But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:20-34. Today's text builds on yesterday's where Paul was rhetorically examining the question many believed was true in the Corinthian church, which is that while a spiritual resurrection may occur upon death, physical resurrection was not possible.  Of course, as Paul digs deeper into this question, he comes the correct conclusion, which is if you falsely believe in the fallacy of Jesus's physical resurrection, than you have no faith at all because the gospel rests on Jesus' resurrection.  However, in v20 Paul directly responds with an emphatic statement Christ "has been raised from the dead." Paul then compares Jesus to Adam in the garden from Genesis, writing how through this Adam, and his original sin, we all die (both spiritually and physically), and through Jesus - the 2nd Adam - we have both spiritual and physical resurrection.  Paul then goes on to share how the risen Christ ultimately, during the final days, defeats sin and death forever so that it no longer has any power over anyone.  Paul concludes the text in v29-34 by continuing to logically dismiss those in Corinth who fail to believe in the physical resurrection - pointing to how people are baptized in the name of Jesus and how this is new birth that is eternal.  Paul's final words in the text today offer an admonishment to those who do not believe in Jesus' resurrection - there is no faith and no salvation for these people. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who died and rose again to defeat both sin and death - giving me life to the full now, with power over sin, and life for eternity.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

 

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

1 Corinthians 15

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 1 Corinthians 15:12

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:2-19 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "If Christ has not been raised from the dead, Christianity collapses like a house of cards."

Key excerpts from the introduction:

• "What makes our faith so different and so distinct is not just the teaching of Jesus, or the life of Jesus, or even the death of Jesus."
• "If there is no resurrection and therefore Christ has not been raised, the results are truly catastrophic for both the church and the world."
  

Divisions per the commentary:

1. Our Message Is Meaningless (15:12-14): "The general resurrection of believers and the particular resurrection of Jesus are inextricably linked (vv. 12-13)....evidently, there were those in the church who had adopted the thinking of many in the Graeco-Roman world that the soul is immortal, but once the body dies it stays dead forever [see also Garland commentary]...Paul categorically denies that possibility. You cannot say that believers will not be raised from the dead but Christ has been risen, since being in Christ, we are linked with Christ, and our destiny is the same....Without a risen Savior, no sermon—regardless of how beautiful, how oratorial, how logical, or how stimulating it might be—is really worth hearing. Paul calls messages that leave out the resurrection “vain,” which literally means “empty.” If Jesus Christ is dead, not even the great apostle Paul had anything worth saying to anyone about this life or the next. There was nothing worth hearing."
   
2. Our Witness Is Worthless (15:15-16): "Paul essentially said that if Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead, then he would be a liar, since he claimed repeatedly he would be raised from the dead. If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead, once again, Christianity collapses....if there is no resurrection for anyone, then Christ has not been raised. You cannot have your feet in both worlds: if you believe in the particular resurrection of Jesus, you must believe in the general resurrection of believers."
   
3. Our Faith Is Foolish (15:17a): "If Jesus is still dead and buried in the tomb, it strikes a deathblow to even the very concept of Christian faith (v. 17a)....the Jesus who is worthy of our faith is a resurrected Jesus. The Jesus who makes it worthwhile to live a life of faith is a resurrected Jesus. The one who serves as the foundation of our faith, gives feet to our faith, and replaces fear with faith is only a resurrected Jesus. It is simply foolish to place your faith in anyone—regardless of the quality of his life, the brilliance of her teaching, or the quality of his or her example—if that person died only to stay dead." 
   
4. Our Sin Is Sovereign (15:17b): "there is no salvation if there is no risen Jesus to believe in; without his completed work, there would be no grace to receive. Because that is true, then Paul’s conclusion here is logical: those assuming there is no resurrection “are still in” their sins (v. 17b). Sin is sovereign. Sin wins."
   
5. Our Loved Ones Are Lost (15:18).
6. Our Existence Is Empty (15:19): "Not only does a dead Jesus kill any hope for life beyond this life, but it also kills any hope for any meaning in this life (v. 19)."
   

"Thankfully, this is all hypothetical. The sad conclusions are not true, since Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, which is the theme not only of this chapter but of the entire New Testament." 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus.  Thank You for Your Son who died and rose again so that I could live now to the full, and for eternity in Heaven. I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me for how my mind wanders and how I fritter away time.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of myheart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, family, my church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

1 Corinthians 15

 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:19

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Building on my study of 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (see last post here), where Paul urges us to see the gospel, including the resurrection, being of "first importance" (v3), this morning my review of 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 challenges me to maintain my faith.  In the text this morning, Paul essentially shares how faith is in vain and futile as is the effort to share the gospel as Paul did.  He rhetorically writes about these questions that challenge the gospel and how if true, he would be "misrepresenting God."  V17 also shares how, if our faith is futile then we are still in our sins.  I know this is not to be true because I have witnessed in my own life and in the lives of others miracles that only occur through faith alone - faith in the one and only gospel that Jesus Christ appeared, lived a perfect life, died on a cross for all of humanity, then rose again to defeat both sin and death.  This same gospel gives believers in this gospel hope, not just today but for eternity.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me.  Thank You for the gospel and for my faith - I am undeserving of such grace and compassion.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

I pause my study of 1 Corinthians to study DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys Daily devotional, which today, looks at how to repent.  When we sin, and are aware of our sins specifically, we inevitably feel shame, remorse and as John Piper describes, "crummy" or "rotten."  Piper shares how "[a] vague, bad feeling that you are a crummy person is not the same as conviction for sin. Feeling rotten is not the same as repentance."  Instead, Piper encourages us to specifically "call to mind the commands [we] frequently break."  For himself, he lists several, including:

• "Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Be as eager for things to go well for him as you are for things to go well for you. (see Matthew 22:39)"
• "Do all things without grumbling. No grumbling — inside or outside. (Philippians 2:14)"
• "Only say things that give grace to others — especially those closest to you. (Ephesians 4:29)"
• "Redeem the time. Don’t fritter away the minutes, or dawdle. (Ephesians 5:16)"

Piper presses in how being specific are out in the open and not hidden - we confront them.  Piper gets angry at his sin and he wants to kill the sin - not himself - his sin.  Piper then offers us encouragement when we take on such battles, even when we know they are uncomfortable.  He rests in 1 John 1:9 and how Christ forgives and cleanses - we must confess, however, specifically.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good as I know You forgive and cleanse sin - thank You Jesus for helping me with my daily battle against sin.  The list is long and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me for my many sins, including how I often fritter away the minutes...please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Matthew 6

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Matthew 6:31-32

I pause my study of 1 Corinthians to study DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys Daily devotional, which today, looks at how God knows all of our needs, knows our heart, and desires to provide for all of our needs.  John Piper shares how he is a father himself, albeit of course an earthly father, and this does not compare with our heavenly Father.  With this comparison, Piper describes three ways his knowing does not compare to our heavenly Father:

1. He does not know where his children (grown) are in the present
   
2. He does not know what is in their heart at this current moment
3. He does not know their future 

On the other hand, Piper describes how our heavenly Father DOES know us: "He knows everything about us, where we are, now and tomorrow, inside and out. He sees every need.  Add to that, his huge eagerness to meet our needs. Remember the “much more” of Matthew 6:30, “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you?” Add to that his complete ability to do what he is eager to do (he feeds billions of birds hourly, around the world, Matthew 6:26)."  

We are urged to trust "the promise of Jesus to meet our needs."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I know You provide for all of my needs, physical, emotional, and spiritual, and I have no cause for worry.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love, bless and provide for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.   Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures[.]

1 Corinthians 15

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures[.] 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "The gospel is the most important message in the history of the world, for it alone is an eternally saving message and is therefore to be a universally shared message."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• "The church has been given one mission, and that always will be the first activity we are to be about: fulfilling the Great Commission—making disciples of all nations."
• "The church is unique in many ways compared to any other institution or entity in the world, not the least of which is because the mission of the church is actually determined by the message of the church. The church must put above everything else the proclamation of the message of the church, which is called 'the gospel.'"
•  "It is accurate to say that the primary reason Jesus came was so we would have a gospel to embrace and so we would proclaim the gospel. Yet I believe we are living in a day when more and more churches and more and more pastors and teachers are putting less and less emphasis on the gospel—to our detriment."
  

Divisions per the commentary:

1. We Must Prioritize the Message of the Gospel (15:1-3):"But for reasons to be seen, Paul obviously felt the need to make crystal clear the true essence of the gospel again. In the early church there was a need to continuously clarify the heart of the gospel....Paul had to deal with so many subjects in this church—from incest, to sex, to spiritual gifts, to marriage, to the single life, to temptation, to the Lord’s Supper, to speaking in tongues—but he declares that the most important subject is and always will be the gospel. To reiterate, it is not the only message of the church, but it is the main message of the church."
   
2. We Must Recognize the Meaning of the Gospel (15:3-8).
3. We Must Emphasize the Might of the Gospel (15:2,9-11): "Paul feels the need to point out why he is qualified to talk about the gospel. This he does in a powerful, personal way that relates to the impact the gospel has had in his own life....The transparency and honesty of perhaps the greatest Christian who ever lived is both heartwarming and breathtaking. He fully admits he is the least of all apostles. He should not even be called an apostle. In fact, he had been the ultimate anti-apostle by persecuting God’s church. Nevertheless, it was the resurrected Lord who saved Paul by grace, changed him by grace, and empowered him with grace to do the work that he did and become the person he became.  Suffice to say that every true child of God could put his or her name in a similar paragraph." Amen!   
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and Your Word is true and You save!  Thank You Jesus for my salvation and Your Word both of which You freely give to me so that I can have life and I can know You more.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

 1 Corinthians 15

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 1 Corinthians 15:10-11

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.  Here, Paul provides an unequivocal delivery of the core gospel message:

• Christ died for our sins - v3
• He rose and was seen by many, including Paul - vv4-8

Paul then goes on to share both gratitude and humility for the grace Christ poured out to him, that despite how Paul persecuted the church (v9), God was gracious (v10) and this grace was not in vain as Paul worked on behalf of the gospel as hard as anyone (though Holy Spirit working through Paul) to bring this gospel to others so that they also may be saved (v11).

It goes without saying that 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 provide an important exhortation that our salvation depends on holding fast to the gospel - daily study and prayer. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of so much grace and compassion for me - like Paul I am so undeserving of the grace You provide.  My sin is great and it continues...please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But all things should be done decently and in order.

 1 Corinthians 14

But all things should be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 14 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "The gift of tongues comes with a reminder that the most important thing about all spiritual gifts is not the experience of a gift but the effectiveness of the gift." 

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• "No biblical subject, in fact, has caused more consternation, fueled more debates, ignited more arguments, or divided more churches, perhaps, than the subject that is likely properly termed glossolalia. The difficulty is immediately signaled when one realizes that, unlike in the case of any other spiritual gift, one entire chapter of the New Testament is devoted to discussing it."
• "...[B]elievers should not be opposed to enthusiasm and excitement in worship. Certainly it would be great for all of our churches if people were more participative in worship and not less. Sadly, some of what may be seen as excesses in worship are perhaps a reaction to the dead formalism we have in many churches today." 
• ...[T]he exercise of any spiritual gift should always be for the glorification of God, the edification of the church, and (ultimately) the evangelization of the lost." 
  

Divisions from the commentary:

1. Determine the Meaning of the Gift (14:1-25):"If spiritual gifts are not clothed in love, those exercising them are in effect naked and should be ashamed....[the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues] always refers to a foreign language, an earthly language that is spoken by some group or nation on this earth....speaking in tongues [is] a gift of speaking in a foreign language that is totally unknown to the one who is speaking and to some who may be hearing. This is what we find in the very first occurrence of the gift in the book of Acts....When the gift of tongues stands alone without interpretation, it is unintelligible and only benefits the speaker, but prophecy builds up the church[.]...235). It should be noted immediately that there is something unique about tongues: it is the only gift that needs a corollary spiritual gift to complete its function as a gift. Tongues can neither edify the church, glorify God in the greatest sense, nor evangelize the lost unless there is understanding....Simply but strongly put, when believers come together for both personal and corporate worship, understanding and intelligibility should rule the day. The ultimate goal, after all, is the edification of the church....Whether for the benefit of believers or unbelievers, prophecy should always be first in line over tongues. Any spiritual gift that puts a barrier between unbelievers and God rather than a bridge is simply out of place....It cannot be stated strongly enough, in fact, that the most important aspect of any spiritual gift is not the personal experience of the gift but the spiritual effect of the gift. Any gift falls short of its God-intended function if it does not edify the believer and help evangelize the unbeliever. One cannot deny the plain teaching in this passage that prophecy—speaking plain truth from God—is a powerful tool for evangelism, but tongues, if uninterpretable, is a hindrance to making the gospel clear[.]"   
   
2. Describe the Ministry of the Gift (14:7-9,12,14-15,19,22): "Every verbal spiritual gift—whether it is prophecy, teaching, exhortation, or speaking in tongues—should communicate truth that correlates with the Word of God....The gift of speaking in tongues is not so much to communicate to God but to communicate for God....speaking in tongues is primarily a missionary gift. It was a gift that God gave and that God can still give so that people around the world can hear the gospel in their own languages. With current technology a gift like this is less necessary than it once was, but it can still be useful in certain parts of the world....It cannot be overemphasized that spiritual gifts are not gifts primarily for our enjoyment but for God’s employment. They are a means to an end: teaching biblical truth to believers and reaching unbelievers with the gospel."
   
3. Direct the Management of the Gift (14:26-40): "Whatever you believe about [speaking in tongues], it is a legitimate biblical spiritual gift. Though we should not denounce the use of the gift, we must direct the management of it....Speaking in tongues and interpretation are joined at the hip, and in a public assembly they are never to be used apart from one another. A speaker should not exercise the gift unless there is someone to interpret the tongues; sometimes the one speaking in tongues can interpret.
   

"Every gift must be exercised in a way that is fitting and orderly, ultimately meeting all three criteria of glorying God, edifying the church, and evangelizing the lost. The goal for all the gifts is to strengthen and build up the church."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who gives all believers spiritual gifts and allocates them in such a way that we are knit together to form a unified body working together and supporting one another.  Thank You Jesus for my brothers and sisters in Christ who support me.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But all things should be done decently and in order.

 1 Corinthians 14

But all things should be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 14. Here, building on guidance provided in the previous two chapters on spiritual gifts, Paul provides guidance about how to exercise the spiritual gift of prophecy vs that of speaking in tongues.  My review of the text:

• V1: Love - as Paul expounds on in the last chapter - is most important to demonstrate with spiritual gifts.
• Vv1-2: Paul acknowledges the gift of speaking in tongues, but seeks for believers to be understood which is a concern for those speaking in tongues. 
• Vv3-5: On the other hand, offering prophecy is typically done to encourage, console, and to build up the church. Writings of the major prophets in the Old Testament often serve to warn but also to encourage Israel of God's faithfulness and of the coming Messiah. 
• Vv6-32: Paul poses a series of rhetorical questions exploring the value of prophecy vs speaking in tongues - coming down on the side prophecy and building up the church. 
• Vv33-35: Paul offers guidance on women's role in speaking in church.
• Vv36-40: Paul concludes the chapter by challenging those who challenge him by stating that he acknowledges he has the gift of prophecy and at the same time he knows this gift comes from God so anyone with this gift should recognize this and similarly recognized that they should not challenge Paul.  Paul's final words express a desire for the church to do things "decently and in order."  Paul's repeated use of "build" or "building" up (5x - v3,4,12, and 26) the church is key and expands on how Paul defines "decently."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion. I am not deserving of such grace and love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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

 1 Corinthians 13

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

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 13 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "No spiritual gift, no natural ability, no human achievement is greater or more important than love."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• Per Richard Hays, 'The purpose of chapter 13 is to portray love as the sine qua non of the Christian life and to insist that love must govern the exercise of all the gifts of the Spirit” (Interpretation, 221).'
• "In the context of all of Paul’s writings concerning the Holy Spirit, certainly one principle we can derive from this chapter is that the fruit of the Spirit, namely love, is more important than the gifts of the Spirit[.]"
  

Divisions from the commentary: 

1. The Matchless Value of Love (13:1-3): "In other words, you may have knowledge bursting from your head, but if you do not have love bursting from your heart, you are just a big bust....You may have mountain-moving faith that you can go out and accomplish great things for God, but if you do not have love, you are just one big molehill....Even should you offer the ultimate sacrifice of your life for a cause or a belief with the goal of being able to boast about yourself (apparently in eternity) or to give others reason to boast about you, you gain nothing if you are not also motivated by love." 
   
2. The Marvelous Virtues of Love (13:4-7): "Paul is not deprecating or depreciating the importance of spiritual gifts. His point is that any and all spiritual gifts are dispensable, but love is indispensable[.]"
   
3. The Majestic Victory of Love (13:8-13): "As necessary, as profitable, as needed are spiritual gifts, they are temporary. The gifts most highly valued by the Corinthian church, such as tongues, knowledge, and prophecy, will all cease to exist...Love can never end, for if God is love and God cannot end, then certainly love cannot end either. The moments each of us arrives in heaven will be the first time that we will experience perfect love—not just a perfect love from God but a perfect love for God and a perfect love for each other....The reason that love is the greatest is because love is the one virtue of the three mentioned that we will take into eternity. Faith becomes sight in heaven, hope is completely fulfilled in heaven, but love, again, never ends. Love never ceases." 
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loved me and saved me while I was still hostile to You.  You continues to love me every single day...I am not deserving of this love and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account....Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

 Matthew 5 and Luke 10

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account....Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Matthew 5:11, Luke 10:20

This morning, I pause my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how Jesus "revealed a secret that protects our happiness from the threat of suffering and the threat of success." This secret follows in Matthew 5:12 is that "[g]reat is your reward in heaven." John Piper highlights both Matthew 5:11-12 and Luke 10:20 to show us how Jesus protects our joy and happiness.  In Luke 10:17, Piper expands his review of the text to share how Jesus warned the disciples not to be tempted to "put their joy in ministry success."  Piper summarizes the text and its application by sharing how we must focus on the "greater reward in heaven" as the anchor of our happiness and joy. "[T]hus [Jesus] freed us from the tyranny of worldly pain and pleasure — worldly suffering and worldly success."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - giving me protection of my joy and happiness through my salvation.  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such love, compassion, grace, and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases[.]

 Lamentations 3

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases[.]  Lamentations 3:21-22

This morning, I pause my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how hope predicates itself on constant reminders of God's promises and how God is faithful in delivering upon these promises.  Drawing upon Lamentations 3:21-22 where Jeremiah shares how he has hope because of God's unceasing love. John Piper shares that both Peter and Paul (see also 2 Peter 1:13, Romans 15:15) used letters to remind believers in the power of God's promises.  Reminders of God's promises are found in daily study of God's Word and in prayer.  Piper points out that the Holy Spirit helps here as well as he shares: "[t]he main Helper in reminding us what we need to know is the Holy Spirit (see also John 14:26)...The mind has this great power: It can talk to itself by way of reminder....If we don’t “call to mind” what God has said about himself and about us, we languish....Without reminding ourselves of the greatness and grace and power and wisdom of God, we sink into brutish pessimism (see also Psalm 77:11-12, 22)."  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me access to the Holy Spirit that aids, comforts and provides reminders for me of God's promises - so that I can remain hopeful.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessing.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.

Ephesians 6

Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Ephesians 6:7-8

This morning, I pause my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at working for "bad" bosses.  John Piper provides five things to help believers in these environments:

1. "A call to radically Lord-centered living...This means that we will think of the Lord in what we are doing at work. We will ask, Why would the Lord like this done? How would the Lord like this done? When would the Lord like this done? Will the Lord help me to do this? What effect will this have for the Lord’s honor? In other words, being a Christian means radically Lord-centered living and working."
2. "A call to be a good person...Piper refers us to Matthew 5:16 where Jesus says that we are to let others see Jesus in us and that brings glory to God."
   
3. "Power to do a good job for inconsiderate earthly employers....Piper shares that we are to stop thinking about your boss as your main supervisor, and start working for the Lord. Do this in the very duties given to you by your earthly supervisor."
4. "Encouragement that nothing good is done in vain"....Piper elaborates: "Every little thing you do that is good is seen and valued and rewarded by the Lord.  And he will pay you back for it. Not in the sense that you have earned anything — as if you could put him in your debt. He owns you, and everything in the universe. He owes us nothing. But he freely, graciously chooses to reward us for all the good things done in faith."
5. "Encouragement that insignificant status on earth is no hindrance to great reward in heaven"...concluding on this point, Piper shares that "your supervisor may think you are a nobody — a mere bondservant, so to speak. Or he may not even know you exist. That doesn’t matter. The Lord knows you exist. And in the end no faithful service will be in vain." 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and love...helping me in all challenges in life by giving me power, peace, joy, patience, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me.  My sins are great and they are daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sins towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

James 4

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. James 4:13-16

This morning, I pause my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at pride and arrogance, including how pride and arrogance manifests itself in the world and believers can battle such evil.  John Piper refers us to C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity and how Lewis warns us against looking down on others because we won't be able to see "above" us where God reigns supreme in our all details of the universe and all of its inhabitants.  Similarly, Piper warns us from flippantly talking our plans with a view that God plays no role in such plans. Piper concludes the devotion by sharing that "James says that not believing in the sovereign rights of God to manage the details of your future is arrogance. The way to battle this arrogance is to yield to the sovereignty of God in all the details of life, and rest in his infallible promises to show himself mighty on our behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9), to pursue us with goodness and mercy every day (Psalm 23:6), to work for those who wait for him (Isaiah 64:4), and to equip us with all we need to live for his glory (Hebrews 13:21). In other words, the remedy for pride is unwavering faith in God’s sovereign future grace." 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God that holds all the details of my life and the lives of my loved ones in Your hands - and You are so full of grace that You provide, Your mercies are new, and You never leave or forsake me.  You of course save!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of any of these blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

...Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Hebrews 9

...Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28

This morning, I pause my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at Hebrews 9:28 and how God saves "those who are eagerly waiting for him."  John Piper defines this as having an "eager expectation for Christ"  and a faith where "we love him and believe in him — really believe in him, authentically." We are encouraged to avoid a phony faith "that wants only escape from hell, but has no desire for Christ. That kind of faith does not save. It does not produce an eager expectation for Christ to come. In fact, it would rather that Christ not come for as long as possible, so that it can have as much of this world as possible."  Piper concludes by sharing that "the faith that really holds on to Christ as Savior and Lord and Treasure and hope and joy is the faith that makes us long for Christ to come. And that is the faith that saves."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus, for my salvation and for all that You do every day to shower me with love.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Do you think that you can reprove words, when the speech of a despairing man is wind?

Job 6

Do you think that you can reprove words, when the speech of a despairing man is wind? Job 6:26

This morning, I pause my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how we often speak of despair and how we should learn to discern whether such words are rooted more deeply in a "black" or evil heart, or whether they are "for the wind" due to a temporary pain or setback.  If we can discern such talk as due to temporary pain or setback, John Piper encourages us to follow Job's guidance that we "not spend our time and energy reproving such words. They will be blown away of themselves on the wind. One need not clip the leaves in autumn. It is a wasted effort. They will soon blow off of themselves." Instead we are encouraged to "wait in silence and not reprove. Restoring the soul, not reproving the sore, is the aim of our love." If we are seeking God in these moments you will find him. Follow Jeremiah's words to the exiled Jews where he says in Jeremiah 29:13:

"[y]ou will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - I know that You will never leave or forsake me.  I will always find You when I seek You because You never leave me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus[.]

Ephesians 2

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus[.] Ephesians 2:4-6

This morning, I pause my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today explores the the pre-salvation state of believers and how our salvation is a "totally unconditional and utterly free act of God....This freedom is the very heart of grace."  In describing our pre-salvation state, John Piper shares that "we were dead to God. We were unresponsive; we had no true spiritual taste or interest; we had no spiritual eyes for the beauties of Christ; we were simply dead to all that ultimately matters." Piper then shares that "[t]hen God acted — unconditionally — before we could do anything to be fit vessels of his presence. He made us alive. He sovereignly awakened us from the sleep of spiritual death, to see the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). The spiritual senses that were dead, miraculously came to life." Using Ephesians 2:4-6, Piper then emphasizes "the free-ness of grace" by pointing to verse 5 (and how Paul says the same thing in v8). Piper concludes the devotion by sharing rhetorically a question that looks at believers' election and says  an "what act could be more one-sidedly free and non-negotiated than one person raising another from the dead! This is the meaning of grace." Soak in this grace and love God for being rich in mercy!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for  - saving me!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace and compassion and mercy.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

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

1 Corinthians 13

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

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to a unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 13. Paul builds on his discussion of spiritual gifts in chapter 12 by zeroing in on the importance of love as a motive to exercise these gifts.  We know from Matthew 22:34-40 that the greatest commands God gives us are to love Him and then to love others as "[o]n these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." 

• Vv1-3: none of the gifts described in chapter twelve have any value if not used in love of God or others.
• Vv4-7: Paul describes attributes of love so we know it when we see it.
• Vv8-10, 12: An attribute of love that is emphasized with its own three lines of scripture is how it is forever vs the spiritual gifts that are temporary during believers' lives in this life (vs in Heaven)
• V11 seems a bit out of place as a description of how we are called to spiritual maturity
• V13 underscores the importance of love in our relationship with Jesus and others - above faith and hope - as we don't have faith and hope in something we don't love.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who I know loves me and never stops loving me and will never leave or forsake me.  Thank You Jesus for how You love me and while I was hostile to You.  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

[T]here may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

 1 Corinthians 12:8-31

[T]here may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:8-31 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Different gifts are given to different believers, and all gifts are for the glory of God and the good of the church."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• Every believer has a primary spiritual gift
• Everyone typically has more than one spiritual gift
• Teaching, exhortation, service, mercy, prophecy, leadership provide a list while not exhaustive, that capture "most areas of service and ministry"
• "every gift is to be used for the glory of God and the good of the church."
  

Divisions per the commentary:

1. The Gifts of Wisdom (12:8,10): "God supernaturally imparts insight about the Scriptures or reveals how the Word of God may be applied to certain situations, how the will of God may be preserved, and how the work of God may be continued....Wisdom is supernatural in origin (James 1:5). You can get knowledge from a book and education in a school, but true wisdom comes only from God....It is the ability to see things as God sees them....Now there is some debate among scholars as to whether or not there is to be a distinction made between wisdom and knowledge....there must be some distinction or it would not be distinguished as a separate gift in Paul’s delineation....A word of knowledge, then, is perhaps when God reveals something to someone that he or she would not know or could not know about a particular situation unless it was revealed supernaturally. It is a special message of insight into a particular situation that may reveal a hidden motive or even a future action."  Possible examples identified by the commentary include Acts 5 and 27 when respectively "Peter uncovered the fact that Ananias had kept back some of the money he claimed to have given to the church," and when Paul "warned the entire crew of the ship they had to stay together or else they would all perish....Both wisdom and knowledge reflect the God-given ability to bring spiritual insight beyond human understanding to bear in a situation....The work of distinguishing between spirits refers to the ability to see through false teaching, false prophets, and false doctrine. I like to think of it as spiritual x-ray vision.  In the spirit of what’s said in 1 John 4:1-3, I believe the gift is also the ability to discern not just by what is being said but sometimes by the person who is saying it. I have found by personal experience that some of the finest, most eloquent speakers can also be the best at deception. More than ever before, the exercise of this gift is desperately needed both in the church and in the academy." 
   
2. The Gifts of Worship (12:9-10): "I place two gifts, faith and prophecy, under this category because I believe these two are linked very closely. Most worship will involve some prophecy because God always speaks in and through worship, but no worship can take place apart from faith because “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). The work of God is expanded through faith. The Word of God is expounded through prophecy." The gift of faith is described is no ordinary faith but that which 'moves mountains.' "There are just certain people who have the ability not only to see what no one else can see, go where no one else will go, risk what no one else will risk, but do it with a quiet confidence and unshakable assurance that God is going to come through. Theirs is in effect an unshakable faith in God’s unequaled faithfulness that is far more abundant than all that we ask or think." The gift of the word of prophecy is defined as "[t]he spiritual ability to proclaim God’s truth in such an authoritative and powerful fashion that lives are changed, the lost are saved, and believers are motivated for greater service and maturity."    
   
3. The Gifts of Wonders (12:9-10): "These gifts, though normative to Paul, are nevertheless exceptional. In the Bible, they are neither more prominent nor more prominently displayed than other gifts. In fact, church history would suggest they are rarely used except in special situations. With that caveat, I accept all these gifts as legitimate for today....First, there are different kinds of healings.  Surely a doctor can be used by God to bring physical healing, a counselor may be used to bring about emotional healing, and a pastor may be used to bring about spiritual healing....[T]here is no one gift of healing. There are “gifts” of healings. That is, at certain times, in certain situations, and through certain people God brings healing to those who are sick....[A]ll healing is divine....Of all the gifts, this one most consistently proves itself a topical land mine. Unfortunately, the gift of tongues has become one of the most controversial and divisive issues among God’s people....[T]he gift of tongues is the supernatural ability to speak in a foreign language previously unknown by the speaker so that the gospel and biblical truth might be communicated to people that need to hear it....[T]he gift of tongues is a missionary gift. Indeed, there are reports it has been heard on mission fields before." 
   
4. Unity in Diversity (12:11-31): "No person should be jealous of another person’s spiritual gifts or God-given abilities. Rather, as we come to understand the whole dynamic of spiritual gifts, we celebrate the differences and the point that we are all unique. But we are also to be dependent on one another (vv. 14-17). It takes every part of the body working together to have a healthy, properly functioning church body. Each part of the body is dependent on other parts of the body to do its work....every member of the body is equally needed, but every member of the body is equally important. We all have different gifts, different passions, and different interests. Yet every gift should be unwrapped and put into the service of the body. Everybody is somebody in Christ’s body.  Then, we are to be devoted to one another (vv. 23-26). No matter what functions, gifts, or ministries other people have, we each honor and respect all others, and we empathize with one another."  
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gave me a church body that supports me when I am weak and a role to play to give me significance - thank You Jesus for these blessings.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many....As it is, there are many parts, yet one body....But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

1 Corinthians 12:8-31

For the body does not consist of one member but of many....As it is, there are many parts, yet one body....But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:14, 20, 24b-25

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to a unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:8-31. Here Paul builds on Vv1-11 and how the Holy Spirit moves in the distribution and allocation of spiritual gifts to all believers as he describes in more detail the various spiritual gifts believers may possess - see v8-10, and v28.  Paul also uses the analogy of the body and its various parts and how they work together - see v12-27.  Core to use of this analogy:

• One part of the body cannot say to another that is of less importance to the body than another - vv15-17.
  
• God designed the body - perfectly with no weaknesses or lesser parts - v18
  
• One part of the body cannot say to another I don't need you - vv21-24
• The body parts work together - in unity, caring for one another, suffering together, and rejoicing together - v25-26 
  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus.  Thank You for giving me others in the body that support me when I need it.  I am not deserving of how You bless me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 1 Corinthians 12:11

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Every believer has spiritual gifts that are to be exercised, not for personal gratification, but for corporate edification in the church."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• "Anyone preparing commentary on this passage must do so with care and humility."
• "there is neither a guarantee nor an expectation that there will be unanimity of agreement on the interpretation given on some of the gifts that are listed and their relevance and application today. But the truth remains: we are to give ourselves not only to studying these gifts and trying to understand them but just as importantly to using them for the glory of God and the good of the church." 
• "One of the reasons Paul wrote to the Corinthians in such detail, in fact, was because of their ignorance of spiritual gifts."
• "Unfortunately, when it comes to the church there are many spiritual agnostics. They know very little about spiritual gifts, and those who do are not even sure what their spiritual gifts might be. I have learned by personal experience there is a great cost involved in being educated, but there is a greater cost if you are not."
• "Exercising a spiritual gift is no guarantee of spiritual maturity, nor is it a guarantee that one belongs to a great church."
• "Spiritual gifts, unfortunately, were not uniting the church in Corinth; they were dividing the church. It was obvious that some of the Corinthians were placing such an inordinate emphasis on showy displays of spirituality, particularly speaking in tongues, that it was disrupting the church’s worship, dividing the church’s fellowship, and demeaning the witness of the gospel[.]"
  

Divisions from the commentary:

1. "How the Gifts Are Described (12:1,4,7): Gifts are actually Trinitarian in nature. God the Father has given us the gift of God the Son for our salvation. God the Son has given us God the Holy Spirit for our sanctification, but God the Holy Spirit has given us spiritual gifts for our service. The point is, these are not material gifts. These are spiritual gifts. They are gifts of and from the Holy Spirit.....Spiritual gifts are supernatural gifts granted by the grace of God. They are not just glorified natural abilities. They are not something you gain by going to school or practicing or inheriting. They are literally charismatic gifts, which means if you are a Christian in the truest sense of the term, you are a charismatic Christian by default. Spiritual gifts, simply put, are supernatural endowments that enable us to carry out God’s work in God’s way....These gifts are not to be stored; they are to be shared for the “good” of others....35). Spiritual gifts are given to every believer to bless the church, build up the body of Christ, and edify believers. But if a spiritual gift does not in some way edify the church, it is no longer a used gift; it is an abused gift.....To be sure, this does not mean there would not be any private benefit to the one exercising the gift. But this verse would certainly rule out using any gift strictly or merely for personal gain or self-satisfaction. It certainly does not rule out any and all benefits for an individual[.]"
2. "How the Gifts Are Distributed (12:5-7,11): Every Christian has received at least one spiritual gift. Unfortunately, I have pastored some people who assumed they had the spiritual gift of criticism, which is not a thing! No one Christian has every gift, but every Christian has at least one....You may not have graduated first in your class. You may not be very athletic. You may not be one of the world’s most talented people, but if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a gifted child! You have a gift that God wants you to use in his church in service and ministry that might not get done unless you do it....Every Christian is a minister, and every Christian has a ministry. The ministries of the church are to be carried out as followers of Jesus exercise their spiritual gifts in ministering to one another. Again, they are distributed independently....This should remind us that no believer should ever be jealous of another believer who may have a different gift. All of us have been gifted differently, but all of us have been gifted perfectly. The Holy Spirit, in his divine wisdom and sovereignty, has given to each of us precisely the gift, or gifts, that will enable us to function most effectively in the body of Christ....When we exercise our gifts within a local context, we find that we fit together perfectly and create a beautiful representation of God’s greater family. Although what we perceive God to be doing sometimes doesn’t make sense to us, there is always a method to his seeming madness, and he knows what he is about and what he is doing. As we think about spiritual gifts, we should rejoice knowing that we are each gifted, that we can be used, that God has a purpose and a plan for us and a work for us to do, and that with his gifts and by his power we can do things in a way that brings glory and honor to him and serves to bless others."  
   
3. "How the Gifts Are Distinguished (12:4-6): Gifts show up in different ways in different ministries. Even though two Christians may have the same basic gift, that gift may be manifested and applied in different ways....We exercise these gifts not only by the grace of God but through the power of God. It is his power that fires engines and leads us to exercise these gifts effectively.  the first category represents the essence of the gifts (they are grace gifts). The second category represents the expression of the gifts (they are to be used for service). The third category represents the effects of the gifts. They result is a display of the power of God through his people."
   

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My Prayer:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:5-6

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to a unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. Here, Paul helps us understand how God and the Holy Spirit distribute and move in believers' lives with spiritual gifts. 

• Vv 1-3: Paul seeks for us to be "informed" about spiritual gifts; some in the Corinthian church were led astray about this topic - perhaps on the topic of teaching or prophesying.  He reinforces how God alone and the Holy Spirit distribute and work in believers' hearts and lives to both give and direct spiritual gifts.  
  
• Vv4-6: Paul is explicit and states emphatically that all spiritual gifts are from God who "empowers them all in everyone."
• V7: In constructing his case, Paul starts with foundational doctrine - that the Holy Spirit is present in the lives of all believers ("to each is given...") who call Christ their Lord and Savior.  Galatians 5:22-23 help us understand how we see "fruits of the Spirit."  This is given for the "common good" which is for the healthy functioning of the church and its members working together as a body.
  
• Vv8-10: Examples of spiritual gifts are described, including "wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc."
• V11: The Holy Spirit both "apportions to each one" and "empowers" each one to use these gifts.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me spiritual gifts and equipping me so that I can work for the common good both inside the church and in the world. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving how You work in my heart and life.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:31-32

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Examine yourself when taking the Lord’s Supper, repenting of all sin and selfishness and uniting with believers around the work of Christ."

Key excerpts from the introduction:

• The Lord’s Supper (Communion) is so important to the Christian faith that the Bible addresses it five times. It appears in Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16-22; and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.
• Along with baptism, it constitutes the two ordinances of the church.
• Evangelicals and Baptists limit the number of ordinances to two because only baptism and the Lord’s Supper meet five important criteria: (a) They were prescribed by the Lord. (b) They were proclaimed among the saints. (c) They were practiced by the churches. (d) They were participated in only by the saved. (e) They picture the atoning sacrifice and bodily resurrection of Jesus.
• The Lord’s Supper is a holy and sacred practice in which believers come together as a body to remember, meditate on, and celebrate the atoning death of the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. It is not something to be trifled with or handled flippantly. To do so invites the severe reprimand of the apostle and the judgment of our God.
  

Divisions per the commentary:

1. We Must Deal with Problems When We Come (11:17-22): Divisions reflected “haves” and the “have nots.”  "The Corinthians were operating in self-deception when they came together to observe this sacred communal meal.  The Corinthians were guilty of letting their rich take precedence over their poor and of gluttony. Perhaps being influenced by the pagan festivals they once indulged in, the wealthy gorged themselves. All the while the poor (many of whom were probably slaves) went hungry, receiving little or nothing to eat and drink because it was soon gone. A sacred meal that should have been building up the church had become a means of tearing it down. Selfish and narcissistic behavior insults God and embarrasses brothers and sisters in Christ. There is no place for it in the faith family."
   
2. We Must Honor the Meal’s Purposes When We Come (11:23-26): "Paul provides clear and careful instructions on the purpose and significance of Communion. It shares nothing in common with a pagan feast or wild party. It is a solemn act of worship that has historical roots in the Last Supper our Lord had with his disciples on the night he was betrayed. It is a commemoration of the Lord’s death.  [T]here is power in the blood of the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. We remember this truth every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  It is a proclamation that anticipates the Lord’s return.  The Lord’s Supper should certainly be a time of careful meditation and reflection. But it should also be a time of joyful anticipation and celebration! Yes, Jesus died. But he rose from the dead, and he is coming again! Sorrow and joy are partners in this meal."    
   
3. We Must Make Preparation When We Come (11:27-34): "Paul has told us to look backward and forward. Now he teaches us to look inward and outward.  Examine yourself. Look at your life and take inventory of your heart. If you are not right with God and others, then it would be better for you not to draw near the table of Communion.  God’s judgment was quite severe for those who desecrated his table. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who is full of grace and compassion - taking on physical life, suffering and dying for me - despite a sinless and perfect life - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the sacrifice You made for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, apply, and be obedient to, Your message for me today and every day. 

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 1 Corinthians 11:27-28

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to a unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.  Here, Paul provides commands about appropriate heart posture when partaking of the Lord's Supper or communion.  A review of the text:

• Vv17-18: Paul opens with an admonishment of the Corinthian church, as they are divided (see also 1 Corinthians 1)
• Vv19-22: It appears that some among the Corinthian church approached communion in an unholy manner, viewing it as a meal to consume and enjoy vs a sacred ritual where we remember Christ's death on the cross and unite as a church body in such remembrance
• Vv23-26: v23b-25 in particular are often used by churches today during communion
• Vv27-33: Paul further elaborates on how believers are to be careful to avoid participating in  communion in an "unworthy manner"; key is to focus on an examination of our heart condition - as Paul describes "discerning the body" which implies recognition of the church and the importance of unity both with Christ and the other members of the church
  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such grace and compassion. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 1 Corinthians 11:7-9

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "God’s instructions, not past experiences, must govern Christian worship if it is to be pleasing to him."

Key excerpts from the introduction:

• Based on a view of man and woman as "complementary" - see John Piper on this topic; the commentary quotes The Danvers Statement and the Nashville Statement: 
• Both Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, equal before God as persons and distinct in their manhood and womanhood (“Danvers”). 
• Distinctions in masculine and feminine roles are ordained by God as part of the created order (“Danvers”).  
• WE AFFIRM that divinely ordained differences between male and female reflect God’s original creation design and are meant for human good and human flourishing. WE DENY that such differences are a result of the Fall or are a tragedy to be overcome (“Nashville,”article 4).
• The Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, manifests the equally high value and dignity which God attached to the roles of both men and women (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18; Galatians. 3:28). 
• Both Old and New Testaments also affirm the principle of male headship in the family and in the covenant community (Genesis 2:18; Ephesians 5:21-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:11-15) (“Danvers”). 
• Redemption in Christ aims at removing the distortions introduced by the curse. 
• In the family, husbands should forsake harsh or selfish leadership and grow in love and care for their wives; wives should forsake resistance to their husbands’ authority and grow in willing, joyful submission to their husbands’ leadership (Ephesians 5:21-33; Colossians 3:18-19; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-7) (“Danvers”). 
• In the church, redemption in Christ gives men and women an equal share in the blessings of salvation; nevertheless, some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men (Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 1 Timothy 2:11-15). (“Danvers”). 
• WE AFFIRM our duty to speak the truth in love at all times [Ephesians. 4:15], including when we speak to or about one another as male or female. WE DENY any obligation to speak in such ways that dishonor God’s design of his image-bearers as male and female (“Nashville,” article 11).
• Such statements sound countercultural (and they are!) in a society awash in so much confusion about gender and sexuality.
• First Corinthians 11:2-16 beautifully complements these principles as it provides a Trinitarian lesson for the proper roles of men and women in corporate worship. Seven principles are set forth for our instruction.  

Major divisions:

1. We Must Honor the Principle of Divinely Ordained Authority (11:2-3): Paul begins on an encouraging note to affirm a basic principle of the gospel as he seeks to correct errant Corinthians' views on Biblical manhood and womanhood. "The basics of the gospel were not Paul’s creation. He passed on, as we must, the good news he had received. Paul then, in verse 3, lays down the basic theological truth that will serve as the foundation for the remainder of this section[.]"  We are also referred to Ephesians 5:23. "The issue of male headship is taught to apply to the home and church, yet Scripture nowhere teaches male headship in general with application to the whole of society. And the issue is one of function, not essence. It is an issue of assignment, not nature. We know this because men and women, husbands and wives, equally bear the image of God. They are equal in essence and essential being. Further, and more importantly, Christ the Son is equal in essence and essential being to God the Father. This is classic and biblical Trinitarianism.  Now, there is one caveat. Christ, as Son of God, is essentially superior to man (husbands) as well as superior in spiritual authority over him. That truth is also taught throughout the whole of inerrant and infallible Scripture. So, to summarize our foundation verse by way of paraphrase, this is what Paul is saying: We must understand that the spiritual authority over every man is Christ, the spiritual authority for a wife is her husband (or a father for an unmarried daughter), and the spiritual authority of Christ (God the Son) is God (the Father). There is no inferiority in submitting to one’s divinely ordained head. It is for humanity’s good and the glory of the triune God."  
   
2. We Must Honor the Principle of Proper Social Expectations (11:4-6): "These verses address the specific topic that demands Paul’s attention: proper adornment in public worship....The Corinthians consistently blended together elements of the Christian faith with practices from their pagan past....Confused interpretation influenced by their pagan background likely influenced the practice addressed in 1 Corinthians 11 as well.  By interpreting Christian claims against their own pagan background, they perverted and distorted the Christian faith [on gender roles]."
   
3. We Must Honor the Principles of Glory, Creation, and Purpose (11:7-9): "The greatest thing in all of creation that brings glory to God is man (humanity). Similarly, the greatest and most magnificent thing that ever came out of a man is his female counterpart....Further, as Genesis 2:18 teaches, God made the woman as “a helper corresponding to [the man],” someone that perfectly fits and complements him. Again, all of this points to the essential Christocentric nature of authentic worship." 
   
4. We Must Honor the Principles of Angelic Observation and Submission (11:10): "First, angels, like us, were created to glorify God (Ps 148:2). Second, angels delight in worshiping and serving God (Rev 7:11-12). Third, angels gladly submit to the authority of God in all things (Ps 103:20). Fourth, angels attend our worship services and observe what is going on (Rev 1:20). Fifth, they celebrate when we worship properly and are disappointed when we don’t (Acts 12:23). Therefore, we should be sure to worship in a God-glorifying way because our fellow servants, the angels who minister to us (Heb 1:14), want to join us in humble, proper worship that focuses on Christ and honors and glorifies our heavenly Father (cf. Isa 6:2-3)."
   
5. We Must Honor the Principle of Interdependency (11:11-12): "There is no superiority of men over women or women over men. There is a divine design of both complementarity and interdependence."
   
6. We Must Honor the Principle of Nature (11:13-15): "The point, however, is clear. Men should look like and be easily recognized as men, and women should look like and be easily recognized as women. There should be no gender blurring or gender confusion."
7. We Must Honor the Principle of Common Practice (11:16).

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and gave me my wife Lisa in marriage as an interdependent helper to raise Godly children - thank You Jesus!  I am blessed.  Yet I have fallen down and continue to fall down in my role as spiritual leader of the household.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.