1 Corinthians 8 talks about the 'issue' of eating food sacrificed to idols.
The issue is not so much of one now as I certainly can't recall anyone offering me food sacrificed to an idol in my whole life.
But how the issue was handled.
I think the key is in Paul saying "Love builds up" (vs. 1)
That the issues aren't so much of the deal but that we move in love to build up others.
That we are considerate of other's feelings and beliefs and to realize that the most important thing is connecting the person to God.
For example, all Churches have their own unique features and don't worship God in the same way. It is not our place to say which is better, but that we encourage people to connect to God in the best way that they can. And as they connect to God more, they will grow more and maybe how they do things will change. But change comes organically. The Holy Spirit never forces you to do things.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Time is short
1 Corinthians 7:29What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
The time is short- it has to be God's work that gets priority in our lives.
The time is short- it has to be God's work that gets priority in our lives.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Expel
1 Cor 5 deals with a difficult situation in the Corinthian Church.
1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
So I assume from this that there was an individual sleeping with his step-mother. (If he had been sleeping with his mother I assume the passage would have said that rather than 'his father's wife')
I don't understand the 2And you are proud! bit as I can't think what they would be proud of in this situation.
Maybe they knew of the sin and the guy continued in a position of leadership?
Paul said to put him out of the congregation and 5hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature[a] may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
Hand the dude over to Satan? That's pretty harsh!
I assume because the guy was not repentant. Aren't we supposed to try to bring our brother's to repentance first? But it seems this Church had not done anything. And maybe there were some reasons for that. Maybe the father had married a really young wife. Maybe she was younger than the son? Maybe the Church had rationalized it and Paul objected to that?
I might think that the first step would be pray with him, confront him, work with him. But Paul does not deal with him that way- hand him over to Satan!
Was this a cultural thing or is this something that the Church should have in practice today? Because I think the Church today would probably focus more on the redemption of the sinner. But maybe Paul is telling us not to be so soft. To call sin a sin and draw the line in the sand. To say it's not acceptable and go hand yourself over to Satan!
Paul does indicate that the unsaved should not be treated this way. I guess because they don't have Jesus to guide them.
Just your brothers. Turn them over to Satan.
1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
So I assume from this that there was an individual sleeping with his step-mother. (If he had been sleeping with his mother I assume the passage would have said that rather than 'his father's wife')
I don't understand the 2And you are proud! bit as I can't think what they would be proud of in this situation.
Maybe they knew of the sin and the guy continued in a position of leadership?
Paul said to put him out of the congregation and 5hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature[a] may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
Hand the dude over to Satan? That's pretty harsh!
I assume because the guy was not repentant. Aren't we supposed to try to bring our brother's to repentance first? But it seems this Church had not done anything. And maybe there were some reasons for that. Maybe the father had married a really young wife. Maybe she was younger than the son? Maybe the Church had rationalized it and Paul objected to that?
I might think that the first step would be pray with him, confront him, work with him. But Paul does not deal with him that way- hand him over to Satan!
Was this a cultural thing or is this something that the Church should have in practice today? Because I think the Church today would probably focus more on the redemption of the sinner. But maybe Paul is telling us not to be so soft. To call sin a sin and draw the line in the sand. To say it's not acceptable and go hand yourself over to Satan!
Paul does indicate that the unsaved should not be treated this way. I guess because they don't have Jesus to guide them.
Just your brothers. Turn them over to Satan.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Corinthians
Today I start 1 Corinthians!
The intro to it in my Bible says:
In spite of the Corinthians' immaturity and resistance to the Holy Spirit, out of Paul's struggle with them came two of the greatest chapters in the Bible (13 and 15)
Beautiful things can come out of difficult times. This seems particularly relevant these days.
The intro to it in my Bible says:
In spite of the Corinthians' immaturity and resistance to the Holy Spirit, out of Paul's struggle with them came two of the greatest chapters in the Bible (13 and 15)
Beautiful things can come out of difficult times. This seems particularly relevant these days.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Romans
Romans 12:6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
I am finding Romans such a beautifully written book that I'm finding it a bit hard to write much about it.
In Romans 12 it encourages you to use your gift. It seems unquestioning that everyone has a gift and should know what it is. You do tend to figure these things out as you grow. I like to organize and have a great job that lets me do that. I don't know if that counts in Paul's list.
The only gift that seems to come with a qualifier is prophesy that can only be used in proportion to the faith of the person with the gift. I assume this refers to their faith in God, though maybe faith in themselves. I find it hard to distinguish what is God and what is me, maybe that is what takes the faith.
It is interesting that it is qualified like that. Grace gives us the gift but it is dependent on us. I think all the gifts really are though. Grace may give the gift of encouraging or serving but as you grow in the gift I would think grace would give you more as you mature to perform your gift even better.
I am finding Romans such a beautifully written book that I'm finding it a bit hard to write much about it.
In Romans 12 it encourages you to use your gift. It seems unquestioning that everyone has a gift and should know what it is. You do tend to figure these things out as you grow. I like to organize and have a great job that lets me do that. I don't know if that counts in Paul's list.
The only gift that seems to come with a qualifier is prophesy that can only be used in proportion to the faith of the person with the gift. I assume this refers to their faith in God, though maybe faith in themselves. I find it hard to distinguish what is God and what is me, maybe that is what takes the faith.
It is interesting that it is qualified like that. Grace gives us the gift but it is dependent on us. I think all the gifts really are though. Grace may give the gift of encouraging or serving but as you grow in the gift I would think grace would give you more as you mature to perform your gift even better.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Luke
I finished reading Acts and did some online reading about Luke and I was STARTLED to read that he wasn't one of the 12 apostles. I had read the opening of Luke about how he did research and all and I just thought he meant that he did research on top of his own experiences. I did not know that he was a Gentile. It's not important in the grand scheme of it all I suppose but I was just suprised that I missed this for years and years!
At the end of Acts Paul finally makes it to Rome. This flows nicely into the next book which is Paul's letter to the Romans. This is good really as you can see the journey that Paul made and all he went through to get to Rome. It gives more credibility to the letter he writes to the Romans (though I don't technically know when it was written- maybe it was written before his trip to get there)
At the end of Acts Paul finally makes it to Rome. This flows nicely into the next book which is Paul's letter to the Romans. This is good really as you can see the journey that Paul made and all he went through to get to Rome. It gives more credibility to the letter he writes to the Romans (though I don't technically know when it was written- maybe it was written before his trip to get there)
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Truth doesn't come from a crowd
In Acts 21 there is another riot with Paul. Apparently Paul brings the riots. And the commander of the Roman army comes in and tries to figure out what was going on- why the crowd was beating up Paul. So he asks the crowd. But the Bible says he can't get "the truth" out of them. Probably you can never get truth out of a crowd!
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