I will update more recently, and will encourage people and friends to post on my blog, as I continue on writing. Take care, and hope that devotions, and personal thoughts will help inspire, and challenge you in your walk with the Lord. Blessings!

In Christ,
Sam

1 Corinthians 12

Let’s open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 12. Paul will deal with the subject of spiritual gifts. He begins by saying, “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different k inds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”

Paul opens this new section about spiritual giftings. The Corinthian church services were a little bit chaotic, and there were some Christians with a more liberal view saying that if their Christian brothers & sisters were “spiritual” they would be demonstrating, and exercising the more spectacular spiritual gifts. There was a bit of a mess at the services. The Corinthian Christians have some questions about spiritual gifts, and Paul begins his letter by telling them that he does not want them to be ignorant, or in other words, for them to misunderstand how God’s gifts were to be used. Part of the problem, is that some of the Christians did not make enough of a break from their non-christian backgrounds. We have to remember that many of the Corinthians were coming from non-christian pasts. Some of them, before they became Christ follwers, took part in pagan rituals, where they were “inspired” to speak. In such a setting, if a person who participated  heard about the claims that Jesus made, he/she would have cursed him, and here, Paul is making his point (in v.3) that nobody who sincerely declares with their heart “Jesus be cursed” could be a true believer, and only Christians – who have received the Holy Spirit – are able to acknowledge, and confess Jesus as Lord. Romans 10:9,10 is one of the early Christian confession of faith, which says “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”

If we look at vv.4-6, Paul explains to the Corinthians about the diversity of spiritual gifts. God is the one is involved in giving these different gifts to his children. Not one spiritual gift is “better” than the other. These spiritual gifts have been given to the Corinthians by the free grace of the Holy Spirit, and they were to be used in a Christ-like attitude of serving God, and serving his people. We are a jealous people, yeah? When we see someone have something that we do not have, we not only become discontent, but we also become envious. It’s the same between Christians within the church. There are times when we see someone else with a specific set of gifts that God has placed upon their lives, and “how we wish” that we had their gifts. “God, only if I had that persons’ gifts, I would serve you better!” But if we remember what Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians (4:11-13), he simply told them that all of God’s children have at least one gift, which is to be put into practice for mutual encouragement.

Paul tells the Corinthians that there are many gifts, and from vv.8-11, he explains to them just what kind of gifts the Spirit of God gives to his own people. We are not going to look at all of these gifts, because some of them are straight forward, but let’s look at three gifts in particular, the first in v.9, where Paul mentions the “gift of faith”. This is not talking about the faith that is required to trust in Christ for salvation, but this is more referring to a special measure of faith given by God. It is a deep expression of belief, and trust in God in the most improbable, or impossible of situations. Many of us do not have this gift, some of us do. When we face even remotely difficulties in life, and darkness that seems to surround us, many of us falter. But this gift is given to the believer to trust in God in very difficult, difficult circumstances.

The gift of prophecy is also a gift that we are unfamiliar with. Prophecy includes two things: foretelling, so being able to predict what will happen in the future, and forthtelling, urging God’s people about God’s will for their present circumstance. New Testament prophecy usually includes preaching, and also spontaneous declarations. We need to know that if a believer does prophesy, it is not on par with God’s Word. What do I mean? I mean that when a Christian brother or sister has a prophecy to share, their words are not to be taken on the same level of Scripture (God’s Word). There are some Christians today, who would dare go out on a limb, and make predictions about the future carelessly.

The last gift we’re going to look at is the gift of speaking in different kinds of tongues (v.10b). The Greek word for ‘tongues’ is glossolalia. It’s not to be confused with when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost, and they all were able to speak in different kinds of tongues, without an interpretation. Here in the situation at the Corinthian church, an interpretation was required. There was a time when I was a teenager, there was a youth group I was attending at the time, and was invited by a good friend, and here everyone was speaking in tongues. I remember praying with two other girls, and at first, nothing was out of the ordinary, and I could understand their prayers, suddenly, one of the girls began speaking in words that was neither chinese, or english (it was definitely not indonesian) – soon after, the other girl joined and began speaking in a “tongue” that I could not understand. This went on for about 5-10 minutes – I didn’t want to disturb whatever it was that they were doing, so I was just praying quietly, suddenly, both girls began speaking in english again – looking back, that was a unique experience. I come from a  conservative family, so the whole idea of this “heavenly language” was hard to accept. After years of being exposed to friends, who have had different experiences with the “gift of tongues” – I became convinced that there are some believers whom God has gifted to speak in that form. One last story, I had a friend, when I was serving at a church in East Vancouver, she came from Georgia, USA, and she shared her story of her experience with the gift of tongues when she was in Mexico, on her mission trip.

She was hailing  a cab, and couldn’t speak Spanish at all. She remembers speaking in english, giving directions, and saying thank you when she got to her destination. The cab driver complimented her on how well she spoke spanish – and she said she didn’t know how to speak Spanish. The driver said that she was speaking spanish to him at that moment. She was freaked out, but amazed at the same time. So this is a gift that God does give, but not everyone has this gift.

Why can’t I have this gift? Paul says (in v.11) that the Spirit of God sovereignly chooses who to give what kind of gift. So what do we learn from the Bible today? This entire passage speaks about spiritual gifts. Everyone in this chapel has at least one “special delivery” sent to them by our Heavenly Father – at least one gift. We have been given these spiritual gifts to edify the church, to encourage, to uplift, to bless God’s people. When we don’t use them, the response from God is similar to the three servants who each received a certain amount of talents. The first two put to use what they were given, but the third servant did not, and simply buried his talent. What did God say to this servant? He said ‘you are a wicked and lazy servant!’ so the message in today’s passage is what? It’s simply this: you have been given a special gift from God. Our responsibility is to find out what that gift is, and we cannot stop until we find out what it is, so that we can fulfill our God-given giftings to glorify the Lord. Nobody in this chapel is indispensible, and Paul will deal with this in vv.12-31. Don’t ever think that your gift is not worth any value. Every person in this room was designed and wired a specific way. You’ve been given a gift in which you will not only flourish, but you will enjoy as you put what has been given to you into practical service.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Let’s continue in our study of 1 Corinthians by turning to Chapter 11, and here Paul continues in his teaching of worship, but he covers an area that we’re somewhat familiar with. The Lord’s Supper, also known as Communion. Why does he write about the Lord’s Supper to the Christians in Corinth? Well, why don’t we read what he writes beginning from v.17, “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.”

There was a problem at the Corinthian church about the Lord’s Supper. It’s the reason why Paul addresses the issue here. During the early days of the church, they had a “love feast” – it was a meal that the brothers and sisters shared together, before participating in the Lord’s Supper. It was like today’s version of potluck. Everyone bringing their own dish, and after giving thanks, sharing in the meals together. But if we look at v.17, Paul says that he has no praise for the Christians at all. Why? Because their meeting together has caused so much grief, so much destruction. It actually literally reads “For you come together not for the better but for the worse.” Paul says that it is because of the “divisions” he has been hearing about. But Paul is not talking about the division, or the problems of the church (such as lawsuits, marriage issues, sexual immorality, idolatry, etc), he is talking more specifically about the troubles between the rich and the poor within the church. There were only a handful of “rich” people in the church, and these people owned the homes where the believers would meet for fellowship, and for services, so they would have the time, as well as the resources to arrive earlier and also bring larger and more refined tasting foods than the rest of the congregation. The custom of hosting festive gatherings in Corinth – usually these homes have a small dining room, and they are usually filled up quickly, the latecomers (usually is the majority of the congregation) are usually seated in a separate room, or in the courtyard. Believers who could not afford to bring a “nice” meal usually did not share in the meal the way they should have been included. So you can begin to see why they would have some problems approaching the Lord’s Table.

In verse 20, Paul makes a hard line statement, and tells the church that when they meet for the Lord’s Supper, it isn’t the Lord’s Table that they are eating. We can also read it as “You cannot eat [or celebrate] the Lord’s Supper.” Paul describes why they cannot in vv.21 & 22. Instead of waiting for one another, and making sure that everyone has a portion to eat (which was the Greek custom), they greedily stuff themselves, and get drunk at the expense of believers either coming late, or have less. Paul doesn’t object to the wealthier people enjoying themselves a certain portion or quality of food in the privacy of their own families, but in the church setting, their gluttonous behavior at the expense of the “less-well-to-do” is ridiculous, and absurd. What do they think they are doing? They disgrace God’s church, and humiliate those who have less.

Because of their attitude towards the Lord’s Table, Paul appeals to the Christian tradition about the Lord’s Supper. From vv.23-26, Paul is dealing and teaching the Corinthians the proper way to approach Communion. So there are two elements in Communion – the bread, and the wine (or grape juice). The bread symbolized Christ’s bruised and broken body, so every time the Corinthian believers took and ate the bread, they were to remember the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and to re-align not only their attitudes, but their behaviors as well to that of Jesus. Jesus’ shed blood demonstrated that he accepted the wrath that we deserved to experience, and as a result, made it possible for us to have peace with God. Why does Paul refer and appeal to tradition about the Lord’s Supper? It was to help them see that their behavior (described in v.21), and approach to the Lord’s Table was very shameful in light of Jesus’ sacrificial love. For the Corinthians, instead of eating and drinking without the consideration of others, Paul was appealing to the Lord’s Supper, to teach them  to share with one another, and partake in moderation. He advises the Corinthians to examine themselves before participating in the Table. What he means here is that each believer needed to “test and find approval – meaning, if their behavior, or attitude towards their brothers and sisters is appropriate, then they qualify to participate themselves in it. If, however, their behavior and attitude are not appropriate, then they should confess that sin(s) to the Lord, and seek His forgiveness.

But what happens if the Corinthians continue to disregard Paul’s teaching, and profane the Lord’s Supper? Paul tells them (in v.30) that they will receive God’s punishment. Because you profane the Lord’s Supper, you are now experiencing God’s wrath upon your lives. The Corinthians were becoming physical ill, they were dying (“fallen asleep”). BUT Paul says that if they want to avoid God’s judgment upon them, then they should judge themselves, in other words, examine yourself. They need to look at their own behavior, and attitude. We might think Paul is going to end his letter here on a sour note, but he gives the Corinthians hope. Even though, some people have died because of their wicked actions, they are not damned. But rather, God disciplines those he loves (Heb. 12:6), to protect them from further harming themselves and others. Paul finishes off his letter to the Corinthians by telling them to wait for each other when they come to meet for Communion. Anyone who is hungry should satisfy their hunger at home, before coming to participate in the Table, so the main point of the Christian meal is to share with everyone, rather than satisfying your own physical needs.

The Lord’s Supper is very important for the Christian. It is not only a moment when we remember (past & present) the work of Christ on the Cross, but the significance & application of that work in our lives. Many Christians will tell you that they participate in the Lord’s Supper, but few will tell you that they need to reconcile with fellow Christians who celebrate the Lord’s Supper with them before they partake. The point is simply this: If there are unreconciled relationships with people in the congregation, then we need to make right with those people before participating in the Lord’s Supper. It takes humility, it takes grace, but it must be done. Jesus’ words in Matt 5(v.23-24) are relevant even here, when he said “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Turn to 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, this morning, and we will begin reading together, from v.2, “I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you. Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head – it is just as though her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice – nor do the churches of God.”

Okay. This passage is not an easy passage to deal with this morning. Paul moves in the writing of his letter to the Corinthians, about the conduct of public worship. Why did he feel necessary to write about this? Because the city of Corinth was such a diverse city. There were a few Jews, there was a much more dominant Gentile population. Customs, and cultures varied between these people. So Paul had to give guidelines to the church that had such a mixture of people. Greeks, Romans, Jews all had a different approach of seeing & doing things when it came to worshipping God.

He doesn’t hold back, he gets right to the heart of the issue in v.3, where he says “…I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” Right here, Paul lays down a structure, not his, but a God-given structure. This is the divine structure of authority. As every man is to be under the authority of Christ, and Christ under the authority of the Father, so the woman is the under the authority of her husband. Apparently, the women in the Corinthian church were coming to the services with their heads improperly covered causing disorder and disrespect within the church body.

Now, if we look together at v.4, Paul says that if a man prays or prophesies (in this context, it means to give an inspired word, or encouraging the members of the church to obedience to God) with his head covered, then he has dishonors his head, and if a woman prays or prophesies without a head covering, then she has dishonored her head, it would be just as if her head was shaved. This is important, because in the ancient Roman world, a woman whose hair was cut off, was the means of punishment for a prostitute. This is why he is urging the Corinthian women to have their heads covered properly during their worship services. Paul had a simple message to the Corinthian women, in v.6, and that message is simply: respect and submit to your husbands, by covering your heads during worship. Some Christians actually take this verse to be a principle for all peoples, at all times.

When I was studying in Toronto, there was a church that I had attended. They were fairly conservative, in the way they conducted their worship services, as well as their dress code. One thing that did strike me, was that the women at the church all covered their heads with a hat, or a cloth, or something. None of the men wore any hats. I was an oddball back then (maybe still is), and I wore my baseball cap to church. I remember one of the Deacons had sternly voiced his displeasure at my wearing of the hat, and in fact, my Old Testament Theology teacher demanded that I take it off. I never understood why back then, but I understand today where they were coming from. Their understanding was taken from v.4, and v.7 in particular. The issue is not whether women cover their heads or not, but rather the principle of Christian women respecting their husbands by submitting themselves willingly, and joyfully to the authority of their husbands.

Now, in v.7, Paul gives reason why the man should not cover his head. It is because he is the image, and glory of God. Now, back in the culture of Paul’s time period. Men uncovered their heads in worship to show that they respected and submitted themselves to God, when they didn’t do this, and they prayed or prophesied without uncovering their heads, it meant that they failed to give the right attitude towards the Lord. Now Paul gives support for his reason, and his basis for v.7 is seen in v.8,9, where he explains the divine order of creation. Man did not come from the woman, but the woman came from the man. This is taken from the Scriptures in Genesis 2 (vv.21-23) where God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, and during his sleep, the Lord took a rib from Adam, and created the woman. The next verse, v.10, is a little obscure in its meaning. But perhaps Paul mentions the angels here to remind the Corinthian christians that angels are present at the time of worship, and that they are interested not only in the salvation of God’s people, but their conduct & behavior during worship. And perhaps maybe they recognize the breach of behavior, if the christian women at Corinth had not worn proper head coverings.

Just in case some of the people at church misunderstood that Paul’s desire was to demote women, he mentions in v.11 & 12, that both the man and the woman are equal in Christ, and that they are dependant, not independent, of each other. They need one another.

The last few verses, here, vv.13-16, Paul is wrapping his final point. And it is: That men and women are distinct. We are different. While this may be readily, and openly accepted, it is not always seen as such. Paul’s point here is about the distinction between the man and the woman. How is this “distinction” seen? In the hair. It might sound ridiculous, but this was the custom of the church at the time. Long hair for a man was considered a disgrace, dishonorable, but long hair for women were considered glorious.

So now the question is: Is the issue about long hair, short hair, to have head coverings or not? To be sure, there are some cultures in our world that actually do have coverings for the women. For example, Muslim women generally must cover their heads, and most of their body, with the exception of their hands, and their faces. So when we look at God’s Word today, what do we find? What is God saying? Is he telling all the women in this room to buy cloths, and begin covering their heads?Are men allowed to wear hats during worship? These are important questions.

The application I would give to you this morning, is this:  That God has created man and woman equally in His own image, but has given the man and the woman distinct roles. The man was created to lead his wife, when this didn’t happen between Adam and Eve, chaos resulted (Genesis 3:6), and the woman was created to help and assist her husband (Genesis 2:18, 20). In the context of our passage today, Christian women, while the mandate is not there for you to wear head-coverings during service, the principle is there for you to learn to joyfully submit yourselves to the authority that God has given to your husbands. And men, in this room, presently married, or will be married, we have no right to abuse that God-given authority, but it must be used to lead your wives, as Christ has used his authority to lead his beloved bride – the church.   This is God’s purpose and unique design for both men and women.

1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1

Let’s all turn to 1 Corinthians this morning, and we’re going to read from vv.14-11:1. Starting from verse 14, Paul writes “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’ – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.’ If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice,’ then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake – the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God – evern as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Paul continues his warning to the Corinthians about temptation. Because in v.13, Paul speaks about temptations. The situations and circumstances that tempt us to sin are never entirely that much different from those which God’s people in every generation have experienced. He warns the Corinthians in v.14 about idolatry, more specifically, Paul is talking about idol meat again (began his talk on this back in Chapter 8). The food itself is neutral, it doesn’t bring any spiritual advantage when eaten, and it doesn’t bring spiritual disadvantage when it’s not eaten. But Paul does make one exception: that eating idol meat in the context of pagan worship services is always wrong. He makes an appeal to the Corinthian Christians to come to the same conclusion as he has. He’s trusting that their common sense will overcome whatever divisions they have. He writes in v.15, “I speak to sensible [reasonable] people”.

Paul gives two examples to make his point even clearer. First, he teaches about the Lord’s Supper – by receiving the cup and the bread, we are participating, we are having “fellowship” – the word for fellowship that is used mainly throughout the New Testament is the word “koinonia”, more accurately, it describes the close association of people, focusing on what is common between them. So the Lord’s Supper brings us into fellowship with God through the symbolic cup and bread. A recent example of this koinonia, I would say would be from our Awana Camp ministry. When Wilson and I planned, we had the idea of the theme of living water, and how Jesus is this living water, and if we take and drink, we will never be thirsty ever again. The theme was based off of John 4. We also wanted to bring this point home. So we thought of going on a hike. A hike without water. The hike, I was told, was supposed to be 1.5 both ways. But it turned out that we were hiking for nearly 3 hours, to and fro. But during the hike, I felt like a lot of people really bonded, and relationships that weren’t originally there, were being built, and relationships that were already tight, became tighter. There was a sense of koinonia at the camp. We also had something in common – thirst. By the time we got back, we were all thirsty, and if they weren’t thirsty when we got back to our meeting place, they were certainly showing it when we had lunch. A place in the Bible that shows us this kind of fellowship is found in Acts 2:42-47.

The first example is about the Lord’s Supper, the second example that Paul gives is about the Israelites, and the sacrificial system. In the Old Testament, when the Israelites sacrificed at the altar, and ate part of that sacrifice, they participated in it. In one sense, they participated in koinonia – fellowship with God. Paul’s mind is still in the context of idolatry. He is giving an example of Communion and OT sacrifices, and how they bring the believer into fellowship with God. If this is true, then idol meat offered at pagan services are being offered to demons. When we participate in the Lord’s Supper, we fellowship with Christ, and when the Israelites offered their sacrifices to the Lord, they were participating in koinonia – so in the same way, when pagans offer their sacrifices, they are offering it to devils. Paul makes a statement in v.20, saying “I do not want you to be participants with demons.” Paul warns the Corinthian Christians that they cannot be in fellowship with demons, and with God. Any Christian involved in this kind of idolatry will bring upon them God’s severe judgment.

Let’s look at v.23 til the end of the passage. When we look at v.23, we’re reminded of the very same statement back in 6:12, with a small change. What is Paul’s purpose in re-stating what was already said back in chapter 6? What he was trying to teach the Corinthians is found in v.24, where the point is that Christians are free, and ought to serve others above themselves. When we look at vv.25-30, Paul deals with two issues at hand. The first is meat that was purchased at the marketplaces in the city of Corinth. With regards to this issue, Paul says “go buy and eat!” Food and drink are a part of God’s creation. Psalm 24:1 tells us that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” The second issue is about idol meat and its relation to conscience. Beginning from v.27, If a non-Christian friend invites you to their home for a meal, and your desire is to go, then go! Eat the food without raising questions or concerns about conscience. But, in the event that someone tells you that the food has been offered to idols, then, for the sake of the person who told you, refrain from eating, so as not to risk leading other people into sin, or confusing his or her conscience.

The last few verses (vv.31-11:1) repeat the principles of freedom and restraint in the context of God’s glory. Paul attempts in his ministry to lead as few people into sin as possible, both inside and outside the church. His basic motive is found in v.33, to try to save as many people, and to bring them into God’s kingdom. As he was an imitator of Jesus Christ, so he implores the Corinthians to imitate him to the extent that he is successful in modeling Christ-like behavior.

First, similar to Chapter 8, we have our rights, and our freedoms. But if there was a couple of verses I’d pick out it’d be in v.24 & 33 – where Paul teaches the Corinthians that they must learn to put the good of others before their own good. As Christians here in this chapel, we can do anything we want, anywhere as far as it falls under the guidelines of Scripture. But we always remember that if what we do can be detrimental, and destructive to the faith of another brother or sister in Christ, then we must revoke our rights, and abstain for the good of the other person. This falls under friendships, it falls under marriages, and it falls under relationships.

Secondly, if we look at 1 Corinthians 11:1, it  offers a challenging model in which to imitate. It’s a verse very few of us would take on in our lives (willingly), for fear that the challenge is too burdensome. But just as Paul had urged the Corinthians back in chapter 4(v.16) to imitate him, so we also must learn to imitate Christ, and then urge the younger believers to imitate us, so far as we are successful in modeling Christ-like attitudes, and behaviors. 

1 Corinthians 9:1-18

Let’s all turn this morning to 1 Corinthians 9:1-18. The Corinthians here, have begun to challenge  Paul’s apostolic authority, simply because he wasn’t charging the church for his ministry. There were some things that were going on under the table. Some powerful patrons in the Corinthian church wanted Paul to accept their money, and in return, he would give them respect, and political support. When Paul refused and continued to rely upon tent-making as his means of support, these powerful people in the church claimed that his unwillingness to go along with their patronage showed that he did not have the same authority as the other apostles and preachers. Let’s begin reading from verse 1, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.’ Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with an ything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

But I have no used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast. Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.”

Paul starts right off the bat, asking four questions. These four questions “Am I not free”, “Am I not an apostle?” “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord” “Are you not the result of my work in the Lord” – are all interconnected. If any one results in a negative answer, then Paul’s apostolic claims are in jeopardy. But he is free, he is an apostle, he has seen the Lord Jesus, and he has “spiritually fathered” the Corinthians in their faith.

Let’s now turn our focus to vv.3-12. Paul asks a lot of rhetorical questions here, none of which we are going to delve into specifically. But looking at vv.4-6, Paul reasserts his right to receiving material provision for his ministry, through three questions. The first, in v.4 has to do with food. Paul isn’t talking about idol meat anymore, but he is talking about physical nourishment and sustenance. This was one of the main ways that the early church and Christians provided for preachers in their presence. In verse 5, Paul seems to imply that most of the apostles were married, and brought their wives along in on their journeys. Makes you wonder, whether Paul himself was married at one time when he began his itinerant ministry, because of the way he words v.5 (“don’t we have the right…”). Verse 6 gets to the heart of Paul’s complaint. Here, Paul raises the practical question of his and Barnabas’ right to be supported financially in the ministry. It was Paul’s practice to support himself materially by tent-making, so that he would not be a burden to the church. Missionaries do this often, especially when a church has very little means of supporting any church worker, let alone their minister. I used to attend a church on Main St., where when I was there, they had 4 full time pastors serving in the church. A few years ago, however, they church did not have sufficient funds to support their pastors, and they fired everyone on staff, retaining only their lead pastor. For a while, the other pastors took side jobs to support themselves, & their families, but after a sometime, with the demand in the church – they just could not bear taking on two jobs. So they all left, and went their separate ways.

Taking a look at vv.7-12, Paul explains why he does in fact have the right to request payment for his services. Paul uses several illustrations from daily life: the soldier supported by public or royal expense, the vineyard keeper who eats out of the grapes he gathers, and the shepherd who drinks milk from his own flock. Paul also adds the authority of the Bible on top of these examples, quoting from Deuteronomy 25:4, which says “Do not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” How does this connect to what Paul’s talking about? The reason for the command in Deuteronomy 25:4 is not just God’s care for the cattle, but also for us as well. The application of the verse cannot be limited to simply animals. In verses 10,11, Paul makes clear, by using images that Jesus used in his parables of seed and sower, that preaching the Good News of Christ is like planting a crop, and making disciples is like harvesting. So, if the oxen should not be muzzled as they plow, neither should preachers be prevented from eating due to the lack of support from those whom they minister. If the Corinthians had supported other leaders, and other Christian workers, then how much more should Paul and Barnabas ought to have received these same rights, since they were responsible for their spiritual rebirth. Paul states that he & Barnabas did not exercise the rights that they had, because they loved the Corinthian church, but they also did not want to hinder the advance of the Gospel.

To emphasize even more the reason and importance for his self-restraint in exercising his right for support, Paul gives two religious illustrations, essentially making a point in v.14 that those who preach the gospel are to receive their living by it. Matthew 10:10, Jesus himself taught that “…the worker is worth his keep.” Paul writes in v.15 that he would rather die than for someone to deprive him of this boast. The “boast” that Paul refers to is preaching without charge. But Paul realizes that he cannot boast in the Good News, because God has placed an irresistable calling upon his life to preach. He takes this calling upon his life so seriously, that he would call affliction, and trouble to his own life, if he ever stopped preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Take a look at v.17 – Paul writes that if he preaches voluntarily, he receives a reward, and if he does not preach voluntarily, then he is simply fulfilling what God has called him to do. What is Paul’s reward, then? Verse 18 answers the question for us. Paul’s reward is that he gets to preach the Gospel without charging anyone for it, and never demanding his apostolic rights when preaching it.

What can we learn? Christians who have benefited (both individually & corporately) from the ministries of full-time Christian workers need to carefully examine & listen to Paul’s call, especially in the first 12 verses. Pastors should not have to be so preoccupied with providing for their basic needs that they cannot devote themselves wholeheartedly to their work. Congregations should not think of their giving as providing salary. D.A. Carson, a Christian professor in the US, once said “The church does not pay its ministers; rather, it provides them with resources so that they are able to serve freely.” People who have been called into full-time Christian ministry should always consider vv.12-18. If requesting, or receiving payment could hinder the spread of the Gospel, then tentmaking must always take precedence. Today’s passage deals primarily with an apostle’s rights, but v.14 allows us to generalize Paul’s principle to anyone in full-time Christian ministry. If there was one Scripture verse that I would bless you (and myself) with, it is found in 1 Peter 5:2-3, which says, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as god wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

1 Corinthians 8

The last few weeks the topic has seemed to revolve around sex, sexual immorality, and how sex is a gift from God and that it is good, only when done in its proper context – within marriage, between husband and wife. Today, we’re going to shift gears. So what Paul addresses since chapter 6 (vv.12-20), has been black and white. Paul deals with the grey areas of the Christian life here in chapter 8. The Christians at Corinth have written to Paul about some concerns, and issues going on within the church. The issue in chapter 8 is about foods being sacraficed to idols. You might think it has no relevancy today, but hang int here. There is application to be found for today’s living. So beginning from v.1, “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and not better if we do.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.”

The issue here is about whether food sacrificed to idols was okay for the Corinthian Christians to buy and eat. Because most of the meat sold in the town marketplace usually came from sacrificial animals that had been originally for temple ceremonies. Was it okay for them to eat the meat, if it were offered at a friend’s home? What about events like weddings, or parties, etc? Could they participate, let alone eat the meat that was offered at these events?

To begin, if we look at v.1, Paul starts off by using the term “food” – this actually would be better understood as “meat”. Why did the Corinthians raise this issue of eating meat? Because part of the meat of each sacrificial animal was burned on the temple altar, part of it was eaten in temple ceremonies – was it okay for Christians to partake of the meat that was burned on the temple altar? Just like in Chapter 6:12, here is another Corinthian slogan, or saying. The word “knowledge” in Greek is gnosis which is interpreted here as prideful religious speculation. So what is Paul’s point here from vv.1-3? The point is that love, not knowledge, must form the basis of Christian behavior. Paul is not anti-gnosis, he is not against knowledge, or intellectualism. But he is making a statement, in that knowledge that “puffs up” (makes one prideful, or arrogant) has no place in the Christian life, has no place or association with the Lord Jesus Christ. True Christian knowledge (a knowledge that helps us realize more & more our dependance upon him, rather than our independence on ourselves) is inseperable from agape love (a love that is sacrificing, self-giving, and imitating Christ).

Paul shifts back to food and idols. In vv.4-6, Paul provides the Christian freedom to eat this sacrificial food. Verse 4, he says “we know that an idol is nothing at all in the world…” and then declares that there is only one true God. But not everyone had believed as Paul believed. Paul and the Corinthian Christians had lived in a time where many “gods” and “lords” were worshipped. But even these “gods” and “lords” had nothing to do with the creation or redemption of the world, as God was.

If we take a look at vv.7 to the end (v.13) – these 6 verses unpack Paul’s qualification of practicing Christian freedom. Christian freedom is good, but Paul warns them that their freedom may destroy the consciences of their fellow believers. So love must, then, limit their freedom. Some of the Corinthian Christians could not eat idol meat without recalling the religious associations that the meat had for them. For these Corinthian believers, the meat still had religious meaning. These believers were seen as Christians having a “weak conscience”, meaning their thoughts unnecessarily led them to feelings of guilt or defilement. Paul encourages the believers with a “stronger conscience” to voluntarily refrain from eating idol meat in the presence of those who are unable to handle the practice. Because the practice is seen as a morally neutral issue – there is no spiritual advantage in eating the meat, and there is no disadvantage in avoiding it. Because of this, concern for another believer ought to take priority. Paul makes an important point in vv.9-12. Paul’s point here is that the Corinthians should not behave in ways that lead other Christians to sin. Paul uses the word “stumbling block” – do not allow the practice of your Christian freedom, or Christian “rights” to hinder another believer, or may lead that person into sin.

What does this Scripture passage have to do with our lives this morning? While Paul was addressing the issue the Corinthians had about eating idol meat, there are two points that I’d like to share with you. 1) Make sure your Christian freedom does not stumble another believer. Because our culture and society often bombards us with messages of “look after me”, we often will do what we feel, and think is right for us, at the expense, or detriment of another believer’s life. We need to be careful that we do not live, or behave in such a way that would cause someone else to fall. The last verse (v.13) Paul writes to the Corinthians and tells them that if what is eaten causes a fellow believer to stumble into sin, then he will never eat idol meat again so that he would not cause him to stumble and fall away from God. Make certain that your freedom in Christ does not cause someone else to fall into sin.

2) “Agape Love”, not knowledge is the foundation of Christian living. This is not to say that attaining knowledge is a tragedy, but that Christian love, Christ-centered love is the basis of how we ought to live and behave. Becoming a full-time minister, or the road to becoming a Reverend, is a long and arduous journey. There are some pastors and reverends who have high degrees in Biblical Theology, but they look down on the  “uneducated laity”. A Christian professor, Millard Erickson is very countercultural, but remains true and faithful to the latter part of v.1. He wrote once, “If in voting on a faculty appointment I ever have to choose between a brilliant but spiritually naïve scholar, and one who meets only the minimum requirements academically but has a warm, mature commitment to Christ, I will unhesitatingly choose the latter.” So knowledge, while it is very good to pursue – this warm, mature, sacrificial love is what fuels us, and drives us in our Christ living.

In Christ, 
Sam