionately follow after God. When they come to church, they sing from their heart, and throughout the week you can see that God has done something special and humanly unexplainable in their lives. Other people in churches profess to know God, but when you look at their lives, you cannot see anything different in their lives from the life of an unbeliever. That kind of natural distinction must be recognized because it helps us know how to better minister to the different types of people in our church. However, separating believers on the basis of something as spiritually irrelevant as economic status, is in no way beneficial. In fact, those kind of distinctions can make church attendance worthless.
1 Corinthians 11:16
"If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God."
Does this mean 1) if some people don’t agree, don’t be contentious about this issue, just let it be, or does this mean 2) don’t be contentious about this issue, simply obey? I think that the second interpretation is intention of the statement, but I also believe that the first is true.
The text seems to be urging the people not to resist obeying. We might say "This is our practice regarding head coverings; it is not our practice to be contentious, so don’t be." That being said, if some disagree (as most do), I should not be contentious either. Whether or not others should do this or that is not as important to me as doing right personally. God does not hold me accountable for other people’s choices; He holds me accountable for my choices.
Does this mean 1) if some people don’t agree, don’t be contentious about this issue, just let it be, or does this mean 2) don’t be contentious about this issue, simply obey? I think that the second interpretation is intention of the statement, but I also believe that the first is true.
The text seems to be urging the people not to resist obeying. We might say "This is our practice regarding head coverings; it is not our practice to be contentious, so don’t be." That being said, if some disagree (as most do), I should not be contentious either. Whether or not others should do this or that is not as important to me as doing right personally. God does not hold me accountable for other people’s choices; He holds me accountable for my choices.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
1 Corinthians 11:13-15
"Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering."
This is the point where many people discussing the issue of head coverings, mistakenly assert that the hair is the covering and that coverings on top of the hair are not needed, citing "her hair is given to her for a covering." However, the fact that God gave women hair for a covering is being used here to support the assertion that they ought to put something over their hair during public worship.
We might restate it this way, "See, it is natural for wives to wear a head covering when they pray. Look at the way men and women are made. It's natural and beautiful for women to have longer hair than men. God designed women to be this way, and the design points to the fact that they should wear a covering in public worship."
This is the point where many people discussing the issue of head coverings, mistakenly assert that the hair is the covering and that coverings on top of the hair are not needed, citing "her hair is given to her for a covering." However, the fact that God gave women hair for a covering is being used here to support the assertion that they ought to put something over their hair during public worship.
We might restate it this way, "See, it is natural for wives to wear a head covering when they pray. Look at the way men and women are made. It's natural and beautiful for women to have longer hair than men. God designed women to be this way, and the design points to the fact that they should wear a covering in public worship."
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