The Power Of The Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15: 12-34 Lesson 15
Key verse 15:24 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
"Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has
destroyed all dominion, authority and power."
In verses 1-11, we learned the contents of the Gospel; first, Jesus died for our sins; and second, Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. We learned that this Gospel is good news of great joy to all people for it is the solution to all problems of life and ministry. So often we think that our problems are due to “surface” issues. But there are core factors that keep us ensnared and entrapped. When all is stripped away we discover that that our core problems are actually sin and death problems. Paul was convinced that the gospel wonderfully solves these two problems, when a person accepts the gospel by faith. That is why Paul was so eager to share the Gospel as a most precious gift. In this passage we will learn; first, why the resurrection of Christ is absolutely necessary (12-19); second, what the Risen Christ's power is like (20-28); and third, a short warning, "Do not be misled." (29-34) Paul teaches us about the power of the Risen Christ, power to change lives, to heal, to save and to raise us from the dead. When our lives are transformed by this powerful gospel we can stand as witnesses of the Risen, living Christ. May God make each of you into a witness of the Risen Lord Jesus to the students of your respective campus’. Let’s see…
Part l: “How Can Some Of You Say There Is No Resurrection Of The Dead.” (12)
Apparently there were some in Corinth who did not believe the resurrection of the dead. Look at verse 12. "But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" These people were Christians, within the church. Surprising isn’t it. You would think that Christians would automatically believe in the resurrection. They did not deny the resurrection of Christ. How could they? They had the apostles, eyes witnesses to the resurrected Jesus, living among them. Their own lives have been changed by the living, Lord Jesus. Some of them may have been among the 500 brothers (6) that the Risen Jesus revealed himself to in the 40 days that he appeared and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. (Acts 1:3) To these people, the resurrection of Jesus was not the primary issue. What they denied is the bodily resurrection of believers.
Why would Christians ever deny the bodily resurrection of believers? Among popular religions there was belief in the resurrection of a person’s soul, but not necessarily of the body. Most Greeks did not believe that people's bodies would be resurrected after death. They saw the afterlife as a reality of the soul alone. The soul was the real thing, imprisoned in a physical body, and at death the soul was released. To them, there is no immortality for the body, but the soul entered into an eternal state. The church at Corinth was immersed in Greek culture. So we can understand why Corinthian believers had a difficult time believing in a bodily resurrection.
But even today there are many, even within the church, who don’t believe in the resurrection from the dead. It is because believing in the resurrection of the dead has repercussions. It means that our hope has to be in the kingdom of God and if you have this hope then you necessarily have to live with this hope. You can no longer live your life as if living in this world was the only life worth living for. Believing in the resurrection seems impractical to our everyday lives. We can easily believe in Jesus’ love and forgiveness. We can accept his moral teachings. Our ears perk up when we hear of God’s blessings. All of these things involve making our lives a little better in this life. But what about the resurrection? Belief in the resurrection appears to bring only disruption and reminds us that we are going to die one day. But we will discover that the resurrection of the dead is absolutely true and necessary to our Christian lives.
But in Christianity, we believe in a bodily resurrection. Paul declares the necessity of the resurrection, the power of the resurrection. As we proceed through this passage, Paul exposes their logical fallacy and explains how Christ's resurrection relates to the resurrection of all believers. Let’s see…
Part ll: The Necessity Of The Resurrection (13-19).
In these verses, Paul assumes, for the sake of argument, that there is no resurrection of the dead. What would the implication be if that were true? Well, there would be some serious repercussions. There are serious consequences to our faith and our lives if Jesus has not been raised. Let’s think about some of them. Let’s read verse 13 & 14, “If there were no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ had been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” If there was no resurrection then our preaching of our Christian faith would be useless. There would be others more useful things to apply our lives to. We would also be inviting students to sacrifice some study time, sleep time and socializing time in order to do something useless.
Even worse, preaching Christ's resurrection would make us liars. Let’s read verse 15, “More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.” Not only would we be liars, propogating fairy tale, but we would also be preaching a about a weak God who has been overcome by the power of death, rather than a victorious God. Who wants to give their lives to a weak, limited God? But this is not the case for us. We are not liars and our God is all powerful. The God of the Bible, the God who raised Christ from the dead is living. He is the Almighty God. He is our God and we are telling the truth about him when we preach the Gospel.
Again, if Christ has not been raised, we are still in our sins (17). The way to get out of our sins is to repent of our sins and receive the forgiveness of God. We place all of our hope in the kingdom of God and have a new, clear life direction. We have power and a reason to come out of our sins and make a new beginning in Jesus. And God is there to help us each step of the way, (if we are willing.) To still be in our sins, means that we are not forgiven of our sins; that we are living with unrepentant sins. We are suffering day to day, chewing the wages of our sins. One day will stand before the judgment seat of God while still in our sins. There will be no hope for us.
Also, if there is no resurrection then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost (18). We like to say of our loved ones, “They are going to a better place.” or “I will see them again in heaven.” But if there is no resurrection then these are just kind words that are not true. Also, if there is no resurrection then Christians are to be pitied more than all people (19). Many believers sacrificed everything to participate in the suffering of Christ. Some even became martyrs. But if there is no resurrection, then all is lost and believers are the most foolish people on earth, deceived by a false hope. We are the most pitiful, sacrificing Sunday after Sunday to prepare for worship service. Julie and I are so foolish to maintain both a house and a Bible house over these last seven years. We are so foolish to commute to Chicago and Triton and DuPage to co-work with other chapters to promote a Gospel that is not true. But we are not foolish and the gospel of Jesus is absolutely true and the most precious thing in this world. We are offering up our lives to worship Jesus, who has indeed been raised from the dead. He rules from heaven and one day we will follow him there. Our preaching is vital and necessary and changing the course of history and our faith is more precious than pure gold and is life-giving.
Third, The Power Of The Resurrection (20-28).
Christ's resurrection is a fact, an event that happened in history. Look at verse 20. "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." There are so many reasons to show that the resurrection of Jesus is a fact. There is the empty tomb. There is evidence of the burial clothes folded up upon itself in the tomb. There is no grave of Jesus. There are over 500 eyewitness accounts of the Risen Jesus. There is also the most compelling evidence, the changed lives of believers who have met the risen Jesus very personally. They have testimonies of how their lives have been touched, and are transformed, day by day, by the living Lord, Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can do the things that have occurred in their lives. Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus is connected to the resurrection of believers. To explain this, Paul calls Christ the "firstfruits." If we think about a fruit tree, the firstfruits is the first apple or the first orange of the season. When we see this first fruit then we know one thing for certain, there are many more fruits to come. Christ's resurrection is a sign of the resurrection of all believers. It gives us great hope that we, too, will be raised like Christ.
Some may wonder how they can be sure of their resurrection based on one person's resurrection. Paul answered in verse 21. "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man." This is simply a premise of the Bible. Sin came into the world through one man Adam. Death came into the world because the wages of sin is death. We are born in this world filled with sin and death. It is our inheritance. That is just the way it is. Thank you, Adam. (Just joking.) When we are in Adam we are ruled by the power of sin. We did not commit Adam's sin, yet we are ruled by Adam's sin. Likewise, one man, Christ, sets us free. Look at verse 22. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." John 5:24 reads, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me will not be condemned, He was crossed over from death to life.” John 1:4 reads, “In him was life and that life was the light of men.” There is no reason to live in the death, and be ruled by the elements of sin and death any longer. The Risen Christ has the power to make us alive with him forever, starting now! Christ rules us with life-giving power and will resurrect us in glory when he comes again (23). We can be resurrected from the deadness of our hearts right now, if we only believe.
The power of Christ's resurrection is not limited to giving life to believers. It also brings an amazing change to the whole universe. Let’s read verse 24, “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” Jesus' resurrection destroys all the power of darkness and restores God's righteous reign in life. All forces that have opposed God and have kept this world mired and suffering in the darkness will be destroyed. After Jesus has subjected everything, he himself will submit to God the Father and God will be all in all (28). Then believers will rule together with Christ and the new heaven and new earth will come. Perfect paradise will ultimately be restored through the resurrection of Christ.
Part lV: Practical Resurrection Faith (29-34).
In these verses Paul teaches what kind of life we should live. Paul said, "I die every day" (31). In order to follow Jesus, Paul died to himself every day. He died to his desire for comfort, and for worldly honor. He died to his sinful desires. He died to serve others sacrificially. He was ready to lose everything for Christ. How could he do so? Paul lived by resurrection faith.
On the other hand, those without resurrection faith ultimately turn to a pleasure seeking lifestyle. Look at verse 33. Their motto is, "Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die" (33). If life on earth is the end, we naturally seek to maximize our pleasure. When we get into our 30’s or 40’s we think, “I am getting older. I need to enjoy myself before it is too late” And so we embark on adventure after adventure, enjoying pleasure after pleasure, until they are too old, too weak or too poor to do anything else. Then they become very sad and long for death. But those who have faith in the resurrection have a heavenly hope. They are happy and content to follow Jesus and live by the truth of God’s word. They are happy to serve others with the love of God. They find great satisfaction giving their hearts to God’s mission in their lives. This is the opposite of a pleasure seeking lifestyle, but it is indeed a life of spiritual pleasure.
Paul had resurrection faith and with this faith Paul sacrificed temporary pleasure for eternal benefits and goodness. He was willing to fight the enemies of the gospel, through prayer and preaching and disciple-raising, though it was like fighting wild beasts. (32) I am going to share something about Apostle Paul, not to scare you, but to show you the power of the resurrection manifest in his life. In the book of Acts Paul was preaching in Iconium. Some Jewish religious leaders came from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowd, They stoned Paul, and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But Paul was not dead. What did do? After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went in to the city. He continued to preach the gospel. (Acts 14:19-20) His body may have been black and blue and bloodied, but he was more than alive. His spirit was undaunted. He was full of power and zeal because of his resurrection faith. He suffered in so many ways. Listen to his own description in 1 Cor 11:23b-28, “…I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” How could he do this? Well, we get a clue from his words in the last passage. “No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (1 Cor 15:10b) It was not only the grace of Jesus, but also his faith in the resurrection of Jesus. With this faith Paul gave his life for Jesus and the gospel and experienced great joy and spiritual victory when he did so.
He encouraged the Corinthian believers to watch their hearts in verses 33-34 by watching who they associate with. "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.' Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning..." (33-34). Who are bad company? Surely it is not the people of the world, for if we did not make friends with them, we could never introduce them to our living Lord and Savior Jesus. Bad company are those who call themselves Christians but who deny the resurrection or who do not live with resurrection faith in their hearts. Rather they live by the principle, “Let’s eat and drink for tomorrow we die.” Those who sin like this are ignorant of God. We must come back to our senses and stop sinning. We must live by resurrection faith and “die” every day, to ourselves, in order to serve God’s purpose in our lives. We must hold onto our heavenly hope and our lives should follow suit. In this way we will truly experience spiritual power and overflowing heavenly joy.
How can resurrection faith be practical in our own lives? I am not saying to look for opportunities where you can be stoned to death and be shipwrecked in the open sea. No. But there are practical aspects to our own life of faith. There are times when we feel that we cannot carry on in our school, in our family, at our job or with our own inner spiritual struggles. But with faith in the resurrection we can get up off the floor, brush ourselves off and try again and again with renewed vigor. We don’t have to be depressed thinking that we are running out of time in life and opportunities are passing us by. We can rest in the thought that we will be raised with Jesus and have already won the final victory, everything else is gravy. There are times when the hardships of life and the people of this world push us to ignore Jesus and enjoy a hedonistic lifestyle. But with hope in the resurrection we can know for certain that picking up our crosses and following Jesus is the best thing to do. We are not running out of time, we have eternal life. We do not need earthy pleasures, all the time, to satisfy our hearts. We have heavenly joy poured out on us from Jesus who went on before us.
In this passage we learned the absolute necessity of the gospel of Jesus death and resurrection. We need the gospel to come out of our sins and the repercussions of our sins. We need the Gospel to have eternal life. Our hope, our mission and reason for our existence is intimately linked to the Gospel of Jesus. Faith in the resurrection fills our hearts with the life of God and resurrection power. May your life and ministry reflect the awesome power of the resurrection.
Showing posts with label 1 Corinthians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 Corinthians. Show all posts
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Christ Was Raised According To The Scriptures
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 NIU UBF 2/28/10
Key verse 15:3-4
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...."
I thank God for the upcoming Easter season. It is time that we can throw off the coldness of a long winter and face the spring with new life and new hope. God has filled spring with budding trees and young plants, pushing their way up through the wet soil. The birds are starting to sing. Young, expectant couples are driving around looking at potential, new starter homes. Yes spring! A time for new life and new hope. That is the essence of Easter. Jesus brought us new life, through his death on the cross, freeing us from the cold, dark, confines of our sins and into the warm, life of God. He has given a new hope and new life full of potential and expectation, extending all the way into eternity. During this month, let us deeply accept the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Let us prepare for the upcoming Easter conference at Hamburger University.
In this first message, Paul begins his letter by bringing the Corinthians back to the cross of Jesus, highlighting some of the core elements of the Gospel. He mentions many resurrection witnesses, including the witness of the Scriptures. He wants the Corinthians to find new life and freedom from their personal and ministry problems that have entangled them. When they accept the Gospel newly they could fly like birds set free from a cage and be witnesses of the Risen Lord. May your soul be released from all that entangles it through being reminded of the Gospel of Jesus and be filled with new hope and new life direction.
Part I: Let’s Be Reminded Of The Gospel (1-4)
In verses 1-4 Paul summarizes the contents of the gospel. First, the gospel is the solution. Look at verse 1. "Now brothers I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand." Why did he remind them of the gospel? It was because they were losing gospel faith as time passed by. At first, they had accepted the gospel through Paul with great joy, confessing their sins, and standing firm in faith. They were born again. A new church was born. It was an exciting time. They came out of the darkness and into the light of God. These new believers had come into a vital and fresh relationship with Jesus. Everything was new to them. They were excited about their faith and God was working powerfully as he introduced the gospel to the Gentile world. Praise God for their new and fresh faith! But as time passed, their spirit waned. Their spiritual life became routine and habitual. The temptations of this sinful world wore away at their souls. They became weak spiritually and entertained false ideas and bad cultural influences, such as sexual immorality, which they had previously been delivered from. They began to drift in the current of the times. Some things that were happening in the church sound shocking to us. So Paul gave them the only “surefire” solution to all of their problems that he knew….he reminded them of the gospel. Paul knew that by this gospel they were saved, if they held firmly to the word he preached to them. Otherwise, they had believed in vain (2).
The Gospel is given to us by God as a most precious gift. Look at verse 3a. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance...." The gospel is not a man-made story, but a God-made story. Paul received it personally and passed it on to the Corinthians. The gospel has been passed on through the generations, from one gospel servant to another in along chain, all the way to us. I received the Gospel through the Bible teaching and prayers of the Canadian missionaries, especially through those of missionary Ruth Hwang. The gospel grew and developed in my heart through the preaching of Pastor Teddy and more lately through the ministry of Chicago UBF. God wants to pass the gospel on to the next generation through you and your Bible teaching/discipleship raising ministry. Can you remember who passed the gospel onto to you?
The gospel is the most important thing in our lives for when we hold firmly to the gospel, we are saved for our sins, the power of death and from condemnation. Let us think a little more deeply about this Gospel that God has given to us. Let’s read verses 3b-4. "...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...." In the gospel there are two main elements: Christ's death, and Christ's resurrection. Let’s think about the first part, Christ’s death. What are peoples’ fundamental problem? Nowadays, it seems to be a poor economy and world wide terrorism. But the Bible says our core problem is our sin problem. What is sin? Sin, means to separate or to cut. Sin cuts man's relationship with God and with one another. Sin is not accepting God as God, nor glorifying God, nor giving thanks to him (Ro 1:21). Sin is disobedience to the word of God and rebellion against God. Sin grows through pride-trying to make us live without God. The consequences of sin are very serious. Because of sin, people lose the glorious image of God and degenerate to the “animal level”. Many people think sin is enjoyable. However, sin destroys our character, our bodies, our families, our relationships with others and society. Sin brings unbearable guilt and shame, tormenting peoples’ consciences night and day. Before the fall of man, Adam and Eve did not sin. They had unbroken fellowship with God. They had eternal life. But now, after the fall, people die in this world because of the wages of sin is death (Ro 6:23a).
People think that death is the end of everything. They think that they can escape death by ending their lives, like the Marie Osmond’s son and the actor from “Growing Pains”, Andrew Koenig. But death is not the end. People are destined to die once and after that to face judgment (Heb 9:27). No one escapes God's judgment (2 Cor 5:10). No one can endure the eternal punishment (Rev 21:8). It is so horrible that we don't want to think about it. But it is real and we should never opt for it. Knowledge of our death and judgment brings anxiety, fear and despair into our lives.
Mankind has not been able to solve their sin and death problems on their own. People have tried hard through various means. Some try to overcome a burdened conscience through forgetting about it all in the cyber world, or electronic entertainment; through enjoying hedonism; travelling endlessly; sleeping a lot; adopting an empty philosophy of life to believe in. They try to immortalize themselves through health and exercise, through writing books, producing music, sports achievements and, like my father, documenting genealogy. Some have frozen their brains in liquid nitrogen (cryogenics) in hopes that their minds can be resurrected in a new body sometimes in the future. (That is if anyone cares enough to do so.) But no matter how hard people try, there is no way overcome our sin and death problems, and the fruits of such, on our own.
The great news is, is that God has solved this problem for us. Verse 3 says that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Christ shed his precious blood on the cross to pay off the demand of sin. Christ forgave our sins and freed us from the consequences of sin. Our souls are set free from all condemnations. We no longer have to live in unsettled feelings, anxiety and in the expectation of judgment. Our souls are set free through the power of God’s forgiveness and his grace. Our sins are forgiven and we granted and new beginning with a clean, fresh start. When we know this, we can have strength to move forward in our lives and bear the fruit of the Gospel. We can rest in the knowledge that we are children of God and have been granted eternal life. Thank you Jesus for solving our sin and death problems through your precious gospel.
Let’s think a little more deeply about Christ’s resurrection. Look at verse 4. "...that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...." Christ defeated the power of death through his resurrection (Ro 6:9). To me this is a fantastic hope. As a nurse death is always before me. I know how short life is. Nobody can fool me on this. I would suffer so much that the sands of time are running out on me. But because Jesus’ resurrection I know that death is not the end. Those who are found in Christ will be raise with Jesus. And by the blood of Jesus I am one of those who are found in Jesus. By his grace I have a living hope in the kingdom of God. (1 Peter 1:3,4) This hope frees me from the confines of this world, the depression of thinking that my own time is short, and it gives me a great and glorious hope. I am no longer swimming in a sea of death, but in an ocean of living water. The same is true for anyone who repents of their sins and come to Jesus by faith. Christ's resurrection gives us final victory over the power of death. Christ's resurrection gives us a living hope in the kingdom of God. Praise God!
The words "according to the Scriptures," are important. The Gospel did not happen by chance. It was planned long ago by God and fulfilled by God. We have the words of the prophets. There are so many references to Jesus and his ministry and this gospel in the Old Testament. The gospel, that we hold, has a solid foundation in Scripture and history. We can trust the gospel and entrust our lives and future to Jesus.
Part ll: The Witnesses Of The Gospel (5-11)
Second, Paul refers to many witnesses of the resurrection (5-11). In the gospels we can find the evidence of Christ's resurrection, such as the empty tomb, the words of angels, and Christ's appearance to women. However, Paul introduces only male eyewitnesses to prove the fact of Christ's resurrection. In a court of law, in Jewish society, and even in Mediterranean society this would be the strongest evidence. Let’s think about these witnesses. The Risen Christ first appeared to Peter, then to the Twelve as they hid in an upper room, including doubting Thomas. After Jesus appeared to Thomas, his doubt turned to worship. He said, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28) Over a period of forty days, Jesus appeared to his disciples and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. (Acts 1:3) Paul mentions that the Risen Christ appeared to more than 500 believers at the same time, most of whom were living when Paul wrote this letter. Then the Risen Christ appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, to Paul also. These men were changed from fearful to courageous, from selfish to sacrificial, from self-centered to God-centered. Among them, Peter and Paul are the best examples. Only the power of a living, resurrected Jesus can ever change the lives of these witnesses.
Let’s think about Peter. Peter loved Jesus. However, he had many weaknesses and made many mistakes. Most critically, he denied Jesus three times during Jesus' passion. Then Peter met the Risen Christ. He was changed into a courageous man of God, the rock of Jesus' first century church. Paul had persecuted the church of Christ the most. He consented to the stoning of St. Stephen. Then, on his way to Damascus to arrest believers, he met the Risen Christ. He was born again, and became a witness of Christ's resurrection. In the past Paul had been very proud. But after meeting the Risen Christ, he became so humble, the least of all. He remembered what kind of person he had been and how Christ had been so gracious to him. To bear this grace he worked hard, harder than all the others. Paul and the other witnesses preached the resurrection of Christ. The Corinthian believers heard the message and believed.
The witness of the Risen Jesus did not end here. Jesus rose again from the dead. That means that he is alive right now, reigning from heaven. He is still working in the hearts of his people to transform them into new creations. He is revealing his grace and mercy in their lives and their transforming power. We can see the work of God working powerfully in each of our hearts and lives. There are five kids living for the glory of God. There is Andrew offering up is talents for the glory of God. There is Tim breaking down walls and making new beginnings in Jesus. There is Kathleen growing in the word of God and trying to lead her family to Jesus. There is Julie faithfully co-working with one of the most difficult people in the world, i.e., me. When we believe, we too can meet the Risen Christ, be changed and become resurrection witnesses. This Easter let God work in your hearts and lives and let’s be set free and transformed by the power of the Gospel. Let us become resurrection witnesses to the risen Jesus who is alive and at work in each of us. Let us tell the world that the only solution to their sin and death problem is the gospel of Jesus and death and resurrection.
In this passage we learned the essence of the gospel, "...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...." This gospel saves us and gives us forgiveness, new life and a new hope. The gospel makes us witnesses of the Risen Lord. This gospel is the solution to all of our problems in life and ministry. Will you hold onto to Jesus’ gospel as of first importance? Will you make time in your life to hold firmly to the word that was preached to you? Make time…don’t be so busy. For this Gospel is the only source of salvation given to us. It is tried and true. There is no other way but Jesus. Give your heart and life to him and the power of the gospel will work and miracles will happen.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 NIU UBF 2/28/10
Key verse 15:3-4
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...."
I thank God for the upcoming Easter season. It is time that we can throw off the coldness of a long winter and face the spring with new life and new hope. God has filled spring with budding trees and young plants, pushing their way up through the wet soil. The birds are starting to sing. Young, expectant couples are driving around looking at potential, new starter homes. Yes spring! A time for new life and new hope. That is the essence of Easter. Jesus brought us new life, through his death on the cross, freeing us from the cold, dark, confines of our sins and into the warm, life of God. He has given a new hope and new life full of potential and expectation, extending all the way into eternity. During this month, let us deeply accept the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Let us prepare for the upcoming Easter conference at Hamburger University.
In this first message, Paul begins his letter by bringing the Corinthians back to the cross of Jesus, highlighting some of the core elements of the Gospel. He mentions many resurrection witnesses, including the witness of the Scriptures. He wants the Corinthians to find new life and freedom from their personal and ministry problems that have entangled them. When they accept the Gospel newly they could fly like birds set free from a cage and be witnesses of the Risen Lord. May your soul be released from all that entangles it through being reminded of the Gospel of Jesus and be filled with new hope and new life direction.
Part I: Let’s Be Reminded Of The Gospel (1-4)
In verses 1-4 Paul summarizes the contents of the gospel. First, the gospel is the solution. Look at verse 1. "Now brothers I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand." Why did he remind them of the gospel? It was because they were losing gospel faith as time passed by. At first, they had accepted the gospel through Paul with great joy, confessing their sins, and standing firm in faith. They were born again. A new church was born. It was an exciting time. They came out of the darkness and into the light of God. These new believers had come into a vital and fresh relationship with Jesus. Everything was new to them. They were excited about their faith and God was working powerfully as he introduced the gospel to the Gentile world. Praise God for their new and fresh faith! But as time passed, their spirit waned. Their spiritual life became routine and habitual. The temptations of this sinful world wore away at their souls. They became weak spiritually and entertained false ideas and bad cultural influences, such as sexual immorality, which they had previously been delivered from. They began to drift in the current of the times. Some things that were happening in the church sound shocking to us. So Paul gave them the only “surefire” solution to all of their problems that he knew….he reminded them of the gospel. Paul knew that by this gospel they were saved, if they held firmly to the word he preached to them. Otherwise, they had believed in vain (2).
The Gospel is given to us by God as a most precious gift. Look at verse 3a. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance...." The gospel is not a man-made story, but a God-made story. Paul received it personally and passed it on to the Corinthians. The gospel has been passed on through the generations, from one gospel servant to another in along chain, all the way to us. I received the Gospel through the Bible teaching and prayers of the Canadian missionaries, especially through those of missionary Ruth Hwang. The gospel grew and developed in my heart through the preaching of Pastor Teddy and more lately through the ministry of Chicago UBF. God wants to pass the gospel on to the next generation through you and your Bible teaching/discipleship raising ministry. Can you remember who passed the gospel onto to you?
The gospel is the most important thing in our lives for when we hold firmly to the gospel, we are saved for our sins, the power of death and from condemnation. Let us think a little more deeply about this Gospel that God has given to us. Let’s read verses 3b-4. "...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...." In the gospel there are two main elements: Christ's death, and Christ's resurrection. Let’s think about the first part, Christ’s death. What are peoples’ fundamental problem? Nowadays, it seems to be a poor economy and world wide terrorism. But the Bible says our core problem is our sin problem. What is sin? Sin, means to separate or to cut. Sin cuts man's relationship with God and with one another. Sin is not accepting God as God, nor glorifying God, nor giving thanks to him (Ro 1:21). Sin is disobedience to the word of God and rebellion against God. Sin grows through pride-trying to make us live without God. The consequences of sin are very serious. Because of sin, people lose the glorious image of God and degenerate to the “animal level”. Many people think sin is enjoyable. However, sin destroys our character, our bodies, our families, our relationships with others and society. Sin brings unbearable guilt and shame, tormenting peoples’ consciences night and day. Before the fall of man, Adam and Eve did not sin. They had unbroken fellowship with God. They had eternal life. But now, after the fall, people die in this world because of the wages of sin is death (Ro 6:23a).
People think that death is the end of everything. They think that they can escape death by ending their lives, like the Marie Osmond’s son and the actor from “Growing Pains”, Andrew Koenig. But death is not the end. People are destined to die once and after that to face judgment (Heb 9:27). No one escapes God's judgment (2 Cor 5:10). No one can endure the eternal punishment (Rev 21:8). It is so horrible that we don't want to think about it. But it is real and we should never opt for it. Knowledge of our death and judgment brings anxiety, fear and despair into our lives.
Mankind has not been able to solve their sin and death problems on their own. People have tried hard through various means. Some try to overcome a burdened conscience through forgetting about it all in the cyber world, or electronic entertainment; through enjoying hedonism; travelling endlessly; sleeping a lot; adopting an empty philosophy of life to believe in. They try to immortalize themselves through health and exercise, through writing books, producing music, sports achievements and, like my father, documenting genealogy. Some have frozen their brains in liquid nitrogen (cryogenics) in hopes that their minds can be resurrected in a new body sometimes in the future. (That is if anyone cares enough to do so.) But no matter how hard people try, there is no way overcome our sin and death problems, and the fruits of such, on our own.
The great news is, is that God has solved this problem for us. Verse 3 says that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Christ shed his precious blood on the cross to pay off the demand of sin. Christ forgave our sins and freed us from the consequences of sin. Our souls are set free from all condemnations. We no longer have to live in unsettled feelings, anxiety and in the expectation of judgment. Our souls are set free through the power of God’s forgiveness and his grace. Our sins are forgiven and we granted and new beginning with a clean, fresh start. When we know this, we can have strength to move forward in our lives and bear the fruit of the Gospel. We can rest in the knowledge that we are children of God and have been granted eternal life. Thank you Jesus for solving our sin and death problems through your precious gospel.
Let’s think a little more deeply about Christ’s resurrection. Look at verse 4. "...that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...." Christ defeated the power of death through his resurrection (Ro 6:9). To me this is a fantastic hope. As a nurse death is always before me. I know how short life is. Nobody can fool me on this. I would suffer so much that the sands of time are running out on me. But because Jesus’ resurrection I know that death is not the end. Those who are found in Christ will be raise with Jesus. And by the blood of Jesus I am one of those who are found in Jesus. By his grace I have a living hope in the kingdom of God. (1 Peter 1:3,4) This hope frees me from the confines of this world, the depression of thinking that my own time is short, and it gives me a great and glorious hope. I am no longer swimming in a sea of death, but in an ocean of living water. The same is true for anyone who repents of their sins and come to Jesus by faith. Christ's resurrection gives us final victory over the power of death. Christ's resurrection gives us a living hope in the kingdom of God. Praise God!
The words "according to the Scriptures," are important. The Gospel did not happen by chance. It was planned long ago by God and fulfilled by God. We have the words of the prophets. There are so many references to Jesus and his ministry and this gospel in the Old Testament. The gospel, that we hold, has a solid foundation in Scripture and history. We can trust the gospel and entrust our lives and future to Jesus.
Part ll: The Witnesses Of The Gospel (5-11)
Second, Paul refers to many witnesses of the resurrection (5-11). In the gospels we can find the evidence of Christ's resurrection, such as the empty tomb, the words of angels, and Christ's appearance to women. However, Paul introduces only male eyewitnesses to prove the fact of Christ's resurrection. In a court of law, in Jewish society, and even in Mediterranean society this would be the strongest evidence. Let’s think about these witnesses. The Risen Christ first appeared to Peter, then to the Twelve as they hid in an upper room, including doubting Thomas. After Jesus appeared to Thomas, his doubt turned to worship. He said, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28) Over a period of forty days, Jesus appeared to his disciples and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. (Acts 1:3) Paul mentions that the Risen Christ appeared to more than 500 believers at the same time, most of whom were living when Paul wrote this letter. Then the Risen Christ appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, to Paul also. These men were changed from fearful to courageous, from selfish to sacrificial, from self-centered to God-centered. Among them, Peter and Paul are the best examples. Only the power of a living, resurrected Jesus can ever change the lives of these witnesses.
Let’s think about Peter. Peter loved Jesus. However, he had many weaknesses and made many mistakes. Most critically, he denied Jesus three times during Jesus' passion. Then Peter met the Risen Christ. He was changed into a courageous man of God, the rock of Jesus' first century church. Paul had persecuted the church of Christ the most. He consented to the stoning of St. Stephen. Then, on his way to Damascus to arrest believers, he met the Risen Christ. He was born again, and became a witness of Christ's resurrection. In the past Paul had been very proud. But after meeting the Risen Christ, he became so humble, the least of all. He remembered what kind of person he had been and how Christ had been so gracious to him. To bear this grace he worked hard, harder than all the others. Paul and the other witnesses preached the resurrection of Christ. The Corinthian believers heard the message and believed.
The witness of the Risen Jesus did not end here. Jesus rose again from the dead. That means that he is alive right now, reigning from heaven. He is still working in the hearts of his people to transform them into new creations. He is revealing his grace and mercy in their lives and their transforming power. We can see the work of God working powerfully in each of our hearts and lives. There are five kids living for the glory of God. There is Andrew offering up is talents for the glory of God. There is Tim breaking down walls and making new beginnings in Jesus. There is Kathleen growing in the word of God and trying to lead her family to Jesus. There is Julie faithfully co-working with one of the most difficult people in the world, i.e., me. When we believe, we too can meet the Risen Christ, be changed and become resurrection witnesses. This Easter let God work in your hearts and lives and let’s be set free and transformed by the power of the Gospel. Let us become resurrection witnesses to the risen Jesus who is alive and at work in each of us. Let us tell the world that the only solution to their sin and death problem is the gospel of Jesus and death and resurrection.
In this passage we learned the essence of the gospel, "...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...." This gospel saves us and gives us forgiveness, new life and a new hope. The gospel makes us witnesses of the Risen Lord. This gospel is the solution to all of our problems in life and ministry. Will you hold onto to Jesus’ gospel as of first importance? Will you make time in your life to hold firmly to the word that was preached to you? Make time…don’t be so busy. For this Gospel is the only source of salvation given to us. It is tried and true. There is no other way but Jesus. Give your heart and life to him and the power of the gospel will work and miracles will happen.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
1 Corinthians 14:1-40
Eagerly Desire the Gift of Prophecy
1 Corinthians 14:1-40 Lesson 13
Key verse 14:12 NIU UBF 2-7-10
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy."
In last week's message we learned what true love is. It is the love of God, love that is patient and kind. With this love in our hearts, we can use spiritual gifts properly. Then our Christian fellowship will be like a taste of the heavenly kingdom. Today's passage is about a controversial issue: speaking in tongues in the church. Apparently this caused problems in Corinth. It still causes problems in some congregations even today. We need to clarify how to use this gift of tongues. Furthermore, rather than speaking in tongues, we learn which spiritual gift we should more eagerly desire. It is the gift of prophecy. Let's learn what the gift of prophecy means to each of us practically.
Part l: Edify The Church (1-25)
Paul sets us on the right coarse in our Christian lives. Look at verse 1. "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy." Paul taught the way of love in chapter 13. Love is of utmost importance and the basis for using all spiritual gifts. We must follow the way of love if we are people of God. Here, the word, "follow", has the connotation of a hunter pursuing his prey. The hunter focuses his whole attention on the prey, focusing and hounding it relentlessly. Likewise, we must make every effort to learn and practice the love of God, whatever we do. Our lifestyle must be a lifestyle marked by love.
Paul also says that, along with love, we must eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. What is the gift of prophecy? The Hebrew word for prophet is "nabiy" which literally means spokesman. A prophet is God's spokesman. In the Old Testament a prophet delivered God's message to the people of their generation, and his word could become Scripture, such as the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah. In the New Testament, the gift of prophecy is somewhat different. According to Hebrews 1:1, God no longer speaks to us primarily through prophets, but through his Son Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit makes Christ known to us (Jn 16:14). In this sense, one who has the gift of prophecy makes Christ known through the Scripture to the people of their generation. To prophesy is to reveal who Christ is and what he does through the Scriptures. Some people think of prophecy as telling the future. This may be part of it, but the emphasis is to reveal Christ through God's word. We can say that fruitful Bible teachers have the gift of prophecy.
There are two things are most important in the life of the Christian church, and for each of its members: the love of God, and the word of God. Look at verse 1 again. “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy." We need both love and prophecy. If there is love without the word of God, there will be many spiritually immature and weak people in the church. On the other hand, if there is the word of God without love, the church will be full legalists, wielding the word of God like a weapon with no grace, something like the Pharisees. So Paul urges us to follow both, the way of love and to eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. Then our church can be healthy and fruitful. Verses 2-25 explain why we should eagerly desire the gift of prophecy, which is the word of God, rather than the gift of tongues.
First, tongues edify oneself, but prophecy edifies the church (2-5). One who speaks in tongues speaks to God, from their spirit, in a language that others cannot understand (2). Look at verse 4. "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.” This gift is for building up one's personal relationship with God. However, those who prophesy share the word of God with God’s people, in the language that they understand, for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort (3). So Paul encouraged them to prophesy in the church so that the whole church could be built up (5).
In order to understand this passage better, we should clarify what it means to speak in tongues. This is first mentioned in Acts 2. After Jesus ascended into heaven, 120 disciples gathered together and prayed constantly until they were united in the love of God. Then, according to Jesus' promise, the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost in the form of a strong wind and tongues of fire. The apostles began to speak in tongues. People from all over the world gathered around them, and each one heard the wonders of God in their own native language. These tongues were intelligible to men. In Acts 10, Peter preached the gospel in Cornelius' house. Those who accepted the message received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues and praised God. In Acts 19, Paul laid his hands on some disciples and prayed for them. Then the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Speaking in tongues is one sign of the Holy Spirit. However, when the word "tongues" is used in these passages in Acts, it can also be understood as "languages," according to the footnotes. These are the only recorded cases of speaking in tongues in the book of Acts. Some people claim that one who receives the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues and that one who does not speak in tongues has not received the Holy Spirit. That is not true. Tongues do not represent all gifts of the Holy Spirit. Many in the New Testament, who received the Holy Spirit, did not speak in tongues. As we studied in 1 Corinthians 12:3, one who confesses "Jesus is Lord" has the Holy Spirit.
The book of Acts is called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. When we review the book of Acts, we find that the Holy Spirit works through the word of God (Ac 2:37-39; 4:31; 11:1). Acts 6:7a says, "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly...." Acts 12:24 says, "But the word of God continued to increase and spread." In Ephesus, Paul devoted himself for two years to teaching the word of God daily in the lecture hall at Tyrannus. Then all the people in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (Ac 19:10). Many who had practiced sorcery repented and burned their scrolls in a fire. A great miracle happened. Acts 19:20 says, "In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power." When Paul preached the word of God, people were changed. Lives were transformed. Broken families were healed and reunited. Society was reshaped. Where there is the word of God, there is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is like a needle and thread. Where one is working, the other is working as well.
Those who have received the Holy Spirit do so through the word of God. In UBF we study the word of God, share the word of God and pray based on the word of God. The Holy Spirit works through the word to transform lives and change us into new creations. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. There are people who have been completely changed by the work of the Holy Spirit through Bible study. You may be one of them. If this is true, then one day can you share your life testimony one day?
The Corinthian believers highly valued the gift of tongues as though it was everything. Paul wanted them to realize that speaking in tongues was good for their personal growth in the love of God. But speaking in tongues publicly can cause problems. So Paul did not encourage them to speak in tongues in the church, (unless there was an interpreter.) He also did not forbid them from speaking in tongues. Then what could they do? They could use their gift to have a deep relationship with God through prayer, very personally, in their own private room. They should not become proud and critical toward others because others don’t speak in tongues, but use their gift to develop their personal relationship with God. On the other hand, in the church, Paul urged the Corinthians to prophesy because this strengthens, encourages, comforts, and builds up the church. Therefore, Bible teachers should have confidence that they have the gift of prophesy and use it fervently, because this is the great work of the Holy Spirit.
Second, people understand prophecy, but not tongues (6-19). Look at verse 6. "Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?" This verse details some aspects of the gift of prophecy, which is the word of God to us. This gift is useful to the church because it communicates intelligibly and brings about transformation and spiritual growth. However, if Paul taught in a language that they did not understand, it would be ineffective. If we go to another country, where English is not known, and speak in English, we will fail in evangelism. No matter how well we prepare the message or Bible study, it will be useless. That is why Christian missionaries try to learn the native language in their mission field. When Tim’s brother, Chris Sagel went to Korea, he had to learn Korean to share the gospel meaningfully and that is what he is doing right now. There was a great work of God in Corinth because Paul shared the word of God in the language that the people could understand.
In verses 7-8, Paul uses the examples of musical instruments. “Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” A harp or a flute can make a beautiful sound. But to do this, the artist must practice hard and play properly, like an orchestra member. Otherwise the instruments do not make a beautiful sound, but rather an irritating noise. Trumpets are useful to convey messages to soldiers in the army, such as "charge," "retreat," and so forth. But to do so the specific tunes must be played clearly. Otherwise soldiers will be confused and make many mistakes. In verses 9-12, Paul uses the example of language. All sorts of languages have meaning. But if we do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, we become foreigners. So we must speak intelligible words to communicate with others. Otherwise there is no connection between us and we become like one who is simply speaking to the air. (9b) So when we share a message or teach the Bible we must know how to communicate with others in the church. We must use proper and appropriate language. Jenn is a Sophmore from DeKalb High school. She is training in forensics. She naturally talks like a teenager. But she was chosen to deliver the opening message for our “God’s Enduring Love” Bible School. She has to deliver her message in such a way that children and adults can hear what she is saying, to reveal that God is love. To share God's word effectively we must use language that others understand.
In verses 13-19, Paul talks about why we should pray or sing in the church with our spirit and also with our mind. If we pray or sing only with our spirit, people cannot understand (14). There is no response. No one can respond from their hearts. Someone may speak in tongues very powerfully and dramatically, but no one understands (16). But when we use both our spirit and mind, then people may understand what we are praying and singing and respond from their hearts and even say "Amen!" In this way we can edify the church. Paul could speak in tongues more than all of them. But what did he say? Let's read verse 19. "But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue." Here we learn that in the church, we have to speak intelligible words that others understand in order to edify the church.
Third, tongues drive unbelievers away while prophecy draws them to God (20-25). Look at verse 20. "Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults." A child's thinking is self-centered, while an adult's thinking embraces others. An adult has wisdom, the ability to know what is right and what is wrong. In the church we need wisdom to know what is edifying to others, and what is not. Wise people know what to say, and what not to say, in the church. Wise people know how to speak in a way that strengthens, encourages and comforts others. But self-centered people easily hurt others and destroy their faith because they insist on their own ideas and through their words around without any regard for others. Those who speak in tongues in the church (without an interpreter/ in a disorderly way) can fall into this trap. So we must give our hearts to prophecy, the word of God, in the church, and be mature, growing into spiritual adulthood.
In verses 23-25 Paul gives us two scenarios that reveal the importance of prophecy in regards to unbelievers. If unbelievers come into a worship service in which everyone is speaking a different language at the same time, with no one understanding anyone else, they will conclude that Christians are crazy. Unbelievers do not come to church for entertainment. They come to church with heavy burdens of sin and hard life problems. Their souls are longing for the word of God. They come because they are weary and tired and they seek real rest. They have wandered without knowing the meaning of existence or their life destination and come to church to find meaning and direction. They need comfort and true hope. They need the message of the forgiveness of sins. In a word, they need the gospel. If all they find are people speaking in tongues they will not understand what is happening. None of their life questions will be answered and they will leave the church possibly never to return again. On the other hand, if they hear the words of prophecy, the message of the gospel, they can repent of their hidden sins and restore their love relationship with God. We have seen this happen time and again during our UBF conferences. When the word of God is preached with power, people can repent and turn to God. I did at the 1986 MSU Summer Bible Conference. I heard the clear message from John 4, concerning the Samaritan woman. I saw myself as a “Samaritan man” trying to quench my thirsty heart with the things of the world. But when I heard the gospel message, I repented of my sins, was saved and drank deep if Jesus’ living water. I pray that in the coming “God’s Enduring Love” Bible School, many people may hear the word of God, repent of their sins, and turn to God. Where there is the word of God, there is the work of the Holy Spirit. People are saved from their sins and become new creations in Christ. But without the word of God, no one can solve their sin problems. So the word of God is very important for any church. That is why we must eagerly desire the gift of prophecy, the word of God.
Part II: Worship In An Orderly Way (26-40)
When we read verses 26-40 we come across some controversial text and things that we are not familiar with. But we have to understand this passage in the context of the Corinthian church. Look at verse 26. "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." The Corinthians were ancient Greeks in a Mediterranean world. They had a church program suited for their context. At the time there were hymns, words of instruction, revelation, tongues and interpretation. But at that time, the Bible as we now have it, had not been completed. They had the Old Testament and many letters written on scrolls that they shared. They had eye witnesses accounts. But they needed also needed revelation. Now that we have the Bible, we do not need revelation that is apart from the word of God. In fact, anyone who claims to receive direct revelation from God is a false prophet. Each nation is different, and each must discover their own appropriate worship program. Our worship here in America is much different than our worship in Africa.
In verses 27-28 Paul explains that if they speak in tongues they need an interpreter to edify the church. In verses 29-32 Paul explains how prophecy can edify the church. The point is that all of this must be done for the strengthening of the church (26b). The church must be orderly and peaceful. Look at verse 33. "For God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace as in all the congregations of the saints." God is pleased by worship that is orderly and peaceful in nature.
Verses 34-35 teach us that women should remain silent in the church. We should not take this literally. We have to understand this in the context of the Corinthian church. At that time, women's social position was very low. They did not even count in the census. It would be too shocking to their ancient culture to allow them to speak publicly. It was not the time for the church to take up the banner of woman liberation. (That would come later.) Now was the time to spread the message of the gospel across the pagan, Roman world as quickly as possible. But these days it is quite different. In 1984, the Winnipeg Manitoba UBF church was planted by women. In 1986, I met Jesus through the Bible teaching of a woman, Ruth Hwang and the counsel of Msn Ester Kim Jung, who was the pastor. In many ways women are more powerful than men. So women, please teach the Bible and bear much spiritual fruit for the glory of God. We pray that all UBF women to use the gift of prophecy in raising up disciples of Jesus in our generation.
In verses 36-38 Paul declares that they should accept his words as the Lord's command. If one ignores this, he will be ignored…ignored by the church and ignored by God. Look at verses 39-40 Paul concluded that they should be eager to prophesy, but not forbid speaking in tongues. Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
In today's passage we learn that we need two things to be healthy Christians and have a healthy church. First, we must follow the way of love. Second we must eagerly desire the gift of prophecy, which is the word of God. Love and the word of God are essential in our Christian life, and in our Christian fellowship. When we have the love of God and the word of God we can grow spiritually and build up the church.
1. What two things did Paul urge them to do? (1) To whom is speaking in tongues directed? (2) Prophesying? (3) Why did Paul emphasize prophesying? (2,3)
2. What does it mean to prophesy? (3,4) Why is it important to edify the church more than oneself? How did Paul again encourage them to seek the gift of prophecy? (5)
3. What three examples does Paul use to illustrate the importance of meaningful communication? (6–11) How does meaningless communication affect church members negatively?
4. Read verse 12. What principle should guide us in developing and exercising our spiritual gifts? How can we apply this principle in an individualistic society? (Think about using spiritual gifts in terms of Christian fellowship.) How can we excel in the gift of prophecy and use it to build up our church? (1,3,26)
5. If someone wants to speak in tongues in church, what should he/she pray, and why? (13) What are the dangers of praying and singing without using our minds? (14–17) How did Paul use his gifts of tongues and prophesying? (18–19) In what respect were the Corinthians thinking like children? (20a) How did Paul help them? (20b)
6. How had God used the sign of tongues as a sign of judgment? (21) How did Paul apply this to the gifts of tongues and prophecy? (22) What two scenarios of worship did Paul give, and with what outcomes? (23–25)
7. How did believers participate in the Corinthian church? (26a) What principle must be followed in doing these things? (26b) What were Paul’s instructions about tongues-speaking? (27–28) About prophesying? (29–32) What kind of worship service does God want us to have? (33a)
8. What instructions did Paul give the Corinthian women about public worship, and how did this help build orderly worship? (33b–35) What attitude should they have toward Paul’s teaching? (36–37) What is the consequence of ignoring it? (38) What is Paul’s conclusion? (39–40)
1 Corinthians 14:1-40 Lesson 13
Key verse 14:12 NIU UBF 2-7-10
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy."
In last week's message we learned what true love is. It is the love of God, love that is patient and kind. With this love in our hearts, we can use spiritual gifts properly. Then our Christian fellowship will be like a taste of the heavenly kingdom. Today's passage is about a controversial issue: speaking in tongues in the church. Apparently this caused problems in Corinth. It still causes problems in some congregations even today. We need to clarify how to use this gift of tongues. Furthermore, rather than speaking in tongues, we learn which spiritual gift we should more eagerly desire. It is the gift of prophecy. Let's learn what the gift of prophecy means to each of us practically.
Part l: Edify The Church (1-25)
Paul sets us on the right coarse in our Christian lives. Look at verse 1. "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy." Paul taught the way of love in chapter 13. Love is of utmost importance and the basis for using all spiritual gifts. We must follow the way of love if we are people of God. Here, the word, "follow", has the connotation of a hunter pursuing his prey. The hunter focuses his whole attention on the prey, focusing and hounding it relentlessly. Likewise, we must make every effort to learn and practice the love of God, whatever we do. Our lifestyle must be a lifestyle marked by love.
Paul also says that, along with love, we must eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. What is the gift of prophecy? The Hebrew word for prophet is "nabiy" which literally means spokesman. A prophet is God's spokesman. In the Old Testament a prophet delivered God's message to the people of their generation, and his word could become Scripture, such as the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah. In the New Testament, the gift of prophecy is somewhat different. According to Hebrews 1:1, God no longer speaks to us primarily through prophets, but through his Son Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit makes Christ known to us (Jn 16:14). In this sense, one who has the gift of prophecy makes Christ known through the Scripture to the people of their generation. To prophesy is to reveal who Christ is and what he does through the Scriptures. Some people think of prophecy as telling the future. This may be part of it, but the emphasis is to reveal Christ through God's word. We can say that fruitful Bible teachers have the gift of prophecy.
There are two things are most important in the life of the Christian church, and for each of its members: the love of God, and the word of God. Look at verse 1 again. “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy." We need both love and prophecy. If there is love without the word of God, there will be many spiritually immature and weak people in the church. On the other hand, if there is the word of God without love, the church will be full legalists, wielding the word of God like a weapon with no grace, something like the Pharisees. So Paul urges us to follow both, the way of love and to eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. Then our church can be healthy and fruitful. Verses 2-25 explain why we should eagerly desire the gift of prophecy, which is the word of God, rather than the gift of tongues.
First, tongues edify oneself, but prophecy edifies the church (2-5). One who speaks in tongues speaks to God, from their spirit, in a language that others cannot understand (2). Look at verse 4. "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.” This gift is for building up one's personal relationship with God. However, those who prophesy share the word of God with God’s people, in the language that they understand, for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort (3). So Paul encouraged them to prophesy in the church so that the whole church could be built up (5).
In order to understand this passage better, we should clarify what it means to speak in tongues. This is first mentioned in Acts 2. After Jesus ascended into heaven, 120 disciples gathered together and prayed constantly until they were united in the love of God. Then, according to Jesus' promise, the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost in the form of a strong wind and tongues of fire. The apostles began to speak in tongues. People from all over the world gathered around them, and each one heard the wonders of God in their own native language. These tongues were intelligible to men. In Acts 10, Peter preached the gospel in Cornelius' house. Those who accepted the message received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues and praised God. In Acts 19, Paul laid his hands on some disciples and prayed for them. Then the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Speaking in tongues is one sign of the Holy Spirit. However, when the word "tongues" is used in these passages in Acts, it can also be understood as "languages," according to the footnotes. These are the only recorded cases of speaking in tongues in the book of Acts. Some people claim that one who receives the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues and that one who does not speak in tongues has not received the Holy Spirit. That is not true. Tongues do not represent all gifts of the Holy Spirit. Many in the New Testament, who received the Holy Spirit, did not speak in tongues. As we studied in 1 Corinthians 12:3, one who confesses "Jesus is Lord" has the Holy Spirit.
The book of Acts is called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. When we review the book of Acts, we find that the Holy Spirit works through the word of God (Ac 2:37-39; 4:31; 11:1). Acts 6:7a says, "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly...." Acts 12:24 says, "But the word of God continued to increase and spread." In Ephesus, Paul devoted himself for two years to teaching the word of God daily in the lecture hall at Tyrannus. Then all the people in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (Ac 19:10). Many who had practiced sorcery repented and burned their scrolls in a fire. A great miracle happened. Acts 19:20 says, "In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power." When Paul preached the word of God, people were changed. Lives were transformed. Broken families were healed and reunited. Society was reshaped. Where there is the word of God, there is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is like a needle and thread. Where one is working, the other is working as well.
Those who have received the Holy Spirit do so through the word of God. In UBF we study the word of God, share the word of God and pray based on the word of God. The Holy Spirit works through the word to transform lives and change us into new creations. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. There are people who have been completely changed by the work of the Holy Spirit through Bible study. You may be one of them. If this is true, then one day can you share your life testimony one day?
The Corinthian believers highly valued the gift of tongues as though it was everything. Paul wanted them to realize that speaking in tongues was good for their personal growth in the love of God. But speaking in tongues publicly can cause problems. So Paul did not encourage them to speak in tongues in the church, (unless there was an interpreter.) He also did not forbid them from speaking in tongues. Then what could they do? They could use their gift to have a deep relationship with God through prayer, very personally, in their own private room. They should not become proud and critical toward others because others don’t speak in tongues, but use their gift to develop their personal relationship with God. On the other hand, in the church, Paul urged the Corinthians to prophesy because this strengthens, encourages, comforts, and builds up the church. Therefore, Bible teachers should have confidence that they have the gift of prophesy and use it fervently, because this is the great work of the Holy Spirit.
Second, people understand prophecy, but not tongues (6-19). Look at verse 6. "Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?" This verse details some aspects of the gift of prophecy, which is the word of God to us. This gift is useful to the church because it communicates intelligibly and brings about transformation and spiritual growth. However, if Paul taught in a language that they did not understand, it would be ineffective. If we go to another country, where English is not known, and speak in English, we will fail in evangelism. No matter how well we prepare the message or Bible study, it will be useless. That is why Christian missionaries try to learn the native language in their mission field. When Tim’s brother, Chris Sagel went to Korea, he had to learn Korean to share the gospel meaningfully and that is what he is doing right now. There was a great work of God in Corinth because Paul shared the word of God in the language that the people could understand.
In verses 7-8, Paul uses the examples of musical instruments. “Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” A harp or a flute can make a beautiful sound. But to do this, the artist must practice hard and play properly, like an orchestra member. Otherwise the instruments do not make a beautiful sound, but rather an irritating noise. Trumpets are useful to convey messages to soldiers in the army, such as "charge," "retreat," and so forth. But to do so the specific tunes must be played clearly. Otherwise soldiers will be confused and make many mistakes. In verses 9-12, Paul uses the example of language. All sorts of languages have meaning. But if we do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, we become foreigners. So we must speak intelligible words to communicate with others. Otherwise there is no connection between us and we become like one who is simply speaking to the air. (9b) So when we share a message or teach the Bible we must know how to communicate with others in the church. We must use proper and appropriate language. Jenn is a Sophmore from DeKalb High school. She is training in forensics. She naturally talks like a teenager. But she was chosen to deliver the opening message for our “God’s Enduring Love” Bible School. She has to deliver her message in such a way that children and adults can hear what she is saying, to reveal that God is love. To share God's word effectively we must use language that others understand.
In verses 13-19, Paul talks about why we should pray or sing in the church with our spirit and also with our mind. If we pray or sing only with our spirit, people cannot understand (14). There is no response. No one can respond from their hearts. Someone may speak in tongues very powerfully and dramatically, but no one understands (16). But when we use both our spirit and mind, then people may understand what we are praying and singing and respond from their hearts and even say "Amen!" In this way we can edify the church. Paul could speak in tongues more than all of them. But what did he say? Let's read verse 19. "But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue." Here we learn that in the church, we have to speak intelligible words that others understand in order to edify the church.
Third, tongues drive unbelievers away while prophecy draws them to God (20-25). Look at verse 20. "Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults." A child's thinking is self-centered, while an adult's thinking embraces others. An adult has wisdom, the ability to know what is right and what is wrong. In the church we need wisdom to know what is edifying to others, and what is not. Wise people know what to say, and what not to say, in the church. Wise people know how to speak in a way that strengthens, encourages and comforts others. But self-centered people easily hurt others and destroy their faith because they insist on their own ideas and through their words around without any regard for others. Those who speak in tongues in the church (without an interpreter/ in a disorderly way) can fall into this trap. So we must give our hearts to prophecy, the word of God, in the church, and be mature, growing into spiritual adulthood.
In verses 23-25 Paul gives us two scenarios that reveal the importance of prophecy in regards to unbelievers. If unbelievers come into a worship service in which everyone is speaking a different language at the same time, with no one understanding anyone else, they will conclude that Christians are crazy. Unbelievers do not come to church for entertainment. They come to church with heavy burdens of sin and hard life problems. Their souls are longing for the word of God. They come because they are weary and tired and they seek real rest. They have wandered without knowing the meaning of existence or their life destination and come to church to find meaning and direction. They need comfort and true hope. They need the message of the forgiveness of sins. In a word, they need the gospel. If all they find are people speaking in tongues they will not understand what is happening. None of their life questions will be answered and they will leave the church possibly never to return again. On the other hand, if they hear the words of prophecy, the message of the gospel, they can repent of their hidden sins and restore their love relationship with God. We have seen this happen time and again during our UBF conferences. When the word of God is preached with power, people can repent and turn to God. I did at the 1986 MSU Summer Bible Conference. I heard the clear message from John 4, concerning the Samaritan woman. I saw myself as a “Samaritan man” trying to quench my thirsty heart with the things of the world. But when I heard the gospel message, I repented of my sins, was saved and drank deep if Jesus’ living water. I pray that in the coming “God’s Enduring Love” Bible School, many people may hear the word of God, repent of their sins, and turn to God. Where there is the word of God, there is the work of the Holy Spirit. People are saved from their sins and become new creations in Christ. But without the word of God, no one can solve their sin problems. So the word of God is very important for any church. That is why we must eagerly desire the gift of prophecy, the word of God.
Part II: Worship In An Orderly Way (26-40)
When we read verses 26-40 we come across some controversial text and things that we are not familiar with. But we have to understand this passage in the context of the Corinthian church. Look at verse 26. "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." The Corinthians were ancient Greeks in a Mediterranean world. They had a church program suited for their context. At the time there were hymns, words of instruction, revelation, tongues and interpretation. But at that time, the Bible as we now have it, had not been completed. They had the Old Testament and many letters written on scrolls that they shared. They had eye witnesses accounts. But they needed also needed revelation. Now that we have the Bible, we do not need revelation that is apart from the word of God. In fact, anyone who claims to receive direct revelation from God is a false prophet. Each nation is different, and each must discover their own appropriate worship program. Our worship here in America is much different than our worship in Africa.
In verses 27-28 Paul explains that if they speak in tongues they need an interpreter to edify the church. In verses 29-32 Paul explains how prophecy can edify the church. The point is that all of this must be done for the strengthening of the church (26b). The church must be orderly and peaceful. Look at verse 33. "For God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace as in all the congregations of the saints." God is pleased by worship that is orderly and peaceful in nature.
Verses 34-35 teach us that women should remain silent in the church. We should not take this literally. We have to understand this in the context of the Corinthian church. At that time, women's social position was very low. They did not even count in the census. It would be too shocking to their ancient culture to allow them to speak publicly. It was not the time for the church to take up the banner of woman liberation. (That would come later.) Now was the time to spread the message of the gospel across the pagan, Roman world as quickly as possible. But these days it is quite different. In 1984, the Winnipeg Manitoba UBF church was planted by women. In 1986, I met Jesus through the Bible teaching of a woman, Ruth Hwang and the counsel of Msn Ester Kim Jung, who was the pastor. In many ways women are more powerful than men. So women, please teach the Bible and bear much spiritual fruit for the glory of God. We pray that all UBF women to use the gift of prophecy in raising up disciples of Jesus in our generation.
In verses 36-38 Paul declares that they should accept his words as the Lord's command. If one ignores this, he will be ignored…ignored by the church and ignored by God. Look at verses 39-40 Paul concluded that they should be eager to prophesy, but not forbid speaking in tongues. Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
In today's passage we learn that we need two things to be healthy Christians and have a healthy church. First, we must follow the way of love. Second we must eagerly desire the gift of prophecy, which is the word of God. Love and the word of God are essential in our Christian life, and in our Christian fellowship. When we have the love of God and the word of God we can grow spiritually and build up the church.
1. What two things did Paul urge them to do? (1) To whom is speaking in tongues directed? (2) Prophesying? (3) Why did Paul emphasize prophesying? (2,3)
2. What does it mean to prophesy? (3,4) Why is it important to edify the church more than oneself? How did Paul again encourage them to seek the gift of prophecy? (5)
3. What three examples does Paul use to illustrate the importance of meaningful communication? (6–11) How does meaningless communication affect church members negatively?
4. Read verse 12. What principle should guide us in developing and exercising our spiritual gifts? How can we apply this principle in an individualistic society? (Think about using spiritual gifts in terms of Christian fellowship.) How can we excel in the gift of prophecy and use it to build up our church? (1,3,26)
5. If someone wants to speak in tongues in church, what should he/she pray, and why? (13) What are the dangers of praying and singing without using our minds? (14–17) How did Paul use his gifts of tongues and prophesying? (18–19) In what respect were the Corinthians thinking like children? (20a) How did Paul help them? (20b)
6. How had God used the sign of tongues as a sign of judgment? (21) How did Paul apply this to the gifts of tongues and prophecy? (22) What two scenarios of worship did Paul give, and with what outcomes? (23–25)
7. How did believers participate in the Corinthian church? (26a) What principle must be followed in doing these things? (26b) What were Paul’s instructions about tongues-speaking? (27–28) About prophesying? (29–32) What kind of worship service does God want us to have? (33a)
8. What instructions did Paul give the Corinthian women about public worship, and how did this help build orderly worship? (33b–35) What attitude should they have toward Paul’s teaching? (36–37) What is the consequence of ignoring it? (38) What is Paul’s conclusion? (39–40)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13
Love Is…
1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13 Lesson 12
Key verse 13:13 NIU UBF 1/31/10
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
There are so many things to talk about; the Haitian earth quake; the faltering economy; the spiritual condition of our campus’. But all of these topics make our hearts heavy and hard. But when we talk about love our hearts suddenly begin to lighten and melt. Our group Bible study could have lasted for over two hours because we were so into talking about love. And so I introduce to you today’s topic…love. In 12:31b Paul says, "And now I will show you the most excellent way." This is the way of love. In Greek, there are three words for love: eros, phileo and agape. Eros is physical or romantic love. Phileo is brotherly love. Agape is God's love which is selfless, sacrificial and unconditional. In this passage, when Paul used the word "love," he used the word "agape." Paul is describing the love of God in Christ. In this love poem, Paul explains why we need this kind of love (1-3), what love is (4-7), and the characteristics of love (8-13). Love is the one indispensable ingredient of Christian character. Jesus commanded us to love one another. He commanded us to even love our enemies. Love is the glue which holds the Body of Christ together. No matter what other virtues one may have, if he or she does not have love, their strengths become liabilities. If they have love, then even their weaknesses are strengths. When we have this love, our souls are fully satisfied and we can be a blessing. Let's see what this love is and learn how to practice this love.
Part I. Without Love I Am Nothing (1-3)
In verses 1-3, Paul explains why we need love by using the phrase "If I" four times. Look at verse 1 for example. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." Here, Paul first mentions speaking in tongues of men and of angels. We all want to speak eloquently, like high school forensics champions; like President Obama during the State Of The Union Address, but without love, our speech is like a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. These sounds are startling or even irritating to our ears. Words without love can come from a bitter stepmother. She may say the right thing to her newly acquired kids, but without love she may hurting the children. On the other hand, one's speech may be choppy, and one's vocabulary poor, yet when he or she speaks in love people accept it-even rebuking words. When we have love we can be good coworkers in the church and good Bible teachers. We want to teach well with correct words. But people really want love rather than correct words and information. Here we learn that love is everything and fluent speech is a bonus.
Love makes everything of highest value in God’s sight. Look at verse 2. "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." One may have tremendous spiritual insight that comes from the gift of prophecy and be able to explain difficult passages of Scripture and how they might apply them to our own times. But without love, this can be exercised with a critical spirit to the harm of others. In this uncertain world, if we can foretell what will happen in the future, it is very helpful and assuring. In our “information” generation, if we can fathom all knowledge like Solomon, how wonderful this would be in doing God's work. However, if we have not love, we are still as nothing. In verse 2, the gift of faith is special faith that can do miracles. We need this kind of faith when we want to invite students to 1:1 Bible study or when we want to invite people to the upcoming “God’s Enduring Love” Bible school. But without love it too is nothing.
Love is not just endless sacrifices. Look at verse 3. "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." To help poor people is beautiful. It requires sacrifice. Some people sacrifice with all of their hearts to help the poor. Jennifer and her friends sacrificed their fingers to weave bracelets for Haiti relief. It is a great thing to do. But without love, it is nothing. They may be recognized by people. But to God, without love, it is nothing, for God always sees our inner motive in giving something to the poor. The motive must be love. Thankfully Jennifer was motivated by love for God and for Haiti. We absolutely need love when using spiritual gifts. We cannot see love with our eyes. We can see the effects of tongues, prophecy and faith, but we cannot see love. So we easily ignore love, or place less priority on it. However, love is like life. Life is invisible, but it is essential for our body. If we do not have life in our body, it is nothing but a dead corpse. In the same way, when we do not have love, our spiritual service is as nothing before God. So we must earnestly pray that God may give us true love in whatever we do, such as delivering Gospel messages, teaching the Bible, giving to the poor, or doing acts of sacrifice for God's work. Whatever we do, we need true love.
Part II: What love is (4-7)
Then, what is true love? In verses 4-7, Paul tells us what true love is. First, "Love is patient...." (4a) It seems very odd to us that true love is patience. Here, to be patient does not mean merely tolerating another's existence as time passes by. It means to bear one's weaknesses and sins continually without judging, without giving up, and having hope for them to grow. It is not easy to be patient. When we raise children or disciples, at first we have hope for them to grow. But in time we find their weaknesses. We become impatient, saying, "This person is useless. I cannot bear him or her anymore." We become critical and condemning and give up. Impatience produces negative emotions. Impatience is the enemy of raising disciples or rearing children. Therefore, love is patient. Love is willing to bear pain in hope. In order to help someone else, we need love that is patient. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and something we must learn (Gal 5:22). I confess that there are times when I feel I cannot bear with others’ weaknesses. Then, I remember God's patience with me. As a young man I was full of eros, (one sided romantic love) and did wicked things to my own detriment and that of others. I eventually looked useless in my own eyes. But God's servants prayed for me and taught the word of God patiently, in great hope that I would grow spiritually. When I remember God's patience through his servants and his Spirit, I can be patient with others.
God is so patient. Romans 2:4 says, "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience...." God forebears all of our wrongdoing in the hope that we will come to our senses and repent. His patience endures for over 100 years for some people! Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son. (Lk 15:11-32) His father knew he would squander his property and cause trouble. But his father let him go, shedding many tears. In his pain, the father did not forget his son. He waited for him to return. We can imagine how painful the father's heart was as he waited for his son. But he never stopped loving his son, and he never lost hope. Because he waited patiently, when his son came back, he could accept him as he was and restore him. (Lk 15:22-23) Jesus patiently bore with all kinds of people while on earth. Jesus was patient all the way to the cross, where he bore the sins of the world in his body. Despite the unbearable pain, Jesus prayed for those who crucified him, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Lk 23:34a). Jesus patiently bore our sins and purchased forgiveness for us on the cross. We need this patience to raise children and disciples and to co-work with others.
Second, love is kind. Look at verse 4a. "...love is kind." Many people think that kindness is an attribute of character. They reason that some are born kind, and others are born mean. However, kindness is not part of one's character. Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22) Paul was once a mean person, persecuting Christian even to their deaths. (Acts 8:1) But when the Holy Spirit worked in him, he became a kind person. So he said in Galatians 2:7, "...but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children." Jesus was kind to his disciples; Jesus was never critical or legalistic. So he said in Matthew 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Let's learn of Jesus and grow to be kind and gentle.
Third, love is not... (4b-5). Let's read verses 4b-5. "…It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." Here, "envy" is the same as "jealousy." It is interesting that both jealousy and love have zeal. But the emphasis is different. Love has zeal for others. Jealousy has zeal for oneself. Love comes from considering others better than oneself, praying for them, and serving them, thinking, "He is better than me in so may ways and so I respect him." But one who is jealous thinks, "I must always be better than you in every way." If someone else seems to be doing well, the jealous cannot bear it. If someone else is praised, the jealous begins to hyperventilate. That is not love. When we have love, we can recognize others' strong points, and accept them, and be happy together with them.
“Love is …not proud.” (4b) Pride is an attitude of heart that exalts oneself over others even if there is no reason for it. Boasting is the expression of this pride. The boastful begin their conversations with "I," and end with "me." 1 John 2:16 reads, “For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.” It’s o.k. to talk about what you have or do in order to have conversation with someone and build friendship. The problem comes when we start to boast about it to make people think, “Wow! He is really cool and well traveled and so spiritual.” The Corinthians were like this. They boasted about their spiritual gifts. They reminded others of what they had done again and again until others were sick to their stomachs. Love is not proud.
Love is not rude. To be rude is to be ill-mannered; disagreeable or discourteous in word or action. Rude people despise others and speak harshly, even to those who are kind to them. Love is not rude. Love is not self-seeking. Love thinks about others' interests more than oneself. Love is not easily angered. Some people have a habit of blowing up at others and later say, "Oh, that’s just me. Don’t take me so seriously." But love is not easily angered. The problem is not one of temper, but of love. That is why Augustine and myself chose Philippians 4:5-6 as our 2009 key verses, 4:5a reads, “Let your gentleness be evident to all the Lord is near…” God helped both of us to be less angry and more kind last year.
Love keeps no record of wrongs. People tend to want to remember every harm done to them in detail, nursing their wounds, with a desire for revenge. Some people seem to exist for the sake of taking vengeance. It is a temptation, in order to win an argument, to recall the mistakes and sins of others, especially between husbands and wives. Keeping a record of wrongs poisons relationships and one's own soul even more. Usually people are quick to forget grace, and slow to forget the wrongs done by others. But we learn here that love keeps no record of wrongs. What if God kept our record of wrongs and reminded us of each one again and again, every day. We would be so stressed out that no one could survive. Amazingly, God forgives us, erasing all of our wrongs, and remembers them no more (Jer 31:34). Let's accept this love of God in our hearts and love others, keeping no record of wrongs.
Fourth, "love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth" (6). Some may misunderstand that love condones evil. Gang members may claim that they love their fellow Gang members by risking their own lives to kill competing gang members. Young people may indulge in pagan revelry and in their drunken stupor say, “I love you man! You’re my best bud!” They may engage in one night stands and say, “I love you” to each other. But all of this is not love because it is focused on evildoing. But Romans 12:9 says, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." True love is holy love. True love is grounded in the truth.
Fifth, love always... (7). Look at verse 7. "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." When Jesus called his disciples they were vulnerable and weak in many ways. But under Jesus' protection they could grow as men of God (Mk 2:23-26; Jn 17:15). Love always protects.
Love always trusts. Trust is fundamental to a healthy relationship with others. Everyone wants to be trusted. But we must learn how to trust others first. We can see a good example in Barnabas in the first century chruch. When Saul was suddenly converted, no one trusted him, wondering whether he had really changed. But Barnabas trusted Paul. When Barnabas needed a Bible teacher, he went to Tarsus and brought Paul back to Antioch to help him. Through Barnabas' trust, Paul became a pillar of God's work and history. (Acts 9:26-28) Love always trusts. When a husband and wife love each other, they always trust each other. When a church members trust each other, beautiful fellowship can be formed. When we trust Bible students we can raise disciples. When two churches trust each other, they can co-work together.
Love always hopes. At first when we begin to serve a disciple, we can have hope. However, when we find their weakness, we easily lose hope. But love always hopes in spite of the loved one's shortcomings. Love never changes and never gives up hope for them. When Jesus called Peter, Jesus had hope for him to become a “rock like” leader (Jn 1:42). Peter made many mistakes, even critical mistakes-denying Jesus three times during his passion. But Jesus never gave up hope for him. Jesus prayed that Peter would repent and strengthen his brothers (Lk 22:32). Yet, after Jesus' resurrection, Peter tried to go back to his old fishing job, forgetting his mission. (Jn 21:1-3) Jesus visited Peter and served him with a delicious breakfast and restored his love relationship with him. (Jn 21:9 15-18) Jesus embraced his disciples as they were, and had hope for them to become shepherds. I thank God for the Canadian missionaries who hoped in me. Before meeting Jesus I was very intimidating. I was very sinful in my heart. When I confessed my sins in a testimony Msn Ruth Hwang was scared. I was told that for a time a male missionary was posted at the door of the room that Msn Ruth and I were having 1:1 Bible study. But the Msn’s never gave up on me. They hoped in me continually and eventually I accepted Jesus and grew as a shepherd of God’s flock. Love always hopes. When we have hope we can persevere through all kinds of disappointments, failures and sufferings.
Part III: Love Never Fails (8-13)
Verse 8a says, "Love never fails." This means that love is everlasting, in comparison to the spiritual gifts which are temporal. Prophecies, tongues and knowledge will cease, be stilled and pass away. They are only parts of the whole that is to come. They are faint glimpses, and imperfect, partial images. Verse 10 says that perfection is coming. This means that Christ is coming to restore God's perfect reign. Christ is coming in power and glory and will transform all of his people to bear the image of God perfectly.
We must mature in love. Look at verse 11. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." This is Andrew’s 2010 key verse. "When I was a child" means that when Paul did not know the love of God, he was immature and self-centered. Those who do not have love are like children no matter how old their bodies may be. Such people are emotional and boast about themselves. Whatever they say, think or reason is childish. "A man" refers to one who knows true love and practices it. Such a person is spiritually mature. An unselfish life is always concerned for others and is willing to sacrifice for others with simplicity and purity. So we can say a mature person is childlike. However an immature person is childish. One does not become spiritually mature merely through the passing of time. One becomes spiritually mature by learning the love of Jesus and practicing it. When the love of Jesus touched Paul, he realized what true love is. He became ashamed of his childish way of life and he put it behind him. When he tried to imitate Jesus' love he could grow as shepherd whose heart was full of love for God and for the flock of God.
The best love is yet to come. Verse 12a says, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face." Now we have a very limited and impartial understanding of God and his kingdom. Now we are like people looking into one of the polished, ancient bronze mirrors which yield a very poor reflection. But when Christ comes we shall see him face to face. This means that we will know him as he truly is. We will also know ourselves as he truly knows us. We will have a perfect love relationship with Christ and our Heavenly Father which lasts forever. There is no more need for prophecies, tongues or partial knowledge. Yet love always remains. Love is eternal. Love that begins to blossom in our hearts, as we live in this world, will still be growing and bearing fruit into eternity. Love has everlasting value. Look at verse 13. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." We know that faith and hope are very precious. Yet love is even more precious. One day faith will become sight and hope will be fulfilled. Love will only remain. Love is also the foundation of faith and hope.
The fundamental problem of human beings is sin that breaks our love relationships with God and with others. We long most for the true love that relates us perfectly to God and to others. Many people are miserable, not because the unemployment rate in Illinois is 11%, but because they do not know true love. Love is everything to us. When we know God's love and practice it, we are fully satisfied and happy. This love lasts forever. So we must desire this love more than anything. Let's pray to learn the love of God and practice it. Then we can be truly happy and build up the body of Christ.
Part l: Without love (1–3)
1. While teaching the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, what did Paul pause to show them? (12:31b) In verses 1–3, how many times does Paul use the expression, “If I”? What gifts does he mention? Why do Christians crave such gifts? What happens when these are practiced without love?
Part ll: What love is (4–7)
2. Read verses 4–7. In Greek, the word for love here is “agape.” It is derived from God’s love and means selfless, sacrificial and unconditional. In verses 4–6, what does Paul say love is? And what is it not? Of all the characteristics of love, why does Paul mention patience and kindness first? (Ro2:4)
3. Without love, what are we human beings inclined to do? (4b–6a; Ge6:5; 8:21) How can we overcome these sinful tendencies within us? (Ro8:5–9; Gal5:16ff.) How does love relate to the truth? (6b; Ro12:9)
4. Read verse 7. How are the verbs “protects,” “trusts,” “hopes” and perseveres” related to building up others? What is the progression here? See the following illustrations: “protects”: Mk2:23–26; Jn17:15; “trusts”: Ac9:26–28; “hopes”: Jn1:42; Lk22:32; “perseveres”: Lk15:20.
5. In light of verse 7, what one thing can you try to improve in the relationships in your personal life and fellowship?
Part lll: Love Never Fails (8–13)
6. How is love different from all other spiritual gifts? (8–10) What is most valuable, and how does this help us in using our gifts? How did God’s love affect Paul’s way of thinking and lead to his maturity? (11)
7. What is our hope, and what was Paul’s hope? (12) What are the three essentials in Christian life, and which is the greatest? (13) What should be most important to us in our struggle to grow as Christians?
1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13 Lesson 12
Key verse 13:13 NIU UBF 1/31/10
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
There are so many things to talk about; the Haitian earth quake; the faltering economy; the spiritual condition of our campus’. But all of these topics make our hearts heavy and hard. But when we talk about love our hearts suddenly begin to lighten and melt. Our group Bible study could have lasted for over two hours because we were so into talking about love. And so I introduce to you today’s topic…love. In 12:31b Paul says, "And now I will show you the most excellent way." This is the way of love. In Greek, there are three words for love: eros, phileo and agape. Eros is physical or romantic love. Phileo is brotherly love. Agape is God's love which is selfless, sacrificial and unconditional. In this passage, when Paul used the word "love," he used the word "agape." Paul is describing the love of God in Christ. In this love poem, Paul explains why we need this kind of love (1-3), what love is (4-7), and the characteristics of love (8-13). Love is the one indispensable ingredient of Christian character. Jesus commanded us to love one another. He commanded us to even love our enemies. Love is the glue which holds the Body of Christ together. No matter what other virtues one may have, if he or she does not have love, their strengths become liabilities. If they have love, then even their weaknesses are strengths. When we have this love, our souls are fully satisfied and we can be a blessing. Let's see what this love is and learn how to practice this love.
Part I. Without Love I Am Nothing (1-3)
In verses 1-3, Paul explains why we need love by using the phrase "If I" four times. Look at verse 1 for example. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." Here, Paul first mentions speaking in tongues of men and of angels. We all want to speak eloquently, like high school forensics champions; like President Obama during the State Of The Union Address, but without love, our speech is like a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. These sounds are startling or even irritating to our ears. Words without love can come from a bitter stepmother. She may say the right thing to her newly acquired kids, but without love she may hurting the children. On the other hand, one's speech may be choppy, and one's vocabulary poor, yet when he or she speaks in love people accept it-even rebuking words. When we have love we can be good coworkers in the church and good Bible teachers. We want to teach well with correct words. But people really want love rather than correct words and information. Here we learn that love is everything and fluent speech is a bonus.
Love makes everything of highest value in God’s sight. Look at verse 2. "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." One may have tremendous spiritual insight that comes from the gift of prophecy and be able to explain difficult passages of Scripture and how they might apply them to our own times. But without love, this can be exercised with a critical spirit to the harm of others. In this uncertain world, if we can foretell what will happen in the future, it is very helpful and assuring. In our “information” generation, if we can fathom all knowledge like Solomon, how wonderful this would be in doing God's work. However, if we have not love, we are still as nothing. In verse 2, the gift of faith is special faith that can do miracles. We need this kind of faith when we want to invite students to 1:1 Bible study or when we want to invite people to the upcoming “God’s Enduring Love” Bible school. But without love it too is nothing.
Love is not just endless sacrifices. Look at verse 3. "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." To help poor people is beautiful. It requires sacrifice. Some people sacrifice with all of their hearts to help the poor. Jennifer and her friends sacrificed their fingers to weave bracelets for Haiti relief. It is a great thing to do. But without love, it is nothing. They may be recognized by people. But to God, without love, it is nothing, for God always sees our inner motive in giving something to the poor. The motive must be love. Thankfully Jennifer was motivated by love for God and for Haiti. We absolutely need love when using spiritual gifts. We cannot see love with our eyes. We can see the effects of tongues, prophecy and faith, but we cannot see love. So we easily ignore love, or place less priority on it. However, love is like life. Life is invisible, but it is essential for our body. If we do not have life in our body, it is nothing but a dead corpse. In the same way, when we do not have love, our spiritual service is as nothing before God. So we must earnestly pray that God may give us true love in whatever we do, such as delivering Gospel messages, teaching the Bible, giving to the poor, or doing acts of sacrifice for God's work. Whatever we do, we need true love.
Part II: What love is (4-7)
Then, what is true love? In verses 4-7, Paul tells us what true love is. First, "Love is patient...." (4a) It seems very odd to us that true love is patience. Here, to be patient does not mean merely tolerating another's existence as time passes by. It means to bear one's weaknesses and sins continually without judging, without giving up, and having hope for them to grow. It is not easy to be patient. When we raise children or disciples, at first we have hope for them to grow. But in time we find their weaknesses. We become impatient, saying, "This person is useless. I cannot bear him or her anymore." We become critical and condemning and give up. Impatience produces negative emotions. Impatience is the enemy of raising disciples or rearing children. Therefore, love is patient. Love is willing to bear pain in hope. In order to help someone else, we need love that is patient. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and something we must learn (Gal 5:22). I confess that there are times when I feel I cannot bear with others’ weaknesses. Then, I remember God's patience with me. As a young man I was full of eros, (one sided romantic love) and did wicked things to my own detriment and that of others. I eventually looked useless in my own eyes. But God's servants prayed for me and taught the word of God patiently, in great hope that I would grow spiritually. When I remember God's patience through his servants and his Spirit, I can be patient with others.
God is so patient. Romans 2:4 says, "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience...." God forebears all of our wrongdoing in the hope that we will come to our senses and repent. His patience endures for over 100 years for some people! Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son. (Lk 15:11-32) His father knew he would squander his property and cause trouble. But his father let him go, shedding many tears. In his pain, the father did not forget his son. He waited for him to return. We can imagine how painful the father's heart was as he waited for his son. But he never stopped loving his son, and he never lost hope. Because he waited patiently, when his son came back, he could accept him as he was and restore him. (Lk 15:22-23) Jesus patiently bore with all kinds of people while on earth. Jesus was patient all the way to the cross, where he bore the sins of the world in his body. Despite the unbearable pain, Jesus prayed for those who crucified him, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Lk 23:34a). Jesus patiently bore our sins and purchased forgiveness for us on the cross. We need this patience to raise children and disciples and to co-work with others.
Second, love is kind. Look at verse 4a. "...love is kind." Many people think that kindness is an attribute of character. They reason that some are born kind, and others are born mean. However, kindness is not part of one's character. Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22) Paul was once a mean person, persecuting Christian even to their deaths. (Acts 8:1) But when the Holy Spirit worked in him, he became a kind person. So he said in Galatians 2:7, "...but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children." Jesus was kind to his disciples; Jesus was never critical or legalistic. So he said in Matthew 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Let's learn of Jesus and grow to be kind and gentle.
Third, love is not... (4b-5). Let's read verses 4b-5. "…It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." Here, "envy" is the same as "jealousy." It is interesting that both jealousy and love have zeal. But the emphasis is different. Love has zeal for others. Jealousy has zeal for oneself. Love comes from considering others better than oneself, praying for them, and serving them, thinking, "He is better than me in so may ways and so I respect him." But one who is jealous thinks, "I must always be better than you in every way." If someone else seems to be doing well, the jealous cannot bear it. If someone else is praised, the jealous begins to hyperventilate. That is not love. When we have love, we can recognize others' strong points, and accept them, and be happy together with them.
“Love is …not proud.” (4b) Pride is an attitude of heart that exalts oneself over others even if there is no reason for it. Boasting is the expression of this pride. The boastful begin their conversations with "I," and end with "me." 1 John 2:16 reads, “For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.” It’s o.k. to talk about what you have or do in order to have conversation with someone and build friendship. The problem comes when we start to boast about it to make people think, “Wow! He is really cool and well traveled and so spiritual.” The Corinthians were like this. They boasted about their spiritual gifts. They reminded others of what they had done again and again until others were sick to their stomachs. Love is not proud.
Love is not rude. To be rude is to be ill-mannered; disagreeable or discourteous in word or action. Rude people despise others and speak harshly, even to those who are kind to them. Love is not rude. Love is not self-seeking. Love thinks about others' interests more than oneself. Love is not easily angered. Some people have a habit of blowing up at others and later say, "Oh, that’s just me. Don’t take me so seriously." But love is not easily angered. The problem is not one of temper, but of love. That is why Augustine and myself chose Philippians 4:5-6 as our 2009 key verses, 4:5a reads, “Let your gentleness be evident to all the Lord is near…” God helped both of us to be less angry and more kind last year.
Love keeps no record of wrongs. People tend to want to remember every harm done to them in detail, nursing their wounds, with a desire for revenge. Some people seem to exist for the sake of taking vengeance. It is a temptation, in order to win an argument, to recall the mistakes and sins of others, especially between husbands and wives. Keeping a record of wrongs poisons relationships and one's own soul even more. Usually people are quick to forget grace, and slow to forget the wrongs done by others. But we learn here that love keeps no record of wrongs. What if God kept our record of wrongs and reminded us of each one again and again, every day. We would be so stressed out that no one could survive. Amazingly, God forgives us, erasing all of our wrongs, and remembers them no more (Jer 31:34). Let's accept this love of God in our hearts and love others, keeping no record of wrongs.
Fourth, "love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth" (6). Some may misunderstand that love condones evil. Gang members may claim that they love their fellow Gang members by risking their own lives to kill competing gang members. Young people may indulge in pagan revelry and in their drunken stupor say, “I love you man! You’re my best bud!” They may engage in one night stands and say, “I love you” to each other. But all of this is not love because it is focused on evildoing. But Romans 12:9 says, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." True love is holy love. True love is grounded in the truth.
Fifth, love always... (7). Look at verse 7. "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." When Jesus called his disciples they were vulnerable and weak in many ways. But under Jesus' protection they could grow as men of God (Mk 2:23-26; Jn 17:15). Love always protects.
Love always trusts. Trust is fundamental to a healthy relationship with others. Everyone wants to be trusted. But we must learn how to trust others first. We can see a good example in Barnabas in the first century chruch. When Saul was suddenly converted, no one trusted him, wondering whether he had really changed. But Barnabas trusted Paul. When Barnabas needed a Bible teacher, he went to Tarsus and brought Paul back to Antioch to help him. Through Barnabas' trust, Paul became a pillar of God's work and history. (Acts 9:26-28) Love always trusts. When a husband and wife love each other, they always trust each other. When a church members trust each other, beautiful fellowship can be formed. When we trust Bible students we can raise disciples. When two churches trust each other, they can co-work together.
Love always hopes. At first when we begin to serve a disciple, we can have hope. However, when we find their weakness, we easily lose hope. But love always hopes in spite of the loved one's shortcomings. Love never changes and never gives up hope for them. When Jesus called Peter, Jesus had hope for him to become a “rock like” leader (Jn 1:42). Peter made many mistakes, even critical mistakes-denying Jesus three times during his passion. But Jesus never gave up hope for him. Jesus prayed that Peter would repent and strengthen his brothers (Lk 22:32). Yet, after Jesus' resurrection, Peter tried to go back to his old fishing job, forgetting his mission. (Jn 21:1-3) Jesus visited Peter and served him with a delicious breakfast and restored his love relationship with him. (Jn 21:9 15-18) Jesus embraced his disciples as they were, and had hope for them to become shepherds. I thank God for the Canadian missionaries who hoped in me. Before meeting Jesus I was very intimidating. I was very sinful in my heart. When I confessed my sins in a testimony Msn Ruth Hwang was scared. I was told that for a time a male missionary was posted at the door of the room that Msn Ruth and I were having 1:1 Bible study. But the Msn’s never gave up on me. They hoped in me continually and eventually I accepted Jesus and grew as a shepherd of God’s flock. Love always hopes. When we have hope we can persevere through all kinds of disappointments, failures and sufferings.
Part III: Love Never Fails (8-13)
Verse 8a says, "Love never fails." This means that love is everlasting, in comparison to the spiritual gifts which are temporal. Prophecies, tongues and knowledge will cease, be stilled and pass away. They are only parts of the whole that is to come. They are faint glimpses, and imperfect, partial images. Verse 10 says that perfection is coming. This means that Christ is coming to restore God's perfect reign. Christ is coming in power and glory and will transform all of his people to bear the image of God perfectly.
We must mature in love. Look at verse 11. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." This is Andrew’s 2010 key verse. "When I was a child" means that when Paul did not know the love of God, he was immature and self-centered. Those who do not have love are like children no matter how old their bodies may be. Such people are emotional and boast about themselves. Whatever they say, think or reason is childish. "A man" refers to one who knows true love and practices it. Such a person is spiritually mature. An unselfish life is always concerned for others and is willing to sacrifice for others with simplicity and purity. So we can say a mature person is childlike. However an immature person is childish. One does not become spiritually mature merely through the passing of time. One becomes spiritually mature by learning the love of Jesus and practicing it. When the love of Jesus touched Paul, he realized what true love is. He became ashamed of his childish way of life and he put it behind him. When he tried to imitate Jesus' love he could grow as shepherd whose heart was full of love for God and for the flock of God.
The best love is yet to come. Verse 12a says, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face." Now we have a very limited and impartial understanding of God and his kingdom. Now we are like people looking into one of the polished, ancient bronze mirrors which yield a very poor reflection. But when Christ comes we shall see him face to face. This means that we will know him as he truly is. We will also know ourselves as he truly knows us. We will have a perfect love relationship with Christ and our Heavenly Father which lasts forever. There is no more need for prophecies, tongues or partial knowledge. Yet love always remains. Love is eternal. Love that begins to blossom in our hearts, as we live in this world, will still be growing and bearing fruit into eternity. Love has everlasting value. Look at verse 13. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." We know that faith and hope are very precious. Yet love is even more precious. One day faith will become sight and hope will be fulfilled. Love will only remain. Love is also the foundation of faith and hope.
The fundamental problem of human beings is sin that breaks our love relationships with God and with others. We long most for the true love that relates us perfectly to God and to others. Many people are miserable, not because the unemployment rate in Illinois is 11%, but because they do not know true love. Love is everything to us. When we know God's love and practice it, we are fully satisfied and happy. This love lasts forever. So we must desire this love more than anything. Let's pray to learn the love of God and practice it. Then we can be truly happy and build up the body of Christ.
Part l: Without love (1–3)
1. While teaching the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, what did Paul pause to show them? (12:31b) In verses 1–3, how many times does Paul use the expression, “If I”? What gifts does he mention? Why do Christians crave such gifts? What happens when these are practiced without love?
Part ll: What love is (4–7)
2. Read verses 4–7. In Greek, the word for love here is “agape.” It is derived from God’s love and means selfless, sacrificial and unconditional. In verses 4–6, what does Paul say love is? And what is it not? Of all the characteristics of love, why does Paul mention patience and kindness first? (Ro2:4)
3. Without love, what are we human beings inclined to do? (4b–6a; Ge6:5; 8:21) How can we overcome these sinful tendencies within us? (Ro8:5–9; Gal5:16ff.) How does love relate to the truth? (6b; Ro12:9)
4. Read verse 7. How are the verbs “protects,” “trusts,” “hopes” and perseveres” related to building up others? What is the progression here? See the following illustrations: “protects”: Mk2:23–26; Jn17:15; “trusts”: Ac9:26–28; “hopes”: Jn1:42; Lk22:32; “perseveres”: Lk15:20.
5. In light of verse 7, what one thing can you try to improve in the relationships in your personal life and fellowship?
Part lll: Love Never Fails (8–13)
6. How is love different from all other spiritual gifts? (8–10) What is most valuable, and how does this help us in using our gifts? How did God’s love affect Paul’s way of thinking and lead to his maturity? (11)
7. What is our hope, and what was Paul’s hope? (12) What are the three essentials in Christian life, and which is the greatest? (13) What should be most important to us in our struggle to grow as Christians?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
1 Corintheans 12:1-31
You Are The Body Of Christ
1 Corinthians 12:1-31a Lesson 12
Key verse 12:27 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 1-23-10
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
Well, here we are, at the end of January. Winter is half over. We are looking forward to holidays like Valentines Day and Easter. We are also looking forward to our God’s Love Bible School. But now that January is almost over, we have to put things pertaining to the New Year’s behind us. It is time dig deep back into our study of 1 Corinthians. This upcoming section of 1Corinthians Paul begins to talks about gifts. We all like to receive gifts, right? Yes. But these are not the type of gifts that we normally receive. They are much more valuable and precious. For you see, these are spiritual gifts. In chapters 12-14, Paul talks about the work of the Holy Spirit in giving spiritual gifts to the Christian church. In chapter 12 Paul explains the general principles in regards to the gifts of the Spirit. In chapter 13 he will teach the way of love, which should motivate the exercise of spiritual gifts. And in chapter 14 he deals with the gifts of prophecy and tongues which points of contention with many. In the Corinthian church, the use of spiritual gifts had become chaotic. Some people were proud of their gifts and wanted to show off and boast. Other people did not use their gifts and let them atrophy in their silence. Most of the Corinthians did not know why they had received gifts or how to use them properly. So Paul instructs them. As we study together, we should realize that God has given us spiritual gifts. We should discover them and learn how to use them fruitfully. When we do so, we can be really useful to God. We can be a blessing to others, and we can be happy.
Part I: The Basis Of Receiving The Holy Spirit (1-3)
Before knowing Christ, the Corinthians were lost in their idol worship. Look at verses 1-2, "Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols." Idol worship had been going on since the dawn of time, in a myriad of different forms. The Christians in Corinth were surrounded by the idols of the day. These idols had led the masses astray. How could these elaborately decorated statues lead anyone astray? Idols are nothing--they are mute; they cannot speak. However, it was not the idols themselves but behind idols there were demons who invade and torment idol worshipers, making them ignorant and lost. So, before meeting Jesus, the Corinthians were miserable. But God, in his great grace, sent the Holy Spirit to deliver them. The Spirit of God drove out demons and opened their eyes to the living God. The Spirit of God led them to Christ crucified who forgave their sins, and to the Risen Christ who gave them victory over death and living hope in the kingdom of God. The Spirit of God set them free to worship and serve God in holiness and righteousness. (Lk 1:74) Now, the Corinthians proclaimed, "Jesus is Lord!" instead of the name of their idol.
Let’s think more about this confession, “Jesus is Lord!”. Look at verse 3, “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.” Those who confess "Jesus is Lord", sincerely, from the heart, are Christians (Ro 10:9-10; Mt 16:18). The Holy Spirit works in them and gives them gifts to bless others according to Jesus' leading. We may not understand how it happens. We may not experience some kind of spiritual ecstasy. But when we confess "Jesus is Lord" from our hearts, God gives us the Holy Spirit. Let’s confess Jesus is Lord all together in Spirit and in truth. OK… “Jesus is Lord!”
But despite of their commitment to Christ, there were soothsayers and idol priests who confronted the Corinthians each day. The Corinthians could be confused. They needed to differentiate work of the Holy Spirit from sneaky demons. Experience alone was not enough. They needed some kind of criteria. Paul tells them that the basic test of spiritual origin is how one sees Jesus. Those who speak ill of Jesus, that is curse Jesus, are speaking from a devilish spirit. Those who confess "Jesus is Lord" from their hearts are children of God and instruments of the Holy Spirit.
Part II. The Same Spirit; Different Gifts (4-11)
God's salvation work is rooted in who God is. Look at verses 4-6. "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." Knowing who God is very important. In these verses are inferences to the Trinity…Spirit, Lord, God. Our God is the Triune God, rich in diversity, yet one in being, identity and purpose. The Holy Spirit gives gifts. The Lord Jesus serves and teaches his people to serve. The Almighty God works to create, sustain and redeem. Though there are different kinds of gifts, service and work, the same God works all of them in all people for his own purpose.
We can find a progression in these verses. Those who confess “Jesus is Lord” receive the Holy Spirit and a spiritual gift. They are to use their gift or gifts to serve others as Jesus did. Then God weaves together the ministries of service to accomplish his own purpose of world salvation. UBF focuses on campus mission through evangelism and discipleship. We pray to raise men and women of God from among college students who can be a blessing to the world. However, there are many other works of God, such as ministries of street evangelism, providing clean drinking water in poor countries, achieving social justice, and so on. The same God is working in all of them through his people who confess that Jesus is Lord. We should broaden our hearts and minds to embrace the great diversity in the work of God. We should also hold firmly to the God-given purpose of our own unique ministry.
God concerns over each individual person. Look at verse 7. "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." The words "to each one" are important (11). Each person who confesses Jesus as Lord receives a gift from the Holy Spirit. This is not just natural talent, which may be common to most human beings, including non-Christians-things like intellectual power, artistic sense, or athletic ability. No, these gifts are different. They are spiritual gifts that come from the Holy Spirit. Only God's children have these gifts. For example, Jennifer, my daughter, has a natural talent in singing. She has had this since childhood and lately God is training her through school choirs. But this is not what moves our hearts when she sings. We are moved because she is a committed Christian and has a spiritual quality to her singing that only a child of God can have. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to make each person a blessing to the body of Christ. It is for the common good. Therefore when we come together as a church, we should have an attitude of giving and of serving. We should be ready to use our gifts to be a blessing to others.
In verses 8-10, Paul describes some gifts of the Holy Spirit. There are more than these, as passages like Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11-12 and 1 Peter 4:10-11 make clear. There are at least 18 specific gifts of the Holy Spirit described in the New Testament. However, Paul mentions only nine here. Let's read verse 8 to find some of them. "To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit...." The message of knowledge teaches us who God truly is, based on the Scriptures. The message of knowledge corrects our wrong ideas about God and Christian living and roots us in the truth about God. The message of wisdom teaches us how to apply this knowledge to lead us to salvation and God's blessing. Through the message we can understand the deep meaning of the gospel. UBF has traditionally been strong in the message gifts, due to the disciplined practice of preparing Bible notes and writing and sharing Bible testimonies every week. Many UBF members have struggled hard to have "one word of God" in their hearts as the basis for whatever they do. Those who have trained themselves in this way for ten years can deliver messages very powerfully, even if they had not gone to theology school. We should continue to develop our message gifts through faithful testimony writing. We should share God's message in Bible schools, and even one to one. Then we can experience spiritual victory and heavenly joy.
The next gift is that of faith. Look at verse 9a. "...to another faith by the same Spirit...." Of course, all believers have saving faith which is from God. Most can exercise some faith in their daily challenges. But the gift of faith mentioned here is special and extraordinary. It produces miracles. In giving this faith, God makes history through people. In Hebrews 11 we find the Faith Hall Of Fame. There are people with the gift of faith. We find Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and so on. God began great works of deliverance through them, even though they were weak in many ways. Faith in God made them strong enough to conquer fierce enemies. One person's faith is very important in the sight of God. We should continue struggle to establish the 1:1 discipleship ministry on our campus’ by faith. If we can bring one soul to Jesus by faith, it is a great miracle of God. If we can raise one Bible teacher it is a miracle of faith.
Let’s think about some other gifts that Paul mentions. Look at verses 9b-10. "...to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues." Clearly the Holy Spirit empowers some people to heal others, both physically and spiritually. The Holy Spirit enables some to work miracles, such as driving out demons. There are gifts of prophecy and distinguishing between spirits. The last two gifts are related to tongues, both in speaking and in interpreting tongues. We will deal with these gifts more in detail in chapter 14. Here, let's recognize that some gifts are intended to be used together. Without an interpreter no one can understand one who speaks in tongues. This teaches us that the Holy Spirit wants us to work together. For example, one who evangelizes well through outreach ministry should work together with one who disciples well, and vice versa. Then they can raise many disciples of Christ for the glory of God. The church is built through co-working.
In verses 8-10 the words "to another," or, "to still another," are repeated eight times. The Holy Spirit does not give all of the gifts to one person. The Holy Spirit spreads out the gifts among the believers so that each one will have something to contribute. This challenges the members of the body to respect one another and use their gifts for the common good.
Though the gifts and service and works of God are so diverse, he gives them with a common purpose. Look at verse 11. "All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one just as he determines." We may not always understand the depth of God’s wisdom in distributing his gifts. But we must recognize God's sovereignty in giving them. We do not choose our own gifts. The Holy Spirit gives us our gift, or gifts, as he determines. We must discover what these gifts are. To do this, we must pray and we must learn to see things from God's point of view. We should be willing to step out in faith, according to the need, to find out how God will use us. Before coming to Jesus I had no idea how to be a shepherd and a Bible messenger. I used to have a severe stammering problem that even speech therapists could not remedy. But God still gave me the gift to be a Bible messenger. He used the Canadian missionaries for four years and then Pastor Teddy for seven years. Then I received three years of Bible memorization and testimony writing training at the Chicago UBF Church every Monday under Pastor Ron Ward’s leadership. (2003-2007) They all gave me many chances to speak in order to develop this gift. Shepherd Teddy gave me counseling and feedback. He taught me how to take care of Bible students. It took many years to refine and sharpen the use of this gift. It is still in the development stage. In the course of struggling to exercise this gift, I could grow in inner character. But it has not been easy to bear this blessing. It has meant sacrifice for me and my family. Yet, I can only thank God for his grace and goodness and mercy to give me such a precious gift. We can trust God that he knows what is best for each of us. God knows how to build us up and how to make us useful in his work. May God help each of us to discover our gift from God, thank God for it, sharpen and refine it and use it for his glory and the common good.
Part III: Unity And Diversity In The Body Of Christ (12-31)
In these verses Paul explains the work of the Holy Spirit in the church by using the metaphor of the human body. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts. These parts have different functions, but they are interrelated. The parts cannot function by themselves and they cannot function outside the body; they need each other. So it is with Christ.
Though we come from many different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and though we have different gifts, we have the same spiritual Father. Look at verse 13. "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." Here, to be "baptized" means to be regenerated or born again by the work of the Holy Spirit. We have the same Lord. We drink daily from the same Holy Spirit. So we are one body joined together by the one Holy Spirit. Sometimes we feel distant from Christ and our dear brothers and sisters. We don't know what to do. But when we drink deeply of the Holy Spirit, unity is restored in our hearts. We are one with God and with our dear family members. We can drink of the Holy Spirit when we confess our sins and accept Jesus' grace.
In verses 14-20 Paul develops his body metaphor to deal with the problems of inferiority feelings that easily creep into our hearts. First, he tells us that feet should not despair because they are not hands. The feet are very important. With our feet we can walk and dance and play basketball. But if the feet compare themselves with the hands, they can feel inferior. After all, the hands can play the piano, write poetry, draw pictures, weave hemp bracelets for Haiti relief, and wave a greeting: "hello." If the feet begin to envy the hands, they can be discouraged and say, "I am not part of the body." Still, however, they are part of the body. Their discouraging words only discourage themselves and the body. Paul also compared the eye and the ear. People usually value their eyes most. They beautify their eyes and cover up their ears with hair. So the ears may feel inferior. But without ears we cannot communicate. We lose our balance. We can’t tell where the sound is coming from when someone yells, “Look out!” This damages the whole body. The point is that the body has many parts. It cannot be all one part, like the giant eyeball in "Monsters, Inc." It is made up of diverse parts and each part must accept its place in the body. Look at verse 18. "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be." We must accept our God-given place in the body of Christ.
In verses 21-26, Paul deals with the problem of despising others in the body of Christ. For example, the eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" They are absolutely interrelated and interdependent. So it is with the body of Christ. We absolutely need one another. So we must learn to honor one another. Those who seem weaker are really indispensable. We must treat them with special honor for through them we are given opportunities to reveal the love of Jesus. When we honor one another properly, we can develop an atmosphere of mutual respect and love. Then we can exercise our spiritual gifts fruitfully for the sake of mutual encouragement. Interestingly, some parts of the body are unpresentable and need to be treated with special modesty. They are still vital parts of the body. There are people, whose gifts mean that they should not be exposed to public scrutiny. Still, they can be very useful to God, working quietly behind the scenes. Some church members are like the hand and the feet of the church. They were always there when there were guests to serve, errands to run, repairs to be made, and so on. Without them no church could function properly.
There are other principles to be gleaned from the metaphor of the body. Verse 25b says, "...but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." The members of the body must put aside position, such as elder, pastor or deacon and show equal concern for each other. Look at verse 26. "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." When Missionary Elijah Kim of Moscow recently passed, UBF members around the world felt the pain. Many are making the long journey to his funeral and contributing generously for his wife and four boys. By the same token, when Tim was passed to the next semester and Andrew tasted much victory in school or when Jenn helped raise $500 for Haiti relief, we all rejoiced with them. As members of the body of Christ, we are very closely related to each other. So we should have a sense of unity and respect and love one another. Look at verse 27. "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." No one who calls Jesus Lord is outside the body of Christ. Someone may think, "I don't belong. I am not important." But it is not true. We are the body of Christ and each of us is a part of it.
Look at verses 28-30. There is a progression here. The church begins with apostles, ones who are sent to plant the word of God in new areas and new hearts. The church grows as prophets provide spiritual vision and direction, and teachers patiently instruct with the word of God. Then the Holy Spirit raises up a body of believers and gives them enough spiritual gifts to transform their community or even their nation. It is God who appoints his servants and gifts them according to his purpose and plan. It is not church leaders, but God himself who does this. If you confess Jesus is Lord you have been appointed by God with a gift and to be part of a ministry.
Look at verse 31a. "But eagerly desire the greater gifts." Though Paul has emphasized God's sovereignty in giving gifts to his people, we should not be fatalistic about this. If we really want a greater spiritual gift, we should ask God for it. God is pleased when we have a burning desire to serve the body of Christ in a way that builds it up.
Today's teaching that we are the body of Christ challenges our selfishness and American individualism to the core. But let's accept Paul's teaching with repentance. Let's discover our gifts and use them for the glory of God and the good of others. Then we will be really happy.
* THE SAME SPIRIT; DIFFERENT GIFTS (1–11)
1. What new topic does Paul introduce here? (1) Who led them astray when they were pagans? (2) What was the evidence that now they were led by the Holy Spirit? (3) How is this the basis for being a member of Christ’s body and for having spiritual gifts?
2. What are different, and what are the same? (4–6) How would this help them solve their problems of division?
3. For what general purpose does the Spirit give gifts? (7) List the different gifts Paul mentions (8–10). From whom do all these gifts come? Who determines the giving of these gifts? (11) How does this help us properly exercise our own gifts, and, recognize the gifts of others?
• THE BODY OF CHRIST (12–31a)
4. What metaphor does Paul use? (12a) How does it help us understand the church? (12b–13) How could such racially, culturally and socially different people be one?
5. In verses 14–17 what different body parts are mentioned? What is the function of each, and why does a body need all of them? How does God’s wisdom in arranging the parts enable the body to work? (18) Instead of competing with or envying others, how can we find our unique identity and purpose in the body? (19–20)
6. If the eye and the head became proud, what would happen? Note how Paul describes the indispensability, interdependence and coordination of all parts of the body (21–26).
7. Read verse 27. How did Paul apply this metaphor of the body to the community of
believers? Read verses 28. What are the different church roles mentioned here, and
where do they come from? Read verses 29–31a. How can we not compete, but
instead, work well together?
1 Corinthians 12:1-31a Lesson 12
Key verse 12:27 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 1-23-10
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
Well, here we are, at the end of January. Winter is half over. We are looking forward to holidays like Valentines Day and Easter. We are also looking forward to our God’s Love Bible School. But now that January is almost over, we have to put things pertaining to the New Year’s behind us. It is time dig deep back into our study of 1 Corinthians. This upcoming section of 1Corinthians Paul begins to talks about gifts. We all like to receive gifts, right? Yes. But these are not the type of gifts that we normally receive. They are much more valuable and precious. For you see, these are spiritual gifts. In chapters 12-14, Paul talks about the work of the Holy Spirit in giving spiritual gifts to the Christian church. In chapter 12 Paul explains the general principles in regards to the gifts of the Spirit. In chapter 13 he will teach the way of love, which should motivate the exercise of spiritual gifts. And in chapter 14 he deals with the gifts of prophecy and tongues which points of contention with many. In the Corinthian church, the use of spiritual gifts had become chaotic. Some people were proud of their gifts and wanted to show off and boast. Other people did not use their gifts and let them atrophy in their silence. Most of the Corinthians did not know why they had received gifts or how to use them properly. So Paul instructs them. As we study together, we should realize that God has given us spiritual gifts. We should discover them and learn how to use them fruitfully. When we do so, we can be really useful to God. We can be a blessing to others, and we can be happy.
Part I: The Basis Of Receiving The Holy Spirit (1-3)
Before knowing Christ, the Corinthians were lost in their idol worship. Look at verses 1-2, "Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols." Idol worship had been going on since the dawn of time, in a myriad of different forms. The Christians in Corinth were surrounded by the idols of the day. These idols had led the masses astray. How could these elaborately decorated statues lead anyone astray? Idols are nothing--they are mute; they cannot speak. However, it was not the idols themselves but behind idols there were demons who invade and torment idol worshipers, making them ignorant and lost. So, before meeting Jesus, the Corinthians were miserable. But God, in his great grace, sent the Holy Spirit to deliver them. The Spirit of God drove out demons and opened their eyes to the living God. The Spirit of God led them to Christ crucified who forgave their sins, and to the Risen Christ who gave them victory over death and living hope in the kingdom of God. The Spirit of God set them free to worship and serve God in holiness and righteousness. (Lk 1:74) Now, the Corinthians proclaimed, "Jesus is Lord!" instead of the name of their idol.
Let’s think more about this confession, “Jesus is Lord!”. Look at verse 3, “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.” Those who confess "Jesus is Lord", sincerely, from the heart, are Christians (Ro 10:9-10; Mt 16:18). The Holy Spirit works in them and gives them gifts to bless others according to Jesus' leading. We may not understand how it happens. We may not experience some kind of spiritual ecstasy. But when we confess "Jesus is Lord" from our hearts, God gives us the Holy Spirit. Let’s confess Jesus is Lord all together in Spirit and in truth. OK… “Jesus is Lord!”
But despite of their commitment to Christ, there were soothsayers and idol priests who confronted the Corinthians each day. The Corinthians could be confused. They needed to differentiate work of the Holy Spirit from sneaky demons. Experience alone was not enough. They needed some kind of criteria. Paul tells them that the basic test of spiritual origin is how one sees Jesus. Those who speak ill of Jesus, that is curse Jesus, are speaking from a devilish spirit. Those who confess "Jesus is Lord" from their hearts are children of God and instruments of the Holy Spirit.
Part II. The Same Spirit; Different Gifts (4-11)
God's salvation work is rooted in who God is. Look at verses 4-6. "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." Knowing who God is very important. In these verses are inferences to the Trinity…Spirit, Lord, God. Our God is the Triune God, rich in diversity, yet one in being, identity and purpose. The Holy Spirit gives gifts. The Lord Jesus serves and teaches his people to serve. The Almighty God works to create, sustain and redeem. Though there are different kinds of gifts, service and work, the same God works all of them in all people for his own purpose.
We can find a progression in these verses. Those who confess “Jesus is Lord” receive the Holy Spirit and a spiritual gift. They are to use their gift or gifts to serve others as Jesus did. Then God weaves together the ministries of service to accomplish his own purpose of world salvation. UBF focuses on campus mission through evangelism and discipleship. We pray to raise men and women of God from among college students who can be a blessing to the world. However, there are many other works of God, such as ministries of street evangelism, providing clean drinking water in poor countries, achieving social justice, and so on. The same God is working in all of them through his people who confess that Jesus is Lord. We should broaden our hearts and minds to embrace the great diversity in the work of God. We should also hold firmly to the God-given purpose of our own unique ministry.
God concerns over each individual person. Look at verse 7. "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." The words "to each one" are important (11). Each person who confesses Jesus as Lord receives a gift from the Holy Spirit. This is not just natural talent, which may be common to most human beings, including non-Christians-things like intellectual power, artistic sense, or athletic ability. No, these gifts are different. They are spiritual gifts that come from the Holy Spirit. Only God's children have these gifts. For example, Jennifer, my daughter, has a natural talent in singing. She has had this since childhood and lately God is training her through school choirs. But this is not what moves our hearts when she sings. We are moved because she is a committed Christian and has a spiritual quality to her singing that only a child of God can have. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to make each person a blessing to the body of Christ. It is for the common good. Therefore when we come together as a church, we should have an attitude of giving and of serving. We should be ready to use our gifts to be a blessing to others.
In verses 8-10, Paul describes some gifts of the Holy Spirit. There are more than these, as passages like Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11-12 and 1 Peter 4:10-11 make clear. There are at least 18 specific gifts of the Holy Spirit described in the New Testament. However, Paul mentions only nine here. Let's read verse 8 to find some of them. "To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit...." The message of knowledge teaches us who God truly is, based on the Scriptures. The message of knowledge corrects our wrong ideas about God and Christian living and roots us in the truth about God. The message of wisdom teaches us how to apply this knowledge to lead us to salvation and God's blessing. Through the message we can understand the deep meaning of the gospel. UBF has traditionally been strong in the message gifts, due to the disciplined practice of preparing Bible notes and writing and sharing Bible testimonies every week. Many UBF members have struggled hard to have "one word of God" in their hearts as the basis for whatever they do. Those who have trained themselves in this way for ten years can deliver messages very powerfully, even if they had not gone to theology school. We should continue to develop our message gifts through faithful testimony writing. We should share God's message in Bible schools, and even one to one. Then we can experience spiritual victory and heavenly joy.
The next gift is that of faith. Look at verse 9a. "...to another faith by the same Spirit...." Of course, all believers have saving faith which is from God. Most can exercise some faith in their daily challenges. But the gift of faith mentioned here is special and extraordinary. It produces miracles. In giving this faith, God makes history through people. In Hebrews 11 we find the Faith Hall Of Fame. There are people with the gift of faith. We find Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and so on. God began great works of deliverance through them, even though they were weak in many ways. Faith in God made them strong enough to conquer fierce enemies. One person's faith is very important in the sight of God. We should continue struggle to establish the 1:1 discipleship ministry on our campus’ by faith. If we can bring one soul to Jesus by faith, it is a great miracle of God. If we can raise one Bible teacher it is a miracle of faith.
Let’s think about some other gifts that Paul mentions. Look at verses 9b-10. "...to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues." Clearly the Holy Spirit empowers some people to heal others, both physically and spiritually. The Holy Spirit enables some to work miracles, such as driving out demons. There are gifts of prophecy and distinguishing between spirits. The last two gifts are related to tongues, both in speaking and in interpreting tongues. We will deal with these gifts more in detail in chapter 14. Here, let's recognize that some gifts are intended to be used together. Without an interpreter no one can understand one who speaks in tongues. This teaches us that the Holy Spirit wants us to work together. For example, one who evangelizes well through outreach ministry should work together with one who disciples well, and vice versa. Then they can raise many disciples of Christ for the glory of God. The church is built through co-working.
In verses 8-10 the words "to another," or, "to still another," are repeated eight times. The Holy Spirit does not give all of the gifts to one person. The Holy Spirit spreads out the gifts among the believers so that each one will have something to contribute. This challenges the members of the body to respect one another and use their gifts for the common good.
Though the gifts and service and works of God are so diverse, he gives them with a common purpose. Look at verse 11. "All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one just as he determines." We may not always understand the depth of God’s wisdom in distributing his gifts. But we must recognize God's sovereignty in giving them. We do not choose our own gifts. The Holy Spirit gives us our gift, or gifts, as he determines. We must discover what these gifts are. To do this, we must pray and we must learn to see things from God's point of view. We should be willing to step out in faith, according to the need, to find out how God will use us. Before coming to Jesus I had no idea how to be a shepherd and a Bible messenger. I used to have a severe stammering problem that even speech therapists could not remedy. But God still gave me the gift to be a Bible messenger. He used the Canadian missionaries for four years and then Pastor Teddy for seven years. Then I received three years of Bible memorization and testimony writing training at the Chicago UBF Church every Monday under Pastor Ron Ward’s leadership. (2003-2007) They all gave me many chances to speak in order to develop this gift. Shepherd Teddy gave me counseling and feedback. He taught me how to take care of Bible students. It took many years to refine and sharpen the use of this gift. It is still in the development stage. In the course of struggling to exercise this gift, I could grow in inner character. But it has not been easy to bear this blessing. It has meant sacrifice for me and my family. Yet, I can only thank God for his grace and goodness and mercy to give me such a precious gift. We can trust God that he knows what is best for each of us. God knows how to build us up and how to make us useful in his work. May God help each of us to discover our gift from God, thank God for it, sharpen and refine it and use it for his glory and the common good.
Part III: Unity And Diversity In The Body Of Christ (12-31)
In these verses Paul explains the work of the Holy Spirit in the church by using the metaphor of the human body. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts. These parts have different functions, but they are interrelated. The parts cannot function by themselves and they cannot function outside the body; they need each other. So it is with Christ.
Though we come from many different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and though we have different gifts, we have the same spiritual Father. Look at verse 13. "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." Here, to be "baptized" means to be regenerated or born again by the work of the Holy Spirit. We have the same Lord. We drink daily from the same Holy Spirit. So we are one body joined together by the one Holy Spirit. Sometimes we feel distant from Christ and our dear brothers and sisters. We don't know what to do. But when we drink deeply of the Holy Spirit, unity is restored in our hearts. We are one with God and with our dear family members. We can drink of the Holy Spirit when we confess our sins and accept Jesus' grace.
In verses 14-20 Paul develops his body metaphor to deal with the problems of inferiority feelings that easily creep into our hearts. First, he tells us that feet should not despair because they are not hands. The feet are very important. With our feet we can walk and dance and play basketball. But if the feet compare themselves with the hands, they can feel inferior. After all, the hands can play the piano, write poetry, draw pictures, weave hemp bracelets for Haiti relief, and wave a greeting: "hello." If the feet begin to envy the hands, they can be discouraged and say, "I am not part of the body." Still, however, they are part of the body. Their discouraging words only discourage themselves and the body. Paul also compared the eye and the ear. People usually value their eyes most. They beautify their eyes and cover up their ears with hair. So the ears may feel inferior. But without ears we cannot communicate. We lose our balance. We can’t tell where the sound is coming from when someone yells, “Look out!” This damages the whole body. The point is that the body has many parts. It cannot be all one part, like the giant eyeball in "Monsters, Inc." It is made up of diverse parts and each part must accept its place in the body. Look at verse 18. "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be." We must accept our God-given place in the body of Christ.
In verses 21-26, Paul deals with the problem of despising others in the body of Christ. For example, the eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" They are absolutely interrelated and interdependent. So it is with the body of Christ. We absolutely need one another. So we must learn to honor one another. Those who seem weaker are really indispensable. We must treat them with special honor for through them we are given opportunities to reveal the love of Jesus. When we honor one another properly, we can develop an atmosphere of mutual respect and love. Then we can exercise our spiritual gifts fruitfully for the sake of mutual encouragement. Interestingly, some parts of the body are unpresentable and need to be treated with special modesty. They are still vital parts of the body. There are people, whose gifts mean that they should not be exposed to public scrutiny. Still, they can be very useful to God, working quietly behind the scenes. Some church members are like the hand and the feet of the church. They were always there when there were guests to serve, errands to run, repairs to be made, and so on. Without them no church could function properly.
There are other principles to be gleaned from the metaphor of the body. Verse 25b says, "...but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." The members of the body must put aside position, such as elder, pastor or deacon and show equal concern for each other. Look at verse 26. "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." When Missionary Elijah Kim of Moscow recently passed, UBF members around the world felt the pain. Many are making the long journey to his funeral and contributing generously for his wife and four boys. By the same token, when Tim was passed to the next semester and Andrew tasted much victory in school or when Jenn helped raise $500 for Haiti relief, we all rejoiced with them. As members of the body of Christ, we are very closely related to each other. So we should have a sense of unity and respect and love one another. Look at verse 27. "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." No one who calls Jesus Lord is outside the body of Christ. Someone may think, "I don't belong. I am not important." But it is not true. We are the body of Christ and each of us is a part of it.
Look at verses 28-30. There is a progression here. The church begins with apostles, ones who are sent to plant the word of God in new areas and new hearts. The church grows as prophets provide spiritual vision and direction, and teachers patiently instruct with the word of God. Then the Holy Spirit raises up a body of believers and gives them enough spiritual gifts to transform their community or even their nation. It is God who appoints his servants and gifts them according to his purpose and plan. It is not church leaders, but God himself who does this. If you confess Jesus is Lord you have been appointed by God with a gift and to be part of a ministry.
Look at verse 31a. "But eagerly desire the greater gifts." Though Paul has emphasized God's sovereignty in giving gifts to his people, we should not be fatalistic about this. If we really want a greater spiritual gift, we should ask God for it. God is pleased when we have a burning desire to serve the body of Christ in a way that builds it up.
Today's teaching that we are the body of Christ challenges our selfishness and American individualism to the core. But let's accept Paul's teaching with repentance. Let's discover our gifts and use them for the glory of God and the good of others. Then we will be really happy.
* THE SAME SPIRIT; DIFFERENT GIFTS (1–11)
1. What new topic does Paul introduce here? (1) Who led them astray when they were pagans? (2) What was the evidence that now they were led by the Holy Spirit? (3) How is this the basis for being a member of Christ’s body and for having spiritual gifts?
2. What are different, and what are the same? (4–6) How would this help them solve their problems of division?
3. For what general purpose does the Spirit give gifts? (7) List the different gifts Paul mentions (8–10). From whom do all these gifts come? Who determines the giving of these gifts? (11) How does this help us properly exercise our own gifts, and, recognize the gifts of others?
• THE BODY OF CHRIST (12–31a)
4. What metaphor does Paul use? (12a) How does it help us understand the church? (12b–13) How could such racially, culturally and socially different people be one?
5. In verses 14–17 what different body parts are mentioned? What is the function of each, and why does a body need all of them? How does God’s wisdom in arranging the parts enable the body to work? (18) Instead of competing with or envying others, how can we find our unique identity and purpose in the body? (19–20)
6. If the eye and the head became proud, what would happen? Note how Paul describes the indispensability, interdependence and coordination of all parts of the body (21–26).
7. Read verse 27. How did Paul apply this metaphor of the body to the community of
believers? Read verses 28. What are the different church roles mentioned here, and
where do they come from? Read verses 29–31a. How can we not compete, but
instead, work well together?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
1 Corinthians 11:2-34
Reverence In Worship And Fellowship
1 Corinthians 11:2-34, Lesson 10
Key Verse: 11:26 NIU UBF 11-22-09
“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
Thus far in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul has dealt with the problems of church division in chapters 1-4, and with moral and ethical issues in chapters 5-7. Then in chapters 8-10, he taught about the proper use of Christian freedom through food sacrificed to idols. Chapters 11-14 are about practical problems in church meetings. In dealing with them, Paul lays down principles for building a sound church. The main princiole is love. For any organization to be healthy, there must be friendship and love among members. Yet the church is more than a human organization. The church is God’s dwelling place. The church is based on the truth of God’s word and the love of Christ who died for our sins. Within the church there must be spiritual order based on the word of God and spiritual love based on Jesus’ sacrifice. A church rooted in these can spread God’s blessing to the world. We are all members of the church, the body of Christ. Today let’s learn how to build up our church.
Part l: Reverence And Order In Worship (2-16)
Thus far in his letter, Paul has had to give painful correction. But here Paul gives a word of praise. Look at verse 2. “I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.” Paul was genuinely thankful to God for his grace upon the Corinthians (1:4). We learn from Paul to sprinkle in words of encouragement when handling difficult problems.
After giving words of encouragement, Paul returned to the task of correcting. Paul wanted to teach the Corinthians how to build their church on the foundation of God’s truth. Paul does this through addressing a very practical problem: Corinthian women should cover their heads in church. In the cultural context of ancient Corinth this was understandable. Typically, Greek women covered their heads as a sign of submission to their husbands. If a woman did not cover her head, it was a sign of disrespect or waywardness. Why did Corinthian Christian women refuse to cover their heads? Paul does not say exactly. But we can guess that it might have been that they no longer felt bound by custom or tradition. Or perhaps they wanted to promote women’s rights, claiming equality with their husbands in God. Paul gives several reasons why they should cover their heads in the church of Paul’s time. From his reasons, we can glean some spiritual principles to put into practice.
First, it keeps spiritual order. Look at verse 3 -6, especially verse 3, “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” We can see that there is some spiritual order referred to here. The term “spiritual order” has been used frequently in UBF. What does it mean here? In verse 3, “head” signifies the one in authority. Jesus Christ is Lord of all and he is the authority over every person in the church. Each church member should enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and live in submission to him, the head. The same word, “head” describes the position of a husband in a family. In the Bible, the husband is the head of the family. His wife should submit to him and keep spiritual order in the family. (Col 3:18-19)
Christ is not only our Lord, but also our example of submission to God. Verse 3 ends, “...the head of Christ is God.” God is referring to “God the Father.” God and Christ are equal. They are both the same God. Their relationship is one of absolute love and respect. Jesus loved the Father and always did what pleased him (Jn 5:30; 8:29). The Father loved the Son and placed everything in his hands (Jn 3:35). They were truly one in mind, heart and spirit. But in their function they were different. The Father is the Sovereign Ruler. The Son submitted to the Father in everything. Christ did not try to grasp equality with God, but submitted to death, even death on a cross. Through Jesus’ submission we are saved and we are shown the way. So we willingly submit to him in everything (Rev 5:13). This heavenly order is reflected in our relationships with others. Christian husbands gladly love their wives, loving them sacrificially. (Ephesians 5:25-28) Christian wives are happy to submit to their husbands with genuine respect when their husbands love them with such love. This relationship reflects the relationship between Christ and his people. Can you see it? The Christian church, as the Bride of Christ, submits joyfully to her Husband and Savior.
Spiritual order is not another way of saying “dictatorship.” It means there is mutual love and respect, necessary authority and willing submission. This is the attitude we have as we live in Christ. Some may raise an issue here, for many abuses have happened in the name of “spiritual order.” Paul is not condoning abusive relationships. Rather, Paul refers to the holy example of the Father and Christ as the model for us all to strive for in learning submission to Christ and one another.
Second, it is the cultural norm. In verses 4-6 Paul affirms the Corinthian cultural custom. Men should uncover their heads and women should cover their heads during public Christian worship. To violate this custom was dishonorable culturally and Paul affirms that it was also dishonorable before God. A man should dress like a man, and a woman should dress like a woman to be honorable in the house of God. We know what this means. We know what it means to dress honorably and respectively. Ask even a non believer how they should dress in a job interview, …for a job that they really want to get, and you will discover what it means to dress honorably. (There are also biblical precedents for women covering themselves, such as Rebekah before meeting Isaac (Gen 24:66).)
Third, it makes a distinction. (7-12). Look at verse 7. “A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.” Here Paul makes a distinction between men and women. He says that man is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. What does this mean? This is based on Genesis. In Genesis we find that God made man in his image to rule the world. God made woman as a suitable helper for man (Gen 2:18). We know that man and woman are both made in God’s image and they are equal (Gen 1:27), but there is a distinction. Woman was created as a suitable helper; not just for man to fulfill his own selfish ends but to help him serve his mission before God. In verses 11-12, Paul explains that a husband and wife are interdependent. Man and woman need each other. Neither one can carry out their God-given mission without the other. They must co-work together. Then they can experience amazing success, bear much fruit, and be happy. Likewise, when church members serve their various purposes well, co-working together in the Lord, the church will be healthy and happy.
Fourth, it keeps natural order (13-16). In verses 13-15, Paul makes another appeal, this time to the “very nature of things.” In Paul’s time it seemed that this is just the way that women wear their hair. It seems “natural” for a woman to have hair longer than a man. Historically, women have grown their hair long. Men’s hair thins out and they go bald. It looks strange for men to grow long hair when this is happening. But in nature, there have been relatively few bald women. Women grow their hair long and their hair becomes a woman’s glory. This has gone one from the dawn of time. It is only in this century that we see women wearing their hair shorter. Paul is saying that since it appears inherent in nature then it should be respected during public worship. Practically speaking it meant that women must cover their heads. Paul insisted on it and would not yield (16). I think that today, we can follow the principle, “Women should be women and men should be men.”
When choosing our hairstyle and possible head covering for church, we must remember that coming to worship is coming to meet the holy God. We join the holy angels in worshiping him. We are coming to a God of awesome majesty, order and peace (1 Cor 14:33). We must worship with reverence and a sense of spiritual order. We must honor God from our hearts, in our relationships, and through our appearance. These days many people say, “God sees my heart. As long as I am sincere, appearance does not matter.” Some young men want to wear a t-shirt, shorts, and a baseball cap to church. Yet they would never go to a job interview dressed in such a way. Why is this? Maybe they want the whole world to know that they are not legalistic. And we should not be legalistic about this. However, as a general principle, we should reflect that we consider God more important than potential human employers. Practically speaking it means to wear our best clothes to worship service. Women should not be uncovered in church so that others focus on them rather than on Jesus. Women should dress modestly, and with propriety, to worship God. At St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, there is a clothing monitor at the door. If a person wants to enter, and is not properly covered, the monitor gives them a temporary cover to wear while inside, even if they are just tourists. Let’s remember that God is a God of order who wants reverence and order in worship.
Part II: Reverence And Love In The Lord’s Supper (17-34)
The second problem Paul deals with is celebrating the Lord’s Supper. In the Lord’s Supper there is a cross, with an upward beam and a horizontal beam. We have a vertical relationship with Christ through which we receive grace. We have a horizontal relationship with others. We must love and respect our brothers and sisters in Christ. In John’s gospel, at the Last Supper, Jesus got up from the meal, wrapped a towel around his waist, and washed his disciples’ feet. It symbolized his humble service and sacrificial love for each one. Jesus bore with each of them in humility and love until they became holy men of God. Jesus would die on the cross to wash their dirty sins. Since Jesus set this example, Jesus’ people must do the same. The rich and powerful must sacrifice themselves to serve the poor and needy. The mature must humbly embrace newcomers with great affection. Men and women must show love and respect toward each other. Then the church is full of love and grace.
However, in Corinth, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper had become a travesty (17-22). Instead of coming together in the love of Christ, they divided into different factions. Some rich people brought steaks, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and gravy, and fresh cherry pie. They also brought fine wines and premium beer and ate and drank freely. Meanwhile, the poor looked on with growling stomachs and watering mouths, and tears began to roll down their cheeks as they ate dry bread and hard dates and water. Nobody shared with the poor. Paul was upset that the poor were humiliated in such a way. Paul was even more upset because Jesus was dishonored. Paul said clearly, “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat.” (20). Their meetings were doing more harm than good. It caused resentment and drove a wedge between Christians of different classes.
Paul reminded them of the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper in verses 23-25. Let’s read these verses together: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” We learn several things from Paul here.
First, it was the Lord’s Supper. Verse 23 says, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.” It was not Paul’s idea to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper originated with Christ himself. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper must be done in the Spirit of Jesus and according to his instructions. To do it in one’s own way is a profanity.
Second, Jesus gave his body and blood to us. The bread and cup symbolize Jesus’ body broken on the cross and Jesus’ blood shed for us. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” In addition to hearing the message, we need the bread and cup to taste the reality of Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus’ body was really broken and his blood was really spilled for our sins. Jesus gave his own life for us. We must accept Jesus’ sacrifice with sincere repentance and faith.
Third, Jesus’ blood forgives our sins and brings us into a covenant with God. Sin separates us from God and leaves a stain that nothing else can wash away. But the blood of Jesus has power to bring about forgiveness and true cleansing from our sins. The blood of Jesus restores us to a love relationship with God. Romans 3:24,25 say, “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.” When we accept Jesus’ blood, we can be “at one” with God. We enter into a covenant with God and receive God’s faithful love and spiritual blessings. Jesus invites us to come to him every day and eat his flesh and drink his blood (Jn 6:53-57). This satisfies our souls with the life and love of God. Then we can love one another with the love of God. In celebrating the Lord’s Supper, it is most important to remember Jesus with repentance for our sins and faith in his blood.
When we eat the bread and drink the cup by faith, we proclaim the Lord’s death with spiritual power and meaning. Look at verse 26. “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” When we eat the Lord’s supper our hearts overflow with God’s love, the joy of salvation, and heavenly peace. Christian brothers and sisters begin to truly love one another from their hearts, forgiving one another based on Jesus’ grace of forgiveness. They form a genuine Christian community. This community, marked by God’s love, proclaims Jesus’ death to the lost world.
There have been many great celebrations of the Lord’s Supper in Christian history. Right after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, the early church members devoted themselves to the good news about Jesus, to Christian fellowship, and to celebrating the Lord’s Supper. The love of God descended upon them tangibly, and many great miracles were done. They became generous toward each other and willing to share their possessions with one another. They invited each other to their homes and had intimate fellowship. It was a picture of the kingdom of God on earth. This was so attractive to people in the world that many became believers.
Another example is the Moravians in Herrnhut in 1727. At first they were a disjointed group of Christians from several different traditions who argued a lot about doctrine. Then on August 13, 1727 they came together and celebrated the Lord’s Supper with sincere hearts. They repented of their sins based on the word of God and asked Jesus’ blood to cleanse them. God poured out the Holy Spirit and the love of God came into their hearts with power. They changed dramatically. Those who held grudges forgave their brothers and sisters. Those who had material goods began to share with others freely. They developed a holy passion to preach the gospel where Christ was not known. In a short time Moravian missionaries began to spread all over the world.
When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper with sincere hearts and receive the love of Jesus, God can use us to proclaim the Lord’s death in a powerful way. As we prepare for the upcoming Chicago Christmas service and pray for it, it is most important that we remember the grace of God sending his One and Only Son into this world to be our Savior and the ransom sacrifice for our sins. We must repent of our sins and receive the love of Jesus in our hearts. Then we can love God and love one another joyfully. As we reveal the love of God to our dear brothers and sisters, God will be glorified through us and we will be happy indeed. What is more, this Christmas service will speak loudly to our generation that God is living and that he has come to dwell among us.
When Jesus was on earth, he ate and drank with all kinds of people: tax collectors, prostitutes, and even Pharisees. Jesus shared the words of life with them and salvation came to people and households. As they ate and drank together, they tasted the real spiritual joy of heaven. We want to follow the example of Jesus Christ. In our worship service, we must do our best to listen to Jesus’ words and to repent our sins and receive his grace. After worship service, it is good to together, sharing fellowship with all kinds of people, talking about the word of God and the work of God. As we do so, we can taste the kingdom of God on earth. Mother Barry has this kind of fellowship, inviting people to her apartment after Sunday service to eat lunch. When we worship like this, together, then genuine Christian love and fellowship all human distinctions disappear. We can experience the unity of love. We can taste the joy of heaven in this world. This is worth striving for.
Let’s remember what kind of church we must have. First, we must keep spiritual order based on God’s words and truth. Also, we must remember Jesus’ grace on the cross to renew our love relationship with God and to practice the love of God with brothers and sisters. As we do so, may God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
* REVERENCE IN WORSHIP (2–16)
1. For what did Paul commend the Corinthian Christians? (2) Why? (1) Read verse 3. What is the general principle governing the relationships between God, man and woman?
2. In what cases would a man or a woman be dishonored? (4–6) Why should a man not cover his head, and why should a woman do so? (7–10) During worship, how did keeping this order express reverence for God? (cf. Isa6:2–3) How can we be reverent in worship today? (See Heb12:28; think about this in terms of one’s attitude toward God and influence on others.)
3. What is the relationship between man and woman “in the Lord”? (11–12) In what sense are they equal before God? How does this help us understand the order Paul mentions? On what basis did Paul appeal to them? (13–16)
* REVERENCE IN THE LORD’S SUPPER (17–34)
4. How and why did Paul chastise them? (17–22) On which problem did he focus? (20) How had they been expressing their irreverence for the church of God and their selfishness?
5. Read verses 23–25. Who instituted the Lord’s Supper? What did Jesus say when he broke the bread and shared the cup? (Lk22:19–20; Mt26:26–28) What does eating the bread and drinking the cup mean to us? (Jn6:53–56) When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, what should be the focus? (24b,25b)
6. Read verse 26. Besides encouraging our personal faith, what evangelistic purpose does celebrating the Lord’s Supper serve? Until when should this be done?
7. Why is it so serious to take the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner? (27,29–30) What did Paul mean by “unworthy manner”? (28–32; cf. 21–22) What is the proper attitude toward the Lord’s Supper? (28,33–34)
What have you learned in this lesson about reverence?
1 Corinthians 11:2-34, Lesson 10
Key Verse: 11:26 NIU UBF 11-22-09
“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
Thus far in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul has dealt with the problems of church division in chapters 1-4, and with moral and ethical issues in chapters 5-7. Then in chapters 8-10, he taught about the proper use of Christian freedom through food sacrificed to idols. Chapters 11-14 are about practical problems in church meetings. In dealing with them, Paul lays down principles for building a sound church. The main princiole is love. For any organization to be healthy, there must be friendship and love among members. Yet the church is more than a human organization. The church is God’s dwelling place. The church is based on the truth of God’s word and the love of Christ who died for our sins. Within the church there must be spiritual order based on the word of God and spiritual love based on Jesus’ sacrifice. A church rooted in these can spread God’s blessing to the world. We are all members of the church, the body of Christ. Today let’s learn how to build up our church.
Part l: Reverence And Order In Worship (2-16)
Thus far in his letter, Paul has had to give painful correction. But here Paul gives a word of praise. Look at verse 2. “I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.” Paul was genuinely thankful to God for his grace upon the Corinthians (1:4). We learn from Paul to sprinkle in words of encouragement when handling difficult problems.
After giving words of encouragement, Paul returned to the task of correcting. Paul wanted to teach the Corinthians how to build their church on the foundation of God’s truth. Paul does this through addressing a very practical problem: Corinthian women should cover their heads in church. In the cultural context of ancient Corinth this was understandable. Typically, Greek women covered their heads as a sign of submission to their husbands. If a woman did not cover her head, it was a sign of disrespect or waywardness. Why did Corinthian Christian women refuse to cover their heads? Paul does not say exactly. But we can guess that it might have been that they no longer felt bound by custom or tradition. Or perhaps they wanted to promote women’s rights, claiming equality with their husbands in God. Paul gives several reasons why they should cover their heads in the church of Paul’s time. From his reasons, we can glean some spiritual principles to put into practice.
First, it keeps spiritual order. Look at verse 3 -6, especially verse 3, “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” We can see that there is some spiritual order referred to here. The term “spiritual order” has been used frequently in UBF. What does it mean here? In verse 3, “head” signifies the one in authority. Jesus Christ is Lord of all and he is the authority over every person in the church. Each church member should enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and live in submission to him, the head. The same word, “head” describes the position of a husband in a family. In the Bible, the husband is the head of the family. His wife should submit to him and keep spiritual order in the family. (Col 3:18-19)
Christ is not only our Lord, but also our example of submission to God. Verse 3 ends, “...the head of Christ is God.” God is referring to “God the Father.” God and Christ are equal. They are both the same God. Their relationship is one of absolute love and respect. Jesus loved the Father and always did what pleased him (Jn 5:30; 8:29). The Father loved the Son and placed everything in his hands (Jn 3:35). They were truly one in mind, heart and spirit. But in their function they were different. The Father is the Sovereign Ruler. The Son submitted to the Father in everything. Christ did not try to grasp equality with God, but submitted to death, even death on a cross. Through Jesus’ submission we are saved and we are shown the way. So we willingly submit to him in everything (Rev 5:13). This heavenly order is reflected in our relationships with others. Christian husbands gladly love their wives, loving them sacrificially. (Ephesians 5:25-28) Christian wives are happy to submit to their husbands with genuine respect when their husbands love them with such love. This relationship reflects the relationship between Christ and his people. Can you see it? The Christian church, as the Bride of Christ, submits joyfully to her Husband and Savior.
Spiritual order is not another way of saying “dictatorship.” It means there is mutual love and respect, necessary authority and willing submission. This is the attitude we have as we live in Christ. Some may raise an issue here, for many abuses have happened in the name of “spiritual order.” Paul is not condoning abusive relationships. Rather, Paul refers to the holy example of the Father and Christ as the model for us all to strive for in learning submission to Christ and one another.
Second, it is the cultural norm. In verses 4-6 Paul affirms the Corinthian cultural custom. Men should uncover their heads and women should cover their heads during public Christian worship. To violate this custom was dishonorable culturally and Paul affirms that it was also dishonorable before God. A man should dress like a man, and a woman should dress like a woman to be honorable in the house of God. We know what this means. We know what it means to dress honorably and respectively. Ask even a non believer how they should dress in a job interview, …for a job that they really want to get, and you will discover what it means to dress honorably. (There are also biblical precedents for women covering themselves, such as Rebekah before meeting Isaac (Gen 24:66).)
Third, it makes a distinction. (7-12). Look at verse 7. “A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.” Here Paul makes a distinction between men and women. He says that man is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. What does this mean? This is based on Genesis. In Genesis we find that God made man in his image to rule the world. God made woman as a suitable helper for man (Gen 2:18). We know that man and woman are both made in God’s image and they are equal (Gen 1:27), but there is a distinction. Woman was created as a suitable helper; not just for man to fulfill his own selfish ends but to help him serve his mission before God. In verses 11-12, Paul explains that a husband and wife are interdependent. Man and woman need each other. Neither one can carry out their God-given mission without the other. They must co-work together. Then they can experience amazing success, bear much fruit, and be happy. Likewise, when church members serve their various purposes well, co-working together in the Lord, the church will be healthy and happy.
Fourth, it keeps natural order (13-16). In verses 13-15, Paul makes another appeal, this time to the “very nature of things.” In Paul’s time it seemed that this is just the way that women wear their hair. It seems “natural” for a woman to have hair longer than a man. Historically, women have grown their hair long. Men’s hair thins out and they go bald. It looks strange for men to grow long hair when this is happening. But in nature, there have been relatively few bald women. Women grow their hair long and their hair becomes a woman’s glory. This has gone one from the dawn of time. It is only in this century that we see women wearing their hair shorter. Paul is saying that since it appears inherent in nature then it should be respected during public worship. Practically speaking it meant that women must cover their heads. Paul insisted on it and would not yield (16). I think that today, we can follow the principle, “Women should be women and men should be men.”
When choosing our hairstyle and possible head covering for church, we must remember that coming to worship is coming to meet the holy God. We join the holy angels in worshiping him. We are coming to a God of awesome majesty, order and peace (1 Cor 14:33). We must worship with reverence and a sense of spiritual order. We must honor God from our hearts, in our relationships, and through our appearance. These days many people say, “God sees my heart. As long as I am sincere, appearance does not matter.” Some young men want to wear a t-shirt, shorts, and a baseball cap to church. Yet they would never go to a job interview dressed in such a way. Why is this? Maybe they want the whole world to know that they are not legalistic. And we should not be legalistic about this. However, as a general principle, we should reflect that we consider God more important than potential human employers. Practically speaking it means to wear our best clothes to worship service. Women should not be uncovered in church so that others focus on them rather than on Jesus. Women should dress modestly, and with propriety, to worship God. At St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, there is a clothing monitor at the door. If a person wants to enter, and is not properly covered, the monitor gives them a temporary cover to wear while inside, even if they are just tourists. Let’s remember that God is a God of order who wants reverence and order in worship.
Part II: Reverence And Love In The Lord’s Supper (17-34)
The second problem Paul deals with is celebrating the Lord’s Supper. In the Lord’s Supper there is a cross, with an upward beam and a horizontal beam. We have a vertical relationship with Christ through which we receive grace. We have a horizontal relationship with others. We must love and respect our brothers and sisters in Christ. In John’s gospel, at the Last Supper, Jesus got up from the meal, wrapped a towel around his waist, and washed his disciples’ feet. It symbolized his humble service and sacrificial love for each one. Jesus bore with each of them in humility and love until they became holy men of God. Jesus would die on the cross to wash their dirty sins. Since Jesus set this example, Jesus’ people must do the same. The rich and powerful must sacrifice themselves to serve the poor and needy. The mature must humbly embrace newcomers with great affection. Men and women must show love and respect toward each other. Then the church is full of love and grace.
However, in Corinth, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper had become a travesty (17-22). Instead of coming together in the love of Christ, they divided into different factions. Some rich people brought steaks, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and gravy, and fresh cherry pie. They also brought fine wines and premium beer and ate and drank freely. Meanwhile, the poor looked on with growling stomachs and watering mouths, and tears began to roll down their cheeks as they ate dry bread and hard dates and water. Nobody shared with the poor. Paul was upset that the poor were humiliated in such a way. Paul was even more upset because Jesus was dishonored. Paul said clearly, “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat.” (20). Their meetings were doing more harm than good. It caused resentment and drove a wedge between Christians of different classes.
Paul reminded them of the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper in verses 23-25. Let’s read these verses together: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” We learn several things from Paul here.
First, it was the Lord’s Supper. Verse 23 says, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.” It was not Paul’s idea to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper originated with Christ himself. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper must be done in the Spirit of Jesus and according to his instructions. To do it in one’s own way is a profanity.
Second, Jesus gave his body and blood to us. The bread and cup symbolize Jesus’ body broken on the cross and Jesus’ blood shed for us. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” In addition to hearing the message, we need the bread and cup to taste the reality of Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus’ body was really broken and his blood was really spilled for our sins. Jesus gave his own life for us. We must accept Jesus’ sacrifice with sincere repentance and faith.
Third, Jesus’ blood forgives our sins and brings us into a covenant with God. Sin separates us from God and leaves a stain that nothing else can wash away. But the blood of Jesus has power to bring about forgiveness and true cleansing from our sins. The blood of Jesus restores us to a love relationship with God. Romans 3:24,25 say, “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.” When we accept Jesus’ blood, we can be “at one” with God. We enter into a covenant with God and receive God’s faithful love and spiritual blessings. Jesus invites us to come to him every day and eat his flesh and drink his blood (Jn 6:53-57). This satisfies our souls with the life and love of God. Then we can love one another with the love of God. In celebrating the Lord’s Supper, it is most important to remember Jesus with repentance for our sins and faith in his blood.
When we eat the bread and drink the cup by faith, we proclaim the Lord’s death with spiritual power and meaning. Look at verse 26. “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” When we eat the Lord’s supper our hearts overflow with God’s love, the joy of salvation, and heavenly peace. Christian brothers and sisters begin to truly love one another from their hearts, forgiving one another based on Jesus’ grace of forgiveness. They form a genuine Christian community. This community, marked by God’s love, proclaims Jesus’ death to the lost world.
There have been many great celebrations of the Lord’s Supper in Christian history. Right after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, the early church members devoted themselves to the good news about Jesus, to Christian fellowship, and to celebrating the Lord’s Supper. The love of God descended upon them tangibly, and many great miracles were done. They became generous toward each other and willing to share their possessions with one another. They invited each other to their homes and had intimate fellowship. It was a picture of the kingdom of God on earth. This was so attractive to people in the world that many became believers.
Another example is the Moravians in Herrnhut in 1727. At first they were a disjointed group of Christians from several different traditions who argued a lot about doctrine. Then on August 13, 1727 they came together and celebrated the Lord’s Supper with sincere hearts. They repented of their sins based on the word of God and asked Jesus’ blood to cleanse them. God poured out the Holy Spirit and the love of God came into their hearts with power. They changed dramatically. Those who held grudges forgave their brothers and sisters. Those who had material goods began to share with others freely. They developed a holy passion to preach the gospel where Christ was not known. In a short time Moravian missionaries began to spread all over the world.
When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper with sincere hearts and receive the love of Jesus, God can use us to proclaim the Lord’s death in a powerful way. As we prepare for the upcoming Chicago Christmas service and pray for it, it is most important that we remember the grace of God sending his One and Only Son into this world to be our Savior and the ransom sacrifice for our sins. We must repent of our sins and receive the love of Jesus in our hearts. Then we can love God and love one another joyfully. As we reveal the love of God to our dear brothers and sisters, God will be glorified through us and we will be happy indeed. What is more, this Christmas service will speak loudly to our generation that God is living and that he has come to dwell among us.
When Jesus was on earth, he ate and drank with all kinds of people: tax collectors, prostitutes, and even Pharisees. Jesus shared the words of life with them and salvation came to people and households. As they ate and drank together, they tasted the real spiritual joy of heaven. We want to follow the example of Jesus Christ. In our worship service, we must do our best to listen to Jesus’ words and to repent our sins and receive his grace. After worship service, it is good to together, sharing fellowship with all kinds of people, talking about the word of God and the work of God. As we do so, we can taste the kingdom of God on earth. Mother Barry has this kind of fellowship, inviting people to her apartment after Sunday service to eat lunch. When we worship like this, together, then genuine Christian love and fellowship all human distinctions disappear. We can experience the unity of love. We can taste the joy of heaven in this world. This is worth striving for.
Let’s remember what kind of church we must have. First, we must keep spiritual order based on God’s words and truth. Also, we must remember Jesus’ grace on the cross to renew our love relationship with God and to practice the love of God with brothers and sisters. As we do so, may God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
* REVERENCE IN WORSHIP (2–16)
1. For what did Paul commend the Corinthian Christians? (2) Why? (1) Read verse 3. What is the general principle governing the relationships between God, man and woman?
2. In what cases would a man or a woman be dishonored? (4–6) Why should a man not cover his head, and why should a woman do so? (7–10) During worship, how did keeping this order express reverence for God? (cf. Isa6:2–3) How can we be reverent in worship today? (See Heb12:28; think about this in terms of one’s attitude toward God and influence on others.)
3. What is the relationship between man and woman “in the Lord”? (11–12) In what sense are they equal before God? How does this help us understand the order Paul mentions? On what basis did Paul appeal to them? (13–16)
* REVERENCE IN THE LORD’S SUPPER (17–34)
4. How and why did Paul chastise them? (17–22) On which problem did he focus? (20) How had they been expressing their irreverence for the church of God and their selfishness?
5. Read verses 23–25. Who instituted the Lord’s Supper? What did Jesus say when he broke the bread and shared the cup? (Lk22:19–20; Mt26:26–28) What does eating the bread and drinking the cup mean to us? (Jn6:53–56) When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, what should be the focus? (24b,25b)
6. Read verse 26. Besides encouraging our personal faith, what evangelistic purpose does celebrating the Lord’s Supper serve? Until when should this be done?
7. Why is it so serious to take the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner? (27,29–30) What did Paul mean by “unworthy manner”? (28–32; cf. 21–22) What is the proper attitude toward the Lord’s Supper? (28,33–34)
What have you learned in this lesson about reverence?
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