Corinthian Division

Learning from Corinthian Division

Today, in most communities, you do not have to look hard to see division in the Church. There are typically 2-3 or more congregations in any selected town when there was once one. How did this occur? For our discussion, it is really irrelevant, but none the less, sad. Typically, the resulting congregations have little interaction to none between one another and view the Christians in the other buildings in a jaded light as if they were not the Lord’s Children, our brothers and sisters, at all.

are growth differences causing division

Are growth differences causing division?

Division in the Church is no just tied to the external. There is frequent division within as well. By verse 10 of I Corinthians chapter 1, Paul is expressing his concern over the division in the Corinthians Church. He desired them to be of one mind. I knew a preacher once who believed everyone in the building believed the same exact thing. When confronted with the idea that that harmony did not exist, he demanded to know names! Though we desire harmony in all things, one cannot force growth. The Corinthian Church had spiritual gifts and an Apostle of Christ to come to proper instruction, yet, their unity was not complete.

The Corinthian letter starts with the mention of division, then the letter expresses where this division (from the teachings of Christ) is occurring. Chapter one through four discusses the foolishness of men’s teachings versus the need to rely on God. Chapter five examines willful, defiant sin and notes it is not appropriate to be patient with such, but to separate ourselves from it. Chapter six discusses the Christians defrauding one another. Chapter seven examines disfunction in the marriage. Chapters eight through ten detail the harming of other Christians by putting a stumbling block in their way even in matters of conscience. Paul calls upon the Corinthians to remember the example of sinful Israel and to avoid such worldliness. Chapter 11 further examines separation from the law of Christ even to the extent of improperly taking the Lord’s Supper. In chapters 12 through 14, it is seen even the Spiritual Gifts given by God to strengthen the early Church, were being improperly viewed. Paul establishes these things would end, but faith, hope, and love should be embraced. Finally, the pinnacle of the Christian faith, the resurrection of Jesus Himself, is discussed in Chapter 15. There were some Christians that were denying the resurrection of man!

Now consider these verses from the first Chapter and 16th Chapter of Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 1:1-3 – Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 16:20 – All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.

In a letter written to address the division of the Corinthians from the Word of God, divisions which caused fractions within the local congregation, how is it that Paul refers to these sin committing people as the Church of God, Sanctified, Saints, and Brethren? Notice Paul even sends greetings from other congregations of the Lord’s Church? Should they not be shunning interaction with every disagreement? Should they not be dropping any relationship with these people leaving only one sided discussions of scripture until the other yields? The Corinthian letter gives us only one such example of separation. The chapter 5 example of the man who had his father’s wife was a sin so obvious that even the Gentiles (world) understood it to be wrong. Yet, the man continued in the sin. Separation was imperative! Yet, I ask you to consider how many differences there are yet in body of Christ as we continue to grow and mature. Perhaps it’s time that a bit more patience is had with growth issues. Perhaps greeting and loving those brothers and sisters who are desperately trying to do the right thing but are not completely harmonious with His Word, will better aid their development. Are we the judges of the exact time an individual has enough growth and study to embrace a certain teaching of scripture? We certainly are judges of our brothers and sisters (I Cor. 5:12). We are Keepers of one another’s souls. However, have we been busier growing and sharpening our Christianity with our brothers and sisters, or busier murmuring against them while we avoid interaction with them? Are we still pointing to the one time or two times we tried to study with them, or are we busy trying to continually study with them? Are we avoiding entire congregations due to the attitude of one or two people, or are we approaching our brothers and sisters one by one striving to find unity with God?

My fellow Christians, I ask you not to every turn an eye to sin, I simply ask you to recognize the attitude we extend to our brothers and sisters when we believe there is a difference as to how we view scripture. Is the difference because through our earnest study we see the issue differently? Then lovingly study more. Is the difference because of willful sin? Then we have authority to separate. I suggest to you that separation occurs far more for improper reasons than proper ones and this ought not be.

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A Good Samaritan’s Love

A Good Samaritan’s Love

I know that Luke 10:25-37 holds a special place in the hearts of many Christians. When we consider the love and mercy demonstrated by the Good Samaritan in the story that Jesus told a certain lawyer, we are even today able to glean many necessary and valuable lessons. Please consider just a few of these with me.

Love involves the activity of service. Love motivates one to be busy doing something—love serves! We find the word “do” three times in this passage (10:25, 28, 37). Now, if we go back and look at the question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” and the answer, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God…and thy neighbor as thyself,” then we see that love does! Jesus said, “This do!” (10:28, 37). There is the activity—we often think about love as being an emotion or sentiment, but that is not what the Bible discusses when it talks about love. It talks about love that is active—it does something—it is not just a feeling or emotion. That is the reason that we can love our enemies (cf. Matt. 5:44), because it is not an emotion. I would have a real problem if loving an enemy involved an emotional love, but when it involves doing and showing concern for his welfare, I can do that—I can do good things to him, although he may be an enemy.

Love is practical. The lawyer asked, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” That is a theological, religious question. Look what Jesus did—He took that question out of the temple and just put it down on the rugged road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and said, “There is your answer.” How many of us would think about finding the answer to a religious, controversial question outside of the church building somewhere on the roadside? Jesus said that the answer to the question is down on the road! In other words, He was saying that it was practical, and we should learn about this. If Luke 10:27 is active in our lives, then it means that there is activity outside of the church building—the activity of loving God and loving neighbor puts us down on the roadside where people are in need. More of us may be as this lawyer than there are those who are as this Samaritan. I am afraid that I have been too many times as the lawyer and not enough as the Samaritan. In addition, one of the significant things characteristic of Luke is that all the way through, the people to whom he refers are relatively unimportant as far as specificity—in other words, the people involved are unnamed. This is one of Luke’s “certain” men as Christ describes (Luke uses this word “certain” 43 times in his gospel). Thus, the gospel of Christ is not selective about for whom it is intended—it is for everybody! Love is practical!

Love sees things differently (10:33). The priest and the Levite saw exactly the same man in the same condition as the Samaritan did, but they saw something different from what he saw. Is that not a strange thing? Love sees things differently!

Love is costly. The flexibility of his schedule cost him some time. He went through some expense and effort (10:34-35). He saw that the innkeeper was paid—that is cost! David knew this valuable lesson (2 Sam. 24:24), and we are to learn it, too!

Therefore, there is much to learn from a Good Samaritan’s love!

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Led of the Spirit

Spirit Led

In Galatians 5:16-18, Paul wrote,

how exactly are you spirit led

How exactly are you spirit led?

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

I have serious doubts as to whether Paul is contrasting the lust of the flesh with the Holy Spirit. I realize the word “Spirit,” is capitalized, which alludes to the Holy Spirit, but I also realize that this is nothing more than an opinion of translators, and they have been incorrect a time or two. Rather, I believe the context dictates that Paul is discussing the conflict between one’s flesh (the outer man) and one’s spirit (the inner man). We are a dual-natured person (2 Cor. 4:16); as such, Satan seeks to use one’s flesh as a means of dominating his mind and spirit by doing what the flesh craves instead of his spirit, instructed by the word of God, controlling his flesh.

For example, when Paul said, “I buffet my body” (1 Cor. 9:27 ASV), he was alluding to himself personally as a Christian whose flesh was constantly struggling to gain the advantage so that he wanted to do what the flesh wants and not what his spirit knew best as guided by the gospel. Thus, when one allows his inward man to control him, then he does not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

In fact, the denominational concept is that the Holy Spirit dominates and controls one’s life. If the Holy Spirit controlled the flesh personally, then how could one ever sin? The Holy Spirit would be guilty of falling down on His job and allowing one to sin! Yet, one sins whenever the flesh affects and controls the inward self—heart and mind (cf. 2 Cor. 1:12). The flesh influences his mind and thinking to the degree that it controls the way that he acts. Thus, one must be sure that he does not allow the flesh to get the upper hand and control him so that he does whatever the flesh desires instead of what the mind, directed and influenced by the gospel of Christ, tells him what to do. Therefore, the influence of the gospel in one’s mind and heart should dominate and control one’s life.

In fact, the ever-growing danger in the church today is that brethren are talking about the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit helping people overcome sin. Some say it helps them overcome carnality. I heard of one man who enumerated six or seven things that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit enabled him to do. As a result, it is only a matter of time before they end up accepting the impossibility of apostasy. That is a strange development! How did people in the Old Testament live holy lives without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? How did they manage to live and serve God faithfully? They did so through the teaching of the law, the prophets and the instructions of God (Ps. 119:11). Why do we think it is any different today?

What did Paul mean when he said, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31)? There is a battle that is ongoing, seeking to keep the flesh in check by the continual study of the Bible and by filling our minds and hearts with it (Ps. 119:11). If one keeps his mind and thoughts filled with the word of God, then he keeps the flesh in check. When he does not, then the flesh gets the upper hand and leads him into sin by fulfilling the lust of the flesh.

In Romans 7:7-20, Paul even said that they fought this same battle under the Old Testament. Today, as we are living under the new covenant, it is only through being in Christ and the provisions that God made for everyone in Him that one is able to do what he ought to do. One’s own spirit is to be in control of his flesh, leading him. This is why “the works of the flesh” (Gal. 5:19-21) are serious matters. This is what it means when Paul says that we are “led of the Spirit.”

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Living with Pain

Living with Pain

do you live with pain

Do You Live with Pain?

When there are those in pain around us, we feel helpless.  We may stand beside them, hug them, tell them that we love them as we observe their tears, listen to their cries and realize that there is a huge gulf between us.  It seems that we cannot penetrate their suffering, but to watch.  We feel weak.  Sometimes in these situations, there is even unexpected anger against God.  Some even ask, “God, why us?” as we see the beauty of our loved ones go through the shadow of death (Psa. 23:4).

There are some who believe that when this happens, that God is displeased with our life.  Faith healers believe we don’t have enough faith.  Others claim that it is God’s will to make us suffer like this.  In all these words, many have little advice to give people.  Why do people have to suffer?  Where is God when it hurts?

For those who have not suffered with the loss of a loved one, they have an inadequate view of suffering.  People speak and ask how can a God say He loves us and then allow His people to die from a holocaust, from diseases like leukemia, cancer and allow over a billion people each night to go to bed hungry with no food.  What does it all mean?  I think it is interesting that we do not gather around and discuss what it means to smell or what it mean to taste.  Why do we have these sensations?  No one debates these ideas, but people react so differently against the sensations of pain when it happens.

The problems of pain and suffering seems to never fade away, never seems to really be answered.  The problem of pain is like a big mystery.  Nevertheless, pain certainly alerts our body that something is wrong and we focus on that area.  Pain certainly is not an afterthought from God, it is part of His marvelous design for the body.  Even though things happen through life, the pain we feel, makes our lives miserable.

Pain will have no real solution while on earth.  But, we can sustain ourselves by faith in God and faith in His Son who is the great Physician (Gal. 2:20).  He has the ability to remove our pain.  God knows why we hurt and when we think on God, our pain can melt away (Job 38-41).  To know that God gives us joy and love, happiness and goodness (Gal. 5:22).  To know that in the middle of our confusion and frustrations of life, we find our Lord who is worthy of our trust (Rev. 4:11).  We need to know in times like this that God has been here from the beginning (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 1:8) and He allows pain so that we will turn to Him focusing on a time when there will be no more pain.  He allows us to cry like Job (Job 14) knowing that God comforts the poor and suffering, that He nourishes our souls and that when we are hurting, crying out, we may go to Him, casting our cares on Him (1 Pet. 5:7), having an intimate relationship with Him (Jn. 17:20-22).  He is always with us and so are the members of the Lord’s body who are commanded to bear up those who hurt to relieve them in their suffering (Gal. 6:2; 1 Thess. 5:11).

Be comforted to know that God is waiting for you and I, knowing that one day there will be victory over the world where God will take us with Him to a new home where He will wipe away our tears and where there will be no more pain (Rev. 21:1-4).  Death is swallowed up in victory and our faith overcomes the world (1 Cor. 15:54; 1 Jn. 5:4).  Remember that Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (Jn. 14:1-3).  Comfort one another with these words as we live through the pains in life.

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Are You Ignorant?

Knowledge is Power

dont be ignorant knowledge is power

Don’t Be Ignorant! Knowledge is Power!

Francis Bacon once said, “Knowledge is power,” which is a true statement. In the Bible, God had already declared such as true (Hos. 4:6; Luke 1:76-77; 1 Cor. 15:34; 1 Tim. 2:3-4). Thus, knowledge is important. For this reason, Paul instructed his readers with his writings to know certain things, cued in by the phrase “I would not have you to be ignorant” or something associated to it. Let us notice some of his statements more closely, as I believe that these things are also things that we need to know today.

Paul wanted his readers in Rome to know that he was interested in their spiritual growth:

Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles (Rom. 1:13).

In his mission of converting Gentiles (cf. Acts 26:16- 18), he was not only interested in the Gentiles of Asia Minor using Antioch as his base of operations, but he was also interested in the Gentiles of Rome (cf. Rom. 15:23-24). Nevertheless, he was interested in the spiritual growth of all of his converts (1 Cor. 1:4-8; Eph. 1:15-16; Phil. 4:17; Col. 1:3-10).

Paul wanted his readers in Rome to know of the revelation of the gospel:

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (Rom. 11:25).

Paul often called this the “mystery,” in that God fully revealed His plan of redemption for Jews and Gentiles alike to the apostles through the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 3:1-7). This was something very difficult for the Jews to handle, and Paul had to deal with Judaizing teachers everywhere he went. Thus, to his readers in Rome, he uses an analogy of grafting branches into an olive tree in an effort to educate them concerning this wonderful news of salvation for all.

Paul wanted his readers in Corinth to know of the need of temperance in the Christian life:

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea…(1 Cor. 10:1).

The first word in this verse shows the connection that he had with his previous thoughts of personal temperance (1 Cor. 9:26-27), and in the beginning of First Corinthians 10, Paul uses the examples of the Israelites to show their need to add self-control to their spiritual lives in an effort to resist temptation (1 Cor. 10:1-14).

Paul wanted his readers in Corinth to know the proper teaching concerning spiritual gifts: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant” (1 Cor. 12:1). In fact, he spends the next three chapters discussing the proper use and approach Page 2 The Southwesterner February 22, 2015 to the spiritual gifts that they had by the Holy Spirit. In a divided church as Corinth, they were using these gifts to create animosity rather than using them as God intended.

Paul wanted his readers in Thessalonica to know the proper understanding of the resurrection:

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13).

In the verses that follow in that chapter, he discusses what will happen at the resurrection in an effort to provide hope and qualm their fears and concerns for their loved ones who have preceded them in death (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Nevertheless, because God, the Holy Spirit, is the author of these all, then He would like for us today who read these priceless preserved treasures to know something about spiritual growth, the universal gospel of redemption, the need for temperance in Christianity, the proper understanding of spiritual gifts and the hope and comfort in the resurrection yet to come. In such, we appreciate the candor of the apostle Paul in providing for us this necessary knowledge! Indeed, a knowledge of the will and word of God is power!

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