WITHOUT HIM THERE WOULD BE NO CHRISTMAS

II CORINTHIANS WEEK 14

2 Corinthians 13 (By Associate Teacher, Jerry Blankenship)

Verse 1: Paul warns them that he is coming to them. Two or three witnesses must prove that someone has done wrong things. During the ‘painful’ visit, he said this: He would punish those who had done wrong things. Now he says that he will do this. This will happen when he comes for the third time. His purpose was to make them better people. This would prove to them that he comes in the power of the *risen Jesus. Christ appeared to be weak while he was on earth and especially on the *cross. His followers share that weakness. Now he is alive in the power of God. The Christians at Corinth will see that power in Paul’s life.

Verse 5-14: He ends with a final warning. They have been testing him. Now they should test themselves. They should see that Christ is in them. That is unless they fail the test. But no real Christian would fail this test.
Examination:

1. Keep Christ’s commandments 1 John 2:3-5

2. Love other Christians 1 John 3:14

3. Experience the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence 1 John 3:24

Paul had not failed the test. The proof of that was that they had become Christians. They must do what was right. Then Paul would not need to show his authority or to punish them. He did not need to do anything against what was true (right and proper). He wanted the Christians at Corinth to do the right things. Then he would be glad to be weak (not to have to show his power). He would be glad that they were strong. He prays that they may be perfect. The word ‘perfect’ here has a special meaning. It describes how people repair an object. Then they can use it again.

The word often referred to *fishermen who mended their nets. He hoped that by warning them he would not need to be severe with them. He wanted to encourage them, not to punish them.

Verse 11: So he says goodbye to them. He encourages them to change their ways. They should listen to his appeal. They should live in peace (that is, calm) and greet one another in a friendly way.

"Be perfect" - Greek verb: katartizo - to be fit, completely furnished
"be of good comfort" - Greek passive verb: parakaleo - be comforted i.e. receive this exhortation
"be of one mind" - a call for unity
"live in peace" - another call for unity

The result? "...and the God of love and peace shall be with you." Can't you just all get along?

His final prayer is that they may know the power of the Trinity. (The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the *Holy Spirit. God describes himself in this way. But there is only one God.) He refers to it in the order that we know about it. We first know the kindness of Jesus by the *cross. This leads us to the love of God resulting in the *fellowship of the *Holy Spirit. So we can have *fellowship with God and with each other.

THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS INFLUENCE IN AMERICA

WHAT IS THIS "CHRISTMAS" STUFF, ANYWAY?

Many people think that the word "Christmas" means "Christ's Birth."

While it can mean that by tradition, its real meaning is a little bit different.

The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning "Christ's Mass".

Let's take a look at the two parts of the word.

Eric Snow writes: "...the meaning of the word "Christos" (Greek: Χριστός, Strong's Concordance #G5547) (is) in relation to Jesus being called the Messiah. Both the Greek word Christos as well as the Hebrew word that comes out "Messiah" mean the same thing: "The anointed One."

An allusion to the title of Christos is made when a person is anointed with oil in order to be made king. Samuel did this with David when he was first chosen to be king while the prior king, Saul, was very much still alive (see 1Samuel 16:12-13). Hence, being the Anointed One meant, among other things, that Christ was to be a king (John 18:37; Luke 1:31-33). However, in the Gospel of John (John 18:36), He explained that His kingdom was not of this world, meaning, derived from it. So he wouldn't make Himself king by human means, such as when He withdrew from a crowd that wanted to make Him king by their force (John 16:15). Instead, Jesus will be made king by divine fiat when He returns during the Second Coming as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:14-16).

So being the Messiah or the Christ indicates that Jesus will have royal prerogatives, and be able to rule the earth as king when He returns (Daniel 7:13-14; 2:44.) All human governments, whether kingdoms, democracies, or dictatorships, will be abolished then, and the world will have a true direct theocracy (not merely humans ruling in God's name, such as in Iran's "Islamic Republic.") Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit, it should be noted, not literal oil (see Acts 10:38 and Luke 4:18).

Another allusion to Jesus' title here (Christos) comes from the high priests being anointed in the Old Testament when being ordained (Leviticus 8:2, 10, 12). Jesus was also to be the high priest for Christians after His death and resurrection (Hebrews 5:5-6, 10; 7:20-28). He intercedes for their sins with God the Father. So here there would be a union of church and state, of the king and high priest roles in the divine Person of Jesus under the rule of the kingdom of God.

A Mass service (which is sometimes called Communion or Eucharist) is where Christians remember that Jesus died for us and then came back to life. The 'Christ-Mass' service was the only one that was allowed to take place after sunset (and before sunrise the next day), so people had it at Midnight! So we get the name Christ-Mass, shortened to Christmas.

So, technically, "Christmas" has a deeper, more significant meaning than just the celebration of the birth of Christ.

It is really a celebration of the meaning of the gospel, and the incarnation, which we celbrate at Christmas is only its beginning.

In the end, it is all part and parcel of the essence of being a Christian.

We celbrate His birth, not as the beginning of Jesus, but as the time when God became a man for the very purpose of dying a substitutionary death for man's sin and for the resurrection, which in effect "sealed the deal."

A Study in II Corinthians Week 13

II Corinthians 12:1-21

Experience does not prove the ways of God. We can have many experiences, good and bad, many of which have nothing to do with God’s way of doing things. If our experience does not conform to the Word of God, it is not the way of God, whether it is successful or unsuccessful.

1-6 Paul relates an experience here and he cannot tell us whether it is an actual experience or a vision. A man is caught up into the “third heaven.” (The 1st Heaven is the atmosphere. The 2nd Heaven is space. The 3rd Heaven is where God the Father resides.) This one returns to earth and is not allowed to give us a report of what the 3rd Heaven is like.

Three people have ascended into heaven: Jesus; John, in the book of the Revelation, and this one here. None of them has given us a full report of what it is like. We have only bits and pieces. But we will know just when we need to.

If it had been only his own reputation at stake, it would have mattered little. But it was the gospel itself that was in jeopardy.

7-10 Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” has been the topic of many theological discussions. What was it? Here is the definitive answer: we don’t know. Anybody who tells you they do know, watch out for them…they’ll lie to you about other things, too.

God’s grace is sufficient for every circumstance. His power is shown forth in our weakness. We should delight in our weaknesses.

11-18 This is the second time in these chapters Paul has avowed that he is in no way inferior to the "super-apostles," who claim to have the power of the Spirit at their disposal (11:4; 12:12) and extraordinary visions and revelations to their credit (12:1).

Paul is drawing the Corinthians' attention to the fact that this will be his third visit. His first visit was an eighteen-month stay that saw the establishment of the Corinthian church (Acts 18:1-18). The second visit was a painful one for Paul. While he was there, someone in the congregation
publicly insulted him and challenged his authority, demanding proof that Christ was speaking through him (13:3).

19-21 Paul asserts that he has the best interests of the church at Corinth in his heart.

He fears, though, that when he gets there, he will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

Do we find any or all of those in our churches today?

So what do we do about them?

The answer is that we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Christ…the one whose birth we celebrate in this glorious season!

The Spirit of Christmas is not shopping or giving, it is God’s Holy Spirit reminding us of why He came…to die for our sins.

Thought for the day: Works don’t lead us to Heaven; they follow us to Heaven. Dr. Adrian Rogers.

REMARKABLE!

DNA only has 5 different atoms, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorous.
There are about 204 billion atoms in each DNA molecule.

DNA can be divided into 23 paired chromosomes, 22 pairs of autosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes. There are about 3 Billion nucleotide pairs packed away in there.

Here is a more detailed accounting of the elements making up DNA.

The story is that some millions (or billions...or maybe even trillions) of years ago, in some far, far away primordial stew, a lightning bold caused the appropriate molecules to come together to form amino acids, "the basic building blocks of life," and that somehow those amino acids took the required 204 billion atoms and arranged them in just the right order to create the first DNA molecule of life.

Because you see, no matter what form life takes, it must have DNA and its billions of properly arranged atoms to define it particularly.

Have you ever played your state lottery?

In most states, there is a card on which you select 6 of 50 or so numbers to win...just 6.

That should be easy, right.

Wrong.

The "odds" of winning the lottery are much worse than those of being killed by a lightning strike.

And that's just 50 numbers.

Think of trying to arrange 204 billion atoms just right to form life.

What are the "odds" that that could happen by accident?

Indeed, what are the "odds" that all of the brain power of all of the geniuses that have ever lived could have figured out how to accomplish that deliberately?

What are the "odds" that, knowing how DNA is structured (a relatively new discovery), scientists could construct one by properly arranging the atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorous today.

Even by today's standards, that would take unimaginable intelligence.

Even given the materials to work with, even knowing how its molecules are arranged, science still cannot actually construct a DNA molecule using its raw materials.

That would take more intelligence than we possess.

Yet many of you still believe that life came into being by accident.

There is not one shred of real scientific evidence that that is possible...not one.

Besides...if a scientist could build DNA from its raw materials, wouldn't that require that intelligence was involved?

Or maybe you don't consider scientists to be intelligent.

An open minded person might think of another possibility.

A Study in II Corinthians Week 12

II Corinthians 11:1-33

One of the issues in the church is “false apostles,” those who claim Christ but teach a “different gospel.”

In Galatians, you remember, Paul wrote: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all.” (Gal. 1:6)

The Verses

1-6 What looks like bragging at first blush, turns out to be Paul’s way of getting the point across that until we understand that there is only one Christ, one gospel, one way of salvation, one right doctrine, we are doomed to remain un-reconciled both to God and to each other.

There are plenty of “super-apostles” in today’s “Christian market,” those whose message is other than salvation in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

Paul admits to being an untrained speaker (although I have to tell you I would have loved to have heard him), but insists that he has plenty of knowledge about Christ.

7-15 Paul did not let the Corinthians give anything to him. The Macedonians supplied his needs. He asked nothing of the Corinthians. Who were those false apostles? Satan disguises himself as an angel of light…beautiful…and Paul says these false apostles belong to Satan. They are attractive, but they are deceitful. They glorify themselves, not God, even when they use the “right words.”

16-33 Paul “apologizes” for his “boasting,” which isn’t really boasting at all. Then he engages in a little sarcasm again pointing out how the Corinthians consider him a fool and themselves wise when the opposite is true.

He says in verse 20, “You even put up with folks who preach the Law to you,”(enslaves you) exalting themselves and “slap you in the face” with their piety.

Paul backs up the “quality” of his background: Hebrew; Israelites; Abraham’s descendants SERVANTS OF CHRIST. (That one he just slipped in there to make a point: He was more of a servant that all of them put together). Then he lists the things he went through just because he WAS a servant of Christ.

How much do we sacrifice in order to put forth the gospel of Christ? Who strikes us down for the glory of Christ? When have we suffered a raging storm in a little boat for Christ’s sake, or a rough air plane ride?

Which of us is in danger whether we are going about our daily lives for Christ’s sake? Who among us have gone hungry, or sleepless or been stripped of our clothes and thrown in a dungeon for Christ’s sake?

OK. If we have suffered none of these things, what is holding us back from being the most powerful group of Christians in the city...or the county…or the state…or the country…or the world? WHAT IS HOLDING US BACK?

In verses 30-33 Paul is very clear that we have no excuse. Our weakness before God is the very thing that should make us stronger that strong in the propagation of the gospel.

We are God’s army! We are the church! Hell’s foundation should be quivering at our presence in Lehigh Acres!

I say it is time to put him in his place and for us to march into triumph!

Do you say that?

Thought for the Day: We are free to make choices. We are not free to choose the consequences of our choices.

A Study in II Corinthians Week 11

by Assistant Teacher, Jerry Blankenship

2 Corinthians 10

Paul Informs and Prepares The Corinthians for His Coming Visit
Paul, the true apostle versus the “self-appointed apostles”

1. An Appeal for Obedience: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

In Ephesians 6:14-17, Paul lists the kind of spiritual weapons he did use: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. These are God's weapons for pulling down strongholds! To rely on these weapons takes faith in God instead of carnal methods.

The Corinthian Christians tended to rely on and admire carnal weapons for the Christian battle.

Instead of the belt of truth, they fought with manipulation.
Instead of the breastplate of righteousness, they fought with the image of success.
Instead of the shoes of the gospel, they fought with smooth words.
Instead of the shield of faith, they fought with the perception of power.
Instead of the helmet of salvation, they fought with lording over authority.
Instead of the sword of the Spirit, they fought with human schemes and programs.

Jesus relied on spiritual weapons when He fought for our salvation.

Philippians 2:6-8 describes it this way: "...who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

This kind of victory through humble obedience was demonstrated to the disciples in John 13:1-15 where Jesus said “All my teaching is summed up in this act.” JBV.

2. Paul's answer to the charges, he urges the Corinthians to look at the obvious facts, 2 Corinthians 10:7-11

"Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up; it doesn't tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority. Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away."

3. Paul's counter-charge, he clarifies how to measure who really measures up, 2 Corinthians 10:12-18

"Oh, don't worry; we wouldn't dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. When people commend themselves, it doesn't count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. "

A Study in II Corinthians Week 10

II Corinthians 9:1-15

Paul was not above a little sarcasm. The church at Corinth had written him with questions about their troubles. In his effort to impress upon them the need for unity and for reconciliation, Paul recalls their initial enthusiasm and how it had stirred the Macedonian churches to action (9:1-2). He refers to the Corinthians' loss of face should any Macedonian delegates come and find them unprepared (9:4). He announces the upcoming visit of the brothers to make sure this does not happen (9:3, 5). And finally he reminds them of the blessings that come from generous giving (9:6-15).

The Verses

1-2 Paul had used the Macedonian church’s response to the Jerusalem church’s need to try to spur the Corinthians to give generously to the cause. He “brags” on Corinth’s desire to give to the Macedonians’ actual giving. There may be a little reverse psychology at work here.

3-5 Paul states that he is “sending the brothers” to help ensure that Corinth not just have a strong desire to be involved, but that they follow through with their enthusiastic intent.

Paul expresses concern that if Corinth did not follow through, he, his fellow ministers and the Macedonian church would be embarassed. So he sent the brothers to make certain that the offering is given.

6- 9 Is reaping related to sowing? _____Yes; _____No

(Yes)

How should we give? a) according to Biblical rules; b) because of compulsion by others; c) according to what he decides in his heart; d) reluctantly.

(c)

According to verse 7, God looks favorably on a) someone who gives with enthusiasm from the heart; b) someone who gives more than the average church member; c) someone who gives according to the rules of giving; d) someone who gives in order to be appreciated.

(a)

What “grace” is God going to “abound to you?” a) the grace of love and mercy; b) the grace of hospitality; c) the grace of salvation; d) the grace of giving.

(d)

10-11 What harvest does God promise to increase in you when you give? a) monitary wealth; b) plenty of food to eat; c) your righteousness; d) a great fruit orchard.

(c)

For what purpose does God prosper you when you give generously? a) so you can brag on Him; b) so you can brag on your goodness; c) so you can have many treasures; d) so you can express your thanks to Him.

(d)

12-15 Here Paul equates giving to the service of supplying the needs of others.

The results of your giving is thanksgiving to God.

The result of your obedience to confessing the gospel is praise to God.

Paul thanks God for the “indescribable” gift of giving. He reminds us that giving is a grace given to you by God.

A Study in II Corinthians Week 9

II Corinthians 8:16-24

Paul continues explaining Christian giving and how it relates to reconciliation. He has related to us that giving is a grace. He has reminded the church at Corinth that the poor Macedonian church gave liberally to the church at Jerusalem. He encourages the church at Corinth to give as well.

There are three principles given by Paul concerning Christian giving: (1) They were to give to a specific cause — poor saints in Jerusalem; (2) They were to give to reputable messengers — Titus and Timothy (II Corinthians 1:1); (3) They were to give in reality and not merely promise.

The Verses

16-21 The word “thanks” here is the Greek “charis” which means grace. So he is really saying, “Grace be to God…” Paul had the taking of this offering in his heart. He assures the Corinthians that he and the other two (Titus and Timothy) will take good care of the offering and will be honest with it. He will take such good care of it that both men and God will be satisfied with the way they handle it.

The lesson for us here is that the finances of the church should be an open book to the congregation, in order that there be no question about how the offerings are handled.

Sometimes churches fear that if the congregation knows everything about the finances they might stop giving in times of plenty.

If giving is a grace, then Christians will want to give more in a time of plenty, because they’ll see that God is blessed, He blesses the church and will continue to do so.

Listen! This business of following the Lord is not about rules. It is about responding to His love with our love. “We love Him because He first loved us.” (I John 4:19)

22. Paul trusts Titus. He asserts that Titus will make a report, Paul will make a report and they’ll both report back to Corinth after they’ve been to Jerusalem.

If you really mean business with the Lord and His church, don’t show it with words, show it with your giving. Your giving should emanate from a grace in your heart.


Here’s the lesson we can take from II Corinthians 8:

Giving has nothing to do with parting with 10% of your income. It has everything to do with giving 100% of everything you are, everything you do and everything you have to the work of the ministry of reconciliation, which work Christ has given to the church.

Giving is the way God has determined that we would express our love for Christ and
our appreciation for what He has done for us in giving us so great a salvation.

If Christians would get away from the idea of some rule for giving and learn to practice New Testament giving, there is not a bank vault in existence that could hold the money that would be available for the work of the ministry.

A Study in II Corinthians Week 8

II Corinthians 8:1-24

Paul continues his response to the Church of Corinth by showing them how reconciliation is related to Christian giving.

Here in II Corinthians we have the most extended and complete section of Christian giving in the New Testament. Paul makes it clear that there are no rules for giving, but there are but there are clear-cut principles.

Paul will tell us that giving is a grace (Greek: charis – that which affords pleasure, joy, delight; expression of the loving kindness of God). The word, “grace,” related to giving, appears 7 times in this chapter.

The Verses

1-7 The church at Macedonia was very poor, yet they took up a more than generous offering for the church at Jerusalem. Jerusalem was their “mother” church. They were a mission of the church at Jerusalem. Usually it is the mother church that supports the mission, but in this instance, the tables are turned. This was an example of grace-filled giving.

Verse 3 tells us that they gave more than it seemed they were able “…to the saints” in verse 4 references their willingness to share the things of Christ with Jerusalem. And in verse 5 we learn that they were first of all sold out to Christ, and that’s why they gave.

In what grace does Paul urge Corinth to excel? _________________________ (giving)

8-9 True or false: Giving is commanded by God. ____True ____False. (The answer is that giving is a demonstration of grace.)

10-12 The church at Corinth had made a pledge, and Paul is encouraging them to fulfil their pledge. Giving is to be based on what we have, not on what we don’t have.

13-15 Paul tells us in verse 13 that we should all churches should give proportionately. This is much like our denomination’s Cooperative Program, in which churches give to missions as they are able.

16-21 “I thank God” The word, “thanks” is charis…GRACE. What we see here is that Titus was selected to accompany them as they took the offering to Jerusalem. Titus was chosen because of his faithfulness to the preaching of the gospel. Paul wanted to make sure that no one could criticize his integrity or his determination to deliver the gift. We are to take care of the monies given to God’s church with the utmost diligence. There should be no question whether they were honest in their handling of the money.

23-24 Titus was like a partner to Paul. They trusted each other. They would each make a report to Corinth of how much they delivered.

Giving is the way God has determined that we would express our love for Christ and
our appreciation for what He has done for us in giving us so great a salvation.

A Study in II Corinthians Week 7

II Corinthians 7:1-16

In this section, Paul reveals some details about how to be ministers of reconciliation. He will use the church at Corinth as a model.

The Verses

1 What promises does he refer to?
(The promises that God will be a Father to you and that you will be His sons and daughters – from 6:18).

2-4 Some scholars think that the Corinthians had questioned Paul’s authority to “tell them what to do” (Review Chapter 1). Here Paul His desire for mutual love and admiration.

5-7 This is a restatement of Paul’s reminder in Chapter 1 that God is a God of comfort and that His comfort is to be shared. He accepts the comfort sent to them via Titus.

8-12 Paul’s letter had caused concern, consternation and resentment among the Corinthians until they realized that he was right, at which time they repented and began to get themselves in line with God’s plan.

Godly sorrow brings repentance.

Our tendancy is to rebel when our wrong-doings are pointed out. We say things like, “Who are you to tell me what to do,” or, “You have no right to be so ‘holier-than-thou’ and to ‘condemn’ me.”

See, the essence of all sin and rebellion against God is pride. It’s the “I’m going to do things my way and nobody’s going to tell me what to do…(by implication: not even God in His Word).”

When we see our sin for what it is, repent of it and turn to God and His way, it is a beautiful thing. It will make a great difference in your happiness and satisfaction with your relationship to God.

13-18 When we have visitors in our church, or when we have a special guest or guests, what do you suppose is their response when they go back to their regular places of worship and tell them about us?

What part do you play in helping them to see this local congregation in a positive, Christ-loving light?

Do you consider yourself to be an encouragement to others or do you see yourself as a complainer, griper and sower of discord?

How do you think others see you?

What positive steps do you take to be a positive influence among each other and with guests?

A Study in II Corinthians Week 6

II Corinthians 6:1-18

Paul has been writing about the ministry of reconciliation. He has encouraged us to be reconciled to God, to be reconcilers of the lost and to be reconciled with each other.

When we have an issue with a brother/sister in Christ, we need to be reconciled. If we are not, we risk falling right back into the disunity Paul saw in Corinth as revealed in I Corinthians.

The Verses

1-2 This is a continuation of the reconciliation message in 11-21 of chapter 5. We have received God’s grace…now we are to make it count for something.

3-10 Some see this as Paul “bragging” about his holier-than-thou character. It is not. It is an illustration of the changes that take place in the life of a believer as a result of his becoming a “new creation” in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17).

As a new creation, how much like this “list” is your life? Do you exhibit endurance? Do you endure hardships as one who has experienced the grace of God?

Believers, in this world, need the grace of God, to arm them against temptations, so as to bear the good report of men without pride; and also to bear their reproaches with patience. They have nothing in themselves, but possess all things in Christ.

11-13 As Paul opened his heart to the Corinthian Christians, so we ought to open our hearts to each other and to “outsiders.”

14-18 This passage has been used for everything from choosing a marriage partner to being in business with a non-Christian.

Understanding it properly, it is really an attitude about our surrender to the claim Christ has on our lives.

If we still have things in common with those who do not believe in Christ, we need to examine our belief in Christ.

If we are in Christ, we will be different from the inside out. We will not enjoy the things of the world the way we used to, for we will see them differently.

Remember, we are the temple of the living God. He does not live in the church building, but in the church…that is: in the person of believers. David says, “Isn’t it good to be in God’s house this morning?” and we all respond, “Amen!” Now, we know what he means and we respond to that. But too often we give the impression that God lives in the building, rather than in our hearts.

As we grow in Christ, we will want to become more like Him every day in every way.

We don’t need to become separatists, but we DO need to become separate…not guided by the world, but being a guide in and to the world.

You and I need to demonstrate with our lives the new life we have found in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Master.

A Study in II Corinthians Week 5

II Corinthians 5:1-21

As we understand the theme of reconciliation, we are now guided by the Apostle to humbly consider ourselves and our ministry (continued).

The Verses

1-5 The phrase, “earthly tent” refers to our bodies. God would naturally use this phrase with Paul, because Paul was a Tent Maker.

“While we are in this tent, we groan…” All of us have times in our lives that cause us to groan.

We need to learn to look forward to our “heavenly dwelling” (body)? When God DOES call for you, you have a great thing to look forward to.

Notice his use of the name of the Spirit of God…he refers to Him as a deposit (a continuation of the
reconciliation bookkeeping theme). The Holy Spirit gives us confidence that our future is secure in
Christ.

6-10 We all know verse 7: “We live by faith, not bysight. What does that really mean to you?

It should be our goal to be present with the Lord. It is astonishing how many Christians do not want to be present with the Lord or are afraid of being present with Him.

We will receive rewards when we stand before Christ for what we did while we were still here on Earth.

11-15 This passage indicates that at least part of our reward will be based on how we try to introduce people to Christ. The “Since then…” is a continuation of the previous thought.

In verses 12-13 reiterates that everything we do should be done for Christ.

Verse 14 tells us that “one died for all…(that’s Christ)” and therefore we have died…as we follow and become more like Him every day.

Notice that in verse15 Paul uses the same thought that he emphasized in Romans and in I Corinthians: that we must die to self. We should therefore live for Christ.

16-21 As reconcilers, we are not to look at people from a worldly point of view, but as Christ would see them: the lost in love (agape) and the saved as His.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” Have you any idea of the power exuded by God in the first creation? Think of the power involved in your salvation as a new creation.

If we are in Christ, are we reconciled to God? _X_ Yes; ___No.

What ministry have we been given? The ministry of reconciliation

Does that mean reconciliation to God, reconciliation to man or reconciliation man-to-man? Answer: all three.

If we are Christ’s ambassadors, what kind of ambassador are you?

A Study in II Corinthians Week 4

II Corinthians 4:1-18

As we understand the theme of reconciliation, we are now guided by the Apostle to humbly consider ourselves and our ministry.

The Verses

1-6 We have a ministry that, if we understand it correctly, always encourages us to keep on keeping on. Our ministry reminds us that we ourselves must renounce secret and shameful things in our lives, to be honest in our ministry and to remain true to the Word of God as interpreted in light of its entire context and purpose.

Those who are perishing is a reference to lost people. They cannot understand the gospel and have been blinded to it. That’s why it is sometimes difficult to witness: people resist the gospel...because of unbelief; because they’re “not good enough” to be saved; because they make it more complicated than it is.

Our ministry must never be self-centered, but must always be Christ centered. God’s
glory is made perfect in Him and Him alone.

7-12 The “treasure” spoken of here is the good news of salvation in Christ and Christ alone. We are not the source of power…God is. We are “jars of clay,” that is: fragile, breakable and in need of a savior. We have struggles but we cannot be distroyed.

Verses 10ff remind us that Jesus died and now lives so we can live and not die. “…death is at work in us, but life is at work in you” is not a contrast between “us” and “you.” “Us” means all of us, you and me both. Christ imparts to you life everlasting, when you trust in, and only in, His finished work at the cross of Calvary.

13-15 Paul references Psalm 116:10 “I believed; therefore I said ‘I am greatly
afflicted.” When we believe God, we realize the seriousness of our sin. Ps 116:11 tells
us that this is not unique, it is common to all men, just as Paul told us in Romans 3:23.

Jesus’ resurrection is assurance for us that God will raise us, too, in newness of life.
This should give us reason to show the grace of God to more and more people and to
rejoice when they come to Him. It should also cause us to rejoice with thanksgiving
when they come to Him

16-18 Our physical bodies are temporal and will not last. Everyone eventually dies of something…heart trouble, breathing trouble, brain trouble…something (unless Christ comes first). Even if you are healed of a disease, you are going to die of something. But the life we will enjoy in eternity in Heaven will make all of the things we go through here WORTH IT!!

Our job is to keep our eyes on Jesus at home, at work, at play at rest. He is eternal, and while what is seen (the physical) is temporary, what is not seen (God) is eternal.

HOW I KNOW THE BIBLE IS "THE WORD OF GOD"

The Bible is the inspired Word of God.

It is God's revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

That's what the entire book, Old and New Testaments, is about.

The Bible carries that one theme all the way from Genesis to the Book of the Revelation (there is no such book as "Revelations," it is one revelation of Christ to the Apostle, John).

Many people who call themselves "Bible Scholars" and/or "Theologians" would tell you otherwise, but they are wrong.

Some see the Bible as a book of Jewish History.

While it contains the very best Jewish History ever written, it is a dire mistake to try to interpret the Bible in light of Jewish History, for you will miss its point.

Others see the Bible as a book of religious philosophy.

While it contains the finest philosophical thought that has ever existed, to try to interpret the Bible in terms of religious philosophy will miss its point.

Still others find the Bible a sort of "guide book for life."

While it is the best guide book you could ever hope for, if you try to interpret it only in those terms, you will miss its point.

It is pretty sad that so many scholars and theologians expound on the Bible with self proclaimed wisdom, all the while badly misinterpreting words, phrases, chapters and entire Biblical books because they came at it with pre-conceived intellectualism or notions about why it was given to us.

The Bible is an amalgamation of sixty-six books written by 40 different authors, spanning over a thousand years. Most of its authors did not know each other, nor did many of them have access to the others' works (in spite of what you may have been taught).

The reason the sixty-six books are included in what we know as "The Bible" is that they have the common theme of revealing God's character, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption.

Some groups try to include other "books" as part of the Bible, but those books do not conform to the afore mentioned theme, therefore cannot be considered part of the Scripture.

One group has their own "special" interpretation of Scripture that contradicts the theme of the Bible.

Another claims that a special angel told him of cities that have never existed, of peculiar angels who don't exist and that Native Americans are the "lost tribes of Israel," which is not possible theoretically, scientifically or theologically.

This latter work also fails to conform to the theme of the so-called "crimson thread" that weaves its way through the Word of God.

Other religions have writings that are supposedly "inspired."

Islam holds that the Qur’an was revealed from God to Muhammad orally through the angel Gabriel over a period of approximately twenty-three years.

But there is no thread of crimson weaved through Qur'an.

While "scholars" used to tell us that the Bible was untrue because it claims Moses wrote the Pentateuch before writing was invented, it turns out that archaeologists discovered writings that predate Moses, thus putting that theory to rest.

Other "scholars" have told us that Biblical cities never existed, Biblical kings never reigned, Biblical societies never were and that certain "facts" of science prove the Bible wrong in certain areas.

Archaeologists subsequently found proof that those cities DID exist, those kings DID reign, those societies DID exist and scientists discovered that those "scientific facts" were wrong and the Bible was right after all.

I will use future posts to elaborate on each of the above.

There IS a crimson thread that infiltrates every book of the Bible.

That thread is Christ (the Greek word for the Hebrew "Messiah).

It may not be clear to many that Christ is found in every book of the Bible, but that's because many try to read the Bible as a narrative or as one of the other ways I mentioned above.

Understanding the Bible depends, in part, on how you approach it.

If you approach it as God's revelation of His character, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption, you will always get the interpretation right.

If you use any other approach, you will end up confused, discouraged, conflicted, skeptical, horrified or any number of other negative conclusions.

You will see mass murders, the destruction of societies, seemingly conflicting accounts, countless meaningless details and so on.

Here, in condensed form, is the message of every verse of the Bible: God created everything; He loved it; He gave mankind free will; mankind wanted to go his own way (called sin); He chose Israel as His vehicle for bringing Messiah to mankind and freely offers His gift of salvation to any and all who will "...confess with their mouth "Jesus is Lord" and believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead..." and will repent of sin and turn in faith, trusting in, and only in, Christ's finished work at the cross of Calvary.

The Bible tells of two covenants: The Old Covenant, which God made with Israel, in which He promised a coming Messiah and which Israel broke; and a New Covenant (predicted in the Old Testament) in which Messiah comes.

The New Covenant was and is made with anyone who will come to Him through faith in Christ (as opposed to faith in "faith"), including both Jews and gentiles (as made clear by the apostle Paul).

The Old Covenant and the New Covenant are written for us in the Old Testament and the New Testament, respectively.

Some of the things you find in the Old Testament that seem violent or "unfair," are God's revelation of the awful results of sin.

All of the things you find in the Old Testament point toward the solution to the sin problem.

The Bible is complete, leaving nothing essential to the imagination.

In fact, everything you need to know about God is found in the Word of God; nothing you need to know about God is NOT found in the Word of God; and anything you THINK you know about God that is not in the Word of God, you just made up.

Lots of people make up lots of stuff about God.

Many use the "Well I don't think God would (fill in the blank with whatever you don't think God would)."

It doesn't matter what you think. God is God and if He says it is true about Himself, count on it...it is true. If He says something is NOT true about Himself, count on it...it is not true. And if He does not reveal something you want to know about Him, count on it...He knows you don't need to know it.

The next time you read through the Bible, approach it with a different perspective. Approach it with an eye toward finding the Truth of Christ in every passage. It will transform your thinking, your philosophy and your very life.

Try that even if you have a PhD in theology, or philosophy, or history or whatever...because Jesus is the Truth and only The Truth will set you free.

If you take that approach, you will join with me in the assurance that the Bible is the very Word of God.

A Study in II Corinthians Week 3

II Corinthians 3:1-18

Paul’s theme to the Corinthians in this letter is reconciliation. In Chapter 3 he sets the tone of our reconciliation with God through Christ.

If we can’t feel Paul’s excitement as he writes about this theme, we need to check our heart meter. This is good stuff!!

The Verses

1-3 Contrary to what is often taught about this section, Paul does not ask for a letter of recommendation. He poses the question of whether he should ask for one, allows an implicit answer of, “No,” and goes on to say that their lives in Christ are all the letter he needs. They are a letter “written by the Holy Spirit on their hearts.”

4-6 When Paul speaks of “the letter” here, he is talking about The Law. The Law kills, but God’s Holy Spirit gives us life.

7-11 The Law was given by God and is therefore glorious, but the ministry of the Holy Spirit (the manifestation of Christ in our lives today), is more glorious because it imparts to us Christ’s righteousness which is the only righteousness worthy of salvation.

The New Covenant supersedes everything that came before it because everything that came before it (The Old Covenant) was preparation for the New Covenant, which is not a “what,” but a “who”…Christ.

12-18 Paul is so excited about this New Covenant that brings salvation! He alludes back to Moses to represent the Old Covenant and makes it clear that if we rely on “the law of Moses” to please God, we’re sunk. But in the New Covenant we can experience the Lord’s glory as we are “transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Here is a clear indication, by the way, of the Third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is not some feeling, some ethereal such-and-such that “represents” God. The Holy Spirit IS God. The Holy Spirit is that Person of God whom Christ left with us when he went away. (John 14: 16 & 26; John 15:26 & John 16:7)

A Study in II Corinthians Week 2

II Corinthians 2:1-17

The Corinthians had written Paul about some issues in their church. In his first letter, Paul addressed their disunity. In this letter, he addresses the issue of RECONCILIATION (a bookkeeping term wherein one spreadsheet is “reconciled” with another…to make them agree).

In chapter two of II Corinthians, Paul deals with 3 things: 1) his continued desire to visit them; 2) forgiveness for the both the sinner and each other; and 3) the nature of ministers of the New Covenant.

The Old Covenant was the covenant of The Law, designed by God to prepare the hearts of mankind for the New Covenant.

The New Covenant represents a “new” idea about how to be a part of God’s Kingdom. Only it’s not new at all. It is exactly what the Old Covenant continually pointed to: salvation through, and only through, God’s Messiah (Jesus).

The Verses

1-4 Paul wants the members of First Baptist Church of Corinth to know that he is not angry with them, but that he loves them and wants the best for them. That is what God wants for our church today…the best. He is not talking about “professionalism,” but the state of our hearts.

5-11 When one of us causes grief in the church, the whole church is affected…even those who don’t know about the grief. We don’t function as individuals, but as a body. When one part hurts, the whole body hurts.

We must be a forgiving people.

We all have our peculiarities and short comings. In our dealings with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to keep that in mind. If we don’t, we allow Satan to gain a foothold and to cause dissension among us. Reconciliation begins with forgiveness. That is the way we were reconciled with God through Christ. That is the way we must reconcile and be reconciled with others.

12-17 Paul was having trouble catching up with Titus. But while he was stressed over that, he gave praise to God for being able to spread the gospel wherever he did get to go. His reference to the aroma of Christ points back to Hosea 14:6 – a prophecy of the coming Messiah. Paul points out that to the saved, Christ is like the aroma of life. For the unsaved, Christ has the aroma of death, because without Him, death is their eternal destination.

Paul is clear that the preaching of the gospel is NOT for the purpose of monetary gain (and here he is not saying ministers may not be paid, but that when they are paid, their pay must not be their motive for ministering).


Remember: The gospel is the good news that “…while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

A Study in II Corinthians Week 1

II Corinthians 1 1-24

You may hear that II Corinthians is actually an amalgamation of two or more letters. This is utter nonsense and is not supported either internally or externally to the letter.

While I Corinthians apparently resolved some of the problems of unity in Corinth, a new and potentially more dangerous threat soon arose. False teachers, claiming to be apostles sent by the Jerusalem church, arrived in Corinth and soon wooed many of the congregation away from their loyalty to the truth of Christ’s adequacy for salvation.

II Corinthians may be the least read book of the New Testament. That’s sad, because it is a book of great triumph and deep theology. It is the most complete exposition of the New Covenant outside of the book of Hebrews.

The theme of II Corinthians is RECONCILIATION. 1) Reconciliation with God; 2) Reconciliation with each other and 3) Reconciliation through Christ.

Reconciliation is a bookkeeping term. In bookkeeping, the books are not made right unless and until they are reconciled…that is, until each of their elements are in agreement – the bank’s and the company’s (or your check book).

The letter deals with three aspects of Christian life that evidence reconciliation: 1) Verses 1-7 Christian Living; 2) Verses 8-9 Christian Giving; 3) Verses 10-13 Christian Guarding.

The Verses

1-2 Paul restates his authority as an Apostle. If what you are doing is by the will of God, you’re in a wonderful place! (Timothy was Paul’s “son in the Lord.” Paul led him to Christ. Have you led anyone to Christ lately?) God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense—to you—from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Note the conjunction, “and.” It could refer to two different entities, or it could mean that God is both our father and our Lord Jesus Christ. In light of the rest of Scripture, I believe it means the latter.

3-7 Whatever you are going through, you can know the comfort of God. When you are comforted by God, you are totally comforted. If God’s comfort is not enough for you, you need to re-examine your relationship to Him through Christ.

8-11 No preacher in the history of the church has faced such intense persecution as did Paul, and in this letter he models how to handle suffering in the ministry.

12-14 Paul emphasized the importance of dealing with each other with integrity. He assured the church members that he was dealing with them in terms of God’s grace, not according to some complex theological system.

15-17 Paul had told the Corinthians that he was coming to see them, but he was prevented from doing so. He assured them that he did not break his word, he would, indeed, come to them as soon as circumstances enabled him to do so…and he did.

18-23 Hold on to your seats folks…this is EXCITING! The message Paul had for the Corinthians was not a washed out, wishy-washy religious philosophy, it was a vibrant, positive shout-out of the answer to the sin problem of the world.

Verse 19 tells us that Paul and Silas preached Jesus as the Son of God and as one about whom there could be no doubt. He has always been the “Yes” of God, demonstrating His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

Verse 20 states that all of God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ.

Michael Card has a song called, “The promise.”

The Lord God said when time was full
He would shine His light in the darkness.
He said a virgin would conceive;
And give birth to the Promise.

For a thousand years the dreamers dreamt.
And hoped to see His love.
The Promise showed their wildest dreams;
Had simply not been wild enough.
But the Promise showed their wildest dreams;
Had simply not been wild enough.

Chorus
The Promise was love and the Promise was life.
The Promise meant light to the world.
Living proof Jehovah saves
For the name of the Promise was Jesus.

The Faithful One saw time was full;
And the ancient pledge was honored.
So God the Son, the Incarnate One;
His final Word, His own Son;
Was born in Bethlehem

But came into our hearts to live.
What more could God have given?
Tell me what more did He have to give?
What more could God have given?
Tell me what more did He have to give?

Repeat Chorus

At last the proof Jehovah saves
For the name of the Promise was Jesus.

The message of II Corinthians is not the demand of the Law upon people to compel them to follow certain rules and regulations. When Christianity becomes that it always becomes a deadly, stultifying, dangerous thing. Unfortunately, it has become just that among many, many people.

The message is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the great “AMEN” of God.

“Amen” is a word that means, “So be it.”

In other words, here the Bible is saying, “That’s it!” “It’s done!”

We can now stand firm, not in our philosophies, theologies or imaginations, but in Christ.

He has anointed us.

He has set His seal of ownership on us and has “deposited” (note the continuation of the financial analogy) His in our hearts so that we are “guaranteed” what is to come: Life through Christ.

Paul explains that he did not avoid coming to Corinth to spite them, but to help them see that it was not his intention to control or command them.

They could get their leadership directly from God in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Paul encourages us to stand firm in our faith…not to have faith in our faith, but faith in the Object of our faith: Jesus Christ.

A Study in I Corinthians Week 17

We have covered I Corinthians 15 before, so if you want to do so again it is at the end of this exam.

In the mean time, you should have no trouble acing this test.

I Corinthians Review and Final Exam

1. The theme of I Corinthians is: a) Rules to live by; b) Unity in the church; c) homosexuality as a mortal sin; d) a study of body parts

2. Paul received a letter from the members of the church at Corinth and concluded from it that: a) there was lots of sin going on; b) the church was in a building program; c) there was disunity in the church; d) the church of Corinth was close to being perfect

3. In chapter 2, Paul asserts that knowing nothing but Christ and him crucified leads to: a) a simple minded approach to church matters; b) unity in the church; c) anti-intellectualism; d) utter frustration

4. Chapter 3 finds Paul concerned about: a) spiritual immaturity causing divisions in the church; b) being wise Christians; c) keeping a list of who did what to whom; d) holding to the right philosophy of life.

5. Chapter 3 also encourages us to: a) follow the theologian with the best Biblical knowledge; b) follow Christ and Christ only; c) watch plenty of Christian TV so you can see lots of different worship forms; d) sing many different types of songs in worship

6. Paul’s admonition in chapter 4 to “imitate him” is: a) his ego hanging out; b) his attempt to control the congregation; c) his belief that following Christ only, as he does, is the best way to achieve unity; d) a pathway to stardom on America’s Got Talent

7. Paul tells us in chapter 5 that allowing immoral people to infiltrate the church is a good way to: a) give people variety in their acquaintances; b) makes for many points of view in deacons’ meetings; c) gives us a chance to witness to lost people; d) invites disunity in the church

8. Chapter 6 emphasizes that fighting and lawsuits among the brethren: a) invites disunity; b) helps poor lawyers, who need clients; c) gives people release from boredom; d) provides fodder for the mainstream media to castigate the church

9. In chapter 7, Paul uses the picture of God ordained marriage to illustrate a) how men and women differ; b) unity in the church; c) how to have a knock-down drag-out fight with your spouse; d) the importance of a church wedding

10. Freedom in Christ is emphasized in chapter 8. Paul says freedom: a) means we can do what we want, when we want; b) includes following the teachings of other religions; c) should never be exercised if it is going to cause disunity; d) is absolute in all circumstances

11. In chapter 9, Paul emphasizes the rights we have in Christ, but reminds us that we must never claim our rights if they cause: a) traffic problems on the Damascus Road; b) lawsuits among the brethren; c) issues with authorities; d) disunity in the Body of Christ

12. Chapter 11 exhorts us to worship: a) any way we please; b) with great enthusiasm; c) in an orderly way for the sake of unity; d) by clapping and raising our hands

13. The purpose of spiritual gifts is to help us: a) show off; b) be ecstatic in our utterances; c) draw attention to the church for those outside; d) achieve unity

14. According to chapter 13, if we treat each other with “agape” love: a) we will maintain unity in the church; b) struggle to keep quiet; c) be successful in life

15. Chapter 14 reminds us that God is a God of: a) confusion; b) extremes; c) peace and unity; d) unknowability

Answers: 1-b; 2-c; 3-b; 4-a; 5-b; 6-c; 7-d; 8-a; 9-b; 10-c; 11-d; 12-c; 13-d; 14-a; 15-c

I Corinthians 15

I Corinthians 15 is a pivotal chapter in the New Testament. It addresses one of the early heresies of the church: that there is no bodily resurrection.

The fact is, the resurrection of Christ is the most important part of the gospel, for as we will see, if there is no resurrection, there is no salvation.

The word resurrection is from the Greek: ανάστασις (anastosis) the standing up of a corpse. The resurrection is always referring to the physical, not the spiritual.

There were three prevailing philosophies: Stoicism (the soul merges into deity at death); Epicureanism (totally materialistic); Platonism (immortality and transmigration of the soul).

The Verses

Verses 12-19 Paul presents a series of seven “ifs.” (Seven is the number of completion and/or perfection) Paul is using logic here to present both a physical and a spiritual truth. (Remember how logical he was in Romans?)

Verses 20-28 Christ is the “firstfruits.” Firstfruits was a Jewish feast held in the early spring at the beginning of the grain harvest. It was observed on Nissan 16, which was the third day after Passover and the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Firstfruits was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision. Remember Romans 5:12-14? Death is the final enemy we face on this earth. And that has been conquered by Christ’s resurrection. Verse 28 tells us that Christ will return to his place in the Godhead after the millennial reign.

Verses29-34 The whole of I Corinthians 15 concerns the resurrection from the dead. Paul cites the example of those who were baptized as a proof of the resurrection. Their actions symbolized their hope that they would live again. The resurrection is the hope of the dead. Baptism illustrates the hope of the resurrection. One who is baptized rises out of a watery grave, symbolic of the resurrection. Paul is thus saying, "What good is it to be baptized if we do not rise in a resurrection from the dead?” Why then should one be baptized for a hope that would never come true?" However, Paul affirms that, because Christ died and rose again, we have this true hope, the resurrection, to look forward to.

Verses 35-42 Think of yourself as a seed. You have all of the requisites for life…indeed, in a sense, you are alive but you are not what you will be. A seed must “die” and be buried to become the plant it is to be. If we do not die, we cannot become what Christ has willed us to become. If you sow wheat, wheat comes up, not corn. If Christ sows you as saved, you are saved to the uttermost.

Verses 43-49 We perish, our resurrected body won’t. We are weak, but we will be strong. Verse 44 contrasts the natural with the supernatural. We’ll have a totally different kind of body…one we cannot imagine.

Verses 50-52 We cannot inherit God’s kingdom if we do not first give up our present form. The “mystery” mentioned here is that which is now revealed. In the Old Testament it was unrevealed. In the New Testament it is revealed. A twinkling of the eye is faster than a blink. A twinkle is the reflection of a light ray, and travels at 186,000 miles per second! That’s fast.

Verses 53-58 We’re going to be changed! If we are not changed, we cannot be in Heaven with God. But we do not need to fear death! The grave would like to win, but it will not! Christ has already walked the waters of death for you and me. He’ll bring us into eternity! In Christ, we are victors!

A Study in I Corinthians Week 16

I Corinthians 14:26-40 (A continuation from last week)

We’re continuing our study of Paul’s response to the First Baptist Church of Corinth, who had written him about some church issues. Paul use his response to express the importance of unity in the church.

Although there are some great doctrinal issues in I Corinthians, we must always remember that Paul’s reason for bringing them up is to illustrate practically how to achieve that unity.

The Verses

01. 26-28 Whatever our abilities or gifts, they should be used for the “strengthening” of the Body of Christ, the church. We’ll be putting this into practice on our next “Great Day.” We’ll have multiple speakers, in different languages, each of whom will interpret for the other. Paul implies that it would be divisive to have a speaker in a foreign language (tongue) with no interpreter around.

PAUL WOULD ENCOURAGE THE USE OF AN ORDER OF WORSHIP.

02. 29-33 Simple: There should not be two or more people speaking at once. That does not bring unity, but cacophony. “For God is not the author of disorder (confusion), but of peace.

03. 34-35 Remember, women had never been allowed to even be in with the men, let alone speak out in their presence.

(We recoil at the treatment of Muslim women by the religion of Islam, but it
is not so far removed from the treatment of women by ancient Jews).

This had been the practice in every congregation. Paul allows them in, but
implores them to follow convention, not to disrupt the congregation with
“far-out” participation.

That they are encouraged to “ask their husbands” assumes the husband to be
spiritually educated and spiritually minded.

The word translated “disgraceful” is δυσφημία (dusphemia): the condition of
one who is defamed ill-repute, and the action of one who uses disgraceful
language.

04. 36-38 In effect, Paul is saying: “Surely a person as spiritually intelligent as you can see that I’m right.”

05. This is the second time Paul has brought up the need for order. Remember, all Scripture is important, but when it says something twice, listen up!

Consider the orderliness of the building of the temple in I Kings 6ff.

Consider the laying out of the tents of Israel in Numbers 2.

Consider the arrangement of the people at the fall of Jericho in Joshua 6.

God is infinitely organized and has implored us to be organized, too.

A Study in I Corinthians Week 15

I Corinthians 14:1-25

Tongues: Three Greek words for tongues: glossa (language); dialectos (dialect) and glossalalia (fabricated and non-meaningful speech - not used in the New Testament).

Prophecy [from Ancient Greek verb προφημι (prophemi)]: A prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a prophet, by God, which the prophet then communicates to others.

01. 1-5 Paul opens with a declarative: “Follow the way of love…” He asserts that we should desire all of the spiritual gifts. He does NOT assert that we will receive all of the spiritual gifts. But the gift(s) we have must be administered with love.

Verse 4 tells us that the use of glossa (language) edifies (builds up) himself, whereas the use of prophecy builds up the church. This makes sense, because the theme of I Corinthians is Unity in the Body of Christ.

If you speak in a foreign language, nobody will understand you unless your have an interpreter. We will be demonstrating this on our next Great Day.

02. 6-12 The point here is that speaking in a foreign language to the church is useless, since nobody will understand. (verse 9). This also means that we should speak intelligibly…making sense in what we say. In verse 10 Paul recognizes the world’s many languages all meaningful to those who speak that language. In verse 12 he admonishes us to excel in the gifts that build up the church.

03. 13-17 When pastor Dax or pastor William (our Spanish speaking pastors) speak to us, sometimes they struggle to get the English right. We might be spiritually correct in what we are trying to convey, but if we can’t convey it intelligently, we are just flapping our lips. Say something that somebody can say, “Amen” to. You may be spiritual, but you are basically useless to other church members if you don’t. Does this lack of usefulness create unity in the church?

04. 18-19 As a missionary, Paul had spoken in at least a dozen different languages. But in the church, he spoke whatever language the congregation of the church spoke. If he could not, he got an interpreter.

05. 20-21 He admonishes the members of the Church of Corinth to stop acting like children. Grow up!

06. 22-25 As a missionary, Paul had to speak the language of those in whose country he was preaching…to unbelievers…trying to bring them to Christ. In the church, Paul spoke in prophecy…a message given to him from God for the church.

If the church is engaged in some form of gibber jabber, or if each person is speaking in his native language (we have 18 nationalities represented in our church), and an unsaved person walks in, that lost person will not know what is going on.

On the other hand, if we stay on message and speak in a language everybody understands, the lost person will have his heart softened and will be receptive to the prodding of the Holy Spirit to come to Christ.

We are to clearly present the gospel in terms people can understand…ALL OF US, not just the preacher. What a powerful witness THAT would be!

A Study in I Corinthians Week 14

I Corinthians 13:1-13

Verse 31 ends chapter 12 by saying “Eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.”

There are four Greek words for love that are important for Christians to understand. They are agape (an exercise of the will, a deliberate choice), phileo (to have a special interest in someone or something), storge (love and affection that naturally occurs between parents and children), and eros (erotic love). Three of them appear in the Bible: phileo; storge and agape.

In I Corinthians 13, Paul describes agape.

The Verses

1-3 No matter how spiritual I think I am, if I do not have love I am (choose one): [1) Not as good as I could be; 2) Better than most but not as good as others; 3) About where I ought to be; 4) absolutely nothing.]

Answer: 4) absolutely nothing.

So…do you have love? How do you know?

Paul gives us the yard stick.

4-7 Patient – Are you patient with others, including your spouse?
Kind – Do you exercise kindness toward others, including your spouse?
Envious – Are you envious of others, including your spouse?
Boastful – Are you boastful in front of others, including your spouse?
Prideful - Are you prideful around others, including your spouse?
Rudeness – Are you rude to others, including your spouse?
Self-seeking – Do you behave selfishly toward others, including your
spouse?
Anger – Do you get angry at others, including your spouse?
(All anger comes from not getting your way.)
Grudge – Do you hold grudges against others, including your spouse?
Love evil things – What’s your list of evils?
Truth – The truth is not what we say or think happened, it is what
actually happened.
Protect – Do you protect others, including your spouse?
Trust – Are you trustworthy? If you say you’ll do something, can you
be trusted to do it…even if you didn’t say the words, “I
promise?”
Hope – Are you filled with Holy Hope?
Perseverance – Do you Keep on Keeping On?

8-10 If you love, you love. If you “stop loving,” you never loved to begin with. Everything else on earth, physical and spiritual, will pass, but not love.

Verse 11 - Remember chapter 3, when Paul declared that he could not address the members of the First Baptist Church of Corinth as adults and had to feed them baby food? Here he’s talking about the same thing.

Verse 12 – We don’t understand a lot of things now (even though we sometimes act like we think we do). There will come a time when we will know everything there is for us to know: When we stand face-to-face with our Lord.

Faith, hope and love are all significant. But the most significant thing of all is love, for it was love that prompted God to provide the solution to our sin problem in the person of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

A Study in I Corinthians Week 13

I Corinthians 12:1-34

There are two Greek words translated tongues or language in the New Testament:

Glossa: the tongue, a member of the body, an organ of speech a tongue. The language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations.

Dialectos: conversation, speech, discourse, language. The tongue or language peculiar to any people.

There is a third word in the ancient Greek language, Glossalalia: Fabricated and non-meaningful speech, especially such speech associated with a trance state or certain schizophrenic syndromes.

The word, glossalalia does not appear in the most dependable New Testament documents.

A very important principle to know: One cannot prove Scripture by one’s experience. One CAN prove one’s experience by Scripture.

The Verses

01. 1-6 Below is an overview of Spiritual Gifts. Notice that this passage conforms and re-states the theme of I Corinthians: Unity in the Church.

02. 7-11 The manifestation of the Spirit. Why do we each have a gift? For the common good of the Body of Christ.

03. 12-26 Here Paul really leans on God’s theme of unity. He uses the analogy of the body (since he constantly calls us The Body of Christ.

04. 27-28a Paul tells us that we are all different, but whatever gift we have we are to use. We do NOT all have all of the gifts, and there is not a single gift that everybody MUST have to please God. You want to please God? Use the gift you DO have for Him.

05. 29-30 The answer to each of the questions he asks is NO.

06. 31 We are to seek and desire the greatest gift. And next week we will examine it fully: The Most Excellent Way.

Gifts of the Spirit - What Are They?

Gifts of the Spirit are special abilities provided by the Holy Spirit to Christians for the purpose of building up the body of Christ. The list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 includes wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Similar lists appear in Ephesians 4:7-13 and Romans 12:3-8.

The gifts of the Spirit are simply God enabling believers to do what He has called us to do. 2 Peter 1:3 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." The gifts of the Holy Spirit are part of the "everything we need" to fulfill His purposes for our lives.

Gifts of the Spirit - The Definitions

There is some controversy as to the precise nature of each of the gifts of the Spirit, but here is a list of spiritual gifts and their basic definitions.

1. The gift of wisdom seems to be the ability to make decisions and give guidance that is according to God's will.

2. The gift of knowledge is the ability to have an in-depth understanding of a spiritual issue or situation.

3. The gift of faith is being able to trust God and encourage others to trust God, no matter the circumstances.

4. The gift of healing is the miraculous ability to use God's healing power to restore a person who is sick, injured, or suffering.

5. The gift of miracles is being able to perform signs and wonders that give authenticity to God's Word and the Gospel message.

6. The gift of prophecy is being able to proclaim a message from God.

7. The gift of discerning spirits is the ability to determine whether or not a message, person, or event is truly from God.

8. The gift of tongues is the ability to speak in a foreign language that you do not have knowledge of, in order to communicate with someone who speaks that language.

9. The gift of interpreting tongues is the ability to translate the tongues speaking and communicate it back to others in your own language.

10. The gift of administration is being able to keep things organized and in accordance with God's principles.

11.The gift of helps is always having the desire and ability to help others, to do whatever it takes to get a task accomplished.

Gifts of the Spirit - Which One(s) Do I Have?

The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts of the Spirit as He sees fit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

God does not want us to be ignorant of how He wants us to serve Him. However, it is very easy for us to get caught up in what spiritual gift(s) we have and then only serve God in that area of ministry.

That is not how it works.

God calls us to obediently serve Him.

He will equip us with whatever gifts of the Spirit we need to accomplish the task or tasks He has called us to.

Yes, God calls some to be teachers and gives them the gift of teaching, but that does not excuse the person from serving God in other ways as well.

Is it beneficial to know what spiritual gift(s) God has given you? Of course, it is.

Is it wrong to focus so much on spiritual gifts that we miss other opportunities to serve God?

Yes!

There is no magic formula or spiritual gift test that can tell you what gifts of the Spirit you possess. What we need to focus on is serving God.

Do you see a need in your church? Do what you can to meet it.

Is there a position in a ministry that is vacant? Pray as to whether God would have you fill it.

If we seek God's will and obey His leading, He will always equip us with whatever gifts of the Spirit we need.

Spiritual gift tests can be of some value in determining what areas God has especially gifted you.

As always, though, place far more emphasis on God's Word and submitting to the Lord's leading than you do on the results of a spiritual gift test.

Gifts of the Spirit - What Are the Gifts Used For?

The Apostle Paul indicated that the gifts of the Spirit are equally valid, but not equally valuable.

Their value is determined by their worth to the church. In dealing with this matter, he used the analogy of the human body.

All members of the body have functions, Paul declared, but some are more important than others (1 Corinthians 12:12-26).

The service of each Christian should be in proportion to the gifts which he possesses (1 Corinthians 12-14).

All believers, as members of the body of Christ, must be serving together in order for the body to be fully-functional. That is why a church needs pastors, teachers, helpers, servants, administrators, those with great faith, etc.

All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit working together are needed to produce the full potential of the church.

Since the gifts of the Spirit are gifts of grace, their use must be controlled by the rule of love - the greatest of all the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 13).

A Study in I Corinthians Week 12

I Corinthians 11:1-34

If the subject of I Corinthians is unity in the Body of Christ (the Church), how do the principles laid out in chapter 11 relate to this unity?

Paul will deal with two main issues that affect unity: 1) Propriety in Worship and 2) The spiritual depth of communion (not “communion” as in the Lord’s Supper, but “communion” as in being one with and in Christ.

There are 16 verses that deal with the proper physical approach to worship and 18 that deal with our oneness in Christ.

The Verses

1-2 Verse one actually belongs to chapter 10 and is its logical conclusion. Verse 2 represents a bit of a change. Up to now, Paul has said, “…I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly…" (3:1). Now he praises them for seeking his wisdom and leadership.

3-10 Three things to recognize here: 1) There is an order to the universe: God/Christ/man/woman/everything else. 2) Women must have been allowed to pray and prophesy in public or Paul would not have even brought this up. 3) There are societal conventions that should be followed to avoid disunity.

11-16 Men and women are dependent upon one another (in marriage they become one flesh; in the church they form one body and in Christ they form one church. In verse 13, Paul gives the local church the right to establish norms (“Judge for yourselves…”): Should a woman pray uncovered? Is the length of hair important? Then in verse 16, Paul says “If you want to argue about this…don’t. We don’t have a set practice for this and neither do the other churches.”

17-22 Paul restates his observation that there is disunity at First Baptist Church of Corinth. You act impolitely, like pigs at a trough, rather than civilized people at a meal. Impoliteness in church is a rotten, despicable offense to God.

23-26 Now he deals directly with our attitudes during the Lord’s Supper, and our communion with Christ when we worship. We must remember whose we are, and how we got to be whose we are, every time we get together for worship. Our worship MUST be Christ crucified, buried and resurrected every time we gather, for we have no other message.

27-32 If we have had any part in bringing disunity in the church, we dare not participate in the Lord’s Supper, or in any worship experience until we have allowed the Holy Spirit to make our attitudes right before God.

This is NOT written about non-Christians participating in the Lord’s Supper, but about you and me participating in it. When you worship or take the Lord’s Supper you had BETTER recognize that you are a part of the Body of Christ and you had BETTER not be the source of pain to the body.

33-34 Do whatever it takes to bring unity rather than disunity to the Body of Christ, for this is a VERY SERIOUS matter.

A Study in I Corinthians Week 11

I Corinthians 10:1-33

In the Bible, phrasing is important to understanding. For those of you who thought English grammar was not important, consider I Thessalonians 4:13 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren.” Move the comma and you have: “But I would not have you to be, ignorant brethren.”

The Verses

01. 1-5 Paul gives a quick synopsis of the history of Israel and her relationship to God. Verse 3 refers to the manna that was provided them and shows us that it was a physical representation of a spiritual truth. Verse 4 refers to Exodus 17:6 and tells us of the rock from which sprang water…here referencing the living water who is Christ.

02. 6-10 We are reminded that if we are in Christ we can do whatever we want, because we will want what He wants for us. If we are in Christ, we will not want to do any of the things enumerated here. If we want to do them, we had better examine our relationship to Christ.

03. 11-13 No matter who you are, you can fall. You cannot lose your salvation, but you can fall from the experiencing of God’s grace. Somebody has been tempted to do the same things you are tempted to do. When you are tempted, though, He gives you a way to run from the temptations of Satan.

04. 14-17 Paul reminds us that the subject is unity. He’s talking about our communion with God through Christ. The cup is the blood and the bread is the body and we, who are many, are one body…unified in Christ.

05. 18-22 He tells us that he is not contradicting himself, but is clarifying what he has said before: You cannot belong to Christ and to Satan at the same time. You belong to one or the other…not both.

06. 23-24 We are free in Christ. We are free to choose our actions. We are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. Some things are better left undone, even though they are lawful. Stop seeking only what is “good for you.” Seek the good of others.

07. 25-30 The point here is the freedom we have in Christ to make others comfortable. Verse 29 explains that he is talking about helping the other person avoid matters of conscience.

08. 31-33 What we do…all of what we do…from the moment we arise in the morning to the moment we retire at night…all of it should be to the glory of Christ. We should be constantly aware of how what we do, think or are reflects on Christ’s glory 24/7.

A Study in I Corinthians Week 10

I Corinthians 9:1-27

The Verses

1-3 This begins Paul’s explanation of the relationship of Christians to their liberty. He has a right to be an apostle. An apostle is someone who has had a face-to-face encounter with Jesus. When someone calls himself an apostle, he is claiming to have seen Jesus face-to-face, something that will not take place until after we die (I Corinthians 13:12ff).

4-6 There had been questions asked (apparently in the letters sent to him by the First Baptist Church of Corinth) about his authority and about how he made his living. Notice that Paul defends his right to take women with him on his missionary trips (Vs 5 – That would NEVER have happened under Jewish Law). Paul was reputed to have been a tent-maker, but here he is defending the right of church leaders to be compensated for their work.

7-10 The church staff members are generals and colonels in God’s army. Soldiers don’t pay their own way…the government pays them. In the same way, those who lead in church should not pay their own way, but should be compensated for their expertise and leadership. In fact, it is vile for a church to expect their leadership to work for free. If you call someone to a position, pay them!

This is not about non-professional positions. This is about professional positions. If you want professional Bible study teachers, pay them. If you want professional choir members, pay them. If you want professional music coordinators, pay them. If you want professional administration, pay an administrator. If you want professional children’s leaders, pay them. If you want professional youth leaders, pay them. Stop this business of leeching on volunteers and then expect professional results from them without compensation!)

“But we’re just a poor little church and we have trouble meeting our budget.” Well loose the small church mentality and start being what God wants us to be: a strong light in the community with a light so bright that people can’t miss us! There are 60,000 people living in Lehigh Acres and we surely should be able to reach 10% of them!

It will not happen by osmosis, magic or “when God wants it to happen.” He has already told us He wants it to happen NOW. “Now” is the only “when God wants it to happen” there is. Go out into the community and tell people about Jesus. Learn how to share, not your church, your FAITH.

You share Jesus with enough people and you will stop having budget problems. God guarantees it! You have HIS Word on it!

11-13 He continues the thought.

Vs 14 “Those who preach the gospel should earn their living from the gospel.” If you have ever thought, “Well those who work for the Lord should not be paid,” then you do not believe what God says about it.

15-18 A person called to a ministry by God feels continually compelled to perform that ministry. He cannot be satisfied doing something else. The reward is not the pay, the reward is the doing of the ministry. The pay is just a necessity (on the part of the minister as well as the church).

19-23 Paul had one advantage in being bi-vocational: he owed no obligation to anyone and could say what God wanted him to say without fear of being fired.

24-27 Once again Paul reveals one of his main doctrines: the doctrine of dying to self for the cause of Christ.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU: Have you made a conscious effort to die to your wants, desires, opinions and preferences? Is unity in the church more important than your perception of what should or should not be done?