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1 Corinthians 16 – Honor

In my personal life, whether it be good or bad I don't know, I tend to not have any particular awe or reverence for a person's office or title. What I mean is that if I encounter a person with the title of Doctor or President, it does not impress me. I look at the person behind the title. Who are they, what have they done to deserve my valuing them higher than someone else? A person may have an entire alphabet of letters before and after their name and still be a vile jerk.

That being said though, I do show proper respect for the title or office because I am commanded to do so by God. He clearly tells us to pray for those that are in authority over us, and to not speak evil of the ruler or rulers of the people.

I see in this closing chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, that he is instructing them to show more honor to some Christians. The reason is because of what they have done and are doing.

1 Corinthians 16:10 When Timothy comes, treat him with respect. He is doing the Lord's work, just as I am.

1 Corinthians 16:15-18 You know that Stephanas and his household were the first to become Christians in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to other Christians. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to respect them fully and others like them who serve with such real devotion. I am so glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been making up for the help you weren't here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you, too. You must give proper honor to all who serve so well.

I think Paul makes it pretty clear in this closing chapter that we are to respect action, we are to show more honor to those that labor harder than us for the kingdom of God.

How is this honor manifested?

Speak well of them, pray for them, financially and otherwise support them, and even defend them if necessary. Make sure that those who labor for God's kingdom are not hindered in their work. I believe that is how we show them proper honor.

Heavenly Father, help us to show proper honor to those that labor for You, in any capacity; whether more or less than us. Show us way to do it. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Honor the brotherhood. Jan
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1 Corinthians 15 – Victory

This long chapter had so many great things in it. However, I found the following verse to be really cool.

1 Corinthians 15:57 How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!

What is so cool about this verse is that the victory that is given to us is a continual one, not one time. The tense of the Greek word for 'given' is one that is active, not passive. How cool is that!? Therefore we know that Christ is continuing to give us victory over sin, not only death.

Lord, thank You for the victory. May I live as if I truly believe it. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you, Jan
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1 Corinthians 14 – Tongues

I find it surprising that some churches completely deny the existence and use of tongues or unknown languages. I think Paul is quite clear about that topic in this chapter.

1 Corinthians 14: 39-40 So, dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don't forbid speaking in tongues. But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.

Clearly Paul is saying that tongues belong, however, they should not be disruptive.

Lord, please help us to willingly accept any and all gifts You have for us. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Believe, Jan
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1 Corinthians 13 – Jan?

I remember hearing, many years ago, about how to interpret this passage of scripture about love. I was told to insert my name wherever I see the word love. Ok, here it goes.

Jan is patient and kind.
I would say that most of the time this is true.

Jan is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
Of these four qualities I think I have issues with jealousy, pride and rudeness. I don’t think I boast much.

Jan does not demand his own way.
I try to always think of others first.

Jan is not irritable, and he keeps no record of when he has been wronged.
I find as I’m aging that my patience level is dropping. That must change. However, I don’t keep records of wrongs. As Sid said in Ice Age the movie, “I’m too lazy to hold a grudge.”

Jan is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
I think that this is generally true.

Jan never gives up.
There are times that I do lose heart. But God is working on me.

Jan never loses faith. Jan is always hopeful. And Jan endures through every circumstance.
I must with the Lord’s help remind myself often of His blessings. That is why I tell people “I’m blessed” when they ask how I’m doing.

However, the question is not how would I rate myself. Rather it is how do those closest to me rate me? How about you? How would you rate?

Lord, please grant me the desire and ability to embody all of these qualities of love in increasing measure. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Love, Jan
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1 Corinthians 12 - Most Important

The following verses reminded me of a story.

1 Corinthians 12:22-26 In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

Note that Paul is talking about the body parts we cover up, that don't get a lot of respect...

One day the parts of the body started to brag about their functions and which was most important.

The feet said, "Without me you wouldn't get anywhere."
The eyes said, "Without me you wouldn't see anything."
The arms said, "Without me you wouldn't be able to pick up food."
The stomach piped up and said, "Well without me you wouldn't be able to digest anything."
The brain, feeling all self important replied, "Without me none of you would know what to do."

Just then, from deep down below, a little voice piped up and said, "Hey, I'm important too." It was the anus.

Well, all of the other body parts started to laugh and mock the anus. In fact they did it for so long that the anus got angry. The anus said, "Fine I'll show you." and promptly went on strike.

A few days went by with no bowel movements. Toxins started to build up in the blood stream. The feet started to swell. The eyes started to get blurry. The arms were aching and hanging limp. The stomach was in pain and bloated. And the brain, well even pain pills weren't helping.

Quickly the other body parts called a conference and decided that sure enough the anus was most important.

Which only goes to prove, that you don't have to be quick, have vision, be strong, or smart to be in charge. Nope, you just need to be a butt-hole.

Lord, may we be careful to care for those members of the body that seem weakest and least important. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you, Jan
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1 Corinthians 11 - Divisions

What an interesting spin Paul puts on the subject of divisions.

1 Corinthians 11:18-19 First of all, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that those of you who are right will be recognized!

He's seems almost glad that the divisions are evident. I guess he should be because only when something is evident can it be dealt with.

Lord, give us the courage to deal with the issues promptly when they appear. Give us wisdom in knowing how to deal with them. May we always handle things as Jesus would. In His name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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1 Corinthians 10 – Offense

Jesus said that offenses will come, but woe to the one that causes them.

Matthew 18:7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

Jesus is saying that offenses cause problems, and it will be bad for the person that is the offender.

I see Paul warning about the same thing here.

1 Corinthians 10:32 Don't give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.

Why does he insist on not offending? It is because of the next verse.

1 Corinthians 10:33 That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do. I don't just do what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them so they may be saved.

Jesus warned about it, as did Paul, because if we offend someone, they might not get saved. And if they are saved, then we may make them ineffective for the Lord.

I think a good rule of thumb is what comedian Brad Stein said. “A Christian should not maliciously offend. However, if the truth offends someone, that is their problem.”

We should be truthful, but also sensitive. Truth can be spoken offensively too. Follow the royal rule of love – do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Heavenly Father, may we not offend in word or deed, unless it is directed by You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Don't offend. Jan
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1 Corinthians 9 - Disqualified

I find Paul using an interesting word at the end of this chapter. The word is disqualified. What exactly does this word mean?

1 Corinthians 9:27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

In Greek the word disqualified, sometimes translated castaway is “Adokimos”. It is the opposite of the Greek word “Dokimos”, which means approved, tried or tested. However, there is more to the meaning of this word – especially as it was used in Paul’s time.

In the ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured into molds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of honor who put only genuine full weighted money into circulation. Such men were called "dokimos" or "approved". By Donald Barnhouse

So I see that Paul is talking about being careful to ensure that he is found to be genuine – not cutting corners.

Heavenly Father, may we be dokimos in all of our dealings. Please help us live life according to Your plan. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Be dokimos, Jan
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1 Corinthians 8 – Truth and Obligation

Paul clearly shows in the next chapter that some truths in scripture go beyond the original words.

1 Corinthians 9:9-10 For the law of Moses says, "Do not keep an ox from eating as it treads out the grain." Do you suppose God was thinking only about oxen when he said this? Wasn't he also speaking to us? Of course he was. Just as farm workers who plow fields and thresh the grain expect a share of the harvest, Christian workers should be paid by those they serve.

Applying Paul's principle of a truth that goes beyond the original words, look at this chapter regarding food offered to idols. Replace the words food with alcohol, eat with drink, and temple with restaurant.

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 But you must be careful with this freedom of yours. Do not cause a brother or sister with a weaker conscience to stumble.

You see, this is what can happen: Weak Christians who think it is wrong to drink alcohol will see you drinking in a restaurant. You know there's nothing wrong with it, but they will be encouraged to violate their conscience by drinking alcohol... So because of your superior knowledge, a weak Christian, for whom Christ died, will be destroyed. And you are sinning against Christ when you sin against other Christians by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong. If what I drink is going to make another Christian sin, I will never drink alcohol again as long as I live—for I don't want to make another Christian stumble.

Lest, you think that I'm calling someone's Christianity into question, the word "weak" is the Greek word "Astheneo". One of the translations of that word is "diseased". Ask anyone in Celebrate Recovery or Alcoholics Anonymous and they will tell you that alcoholism is a disease.

Scientific research actually shows that some moderate amounts of alcohol has health benefits. However, the minor benefits that might be derived from the practice are certainly cancelled out by the eternal implications of causing one of my brothers to stumble. I am obligated as a fellow heir of the grace of life to protect my brothers - so are you.

Lord, please give us wisdom in every area of our lives. If what we are doing or planning to do can cause one of our brother's to stumble, help us see it. Then give us the courage to say no. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Remove the obstacles. Jan
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1 Corinthians 7 - Two Things, Two People

I'm going to write about two separate, but related topics. Both deal with divorce and remarriage. This chapter has been used to keep many people in bondage to abusive relationships, or in an unwelcome state of singleness.

Context is vital to understanding these verses. Remember, Paul is writing to a Greco-Roman region. The Christians there are under the laws of that society.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 Now, for those who are married I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else go back to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.

The passage above is written to Christian couples. There were some in the Corinthian church that were teaching that all sexual relations should be abstained from so that the people would be "holy". It was a heretical teaching that Paul confronted earlier in the chapter with this direct command.

1 Corinthians 7:3 The husband should not deprive his wife of sexual intimacy, which is her right as a married woman, nor should the wife deprive her husband.

However, some people had left a spouse that did "deprive" them. Paul told them that they cannot remarry. They must stay as they are or reconcile.

The reason he did so carries through to the following verses where he is addressing mixed marriages, Christians to non-Christians.

1 Corinthians 7:12-13,15 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. And if a Christian woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him... (But if the husband or wife who isn't a Christian insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is not required to stay with them, for God wants his children to live in peace.)

Under Jewish law, a divorce required two steps; a certificate of divorce called a "Git", and the spouse being sent away. The sole words on a Git were, "You are free to marry any man you wish." or "You are free to marry any Jewish man you wish." Thus it is plain that a divorce certificate was a legal right to remarry. But I digress.

Under Greco-Roman law, a divorce was legal when the spouse left or was cast out. No written certificate was required.

Paul is saying to the Corinthians that a Greco-Roman divorce is not legal in God's eyes. Therefore the parties are still married and not free to divorce.

On to the second point. Divorce was an option, provided it was done legally. Otherwise the following scripture would be nonsense.

1 Corinthians 7:27-28 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

In order to be loosed from a wife, she would either have to be dead, or you would need to divorce her. I don't think Paul is saying, "Don't try to kill your wife." Paul also makes a clear distinction between two types of people that can marry, those that have never married - virgins - and those that have. The obvious implication is divorced people can marry.

1 Corinthians 7:39 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

The first part of the verse is so obvious people miss it. If no divorce has occurred, the woman is married until the man dies. After death, she can remarry. Divorce is not addressed directly in this scripture. However, it is indirectly touched on in the last part of the verse since it affirms the words of a Jewish Git where they were told only to marry another Jew. Here Paul says, 'Marry only in the Lord".

Heavenly Father, there is much confusion and pain caused by both well meaning and mean spirited people in the church. May we be instruments of peace and wisdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

He came to give liberty to the captive. Jan
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1 Corinthians 6 – Lawsuits

I've had this particular chapter molested by someone and used against me and those I love quite often. The other person's contention is that Christians are not to ever bring a lawsuit in a secular court against another Christian. But is that what the chapter really says?

1 Corinthians 6:1-3 When you have something against another Christian, why do you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter, instead of taking it to other Christians to decide who is right? Don't you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can't you decide these little things among yourselves? Don't you realize that we Christians will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disagreements here on earth.

The author is not writing about life-changing lawsuits here. He is writing about trivial, ordinary, "little things".

The only time it would make sense to bring something to a Christian "legal" court, or before the elders of a church is if both parties could be trusted to abide by the decision of that court. If they will not, the injured party has two choices, suffer the wrong, or take it to secular court.

Additionally, let me point out that asking for your legal rights in a court of law was practiced by the Apostle Paul. And one of the believers - Zenas - is called a lawyer.

Heavenly Father, please give us wisdom as to when to fight for our rights, and when to suffer the wrong. In Jesus' name, Amen.

God is the ultimate Judge. Jan
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1 Corinthians 5 – Outside vs. Inside

In my life I have a general rule regarding bugs. If they are outside of the house, I generally leave them alone. However, once they venture into my house, they’re dealt with swiftly and usually without mercy.

I used the words generally and usually because sometimes there are exceptions to that rule. For instance, if a butterfly mistakenly flew into my home, I would obviously do all that I could to capture it and release it outside unharmed. They are beautiful creations that do no immediate damage or harm. There are even occasions where I’ll rescue something rather vile. A few months ago I came home late from my men’s meeting. Everyone in my home was asleep and most of the lights were off. As I entered the house my eyes were drawn to a large spot near the ceiling on the living room wall. That spot was something new – it was out of place. I turned on a light and discovered to my horror that about ten feet up the wall was an enormous spider. This thing was the size of the palm of my hand!

My first thought was to dispatch it quickly to whatever arachnid afterlife there might be. However, the location posed a unique challenge. It was quite a way beyond my reach and in a corner. If I tried to bludgeon it with a long stick into spider Valhalla, I might miss and end up wearing it and any fangs it possessed. I couldn’t locate any bug spray anywhere. In desperation I tried to gas it using hair spray – the aerosol didn’t even come close to reaching that high.

Mind you that my family was asleep at this point, and I certainly didn’t want them seeing this thing. If they did, they wouldn’t go back to sleep, or the nightmares would be quite vivid. Thus, I was forced to quietly slip into the garage to retrieve the ladder. It is only six feet tall, so I wrongly assumed that even that wouldn’t be enough. However, upon setting it up, I realized that five foot ten, plus six foot ladder meant that I could get up close and personal with the eight legged horror.

Thankfully it just sat there ignoring me, even though I was only a few feet away from it. As I stood on the ladder, contemplating how to best snuff out its existence, I realized that if I squished it, the stain would be quite colorful. If I sprayed it with hair spray the only result might be a new hairdo for the monstrosity while it leaps from its perch and hides somewhere else in the house. I had no choice; a live capture was required.

I carefully descended the ladder, got a plastic container from the kitchen and a piece of cardboard. I returned to my precarious perch atop the ladder. Gingerly I placed the container over the invader. Score, I had it! I slipped the cardboard under the plastic box and put spider-zilla on the kitchen counter. I could finally get to bed and sleep peacefully knowing that I’d defended my family and home.

The next morning, after they woke, my family was quite shocked by the sight of the eight legged hairy beast. Later that day I released it into the ditch behind my house. I bore it no malice, it was no longer a threat, it kills other bugs that I don’t like, and it was never going to be in my presence again.

In today’s reading of scripture I see Paul talking about his rule for dealing with bugs.

1 Corinthians 5: 10-11 I didn’t tell you that you could not have any contact with unbelievers who commit sexual sins, are greedy, are dishonest, or worship false gods. If that were the case, you would have to leave this world. Now, what I meant was that you should not associate with people who call themselves brothers or sisters in the Christian faith but live in sexual sin, are greedy, worship false gods, use abusive language, get drunk, or are dishonest. Don’t eat with such people.

Paul tells the Corinthians to have nothing to do with them. Put them out back into the ditch. Why? For the same reason that I had such difficulty with my arachnid enemy; their sins are dangerous and can cause damage to others.

Lord, help us to quickly and succinctly deal with the bugs in our life. May we have the courage to do what You require. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Keep the bugs outside. Jan
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1 Corinthians 4 - Exercise

You'd think that we Christians would be some of the most healthy people on the planet. We're always jumping to conclusions and running someone down with our words. I see Paul speaking about this.

1 Corinthians 4:5 So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, he will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give to everyone whatever praise is due.

Events transpire in our lives that may be confusing, painful, or strange. We are tempted to question, to gossip, to assume. However, God, who knows all, is the one that we need to turn to. We need to wait on Him to speak and alter circumstances. When we do that, He gets the glory and we get the blessings. If we don't, we are in danger of, if not in, outright sin.

Lord, please help us to wait on You. Give us the wisdom to let You handle our life circumstances as You see fit. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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1 Corinthians 3 – The Fool

The longer I live the less I seem to know. As I age I become more of a fool every day.

1 Corinthians 3:18 Stop fooling yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you will have to become a fool so you can become wise by God's standards.

I guess I should consider myself blessed.

Lord, please use this fool. Make me wise by Your standards. May I know and do Your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you too, Jan
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1 Corinthians 2 – Lofty Words

I personally like words. I had a friend that called me sesquipedalian - someone that uses unnecessarily large words. He is right. Thankfully that is not what the Apostle Paul did.

1 Corinthians 2:1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you I didn't use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God's message.

I need to learn to be more like him. After all, there is nothing that I can say that will persuade someone. It is the witness of my life, and drawing of the Holy Spirit that induce desire of God in people.

Heavenly Father, help me to speak plainly and clearly - when necessary. Otherwise, let me be silent to allow your words to speak. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"Preach always, use words only when necessary." -  St. Augustine.

Peace, Jan
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1 Corinthians 1 – Coming Together

There is nothing like a good crisis to unite people. Prosperity and peace are the termites of harmony. When there is a common foe, or a common problem, people's petty issues no longer matter. I suspect that the church in Corinth was experiencing a bit too much freedom. And unfortunately they were not calling the Orkin man for help.

1 Corinthians 1:10-11 Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe's household have told me about your arguments, dear brothers and sisters.

All arguing and disagreements abruptly ceased in about 64AD when Emperor Nero began widespread persecution of Christians. There were no longer questions of whose disciple you were. The question now was, "Do you believe in Jesus enough to die rather than reject Him?"

Brothers and sisters, pray that persecution is not what we need to wake us up. We need to come together and celebrate our common faith in the Lord. We need to stop backbiting and slandering our fellow saints. We need revival.

Heavenly Father, please send Your Spirit upon us again. Bring the words of Peter to life again in our generation, "What you see is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel." Lord bring us revival, please. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Come together, Jan
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