Category Archives: 1 Corinthians

Peddling the Word

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2 Corinthians 2:17
Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

Philippians 1:15-18
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, … 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, … 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
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I used to wonder how you could “preach Christ out of selfish ambition”, “out of envy and rivalry”, with “false motives”. Going into ministry is not usually thought of as a road to fame and fortune although it obviously is lucrative for some today. Apparently in Paul’s day, too, you could “peddle the word of God for profit”.

The longer I’ve been at this pastoring thing the more I’ve seen a subtle temptation that can lead to “selfish ambition” and “peddling the word of God”. When you have been blessed, like I have, to pastor wonderful and gracious people they frequently encourage you, tell you how much God has used you to help them and generously express their love and appreciation. It is tempting to begin to look for those strokes, live for them and long for them. Suddenly you are ministering to meet a need in you instead of allowing God to meet the needs of others through you – selfish ambition. Slowly you can even begin to believe you are as wonderful as people say you are. Because you are so awesome you “deserve” things the average person would consider excessive. We could all point to modern examples of ministries where avarice and greed are justified, even touted as God’s stamp of approval.

The Holy Spirit, through Paul, was glad the gospel was being preached even if the motives were impure so I will be too BUT, I certainly don’t want to be one “peddling the word” or preaching out of wrong motives. I want to, in Christ “speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God” ministering “out of love” for God and others. I am often, very often, reminded of a little story, can’t vouch for how true it is, that has helped me in this area.

When Woodrow Wilson was elected President of the United States, a close friend came to him with these words, “Woody, now that you have been elected President, you are going to have lots of people around you telling you what a great man you are. Just remember, you and I know better.”

While I am grateful for sweet folks who will share how God has used me to bless them and I am always greatly encouraged when I hear such a report (so keep them coming 🙂 but if something inside starts believing “I am awesome!” I remind myself, “God and I (and my wife) know better.”.

Stay humble. Stay sweet. Stay useable.
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James 4:6
… God sets himself against [the] proud, but gives grace to [the] lowly.

Don’t Get Burned

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2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
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You’ve seen the sad scene repeated on the evening news. A broken person interviewed in front of the charred remains of their home. They are grateful to be alive but they lost everything! Their entire life lies in smoldering ruins behind them.

It may come as a surprise to many Christians that they will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and the Bible says some will find their life work consumed and destroyed by fire.

“But I thought all my sins were forgiven!”. They are. The judgment seat of Christ is not a matter of being judged for sin, like in a court of law, but rather, a judging for reward, more like the judging of an art exhibit. Reward will be handed out based upon what we did with what God gave us – talent, resources, opportunities, abilities, skills.

According to 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, our works will be subjected to fire which will destroy all the works of the flesh leaving only what we did of eternal value – those treasures we stored in heaven. Some will lose everything yet they “will be saved” because of their faith in Christ.

This awareness caused Paul to live deliberately rather than casually (1 Corinthians 9:25-27). It created a sense of urgency in his ministry and message. A wise person, aware of the coming flames, will store treasure where it is safe.

Lord, it is so easy to be distracted by the “stuff” of this world – accumulating it, maintaining it, upgrading it, protecting it, replacing it, etc. I want to be wise enough to live for eternity, living for THAT day not this day. Father, when the fire is applied to my life I want to have something left to present to You.
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1 Corinthians 3:12-15
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

I can’t wait to see this!

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1 Corinthians 15:28
When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
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What an unbelievably awesome peek into the future! God the Father, the source of all power, has invested that power in Jesus to accomplish two purposes – to save mankind (Matthew 28:18) and to destroy the enemies of God. (1 Corinthians 15:25)

Once the last enemy, death, is destroyed Jesus is going to submit Himself to God, return the authority invested in Him to the Father. Imagine what a day that will be!

I see it like this. The King gives His Son all the resources necessary to go rescue His Bride and defeat every enemy that threatens her (since no enemy threatens the King Himself). The Son launches on this quest which has now lasted 2000 years. Upon retrieving His bride and destroying the last great threat, death, He returns home the conquering hero. Cheers of the angelic hosts and praises from the court await but He is not as interested in power or authority as He is interested in the goal of His quest, his beloved bride.

During what will surely be the most elaborate and glorious ceremony the universe has ever witnessed, Jesus will return the scepter, the authority, that the Father gave Him. The Father will once again become all in all, to the sheer joy and delight of all creation and Jesus will be free to spend time (eternity) with the object of His affection, His Church.

What anticipation, the hope to one day be in the crowd that participates in this spectacle! To be there as “the Lamb that was slain” receives “the reward of His suffering”.

Think of this! Jesus was not tortured and brutalized to gain power or recognition. He lays all that back at the feet of the Father. He did this because of love for you and me. That does not make us special (we know we aren’t deserving of such sacrifice) but it makes Him oh so special, so wonderful. What a Savior!

It also reminds me to hold lightly to any position, power or authority God invests in me since any position or power or authority is temporary.  It is on loan from God and must one day be returned to Him.  It is a stewardship – caring for that which belongs to another – for which I will give account.
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1 Corinthians 15:24-28
Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. [25] For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. [26] The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [27] For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. [28] When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

God WILL Give Us More Than We Can Handle

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1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 endure it.
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Based on this passage I’ve heard people say “God won’t give us more than we can handle”. I’ve heard it applied to struggles in relationships, finances, health, most any area of life that can be overwhelming. Not only does this verse NOT promise that “God won’t give us more than we can handle”, it actually says the opposite.

Paul, the apostle who wrote this, was given more than he could handle. In 2 Corinthians 1:8 he says that while ministering in Asia “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure …” so God will allow more to come into our lives than we can handle. Why? Paul explains that in the next passage.
“This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”. God will regularly “give us more than we can handle” so we can learn to trust Him and not our own strength.

But this passage does not even say God will limit the power of temptation in our lives to something we can handle. It does say that when an overwhelming temptation comes He will provide a way of escape. The way we “bear” up under the temptation is by taking the way of escape.

The conclusion: Though God may not send the overwhelming trials nor the temptations into our lives (James 1:13) He WILL definitely allow us to experience more than we can handle so we learn to flee temptation and learn to trust Him in times of stress.
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Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Ignorance is bliss?

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1 Corinthians 8:1
We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.
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This passage has been taken by some to justify ignorance or lack of formal training because “knowledge puffs up”. Obviously the Lord’s intent here is not to bash “knowledge” or training. Elsewhere, particularly in Proverbs, the Bible speaks so highly of knowledge and wisdom as a treasure. Proverbs 8:10 – “Choose … knowledge rather than choice gold.”  Paul even laments those who have a zeal without knowledge (Romans 10:2) and encourages study (2 Timothy 2:15). Yes, Jesus used “unlearned and ignorant men” (Acts 4:13) but he also chose Paul, one of the sharpest minds perhaps of all time and Dr Luke, a gentile, to write the vast majority of the New Testament.

Yes, God will use any available vessel, even a donkey, but Ecclesiastes tells us that education sharpens the tool and you can cut down a bigger tree with less effort if you take time to sharpen the ax.

Don’t minimize the importance of study and knowledge. It will not replace relationship but the more I know about my wife, the better my understanding of who she really is and not just who I think she is, the deeper our relationship can grow. Proper knowledge with a proper heart attitude can increase the depth of my relationship with the Lord just as it does in human relationships.

So what was Paul talking about here? The answer, as usual, is found in carefully reading the entire passage and putting this phrase in its proper context. But I’ll have to save that for my next post.
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2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Ecclesiastes 10:10
Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade.That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.

Get outta there!

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1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.
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There is a time to flee and a time to stand. If you confuse the two you are bound to fail. Scripture speaks of standing up against Satan (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). He will try to put thoughts into our head, to instill fear, distrust and evil ideas. We must resist those thoughts by replacing them with those that pass the filter of Philippians 4:8.

But when dealing with sins of our flesh, those things that are not from an outside influece but just part of our fallen nature, we are told to flee. For example, “flee from sexual immorality” 1 Corinthians 6:18, “flee idolatry” 1 Corinthians 10:14-15,”flee the love of money” 1 Timothy 6:11, “flee the evil desires of youth” 2 Timothy 2:22.

I have seen believers who will try to stand up under temptations of the flesh thinking God will not allow them to be tempted beyond what they are able to stand, a misunderstanding of 1 Corinthians 10:13.

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. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

This passage clearly says the way you will be able to “bear” the temptation is by taking the way out God provides. In other words, “flee!” (For more on this click here)

When we try to “stand up” under temptations of the flesh we often end up negotiating, compromising, deciding “it won’t be so bad”, “just this once” or other reasoning that make sense before the fall but seems so silly afterwards.

Ever notice how Satan minimizes the impact of our sin before we sin and maximizes it afterward?

So, like the example of Joseph when tempted by Potiphar’s wife, flee! Get out of there! Take the way of escape God provides.
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Genesis 39:12 (NLT)
She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.

Was Paul Married or Opposed to Marriage?

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1 Corinthians 7:7
I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
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It appears Paul is opposed to marriage. Actually he was combating a common thought of his day (and ours) that being single is a second class status. He is saying that each person needs to live according to the “gift” they have received. Marriage is honorable (Hebrews 13:4) but singles have more liberty to give themselves fully to the Lord. “So then, he who marries … does right, but he who does not marry … does even better.” (1 Corinthians 7:38)

A bit of trivia today, there is reason to believe the apostle Paul was married but a widower when he wrote this. First of all, it fits well into the context here as he specifically addresses widows suggesting they “stay unmarried, as I am” (7:8). Secondly, there are indications Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, because in Acts 26:10 he says he cast his vote for the death of the believers. If he is not speaking figuratively and he was a member of the Sanhedrin, he was married as that was a requirement for membership.

Also, in 1 Corinthians 9:5 he mentions that he and Barnabas should have the “right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles”. Of course, he could just be speaking in defense of Barnabas.

Finally, in his book, “Ecclesiastical History”, written around the year 300AD, Eusebius claims Paul was married based on Philippians 4 where Paul mentions, but does not name, a “yokemate”. The Greek word, “syzygos”, can refer to a person with whom one shares a common burden or to a spouse.

All are rather wispy evidence but there is at least a possibility that Paul was married and his wife died leaving him free to remarry. But he decided in his case and calling it was better for him to stay single.
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Matthew 19:10-12
The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. … The one who can accept this should accept it.”

1 Timothy 4:2-4
Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, …

Where did that verse come from?

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1 Corinthians 6:7
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
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This is a passage I would like to forget exists, just skip over it, and it seems I am not alone. Whenever I hear folks talk about lawsuits the standard in the church seems to be “Don’t sue Christians. Instead, take it to other Christians to mediate the matter.” That is what the “really spiritual” folks do – “sue” in church not in the courts.

But this passage presents even a higher standard.
1. If you sue at all, you lose already (you are completely defeated).
2. Take the hit. Absorb the wrong and move on.

Where would Paul get such a whacked idea? That isn’t justice! That isn’t fair! If I do that then I end up getting burned when someone else did the wrong. They go totally free with no punishment. Who would ever do such a thing?

Hmmmm. I think I see where Paul, or should I say the Holy Spirit, who wrote this through Paul, got such a whacked idea. That is just what Jesus did for us. We offended a holy God but He didn’t drag us before the court. He took the offense, absorbed the penalty. So the Lord is saying that if we want to really win, not be “defeated already”, we should follow His example.

I gotta admit, I like the way we have translated this passage better, “Don’t sue in court.  Instead, drag ’em before the church but make sure, one way or another, you get what is coming to you.  Don’t let those scoundrels get away without paying for their wrong against you.”

Lord, when I face such a situation, please give me grace to follow Your example of forgiveness and entrust the ultimate outcome to a God who judges justly.
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NOTE: Some might be thinking, ” But God will one day judge men for their sin” so He didn’t do what it says here, forgive them without them have to pay for their sin. Think carefully with me.  It is a fine line but men will not be judged for their sin as much as they will be judged for their response to what Jesus did for them. For example, when we stand before God the question is not, “Did you sin or do good in life?” The question will be, “What did you do with the Son? Did you accept or reject Him?”. Make sense?

Jesus and Paul disagree?

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1 Corinthians 5:3
For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.
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It seems one Scripture many people know and enjoy quoting is Jesus saying “judge not that you be not judged”. This is a handy one to bring up when confronted with sin in our lives. So is Paul disobeying this command of Jesus when he says “I have already passed judgment” on this man?

Most who quote Matthew 7:1, “judge not”, aren’t aware that 14 verses later Jesus says, “Watch out for false prophets”. How can I do that if I do not make some judgment about who is speaking truth and who is speaking lies? Clearly Jesus was not saying close your eyes to all evil, all false teaching, swallow whatever comes your way with no discernment. So what was He referring to?

In short, there are things I can know and things I cannot know. I can know a man who is openly engaged in immorality is living in sin because God’s Word tells me such behavior is sin. I can know a man teaching things contrary to Scripture is a false prophet. What I cannot know, and therefore am not to judge, are the motives of his heart.

To point out evil and call it evil is not judging. In fact, it is following the example of Jesus, Paul, Peter and others. In fact, it is following what we are often commanded to do in Scripture – “overcome evil with good”. It is “good” to warn someone of something in their life that will destroy them. It would be unloving and evil to see symptoms of a deadly disease in someone’s life and not warn them. The disease would only kill the body. How much more unloving to not warn them of a disease that will destroy their soul?
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Just a few of many passages that command us to judge actions: Matthew 18:15-17; Romans 16:17,18; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 6:1; Titus 3:10,11; Leviticus 19:17

I Did It My Way!

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1 Corinthians 4:7
For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
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Ever hear anyone claim they are a “self made man”, that no one helped them get where they are today, that they accomplished their success all on their own? What a silly, self centered idea. Their mother, even if she was a horrid one who abandoned them at birth, certainly could tell you she put some hard work, some “labor”, into their existence. After that someone fed them, changed their dirty diapers, tried to educate them. All along the way there have been those who have made their success possible.

And then there is God who gave them life, breath, a functioning body and brain. Without His gifts, which we so casually take for granted, this “self made man” would not, could not even exist.

This passage reminds us that though we certainly had to use what was given to us, the fact that we have anything is a gift from God. The fact that we could work, could think, could eat, could breathe, even that we were formed in our mother’s womb in the first place and were given life, it is all a gift from God and if our abilities and talents are a gift, then what room do we have to boast about what we were given?

What a great passage to kindle humility in each of us but also to develop a heart of gratitude.

Thank you Lord for allowing me to see the light of day, for giving me the health and life I have. We all have struggles and things aren’t always the way we would like them to be but we do have the presence of mind to at least think about it. Some have not even been given that gift to be able to recognize who or what or where they are. We have much to be grateful for. Let’s make this a day of gratitude … and humility.
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Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.