More Gifts

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

MORE GIFTS

1 Cor 12:27-31

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

NIV

As we had already concluded, that within the context of this whole letter and the fact that we are all part of the body of Christ and that each member has a function, this relates to the gifts of the Spirit and which gift He manifests in whoever He determines, and when He decides to manifest it. None of these gifts are up to us or relate to our abilities, knowledge, education, or training. There has been a school of thought contrary to this, in that they say our natural abilities are God-given and thus He designed each of us with certain gifts from birth. When we examine these scriptures, especially when it is totally within the determination of the Spirit, or as He decides, we have to come to the conclusion that theory about us being born with God-given talents, or gifts, is false as it relates to the gifts of the Spirit. However, it may be true that we are born with certain tendencies toward a particular interest, but both our genetics and environment growing up play a great role as to who we are and who become as adults, and what field of interest we participate in. Still, this is not to say that God does not direct our paths, however, it is most likely we would have to want to walk that path, asking or seeking the leading of the Spirit into all truth. It is doubtful that an atheist or agnostic would be seeking the path of God or are under his choice of path. Therefore having God direct our paths looks as though that only applies to believers. Nevertheless, after all that, we come to more gifts and a better understanding that each member, each believer has some gift that plays a specific role in the body. God is the one who appoints who he will to be an apostle. We need to first garner the truth of what it is to be appointed as an apostle. The Greek word carries the meaning of being an ambassador of the gospel, a delegate as one sent forth with orders. Certainly, it is specially applied to the twelve that Jesus chose, but that does not mean they were or are the only persons whom God has appointed as His ambassadors. Paul calls himself an apostle of Christ, and he was not one of the twelve, although as some would believe, that term is reserved for only those who personally saw Jesus. Because Jesus appeared to Paul, then he would fit that description. Yet, in this context, it appears some others could be apostles, or people selected by God to go forth, to be sent as His ambassadors of the gospel. This may well fit those who have been called into the mission field, as they certainly are ambassadors of the Gospel, and they have been sent. This may also apply to someone within the church, a person selected by God to be his ambassador in a lost world. When we think of the duties of ambassadors, we know they only speak for their sovereign, they do not speak on their own, but only with the authority of their sovereign. This may well fit many more people than we know, so that they may be other apostles within the church because this is one of the gifts of the Spirit.  

Equal Concern

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

EQUAL CONCERN

1 Cor 12:21-26

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

NIV

We continue with this body parts explanation by Paul and how they are all interdependent on each other. We have already concluded that each one of us has a part and that we each should be doing our part and not try to be another part or be jealous of other parts or be prideful thinking we are an important part. Here, we see this is taken further to the point that we have to understand that every person in the body of Christ has a part and that each part is as important as the other. We are all equal in the sight of God and we should see ourselves in that same way. In fact, Paul makes the point that the parts that are not presentable or that should not be seen, are treated with more respect and modesty than those parts that are visible. This should give us the idea that those who have public parts in the body, such as the preachers, or pastors, assistance or associate pastors, choirs, musicians, sound people, Sunday school teachers, secretaries, treasurers, boards, etc., are just the visible parts. Those parts or people who do things behind the scenes, that no one sees, ought to be treated with special honor. That is there should be complete mutual respect within the body of Christ for we all are members of the body with Christ being the head. When we contemplate how the head of our body is the center of control. We know our spirit is who we actually are because when the brain dies, we leave it behind, however, while we occupy our body, the brain controls all the parts, and all the parts serve the brain in one way or another. This is the way the church, the body of Christ functions. All the parts, all the members serve Jesus in one way or another, none being more important than the other. Certainly, our physical body can be missing some parts and still function enough to serve the brain. We can be missing a limb or some interior or unseen organ part, but in some sense, we would be handicapped. The body of Christ must never be handicapped, it should never be crippled in any sense. All members should be serving the needs of the head, Jesus. If one of the members is sick or is suffering in some way, we all suffer with them. If one of the members is honored, we all rejoice with them. We should have equal concern for each other.

Doing Our Part

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

DOING OUR PART

1 Cor 12:14-20

14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

NIV

The point here Paul is making is that each one of us has a part to play in the body of Christ. That is we cannot be a part we are not intended to be. It is like a baseball team in that if a player says that if they cannot be the pitcher, then they don’t want to play. But the team needs each position in order to be successful as a team. This is the church, this is the body of Christ. In order for us to be successful, we all must play the position God has determined we are best suited for. The best part of this is that we can or should be aware of the part we are to be and be the best we can at playing that part. Because God has arranged the parts in the body because he has not only called us but directed our paths so that we have become the member of His body that He wants us to be. This should give us a great pleasure to know we are doing that which God has arranged for us to do. This should also give us reason not to be jealous of someone who is doing something that we think we want to do or be in a position we think we ought to be. Then again, on the other hand, whatever we are doing, whatever place God has arranged us in we should not be prideful if we think we are some important part, for we cannot function at being our part if it were not for the other parts. This is not the Adams family with a hand running around on its own. Whoever saw an eye or a mouth walking about doing that which it does without the rest of the body? Although it is true there is technology available that we could speak these words on the page. At present, our mind needs both our eyes and our fingers to do the writing, as well as our posterior to sit here at the computer and our mouth to sip on our coffee. So it is with the church, the body of Christ. We need each other to do that which God has arranged for us to do. In addition, we can be confident that as he has arranged us and he has also empowered us to be that part. If we were to keep this within the context of the whole of this chapter, then all these parts would be the various gifts of the Spirit and there too we must be careful not to desire to have the Spirit to manifest a gift within or through us that He has not determined. Everything is up to God, we are simply His servants, His friends whom He determines how and the best way we should benefit His kingdom. Still, each part, each one of us has to be a part, has to do that which God has called and empowered us to do, and be content, satisfied, fulfilled being the part he has made us to be. We sing that song about Him being the potter and we are the clay. We ask him to break us, to mold us, and fill us. As the potter decides just what type of pot he makes, we are but to be broken, molded and, filled, just as he does the work. Let us be the best pot he has made us into. Let us be the best part of the body of Christ that we have been called to be.

One

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

ONE

1 Cor 12:12-13

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

NIV

There is a further discussion regarding us all being one body, but we should stop here for a moment and just ponder on this introduction of sorts to the rest of Paul’s warning about too much individualism or being too proud regarding our works. Every single believer is a part of the body of Christ and which part of the body of Christ is more important than any other? It would seem the truth of the matter is, there is not any part that has a more important role than any other. All of us were baptized by the one Spirit into one body. It does not matter our background, whether we were born into a Christian home, or came out of a horrific sinful life. It does not matter if we went to the best seminary or college or we have no degrees. It does not matter if we have great wealth or whether we are simply just getting by. It does not matter what manner of speech we use, or what accent we have, or country we were born in, or our heritage. The fact is that we all have been baptized by one Spirit and therefore we are all part of the body of Christ. Paul will talk more about how no one part should be proud of its role, as each is dependent on the other parts to function at all. This whole issue of titles in the church is sort of counterproductive to being one body and drinking from the same Spirit. It is possible these various titles could be acceptable if they are simply an acknowledgment of the particular part of the body they function. However, the danger is in these parts, or title holders, becoming prideful, thinking more of themselves than they should. The point here is that we are all the same in Christ, although we all have are a different part, that means we all, not just some, but all of us believers have a role to fill within the body of Christ. This also means no one can just sit and soak, so to speak, being an anonymous, none involved member in the church, which makes up the body of Christ. Looking at a body that has one part non-functional, say like a leg or a foot, we would see, what appears in some sense, a crippled or handicapped person. The Church cannot function as it was designed if it is crippled, the body of Christ needs all parts working at full capacity, serving each other, in order to be what God intended it to be, one.

Translation

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

TRANSLATION

1 Cor 12:7-11

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

Now to the last of these nine gifts of the Spirit enumerated for us here in this letter by Paul to the Corinthians. The gift of the interpretation of the various tongues. This makes it clear that the tongues which are spoken, or the words that are uttered by someone who the Holy Spirit in manifesting the gift of tongues through are words that no one can understand and thus in need of an interpretation or as the Greek word here means translation. This also makes it clear these gifts are completely different from what happened on the Day of Pentecost. On that day, the disciples were filled with or baptized with the Spirit, and for the purpose of receiving power to be His witness throughout the world. They spilled out into the streets of Jerusalem each speaking a language not naturally learned, but they all were speaking different tongues, however, languages that were known to other people visiting Jerusalem because it was the Day of Pentecost. For the Jewish people this marks the fiftieth day after the Passover and marks the conclusion of the Passover season, this is why there were so many visiting Jews from other lands that spoke different languages, and each heard the disciples speaking and praising God in their own language. So although it was unknown to the disciples, it was known by others and in no need of a translation, or interpretation. So then this gift of the Spirit is entirely a different type of unknown language, not known by any human and thus in need of an interpretation. However, again jumping ahead, Paul makes sure that this interpretation is of what the person who the Spirit manifests His gift of tongues through is speaking to God, and not to men. So then this interpretation is of what a person is saying or praying to God and this would again have to be in a corporate situation so it would be for the common good, that is, everyone would be build-up by what was spoken to God through this unknown language because it has to always be accompanied by the interpretation, so that all may know. Paul also says this is a sign to unbelievers, so they may believe. The point of all these gifts are of the Spirit and He is the one and the only one who determines as to when, where, and to whom He manifests them, we only need to be sensitive to the Spirit.

Various Tongues

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

VARIOUS TONGUES

1 Cor 12:7-11

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

We have come to one of the most controversial gifts within the church, well at least within the denominational strife’s that exist as well as the interpretation of what this means by many of the non-Pentecostal or charismatic churches. It is interesting the Greek words are simply Genos Gloossa, which means kinds of tongues. The "different" has been added for clarity, which we think is not needed as the Greek is clear enough. The word Genos, is where we get the word gene, which has the meaning of what a parent passes on to their children, or in this sense various types of genes, or various people, and then it would mean various tongues, or languages, for the tongue is used in speaking. What we always fall back on is that moment the disciples were filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and they spilled out onto the streets of Jerusalem speaking in various languages that they did not naturally acquired. Some would say that was a one-time event, others would say it continues and at the moment one gets baptized in the Spirit, one receives this new language. There are several occasions in the Acts of the Apostles as recorded by Luke that people did, in fact, speak an unknown language when they received the Holy Spirit. That was after that one day in Jerusalem. However, we would have to say those were not the gift of the Spirit, but rather a result of the Spirit coming within someone, or what we would call the baptism of the Spirit. Again, some would say this baptism occurs simultaneously with salvation, while others see this baptism of the Spirit as a second event, just like the disciples experienced on the Day of Pentecost, days after they had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, in fact, Thomas called Jesus, “My Lord and my God” when Jesus appeared after his resurrection, but before his ascension when he sent the Spirit. But again, this event is not the gift, but an event as a result of the Spirit dwelling within for the first time.  This gift of various tongues is a gift that is manifested by the Spirit as He determines. So the question is how do we accept some of the gifts, but reject this one and the one that follows, the interpretation of the tongues. With the combination of this gift, we have to conclude that these various tongues refer to a language not naturally acquired and unknown to either the speaker or those hearing the speaker of this language. Again, this gift, like all the others, must meet the qualification that it is for the common good and therefore we would have to think the Spirit would manifest His gift in a corporate setting for a purpose of edifying the church. We have to jump forward in this letter to find that Paul makes sure this is understood. That when the Spirit manifests this gift of tongues, the speaker is speaking to and praising God, and so the interpretation must be of what that person said to God, so the whole church can be lifted up, through the Spirit's work. However, what may have occurred in many churches is that we have determined when and how the Spirit is to manifest His gifts, especially this one. What should we do? How should we deal with this? Can we simply ignore His gift and not allow Him freedom? Are we saying we know better than God? Just saying that is bizarre. Of course, we want the Spirit to work in us, for the common good as He determines. Of course, we want to be open to being used by the Spirit for the common good. Of course, we what Him to determine when and through who is manifests His gifts. So then, what should we do?

Judging Spirits

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

JUDGING SPIRITS

1 Cor 12:7-11

 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

We have come to a gift that we think we all should be seeking the Spirit to manifest within us. This gift of distinguishing between spirits is extremely beneficial to the common good if the common good is aware. This Greek word that is translated here as distinguishing, carries the meaning of making a judicial estimation or a judgment of what is right and wrong, to separate thoroughly. This would mean that when the Spirit works within us we will be able to tell whether what we hear is from the Lord or from the flesh or what a person says, especially a preacher, is being influenced by God or by Satan. False teachers, false prophets, false doctrine, will all stand out in blazing color so we will know them and reject any of their influence upon us. This is most likely also applied to the difference between God and the world. But then we are still looking at judging the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Yes, it is true that God created the earth and it is his, but the prince of the air has been rooming around like a lion seeking who he can devour. We have to be able to see the difference, hear the difference in the truth and in falsehoods. We know even back in the time of the Acts of the Apostles a man named Simon wanted to buy the gift of God so he could do that which they were doing. He was not only rejected but judged as having a sinful heart, and told to repent of his wickedness. There are people today who have this same kind of heart,  those false preachers and teachers, looking to benefit from exhibiting the gifts of God. We know we should not judge all of those who make a big splash or put on a big show to gather many followers, broadcasting their brand of faith in such an obvious fashion. However, if we examine, having the gift of discernment being manifested within us, we would find their lifestyle is not built on humility, but on pride and abundance. This gift would allow us to see them for who they are, and not be fooled by them. We would also be able to discern the truth when we hear it. Why would we not want the gifts of the Spirit? Why would we turn our minds, or our spirits from the Spirit manifesting his gifts within us, so we might be able to apply them for the common good, for all of us believers? We need the Spirit to flow within us and through us with all his gifts so we can grow more in the knowledge of God and being transformed into the image of His Son. Jesus had the gifts of the Spirit manifested in him, so then so should we. These gifts are part of our transformation.

Prophecy

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

GIFT OF PROPHECY

1 Cor 12:4-11

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

It is now time to investigate this gift of prophecy. First, we should distinguish the difference between this gift of prophecy and the office of prophet in the church. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he makes it clear the Lord has given some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers. He makes it clear all these offices are for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying the body of Christ. These are actually offices within the church, people who have been called to that task, to fill the role of one of those four or five, positions. Some divide pastor and teacher, while others see those two as one person, one role, one office. Nevertheless, they all are different than these gifts of the Spirit and how they function in the church. When the Spirit manifests his gift of prophecy through someone, that does not mean that person is a prophet nor occupies the office of prophet. There has been some debate over this gift of prediction. This is the direct meaning of the Greek word translated here as the gift of prophecy. A prophet, on the other hand, is a foreteller, an inspired speaker. We have many of these men in the Old Testament, and many who foretold about Jesus and who and what he would do. The test of a prophet is that what he foretells has to come true, otherwise he is a false prophet. This gift is not like that, it is a gift of the Spirit and therefore when he manifests this in someone, for them to predict something, it is something that is going to happen, for the Spirit never lies, and is not false. So this gift will also be a truth spoken through the power of the Spirit. Some would say this gift is not a prediction, but rather a forth-telling of the will of God. That could be confused in some sense with the gift to the church of pastor because a pastor is usually telling the will of God through sermons. Whether a pastor is actually foretelling or telling what is going to happen may or may not be the case, unless they are telling of the future events that will unfold. Certainly, it is more than possible a pastor, in the midst of his sermon, may utter some prophetic words as the Spirit manifests this gift. But it is also possible that any person could speak out some prophetic words, some prediction of what is to come as the word unfolds throughout the world, as the Spirit manifests his gift. Once again, we need to be open, not closed off, to the working of the Spirit, willing to have him manifest his gifts, including this one of prophecy, as he determines. We sing that song, with the words, flow Spirit flow, flow Holy Spirit, flow through me. So then let us allow Him to flow through us for the edifying of the body of Christ, the church.

Working of Miracles

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

WORKING OF MIRACLES

1 Cor 12:4-11

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

We have come to this word translated as miraculous powers here. Other translations have used the word, working of miracles, or effecting miracles. The Greek word does directly translate as power, strength, or ability and is used as the inherent power that resides in a person that puts forth or exerts. This word is usually translated throughout the New Testament as power and most specifically the power of God. It would be right then to think in terms of this gift of the Spirit is the very power of the Spirit being manifested within a person for the common good, and this might be seen as some sort of miracle, which is beyond human ability or power. When we consider all the abilities and power of humankind, we have to think this is something very special. We have seen in the area of power, contests to decide the world’s strongest man, where these men must lift extreme amounts of weight far exceeding any normal person’s ability. We have seen doctors doing incredible feats using their surgical abilities, transplanting organs, opening a heart and replacing values, etc., and far beyond what most people could do.  We have witnessed other powers of man in all sorts of fields of science and industry, but nothing, no human power or ability will ever compare to the power of God. So then, when the Spirit manifests His power through someone, everyone will see and know this is not done by human effect, but that God is at work performing an actual miracle. The Catholic Church spends much time examining an event surrounding a person before conferring upon them the title, saint. They must have performed a miracle in order to gain that title. But, here within the New Testament church, the body of Christ, anyone, at any time, in any situation may be used by the Spirit to manifest His power through them, performing a miracle, so to benefit the common good. What the miracle would be is not for us to decide, nor can we guess when it might happen, or where. All we know is this gift when manifested will be noticed as beyond any human power or ability. We could think that when Peter and John spoke to that lamb man on their way to the temple and took him by the hand and he was healed, and went jumping and leaping and praising God, was the gift of healing. But it also could have been a miracle as it was seen by many, and therefore for the common good and many people believed. We could see as Peter stepped out of the boat when Jesus called to him as a gift of faith, but walking on the water could also be seen as a miracle, for whoever has done that since? What we know for sure, is we will know a miracle when we see it happen and we can be sure this gift is still at work within the Spirit and He only needs to manifest it within us when He decides. Let us be aware of His working within us with His gifts.

Gift of Healing

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

GIFT OF HEALING

1 Cor 12:4-11

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

Once again the use of the word Charismata in connection to healing. This Greek word has the distinct meaning of a gift of grace, a favor which one receives without any merit of his own. This is completely different from the root word Charis that carries the meaning of the spiritual condition of one governed by divine influence. So when it comes to this gift of healing, it is absolutely a gift that has no connection with the holiness or righteousness of the person in which it is manifested. We cannot earn or be qualified for these gifts, they are strictly the determination of the Spirit as to when He wants to manifest them for the common good. It certainly would build the faith of the whole church to see a person healed on the spot, such as the many times Jesus healed someone. Every time Jesus healed someone, people noticed and they were amazed, and their faith in Jesus grew. We can just imagine how much growth in faith would occur in a church if someone who came forward to be anointed for healing was immediately healed miraculously, right there in front of everyone. We would have to believe that both the person whom the Spirit manifested this gift of healing and the healed person would know instantly and feel the power of the Spirit flowing through both of them. This is not to say that an individual can be healed when they are all alone and simply pray to God for healing. We have experienced this on occasions, especially that time when we were laying in the hospital in the midst of a severe heart attack. We felt everything going away. Both light and sound were fading and there was no doubt I was able to step into eternity. We knew our family was not ready to be alone and asked if God could allow me to stay to care for them longer. Immediately, everything returned to normal, light and sound were once again full and we knew we would be alright, although we had to wait all night for a procedure to alleviate the pain in our heart, once we got there in the morning, the doctors told us that what they were looking at, we should be dead, but they could clear the total blockage of the vessel feeding the heart. God was at work that day in our life and has continued to sustain us. However, this gift of healing is usually seen by the laying on of hands, and perhaps at the time of anointing with oil, so that the Spirit flows through someone and touches another with complete healing. What a joy to watch this happen, to see someone feel the Spirit coursing through them, reaching the infected or affected area of their body and healing it right there and then. Power of the likes never before felt and seen by all so that everyone’s faith is built up. This is a visible gift even though the healing may be within where it is not visible. We believe in healing, we believe the Spirit will work in lives as we believe. But if we shut him out, he will not press us or force us. Unbelief can hamper his manifestation within us, so we will believe in this gift of healing.

Showing Faith

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

SHOWING FAITH

1 Cor 12:7-11

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

The next gift of the Spirit has been seen in various ways because this is the gift of faith. So often we see faith as that which is needed for salvation because of what Jesus said. Many times he referred to faith, such as telling the woman with the issue of blood that her faith has made her whole, or in Mark 11, when he said, have faith in God, and if one does, he is able to tell a mountain to go throw itself in the sea. Jesus also told people the reason they couldn’t do something is their having little faith. We also know that God gives every man a measure of faith and it would seem it would then be up to us to exercise it, so our faith would not be little, or weak, but rather we would have a strong faith in God. This faith is the type of faith in God and it does relate to our salvation or our relationship with God. But, then here we have a faith that is a gift of the Spirit which in relation to the rest of the gifts, is something other than the faith in God type faith. This is a gift of the Spirit for the purpose of the common good and it is manifested as he determines in whom he determines when he determines. This is some kind of supernatural faith that would build up the church in some way, for it has to be for the common good. Someone would be able to do something far beyond the normal because of being used by the Spirit to manifest this incredible amount of faith. It would have to even be a greater faith than to be able to move mountains. Of course, that teaching by Jesus has been seen as a metaphor in that there are mountains in our lives, things that are as big as a mountain, which we can overcome through faith. But he continues in that teaching that if we have faith, without doubt, anything we say and believe, it will happen, that it will be done for him. Jesus also went on to say, that anything we ask in prayer believe that we have received it and it will be ours. However, there is a condition to all that. We must forgive everyone of everything they may have offended us by doing or saying. Still, this gift of faith is far more than that kind of faith. We cannot be certain just how that looks, or whether we have even witnessed this gift manifested, but then maybe we are just no open to allow the Spirit to manifest this type of faith in us, so we hold back because we lack a fuller understanding of what would happen if this gift of faith were to show up. What would this supernatural faith cause to happen that would be for the common good? It cannot be just for one person, but it must be for the whole church. It seems this would be believing God in such a powerful way that a miracle would happen in front of everyone. But then miracles are another gift entirely. Still, something big would have to happen because of this gift of faith. On the other hand, if because Jesus said that we could ask for anything, then we should be able to ask the Spirit to manifest his gifts in us, that than would include this supernatural faith so as to do something that would build up the whole church. Still, it is up to Him to determine the manifestation of His gifts, but we certainly can ask to be used, and He would certainly take that as an opening to exhibit himself within us and through us to show faith.

Knowledge

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

KNOWLEDGE

1 Cor 12:7-11

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

This gift of knowledge may be one of the more difficult gifts to get a full understanding of just what it means and how it works. Because the Greek word here is Gnosis and we get the word gnostic or the doctrine of Gnosticism, which simply means to know, some would have us believe it is related to the science of learning information. This is specifically related in Christianity to the learned knowledge of the secrets of the Old Testaments, which is gaining the understanding of all the types and prophesies relating to the revelation given to John. However, that seems to be centered on the ability of man to learn this knowledge, to gain knowledge through study. This might be how this gift is seen, however, unless all that knowledge is shared and fully understood by all of the church, it does not meet the qualification of being for the common good. In order words, unless this is a message of knowledge, it remains within the mind of the one person who has learned it. This would also mean this one who learned it has to be able to effectively communicate all his learned knowledge to all the church so they, at whatever learning abilities they have, gain a full understanding of this knowledge. Therefore, it has to be a gift of the Spirit. The Spirit has to be at work in a person illuminating divine knowledge for the purpose of the common good. There are some Pentecostal or charismatic groups who indicate this gift is someone being relieved information about someone else of which they have no knowledge, by any other means. But that is also not for the common good as it would only apply as a one on one experience. So then, what is this gift and how does it work as it is meant here. It certainly is the giving of special knowledge, divine knowledge regarding the word of God, for that is where all truth is contained. However, it is not through study, for that is how human knowledge is obtained. This is the Spirit manifesting himself at a specific time through either a sermon, a message, or in a discussion, or through the written word, that is disseminated throughout the church, at least within the local church, so there is a common good reached. But, again, anyone can be used by the Spirit, as He determines, to bring forth this divine knowledge. This gift can be manifested within someone who has absolutely no skilled training in communication or has any learned knowledge through study. We must always remember this is a gift of the Spirit, this is the manifestation of the Spirit at work in a willing person for the purpose of the common good. Let us allow the Spirit to be the giver of His gifts, and be willing to be used as He determines.

Words of Wisdom

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

WORDS OF WISDOM

1 Cor 12:7-11

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

Having done a summary of sorts of these gifts of the Spirit, we are now going to take a look at each and see just how the Spirit operates within us as He determines as to which one and when He needs to manifest them in and through us for the common good. Therefore, we will first take a look at this message of wisdom. In order to have a fuller understanding of this, we should use the Greek words which are more correctly translated as a word of wisdom. The Greek word logos is used vary broadly and being paired with wisdom it may well be seen as a full message, or discourse of words, such as in a sermon or a discussion, or a teaching. The Greek word Sophia or sofia is used as the wisdom that belongs to men, but also supreme intelligence that belongs to God. Therefore, because this is a gift of the Spirit and thus a gift of God, we would have to come to the conclusion whatever is spoken through this gift of the message of wisdom is not from the mind of man. That is to say, this wisdom does not come from hours of study or for that matter, years of study. It is not dependent on the number of degrees or learned knowledge that we have acquired. This is not to say that through all this time and study we have not gained much human wisdom or understanding of many things, and in the case of us believers, the things of God. Being learned in the scriptures certainly adds to our understanding of our relationship with God, or rather His relationship with us, His creation. We have to remember, living in the kingdom of God is a God-centered life, rather than man-centered, so we have to remember this is all about God and His relationship with us. However, as for this gift of wisdom, it simply shows up as the Spirit determines, and not dependent on the amount of study we do and the learned information we have. This may be seen right in the middle of a sermon, or discussion, or teaching which has been prepared by hours of study. Right there, in the course of speaking that which has been determined by man, the Spirit just inspires a word or words that come straight from the supreme wisdom that belongs to God. It would not come from the mind of the prepared man, but from the Spirit. Words not prepared, words not thought through as to have the greatest impact, words not printed in notes, or rehearsed, but words that speak from the wisdom of God for that moment in time for whoever is listening. We may not know in our minds at the time, but those words will speak directly into our spirit for our benefit, for the common good of the church. This is the gift of a message of wisdom.

As He Determines

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

AS HE DETERMINES

1 Cor 12:7-11

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.   11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

This is one of the most interesting portions of this letter and it has so many in such a tizzy. What is it about these gifts of the Spirit that cause such a division among the body of Christ? It seems we pay so much attention and what to keep portions of the law, such as the Ten Commandments which are included in what Jesus fulfilled, but take this New Testament concept of these gifts and say it was only for the early church and they are no longer available or no longer apply to the body of Christ. However, the truth be told, the Spirit is still at work in the church and if we want his fruit to be evident in our lives, we should also want his gifts to be evident in our lives, along with God’s armor. What we have to come to terms with is that these gifts of the Spirit are for the common good, this means the only purpose they serve is for the good of the whole church, and all the church. The only truth we have to come to terms with is, that all these gifts are given to each one, just as he determines. This means it is not up to us to determine if he gives them or not, and to who he gives them, or if he stopped giving them, or if he is still manifesting his gifts within the church. We do not get to make that determination, we cannot decide anything about these gifts other than they are the Spirit's and if he dwells within us, which he does, then we better get used to the fact that he has control over his gifts and we have to allow him to do whatever it is he does, otherwise, we might be guilty of squelching the Spirit. We are aware there are denominational statements of faith or beliefs that should be agreed with if one wishes to belong to that particular group. However, at the same time, we have to consider the truth of God and whether these various denominational beliefs are more a determination of man, rather than of God. What we have to do here, is take each of these gifts which Paul outlines and study them to get a full understanding of how they work within the body of Christ. This is going to take some time so we will continue with this portion for as long as it takes to get the fullest meaning possible. For now, we simply have to come to grips with the fact these gifts belong to the Spirit and he manifests them in us for the common good, as He determines.

God Works

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

GOD WORKS

1 Cor 12:1-6

12:1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

NIV

There are some very interesting words here in Paul’s introduction of explaining the gifts that are a result of being a believer. First, the Greek word translated as a gift is charisma, which is where we get this idea of those who are called charismatic or those who employ many of the verbal gifts of the Spirit, tongues, interpretation, and prophecy. It is interesting, there are six other of these special types of gifts that are spoken of yet the Charismatic usually focuses on these three. It is also interesting that those who are not considered as Charismatic of Pentecostal avoid at all costs these gifts, in fact, it would seem most of the post-modern holiness churches are not interested in having God manifest his gifts in them. This is just an observation, not a judgment. However, we are at this place in this letter where the gifts are at the forefront of Paul’s instructions. Of course, there was a wild willy type of gift-getting going on in Corinth. That is to say, the manifestations of the gifts may have been out of hand, in that there was no order, or perhaps more in control of man, then of the Spirit. Paul wants them and us to know the Spirit is the one working or manifesting the gifts. This idea of being influenced by mute idols or God makes all the difference in the world. If we are speaking as influenced by the Spirit we would never curse Jesus, but also we would always be saying that Jesus is Lord. Unless a person is influenced by the Spirit, they cannot say that Jesus is Lord. Perhaps they might be able to actually say those words, but if they are not a believer under the influence of the Spirit, it is not from their heart, it is mere words. Now, about those three Greek words translated as gifts, service, and workings. These three words are actually gifts, administrations, and operations. Charisma, diakonia, and energeema. We can see how we get the word deacon, and engineer from the Greek words translated as service and workings. It is interesting how God uses different aspects in order to do his work in us through his Charisma. The Greek word that is used to say that the same God works all of them in all men is the same root as energeema, but in a different form so as to mean at work, doing the work, putting forth the power. This is to say that we cannot muster up or conjure up the gifts as if we are in control. That would sort of being like getting gifts or presents from someone that we went out and bought for ourselves, then wrapped them up and put somebody's name on it as if they gave it to us. No, we cannot do that with the gifts of the Spirit for it is completely up to God to put forth the power, the working of his gifts within whosoever He decides to do the work with which gifts and when to do that work. This is all God and none of the man, except we are the recipients of the work of God within us.

 

Heathy with Strength and Power

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

HEATHY WITH STRENGTH AND POWER

1 Cor 11:27-34

27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

NIV

We would never presume the reason anyone is weak or sick is due to them partaking in communion in an unworthy manner, that is they do not examine themselves or judge themselves fully and have unconfessed sin in their lives. However, this is exactly what Paul is telling these people in Corinth and it would have to apply to us as well. We know what sick is, but what does he mean by weak? In Addition, what does he mean by some have fallen asleep? First, we have to understand that the Greek word translated as weak means feeble, to be without strength or power. This would like being a crippled Christian, without the power of the Spirit at work within us. It would be like appearing to be a Christian as in attending church and maybe even doing some sort of works, or deeds, but without any evidence of the power of the Spirit. So then, any works are much the same as any person could do, working in the flesh, so to speak. But there is no real power present. This falling asleep is much the same as it does not mean death, as that phrase does elsewhere, but this Greek word carries the meaning of repose, resting, doing nothing at all, no power, no evidence at all of any activity of the Spirit, no gifts, no fruit, just living, looking like a Christian. The sick is simply sick, having some illness or infirmities. It is used as when Jesus had compassion on the people and healed all that were sick. Yet, this Greek word also is seen as feeble, weak, unhealthy in that sense. This all happens because people are partaking communion with some hidden sin. This is not that someone has murdered or stole from someone. This is more like having ill-feelings, or unforgiveness, or envy, or jealously, or being critical or even judgmental of someone. This is more like being disobedient, wanting and enjoying feeling the way we do toward another person, because we see them as being wrong, or they have wronged us somehow and that is it, and we are done with them. The fact remains, that if we have anything in our lives, that is not right, we have to make it right, we have to examine ourselves, being truthful with ourselves, taking a deep look inside, and get it out and forgiven, then we can partake, and then we can actually live healtihy and with strength and power.

Being Clean

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

BEING CLEAN

1 Cor 11:23-26

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."  25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."  26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

NIV

We have come to one of the most used portions of scripture for the purpose of sharing in the communion time within the church. We note that Paul quotes Jesus here, although Paul was not actually present when Jesus spoke these words. It is the same as when we quote Jesus as we direct or administer the elements of communion. We also not that we as the evangelic church do not believe in transubstantiation, but that these are but bread and wine, as it was when Jesus spoke these words. What Jesus was saying, and as Paul quoted here, was that when we gather together for the purpose of communion we are to use these elements and not have a feast or carry in with some eating their full, while others go hungry, as we have already noted. Jesus was saying that as we share in the loaf of bread, and that has turned into all sorts of versions of something that resembles bread, we are to think of the fact he gave himself up for us. We are to think of the fact that he was bruised for our iniquities, and nailed to that cross, and died for the forgiveness of our sin. This is not something we should partake of lightly, but with sober judgment of our own sin, and how this bread reminds us of what Jesus did for us, of how much he loved us. Then when we take the cup, and again this has become all sorts of versions of that cup Jesus shared with his disciples, we should not partake of it lightly either. Whatever version we use, it still represents the fact that Jesus spilled his blood for us. It is by His blood that we are washed clean. This is so important for us to remember. That fact is that as we partake in the bread and the cup we can be assured that we have been declared by God as holy and blameless in his sight. We have been cleansed from all our sin, as if we were sinless, although we know we are not because we know that sin still entangles us from time to time throughout our daily lives. However, that does not alter the fact that we are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. This is the importance of sharing in communion with each other, to remind us of what Jesus did for us and what he said we are to do, remember, to eat of the bread and drink of the cup in remembrance of him. This is a serious moment of reflection of our lives and of His offering himself for us. This is not just a tradition, but an ordinance of God, and our hearts need to be in the right place when we share together. Again, we know that Paul is going to go on to make the point about eating the bread and drinking from the cup in an unworthy manner has done a dangerous act. But we will leave that for next time. For now, let us always consider, always look to this time as a moment of sober self-examination and remember what Jesus did so we can be clean.

Do No Harm

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

DO NO HARM

1 Cor 11:17-22

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22 Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

NIV

This is somewhat a difficult directive to grab a hold of. Of course, this is pointed directly at the Church in Corinth and what was happening when they gathered for the purpose of public worship. We understand the use of the word church did not nor does it mean today, a building place to gather in, but rather the people are the church. It is also clear there was a division among them and it also is clear that in some gatherings of the people of God, they are also some divisions. It would seem that some of the division among them was in either their wealth or position in society or both. The only parallel we can think of that would resemble what Paul is warning them about is what we would call, a linger longer, or a carry-in, or potluck dinner at church. There have been churches that we have been in where being at the end of the line means having less to eat than those at the beginning of the line, for they heap their plates with no concern of those behind them. This is not the norm, but we have seen it happen. This must have been what Paul was talking about for they were not taking communion in the same sense that we do today. Many times we will all take the elements of communion and wait for the pastor to remind us of the Lord’s words regarding his body and blood and we partake together, at the same time. This is the right and full meaning of communion, being in communion with Christ and with each other. Within this time, we are to spend reflection on our worthiness to partake. That is, if we have any unconfessed sin, it is time to make things right. Paul will get to that next when he tells them and us that we should examine ourselves, so as not to eat and drink in an unworthy manner. But here it is more about the divisions that are within the body of Christ. It is about the wealthy showing their wealth, eating and drinking the best of foods in plenty and having much, humiliating those who have little. We certainly live in a capitalist society and it is fine that some make far more money than others, which is the way of life. Those who were able to make much, have much and those who were not able have less. In the body of Christ, there should be neither pride nor jealously regarding the social and financial differences that exist. However, when those with wealth flaunt it without caring for those in need, something is desperately wrong. That is what Paul is upset about with this Corinthian church. Hopefully, we do not have that kind of discord in the church today. Hopefully, we have not allowed anything to come between us in the body of Christ, that there is a common and mutual love and respect among all of us. Hopefully that our gathering together does not do us any harm, but is for the purpose of building each other up, bringing unity in our faith, and unity in our worship of our Lord. Hopefully, we do no harm.  

Equality

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

               EQUALITY

1 Cor 11:11-16

11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice — nor do the churches of God.

NIV

We are still talking about hair and how it has a meaning as to our place in the grand scheme of things. Yet throughout the ages there were times when men had long hair. We do not know if women ever cut their hair until more recent times and in fact, we have even seen woman cut their hair so short it appears to be as short as a man’s, or even shorter, almost like a shaved head. It would seem we pay little to no attention to this portion of the scripture, considering it to be meant only for those Corinthians and holds no truth for us today. As for this other issue of a woman not being independent of man, nor man being independent of woman, we need to consider how this plays out in the church today. How does this fit into the chain of command, so to speak, as the scripture is absolute in the fact that the man is responsible for his family and thus is accountable and due to this accountability has to have the ultimate authority? However, the fact still remains that all men come from the womb of women and so without the woman, there would not be the man. However, the fact also remains that the woman could not conceive any child without the man. This is by the design of God, that we are interdependent upon each other. Therefore in the sight of God, both male and female are his creation and equal although they each have an individual and different role as designed by God. The word of God also teaches us, men, to love their wives and that wives are to respect their husbands. However, there is also scripture that instructs older women to teach younger women to love their husbands and that husbands should respect their wives and be considerate of them as the weaker partner and heirs with us in the precious gift of life. In other words, in Christ, and thus in the church, and in marriage, there should be this quality of love and respect, therefore as Paul puts it, we are not independent of each other,  but equally dependent on God.

Chain of Command

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

THE CHANGE OF COMMAND

1 Cor 11:3-10

3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head — it is just as though her head were shaved. 6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. 7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

NIV

There is more to this instruction regarding the man and the woman and hair and authority or headship, but we need to stop here for a moment and consider this portion alone. There were some cultural issues here that we in the post-modern church pay no attention to at all. This idea about a woman covering their hair simply does not fly in our culture and faith. However, in other cultures and faiths, even in our country, women must not only cover their hair but their whole head, including their face. But the issue goes deeper than hair, for throughout the ages, and even today, men have worn long hair and today many women have short hair. Again, we might say that this idea of who was created for who may seem to have gone by the way of many other issues that we pay little attention to. Although if we jump ahead to the rest of what Paul says regarding this issue of who is for who and how that all came to be, we might see more equality shown, or at least a more co-dependence concept, but let us wait on that in order to get a handle on this first principle. God established the order of things for his creation. First, we recognize that God created man and breathed life into his nostrils. As God looked at all his creation, each species having a male and female and having given all authority to man over this creation, he found that man did not have the counterpart, or mate, that suitable helper, the female. So he caused his first man, to fall into a deep sleep and took a rib from him to make the woman, thus as Paul puts it, man did not come from woman, but woman from man. So we see this organization of God. God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of man, and man is the head of the woman. Once again, it would seem this principle has gone by the wayside in our current culture of equal rights. But we cannot be equal with Christ for He is still the head of the church. If we were to say that we have equality with God, we would be so full of wrong thinking, yet it would seem in the world, that is just how they think. There is this concept that we can destroy this world and that we can save it by our doing. Only God controls the world for He created it and He will destroy it at some time of His choosing. We in the church do not think like that, for we know God is the head of Christ and that Christ is our head. He is the one we submit to in all things, or at least we are supposed to. However when it comes to this man and woman issue with the man being the head of woman, we have fallen far short of the mark in seeing this as the truth of God. The thinking of the world has infiltrated the church and it has influenced how women see themselves with respect to men, and this includes in the marriage scene. Men have been given fair warning as to not to think they have any authority at all over women, and that we are all equal in the eyes of God. This is true, as we will see in the next statement of Paul, regarding a co-dependence of both not being independent of the other. Yet the chain of command has not been forsaken or broken, as far as responsibilities. Christ is responsible for the church, therefore, has authority over it. God has man responsible for his family and therefore has given him authority over it. Let’s see how this chain of command ends as we continue.

Truth or Tradition

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

TRUTH OR TRADITION

1 Cor 11:1-2

11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.

NIV

First, we need to get a handle on this word that is translated here as teachings. In Greek, this word can be seen in several ways. First, it has been used to infer the Jewish law, or at least the traditions of the law. It can be seen only as a tradition, but the actual meaning is a giving over which is done by word of mouth or in writing. So it could be a teaching, a tradition, or part of the Jewish law. Within the context, we would have to think Paul refers to that which he taught them when he lived among them, which part of is in this letter, but we also have to think that he taught far more than what we actually have a record of, that was all by word of mouth. We, on the other hand, only have what was given over by what is in writing. However, in some sense, we have heard a lot of traditional teachings by the word of mouth, which is not written within the scriptures, or at least it is an opinion of what is thought to be scriptural. Nevertheless, the point is still the same in the sense that we should make every effort to live in such a manner as to hold to the truth in the word of God. We would think the only thing Paul passed on to them was the truth of the gospel and did not expect them to adhere to Judaism, even though some of the church in Corinth was made up of Jews that accepted Jesus as the Messiah and were, in a sense, converted to Christianity, although the church was not called that until later in Antioch. Still, we need to adhere to what the truth in the scripture has for us. This requires rather a large degree of study and contemplation or meditation. It would seem this would be a lifelong endeavor, as it seems impossible to grasp all the truth in just one reading of the Bible, or simply sitting in a pew every Sunday morning and hearing a sermon on some aspect of the truth, at least that is, if the preacher is bringing forth truth. Are we not all responsible for ourselves to search out the truth from the scriptures? We all have been given the Holy Spirit, who among His purposes is to lead us into all truth. Surely the Corinthian church had been given the Spirit, and they would have been able to discern the truth that Paul passed on to them. We too have that discernment and can see the truth as we both read and hear it and it would also seem as we pass it on. If we are to follow the example of Paul and of Christ, they both passed on teachings, they both taught the truth. Jesus taught everything about the kingdom of God, and about the Father and our relationship to him. We can know God because we know Jesus and Jesus is the word, for the Word became flesh and dealt among us. So we follow Jesus, and in some sense Paul, as he has recorded what he learned from Jesus, and his words are considered as from the Lord. Therefore, what we pass on should only be from the word of God and not about traditions. So then there is this question, truth or tradition.

Having an Impact

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

HAVING AN IMPACT

1 Corinthians 10:25-33

25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."   27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake— 29 the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

NIV

Let’s finish this discussion regarding this eating food that is sacrificed to idols and all the little nuggets that have been along the way, although there are still some in these last comments. The point is not about the food that we eat or not eat. It is not about the drinking of wine or not drinking of wine, for if our host serves us food that we normally consider as not good for us or wine that we do not think is right to drink, then we should eat or drink whatever is put in front of us, unless the host says that he got this food from a store that specifically sells food for sacrifices to idols. This, of course, would not happen in our time and space on this earth. Nevertheless, if we thank God for whatever we eat or drink what difference is it what it is? Whatever we do eat or drink we should do it all for the glory of God. However, if by what we do, even though we have the freedom to do it, eating or drinking whatever it is, but we offend a weaker brother or sister because of their conscience or their beliefs then we should abstain in their presence, thus not causing them to either engage in food or drink that they believe they should not, or they could feel uncomfortable in our presence, and they could even become judgmental, or critical of us, which would be sin for them, but also for us. We would not want them to stumble, so we try to please them, however, on the other hand, we would not be about pleasing men, but pleasing God. However, it would be pleasing to God if we did not cause our brother to stumble. Yet, it is also our brothers’ responsibility to please God rather than man, so they should not judge us, or make us feel uncomfortable for eating or drinking whatever we want. As long as we thank God for what we eat or drink, there is no reason anyone should denounce us, as Paul puts it. So it falls on all of us to live as fellow believers which means living in a manner that pleases God yet considering the impact our lives have on others and how that may influence their being in a relationship with God. Therefore our lives will always have an impact.

Examples

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

EXAMPLES

1 Cor 10:23-24

23 "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

NIV

We are still in this long dissertation regarding this food that is sacrificed to idols and whether they should be eating it or not, depending on their conscience or the conscience of others, in a manner of speaking. We have already considered that there are these little nuggets along the way, we now have another one that could apply to all sorts of aspects of life, not just this eating of food or drink. Here is where we could run into a little bit of a snag regarding what is permissible. It would seem that everything is permissible, which would mean if we take it to the fullest extent in the context, we should be able to eat and drink whatever we want without offending God. The problem is we could offend a weaker brother or sister in Christ, who is restricted by either their conscience or some rules or traditions handed down from the earlier church members who lived in more puritanical times. The list of don’ts usually outweighed the list of do’s. However, the point is the same. There are many things we can do, but are they beneficial or constructive? This could apply to many areas of life and not just food and drink, although we could say that we have the freedom to eat lots and lots of chocolate but is it beneficial to our health is the question. We could say that we have the freedom to eat as much as we want, but is it beneficial to our health? We could say that we have the freedom to say whatever we want whenever we want to, but is it constructive? That would mean it is permissible to gossip about others, but that would not be beneficial or constructive. We could say that it is permissible to be jealous or envious or unforgiving, or any other feelings, but they would certainly not be beneficial or constructive. We have to see there are many scriptures that give us the guidelines for holy living and in that sense, many things are not even permissible, such as being jealous or envious or unforgiving, or hoarding wealth, or greed, or sexual immorality, or lust of any kind. When we think of any sin or attitude or behavior that would be in the sin category, we have to come to the conclusion they all are motivated by seeking our own good, our own will, our own pleasures or wants. It does not matter what the sin is, it is always about wanting what we want when we want it, whether that be a material thing, or an attitude or behavior. So then if we are to be imitators of Christ, who put all mankind above his self, when he asked the Father if there was any other way other than the cross, but nevertheless, he told the Father that it was His will that would be done. Jesus is our example as to how we should look to the needs of others over ours and that is not about things, but about life, the way we live so as to not cause someone to stumble. If we are expressing our anger about someone, and willfully expressing our unforgiveness about something someone did, then we might be causing a weaker brother to think that is alright to hold a grudge, as one example of how our lives could reflect that everything is permissible, but many things are not beneficial or constructive. We could go on and on with a list of all sorts of ways in which we could be either a good or bad example to others, but that is the point, being an example of what is just and right.