http://www.esvbible.org/2+Corinthians+3/
Paul wants to assure the Church at Corinth that he's not doing his job just to get praise or commended. He doesn't carry around letters written boasting about how good he is. He says instead that the people in the Church at Corinth are his letters of recommendation. They are written with the Spirit instead of ink on hearts instead of stone. Paul says the fact that the church is so strong shows the God used him to speak to those people. Paul says that by ourselves, we are not qualified for anything, but it's because God helps us that we can accomplish things for Him. Paul goes on to talk about the difference between the written gospel and the gospel of the spirit. The written gospel is important because it is a testament about what happened and about who Christ is and what He did here on Earth. But alone, it is not enough. Even the demons know that Jesus is God's son. We need to have the Holy Spirit to guide us in addition as we read the word to help make sense of it. He also talks about the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. He calls the Old Testament the ministry of death or punishment because it speaks of the Jewish laws and the punishment that accompanies each. It also speaks of God's wrath against sin and how all humans are sinful by nature. In this, we are all condemned to death. The New Testament, however, is the ministry of life because Jesus died so that our sins are cleaned and we can have eternal life with God in heaven. In the end, Paul says that those who still follow only the Old Testament are looking to God with veils covering their faces. They can't see everything He is or everything He has to offer since they don't look to the gospel. Only the Lord can remove the veil when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit enters our hearts. The Holy Spirit shows us God's ways.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
2 Corinthians 2
http://www.esvbible.org/2+Corinthians+2/
Paul picks up again (and by that, I mean he didn't have chapter breaks, and this was split up weird, so he's just continuing on) by saying that he didn't want to visit the church when he was distressed. The church should have made him happy, but they were uncomfortable with him, and that made him even more distressed. When we fell in distress, sometimes our connection to God can be momentarily hurt. God doesn't create this distress, but He doesn't manufacture the world so that we will never be in distress. When these things happen, we have to learn how to get out of them. We need to pray, meditate with God, and spend time with Him in the word so that He can bring us perfect peace. Also, while we are on edge, it may be hard to witness to others about Him. If we are feeling this distance, we are not listening for what the Holy Spirit is trying to say through us. Instead, we are thinking merely of ourselves and how pathetic we are. However, God brings joy. And Paul says the same things that bring him joy should bring the Christians in Corinth joy. Christ is true joy.
Paul says if someone sins against us or causes us distress, it doesn't just cause us harm, it causes the whole church community harm. Sometimes, we hold onto a grudge (and sometimes it's as a church or community of believers in some form) but that is not healthy and causes everyone involved to enter a state of distress. As long as we hold these grudges, it is incredibly easy to remember what was done to us, and we can easily return to this state of distress. We must forgive those who sin against us and comfort them. The distress of unforgiveness can be enough to overwhelm someone. Paul urges us to remind the sinner how much we love him or her. We can't let Satan outwit us. Satan will say to hold the grudge and only give forgiveness sparingly. But this will only serve to consume us with ill feelings. In the end, it will hurt relationships, trust in God, and questioning God's perfect grace in the form of forgiving us of all our sins. We are not ignorant to Satan's scheming. As complex as he may be, he has simple, clear goals that remain the same, and that is to separate us from God no matter what. God is much more complicated, and though short term goals He has are still complex, in the long term, he wants us to spend all of eternity with Him.
Paul says we should wear our faith like an aroma that fills the air. We should smell of Christ, God's good deeds, and the Good News. Different people, however, will interpret this scent differently. Some will smell it and smell the stench of death because they know that they are not saved and that their lives are leading to death. They are lost to the wages of sin and to the ways of the devil. Think of how devout atheists attack those of open Christian faith in a battle of words. The devil hates the smell of Christ. It is death to him as God cast him from heaven to spend an eternity in the worst place creation touched. To others, faith holds a sweet smell of life. Fellow believers know that Christ smells of eternity. If we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, He opens our eyes to the path to Heaven. It doesn't matter how those around us interpret our faith fragrance; it only matters that we must send it out for all to smell, so that others may fell conviction and know what's coming if they don't change their ways or of the eternal life that awaits them after earthly death.
Paul picks up again (and by that, I mean he didn't have chapter breaks, and this was split up weird, so he's just continuing on) by saying that he didn't want to visit the church when he was distressed. The church should have made him happy, but they were uncomfortable with him, and that made him even more distressed. When we fell in distress, sometimes our connection to God can be momentarily hurt. God doesn't create this distress, but He doesn't manufacture the world so that we will never be in distress. When these things happen, we have to learn how to get out of them. We need to pray, meditate with God, and spend time with Him in the word so that He can bring us perfect peace. Also, while we are on edge, it may be hard to witness to others about Him. If we are feeling this distance, we are not listening for what the Holy Spirit is trying to say through us. Instead, we are thinking merely of ourselves and how pathetic we are. However, God brings joy. And Paul says the same things that bring him joy should bring the Christians in Corinth joy. Christ is true joy.
Paul says if someone sins against us or causes us distress, it doesn't just cause us harm, it causes the whole church community harm. Sometimes, we hold onto a grudge (and sometimes it's as a church or community of believers in some form) but that is not healthy and causes everyone involved to enter a state of distress. As long as we hold these grudges, it is incredibly easy to remember what was done to us, and we can easily return to this state of distress. We must forgive those who sin against us and comfort them. The distress of unforgiveness can be enough to overwhelm someone. Paul urges us to remind the sinner how much we love him or her. We can't let Satan outwit us. Satan will say to hold the grudge and only give forgiveness sparingly. But this will only serve to consume us with ill feelings. In the end, it will hurt relationships, trust in God, and questioning God's perfect grace in the form of forgiving us of all our sins. We are not ignorant to Satan's scheming. As complex as he may be, he has simple, clear goals that remain the same, and that is to separate us from God no matter what. God is much more complicated, and though short term goals He has are still complex, in the long term, he wants us to spend all of eternity with Him.
Paul says we should wear our faith like an aroma that fills the air. We should smell of Christ, God's good deeds, and the Good News. Different people, however, will interpret this scent differently. Some will smell it and smell the stench of death because they know that they are not saved and that their lives are leading to death. They are lost to the wages of sin and to the ways of the devil. Think of how devout atheists attack those of open Christian faith in a battle of words. The devil hates the smell of Christ. It is death to him as God cast him from heaven to spend an eternity in the worst place creation touched. To others, faith holds a sweet smell of life. Fellow believers know that Christ smells of eternity. If we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, He opens our eyes to the path to Heaven. It doesn't matter how those around us interpret our faith fragrance; it only matters that we must send it out for all to smell, so that others may fell conviction and know what's coming if they don't change their ways or of the eternal life that awaits them after earthly death.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
2 Corinthians 1
I think it's only logical to look at 2 Corinthians after we studied 1 Corinthians: http://www.esvbible.org/2+Corinthians+1/
Paul identifies that he wrote this letter to the Church at Corinth with the help of Timothy for the church and all the Christians in Greece.
The beginning of this letter is strong. Paul says to praise God! He is compassionate and gives us comfort. Because God is so good at comforting us, when we see others suffer, we are able to bring them comfort. We are able to receive such a great comfort from God because JEsus suffered so much on the cross for us. If we suffer, it beings others compassion and salvation because we must be comforted; therefore, we can turn around and comfort others. Paul says he has confidence in us, and that is why we share his suffering and his comfort. People often experience the same or similar situations, so if you are suffering through something that seems unbearable, somebody else has probably been through the same thing. If they were comforted by God, they can just as easily comfort you. Additionally, nothing God puts us through is for no reason. You may have heard it said before that everything happens for a reason, and Paul explains here why. We may go through a great deal of suffering at various points in our lives, but in the end, God will comfort us through it, and because of that, we can later comfort others. Later on, it could be days or decades, God will put someone in your path who is suffering through the same situation you are now, or have been in, or will be in in the near future, and you can comfort that person in the same way God comforted you.
Sometimes, we just have to suffer, and that suffering can last for a long time. In order for it to end in these situations, we have to realize that we can't rely on ourselves to get out of it. There is only one who can rescue us from suffering so extreme that we wonder if death is a better option: God. This is the same God that raised Himself back to life. We must see that He has rescued us once already, from death, the end all. We must use that knowledge to know that He is still rescuing us and will continue to rescue us no matter what the future may hold.
We should be proud that our consciences are clear and of the way we've lived our lives because we have lived them out for Jesus Christ. We should be proud of other believers and actively seek Christ and His plan for us so that they can be proud of us in return.
Paul says that everything he and Timothy and all of Paul's other followers have said is true because they have firmly planted it in the Lord. Everything about God is true, none of it is a lie, so if we speak from Him, everything we say will be true. That is why it is so important to read and know the Bible because it will help us speak the truth from God. We have all of the answers, we have easy access to them, but we just have to love God enough to look at them. God establishes us in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He has given us a chance at eternal life. Not only that, He has anointed us to carry out His mission of reaching all of the unreached people all over the world. But there's more, He has put His seal of ownership on us and given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. He claims us, and we are His. To prove this to us and others, He gave us the Holy Spirit, His own spirit. We have God's spirit within us, and therefore, we are one with God. Paul tells the church that he was going to visit them earlier, but in this letter has to send his regrets. He says he wasn't lying before when he said he would arrive, he had even planned to visit twice, but God called him away. Paul saw that he may damage the Church at Corinth. Paul knows that the church can't be about Him, but it must firmly plant its faith in Jesus, and so far, it's done that; therefore, Paul wants to let it prosper. We can't let any of our churches be about a pastor or missionary or worship leader. The church mustn't be about anyone except Jesus Christ.
Paul identifies that he wrote this letter to the Church at Corinth with the help of Timothy for the church and all the Christians in Greece.
The beginning of this letter is strong. Paul says to praise God! He is compassionate and gives us comfort. Because God is so good at comforting us, when we see others suffer, we are able to bring them comfort. We are able to receive such a great comfort from God because JEsus suffered so much on the cross for us. If we suffer, it beings others compassion and salvation because we must be comforted; therefore, we can turn around and comfort others. Paul says he has confidence in us, and that is why we share his suffering and his comfort. People often experience the same or similar situations, so if you are suffering through something that seems unbearable, somebody else has probably been through the same thing. If they were comforted by God, they can just as easily comfort you. Additionally, nothing God puts us through is for no reason. You may have heard it said before that everything happens for a reason, and Paul explains here why. We may go through a great deal of suffering at various points in our lives, but in the end, God will comfort us through it, and because of that, we can later comfort others. Later on, it could be days or decades, God will put someone in your path who is suffering through the same situation you are now, or have been in, or will be in in the near future, and you can comfort that person in the same way God comforted you.
Sometimes, we just have to suffer, and that suffering can last for a long time. In order for it to end in these situations, we have to realize that we can't rely on ourselves to get out of it. There is only one who can rescue us from suffering so extreme that we wonder if death is a better option: God. This is the same God that raised Himself back to life. We must see that He has rescued us once already, from death, the end all. We must use that knowledge to know that He is still rescuing us and will continue to rescue us no matter what the future may hold.
We should be proud that our consciences are clear and of the way we've lived our lives because we have lived them out for Jesus Christ. We should be proud of other believers and actively seek Christ and His plan for us so that they can be proud of us in return.
Paul says that everything he and Timothy and all of Paul's other followers have said is true because they have firmly planted it in the Lord. Everything about God is true, none of it is a lie, so if we speak from Him, everything we say will be true. That is why it is so important to read and know the Bible because it will help us speak the truth from God. We have all of the answers, we have easy access to them, but we just have to love God enough to look at them. God establishes us in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He has given us a chance at eternal life. Not only that, He has anointed us to carry out His mission of reaching all of the unreached people all over the world. But there's more, He has put His seal of ownership on us and given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. He claims us, and we are His. To prove this to us and others, He gave us the Holy Spirit, His own spirit. We have God's spirit within us, and therefore, we are one with God. Paul tells the church that he was going to visit them earlier, but in this letter has to send his regrets. He says he wasn't lying before when he said he would arrive, he had even planned to visit twice, but God called him away. Paul saw that he may damage the Church at Corinth. Paul knows that the church can't be about Him, but it must firmly plant its faith in Jesus, and so far, it's done that; therefore, Paul wants to let it prosper. We can't let any of our churches be about a pastor or missionary or worship leader. The church mustn't be about anyone except Jesus Christ.
Monday, October 17, 2011
1 Corinthians 16
Last chapter in 1 Corinthians: http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+16/
Paul says that the Church at Corinth should take up an offering by putting away a little bit of what God gives them because it all came from God in the first place. Then, Paul will take it to Jerusalem with the people appointed by the church to help him.
Paul also says that he wants to visit the church for some time, maybe even the entire winter. He doesn't want to go as he writes this letter because he would only be able to pass through and not help them much. He says at the moment, he must stay in Ephesus (where Paul sent the letter Ephesians to), but he is sending Timothy, who helps Paul out a lot. He says that Timothy is not to be harmed, and that when the time comes, the Corinthians must return Timothy to Paul.
Paul also says that he wishes Apollos had gone to the Church at Corinth, but it was not what Apollos wanted. Paul then tells the church that in the meantime they should have strong faith, act civil, be watchful, and be strong. He brings back up a theme throughout 1 Corinthians to tell the church that everything they do, they should do in love. He tells them Stephannas is on his way, and the the church should rejoice for that because people like him, who lift the spirits of the church, deserve recognition.
Paul finishes by sending greetings from other prominent churches he's visited at the time. He then tells them that the grace of God is with them, and that Paul's love is with them through Jesus Christ.
Paul says that the Church at Corinth should take up an offering by putting away a little bit of what God gives them because it all came from God in the first place. Then, Paul will take it to Jerusalem with the people appointed by the church to help him.
Paul also says that he wants to visit the church for some time, maybe even the entire winter. He doesn't want to go as he writes this letter because he would only be able to pass through and not help them much. He says at the moment, he must stay in Ephesus (where Paul sent the letter Ephesians to), but he is sending Timothy, who helps Paul out a lot. He says that Timothy is not to be harmed, and that when the time comes, the Corinthians must return Timothy to Paul.
Paul also says that he wishes Apollos had gone to the Church at Corinth, but it was not what Apollos wanted. Paul then tells the church that in the meantime they should have strong faith, act civil, be watchful, and be strong. He brings back up a theme throughout 1 Corinthians to tell the church that everything they do, they should do in love. He tells them Stephannas is on his way, and the the church should rejoice for that because people like him, who lift the spirits of the church, deserve recognition.
Paul finishes by sending greetings from other prominent churches he's visited at the time. He then tells them that the grace of God is with them, and that Paul's love is with them through Jesus Christ.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
1 Corinthians 15
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+15/
Paul then takes time to remind the Church at Corinth that their faith is based on the fact that Jesus came back to life. He says the most important doctrines of the church are 1) that Christ dies on the cross to cleanse us of our sins as scripture says, 2) He was put in a tomb, which is important to show that He really was dead because you don't put living people into tombs, 3) He was brought back to life on the third day in accordance to scripture, and 4) He appeared to Peter, the disciples, 500 others, James, all the apostles, and finally to Paul himself. This is showing that hundreds of people professed that they saw Jesus after He had been killed even though all who did were facing threats of execution. Paul even says that some of them had died at that point. Paul compares himself to an aborted fetus who now has been given life. He was not living before because he was consumed in destroying the church. He calls himself the least of the apostles because he had been executing the church. Paul says without God's grace, he wouldn't be anything, especially what a strong Christian figure he became. He tells the church that the grace shown to him was not wasted. He worked with God's kindness to spread the word harder than all of the other apostles. No matter what background you may come from, God will accept you if you accept Jesus as you Lord and Savior. Not only that, but He will use you to better His kingdom, and to bring others closer to Him. You may have unique experiences that you can share with others struggling with similar things. You can be more driven to work harder to reach the unreached people. God will show you your gifts and talents, and you won't have to feel like the least among Jesus' followers.
Paul is very upset that some people in the church say that the dead will not come back to life. He says if that's true, then Jesus never came back to life, and therefore, our faith means nothing. Without the resurrection, the story of Jesus is no more than a prophet who did some cool stuff. What makes the story truly amazing and shows the Godliness behind it is the resurrection. If Jesus didn't rise from the grave, sin would still control us. Paul also tells us that Christ is only the first person who came back to life. We all have to die because of Adam and the original sin in Eden, but we all come back to life because of Jesus. God the Father has put Jesus in charge of the world. When the time comes, Jesus will hand the world back over to God, who will destroy it with all of the worldly rulers, authority, and power. Until then, Christ rules all things, except God. When God gave over the power of the world to Christ, Christ gave Himself to God the Father. Paul says two more things in the last paragraph. One is that we all face danger everyday when we do what God has called us to do, speak with the unbelievers. Spending too much time with just nonbelievers and not spending anytime in fellowship with other believers causes us to begin to fall away from God. Adversely there are still people who have never heard of Jesus, and that is not right. We should not rest until everyone knows about Christ and what He did for us, as we are called to do in the Great Commission.
Paul addresses how people try to reject the thought of coming back to life. People may say that it is impossible because there is no way that our bodies can come back when they decay. Paul calls these people fools, and he says that a seed must be dead before it can be planted. When it is planted, it does not yet look like a plant. In the same way, on Earth we are the seeds still living in the plant that is Jesus Christ. Then we will die and be planted, but in an instant, we will take to our plant form, our perfect Heavenly bodies. Now, we die weak and lackluster, but our Heavenly bodies will be strong and full of splendor. Paul quotes scripture talking about Adam and a prophesy for Jesus that says the first man came from Earth and the second from Heaven. The man from Earth was made of Earth and dirt, and in the end, he would decay. The second man was from Heaven and made of Heavenly things. He did not decay, but rose again to be in Heaven. All people today bear a resemblance to Adam, made of Earth and dirt. All of the unholy and sinful qualities are abundant in every person who has ever lived. But, we can bear a resemblance to the second man because if we follow Him, we can join Him in Heaven with bodies made of perfect Heavenly things. Our bodies will change from what decays to what doesn't decay. Sin gives death its sting, and the way God created things gives sin its power, but He gave us a way to turn death into victory through Jesus Christ. So don't forget that and let people throw you off the foundation. Always do the work the Lord has given you to the best of your abilities. You should know that the work you do for the Lord is not useless.
Paul then takes time to remind the Church at Corinth that their faith is based on the fact that Jesus came back to life. He says the most important doctrines of the church are 1) that Christ dies on the cross to cleanse us of our sins as scripture says, 2) He was put in a tomb, which is important to show that He really was dead because you don't put living people into tombs, 3) He was brought back to life on the third day in accordance to scripture, and 4) He appeared to Peter, the disciples, 500 others, James, all the apostles, and finally to Paul himself. This is showing that hundreds of people professed that they saw Jesus after He had been killed even though all who did were facing threats of execution. Paul even says that some of them had died at that point. Paul compares himself to an aborted fetus who now has been given life. He was not living before because he was consumed in destroying the church. He calls himself the least of the apostles because he had been executing the church. Paul says without God's grace, he wouldn't be anything, especially what a strong Christian figure he became. He tells the church that the grace shown to him was not wasted. He worked with God's kindness to spread the word harder than all of the other apostles. No matter what background you may come from, God will accept you if you accept Jesus as you Lord and Savior. Not only that, but He will use you to better His kingdom, and to bring others closer to Him. You may have unique experiences that you can share with others struggling with similar things. You can be more driven to work harder to reach the unreached people. God will show you your gifts and talents, and you won't have to feel like the least among Jesus' followers.
Paul is very upset that some people in the church say that the dead will not come back to life. He says if that's true, then Jesus never came back to life, and therefore, our faith means nothing. Without the resurrection, the story of Jesus is no more than a prophet who did some cool stuff. What makes the story truly amazing and shows the Godliness behind it is the resurrection. If Jesus didn't rise from the grave, sin would still control us. Paul also tells us that Christ is only the first person who came back to life. We all have to die because of Adam and the original sin in Eden, but we all come back to life because of Jesus. God the Father has put Jesus in charge of the world. When the time comes, Jesus will hand the world back over to God, who will destroy it with all of the worldly rulers, authority, and power. Until then, Christ rules all things, except God. When God gave over the power of the world to Christ, Christ gave Himself to God the Father. Paul says two more things in the last paragraph. One is that we all face danger everyday when we do what God has called us to do, speak with the unbelievers. Spending too much time with just nonbelievers and not spending anytime in fellowship with other believers causes us to begin to fall away from God. Adversely there are still people who have never heard of Jesus, and that is not right. We should not rest until everyone knows about Christ and what He did for us, as we are called to do in the Great Commission.
Paul addresses how people try to reject the thought of coming back to life. People may say that it is impossible because there is no way that our bodies can come back when they decay. Paul calls these people fools, and he says that a seed must be dead before it can be planted. When it is planted, it does not yet look like a plant. In the same way, on Earth we are the seeds still living in the plant that is Jesus Christ. Then we will die and be planted, but in an instant, we will take to our plant form, our perfect Heavenly bodies. Now, we die weak and lackluster, but our Heavenly bodies will be strong and full of splendor. Paul quotes scripture talking about Adam and a prophesy for Jesus that says the first man came from Earth and the second from Heaven. The man from Earth was made of Earth and dirt, and in the end, he would decay. The second man was from Heaven and made of Heavenly things. He did not decay, but rose again to be in Heaven. All people today bear a resemblance to Adam, made of Earth and dirt. All of the unholy and sinful qualities are abundant in every person who has ever lived. But, we can bear a resemblance to the second man because if we follow Him, we can join Him in Heaven with bodies made of perfect Heavenly things. Our bodies will change from what decays to what doesn't decay. Sin gives death its sting, and the way God created things gives sin its power, but He gave us a way to turn death into victory through Jesus Christ. So don't forget that and let people throw you off the foundation. Always do the work the Lord has given you to the best of your abilities. You should know that the work you do for the Lord is not useless.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
1 Corinthians 14
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+14/
Paul says that we should all pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but to especially seek the gift of interpreting what God has said. If people speak in tongues, it is usually a personal way of connecting to God. That can be a very good thing, but it won't help better the church. People who can speak the word of God to the church, and people who can interpret tongues, are the best at helping advance the church. Paul says he hopes everyone can experience speaking in tongues because it is a great way of connecting to God (according to Paul. I personally have never experienced this, but it sounds cool!), but even more so, he hopes that we all can speak God's will to people to help advance the church. Paul compares speaking in tongues to an instrument that plays only the same note over and over again. No one will know what tune is being played. In the same way, if someone speaks in a language unknown to those around him, no one will know what to make of it. Paul uses this as an example that when we receive our spiritual gifts, we should find the way to excel at them. People are much more responsive to excellence backed by character. That is how we should lead our lives. We should no lead with, "I'm a Christian. I art holier than thou!" If we lead with excellence backed by character, then people will be much more responsive to talking about faith. Paul says to make the most of speaking tongues, we must pray with our minds as well as our spirits. You could say the best prayer in the world in tongues by praying with just the spirit, but then no one would understand it or gain anything from it. Paul says he would rather speak five words that make sense to those around him than ten thousand that don't. Paul quotes the Bible when the Lord says that He will speak to those who speak in tongues, but they will not listen, so we must all be careful to listen to what the Lord says. Paul says that speaking in tongues is a sign for the unbelievers, not believers, and prophecy is for the believers, not the unbelievers. We must first see that when we gather as believers, we talk about where the church is going, and we use tongues as a sign of God.
I don't know what to make of the second half of this chapter...
Paul says that we should all pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but to especially seek the gift of interpreting what God has said. If people speak in tongues, it is usually a personal way of connecting to God. That can be a very good thing, but it won't help better the church. People who can speak the word of God to the church, and people who can interpret tongues, are the best at helping advance the church. Paul says he hopes everyone can experience speaking in tongues because it is a great way of connecting to God (according to Paul. I personally have never experienced this, but it sounds cool!), but even more so, he hopes that we all can speak God's will to people to help advance the church. Paul compares speaking in tongues to an instrument that plays only the same note over and over again. No one will know what tune is being played. In the same way, if someone speaks in a language unknown to those around him, no one will know what to make of it. Paul uses this as an example that when we receive our spiritual gifts, we should find the way to excel at them. People are much more responsive to excellence backed by character. That is how we should lead our lives. We should no lead with, "I'm a Christian. I art holier than thou!" If we lead with excellence backed by character, then people will be much more responsive to talking about faith. Paul says to make the most of speaking tongues, we must pray with our minds as well as our spirits. You could say the best prayer in the world in tongues by praying with just the spirit, but then no one would understand it or gain anything from it. Paul says he would rather speak five words that make sense to those around him than ten thousand that don't. Paul quotes the Bible when the Lord says that He will speak to those who speak in tongues, but they will not listen, so we must all be careful to listen to what the Lord says. Paul says that speaking in tongues is a sign for the unbelievers, not believers, and prophecy is for the believers, not the unbelievers. We must first see that when we gather as believers, we talk about where the church is going, and we use tongues as a sign of God.
I don't know what to make of the second half of this chapter...
1 Corinthians 13
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+13/
Paul starts by naming gifts that he talked about in the last chapter, and he says that even if he was perfect at one of these things, if he didn't have love, it wouldn't matter. All of the spiritual gifts go towards people, so if you don't love all people, then your spiritual gifts can't help you. Paul continues by describing what this pure love that is necessary to make spiritual gifts work is about. He says love is patient: if you don't see your spiritual gifts right away, if you don't get through to someone you minister to in the first meeting, even if you help the poor and don't get the chance to minister, don't fret. Be patient, and your time will come. Love is kind: you won't only do good deeds when the time arises, but you should go looking for what good deeds you can do. It does not envy: if we truly show love to another person, we will not see their accomplishments or what they have as something we must have. We should love that person enough that we see them for who they are and nothing else matters. It does not boast and it is not proud: if you are showing love to people, you should not boast about it or make it known what you are doing. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-serving: who are we really showing love for? It is not easily angered: when someone wrongs us, as hard as it may be, we must love them enough to move past that wrong and forgive. It keeps no records of wrongs: forgive and forget. It always protects: we should fight for those we love, trusts: don't be wary of those around you, hopes: looks for the best that can come, and preserves: it shouldn't go away for any reason but exist forever. Love will never fail. In heaven, prophesies won't matter because they are of how we should live on Earth. It won't matter if we could speak in tongues because there will be but one language in heaven. Knowledge here is incomplete anyway, and we will all fully have perfect knowledge of God when we get to heaven. All of our spiritual gifts are like the knowledge of children versus grown men. When we get to heaven, we will put them aside, but what we carry over is faith, hope, and love. And love is the most important.
Paul starts by naming gifts that he talked about in the last chapter, and he says that even if he was perfect at one of these things, if he didn't have love, it wouldn't matter. All of the spiritual gifts go towards people, so if you don't love all people, then your spiritual gifts can't help you. Paul continues by describing what this pure love that is necessary to make spiritual gifts work is about. He says love is patient: if you don't see your spiritual gifts right away, if you don't get through to someone you minister to in the first meeting, even if you help the poor and don't get the chance to minister, don't fret. Be patient, and your time will come. Love is kind: you won't only do good deeds when the time arises, but you should go looking for what good deeds you can do. It does not envy: if we truly show love to another person, we will not see their accomplishments or what they have as something we must have. We should love that person enough that we see them for who they are and nothing else matters. It does not boast and it is not proud: if you are showing love to people, you should not boast about it or make it known what you are doing. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-serving: who are we really showing love for? It is not easily angered: when someone wrongs us, as hard as it may be, we must love them enough to move past that wrong and forgive. It keeps no records of wrongs: forgive and forget. It always protects: we should fight for those we love, trusts: don't be wary of those around you, hopes: looks for the best that can come, and preserves: it shouldn't go away for any reason but exist forever. Love will never fail. In heaven, prophesies won't matter because they are of how we should live on Earth. It won't matter if we could speak in tongues because there will be but one language in heaven. Knowledge here is incomplete anyway, and we will all fully have perfect knowledge of God when we get to heaven. All of our spiritual gifts are like the knowledge of children versus grown men. When we get to heaven, we will put them aside, but what we carry over is faith, hope, and love. And love is the most important.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
1 Corinthians 12
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+12/
Paul says that the Holy Spirit has many gifts to give to Jesus' followers to help them spread the word. Each person has different gifts, but it's the same spirit that gives them .These Spiritual Gifts, as they are known, are given for the good of every one. Some people speak with wisdom, which means they have some supernatural message about Christ from the Holy Spirit. There's the word of knowledge which many theologians say that this is the knowledge of the Christian doctrine that can be used to teach others. The same spirit can give courageous faith which entails the kind of faith that is so strong that people can literally heal the sick through prayer, cast out demons, and survive martyrdom without flinching (like the Apostle John who was put in boiling peanut oil). Some have the ability to heal, and they can heal the hurtings of others that come in any way, shape, or form. Other people can even perform miracles, like those Jesus did while He was on Earth. Some people can discern what the spirits, good or evil, are saying, and also links to another gift called prophecy because these people interpret that prophecy and know if it has come from God. The spirit gives people the ability to speak in tongues, which is when people start speaking languages that they have not learned because the Spirit is telling them what to say. This is usually recorded as other human languages, but some scholars think that this may extend to include unlearned heavenly languages. Other people are given the ability to interpret what is said in tongues. This is important in public settings, especially since Paul believed everything said in a churchly setting had to make some sort of sense. Paul compares each person with their unique gift to the parts of a body. Each body part has it's own different function, but they come together to form the whole body. If different body parts thought they weren't part of the body because their functions didn't match those of the parts around them, they would still be part of the body. We shouldn't be bummed if we see that our spiritual gifts are different from those around us. That's a good thing because if we all had the same gifts, then we could only reach some people, or take care of some of the tasks that God has set before us. If one of us is suffering, then we should all feel the pain because we are of one tight-knit body, but if one of us is praised, we should all rejoice. Some Spiritual Gifts may seem better than others, but God gave you the spiritual gifts He did for a reason, and Paul is encouraging and even tells us what we should do...
Paul says that the Holy Spirit has many gifts to give to Jesus' followers to help them spread the word. Each person has different gifts, but it's the same spirit that gives them .These Spiritual Gifts, as they are known, are given for the good of every one. Some people speak with wisdom, which means they have some supernatural message about Christ from the Holy Spirit. There's the word of knowledge which many theologians say that this is the knowledge of the Christian doctrine that can be used to teach others. The same spirit can give courageous faith which entails the kind of faith that is so strong that people can literally heal the sick through prayer, cast out demons, and survive martyrdom without flinching (like the Apostle John who was put in boiling peanut oil). Some have the ability to heal, and they can heal the hurtings of others that come in any way, shape, or form. Other people can even perform miracles, like those Jesus did while He was on Earth. Some people can discern what the spirits, good or evil, are saying, and also links to another gift called prophecy because these people interpret that prophecy and know if it has come from God. The spirit gives people the ability to speak in tongues, which is when people start speaking languages that they have not learned because the Spirit is telling them what to say. This is usually recorded as other human languages, but some scholars think that this may extend to include unlearned heavenly languages. Other people are given the ability to interpret what is said in tongues. This is important in public settings, especially since Paul believed everything said in a churchly setting had to make some sort of sense. Paul compares each person with their unique gift to the parts of a body. Each body part has it's own different function, but they come together to form the whole body. If different body parts thought they weren't part of the body because their functions didn't match those of the parts around them, they would still be part of the body. We shouldn't be bummed if we see that our spiritual gifts are different from those around us. That's a good thing because if we all had the same gifts, then we could only reach some people, or take care of some of the tasks that God has set before us. If one of us is suffering, then we should all feel the pain because we are of one tight-knit body, but if one of us is praised, we should all rejoice. Some Spiritual Gifts may seem better than others, but God gave you the spiritual gifts He did for a reason, and Paul is encouraging and even tells us what we should do...
Sunday, October 9, 2011
1 Corinthians 11
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+11/
Paul says that he has heard the members of the Church of Corinth gather in times to eat, get drunk and socialize in the church. And while it is good to socialize with other Christians, it is not in the place of the church to do things that do not bring glory to God. People in Corinth were gathering to create factions that divided the church. This hurt their purpose rather than helping it, but Paul says maybe it's a good thing so that they can scope out the true believers against those who lack genuine feelings. Paul says that we should not drink in a way that displeases God because we are drinking Jesus' blood. If you drink to get drunk, you are essentially disrespecting the blood of the one who died to save you. He also says that we must recognize the Lord's body when we eat. If we don't offer thanks before we eat, we are disrespecting the body of Jesus.
I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and did indeed skip the first part because I do not have all of the answers, even when the Holy Spirit is speaking to me and showing me things in new ways. Sorry if this entry is not very good.
Paul says that he has heard the members of the Church of Corinth gather in times to eat, get drunk and socialize in the church. And while it is good to socialize with other Christians, it is not in the place of the church to do things that do not bring glory to God. People in Corinth were gathering to create factions that divided the church. This hurt their purpose rather than helping it, but Paul says maybe it's a good thing so that they can scope out the true believers against those who lack genuine feelings. Paul says that we should not drink in a way that displeases God because we are drinking Jesus' blood. If you drink to get drunk, you are essentially disrespecting the blood of the one who died to save you. He also says that we must recognize the Lord's body when we eat. If we don't offer thanks before we eat, we are disrespecting the body of Jesus.
I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and did indeed skip the first part because I do not have all of the answers, even when the Holy Spirit is speaking to me and showing me things in new ways. Sorry if this entry is not very good.
1 Corinthians 10
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+10/
Paul tells the Church at Corinth that they need to learn from the mistakes the Israelites made when they were lost in the desert looking for the Promised Land. They were all following the cloud of God, eating the same food, and drinking the water of Christ that came through the rock, but God was not pleased with most of them; therefore, he killed them before they entered the promised land. We should not desire evil things like those who God killed had done. For example, many of the Israelites worshipped false gods, and when they did so, it turned into an orgy, so Paul uses this time to reiterate how bad sexual sin is. This display angered Him so much that He killed all of those who were involved. We shouldn't try to test the Lord as some of them did. This is not to say that we shouldn't question and study the word to find answers. God encourages that kind of test because He gets to show you how cool He really is. Paul is talking about testing to see if the Lord really is more powerful than us because He is, and He is not afraid to show it. A huge piece is that Paul says not to complain like some of them did. Think about how much you and other people complain. It's just a part of everyday life. But now think about how far it's gotten you: nowhere. God doesn't like when we just complain about the things we can't change. He wants us to pray about and act on the things that we can. I find the next part of what Paul says very encouraging. He says that there is no temptation that we will experience that is unusual for people. That means that there are people out there now who have gone through the same things that you have, and probably more people than you may think. God will also not tempt you beyond what you can resist. This is good. As hard as some of our temptations may seem, God knows that we have the power (with His help) to resist each of them. That is all very encouraging, but there is a big BUT after that. Paul says that sometimes the way of escape is through endurance ,which means we have to live through what the world throughs at us until it finally passes. And the temptations will come on most likely a daily basis.
Paul warns against worshipping false gods. He says that when we bless a drink, we are sharing in Christ's blood, and when we bless our food, we are sharing in Christ's body. Paul says it may be dangerous to eat or drink things sacrificed to a false god because those things are sacrificed to demons, and nonbelievers shouldn't see believers eating things sacrificed to demons. Paul asks why we would even want to associate with false gods. Do we want to make God jealous? Do we want to prove that we are stronger than Him? That's ridiculous! Christians may be allowed to do anything, but it doesn't mean that everything is helpful for us. Paul says that we should only do things that we can do with a clear conscience. It's true that everything on Earth is the Lord's and it was created by Him. If we go to dinner with a nonbeliever, we should eat anything that person serves with a clear conscience, but if they serve something sacrificed to a false god, we should avoid it because of the other person's conscience. If the other person honestly believes in this idol, then they would judge the believer who disrespected it, so why put ourselves through that situation and turn someone off of Christianity? Paul says something I think is incredibly important: DO EVERYTHING YOU DO TO BRING GLORY TO THE LORD.If you live this out, it will change the way you do everything: study, work, even take out the garbage. Do it all to bring glory to the Lord.
Paul tells the Church at Corinth that they need to learn from the mistakes the Israelites made when they were lost in the desert looking for the Promised Land. They were all following the cloud of God, eating the same food, and drinking the water of Christ that came through the rock, but God was not pleased with most of them; therefore, he killed them before they entered the promised land. We should not desire evil things like those who God killed had done. For example, many of the Israelites worshipped false gods, and when they did so, it turned into an orgy, so Paul uses this time to reiterate how bad sexual sin is. This display angered Him so much that He killed all of those who were involved. We shouldn't try to test the Lord as some of them did. This is not to say that we shouldn't question and study the word to find answers. God encourages that kind of test because He gets to show you how cool He really is. Paul is talking about testing to see if the Lord really is more powerful than us because He is, and He is not afraid to show it. A huge piece is that Paul says not to complain like some of them did. Think about how much you and other people complain. It's just a part of everyday life. But now think about how far it's gotten you: nowhere. God doesn't like when we just complain about the things we can't change. He wants us to pray about and act on the things that we can. I find the next part of what Paul says very encouraging. He says that there is no temptation that we will experience that is unusual for people. That means that there are people out there now who have gone through the same things that you have, and probably more people than you may think. God will also not tempt you beyond what you can resist. This is good. As hard as some of our temptations may seem, God knows that we have the power (with His help) to resist each of them. That is all very encouraging, but there is a big BUT after that. Paul says that sometimes the way of escape is through endurance ,which means we have to live through what the world throughs at us until it finally passes. And the temptations will come on most likely a daily basis.
Paul warns against worshipping false gods. He says that when we bless a drink, we are sharing in Christ's blood, and when we bless our food, we are sharing in Christ's body. Paul says it may be dangerous to eat or drink things sacrificed to a false god because those things are sacrificed to demons, and nonbelievers shouldn't see believers eating things sacrificed to demons. Paul asks why we would even want to associate with false gods. Do we want to make God jealous? Do we want to prove that we are stronger than Him? That's ridiculous! Christians may be allowed to do anything, but it doesn't mean that everything is helpful for us. Paul says that we should only do things that we can do with a clear conscience. It's true that everything on Earth is the Lord's and it was created by Him. If we go to dinner with a nonbeliever, we should eat anything that person serves with a clear conscience, but if they serve something sacrificed to a false god, we should avoid it because of the other person's conscience. If the other person honestly believes in this idol, then they would judge the believer who disrespected it, so why put ourselves through that situation and turn someone off of Christianity? Paul says something I think is incredibly important: DO EVERYTHING YOU DO TO BRING GLORY TO THE LORD.If you live this out, it will change the way you do everything: study, work, even take out the garbage. Do it all to bring glory to the Lord.
Friday, October 7, 2011
1 Corinthians 9
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+9/
Paul makes an example of himself. He says that God gave every man certain rights when He sent Jesus to the cross, but Paul hasn't taken any of them. Paul isn't taking his wife around (and as we earlier learned doesn't have or want one) like the other apostles do or ask for anything from the churches with which he shares the Good News. He says that he doesn't want those rights because it would turn his words into bragging, and he says he can't brag about something that he's obligated to do. He said it would be worse for him if he didn't spread the Good News. If he does so willingly, he receives a reward, and if he does so unwillingly, he is simply doing his duty. His reward, according to Paul, is that he gets to spread the Good News. That's how good it really is that it is a reward in and of itself to spread it free of charge. We all have a place in God's plan, like Paul did. We should complete our part free of charge. It should be reward enough to know that we are playing our part in God's master plan.
Paul says that as he is traveling around, he becomes like those around him in order to win them over. He says he takes on their teachings, even though he is no subject to them because he is only subject to Christ's teachings. Paul compares spiritual journeys to a race. Everyone should run their race like they are trying to win. Those who run literal, worldly races, run their hardest just to receive a temporary prize, but those who run to win in the spiritual race will win an everlasting prize. We should do this even if things look hopeless. Don't ever give up.
Paul makes an example of himself. He says that God gave every man certain rights when He sent Jesus to the cross, but Paul hasn't taken any of them. Paul isn't taking his wife around (and as we earlier learned doesn't have or want one) like the other apostles do or ask for anything from the churches with which he shares the Good News. He says that he doesn't want those rights because it would turn his words into bragging, and he says he can't brag about something that he's obligated to do. He said it would be worse for him if he didn't spread the Good News. If he does so willingly, he receives a reward, and if he does so unwillingly, he is simply doing his duty. His reward, according to Paul, is that he gets to spread the Good News. That's how good it really is that it is a reward in and of itself to spread it free of charge. We all have a place in God's plan, like Paul did. We should complete our part free of charge. It should be reward enough to know that we are playing our part in God's master plan.
Paul says that as he is traveling around, he becomes like those around him in order to win them over. He says he takes on their teachings, even though he is no subject to them because he is only subject to Christ's teachings. Paul compares spiritual journeys to a race. Everyone should run their race like they are trying to win. Those who run literal, worldly races, run their hardest just to receive a temporary prize, but those who run to win in the spiritual race will win an everlasting prize. We should do this even if things look hopeless. Don't ever give up.
1 Corinthians 8
Chapter: http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+8/
Paul writes in his letter to the Church at Corinth that people all have knowledge of some kind, but that knowledge makes them arrogant; however, love makes builds them up. If we think we know something, we still have a lot to learn. Just think about the world in the grand scheme of things, God spoke and the world came into existence. Even as modern science tells us more and more about how He may have done all of this, there is still so much that we do not know. On the plus side, if we love God, we are known to Him. There were people around Greece at that time (and people around the world today) who believe that there are many gods and many lords, but as Christians, we know that God the Father is the only God, Jesus Christ is the only Lord, and everything came into existence through Him; therefore we live because of Him. But when some people eat foods offered to false gods, they believe that they are sinning against these gods, and they feel guilty. Food will not affect our relationship with God. It doesn't matter if we eat the food or don't, nothing changes. Paul does say, however, that we should not eat the food for the false gods if a believer of little faith sees us and thinks it's sinful. If that happens, the other believer may start to sin. Now, today, there are still actions such as this that don't affect our relationship with God, which others may see as sinful. If we do these acts, we must be careful not to show weak believers that it is okay to sin.
Paul writes in his letter to the Church at Corinth that people all have knowledge of some kind, but that knowledge makes them arrogant; however, love makes builds them up. If we think we know something, we still have a lot to learn. Just think about the world in the grand scheme of things, God spoke and the world came into existence. Even as modern science tells us more and more about how He may have done all of this, there is still so much that we do not know. On the plus side, if we love God, we are known to Him. There were people around Greece at that time (and people around the world today) who believe that there are many gods and many lords, but as Christians, we know that God the Father is the only God, Jesus Christ is the only Lord, and everything came into existence through Him; therefore we live because of Him. But when some people eat foods offered to false gods, they believe that they are sinning against these gods, and they feel guilty. Food will not affect our relationship with God. It doesn't matter if we eat the food or don't, nothing changes. Paul does say, however, that we should not eat the food for the false gods if a believer of little faith sees us and thinks it's sinful. If that happens, the other believer may start to sin. Now, today, there are still actions such as this that don't affect our relationship with God, which others may see as sinful. If we do these acts, we must be careful not to show weak believers that it is okay to sin.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
1 Corinthians 7
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+7/
Back when Paul wrote this letter, it was considered a good thing for men not to get married, but he says that God woud rather we do get married so that we can avoid sexual sins. Because each man should have his own wife and each woman should have her own husband. When people get married, they are giving control of their bodies over to their spouse. He says that married couples should not hold back from each other unless they intend to do so to concentrate on prayers, and they should set a time in which to do this. He does say that this is not a command but Paul's suggestion so that people can't be tempted due to the lack of sex in the marriage. Paul says not to despise your time being single but to view it as time in which to serve the Lord with no distractions. He also states that only people with the right gifts should get married. The Bible says marriage is unselfishly giving yourself over to another person. Some people aren't made for that and should stay single unless, Paul writes, that sexual desires would burn them up. Paul says that people should get married if they think they would struggle with sexual sins. The Lord says that people should not get divorced, and if they do, they should stay single or get back together with their spouse. The Bible does say elsewhere, however, that if your spouse has an affair, you can divorce him or her. Paul then adds his own beliefs: that if a believer marries a nonbeliever, they should stay together as long as the nonbeliever cares to, and if the nonbeliever leaves, God's marriage vows had not affected them anyways. But if the nonbeliever is married to the believer, the nonbeliever becomes holy through the spouse. In that way, their children are holy. Paul goes on to say that we should live the life God gave us when He called us. He talks about circumcision and that the act or lack there of means nothing. He also says that if you were a slave you should gain worldly freedom because the worldly freemen are God's slaves, and we should not be slaves to those here on Earth. Paul believes that staying single is the better way for Christians to live. BUT HE DOES NOT SAY THAT LIVING SINGLE IS MORE HOLY THAN GETTING MARRIED. This is just Paul's belief. Paul then says to remember that Jesus could come back at anytime, so if we are married, not to let that consume us because we have to remember what should be most important in this life. Paul sticks very true in his belief that people should remain single because: a) there are less things in the way to distract you from God, and b) (as a very complicated scenario I read) If you are being tortured for your faith, you will never renounce it from your own anguish, but if you see your wife or your children in anguish, you may renounce it. Therefore, staying single would cause you to avoid these things. Do I think everything Paul said is spot on? Yes and no. I see why he thinks being single is good, and we should all cherish our time being single because we can be with God without that distraction, but there is also something amazing about being married that I think can also be important for Christians.
Back when Paul wrote this letter, it was considered a good thing for men not to get married, but he says that God woud rather we do get married so that we can avoid sexual sins. Because each man should have his own wife and each woman should have her own husband. When people get married, they are giving control of their bodies over to their spouse. He says that married couples should not hold back from each other unless they intend to do so to concentrate on prayers, and they should set a time in which to do this. He does say that this is not a command but Paul's suggestion so that people can't be tempted due to the lack of sex in the marriage. Paul says not to despise your time being single but to view it as time in which to serve the Lord with no distractions. He also states that only people with the right gifts should get married. The Bible says marriage is unselfishly giving yourself over to another person. Some people aren't made for that and should stay single unless, Paul writes, that sexual desires would burn them up. Paul says that people should get married if they think they would struggle with sexual sins. The Lord says that people should not get divorced, and if they do, they should stay single or get back together with their spouse. The Bible does say elsewhere, however, that if your spouse has an affair, you can divorce him or her. Paul then adds his own beliefs: that if a believer marries a nonbeliever, they should stay together as long as the nonbeliever cares to, and if the nonbeliever leaves, God's marriage vows had not affected them anyways. But if the nonbeliever is married to the believer, the nonbeliever becomes holy through the spouse. In that way, their children are holy. Paul goes on to say that we should live the life God gave us when He called us. He talks about circumcision and that the act or lack there of means nothing. He also says that if you were a slave you should gain worldly freedom because the worldly freemen are God's slaves, and we should not be slaves to those here on Earth. Paul believes that staying single is the better way for Christians to live. BUT HE DOES NOT SAY THAT LIVING SINGLE IS MORE HOLY THAN GETTING MARRIED. This is just Paul's belief. Paul then says to remember that Jesus could come back at anytime, so if we are married, not to let that consume us because we have to remember what should be most important in this life. Paul sticks very true in his belief that people should remain single because: a) there are less things in the way to distract you from God, and b) (as a very complicated scenario I read) If you are being tortured for your faith, you will never renounce it from your own anguish, but if you see your wife or your children in anguish, you may renounce it. Therefore, staying single would cause you to avoid these things. Do I think everything Paul said is spot on? Yes and no. I see why he thinks being single is good, and we should all cherish our time being single because we can be with God without that distraction, but there is also something amazing about being married that I think can also be important for Christians.
1 Corinthians 6
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+6/
Paul tells the Church at Corinth that they should not go to courts of nonbelievers to settle disputes between believers. There should be at least one person in the church that can help them settle their problems. They should see from the teachings of Jesus that they can see they have been wronged and accept it instead of turning around and rewronging that person. Even today, true believers should love God so much that they can't imagine doing something so bad to someone else that would require them to go to court. If you are wronged in a way brought up in the US legal system (or other free countries for that matter), then you should take that person to court because they have left the presence of God. Additionally, Paul says that the world will have defeated us if we are so wrapped up in putting lawsuits against one another. How can we be the example for the world if we are behaving in such an uncivil way. He also says that evil people will not inherit the kingdom of God. We should stick to His teachings, and try not to sin, and if we do, beg forgiveness from God and any other party we may have hurt.
Paul moves on to talk about sexual sins. He says that we should not sin sexually because we are one body with Christ. When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, He becomes a part of us. When two people have sex, they are also considered to be one; therefore you are sinning against yourself when you commit sexual sins. Paul even says that other sins don't affect us in the way that sexual sins do. We are a temple for the Holy Spirit since He is housed in us. We are not our own "property." Christ paid for us with His life. We should only bring glory to God with our bodies. Two things need clarifying. One, God is not against sex. God created it, but He created it as something for married couples to enjoy together. Two, God doesn't give us rules like these to take away our fun just to see if we really want to follow Him. He sets out these rules to protect us. By telling us not to commit sexual sins, He is saving us from potential STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Additionally, if we save ourselves for marriage, that first time we are with our spouse is that much more special.
Paul tells the Church at Corinth that they should not go to courts of nonbelievers to settle disputes between believers. There should be at least one person in the church that can help them settle their problems. They should see from the teachings of Jesus that they can see they have been wronged and accept it instead of turning around and rewronging that person. Even today, true believers should love God so much that they can't imagine doing something so bad to someone else that would require them to go to court. If you are wronged in a way brought up in the US legal system (or other free countries for that matter), then you should take that person to court because they have left the presence of God. Additionally, Paul says that the world will have defeated us if we are so wrapped up in putting lawsuits against one another. How can we be the example for the world if we are behaving in such an uncivil way. He also says that evil people will not inherit the kingdom of God. We should stick to His teachings, and try not to sin, and if we do, beg forgiveness from God and any other party we may have hurt.
Paul moves on to talk about sexual sins. He says that we should not sin sexually because we are one body with Christ. When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, He becomes a part of us. When two people have sex, they are also considered to be one; therefore you are sinning against yourself when you commit sexual sins. Paul even says that other sins don't affect us in the way that sexual sins do. We are a temple for the Holy Spirit since He is housed in us. We are not our own "property." Christ paid for us with His life. We should only bring glory to God with our bodies. Two things need clarifying. One, God is not against sex. God created it, but He created it as something for married couples to enjoy together. Two, God doesn't give us rules like these to take away our fun just to see if we really want to follow Him. He sets out these rules to protect us. By telling us not to commit sexual sins, He is saving us from potential STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Additionally, if we save ourselves for marriage, that first time we are with our spouse is that much more special.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
1 Corinthians 5
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+5/
Paul condemns the church for sexual sins that some of the members have committed. One of the main problems, besides the fact that they are choosing to live a life of nothing but sinning and that is not how we are called to live, is that the world is always watching the church, waiting for it to mess up, so we shouldn't give the world any evidence to use against us. Paul says that those who cause the problem must change or the church needs to remove those members until they clean up their acts. Paul says that he previously told the church not to associate with those who committed sexual sins, curse, get drunk or worship false gods, but he says he was not talking about non-believers because then there would be no one left. He says he was only talking about believers who do such things because they are false in their ways, and they aim only to bring down the church.
Paul condemns the church for sexual sins that some of the members have committed. One of the main problems, besides the fact that they are choosing to live a life of nothing but sinning and that is not how we are called to live, is that the world is always watching the church, waiting for it to mess up, so we shouldn't give the world any evidence to use against us. Paul says that those who cause the problem must change or the church needs to remove those members until they clean up their acts. Paul says that he previously told the church not to associate with those who committed sexual sins, curse, get drunk or worship false gods, but he says he was not talking about non-believers because then there would be no one left. He says he was only talking about believers who do such things because they are false in their ways, and they aim only to bring down the church.
1 Corinthians 4
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+4/
Paul says people should think of Christians as servants of Christ and managers entrusted with God's mysteries. We take on the purpose of serving Jesus' purpose when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. We choose to serve what He gives to us. Paul says managers must be trustworthy, so we must be trustworthy with God's mysteries. It is not our job as humans to judge people and things on Earth nor to be judged by them. In the end, God will judge each person, and He will see their motives clearly and praise them. We should not try to go beyond what is written in the scriptures because that is where we place one follower against another. We should not view ourselves as better than others because God gave us everything that we have, so we shouldn't brag about what we have as if it weren't a gift. We didn't earn it, it was a gift. Paul says he feels like the apostles such as himself are last in line to receive from Christ. The church at Corinth has wealth and power at this time, and Paul gets constantly arrested, has no money, and gets treated with great disrespect. Each person has a different part to play in the mission of God, and when we face God at the end of time, we want to be able to say that we completed what we were supposed to, no matter what that may mean for us here on Earth. Paul says that he only tells the church this to further instruct them. Paul sends Timothy to the church at Corinth. Timothy is a close follower and friend of Paul, and he serves Paul and Jesus very well without ever questioning what is asked of him. Paul says that some people in the church may become arrogant since Paul doesn't plan to go back for a while, but if that happens, God may choose to send him back sooner. God is powerful, not just full of talk.
Paul says people should think of Christians as servants of Christ and managers entrusted with God's mysteries. We take on the purpose of serving Jesus' purpose when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. We choose to serve what He gives to us. Paul says managers must be trustworthy, so we must be trustworthy with God's mysteries. It is not our job as humans to judge people and things on Earth nor to be judged by them. In the end, God will judge each person, and He will see their motives clearly and praise them. We should not try to go beyond what is written in the scriptures because that is where we place one follower against another. We should not view ourselves as better than others because God gave us everything that we have, so we shouldn't brag about what we have as if it weren't a gift. We didn't earn it, it was a gift. Paul says he feels like the apostles such as himself are last in line to receive from Christ. The church at Corinth has wealth and power at this time, and Paul gets constantly arrested, has no money, and gets treated with great disrespect. Each person has a different part to play in the mission of God, and when we face God at the end of time, we want to be able to say that we completed what we were supposed to, no matter what that may mean for us here on Earth. Paul says that he only tells the church this to further instruct them. Paul sends Timothy to the church at Corinth. Timothy is a close follower and friend of Paul, and he serves Paul and Jesus very well without ever questioning what is asked of him. Paul says that some people in the church may become arrogant since Paul doesn't plan to go back for a while, but if that happens, God may choose to send him back sooner. God is powerful, not just full of talk.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
1 Corinthians 3
http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+3/
Paul tells the Corinthians that he couldn't talk to them like they were spiritual people because they still let their corrupt ways run them. He says he fed them milk because they weren't ready for solid food. We can all find places in our relationship with Christ where we can go deeper or be stronger. Luckily for us, there are always people ahead of us in the journey that can dumb it down for us and show us what to do. Paul tells the people that they should stop quarreling about whether they follow Paul or Apollos because both of them only did what God had commanded them to do, so He should receive the glory. Paul planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but only God could make it grow. When we talk to people about God, we could be the first person who talks to them, or we could be another person along their way to discovering who Jesus really is. Regardless, if they come the Christ, it is not by anything the people in their lives have done because only God can bring people to Himself. All those along the way have the same goal: to see another person join the family of God, but only God can fully complete this mission. "We are God's coworkers." That's pretty cool. We are working alongside the creator of the universe to fulfill His perfect plan. Paul talks about how some people will build on Jesus' original foundation for the church in gold, silver and jewels. These people are teaching purely what Jesus taught without adding any corruption of their own. Others build with wood, hay, or straw. They have the basic foundation correct, but their teachings will not withstand the fires of hell. Anything built on any foundation other than Jesus is built on sand and will not last. We, as God's followers, are His temple, and His spirit lives in each of us. Those who teach us things against God will be destroyed. Paul again says not to try to gain wisdom in the world because the world's wisdom id foolishness to God.
Paul tells the Corinthians that he couldn't talk to them like they were spiritual people because they still let their corrupt ways run them. He says he fed them milk because they weren't ready for solid food. We can all find places in our relationship with Christ where we can go deeper or be stronger. Luckily for us, there are always people ahead of us in the journey that can dumb it down for us and show us what to do. Paul tells the people that they should stop quarreling about whether they follow Paul or Apollos because both of them only did what God had commanded them to do, so He should receive the glory. Paul planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but only God could make it grow. When we talk to people about God, we could be the first person who talks to them, or we could be another person along their way to discovering who Jesus really is. Regardless, if they come the Christ, it is not by anything the people in their lives have done because only God can bring people to Himself. All those along the way have the same goal: to see another person join the family of God, but only God can fully complete this mission. "We are God's coworkers." That's pretty cool. We are working alongside the creator of the universe to fulfill His perfect plan. Paul talks about how some people will build on Jesus' original foundation for the church in gold, silver and jewels. These people are teaching purely what Jesus taught without adding any corruption of their own. Others build with wood, hay, or straw. They have the basic foundation correct, but their teachings will not withstand the fires of hell. Anything built on any foundation other than Jesus is built on sand and will not last. We, as God's followers, are His temple, and His spirit lives in each of us. Those who teach us things against God will be destroyed. Paul again says not to try to gain wisdom in the world because the world's wisdom id foolishness to God.
1 Corinthians 2
Chapter 2 is a continuation of Chapter 1: http://www.esvbible.org/1+Corinthians+2/
Paul says that when he spoke to the church, he did not use a lot of intellect or things he created himself. He used one argument: that Christ Jesus was crucified and risen from the dead. That way, what the people based their faith on would not be human intellect but Godly proof. Paul does say that we use wisdom to talk to the mature, but it is not worldly wisdom, nor is it the wisdom of the rulers of the world. Paul is saying that we must grow spiritually in our walk with Christ. We can't stagnate or stay in one place. He also says that the rulers of this world don't know the wisdom he refers to or they would not have crucified Christ. The rulers at the time were not Christians, so they would not have undertand the intellect of God meant for those further in their relationship with Christ. Paul quotes scripture with a truly awe inspring verse that says no one alive can even imagine what God has prepared for those who truly love Him. Paul talks about an amazing gift we have received from God: the Holy Spirit. He asks who can know more about a person than their own spirit. God sent his own spirit to speak about Him to those who accept it. The Holy spirit delivers messages to us directly from God. But we can only explain spiritual things to those who have the spirit. People without the spirit will automatically reject the words of the spirit, but God is going to put people in front of us who have begun moving in the spirit, so that when we speak to them, they can evaluate what we say. This is why it is important to go out into the field and minister to people but also to have Christian friends. If we only go out to talk to those who are just beginning to feel the spirit, we will stagnate in our own walks, and we won't have people to talk about God's intellect with. "We have the mind of Christ."
Paul says that when he spoke to the church, he did not use a lot of intellect or things he created himself. He used one argument: that Christ Jesus was crucified and risen from the dead. That way, what the people based their faith on would not be human intellect but Godly proof. Paul does say that we use wisdom to talk to the mature, but it is not worldly wisdom, nor is it the wisdom of the rulers of the world. Paul is saying that we must grow spiritually in our walk with Christ. We can't stagnate or stay in one place. He also says that the rulers of this world don't know the wisdom he refers to or they would not have crucified Christ. The rulers at the time were not Christians, so they would not have undertand the intellect of God meant for those further in their relationship with Christ. Paul quotes scripture with a truly awe inspring verse that says no one alive can even imagine what God has prepared for those who truly love Him. Paul talks about an amazing gift we have received from God: the Holy Spirit. He asks who can know more about a person than their own spirit. God sent his own spirit to speak about Him to those who accept it. The Holy spirit delivers messages to us directly from God. But we can only explain spiritual things to those who have the spirit. People without the spirit will automatically reject the words of the spirit, but God is going to put people in front of us who have begun moving in the spirit, so that when we speak to them, they can evaluate what we say. This is why it is important to go out into the field and minister to people but also to have Christian friends. If we only go out to talk to those who are just beginning to feel the spirit, we will stagnate in our own walks, and we won't have people to talk about God's intellect with. "We have the mind of Christ."
1 Corinthians 1
Now that we've finished John, a good starting point, I want to move to the Corinthians: http://www.esvbible.org/search/1+corinthians+1/
Most of the books in the Bible written by Paul were originally written as letters to various churches. This letter and 2 Corinthians were written to the church at Corinth, Greece. In his greeting, Paul says that the letter is from him. At this point, Paul has converted to be a Christian though he started as a Christian persecutor. He is one of the greatest spreaders of the Jesus' message ever. He traveled around to help churches in need, talk to non-believers, and encourage the world even in his toughest times. He wrote a good bit of the New Testament. Paul says that he thinks God for the church at Corinth because they have grace with God. He says that they are such servants of Christ, that God has made them rich in ever way. If we have faith that Christ will provide for us, He will. Paul says that Christ will continue to give the church strength because they have verified what is written.
Paul tells that church that they should not quarrel among themselves. At this time, some people followed Paul, some followed Peter, and some others who were out there teaching, but Paul says Jesus Christ hasn't been divided, and His teachings are the only way, so how can there be division. He asks if Paul died on the cross for them or if they were baptized in Paul's name. He says he is glad he has baptized so few people, and those he has won't clim to be baptized in his name. Paul says Christ didn't send him to baptize but to spread the Good News. God had revealed His plan to Paul to Paul. Paul knew what Christ wanted him to do, and he went forth and did it. God still has plans for all people to this day. It is up to us to pray and listen so that He can reveal those plans to us for us to act on. Paul also says he didn't use intellectual arguments because that would make the cross of Christ lose it's meaning. The mind belongs to the person, but we can give over the heart to Christ. If we over think things, we lose touch with what Christ is telling and showing us. Put Christ in charge of your heart and think with your heart. Paul asks that hasn't Jesus turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense? He has already overturned the Old Testament, defied laws of physics and just the world in general, done things that don't make any possible sense, and risen others and Himself from the grave. Where does intellect put any of those things? I think that this line is incredibly HUGE: "God's nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength." God is so all powerful that even His weakest moments can be stronger than our strongest moments. God doesn't choose who the world would consider likely suspects to do His work. He chooses the weak to prove to the strong that they are not better; He chooses the lower class to show the rich that He is greater than their money; and He chooses those who are considered ordinary and meaningless to do His greatest works.
Most of the books in the Bible written by Paul were originally written as letters to various churches. This letter and 2 Corinthians were written to the church at Corinth, Greece. In his greeting, Paul says that the letter is from him. At this point, Paul has converted to be a Christian though he started as a Christian persecutor. He is one of the greatest spreaders of the Jesus' message ever. He traveled around to help churches in need, talk to non-believers, and encourage the world even in his toughest times. He wrote a good bit of the New Testament. Paul says that he thinks God for the church at Corinth because they have grace with God. He says that they are such servants of Christ, that God has made them rich in ever way. If we have faith that Christ will provide for us, He will. Paul says that Christ will continue to give the church strength because they have verified what is written.
Paul tells that church that they should not quarrel among themselves. At this time, some people followed Paul, some followed Peter, and some others who were out there teaching, but Paul says Jesus Christ hasn't been divided, and His teachings are the only way, so how can there be division. He asks if Paul died on the cross for them or if they were baptized in Paul's name. He says he is glad he has baptized so few people, and those he has won't clim to be baptized in his name. Paul says Christ didn't send him to baptize but to spread the Good News. God had revealed His plan to Paul to Paul. Paul knew what Christ wanted him to do, and he went forth and did it. God still has plans for all people to this day. It is up to us to pray and listen so that He can reveal those plans to us for us to act on. Paul also says he didn't use intellectual arguments because that would make the cross of Christ lose it's meaning. The mind belongs to the person, but we can give over the heart to Christ. If we over think things, we lose touch with what Christ is telling and showing us. Put Christ in charge of your heart and think with your heart. Paul asks that hasn't Jesus turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense? He has already overturned the Old Testament, defied laws of physics and just the world in general, done things that don't make any possible sense, and risen others and Himself from the grave. Where does intellect put any of those things? I think that this line is incredibly HUGE: "God's nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength." God is so all powerful that even His weakest moments can be stronger than our strongest moments. God doesn't choose who the world would consider likely suspects to do His work. He chooses the weak to prove to the strong that they are not better; He chooses the lower class to show the rich that He is greater than their money; and He chooses those who are considered ordinary and meaningless to do His greatest works.
John 21
http://www.esvbible.org/John+21/
Sorry, it's catch up time. Now, the conclusion of John...
Jesus shows Himself to the disciples a third time. Three is that holy number, but it is also enough times so that they do not question that what they have seen is true. The past two appearances, Jesus appeared to them on the Sabbath, and they were almost expecting Him. Jesus is not predictable though, so He shows up casually on a weekday this time. His unpredictability is also why the end of the world didn't happen back in May. God was saying that no one can predict what He is going to do; therefore, He saved the end of the world for later. The fact that the disciples were hanging out together shows that they enjoyed being around other believers. Today, we should spend time around other believers to fellowship or just talk and listen. When Jesus shows Himself to the disciples, they have just had a fruitless night fishing; Jesus shows Himself to His people when they are at a loss. After we feel like we've lost everything, He reminds us that He has not lost us. As the poem of footprints in the sand says, He is carrying us. When the disciples arrive on shore, they see that Jesus has prepared for them. He has a fire for them to warm and dry themselves, and food for them to eat.
Jesus later pulls Peter aside and asks Him three times if Peter loves Him. This is significant because earlier, Peter had denied Jesus three times. Jesus tells Peter to take care of His sheep, meaning that Peter needs to begin the church to look after the Christians after Jesus leaves. Jesus then foretells of Peter's death, and since John outlives all of the other disciples, he sees it happen. Peter sees that John is standing nearby and asks what will happen to Him. Jesus says that His plan for John is not Peter's concern, and that if He wants John to live until the second coming, John will. John then says a rumor was started that he was going to live until the second coming, but that is not quite what Jesus said. John finishes by saying the disciple whom Jesus loved recorded all of these things and we can take them to be true. He also says Jesus did many other amazing things, but if he had written them all down, there would not be enough space on earth to hold all of the books. When we look at all of the great things Jesus is still doing in our lives, and the lives of those around us and in the world in general, we can see this to be true.
Sorry, it's catch up time. Now, the conclusion of John...
Jesus shows Himself to the disciples a third time. Three is that holy number, but it is also enough times so that they do not question that what they have seen is true. The past two appearances, Jesus appeared to them on the Sabbath, and they were almost expecting Him. Jesus is not predictable though, so He shows up casually on a weekday this time. His unpredictability is also why the end of the world didn't happen back in May. God was saying that no one can predict what He is going to do; therefore, He saved the end of the world for later. The fact that the disciples were hanging out together shows that they enjoyed being around other believers. Today, we should spend time around other believers to fellowship or just talk and listen. When Jesus shows Himself to the disciples, they have just had a fruitless night fishing; Jesus shows Himself to His people when they are at a loss. After we feel like we've lost everything, He reminds us that He has not lost us. As the poem of footprints in the sand says, He is carrying us. When the disciples arrive on shore, they see that Jesus has prepared for them. He has a fire for them to warm and dry themselves, and food for them to eat.
Jesus later pulls Peter aside and asks Him three times if Peter loves Him. This is significant because earlier, Peter had denied Jesus three times. Jesus tells Peter to take care of His sheep, meaning that Peter needs to begin the church to look after the Christians after Jesus leaves. Jesus then foretells of Peter's death, and since John outlives all of the other disciples, he sees it happen. Peter sees that John is standing nearby and asks what will happen to Him. Jesus says that His plan for John is not Peter's concern, and that if He wants John to live until the second coming, John will. John then says a rumor was started that he was going to live until the second coming, but that is not quite what Jesus said. John finishes by saying the disciple whom Jesus loved recorded all of these things and we can take them to be true. He also says Jesus did many other amazing things, but if he had written them all down, there would not be enough space on earth to hold all of the books. When we look at all of the great things Jesus is still doing in our lives, and the lives of those around us and in the world in general, we can see this to be true.
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