Greetings once again,
The study in 1 Corinthians 15 is as challenging as it is diverse. Paul summarizes the Gospel, argues for the resurrection of Christ, concludes then that we also will rise, and then wraps up with a little glimpse into the last days.
The memory passage for 1 Cor 15 is;
1 Corinthians 15:3-5,14,49,58 (ESV)
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Paul gives us a tremendous summary of the Gospel in vv1 1-11. It is clearly 'of first importance' through out the letter, but here he restates it's centrality. Christ died, was buried, rose again, and appeared to many people including Paul himself. This is the source and the justification of his calling as an Apostle.
Following is a discourse on the resurrection of Christ. Verses 12-19 pose a logical argument for the consequences of no resurrection. The heart of the Gospel would be void (14), the Apostles would be liars (15-16), assurance of salvation would be impossible without the confirmation (17), those who have died are just dead or in hell (18), and it would confirm the foolishness of the Cross and Christ-followers (19).
Christ is the 'firstfruits' of those who have died and will be raised as He was raised. We can take tremendous comfort that even though in Adam we all die, so in Christ we all shall be made alive (22). This is possible because He has destroyed death (26).
Not only does Paul preach this, but he lives it also. He lives in danger and dies every day for the Gospel; and he can because he knows that he will be raise with Christ when He appears (Col 3:4).
Continuing in natural progression to the resurrection of our bodies, Paul give the illustration of a seed (37ff). God has given us this body as a seed of our resurrected bodies. Each seed holds in it the essence of the plant it will become. But the seed must die before it can become what it was intended. Our earthly seed is perishable, dishonorable, weak, and natural. Our resurrected body will be imperishable, glorified, powerful and spiritual. We now bear the image of the man of dust (Adam in sin), but we will bear the image of the man of heaven (Jesus) when He appears.
The final section, vv50-58, deals with the mystery and victory of the final days. Because flesh can not inherit the kingdom of God, we must be changed. This will happen when the last trumpet is sounded and we are taken up with Christ. Our perishable bodies will become imperishable. Because of the cross, death has no victory. We shall not sleep, but we will appear with Him when He appears (Col 3:4). This is cause for thanksgiving, but also for endurance. "Be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (58).
How does this affect my worship?
This chapter starts and finishes with two foundational keys to worship; the Gospel and thanksgiving. Worship must be rooted in the Word of Christ and His Gospel (Col 3:16). He is the source, the subject and the center of all true worship (Rom 11:36). His resurrection is not only critical to the Gospel, but central to our worship of Him. Paul practices 'spirit and truth' worship by reasoning the resurrection of Christ and us through careful exposition, and following with an overflowing spirit of thanksgiving for what He has done. One of the best lines of music ever written (in my opinion) is in the Matt Redman song "Blessed be Your Name"; 'every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise'. It starts and ends with Him. It must, or it is not acceptable and pleasing to Him (Rom 12:1).
How does this affect my discipleship?
Jesus knew He was leaving His disciples and told them often. But He didn't just leave them on their own. He promised to 'be with them to the end of the age' (Matt 28:20) and to send Holy Spirit. I love the part of the 'history' Paul recounts in this chapter; Christ died, was buried, rose again, and appeared to the disciples. Notice how personal it is in the text; 'He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve...to James, then to all the apostles. (6-7) While the discipleship may end (in the formal sense), the relationship continues forever. He truly loved and cared about His disciples. Do I?
How does this help me know Him more?
He is thorough. His plan has no holes. He knew that without the resurrection it wouldn't be complete. He knew that without discipleship, as He modeled it, it wouldn't spread. He knew that without the power, Holy Spirit Himself, we would fail in our weakness. He also knew the best reward was for us to be with Him, as He is, forever. He made it all happen so that I could be with Him, forever.
thank You, forever....
Be steadfast, immovable, and eternally grateful as you abound in His work,
Ethan
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
1 Corinthians 14
Greetings once again,
It's been a few weeks away from the routine, but we'll try to get back on track now. 1 Corinthians 14 is full of very challenging passages for the life of the church.
The memory passage is:
1 Corinthians 14:1-3, 15, 30-40 (ESV)
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
15What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14 concerns itself with the gifts of prophesy and tongues. The very first verse reminds us of the most excellent way (love) and prioritizes the gift of prophecy over the gift of tongues. The over-riding theme throughout the chapter is that in their meetings they should focus on the gifts that build up the body of believers, not just the individuals using the gifts. Verse 4 sums it up well; 'The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church'.
Paul constantly balances his desire for 'everyone to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy' (5). He argues the priority, the benefits, the implications for the church, and the application in prayer and worship (5-17).
Verses 18 and 19 are Paul's personal testimony concerning the gifts. "I speak in tongues, and am thankful to God for it. But in church I would always rather speak words of instruction than words in a tongue". (paraphrase)
Verse 20 could be one of the main theme verses for the whole book; 'do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature'. Paul follows with a quote from Isaiah 28 about how God uses foreigners to accomplish His purposes. Then he states that tongues are a sign for unbelievers, and prophesy is a sign for believers. Again we see that Paul must be addressing specific abuses by the Corinthian church. Verses 23 through 25 then gives an illustration of what can happen when the gifts are used correctly; repentance, not repulsion.
Then in 26-33a Paul gives some guidelines for order in the service. While various people might bring various things to the service, it all should be done orderly and for the building up of the whole church. Let the gifts of tongues and prophecy be used in order, for God is not 'a God of confusion but of peace' (33).
The next two verses spark incredible controversy in this age. Again, Paul is addressing specific issues that he knows about and heard about concerning the dysfunction in the Corinthian church. Even though some people will restrict this charge to married women, the application of these verses is cloudy. Without further study I am unwilling to offer a conclusion on these verses.
Thankfully, Paul follows a very difficult passage with a tremendous confirmation of his apostleship. He leaves himself open to the scrutiny of other true Christ-followers because he is confident in what the Lord has directed him to write. And his summary is clear; 'desire to prophecy, do not forbid speaking in tongues, do all things decently and in order'.
How does this affect my worship?
If this issue were ever to come up in a worship service, we have the manual as to how to address it. Someone who speaks out in a tongue should pray for the interpretation (v13). If there is no interpretation, that person should not be rebuked, but encouraged to seek to use gifts in the gathering that build up the body of Christ. One thing that seems to be lacking overall in worship and private is the earnest desire for the spiritual gifts that edify the body. The question of 'what is my gift' is not the end; what is my gift and how can God use it in the body of Christ.
How does this affect my discipleship?
I'm struck at the repentance Paul portrays as the Lord speaks through believers in prophecy. An unbeliever is convicted of sin, his secrets are disclosed, he falls in reverence and worships God, and declares, or confirms, that God is really among you. So then what? What do we do with people in the church who come to this, or similar conclusions through an encounter with God? The answer is clear; get that guy discipled. I see personal, intentional discipleship as key to the overall upbuilding of the church. It's what He trained His disciples to go and do. It's what He commanded us to go and do. It's what He promised to empower in us, to the end of the age, as we go and do it.
May you earnestly desire Him above all else,
Ethan
It's been a few weeks away from the routine, but we'll try to get back on track now. 1 Corinthians 14 is full of very challenging passages for the life of the church.
The memory passage is:
1 Corinthians 14:1-3, 15, 30-40 (ESV)
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
15What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14 concerns itself with the gifts of prophesy and tongues. The very first verse reminds us of the most excellent way (love) and prioritizes the gift of prophecy over the gift of tongues. The over-riding theme throughout the chapter is that in their meetings they should focus on the gifts that build up the body of believers, not just the individuals using the gifts. Verse 4 sums it up well; 'The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church'.
Paul constantly balances his desire for 'everyone to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy' (5). He argues the priority, the benefits, the implications for the church, and the application in prayer and worship (5-17).
Verses 18 and 19 are Paul's personal testimony concerning the gifts. "I speak in tongues, and am thankful to God for it. But in church I would always rather speak words of instruction than words in a tongue". (paraphrase)
Verse 20 could be one of the main theme verses for the whole book; 'do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature'. Paul follows with a quote from Isaiah 28 about how God uses foreigners to accomplish His purposes. Then he states that tongues are a sign for unbelievers, and prophesy is a sign for believers. Again we see that Paul must be addressing specific abuses by the Corinthian church. Verses 23 through 25 then gives an illustration of what can happen when the gifts are used correctly; repentance, not repulsion.
Then in 26-33a Paul gives some guidelines for order in the service. While various people might bring various things to the service, it all should be done orderly and for the building up of the whole church. Let the gifts of tongues and prophecy be used in order, for God is not 'a God of confusion but of peace' (33).
The next two verses spark incredible controversy in this age. Again, Paul is addressing specific issues that he knows about and heard about concerning the dysfunction in the Corinthian church. Even though some people will restrict this charge to married women, the application of these verses is cloudy. Without further study I am unwilling to offer a conclusion on these verses.
Thankfully, Paul follows a very difficult passage with a tremendous confirmation of his apostleship. He leaves himself open to the scrutiny of other true Christ-followers because he is confident in what the Lord has directed him to write. And his summary is clear; 'desire to prophecy, do not forbid speaking in tongues, do all things decently and in order'.
How does this affect my worship?
If this issue were ever to come up in a worship service, we have the manual as to how to address it. Someone who speaks out in a tongue should pray for the interpretation (v13). If there is no interpretation, that person should not be rebuked, but encouraged to seek to use gifts in the gathering that build up the body of Christ. One thing that seems to be lacking overall in worship and private is the earnest desire for the spiritual gifts that edify the body. The question of 'what is my gift' is not the end; what is my gift and how can God use it in the body of Christ.
How does this affect my discipleship?
I'm struck at the repentance Paul portrays as the Lord speaks through believers in prophecy. An unbeliever is convicted of sin, his secrets are disclosed, he falls in reverence and worships God, and declares, or confirms, that God is really among you. So then what? What do we do with people in the church who come to this, or similar conclusions through an encounter with God? The answer is clear; get that guy discipled. I see personal, intentional discipleship as key to the overall upbuilding of the church. It's what He trained His disciples to go and do. It's what He commanded us to go and do. It's what He promised to empower in us, to the end of the age, as we go and do it.
May you earnestly desire Him above all else,
Ethan
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