Episode 181 - "Get the leaven out!" - 1 Corinthians 5:6-13

1Cor. 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1Cor. 5:9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

This episode picks up where we left off last week. Paul is addressing in this letter with the Christians at Corinth that he has received a report that there is known sexual immorality by someone in their church, and they are not doing anything about it. Specifically, Paul says, “a man has his father’s wife.” Paul points out that even this kind of immorality is “not tolerated among the pagans.” (1 Cor 5:1) Paul counsels them to remove him from the fellowship of the church. While this seems a bit harsh on the surface. Paul’s suggestion that they “hand him over to Satan” (1 Cor 5:5) has the intent that this man, living as he wants, not in the Spirit-dwelt church, will experience the consequences of his rebellion, that his “flesh” will be destroyed, but his “spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” (1 Cor 5:5) Paul does not want judgment to come upon this person. He wants him to be saved. Furthermore, Paul wants the church to testify to and exemplify God’s holiness, grace, love, and unity. They cannot do that while they are manifesting arrogance and disregarding egregious sin among them.

Paul uses a simple but powerful illustration of bread. He says, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” (1 Cor 5:6) I get this. I love to bake, and I love to bake bread. If I’m baking a normal loaf of white bread, it doesn’t take much yeast mixed in with the ingredients in order for the lump of dough to expand quickly and significantly. Paul suggests that’s how sin works in a community where only a little is allowed to remain. It doesn’t take long before it has an effect on the whole community.

So, what does Paul mean in verse 7 by saying, “clean out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed?” What does Christ being our Passover lamb have to do with leaven or being unleavened and this situation at Corinth? The answer lies in the Hebrew Scriptures. Look at Exodus 12:14-15

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”

The Israelites had been in bondage in Egypt, and the LORD was preparing to deliver them from that bondage. In the final plague upon the land the LORD would bring to cause this, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a perfect lamb, apply some of its blood on the outside door frame and enter into their homes and consume the roasted meat of this lamb if they wanted to be spared the loss of their firstborn. Furthermore, the Israelites were instructed to commemorate God’s deliverance every year. Paul is informing them the principle within this commandment to the Israelites has application within the church. Leaven is a picture of sin. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross liberated us from the power of that sin. Therefore, having experienced that liberty and not wanting to mock that great sacrifice, we should earnestly desire not to have any of that “old leaven” anywhere in our house. The man’s defiant immorality is mocking the sacrifice of Christ, and the arrogance of the church is condoning it by not removing the old leaven.

Our worship requires “sincerity and truth.” Like with the Israelites, removing every atom of leaven is impossible. Returning to my personal experience making sourdough bread in which I add no yeast whatsoever. The bread is leavened through the fermentation of the starter. This was likely what the Israelites had when they did make leavened bread. They didn’t have packs of yeast to carry around with them. Over time the microscopic spores from this fermentation are around the house. You can’t see them. So, you can’t perfectly get rid of it all. But, one can sincerely pursue the cleansing. This is what the church is supposed to do. Paul is saying to the Corinthians, you need to sincerely strive to not let sin remain in the house.

Paul makes an important qualification about this beginning in verse 9. Notice that Paul had written a letter to them before. Yet we call this letter 1 Corinthians. Obviously, this isn’t Paul’s first letter to them. It is the first that has been preserved and considered by the church as valuable and even God-inspired. The point of verses 9-13 is that the church cannot hold the world accountable to the standards God has for them. They cannot avoid speaking with and interacting with unbelievers outside the church. We could not fulfill the Great Commission if we did entirely avoid unbelievers.

God is the true judge of all humanity. The church must hold itself accountable for sincerely pursuing a life in keeping with God’s truth. The church needs to stand out as “different” from the culture around it and be a light in a dark world.

Lord - Give us a heart to pursue righteousness and humility before you and others.

Episode 180 - What to do about sexual immorality in the church - 1 Corinthians 5:1-5

1 Cor.5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

1Cor. 5:3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

I would recommend reading 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 this week to better understand what is going on and what Paul is and is not saying. To begin with, he says there is “sexual immorality” among the believers at Corinth. Scripture like this is not well received in a culture like ours today, where sex and sexuality are marketed. It’s treated like a commodity. The primary marketing slogan of a dentistry chain is “We make sexy teeth.” Really? Pornography is a huge market in western society, and smut romance books are right there with it. People want to do what they want to do. They want their “rights” to live, think, and act any way they want. But, sexual immorality and idolatry are two big “hot points” with the early Christian leaders for new Christians. (See Acts 15:29)

Paul doesn’t just tell them there’s immorality among them. He says what is happening is that it is the kind “not tolerated even among pagans.” Wow! Can you hear the incredulity in his voice? “Someone among these believers is living and acting worse than the unbelievers. Then he calls it out, “a man has his father’s wife.” Wow! But Paul isn’t finished calling out the sin in their camp. Not only is this man in a relationship that he should not be as a Christian, but the church also isn’t doing anything about it. They are arrogant. Their arrogant pride has not only created divisions among them but has also calloused them against correcting their “brother” in Christ. Paul asks them rhetorically, “Ought you not rather to mourn?” The obvious answer is yes. They should be grieved that one of their own is living in a manner that is in contrast with Scripture, but even against the moral code of society.

So, what should they do? Paul says that he should be removed from the fellowship of the church. Now, this may seem at first a bit harsh. But I don’t think Paul is recommending an action contrary to Jesus’ teaching. In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus taught, “If a brother sins, talk to him about it. Hopefully, he’ll listen. If he doesn’t, take one or two others and try to make sure that everyone is clear on the facts, and he’ll repent. If he still doesn’t, take it to the church, and if the brother won’t listen to the whole church, he is acting like an outsider to the church and should be treated as such. He shouldn’t participate in the benefits of church fellowship when he is making a mockery of it through his decisions.” (My paraphrase) This is not mean or vindictive. It’s seeking to correct the brother and create a harmonious fellowship and collective testimony within the church that should stand out as something different and hopefully attractive to those who are oppressed by the culture around them.

This man has not failed. He is failing and choosing to continue with his lifestyle choice. Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians is not “forget what Jesus said.” It is “If this person is insistent upon sleeping with his father’s wife, he is mocking God and the church and should not participate in church.” Why? Because if they ignore what he’s doing, they, as a group, are condoning his lifestyle choice that is in opposition to God’s specific will.

Are you ready for the next hard part? Paul instructs them that when they all meet together, they must act as though he is there with them. I think what he advises is what we might consider today as a “vote by proxy.” They are to confront this person and probably say, “Paul has said . . . and we concur that if you do not stop this relationship, you cannot be a part of our fellowship.” Paul says they are to “deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.” What?! Does Paul wish this man go to Hell? No. Quite the opposite. Paul believes that this man who defiantly rebels against God, as does Satan, will experience the consequences of that and come to his senses. That’s the explanation he follows with, “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”

If someone wants to become a citizen of our country, they must pledge an oath to our country and obey its laws. People who don’t want to do that can still live and work here under certain conditions. We don’t hunt them down and throw them in prison for not wanting to be a citizen of our country. But it is reasonable that they are not allowed the privileges afforded to those who are loyal citizens. How much more true would this be in God’s kingdom where, we believe, the Law Giver is perfect in every way?

Paul’s instruction to confront and, ideally, correct this man is consistent with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18. Christian discipline is always intended to correct the actions and restore that person to good standing within the community of faith. Many churches have gained a reputation for “shooting their wounded.” That should not happen. On the other hand, the church must not compromise on the holiness of God and strive to be an example of that. We will look at this more in the next episode as we work through verse 13 next week.

Prayer: Lord - Help us to live in a way that is honoring to you. Help us mourn the sin of our family in Christ and lovingly strive to correct and restore them in our fellowship.

Episode 179 - "You have countless guides in Christ, but not many fathers" - 1 Corinthians 4:8-21

1Cor. 4:8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

1Cor. 4:14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

It’s not too often I handle this much text of Scripture within one episode. However, it seems best to include verses 14-21 because they help us understand what Paul intends in verses 8-13.

Notice in verse 8, Paul begins two statements with “Already.” “Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!” What? Is that true? Does this sound consistent with anything that Paul has already said? Would there be a problem if they had become rich and had all they wanted? The problem that Paul has been addressing is the arrogance demonstrated by some who act as though they are more important than others. As we will see in the context, it appears some of these people have believed the kingdom of God has already come and are acting like kings over others.

Paul is using sarcasm here. Paul’s use and repetition of “already” reveals a feigned surprise that the kingdom of God had arrived, and somehow, he missed it. He follows these “already” statements with, “Without us you have become kings!” If I could paraphrase Paul’s message, I believe he is saying something like, “Wow! Imagine that! God forgot to include his apostles in the news of the kingdom of God. If only God would have allowed us apostles in on the privileges you amazing Corinthians have attained, we could be rulers too. Instead, God has chosen to consider his divinely called apostles as worthless and expendable people to be entertainment, like those who are sent to fight lions in the Roman Colleseum. Lucky you! But we are nothing but scum.” (My summary paraphrase of verses 8-13)

Do you see the ridiculousness of this? Paul’s point in saying these things is for the Corinthians to see the ridiculousness of their arrogance and to stop their delusional ideas.

If that’s the case, isn’t Paul being mean? The context helps enlighten us. Paul lays off the sarcasm to explain: “I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.” (v. 14) Paul loves these people. He’s invested much time and energy into their lives, and he’s just trying to get their attention by showing them that their self-elevation over others has no merit or value.

He continues to explain they have had “countless guides in Christ but not many fathers.” (v. 15) Paul reminded them that he had become their father through the gospel. His point to them is that he’s not just a person who was a teacher. He has a deep concern for their spiritual well-being. He is reminding them of this in the hope that it evokes the desired result of them coming to their senses.

In verses 16-17, he encourages them to follow the ways he taught them, not only in words but by example. He’d sent Timothy to them to help them and remind them of Paul’s example.

Paul understands there are some who are defiantly arrogant and think Paul won’t do anything about it. But he assured them he would come to them to find out and, by implication, expose the arrogant talkers. Paul says, “For the kingdom of God does not exist in talk, but in power.” (v. 20) Paul intends to reveal these arrogant talkers have no divine power with their words. He asks them whether he should come to discipline or demonstrate gentleness. (v. 21)

I couldn’t help but be stopped by the words in verse 15: “You’ve had countless guides in Christ but not many fathers.” I can’t help but wonder if that’s a problem we have in our churches in the twenty-first century. We have books and lots of people who will tell us something about God, but there are not enough people willing to lovingly lead others by example in following Christ.

Prayer: Lord - Help us lead others in a walk of faith, not just by words, but by example in humility.

Episode 178 - "Servants and Stewards" - 1 Corinthians 4:1-7

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Paul is not yet finished with his attempt to dismantle any rationalization these believers might use to exalt the apostles or themselves above others. Paul tells them to regard Apollos, Cephas, and himself as “servants of Christ.” (v. 1) In a culture that had slaves and various levels of status in the world, Paul tells them to put “us” in the lowest level. Secondly, they have a responsibility beyond doing whatever Christ requires of them. He adds that they are “stewards of the mysteries of God.” (v. 1) He adds that it is “required of stewards that they be found faithful.” (v. 2) If one is responsible for guarding and dispensing something of value, they better manage it well.

Concerning this responsibility, it is not something that he can use to exalt himself over others. Only Christ is a true and just judge over whether Paul has fulfilled that responsibility or not. Paraphrasing verse 4, “Even if I think I’ve done a great job as this steward, my opinion of myself counts for nothing with Christ.”

Verse 5 is the application for them. I read this as Paul saying, “Mind yourself and your service to the Lord. Don’t exalt anyone including yourself above others because the day is coming when the perfect judge will pronounce judgment and will accurately commend each one according to their motives.”

Paul continues in verse 6 by explaining that he is trying to show them by example. So, if they respect him and the others, they should not be arrogant toward others. He, Apollos, and Cephas aren’t boasting to others. So, why should they?

So, what is the point of verse 7? Why would anyone boast about something they didn’t receive? The point is that everything they have is a gift from God. Nothing within themselves is some special quality inherent to them. Therefore, Paul is asking them rhetorically, “Why are you boasting about something as if you were a better person than someone else? Everything you have has been given to you. God has gifted you and gifted your brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Prayer: Father - Help us use the gifts you’ve given us to serve others humbly. Help us to be good stewards of what you’ve entrusted to us.

Episode 177 - "Don't deceive yourself" - 1 Corinthians 3:18-23

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

I hope that by now, we are getting the picture that Paul doesn’t rapidly shift subjects only to return to a previous one as quickly as he left it. By now, we should understand that up to this point, a priority in Paul’s instruction to the believers at Corinth is for them to abandon their egos and pride and strive for unity with other believers.

Verse 18 does not lead us to a different subject. Paul gives a very specific command: “Let no one deceive himself.” That sounds like good advice. How is it that we deceive ourselves? Paul’s answer is by letting our pride think we are wise in comparison to the people around us. This comes when we get consumed by trying to impress others and being impressed with ourselves. It’s a subtle way of fracturing unity within a group of people by setting ourselves on a different level in our own minds. When we do this, it causes us to not only think of ourselves as more important but it also causes us to think of others as less important.

As Paul explains, wisdom according to the world’s standards is incongruous with God’s wisdom. People equate education, fame, power/authority, financial status, race, ethnicity, and who knows what other criteria as evidence of or justification for thinking of themselves or others as wiser people. In our own North American culture, for example, many will listen to the opinions of musicians, actors, or other famous people and take whatever they say as absolute truth even though there is no particular evidence they really know what they’re talking about. They just accept that status assigned to them by their following. Quite frankly, this is a fear I have as a pastor. Because I’m the one standing in the pulpit reading and explaining God’s word, people will listen and accept what I have to say. Occasionally, I remind people that an interpretation I’m sharing is just that, an interpretation. It doesn’t mean that it’s the right or best interpretation. I encourage them to search the Scriptures to assess whether they think that interpretation is consistent with God’s word. I encourage them to ask other Christian leaders to ensure my interpretation is not novel and has merit with other respected Christian leaders. The same principle applies to this blog and podcast.

Paul says that according to God, the wisdom of this world is “folly.” It’s foolish compared to God’s wisdom. We need to stop trying to make something of ourselves according to the world’s standards. That doesn’t mean we should not pursue education and learning. It means that we should not let the status that comes with our accomplishments go to our heads. Nothing “gets past” God. Seeking and following the wisdom of this world comes to nothing in the end. The old saying, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time,” might best be changed to conclude with “You can fool God at no time.”

Verse 21 begins with “So . . .” Paul is about to explain something. The explanation begins with a command, “Let no one boast in men.” He follows that with the reasoning why they shouldn’t or, rather, why it’s pointless to “boast in men.” The explanation is stated at the end of verse 21 and repeated for emphasis at the end of verse 22. He says, “all things are yours.” What does that mean? He says, “whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death of the present or the future.” (v. 22) His point is that all these things in this life, whether it be people or the universal experience of life, death, and what happens during our life, do not elevate or degrade us with respect to each other. The fact that someone received Paul’s teaching and another more of Apollo's teaching provides no merit that elevates one person over another. Putting it in terms of our own culture, a person who attends an Ivy League school is no better than a person who attends a junior college. They are both going to live and die.

Then he says, “and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” (v. 23) This really puts things in perspective. This tells us two important things. The first is that no one has reason to boast because everything ultimately belongs to God. The second, for believers, is that belonging to Christ and God is what truly gives us identity and value. We are possessed and valued by God.

Prayer: Father in Heaven - Help us not to find our value through the estimation of people around us. Help us not think, speak, or act in a way to demean others in order to elevate our self-worth. Remind us that we are a valued possession of God.

Episode 176 - "You (all) are God' temple" - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

This is a passage I heard a lot as I grew up in the church. It was always used in the context of some prohibition espoused by people in our local and denominational tradition. Don’t drink (alcohol)! Don’t smoke! I even heard some use this Scripture to prohibit listening to certain kinds of music, such as Rock and Roll, because “it changes the rhythm of your heartbeat and damages your body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.” As an older man, I’m pretty sure the only damage to my body from Rock and Roll is my hearing from listening to it played very loud. I will say that wisdom should lead us to acknowledge the potential problems of indulging in some of these liberties of life. But, while I might tell a younger person, “Don’t smoke! It’s bad for you,” or “Don’t mess with the alcohol. It can lead to trouble,” I have a bigger problem with how people have used this Scripture in that way. It’s a wrong interpretation.

You might think to yourself, “Dave, what do you mean? This seems pretty clear. The Scriptures speak of how God gives us the Holy Spirit and it dwells within us.” Yes. The Scriptures do teach that. But that is not the primary point of what Paul is saying here. So, what is he saying, and how can I be so certain? Let me explain.

There are at least a few clues to help us understand what Paul means. First, when we examine the original Greek language for this text, everything here is in the second-person plural. To translate this into Texan, “Do y’all not know that y’all are the temple of God and that God’s Spirit dwells in y’all?” Paul reminds them that as a corporate body of believers, they are the temple of God in which God’s Spirit dwells. In other words, Paul says the local church is God’s temple.

Another clue supporting this is that from the beginning of this letter, Paul’s instruction has focused on the unity and harmony of the church. He’s not talking about principles for healthier lives as individuals. It’s all about the individuals thinking, speaking, and acting in a way that leads to unity and harmony as a church.

A third and perhaps strongest clue is at the end of verse 9 when he tells them, “You (all) are God’s building.” His assertion is that all of the believers are, together, a singular building. Verse 10 continues by speaking of one foundation which is built upon. It’s in verses 16-17 that we learn this building is God’s temple.

The warning here is that by letting “jealousy and strife” (1. Cor. 3:3) divide believers, we are responsible for destroying God’s temple, and we are at risk of incurring divine discipline. This is not about personality differences. It’s about reverence for the presence of God in the third person of the Trinity.

Prayer: Father in Heaven - Help me revere your purpose for the church and that you are with us in our gathering. Help us show mutual love and submission to reflect the unity and harmony perfectly existing within the Godhead.

Episode 175 - "Motives in Ministry" - 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

1Cor. 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Paul had previously used an agricultural illustration and described himself and Apollos as fellow laborers in a field. His point is that each person has a role and responsibility given by God. No one is more important than another. This work is important. But the results are produced exclusively by God. Paul wants the Corinthian believers to view themselves in the same way, with each person doing what they can for the ministry and not thinking and acting as though anyone is more or less important. How do we know that? First of all, in the preceding verses, he accused them of having “jealousy and strife” among them. (v. 3)

If we return to verse nine, he switches imagery from an agricultural illustration to a construction illustration. He says, “You are God’s field. You are God’s building.” He adds in verse 10, “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation . . . “ (v. 10a) Paul is not bragging here. Notice that God gets the credit again. Paul understood the value of his ministry to them. It’s like he’s saying, “I sought to not only do what the Lord wanted me to do, but how the Lord wanted it done.”

Now he adds, “Let each one take care how he builds upon it.” Who is he talking about? He talking about them. He’s telling them that “jealousy and strife” cannot exist in this building where the foundation is Jesus Christ. They cannot minister from their egos and fight with each other. Indirectly, it speaks to us as well, doesn’t it? We need to “take care” of how we build upon the foundation of Christ.

Those who serve to minister to others need to take this work seriously. They first need to know that they aren’t building their own building. These believers at Corinth and we today are building upon the same foundation laid by Paul and the apostles. That foundation is Jesus Christ. (v. 11)

The second thing is the quality of the materials in this building. If we were building an actual physical building, we would want it to be strong and beautiful. We wouldn’t want something trashy and flimsy. Why should we want the “building” of the spiritual church to be any different? Jesus Christ must be foundational to who we are and what we are about. If we are trying to build our own “building,” it will not last. If we bring our egos into our ministry and fight with each other all the time, it’s like poor building materials.

Paul says, “Each one’s work will become manifest” (v. 13a) People who build physical buildings today can often hide poor workmanship and cheap materials and it never becomes noticed. But Paul says that is not true of our service in the church. It will be revealed. How?

Paul explains that “the Day will disclose it . . .” (v. 13b) What is that? Paul speaks of a coming “Day” often referred to in the Old and New Testaments as the “Day of the Lord.” This is a time of judgment by God. An additional passage about this day I find particularly helpful is 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” This is a future prophetic day at the end of time as we know it. Notice how similar Peter’s description of it reflects how Paul describes it in the rest of verse 13 through verse 15. This judgment is like a fire that destroys the less valuable and weak things. Most people have seen how quickly things like straw and wood go up in smoke. In the spiritual sense, works done from our egos and sense of self-importance are the most “combustable” and will be destroyed.

A final thing to notice from verse 15 regarding this Day is that while those things we did out of selfish motives will be destroyed, the believer is saved from that destruction. The thought of such a day is somewhat awesome. But the point of it is not for God to destroy us but to purify us by removing those things that were done from our flesh and not from the Spirit whom the Lord has given us. As I reflect on this whole concept, I find that it makes me think about how often my ego wants to take control or get credit for something I’m doing. Perhaps I just want my way in a particular service. I need to “take care” and bring this all to Jesus. At the same time, I find this encouraging because this day of the Lord is not about God punishing me. It’s about God purifying me. It’s God making us fit for eternity with him.

How do we apply this? We must keep our minds focused on Christ and pray the Holy Spirit will cause us to consider why we are doing something. Are we seeking to garner praise, popularity, or power for ourselves, or are we building on the foundation of Christ?

Prayer: Heavenly Father - May your Spirit lead us to think of Christ and serve others as you would intend and equip us as you did Paul, Apollos, and others.

Episode 174 - "God gives the growth" - 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

1Cor. 3:1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

1Cor. 3:5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

Someone close to me had made a mess of his life through substance abuse. When we connected again sometime after I’d started seminary, he wanted to talk to me about my own spiritual journey. It became apparent that some of his “friends” who’d lived a similar lifestyle had a “religious experience,” and their lives radically changed. This person wanted that same kind of experience. He wanted a quick fix to his own life. While this does sometimes happen that people make rapid, drastic changes in their life, this is not normal. Paul uses the imagery of natural human growth for spiritual growth. You start out as a baby, and you grow over time.

Jesus’ disciples were with him for approximately three years and still struggled with their faith in Jesus. Even after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost and we see their courage and faith shine at times, Peter, “the rock,” was sometimes more like quicksand that shifted easily. (See Galatians 2:11-13)

The believers in Corinth are no different. While Paul commended them for their faith in the opening verses of chapter 1, saying that they had every spiritual gift, it becomes quickly clear that Paul is not saying that they are the epitome of righteous living. They’ve got a lot of growing up to do in their faith. This is the reason he is writing this letter. He calls them out on their need to grow up and become more mature in their faith. He likens them to children who have not matured to the point where they can eat solid foods. This is quite direct. But it’s important they get this.

What is the fundamental issue that reveals their spiritual immaturity? His answer is “jealousy and strife.” (v. 3) This explains what is going on with the competition between them of who was identifying with Paul, Apollos, or someone else. They could not and would not put away these silly arguments to be unified in Christ and seek to build up others instead of alienating and insulting them. Paul has said they haven’t matured at all since he was with them, and he says now at the end of verse 3, “are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” From my understanding of the Greek text, Paul is rhetorically asking them, “Aren’t you just being worldly like the rest of humanity?” The expectation is that Christians should (ultimately) think, act, and speak differently than most people around us.

Paul then exposes the problem with the basis of their arguments. He asks, “What is Apollos? What is Paul?” The point is, do they really think these men are anything greater than other men? Paul answers his own question. He says, “We are servants who brought you a message from the Lord as the Lord has directed each one of us.” (My paraphrase v. 5) Paul continues by explaining the limitations of each one. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (v. 6)

There is a memory verse for you. That is a truth that every one of us can easily remember and, with great difficulty, can put into regular practice. It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking too highly of ourselves. Rather, we need to remember the Lord has an assignment for each of us, just like he did Paul and Apollos, and we cannot think of ourselves more highly than anyone else because we are human. It’s God who does the real work. We are just messengers and servants. But God chooses to use us in his wonderful plan.

Paul repeats in verse 7 that it’s “God who gives the growth.” Then, in verse 8 Paul says, “each will receive his wages according to his labor.” There is some promise of reward for our service in ministry.

Finally, in verse 9, Paul says, “We are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” Don’t miss what Paul is doing here. He’s bringing his indictment on their spiritual immaturity to the light of God’s purpose for them. He’s saying, “God is working on you. He wants to build you up. You’ve got to stop living like the world and let God do his work in your life.”

Prayer: Father in Heaven - We ask that you shine the light on the issues in our life that are inhibiting our growing up in the faith as you so purpose.

Episode 173 - Spiritual things are spiritually discerned - 1 Corinthians 2:12-16

12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

1Cor. 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

If you were thinking to yourself, “That sounds familiar,” it’s because we also included verses 12-13 in last week's study. We always want to interpret text within its context, and I felt that backing up a little would help us interpret verses 14-16 this week.

The theme has been God’s wisdom compared to mankind’s so-called wisdom. Paul is explaining that God’s wisdom is greatly superior to that of the human race and that we need God’s wisdom even though mankind thinks it is foolishness. The natural, sinful man rejects the idea that God would send his own son into the world in human flesh and bones and willingly die for the sins of the human race. Many people reject the need for having their sin forgiven before a Holy God because, in their mind, they’ve been a “good person.”

It is the Holy Spirit who moves within us to help us understand and receive this wisdom and understanding from God. When we receive the good news of Jesus’ death on the cross on our behalf, we receive the Holy Spirit. That’s what Paul is saying in verse 12. Because we now have God’s Spirit, we can begin to understand spiritual things. (v. 13)

Verse 14 continues to explain that no one on their own can truly understand spiritual truths of God. We need God’s Spirit to help us discern those spiritual truths.

Paul makes two statements in verse 15 that some have interpreted to justify their religious arrogance and elitism. The statement, “The spiritual person judges all things,” seems pretty absolute, not to mention contradictory to Jesus’ teaching in his Sermon on the Mount. “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matt. 7:1) So, what is it? This is where we not only look within our immediate context but also to the greater biblical context to see what the Scriptures say about “judging.”

Later in 1 Corinthians, Paul insists that this group of believers are to judge their own. People who have trusted in the good news of Jesus and have received the Holy Spirit are expected to reflect the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Their thoughts, words, and actions should not reflect those of the world around them, but the character of God the Holy Spirit wants to work in them. Paul explains that the world will act from its own fleshly desires, and you can’t avoid the world. But Christians are supposed to act differently. If they blatantly live in contradiction to the Scriptures and are no different from the world, they are to be held accountable by their brothers and sisters in the faith. ( 1 Cor. 5:9-12) Notice that this action is out of love and not out of some elitist arrogance. This is what Jesus was teaching as well. It’s all about the heart and our motives.

The point of Paul’s comment, “The spiritual person judges all things,” speaks of the enablement to discern spiritual and other things in life offered by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit and following God’s leading in the Holy Spirit changing our lives helps us discern what is good or bad, what is wise or foolish. The Bible is not a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts. We need the Holy Spirit to lead and convict us in matters of our day-to-day decisions in life. Becoming a Christian and receiving the Holy Spirit does not make us omniscient or give us the right to go around telling everybody what they ought to do.

The next statement in verse 15 says, “but is himself to be judged by no one,” can also be distorted without appropriate consideration of the immediate context of this letter as well as the rest of Paul’s teaching and that of the Scriptures. Can I say to my fellow Christians, “You cannot judge me because I am a spiritual person?” I don’t think that’s what Paul is saying at all. The point of this saying is that since the natural ability of humans is not able to discern God’s wisdom, then it cannot effectively discern and “judge” someone who is spiritual. God is not judging based on what humans see and assess in the life of a spiritual person. But God does. He is our true judge. We should humbled in this knowledge and not puffed up with pride.

The first statement in verse 16, “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” is a quotation from Isaiah 40:13 and is Paul’s way of reemphasizing the superiority of the Lord’s wisdom. Paul’s statement does not allow any Christian to be arrogant and think they are better. However, he follows with, “But we have the mind of Christ.” (v. 16b) What’s the point? The point is that God is sharing his wisdom with us through the Holy Spirit in order that we think and act more like Christ.

Think back on chapter one and Paul’s indicting accusations toward some of them. Paul is judging, isn’t he? But Paul is doing so to correct them and encourage them to conduct themselves more consistently with Christ.

If we have received God’s gift of forgiveness of our sins through the cross of Christ and have received his Spirit, we are to judge ourselves first. As the psalmist said, we can pray:

Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24)

If we are truly spiritual and have the mind of Christ, there is no room for arrogance in our life. Instead, our thoughts, words, and actions reflect love, compassion, humility, and wisdom in conducting ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, may your Spirit quell our pride when provoked. Make us the spiritual people you want us to be in order that we can be a living testimony of your wisdom and power.

Episode 172 - Receiving God's Wisdom - 1 Corinthians 2:6-13

1Cor. 2:6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him”—

1Cor. 2:10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

Paul continues to contrast the wisdom of men with the wisdom that comes from God. Earlier, Paul asserted that God’s “foolishness” is wiser than the wisdom of humanity and that God’s weakness is more powerful than the power of mankind. Most importantly, Jesus’ death on the cross is what the world considers foolishness.

Paul refers to this when he writes, “we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age.” Paul is not suggesting that he is the source of wisdom himself. In fact, he makes it clear in verse 7 when he declares this wisdom is “of God.”

But, a few things he says about this wisdom are strange. He says it’s a “secret and hidden wisdom from God” (v. 7). Why would that be? Why would God make it “secret and hidden?” I believe the context that follows gives us some clues. Paul adds that this secret wisdom “God decreed before the ages for our glory” (v. 7). What this is saying is that God planned, before he created the world and time itself, what he would do by sending his Son Jesus into the world to ultimately die on the cross for the sins of the world. Verse 9 explains, “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Our tendency might be to think God should have made it clear what he was doing so that Jesus wouldn’t have been crucified. But Paul is saying that in God’s wisdom, it was necessary for Jesus to die on the cross. So, while revealing in a secret and hidden wisdom what he was planning, human wisdom could not discern that mystery, and in the so-called wisdom of the world, they accommodated God’s plan.

If we think this seems “mean” or “evil” of God, notice God's purpose for doing it this way. He says that God did this “for our glory.” (v. 7). In God’s own wisdom, this was in the best interest of humanity. Paul then quotes Isaiah 64:4 to explain that God does things that benefit those who love him in ways that are incomprehensible to human wisdom.

So, we could rightly ask, “How can people understand that wisdom if our human reasoning and wisdom are incapable of truly understanding God’s hidden wisdom?” Paul answers this in verses 10-13. It’s by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who has the wisdom of God that makes it possible for us to understand and receive the gospel of Christ.

A parent has a measure of understanding and wisdom on their child's limitations at various stages in life. They have an idea of what the child can handle or cannot. A good parent doesn’t withhold something out of spite and meanness. They do it out of love. This is what God is doing. He knows perfectly what we need and when we need it. He knows to be present with us and guide us into understanding and receiving his wisdom and truth.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for being infinitely wise and revealing your truth to us when we need it. We thank you for the Holy Spirit you gave to be with us and help us understand your great love for us.

Episode 171 - "Jesus Christ and him crucified" - 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

​​1Cor. 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

I love this passage. I had the privilege of preaching in chapel at Dallas Theological Seminary a few years ago and preached from this text. I love it because it reminds Christians what is fundamentally important within our faith. Our churches argue and split over so many stupid things. We are not unlike these Corinthians to whom Paul is writing. We can allow our pride to evoke a spirit of elitism or become defensive of our views on lesser things.

Here Paul is arguing that nothing about him and his ministry warrants anyone elevating him to be the object of focus. Paul reminded them of when he had come to them personally to minister. He was there for 1.5 years. (Acts 18:11-12) Paul reminds them that he was not an eloquent speaker. He did nothing to impress them and even reminded them that he was scared. (v. 3) What made such an impact upon the people was not Paul. Paul wants them to understand that it was the message and the source of the message that made an impression and a difference in their lives.

The message is “Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (v. 2). Paul said, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” In the course of eighteen months, I’m sure they had other questions and things to talk about. However, Paul’s focus and priority were showing them from the Scriptures that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (Anointed one). He is the Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Secondly, Paul emphasized Christ’s death on the cross. Jesus’ willingness to go to the cross and die for our sins reveals God’s justice, righteousness, and grace. If God beforehand (Genesis) told people that disobedience leads to death, then we should understand that any act of our disobedience should justly receive the same outcome. But, what Jesus did on the cross was to experience that death for us, in our place. The just outcome still occurred. But Jesus Christ, being perfect, took the punishment for us. That is how Paul can say in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul is saying there is nothing more important for us to understand than who Jesus is and the significance of his death on the cross.

In addition to the message, Paul wants them to understand that he didn’t craft the delivery of this message in such a clever way to convince people. Despite his own fear and personal limitations, he trusted the Holy Spirit and the divine nature of the message to have power that would open their minds to receive this message. (v. 4)

Paul explains it was important for the effect of this message to be affected through the Holy Spirit so that they wouldn’t sit back later and say to themselves, “Wow! That Paul sure was a smooth talker. He really had us taking in every word.” Instead, they would look back and say, “There was nothing particularly impressive about that guy. But, his message sure rang true.” Verse 5 says, “so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Paul is telling the Corinthians and, indirectly, us that the gospel message of Jesus Christ is the most important truth for our lives, and God’s power helps us understand and receive this message.

My question is, “Do we believe that?” Do we believe that the message of Jesus Christ and him crucified has supernatural power? If so, we should be like Paul and share it with people, correct? We don’t have to worry about being some kind of expert in the Bible or a great and clever speaker. We don’t even have to feel like we have all the answers to all religious questions. We can just share the message and pray that God will allow His power to draw people to believe it.

Prayer: Father in Heaven - Lead me to people who need to hear about Jesus Christ and him crucified, and may your Spirit open their hearts and minds to receive it.

Episode 170 - God has chosen the weak and the foolish - 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

1Cor. 1:26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

In our last study, Paul wrote that the message of the cross of Christ is foolishness or folly to the world. But God’s foolishness is wiser than humanity’s wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than mankind’s strength. The theme of God’s wisdom and what God offers us through Christ continues in this section.

Look at verses 26-29. Are there not ideas here that seem paradoxical, seemingly in contradiction with each other? What Paul is saying to these Corinthians is, Hey, Folks! According to the world’s standards, you are mostly considered uneducated, fools, and not important in any considerable way. (My paraphrase) We might think to ourselves, That’s not very nice, or I’ll bet that wasn’t received well. But, don’t miss that he began this with “consider your calling.” Then, in verses 27-28, Paul writes three times, “God chose (you).” This is saying that while people around you may not think you have value, God highly values you. This is a message that people need to hear today. People of all ages need to hear this because the world is shouting through social media or other means, “You’re not smart enough, you’re not rich enough, you’re not beautiful enough,”

and so forth. Paul says the world doesn’t know what it’s talking about. God is the truly wise one, and God values people so much that he sent his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for their sins.

In Acts 2, we read about Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit caused the disciples to prophesy in other languages understood by different people groups from around the known world. They recognized these men were “Galileans” who were looked down upon by people from Jerusalem. God chose these men for his specific purpose to confuse and confront the so-called wisdom of men. (See Acts 2:6-7) It’s reasonable to assume that God may choose us to speak his truth to others, and some will think we are fools.

Verse 29 explains God’s purpose in doing this is to keep each of us humble. Paul writes, “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” This is a theme throughout the Scriptures. There is a healthy and important balance for us to accept that God values us greatly, but we need not allow arrogance to manifest itself. We need to remain humble before the Lord. This is what Paul is advocating in verses 30-31.

Paul writes in verse 30, “Because of him (God) you are in Christ Jesus.” This reminds us that our privilege in Christ is not due to something that we have achieved but purely by God’s grace toward us. Paul continues by saying that Christ is the “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” we have received from God. In other words, by God's standards, everything that is truly valuable in our lives is provided to us through Christ. Therefore, we don’t have any basis upon which we boast of ourselves. That comes from arrogance. Rather, we can boast about Christ. (v. 31) That comes from humility with gratitude.

Prayer: Heavenly Father - Thank you for Jesus! Every good thing we have is through him.

Episode 169 - We need God's wisdom and power - 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

1Cor. 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

1Cor. 1:20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

In our episode last week, Paul admonished the believers at Corinth for childish and divisive attitudes by identifying with one spiritual teacher or another. It would appear that individuals wanted to think of themselves as more spiritual than their fellow believers based on who baptized them or who they were following. Paul asserted that his God-appointed role as an apostle was to preach the message of the gospel removed from eloquent or clever words. Paul wanted the basic and simple message of Jesus Christ crucified to be delivered and let God do the convincing.

Verse 17 appears to be a hinge verse because Paul first dispels the idea that people should be exalting him as some great leader or communicator. Secondly, it moves his conversation from the nature of his role to the nature of the message of Christ crucified.

Notice is verse 18, Paul writes, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing . . .” Examining this text in the original Greek language, this statement caught my eye because Paul uses the term “logos” that is translated “word.” This is the same term used by the apostle John in his gospel when he writes, “In the beginning was the word . . .” (John 1:1) later, he reveals the “word” is Jesus. Therefore, I wondered if Paul was making some allusion to John’s gospel or did he simply mean the “message of the cross.” After a little more study, I concluded the latter interpretation to be the more likely interpretation. I’ll come back to that shortly.

The important point of Paul in verse 18 is that the message of the cross is one of two things. It is either “folly” (or foolishness), or it is the power of God. Those are the only two options Paul gives, and they are quite different. The message that the Messiah (Christ) died on the cross (and came back to life three days later) is folly to some, Paul says. We might use the words “nonsense” or “crazy.” Paul asserts that such people who consider this message in such a way are “perishing.” However, some people believe or accept it despite how it might seem to their own reason, and to those, this message becomes God’s power to save them from their perishing condition.

Paul cites part of Isaiah 29:14 to argue that this isn’t just Paul’s opinion. He’s showing how God has promised beforehand to do “wonderful things” for the people and, in doing so, he would negate the wisdom and discernment of humanity. Looking at the context of Isaiah, it might be that the nature of these “wonderful things” is precisely what negates the wisdom and discernment of mankind. It’s not that human wisdom or discernment is bad. It’s just that they are insignificant in comparison to God’s power and wisdom. It shows that we need the kind of wisdom that God alone can give. That wisdom accepts God’s revelation and trusts in the Lord. It results in God’s power which saves us from perishing. That’s good!

In verse 21, Paul asks rhetorical questions that could be summarized as “Where is human wisdom today?” His answer seems to be, “It doesn’t exist! People are all going their own way and doing their own thing, and it’s not producing good.” He argues that through human wisdom, the world does not know God. So, God chose to reveal His wisdom through a message that, to some, seems foolish. This is the message that Paul preaches. This is why I think Paul’s “word of the cross” is simply the message of Jesus’ death on the cross. He is preaching the message of who Jesus is (the Christ) and the purpose of his death on the cross.

It’s easy to see why some would consider it foolish, isn’t it? From human reasoning, of all things we could imagine God would do to help us, would it be by sending His Son into his own creation and allowing him to suffer and die on the cross? I don’t think so. Furthermore, it’s probably safe to say that none of us have witnessed someone who died and was buried return to life. It seems, from human wisdom, foolish. Yet, that’s exactly what the Scriptures teach and a truth that some people have endured a martyr’s death defending. Paul said in verse 23 this message is a stumbling block to the Jews and is considered folly among the Gentiles.

However, Paul continues in verse 24 this same message is both God’s power and wisdom available to “those who are called.” To be called means listening and responding to God’s voice and message. God’s message of forgiveness for our sins is preached today, and we can either consider it foolishness and not respond, or we can listen and say, “OK, God. I don’t fully understand this. But, I trust you and receive this as true. That is receiving God’s wisdom and letting our own wisdom be negated. It also affects God’s power within our own lives, giving us eternal life and not perishing.

Verse 25 summarizes Paul’s point that God’s foolishness is wiser than so-called wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than mankind’s strength.

Prayer: Heavenly Father - Thank you for the wisdom and power you have made accessible through the death of Jesus on the cross. May this message go out to the world and people trust in your wisdom.

Episode 168 - "Be united!" - 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

1Cor. 1:10   I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

In the opening lines of this letter, Paul sent his greetings to the believers at Corinth and expressed his thankfulness for them. He reminded them that God had given these Christians everything they need as a church. Now Paul gets down to business and addresses his concerns about problems that are happening among these believers. I suspect that our churches today could use some of Paul’s frankness regarding the attitudes and actions of believers toward each other. 

Do not miss the fact that Paul begins his attempt to correct these believers “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 10) It would be easy to move beyond this to the content of his accusation. But, it is critical for his audience and for us to be drawn back to our identity and authority as Christians. Jesus is the Christ, the long-promised Messiah who is rightfully our Lord. Everyone who says, “I trust in the good news of Jesus Christ,” should remember that following Jesus and living in a way that honors him is reasonable and wise. Why would we recognize that we need forgiveness for our sins and that Christ alone offers that through faith in him and his death on the cross, and then say, “but I want to depend on myself for everything else?” That would be dumb. 

So, “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul appeals, “that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (v. 10b) If you’re like me, you are probably thinking, “Yeh right! Good luck with that.” Perhaps you’ve been in a church or churches and witnessed disagreements and conflict, occasionally leading to divisions or splits. It’s tragic. Is Paul being unreasonable or unrealistic? I don’t think so. But I also don’t think that Paul believes that all conflicts are or even should be resolvable. Why is that? Because Paul is writing to a specific group of people who are manifesting a specific set of problems, and he believes this problem can be remedied. The first step is for everyone among this group of Corinthian believers to remember that Jesus Christ is the Lord of us all. We share that in common, and as brothers and sisters in Christ, we must value and pursue harmony within this spiritual family. If there are some who refuse to live with Jesus as Lord and want to do whatever they want with no consideration for God’s holiness or the community of faith, there must be a division. Jesus himself taught that. (See Matt. 18:15-18) Paul will address this more clearly later in this letter. The emphasis here by Paul is the importance and priority of unity on the basis of our mutual faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

As Paul continues, we learn the source of the conflict. There is an issue of pride and elitism made evident through some people thinking they’re better or “right” by asserting their association with Paul, Cephas (Peter), or some other teacher. People do that today, don’t they? They make an effort to associate with a specific church or personality they like, and they may act as though they know the right answers or as though they are more spiritual than others on the basis of their following that person or group. 

How does Paul expose the nonsense of such attitudes? He asks rhetorical questions like, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (v. 13) The obvious answer to each of these questions is, “Of course not!” Paul forces them to think about who their Lord is through these questions. He brings it all back to Jesus. 

We’re no different from these Corinthian believers. It’s easy to become emotionally committed to certain things in church, and we can take it as a personal affront when those things are threatened. It’s not hard to recognize how easily our pride can be provoked at times and before we know it, there’s a conflict with others. Paul is reminding us that we need to stop and think of Jesus and consider how we can pursue a harmonious resolution that is best for the church and honors the Lord, even if it is not what we want. 

Paul explains that he has personally baptized just a few people and that his main ministry is to preach the gospel and not in such a way that should impress anyone or make anyone want to follow him because of his skillful speaking skills. Paul did not preach to impress but to allow the power of the cross to bring people to Jesus. 

It seems to me that our pursuit of harmony within the body of Christ might have the same effective power in drawing people to Christ if we, as believers, focus on our Lord Jesus Christ first. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father! Help us put down our pride and seek unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ as we focus on him.

Episode 167 - "God is faithful" - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

In these few years I’ve been producing this blog and podcast, we covered the Gospel of John and, most recently, the Epistle of James. It’s time to walk through one of the Apostle Paul’s letters. This is the first of two letters to the Christians at Corinth that is included in our New Testament canon. The style of the introductory verses is very common in Paul’s letters. He identifies himself and his role as an apostle through the divine will and “call” of God. Paul is not one of the twelve who were with Jesus through his earthly ministry. We don’t get to know anything about Paul until we get to the book of Acts. Acts begins with the ascension of Jesus to heaven and the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles at Pentecost, which is the initiating event for the church. It’s not long before we read about an antagonist of Christianity who is a Jewish leader named Saul. Saul participated in the stoning of Stephen, a follower of Christ, and sought to persecute as many Christians as possible. On a journey to Damascus for the purpose of arresting Christians, Jesus appeared in a bright light and spoke to Saul from heaven, and Saul became a follower of Christ. His name was changed to Paul. (See Acts 7-9) He is the most prolific author of our New Testament books.

Paul introduced himself as an apostle, but specifying this role is not something he chose or sought himself. He was called by God to fulfill this role. He mentions a brother in Christ named Sosthenes as well as though he has something to contribute to this written message that has been delivered to them. There is no indication I’m aware of regarding Sosthenes’ contribution to the letter. However, in Acts 18:1-17 we read about Paul’s first recorded trip to and ministry among the people he is now writing to. We discover that Sosthenes was with Paul and had been beaten by Jews for their witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul had been there for around eighteen months, teaching people about Jesus. Maybe Paul mentions Sosthenes's name to remind these Corinthian believers what he and Sosthenes invested in them to get their attention.

After introducing himself, he addresses his readers with specific statements about who they are. First of all, they are “the church of God at Corinth.” They are “God’s assembly.” The primary thing these people have in common besides their residence in Corinth is that they are brought together in fellowship by God's will. Furthermore, they are sanctified in Christ Jesus. The word “sanctified” means set apart for a holy purpose. Followers of Jesus are in Christ intended for God’s holy purpose. He adds these believers are “called to be saints (or holy) together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 2) We may have local fellowships of Christ followers. But we are also part of a greater fellowship of everyone everywhere who follows Jesus. This should remind us that by trusting in Jesus, we have been intentionally set apart for God’s purposes, and our lives should reflect the holiness to which God has called us.

Paul expresses his blessing to them of God’s grace and peace from the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful thing to know that God wants peace with us and intends to bless us with his grace.

Paul then explained that he always gives thanks because God’s grace to them was evident in how they had been “enriched in him (Christ Jesus) in all speech and knowledge” (v. 5), and they did not lack any gift. (v. 6) What does this mean? It appears to me that when he says in verse 6, “even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you,” he means that as they believed the gospel and the word taught them as Paul discipled them, he witnessed how the Holy Spirit enabled them in ways of understanding and communication so that they could encourage, and teach others as well. That’s how the testimony of Christ was confirmed. The work of the Holy Spirit in their lives was obvious. This affirmation by Paul is intended to encourage them. He tells them they are not lacking any gift “as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (vs. 7-8) The point is that God is with his people. He will provide what they need.

He concludes his introduction and thanksgiving in verse 9 by saying, “God is faithful.” Paul understands that these believers were facing challenges and needed encouragement by reminding them that God has not abandoned them. His grace and peace are extended to them. He has enabled them through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are to be holy and focused on Him.

Paul is about to chastise them for getting off track. So, he began this letter by reminding them of what God had done for them and his purpose for them. What encouragement we can draw from knowing that God is with us and is faithful to us.

Episode 166 - "Lead the wandering back to truth" - James 5:19-20

James 5:19   My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

We conclude our study in James with one final sentence of James that is divided into two verses. This entire letter has been James’ attempt to correct ideas, attitudes, and actions that had found their way into the lives of these believers to whom James is addressing. Key among these problems are pride, inappropriate speech to others, and believing that a life of faith could be void of works consistent with what they claim to believe. They were self-centered and not honoring the Lord or serving others.

James’ conclusion is an extension of mercy and hope for redemption of such people who have allowed these things to characterize their lives. It seems that this concluding sentence may shed some light on what he meant in the preceding verses that spoke of those who were sick and the value of confessing sin and praying for healing. (James 5:14-16) Let’s look at this more closely.

James speaks of two kinds of people. There are those who “wander from the truth.” These are people who curse or judge others. They treat some people with a preference, to the neglect and abuse of others, because of money or social status. Some of these people may gain or use their wealth by defrauding others. They exude jealousy and selfishness. Here James is speaking to the second kind of people. They are the ones he encourages to be instruments of mercy and redemption by bringing the first group back to the truth and the way of Jesus.

James tells these Christians they have a responsibility and privilege to be agents of redemption. He says, “let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death . . . “ (v. 20) In our society today, our culture values independence and a “do what feels good to you” attitude. We have a “mind your own business, and I’ll mind mine” attitude that pervades much of our society today. Therefore, James’ counsel is in direct contrast to our societal values. His instruction insists that we have a great responsibility to attempt to lead people back to the truth. We should not be uncaring of the consequences of people’s actions. Why? Because it could lead to their death. Maybe that’s why he spoke of sick people and their need to confess their sins. They should have the elders pray and anoint the sick with oil in the name of the Lord. Through this kind of ministry, they are able to lead these people back to the truth and healing through God’s mercy.

But that is not all that is accomplished by leading a brother or sister in Christ back to the truth. He says this act of redemption “will cover a multitude of sins.” The sins are paid for by the blood of Jesus when he died on the cross. But, if that wandering soul returns to the truth, he is appropriating the forgiveness available to him that restores his fellowship with God. The apostle John wrote in his first letter, 

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 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 1:5-10)

John’s teaching supports James' teaching. True Christian fellowship with each other and God requires that we walk in the light of Christ and his truth. When we sin, Jesus is ready and willing to receive our confession, forgive us, and cleanse us from our unrighteousness. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father - Help me walk in the truth of Jesus and in humility toward you and my fellow believers. Let me have the courage to humbly lead others back to your truth.

Episode 165 - "Pray in faith" James 5:13-18

James 5:13   Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

I’m going to cut to the chase this week. Numerous times through my Bible study podcasts, I’ve spoken about the element of repetition in literature. When we see repetition, it is likely there to emphasize what is most important. Do you see any repetition in these six verses? How about “pray/prayer.” I counted seven occurrences of some form of “pray” in these verses. This section is about prayer. More specifically, I would suggest that James admonishes these believers to pray because prayer in faith is effective.

I draw this emphasis out first because some of the statements in this section have created no small amount of disagreement between believers. I could probably write pages about every instruction given by James in these six verses. But I want to keep this as simple and straightforward as possible. So, if you get nothing else out of this, I hope you will be encouraged to pray in faith, trusting the Lord will answer your prayers.

Prayer is talking to God. When you talk with a family member, you believe they are accessible and willing to hear you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t bother, would you? The same is true about God. However, we cannot see God and, I would dare say, most of us have not heard an audible voice from heaven. So, faith is that element that causes us to trust that God is accessible and willing to listen to our prayers. James has already accused his readers of not asking God for what they need, and when they do ask, they ask specifically for their own selfish desires. (James 4:2-3) In essence, he is saying they have little faith and are too self-centered. 

In verse 13, James tells the one who is suffering to pray. That prayer might involve giving thanks in faith that God may use it for some unforeseen good purpose. At the same time, that request may ask God to remove the cause of the suffering. That’s what Paul did. (See 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) There’s nothing wrong with asking in faith. Perhaps the Lord will remove it, and perhaps he won’t. But we trust that while God is able to do anything, he will also do what is best for us even if we don’t like it.

James then says that someone who is cheerful should “sing praise.” Praise is a form of prayer. It is telling God how awesome he is. In prayer, sometimes we’re talking or singing, and sometimes we’re listening, just like in any other conversation.

Verses 14-15 are where things get a little tricky (maybe). The advice from James is for one who is sick. That person is to “call for the elders of the church . . .” So far, so good. He continues, “and let them pray over him . . .” Sounds reasonable. Then, “anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” What? What does this have to do with helping someone recover from sickness? More importantly, is this an absolute, works every time promise? I’ve met people who never go anywhere without a bottle of oil with which they can anoint and pray for people. I think that it’s rather nice they have that kind of consideration and foresight to be prepared for such an encounter. As a person who grew up in a church tradition that, for some reason, did not practice this, I must admit that I’m not as prepared as some folks. However, I would be happy to oblige anyone who asked me. Let me explain what I believe is the underlying problem.

There is the potential that some of these people, eager to find someone they can anoint, believe they have the power to heal people. That is not what this letter is suggesting. The evidence for this is that elders are to be called and not people with some particular “spiritual gift of healing.” Secondly, the emphasis on what the elders are to do is to pray. The anointing with oil in the name of the Lord is a qualifying modifier of their prayer. Olive oil was commonly used for medicinal use in that day, and therefore James could just be adding this to make it clear this is not an either/or instruction. In other words, James is likely saying to pray for healing in the name of the Lord while you do what you normally do to address their infirmity. James’ instruction to anoint with oil could have a more symbolic meaning in which the oil represents God’s presence. I don’t have a problem with that. What I believe is most important is that the infirmed person, as well as the elders, should understand that healing is first and foremost from the Lord and not oil or other object or treatment or something within ourselves. Acting like we have some special ability, that other believers do not, elicits pride and is sometimes used for control and manipulation. All the honor must go to the Lord and for the service to others.

The next problem is the meaning of verse 15, which seems to conclude the prayer with a promise. It says, “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” This sounds like a guarantee that it works one hundred percent of the time. The problem is that it doesn’t always in the way we want it to. Worse yet, those who think it means that have been guilty of suggesting that when the healing didn’t occur when people hoped or expected it to happen, the infirmed and the elders did not have enough faith. Let’s think about that for a minute. How many of those people who would make such an accusation do you think will be alive 150 years from now? Will they not get sick and die? So, even they don’t have enough faith, right? The Apostle Paul had plenty of faith and was not healed of his thorn in the flesh. David fasted and prayed for healing for his young child whom Bathsheba bore from his adulterous relations with her. (2 Samuel 12:16-24) Yet, the Lord did not heal the child. 

But James' point is that healing is found in the Lord. The Lord does and will heal many who ask in faith. The Gospels have numerous examples of Jesus and the disciples anointing people with oil and healing them. Later in Acts, the apostles heal the infirmed, in the name of Jesus,  as well. Finally, for everyone who has faith in the Lord, “the Lord will raise him up” ultimately and permanently someday (v. 15) For those who trust in the Lord, we are looking for the ultimate healing in the resurrection. 

Through the rest of verses 15-16, James reminds us that sin might be the cause of our sickness. While we believe that Jesus has paid the penalty of our sin on the cross, it is important to appropriate that forgiveness through confession in order that our fellowship with God is restored. 

If we have any doubt regarding the power of prayer, James reminds us of Elijah and his prayer to stop the rain and later again to restore it. James' point is that he was human, just like us. He did not have some special power within himself. He was righteous. He was a person who was not practicing sin or leaving it unresolved with the Lord. He made his requests to the Lord, and the Lord answered his prayers. 

Finally, remember what Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him to teach them to pray. The prayer begins with an acknowledgment of who God is. That is followed immediately with a request for God’s Kingdom to come. That means we are praying that, first and foremost, God’s will happens over anything else we might ask. (See Matthew 6:9-10)

Prayer: Lord - Lead us in your way. Reveal our sin so that we may confess it to others and to you. Grant us faith to make our requests to you and give us joy that will lead us to praise you. 

Episode 164 - "Do not swear oaths!" - James 5:12

James 5:12   But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Are you getting the hang of interpreting Scripture within its context? In this episode, we’re going to look at just one verse. On the surface, it may look like it has nothing to do with what is in the preceding text or the text that follows. At this point, you may want to stop reading or listening to the podcast version of this and ask yourself, “What does this teaching about swearing oaths mean, and what does it have to do with anything else James has to say to his audience? Is this some random thing that came into his mind that has no connection with what he’s already said or is about to say?” Go ahead and read it by itself and then read the surrounding context and jot down ideas of what you think this is all about.

OK. Here’s my take on this. Let’s first begin by taking it by itself and seek to understand its meaning without great consideration of its relevance to the rest of James’ letter. His statement, “But above all,” should tell us a few things. First, it seems to indicate a sense of importance. If I were to give my children a list of things I expected them to do, I would probably order the action list in such a way that I would conclude with the thing I wanted to be ringing in their ears after I stopped. I might say, “clean up the yard, clean up your rooms, but above all, get your homework done.” I might be thinking about how they might get distracted and not fully clean their rooms and then not have time to finish their homework. The homework has a deadline outside of my control and is important. So, I qualify it with a statement to emphasize the priority. The second thing it teaches us is that this is likely a conclusion of a thought. This is an indicator that what is “above all” to James is the final thought of a point he is making, and therefore, it teaches us that we should go back and read what James said before to ask ourselves what this has in common with the instruction given up to this point. What does “do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath” have to do with what James has already said? We’ll come back to this shortly.

Let’s take this command “do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath” by itself. It seems pretty clear, doesn’t it? Do not swear oaths. It doesn’t seem difficult to understand what this command means. For me personally, the real question is, “Why is this so important? Why would this be ‘above all?’” If this command is a higher priority, it will serve us well to pursue understanding what is so terrible about making oaths so that we are more able to value what is most important.

I think we get a clue from the immediate context of James’ prohibition. He follows this command with a statement of how one should respond, a statement of action that stands in contrast with swearing oaths. He says, “but let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no.” (v. 12b) So, what is the difference between answering “yes” or “no” to a question and swearing an oath? In either case, you could be wrong. As well-intentioned as we might be in any specific situation, we can respond with integrity and answer honestly based on our limited knowledge and abilities. But an oath is something different, isn’t it? An oath is an absolute affirmation, a guarantee as if one was both all-knowing and all-powerful to bring about the promised result. Is this act of making oaths not an act of elevated pride or arrogance? If we make an oath “swearing by heaven,” are we not suggesting that God is going to back us up on whatever we swear? Now we’re getting somewhere. This explains James’ concluding explanation for not swearing an oath “so that you may not fall under condemnation.” (v. 12c) 

I remember a friend from high school would occasionally act as though he was looking for a fight. I remember telling him that I’d back him up if someone messed with him but that he was on his own if he started it with his own words and actions. It’s an issue of pride and arrogance, and we shouldn’t act like we can do or say anything we want and treat God as though he is obligated to back us up. That is what I think James is telling his readers. Don’t be arrogant. Simply respond in a way that reflects what you honestly intend to do or not do. Don’t make an absolute promise and bring God into it. If you fail, you’re setting God up for the blame. God does not fail on his promises. 

All of a sudden, this makes a lot more sense in the context of James’ previous instruction. Back in chapter 3, James compared the tongue to the bit in a horse's mouth and a rudder on a ship. He spoke of the importance of taming our tongues. Much of this book speaks about what we say to others and exhibiting humility instead of pride among others. Swearing oaths are a means by which pride and an uncontrolled tongue do their worst. So, the importance revealed by James’ “above all” qualifier is telling us that swearing oaths become most problematic because our uncontrolled pride and tongue invoke God’s support and reputation. Therefore, it may bring condemnation upon ourselves. If I’m not mistaken, it’s a form of blasphemy. 

What about the greater context of the Scriptures? Do they say anything about swearing oaths? 

The Ten Commandments state in Exodus 20:7, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.” Leviticus 19:12 says, “You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of God: I am the LORD.” Ah! So, these verses do not absolutely condemn making an oath. They condemn making a false oath. That seems reasonable enough to warn against using God’s name to make a statement or promise that you know to be false. But what if you intended well, and yet your oath was not true? That’s why James tells his readers, “don’t swear oaths.” Don’t put yourself into that position because you could easily blaspheme God. James, in fact, appears to be echoing Jesus’ own advice on the matter. (See Matthew 5:34-37)

God himself has made oaths. So, oaths themselves are not evil. But God is both all-knowing and all-powerful. He is absolutely faithful to his promises. The Law even made a specific case in which an oath was to be given. In Exodus 22:10-11, “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, an oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution.” Given the serious nature of making oaths, the person responsible for the animal at the time of injury, death, or loss knows whether he was responsible or not for the loss of the owner’s livestock. Therefore, he is absolutely telling the truth or absolutely and intentionally lying and thereby deserving of God’s judgment upon him.

Hopefully, we will have a greater appreciation for James’ instruction on this matter. Perhaps it can foster a deeper appreciation for our use of God’s name.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us honor your name in our words, our thoughts, and our actions!

Episode 163 "Be patient!" - James 5:7-11

James 5:7   Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

What is going on here? In the preceding text, James indicted the rich who oppressed others by withholding pay and defrauding them of what they deserved and needed. Is he telling them to “be patient?” Or is he telling those who have been wronged to be patient? If the latter is the case, I’m sure these people are not excited about James’ counsel. Perhaps he’s changed his thought altogether. 

Here is another opportunity to hone our interpretation skills by expanding our examination of the text. If the immediate context, such as the preceding verses, does not help us much, perhaps we need to “fly higher” in order to get a view of the broader literary context.

If we return to the opening of James’ letter, we find that the first thing James addresses with his readers is how they handle “trials of various kinds.” (James 1:2) He tells them to be joyful in these trials because it tests their faith and produces steadfastness in their faith. He argues this is the Lord’s way of making us complete in his plan to transform us into the image of Christ. (James 1:2-4) Shortly after, James says, the one who remains steadfast through the trials will “receive the crown of life.” I won’t go into the discussion of the meaning of that other than it is a reward from God for remaining faithful to the Lord through the trial. If the Lord rewards those who remain faithful through such trials, it would appear that trials and even suffering are God’s way of taking something bad, something even that came about through humankind’s sin against God and using it for our good and His glory. 

Perhaps James, by encouraging the brothers to be patient, is returning to this initial instruction on how they (and we) should handle trials and suffering. Perhaps he has never fully left that thought, and the various issues he has addressed and instructions he has given are all somehow related to this instruction to be patient. 

I love the illustration of the farmer waiting for the time of harvest. As one who grew up on a farm, I get this. You plant the seed and hope to ultimately be able to harvest the crop from that seed. Yet, trials come along. Sometimes it rains too much, other times too little. But there’s not much you can do about it. When we stop and think about it, there are often times of trial that we cannot do anything about. Sometimes that suffering is deep and with no foreseeable purpose or resolution. James doesn’t tell us that it’s going to work out the way we would like. He doesn’t promise that God is going to prevent or undo the circumstances and experiences of that suffering. He does tell us that by holding fast to our faith in Jesus, we can trust that God has a very good plan for using that experience for his perfect, divine purpose for our lives. 

This perfect, divine purpose culminates when the Lord returns. (“Be patient . . . until the coming of the Lord.”  v. 7) He adds in verse 8 to “establish your hearts . . . for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (v. 8) This is a call for resolve to trust the Lord is good and will ultimately deliver us from all such trial and suffering. The Apostle Paul tells us, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28) Paul does not say that all things are good. He says, “all things work together for good” to those who love God. James' assertion that “the coming of the Lord is at hand” means it could happen at any time. We might desire this to happen today, as I’m sure James did. However, God does not operate on our sense of time. But, the Lord could return today. 

In verse 9, it would appear that James’ idea of patience is that we do not allow the circumstances of our trials to lead us to grumble against another brother or sister in Christ. My tendency would be to say, “But what if my brother is the source of the trial?” James’ response is, “a Judge is standing at the door.” His point is that God sees, God knows, and God will justly do what is good and right. 

James reminds his audience of how their ancestors treated the prophets. In reading the Old Testament prophets, we learn that these people God had ordained to speak to the people and call them to do what was right were often ignored at best and abused, if not murdered at worst. Doing what God wants us to do will bring opposition and sometimes trial and suffering for doing what is right.

He then mentions Job by name. According to the book of Job, Satan told God that if God would just allow him to inflict suffering upon Job, that Job would abandon the Lord. God allowed him with the limitation that he could not do anything to Job himself. Satan caused the destruction of Job’s possessions and the deaths of his children. Talk about trials and suffering. Yet, Job did not curse or abandon the Lord. Satan appealed to God again that if he could inflict pain upon Job himself, Job would then curse God. God’s only prohibition was that he could not kill Job. Satan afflicted him with ulcers all over his body. This time even Job’s wife advised him to “curse God and die.” (Job 2:9) Yet, Job refused to curse or abandon his faith in the Lord. The story continues with bad advice and false accusation from his “friends.” Job was faithful. At the end of the story, we see how God, the Judge, acquitted Job and indicted his friends for their foolish judgment against Job. (Job 42:7-17)

The point in all of this is that God knows all, God is just, and God plans for what is best for us through all things.  Patience is the resolve to act in accordance with that truth and not act through our thoughts, words, and actions as though we know better than God.

Prayer: Lord, help me trust you in all things.

Episode 162 - "Don't use your privilege to oppress others!" - James 5:1-6

James 5:1   Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

It has dawned on me that careful reading and interpretation of this letter is a good exercise in the process of hermeneutics. That’s just a fancy word for the process of interpretation. Why is it that this letter is such a good exercise in the process of interpreting Scripture and literature in general? Because James says things in ways that, if we take them very literally and define the boundaries of meaning from our own culture and perception with little consideration of other factors, we could easily misinterpret the intended meaning.

For example, could we not interpret the first three verses of this section to say that rich people are evil or that it’s wrong to have wealth? But, then we have a problem when we think about people we’ve known or been familiar with who are financially successful and are wonderful people of faith. How do we reconcile that conflict? I would suggest that we make a habit of returning to the text and reading more broadly through the work of literature and see if there are clues from the context.

James begins by saying the rich will “weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you (deservedly).” (v. 1) He continues by stating matter-of-factly that these items of earthly value have corroded, and they will testify against them (implied as evidence of judgment as if these items could speak) and will eat their flesh. Already we should recognize a problem with such an absolute, literal interpretation. These are inanimate objects. They cannot speak or eat. For that matter, they even tend not to corrode so quickly. Yet, James speaks as though it’s already happened. But, then there’s the question, what is so wrong with gold and silver that James speaks of it in such a way, and how or why does it speak judgment against its owner? The context helps us interpret what James is really after.

The end of verse 3 says (of the rich), “You have laid up treasures in the last days.” (v.3b) This is not so bad in and of itself. In Proverbs 6:6-8 we find the wise teacher speaking against those who are lazy and don’t want to work and speaks of the ant that stores up for the winter when it cannot find food. There is wisdom in planning for times when provision may be lean. But that’s not what is happening here. James continues in verse 4 that these rich people have been defrauding, not paying, their less fortunate employees. Now we’re getting to the root of the problem.

Did you notice that both groups of people are crying, both the rich oppressors and the defrauded workers? But, the rich oppressors will be crying because of the judgment that will justly come upon them. The defrauded workers are crying to the Lord out of their need and the injustice. Guess who the Lord hears? Verse 4 says it’s the latter group's cry that reaches the ears of the Lord.

James continues his indictment of the wealthy oppressor in verse 5 when he speaks of his self-indulgence. Then in verse 6, James says the rich oppressor has “condemned and murdered the righteous person.” 

Clearly, the issue James is addressing is not how much money one makes. The issue is whether you use what the Lord has blessed you with for righteous and just purposes. If the Lord has blessed us with more than what we need, then we ought to use that abundance to help others with their needs. 

All the way back in Genesis 12:1-3, we see this principle in the Lord’s call of Abram. The Lord promised to bless Abram and that he would be a blessing to others. So, this principle becomes more evident as we read the context in which this indictment is set, but it also is consistent with what is revealed outside of this letter but within the scope of God’s revelation through time. 

Our God is consistent, and he consistently desires that we act justly toward others. The Lord desires to bless us. We must pass on the blessing to others to the measure we are able to according to those blessings.

Prayer: Lord, help me be a blessing to others to the ability that you have made possible.