Episode 228 - "Behold! It was very good!" - Genesis 1:27-31

Gen. 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Gen. 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

In our last episode, we reached the climax of this story of creation. Among all the living things that God created, humanity is most like God. The structure of the narrative supports this assessment. But the rest of the chapter explains what it means to be made in God’s image.

First of all, “male and female he created them” (v. 27) qualifies that both genders reflect the image of God. I take this to mean there is equality of the genders. That is not to say that the genders are the same. We’ll see evidence in a future episode that suggests differences between the genders.

In verse 28, “God blessed them” . . . and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it . . .” (v. 28a) As God wanted the living things in the seas and the birds of the air to multiply and fill their respective domains, mankind is also blessed by God and instructed to multiply and fill the earth. People have observed that the command to multiply has been the command of God most commonly obeyed. This will not be the last time we will hear (read) this command. Why does God want people to multiply and fill the earth? I think it’s so that they can be stewards of what God has made throughout the world. In other words, God has made humanity to be caretakers of this earth and all that it within it. (v. 28b)

Verses 29-30 reveal that God made plants to be the source of food for both humans and beasts. Aside from the diet that God had designed for animals and people, we see something significant. God is communicating his will to humanity. Once again, this God of the Bible is not an impersonal force but a cognizant being that made himself and his will known. God does not leave things to chance.

This section concludes with, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (v. 31) For each creative day, God assessed what he accomplished and saw that it was good. But when he assessed the whole creation, it was “very good.”

The God that made us created it all to be very good for us. The beginning of the grand story through the Bible tells us so much about this God. It’s important for us to think about these things. God communicates his will to mankind. God wants what is good for us. What God does reflects who God is. Let us take these things to heart as we continue through this story.

Episode 227 - "And then God said, 'Let us make man in our image'" - Genesis 1:24-26

Gen. 1:24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Gen. 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

As mentioned in the previous episode, the description for each day of creation is longer with more detail than the preceding days. The effect is to build the suspense for the climax.

Verse 24 begins the sixth day, and the description is long enough that I’m going to split my discussion into two episodes. First, have you noticed the repetition of “according to their kinds?” We first encountered this on day three of creation, when God created all plant life. The expression is also used for birds, sea creatures, and now land animals. What is the point? The point is that, according to Genesis, God designed species of plant and animal life. God is not to be brought down to some creative force that was simply an initial cause of life. God is an intentional creator with a creative imagination for the variety and complexity of the various living things that were made. Do I believe God could have made his living creatures able to adapt to changes and challenges for survival? Absolutely! That’s part of the creative design.

So the beginning of the sixth day was the creation of land animals and once again, “God saw that it was good.” (Gen 1:25) But God wasn’t finished.

Verse 26 begins with, “Then God said.” (Gen 1:26) So far, the story of each day has begun with “And God said.” This simple change in wording indicates that what follows is the climax and grand finale of what God will create. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’” is the whole verse. Out of everything God has created, the sun, moon, stars, sky, seas, and dry land, the pinnacle of his creation is humanity.

Consider verse 26 carefully. First, we notice that humanity most resembles God. This does not mean that God is actually some bearded old man in outer space as one might surmise from Michelangelo’s painting titled The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. People debate the exact nature in which humanity resembles God. But look at the context, and I think we’ll get a better idea.

God expresses that these creatures made in his likeness will have dominion over living creatures in the sky, waters, and dry land. God is putting them (us) in charge to take care of these other living things. God, as the Creator, has the authority over all creation and demonstrates that authority by naming it as he wishes. But when he creates humanity, he says, “Let them have dominion.”

There’s is a lot more said about the creation of humans that we’ll look at next week. But for now, ask yourself how that makes you feel that God has entrusted you to take care of other creatures. What does that say about God’s value for you?

Episode 226 - "And God saw that it was good" - Genesis 1:6-23

Gen. 1:6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Gen. 1:9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Gen. 1:11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Gen. 1:14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

Gen. 1:20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

This may be the longest section of Scripture I’ve handled on one blog and podcast session. It’s not that we couldn’t say a lot about each day of Creation. But my intent is to not miss the forest for looking so closely at the trees.

In our last episode, we addressed how, in good story fashion, God resolved the problem of darkness over the formless and void earth. God spoke light into existence. This pattern continues through each event of Creation. God’s word has power.

As I read this section, did you notice that according to this story, God created light givers after He created light? Interesting. In fact, according to this story, it’s not until the fourth day that God created the Sun, Moon, and the stars. Some scholars have pointed out that the story is told to emphasize God creating the spheres of Creation: the heavens, the dry land, and the waters in the first three days of Creation and then filling each of them on the fourth through the sixth days.

The question I want you to consider is, “What is happening in this story that is important for us to understand?” One clue is the repetition that occurs throughout this narrative. Did you notice the repetition of the phrase, “And God saw that it was good?”

That tells us something about God’s character, doesn’t it? It reveals that God will not miss a detail and wants this creation to be perfectly suitable for the living things within it.

There is some more repetition. The word “rule” is repeatedly used to describe a function of the greater and lesser lights that rule over day and night, respectively. We will see this term more often very soon. I find it fascinating that God assigns things to rule over other things. It’s an essential theme throughout the Scriptures.

The final observation I want to make of this text concerns God’s action after He created sea creatures and birds. Verse 22 says, “And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’” God didn’t leave this to chance. It was God’s goodwill toward these creatures to multiply and spread throughout the realm of the earth.

My whole point in making these observations is that this story is not something on which people should be splitting hairs over questions like “Was a ‘day’ of God’s creation still twenty-four hours long before the fourth day when God created the Sun and the Moon?” The point of this text is to tell the original audience and later to us about this awesome Creator God.

The story is not over yet. If you haven’t noticed, the description for each day of Creation is getting longer with each day. The effect of this is to anticipate something big is still coming. We’ll get to that next week. But for now, focus on the awesomeness and goodness of the Creator God described in this first chapter of the Bible.

Episode223- Stand firm in faith and love - 1 Corinthians 16:13-24

1Cor. 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.

1Cor. 16:15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— 16 be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.

1Cor. 16:19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20 All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

1Cor. 16:21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

As mentioned in our last episode, the final chapter of this letter is the “tieing up loose ends” for this communication from Paul to the believers at Corinth. Paul has finished addressing questions raised by them and sought to correct problems in their community of faith and worship. Yet, there are nuggets of truth right up to the end that are valuable for us to consider.

Notice verses 13-14, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.” Now, if we can set aside our own culturally informed responses to statements like “act like men,” we need to ask ourselves, What is the point of this concise exhortation?” Paul starts with the imperative to “Be watchful.” By itself, it is a little ambiguous without the rest of the exhortation. We could ask, “Be watchful for what?” The answer is in the context of the whole letter as well as the immediate context. The Corinthians are to be watchful for people and ideas that would undermine the gospel of Jesus Christ, divide the community of faith, and bring shame upon the name of Christ through the way they conduct themselves. Is that valid for us today? Absolutely! By being watchful, we must stand firm, be committed to our faith in Christ, and not compromise to appease people. This requires being strong. But notice how the exhortation concludes: “Let all that you do be done in love.” (v. 14) It’s easy to read the first part to be watchful and strong and conclude that we need some form of a hard-nosed posture for scrutinizing each person who comes into our church. But standing firm in our faith requires us to live it out as Christ did by loving others. This exhortation is a summary of his teachings throughout this letter. Demonstrate love to all while not allowing everyone to do what they want to do.

In verses 15-16, he instructs the Corinthians to “be subject to” the first converts in that area and others like them in their service. What is his point? I believe he is saying to identify those who’ve been in the faith for a while and learn from them. They’ve been on this walk of faith for a longer period of time and will have wisdom in how to stand firm and watchful in love. That is good advice for us!

Paul then says he rejoices at the coming of “Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus” because “they have made up for your absence.” The word absence does not speak of the Corinthian believers being absent at a location when they should have been there. It speaks about what the Corinthian believers could not or would not provide in terms of either spiritual or possibly financial support. Paul is saying that God provided through these three people what the church at Corinth could not. We don’t see any chastisement for the church's inability or refusal to provide what Paul needed. He is simply saying that these three people were used to provide what he needed. Not only did they minister to Paul, but these people also “refreshed the spirit” of the Corinthians as well. Paul suggests that the church recognizes such people. I take this as being thankful and letting such people know you appreciate their ministry to you and others.

Verse 21 says, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.” We might ask, “What did you write the rest of the letter with?” What is being indicated is that Paul had a secretary of sorts write most of the letter as he dictated. This scribe was called an amanuensis. But the greeting at the end of the letter, Paul wrote in his own hand. With his own hand, Paul delivers one more rebuke. “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!” (v.22) Let me ask you this question. To whom is he writing? He’s writing to the church at Corinth. It’s hard to think there might be people in our churches who do not love the Lord. I think that Paul expresses this curse toward those people because they are the ones who are the troublemakers within the church. They are the ones who question the resurrection and would rather be a self-centered glutton than look out for the needs of others. So Paul’s closing words are to express his desire for the return of Christ and that the grace of Christ and his love be with them all.

The fundamental problem within the church at Corinth was that there was pride among them, and Christ was not the center of their focus. They were more concerned about themselves than they were about the edification of others. May the Lord help us keep Christ at the center and do everything in the love of Christ for the benefit of others.

Episode 222 - "Closing remarks to the Corinthians- Part 1" 1 Corinthians 16:1-12

1Cor. 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

1Cor. 16:5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

1Cor. 16:10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

1Cor. 16:12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.

We have now arrived at the final chapter or the closing comments of Paul’s first letter to these believers at Corinth. He has finished addressing the primary problems occurring among these Christians. But his closing remarks bring light to his feelings about these people and what is most important for them in way of a summary. There are twenty-four verses. So, I am going to handle this last chapter in two posts.

When he says, “Now concerning the collection for the saints . . .” (v. 1), remember that they had written him a letter with questions. (See 1 Cor. 7:1) It would appear they had some questions about expectations for having a collection for the poor. Such gifts were called alms. This was a characteristic of the early church. Reading the early chapters of Acts (Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-37) reveals that the earliest of Christians were concerned about care for those in need. In these first four verses, Paul tells them what he’s told other churches. In essence, they are to be disciplined to set aside an amount they can afford once a week. Since he mentions this is to be done on the first day of the week, it would seem like they are expected to bring it to church and give it to the leaders. The discipline of doing it once a week helps keep it at the forefront of their minds and does not risk them having nothing to give when Paul arrives. In this, we see wisdom with charity.

In verses 5-9, Paul explains that he plans to visit them but doesn’t just want to pass through. He wants to spend time with them. This helps us better understand Paul’s attitude about the Corinthians. Paul has strongly admonished some of the people at Corinth in this letter. But we see here that he dearly loves these people and wants what is best for them. His admonition is that of a loving parent wanting to correct their child from wrongdoing. Sometimes, we need correction; sometimes, it might need to be more forceful. But it should always be done in love, seeking the best for all.

Verses 10-12 speak of the imminent arrival of both Timothy and Apollos. Timothy is a younger man whom Paul has mentored. Paul seems to think that the personalities at Corinth may be a bit overwhelming and could be discouraging to Timothy. He tells the Corinthians to make a point to make him feel welcome. He is coming to minister to them, and the relationship needs to be mutually edifying. This is a good reminder for us not to disregard others and to practice hospitality toward others in the faith as we might minister to them, and they may minister to us.

Have you noticed that all of these tips we can learn through Paul’s words to the Corinthians require humility and love toward others? May the Lord remind us to look out for each other.

Episode 221 - "O death, where is your sting?" - 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

1Cor. 15:50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

1Cor. 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

My immediate thoughts upon reading this section are: first, this is pretty straightforward. Our resurrected bodies will be different because they will be imperishable or immortal. We will live forever in these bodies. The second thought is how moving and encouraging Paul’s words are as he concludes his argument for an actual resurrection from the dead and an explanation of what that will be like. These Christians at Corinth have had their challenges, and Paul has been somewhat like a disciplinary schoolmaster or parent in this letter as he has sought to correct them on various issues. Death is going to be ultimately conquered, and that will happen because of Christ. (v. 56)

But I don’t want to gloss over this because there are important truths that warrant our attention. First of all, God’s kingdom is imperishable. Therefore, it’s reasonable that we will be given imperishable bodies to dwell in and be a part of that kingdom. Note: This has NOT happened yet. This is something that is yet to come. Why is that important? Often, people think that when a loved one dies, they are “dancing with Jesus” or somehow otherwise living the eternal heavenly party. But how can that be if they don’t have a body? It is true that the Scriptures tell us that to be “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinth. 5:8) So, it seems reasonable that what can be said is that when a believer dies, they are in God’s care. That’s encouraging. But it’s not to that which we are anticipating and longing for. We want Jesus to return and raise us from the dead to life in an imperishable body.

So, what about believers who are still living and haven’t died at this end-of-time event? How can they get resurrected if they haven’t died? Paul addresses that in verses 51-52. When he says, “We shall not all sleep,” he is saying that those who haven’t died will simply be changed instantly. Cool!

This event is precipitated by a trumpet sound. What must it be like for a trumpet sound to be heard around the world? I can’t say how it matters. But it seems like we might want to be aware of this in case we hear a loud or unusual trumpet sound.

In what seems like a victoriously mocking tone, Paul quotes Isaiah 25:8, “Death is swallowed up in victory,” and Hosea 13:14: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” How can you not love Paul’s jubilant confidence in the Lord’s promise of our resurrection?

Paul continues, “The sting of death is sin, and zthe power of sin is the law.” (v. 56) What is his point here? His point is that Christ has atoned for our sins through his death on the cross (See Romans 3:21-26) and has fulfilled the Law (Romans 8:1-4). In other words, there are no loose ends with God’s work through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Paul’s closing thought in light of this is to exhort the Corinthian believers to be faithful and determined in their work serving the Lord. He wants them to be confident in the hope of the resurrection and eternal life and let that confidence motivate their service to the Lord.

Death is not something to look forward to. But we trust that because Christ was raised from the dead and promised to raise us from the dead, it’s going to happen, and we will receive a body that will be imperishable. Let us serve the Lord today in faith that in Christ, the sting of death will be removed.

Episode220 Resurrected Bodies 1Corinthians15:35-49

1Cor. 15:35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

1Cor. 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

It seems appropriate to handle a bigger chunk of Scripture this week and attempt to offer a simplified explanation of Paul’s point here. The basic question, as I see it, is “How does this resurrection thing work, especially if the deceased has significantly decomposed?”

In the Scriptures, there are many illustrations from nature. Paul uses the illustration of a seed that falls to the ground or is buried, and it “dies.” In other words, it will soon cease to have the same appearance as it had as a seed. The outer shell will decompose, and a plant eventually appear with a different body. Paul also points out that there are many different kinds of bodies. Animal species have different bodies, as do birds and fish. Humans also have a unique body. So, Paul says, there are earthly bodies and heavenly bodies. The bodies in which we are now are earthly bodies. But in the resurrection, we will have bodies designed for a greater glory, a glory in God’s presence, and are eternal.

The obvious question that might follow from this is, “If I have a different body, how will we recognize others and be recognized? It seems clear that Jesus’ resurrected body was recognizable. His disciples even recognized the wounds on his hands, feet, and side. Somehow, Moses and Elijah were recognizable to Peter, James, and John who accompanied Jesus to the mountain where he was transformed. Yet these men would not have been living at the times of Moses or Elijah. So, it would appear that even though our bodies are different in nature, we will still look like ourselves, AND our knowledge and recognition will be made better along with our bodies. Judging from what people witnessed with Jesus after his resurrection, we will be able to eat and do normal things. Jesus also appeared inside locked structures not having entered through a door or window, revealing that his body was not limited by the things in our physical world. It seems like this could be an indication of what our resurrected embodiment will be like.

Beginning in verse 42, Paul lists some key differences between the earthly body we use today and what will be in our resurrected and glorified bodies. First, our current body is perishable, but our glorified body will be imperishable. Second, our current body is “sown in dishonor,” but our resurrected body will be “raised in glory.” (v.43a) How is our body sown in dishonor? It speaks of our sin and the effects of it upon our bodies. We age, break down, and die. It reveals all our limitations and weaknesses. Third, our current bodies are “sown in weakness,” but we will be “raised in power” (v. 43b). Finally, what is sown is a “natural body,” but we will have a “spiritual body.” (v. 44) This does not mean we will be ghosts. If I understand this correctly, this doesn’t suggest there won’t be a physical aspect to our glorified bodies. However, it will be a body that will be best suited for eternal life in God’s presence and service. Paul supports and explains this in verses 45-49. Here, Paul compares and contrasts Adam with Christ (the last Adam). Adam received life, whereas Christ gives life. The natural came first, then the spiritual. Adam’s body came from the dust of the ground, but Jesus came from heaven.

Paul’s point in verses 48-49 is that because we are descended from Adam, who was made from dust, our bodies will become dust. But if we have had a spiritual birth in Christ, we will receive bodies like Christ.

Well, I don’t know if that shines light on this text or muddles it. But I think Paul would want to encourage us not to worry about how God is going to accomplish this resurrection thing but to be confident that it’s going to be really good.

Episode 219 - "If there's no resurrection, party on." 1 Corinthians 15:29-34

1Cor. 15:29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

Clearly, this is a continuation of Paul’s defense of the resurrection of Christians at the end of time. We begin this next segment of his argument with what may be one of the most debated and confusing statements in the New Testament. In verse 29, Paul asks, “what do people mean be being baptized on behalf of the dead?” There are two points I’d like to make about Paul’s question that should be obvious. The first is that there were people being baptized on behalf of the dead. The second is that Paul is NOT advocating Christians do this or that it has some spiritual efficacious power. Paul is using a practice by some to make a point for his argument. The point is that people who are being baptized on behalf of the dead obviously believe in a resurrection from the dead. Otherwise, they wouldn’t bother. As far as I know, there is no Biblical instruction that shines light on this issue. So, the safe thing to do is simply recognize this as a cultural practice by some that Paul uses to support his argument. It should not be taken as a mandate or even a suggestion that Christians can or should be baptized for the dead.

What does Paul mean when he follows with the question, “Why are we in danger every hour?” (v. 30) The context of verses 31-32 indicates that he’s saying, “Why would I be enduring persecution and willing to die for this gospel if there is no resurrection?” (My interpretive paraphrase) His point is that if there is no resurrection, then this life is all there is, and I (Paul) would be a fool to be willing to put my life on the line every day to preach a resurrection in Christ. That is the big point in verse 32, “If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” In short, Paul is saying the Christian faith is a waste of time, energy, and pleasure if there is no resurrection.

Verses 33-34 reveal something very important that we should not look over. Paul’s point in verse 33 is to stop listening to people teaching things contrary to what Paul and other apostles have taught them. They need wisdom, and they need to be faithful to the truths they have been taught. The important point is “do not go on sinning.” (v. 34) We all sin. Paul makes that very clear in Romans 3:23. But Paul later explains in Romans 8 that Christians are to “walk by means of the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the flesh.” The idea is that we should not be complacent in our day-to-day life and excuse our sins. We should desire and pursue learning God’s word and letting the Holy Spirit lead us into a life of obedience to the truths God has revealed through the Scriptures. Unfortunately, people come along occasionally and lead people away from what God has revealed, and that is the sin Paul is addressing here. Some of these believers were listening to others say that there is no resurrection. Paul says their willingness to abandon the resurrection is sin. It’s shameful, Paul says when Christians refuse to believe in an important truth as the resurrection because there is a conflict between what is essentially Christian and how they are living.

May we not sin. May we hold fast to Jesus’ promise to raise us from the dead in the end times. May our worship express our faith in this awesome hope God has given us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Episode 218 - "The resurrection of Christ reveals his authority" - 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

1 Cor. 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

In our last episode, Paul attacks the idea some people have spread that there is no resurrection from the dead. Paul’s argument against that is if that were true, then Christ wasn’t really raised from the dead. It followed then that if Christ wasn’t raised from the dead, surely neither would anyone else. But then why would Paul be willing to suffer the persecution he had if he himself didn’t believe that Christ was raised from the dead? Furthermore, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to go and talk to the many witnesses of the resurrected Lord and figure out how to explain away their testimony.

In verse 20, Paul just moves on and states that “in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.” (v. 20) Now, he begins to explain the significance of that fact. In verses 21-22, he compares and contrasts Adam and Christ. Adam was the first man, and through his disobedience to God, all humanity is broken since we have all descended from this one man. The point is to consider the catastrophic effect of that one man’s disobedience. But if one man can have that kind of negative effect, it’s possible that one man can also have a similarly far-reaching positive effect. That man is Jesus Christ, whose substitutionary death on the cross makes it possible for all humanity to appropriate forgiveness of their sins and to be “made alive” (v.22) because Christ conquered death.

Paul then explains things that are yet to come and the significance of Christ’s resurrection for what is still to happen in God’s plan. Paul speaks of Christ as “the firstfruits.” This is a metaphor alluding back to when Israel would bring the firstfruits of their harvest as an offering. It demonstrated their thankfulness and faith that this was simply the first of much to come. Likewise, Christ’s resurrection is a “firstfruit” in that many are to also experience a resurrection because of their relationship to Christ through faith.

What follows is the resurrection of those who belong to Christ. (v.23) Verse 24 follows with, “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.” Bible scholars like to squabble over whether this order allows or disallows the literal 1000-year millennial reign, which is a point of contention within Christianity. I don’t think that is of concern in this context of Paul’s writing. The point of this order is that Christ rose from the dead, revealing he has the authority to also raise those who belong to him and to conquer everything in opposition to God’s will.

Verse 26 states plainly, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (v.26). We believe that Christ is currently at the right hand of the Father. He has authority. However, death is still occurring. Why? I believe that’s explained well by Peter in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Therefore, we are not yet at that end. But at some point, Christ will return, and ultimately, all spiritual and natural forces opposed to God will be judged and have no power again. Death will be permanently done away with.

Verses 27 and 28 state three things that are interesting. First, God has subjected all things under his (Christ’s) feet. Second, Christ will be subjected to God. Finally, Christ, the Son, will be subjected to God “so that God may be all in all.” (v. 28b) The first one is not a problem, right? Christians believe Christ is God, and Jesus told his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matt. 28:18). But how is it that he is ultimately subjected to the Father? Does this mean that somehow Jesus is less God or less important than the Father? No. Jesus is never subordinated in the sense of his value or power. While earthly analogies are often limited and potentially misleading, think of a parent who entrusts something to a child for a specific purpose. The child possesses and uses something that essentially belongs to them by virtue of their relationship to their parent. Both the parent and the child are equally valuable and part of the same family. But their roles are different. The child may be sent to accomplish something on behalf of the parent. That child is given everything they need to accomplish that purpose. Likewise, this text simply says that Jesus (the Son) has accomplished the mission his Father sent him to do. The purpose statement “so that God may be all in all” is just a way of expressing both the divine unity within the Godhead and that everything, without exception, is under God’s authority.

Episode 217 - "Yes. Christ really was raised from the dead" - 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

1 Cor. 15:12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

In the preceding eleven verses that we covered last week, I explained that I was seeing two fundamental elements to what is called “the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Both of them were prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). The first is that Christ died according to the Scriptures. Someone might say, “Big deal! Everyone dies.” That’s true. But the Christ or Messiah is prophesied in the scriptures to have an eternal kingdom. The Messiah will reign forever on that throne. That was the argument by the crowd to Jesus in John 12:34. How can he die if he will live and reign forever? The answer is that his death was necessary for our sins to be forgiven, as is foretold in Isaiah 52-53.

This leads us to the second part of the Good News of Jesus Christ. If you think about it, why does it matter that our sins are forgiven if we are going to die? The answer to that question is that God is eternal, and while we, unlike God, had a beginning, God has intended for us to be eternal as well. Because God is also Holy (pure and perfect), he cannot overlook sin. There must be a just response to injustice. The Scriptures speak of a terrible judgment for those who reject that and reject Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as the perfect and sufficient justice he took upon himself for our sins. Jesus, the Christ, was raised from the dead, never to die again, and he promised to return to raise the dead back to life, and we will dwell in the presence of God forever.

After laying out the basic facts of the gospel, Paul addresses the fact that people at Corinth are saying there is no resurrection from the dead. Paul explains the egregious error in that thinking. He says if there is no resurrection from the dead, then Christ could not have been raised. (v. 13) He follows with the logical fallout from that if it were true. He points out that his preaching and their subsequent faith in the message that he preached is in vain. It’s useless, and we would still be in our sins. There would be no hope. He then says that if all our hope is just in this life, we are the most pitiable of all people. Why would he say that? Because we would be spending time and resources in the worship of a god that could do nothing for us.

The hope of a resurrection and eternal life is real. That’s why, in the preceding verses, Paul spoke of the many people who saw the risen Jesus. He was implying that they could go talk to the people themselves and compare notes. While we can’t go talk to those people directly, these accounts have been preserved for us, and there is the fact that Christianity became a world religion based upon the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We can trust this great news!

Episode 216 - "The Good News!" - 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Cor. 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

1Cor. 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

As I write this, it is the eve of Thanksgiving in the United States, and I cannot be more thankful for this section of Scripture because it’s about the most important thing for humanity. It’s about the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul shifts from his instruction concerning spiritual gifts and conduct in worship to setting these Corinthian believers straight on the gospel. Paul reminds them that he had preached the gospel to them when he was previously with them. Speaking to the whole group, he states they have “received” this gospel and “stand” in it. This means that it’s his understanding these people to whom he’s writing have both received, or placed their trust in, the message of the gospel when he preached it, and he believes they are still committed to it. He adds that they “are being saved (by faith in this gospel) if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.” (v. 2). The term “saved” in the Scriptures can often have a past, present and ongoing, and a future use of this term. When the Scriptures use this in the past tense, it means someone has truly trusted in the message of the gospel and they have received forgiveness of their sins and have gained a hope of resurrection and eternal life in the presence of God. The present-ongoing, which I believe is in view here, is speaking of God’s work in our lives presently to prepare us for eternal life with Him. Finally, the future sense of will be saved reflects the promise of Christ to return from Heaven to earth someday and raise from the dead all who have trusted in the gospel.

But notice the condition, “if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” (v. 2). What does this mean? I believe it means that those who aren’t holding fast to the gospel message cannot experience the work God wants to accomplish in their life if they do not trust him. However, the phrase “unless you believed in vain” is interesting. Notice that the English word “vain” appears twice within a short span (verses 2 and 10). In verse 10, Paul has just argued that he doesn’t deserve to be an apostle because he persecuted the church. But, even so, God’s grace to him was not in vain. In the original Greek language, the words translated as “vain” are different words. The word that Paul uses for God’s grace to him being not in vain means “without purpose or cause.” In other words, Paul is saying that in spite of his past history, God showed his grace to Paul and it has produced a result and was not wasted.

In verse 2, speaking of the Corinthians and the possibility that some believed in vain, means “randomly or without cause.” It would suggest that perhaps some really didn’t believe the gospel. They were, in essence, just nodding their heads along with others without really believing. Either way, it is important that people not just believe but hold fast to the gospel. This means that we shouldn’t just acknowledge that we made a profession of faith in the gospel and act like, “Oh. I’ve already done that.” The gospel must become central to our life of faith.

Paul now lays out a brief and clear synopsis of what the gospel is. Some commentators suggest that Paul lists four components of the gospel here. I think he only lists two, along with the evidence for each one. The first fundamental truth of the gospel Paul says is “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried.” Paul’s comment, “in accordance with the Scriptures” is to argue that Christ’s death on the cross was a fulfillment of a prophecy in the Old Testament. His subsequent fact “that he was buried” is Paul’s proof that Christ was truly physically dead. Some might argue what is called a “swoon theory,” in which people believe he only appeared dead. But there were multiple people who took responsibility for his lifeless body after he was taken down from the cross and could testify that Jesus was really dead and really buried. The death of someone does not sound much like good news. The death of a good person would certainly not be a happy story. However, Paul explains in this how the death of Christ is the first part of this gospel, the Good News. He explains that Christ died for our sins. His death on the cross served to take care of the just penalty for our rebellion against God.

He follows immediately with, “that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” Notice the emphasis once again on “according to the Scriptures.” This is the second fundamental element of the gospel. Paul is suggesting that the Old Testament also prophesies that the Christ (Messiah) would not only die but be raised from the dead.

Now, to be honest with you, I don’t know what Scriptures Paul refers to, and Paul doesn’t tell us. However, we can make some educated guesses which I believe reasonably support his argument.

First of all, let us establish two figures that were prophesied in the Old Testament that were to come. The first is the descendant of David (the Messiah), whom God told David would be on the “throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:13b). The second is the “one like a son of man” whose “dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14). This explains why the people around Jesus questioned Jesus about the foretelling of his imminent death on the cross.

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” (John 12:32-34)

I can’t tell you whether people of Jesus’ time had made any connection between the expected Messiah (Christ) and the “Son of Man.” But both of these figures sure seem to have some things in common, like eternal life. Their argument to Jesus is a reasonable argument. Here, he is not only telling people that he is going to die, but how he is going to die. He’s claimed to be the Son of Man, AND Peter has professed him to be the Christ. Things aren’t quite adding up for these people.

Another Scripture Christians turn to in making sense out of this apparent controversy is Isaiah 52:13-53:12. This speaks of a righteous servant of the Lord who is “pierced” for the transgressions of the people. The Servant suffers and dies for the people but appears to be alive afterward (v. 12).

After saying that Christ died for our sins AND was raised, he gives evidence for the historical reality of Christ’s resurrection. He lists the numerous occasions after his resurrection when he appeared alive to people, including over 500 people at one time. Paul adds that many of them are still living. His point is, “Go check it out for yourself.”

The point of all this is to help the Corinthian believers, as well as us, to understand that Jesus is God’s Servant who really died for our sins. That is Good News for us because it makes us at peace with God. Secondly, it gives us hope that Christ, who rose from the dead, can and will raise us from the dead. Again, this is nothing but Good News for us.

Episode 215 - "Role and conduct of women in church worship" - 1 Corinthians 14:33-40

As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

1Cor. 14:36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

Well, here we go again, another occasion where Paul offends the modern sensibilities of 21st century, western culture. In the span of a few verses, Paul says that women “should keep silent in the churches,” “are not permitted to speak,” “should be in submission,” and “it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” (vv. 34-35) Pretty clear, huh? Case closed?

As I study for these posts, I confess that I’m typically only consulting a few commentaries. I simply don’t have the time for more exhaustive research on these passages where the instruction seems confusing or outright contrary to how things are often done today in our time and culture. But, I find that the scholars I consult, whose job it is to dig much deeper on some of these issues, offer a variety of perspectives to which they offer their critique on the strengths and weaknesses of the argument. So, I cannot point to the so-called experts and conclusively address the questions that statements like this raise. So, what I would like to attempt is to take these statements at face value, state the questions that are evoked in my own mind about the meaning, offer answers to those questions that I believe are drawn from the context of this letter, other writings of Paul, and the Scriptures as a whole. My desire is not that we create a list of rules from statements like this. But perhaps we can gain wisdom from Paul’s words that will serve us well in our churches today.

Let me begin with the question, “Does this sound vaguely familiar?” In other words, “Has Paul already offered, in this letter, instruction that sounds a bit sexist?” Go back and read chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians, where Paul gives instructions about head coverings and hair. In verse 3 of chapter 11, Paul writes, “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” I find this verse interesting because, in a culture like ours that is more strongly egalitarian, people take offense at statements like, “the head of a wife is her husband.” The tendency is to immediately interpret that as saying that the wife is less important or less valuable than the husband. But when we do that, we fail to consider another important statement in the same verse that checks that interpretation. Paul follows with, “and the head of Christ is God.” Wait a minute! Don’t Christians believe that Christ is God? Yes! And the Apostle Paul believes in the deity of Christ. Paul points out that Christ, the second person of the Trinity, submits to the Father. They are both equally God according to orthodox Christian theology. But, each member of the Trinity has a distinct role within the divine Godhead. One member may submit to another without being less God, less important, or less valuable. It seems that Paul is applying that principle within the relationships of a family and a church as well. The point is that we err when we immediately assume that submitting or controlling our spiritual gift or our tongue in certain situations means that God considers women less able, less smart, less valuable, or inferior to men. That’s not his point.

Does Paul teach anything else in Corinthians that indicates that women have important roles in ministry within the church? 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 is very clear that the Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to all believers as he wills. These gifts are for the common good of the body. One cannot argue that Paul means that women are to not say a word at all in church. The Holy Spirit has gifted them, and they are to be used. On a personal note, I cannot possibly remember the countless times God has used women in the church to speak wisdom, encourage me, and build me up in my faith. Certainly, they were not disobeying God.

Does Paul have anything to say about women and their roles in church in other letters? In 1 Timothy 5:1, Paul instructs Timothy to encourage older women as mothers and younger women as sisters. In verse 3 of chapter 5, he tells Timothy to honor widows. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul extols the faith of Timothy’s grandmother and mother and their impact on Timothy’s faith. In Galatians 3:28, Paul writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” These are just a few examples of Paul’s writing that reveal that all believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ are equally valuable to God.

What about the rest of the Scriptures? One common argument I’ve heard about Christianity and the Bible is “The Bible was written by men.” As if that were, by default, a bad thing. The problem is that people fail to realize that what is included in the Bible is often descriptive of life and culture in the known world at that time. In other words, the Bible includes accounts of many things that are against God’s Law, character, and desire for humanity. That can include poor treatment of women. Yet, in this Bible, written “by men” are stories of amazing righteous women. One example is Deborah, a judge over Israel during a time of little to no godly leadership by men of the day. You can read about her beginning in Judges 4. Rahab was a harlot among pagan people who had faith in the God of Israel. Ruth was from another pagan group who wholeheartedly committed to the truth of the God of her Jewish mother-in-law and became an ancestor to David and to Jesus. Why would men who wanted to suppress women write about such women, and some of them were not even Israelites? As I understand the Scriptures, there is no justification in suggesting that women are somehow less important or valuable in God’s eyes.

So, what is the point of Paul’s prohibitions of women speaking in church, and what is he addressing? Again, judging from the context of 1 Corinthians as a literary work, we’ve observed that the primary issue Paul is addressing among the believers at Corinth is pride. Notice that Paul begins these prohibitive commands with, “As in all the churches of the saints . . .” Paul is suggesting that something that is happening within the Corinthian churches is not happening in other churches. Furthermore, it’s characterized by pride. Notice in verse 36, that he follows the prohibitions with, “Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?” It sounds like this church or house churches at Corinth have gone rogue, and pride is manifesting itself in the form of women insisting their voice is heard when it comes to the interpretation of prophecy, thereby turning the worship into chaos and conflict. I think Paul is reverting back to the order of Creation and the unique roles God ordained and is saying, “The way other churches are conducting worship is that people are exercising their gifts in a way that demonstrates their humility and desire that there is harmony and universal blessing through the orderly conduct of the service.” (My interpretation) Perhaps women keeping silent certainly does not mean they are not to pray, as Paul clearly gave details earlier on how their prayers are to be conducted. Likewise, I’ve argued that he’s not demanding they not say anything at all. Otherwise, they couldn’t use their God-given gifts. I think it is more likely Paul’s thoughts are that God has intended men to be instruments of expressing the interpretation of God’s word to the congregation. These men are blessed by their grandmothers, mothers, wives, sisters, and other women who are using their gifts. In turn, they can distill this into doctrine and teaching for the church as a whole.

Notice Paul’s closing remark on this section. “But all things should be done decently and in order.” That’s what it’s all about. Regardless of what your church looks like today in terms of who is in the leadership positions and regardless of your church’s view and practice concerning spiritual gifts, your worship should be decent and in order, and serve to edify the whole body of believers. I’m sure that I’ve not raised or addressed all the questions or objections people may have to this passage. But, if you are listening to this and are in a tradition that doesn’t allow all believers the opportunity to use their God-given gifts, that you consider the arguments I’ve made suggesting that this passage is not to be used in such a way. For women, I hope you will find a way to use the gifts God has given you to bless believers around you. May your humility be as evident to others as the significance of your ministry.

Episode 214 - God is not an author of confusion, but of peace - 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

1Cor. 14:26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

As I read this segment of 1 Corinthians 14, I must admit that I don’t have a clue whether Paul is serious or perhaps using sarcasm in the first part of verse 26. If we take it as a factual description of their meetings of worship, this would probably freak me out if I were present. With non-stop switching from one person singing a hymn to the next speaking in tongues, followed by a lesson, and so forth, this sounds more like a poorly planned variety show than Christian worship.

Regardless of Paul’s tone and intent, it seems to me there are two very important statements by Paul that must be understood and received by the Corinthian believers and believers today as well. The first one is at the end of verse 26, “Let all things be done for building up.” What follows is instruction on what that looks it. Strangely enough, it may appear to some as quenching or not following the leading of the Spirit. Paul says that only “two or at the most three” should speak in tongues, and there must be an interpreter. Otherwise, the one speaking should manifest their gift quietly or privately to God. (vv. 27-28)

The same is true for the one prophesying. Paul instructs to use some self-restraint or control. Why? “So that all may learn and all be encouraged.” (v. 31b) Paul explains in verse 32, “the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets.” I believe this means the gifts of the believers, which are being led by the Holy Spirit, are to not be unbridled and driven by emotion and feeling but manifested under control through wisdom and an interest for everyone present to be edified.

The second important statement Paul makes is found in verse 33. “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” Why is this so important to us today? We can get excited and caught up in the emotion of what God is doing in and through our lives. That’s good! We should be excited about that. However, if we aren’t careful, God’s blessing to us can quickly become all about us. That is not good. When God told Abraham how He was going to bless Abraham, He also told Abraham that he would be a blessing to others. Likewise, as the Holy Spirit distributes gifts to us, they are intended by God for us to use to bless and edify others.

God communicates clearly, and we should not confuse God’s message to the world through disorder and emotional chaos. We must prayerfully seek discernment and how we should build up others with what the Lord has given us.

Episode 213 - "Be mature in your thinking!" - 1 Corinthians 14:20-25

1 Cor. 14:20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

It may seem like Paul is beating a dead horse, so to speak, with his instruction concerning spiritual gifts. But the fact of the matter is that this is a divisive issue among Christians still today. There are people who think they’re more godly or special because they claim to have a certain gift. There are people who want to argue that others cannot be Christian if they don’t have the gift of tongues or some other sign gift. There are churches that make it a part of their doctrinal statement that the sign gifts have ceased, and they make it clear that those who think otherwise are not welcome among them. I think if the Apostle Paul were here today, he would say the same thing he tells the Corinthians, “You all need to grow up!”

I love how he says in verse 20, “Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” In terms of experience in the ways of the world, he would prefer them to be naive and innocent or inexperienced. People sometimes think they need to experience the things others around them are doing. Paul wants them to avoid things that are evil. However, they are to be mature in their thinking. He follows this with perspective to assist them in thinking more maturely.

Technically, “the Law” is the first five books of the Old Testament. However, it’s often used to speak of the whole Old Testament. Paul paraphrases Isaiah 28:11 when he writes, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” (v. 21) In citing this text, he argues that “tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.” (v. 22) Oddly, his argument in verses 23-25 appears to work in the opposite manner. What gives?

It’s important to interpret what Paul is getting at by considering the historical context of the Isaiah passage he has just quoted. Isaiah, writing the Lord’s revelation, is describing a coming judgment upon unbelieving Israel. In other words, God is telling Israel, “Because you haven’t listened to my clear revelation through the prophets speaking a language you understand, I am going to send people who speak a language you don’t understand.” This later comes true. The northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, and later the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylon. Paul is using this example to show that tongues had been used by God as a sign for unbelievers. Israel should have been believing God’s word in their own language.

Paul is using that to help the Corinthian believers understand that if, in their immaturity, all of them are speaking in tongues, the scene will look crazy and confusing to unbelievers and result in them still being unbelievers. But that’s not the objective. We desire unbelievers to become believers.

So, if everyone is prophesying, by the Spirit, the gospel will be explained, and there will be a revelation in the unbelieving person’s heart, leading them to faith. Therefore, prophecy is for believers. It’s a generalization and not an absolute rule.

Consider what happened at Pentecost in Acts 2. The Holy Spirit filled the apostles, and they spoke in tongues, languages understood by the foreign visitors who heard these men speak. The effect was that it got people’s attention, but it didn’t lead people to faith. It wasn’t until Peter explained what was happening and gave them a clear explanation of Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection that the Holy Spirit convicted many to respond in faith.

So, the point of all of this is to have a mature understanding of the value of tongues and prophecy. It’s more important that God’s word be spoken and explained in a way that people can understand it and allow the Holy Spirit to convict people and draw them into faith. Spiritual maturity leads us not to foment an emotional experience for ourselves but to seek how we can be used by the Holy Spirit to speak God’s truth to others leading them to worship God in faith.

Episode 212 - "Use your gift to edify others" - 1 Corinthians 14:6-19

1Cor. 14:6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 7 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

1Cor. 14:13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Growing up outside a small farming community in central Illinois, there was very little cultural diversity, and most of the time, there weren’t any people whose native language was other than English. I remember a guidance counselor telling me that I needed to take a foreign language for college. I took a semester of French as it was the only language offered at the time. However, I did poorly at it because I could see no value in investing my time and energy.

When I moved to Chicago after high school, many of the first people I met were from other countries. I was surrounded by different languages and accents that I did not understand, and suddenly, the world got bigger. I love meeting people from different places and cultures with different languages. I spent a whole day once with a friend from Venezuela who couldn’t speak much more English than I could in Spanish. We figured things out, but only with a lot of effort and picture drawing. Over 40 years after moving away from that farm community, I am often around people who are from different parts of the world and speak different languages. I rarely notice accents anymore. But communication remains difficult if the people involved do not understand the languages being spoken.

I believe that the spiritual gift of tongues is the divinely enabled ability to communicate in the languages of people in the world and not some mysterious babbling. I realize that some people would disagree with this, and I cannot prove it absolutely. However, when the Holy Spirit filled the apostles on the day of Pentecost, they spoke in languages native to the people who had come from different parts of the known world to celebrate the feast. (See Acts 2:6-13) The people realized the apostles were Galileans and yet spoke in the language of their part of the world. Many recognized the apostles were people who would most likely have not traveled the world learning the languages they spoke. Peter explained that what was happening was a fulfillment of prophecy. (Acts 2:14-41) The point was that the Holy Spirit enabled the prophets at that time to communicate the good news of Jesus to the known world.

In the text from 1 Corinthians 14, it seems from Paul’s rhetorical questions that the principle Paul is trying to get across is the same. God’s gift of tongues is not to confuse people. God’s intent in manifesting this gift is to clearly communicate his good news to the world. It may be, in some cases, that unbelievers would realize that God was doing something special and respond in faith, or it may be that other believers would be strengthened in their faith through this supernatural enabling to communicate truth to them.

Paul is telling the Corinthians that he’s glad they desire the gifts. But he explains that it’s critical they are used for the right purpose and motivation. Paul says they need to “strive to excel in building up the church.” (v. 12b)

Paul continues by telling them that the one who speaks in a tongue should “pray that he should interpret.” (v. 15) This would be important if no one else understood what the Spirit was saying through the believer. It’s pointless if the message is not understandable.

The last verse of this section really drives home the point. Paul says he is able to speak more in tongues than everyone at Corinth. However, he says that he’d rather speak five intelligible words than ten thousand words in a tongue. (v. 19)

What are we to get from this? Namely, in whatever the Lord enables you to minister, your priority needs to be to communicate God’s truth and to build up others in the body of Christ.

Episode 211 - "Pursue love" 1 Corinthians 14:1-5

1Cor. 14:1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

In the four years I’ve been doing this blog/podcast, I don’t know if there was a chapter of Scripture I would like to skip more than this one. Why? Quite frankly, it’s difficult, and the bottom line is that I fear that I might possibly misrepresent the true meaning. In the complexity that I perceive, I want to dig in deeper and try to work through some of the issues, but I am short on time and energy to give it the attention I feel it deserves.

For example, one question is, “Is Paul saying that the gift of tongues is simply for a believer’s personal worship and edification, or is it for the greater body of Christ?” I think the answer is “yes.” (It’s for both.) I’ll explain that shortly. Let’s see if I can bring the focus to what is clear in Paul’s thought, and perhaps that will help us respect the tension in the details.

The focus and priority, I believe, are expressed in the first eight words, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts.” (14:1a) In these opening words, we realize he’s not changing the subject or saying anything new. Love is the most important thing in the life of the believer. Both verbs translated as “pursue” and “desire” respectively are imperatives. They are commands. The most important thing in our life as a follower of Jesus is to demonstrate love toward others. Nothing that follows this command matters if we don’t “pursue love.”

With love toward others as our priority, Christians are to “earnestly desire” the spiritual gifts God wants to give to us and use in our lives and ministry to others. Paul now highlights one of the spiritual gifts. He instructs the Corinthians to especially desire to prophesy. After making the argument that one gift or one member of the body is not greater or lesser than another member of the body earlier in the letter, he is now going to suggest that prophesying is better. He’s already stated that the Spirit distributes the gifts as he wills. But now he’s telling the believers to desire the gifts and especially to prophesy. Why this apparent shift? The answer, I believe, lies in the context of his explanation which follows.

He starts to explain the difference in function between tongues and prophesying. He explains that the gift of tongues is for speaking to God. Paul appears to be describing a Holy Spirit-enabled act of worship that edifies the believer exercising that gift. On the other hand, “the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.” (v 3b)

Ah! It seems that Paul’s point is that the God-designed nature of the gift of prophesying is to exercise love by spiritually building up and encouraging others in the faith by speaking God’s truth to them in their own language. Paul is prioritizing this gift because it is a more evident way to demonstrate the love that is so important for living out God’s mission for us.

It’s not until verse 5 that Paul gives us a caveat to this prioritization of prophesying over the gift of tongues. Paul explains that if someone is present who can interpret what is being said by the one speaking in tongues so that other believers present can understand what God is revealing through that person, then the same objective that the whole body of Christ benefits is met.

So, what is the big idea of this section? I would argue that the most important thing for each believer to understand is to seek how the gifts God gives them can be used to edify and encourage as many other believers around them as possible. Our priority is not to seek some ecstatic spiritual experience to excite ourselves or make us feel more important. Our priority is to love and bless others with what God does in our lives.

Episode 210 - Faith, Hope, and Love - 1 Corinthians 13:13

1Cor. 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I don’t often do this. But we are only going to focus on one verse in this episode. I intentionally kept it separate from the section we covered last week and from the beginning of chapter 14 even though Paul continues to discuss spiritual gifts. My reason for this is that this verse not only summarizes what Paul is driving at, it highlights what should be the focus or priority in the life of a Christian.

Let’s focus first on the word “abide.” Paul writes that “faith, hope, and love abide, these three.” (v. 13a) This word reminds us again that the spiritual gifts listed earlier were given to help the young, immature church to grow up and become mature. They are valuable and Paul will continue in this letter encouraging and giving instruction concerning the gifts because the church still was very immature. But like young people who look forward to and want to be adults, we need to act like adults. How do we do that? We stop priorizing our “childish things” and manifest faith, hope, and love. They abide. The maturing Christian will have these three things evident in their life.

The first of these is faith. Faith is trust in what God has revealed. Faith is not, is never, blind. Someone cannot rightly say, “If you have enough faith, you will give me $1000.” That is not in the Scriptures. God did not reveal that. But what if that person claims to be a prophet and has “received this message from God.” The Scriptures teach us that not all prophets are speaking God’s message and they need to be tested. The Old Testament commanded that prophets who were proven to have spoken a false word they claimed was from God were to be stoned to death. We can’t get by with that today. But it shows the seriousness of saying, “Thus saith the Lord!” The truth still holds that what people say is from God must line up with what God has revealed. I had a man tell me one time that the Lord sent angels to tell him to divorce his wife. My response was, “That’s strange. God’s word says he hates divorce.” (Mal. 2:16) There is provision for it in certain cases because of the sin in this world. But I can’t imagine God encouraging it if he hates it. The one case I can recall where the leaders of Israel actually encouraged divorcing their wives was when they returned from exile where they had been because of their idolatry and rebellion against the Lord. As a nation they had been warned against marrying “foreign wives” because the foreign wives worshipped foreign gods and would lead their families away from the Lord. We see exceptions to this. Boaz married Ruth (a Moabitess) who was an ancestor to David and later Jesus. But she had committed herself to the Lord. Anyway, the command to put away their foreign wives was to say that their faithfulness to the Lord was the priority in their walk of faith.

The Greek word that is translated “faith” also means “faithfulness.” It seems to me that while we will see God in eternity and will therefore be both seeing and believing, we will still manifest “faithfulness” in our moment by moment existence.

Hope is the second thing that abides. In my sixty years of life, I cannot think of a time where hope was so lacking in our world. But we, as Christians, are offered an amazing hope that this life and all of its troubles are temporary and that eternity will be never-ending abundant life that Jesus offers through faith in him.

It would seem that once the resurrection happens, that will be the culmination of hope. We will have arrived and will eternally experience what we had hoped for in this life. But is it possible that hope will continue perhaps in even a more pure and rich form throughout eternity? Is it possible that the glory of God will lead us to a never-ending journey of learning and experiencing God’s glory. Hope would be a never ceasing joyful expectation of what is next. It’s just a thought.

Faith, hope, and love abide. “But the greatest of these is love.” (13b) The Scriptures have a lot to say about faith and hope. But Paul says that love is even greater, more important. Why? I think it’s because God has demonstrated nothing greater toward us than his love when Christ died on the cross for our sin, making it possible to have peace with God. We have faith in God. We have hope in God. But love is what can be directed toward God and all of humanity and God’s creation.

This is one of those verses we could use as a life verse. We need to meditate upon this and prayerfully ask the Lord to increase our faith, hope, and love as he leads us into a mature faith.

Episode 209 - "Love never fails" 1 Corinthians 13:8-12

1 Cor. 13:8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

I have a confession. Sometimes, I handle longer passages because I feel what is most important about it necessitates it being handled as a complete unit. Other times I break a section down more because there is so much to take in that it’s best to take it in small bites. But I’m breaking down this section on love into smaller segments simply because I am savoring it. It’s just that beautiful to me.

In our last episode, we looked at a list of things that love is and a list of things that love is not. In these few verses, Paul brings his comparison of the importance of love in contrast to spiritual gifts into vivid clarity. Beginning with the three words, “Love never ends,” Paul explains why love is superior to spiritual gifts. There is a sense in which this can mean that love never fails. That doesn’t mean that people never fail to love. It means that love, when exercised, doesn’t have a limit. It doesn’t run out of gas. The best example of this is God’s love for humanity demonstrated in Christ’s death on the cross for the sins of the human race past, present, and future, appropriated by those who accept the gift of forgiveness of our sins through trust in Jesus Christ. It was a one-time act that occurred 2,000 years ago but is still perceived by people today when they realize this love is available to them. That act of love still has its power upon people today.

It’s also important to understand that love will never end. God’s love will be eternally experienced by those who have received it. I would suggest that in God’s eternal realm, our love toward each other will be made perfect through Christ. The fallen condition in which we endure now will be done away with, and there will be nothing to stop or hinder our love for each other.

But what about the spiritual gifts? Look at verses 8-9. They are temporary and limited. At some point, after Paul writes this, they would cease. When? This is another one of those sticky points between some Christians. People in the church where I grew up liked to say or teach that tongues ceased when the canon of Scripture was completed and that they no longer have a purpose today. Paul’s answer to that question is, “When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” (v. 10) What is the perfect? I think the perfect is when Christ returns, and Christians are given a glorified body. Notice the “Now and then” argument he gives in verse 12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” When will we fully know and be known? When we are made whole and in God’s presence.

I have friends who claim to have certain spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues. I also know there are churches at which this “gift” is regularly manifested on Sunday mornings. As a believer who does not possess this gift, I must confess that I question the validity of such programmed manifestation of these gifts. Is that the way the Spirit moves, at 10:30 on Sunday morning? I am more concerned by the insistence of some that the gift of tongues is an indication of one’s salvation. This teaching is clearly in contrast with the Holy Spirit-inspired Scriptures. Furthermore, Christians aren’t the only ones who claim to speak in tongues. This is why the apostle John writes in 1 John 4:1-3 to “test the spirits to see if they are from God.” This same idea is present here in Paul’s letter when he explains that these gifts are “in part” and will end. Yet, I can’t say they are completely invalid or have ceased. I choose to conclude that God is free to manifest these gifts according to his will and timing. However, they are limited. They will end at some point and will not be necessary in eternity. I believe that we will all be speaking one language or that we will all understand every language.

If it’s not clear enough that Paul understands and upholds the value of these gifts but contrasts them with the importance of love that can and should be demonstrated by every believer, he compares the gifts to “childish” things. (See verse 11) As the Lord is bringing the body of Christ (the Church) to maturity, love is what is to remain and be a chief characteristic of Christians worldwide. That should be our priority in how we treat each other and toward the world as we desire to lead them to God’s love.

Episode 208 - "High Definition Love" - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

1Cor. 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

I would suspect that John 3:16 is perhaps the most well-known verse in all the Bible. But this passage in 1 Corinthians 13 may be the second for the very reason that it is often read at weddings. It’s beautiful, profound, and I believe it resonates truthfully within the minds of all people. At least in principle, people believe it’s an idealistic view of love.

I must admit that studying this passage this time was the first time I noticed that Paul tells us more about what love isn’t than what it is. He says that love is patient, kind, rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love is/does NOT envy, boast, arrogant, rude, insist on its own way, irritable, resentful, and does not rejoice in wrongdoing. By my count that’s 8-7 in favor of what love is not. My suspicion is that Paul is highlighting the attitudes and characteristics that have been creating division and conflict among the believers at Corinth. In other words, Paul is telling them (and us), “Who cares if you have the gift of tongues if you are arrogant? What good is the gift of prophecy if you are rude to your brothers and sisters in the faith? Why should anyone listen to you if your boasting or always insisting that things are done your way? That’s not love and love is more important than all of those things! The gifts are only valuable if exercised in love.”

Sometimes we need a reality check, a correction in our thinking and attitudes, before we can move forward and grow in our faith. In way of application, it seems good to ask ourselves if we have self-serving, arrogant attitudes among others and confess that to the Lord.

Love IS patient and kind. Love rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I don’t know about you. But verse 7 threw me a curveball especially in the statement that love “believes all things.” Really? Am I supposed to believe everything I hear? I don’t think that is what Paul is saying. Why? Because he already said that love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with truth.” He is not saying that we should believe everything people say because people believe and say things that are not in-line with God’s truth. Reading all of this within the context helps guide our understanding, doesn’t it?

It would seem then that what Paul is saying is that we should not have a cynical spirit in interacting with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore, demonstrating love would be evident by listening with a true concern for the other person. We can be discerning and even disagreeing if something being taught is in contradiction with God’s truth. A common problem in our society today is the notion that I must agree with you to demonstrate love or that if I don’t agree with you, I must obviously hate you. This is a lie. If someone has an addiction that is clearly harmful to them or others and we tell them that or attempt to get them to stop, we don’t hate them. On the contrary, we’re showing more love to them than they are showing to themselves. Self-destruction is self-hate. More universally, we have rules for our children for the purpose of protecting them and guiding them toward that which is good, safe, and healthy. We don’t hate them by imposing such rules. We demonstrate love.

It is in these tough situations in which loves “bears” and “endures” all things. Love is not only manifest when things are going good. The addict won’t necessarily respond to our advice in love. We don’t need to compromise truth. We find ways to stand our ground on truth without being arrogant and we can be patient and kind.

That brings up one more thing that I would suggest that love isn’t. It isn’t easy. This means that we need to draw upon the love of Christ towards us to guide us and sustain us as we seek to hold to and rejoice with truth while demonstrating patience and kindness with others.

Episode 207 - "Got love?" 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

​​1Cor. 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

We left off last week with the question, “What could be more excellent than the gifts of the Holy Spirit?” Paul was confronting the idea that some believers at Corinth had the idea that some spiritual gifts were more important than others. Paul does not want to undermine the value of the gifts. On the contrary, he desires believers to value the gifts distributed by the Holy Spirit for the mutual edification of believers and to serve God’s purpose and mission through the church. But he left us with, “I will show you a still more excellent way.” (1 Cor. 12:31b) What is that more excellent way? He answers that question right away, doesn’t he? The answer is love.

In 1 Corinthians 13:1, Paul writes, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” There are few things that Christians today can be divided over as much as the gift of tongues. People disagree over whether this gift is still valid for today. Some assert that one cannot be truly “saved” if they don’t speak in tongues. Some who claim to have it instruct others to start mumbling in order to “prime the pump,” so to speak. There are disagreements over exactly what it looks like and the Biblical guidelines for this gift.

First, Paul has clearly stated that Christians do not all have the same gifts. So, if we believe that this letter is inspired by God (as the church has believed since its early years), we believe that God cannot/does not contradict himself. Therefore, one cannot argue this gift is absolutely required or that it is evidence of one being a true Christian. Paul also wrote that gifts are distributed according to the will of the Spirit. So, one cannot decide that they will get the gift of tongues. That is God’s decision. In Acts, we find on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit filled the apostles, and they spoke in tongues. The context explains that there were people present from all over the known world who spoke and understood in their own languages what the apostles were saying. It seems reasonable to understand that in that instant, the apostles were speaking God’s truth in languages they had not learned because the Holy Spirit was enabling that. There are other places in the Scriptures where the “tongue” spoken may not be known by anyone without someone being present who can interpret the speech.

However, the point here is that this gift is nothing but a distraction if the speaker does not have love. The argument builds in verse 2 when he writes that one who has prophetic powers or amazing faith is “nothing” if they do not have love. Finally, he argues that one could even forfeit everything they have and suffer harm to death. But if they do not have love, there is no advantage.

What is the takeaway on this? First of all, while everyone may not have the gift of tongues, prophecy, or some other gift that people think is very important, it seems evident that Paul is suggesting that every single believer is capable of having the love of Christ to show to others.

The gifts are important. Paul has established that. However, they are utterly useless if they are exercised without love. God does not limit who among his people can show love to others. This makes sense when we understand that we have appropriated God’s love toward us when we trusted in Christ Jesus.

It seems to me the lesson for us is that the question before us is not “What spiritual gifts do I have?” but “How can I demonstrate God’s love to others around me?” It’s my opinion that our spiritual gifts will manifest themselves when we consider ways in which we can do that, and it won’t matter if we can’t speak in tongues because God has led us to show his love in a way that is genuine to our identity and the mission he has for each of us to the church and the world.