Idol Feasts and the Lord's Supper
14Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16Is 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? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
18Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21You 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. 22Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Dig Deeper
My first two years in college turned out to be a disaster of sorts. I discovered that I no longer had to attend classes. I had the freedom to come or not come and no one held me accountable. So, I decided to not go to class much more often than I should have. In exercising my new-found freedom, I actually led myself into deep trouble as my grades began to plummet. I discovered that the lure of freedom actually led me right into the clutches of my own laziness and irresponsibility. In a similar vein, Paul is concerned that the freedoms that some in Corinth are wishing to exercise will actually be used as bait to lead them right back into the clutches of evil forces. Paul has already conceded, in principle, the right of a Christian to eat meat of any sort, but his concern is that some of the Corinthians were taking that one step further and actually taking part in pagan cultic rituals while eating that meat. It is from this that Paul wants them to run and run fast.
As he usually does, Paul does not give them a strict rule or command, but he offers them urgent advice. He lays out his case in strong terms, but still desires for them to judge for themselves and make a wise Christian decision. They were thinking that because they were Christians, and Christianity was about the things of the Spirit, that what they did with their bodies didn’t matter. Paul wants them to come to the understanding that this is not the case and is not a wise line of thinking.
First, he will use a couple of examples, one from the Christian experience and one from the Jewish experience, to make a connection between those realities and what happens when one consorts with pagan rituals and worship. Paul asks two rhetorical questions with the assumption that the obvious answers are ‘yes’. He is reminding them of the basic understanding of the communion meal. When they partake of the blood and the bread, they are doing two very real things. First, they are uniting themselves as individuals into the life of Christ. They are renewing and reaffirming the fact that they have died to their old life and entered into the life of Christ. Second, they are uniting themselves together as a community in Christ. As he will go on to say in 12:12, they are, in a very real sense, the Messiah. They have as individuals and as a community become the representatives of the Messiah in the world.
Paul then makes a similar point from Israel’s history. When the priests of Israel partook from the sacrifices on the altar, they engaged, in a very real sense, with the presence of God.
Paul realizes that some may have trouble following his logic as he asks “What, then, do I mean?” (The NIV words it slightly differently.) He has already stated that idols, and food sacrificed to them, are nothing. Idols are powerless pieces of wood and stone. He is not contradicting that thought. The deep concern that Paul has it what the idols and the pagan rituals can lead to, and that is the very real evil world of the demonic. Paul’s point is that, just as taking part in the rituals of Christianity and Old Testament Judaism connected the participant with God, so does taking part in these pagan practices lead one into a very real connection with the forces behind them. Idols are nothing, in and of themselves, but they have been used as a gateway by demonic forces. Paul’s advice, then, is to not mess around with something so dangerous, but to flee immediately.
Why though, we should ask, does Paul connect pagan idols to demons. Aren’t false gods merely figments of the imagination? The biblical answer is “no.” Although the idols themselves are nothing, they are gateways to the evil forces that lie beyond normal human perception. According to Genesis 6, angels (sons of God) co-habitated and had children with human women. These offspring were known as the Nephilim; they were extremely violent and apparently gigantic. Jude 1:6-7 tells us that these angels committed sins of a sexual nature, as did the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude says that these angels are kept in dungeons until the time of the final judgment; Peter informs us that the place they are being kept is called Tartarus (2 Peter. 2:4). According to the ancient Jewish book of Enoch, (a book that was accepted as accurate by the early church fathers and quoted by Jude) the Nephilim were destined to walk upon the earth as bodiless unclean spirits until the final judgment. These are the unclean spirits, or demons (which is from a Greek word that means “the knowers”) which are described in the Bible as teaching men all manner of evil (1 Timothy 4:1) as well as posing as pagan gods, using idols as a means to lead people into the clutches of evil (Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:36-37).
Paul instructs the Corinthians to be extremely careful because they cannot take part in the body of evil and the body of Christ. Considering their status as being those in Christ, Paul does not want them to try to unite the body and life of Christ with evil in any form, whether it be sexual union or pagan ritual and practice. In doing so, they would be testing Christ, something he warned them about in verse 9, for that is a test that they will always fail.
So there is a balance that they must understand. Yes, they are the people of the resurrection that need to understand that life and not live by the confines of the present world, but at the same time they need to be careful to not think that they are untouchable and cannot be pulled back into the world of evil. It’s certainly not that anything could forcibly separate them from the life of Christ but they must be careful to not take their freedom in the wrong way and begin to use it is a license to lull them right back into the enslavement of sin from which they had been freed.
Devotional Thought
Think about Paul’s theology that teaches that Christians have given up their very lives and entered into the life of Christ. Do you have that view of your Christian life. Into what compromising situations have you put the life of Christ that is in you?
Monday, June 08, 2009
Friday, June 05, 2009
1 Corinthians 10:6-13
6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Dig Deeper
As the high school basketball team I coached prepared for the Conference Championship Game, I was worried that they were overconfident. In order to combat that I gave them a history lesson. I told them tales about teams in the past, in our conference, that had gone into games with the same attitude that they were demonstrating, and had suffered defeat. As I told the stories, I picked out certain details from each case that corresponded with where they were at, to drive the point home even more. The point of all this was for them to learn the lesson from the things of the past in order to avoid similar mistakes. I’m glad to report that they learned those lessons and won the game.
Paul says that he is engaging in this current discussion for that precise reason. He saw some clear parallels between the actions and hearts of the Israelites of the past and the Corinthians in the present. Of course Paul saw the accounts of the Israelites in the Old Testament as true to history stories. He didn’t think they were mere moral tales. Yet, in those accounts, he saw echoes that were resonating in the Church in Corinth. He wanted them to study what the Israelites did and what happened to them so they could avoid the same terrible fate.
In making his overall point about eating certain kinds of foods, and how the Church should be responding to this situation, Paul finally begins to return back to the familiar territory of idolatry. He will continue on this topic throughout the rest of the chapter, but it is clear here that Paul sees any sin as idolatry at its core because it is the act of exalting our own will over that of God’s. Everything else that Paul discusses here is based on his mention of idolatry. Paul has dealt with issue of individual rights involved with the topic of eating meat sacrificed to pagan idols, and he has, with some qualifications, agreed that they have the right to do that, at least in principle. One of his very serious concerns, that he will now address, is that in their pride of thinking they can overcome anything, they will find themselves slowly pulled back into paganism themselves.
What is especially important for us to grasp is that Paul’s issue was not that of nitpicking over a violation of a few rules. The true issue was their desires. The Israelites had let their hearts and minds wander so that what did not have to be a temptation became the very source of their downfall. The Corinthians had better heed this example and pay attention. It was, as Paul quotes from Exodus 32:6, the Israelites who indulged in pagan revelry; a polite way of talking about sexual immorality and orgies associated with pagan worship. Making a practice of exercising their freedom, and so, being around the practices of the pagan temples was dangerous. It would be like someone arguing that they have the right to go on the internet, while someone else remains worried about it because all of the pornography available. There is surely freedom for the Christian to go on the internet, especially if they don’t feel tempted by pornography, but Paul would say, make no mistake, many have gone there and fallen. If you want to exercise your freedom (within the limitations he has already described) then fine, but the pornography is off limits. This is Paul’s point: eat the meat if you want to, but don’t be deceived about what goes on all around, and remember that idolatry in all of its many forms are strictly off limits for the Christian. There was and is no level of Christian maturity that we can get to where we get an ‘anything goes’ license of freedom.
Throughout this argue Paul is still dealing with the backdrop of the reality of resurrection. Those in Christ certainly do have freedom from sin and the ability to escape the enslavement of pagan idolatry. Yet, that freedom must always be balanced with the realization that the body that has been baptized into Christ has been reserved for the resurrection. This means that how we treat our bodies and what we do with them is important and that our lives should anticipate and begin to realize the reality of that resurrection age.
Paul describes a progression the Israelites went through, one that is pretty common when it comes to idolatry. First, they set their hearts on something other than God; second, they relaxed their standards on sexual morality; third, they began to test the power and benefits of God versus the pagan lifestyle (and thus, pagan gods); and finally, they began to openly grumble against God. (Don’t forget that Paul had charged them with grumbling against him, and apparently feels that in grumbling against his leadership, they were grumbling against God, in a sense.) None of these situations worked out well for the Israelites so why abuse their freedom of being in Christ to turn around and slip right back into the slavery from which they had just escaped.
The situation for them was particularly vital because they (as we still do) lived at the crossroads of the age when sin is still dangerous and can reign in one’s life, and the time when the age to come is available to those in Christ. At any moment, despite the power of their conversion and their status in Christ, great heroes in the faith can fall. Freedom abused can be the very thing to cause one’s downfall This should cause them to be on their guard. This may have seemed rather daunting, so Paul finishes his thought with an encouragement. Although they are always vulnerable to slipping back into idolatry, they will not face anything that they can’t stand up to. Whenever they are tempted, they must remember that God is faithful and will always provide a way of avoiding the temptation. The real question for them was would they make use of that way out when they needed it? We must also ask ourselves, will we?
Devotional Thought
Are there any areas in your life, where you have become so confident in your freedom from sin, that you are actually playing with fire? One minute we have our heart set a freedom and the next thing we know, it has subtly shifted to having our heart set on evil things. The frightening thing is, this often happens without us being very aware of it. Take some time today to take stock as to your true motivations for doing what you do. Are you truly motivated by enjoying your freedom in Christ or has your heart become set on evil things?
11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Dig Deeper
As the high school basketball team I coached prepared for the Conference Championship Game, I was worried that they were overconfident. In order to combat that I gave them a history lesson. I told them tales about teams in the past, in our conference, that had gone into games with the same attitude that they were demonstrating, and had suffered defeat. As I told the stories, I picked out certain details from each case that corresponded with where they were at, to drive the point home even more. The point of all this was for them to learn the lesson from the things of the past in order to avoid similar mistakes. I’m glad to report that they learned those lessons and won the game.
Paul says that he is engaging in this current discussion for that precise reason. He saw some clear parallels between the actions and hearts of the Israelites of the past and the Corinthians in the present. Of course Paul saw the accounts of the Israelites in the Old Testament as true to history stories. He didn’t think they were mere moral tales. Yet, in those accounts, he saw echoes that were resonating in the Church in Corinth. He wanted them to study what the Israelites did and what happened to them so they could avoid the same terrible fate.
In making his overall point about eating certain kinds of foods, and how the Church should be responding to this situation, Paul finally begins to return back to the familiar territory of idolatry. He will continue on this topic throughout the rest of the chapter, but it is clear here that Paul sees any sin as idolatry at its core because it is the act of exalting our own will over that of God’s. Everything else that Paul discusses here is based on his mention of idolatry. Paul has dealt with issue of individual rights involved with the topic of eating meat sacrificed to pagan idols, and he has, with some qualifications, agreed that they have the right to do that, at least in principle. One of his very serious concerns, that he will now address, is that in their pride of thinking they can overcome anything, they will find themselves slowly pulled back into paganism themselves.
What is especially important for us to grasp is that Paul’s issue was not that of nitpicking over a violation of a few rules. The true issue was their desires. The Israelites had let their hearts and minds wander so that what did not have to be a temptation became the very source of their downfall. The Corinthians had better heed this example and pay attention. It was, as Paul quotes from Exodus 32:6, the Israelites who indulged in pagan revelry; a polite way of talking about sexual immorality and orgies associated with pagan worship. Making a practice of exercising their freedom, and so, being around the practices of the pagan temples was dangerous. It would be like someone arguing that they have the right to go on the internet, while someone else remains worried about it because all of the pornography available. There is surely freedom for the Christian to go on the internet, especially if they don’t feel tempted by pornography, but Paul would say, make no mistake, many have gone there and fallen. If you want to exercise your freedom (within the limitations he has already described) then fine, but the pornography is off limits. This is Paul’s point: eat the meat if you want to, but don’t be deceived about what goes on all around, and remember that idolatry in all of its many forms are strictly off limits for the Christian. There was and is no level of Christian maturity that we can get to where we get an ‘anything goes’ license of freedom.
Throughout this argue Paul is still dealing with the backdrop of the reality of resurrection. Those in Christ certainly do have freedom from sin and the ability to escape the enslavement of pagan idolatry. Yet, that freedom must always be balanced with the realization that the body that has been baptized into Christ has been reserved for the resurrection. This means that how we treat our bodies and what we do with them is important and that our lives should anticipate and begin to realize the reality of that resurrection age.
Paul describes a progression the Israelites went through, one that is pretty common when it comes to idolatry. First, they set their hearts on something other than God; second, they relaxed their standards on sexual morality; third, they began to test the power and benefits of God versus the pagan lifestyle (and thus, pagan gods); and finally, they began to openly grumble against God. (Don’t forget that Paul had charged them with grumbling against him, and apparently feels that in grumbling against his leadership, they were grumbling against God, in a sense.) None of these situations worked out well for the Israelites so why abuse their freedom of being in Christ to turn around and slip right back into the slavery from which they had just escaped.
The situation for them was particularly vital because they (as we still do) lived at the crossroads of the age when sin is still dangerous and can reign in one’s life, and the time when the age to come is available to those in Christ. At any moment, despite the power of their conversion and their status in Christ, great heroes in the faith can fall. Freedom abused can be the very thing to cause one’s downfall This should cause them to be on their guard. This may have seemed rather daunting, so Paul finishes his thought with an encouragement. Although they are always vulnerable to slipping back into idolatry, they will not face anything that they can’t stand up to. Whenever they are tempted, they must remember that God is faithful and will always provide a way of avoiding the temptation. The real question for them was would they make use of that way out when they needed it? We must also ask ourselves, will we?
Devotional Thought
Are there any areas in your life, where you have become so confident in your freedom from sin, that you are actually playing with fire? One minute we have our heart set a freedom and the next thing we know, it has subtly shifted to having our heart set on evil things. The frightening thing is, this often happens without us being very aware of it. Take some time today to take stock as to your true motivations for doing what you do. Are you truly motivated by enjoying your freedom in Christ or has your heart become set on evil things?
Thursday, June 04, 2009
1 Corinthians 10:1-5
Warnings From Israel's History
1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
Dig Deeper
One of my favorite memories as a child was sitting around on some nights listening to albums of Bill Cosby comedy routines with my parents. One routine in particular stands out in my memory in which Cosby tells a long story about a character of his named Fat Albert. He proceeds to tell a fairly long and extremely funny story and then, just when he gets to the end, he says “now I told you that story so I can tell you this one.” Evidently, some in the Church in Corinth were teaching that the sacraments like baptism and communion were almost like magical talismans that gave them an immunity in the world, so they could do whatever they wanted. Paul, obviously disagrees with that point of view, and so he is going to tell them a story about the first people of God and the mistakes that they made in order to help them avoid the same mistakes. His ultimate point is still about their rights and freedoms, this time as it relates to communion, but for now, he is going to tell us this story so he can tell us about that one.
Paul begins in verse 1 with two interesting statements. The first is that he does not want them to be ignorant of the fact. He implies that he has something he wants them to learn, but he is also implying that whether by choice or lack of education, they are ignorant of a few things. The other fascinating thing that we don’t want to miss is that, in speaking of the Israelites, he refers to them as our forefathers. We must remember that the vast majority of the Corinthian Church was Gentile. Paul wants them to understand that as the people of God, the Israelites were their true ancestors. Distinctions made on race and biological ancestry were unimportant when it comes to being the people of God. The Israelites were their ancestors and they share a part in the ongoing story of God working through his people for the benefit of the world.
This was a particularly important point of heritage and covenant that the Church of the first century made, and one that Paul stressed in Romans 9-11. If God had promised that the Covenant would always pass through Israel then how could God be considered faithful to His promises if the Jews were no longer the Covenant people of God. The answer was that the people of the Covenant were always in that status as a result of God’s choice and His mercy. It was also true that there was a history of that Covenant passing through some descendants of Abraham and not others. God had promised that the Covenant would be given to Abraham’s descendants, but not all of them. Thus, the Covenant immediately went to Isaac but not Ishmael. Then it went through Jacob but not Esau. Now, Paul makes clear in Romans 9-11, that Jesus is the true Israel and that the status of the people of God and the blessings of the Covenant would come through him and through those who belong to him by entering into his life. This is how Paul can consider the Israelites to be the forefathers of those in Christ.
Paul really wants to stress, in this passage, is the continuity and parallels between the Israelites and people of God in Corinth. He will draw on at least five similarities to make his point. The first is not directly stated, but lies just beneath the surface. One of the issues Paul is still dealing with is the desire of some to eat meat. In Numbers 11:4, 13, we are told that one of the issues the Israelites had was their desire to eat meat. Paul also uses two other items to show continuity. They well knew that they were people born of spirit and water (John 3:5), and in fact, twice in this letter, Paul draws together the concepts of baptism and the Spirit (6:11; 12:13). Paul shows that the Israelites were also people of God with whom these concepts were present. They were led by the glory cloud, in which in some strange way, the presence of God was made manifest. He also sees the passing through of the Red Sea as a baptism of sorts (this is an idea original to Paul and shows that he is making a specific point here). In leaving their life in Egypt behind, they crossed the Red Sea and were baptized as Moses’ people. He wants them to see that the Spirit of God and the crossing of the Red Sea for the Israelites are like the Holy Spirit and baptism for them.
In verses 3 and 4, Paul hits the final two parallels that he wants the Church to see. All the Israelites ate from the same spiritually provided food and drink. He makes three points here. The first is that the food and drink were provided by God. The second is the emphasis on ‘all’, demonstrating that this unified them as God’s people. The third point is that they had the same provider then, Christ, that the Corinthians have now. The parallels, then, become obvious. Paul is clearly pointing to the bread and wine of the New Covenant communion, and this brings him precisely to his point that he will now begin to develop.
The Israelites had the provisions of God; they had the presence, the saving water, the bread, and the drink. Yet, they became rebellious. They had presumed upon God’s kindness, and He had become displeased with most of them. In fact, of the adults alive at the time, only Joshua and Caleb would actually see the promised land. The rest died in the desert. God’s provisions for His people, and even His presence did not guarantee their salvation. These things were all undeserved gifts given out of God’s mercy and grace to His people, but it didn’t mean that they couldn’t walk away from God. He had given them His presence, had brought them out of slavery through a baptism, and had sustained them with food and drink, but none of that got them to the promised land by themselves. And this is precisely what Paul wants them to grasp. They should not assume that just because they have been baptized into the life of Christ, shared in the community and presence of God, and have been eating and drinking the Communion, that they have automatically reached a status that requires no further effort, discipline, or moral restraint. Baptism really does bring one into the life of Christ and His community, and the communion does allow one to continue to share in that life but they aren’t magic. They are huge privileges that carry with them the huge responsibility of living the life of Christ. Most of the Israelites didn’t make it to the promised land. Paul does not want to say that same sad result in the Church that he has helped to build.
Devotional Thought
Do you see the gifts of God such as his presence, baptism, and the communion as a right given to the people of God or as an undeserved privilege that carry a great deal of responsibility? Have you taken these things for granted? In what ways have you been treating your baptism as a ‘get out of hell free’ card rather than a doorway to the life of Christ?
1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
Dig Deeper
One of my favorite memories as a child was sitting around on some nights listening to albums of Bill Cosby comedy routines with my parents. One routine in particular stands out in my memory in which Cosby tells a long story about a character of his named Fat Albert. He proceeds to tell a fairly long and extremely funny story and then, just when he gets to the end, he says “now I told you that story so I can tell you this one.” Evidently, some in the Church in Corinth were teaching that the sacraments like baptism and communion were almost like magical talismans that gave them an immunity in the world, so they could do whatever they wanted. Paul, obviously disagrees with that point of view, and so he is going to tell them a story about the first people of God and the mistakes that they made in order to help them avoid the same mistakes. His ultimate point is still about their rights and freedoms, this time as it relates to communion, but for now, he is going to tell us this story so he can tell us about that one.
Paul begins in verse 1 with two interesting statements. The first is that he does not want them to be ignorant of the fact. He implies that he has something he wants them to learn, but he is also implying that whether by choice or lack of education, they are ignorant of a few things. The other fascinating thing that we don’t want to miss is that, in speaking of the Israelites, he refers to them as our forefathers. We must remember that the vast majority of the Corinthian Church was Gentile. Paul wants them to understand that as the people of God, the Israelites were their true ancestors. Distinctions made on race and biological ancestry were unimportant when it comes to being the people of God. The Israelites were their ancestors and they share a part in the ongoing story of God working through his people for the benefit of the world.
This was a particularly important point of heritage and covenant that the Church of the first century made, and one that Paul stressed in Romans 9-11. If God had promised that the Covenant would always pass through Israel then how could God be considered faithful to His promises if the Jews were no longer the Covenant people of God. The answer was that the people of the Covenant were always in that status as a result of God’s choice and His mercy. It was also true that there was a history of that Covenant passing through some descendants of Abraham and not others. God had promised that the Covenant would be given to Abraham’s descendants, but not all of them. Thus, the Covenant immediately went to Isaac but not Ishmael. Then it went through Jacob but not Esau. Now, Paul makes clear in Romans 9-11, that Jesus is the true Israel and that the status of the people of God and the blessings of the Covenant would come through him and through those who belong to him by entering into his life. This is how Paul can consider the Israelites to be the forefathers of those in Christ.
Paul really wants to stress, in this passage, is the continuity and parallels between the Israelites and people of God in Corinth. He will draw on at least five similarities to make his point. The first is not directly stated, but lies just beneath the surface. One of the issues Paul is still dealing with is the desire of some to eat meat. In Numbers 11:4, 13, we are told that one of the issues the Israelites had was their desire to eat meat. Paul also uses two other items to show continuity. They well knew that they were people born of spirit and water (John 3:5), and in fact, twice in this letter, Paul draws together the concepts of baptism and the Spirit (6:11; 12:13). Paul shows that the Israelites were also people of God with whom these concepts were present. They were led by the glory cloud, in which in some strange way, the presence of God was made manifest. He also sees the passing through of the Red Sea as a baptism of sorts (this is an idea original to Paul and shows that he is making a specific point here). In leaving their life in Egypt behind, they crossed the Red Sea and were baptized as Moses’ people. He wants them to see that the Spirit of God and the crossing of the Red Sea for the Israelites are like the Holy Spirit and baptism for them.
In verses 3 and 4, Paul hits the final two parallels that he wants the Church to see. All the Israelites ate from the same spiritually provided food and drink. He makes three points here. The first is that the food and drink were provided by God. The second is the emphasis on ‘all’, demonstrating that this unified them as God’s people. The third point is that they had the same provider then, Christ, that the Corinthians have now. The parallels, then, become obvious. Paul is clearly pointing to the bread and wine of the New Covenant communion, and this brings him precisely to his point that he will now begin to develop.
The Israelites had the provisions of God; they had the presence, the saving water, the bread, and the drink. Yet, they became rebellious. They had presumed upon God’s kindness, and He had become displeased with most of them. In fact, of the adults alive at the time, only Joshua and Caleb would actually see the promised land. The rest died in the desert. God’s provisions for His people, and even His presence did not guarantee their salvation. These things were all undeserved gifts given out of God’s mercy and grace to His people, but it didn’t mean that they couldn’t walk away from God. He had given them His presence, had brought them out of slavery through a baptism, and had sustained them with food and drink, but none of that got them to the promised land by themselves. And this is precisely what Paul wants them to grasp. They should not assume that just because they have been baptized into the life of Christ, shared in the community and presence of God, and have been eating and drinking the Communion, that they have automatically reached a status that requires no further effort, discipline, or moral restraint. Baptism really does bring one into the life of Christ and His community, and the communion does allow one to continue to share in that life but they aren’t magic. They are huge privileges that carry with them the huge responsibility of living the life of Christ. Most of the Israelites didn’t make it to the promised land. Paul does not want to say that same sad result in the Church that he has helped to build.
Devotional Thought
Do you see the gifts of God such as his presence, baptism, and the communion as a right given to the people of God or as an undeserved privilege that carry a great deal of responsibility? Have you taken these things for granted? In what ways have you been treating your baptism as a ‘get out of hell free’ card rather than a doorway to the life of Christ?
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Dig Deeper
On October 30, 1974, Muhammad Ali faced the young and fearsome George Foreman in the May 20 Stadium of Kinshasa, Zaire. The match became known as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” and has become one of the most famous boxing matches in recent history. The younger, faster, and stronger Foreman was befuddled by Ali’s strategy known as the rope-a-dope, in which Ali used the loose ring ropes to lean back and bounce off. Foreman wound up swinging wildly for several rounds without doing any real damage to Ali, who then recovered to knock Foreman out. The wild swinging had completely drained Foreman’s energy and left him defenseless against the cagey Ali.
Paul uses similar imagery to a people who were extremely familiar with athletics. Corinth was host to the important Isthmian games which were held there every other year. In those games, athletes would compete for a wreath made from celery. Because of these games they would have been rather familiar with runners as well as high-level fighters, but there was also a great deal of low-level fighting for entertainment. It was at these lower-level matches that they could see wild, untrained fighters wailing away aimlessly, wasting their energy.
Paul uses these two familiar forums to create metaphors for the Christian life, and more specifically the aspect of the Christian life which involves giving up one’s rights in the Christian economy of love. He says that the runners in most races compete for literally a ‘corruptible’ wreath, and only one winner gets it. On the other hand, Christians compete for a wreath that is ‘incorruptible’. (The word translated as ‘crown’ here in the NIV, really means wreath and should not be understood as some have incorrectly claimed, that Paul is teaching about literal crowns being passed out in heaven.)
Paul is making three primary points in this passage. The first is about Christian discipline. Athletes, he says, go into strict training so that they don’t run around aimlessly or start a race that they can’t finish, or swing wildly, wasting all of their energy like an amateur boxer. His point is clear: Christians need to have definite direction and focus in their lives. The true Christian life takes a great deal of forethought. Whether it be general Christian living, evangelism, raising godly children, etc., it takes planning and discipline. A life in Christ will demand the surrendering of certain rights and freedoms, which will sometimes feel like hard, athletic training. In fact, self-sacrifice is entry-level Christianity. This was not any more of a popular message in Paul’s day than it is in ours where any hint of discipline or self-denial will often be shouted down with accusations of legalism, and abusive or cultic behavior. No, the Christian life isn’t all about comfort and self-indulgence. Instead Paul compares the Christian life to that of an athlete who sacrifices aspects of normal life for a competitive edge. Time or energy shouldn’t be wasted like a poor boxer would or even a sophist that is wise by the world’s standards.
The second thing Paul is doing here is focusing Christians on the motivation for all of this discipline and self-denial. The incorruptible wreath that the Christian strives for, as compared to the corruptible one of the athlete, is no doubt a metaphor for resurrection. Paul is looking ahead to the time when all of creation is restored as a part of the ‘age to come’, God’s new reality. The hope of the Christian, the reason that we continue to press on and do what Christians do is the hope of resurrection. Paul will complete this thought in chapter 15, where he argues that because Christ was resurrected, we will be too. The hope of this resurrection says Paul is how we know that our labor is not in vain (15:58). What we do now here matters because God will somehow weave our good works in this age into the fabric of the age to come. The point of the Christian life is not to discard the body when we die, but to honor God with our bodies now (6:20) and to prepare them for what they were truly made, resurrection and union with God eternally in the ‘age to come’.
In verse 27, Paul reveals something almost shocking. The opponent that he has been referring to in his boxing analogy is himself. He is directly addressing the attitude of many in Corinth who were engaging in an easy self-indulgent Christianity that valued freedom over love, rights over self-denial, and comfort over discipline. I should point out that Paul clearly thinks that it is possible to lose the prized hope of Christianity if this sort of self-indulgence is engaged in without restraint. This must have all been a shocking but necessary warning to the Corinthians who were trying to operate in the ‘age to come’ reality of the Christian life on the atmosphere of self-rights, self-value, and self-esteem rather than love. It would be like trying to breathe on a planet that doesn’t have oxygen. Paul is clear throughout this letter that the point of the life in Christ is to model true humanity to a fallen world. This is not an easy process. It requires discipline, self-sacrifice, and most of all, as he will soon show, love.
Devotional Thought
What is your approach to your life in Christ? Is it a haphazard take-things-as-they-come approach? Or are you disciplined in your Christian life? Do you have a plan for how you are going to increase your biblical knowledge, improve your prayer life, help your kids become Christians, avoid temptations, etc. The life in Christ during this present age takes forethought and discipline, are you ready for that kind of serious training and self-denial?
25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Dig Deeper
On October 30, 1974, Muhammad Ali faced the young and fearsome George Foreman in the May 20 Stadium of Kinshasa, Zaire. The match became known as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” and has become one of the most famous boxing matches in recent history. The younger, faster, and stronger Foreman was befuddled by Ali’s strategy known as the rope-a-dope, in which Ali used the loose ring ropes to lean back and bounce off. Foreman wound up swinging wildly for several rounds without doing any real damage to Ali, who then recovered to knock Foreman out. The wild swinging had completely drained Foreman’s energy and left him defenseless against the cagey Ali.
Paul uses similar imagery to a people who were extremely familiar with athletics. Corinth was host to the important Isthmian games which were held there every other year. In those games, athletes would compete for a wreath made from celery. Because of these games they would have been rather familiar with runners as well as high-level fighters, but there was also a great deal of low-level fighting for entertainment. It was at these lower-level matches that they could see wild, untrained fighters wailing away aimlessly, wasting their energy.
Paul uses these two familiar forums to create metaphors for the Christian life, and more specifically the aspect of the Christian life which involves giving up one’s rights in the Christian economy of love. He says that the runners in most races compete for literally a ‘corruptible’ wreath, and only one winner gets it. On the other hand, Christians compete for a wreath that is ‘incorruptible’. (The word translated as ‘crown’ here in the NIV, really means wreath and should not be understood as some have incorrectly claimed, that Paul is teaching about literal crowns being passed out in heaven.)
Paul is making three primary points in this passage. The first is about Christian discipline. Athletes, he says, go into strict training so that they don’t run around aimlessly or start a race that they can’t finish, or swing wildly, wasting all of their energy like an amateur boxer. His point is clear: Christians need to have definite direction and focus in their lives. The true Christian life takes a great deal of forethought. Whether it be general Christian living, evangelism, raising godly children, etc., it takes planning and discipline. A life in Christ will demand the surrendering of certain rights and freedoms, which will sometimes feel like hard, athletic training. In fact, self-sacrifice is entry-level Christianity. This was not any more of a popular message in Paul’s day than it is in ours where any hint of discipline or self-denial will often be shouted down with accusations of legalism, and abusive or cultic behavior. No, the Christian life isn’t all about comfort and self-indulgence. Instead Paul compares the Christian life to that of an athlete who sacrifices aspects of normal life for a competitive edge. Time or energy shouldn’t be wasted like a poor boxer would or even a sophist that is wise by the world’s standards.
The second thing Paul is doing here is focusing Christians on the motivation for all of this discipline and self-denial. The incorruptible wreath that the Christian strives for, as compared to the corruptible one of the athlete, is no doubt a metaphor for resurrection. Paul is looking ahead to the time when all of creation is restored as a part of the ‘age to come’, God’s new reality. The hope of the Christian, the reason that we continue to press on and do what Christians do is the hope of resurrection. Paul will complete this thought in chapter 15, where he argues that because Christ was resurrected, we will be too. The hope of this resurrection says Paul is how we know that our labor is not in vain (15:58). What we do now here matters because God will somehow weave our good works in this age into the fabric of the age to come. The point of the Christian life is not to discard the body when we die, but to honor God with our bodies now (6:20) and to prepare them for what they were truly made, resurrection and union with God eternally in the ‘age to come’.
In verse 27, Paul reveals something almost shocking. The opponent that he has been referring to in his boxing analogy is himself. He is directly addressing the attitude of many in Corinth who were engaging in an easy self-indulgent Christianity that valued freedom over love, rights over self-denial, and comfort over discipline. I should point out that Paul clearly thinks that it is possible to lose the prized hope of Christianity if this sort of self-indulgence is engaged in without restraint. This must have all been a shocking but necessary warning to the Corinthians who were trying to operate in the ‘age to come’ reality of the Christian life on the atmosphere of self-rights, self-value, and self-esteem rather than love. It would be like trying to breathe on a planet that doesn’t have oxygen. Paul is clear throughout this letter that the point of the life in Christ is to model true humanity to a fallen world. This is not an easy process. It requires discipline, self-sacrifice, and most of all, as he will soon show, love.
Devotional Thought
What is your approach to your life in Christ? Is it a haphazard take-things-as-they-come approach? Or are you disciplined in your Christian life? Do you have a plan for how you are going to increase your biblical knowledge, improve your prayer life, help your kids become Christians, avoid temptations, etc. The life in Christ during this present age takes forethought and discipline, are you ready for that kind of serious training and self-denial?
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Dig Deeper
I love all kinds of meat and cheese. I enjoy the ability to go to the grocery store and pick from a variety of meats and cheeses, prepare them in many different ways, and to enjoy eating them. Even though I have every right to eat meat and cheese we recently had a family over to our house that was vegan. That means that they eat no animal meat or by-products. Not wanting to unnecessarily offend this family and desiring to keep their minds open to the message of the gospel, we chose to serve an entirely vegan meal, complete with a meat-free main dish and soy cheese. We didn’t do this in order to manipulate them or because we were bound to do it. In fact, we surrendered our freedom to eat what we want in order to remove any obstacles to the spread of the gospel. We sacrificed a much-enjoyed freedom in order to love and serve other human beings.
The Corinthian teachers prized their freedom. They believed and taught that they were free because they were Roman citizens, they were free because they had true knowledge and wisdom which opened them up to true human freedom, and now they were free because, as Christians, they were free from the corruption and enslavement of the world. The problem was that they were viewing their freedom as the be-all-end-all of Christian existence. Paul continues to teach them that this is not true. There are, in fact, things that are far more important than any perceived freedoms. As Paul continues in this section, we should note, that this passage is really an argument within an argument. He is continuing to teach them about the importance of valuing their brothers and sisters in Christ over their own freedoms by making the case that he has done just that with them all along. Throughout all of chapter 9, he is showing the Corinthians that he has chosen to not take monetary support from them for their own benefit, not his. This passage fits right into that argument as Paul demonstrates how his whole ministry of spreading the Gospel involves putting the interests of others ahead of his own freedoms.
Paul began this chapter pointing out that he was free, and he now returns to this point. He is free in all of the important senses of the word, but he chooses to make himself a slave for the sake of the gospel. Freedom is one thing. Understanding that you have freedom to the point that you are willing to sacrifice it at times for a greater goal is the ultimate freedom. Paul is still making his point that just because one has a freedom, does not mean it is always the best choice to exercise said freedom. It is possible to become so enamored with freedom that one actually becomes enslaved to it. Paul, conversely, is enslaved to Christ. His commitment to the gospel will always trump any freedoms that he has.
As a result of his commitment to his life in Christ (because this behavior seems crazy unless you realize that you have given up your own life to enter into Christ’s), Paul will become like the Jews when he is around them. By this he means that he has continued to go to the synagogues and take part in their official liturgy. In doing so, he subjected himself to many beatings for the sake of the opportunities presented by going (2 Corinthians 11:24). If he didn’t go, there would be no beatings because they had no authority outside of the synagogue. He did not have to go, because Paul no longer considers himself bound to his Judaism, yet he chose to go for the sake of the gospel. In a similar manner, if Paul was around those to whom law observances such as the Sabbath and food laws were important, then he would observe those same laws. He is quick to point out that his actions in no way imply that this law observance is not a proof or a path to salvation or spiritual maturity. When around Gentiles, Paul did not hold to the law because it would have been no advantage. Even when not observing the law, however, Paul is quick to point out that he is not lawless because he is under Christ’s law. He does not state explicitly what he feels this law to be, but it is safe to assume from his discussion in chapter 13 that he is talking about the love of Christ and being in Christ.
In verse 22, we can assume that Paul gets more directly to his point as he brings his conversation back around to the ‘weak’. He has stressed that he has all the freedoms that anyone else does, but he gladly forfeits those freedoms for those who are struck by a more legalistic conscience than he. If people had weak consciences of the sort discussed in 8:7-13, then he will gladly forgo his rights for the sake of the Gospel. This is no problem for Paul because of his understanding of being in Christ. Paul knows that, at his baptism, he died to himself and willingly took up the life of Christ (Romans 6:3-4). Thus, although he technically has freedoms and rights, he feels no compulsion to claim them because his life is now the life of Christ. He realizes that in Christ, freedom is not a freedom from, rather it is a freedom for: for Christ; for the Kingdom of God; for the lost around the world who desperately need the message of the gospel.
Paul’s message here has often been misunderstood and perverted, particularly in our post-modern times. Paul is not being a hypocrite. He is not saying that the message of the Gospel needs to be tailored or repackaged in order to appeal to people. Quite the contrary; the Gospel message will always remain the same. It is the messenger that needs to swallow his pride, put himself on the back shelf, give up his rights, and willingly exchange his freedom for slavery for the sake of the Gospel and the life of Christ. That is true freedom. Paul, no doubt, would offer a harsh rebuke for those who would transform and soften the Gospel so that they did not have to undergo the more painful and sacrificial process of transforming themselves.
Devotional Thought
Have you been willing to sacrifice your freedoms and rights for the sake of the gospel? As Americans we feel that we have many rights such as the right to a certain amount of rest, the right to privacy, the rights of comfort and leisure. How differently would your life look if you were to embrace the sort of attitude that Paul espouses here? By what justification would you not embrace that sort of life?
Dig Deeper
I love all kinds of meat and cheese. I enjoy the ability to go to the grocery store and pick from a variety of meats and cheeses, prepare them in many different ways, and to enjoy eating them. Even though I have every right to eat meat and cheese we recently had a family over to our house that was vegan. That means that they eat no animal meat or by-products. Not wanting to unnecessarily offend this family and desiring to keep their minds open to the message of the gospel, we chose to serve an entirely vegan meal, complete with a meat-free main dish and soy cheese. We didn’t do this in order to manipulate them or because we were bound to do it. In fact, we surrendered our freedom to eat what we want in order to remove any obstacles to the spread of the gospel. We sacrificed a much-enjoyed freedom in order to love and serve other human beings.
The Corinthian teachers prized their freedom. They believed and taught that they were free because they were Roman citizens, they were free because they had true knowledge and wisdom which opened them up to true human freedom, and now they were free because, as Christians, they were free from the corruption and enslavement of the world. The problem was that they were viewing their freedom as the be-all-end-all of Christian existence. Paul continues to teach them that this is not true. There are, in fact, things that are far more important than any perceived freedoms. As Paul continues in this section, we should note, that this passage is really an argument within an argument. He is continuing to teach them about the importance of valuing their brothers and sisters in Christ over their own freedoms by making the case that he has done just that with them all along. Throughout all of chapter 9, he is showing the Corinthians that he has chosen to not take monetary support from them for their own benefit, not his. This passage fits right into that argument as Paul demonstrates how his whole ministry of spreading the Gospel involves putting the interests of others ahead of his own freedoms.
Paul began this chapter pointing out that he was free, and he now returns to this point. He is free in all of the important senses of the word, but he chooses to make himself a slave for the sake of the gospel. Freedom is one thing. Understanding that you have freedom to the point that you are willing to sacrifice it at times for a greater goal is the ultimate freedom. Paul is still making his point that just because one has a freedom, does not mean it is always the best choice to exercise said freedom. It is possible to become so enamored with freedom that one actually becomes enslaved to it. Paul, conversely, is enslaved to Christ. His commitment to the gospel will always trump any freedoms that he has.
As a result of his commitment to his life in Christ (because this behavior seems crazy unless you realize that you have given up your own life to enter into Christ’s), Paul will become like the Jews when he is around them. By this he means that he has continued to go to the synagogues and take part in their official liturgy. In doing so, he subjected himself to many beatings for the sake of the opportunities presented by going (2 Corinthians 11:24). If he didn’t go, there would be no beatings because they had no authority outside of the synagogue. He did not have to go, because Paul no longer considers himself bound to his Judaism, yet he chose to go for the sake of the gospel. In a similar manner, if Paul was around those to whom law observances such as the Sabbath and food laws were important, then he would observe those same laws. He is quick to point out that his actions in no way imply that this law observance is not a proof or a path to salvation or spiritual maturity. When around Gentiles, Paul did not hold to the law because it would have been no advantage. Even when not observing the law, however, Paul is quick to point out that he is not lawless because he is under Christ’s law. He does not state explicitly what he feels this law to be, but it is safe to assume from his discussion in chapter 13 that he is talking about the love of Christ and being in Christ.
In verse 22, we can assume that Paul gets more directly to his point as he brings his conversation back around to the ‘weak’. He has stressed that he has all the freedoms that anyone else does, but he gladly forfeits those freedoms for those who are struck by a more legalistic conscience than he. If people had weak consciences of the sort discussed in 8:7-13, then he will gladly forgo his rights for the sake of the Gospel. This is no problem for Paul because of his understanding of being in Christ. Paul knows that, at his baptism, he died to himself and willingly took up the life of Christ (Romans 6:3-4). Thus, although he technically has freedoms and rights, he feels no compulsion to claim them because his life is now the life of Christ. He realizes that in Christ, freedom is not a freedom from, rather it is a freedom for: for Christ; for the Kingdom of God; for the lost around the world who desperately need the message of the gospel.
Paul’s message here has often been misunderstood and perverted, particularly in our post-modern times. Paul is not being a hypocrite. He is not saying that the message of the Gospel needs to be tailored or repackaged in order to appeal to people. Quite the contrary; the Gospel message will always remain the same. It is the messenger that needs to swallow his pride, put himself on the back shelf, give up his rights, and willingly exchange his freedom for slavery for the sake of the Gospel and the life of Christ. That is true freedom. Paul, no doubt, would offer a harsh rebuke for those who would transform and soften the Gospel so that they did not have to undergo the more painful and sacrificial process of transforming themselves.
Devotional Thought
Have you been willing to sacrifice your freedoms and rights for the sake of the gospel? As Americans we feel that we have many rights such as the right to a certain amount of rest, the right to privacy, the rights of comfort and leisure. How differently would your life look if you were to embrace the sort of attitude that Paul espouses here? By what justification would you not embrace that sort of life?
Monday, June 01, 2009
1 Corinthians 9:12b-18
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13Don'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? 14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15But I have not 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. 16Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18What 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.
Dig Deeper
Throughout my lifetime, the salaries of professional athletes has gone higher and higher. Currently, there are 30 players in the NBA that make over $12.5 million, while golfer Tiger Woods made over $80 million in one year. It’s very difficult to believe that players making that much money really play for the love of the game, although many would say that they do. In fact, many people enjoy watching small college and high school games, because it is there that you will find players who are not being paid. They truly play because they love to play. Although I’m not arguing that players don’t have the right to earn money, but those who play for no pay make the game seem more pure and decent.
Paul was preaching and spreading the gospel without taking any pay from the churches in which he was ministering. He cherished his ability to do so, and even says that he would rather die than take payment for what he is offering to Lord. Why did Paul feel that strongly? He hints at his reasons in verse 12. He doesn’t want his situation or his past to, in any way, hinder the gospel of Christ. Yet, before he more fully explains his reasons, he will add two more pieces of evidence to bolster his case that those who preach the gospel have every right to earn a living from it. In making his case for why he denies his right to be paid, he wants to make extra sure that no one turns his argument around and accuse as abusers, those who do earn a living from it. They have every right to earn a living and it should not be at all shaded by his refusal to do so.
In verse 13, Paul uses an example from the temple. It is not really clear, though, whether he is referring to pagan temples or the Temple in Jerusalem. His use of the singular, probably indicates that he is referring primarily to the Temple in Jerusalem. If he is, the argument is doubly powerful. Not only does he make the point that those who work in the Temple receive support for doing so, Paul has already made the point that the Church is the Temple of God (3:16). Thus, he makes the extra point that ministers of God’s new Temple have the same right to support that the priests at the Old Covenant Temple have.
His reference, in verse 14, to the Lord’s command appears to be talking about Matthew 10:10 and Luke 10:7, where Jesus says that those preaching the gospel deserve their wages. To this point, Paul has made a convincing argument that ministers of the gospel have every right to receive financial support for doing so. Now, he turns to his reasons for not taking advantage of that right.
As he begins his explanation, Paul wants to make it clear that this is not some backdoor hint trying to get them to start paying him. No, this is no indirect argument and, just to make that clear, he says straight out that he would rather die than take money. In fact the sentence is so strong and raw that he actually interrupts his thought, so the actual wording looks more like this: “It would be better for me to die than. . . . Nobody’s going to take away my boast.”
Paul has already made clear the difference between a preacher of the gospel and the sophists who spoke for money (the more personal and deeper the teaching you wanted from the sophists, the more money it would cost). The gospel is available to everyone, not just those who can afford it. Paul doesn’t preach for money. He preaches because he feels absolutely indebted to Jesus the Messiah. When Jesus called him to preach, He also rescued Paul from his bitter and angry life. He wanted to obey because of what Christ had done for him personally. Paul felt that because of his past as a persecutor of the Church, he was different than the rest of the apostles (see 15:7 where he calls himself one who is “abnormally born”). He was the only one that needed to be stopped dead to rights as a persecutor of God’s people and turned the other way. Preaching the gospel was a privilege for Paul that he could never earn. No matter how difficult it would become, it was still far better than his previous life. His reward for preaching the gospel was that he got to do it for free. Paul believes that he gave up his own rights for the unending privilege of being able to give to others the invaluable gospel, and to give his service to God. These were both things that he would not have been able to offer had he not entered into the life of Christ. He has given up his own rights as an offering to God.
Because of this indebtedness that he feels and his spotty past, Paul wants to avoid any charges of impure motives or misuse of funds. Paul feels that because of his special circumstances, if he takes some sort of pay for preaching the gospel that he is actually robbing himself of his reward. Paul did occasionally take gifts from those to whom he wasn’t currently ministering (Philippians 4;10-19), but he never asked for it and he would never take reward from those to whom he was ministering, especially the Corinthians for reasons he will allude to later in his letter. His pay was the reward of serving Christ completely free from all human impositions on his ministry.
Devotional Thought
Paul felt that the ability to share the gospel was his true reward (no doubt the other ministers and apostles did as well, whether they were paid or not). Do you feel that same way? Do you feel such a gratitude towards God that you can’t help but sharing your faith, reaching out to the lost, and telling others about God and what He has done for you? If you don’t feel that way, why don’t you?
15But I have not 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. 16Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18What 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.
Dig Deeper
Throughout my lifetime, the salaries of professional athletes has gone higher and higher. Currently, there are 30 players in the NBA that make over $12.5 million, while golfer Tiger Woods made over $80 million in one year. It’s very difficult to believe that players making that much money really play for the love of the game, although many would say that they do. In fact, many people enjoy watching small college and high school games, because it is there that you will find players who are not being paid. They truly play because they love to play. Although I’m not arguing that players don’t have the right to earn money, but those who play for no pay make the game seem more pure and decent.
Paul was preaching and spreading the gospel without taking any pay from the churches in which he was ministering. He cherished his ability to do so, and even says that he would rather die than take payment for what he is offering to Lord. Why did Paul feel that strongly? He hints at his reasons in verse 12. He doesn’t want his situation or his past to, in any way, hinder the gospel of Christ. Yet, before he more fully explains his reasons, he will add two more pieces of evidence to bolster his case that those who preach the gospel have every right to earn a living from it. In making his case for why he denies his right to be paid, he wants to make extra sure that no one turns his argument around and accuse as abusers, those who do earn a living from it. They have every right to earn a living and it should not be at all shaded by his refusal to do so.
In verse 13, Paul uses an example from the temple. It is not really clear, though, whether he is referring to pagan temples or the Temple in Jerusalem. His use of the singular, probably indicates that he is referring primarily to the Temple in Jerusalem. If he is, the argument is doubly powerful. Not only does he make the point that those who work in the Temple receive support for doing so, Paul has already made the point that the Church is the Temple of God (3:16). Thus, he makes the extra point that ministers of God’s new Temple have the same right to support that the priests at the Old Covenant Temple have.
His reference, in verse 14, to the Lord’s command appears to be talking about Matthew 10:10 and Luke 10:7, where Jesus says that those preaching the gospel deserve their wages. To this point, Paul has made a convincing argument that ministers of the gospel have every right to receive financial support for doing so. Now, he turns to his reasons for not taking advantage of that right.
As he begins his explanation, Paul wants to make it clear that this is not some backdoor hint trying to get them to start paying him. No, this is no indirect argument and, just to make that clear, he says straight out that he would rather die than take money. In fact the sentence is so strong and raw that he actually interrupts his thought, so the actual wording looks more like this: “It would be better for me to die than. . . . Nobody’s going to take away my boast.”
Paul has already made clear the difference between a preacher of the gospel and the sophists who spoke for money (the more personal and deeper the teaching you wanted from the sophists, the more money it would cost). The gospel is available to everyone, not just those who can afford it. Paul doesn’t preach for money. He preaches because he feels absolutely indebted to Jesus the Messiah. When Jesus called him to preach, He also rescued Paul from his bitter and angry life. He wanted to obey because of what Christ had done for him personally. Paul felt that because of his past as a persecutor of the Church, he was different than the rest of the apostles (see 15:7 where he calls himself one who is “abnormally born”). He was the only one that needed to be stopped dead to rights as a persecutor of God’s people and turned the other way. Preaching the gospel was a privilege for Paul that he could never earn. No matter how difficult it would become, it was still far better than his previous life. His reward for preaching the gospel was that he got to do it for free. Paul believes that he gave up his own rights for the unending privilege of being able to give to others the invaluable gospel, and to give his service to God. These were both things that he would not have been able to offer had he not entered into the life of Christ. He has given up his own rights as an offering to God.
Because of this indebtedness that he feels and his spotty past, Paul wants to avoid any charges of impure motives or misuse of funds. Paul feels that because of his special circumstances, if he takes some sort of pay for preaching the gospel that he is actually robbing himself of his reward. Paul did occasionally take gifts from those to whom he wasn’t currently ministering (Philippians 4;10-19), but he never asked for it and he would never take reward from those to whom he was ministering, especially the Corinthians for reasons he will allude to later in his letter. His pay was the reward of serving Christ completely free from all human impositions on his ministry.
Devotional Thought
Paul felt that the ability to share the gospel was his true reward (no doubt the other ministers and apostles did as well, whether they were paid or not). Do you feel that same way? Do you feel such a gratitude towards God that you can’t help but sharing your faith, reaching out to the lost, and telling others about God and what He has done for you? If you don’t feel that way, why don’t you?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
1 Corinthians 9:1-12a
The Rights of an Apostle
1Am 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? 2Even 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.
3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4Don't we have the right to food and drink? 5Don'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? 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?
7Who 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? 8Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? 9For 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? 10Surely 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 in the harvest. 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right.
Dig Deeper
Many commentaries and Bible passage headings, such as in the NIV, give exactly the wrong impression of what this section is about. While the passage here is entitled “The Rights of an Apostle,” this is not what Paul is defending here. In fact Paul only lists the rights of an apostle to demonstrate two things: that he is an apostle and has God-given access to these rights, and that he is intentionally not using them. Without that understanding this chapter seems a bit of a detour from Paul’s train of thought from chapter 8, one that he will pick up clearly in chapter 10. Yet when understood properly, we see that what Paul is doing here is giving illustrations to make his point that just because someone has rights doesn’t mean that exercising them is at all the best course of action or the loving thing to do.
Paul’s set of rhetorical questions in verse 1 would all be answered with an obvious affirmative response. In fact they are all interrelated. If the answer to any of those questions is ‘no’, then the whole set of them fall apart. Of course, Paul’s point is that he is free, he is an apostle, he has seen the risen Jesus, and they are the result of his work so they had better pay attention to what he is trying to teach them here. He is laying the foundation of the point that as an apostle he has certain rights so that he can move on to his real point: there are times when the correct thing to do is to not act on your rights.
Paul briefly mentions the existence of some disputation of his apostleship in passing (probably among a small faction of Jewish Christians that originated in Jerusalem). This is not his main point here, he only mentions it to emphasize the fact that they are the proof of his apostleship. At this point in Corinth, this was not a major issue. By the time he writes 2 Corinthians it will be. It is possible that Paul’s refusal to do what normal teachers did and take money from the church that he was actually ministering in, angered some of the Corinthians. It would have been expected that Paul would be paid by them and would show the proper deference to the wealthier members of the congregation. His practice of accepting support from other churches but not the ones in which he is ministering will become a source of irritation.
Paul points out that the other apostles, including Peter, and Jesus’ brothers all exercise their right to be supported by the believers where they are ministering. The language in verse 5 also implies that, not only did they bring their wives with them, the wives were also supported by the churches. Paul doesn’t mention all of this to imply that the apostles shouldn’t have or use these rights. He describes what they do as a way of contrast with what he and Barnabas have done.
Paul makes clear that he doesn’t at all begrudge them the right to be supported for their ministry. In fact, he follows with a slew of analogies to show that people should be supported as a result of what they do. Soldiers, farmers, and shepherds all reap a reward as a result of their fruit. Paul would vigorously defend the right of any minister and his family to be supported by the Church for the work that they do. He does not think of this as a salary, however, he believes that churches supply their ministers with resources so that they may serve freely. Paul, really wanting to drive home the right of an apostle or minister to be supported, then appeals to the law. He deals with a passage from Deuteronomy 25:4 in which the law says to allow oxen to eat while they are treading grain. Paul is not seriously supposing that this passage was written for his present time. What he is saying, though, is that if God’s principle is that if oxen are to be rewarded for their labor, then humans should be as well. Paul is making a logical move from lesser to greater. If animals deserve to be rewarded for their labor, then how much more are humans made in the image of God, doing the work of full-time Christian ministry.
If the point wasn’t clear already, Paul then asks another rhetorical question with an obvious answer. He has already reminded them of the fact that he is an apostle, as demonstrated by their mere existence, so of course he has the right to be supported and reap a harvest for his labor. If the other apostles have the right to be partially supported by the Corinthian giving, which Paul believes they clearly do, then he does all the more because they are a direct fruit of his labor.
At this point, the Corinthians in the Church who were upset that he was not taking support from them may have been getting rather excited thinking he was laying down this argument because he was about to start. If so, they would have become quickly disappointed as he says, we do not use this right. Paul is setting an example for the Corinthian congregation, and the point of his example is that although he has this right, he has not exercised it. In our reading for tomorrow, he will explain why he has not.
Devotional Thought
How are you doing when it comes to your ‘rights’? Do you find yourself more often in the position of demanding your rights or in the position of freely forfeiting your rights for the good of others? How you answer those two questions will tell you a lot about your own character. How are you doing?
1Am 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? 2Even 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.
3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4Don't we have the right to food and drink? 5Don'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? 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?
7Who 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? 8Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? 9For 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? 10Surely 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 in the harvest. 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right.
Dig Deeper
Many commentaries and Bible passage headings, such as in the NIV, give exactly the wrong impression of what this section is about. While the passage here is entitled “The Rights of an Apostle,” this is not what Paul is defending here. In fact Paul only lists the rights of an apostle to demonstrate two things: that he is an apostle and has God-given access to these rights, and that he is intentionally not using them. Without that understanding this chapter seems a bit of a detour from Paul’s train of thought from chapter 8, one that he will pick up clearly in chapter 10. Yet when understood properly, we see that what Paul is doing here is giving illustrations to make his point that just because someone has rights doesn’t mean that exercising them is at all the best course of action or the loving thing to do.
Paul’s set of rhetorical questions in verse 1 would all be answered with an obvious affirmative response. In fact they are all interrelated. If the answer to any of those questions is ‘no’, then the whole set of them fall apart. Of course, Paul’s point is that he is free, he is an apostle, he has seen the risen Jesus, and they are the result of his work so they had better pay attention to what he is trying to teach them here. He is laying the foundation of the point that as an apostle he has certain rights so that he can move on to his real point: there are times when the correct thing to do is to not act on your rights.
Paul briefly mentions the existence of some disputation of his apostleship in passing (probably among a small faction of Jewish Christians that originated in Jerusalem). This is not his main point here, he only mentions it to emphasize the fact that they are the proof of his apostleship. At this point in Corinth, this was not a major issue. By the time he writes 2 Corinthians it will be. It is possible that Paul’s refusal to do what normal teachers did and take money from the church that he was actually ministering in, angered some of the Corinthians. It would have been expected that Paul would be paid by them and would show the proper deference to the wealthier members of the congregation. His practice of accepting support from other churches but not the ones in which he is ministering will become a source of irritation.
Paul points out that the other apostles, including Peter, and Jesus’ brothers all exercise their right to be supported by the believers where they are ministering. The language in verse 5 also implies that, not only did they bring their wives with them, the wives were also supported by the churches. Paul doesn’t mention all of this to imply that the apostles shouldn’t have or use these rights. He describes what they do as a way of contrast with what he and Barnabas have done.
Paul makes clear that he doesn’t at all begrudge them the right to be supported for their ministry. In fact, he follows with a slew of analogies to show that people should be supported as a result of what they do. Soldiers, farmers, and shepherds all reap a reward as a result of their fruit. Paul would vigorously defend the right of any minister and his family to be supported by the Church for the work that they do. He does not think of this as a salary, however, he believes that churches supply their ministers with resources so that they may serve freely. Paul, really wanting to drive home the right of an apostle or minister to be supported, then appeals to the law. He deals with a passage from Deuteronomy 25:4 in which the law says to allow oxen to eat while they are treading grain. Paul is not seriously supposing that this passage was written for his present time. What he is saying, though, is that if God’s principle is that if oxen are to be rewarded for their labor, then humans should be as well. Paul is making a logical move from lesser to greater. If animals deserve to be rewarded for their labor, then how much more are humans made in the image of God, doing the work of full-time Christian ministry.
If the point wasn’t clear already, Paul then asks another rhetorical question with an obvious answer. He has already reminded them of the fact that he is an apostle, as demonstrated by their mere existence, so of course he has the right to be supported and reap a harvest for his labor. If the other apostles have the right to be partially supported by the Corinthian giving, which Paul believes they clearly do, then he does all the more because they are a direct fruit of his labor.
At this point, the Corinthians in the Church who were upset that he was not taking support from them may have been getting rather excited thinking he was laying down this argument because he was about to start. If so, they would have become quickly disappointed as he says, we do not use this right. Paul is setting an example for the Corinthian congregation, and the point of his example is that although he has this right, he has not exercised it. In our reading for tomorrow, he will explain why he has not.
Devotional Thought
How are you doing when it comes to your ‘rights’? Do you find yourself more often in the position of demanding your rights or in the position of freely forfeiting your rights for the good of others? How you answer those two questions will tell you a lot about your own character. How are you doing?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
1 Corinthians 8:7-13
7But 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. 8But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For 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? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, 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.
Dig Deeper
“Who do you play for?” This was the frequent question for his players from 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks. As depicted in the movie Miracle, Brooks would ask his players this question and then, after they responded by telling him what college team they played for, he would order them to run some more grueling drills. This continued for weeks until one night after a game, Brooks was asking the question over and over of different players and then running his team for hours. Just when they appeared to be at their breaking point, he asked the question one more time. This time one of the players responded that he played for the United States of America. Brooks quickly said “that will be all gentlemen,” and walked away. He had wanted them to realize who they really played for and they had finally gotten the point.
This is the same sort of thing that Paul wants the Corinthians to see. They were under the mistaken impression that they were individual followers of Christ being powered along by knowledge and freedom. He wanted them to realize that they had died to their individual lives. They were now part of the Body of Christ. They had, at baptism, entered into the life of Christ and had, as Paul will state flat out in chapter 12, become the Messiah. Community life as the Messiah should be powered by love not self-seeking knowledge. Paul wants them to understand that they are Christ, the Messiah, and they need to start living and thinking that way rather than as individuals who have little to no responsibility to one another.
One aspect of this mindset that Paul is currently addressing is that some believed that they could eat meat wherever they wanted even if had been sacrificed to idols. They felt this way because they believed that they had gone deeper in their knowledge and now realized that pagan idols were nothing and had no power over those in Christ. Paul’s response is that “not everyone knows this.” For many, the power of the idols and the connection between the pagan gods and the meat was too strong. Their consciences were being violated by the suggestion of some that they should eat this meat. This may sound a bit silly to us but imagine a contemporary situation in which a group of mature Christians invited a young Christian, who had struggled with porn addiction, to go to the beach with them. The older Christians might feel that sexual temptation had no power over them, that they had moved past that and so they had every right to enjoy a day at the beach. For the younger Christian, though, this would be too much and could violate his conscience and lead him into sin. If he went, it would not only be a sin for him, it might lead him down the road of falling away. Even the knowledge that others were engaging in this sort of behavior might make him struggles beyond what he had the capability to understand.
Paul realizes that the conscience is a tricky and personal thing that takes a long time to re-educate. The task of the Christian is to train their conscience to think Christianly, but they cannot and should not violate that conscience where it is at. This is a journey, though, and that is why one Christian cannot force the convictions of their conscience on another. The overriding principle for them should be love. Simply put, love trumps knowledge or supposed freedom. Since there was no advantage to eating meat (v. 8) then love must take precedence in this situation For Paul, the problem was with those violating the consciences of the weaker members (note that the terms ‘weaker’ and ‘stronger’ here are likely words supplied by the Corinthians that Paul is using somewhat bitingly), which is demonstrated by the fact that although he points to the fact that those claiming knowledge are right in a sense, he addresses them and never addresses those whose consciences are sincerely pricked by the association with pagan gods. Paul will balance things in chapter 10 as he says that the strong should not hurt the weak but neither should the weak be quick to accuse the strong of sin. The weak should work to allow others freedom of conscience and demonstrate love just as much as the strong, but since it is more difficult for them, Paul primarily addresses those claiming to be strong.
Thus, Paul gives a fairly stern warning in verse 9, telling the Corinthians that they should never let their freedom cause others to stumble. Paul will again come back to this and explain it more fully in chapter 10, saying that the guideline to any perceived freedom is that it should be beneficial, it should build others up, and it should glorify God.
If Christians give no thought to their convictions and actions, even if they are seemingly correct, then others who do not understand their convictions may misunderstand and be led astray. They must be aware of this. Yet Paul is not encouraging hypocrisy or legalism, he wants them to realize that they live the life of Christ, which is a community, not their own lives. They must put the good of the Messiah (the body) before their own individual good or rights. When care is not taken and love is not shown, the knowledge that is so valued by the Corinthians as a Christian virtue actually destroys others. When they sin against others, Paul warns them, they sin against Christ. Again, what he means by that is that the community of Christ is synonymous with the Messiah because all believers gave up their own lives and entered into His.
It is interesting and should not escape our notice that, for Paul, the problem in scenarios like this is not so much what a person does but the heart and motivation behind doing it. If someone genuinely has moved past believing that there is a problem with eat meat sacrificed to idols then it is not a sin for them. If someone genuinely does have a problem with it, then it is not a sin to refrain from eating. The sin comes in if someone eats this type of meat with no regard for the consciences of their brothers and sisters around them. The real problem with that comes in if someone who thinks eating the meat is a sin sees another Christian eating and has their resistance to temptation lowered and decides to go ahead and eat despite what their conscience tells them. In this situation, they have sinned because they went against what their conscience was telling them. They engaged in behavior that they believed was a sin and so they sinned. The action itself was not the sin, it was the violation of their sincere beliefs. What we, in the twenty-first century must do, is determine how these principles apply to our own culture and our own situations that we will face.
Paul makes it clear that because they have the freedom of Christ they should never be a slave to anything, including their rights. If Paul’s freedom to eat sacrificed meat causes a sincere Christian to struggle then he says he will never eat meat again. This is the standard of love to which he is calling the Corinthian church as well as us today.
Devotional Thought
How have you done in this area? Are you thoughtful of the needs and feelings of others or have you been more concerned with your own rights and freedoms? Many, for instance, will use their freedom to miss church events without giving thought to the effect it may have on others in the body. Paul would say that this is stressing freedom over love. Is this an area in which you need to make some changes?
9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For 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? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, 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.
Dig Deeper
“Who do you play for?” This was the frequent question for his players from 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks. As depicted in the movie Miracle, Brooks would ask his players this question and then, after they responded by telling him what college team they played for, he would order them to run some more grueling drills. This continued for weeks until one night after a game, Brooks was asking the question over and over of different players and then running his team for hours. Just when they appeared to be at their breaking point, he asked the question one more time. This time one of the players responded that he played for the United States of America. Brooks quickly said “that will be all gentlemen,” and walked away. He had wanted them to realize who they really played for and they had finally gotten the point.
This is the same sort of thing that Paul wants the Corinthians to see. They were under the mistaken impression that they were individual followers of Christ being powered along by knowledge and freedom. He wanted them to realize that they had died to their individual lives. They were now part of the Body of Christ. They had, at baptism, entered into the life of Christ and had, as Paul will state flat out in chapter 12, become the Messiah. Community life as the Messiah should be powered by love not self-seeking knowledge. Paul wants them to understand that they are Christ, the Messiah, and they need to start living and thinking that way rather than as individuals who have little to no responsibility to one another.
One aspect of this mindset that Paul is currently addressing is that some believed that they could eat meat wherever they wanted even if had been sacrificed to idols. They felt this way because they believed that they had gone deeper in their knowledge and now realized that pagan idols were nothing and had no power over those in Christ. Paul’s response is that “not everyone knows this.” For many, the power of the idols and the connection between the pagan gods and the meat was too strong. Their consciences were being violated by the suggestion of some that they should eat this meat. This may sound a bit silly to us but imagine a contemporary situation in which a group of mature Christians invited a young Christian, who had struggled with porn addiction, to go to the beach with them. The older Christians might feel that sexual temptation had no power over them, that they had moved past that and so they had every right to enjoy a day at the beach. For the younger Christian, though, this would be too much and could violate his conscience and lead him into sin. If he went, it would not only be a sin for him, it might lead him down the road of falling away. Even the knowledge that others were engaging in this sort of behavior might make him struggles beyond what he had the capability to understand.
Paul realizes that the conscience is a tricky and personal thing that takes a long time to re-educate. The task of the Christian is to train their conscience to think Christianly, but they cannot and should not violate that conscience where it is at. This is a journey, though, and that is why one Christian cannot force the convictions of their conscience on another. The overriding principle for them should be love. Simply put, love trumps knowledge or supposed freedom. Since there was no advantage to eating meat (v. 8) then love must take precedence in this situation For Paul, the problem was with those violating the consciences of the weaker members (note that the terms ‘weaker’ and ‘stronger’ here are likely words supplied by the Corinthians that Paul is using somewhat bitingly), which is demonstrated by the fact that although he points to the fact that those claiming knowledge are right in a sense, he addresses them and never addresses those whose consciences are sincerely pricked by the association with pagan gods. Paul will balance things in chapter 10 as he says that the strong should not hurt the weak but neither should the weak be quick to accuse the strong of sin. The weak should work to allow others freedom of conscience and demonstrate love just as much as the strong, but since it is more difficult for them, Paul primarily addresses those claiming to be strong.
Thus, Paul gives a fairly stern warning in verse 9, telling the Corinthians that they should never let their freedom cause others to stumble. Paul will again come back to this and explain it more fully in chapter 10, saying that the guideline to any perceived freedom is that it should be beneficial, it should build others up, and it should glorify God.
If Christians give no thought to their convictions and actions, even if they are seemingly correct, then others who do not understand their convictions may misunderstand and be led astray. They must be aware of this. Yet Paul is not encouraging hypocrisy or legalism, he wants them to realize that they live the life of Christ, which is a community, not their own lives. They must put the good of the Messiah (the body) before their own individual good or rights. When care is not taken and love is not shown, the knowledge that is so valued by the Corinthians as a Christian virtue actually destroys others. When they sin against others, Paul warns them, they sin against Christ. Again, what he means by that is that the community of Christ is synonymous with the Messiah because all believers gave up their own lives and entered into His.
It is interesting and should not escape our notice that, for Paul, the problem in scenarios like this is not so much what a person does but the heart and motivation behind doing it. If someone genuinely has moved past believing that there is a problem with eat meat sacrificed to idols then it is not a sin for them. If someone genuinely does have a problem with it, then it is not a sin to refrain from eating. The sin comes in if someone eats this type of meat with no regard for the consciences of their brothers and sisters around them. The real problem with that comes in if someone who thinks eating the meat is a sin sees another Christian eating and has their resistance to temptation lowered and decides to go ahead and eat despite what their conscience tells them. In this situation, they have sinned because they went against what their conscience was telling them. They engaged in behavior that they believed was a sin and so they sinned. The action itself was not the sin, it was the violation of their sincere beliefs. What we, in the twenty-first century must do, is determine how these principles apply to our own culture and our own situations that we will face.
Paul makes it clear that because they have the freedom of Christ they should never be a slave to anything, including their rights. If Paul’s freedom to eat sacrificed meat causes a sincere Christian to struggle then he says he will never eat meat again. This is the standard of love to which he is calling the Corinthian church as well as us today.
Devotional Thought
How have you done in this area? Are you thoughtful of the needs and feelings of others or have you been more concerned with your own rights and freedoms? Many, for instance, will use their freedom to miss church events without giving thought to the effect it may have on others in the body. Paul would say that this is stressing freedom over love. Is this an area in which you need to make some changes?
Friday, May 22, 2009
1 Corinthians 8:1-6
Food Sacrificed to Idols
1Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But the man who loves God is known by God.
4So 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. 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6yet 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.
Dig Deeper
Recently I went in to a restaurant to pick up and carry out some food that I had ordered. As I was paying, I noticed that there were several Buddha statues around the cash register and throughout the store. I really didn’t think much of it as I grabbed my food and left. For us, something of this nature is not a big deal. It was a very big deal, however in the ancient world. In the ancient world, the closest things to restaurants were Temples. They would take the meat that was leftover from sacrifices to the gods and then sell it. This was such a problem for Jews that lived in places like Corinth that rather than eating food sacrificed to pagan idols, they would often just avoid eating meat altogether.
The issue was no less sticky for the new Christians in Corinth. Should they eat meat sacrificed in a pagan Temple? Apparently, some teachers in Corinth had been pressing Christian freedom to the point that they were teaching that they could even go right into the Temples themselves and eat meat sacrificed to other gods. Their questions were good ones, though. Should they eat this meat? What about various weddings, parties, and clubs that used the Temples as meeting halls? Paul will begin to lay down his answer to this question here, but it won’t be until chapter 10 that he fully completes his answer. The questions throughout though, have to do with the consumption of food sacrificed to idols and going to the Temple for other reasons; there is no question in Paul’s mind that any actual idolatry should not be taking place amongst the Christians.
Using a technique that is rather common for him, Paul engages here in an imaginary dialogue of sorts so that we should understand the phrase, “we know that we all possess knowledge,” to be a quote from the Corinthians. This was, evidently, another one of those slogans that had been passed around by some in the Corinthian church. Their claim, then, is that because they have a special knowledge of the truth (at least in their own eyes they did), they should be able to do whatever they wanted. Paul’s answer gets right to the point of Christian living. He sets up a sharp contrast between knowledge and love. Knowledge is self-serving and only puffs up, while love is self-sacrificial and builds up. Paul is not anti-intellectual or anti-learning. He is specifically speaking against prideful human speculation that was being passed off as knowledge.
If they thought they had attained a higher level of understanding due to this type of knowledge, then this was proof in and of itself that they did not have true godly knowledge at all. This is what Paul is saying in verse 2 which could be paraphrased something like this: “If someone thinks they have reached some level of knowledge, they have not yet reached the stage where he has any knowledge at all in the true sense of the word.” The reason is that true Christian knowledge cannot be separated from love. Without love, human knowledge has little value in itself and is useful for nothing more than self-aggrandizement.
If one wants to know how wise they are, to what level of knowledge they have attained then they need look no further than their love for God. In Paul’s mind, anyone not demonstrating a love for God is not demonstrating true knowledge. If we love God, then we will love others as well. Paul is carefully laying the groundwork of the importance of love to show them that how their actions effect others is far more important than exercising their own freedoms based on their deep knowledge and understanding of what is really going on in the world. The knowledge that is so valued in the world, the type of knowledge that, for instance, denied the possibility of resurrection leads people away from God rather than towards him and has to be carefully detected and rejected by those who would embrace the truth of the life of Christ.
Paul’s quote of another Corinthian slogan in verse 4 demonstrates some of that so-called knowledge of what was going on in the world. Those who were becoming drunk on their own knowledge felt that all this business about idols and Temples had absolutely no bearing on them because they understood that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. The “we know” should be understood as part of the quote and does not imply that Paul agrees with that statement in its entirety. In 10:20, Paul will state that he believes that behind the seeming myth of pagan idols is the very real world of demons. So, in a sense Paul agrees with them. There is nothing in pagan idols or Temples that rivals that of the one true God. They must be careful and not deceive themselves, however, because it is not true that there are no other supernatural beings beside God in the world (by ‘gods’ Paul probably meant pagan demonic gods, while ‘lords’ refers to their human agents, such as the powers of the Roman empire). These supernatural, demonic powers will use pagan religion to lead people away from the true God. The idols themselves are worthless pieces of stone and wood but they are used by the powers of evil to enslave human minds and hearts. In short, they are nothing to simply be dismissed as a fairy tale. Even if these things hold no sway in their lives, they are very real in the lives of the pagans and in the minds of many Christians. Puffed-up knowledge would dismiss idols. Love would understood that power that they hold in people’s lives and not want to offend Christians who were sensitive to these evil forces.
Paul does confirm, though, that for the Christian there is only the one, true God. In confirming the uniqueness of the Christian God, Paul does something extraordinary here. He has taken the familiar creedal statement of the Jews from Deuteronomy 6:4, known as the Shema, and re-written it with Jesus smack in the middle of their understanding of the one, true God. The Shema was, and still is, recited by Jews several times a day as they remind themselves that theirs is a faith of one God. Paul affirms the basic Jewish monotheism, but at the same time, blows a hole in by including Jesus in that statement. Thus, there is one God, and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ (We should note that kyrios, the word translated as “Lord”, could simply mean “sir” but was also the word used in the Septuagint, the Old Testament translation used by Jews of Jesus’ day, for YHWH, the personal name of God. This is likely the meaning with which Paul wishes to infuse “Lord” here), through whom all things came and through whom we live.
Devotional Thought
Once again Paul will avoid laying down hard and fast rules in favor of giving principles that cause Christians to show discernment and think through difficult situations. When you give Christian advice is that how you tend to do things or is it easier for you to just tell others what they should or shouldn’t do? In the future, take a page from Paul and try giving principles that will cause others to think and develop strong Christian convictions for themselves.
1Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But the man who loves God is known by God.
4So 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. 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6yet 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.
Dig Deeper
Recently I went in to a restaurant to pick up and carry out some food that I had ordered. As I was paying, I noticed that there were several Buddha statues around the cash register and throughout the store. I really didn’t think much of it as I grabbed my food and left. For us, something of this nature is not a big deal. It was a very big deal, however in the ancient world. In the ancient world, the closest things to restaurants were Temples. They would take the meat that was leftover from sacrifices to the gods and then sell it. This was such a problem for Jews that lived in places like Corinth that rather than eating food sacrificed to pagan idols, they would often just avoid eating meat altogether.
The issue was no less sticky for the new Christians in Corinth. Should they eat meat sacrificed in a pagan Temple? Apparently, some teachers in Corinth had been pressing Christian freedom to the point that they were teaching that they could even go right into the Temples themselves and eat meat sacrificed to other gods. Their questions were good ones, though. Should they eat this meat? What about various weddings, parties, and clubs that used the Temples as meeting halls? Paul will begin to lay down his answer to this question here, but it won’t be until chapter 10 that he fully completes his answer. The questions throughout though, have to do with the consumption of food sacrificed to idols and going to the Temple for other reasons; there is no question in Paul’s mind that any actual idolatry should not be taking place amongst the Christians.
Using a technique that is rather common for him, Paul engages here in an imaginary dialogue of sorts so that we should understand the phrase, “we know that we all possess knowledge,” to be a quote from the Corinthians. This was, evidently, another one of those slogans that had been passed around by some in the Corinthian church. Their claim, then, is that because they have a special knowledge of the truth (at least in their own eyes they did), they should be able to do whatever they wanted. Paul’s answer gets right to the point of Christian living. He sets up a sharp contrast between knowledge and love. Knowledge is self-serving and only puffs up, while love is self-sacrificial and builds up. Paul is not anti-intellectual or anti-learning. He is specifically speaking against prideful human speculation that was being passed off as knowledge.
If they thought they had attained a higher level of understanding due to this type of knowledge, then this was proof in and of itself that they did not have true godly knowledge at all. This is what Paul is saying in verse 2 which could be paraphrased something like this: “If someone thinks they have reached some level of knowledge, they have not yet reached the stage where he has any knowledge at all in the true sense of the word.” The reason is that true Christian knowledge cannot be separated from love. Without love, human knowledge has little value in itself and is useful for nothing more than self-aggrandizement.
If one wants to know how wise they are, to what level of knowledge they have attained then they need look no further than their love for God. In Paul’s mind, anyone not demonstrating a love for God is not demonstrating true knowledge. If we love God, then we will love others as well. Paul is carefully laying the groundwork of the importance of love to show them that how their actions effect others is far more important than exercising their own freedoms based on their deep knowledge and understanding of what is really going on in the world. The knowledge that is so valued in the world, the type of knowledge that, for instance, denied the possibility of resurrection leads people away from God rather than towards him and has to be carefully detected and rejected by those who would embrace the truth of the life of Christ.
Paul’s quote of another Corinthian slogan in verse 4 demonstrates some of that so-called knowledge of what was going on in the world. Those who were becoming drunk on their own knowledge felt that all this business about idols and Temples had absolutely no bearing on them because they understood that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. The “we know” should be understood as part of the quote and does not imply that Paul agrees with that statement in its entirety. In 10:20, Paul will state that he believes that behind the seeming myth of pagan idols is the very real world of demons. So, in a sense Paul agrees with them. There is nothing in pagan idols or Temples that rivals that of the one true God. They must be careful and not deceive themselves, however, because it is not true that there are no other supernatural beings beside God in the world (by ‘gods’ Paul probably meant pagan demonic gods, while ‘lords’ refers to their human agents, such as the powers of the Roman empire). These supernatural, demonic powers will use pagan religion to lead people away from the true God. The idols themselves are worthless pieces of stone and wood but they are used by the powers of evil to enslave human minds and hearts. In short, they are nothing to simply be dismissed as a fairy tale. Even if these things hold no sway in their lives, they are very real in the lives of the pagans and in the minds of many Christians. Puffed-up knowledge would dismiss idols. Love would understood that power that they hold in people’s lives and not want to offend Christians who were sensitive to these evil forces.
Paul does confirm, though, that for the Christian there is only the one, true God. In confirming the uniqueness of the Christian God, Paul does something extraordinary here. He has taken the familiar creedal statement of the Jews from Deuteronomy 6:4, known as the Shema, and re-written it with Jesus smack in the middle of their understanding of the one, true God. The Shema was, and still is, recited by Jews several times a day as they remind themselves that theirs is a faith of one God. Paul affirms the basic Jewish monotheism, but at the same time, blows a hole in by including Jesus in that statement. Thus, there is one God, and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ (We should note that kyrios, the word translated as “Lord”, could simply mean “sir” but was also the word used in the Septuagint, the Old Testament translation used by Jews of Jesus’ day, for YHWH, the personal name of God. This is likely the meaning with which Paul wishes to infuse “Lord” here), through whom all things came and through whom we live.
Devotional Thought
Once again Paul will avoid laying down hard and fast rules in favor of giving principles that cause Christians to show discernment and think through difficult situations. When you give Christian advice is that how you tend to do things or is it easier for you to just tell others what they should or shouldn’t do? In the future, take a page from Paul and try giving principles that will cause others to think and develop strong Christian convictions for themselves.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
1 Corinthians 7:32-40
32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
36If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better.
39A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
Dig Deeper
One of my high school basketball players came to me with a very challenging problem one year. He wanted to continue to play on the basketball team but he wasn’t sure he could. He was a very good player with the potential to play in college one day, but now he was thinking about giving up playing. His family was not doing well financially and he had been given the opportunity to work full-time after school. The money he would make there would help out his family greatly in the short-term but would not be as beneficial in the long-run as a college education would. Making matters more difficult was the fact that he believed he couldn’t afford college without a basketball scholarship. The real difficulty in the situation was that these two competing interests completely conflicted with one another; he simply could not do both well. Eventually a compromise was worked out where he was able to work and play basketball, although he wasn’t able to do either to the best of his ability.
Paul continues here with advice on marriage to a church that is torn between their social customs and pressures about marriage on the one hand and their desire to do God’s will on the other hand. Paul’s personal preference is that people, if so gifted, remain unmarried so that they can focus on God’s work. He has no problem, however, with those who choose to get married. He just wants them to realize the difficult road ahead if that is the path that they choose.
Paul doesn’t think that it’s impossible for someone to be married and serve God, as most of the other apostles were married (see 9:5). Yet he does personally believe that the ideal situation would be for people to be gifted with singleness. The thrust of Paul’s statements, though, can be better understood in context of the famine at the time. With famine in the midst, times were hard and being married was going to be more difficult than ever. Providing for a family and serving God during times of economic hardships can be almost impossible.
Above all, Paul does not really lay down any rules, he wants people to learn to demonstrate discernment and to think about things from the perspective of their life in Christ. One of the things that Paul wants people to realize is that many people get married for the wrong reasons. Getting married for a reason any other than glorifying God with one’s marriage will certainly lead one into divided loyalties. Paul is not against marriage, he is against marriages that pull one’s loyalties away from the Kingdom of God.
Verses 36-38 are notoriously difficult to translate and to understand. Many commentators now agree that the NIV translation is at best misleading from the original meaning. Theologian N.T. Wright translates these verses to read: “If anyone thinks he is behaving improperly towards his fiancee — if he finds the situation overly stressful, and matters reach a point of necessity — then let him do as he wishes, he won’t be sinning. But the man who settles it firmly in his heart and is not under necessity, but in control of his own will, and has made his judgment in his own heart to keep her as his finacee will do well. So the one who marries his fiancee will do well; and the one who holds back from marrying will do better.”
Paul is probably offering advice (although this passage could be taken in a couple of other ways) to engaged couples. They would have been engaged at a young age and the social pressure was for them to go ahead and get married. With their devotion to the Lord and the coming economic hardships to think about, Paul wants to remind them that they are in Christ. This matters far more than the social pressures to get married and have children, so whatever they decide is best to do is okay. If they feel that it is wise to postpone or cancel their marriage, that is a perfectly acceptable position to take.
In verse 39, Paul returns to briefly address the group of women that had been married but had lost their spouse. First he affirms the ideal permanency of marriage by saying that a woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. They should not feel that this bind reaches beyond the grave. If they are widowed, they are free to make a wise Christian decision about their future marriage. This would have been quite freeing for women who would have faced great public pressure to get remarried. Paul reminds them, then, that their status in Christ and the reality of them living as people of the resurrection age moves them beyond social pressures. The only restriction that they should observe is to marry someone who belongs to the Lord.
Paul has already given his advice to those who find themselves married to a non-Christian, but no one should voluntarily enter into that arrangement. It would be foolish for someone in Christ to unite themselves willingly with someone who is still ‘in the flesh’. Paul’s judgment is that the widow might well be better off remaining unmarried. He ends with the cryptic phrase, and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. It’s hard to know if Paul meant this seriously or sarcastically, and to what specifically he is referring. He may be poking fun at those in Corinth who were offering differing advice and claiming that they could do so because they were ‘in the Spirit’. He might, however, be referring to the possibility that he was a widower who had remained unmarried. His phrase, then, would mean that has been perfectly happy with his decision, and he has the Spirit of God as much as anyone who decided to get remarried.
As Paul brings this section to a close, he has continued to look at the underlying question that began in chapter 6: In light of the resurrection, what is the body in this present age for? Christians should not just view the resurrection as some nice theological theory that we look forward to in the future but which has little to impact to how we live in the present. The reality is quite the opposite. The reality of the resurrection and the age to come should affect every aspect of how we order and live our lives.
Devotional Thought
The topic of marriage and divorce is as difficult and muddled in our world as it was in Paul’s world. Whenever we are in the midst of situations like these or offering advice to those involved with these issues we must do as Paul did. Consider what it means to think like someone who is in Christ and put the social expectations and pressures of the pagan world to the side.
36If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better.
39A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
Dig Deeper
One of my high school basketball players came to me with a very challenging problem one year. He wanted to continue to play on the basketball team but he wasn’t sure he could. He was a very good player with the potential to play in college one day, but now he was thinking about giving up playing. His family was not doing well financially and he had been given the opportunity to work full-time after school. The money he would make there would help out his family greatly in the short-term but would not be as beneficial in the long-run as a college education would. Making matters more difficult was the fact that he believed he couldn’t afford college without a basketball scholarship. The real difficulty in the situation was that these two competing interests completely conflicted with one another; he simply could not do both well. Eventually a compromise was worked out where he was able to work and play basketball, although he wasn’t able to do either to the best of his ability.
Paul continues here with advice on marriage to a church that is torn between their social customs and pressures about marriage on the one hand and their desire to do God’s will on the other hand. Paul’s personal preference is that people, if so gifted, remain unmarried so that they can focus on God’s work. He has no problem, however, with those who choose to get married. He just wants them to realize the difficult road ahead if that is the path that they choose.
Paul doesn’t think that it’s impossible for someone to be married and serve God, as most of the other apostles were married (see 9:5). Yet he does personally believe that the ideal situation would be for people to be gifted with singleness. The thrust of Paul’s statements, though, can be better understood in context of the famine at the time. With famine in the midst, times were hard and being married was going to be more difficult than ever. Providing for a family and serving God during times of economic hardships can be almost impossible.
Above all, Paul does not really lay down any rules, he wants people to learn to demonstrate discernment and to think about things from the perspective of their life in Christ. One of the things that Paul wants people to realize is that many people get married for the wrong reasons. Getting married for a reason any other than glorifying God with one’s marriage will certainly lead one into divided loyalties. Paul is not against marriage, he is against marriages that pull one’s loyalties away from the Kingdom of God.
Verses 36-38 are notoriously difficult to translate and to understand. Many commentators now agree that the NIV translation is at best misleading from the original meaning. Theologian N.T. Wright translates these verses to read: “If anyone thinks he is behaving improperly towards his fiancee — if he finds the situation overly stressful, and matters reach a point of necessity — then let him do as he wishes, he won’t be sinning. But the man who settles it firmly in his heart and is not under necessity, but in control of his own will, and has made his judgment in his own heart to keep her as his finacee will do well. So the one who marries his fiancee will do well; and the one who holds back from marrying will do better.”
Paul is probably offering advice (although this passage could be taken in a couple of other ways) to engaged couples. They would have been engaged at a young age and the social pressure was for them to go ahead and get married. With their devotion to the Lord and the coming economic hardships to think about, Paul wants to remind them that they are in Christ. This matters far more than the social pressures to get married and have children, so whatever they decide is best to do is okay. If they feel that it is wise to postpone or cancel their marriage, that is a perfectly acceptable position to take.
In verse 39, Paul returns to briefly address the group of women that had been married but had lost their spouse. First he affirms the ideal permanency of marriage by saying that a woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. They should not feel that this bind reaches beyond the grave. If they are widowed, they are free to make a wise Christian decision about their future marriage. This would have been quite freeing for women who would have faced great public pressure to get remarried. Paul reminds them, then, that their status in Christ and the reality of them living as people of the resurrection age moves them beyond social pressures. The only restriction that they should observe is to marry someone who belongs to the Lord.
Paul has already given his advice to those who find themselves married to a non-Christian, but no one should voluntarily enter into that arrangement. It would be foolish for someone in Christ to unite themselves willingly with someone who is still ‘in the flesh’. Paul’s judgment is that the widow might well be better off remaining unmarried. He ends with the cryptic phrase, and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. It’s hard to know if Paul meant this seriously or sarcastically, and to what specifically he is referring. He may be poking fun at those in Corinth who were offering differing advice and claiming that they could do so because they were ‘in the Spirit’. He might, however, be referring to the possibility that he was a widower who had remained unmarried. His phrase, then, would mean that has been perfectly happy with his decision, and he has the Spirit of God as much as anyone who decided to get remarried.
As Paul brings this section to a close, he has continued to look at the underlying question that began in chapter 6: In light of the resurrection, what is the body in this present age for? Christians should not just view the resurrection as some nice theological theory that we look forward to in the future but which has little to impact to how we live in the present. The reality is quite the opposite. The reality of the resurrection and the age to come should affect every aspect of how we order and live our lives.
Devotional Thought
The topic of marriage and divorce is as difficult and muddled in our world as it was in Paul’s world. Whenever we are in the midst of situations like these or offering advice to those involved with these issues we must do as Paul did. Consider what it means to think like someone who is in Christ and put the social expectations and pressures of the pagan world to the side.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
1 Corinthians 7:25-31
25Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. 27Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
29What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
Dig Deeper
When people ask my advice on the topic, I nearly always counsel that getting married while attending college as a full-time student is an unwise thing. It makes it very difficult for a young person to be a disciple, a good student, and a proper spouse. Although there is an element to the truth that being married will always divide one’s attention away from the Kingdom of God, there are are also many benefits to being married as a disciple. This advice, then, is not universal advice against getting married; I am not a marriage hater. In fact, if God has called someone to be married then they absolutely should. If He has gifted them to be single and has called them to do so, then they should do so with joy. My advice against marrying is very specific advice to people in a specific situation and time in their life. Yet, if for some reason, one of those college students chose to get married, it would not be a sin, it would just be a more difficult situation for them.
This is the case with Paul’s advice here, which can be quite confusing if we forget that he was writing specific advice based on specific questions at a specific time. Our job is to pull out the principles of Paul’s advice and apply them to our own situations, not to woodenly follow his words as though they were a new law that he was writing down. At the time that Paul was writing this, there apparently was a severe shortage of food, particularly grain, in that entire region of the world. This was particularly difficult for those that were poor, as apparently many of the Corinthian Christians were. It was a time of great trouble for those who would have a very difficult time providing food for themselves, let alone a family. Much of Paul’s words here then, must be seen through those lenses. He is offering advice through a difficult but limited situation, but there is a degree to which he thinks his advice has its advantages in general for the Christian who must always realize that their reality is the Kingdom of God not the present age. Thus, in a sense, Paul is referring to the crisis in the present time, but he always has an eye on return of Christ and the ‘age to come’. Christians should never settle in and start living as though the present age is all there is, and that we will be living in this reality forever.
The word translated ‘virgins’ here would be better understood by us if we read it as ‘unmarried’. It refers to those who have never been married. If they were unmarried, Paul says that they should remain that way because of the present crisis. Once again, he is reminding them that, as Christians, they should think situations through and not give into social pressures. To make sure that there are no misunderstandings, though, he covers all his bases by mentioning that if someone is already married, they should use neither the present crisis or the impending ‘age to come’ as excuses to get a divorce. If someone wanted to disregard Paul’s wise advice and get married for whatever reason, they were free to do so. They should not be made to feel like second-class citizens or disobedient Christians, but should realize that they will have to face the challenges of their situation. This section should be rather instructive for those who feel that all advice from a leader or another Christian should be followed blindly, or if they don’t it is sinful and prideful (following wise advice is usually the best medicine, though). It is also rather instructive for those who teach that being a Christian means having a trouble-free life. Paul would not endorse or agree with either of those attitudes.
Paul’s advice that begins in verse 29 must again, be understood as referring to the present crisis as well as having an eye on the Lord’s return. Verse 29 could be rendered “the present situation won’t last long.” If that is the case, then the second half of that verse could actually be advice to engaged couples rather than those who have wives (the word translated “wives” is much less specific than our English counterpart) in the sense that they are already married (it doesn’t make sense otherwise and would seem to be rather contradictory with what he has already written about not abandoning one’s marriage). He is telling them that during the present crisis, they may want to postpone their weddings until a better time. It is true, that although Paul reveres and respects the institution of marriage, he would probably rather see most Christians have the gift of remaining single as he had. He probably realized that the reality of that wasn’t practical or realistic, but that was his preference nonetheless.
Paul continues his thoughts about how to view the world, through the lenses of both the present crisis and the return of the Lord. His words in verse 30 and the first half of 31 are pretty straightforward. What Paul really wants them to understand is what he has been trying to explain this whole chapter. Any situations that they may find themselves in during this life, pale in comparison to their status of having their life in Christ. Being in Christ dwarfs any life situations, customs, or social pressures. As Paul will continue to stress, finally culminating in chapter 15, they need to completely rethink their worldview based on being in Christ and the reality of the coming resurrection. When the Lord returns, the righteous, both living and dead, are resurrected, and we enter into the ‘age to come’, none of the social customs or our status in the world will matter. All that will matter is did we remain faithful to our life in Christ in whatever strange circumstances we may have found ourselves.
Devotional Thought
What are the conventions or standards of the world that are most likely to influence you away from approaching the world as one who is in Christ? Is it the pull to climb socially, to get a better job, to become more educated, to have a great car or home, etc. How would Paul’s principles laid out in this chapter apply to things like that? What sort of advice might Paul give to you on this topic?
29What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
Dig Deeper
When people ask my advice on the topic, I nearly always counsel that getting married while attending college as a full-time student is an unwise thing. It makes it very difficult for a young person to be a disciple, a good student, and a proper spouse. Although there is an element to the truth that being married will always divide one’s attention away from the Kingdom of God, there are are also many benefits to being married as a disciple. This advice, then, is not universal advice against getting married; I am not a marriage hater. In fact, if God has called someone to be married then they absolutely should. If He has gifted them to be single and has called them to do so, then they should do so with joy. My advice against marrying is very specific advice to people in a specific situation and time in their life. Yet, if for some reason, one of those college students chose to get married, it would not be a sin, it would just be a more difficult situation for them.
This is the case with Paul’s advice here, which can be quite confusing if we forget that he was writing specific advice based on specific questions at a specific time. Our job is to pull out the principles of Paul’s advice and apply them to our own situations, not to woodenly follow his words as though they were a new law that he was writing down. At the time that Paul was writing this, there apparently was a severe shortage of food, particularly grain, in that entire region of the world. This was particularly difficult for those that were poor, as apparently many of the Corinthian Christians were. It was a time of great trouble for those who would have a very difficult time providing food for themselves, let alone a family. Much of Paul’s words here then, must be seen through those lenses. He is offering advice through a difficult but limited situation, but there is a degree to which he thinks his advice has its advantages in general for the Christian who must always realize that their reality is the Kingdom of God not the present age. Thus, in a sense, Paul is referring to the crisis in the present time, but he always has an eye on return of Christ and the ‘age to come’. Christians should never settle in and start living as though the present age is all there is, and that we will be living in this reality forever.
The word translated ‘virgins’ here would be better understood by us if we read it as ‘unmarried’. It refers to those who have never been married. If they were unmarried, Paul says that they should remain that way because of the present crisis. Once again, he is reminding them that, as Christians, they should think situations through and not give into social pressures. To make sure that there are no misunderstandings, though, he covers all his bases by mentioning that if someone is already married, they should use neither the present crisis or the impending ‘age to come’ as excuses to get a divorce. If someone wanted to disregard Paul’s wise advice and get married for whatever reason, they were free to do so. They should not be made to feel like second-class citizens or disobedient Christians, but should realize that they will have to face the challenges of their situation. This section should be rather instructive for those who feel that all advice from a leader or another Christian should be followed blindly, or if they don’t it is sinful and prideful (following wise advice is usually the best medicine, though). It is also rather instructive for those who teach that being a Christian means having a trouble-free life. Paul would not endorse or agree with either of those attitudes.
Paul’s advice that begins in verse 29 must again, be understood as referring to the present crisis as well as having an eye on the Lord’s return. Verse 29 could be rendered “the present situation won’t last long.” If that is the case, then the second half of that verse could actually be advice to engaged couples rather than those who have wives (the word translated “wives” is much less specific than our English counterpart) in the sense that they are already married (it doesn’t make sense otherwise and would seem to be rather contradictory with what he has already written about not abandoning one’s marriage). He is telling them that during the present crisis, they may want to postpone their weddings until a better time. It is true, that although Paul reveres and respects the institution of marriage, he would probably rather see most Christians have the gift of remaining single as he had. He probably realized that the reality of that wasn’t practical or realistic, but that was his preference nonetheless.
Paul continues his thoughts about how to view the world, through the lenses of both the present crisis and the return of the Lord. His words in verse 30 and the first half of 31 are pretty straightforward. What Paul really wants them to understand is what he has been trying to explain this whole chapter. Any situations that they may find themselves in during this life, pale in comparison to their status of having their life in Christ. Being in Christ dwarfs any life situations, customs, or social pressures. As Paul will continue to stress, finally culminating in chapter 15, they need to completely rethink their worldview based on being in Christ and the reality of the coming resurrection. When the Lord returns, the righteous, both living and dead, are resurrected, and we enter into the ‘age to come’, none of the social customs or our status in the world will matter. All that will matter is did we remain faithful to our life in Christ in whatever strange circumstances we may have found ourselves.
Devotional Thought
What are the conventions or standards of the world that are most likely to influence you away from approaching the world as one who is in Christ? Is it the pull to climb socially, to get a better job, to become more educated, to have a great car or home, etc. How would Paul’s principles laid out in this chapter apply to things like that? What sort of advice might Paul give to you on this topic?
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
1 Corinthians 7:17-24
17Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. 20Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. 21Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.
Dig Deeper
If Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand nothing else, the one thing that he really wanted them to grasp is what it meant to be in Christ. In Paul’s theology, the only person worthy of being called righteous and entering into the ‘age to come’ was Jesus. The only way that any human could enjoy any of that was to enter into the life of Christ. This, was of course, done at baptism (Romans 6:2-11), and it is the only way that we can enter into God’s presence. Throughout this letter, Paul is trying to help the Corinthians understand what it means to live in Christ and grab hold of the resurrection life. As part of that explanation in his letter to the Galatians (3:27-28), Paul says, “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” His point is that once you have entered into the life of Christ, human distinctions are unimportant. We should neither exalt ourselves for them or feel badly about them. We are in Christ and that is the only important place to be. All other positions are merely tools to be used to bring glory and honor to Christ and places in which we can carry out His work.
If we don’t have that concept from Galatians 3 in mind, this passage can seem a bit out of place. Why would Paul include discussions on circumcision and slavery in a chapter about sex and marriage? It is because the real point of the chapter is about understanding who we are in Christ. He has been discussing the angle of gender and marriage, now he will turn to the other two big areas of contention and status in his day (both of which are mentioned in Galatians along with gender).
The first is circumcision. This was a clear divider between Jews and Greeks, especially in Greek towns where the men bathed and exercised naked. Many Jews in the first century Greek towns were so embarrassed by this physical marker that they took to having surgeries to make it look like they hadn’t been circumcised. The second was that of slavery. Slavery was a major part of life in the first century. The entire economy and social fabric was built upon it. We should note, though, that although it was still far from God’s plan of freedom for all humans, this was not nearly as brutal and dehumanizing as the form of slavery practiced in the new world from the 16th to the 19th centuries, nor the evil form of human slavery still practiced in many corners of the world today.
Paul’s point on both of these topics cannot be taken out of context. He is not writing about his personal feelings on these topics, nor is he laying down a biblical standard, that, for instance, slavery should be considered a positive thing. His point is that once someone comes to Christ there should be no exaltation or shame at whatever position they were when they were called. Men should not think themselves better than women, uncircumcised better than circumcised (or vice-versa), or free better than slave. These are either things out of their control (in the case of gender) or human constructs that are null and void in Christ where all are equal. The Christian need never to be swayed by social pressures to better themselves or change themselves. In Christ, we are all we ever need. This is what Paul means when he says that keeping God’s commands is all that counts (this is deliciously ironic for a Jew who would consider circumcision to be doing just that). The whole of keeping the law, in Paul’s mind, is to remain in Christ. In Christ, all of God’s commands are kept, which is, of course, something that we could not do on our own power.
Paul believes this because he firmly believes that “this world in its present form is passing away” (v. 31). Why worry about social pressures, customs, and standards that should be passing from our lives just as surely as they will pass away from this world completely in the ‘age to come’? In more modern terminology, why be in a hurry to re-arrange deck chairs on the Titanic? Living in Christ means a dignity that goes beyond anything the world can understand or offer. This is why each person should consider their human status as precisely the place where God wants to use them rather than something to be escaped. This principle can easily be applied beyond just the categories that Paul mentions here. Changing your status in life in regards of marriage, education, or career, for instance, is not necessarily a bad thing if the opportunity presents itself but it can become a negative situation if you are motivated by the perceptions of others or you become so obsessed with gaining that change in status that you put that as a priority in your life over the things of God and His people.
In the passage on slavery, we should be clear, Paul is neither condoning human slavery, nor is he condemning it. It is true, that in its essence, it goes against the way that God ordered the world, where he gave each man the freedom to choose. Yet, if a slave became a Christian and all they could do is obsess about becoming free it would be a demonstration, not so much about the power of God in one’s life, as it was a demonstration that they considered their place in this present age to be far more important than it is. Although, they shouldn’t obsess about it, Paul does add that if the opportunity to gain their freedom comes up, that they should not hesitate to take it (v. 21).
Paul’s words in verse 23, then, are brilliant in the way in which they speak to each group in a different way. The slave would hear that they had been purchased and had now entered into the freedom of Christ’s lordship while the free man would hear that they had been purchased into bondage to the one who had purchased them. They had both had their status in this present age changed and transcended by Christ and thus, should never stoop to becoming slaves of men, by which Paul means the standards or conventions of the world. He wants them to realize that their status in Christ is far more crucial than any social or cultural standards. They, and we, need to resist both the subtle and the not-so-subtle pressures put on us to make changing their status their be-all-end-all.
Devotional Thought
Is your status of one who has entered into the life of Christ the most important thing in your life? Does it determine the way you act or think about yourself and your position in life or are you tempted to view your position in life according to the standards and conventions of the world? What evidence do you see in your life that you might not have the view of being ‘in Christ’ that Paul would want you to have?
Dig Deeper
If Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand nothing else, the one thing that he really wanted them to grasp is what it meant to be in Christ. In Paul’s theology, the only person worthy of being called righteous and entering into the ‘age to come’ was Jesus. The only way that any human could enjoy any of that was to enter into the life of Christ. This, was of course, done at baptism (Romans 6:2-11), and it is the only way that we can enter into God’s presence. Throughout this letter, Paul is trying to help the Corinthians understand what it means to live in Christ and grab hold of the resurrection life. As part of that explanation in his letter to the Galatians (3:27-28), Paul says, “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” His point is that once you have entered into the life of Christ, human distinctions are unimportant. We should neither exalt ourselves for them or feel badly about them. We are in Christ and that is the only important place to be. All other positions are merely tools to be used to bring glory and honor to Christ and places in which we can carry out His work.
If we don’t have that concept from Galatians 3 in mind, this passage can seem a bit out of place. Why would Paul include discussions on circumcision and slavery in a chapter about sex and marriage? It is because the real point of the chapter is about understanding who we are in Christ. He has been discussing the angle of gender and marriage, now he will turn to the other two big areas of contention and status in his day (both of which are mentioned in Galatians along with gender).
The first is circumcision. This was a clear divider between Jews and Greeks, especially in Greek towns where the men bathed and exercised naked. Many Jews in the first century Greek towns were so embarrassed by this physical marker that they took to having surgeries to make it look like they hadn’t been circumcised. The second was that of slavery. Slavery was a major part of life in the first century. The entire economy and social fabric was built upon it. We should note, though, that although it was still far from God’s plan of freedom for all humans, this was not nearly as brutal and dehumanizing as the form of slavery practiced in the new world from the 16th to the 19th centuries, nor the evil form of human slavery still practiced in many corners of the world today.
Paul’s point on both of these topics cannot be taken out of context. He is not writing about his personal feelings on these topics, nor is he laying down a biblical standard, that, for instance, slavery should be considered a positive thing. His point is that once someone comes to Christ there should be no exaltation or shame at whatever position they were when they were called. Men should not think themselves better than women, uncircumcised better than circumcised (or vice-versa), or free better than slave. These are either things out of their control (in the case of gender) or human constructs that are null and void in Christ where all are equal. The Christian need never to be swayed by social pressures to better themselves or change themselves. In Christ, we are all we ever need. This is what Paul means when he says that keeping God’s commands is all that counts (this is deliciously ironic for a Jew who would consider circumcision to be doing just that). The whole of keeping the law, in Paul’s mind, is to remain in Christ. In Christ, all of God’s commands are kept, which is, of course, something that we could not do on our own power.
Paul believes this because he firmly believes that “this world in its present form is passing away” (v. 31). Why worry about social pressures, customs, and standards that should be passing from our lives just as surely as they will pass away from this world completely in the ‘age to come’? In more modern terminology, why be in a hurry to re-arrange deck chairs on the Titanic? Living in Christ means a dignity that goes beyond anything the world can understand or offer. This is why each person should consider their human status as precisely the place where God wants to use them rather than something to be escaped. This principle can easily be applied beyond just the categories that Paul mentions here. Changing your status in life in regards of marriage, education, or career, for instance, is not necessarily a bad thing if the opportunity presents itself but it can become a negative situation if you are motivated by the perceptions of others or you become so obsessed with gaining that change in status that you put that as a priority in your life over the things of God and His people.
In the passage on slavery, we should be clear, Paul is neither condoning human slavery, nor is he condemning it. It is true, that in its essence, it goes against the way that God ordered the world, where he gave each man the freedom to choose. Yet, if a slave became a Christian and all they could do is obsess about becoming free it would be a demonstration, not so much about the power of God in one’s life, as it was a demonstration that they considered their place in this present age to be far more important than it is. Although, they shouldn’t obsess about it, Paul does add that if the opportunity to gain their freedom comes up, that they should not hesitate to take it (v. 21).
Paul’s words in verse 23, then, are brilliant in the way in which they speak to each group in a different way. The slave would hear that they had been purchased and had now entered into the freedom of Christ’s lordship while the free man would hear that they had been purchased into bondage to the one who had purchased them. They had both had their status in this present age changed and transcended by Christ and thus, should never stoop to becoming slaves of men, by which Paul means the standards or conventions of the world. He wants them to realize that their status in Christ is far more crucial than any social or cultural standards. They, and we, need to resist both the subtle and the not-so-subtle pressures put on us to make changing their status their be-all-end-all.
Devotional Thought
Is your status of one who has entered into the life of Christ the most important thing in your life? Does it determine the way you act or think about yourself and your position in life or are you tempted to view your position in life according to the standards and conventions of the world? What evidence do you see in your life that you might not have the view of being ‘in Christ’ that Paul would want you to have?
Monday, May 18, 2009
1 Corinthians 7:8-16
8Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
12To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Dig Deeper
One of the most curious enigmas that I have seen repeatedly over the years that I have been involved with basketball teams is the phenomenon of big men that were centers and forwards that believed deep down they had the gift to be a point guard. I have known countless number of big men who, whenever they had the opportunity, tried to act on the court as though they had the skills to dribble and distribute the ball the way a smaller guard usually does. The problem is that for most of these players, they had no business trying to perform those skills. They should have learned to stick to the things for which they were gifted.
There is an element of this same principle running through this section of Paul’s letter. Paul wants the Corinthians to recognize the gifts that God has given each one of them and to appreciate the situations in which He has placed them. This could be a difficult task for a people who were trying to figure out what it meant to come out of the pagan world and live holy lives. To make matters more difficult, they were being bombarded within the Church by those who taught that permanent celibacy was a virtue and from outside the Church that unmarried people were worthless.
The NIV’s translation of verse 8 is probably misleading. The word translated ‘unmarried’ should probably be rendered as ‘widowers’. This would mean that Paul is addressing widows and widowers in 8 and 9 rather than two groups (this makes sense because he will directly address those who have never been married later in the chapter). This also gives us a strong clue that Paul was a widower as he says it is preferable, in his opinion, to remain as he is, which we can presume he means not remarried (this view is bolstered by the fact that Paul, before becoming a Christian was a Pharisee, and it was virtually unheard of in the first century for a Pharisee to be unmarried). Paul wants them to understand that in their old, pagan lives there was little to no redeeming value in remaining unmarried, but in their new life in Christ there can be a new sense or value to the single life. Verse 9 is often easily misunderstood to mean that Paul was giving a concession to those who could not contain their passions. Here, Paul is using ‘self-control’ in the same manner that he does in Galatians 5:23, by which he means the Holy Spirit-empowered directing of one’s self. He is not telling them to fight their urges and if they can’t then give in quickly before they fail. He is telling them to recognize the gift that God has given them, whether it be the gift of remaining single or the gift of the married life, and to embrace and appreciate it. If they do not have the Spirit-given gift of self-control and singleness then they should by all means get married rather than burning with passion, trying to force themselves into a life for which they have not been gifted.
With those who were once married already addressed, Paul now turns to matters concerning those who were presently married. We would do well to remember that this letter was written to a people who were struggling with the concepts that sex and marriage should just be avoided all together, that it would exalt the soul and keep the body from sin. The command of verse 10, then, must be read in that context. God had created and ordained marriage and these Corinthian Christians should not buy into any sort of teaching that told them it was good to leave their spouses and focus on Christ. They must realize that God was pleased with marriage and that it was a gift, not something to be discarded, yet this is not a universal prohibition on divorce. Paul would not, for instance, say that a woman being beaten by her husband should stay in that marriage. The fact that Paul uses a wife as the example, probably demonstrates that he was directly addressing a specific question about a specific Christian woman in their community. It was not God’s will for her to leave her husband, particularly for spiritual reasons, yet if she had, she should not, under these circumstances remarry someone else. Paul then universalizes this principle with the phrase, and a husband must not divorce his wife.
Paul then moves into advice that he has for those that are married to unbelievers. Two things must be considered here before we continue. The first is that even though Paul does give a command of the Lord in verse 10, he gives instructions for someone who does not follow this command. Nowhere does he say that this act would keep that person from being a Christian, but she must deal with the consequences of her actions. Paul’s reason for this is that, for him, Christianity is about learning to exercise discernment to think and act in a Christ-like manner. The Christian life is not simply the replacement of the Old Testament Torah with a new law based on the teachings of Christ. As Christians we must learn to think like Christ, not merely follow a list of rules. The second thing to be considered is what to make of passages when Paul says that what he is writing is from him and not the Lord? Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, inspired by the Holy Spirit to write letters that would become and should be considered Holy Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). Paul does not mean this is just his own opinion; he is offering the Spirit-inspired word of God. He merely means that what he is saying did not come directly from Jesus; it is new teaching for a new situation, although still based on the foundation of teachings and life of Christ. What he writes here, then, is not something Jesus said to be obeyed without question or the need for thought (there are very few instances of that in the New Testament for the reasons just stated), it is wise Christian advice and principles. Principles, however, that we must undertake to apply to our lives because they have been ordained as Scripture by the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s basic point is that Christians should not leave a marriage to a non-Christian spouse. The Corinthians were a group of people that were trying to figure out how to come out of paganism and lead holy lives. The fear of some was that their non-believing spouse would defile them. Paul assures them that this is not the case. Rather than the non-believer defiling the Christian, the influence of the believing spouse can actually have a purifying and saving effect on their marriage, and ultimately on the non-Christian. He also assures them that their children will not be automatically defiled by living with a pagan, they can still be set apart (holy) for God’s purposes (this does not, of course, mean that they were automatically saved). This ray of hope for the Christian married to a pagan does not mean that it is good or wise for an unmarried Christian to take this principle and run into a marriage with a non-Christian. (Nor should someone stay in an abusive marriage because of this principle.) This is advice for people already married, not a license for those who are not. Marriage is a good thing in God’s sight as it points to His love and relationship with His people, and thus, glorifies God. It should not be entered into lightly or ended lightly. Paul ends with a bit of necessary common sense, assuring them that if the non-Christian spouse wanted to end the marriage, they should not feel under any obligation to remain married. The ultimate principle by which they should live, one that would have the biggest impact on those around them, was to attempt to leave in peace under all circumstances.
Devotional Thought
The Corinthians lived in a confusing time and culture when they would need a great deal of humility, discernment, and conviction to live out the Christian principles of love and peace in difficult circumstances. We also live in confusing and difficult times and need the same sort of humility and patience with ourselves and with others to live out these same principles.
10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
12To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Dig Deeper
One of the most curious enigmas that I have seen repeatedly over the years that I have been involved with basketball teams is the phenomenon of big men that were centers and forwards that believed deep down they had the gift to be a point guard. I have known countless number of big men who, whenever they had the opportunity, tried to act on the court as though they had the skills to dribble and distribute the ball the way a smaller guard usually does. The problem is that for most of these players, they had no business trying to perform those skills. They should have learned to stick to the things for which they were gifted.
There is an element of this same principle running through this section of Paul’s letter. Paul wants the Corinthians to recognize the gifts that God has given each one of them and to appreciate the situations in which He has placed them. This could be a difficult task for a people who were trying to figure out what it meant to come out of the pagan world and live holy lives. To make matters more difficult, they were being bombarded within the Church by those who taught that permanent celibacy was a virtue and from outside the Church that unmarried people were worthless.
The NIV’s translation of verse 8 is probably misleading. The word translated ‘unmarried’ should probably be rendered as ‘widowers’. This would mean that Paul is addressing widows and widowers in 8 and 9 rather than two groups (this makes sense because he will directly address those who have never been married later in the chapter). This also gives us a strong clue that Paul was a widower as he says it is preferable, in his opinion, to remain as he is, which we can presume he means not remarried (this view is bolstered by the fact that Paul, before becoming a Christian was a Pharisee, and it was virtually unheard of in the first century for a Pharisee to be unmarried). Paul wants them to understand that in their old, pagan lives there was little to no redeeming value in remaining unmarried, but in their new life in Christ there can be a new sense or value to the single life. Verse 9 is often easily misunderstood to mean that Paul was giving a concession to those who could not contain their passions. Here, Paul is using ‘self-control’ in the same manner that he does in Galatians 5:23, by which he means the Holy Spirit-empowered directing of one’s self. He is not telling them to fight their urges and if they can’t then give in quickly before they fail. He is telling them to recognize the gift that God has given them, whether it be the gift of remaining single or the gift of the married life, and to embrace and appreciate it. If they do not have the Spirit-given gift of self-control and singleness then they should by all means get married rather than burning with passion, trying to force themselves into a life for which they have not been gifted.
With those who were once married already addressed, Paul now turns to matters concerning those who were presently married. We would do well to remember that this letter was written to a people who were struggling with the concepts that sex and marriage should just be avoided all together, that it would exalt the soul and keep the body from sin. The command of verse 10, then, must be read in that context. God had created and ordained marriage and these Corinthian Christians should not buy into any sort of teaching that told them it was good to leave their spouses and focus on Christ. They must realize that God was pleased with marriage and that it was a gift, not something to be discarded, yet this is not a universal prohibition on divorce. Paul would not, for instance, say that a woman being beaten by her husband should stay in that marriage. The fact that Paul uses a wife as the example, probably demonstrates that he was directly addressing a specific question about a specific Christian woman in their community. It was not God’s will for her to leave her husband, particularly for spiritual reasons, yet if she had, she should not, under these circumstances remarry someone else. Paul then universalizes this principle with the phrase, and a husband must not divorce his wife.
Paul then moves into advice that he has for those that are married to unbelievers. Two things must be considered here before we continue. The first is that even though Paul does give a command of the Lord in verse 10, he gives instructions for someone who does not follow this command. Nowhere does he say that this act would keep that person from being a Christian, but she must deal with the consequences of her actions. Paul’s reason for this is that, for him, Christianity is about learning to exercise discernment to think and act in a Christ-like manner. The Christian life is not simply the replacement of the Old Testament Torah with a new law based on the teachings of Christ. As Christians we must learn to think like Christ, not merely follow a list of rules. The second thing to be considered is what to make of passages when Paul says that what he is writing is from him and not the Lord? Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, inspired by the Holy Spirit to write letters that would become and should be considered Holy Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). Paul does not mean this is just his own opinion; he is offering the Spirit-inspired word of God. He merely means that what he is saying did not come directly from Jesus; it is new teaching for a new situation, although still based on the foundation of teachings and life of Christ. What he writes here, then, is not something Jesus said to be obeyed without question or the need for thought (there are very few instances of that in the New Testament for the reasons just stated), it is wise Christian advice and principles. Principles, however, that we must undertake to apply to our lives because they have been ordained as Scripture by the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s basic point is that Christians should not leave a marriage to a non-Christian spouse. The Corinthians were a group of people that were trying to figure out how to come out of paganism and lead holy lives. The fear of some was that their non-believing spouse would defile them. Paul assures them that this is not the case. Rather than the non-believer defiling the Christian, the influence of the believing spouse can actually have a purifying and saving effect on their marriage, and ultimately on the non-Christian. He also assures them that their children will not be automatically defiled by living with a pagan, they can still be set apart (holy) for God’s purposes (this does not, of course, mean that they were automatically saved). This ray of hope for the Christian married to a pagan does not mean that it is good or wise for an unmarried Christian to take this principle and run into a marriage with a non-Christian. (Nor should someone stay in an abusive marriage because of this principle.) This is advice for people already married, not a license for those who are not. Marriage is a good thing in God’s sight as it points to His love and relationship with His people, and thus, glorifies God. It should not be entered into lightly or ended lightly. Paul ends with a bit of necessary common sense, assuring them that if the non-Christian spouse wanted to end the marriage, they should not feel under any obligation to remain married. The ultimate principle by which they should live, one that would have the biggest impact on those around them, was to attempt to leave in peace under all circumstances.
Devotional Thought
The Corinthians lived in a confusing time and culture when they would need a great deal of humility, discernment, and conviction to live out the Christian principles of love and peace in difficult circumstances. We also live in confusing and difficult times and need the same sort of humility and patience with ourselves and with others to live out these same principles.
Friday, May 15, 2009
1 Corinthians 7:1-7
Marriage
1Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
Dig Deeper
When I was younger, dieting was viewed quite differently than it generally is today. Dieting is still done with great fervor, but most people understand, at least in theory, that a proper diet must be done wisely with healthy, balanced meals, and accompanying exercise. When I was younger, however, it was much more common for people to diet by simply starving themselves. They began to view eating in general as the enemy and would avoid it all together. The problem with that is that two major things were working against that. One is that the body thinks its starving and so hangs onto its fat reserves rather than burning them. The second is that the human will can only hold up against our natural inclinations for so long. What usually happened is that the starvation diet would crash and burn in the midst of a great binge of eating.
In Corinth, there were apparently at least two camps of thought. Some Christians were claiming total freedom and doing whatever they wanted with their bodies. They believed that what was done with the body had little if any effect on the spirit, so why not do it all. There was apparently another group, however, that seemed to be following the line of thinking of many pagan philosophies of the day that included the belief that the body was inherently evil. All pleasures of the body needed to be avoided because they inhibited the development of the spirit. The eventual goal, in this philosophical line of thinking, was for the soul to be free of the body after death. This was the view that Plato espoused, but it is not at all biblical.
Paul has already addressed the first view with several examples, now he turns to the second viewpoint. He does so by answering a question that had arisen amongst at least some in the congregation. They had written Paul an earlier letter asking several questions and now he is going to give his answer. To fully understand his answer, though, it will help to realize that the Roman (and therefore Corinthian) view of marriage was as an arrangement of status and public image, especially for the rich. The Roman emperors greatly encouraged marriage among all people. Marriage, however, was not a very advantageous situation for women. They had very little rights within a marriage and the prospects of unmarried women were very limited in this society. Divorce could be had with a simple declaration of such. This meant that a good marriage was considered to be one that was harmonious. Pleasure was often sought outside of marriage.
In answering their question on marriage, then, Paul is dealing with both the societal view of marriage as well as a pagan-infused Christian philosophy that was teaching that sex and pleasure, even within a marriage, was not desirable and should be avoided. Paul’s overall point is obscured in the NIV translation of verse one which actually says “It is good for a man to have no sexual contact with a woman.” He is quoting what the Corinthians have written him. In theory, Paul agrees with this statement, to a degree, but his full answer is that just as starvation diets don’t really work, neither does this philosophy. Bodies were ultimately made to glorify God, but God also made them to have sex within the confines of marriage. Sex within a marriage is glorifying to God and should not be avoided. The one trying this starvation approach will find themselves exploding in inappropriate ways as evidenced by the apparent visits some had made to prostitutes (see chapter 6) or even the many well-documented problems that Roman Catholic priests have had with sexual matters in modern times.
In this short section on marriage, Paul sets many societal assumptions on their head. His declarations that each spouse literally has ‘authority’ over the body of the other, and that women were free not to be married if they so chose, are quite remarkable and are thoughts that appeared nowhere else in the ancient world. Paul affirms that sex within a marriage is a good and God-ordained thing. Withholding from it in no way enhances one’s spirituality or brings one closer to God. If both parties agree to abstain for some special period of prayer or a spiritual retreat, then both must agree and it needs to be for just a short time. If they try to completely abstain from sexual relations within their marriage they will find, just as the diets, that both their physiology and the power of their will to overcome temptation will be working against them.
Many readers have misunderstood Paul’s remarks in verse 6 regarding a concession as referring to Paul saying that marriage is a concession to keep people from sins of sexual immorality. That’s not Paul’s point at all. The concession to which he is referring is the fact that they may still feel the need to withhold from marital sex for a short time to focus on their spirituality. Paul believes that these are not mutually exclusive activities. Thus, the need for short and mutually agreed-upon sabbaticals are a concession that are wise advice, they are not something that must be done as a command from God.
Paul’s words in verse 7 have also been often misunderstood. Paul’s point here is that chastity, the freedom from the need to be married is a gift that enables some to focus more directly on the work of the Kingdom. But we must understand that Paul believes that marriage is also a gift. Each has their own gift, his language is inclusive not exclusionary. He is saying that his personal preference is for the gift of being single but at the same time, he realizes that it is neither possible, practical, or even preferable for all people to have that gift. In the same way, I have occasionally said that I wish that everyone had the gift to teach, yet I realize that in the reality of the Church this is not possible, practical, or ultimately preferable. Paul sees each believer in the community as gifted by God in some way, and it is the responsibility and privilege of each person to use those gifts for God’s own purposes.
Devotional Thought
Paul’s belief is that everything within a marriage should be for the purpose of glorifying God. How does this challenge you in your own marriage? If you’re not married then how does this change your views of marriage and dating? What can you do in your own relationships to ensure that they glorify God in every aspect?
1Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
Dig Deeper
When I was younger, dieting was viewed quite differently than it generally is today. Dieting is still done with great fervor, but most people understand, at least in theory, that a proper diet must be done wisely with healthy, balanced meals, and accompanying exercise. When I was younger, however, it was much more common for people to diet by simply starving themselves. They began to view eating in general as the enemy and would avoid it all together. The problem with that is that two major things were working against that. One is that the body thinks its starving and so hangs onto its fat reserves rather than burning them. The second is that the human will can only hold up against our natural inclinations for so long. What usually happened is that the starvation diet would crash and burn in the midst of a great binge of eating.
In Corinth, there were apparently at least two camps of thought. Some Christians were claiming total freedom and doing whatever they wanted with their bodies. They believed that what was done with the body had little if any effect on the spirit, so why not do it all. There was apparently another group, however, that seemed to be following the line of thinking of many pagan philosophies of the day that included the belief that the body was inherently evil. All pleasures of the body needed to be avoided because they inhibited the development of the spirit. The eventual goal, in this philosophical line of thinking, was for the soul to be free of the body after death. This was the view that Plato espoused, but it is not at all biblical.
Paul has already addressed the first view with several examples, now he turns to the second viewpoint. He does so by answering a question that had arisen amongst at least some in the congregation. They had written Paul an earlier letter asking several questions and now he is going to give his answer. To fully understand his answer, though, it will help to realize that the Roman (and therefore Corinthian) view of marriage was as an arrangement of status and public image, especially for the rich. The Roman emperors greatly encouraged marriage among all people. Marriage, however, was not a very advantageous situation for women. They had very little rights within a marriage and the prospects of unmarried women were very limited in this society. Divorce could be had with a simple declaration of such. This meant that a good marriage was considered to be one that was harmonious. Pleasure was often sought outside of marriage.
In answering their question on marriage, then, Paul is dealing with both the societal view of marriage as well as a pagan-infused Christian philosophy that was teaching that sex and pleasure, even within a marriage, was not desirable and should be avoided. Paul’s overall point is obscured in the NIV translation of verse one which actually says “It is good for a man to have no sexual contact with a woman.” He is quoting what the Corinthians have written him. In theory, Paul agrees with this statement, to a degree, but his full answer is that just as starvation diets don’t really work, neither does this philosophy. Bodies were ultimately made to glorify God, but God also made them to have sex within the confines of marriage. Sex within a marriage is glorifying to God and should not be avoided. The one trying this starvation approach will find themselves exploding in inappropriate ways as evidenced by the apparent visits some had made to prostitutes (see chapter 6) or even the many well-documented problems that Roman Catholic priests have had with sexual matters in modern times.
In this short section on marriage, Paul sets many societal assumptions on their head. His declarations that each spouse literally has ‘authority’ over the body of the other, and that women were free not to be married if they so chose, are quite remarkable and are thoughts that appeared nowhere else in the ancient world. Paul affirms that sex within a marriage is a good and God-ordained thing. Withholding from it in no way enhances one’s spirituality or brings one closer to God. If both parties agree to abstain for some special period of prayer or a spiritual retreat, then both must agree and it needs to be for just a short time. If they try to completely abstain from sexual relations within their marriage they will find, just as the diets, that both their physiology and the power of their will to overcome temptation will be working against them.
Many readers have misunderstood Paul’s remarks in verse 6 regarding a concession as referring to Paul saying that marriage is a concession to keep people from sins of sexual immorality. That’s not Paul’s point at all. The concession to which he is referring is the fact that they may still feel the need to withhold from marital sex for a short time to focus on their spirituality. Paul believes that these are not mutually exclusive activities. Thus, the need for short and mutually agreed-upon sabbaticals are a concession that are wise advice, they are not something that must be done as a command from God.
Paul’s words in verse 7 have also been often misunderstood. Paul’s point here is that chastity, the freedom from the need to be married is a gift that enables some to focus more directly on the work of the Kingdom. But we must understand that Paul believes that marriage is also a gift. Each has their own gift, his language is inclusive not exclusionary. He is saying that his personal preference is for the gift of being single but at the same time, he realizes that it is neither possible, practical, or even preferable for all people to have that gift. In the same way, I have occasionally said that I wish that everyone had the gift to teach, yet I realize that in the reality of the Church this is not possible, practical, or ultimately preferable. Paul sees each believer in the community as gifted by God in some way, and it is the responsibility and privilege of each person to use those gifts for God’s own purposes.
Devotional Thought
Paul’s belief is that everything within a marriage should be for the purpose of glorifying God. How does this challenge you in your own marriage? If you’re not married then how does this change your views of marriage and dating? What can you do in your own relationships to ensure that they glorify God in every aspect?
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