Do It All For The Glory Of God
1 Corinthians 10:1-11 November 15, 2009
Key verse 10:1 NIU UBF
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Chapters 8-10 of 1 Corinthians should be considered as one section that deals with Christian freedom in the context of food sacrificed to idols. In chapter 8 Paul taught us the principle that we have freedom in Christ, but this freedom must be limited by love. In chapter 9, Paul shared his own example. Although he was free, he made himself a slave to everyone in order to win as many as possible. In chapter 10, Paul shared lessons from Israel’s history through which he gave us warnings. He encourages us to please God with our freedom. We just had Veteran’s Day on November 11th . We remembered the many who laid down their lives to make freedom possible for us in this nation. So many soldiers have fallen in battle to gain and protect our freedom. Most of all, we remember Jesus Christ who shed his precious blood to make us free in our deep hearts, from sin. Let’s learn today to please God with our freedom.
Part l: Lessons From History (1-13)
In verse 1a, Paul begins, “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact.....” The fact refers to actual events of Israel’s history. What is history? E.H. Carr said, “History is the conversation between the past and the present.” History is very important. In order to understand the present we need to understand the past. In order to find direction for the future we need to know the past. There is a saying, “Those who know history won’t repeat it.” So we need to study history, especially God’s history in the Bible. In verses 1-4, Paul reminds the Corinthians of God’s grace to Israel in the wilderness. Look at verses 1b-2. “...that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” This was just after God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt, where they had spent 430 long years as slaves. They were miserable and without hope. All they could do was cry out to the Lord in helplessness and agony. Then the Lord had mercy on them and sent Moses to them as a deliverer. Through Moses, God broke Pharaoh’s iron grip and set them free. They were no longer slaves of Pharaoh, but became children of God. God had a vision for them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation and he planted that vision in their hearts.
However, there was a problem. The Israelites still thought and acted like slaves, even after they were delivered. They needed divine training. So God led them to the shore of the Red Sea and allowed the Egyptian army to come up behind them. Caught between the two, the Israelites seemed destined to die. Then the Lord opened the Red Sea and gave them a way out. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry ground (Heb 11:29). Then God led them through the desert. The heat of a desert is unbearable, sometimes over 120 degrees. Once I flew over the Sahara and I touched the plane window. It was hot to the touch. The sun is direct and scorching hot. But God was with them in a cloud, like a giant shade tree or a patio umbrella. God protected them from the dangers in the desert. Paul sees their experience as a mass baptism into God’s family to enjoy a blessed life as God’s children. It was time for them to give up their cravings for the sinful pleasures and conveniences of Egypt, and to live for God’s holy purpose.
God provided everything for them. Look at verses 3-4. “They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” While living in the desert the Israelites needed food and drink. So God provided manna (some flakey, bread like substance) every day for forty years. When they needed meat, God provided quail (small chickens) for them. God nourished them and made them strong. God also provided water. Paul calls it “spiritual” food and drink. This means that God provided it, and it had a spiritual meaning. In Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses clearly tells them: “[God] humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Through “manna” training, God taught them that man needs spiritual food as well as physical food. Man is not just an animal. Man cannot be satisfied with physical food alone. My dog GiGi is not even satisfied with just eating. When we eat spiritual food, then we can be satisfied. So Jesus said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Also, they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Christ was with them, traveling together, even in the desert. When they were thirsty, Christ gave them water. Jesus said in John 7:37b, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”
In verses 1-4, the word “all” appears five times in the original Greek. They “all” received God’s grace in the desert without exception. God did not play favorites. So there was no reason for them to distrust God. Look at verse 5. “Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.” This refers to the event recorded in Numbers chapters 13-14. The Israelites were at the border of the Promised Land. According to God’s instruction, Moses sent twelve leaders to spy out the land for forty days. When they returned, ten of them reported what they saw. A paraphrased translation might have sounded this way. “The land is flowing with milk and honey. But there are strong and powerful people living there. They live in fortified cities. They all look like Mike Tyson and we look like grasshoppers” (refer to Num 13:27 ff.). These ten men forgot God’s grace and God’s mighty work among them in the past. They only saw the situation and the biceps of their enemies, trembled in fear, and gave a bad report. Their bad report spread a bad influence like a contagious disease among the people.
However, Caleb and Joshua were different from them. They remembered God’s grace and power. They remembered God’s history. They believed God would give them victory if God was pleased with them. But the people did not listen to them. They listened to the bad report. People have a tendency to accept bad news without even examining it, don’t they? Then the whole Israelite community began to weep and wail in fear and distress. They grumbled against Moses and Aaron and decided to choose a new leader and go back to Egypt. They totally forgot God’s abundant grace. They became stubborn, rebellious and devilish. So God was not pleased with them. God became angry with them and their bodies were scattered over the desert. Only Caleb and Joshua, the men who had faith in God, entered the Promised Land.
Here we learn that to please God or not please God makes a great difference. It is the difference between victory and defeat, success and failure, life and death. When we please God, God blesses us and so often, things seem to go well. When we don’t please God, everything is difficult. Though we do our best, we face sudden accidents and unexpected diseases. There are people who earn a lot of money by working hard, even on Sunday. But one day they get sick and use all of their money to pay medical bills. It happens. There are people that worked hard, saving all their money for retirement, ignoring Jesus and suddenly all their retirement savings are cut in half or more. They loose it all. Some try to build the foundation of their families on the world instead of Christ. Then after several years divorce comes, their spouse takes half and the kids are gone. Sometimes the husband becomes a mere shadow of his former self, living in a Big Mac a day. It happens. We may try to do many things in this world, becoming great and famous through hard studying and efforts, but if we do not please God, our lives will be miserable. Therefore, with the abundant grace that Christ has given us, we must strive to please God in all that we do (2 Cor 5:9).
How can we please God? The only way to please God is through faith. Hebrews 11:6a says, “...without faith it is impossible to please God.” God was pleased with Joshua and Caleb when they had faith in God. They were men of courage and spirit who could see things from God’s point of view. They were ready to challenge the impossible by faith. So God was pleased and blessed them with victory throughout their lifetimes. Caleb was strong and full of spirit, even at the age of 85. Joshua led Israel to conquer the Promised Land. Also, their descendants were blessed because of them. So many are named “Joshua” and “Caleb” in our time.
The man of unbelief and the man of faith may witness the same event, yet see it differently. The man of unbelief sees things negatively and says, “It is impossible.” However, the man of faith sees everything in God and says, “It is more than possible.” The man of unbelief complains about everything. However, the man of faith always thanks God in all circumstances. The man of unbelief makes excuses not to participate in the task set before them. But the man of faith builds up the work of God at every opportunity. The man of unbelief easily despairs and gives up. However, the man of faith never despairs and never gives up; he can do everything by faith in Christ who strengthens him (Php 4:13). As he struggles to know Jesus and bring God’s flock to Jesus, the man of faith never despairs and never gives up. He experiences the power of faith and the power of prayer until he grows to be a spiritual giant. In our democratic way of living, we are used to following the majority. But the man of faith does not follow the majority. He follows God’s truth. We can please God when we have faith in God. So let’s be men and women of faith.
Israel’s history teaches us not to set our hearts on evil things. Look at verse 6. “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” In verses 7-10, Paul warns against idolatry, sexual immorality, testing the Lord, and grumbling. Look at verse 7. “Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.’” This refers to the event when the Israelites made a golden calf, bowed down to it, and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt” (Ex 32:6). Nowadays in America, television or the internet has become a venue for idol worship. As one sociologist has pointed out, in many American homes, the television occupies the place where the family altar should be, the place where the family should be gathering to offer up their prayers to God. Our family altar is the kitchen table. (http://www.fisheaters.com/domesticchurch.html) But even the most faithful churchgoers are in front of a screen at least five times as much as they read the Bible or pray. Augustine’s Face book revealed that he is on Face book about 9.2 hours a week. It is no wonder that evil images occupy our minds and hearts.
In verses 8-10, Paul warned them that we should not commit sexual immorality, and that we should not test the Lord, and we should not grumble. We don’t usually think of grumbling as a serious matter. But here, the grumbling is against God and his servants. Moses told the Israelites, “You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” (Ex 16:8; Nu 16:11). Grumbling in this way is the sin of rebellion and it spreads like a wildfire to contaminate communities and even nations. I can see it at work. If there is complaining then the complaining spreads and a very bad atmosphere is created. God deals with the sin of grumbling against him seriously.
Verse 12 warns those who have strong faith and are able to eat food sacrificed to idols. They think that they stand firm. But they must be careful that they don’t fall. There is a danger that those with strong faith may not rely on God absolutely through prayer. They think, “No problem. I can handle it.” In that moment they become vulnerable. We must be aware of Satan’s work. We must depend on God and pray to God. We should not be proud, but humble before God. Look at verse 13. Even though we depend on God, Satan tempts us. So we face many difficulties. But God is faithful. So God provides a way out so that we can bear up under it. If we are not proud, but humbly depend on God, he will take care of us. He will help us not to fall into temptation. Then we can make glorious history as individuals, a community, and a nation.
Part ll: For The Glory Of God (10:14-11:1)
After giving them history lessons, Paul gives direct advice in verse 14: “flee from idolatry.” This means to run away like Joseph did. Fleeing is a very deliberate action. We need to flee from everything that stimulates our sinful nature and lustful desires, including evil friends who tempt us. Some Corinthians tried to participate in Christian fellowship and at the same time idol feasts. But idol feasts lead to demon worship. We cannot worship the holy God and evil demons at the same time. We cannot serve two masters (Mt 6:24). We must worship God alone. These days many people try to make their own god, by combining the things they like from all the different religions and philosophies. Then they say, “This is my god.” The problem is that demons are real and they actively draw men to worship them. Some people seek spirituality through new age religion. They try to find a little peace through music or movies, some of which create a portal in our hearts through which demons may pass. We must have spiritual discernment to recognize the work of demons and avoid it.
Verses 23-24 reiterate that we have freedom. But we must use this freedom for the good of others. Verses 25-30 are an example. We are free to eat everything. We can freely eat and drink with unbelievers. But if our dinner companion says, “This cow has been offered to an idol”, it is better not to eat to make it clear that we don’t condone idolatry and to protect the conscience of weaker brothers and sisters that may find out about this.
Paul then goes on to give a general principle of Christian life and spiritual direction to all Christians. Look at verse 31. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Eating and drinking are ordinary activities that most people don’t think too much about. Many may say that generally they eat and drink in order to enjoy themselves and be healthy. But Paul explains that Christians do these things for the glory of God. If we can do these things for the glory of God, we can do everything for the glory of God. How can we eat for the glory of God. Pastor Ron Ward frequently shared that there was a time were he was very selfish and self-centered. During meal time he did not speak to others in order to enjoy the taste of food by himself. Then his shepherd challenged him to speak a few words at meal time for the glory of God and to encourage others. It was not easy for this young man to change his eating habit. But through intensive struggle and the persistent encouragement of his shepherd he could do so by the grace of God. Changing his attitude toward eating changed his whole attitude toward life. He began to live for the glory of God in many ways and became a devoted servant of God’s word. We can eat for the glory of God by eating a little something with visitors and having conversations with them, even when we don’t feel like it. We can eat health food to loose weight for the glory of God.. When we master eating for the glory of God, then we can easily do all other things for the glory of God.
Paul strongly encourages us that how we use our bodies is important. We must be good stewards of our bodies for the glory of God. Paul said in Romans 6:13: “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness...offer the parts of your body to God as instruments of righteousness.” The Triton Bible Club, along with Tim and Jenn offered their bodies for the glory of God. They starved for 30 hours to raise money to stop world hunger and they cleaned up the Bible house. We can move our bodies to IIT this Thanksgiving to celebrate with Dupage and Triton UBF together. We must do whatever we do for the glory of God. When we have a clear purpose to live for the glory of God, we can have spiritual discernment. Sometimes we don’t know if something is right or not, or what to do when several options arise that conflict with each other. But when we do everything for the glory of God, God gives us spiritual insight to know what we should do and what we should avoid. That is why Paul encourages us to “...find out what pleases the Lord.” (Eph 5:10).
Why should we do everything for the glory of God? Man was created to glorify God. This is our purpose of life. When we live for the glory of God, our lives become absolutely meaningful and happy. If one does not live for the glory of God, his thinking becomes futile and his foolish heart is darkened (Ro 1:21). Eventually he becomes an idol worshiper. When Christ is at the center, God is pleased and we are happy. If we put ourselves at the center, we cannot please God even if we do many religious activities. We must think about our life goal. Is it for the glory of God, or for our own glory? Practically, living for the glory of God involves participating in saving souls to fulfill God’s world salvation plan. This gives great glory to God (32-33). For this, Paul denied himself to please everyone in every way.
Look at 11:1. “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Christ served others to save them. Jesus said in John 17:4, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” Jesus glorified God by completing his mission. Jesus’ mission was to raise twelve disciples. Jesus’ mission was to die on the cross for our sins. To carry out this mission Jesus had to deny himself through Gethsemane prayer. In this way Jesus glorified God. Paul followed Jesus’ example, and so should we. Then we can please God and we can live a victorious life throughout our lifetime. Also, we can leave a good spiritual inheritance to our descendants.
1. Of what fact did Paul want the Corinthian brothers not to be ignorant? (1a) After the Exodus, what blessings did God give all the Israelites, and what spiritual meanings did Paul see in these things? (1b–4) Nevertheless, what horrible thing happened to those who did not please God? (5; Nu14:29,33,35)
2. Read verse 6. How did Paul apply the historical lesson of the Israelites to us? Specifically, what four evil things should we not do? (7–10) What three consequences did the Israelites suffer? Why did God deal with testing him and grumbling as severely as with idolatry and sexual immorality?
3. Why were these things written down? (11) Who did Paul address in verse 12? What warning should all Christians always take to heart? Read verse 13. When tempted, why should we not make excuses? How does God help us overcome? In the time of temptation, why is it important to know that God is faithful?
* SEEK THE GOOD OF OTHERS (10:14–11:1)
4. Based on Israel’s history, what strong admonishment did Paul give the Corinthians? (14) What two participations does Paul mention here? (16–20) Why must we not do both? (17, 21–22) In light of this, why should we not participate in ungodly celebrations today?
5. What problem regarding freedom did Paul point out? (23) How then should we use our freedom? (24) What freedom in Christ did Paul mention? (25–27) When should this freedom be curbed? (28–30; cf. Ro14:1–6,14–15)
6. Read verse 31. In all things, what should our primary purpose be? Why is it so important to live for God’s glory in all we do? How did Paul apply this principle to their situation? (32–33) How did Christ set a good example in this? (cf.Ro15:1–4) How must we?
Monday, November 16, 2009
1 Corinthians 8:1-9:27
All Things To All Men
1 Corinthians 8:1-9:27, NIU UBF
Key Verse: 9:22 11/8/09
"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."
God created us to be free. This freedom is a precious gift of Jesus Christ. It delights our souls and gives us great joy. However, if we do not use it properly, we will stumble. In this passage Paul teaches us how to use our Christian freedom. Some people have compared living in Christian freedom to walking down a narrow path with a ditch on each side. As long as we stay on the path, we can be happy and prosper spiritually. But if we fall into either ditch we have big problems. On one side, the ditch is legalism which reduces Christianity to a list of dos and don’ts that robs its vitality. On the other side, the ditch is syncretism, which combines Christian faith with anything and everything, until it loses its distinctive and supreme place. To succumb to either legalism or syncretism deprives us of our freedom and makes us slaves to sin. May God teach us how to use freedom properly to build a healthy Christian community.
Part 1: Knowledge Puffs Up, But Love Builds Up (8:1-13)
So far Paul has answered various questions about Christian life. Now, he turns to the matter of food sacrificed to idols. In doing so, Paul addresses the issue of how to use freedom, while living in a Christian community. We should not think about Paul’s words only on an individual level, but in the context of Christian fellowship. Look at verse 1. “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” Idol worship was a part of Corinthian culture. In order to worship Greek and Roman gods, the Corinthians went to temples to offer animal sacrifices. The meat of the sacrifices was later sold in the marketplace. Often it was sold at a discount, so many poor brothers and sisters wanted to buy it for dinner. However, Corinthian Christians raised a question of conscience concerning this meat: Was it right for Christians to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol? Paul did more than answer their question. He laid down a principle to solve any similar problems in the future. This principle is that freedom must be limited by love.
Paul compares knowledge and love to emphasize the supremacy of love. Knowledge is precious. However, without love, knowledge makes one proud and even harmful. One who has knowledge without love is like a computer. He or she may be very powerful in some respects, but lacks humanity. One who claims to love God, and yet exercises his freedom and knowledge recklessly, despising others who know less than they do, is not a man of love but of knowledge only. In this world, there are so many lonely geniuses. On the contrary, love builds up. The one who loves, especially loves God, is known by God. He or she has a personal relationship with the Creator, the source of life. Life, love, peace and joy circulate in their souls like a fountain. They can love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, and love others fervently, as Jesus commanded us. (Jn 13:34) They are the ones who really please God and are a blessing to others. Christians are characterized by love (1 Jn 4:7-8). Those motivated by love can use knowledge and freedom to build up others.
Paul then goes on to deal with the practical problem that occurred because not every Christian had the same knowledge. The problem unfolds this way. In verse 4, Paul says, “We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world....” Idols are nothing. They made by man’s imagination. The Greeks and Romans had imagined many gods. They had 200,000 idols such as Zeus, supreme ruler, and Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, and even Bacchus, god of wine and vegetation. To us, it would be like having a god of Coke and a god of Pizza. There was Hypnos the god of sleep, and Nike the god of victory, or, in our time, the god of sports and sports apparel. Since these so-called gods were made by man’s imagination, they have all the characteristics of fallen men. They had affairs. They envied each other. They fought bloody duels and took revenge on one another. Mortals were at the mercy of these immortal gods. These gods made them fearful and anxious. Serving these gods was a part of life to the Corinthians. Appeasing these gods were utmost on their minds.
But the Corinthians were set free from the shackles of idol worship. Let’s read verse 6. “...yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” When they heard the gospel, they met the one true God, through whom all things come. They realized that man-made gods were nothing at all. They found true life in God. They were convinced that there is one God who created heaven and earth and all things. This God is a Father who protects and provides for his children and loves them with an unconditional love. They saw clearly that there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ. Through him all things were made (Jn 1:3), and through him salvation came. They were convinced that Jesus died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life and an eternal love relationship with our Father God. They understood that Jesus was the only mediator needed, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim 2:5) To glorify him and serve him is the meaning and purpose of our lives. When the Corinthians knew this, they knew that food was made by God for their good. They could receive any kind of food, even food sacrificed to idols, with thanksgiving (1 Ti 4:4-5). So, at mealtime, they said grace and ate with gusto, regardless of the menu.
However, not everyone in the Corinthian church knew this. Some believed in Jesus, but did not know that idols are nothing. They were still trying hard to come out of their idol worshiping culture and lifestyle. Paul calls them “weak” brothers and sisters (7,11; Ro 14:2). For them, it was very hard to live in Corinth. Their culture was full of idol worship. Their extended family members may have worshiped idols. Their social fellowship, festivals, public holidays and government affairs were all related to idol worship. Every day, they saw the temple of Apollo, in full view on a hillside. They had to see Aphrodite’s temple and the people going to and from it continually. It was a real challenge for them not to fall back into their old habits. They found comfort and strength in Christian fellowship, expressing a sigh of relief when they entered the sanctuary, their Bible house. They were so happy to spend time with fellow Christians. It was the place to go to enjoy God’s love and be free from the soul’s torment from an idol worshiping culture. We need Christian fellowship. Young Christians, especially cannot maintain Christian living all by themselves. We all need healthy Christian fellowship in order to grow spiritually. I thank God for our fellowship with other UBF chapters, especially with Triton and Dupage and the Chicago Main Center. I thank God for our newly established fellowship with the Dekalb Christian church through Open Mike Night. We need this kind of fellowship to maintain healthy Christian fellowship among ourselves.
However, when the Corinthian Christians saw fellow Christians eating whatever they wanted, and even participating in idol feasts. They became confused and began to stumble in their faith. They may have judged their fellow Christians or they may have been tempted to start worshipping idols themselves as well as worshipping Jesus. Their lack of godly knowledge led them to stand on shaky ground. But it was not just their problem. It was the problem of the members of the church who had no problem with eating such food.
There is a principle to be discovered; causing a weaker brother or sister to stumble is a serious problem that no one can ignore. Paul clearly said that to do so was to sin against Christ (12). Jesus warned his disciples sternly about this (Mt 18:6). So those who have strong faith must be prayerful and responsible about their influence on others. They cannot say, “Well, I know that I am right with God. So, deal with it!” No way! They must exercise their Christian freedom responsibly. Paul himself set the example. Look at verse 13. “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.” When Paul said this, he was ready to eat only vegetables and bread for the rest of his life even if he became malnourished. He showed how strict the strong must be about things that cause weaker Christians to stumble.
Our freedom should be limited by love. We can apply this principle in many ways. One way is in regard to drinking alcohol. Christians are free to drink alcohol. Jesus turned the water into wine. What was the wine for? To drink. But the Old and New Testaments warn against drunkenness (Pr 20:1; Isa 5:11; Lk 21:34; Gal 5:2). Therefore we must be very careful in using this freedom. If it causes a little one, who believes in Jesus, to stumble, by emboldening him/her to go out and get drunk and to sin, we must decide not to drink. We must also consider our hobbies as Christians. We are free to enjoy good hobbies. But we must take care that our hobbies are not harmful to others, influencing them away from complete devotion to Christ. We can also apply this principle in regard to freedom of speech. In America we are free to say anything to anyone. But we are responsible for the words we speak to others. If our words damage or wound others, we are at fault before God. So the Bible admonishes us to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).
We are living in a Christian community. In this community there are both strong and weak people in regards to their faith. Those who have strong faith may be those who study the Bible fervently and know thereby know many spiritual secrets. They grow to have a thick skin in regard to things of the world and are not easily led astray by others. They can enjoy many things with a clear conscience. Those who have weak faith may be relative newcomers to Christ. They have not studied the Bible much. These weaker brothers and sisters are very sensitive to certain issues. If we do not restrain our freedom in love, newcomers may wander from the faith all together because of our influence. We need to restrain practicing our freedom to the full extent or we will either drive people away or we will influence them to be like the culture around us. We must exercise knowledge and faith in love, love that builds up the weaker brothers and sisters. We must humbly serve the weak with the mind of Christ. Jesus embraced weak people with love and patience. So his disciples could be changed into true men of God and a blessing to the world. Jesus told them in John 13:14,15, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” As Jesus showed us, we must embrace one another and cover one another’s weakness with the love of Christ.
Part II. How To Use Freedom From Paul’s Example (9:1-27)
In this chapter Paul shares his own example of how he used his freedom to build up others. Paul had not been with Jesus during Jesus’ earthly ministry, but he received his call to be an apostle directly from the Risen Christ. (Acts 9:15) Paul’s apostleship was sealed by the evident work of God among the Corinthian believers (1-2). As an apostle, Paul had rights. Paul had a right to food and drink. Paul had a right to take a believing wife along with him wherever he went, even on his missionary journeys. Paul also had a right to receive a reasonable salary from the church (3-6). In verses 7-14, Paul defends the fact that he is worthy to receive support, both from a human point of view and from a Scriptural point of view. From a human point of view, Paul took three examples: a soldier, a farmer (Dt 20:6), and a herdsmen. Paul gave two examples from a Scriptural point of view: oxen who tread the grain and temple servants (Dt 25:4; Lev 7:28-36). Paul referred to Jesus’ own teaching (Lk 10:7). Paul had a right to material support from the Corinthians.
Though it is good and right for pastors to be paid a decent salary by the church, Paul did not use this right. Why? First, Paul did not use his rights so that he might not hinder the gospel of Christ (12b). Second, Paul did not use any of his rights because he was seeking God’s reward (15-18). According to verse 16, when Paul preached the gospel he could not boast because he was compelled to preach. Paul voluntarily preached the gospel, yet he had strong stewardship of the gospel work. Paul regarded preaching the gospel as his great reward. He could do so because he was not seeking man’s reward, but God’s reward. He had received forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the kingdom of God. He was already fully rewarded through the gospel. Paul wanted to share this great privilege with other people who did not know the gospel. He would rather not claim his rights in preaching. He did not want anyone to accuse of him of being selfish or greedy or serving Jesus only for the money. This may have stopped some people from listening to him. Some principles here are, like Paul we should not try to receive man’s recognition or praise, for then we can not receive our reward from God. We should seek God’s reward, with a pure motive when we preach the gospel. And because we received the gospel free of charge, we must be ready to share this gospel free of charge if need be.
Paul was very strict in claiming his rights for himself, but Paul was very courageous in using his freedom to save others. He boldly crossed many boundaries to share God’s love with the lost. Though he was free, he made himself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible. Let’s read verse 22. “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” These words express Jesus’ spirit of incarnation. (Jn 1:14) They inspire us with new passion to win the lost. We must learn to become all things to all people in order to share the gospel of salvation with them. It’s all about making friends for Christ. We should make friends with postmodern young people who resist any kind of authoritarian influence. We should make friends with young homosexuals, even though we may be misunderstood. What about gang members? What about Muslims? What about the lonely students who seem to be falling through the cracks? It is easier to just close our hearts and not take a chance. It is indeed risky to reach out to others in ways that truly engage them. Many of us are too cautious to reach out to anyone. But this is one of the secrets to church growth. Paul said in verse 23, “I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.” When Paul humbly served any kind of person, such as Lydia, Timothy and Onesimus, people were moved to accept Christ and to grow in Jesus’ image. Paul could learn the mind of Christ and God’s love for many different people. This was his source of joy. This was a real spiritual blessing to him, worthy of suffering for. Let’s repent and learn Jesus’ spirit of incarnation and Paul’s passion and boldness to win souls.
Paul’s struggle to use his freedom properly in God was not easy at all. We see how difficult it was in verses 24-27. It was comparable to that of an athlete in strict training to win a gold medal. An athlete must follow a strict diet and exercise a lot. Then he can win a prize that does not last. Our struggle is for a prize that will last forever. We should be more diligent and willing to train ourselves than an Olympic athlete. Paul’s aim was clear. It was Jesus Christ. Paul wanted to gain Christ (Php 3:8). Paul did not want to beat the air. If a boxer beats the air, he only wastes his energy. Paul took risks to hit his target. Yet, he was aware of the inherent dangers in doing so. So he always came back to strict self-denial for the sake of his own soul.
Paul had completely changed. In the past, Paul was a merciless person and a murderous person. He tried to destroy the church of God. He imprisoned and killed Christians with zeal. He thought that to act without mercy was to serve God. Yet, now, he was really concerned about weak people. He shed tears over those who suffered from weak faith and taught the strong how to take care of them. Paul was ready to do anything to strengthen a weak brother or sister. Paul was full of love. Paul was humble. Paul humbled himself in order to gain people for Christ by any means.
How could he be changed into a man of love and humility? What was his secret? Paul tried to imitate Jesus Christ. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Jesus didn’t use his rights even though he is the Son of God. Jesus gave up his heavenly glory and privileges. Jesus came into the world to win souls. How did Jesus win souls? To Nicodemus, a typical intellectual and a proud, religious leader, Jesus became like a Jew. To a wayward Samaritan woman, though Jesus is the holy Son of God, he became like a close friend. Jesus went to parties with tax collectors and sinners, that is, prostitutes, to win them over to God. Jesus was criticized very severely for doing this. But he was willing to bear all the misunderstanding in order to win one person’s soul over to God. Can you eat with a prostitute, at a party, in order to win her over to God? To the blind, Jesus became eyes. To the crippled, Jesus became legs. Jesus became everything to all men without compromising the truth. When Paul tried to imitate this Jesus, he became all things to all men. Paul grew as a great spiritual giant by imitating Christ in love and service to others.
Jesus came down from heavenly glory and endured the weakness of human flesh to embrace us. He served us in every conceivable way and finally died on the cross for us. Let’s try to imitate Jesus in his love and service. Let’s allow Jesus’ love to restrict our rights and freedom, and yet unleash its holy passion to win the lost. Then our church will be a healthy and a good influence, and God will make us very fruitful in serving campus mission.
1. What was another problem in the Corinthian church? (1a) What are the effects of knowledge and love? (1b) Who can be known by God? (2,3)
2. What knowledge is Paul talking about? (4–6) How did Paul apply this knowledge to food sacrificed to idols? What was the problem of those who didn’t know this? (7) What was Paul’s view of food? (8)
3. What is the danger of exercising Christian freedom without love, and why is this so serious? (9–12) What was Paul’s personal resolution? What are some ways exercising your Christian freedom can cause others to stumble? How can we avoid this?
• HOW TO USE FREEDOM IN CHRIST (9:1–27)
4. What were Paul’s credentials as an apostle? (1–2) His rights? (3–6) How did he defend this from a human point of view? (7–8a) From a Scriptural point of view? (8b–14)
5. What did Paul do with this right? (12b,15a) What were his reasons for not using it? (12b,15–18) What were his motives for preaching the gospel? (16–18)
6. How did Paul use his Christian freedom? (19) How did he apply this principle practically? (20–22a) Read verse 22b. Note the repeated use of “all.” What does this show about his passion to save souls? How can you apply this principle in your ministry practically? What was Paul seeking? (23)
7. In a race or a game, who obtains the prize? (24–25) How did Paul apply this strict training to himself? (26–27) How does this relate to becoming all things to all men? (22)
1 Corinthians 8:1-9:27, NIU UBF
Key Verse: 9:22 11/8/09
"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."
God created us to be free. This freedom is a precious gift of Jesus Christ. It delights our souls and gives us great joy. However, if we do not use it properly, we will stumble. In this passage Paul teaches us how to use our Christian freedom. Some people have compared living in Christian freedom to walking down a narrow path with a ditch on each side. As long as we stay on the path, we can be happy and prosper spiritually. But if we fall into either ditch we have big problems. On one side, the ditch is legalism which reduces Christianity to a list of dos and don’ts that robs its vitality. On the other side, the ditch is syncretism, which combines Christian faith with anything and everything, until it loses its distinctive and supreme place. To succumb to either legalism or syncretism deprives us of our freedom and makes us slaves to sin. May God teach us how to use freedom properly to build a healthy Christian community.
Part 1: Knowledge Puffs Up, But Love Builds Up (8:1-13)
So far Paul has answered various questions about Christian life. Now, he turns to the matter of food sacrificed to idols. In doing so, Paul addresses the issue of how to use freedom, while living in a Christian community. We should not think about Paul’s words only on an individual level, but in the context of Christian fellowship. Look at verse 1. “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” Idol worship was a part of Corinthian culture. In order to worship Greek and Roman gods, the Corinthians went to temples to offer animal sacrifices. The meat of the sacrifices was later sold in the marketplace. Often it was sold at a discount, so many poor brothers and sisters wanted to buy it for dinner. However, Corinthian Christians raised a question of conscience concerning this meat: Was it right for Christians to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol? Paul did more than answer their question. He laid down a principle to solve any similar problems in the future. This principle is that freedom must be limited by love.
Paul compares knowledge and love to emphasize the supremacy of love. Knowledge is precious. However, without love, knowledge makes one proud and even harmful. One who has knowledge without love is like a computer. He or she may be very powerful in some respects, but lacks humanity. One who claims to love God, and yet exercises his freedom and knowledge recklessly, despising others who know less than they do, is not a man of love but of knowledge only. In this world, there are so many lonely geniuses. On the contrary, love builds up. The one who loves, especially loves God, is known by God. He or she has a personal relationship with the Creator, the source of life. Life, love, peace and joy circulate in their souls like a fountain. They can love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, and love others fervently, as Jesus commanded us. (Jn 13:34) They are the ones who really please God and are a blessing to others. Christians are characterized by love (1 Jn 4:7-8). Those motivated by love can use knowledge and freedom to build up others.
Paul then goes on to deal with the practical problem that occurred because not every Christian had the same knowledge. The problem unfolds this way. In verse 4, Paul says, “We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world....” Idols are nothing. They made by man’s imagination. The Greeks and Romans had imagined many gods. They had 200,000 idols such as Zeus, supreme ruler, and Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, and even Bacchus, god of wine and vegetation. To us, it would be like having a god of Coke and a god of Pizza. There was Hypnos the god of sleep, and Nike the god of victory, or, in our time, the god of sports and sports apparel. Since these so-called gods were made by man’s imagination, they have all the characteristics of fallen men. They had affairs. They envied each other. They fought bloody duels and took revenge on one another. Mortals were at the mercy of these immortal gods. These gods made them fearful and anxious. Serving these gods was a part of life to the Corinthians. Appeasing these gods were utmost on their minds.
But the Corinthians were set free from the shackles of idol worship. Let’s read verse 6. “...yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” When they heard the gospel, they met the one true God, through whom all things come. They realized that man-made gods were nothing at all. They found true life in God. They were convinced that there is one God who created heaven and earth and all things. This God is a Father who protects and provides for his children and loves them with an unconditional love. They saw clearly that there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ. Through him all things were made (Jn 1:3), and through him salvation came. They were convinced that Jesus died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life and an eternal love relationship with our Father God. They understood that Jesus was the only mediator needed, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim 2:5) To glorify him and serve him is the meaning and purpose of our lives. When the Corinthians knew this, they knew that food was made by God for their good. They could receive any kind of food, even food sacrificed to idols, with thanksgiving (1 Ti 4:4-5). So, at mealtime, they said grace and ate with gusto, regardless of the menu.
However, not everyone in the Corinthian church knew this. Some believed in Jesus, but did not know that idols are nothing. They were still trying hard to come out of their idol worshiping culture and lifestyle. Paul calls them “weak” brothers and sisters (7,11; Ro 14:2). For them, it was very hard to live in Corinth. Their culture was full of idol worship. Their extended family members may have worshiped idols. Their social fellowship, festivals, public holidays and government affairs were all related to idol worship. Every day, they saw the temple of Apollo, in full view on a hillside. They had to see Aphrodite’s temple and the people going to and from it continually. It was a real challenge for them not to fall back into their old habits. They found comfort and strength in Christian fellowship, expressing a sigh of relief when they entered the sanctuary, their Bible house. They were so happy to spend time with fellow Christians. It was the place to go to enjoy God’s love and be free from the soul’s torment from an idol worshiping culture. We need Christian fellowship. Young Christians, especially cannot maintain Christian living all by themselves. We all need healthy Christian fellowship in order to grow spiritually. I thank God for our fellowship with other UBF chapters, especially with Triton and Dupage and the Chicago Main Center. I thank God for our newly established fellowship with the Dekalb Christian church through Open Mike Night. We need this kind of fellowship to maintain healthy Christian fellowship among ourselves.
However, when the Corinthian Christians saw fellow Christians eating whatever they wanted, and even participating in idol feasts. They became confused and began to stumble in their faith. They may have judged their fellow Christians or they may have been tempted to start worshipping idols themselves as well as worshipping Jesus. Their lack of godly knowledge led them to stand on shaky ground. But it was not just their problem. It was the problem of the members of the church who had no problem with eating such food.
There is a principle to be discovered; causing a weaker brother or sister to stumble is a serious problem that no one can ignore. Paul clearly said that to do so was to sin against Christ (12). Jesus warned his disciples sternly about this (Mt 18:6). So those who have strong faith must be prayerful and responsible about their influence on others. They cannot say, “Well, I know that I am right with God. So, deal with it!” No way! They must exercise their Christian freedom responsibly. Paul himself set the example. Look at verse 13. “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.” When Paul said this, he was ready to eat only vegetables and bread for the rest of his life even if he became malnourished. He showed how strict the strong must be about things that cause weaker Christians to stumble.
Our freedom should be limited by love. We can apply this principle in many ways. One way is in regard to drinking alcohol. Christians are free to drink alcohol. Jesus turned the water into wine. What was the wine for? To drink. But the Old and New Testaments warn against drunkenness (Pr 20:1; Isa 5:11; Lk 21:34; Gal 5:2). Therefore we must be very careful in using this freedom. If it causes a little one, who believes in Jesus, to stumble, by emboldening him/her to go out and get drunk and to sin, we must decide not to drink. We must also consider our hobbies as Christians. We are free to enjoy good hobbies. But we must take care that our hobbies are not harmful to others, influencing them away from complete devotion to Christ. We can also apply this principle in regard to freedom of speech. In America we are free to say anything to anyone. But we are responsible for the words we speak to others. If our words damage or wound others, we are at fault before God. So the Bible admonishes us to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).
We are living in a Christian community. In this community there are both strong and weak people in regards to their faith. Those who have strong faith may be those who study the Bible fervently and know thereby know many spiritual secrets. They grow to have a thick skin in regard to things of the world and are not easily led astray by others. They can enjoy many things with a clear conscience. Those who have weak faith may be relative newcomers to Christ. They have not studied the Bible much. These weaker brothers and sisters are very sensitive to certain issues. If we do not restrain our freedom in love, newcomers may wander from the faith all together because of our influence. We need to restrain practicing our freedom to the full extent or we will either drive people away or we will influence them to be like the culture around us. We must exercise knowledge and faith in love, love that builds up the weaker brothers and sisters. We must humbly serve the weak with the mind of Christ. Jesus embraced weak people with love and patience. So his disciples could be changed into true men of God and a blessing to the world. Jesus told them in John 13:14,15, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” As Jesus showed us, we must embrace one another and cover one another’s weakness with the love of Christ.
Part II. How To Use Freedom From Paul’s Example (9:1-27)
In this chapter Paul shares his own example of how he used his freedom to build up others. Paul had not been with Jesus during Jesus’ earthly ministry, but he received his call to be an apostle directly from the Risen Christ. (Acts 9:15) Paul’s apostleship was sealed by the evident work of God among the Corinthian believers (1-2). As an apostle, Paul had rights. Paul had a right to food and drink. Paul had a right to take a believing wife along with him wherever he went, even on his missionary journeys. Paul also had a right to receive a reasonable salary from the church (3-6). In verses 7-14, Paul defends the fact that he is worthy to receive support, both from a human point of view and from a Scriptural point of view. From a human point of view, Paul took three examples: a soldier, a farmer (Dt 20:6), and a herdsmen. Paul gave two examples from a Scriptural point of view: oxen who tread the grain and temple servants (Dt 25:4; Lev 7:28-36). Paul referred to Jesus’ own teaching (Lk 10:7). Paul had a right to material support from the Corinthians.
Though it is good and right for pastors to be paid a decent salary by the church, Paul did not use this right. Why? First, Paul did not use his rights so that he might not hinder the gospel of Christ (12b). Second, Paul did not use any of his rights because he was seeking God’s reward (15-18). According to verse 16, when Paul preached the gospel he could not boast because he was compelled to preach. Paul voluntarily preached the gospel, yet he had strong stewardship of the gospel work. Paul regarded preaching the gospel as his great reward. He could do so because he was not seeking man’s reward, but God’s reward. He had received forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the kingdom of God. He was already fully rewarded through the gospel. Paul wanted to share this great privilege with other people who did not know the gospel. He would rather not claim his rights in preaching. He did not want anyone to accuse of him of being selfish or greedy or serving Jesus only for the money. This may have stopped some people from listening to him. Some principles here are, like Paul we should not try to receive man’s recognition or praise, for then we can not receive our reward from God. We should seek God’s reward, with a pure motive when we preach the gospel. And because we received the gospel free of charge, we must be ready to share this gospel free of charge if need be.
Paul was very strict in claiming his rights for himself, but Paul was very courageous in using his freedom to save others. He boldly crossed many boundaries to share God’s love with the lost. Though he was free, he made himself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible. Let’s read verse 22. “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” These words express Jesus’ spirit of incarnation. (Jn 1:14) They inspire us with new passion to win the lost. We must learn to become all things to all people in order to share the gospel of salvation with them. It’s all about making friends for Christ. We should make friends with postmodern young people who resist any kind of authoritarian influence. We should make friends with young homosexuals, even though we may be misunderstood. What about gang members? What about Muslims? What about the lonely students who seem to be falling through the cracks? It is easier to just close our hearts and not take a chance. It is indeed risky to reach out to others in ways that truly engage them. Many of us are too cautious to reach out to anyone. But this is one of the secrets to church growth. Paul said in verse 23, “I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.” When Paul humbly served any kind of person, such as Lydia, Timothy and Onesimus, people were moved to accept Christ and to grow in Jesus’ image. Paul could learn the mind of Christ and God’s love for many different people. This was his source of joy. This was a real spiritual blessing to him, worthy of suffering for. Let’s repent and learn Jesus’ spirit of incarnation and Paul’s passion and boldness to win souls.
Paul’s struggle to use his freedom properly in God was not easy at all. We see how difficult it was in verses 24-27. It was comparable to that of an athlete in strict training to win a gold medal. An athlete must follow a strict diet and exercise a lot. Then he can win a prize that does not last. Our struggle is for a prize that will last forever. We should be more diligent and willing to train ourselves than an Olympic athlete. Paul’s aim was clear. It was Jesus Christ. Paul wanted to gain Christ (Php 3:8). Paul did not want to beat the air. If a boxer beats the air, he only wastes his energy. Paul took risks to hit his target. Yet, he was aware of the inherent dangers in doing so. So he always came back to strict self-denial for the sake of his own soul.
Paul had completely changed. In the past, Paul was a merciless person and a murderous person. He tried to destroy the church of God. He imprisoned and killed Christians with zeal. He thought that to act without mercy was to serve God. Yet, now, he was really concerned about weak people. He shed tears over those who suffered from weak faith and taught the strong how to take care of them. Paul was ready to do anything to strengthen a weak brother or sister. Paul was full of love. Paul was humble. Paul humbled himself in order to gain people for Christ by any means.
How could he be changed into a man of love and humility? What was his secret? Paul tried to imitate Jesus Christ. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Jesus didn’t use his rights even though he is the Son of God. Jesus gave up his heavenly glory and privileges. Jesus came into the world to win souls. How did Jesus win souls? To Nicodemus, a typical intellectual and a proud, religious leader, Jesus became like a Jew. To a wayward Samaritan woman, though Jesus is the holy Son of God, he became like a close friend. Jesus went to parties with tax collectors and sinners, that is, prostitutes, to win them over to God. Jesus was criticized very severely for doing this. But he was willing to bear all the misunderstanding in order to win one person’s soul over to God. Can you eat with a prostitute, at a party, in order to win her over to God? To the blind, Jesus became eyes. To the crippled, Jesus became legs. Jesus became everything to all men without compromising the truth. When Paul tried to imitate this Jesus, he became all things to all men. Paul grew as a great spiritual giant by imitating Christ in love and service to others.
Jesus came down from heavenly glory and endured the weakness of human flesh to embrace us. He served us in every conceivable way and finally died on the cross for us. Let’s try to imitate Jesus in his love and service. Let’s allow Jesus’ love to restrict our rights and freedom, and yet unleash its holy passion to win the lost. Then our church will be a healthy and a good influence, and God will make us very fruitful in serving campus mission.
1. What was another problem in the Corinthian church? (1a) What are the effects of knowledge and love? (1b) Who can be known by God? (2,3)
2. What knowledge is Paul talking about? (4–6) How did Paul apply this knowledge to food sacrificed to idols? What was the problem of those who didn’t know this? (7) What was Paul’s view of food? (8)
3. What is the danger of exercising Christian freedom without love, and why is this so serious? (9–12) What was Paul’s personal resolution? What are some ways exercising your Christian freedom can cause others to stumble? How can we avoid this?
• HOW TO USE FREEDOM IN CHRIST (9:1–27)
4. What were Paul’s credentials as an apostle? (1–2) His rights? (3–6) How did he defend this from a human point of view? (7–8a) From a Scriptural point of view? (8b–14)
5. What did Paul do with this right? (12b,15a) What were his reasons for not using it? (12b,15–18) What were his motives for preaching the gospel? (16–18)
6. How did Paul use his Christian freedom? (19) How did he apply this principle practically? (20–22a) Read verse 22b. Note the repeated use of “all.” What does this show about his passion to save souls? How can you apply this principle in your ministry practically? What was Paul seeking? (23)
7. In a race or a game, who obtains the prize? (24–25) How did Paul apply this strict training to himself? (26–27) How does this relate to becoming all things to all men? (22)
1 Corinthians 7:1-40
Live In Undivided Devotion To The Lord
1 Corinthians 7:1-40, Lesson 7
Key Verse: 7:35 NIU UBF 11/01/09
"I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord."
In this passage Paul gives detailed instructions regarding marriage. It is like a marriage course in one message. Sometimes Paul shares Jesus' teaching. Sometimes Paul gives his own teaching out of fatherly concern and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Some teachings are hard to understand without understanding the context of when it was written. We also need a comprehensive, biblical view of marriage to apply this passage wisely. In essence, Paul teaches us how to serve God in regard to marriage. The point of the whole passage is for Christians to live in undivided devotion to the Lord. Though most of us are young and single it is a good teaching for us to hear. So let’s open the ears for our hearts and listen carefully and be blessed. Some material is may be deemed inappropriate for young ears, but I believe if it is in the Bible, it is the word of life and I can preach it. So here it goes!
Part l: Paul's Instructions On Marriage In An Immoral Society (1-28)
Paul is writing a specific letter to the Corinthian church, dealing with questions they had asked Paul in a letter. We know Paul's answer, but we don't know exactly what the questions were. Look at verse 1. At first glance, Paul says, "It is good for a man not to marry." However, according to reliable sources, original Greek documents and Today’s NIV, as well as the footnote, the Corinthians had said to Paul, “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” Apparently, the Corinthians had an aversion to sex and marriage. We can understand this when we think about the cultural milieu. Under the influence of Greek stoicism, some thought that to live a holy life required renouncing sex and marriage altogether. They had an aversion to these things in the name of holiness. Some in our time have an aversion to sex and marriage, but for different reasons than the Corinthians. Today, there are married people who do not fulfill their marital duties. There are people who don’t marry because they don’t want to commit to anything, or because they have experienced painful divorce somewhere in their family. To correct this, Paul lays down a general rule regarding marriage and conjugal relations for all generations and cultural milieus, even ours. Let’s see.
Paul lays out the first general rule in verse 2. “But since there is so much immorality [porneia], each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.” A person should marry one partner of the opposite sex and live with them while on earth. Married people should enjoy conjugal relations and be satisfied with God’s gift to them. Then they can overcome the temptation to indulge in sexual immorality, such as adultery, prostitution, or pornographic activity. In verses 3-4, Paul explains that the husband and wife should fulfill their marital duty to each other. Simply put, neither one should have a selfish view of their marriage, knowing that it is not for their own gratification, but for mutual satisfaction and for becoming one in God. In verse 5, Paul warns that neither one should deprive the other. Sometimes, in anger, one partner does so, using this as a weapon. This is selfish and mean spirited. According to marriage counselors, it carries a danger of inciting illicit affairs.
The only time a husband and wife should suspend conjugal relations is to devote themselves to personal prayer. This must be done by mutual agreement, for a specified time. As soon as it is over, they should come together again. Otherwise they can be tempted by Satan. If they are divided, angry and fighting with each other, their prayers are hindered. However, as the two become one, their prayers are effective and powerful and they enjoy God’s victory over the devil every day (1 Pe 3:7).
The Bible as a whole teaches that marriage is God’s blessing upon mankind to live a happy and fruitful life for the glory of God. There are so many reasons why it is a blessing. Can you think of some? Personally I find that I can serve God better. I am more at peace. I can expect to live a few years longer because I am married. I enjoy a family life. I eat healthier. My life is more predictable and routine, which is good for me. In Corinth Paul saw a further advantage of marriage: to avoid sexual immorality. (2,5b) Though he wished others would choose his calling, to live as a single servant of God, he conceded that marriage is also part of God’s plan for some individuals. (6) Then Paul deals with four specific categories of people.
First, the unmarried and widows (7-9)? “It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.” (8). Paul strongly advocated a celibate lifestyle. Paul was truly happy to live that way and did not envy married people at all. Paul was convinced that he could serve God better than others as a single man. However, Paul deeply acknowledged that this is a gift from God, echoing Jesus’ own teaching (Mt 19:11-12). Those who have this gift should not just live quiet, secluded lives, unburdened by anyone, but rather serve God in single devotion all their lifetimes. In UBF there is a beautiful example of one who did this: Mother Sarah Barry, the co-founder of our ministry. When asked, “Why didn’t you marry?” She said, “I devoted myself fully to God’s work. God blessed me with many spiritual children I didn’t have time.” Her spiritual descendants are spread all over the world. We offer up our sincere gratitude to God for Mother Sarah Barry for devoting herself to God from her heart. She has the image of Anna in Luke’s gospel (Lk 2:36). Jesus lived as a single. Women who can live like Anna should. Men who can live like Paul should. Amen. Yet not everyone can. Look at verse 9. “But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
What did Paul say to the married (10-11)? “A wife must not separate from her husband. A husband must not divorce his wife.” There were some people in the Corinthian church who wanted to change their situation in life. Maybe they felt that being married was unholy. Maybe they wanted to separate from a spouse that refused to accept Jesus. They wanted to change their situation. But Paul counsels them otherwise. This is a rather unpopular topic today but married people should not separate. This is according to the word of the Lord. (10a) Jesus taught that the hidden motive for divorce is to marry someone else. Jesus called it adultery. (Matt 19:9) In the United States one can divorce according to their mutual agreement. This is legal, but if the motive is to marry a different person, it is adultery in the sight of Christ. In a Christian marriage, there can be no thought of divorce. Mark 10:8,9, says “...the two will become one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Christ is the Lord of both partners and he does not want divorce. Christ redeemed us from the power of sin and death to enable us to fulfill God’s original high calling, including the establishment of holy families. To be sure, there are rough moments for every married couple. But when Christ is the Lord of the family they are rooted in an everlasting love and truth that unites them inseparably to bear much fruit for the glory of God. Therefore, if a believer has even a slight thought of divorce, he or she must repent immediately and ask God’s mercy upon them. God will give them grace to overcome. I think everyone should see the movie “Fireproof” where a husband fought hard to save his marriage for 40 days. Through the struggle he met Jesus personally. He and his wife fell in love all over. It was a hard struggle but they did it with God’s help.
What did Paul say to those who had unbelieving spouses (12-24)? This is more complicated. It is assumed that those mentioned here had married before becoming Christians, for the Bible strongly warns that believers must not marry unbelievers (2Co 6:14). In that situation, if the unbeliever is willing to live with them, the believer must not divorce (12). There are difficulties involved in a marriage of mixed religions, but they must do their best to work it out. God regards their union as sanctified through the faith of the believer. Their children will share in God’s blessing. I hear the same story over and over again, some are serving God with all their hearts, even though their spouses do not share their faith. We can only thank God for their faithful struggle which no one else can understand.
But there is one concession. Look at verse 15. “But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.” Sometimes, unbelieving spouses can become the devil’s instrument to destroy the faith of the believer. Their constant harassment is a fierce spiritual battle. Though it is painful to bear, the believer is not to seek a divorce in this case. However, if the unbeliever decides to leave the marriage, the believer should let them go. God wants his children to live in peace. We must acknowledge that believers have no control over the rebirth of others, even of spouses. Spiritual rebirth is God’s sovereign miracle. (John 1:13)
Paul’s comments about marriage in verses 1-16 are rooted in one basic principle. Let’s read verse 17. “Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.” Simply speaking, Paul urges that Christians not exhaust themselves trying to change their marital status. Christ is Lord over us and our place in life is given by him. We must accept God’s sovereignty and do our best to serve God as we are. Some single people think they will be happy and serve God better if they marry. While dreaming about their future marriage, they do not serve God. A married person may think that if they were single, they could serve God better. With that excuse their minds become occupied by all kinds of plans to change their situation in life. There becomes no room for Jesus or Jesus’ word. They end up doing nothing for God also. Paul teaches us to accept our God-given place in life and serve God now, as we are without being pre-occupied by all kinds other things.
To illustrate this principle further, Paul mentions in verses 18-24 circumcision and slavery. Whether one is circumcised or uncircumcised, slave or free, one is to regard his place in life as God-given. In verse 20 Paul says, “Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.” Again in verse 24 Paul says, “Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.” It is sobering to realize that even slaves should accept their place in life and grow in faith instead of complaining and chafing to change their situation. Understandingly, slaves were in a most difficult and humiliating situation. But Paul says not to let that trouble them. Because they know Christ, they are free…free from the most terrible bondage of sin and death. They have the freedom to grow in faith and in inner character. God can use their situation to produce good fruits in them. Yet who knows? God may grant them freedom. (But not always.) Paul encourages a slave to gain his freedom if he can. In the flow of the Bible as a whole, it is clear that slavery is an injustice associated with the fallen world. The abolition of slavery has come about most often through the efforts of Christians. God will destroy all injustice as he brings his divine rule on earth as it is in heaven. However, sometimes individual believers are caught in unjust systems. When this happens, their primary concern should be to obey God, whatever he commands, not necessarily to become revolutionaries. In a contemporary example, however, those who are stuck in a painful or difficult situation and always want to escape from it, without learning from it, do not please God. They miss the chance to grow spiritually through suffering. Some people are always looking for a better job when God wants them to learn how to overcome themselves, grow in character, and meet their present challenge. Verse 19b sums it up nicely. It says, “Keeping God’s commands is what counts.”
Old Testament Joseph is a good example. Though he became a slave through as series of seemingly tragic misfortunes, he did not sulk and rot in the dark prison cell becoming more and more angry and bitter. He obeyed the word of God absolutely whenever he could. As he did so, God worked in his situation to elevate him to a position of power and then to help his brothers repent and live for God’s mission. This involved a lot of unjust suffering for Joseph. But he patiently bore it in obedience to God’s word. As we allow God to work in and through us, through our obedience to his word, his perfect salvation will be fulfilled through us.
What did Paul say to virgins (25-28)? Paul encourages virgins to remain single. It is because these early Christians believed that there was a present crisis, the end of the age with the eminent Second Coming of Jesus. They expected dreadful events to occur before Christ comes in power and great glory. Jesus showed great concern for the plight of pregnant women and nursing mothers at the end of the age (Mk 13:17). Maybe Paul remembered historical accounts of the terrible events that occurred when Jerusalem was besieged by her enemies. Paul shared Jesus’ concern. Virgins are free to marry; it is not sin. Yet Paul warns that those who marry have many troubles in this life.
Part ll: Free From Earthly Concern (29-40)
Look at verses 29-31. The world in its present form is passing away. (Several major world religions all agree about this one. Even the Mayan calendar ends in 2012.The Biblical signs of the end of the age are all around us.) The things that concern us so much in this world will vanish. Marriage as we know it is limited to this world. (Matt 22:30) We should not try to hold temporal things as if they last forever. Rather, we must put all our hope in the coming kingdom of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins on the cross, has forgiven us and called us to eternal life in his kingdom. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His kingdom is paradise. There are no tears, sorrows or pains, and no more death. We must live for his kingdom. We must do our best to prepare for his kingdom while living in this world.
In verses 32-34, Paul warns of the danger of a divided heart among married believers. Marriage demands husbands and wives to be concerned about each other. It is right to be concerned with one another, but there is a danger that their concern can become worldly. Some people dream of endless romance without mission, or endless family gathering without mission. However, this leads to much disappointment and at times, misery. When the family becomes an end in itself, it has lost connection with Christ. Then the marriage or the family takes one’s heart from God. If our hearts are divided in this way, we cannot please God. This does not mean that married people should all divorce in order to serve God better; not at all! It is simply a warning that we must please God as of first importance, in this perishing world.
We have seen a wonderful example of a godly house church is the Mayhew family. One missiologist believes that the Mayhews represent the longest and most persistent missionary endeavor by one family in all of Christian history. Thomas and Ana Mayhew came to America in 1631. God blessed their son Thomas Jr. to be a missionary to American Indians. He had one faithful convert, Hiacoomes, who became an evangelist, and 300 Indians came to the Lord in ten years. When Thomas Jr. died at sea, his father took over the mission at age 70 and served for 22 years until he died at 92. Then his grandson John took over the work. After him, fourth generation missionary, Experience Mayhew carried on. Without marriage, they could have served for one generation. If their marriage was an end in themselves they might have served two generations. But as a godly house church, they could serve for four generations.
Look at verse 35. “I am saying this for your good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” Paul is teaching us the good life, the happy life, the most rewarding life. It is to serve the Lord in undivided devotion. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” God did not give us this command to burden us, but to bless us abundantly. God is the source of life and blessing. When we love God with all our heart, God blesses us. When a husband and wife love the Lord and are devoted to him, they can be blessed by God abundantly. They can serve God most fruitfully.
In the Bible as a whole, marriage is indeed significant. The Bible begins with the establishment of the first house church in Genesis 2, with Adam and Eve. When Jesus performed his first miraculous sign, it was to bless a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The Bible ends with a spiritual marriage between the bridegroom, Christ, and his bride, the church, who enjoy the wedding supper of the Lamb in the glorious kingdom of God. (Matt 22:4) Marriage is so beautiful and holy that Paul calls it a profound mystery (Eph 5:32). It mirrors the relationship between Christ and the church. In a house church, Jesus is Lord of all. The members love Christ with undivided hearts and Christ blesses the family with love and joy and peace. Then husbands love their wives as Christ loved the church. They ask their wives for a “to do” list. They rake the lawn. They clean the garage. They give the gift of their time and energy. In the Lord, wives serve their husbands joyfully. They never nag but always build up and encourage and strengthen their husbands. They ask their husbands if they can do things together. There is beauty, harmony, order, love and blessing overflowing.
The best way to spread the blessing of God in our corrupted culture may be to fill the world with godly Christ centered families or house churches. So we pray for 10,000 house churches to be raised in UBF for God’s world mission purpose. To those who have already established house churches, let us today rededicate them to the Lord in undivided devotion. To those who have not yet established house churches, may God bless you to do so. To those who have decided to live like Paul or Mother Barry or Anna or Jesus, may God bless you and use you powerfully.
Whatever your situation, may you find the most happiness when we serve the Lord in undivided devotion. Let’s decide to do so today. As we do, may God transform the culture of our nation to lead the world to Jesus.
Part l: Paul’s Instructions On Marriage In An Immoral Society (1–16)
1. What was Paul’s answer to the matter they had written him about? (1) Based on 6:18–20, what does verse 1 mean? (See the footnote. The KJV and RSV translate “not to marry” as “do not touch.”) What were Paul’s practical instructions on how to flee sexual immorality? (2–5) What was Paul’s view of celibacy? (6–7; cf. Mt19:11–12)
2. What advice did Paul give to the unmarried? (8–9) To the married? (10–11) Why did he say, “…not I, but the Lord”? (10; cf. Mt19:3–9) How does Paul instruct those who have an unbelieving spouse? (12–16) Though it is not easy, why should these instructions be kept?
Part ll: Remain In The Situation To Which God called You (17–28)
3. What rule did Paul give to all the churches? (17) What situations did Paul have in mind? (18–21) Why should Christians not try to change their human situation? Through Christ, what new relationship do we have with God? (22–24) What really counts? (19b)
4. What advice did Paul give to virgins, and what motivated his advice? (25–28)
Part lll: Free From Earthly Concerns (29–40)
5. Read verses 29–31. What attitude toward human affairs was Paul teaching? On what basis did he give this advice? How can we live like this? (Ro13:11–14; 2Pe3:10–13)
6. What can divide a Christian’s interests? (32–34) What should be our primary concern? What advice does Paul give to engaged people? (36–38) To widows? (39–40) Read verse 35. What did Paul want for us, whether married our unmarried?
1 Corinthians 7:1-40, Lesson 7
Key Verse: 7:35 NIU UBF 11/01/09
"I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord."
In this passage Paul gives detailed instructions regarding marriage. It is like a marriage course in one message. Sometimes Paul shares Jesus' teaching. Sometimes Paul gives his own teaching out of fatherly concern and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Some teachings are hard to understand without understanding the context of when it was written. We also need a comprehensive, biblical view of marriage to apply this passage wisely. In essence, Paul teaches us how to serve God in regard to marriage. The point of the whole passage is for Christians to live in undivided devotion to the Lord. Though most of us are young and single it is a good teaching for us to hear. So let’s open the ears for our hearts and listen carefully and be blessed. Some material is may be deemed inappropriate for young ears, but I believe if it is in the Bible, it is the word of life and I can preach it. So here it goes!
Part l: Paul's Instructions On Marriage In An Immoral Society (1-28)
Paul is writing a specific letter to the Corinthian church, dealing with questions they had asked Paul in a letter. We know Paul's answer, but we don't know exactly what the questions were. Look at verse 1. At first glance, Paul says, "It is good for a man not to marry." However, according to reliable sources, original Greek documents and Today’s NIV, as well as the footnote, the Corinthians had said to Paul, “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” Apparently, the Corinthians had an aversion to sex and marriage. We can understand this when we think about the cultural milieu. Under the influence of Greek stoicism, some thought that to live a holy life required renouncing sex and marriage altogether. They had an aversion to these things in the name of holiness. Some in our time have an aversion to sex and marriage, but for different reasons than the Corinthians. Today, there are married people who do not fulfill their marital duties. There are people who don’t marry because they don’t want to commit to anything, or because they have experienced painful divorce somewhere in their family. To correct this, Paul lays down a general rule regarding marriage and conjugal relations for all generations and cultural milieus, even ours. Let’s see.
Paul lays out the first general rule in verse 2. “But since there is so much immorality [porneia], each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.” A person should marry one partner of the opposite sex and live with them while on earth. Married people should enjoy conjugal relations and be satisfied with God’s gift to them. Then they can overcome the temptation to indulge in sexual immorality, such as adultery, prostitution, or pornographic activity. In verses 3-4, Paul explains that the husband and wife should fulfill their marital duty to each other. Simply put, neither one should have a selfish view of their marriage, knowing that it is not for their own gratification, but for mutual satisfaction and for becoming one in God. In verse 5, Paul warns that neither one should deprive the other. Sometimes, in anger, one partner does so, using this as a weapon. This is selfish and mean spirited. According to marriage counselors, it carries a danger of inciting illicit affairs.
The only time a husband and wife should suspend conjugal relations is to devote themselves to personal prayer. This must be done by mutual agreement, for a specified time. As soon as it is over, they should come together again. Otherwise they can be tempted by Satan. If they are divided, angry and fighting with each other, their prayers are hindered. However, as the two become one, their prayers are effective and powerful and they enjoy God’s victory over the devil every day (1 Pe 3:7).
The Bible as a whole teaches that marriage is God’s blessing upon mankind to live a happy and fruitful life for the glory of God. There are so many reasons why it is a blessing. Can you think of some? Personally I find that I can serve God better. I am more at peace. I can expect to live a few years longer because I am married. I enjoy a family life. I eat healthier. My life is more predictable and routine, which is good for me. In Corinth Paul saw a further advantage of marriage: to avoid sexual immorality. (2,5b) Though he wished others would choose his calling, to live as a single servant of God, he conceded that marriage is also part of God’s plan for some individuals. (6) Then Paul deals with four specific categories of people.
First, the unmarried and widows (7-9)? “It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.” (8). Paul strongly advocated a celibate lifestyle. Paul was truly happy to live that way and did not envy married people at all. Paul was convinced that he could serve God better than others as a single man. However, Paul deeply acknowledged that this is a gift from God, echoing Jesus’ own teaching (Mt 19:11-12). Those who have this gift should not just live quiet, secluded lives, unburdened by anyone, but rather serve God in single devotion all their lifetimes. In UBF there is a beautiful example of one who did this: Mother Sarah Barry, the co-founder of our ministry. When asked, “Why didn’t you marry?” She said, “I devoted myself fully to God’s work. God blessed me with many spiritual children I didn’t have time.” Her spiritual descendants are spread all over the world. We offer up our sincere gratitude to God for Mother Sarah Barry for devoting herself to God from her heart. She has the image of Anna in Luke’s gospel (Lk 2:36). Jesus lived as a single. Women who can live like Anna should. Men who can live like Paul should. Amen. Yet not everyone can. Look at verse 9. “But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
What did Paul say to the married (10-11)? “A wife must not separate from her husband. A husband must not divorce his wife.” There were some people in the Corinthian church who wanted to change their situation in life. Maybe they felt that being married was unholy. Maybe they wanted to separate from a spouse that refused to accept Jesus. They wanted to change their situation. But Paul counsels them otherwise. This is a rather unpopular topic today but married people should not separate. This is according to the word of the Lord. (10a) Jesus taught that the hidden motive for divorce is to marry someone else. Jesus called it adultery. (Matt 19:9) In the United States one can divorce according to their mutual agreement. This is legal, but if the motive is to marry a different person, it is adultery in the sight of Christ. In a Christian marriage, there can be no thought of divorce. Mark 10:8,9, says “...the two will become one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Christ is the Lord of both partners and he does not want divorce. Christ redeemed us from the power of sin and death to enable us to fulfill God’s original high calling, including the establishment of holy families. To be sure, there are rough moments for every married couple. But when Christ is the Lord of the family they are rooted in an everlasting love and truth that unites them inseparably to bear much fruit for the glory of God. Therefore, if a believer has even a slight thought of divorce, he or she must repent immediately and ask God’s mercy upon them. God will give them grace to overcome. I think everyone should see the movie “Fireproof” where a husband fought hard to save his marriage for 40 days. Through the struggle he met Jesus personally. He and his wife fell in love all over. It was a hard struggle but they did it with God’s help.
What did Paul say to those who had unbelieving spouses (12-24)? This is more complicated. It is assumed that those mentioned here had married before becoming Christians, for the Bible strongly warns that believers must not marry unbelievers (2Co 6:14). In that situation, if the unbeliever is willing to live with them, the believer must not divorce (12). There are difficulties involved in a marriage of mixed religions, but they must do their best to work it out. God regards their union as sanctified through the faith of the believer. Their children will share in God’s blessing. I hear the same story over and over again, some are serving God with all their hearts, even though their spouses do not share their faith. We can only thank God for their faithful struggle which no one else can understand.
But there is one concession. Look at verse 15. “But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.” Sometimes, unbelieving spouses can become the devil’s instrument to destroy the faith of the believer. Their constant harassment is a fierce spiritual battle. Though it is painful to bear, the believer is not to seek a divorce in this case. However, if the unbeliever decides to leave the marriage, the believer should let them go. God wants his children to live in peace. We must acknowledge that believers have no control over the rebirth of others, even of spouses. Spiritual rebirth is God’s sovereign miracle. (John 1:13)
Paul’s comments about marriage in verses 1-16 are rooted in one basic principle. Let’s read verse 17. “Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.” Simply speaking, Paul urges that Christians not exhaust themselves trying to change their marital status. Christ is Lord over us and our place in life is given by him. We must accept God’s sovereignty and do our best to serve God as we are. Some single people think they will be happy and serve God better if they marry. While dreaming about their future marriage, they do not serve God. A married person may think that if they were single, they could serve God better. With that excuse their minds become occupied by all kinds of plans to change their situation in life. There becomes no room for Jesus or Jesus’ word. They end up doing nothing for God also. Paul teaches us to accept our God-given place in life and serve God now, as we are without being pre-occupied by all kinds other things.
To illustrate this principle further, Paul mentions in verses 18-24 circumcision and slavery. Whether one is circumcised or uncircumcised, slave or free, one is to regard his place in life as God-given. In verse 20 Paul says, “Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.” Again in verse 24 Paul says, “Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.” It is sobering to realize that even slaves should accept their place in life and grow in faith instead of complaining and chafing to change their situation. Understandingly, slaves were in a most difficult and humiliating situation. But Paul says not to let that trouble them. Because they know Christ, they are free…free from the most terrible bondage of sin and death. They have the freedom to grow in faith and in inner character. God can use their situation to produce good fruits in them. Yet who knows? God may grant them freedom. (But not always.) Paul encourages a slave to gain his freedom if he can. In the flow of the Bible as a whole, it is clear that slavery is an injustice associated with the fallen world. The abolition of slavery has come about most often through the efforts of Christians. God will destroy all injustice as he brings his divine rule on earth as it is in heaven. However, sometimes individual believers are caught in unjust systems. When this happens, their primary concern should be to obey God, whatever he commands, not necessarily to become revolutionaries. In a contemporary example, however, those who are stuck in a painful or difficult situation and always want to escape from it, without learning from it, do not please God. They miss the chance to grow spiritually through suffering. Some people are always looking for a better job when God wants them to learn how to overcome themselves, grow in character, and meet their present challenge. Verse 19b sums it up nicely. It says, “Keeping God’s commands is what counts.”
Old Testament Joseph is a good example. Though he became a slave through as series of seemingly tragic misfortunes, he did not sulk and rot in the dark prison cell becoming more and more angry and bitter. He obeyed the word of God absolutely whenever he could. As he did so, God worked in his situation to elevate him to a position of power and then to help his brothers repent and live for God’s mission. This involved a lot of unjust suffering for Joseph. But he patiently bore it in obedience to God’s word. As we allow God to work in and through us, through our obedience to his word, his perfect salvation will be fulfilled through us.
What did Paul say to virgins (25-28)? Paul encourages virgins to remain single. It is because these early Christians believed that there was a present crisis, the end of the age with the eminent Second Coming of Jesus. They expected dreadful events to occur before Christ comes in power and great glory. Jesus showed great concern for the plight of pregnant women and nursing mothers at the end of the age (Mk 13:17). Maybe Paul remembered historical accounts of the terrible events that occurred when Jerusalem was besieged by her enemies. Paul shared Jesus’ concern. Virgins are free to marry; it is not sin. Yet Paul warns that those who marry have many troubles in this life.
Part ll: Free From Earthly Concern (29-40)
Look at verses 29-31. The world in its present form is passing away. (Several major world religions all agree about this one. Even the Mayan calendar ends in 2012.The Biblical signs of the end of the age are all around us.) The things that concern us so much in this world will vanish. Marriage as we know it is limited to this world. (Matt 22:30) We should not try to hold temporal things as if they last forever. Rather, we must put all our hope in the coming kingdom of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins on the cross, has forgiven us and called us to eternal life in his kingdom. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His kingdom is paradise. There are no tears, sorrows or pains, and no more death. We must live for his kingdom. We must do our best to prepare for his kingdom while living in this world.
In verses 32-34, Paul warns of the danger of a divided heart among married believers. Marriage demands husbands and wives to be concerned about each other. It is right to be concerned with one another, but there is a danger that their concern can become worldly. Some people dream of endless romance without mission, or endless family gathering without mission. However, this leads to much disappointment and at times, misery. When the family becomes an end in itself, it has lost connection with Christ. Then the marriage or the family takes one’s heart from God. If our hearts are divided in this way, we cannot please God. This does not mean that married people should all divorce in order to serve God better; not at all! It is simply a warning that we must please God as of first importance, in this perishing world.
We have seen a wonderful example of a godly house church is the Mayhew family. One missiologist believes that the Mayhews represent the longest and most persistent missionary endeavor by one family in all of Christian history. Thomas and Ana Mayhew came to America in 1631. God blessed their son Thomas Jr. to be a missionary to American Indians. He had one faithful convert, Hiacoomes, who became an evangelist, and 300 Indians came to the Lord in ten years. When Thomas Jr. died at sea, his father took over the mission at age 70 and served for 22 years until he died at 92. Then his grandson John took over the work. After him, fourth generation missionary, Experience Mayhew carried on. Without marriage, they could have served for one generation. If their marriage was an end in themselves they might have served two generations. But as a godly house church, they could serve for four generations.
Look at verse 35. “I am saying this for your good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” Paul is teaching us the good life, the happy life, the most rewarding life. It is to serve the Lord in undivided devotion. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” God did not give us this command to burden us, but to bless us abundantly. God is the source of life and blessing. When we love God with all our heart, God blesses us. When a husband and wife love the Lord and are devoted to him, they can be blessed by God abundantly. They can serve God most fruitfully.
In the Bible as a whole, marriage is indeed significant. The Bible begins with the establishment of the first house church in Genesis 2, with Adam and Eve. When Jesus performed his first miraculous sign, it was to bless a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The Bible ends with a spiritual marriage between the bridegroom, Christ, and his bride, the church, who enjoy the wedding supper of the Lamb in the glorious kingdom of God. (Matt 22:4) Marriage is so beautiful and holy that Paul calls it a profound mystery (Eph 5:32). It mirrors the relationship between Christ and the church. In a house church, Jesus is Lord of all. The members love Christ with undivided hearts and Christ blesses the family with love and joy and peace. Then husbands love their wives as Christ loved the church. They ask their wives for a “to do” list. They rake the lawn. They clean the garage. They give the gift of their time and energy. In the Lord, wives serve their husbands joyfully. They never nag but always build up and encourage and strengthen their husbands. They ask their husbands if they can do things together. There is beauty, harmony, order, love and blessing overflowing.
The best way to spread the blessing of God in our corrupted culture may be to fill the world with godly Christ centered families or house churches. So we pray for 10,000 house churches to be raised in UBF for God’s world mission purpose. To those who have already established house churches, let us today rededicate them to the Lord in undivided devotion. To those who have not yet established house churches, may God bless you to do so. To those who have decided to live like Paul or Mother Barry or Anna or Jesus, may God bless you and use you powerfully.
Whatever your situation, may you find the most happiness when we serve the Lord in undivided devotion. Let’s decide to do so today. As we do, may God transform the culture of our nation to lead the world to Jesus.
Part l: Paul’s Instructions On Marriage In An Immoral Society (1–16)
1. What was Paul’s answer to the matter they had written him about? (1) Based on 6:18–20, what does verse 1 mean? (See the footnote. The KJV and RSV translate “not to marry” as “do not touch.”) What were Paul’s practical instructions on how to flee sexual immorality? (2–5) What was Paul’s view of celibacy? (6–7; cf. Mt19:11–12)
2. What advice did Paul give to the unmarried? (8–9) To the married? (10–11) Why did he say, “…not I, but the Lord”? (10; cf. Mt19:3–9) How does Paul instruct those who have an unbelieving spouse? (12–16) Though it is not easy, why should these instructions be kept?
Part ll: Remain In The Situation To Which God called You (17–28)
3. What rule did Paul give to all the churches? (17) What situations did Paul have in mind? (18–21) Why should Christians not try to change their human situation? Through Christ, what new relationship do we have with God? (22–24) What really counts? (19b)
4. What advice did Paul give to virgins, and what motivated his advice? (25–28)
Part lll: Free From Earthly Concerns (29–40)
5. Read verses 29–31. What attitude toward human affairs was Paul teaching? On what basis did he give this advice? How can we live like this? (Ro13:11–14; 2Pe3:10–13)
6. What can divide a Christian’s interests? (32–34) What should be our primary concern? What advice does Paul give to engaged people? (36–38) To widows? (39–40) Read verse 35. What did Paul want for us, whether married our unmarried?
1 Corinthians 6:1-20
Honor God With Your Body
1 Corinthians 6:1-20, Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
Key Verse: 6:19, 10-25-09
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
In the Corinthian church there were many problems. Thus far, Paul has dealt with problems of division and sexual immorality. In today’s passage he addresses lawsuits between believers, and again deals with sexual immorality in order to bring it to a conclusion. Today we learn how to settle disputes within the church and how to honor God with our bodies. This is so important in our time. There are many, and yes, even among Christians, who misuse their bodies. When they do, tragedy follows them like a shadow. They become trapped in their sins and remain fruitless. However, when we use our bodies properly, we can glorify God and live happy, powerful, healthy lives. Through this passage, let’s learn how to honor God with our bodies.
Part l: Why Not Rather Be Cheated? (1-11)
First, Christians were turning to worldly people to settle legal disputes. Look at verse 1. “If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?” Whenever people live together, there are bound to be disputes. So nations have established elaborate court systems in which people can sue each other to resolve their issues. In Corinth, there was a highly developed legal system based on Roman law. Lawsuits were common. In early U.S. history, civil lawsuits were somewhat rare. Now they are as common as drinking coffee. Weird Al Yankovic has a song called, “I’ll Sue Ya.” poking fun at frivolous law suits. In 2002, civil lawsuits cost the U.S. economy $233 billion. These days we see many advertisements of attorneys who want to recruit injured people and persuade them to sue others. Medical doctors have been hit hard with malpractice lawsuits. They in turn pass the costs to their patients. Sometimes the U.S. seems to have gone “Sue crazy.”
However, the Christian church should be different than the world—not because Christians never dispute, but because they handle disputes differently. In verse 1, Paul rebukes the Corinthians for taking their disputes to civil courts instead of the saints. They did this, in part, out of their spiritual ignorance for they did not know that saints are the most qualified judges. Why? Saints learn the mind of Christ and grow in spiritual insight to see things from God’s point of view. Therefore, the judgment of the saints is superior to that of any human court, including the Supreme Court of the United States. When Jesus comes again, he will share his power and glory with the saints, who will help judge the world, and even angels (Mt 19:28; 2 Ti 2:12; Rev 20:4). So, surely Christians are competent to judge trivial cases of this age.
In this part, we find two principles in settling disputes. First, raise wise arbiters. In verses 4-5, Paul counsels the Corinthians to appoint judges, or arbiters, from among believers, to settle disputes in the church. In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul calls the church, “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Church leaders should create an atmosphere of true justice and righteousness within the church that is far superior to the world. Pastors and elders are responsible to solve all problems that arise in the church in a way that honors Christ and reveals his glory. This does not mean that Christians disrespect civil courts. Instead, we must respect judges as God’s servants who bring justice to the world (Ro 13:4). But when problems arise in the church, they should be settled in the church. So we need to raise up wise arbiters. Exodus 18:21 gives us good criteria for an arbiter. It reads, “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.” He must fear God, be trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain. Arbiters must have God’s perspective and give objective decisions based on the truth. Then both sides must accept the decision of the arbiter and obey the truth. However, if Christians fight with each other in court in front of unbelievers it dishonors Christ (6). May God make each of us into wise arbiters for the glory of God.
Second, “yield” even when wronged or cheated. Let’s read verse 7. “The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” When Christians fight with each other, who wins? Satan wins. Satan becomes the head cheerleader to stir up more fighting for he is dividing Christians in attempt to conquer them. In this way he wants to destroy the church, and its witness in the world. That is why Paul said that they were completely defeated. Christians must not fight with each other over material things or trivial matters. Paul strongly encouraged them, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” As Christians we must yield, though we are wronged or cheated. This pleases God and leads to God’s blessing. When Abram and Lot had grown in wealth and flocks and herds, there was quarreling among their herdsmen. Abram could have demanded Lot to yield, for he was the senior. But he conceded. He said to Lot, “…Let’s part company. If you go to the left I’ll go to the right...if you go to the right I’ll go to the left.” (Gen 13:9b) Lot chose the green paradise-like land around Sodom and left his uncle with the arid, rocky area. Abram lost access to a huge amount of sheep as well as a large number of village members. This was loosing wealth. Abram seemed to be the looser. But he grew spiritually in the image of God. God blessed him and his family. Now he is our Patriarch of faith. Jesus promised us, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5). Let’s decide to lose material things and human honor for Christ’s glory and the benefit of Christian brothers. This is the way of true victory, and to grow in the image of Christ, the Prince of Peace. On the other hand, those who fight with fellow Christians become a bad influence to others.
People who are suing others think that the other people are wicked people. They think “I am right but he is terribly, terribly wrong. That is why I am suing him.” It is easy to judge others with a self-righteous mind, forgetting that we are forgiven sinners ourselves. Paul set out to remind them of the grace of God. Let’s read verses 9b-10. “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Before we start to sue anyone we need to remember who we are before God, forgiven sinners by the grace of Jesus alone. We were washed; we were sanctified; we were justified in name of Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God. We must remember this grace as brothers and sisters in Christ. Then we can forgive each other and love each other into eternity as members of God’s family. Law suits may become a thing of the past when we know the grace of Jesus. But if there are, we must take the plank out or our own eye and be good arbitrators in the church, able to see how best to get the speck out of our brother’s eye. (Matt 7:5)
In these verses, Paul clearly warns that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. The wicked will go to eternal destruction in hell (Rev 21:8). However, some people are deceived, thinking they can live a wicked life and still go to the kingdom of God. We should not focus on one type of sinner. Let’s note that slanderers and swindlers are included here. Such people are wicked people who defame others and cheat others for money. Sure, there are times when Christians fall into these sins, but we can repent and receive God’s forgiveness and have grace to start again living by faith. This warning is for those who continue in wickedness, with no repentance. They will not inherit the kingdom of God.
As we finish this part, we must take a broader perspective. In the Bible we see that Paul was willing to use the civil courts to fulfill the will of God. Once, he identified as a Roman citizen to protect his evangelistic ministry. In Acts 25:11, he appealed to Caesar to carry the gospel to Rome according to God’s will. So we can say that God’s servants are justified in using civil courts to protect the work of God or to fulfill God’s will in spreading the gospel to the world.
Part II: A Right View Of The Body As Christians (12-20)
In this part, Paul turns his attention to sexual immorality again, but from a different perspective than in chapter 5. In verse 12, Paul teaches that freedom is a precious gift that must be used properly to be maintained. The Corinthians were fond of saying, “Everything is permissible for me.” They thought that they could use their freedom according to their own desires. They sound like postmodern people who claim that there are no absolute truths—that everything is a matter of personal preference, feelings, and subject to cultural relativism. They feel that whatever coarse they choose it the right course and “who are you to tell me different?” But this leads to great damage. There are moral absolutes in the world God has made. If one uses his freedom against God’s law, the consequence is fatal. If one uses his freedom to sin, he will become a slave again to sin. True freedom can be enjoyed only in the truth (Jn 8:32).
There was another popular saying of the Corinthians. Look at verse 13a. “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.” It expressed their thought that eating was a purely physical activity that had no connection to anything pertaining to the soul. This revealed their Greek philosophy of Gnostic dualism, which claimed that the spirit was good and matter, including the body, was evil. Two schools of thought developed from this premise: Epicureans and Stoics. Epicureans held that since the body was evil anyway, they could indulge in any kind of sinful behavior and it would not affect their spirit. Stoics held that since the body was evil it should be punished by mistreating it in various ways. Both of them were wrong and their influence was damaging to, not only Christians, but to all their adherents. Though the Corinthian Christians had accepted Christ, their way of thinking had not been completely changed. Under the influence of Greek philosophy, they thought that Christ had redeemed their spirits but not their bodies. So they justified indulging their bodies and living to feeding their stomachs. Paul warned that God would destroy them both.
Paul went on to correct the Corinthians’ wrong view of the body. Look at verse 13b. “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” The body and the spirit are inseparable. When Christ died for our sins, he redeemed not only our spirits, but our bodies as well. Christ redeemed our whole man so that our whole man might belong to him. Christ wants to dwell in our whole being, body, mind and spirit. However, just as man’s fall had a two step process, immediate death to the soul and the beginning of death to the body, so redemption in Christ has a two step process. When we accept Christ, our soul is made alive immediately with everlasting life. The body, however, begins a process of renewal or sanctification. Bad habits and false ways of thinking must be dealt with through repentance, faith and obedience, until we live a holy life in the body.
We can understand this when we remember the Israelites in the time of Exodus. Exodus is the exact portrayal of God’s salvation work. Pharaoh symbolizes Satan, who ruthlessly oppresses sinners. The Israelites had no power to get out of bondage, just as sinners cannot escape the gravity of sin. However, God provided the way through the blood of the Lamb (Jn 1:29). Yet redemption is just a beginning, not the end. After escaping Egypt, they needed to be disciplined in the wilderness for 40 years, to overcome the bad habits they had learned as slaves. God gave them the law and trained them to live by it. God gave them daily bread, and helped them to get up early, dedicate their day to God, and to work hard. The purpose of his redemption was to make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex 19:6)
In the same way, we Christians need to be set free from our past sinful habits and lifestyle. Our bodies must be sanctified. Our daily lives should be made holy. We should become more like Jesus every day through godly living and divine discipline. It is a process. Finally, our bodies will be fully sanctified when Jesus comes again. Verse 14 says, “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.” Our bodies will be imperishable, glorious, powerful and spiritual (1 Cor 15:42b-44). There will be no more sinful nature. There will be no more temptation. We will enjoy real freedom in the kingdom of God.
Paul further talks about the importance of the body to Christians. Look at verse 15a. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” Christ so indwells his people that our bodies are his members. It is unthinkable to unite the members of Christ with a prostitute. It is like trying to unite God and Satan, or holiness and sin. No human being can handle the strife of such a union. It will tear him apart. Some Corinthians thought that indulging in physical relations prior to marriage was like eating a good meal. But Paul corrects them in verse 16. Sex is a special God-given gift that produces a mysterious union. One can eat a good meal and forget about it several hours later. However, no one can just forget about a sexual encounter. The memory or that interaction remains in your mind though out your lifetime. It sits in a place in your psyche that only the holy things of God should sit. This is why the gift of sex must be used properly. It is given by God for his good purpose, to be enjoyed between husband and wife within the bounds of marriage. It serves several purposes. It is to consummate a couple’s love relationship and, for the purpose of having children. When children are born in a Christian marriage we must raise them as disciples of Christ who too can live holy lives for the glory of God and serve God’s purpose in their generation. On the other hand, if we misuse the gift of sex, our bodies are damaged and our character is distorted. We become miserable on the inside. So from a young age we must keep our bodies pure. Then we can live happily in God’s providence.
Verses 18-20 give us clear direction in how to use our bodies. First, we must flee from sexual immorality. This means we must run away from it as soon as we detect it. If we see a bad image on the computer or television, we must shut it off immediately. If we see a provocative member of the opposite sex, we must run away immediately like Joseph and Saint Augustine. If we hear the enticing words of a promiscuous person we must close our ears and sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” in our hearts. Admittedly, it is not easy for young people who are full of hormones and energy to overcome lustful desires. But we must remember that giving in to sexual temptation causes grave damage to oneself.
Second, we must honor God with our bodies. Let’s read verses 19-20. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. God lives in us and wants to use us for his purpose. Therefore, we have great potential to do amazing things in our lifetimes. When we recognize God’s presence in us and pray for his guidance, we can find many ways in which we need to develop our bodies to be used for the glory of God. This has led many people to discipline themselves from a young age to be used for a holy purpose. John Wesley was a kind of second generation believer. He was the son of godly parents and the fifteenth of nineteen children. His mother Susanna trained him to work hard, study hard, and live a pure life. From the time he could walk and talk, she taught him to read. Later, at Oxford, he formed a holy club with George Whitefield and others to train themselves for God’s use. When he prepared himself in this way, he was used greatly by God to spread the gospel to the world in the 18th century and to found the Methodist Church.
God wants to use us for noble purposes. 2 Timothy 2:20-22 says, “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” When we offer ourselves to God with a pure heart he will use us for most noble purposes. Therefore, let’s offer our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness. Let’s offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
Practically, how can we honor God with our bodies? Here “body” does not mean physical body only, but includes the whole man: spirit, mind and physical body. We must discipline our physical bodies by eating proper food—not junk food—and sleeping regularly—not staying up too late to play x-box 360—and by getting enough exercise by playing tennis or working out at the YMCA. They say that a sound body is the vessel of a sound mind. We must discipline our minds by doing our homework perfectly, faithfully and on time, and by reading classic books and watching classic movies. We must develop our talents for poetry, speech, music, and so on, until we become world famous. Furthermore, we must develop our spirituality by reading the Scriptures, devoting time to prayer, memorizing the word of God, and reading good Christian books and watching good Christian movies, like the Chronicles of Narnia. When we do so we can be happy and healthy and glorify God with our lives. Let’s pray that we may have a right attitude toward our bodies and use them properly and in this way honor God with our bodies.
Through this passage we learn that we must remember the grace of God in our own lives and not be so quick to sue our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must grow spiritually to be able to see the world and all things from God’s point of view so that we could be good arbiters in the church. We must also know that our bodies belong to God. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We must not let anything defile God's temple. Someday he will give us a resurrection body Sometimes this seems beyond us, but we can claim victory through the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead.
• THE CHURCH HAS SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY TO JUDGE EVEN ANGELS (1–8)
1. In resolving disputes, to whom were some brothers appealing? (1,6) What did they not know about the spiritual authority of the saints? (2–5)
2. What problems did Paul point out? (7,8) Why should they be willing to concede toward brothers instead of suing them? What is the secret of true victory?
• FLEE FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY (9–20)
3. Who will not inherit the kingdom of God? (9,10) Why is it so important to inherit God’s kingdom? What deception should we watch out for? How did Paul remind them of God’s grace? (11) Why?
4. What popular saying were some of the brothers using to justify their sin? (12) If we abuse
our Christian freedom, what happens to us? (Jn8:34; Ro6:15–16)
5. In Corinth, what wrong view of the body led to a strange idea about sex, and what view
of the body did Paul teach? (13–17) In light of the gospel, why is the body so important?
Why should a Christian not be sexually immoral? (16)
6. What is the best way to avoid sexually immorality? (18a; Ge39:12) Read verses 19–20.
What must Christians know about our bodies? In light of this, what should with our
bodies?
1 Corinthians 6:1-20, Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
Key Verse: 6:19, 10-25-09
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
In the Corinthian church there were many problems. Thus far, Paul has dealt with problems of division and sexual immorality. In today’s passage he addresses lawsuits between believers, and again deals with sexual immorality in order to bring it to a conclusion. Today we learn how to settle disputes within the church and how to honor God with our bodies. This is so important in our time. There are many, and yes, even among Christians, who misuse their bodies. When they do, tragedy follows them like a shadow. They become trapped in their sins and remain fruitless. However, when we use our bodies properly, we can glorify God and live happy, powerful, healthy lives. Through this passage, let’s learn how to honor God with our bodies.
Part l: Why Not Rather Be Cheated? (1-11)
First, Christians were turning to worldly people to settle legal disputes. Look at verse 1. “If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?” Whenever people live together, there are bound to be disputes. So nations have established elaborate court systems in which people can sue each other to resolve their issues. In Corinth, there was a highly developed legal system based on Roman law. Lawsuits were common. In early U.S. history, civil lawsuits were somewhat rare. Now they are as common as drinking coffee. Weird Al Yankovic has a song called, “I’ll Sue Ya.” poking fun at frivolous law suits. In 2002, civil lawsuits cost the U.S. economy $233 billion. These days we see many advertisements of attorneys who want to recruit injured people and persuade them to sue others. Medical doctors have been hit hard with malpractice lawsuits. They in turn pass the costs to their patients. Sometimes the U.S. seems to have gone “Sue crazy.”
However, the Christian church should be different than the world—not because Christians never dispute, but because they handle disputes differently. In verse 1, Paul rebukes the Corinthians for taking their disputes to civil courts instead of the saints. They did this, in part, out of their spiritual ignorance for they did not know that saints are the most qualified judges. Why? Saints learn the mind of Christ and grow in spiritual insight to see things from God’s point of view. Therefore, the judgment of the saints is superior to that of any human court, including the Supreme Court of the United States. When Jesus comes again, he will share his power and glory with the saints, who will help judge the world, and even angels (Mt 19:28; 2 Ti 2:12; Rev 20:4). So, surely Christians are competent to judge trivial cases of this age.
In this part, we find two principles in settling disputes. First, raise wise arbiters. In verses 4-5, Paul counsels the Corinthians to appoint judges, or arbiters, from among believers, to settle disputes in the church. In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul calls the church, “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Church leaders should create an atmosphere of true justice and righteousness within the church that is far superior to the world. Pastors and elders are responsible to solve all problems that arise in the church in a way that honors Christ and reveals his glory. This does not mean that Christians disrespect civil courts. Instead, we must respect judges as God’s servants who bring justice to the world (Ro 13:4). But when problems arise in the church, they should be settled in the church. So we need to raise up wise arbiters. Exodus 18:21 gives us good criteria for an arbiter. It reads, “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.” He must fear God, be trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain. Arbiters must have God’s perspective and give objective decisions based on the truth. Then both sides must accept the decision of the arbiter and obey the truth. However, if Christians fight with each other in court in front of unbelievers it dishonors Christ (6). May God make each of us into wise arbiters for the glory of God.
Second, “yield” even when wronged or cheated. Let’s read verse 7. “The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” When Christians fight with each other, who wins? Satan wins. Satan becomes the head cheerleader to stir up more fighting for he is dividing Christians in attempt to conquer them. In this way he wants to destroy the church, and its witness in the world. That is why Paul said that they were completely defeated. Christians must not fight with each other over material things or trivial matters. Paul strongly encouraged them, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” As Christians we must yield, though we are wronged or cheated. This pleases God and leads to God’s blessing. When Abram and Lot had grown in wealth and flocks and herds, there was quarreling among their herdsmen. Abram could have demanded Lot to yield, for he was the senior. But he conceded. He said to Lot, “…Let’s part company. If you go to the left I’ll go to the right...if you go to the right I’ll go to the left.” (Gen 13:9b) Lot chose the green paradise-like land around Sodom and left his uncle with the arid, rocky area. Abram lost access to a huge amount of sheep as well as a large number of village members. This was loosing wealth. Abram seemed to be the looser. But he grew spiritually in the image of God. God blessed him and his family. Now he is our Patriarch of faith. Jesus promised us, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5). Let’s decide to lose material things and human honor for Christ’s glory and the benefit of Christian brothers. This is the way of true victory, and to grow in the image of Christ, the Prince of Peace. On the other hand, those who fight with fellow Christians become a bad influence to others.
People who are suing others think that the other people are wicked people. They think “I am right but he is terribly, terribly wrong. That is why I am suing him.” It is easy to judge others with a self-righteous mind, forgetting that we are forgiven sinners ourselves. Paul set out to remind them of the grace of God. Let’s read verses 9b-10. “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Before we start to sue anyone we need to remember who we are before God, forgiven sinners by the grace of Jesus alone. We were washed; we were sanctified; we were justified in name of Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God. We must remember this grace as brothers and sisters in Christ. Then we can forgive each other and love each other into eternity as members of God’s family. Law suits may become a thing of the past when we know the grace of Jesus. But if there are, we must take the plank out or our own eye and be good arbitrators in the church, able to see how best to get the speck out of our brother’s eye. (Matt 7:5)
In these verses, Paul clearly warns that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. The wicked will go to eternal destruction in hell (Rev 21:8). However, some people are deceived, thinking they can live a wicked life and still go to the kingdom of God. We should not focus on one type of sinner. Let’s note that slanderers and swindlers are included here. Such people are wicked people who defame others and cheat others for money. Sure, there are times when Christians fall into these sins, but we can repent and receive God’s forgiveness and have grace to start again living by faith. This warning is for those who continue in wickedness, with no repentance. They will not inherit the kingdom of God.
As we finish this part, we must take a broader perspective. In the Bible we see that Paul was willing to use the civil courts to fulfill the will of God. Once, he identified as a Roman citizen to protect his evangelistic ministry. In Acts 25:11, he appealed to Caesar to carry the gospel to Rome according to God’s will. So we can say that God’s servants are justified in using civil courts to protect the work of God or to fulfill God’s will in spreading the gospel to the world.
Part II: A Right View Of The Body As Christians (12-20)
In this part, Paul turns his attention to sexual immorality again, but from a different perspective than in chapter 5. In verse 12, Paul teaches that freedom is a precious gift that must be used properly to be maintained. The Corinthians were fond of saying, “Everything is permissible for me.” They thought that they could use their freedom according to their own desires. They sound like postmodern people who claim that there are no absolute truths—that everything is a matter of personal preference, feelings, and subject to cultural relativism. They feel that whatever coarse they choose it the right course and “who are you to tell me different?” But this leads to great damage. There are moral absolutes in the world God has made. If one uses his freedom against God’s law, the consequence is fatal. If one uses his freedom to sin, he will become a slave again to sin. True freedom can be enjoyed only in the truth (Jn 8:32).
There was another popular saying of the Corinthians. Look at verse 13a. “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.” It expressed their thought that eating was a purely physical activity that had no connection to anything pertaining to the soul. This revealed their Greek philosophy of Gnostic dualism, which claimed that the spirit was good and matter, including the body, was evil. Two schools of thought developed from this premise: Epicureans and Stoics. Epicureans held that since the body was evil anyway, they could indulge in any kind of sinful behavior and it would not affect their spirit. Stoics held that since the body was evil it should be punished by mistreating it in various ways. Both of them were wrong and their influence was damaging to, not only Christians, but to all their adherents. Though the Corinthian Christians had accepted Christ, their way of thinking had not been completely changed. Under the influence of Greek philosophy, they thought that Christ had redeemed their spirits but not their bodies. So they justified indulging their bodies and living to feeding their stomachs. Paul warned that God would destroy them both.
Paul went on to correct the Corinthians’ wrong view of the body. Look at verse 13b. “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” The body and the spirit are inseparable. When Christ died for our sins, he redeemed not only our spirits, but our bodies as well. Christ redeemed our whole man so that our whole man might belong to him. Christ wants to dwell in our whole being, body, mind and spirit. However, just as man’s fall had a two step process, immediate death to the soul and the beginning of death to the body, so redemption in Christ has a two step process. When we accept Christ, our soul is made alive immediately with everlasting life. The body, however, begins a process of renewal or sanctification. Bad habits and false ways of thinking must be dealt with through repentance, faith and obedience, until we live a holy life in the body.
We can understand this when we remember the Israelites in the time of Exodus. Exodus is the exact portrayal of God’s salvation work. Pharaoh symbolizes Satan, who ruthlessly oppresses sinners. The Israelites had no power to get out of bondage, just as sinners cannot escape the gravity of sin. However, God provided the way through the blood of the Lamb (Jn 1:29). Yet redemption is just a beginning, not the end. After escaping Egypt, they needed to be disciplined in the wilderness for 40 years, to overcome the bad habits they had learned as slaves. God gave them the law and trained them to live by it. God gave them daily bread, and helped them to get up early, dedicate their day to God, and to work hard. The purpose of his redemption was to make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex 19:6)
In the same way, we Christians need to be set free from our past sinful habits and lifestyle. Our bodies must be sanctified. Our daily lives should be made holy. We should become more like Jesus every day through godly living and divine discipline. It is a process. Finally, our bodies will be fully sanctified when Jesus comes again. Verse 14 says, “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.” Our bodies will be imperishable, glorious, powerful and spiritual (1 Cor 15:42b-44). There will be no more sinful nature. There will be no more temptation. We will enjoy real freedom in the kingdom of God.
Paul further talks about the importance of the body to Christians. Look at verse 15a. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” Christ so indwells his people that our bodies are his members. It is unthinkable to unite the members of Christ with a prostitute. It is like trying to unite God and Satan, or holiness and sin. No human being can handle the strife of such a union. It will tear him apart. Some Corinthians thought that indulging in physical relations prior to marriage was like eating a good meal. But Paul corrects them in verse 16. Sex is a special God-given gift that produces a mysterious union. One can eat a good meal and forget about it several hours later. However, no one can just forget about a sexual encounter. The memory or that interaction remains in your mind though out your lifetime. It sits in a place in your psyche that only the holy things of God should sit. This is why the gift of sex must be used properly. It is given by God for his good purpose, to be enjoyed between husband and wife within the bounds of marriage. It serves several purposes. It is to consummate a couple’s love relationship and, for the purpose of having children. When children are born in a Christian marriage we must raise them as disciples of Christ who too can live holy lives for the glory of God and serve God’s purpose in their generation. On the other hand, if we misuse the gift of sex, our bodies are damaged and our character is distorted. We become miserable on the inside. So from a young age we must keep our bodies pure. Then we can live happily in God’s providence.
Verses 18-20 give us clear direction in how to use our bodies. First, we must flee from sexual immorality. This means we must run away from it as soon as we detect it. If we see a bad image on the computer or television, we must shut it off immediately. If we see a provocative member of the opposite sex, we must run away immediately like Joseph and Saint Augustine. If we hear the enticing words of a promiscuous person we must close our ears and sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” in our hearts. Admittedly, it is not easy for young people who are full of hormones and energy to overcome lustful desires. But we must remember that giving in to sexual temptation causes grave damage to oneself.
Second, we must honor God with our bodies. Let’s read verses 19-20. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. God lives in us and wants to use us for his purpose. Therefore, we have great potential to do amazing things in our lifetimes. When we recognize God’s presence in us and pray for his guidance, we can find many ways in which we need to develop our bodies to be used for the glory of God. This has led many people to discipline themselves from a young age to be used for a holy purpose. John Wesley was a kind of second generation believer. He was the son of godly parents and the fifteenth of nineteen children. His mother Susanna trained him to work hard, study hard, and live a pure life. From the time he could walk and talk, she taught him to read. Later, at Oxford, he formed a holy club with George Whitefield and others to train themselves for God’s use. When he prepared himself in this way, he was used greatly by God to spread the gospel to the world in the 18th century and to found the Methodist Church.
God wants to use us for noble purposes. 2 Timothy 2:20-22 says, “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” When we offer ourselves to God with a pure heart he will use us for most noble purposes. Therefore, let’s offer our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness. Let’s offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
Practically, how can we honor God with our bodies? Here “body” does not mean physical body only, but includes the whole man: spirit, mind and physical body. We must discipline our physical bodies by eating proper food—not junk food—and sleeping regularly—not staying up too late to play x-box 360—and by getting enough exercise by playing tennis or working out at the YMCA. They say that a sound body is the vessel of a sound mind. We must discipline our minds by doing our homework perfectly, faithfully and on time, and by reading classic books and watching classic movies. We must develop our talents for poetry, speech, music, and so on, until we become world famous. Furthermore, we must develop our spirituality by reading the Scriptures, devoting time to prayer, memorizing the word of God, and reading good Christian books and watching good Christian movies, like the Chronicles of Narnia. When we do so we can be happy and healthy and glorify God with our lives. Let’s pray that we may have a right attitude toward our bodies and use them properly and in this way honor God with our bodies.
Through this passage we learn that we must remember the grace of God in our own lives and not be so quick to sue our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must grow spiritually to be able to see the world and all things from God’s point of view so that we could be good arbiters in the church. We must also know that our bodies belong to God. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We must not let anything defile God's temple. Someday he will give us a resurrection body Sometimes this seems beyond us, but we can claim victory through the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead.
• THE CHURCH HAS SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY TO JUDGE EVEN ANGELS (1–8)
1. In resolving disputes, to whom were some brothers appealing? (1,6) What did they not know about the spiritual authority of the saints? (2–5)
2. What problems did Paul point out? (7,8) Why should they be willing to concede toward brothers instead of suing them? What is the secret of true victory?
• FLEE FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY (9–20)
3. Who will not inherit the kingdom of God? (9,10) Why is it so important to inherit God’s kingdom? What deception should we watch out for? How did Paul remind them of God’s grace? (11) Why?
4. What popular saying were some of the brothers using to justify their sin? (12) If we abuse
our Christian freedom, what happens to us? (Jn8:34; Ro6:15–16)
5. In Corinth, what wrong view of the body led to a strange idea about sex, and what view
of the body did Paul teach? (13–17) In light of the gospel, why is the body so important?
Why should a Christian not be sexually immoral? (16)
6. What is the best way to avoid sexually immorality? (18a; Ge39:12) Read verses 19–20.
What must Christians know about our bodies? In light of this, what should with our
bodies?
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