Friday – 2nd Corinthians 4 - Something that Lasts

 

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AUL begins here by recognizing that the gospel ministry which consumed him was truly a gracious gift from God (vs. 1). Then he acknowledged happily that he was being watched by God (vs. 2). There is an all-seeing eye that evaluates us with constant care and righteous purposes. However, there is another force that works among us: Lucifer. The Almighty God of heaven is resisted constantly by that rebellious god of this world (vs. 4). Satan works feverishly among us in a violent effort to condemn as many souls as he can. In wise response, we preach Christ (vs. 5 & 13).

 

In consideration of verses 6-10, the very thought of the undeserved light of God's love shining into my dark heart (and of the life of Jesus showing up in my body) makes me want to shout and scream and weep and laugh and sing and dance and hug whoever is close by. God is good, friends. I can feel it. I breathe it. I've read it in His book, and I've tasted it in my experience. Verse 14-18 tells us that we have something that lasts.  In a world that is winding down and wearing out, this is something that we can appreciate. Our own future resurrection; the glory of God; our inward renewal; eternal bliss together: those things are real & concrete.

Thursday – 2nd Corinthians 3 - The Beauty of Freedom

 

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OULD anyone be any freer than God is? He, with all His magnificently divine characteristics, is free to do anything. Nobody has authority over Him. No one can threaten Him or hold Him back. He is beautifully free. The most marvelous thing about His freedom is that its perfection is found in His holiness and love. If God were neither holy nor loving, I'm not sure we could find anything good to say about His eternal authority and freedom. But God is sovereign, holy, and loving. Hallelujah! In holy love and with noble generosity, God gave what we might call a miniature version of His freedom to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Adam promptly squandered it by voluntarily subjugating himself and the rest of our race to Satan's oppression. He blew it in exchange for a piece of fruit. God has been a few thousand years in restoring the original freedom that He intended us to have. It requires purity and a purpose much higher than that of our own self-gratification. The success of His plan is found in the person of Christ.

 

In this chapter we have Paul's thoughts (albeit, given to him by God) concerning the two testaments. The Old Testament is represented here by the 10 Commandments, and their engraving on the stone tables of Moses’ fame (vs. 7). The New Testament is demonstrated by the new life of liberty that we have in Christ (vs. 3). Just as Adam accepted Satan's claim and chose to forsake God, we have accepted God's invitation and by His grace have freely chosen to accept His invitation to come back to Him.

Wednesday – 2nd Corinthians 2 - Forgiveness, Comfort and Love

 

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IN causes grief. Our sinful flesh lusts for a constant satiation of our evil appetites, but satisfying our depraved desires is an impossibility. Maybe we should compare the gratification of our flesh to drinking saltwater to quench our thirst. The result is self-destructive and counterproductive. Sin can give momentary pleasure, but the pain and grief that comes later far outweighs the fleeting excitement of the initial illicit action. Paul had rebuked the Corinthians strongly in his first letter to them. He had rebuked them because of their sin. With deep sadness and strong sorrow, he had judged some specific evils in their midst (1^st Corinthians 5:1-5). And, his righteous harshness had pushed them into an appropriate sadness. In humility, they had reacted in the right direction. They had punished sin in their midst. However, they hadn't completed the mission. There was no care or cleanup after the dirty work of discipline had been done. In this chapter, Paul tries to bring the Corinthians back to a middle-of-the-road position concerning the same issue.

 

The guilty party (or parties) had been punished. That was good.  But the guilty one had repented. Yet, the church wasn't handling that part so well. The sin had brought much grief (which was appropriate), but repentance after the fact had not been given the same berth that judgment had merited prior to the fact. As a result, the penitent sinner was being consumed by his own sorrow. Sorrow is good and has its place, especially in relation to real guilt. However, there is also a time for good people to say that enough is enough (vs. 6). Just as a place had been made for condemnation, righteousness, and rebuke, there should have also been a proper place for forgiveness, comfort and love.

Tuesday – 2nd Corinthians 1 - A Cause for Suffering

 

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HERE is an obvious personal flavor here in this chapter. Paul had not visited the Corinthians as he had intended, so he defends that choice here. Basically, he had waited to go see them because he wanted to give them more time to get themselves together. He knew that as an apostle, when he arrived, he would be obligated to judge the unruly members in that church (vs. 23). 

 

Seeing that Paul had genuinely kind and generous feelings toward the Corinthians, he was concerned about their suffering, & desirous in their relief. Of course, Paul knew very well what it felt like to suffer. More precisely, Paul had suffered much as a direct result of his faith in Jesus Christ. But, he had also experienced God's comfort. He knew what it was like to receive a special dose of God's magnanimous grace during difficult circumstances. There had been times when Paul had wished for death (vs. 8). But Paul didn't live his life in his own strength. He had learned to trust God in all situations.

 

Since Paul had endured much pain, as he gave advice and offered consolation to others in pain, he had a voice worth heeding; a firm platform to stand on. He begins by reminding us that God is an incomparable source of mercy & comfort (vs. 3). Then he adds that the tribulations & troubles (which we all suffer) serve as opportunities for God to strengthen & comfort us (vs. 4-5). We then, in turn, are equipped to sympathize with others. We become conduits of God's comforting kindness. Having been there, we can care, & our care is believable (vs. 6).

Monday – 1st Corinthians 16 - The Words of a Friend

 

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AUL was definitely a father figure to the Corinthian believers. As a missionary, a pastor, an evangelist, a preacher, a prophet, and an apostle, he had tremendous authority and influence in the churches; hence, the large number of instructional epistles. We will encounter other chapters like this one as we continue to make our way through the epistles, but the commonality of Paul's personal comments to believers shouldn't deemphasize the epistles in our minds. Only let it accentuate the love he had for the believers. Notice here and elsewhere that his love for them did not quail his didactic spirit though; if anything, it drew it out of him to a greater degree and extent.

 

Paul addressed the collection of financial gifts in Corinth. It does not appear that he was talking about tithes here (vs. 1-2).  No doubt that the Corinthian church taught and practiced tithing, but this section is about benevolent offerings. Proportionate giving for the purpose of helping believers in other churches - that's what was going on here. What is most interesting is that Paul told the church to set their philanthropic gifts aside on the first day of the week rather than on the last day of the week. It does appear that this early in the church age believers were already meeting regularly on Sundays rather than on Saturdays. Paul also expressed both a great desire & a bit of angst concerning his own pending visit in Corinth. He planned to come to them when the business of the ministry permitted it, but in the meantime, he hoped to see the believers there blessed by the ministry of other leaders (vs. 9-12 & 15- 16).

 

Friday – 1st Corinthians 15 - The Resurrection

 

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 suppose every THING can't be THE most important thing. However, multiple things can be essential.  And various things can be the most important in their own arena. So far in the letter to Corinth we've witnessed the emphasis of several different things, most notably - love. Certainly, our Christian walk should be permeated with God's love, but what is the proof that our love for God & for our fellow man is indeed the one thing that God uses so effectively? Well, while love is the supernatural effect of the gospel, the truth of resurrection is proof of the validity of the same gospel.  The resurrection proves God’s love claim.

 

The gospel is certainly presented flawlessly, clearly, and simply here. And, the fact that Jesus rose again is an essential part of the gospel. Without it, the gospel becomes a petty mockery and an irrelevant nightmare. So, let it be said again that Peter saw Jesus alive after His crucifixion, as did the rest of the apostles (1^st Corinthians 15:5. And, Jesus was seen by over 500 believers who were willing to testify about it (vs. 6); and by Paul, on the road to Damascus (vs. 8). Jesus is alive. If He wasn’t, all would be lost.

Thursday – 1st Corinthians 14 - The Abuse of Tongues & Prophesies

  

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HE more things change, the more they stay the same. One would think that the problems that Paul saw and dealt with in Corinth would be things of the ancient past. The church would and should get the point and do better, right? Wrong. Some of the exact same heterodoxy (that was polluting the church of Corinth) is still around today; namely the misuse and abuse of a couple of the spiritual gifts (gifts which happen to be more easily counterfeited than others are). Perhaps all spiritual gifts can be counterfeit to some degree, but the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy seem to be more readily redefined and highjacked. And, no surprise, underneath this confusion in the church is the hand of the author of confusion, the devil himself. He promotes ignorance, disorder and usurpation. God is NEVER the originator of such nonsense.

 

Now, in the simplest sense, prophecy involves receiving truth (that God reveals) and declaring it; most specifically and most frequently, truth about the future. 1^st Corinthians 14:1 indicates that all the gifts (including love) should drive us toward the declaration of God's truth. Above all others, one gift was not being used properly in Corinth. They were trying their hand (or mouth) at tongues. This gift, as defined in Acts 2:4-11, was supposed to prove the power of God on an evangelist, and it allowed said evangelist to give the gospel to whoever he met, no matter what language they understood. Biblical tongues were meant to function as a momentary correction of the mess that was made back in Genesis 11:9 (when the people unified against God and against His program, requiring a confusion of languages in order to divide the sinners at Babel). Simply put, tongues were supposed to be used to make the gospel understandable to sinners. This is not how the Corinthians were using them.

Wednesday – 1st Corinthians 13 - Love Never Fails

 

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O, 1^st Corinthians 13 is devoted to describing the most superior of all spiritual gifts; a "more excellent way" (1^st Corinthians 12:31). Chapter 12 addressed a long list of the lesser gifts. One of them (for example) was faith. Every believer should have faith, but some have a particularly strong measure of faith. These individuals have the spiritual gift of faith. But whatever gift a Christian possesses, he or she is to use that gift for the glory of God, for the benefit of their Christian siblings, and for the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this reason, there is one quality in every believer that is more important than all other qualities (1^st Corinthians 13:13). All other gifts must be accompanied by this one in order to be effective.

 

You may recall from Mark 12:29-31 that Jesus singled out "love" as the defining trait of spirituality. In this chapter (in the KJV) this word "love" is translated "charity" - which we think of as something like giving "to a noble cause" or to the needy. That is a good place to start. If you or I love someone or something, then it is (or they are) dear to us; we cherish them (or it). You may love the helpless and the weak, therefore you give to alleviate their pain and to supply them with those things that they need or want. You may love your children, your spouse, a family member, or a friend in such a way that you are willing to sacrifice much of your time and energy in order to satisfy their desires and to accomplish their priorities. The greatest example of love is (of course) Jesus Christ. He volunteered to die for us. He loved us at a point when we neither knew of His love nor did we care. We were literally unable to even appreciate what He was doing for us. Yet, He loved. He and His Father showed their love for us on the cross (John 3:16). Love is supernatural. It is perfect. It is divine! Love, real love (biblical/spiritual love) is truly what the world needs. The love of Christ, in you and in me; this is our only hope.

Tuesday – 1st Corinthians 12 - Spiritual Gifts

 

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T only makes sense that God would give His children more than just an entrance into His family (Romans 8:32). Don't get me wrong, we don't deserve more. In fact, we didn't even deserve our salvation, much less anything beyond that. But if God is generous enough to give us forgiveness and the promise of heaven, it is no surprise that He is willing to do much more. According to this chapter, God has given gifts to the church and to each member of His church. Since each believer is a part of a whole, God has given everyone an ability; an ability intended to be used to bless the rest of the church (vs. 1, 7 & 11).

 

The indwelling Holy Spirit certainly drives all of us to proclaim the name of His Son.  However, the talents and aptitudes in each of us are not the same (1^st Corinthians 12:4-6). Notice the kinds of gifts, which are included in this passage: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation, teaching, helps and governments (vs. 8-10 & 28).  I'm sure Paul could have listed many other special gifts, but these are enough to make the point.  The point is that we all need one another. If one believer has great spiritual knowledge and another one has the gift of great faith, they can accomplish more together than either one could alone. We need each other.

Monday – 1st Corinthians 11 - Communion

 

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HAT do discipleship, prayer, fellowship, and the Lord's Supper have in common? Well, perhaps many things. But the thing needing to be brought into focus here is the common necessity of communication in each case. Without agreeable communication, none of these spiritual exercises is possible. We commune with our spiritual mentors as they disciple us. We commune with the Father in prayer. We commune with our fellow believers in fellowship. We commune with God as we partake of the Lord's Table. Each one of these forms of interaction is addressed in this chapter.

 

Communication & interaction happen within relationship. In fact, if there is no relationship then there is no way of communicating. Even in the simplest of formulas, there must be a point of relation for anything to make sense. We might relate to things because of their proximity, similarity, or even their asymmetry, but there must be some connection between two things for them to have relation. There must be a common factor to make two things relatable. This is true generally, and it is true spiritually. Paul invited the believers of Corinth to follow him as he followed Christ (1^st Corinthians 1:11). They had something in common. They were all connected (as are we) by salvation (Jude 1:3 & 1^st Cor. 11:11).

Friday – 1st Corinthians 10 - To the Glory of God

 

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ST Corinthians 10:31 summarizes much of what we have been studying: "Do all to the glory of God." Of course, Paul had been discussing the pros and cons of eating meat offered to idols. Here he adds the eating of manna & the drinking of water (vs. 3-4) as well as the consumption of quail and ale (vs. 6-7), of the bread and wine of communion (vs. 16), of holy sacrifices (vs. 18), of heathen sacrifices (vs. 25) and of party food (vs. 27). Now, while God's grace toward us means that (in a sense) nothing we do matters, His grace in us means that everything we do can matter. As a missionary, one might eat fried termites for the glory of God. The important thing is not the ingredient in the dish; the important thing is our attitude and purpose in partaking. We eat to strengthen our temple and to be a blessing to others. We do not eat just to satisfy our own cravings.

 

Eating and drinking being universal, it is a great place to begin in a discussion of what Christians should and shouldn't do, and how and why we should do what we do. There is another physical need, which is on the list of common necessities: sex. Having instructed us to keep God's agenda in mind as we feed our stomachs, Paul moves on to this category (vs. 7-8). He bluntly condemns sexual sins. Beyond that, Paul forbids presumptuous sins (vs. 9), complaining (vs. 10), pride (vs. 12), idolatry (vs. 14), foolishness (vs. 15), defiance (vs. 22), callousness selfishness (vs. 23-24), and offending others through our own carnality (vs. 32). So, we are free, yet our freedom demands that we not waste that freedom.

Thursday – 1st Corinthians 9 - Self-discipline

 

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ON'T lose sight of the context of 1^st Corinthians 9. Paul has been talking about Christian liberty, and about how we should voluntarily (vs. 17) use our freedom to pursue personal holiness and to promote cordial fellowship among believers. Our freedom was not given to us for the exploitation of others. So, we are free, but how should we live our lives now that we are unrestricted? Paul points to diligence, self-sacrifice, self-discipline, and faithfulness (vs. 19).

 

The great apostle set an exemplary standard for all of us with his own habits. He was good at living his message. As an apostle and a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he had every right to accept remuneration for his ministry to the churches (vs. 6, 11 & 14). This was the law and principle of both the Old and New Testament. However, understanding his freedom from the law and the spirit of that principle, Paul required more of himself than the written law required (vs. 18). He worked a secular job (earning his own money without accepting a salary from the churches in which he served). Apparently other apostles accepted finances from the church. There would have been nothing  wrong  with  Paul  doing  the  same. But, he didn't. By trade, he was a tentmaker (vs. 6). He lived simply and worked with his hands to supply for his own needs. To what end did Paul choose this hardship? He realized that if he refused gifts from his converts, then nobody could question his motives. The propagation of the gospel is worth that burden (vs. 12, 15 & 19).  For Christ, he was willing to give up anything (vs. 27).

Wednesday – 1st Corinthians 8 - Liberty and Opportunity

 

 

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DUCATION and intelligence are not good barometers of spirituality (vs. 2). Loving God and loving my neighbor: those are good measuring standards (vs. 3). In truth, regardless of how much we know, there is so much more that we do not know (vs. 2). But concerning love, we can love fully from the moment of our spiritual conception. With love functioning as the gauge of spirituality, every Christian can be a contributing factor in the walk of every other Christian. Love rises above (vs. 13); it transcends.

 

So, the enlightened Christian (who understands that dietary standards have no eternal significance, or the true nature of the freedom of the saints in other areas) is not more acceptable in God's eyes just because of his or her understanding and practice. And, the supersensitive saint (who lives strictly in every way) is not missing out on anything. Why? Because, He is accepted of God too (vs. 8). Most importantly, both brands of sincere believers are expected to thrive together in Christian love. The confident saint & the nervous saint can each love the other sacrificially & genuinely (1^st Corinthians 9, 11 & Romans 14:3-4). Neither type of a Christian should allow the other kind to manipulate them or to foist unmerited guilt upon them (Colossians 2:16). On the other hand, both kinds should voluntarily surrender their own rights for the good of their fellow believer (1^st Corinthians 8:13). If (or when) we sin against each other by offending one another knowingly, we are guilty of sinning against Christ Himself (vs. 12).

Tuesdays – 1st Corinthians 7 - Marriage Counseling with Paul

 

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F a Christian man or woman can live in celibacy (happily and holily): awesome! He or she can devote more time and energy to serving Christ than can a married Christian (vs. 32-33). However, most of us can't, or couldn't behave indefinitely as a single Christian. Attempts at it without God's grace and blessing will inevitably lead to sexual misconduct (vs. 7). Paul saw this and understood it. While he recommended celibacy, in order to avoid bad behavior Paul advised marriage for most (vs. 2). Of course, marriage is a good thing, ordained by God as the first human institution. God Himself said that it is not good for man to be alone.

 

Now, it is unmistakable that Paul charges every married believer to be a good spouse. Every husband belongs to his wife. Every wife belongs to her husband (vs. 3-5). Sexually, emotionally, spiritually, financially: in every way, God blesses unity and agreement within the bonds of holy matrimony. Separation and divorce are not part of God's will and plan (vs. 10-11). Are there exceptions? Sure. If an unbelieving spouse chooses to leave their believing partner, Paul clearly declares that the believing divorcee should feel no shame. They are not guilty and should feel no burden of guilt (vs. 12-13). Still, staying together even with an unregenerate spouse is good, if the unbeliever is content to stay. God's definition and standard for heterosexual monogamy in marriage is clear and unmistakable.

Monday – 1st Corinthians 6 - Putting Sin into a God-shaped Hole

 

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HURCH members should handle the conflicts which arise (in our interpersonal relationships with other believers) in house (vs. 1-8). Paul condemns Christians who sue one another under the eyes of secular judges. A foolish Christian should be better equipped to settle disputes among believers than an unregenerate judge. Believers can even forget justice for themselves altogether (no vengeance or self-justification). We should be willing to suffer mistreatment from our fellow believers (vs. 7). Jesus set the example for us. But if we are too weak spiritually to forgive our friends outright (and if we can't persuade them to make things right with us), then in a worst-case scenario, we should get help from within the congregation. It certainly makes no sense to for God's children to fuss and fight in front of the world.

 

Also, there is a clear list of vices that should be carefully avoided by church members. Having reminded the Corinthians that the heathen are not well equipped to judge believers, Paul reminds them of the kinds of things that are common in the world, things which should be absent in the church: heterosexual looseness, worship of anything or anybody other than God, infidelity, effeminacy among men, homosexuality, thievery, covetousness, drunkenness, insulting speech, and unfair business practices. Just because I am safe from hell doesn't mean I can use my safety selfishly. The God-shaped hole in my heart can only be filled properly, completely, and satisfactorily with God's dominating presence (vs. 13, 17 & 19-20); sin will never suffice.

Friday – 1st Corinthians 5 - Purity within the Body of Christ

 

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NE of the most important & difficult things to maintain within a local congregation of saints is purity.  Keeping ourselves unspotted from the world & untainted from the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, & the pride of life – not easy.  The church in Corinth wasn’t succeeding in this area. Sin had crept into that church, polluting their testimony. Paul called on them to judge themselves. Church discipline was needed.

 

Sexual misconduct (fornication) was common in this church (vs. 1).  One might expect that true Christians wouldn't be tempted to seek for satisfaction from the false gods of sexual deviance. One would be wrong. While we do have a new nature, we also retain our old sinful nature (along with the body, which incases & sustains it). If we do not flee from unlawful sensual pleasures, we will succumb to their tantalizing appeal. The Corinthians did. And according to Paul, they were guilty of perversions that were not even accepted among the unsaved. They were tolerant of incest (vs. 1). That's hard for us to even imagine. But what may be harder for us to understand is how Paul didn't cut ties with the entire congregation. He simply pushed them to discipline their converted (yet perverted) members, so that corporately they could move toward a condition of holiness & purity.

Thursday – 1st Corinthians 4 - Servants of Christ

 

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OSEPH was a slave in the house of Potiphar in Egypt. However, he was charged with all of Potiphar's possessions. He had more power, responsibility, & influence than anyone else did in Potiphar's house. Similarly, we are Christ's servants, yet we have been charged with His glorious gospel (vs. 1). It behooves us to invest our station intentionally & intently. The potential for us to have a significant impact for His glory, & for us to receive commendations from our Master (vs. 5) – these two things should be sufficient motivators to push us into faithful service.

 

As servants, it is important to remember the plurality of our servitude. We are not God's lonely-only servants. Elijah had this sort of a mentality once, & not only did it not serve him well, it also wasn't anywhere near the truth (1^st King 19:14-18). Christ & His church was marching forward before you or I entered the picture, & if we move off the scene, God will not find His hands suddenly tied behind His back. It is imperative therefor that we give a proper level of respect & appreciation to our fellow Christians. It makes no sense for us to be opposed to those who (just like us) have been called & commissioned as disciples. Whatever privileges we have are just that, privileges. We have been given the things that we possess. We are not entitled to them. All our abilities & opportunities are products of God's grace.

Wednesday – 1st Corinthians 3 - Christ's Possessions

 

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N Hebrews 5:11-14 we find a passage very similar to the beginning of 1^st Corinthians 3. Here Paul defines the cause (or perhaps the proof) of their spiritual immaturity.  Conflict was their problem (vs. 3). Undeniably, the lack of unity in the church caused the Apostle Paul to diagnose this church with a bad case of immaturity. When we believers see ourselves accurately in the light of God's sovereign goodness, then the divisiveness of pride in us can be set aside. God is the giver of eternal life (vs. 6-7). It is neither our own value nor is it the significance of our Christian cohorts that give us our place. We are privileged (by His grace) to be God's partners (vs. 9). Truly, He does use other people in our lives, but He is the farmer and we are His farm. He is the builder, & we are His building. As God's possessions, He saved us to use us.

 

One of the easiest things to miss (or mess up) in Christianity is the proper balance between God's ability & our responsibility. In verse 9, we read that God is the builder, yet only one verse later Paul claims to have laid a gospel foundation for the Corinthians. Then he challenges the believers there to build carefully. Hold on! Which is it? Is God the builder, or is it us? The answer is another paradoxical yes. In vs. 9 we are told that we or co-laborers with God. He owns us. He energizes us. He guides us (if we will listen). Without Him we couldn't do anything (vs. 11). Still, if the good isn't done, then we are the ones in trouble - indicating that we have a very real culpability in any failure in our own Christian life. Appropriately, God gets the credit for successes; we get the blame for failures (Romans 9:16). And, why not? After all, He is good & we are - to put it gently - deficient.

Tuesday – 1st Corinthians 2 - The Mind of Christ

 

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HEN we study the human mind, we carry our laboratory around with us. What is my mindset? What is my philosophy? What is your worldview? What do we consider important? What are our objectives? What do we think about? How do we approach life? These are important questions. Self-awareness and self-evaluation are parts of the great gift of life which God has given to humanity. We should use these attributes carefully & constantly.

 

Paul did some evaluating of his own strategy of evangelism. And, he analyzed how his approach should have influenced his converts. Paul was a very educated man.  He had a wealth of historical knowledge at his disposal. And, prior to his conversion, he had philosophized with the best of thinkers.  He evidently knew how to speak shrewdly, and to present apologetic debates powerfully. He was a thinker, and a communicator. And, he had the experience and passion to carry him far in mission work.  But, as he pointed out in this chapter, Paul didn't draw from these sources in giving the gospel to the Corinthians. He came with simplicity & Christlike humility. He declared the plain gospel with a complete predisposition of spiritual dependence. He knew that he couldn't save these people.  He knew that it was a work which could only be accomplished by divine intervention. As we noted in the first chapter of this epistle, Paul preached Christ. Here he reveals the internal origination point of that preaching strategy. He preached Christ because his mind was on Christ. Christ was his focus (vs. 2).

Monday – 1st Corinthians 1 - We Preach Christ

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HE church in Corinth was particularly troubled. Some of the most unusual spiritual vices & abnormalities were present in that church. Still, these believers were genuine. So, as we work our way through the two epistles to the Corinthians, let’s look for the good as well as the evil. If this church existed today, it is doubtful that any of us would feel comfortable worshipping with these folks. Still, we will certainly share heaven with them. Besides, we aren’t in much better shape these days (Revelation 3:14-19).

 

Here in chapter 1 Paul spent a great portion of his time exalting the imperative preeminence of Christ in the church. "We preach Christ," he wrote emphatically (vs. 23). And, indeed he did. A quick count should reveal no less than 15 references to Christ (by name) in this one chapter. There are many angles on Christology that are brought up by Paul here: Christ our sanctifier, our Master, our God, our returning King, our Judge, our Friend, our Savior, etc. et al.

 

One of the most significant problems (which distracted & detracted from Christ's preeminence) in Corinth, was divisiveness. There were cliques & fighting factions who divided & subdivided the church into absurdly insignificant segments. Paul condemned them for this. They were supposed to Christians – nothing more; nothing less. But it seems that the splintering of that church was a direct result of pride. Church fights are almost always a product of a selfish pride (James 4:1). Paul implored his dear friends there to humble themselves & to live exclusively for the glory of God. What matters is that we are in Christ (vs. 30). He is our everything!

Friday - Romans 16 - Phebe the Deacon, & other Notable Christians

 

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HE words "deacon," "servant," & "minister" are all the same (as they are used in the New Testament). This chapter begins with a mention of a faithful Christian servant (Romans 16:1), Phebe. Paul called her a deacon. She was the letter carrier who evidently delivered the book of Romans from Paul to the church in Rome. She is the first notable name (among many) in Romans 16. She was a deacon of the church at Cenchreae. Whether she held an office like the 7 men selected in Acts 6 or not, or how her ministry might or might not have been comparable to the deacons of 1^st Timothy 3:8-13, I'm not sure. The point is that she was an influential & competent Christian leader. Paul clearly respected her & appreciated her service to the Lord. The remainder of this letter is a lengthy personal greeting from Paul (& several others, including Tertius; Paul's secretary) to other Christians like Phebe.

 

Paul mentions a key husband and wife team here as well: Priscilla & Aquila. Interestingly, the wife is named first. In fact, he includes a fair number of females in his greeting. This should remind us that in Christ there is no difference. Ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, pre-salvation reputation: whatever the case, we are all products of God's grace. The ground around the foot of the cross is level (Galatians 3:28). This is one of the traits of the church that should help develop wonderful unity among all who are a part of our membership. There is no spiritual hierarchy in the church. Sure, there are certain offices, callings, & responsibilities that make for an obvious line of leadership. But when it comes to wisdom, value & spirituality, any believer can be used mightily by the Spirit.

Thursday - Romans 15 - Friendly Christianity

 

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N Proverbs 18:24, Solomon wrote, "A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." Having a friend and being a friend is a priceless treasure. I admit, I'm no authority on friendliness, befriending, or friendship; but God is. Here in Romans 15 we find a good lesson on (and a better illustration of) Christian friendship. On the heels of the weak/strong lesson of Romans 14, Paul picks right up in this chapter with a rich call to genuine kindness.  We unworthy saints who have found God to be our friend should most certainly behave in a friendly manner to those of like faith to us. True it may be that we do not all see eye to eye on every issue (as was addressed in the previous chapter), however we do follow the same Christ, pray to the same Father, and are sealed by the same Holy Spirit. That should be enough. That should be all the common ground we need to merit a deep & sincere friendship within the body of Christ.

Wednesday - Romans 14 - The Weak, The Strong & The Spiritual

 

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F there is as chapter in the Bible that is most often misused, I would guess that this would be the one. The weak Christian (Romans 14:2) with his long list of rules & hypersensitive conscience takes this chapter and shakes his finger in the faces of all who live more freely; saying in essence, "Your freedom offends me, & God said that you aren't allowed to offend me, so you have to live by my standards!" The Christian with broader faith (Romans 14:22), a much shorter list of rules, & a wonderfully clear conscience takes this same chapter & excuses his own willingness to offend his weaker brothers – by openly violating their standards. Both are wrong. There is a higher standard being taught here which requires much more from both kinds of Christians. The law-keeping believer & the liberty-appreciating believer both have a real & deep obligation to consider each other in their daily decisions.

The very presence of this discussion usually upsets Christians on both sides of this issue. The weak brother is offended that he is labeled as weak. “I’m the strong Christian,” he or she thinks. “Look at all the things I don’t do. Look how strict I am! Of course I'm superior to all these lazy liberal Christians all around me." Then, the “enlightened” Christian flaunts his perceived strength; looking with disdain & with an air of ungodly superiority at those he inevitably labels as legalists. Again, both reactions are as wrong & as wicked as the Devil's pride. This chapter pushes against these exact things. Who cares which ones among us are strong & which ones are weak! We are all forgiven sinners. Paul challenges the radical-right-wing-conservative-traditionalist Christian to hold to his standards (Romans 14:23), but to do so with deep & sincere charity toward his free-spirited spiritual siblings. Again, he charges the more open-minded, moderate, (self-proclaimed) balanced-approach, liberty-loving, grace-declaring Christians to appreciate their freedom (Romans 14:22), but to be willing to surrender that same liberty in any case where they realize that they can do a kindness to their strict brothers. In other words, the whole point is that we are not actually divided. We are saved by the same Christ (Romans 14:8). We will share the same heaven. We believe the same Bible & agree fully on the crucial principles of theology, namely the gospel of Christ.