We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul moves to the next section of his letter ... questions.
1 Corinthians 7
1 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage, and to others the gift of singleness.
Sexual. In the previous chapter, Paul was addressing a group in the church at Corinth that had adopted the slogan “I am allowed to do anything” when it came to God’s grace ... including sexual promiscuity (check out yesterday’s entry ... Body). In this part of the letter, Paul is addressing a group at the opposite end of that spectrum. They began to believe (probably in response to the first group) that sex was wrong and that it was more appropriate to be celibate ... even in marriage. Paul was trying to restore a sense of balance to this spectrum. Sex isn’t “wrong” and celibacy “right” (or vice versa) ... they are both a healthy part of life. Singleness isn’t “right” and marriage “wrong” (or vice versa) ... they are both a gift from God. All of them have equal value; as long as, they are expressed properly ... celibacy in singleness and sex in marriage.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Body
We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul reminds us who is really in charge.
1 Corinthians 6
12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything” - but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. 15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Body. We you become a Jesus follower, you (your future, your family, your talents, your finances and your body) no longer belong to you. You belong to God. That is so easy to forget when our default mode is a selfish one and when we are constantly encouraged to do what we want because “we deserve it” or because “it feels right”. It’s like we need a new “app” (iPhone owners know what I am talking about) for our heart ... a filter that helps us discern if something is beneficial and honorable (or not). Actually, if you are a Jesus follower, God has already given you one ... the Holy Spirit. You won’t hear an audible voice ... more like an “internal nudge” that encourages you to do something beneficial and discourages you from doing something dishonorable. It can be difficult to experience those “internal nudges” when there are so many external “voices” in your life. I have found that when I turn off those external “voices” I can “hear” the “internal nudges” more clearly.
1 Corinthians 6
12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything” - but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. 15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Body. We you become a Jesus follower, you (your future, your family, your talents, your finances and your body) no longer belong to you. You belong to God. That is so easy to forget when our default mode is a selfish one and when we are constantly encouraged to do what we want because “we deserve it” or because “it feels right”. It’s like we need a new “app” (iPhone owners know what I am talking about) for our heart ... a filter that helps us discern if something is beneficial and honorable (or not). Actually, if you are a Jesus follower, God has already given you one ... the Holy Spirit. You won’t hear an audible voice ... more like an “internal nudge” that encourages you to do something beneficial and discourages you from doing something dishonorable. It can be difficult to experience those “internal nudges” when there are so many external “voices” in your life. I have found that when I turn off those external “voices” I can “hear” the “internal nudges” more clearly.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wise
We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul gives us a negative of wisdom.
1 Corinthians 6
1 When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! 2 Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? 3 Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 4 If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? 5 I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? 6 But instead, one believer sues another - right in front of unbelievers! 7 Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers. 9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Wise. The church in Corinth needed more wisdom. Wisdom to know how to resolve disputes. Wisdom to know that our decisions impact others. Wisdom to know we should avoid the bad habits of our past. Unfortunately, wisdom isn’t developed overnight. It is a combination of knowledge (knowing God’s word) and experience (putting God’s word into practice). In case you are visual learner like me, here is a snapshot of what wisdom looks like ... purity, faithfulness, generosity, self-control, gentleness and honesty. Basically, it is doing the opposite of “those who do wrong”.
1 Corinthians 6
1 When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! 2 Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? 3 Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 4 If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? 5 I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? 6 But instead, one believer sues another - right in front of unbelievers! 7 Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers. 9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Wise. The church in Corinth needed more wisdom. Wisdom to know how to resolve disputes. Wisdom to know that our decisions impact others. Wisdom to know we should avoid the bad habits of our past. Unfortunately, wisdom isn’t developed overnight. It is a combination of knowledge (knowing God’s word) and experience (putting God’s word into practice). In case you are visual learner like me, here is a snapshot of what wisdom looks like ... purity, faithfulness, generosity, self-control, gentleness and honesty. Basically, it is doing the opposite of “those who do wrong”.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sin
We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul confronts how we view sin and how we deal with sin.
1 Corinthians 5
1 I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you - something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. 3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man 4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. 5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. 6 Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. 8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth. 9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. 12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
Sin. As a result of reading this passage, I have two prayers. One, that God would break my heart regarding sin ... that he would turn my apathy and tolerance of sin into the sorrow and shame I should regard it with. And two, that God would help me to love my friends (that are Jesus followers) enough to graciously confront them if there is a sin in their life that they aren’t willing to confront.
1 Corinthians 5
1 I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you - something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. 3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man 4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. 5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. 6 Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. 8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth. 9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. 12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
Sin. As a result of reading this passage, I have two prayers. One, that God would break my heart regarding sin ... that he would turn my apathy and tolerance of sin into the sorrow and shame I should regard it with. And two, that God would help me to love my friends (that are Jesus followers) enough to graciously confront them if there is a sin in their life that they aren’t willing to confront.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)