Episode240 - "Sin's desire is to dominate you" - Genesis 4:1-7

Gen. 4:1 Now the man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created a man just as the LORD did!” 2 Then she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground.

Gen. 4:3 At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock—even the fattest of them. And the LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.

Gen. 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? 7 Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” (NET Bible)

I have chosen to use the New English Translation (NET Bible) instead of the ESV for this study due to its translation of Eve’s statement in verse one concerning the birth of her first son. The NET Bible reads, “I have created a man just as the LORD did,” whereas the ESV Bible translates her words as “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” Scholars are divided on exactly how to translate this. Both translations have their proponents.

My choice is based on two things. First of all, I happen to know many of the translators of the NET Bible and trust their knowledge and judgment. Secondly, this translation feels more likely or natural to me than that represented in the ESV. I take it as an exclamation of amazement. Think about it. Unless the Bible is intentionally not mentioning other children already born to Adam and Eve, Cain is the first human born. We have no idea whether they’ve witnessed even the birth of an animal. It seems to me that she is amazed and even joyful that she has accomplished something so significant. Regardless of which translation better represents the original language, I think Eve’s response reflects God’s grace to her. Even though they have messed up, God is still using them to fulfill the roles and responsibilities he gave them. They are being fruitful and are multiplying. I think the LORD is like that with us. Even though we aren’t always obedient, God does not abandon us or cease to have a purpose for us.

After the announcement of Cain’s birth. The author quickly informs us that his brother Abel is born and then we are given the career paths of both brothers. Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a farmer. From these few details, it would seem that both sons are doing something related to what the LORD had assigned to Adam. Abel is responsible over some animals, and Cain is toiling by working the ground for crops. It doesn’t appear there is any indication of wrong-doing by either one.

In verse three, we are told that “in the designated time,” both men brought a sacrifice to the LORD. Each brought a sacrifice from their respective jobs. We are not told what the designated time was or how they came to know that. In fact, we are not told how Adam and Eve or their children knew they should bring an offering to the LORD.

Some, including myself, have assumed a connection between the LORD making garments of animal skin with Abel’s offering of an animal sacrifice. This view could explain why the LORD approved of Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s. However, I would admit today that is quite an interpretive stretch and shouldn’t be considered too seriously. What is safer and a more likely reason for why the LORD accepted Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s offering is found right in the text. Notice that of Cain’s offering, it is recorded that he brought “some fruit.” (v. 3) This is followed by, “But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock—even the fattest of them.” (v. 4) What this is showing us are the attitudes or motives and offerings that corresponded to their attitude in bringing these offerings. Abel brought the first and best of what he had to offer. Cain brought “some” of what he had. Here is another principle for us. What kind of attitude do we have in bringing our offerings to the LORD?

If Cain’s attitude was not ideal when he brought the offering, it only got worse when the LORD did not receive his offering but accepted his brother’s. The text tells us he got angry. He was angry that the LORD did not accept his worship on his own terms. As I reflect upon this, I’m reminded of Jesus’ dialogue with the Samaritan woman at the well. In response to her question about the right location of worship, Jesus informed her, “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23) We need to be reminded that it’s not just about a desire or having the right emotion. We need to worship in truth as well.

We find in verse 6 that the LORD approached Cain in a manner similar to how he approached Adam after his sin. He invites Cain to explain his attitude problem. Then, in his patience and mercy, he suggested a solution followed by a warning if he didn’t heed the advice. He used the imagery of a beast or cat that is crouching to attack its unsuspecting prey. The LORD cautioned, “if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” Here is probably the most important lesson in this text. Sin has a desire to dominate us, and we must subdue it. The apostle Paul gives us advice on how to do that in Romans 8. To summarize, by means of the Holy Spirit that has been given to us through faith in Christ, we “put to death the deeds of the flesh.” The Holy Spirit is with us to remind us of God’s love for us through Christ, to grant us wisdom, to teach and caution us in our walk of faith and to convict us when we let sin dominate us.

Well . . . we’re not yet done with the story of these two brothers. Who’d have thought there would be so much we could learn from some of the first people in the history of the world?

Episode 239 - "Loving discipline for disobedience" - Genesis 3:20-24

Gen. 3:20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

Gen. 3:22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Why does the statement, “The man called wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (v.20), matter to us? First of all, scholars debate the meaning of her name, which tells us they don’t really understand how it corresponds to the explanation given. So what do we do? We accept the explanation given by the text. We’ll come back to this in a minute.

This is immediately followed by the statement, “And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Wait a minute! Didn’t Adam and Eve already have garments? When their eyes were opened after their disobedience, and they saw that they were naked, the text tells us they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. (Gen. 3:7) This Scripture has raised all kinds of questions and debates. The first issue is that some people see this as God initiating the first sacrifice because the garments were made of animal skins. Many people argue strongly against this by saying that this is reading back into the text something that is established later, and that the author does not intend to communicate the idea of a sacrifice. In response to this argument, I would concede that I cannot recall anywhere in all of Scripture that identifies this incident as a sacrifice. Furthermore, I believe it’s entirely possible that the author, the human author, that is, does not recognize God making garments of animal skin as a sacrifice. But what about the divine author? Is it possible that in God’s inspiration of the Scriptures, there is meaning embedded in what is written, which will not be perceived and understood until the LORD reveals more understanding of his divine plan? I think so. I am inclined to think and suggest that God, through this act, is establishing an example of the shedding of blood and substitutionary atonement for sin. In Christian theology, we understand that we have sinned like Adam and Eve and we are unable to adequately cover our shame through our own effort. The blood of Christ was shed on the cross through the divine will to meet our needs. In our modern society of electronic games, developers of games will often create hidden surprises called “Easter eggs.” I understand the risk of reading my theology back into the Hebrew Scriptures. But Jesus himself told people those Scriptures spoke of him. Essentially, Jesus stated that the Hebrew Scriptures had “Easter eggs” of revelation concerning him.

At the very least, I think it’s appropriate to understand this act of God to reveal that Adam and Eve’s efforts to cover their nakedness and shame were inadequate, and only God could appropriately address it. This leads me back to the question of why the naming of Eve and the garments of skin matter to us. I believe that what we are seeing revealed here is God’s grace. Adam and Eve had just disobeyed the LORD’s one prohibitive command, and the LORD had just revealed the consequences of their sin. Like a loving father disciplining his children for disobedience, he also shows his care for them. He is not disowning them. He still has a purpose for them. Adam acts according to the role God gave him and gives Eve a name to reflect the honor she has in becoming the mother of all living. Finally, God is giving them the covering they need for the broken world they will now live in. We need this reminder at this point in the text because God is about to expel them from the garden. We need to be reminded that when we sin, God’s discipline may be painful, but we are not disowned, and we are still valued and cared for by God.

The conclusion of this segment of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and the consequences pronounced by the LORD is found in verses 22-24. For the first time, it’s clearly revealed that the serpent used some truth in his deception of Eve. In Genesis 3:22, the LORD says, “the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.” So, he resolved to prevent the man from eating the fruit from the tree of life and living forever. In verses 23-24, the LORD expelled the man from the garden and made it impossible for him to reenter. That sounds mean and vindictive, doesn’t it? Actually, it’s quite the contrary. The LORD intended for humanity to enjoy life and all of his creation eternally, but not in a cursed world and a condition that is a far cry from that in which the people were created. How awful it would be to live forever in such a condition. Again, as strange as it may seem, this was an act of grace and not sadism.

The first few chapters of Genesis clearly reveal God’s power, goodness, patience, justice, mercy, value, and purpose for humanity. These are important principles to remember and embrace in our daily lives to encourage us and sustain our faith.

Episode238 "Listen to God's voice!" - Genesis 3:17-19

Gen. 3:17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Once again, let’s quickly review where we’ve been in this story so as to interpret this Scripture in its immediate context. When the serpent tempted Eve and she ate the forbidden fruit, she gave it to Adam, who also ate it. But the LORD confronted Adam first. He reminded him of the command he had given Adam not to eat of one specific fruit in the garden. (Gen. 3:9-11) He then interrogated Eve before addressing the serpent and pronouncing the curse upon it.

As we read last week, the LORD then backtracked to Eve to explain that the blessing of bearing children would be experienced with greater pain because of her disobedience, and the harmony designed by the LORD between her and Adam would suffer. She had been formed from Adam’s flesh and bone and received the LORD’s command through him. Yet, she listened to the lie of the serpent and brought her husband to participate in this act of disobedience. The LORD’s pronouncement to her that “he (Adam) shall rule over you” seems to suggest that she will even experience a measure of forced subjugation to Adam, something that would not have occurred or have been necessary in their pre-fallen condition.

NOTE: My opinion is that these people, made in the image of God, would have conducted themselves toward each other as do the members of the Trinity. In the New Testament, we often read that Jesus only does what the Father wants him to do. As God himself, he submits to the Father. Yet we see other Scriptures in which the Father gives all authority to the Son. In short, there appears to be mutual submission within the divine Godhead. This is important for us because we often think that submission to others makes us less important and is a negative thing. That clearly isn’t true with God. I believe what we see here is that because of sin, there will be resistance to a harmonious mutual submission and conflict within human relationships. There would be a sense of competition instead of perfect cooperation within marriage relationships. The cooperation will not be so natural now that they have acted out of accordance with God’s will and character.

In verse 17, God returns to Adam to explain the consequences of his sin. Adam will also experience pain. His work is going to get more difficult. In Genesis 2:15, Adam’s responsibility was to tend to the garden. What appeared to be easy and pleasant work will now be painful and troublesome.

Notice that this curse on the ground was not because Adam had listened to his wife. It was because he obeyed his wife’s words contrary to the LORD’s command. Adam ought to have recognized that Eve’s invitation to eat was in contrast to what the LORD had commanded, and he should have refused. In fact, he should have even tried to stop her from eating it.

The LORD cursed the ground so that Adam’s survival would be toil. The ground would produce thorns and thistles, and he would experience pain when harvesting food to eat. Finally, he would die, just as the LORD had said would happen if he disobeyed.

The most obvious takeaway from this section seems to be the importance of discerning and obeying the LORD’s words. Sometimes, people close to us may attempt to encourage us to do something that doesn’t seem right. Regardless of the relationship, we need to trust and obey God’s voice first and foremost.

Episode237-"The Pain of Disobedience" - Genesis 3:16

Gen. 3:16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

To review, the LORD gave Adam and Eve one prohibitive command not to eat of the fruit of one specific tree in the garden. The consequence of disobeying that command, the LORD informed them, is best translated as “dying you will die.” It means that death would be a definite reality for them. It is not evident how quickly that might happen. We are left to wonder, “Will this be immediate?” We don’t have to wonder too long because it appears they disobeyed this command rather quickly after the serpent deceived Eve, and she ate and gave some to Adam, who ate the fruit along with her. But they did not die immediately. In fact, rather than God striking them down for the offense, the LORD provided coverings for their nakedness, which represented their shame. It seems obvious that he would not bother doing this if death would be an immediate judgment upon them. Furthermore, when the LORD approached them in the garden and elicited confessions from them, there was an indication that they would be around for a while. The LORD began by pronouncing a judgment upon the serpent who twisted the LORD’s words and impugned God’s character in the deception. The LORD spoke of a seed, or descendant of the woman, whom the serpent would bruise his heel. Yet, that seed would bruise his head. This suggests that while the serpent has upended the authority God had given his people to rule over the earth, the serpent would ultimately be crushed. It’s a glimmer of hope that God would someday set everything right according to his purpose in creation.

Concluding his verdict and judgment on the serpent, the LORD turned to Eve and told her that an immediate consequence of her disobedience was increased pain in having children. In fact, in the Hebrew language, what is likely conveyed here is a sense of anxiety in conception through the physical pain of birth. This pain is not just a natural consequence of her disobedience, but something the LORD brings upon her for this disobedience. I must admit that I ask myself, “Why this?” The text doesn’t explain it outright. Perhaps it is because Adam and Eve understood that the LORD’s first command to them was to be fruitful and multiply, and they understood this as an important part of their identity and purpose, which continues to be so after their “fall.” Because Eve is the one who will conceive and bear children, the LORD is giving her a reminder that disobeying God will bring pain. As she looks forward to her seed that will someday crush the serpent’s head, it will not come without anxiety and pain.

The LORD continued with the second part of her sentence by saying, “Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” Hebrew experts have debated the exact translation of this, but the bottom line is that there will now be a conflict of authority within the relationship. What began as the perfect compliment of a partner to the man, will now manifest conflict at times.

I would caution anyone from the tendency to read and judge this ancient story through the lens of our 21st-century AD proprieties concerning gender roles. What is most important to observe from this story is how people radically upset the harmonious state of life on earth through a simple act of disobedience. It is not difficult today to see the divorce rate in our world, recognize other interpersonal conflicts, and know this is not the ideal state of humanity in the world. We long for harmony, peace, and healthy relationships. That was God’s intent for us in the beginning. My hope is that as we read this, we recognize that we sometimes violate God’s righteous ways in our minds, words, and actions. When we do, it has terrible results and tends to bring pain and conflict into our lives. Let’s humbly acknowledge how relevant this story is to us today and continue in this story to see both the tragic consequences of disobedience to the LORD and the hope that he offers in spite of our rebellious ways.

Episode 236 - "He will bruise your head" - Genesis 3:14-15

Gen. 3:14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Let’s begin with a brief review of our last episode. Adam and Eve disobeyed the LORD’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God had given Adam the clear command and the clear consequences of disobeying that command. The offense began with the serpent questioning and confusing God’s word, followed by impugning God’s character. The serpent used these methods to deceive Eve, and she ate, and she gave some to Adam, and he ate.

The LORD approached Adam first to interrogate and confront him. Adam attempted to redirect the blame onto God and Eve before confessing that he had indeed eaten the forbidden fruit. The LORD then questioned Eve, who redirected the blame to the serpent before confessing that she ate the fruit.

In verse 14, the LORD spoke to the serpent but did not question it. The serpent neither redirected blame nor confessed to any offense. The LORD simply pronounced judgment on the serpent.

I do not want to give much attention to the details of the first part of this curse because I don’t see how they inform our spiritual life. What I will say is that the New Testament Scriptures make it clear that the serpent is the devil himself. Many have suggested that the devil possessed or took on the form of a serpent to approach Eve and that the serpent was complicit and, therefore, deserved this curse.

I believe the most important thing we can glean from verse 14 is that God does not leave rebellion against his holy and righteous standard to go unpunished. God will not let evil go unchecked. This is an important principle to understand in appreciating the Good News of Jesus and his death on the cross. Jesus, in dying on the cross, took upon himself the just punishment for the sins of the world. This is known as substitutionary atonement. Since God is just, he cannot simply turn a blind eye to some sins. Jesus is the only one who could accomplish this because he is the only Son of God and was perfectly obedient to every command of his Father in Heaven. God sending his Son to this earth to accept the just punishment on our behalf not only reveals God’s justice by showing that he will not let any sin go unchecked, but it also shows his love and mercy toward us.

Enmity is an appropriate word to describe the common reaction most people have to snakes to this day. Snakes can be difficult to see lying in the grass, and it’s easy to get bit if we walk near or step on the snake by mistake. Conversely, people often have such an aversion to snakes that they will bludgeon or step on their heads to kill them. The question is, “Does this verse simply tell us about the ongoing conflict between humans and snakes?” I don’t think so. Many people understand this verse not only to remind us of the conflict between people and snakes but also to symbolize the conflict between spiritual forces. Based upon God’s original commandment that death would be certain if they disobeyed the LORD, we might expect God to strike Adam and Eve down right then and there. But that doesn’t happen, and God’s words about the seed of the serpent striking the heel of the woman’s seed, but the woman’s seed striking the head of the serpent seems to indicate that God has a plan, and the plot of this story is about to thicken. Who will this seed be, and when will he come to crush the head of the serpent?

In our next episode, the LORD returns to Eve and Adam to explain the consequences of their disobedience. Life would get tough for them, but hope becomes evident. Within these two verses, we learn some very important truths that are as valid today as they were then. First, God is just. Second, God is also merciful. By promising a seed that will crush the head of the serpent, there is an expectation and hope that God will set right the chaos and death that will result from this rebellious action by Adam and Eve.

Episode 235 - "Where are you?" - Genesis 3:8-13

Gen. 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The first people were given one simple, clear, prohibitive command by God with very clear consequences if they disobeyed that command. They would surely die. Yet, they listened to the serpent’s lie, and they ate the forbidden fruit. The one part of the serpent’s promise that was true was that their eyes would be opened. (v.5) But that did not make them more like God. In fact, it diminished their likeness in that they were no longer innocent.

So when we pick up the story in verse 8, the author tells us, “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. (v.8) If you stop and ask yourself, “How did they recognize the sound of the LORD God walking?” I believe the only possible answer is that they’d heard it before. God had entered into their presence before in a way that was more than just a feeling. They had a relationship with God that God had initiated. God apparently liked to visit with his people and have a relationship. This is another important truth about God’s intended design for humans and one that we’ll see come up time and again throughout the Scriptures.

Because their eyes were opened, we were told that they saw that they were naked and they made loin cloths of fig leaves. But now they wanted and attempted to hide from God. Perhaps I’m pushing the interpretation here a little bit. But I see some irony in this because the promise by the serpent was that they would “be like God.” Yet they are so foolish to think they can hide from God.

So, I think we, as readers, are supposed to think, “Hey fools! You can’t hide from God.” But God plays the game. God arrives at the place where it seems they would have met before, and God asks, “Where are you?” Instead of outright stating their offense, God draws them to confess their offense.

In verse 10, Adam’s response, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself,” reveals something about violating God’s law. There is no indication whatsoever that Adam ever had a reason to be afraid of the LORD’s presence until he disobeyed God. I think that’s just as true today for us as it was back then. God does not want us to live in fear of Him but in love and relationship. We experience the peace God wants for us when we trust him and follow him.

Adam’s response not only reveals his location, it reveals his action of disobedience. God uses the man’s words against him as though he were a prosecuting attorney in a court case. (Which is essentially what this is.) “Who told you that you were naked?” God had made the man and woman oblivious to their nakedness. So, the LORD follows that with the direct question, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (v. 11)

The jig is up, as they say, and Adam knows it. But before he comes clean, he attempts to redirect the blame. “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (v. 12) Did you notice who he blames first? He blames God in saying, “The woman who you gave . . .” Then he blames the woman and finally, “and I ate.” It’s a confession of sorts. But he’s trying to play that he’s the victim. This is absurd, considering that he was the one who directly received the command from God and was present when the serpent contradicted God’s word.

Before saying anything else to Adam, the LORD turns to Eve and asks her a question: “What is this that you have done?” Eve also tries to redirect the blame. It’s not that either Adam or Eve lied. But they are both attempting to make excuses for their disobedience to the LORD’s command. She just says, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (v. 13)

I’m going to stop at this point for this week’s study, and we’ll pick it up next week when the LORD God addresses the serpent and returns to both Adam and Eve to explain the consequences of their actions. But there are certainly takeaways for us from these few verses, aren’t there?

Primarily, God wants to have fellowship with us, and that can only happen when we obey His word. Later in the New Testament, the apostle John writes, “6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:6-10)

This is great news! Through Jesus's death on the cross, we have forgiveness for our sins. We receive that through faith in him. When we sin (disobey God’s righteous standard), it disrupts our fellowship. We experience that in our relationships with other people, right? If someone offends us, the relationship still exists, but the mutual joy and encouragement that normally exists within the relationship is strained. The offense needs to be acknowledged and made right to restore and maintain fellowship with others and the LORD. That kind of fellowship is free of fear.

Episode 233 - "Did God say . . ." - Genesis 3:1-3

Gen. 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

The first few chapters of Genesis are essential to understanding the Bible as a whole, and the third chapter of Genesis is no exception. What happens in Genesis 3 is the crisis or conflict for the greater story of God creating the world, designing humanity in his image, and giving them dignity and responsibility of being the stewards of God’s creation.

We recall that Adam named the animals. He exercised his God-given authority over the other creatures by naming them. So far, everything has gone according to what God has said. But every story has some type of crisis or conflict from which the plot develops, and a resolution is pursued. The crisis in God’s story through the Bible is revealed in this chapter. I believe that we are still experiencing this crisis today, but the resolution has been revealed, and we are waiting for the culmination of that resolution.

This third chapter opens by saying, “The serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field” (Gen 3:1). The serpent then speaks in the following verse. For those of us, living in today’s age, this would obviously cause us to suspect the genre to be fantasy and that this is fiction. Who could possibly assess the serpent’s craftiness, and when has anyone run into a talking snake? But if we believe this is God’s story in which we play a part, let’s take this at face value and see if we can identify with what is going on.

The statement that the serpent was more crafty than any other beast suggests that the serpent was going to cause trouble. I believe that is its purpose in the narrative. It should heighten our sense of an imminent problem.

If you recall, God gave the command to Adam in Genesis 2:16-17 to eat freely of every tree except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In the unfolding of the narrative, the woman was not even created when the command was given. Yet, the serpent goes to her directly to ask what God said. Why doesn’t the serpent go to the man who has authority over him to ask what God said? If I’m not mistaken, the implied purpose is to test whether the message had been communicated to her. Based on the information that this creature is more crafty than the others, the serpent’s intent is not to discover God’s message but to confuse and contradict it.

This is evident in the first words it speaks, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Gen 2:1b) The serpent acts as though it knows what God has said, but is unsure of the details. Personally, I think it knew exactly what God said. Why? Because the first chapter of the Bible vividly describes God as one who expresses and makes known his will. If God is God, he could have thought creation into existence. But instead, he spoke creation into existence. This creator God clearly reveals his will. This fact alone distinguishes the LORD from other gods of the various people groups we read about in the Bible who worship gods represented by inanimate objects. They don’t speak. He also communicated with his people letting the man know that he could freely eat from every tree but the one tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God even communicated what would happen if the man disobeyed God’s one prohibition. I think we are supposed to understand that all the creatures heard God’s word and that in the harmony of all creation, everything understood God’s expressed word.

The craftiness of the serpent becomes more apparent in this question. Instead of repeating specifically what God said, the serpent turned God’s words 180 degrees. In doing so, the serpent indirectly challenges God’s goodness. It is using a question rhetorically to insinuate that God is cruel by putting them in such a wonderful place and not allowing them to enjoy it.

Eve correctly responded with what God said and the consequences with one little addition. She adds, “neither shall you touch it.” (Gen 3:3) Personally, I think this is supposed to get our attention. I think the reader is supposed to cry out at least in their thoughts, “No! God didn’t say that.”

Well, there’s more to this conversation. But I want to pause here to focus on a few things we should learn and even internalize.

First, God is good and desires good for his creatures. In a world in which there is a lot of trouble, we need to be guarded against the temptations to think otherwise.

Second, we should endeavor to know God’s word because it’s through obeying God’s word that we have life. When we get to the New Testament, we discover that Jesus is God’s Word. He is the most clear revelation of who God is. He has promised eternal life to those who believe in him.

Episode 232 - "It is not good for man to be alone" - Genesis 2:18-25

Gen. 2:18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman,

because she was taken out of Man.”

Gen. 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

This is another one of those times where there is so much we could call attention to in this text. But it just seems appropriate to take it all together and focus on what is important.

The first thing is that God spoke again. To humorously borrow from an old commercial for an investment broker, the pitch line is “When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen.” Well, it seems to me that when God speaks, we need to pay attention and listen. In this case, God, for the first time recorded in the Scriptures, expresses his assessment that something is NOT good, and he immediately resolves to do something about it. It was “not good that man should be alone” (Gen 2:18).

Before we look at God’s plan and action to resolve this, let’s consider the principle revealed here. We’ve already learned some very important God-revealed facts about humanity, haven’t we? Humans are valuable in the eyes of God. That is by God’s intent and design. This is a valuable tenet for us today. For those who claim to follow the God of the Bible, we should value other people with no regard to race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic class, or other characteristics that may differentiate us from them based on outward appearances. The Scriptures tell us that God is no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34, Rom 2:11) It would appear that this value assigned to us by God is related to the measure of how we bear God’s image.

Now we receive another truth about people that should inform how we live; how we think about others and interact with others. It is not good for man to be alone. What is evident in the immediate context is that God’s intent is to create the woman and the marriage relationship through which they can “be fruitful and multiply,” as was already expressed in the more general story of creation in chapter one. But at the more general level, we find the principle that God does not want us to isolate ourselves. We should not think that we can avoid people at all costs and just look out for ourselves. We need to be otherly-minded. This is not a condemnation of introverts. It is a principle that should inform us that God wants us to pursue and engage in relationships with other people.

Why would God say this? Why is this so important? We Christians understand that God is triune. There is one God, but God is three in person. Therefore, there has been fellowship within the Godhead from eternity past. Furthermore, we’ll see that as the Scriptures unfold, God doesn’t just want people to be in relationships with other people; God wants to be at the center of these relationships.

Picking up where I left off, God expressed his plan to “make a helper fit for him.” (Gen 2:18) The idea is that God was not going to make someone just like the man he’s created. However, the person he would create corresponds to the man and has similarities but is different enough to be a perfect complement to the man. In short, together, they will best fulfill the roles and responsibilities given to them by God, and they will best reflect the dignity and value of which they were endowed by their Creator.

Before God created the woman, it’s recorded that God brought every animal he had created to the man who named them. The man exercised his God-given responsibility to rule over the creatures and the earth. But the helper fit for the man was not among those creatures.

God could have formed the woman out of the ground as he had the man. But to form her out of the man himself reveals the connectedness and the intimacy they were designed to have. The culmination is when the LORD brought the woman to the man, and he was in absolute awe. He recognized that this is the perfect partner for him. (vv. 22-23)

This section closes with two important statements about this couple. First, the marriage relationship is the God-ordained formation of a new family in which the allegiances have shifted from parent-child to husband-wife. There are many people today who fail to get that. It does not mean to disregard or abandon our parents. But the child’s primary responsibility is now to their spouse and children.

The second statement says this first couple was naked and not ashamed. This is a picture of innocence. They have no knowledge of any wrong done. They have nothing to hide.

So what can we learn from this section? I would suggest that we need to embrace God’s assessment that it is not good for man to be alone. This does not mean that it’s sinful for people to be single. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians argues for the value of remaining single so that one’s focus and energy can be on doing the Lord’s work. But, of course, that means serving others, doesn’t it? God wants us to be concerned for others and seek to serve them.

Episode 231 - "Death for Disobedience" - Genesis 2:10-17

Gen. 2:10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

Gen. 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

I believe that there’s a good reason for every word that is in the Scriptures. However, it is hard to discern the purpose for some of the details. Genesis 2:10-14 is an example of this. For example, why are these details concerning the location of Eden and its garden important when it would have been long gone by the time this book was written? Why would people need to know where it was and about the valuable resources that had been there?

Here are some thoughts. First of all, what we do recognize and know are the current locations of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. They are both in modern-day Iraq. We know that Cush later in the Bible is identified as modern-day Ethiopia. However, there is disagreement over whether it’s referring to a river running through Ethiopia. There is a common agreement that no one knows where Havilah is. The point is we don’t really know where Eden was located. Furthermore, wherever it was, surely there were significant changes in the courses of these rivers after the flood, which we’ll read about soon, and rivers often change their course over time. But don’t miss the point that there is specific detail to where it was. This suggests that the author is not making up a mythical place with no basis of geography and reality. The detail suggests that it was a real place.

Another potential purpose for the detail is to describe a lush and luxurious place that might indicate a place of God’s presence. The prophets later speak of the Promised Land becoming like Eden. (Ezekiel 36:35, Joel 2:3, Isaiah 51:3, Zechariah 14:8, Revelation 22:1-2) See also Haggai 2:7-8 and Revelation 21:18. Admittedly, I am pushing the text a bit more than what is given in the immediate context. But I don’t think it’s wrong to point out that what this setting in Eden looked like at the beginning of time when God created it and how it parallels the New Jerusalem we read about at the end of time. This is an important observation as we begin to read Genesis because it begins a long story about God and his perfect creation, the conflict that arises and brings chaos into the world, and the long road to resolution when God brings his followers back to a garden of Eden like setting to live for eternity. The Bible is a grand story of God and we don’t want to quickly gloss over this information as though it is irrelevant.

At the very least, this description of Eden paints a beautiful scene in which God’s story will quickly unfold. It describes his creativity and goodness. The rivers help sustain life for plants, animals, and humanity, and this scene describes an abundance of God’s provision.

In both Genesis 2:8 and Genesis 2:15, the author says that God “put” the man in the garden. But the verb that is translated as “put” in each of the verses is different than the other. John Sailhamer, in The Bible Expository Commentary, Genesis, points out that the verb in verse 15 is used elsewhere in the Scriptures to indicate “God’s ‘rest’ or ‘safety,’ which he gives to man in the land (e.g., Gen 19:16; Deut 3:20; 12:10; 25:19), and the ‘dedication’ of something in the presence of the Lord (Exod 16:33-34; Lev 16:23; Num 17:4; Deut 26:4, 10.” If this is the intent of the verb used in verse 15, it would lend support to the description of Eden in verses 10-14 as a place of God’s presence. The idea is that in giving man responsibility, it was not a labor of toil but purpose and fellowship with God.

Verses 16-17 contain some of the most important words uttered in the history of the world. God commanded the man to eat freely of every tree in the garden except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you recall, this tree and the tree of life were said to be in the center of the garden. So, the man could eat as much from the tree of life as he wanted. It would seem that doing so would sustain his life. But eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would result in certain death.

When our sons were young, they sometimes asked, “Why did God put that tree of the knowledge of good and evil there for people to eat if he didn’t want them eating it?” That’s a good question and the answer is not in the text. My speculation is that it was a test to see if people would listen to their Creator or do whatever they wanted to do. It clearly wasn’t a trap. God made it clear what was expected and what would happen if he disobeyed. Furthermore, God encouraged him to eat the variety of good things he had provided in the garden. It’s not like the man had no options. Lastly, being made in the image of God indicates to me that man needed to exercise his will on what he would and wouldn’t do. God exercised his will to make the earth and life and to make it very good for us. Enjoying the abundance of God’s provision and trusting the One who made it all sounds like a good choice to make.

This is a valuable lesson for us. Do we believe that God is good? Do we believe that God wants what is best for us and that he wants us to trust him? When some of Jesus’ followers abandoned him, Peter expressed that Jesus had the words of eternal life. Like Peter, we may not always understand what God is doing. But we need to trust that he alone gave us life and can give us eternal life.

Episode 230 - "God formed . . . and breathed into . . ." - Genesis 2:4-9

Gen. 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

Gen. 2:5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Verse 4 sounds a little strange, doesn’t it? What do generations have to do with the heavens and the earth? The Hebrew word that is translated “generations,” can be transliterated as “toledot.” It’s often used at the beginning of genealogies. But the idea is what comes forth out of something else. Therefore, it makes sense to use that expression for genealogies. But Dr. John H. Walton, in the NIV Life Application Commentary volume for Genesis, suggests that the reason this expression is used here is a form of irony intended to be a critique, even an attack, on the views of other ancient cultures about the beginning of the universe. He argues that other ancient Near Eastern cultures believed that gods brought forth other gods. (See reference below) But what is revealed in Genesis is that the LORD brought forth the heavens and the earth, and through it, He brought everything good for life. Therefore, Genesis 2:4 is not only an introduction to the detailed account of the creation of humanity but, to the Hebrews coming out of Egypt and their descendants who would enter the Promised Land, it could be highlighting how their God, the LORD, is bigger and better than the gods of other cultures around them. Throughout the Bible, the writers want us to know the self-revelation of God. Understanding who we worship is essential to our life and walk of faith.

In verse 5, a few details are given to support the argument that the LORD is acting in a manner that reveals his good intent for humanity. The bushes and plants had not yet sprung up from the ground. Then we read, “the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land.” It tells us that God is in control of everything necessary for life. If nothing else, this is antithetical to a Deist worldview, one that believes that god is nothing but some initial cause to the universe with no intervention to sustain life in any way. This detail also raises the question, “When did the LORD cause the rain to fall?” We’ll get to that later. But verse 6 explains that “a mist” (or possibly springs) came up from the ground and watered the whole ground.

One more detail in verse 5 poses another problem; “there was no man to work the ground.” (v. 5) This creation was not an accident or even started by a god with no intent, willingness, or ability to orchestrate that which was to come forth to support life and be a place where mankind could exercise their God-design authority and privilege to rule over the earth as God’s vice-regents.

Verse 7 introduces God’s plan and solution for the previously stated “problems.” “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Gen 2:7). The picture here is that humanity was a “hands on” project for God. It pictures both intent and a sense of connectedness between the Creator and the man.

The goodness and blessing that is revealed from the Creator God to the man is then heightened even more in Genesis 2:8, which states that God made a garden with a variety of plant food and put the man in the garden. It’s as if God is saying to the man, “I want you to have the best of what I have made for you.” These plants created a beautiful scenery in which he would dwell and also enjoy the experience of eating them. Verse 9 concludes with two trees mentioned by name. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Given that this is the first time “evil” is mentioned in the Scriptures, it would appear the intent is to provide an ominous tip that trouble is coming.

So, what is our “take-away” from this text? What can those of us in the 21st century glean from this text? I would suggest that we understand that the God we worship is not some force or power with no concern or ability to interact in our lives today. The God we worship values mankind and wants what is absolutely best for them. This gives us hope and a reason to worship the LORD.

John Walton, Genesis, Accordance electronic, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001).

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!