1Corinthians 12:1-31 comments: everyone has a purpose

12:1 ¶  Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2  Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3  Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4  Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5  And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Paul begins an argument here on the exercise of gifts given by the Holy Spirit to the early church. God gives to each man and woman their own special gift but all come from the same Spirit. Each person in the church has a purpose, a gift they can exercise that they have been given, and, as he states in Romans 12:3, their own measure of faith.

Notice the three parts that make up God in 4, 5, & 6. Gifts given by the Spirit. Administrations or ministry given by the Lord, which is Christ. God the Father ordains operations or workings of the church. Whatever gifts are manifest come from the same Spirit.

Here also we have a list of gifts, some of which were unique to first century Christianity when the Apostles were walking the earth. Gifts include the ability to express God-given wisdom and knowledge, and faith. Then, there are gifts unique to the first century such as healing, miracles, prophecy, the ability to distinguish between true and false prophets, the ability to speak in languages the speaker does not know, and the ability to translate what the speaker says which was important to the spread of the gospel in the first century cosmopolitan world of the Roman empire.

Rather than argue here about which gifts were no longer present after the death of the last Apostle I think a more important point should be made. Your gifts should be permitted to be exercised in the church without being dismissed by those who view themselves as the spiritual champions. There are those who would belittle other people’s attempts to do works for God based on what He has given them. They are implacable and cannot be pleased by anyone’s effort because they are not like their efforts as other Christians, whom they think are weaker, do not have their convictions. This is a wickedness expressed by socially dominant people, what some call the alpha-male or alpha-female, and should always be stamped out before they split a church by driving people away in discouragement.

12:12 ¶  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14  For the body is not one member, but many. 15  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17  If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19  And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20  But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22  Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23  And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

We all have our unique and special gifts and talents, tempered by the experiences and nature that God has given us. We should not look down on others’ sincere efforts to serve God but delight in the functioning of many parts to one body, which is Christ’s. We need to respect each other. The person who willingly cleans the toilets is no less than the Sunday School teacher. They just have different gifts and callings and all are necessary to the functioning of the church. Humans love hierarchies, who is more important than who. We love to know who is number one. Well, Christ is number one and we are all part of His body functioning on earth. Let go of your self-professed superiority. Repent of that wickedness. It splits churches and makes coming to church like going to the funeral of an unsaved person we loved; just a negative, stressful, and sad experience.

   12:27 ¶  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that

miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30  Have all

the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

 We are all part of the body of Christ, each of us individually. God had placed the Apostles, prophets, teachers, and other gifts after that. What Paul has done here is to prepare the introduction for the argument that the primary function of the church, and the best gift of all, is to love one another. The next chapter is one of the most profound writings in the Bible and in the history of mankind for that matter. 

1Corinthians 11:17-34 comments: misuse of the Lord's Supper

11:17 ¶  Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. 18  For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 20  When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21  For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22  What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

As was revealed in the evidence of Pliny’s letter in the beginning of my comments on Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, the church would meet before dawn on Sunday and then come back later for a meal together. In this they commemorated Christ’s death and resurrection. Paul criticizes them for making this an ordinary meal and not regarding the symbolic significance of it.

They come hungry and eat a lot and they come thirsty and get drunk on the wine. This is unacceptable and not in keeping with the purpose of the meal. It also sounds like a pagan feast in a pagan temple that Paul criticized some of them for attending, a disorderly orgy of gluttony. They are missing the point of the meal.

   11:23 ¶  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 33  Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

  

Paul explains the purpose and intent of the Lord’s Supper.  He also considers that the reason that many of them are sick or even have died is because they have perverted the purpose of this meal, thus suggesting that God Himself has had a hand in their misfortune. Paul tells them to examine their own motives. He commands order and civility when they come together and eat, waiting for each other and not tearing into the food like ravenous beasts. They are not to use this symbolic meal to satisfy their hunger.

We have a misunderstanding today about polite behavior. We think it is the way it has always been. But, until a couple of centuries ago it was not uncommon for guests at a meal to dip their bread in the same soup bowl or to share the same utensils or drinking cup, typically eating with their fingers and using a piece of bread as we do a plate. Things went on at the table that we would not tolerate today. COURTesy and civility and politeness were created for kings and their COURTS and the ever refining of manners eventually worked its way down to us at the bottom of the proverbial food chain. But, a public meal in those days could be a raucous affair, not at all with the table manners we require today to hold our thin fabric of civilization together.

The Foolishness of Going Back to the Greek and Hebrew - sermon notes

Whenever someone gets into a pulpit and picks up a Bible and says, "We're now going to read from God's error free word," and doesn't believe that the book he has in his hands is that word of God then he's a liar by profession and in deed. That preacher will say that the Bible is inerrant and infallible only in the originals, which neither he nor the person he trained under has ever seen.

Then there are those people who say they understand that this is truly God's word in the English language and that it is indeed the very words of God. However, when they go to translate the Bible into a foreign language they go back to the Greek Textus Receptus or the Second Great Rabbinic Bible's Masoretic Text to do so making their profession that this Book is God’s word, the Authorized Version, what we call in 21st century advertising parlance the KJB or KJV, also a lie. It's sort of like you trying to impress upon me what an adult you are and then asking me to get you a drink only in a sippy cup or a baby bottle. We've moved beyond the Greek and Hebrew and have been moved on for nearly 400 years.

This Book, the King James Bible, the one that you have in your hands is God's perfect, infallible word.

Now, there is always that know-it-all who, when you are having a Bible study, will try to impress you by saying that the real meaning of this or that word is this or that and it will help you understand the Bible better. May I say "Baloney?" How about "Hogwash?"

Let me give you some examples. First let's look at something every funnymentalist (fundamentalist) apparently wants to understand more than the Resurrection, a wife's submission to her husband.

Ephesians 5:22 says,   "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."

Two verses later, this statement is further defined and explained by a parallel;

Ephesians 5:24 says  "Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

Is this clear? Look at this verse;

Colossians 3:18 gives a further narrowing and definition of wifely submission; "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord."

1 Peter 3:1 gives a good reason why a wife should even submit to an unsaved husband,  "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;"

So, wives are to be in submission to their OWN husband as the church is in submission to Christ and even to an unsaved husband in order to lead him to salvation. Submission and subjection are synonyms, meaning they have like meanings. Picture how the church is to respond to and obey Christ and you can get an idea of how a wife is to respond to her husband and, of course, how he is to act. In fact, we are all called to submit to each other in the fear of God in Ephesians 5:21 which, although the remainder of a sentence, in some 1769 editions of the Authorized Version is the start of the paragraph in which we find instructions as to how we are to treat each other as husbands and wives. A simple cross referencing word study using any computerized King James Bible can explain to you, IN ENGLISH, what submission means. It's not rocket science.

Now, if we have a smarty pants Greekophile among us he will then say, these words; "submit", "subjection", etc. are all translated from one Greek word even in verse 21 where it tells all of us to submit to each other plus all of those verses where we are told to submit to the higher powers of government.

But, he will point out that the Greek word, hupotasso, is a military term referring to placing things in proper order, and that it was a voluntary attitude of giving in and cooperating as your duty. Under the Republic in Rome when the entire army was called out it would be commanded by the two elected consuls on alternate days. So, the wife is to submit to her husband's authority as a wise and dutiful Roman consul will submit to someone if only his equal but in command.

Is this clear as mud? Is a wife a general or political rival, who is simply living as if she is waiting for her turn to command the army, err, I mean house? Does Mr. Greek fancypants' explanation make things clearer than the Bible definition? I DON'T THINK SO.

Now, let's use some Hebrew examples;

Genesis 6:4 says "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."

These giants appeared "also after that" so we know that these shenanigans were going on in the days after the Flood and perhaps even now. In any event giants existed much later and you can see this by Numbers 13:33; Deuteronomy 2:11, 20; Joshua 17:15 and many other references. The wicked sons of God who fathered those giants and are reserved in chains in darkness in 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6 awaiting judgment. They fathered giants, as in very tall and strong people as is evidenced by the supposed archaeological finds of people from 7ft to 12ft and taller in graves around the world.

Okay, Genesis 6:4 is clear enough. But, here comes Mr. Hebrew I'm Brilliant. He says that this word is Nephilim. The Nephilim means, he will tell you, "the fallen ones" and these Nephilim were the leaders of the pre-flood world.

What? Does that make things clearer? I DON'T THINK SO. Mr. Brilliant Guy will then say that the KJV translated giants from the Greek word, Gigantes, of the phony Septuagint which really means Nephilim. Not only is he disregarding the King James translators’ own declaration in their letter to the readers that the Septuagint was unreliable but also the fact that in Greek Mythology the Gigantes were, guess what? Giants. So, Mr. Hebrew guy hasn't helped us to understand the Bible one little bit. In fact, he's making things as murky as his Greek buddy. The word in English in 6:4 is GIANTS and it says and also after that there were GIANTS, and that means large, strong men of an unnaturally tall stature, as in GOLIATH.  

So, then we have other, more simple expressions that are adequately explained by the Holy Spirit in the authoritative English Bible but the scchhollaaarrrrr, as he can't stand the idea of anyone having authority over his own intellect, which he worships, by the way, will try to muddy the water and muddle your brain.

Now, we all believe that the serpent in Genesis 3:1 was Satan, and we know from Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 by way of Isaiah 27:1 and Job 41 that Satan is a dragon, which is what dinosaurs used to be called, and a serpent and a leviathan. We know from history that dragons were called serpents but dragons had legs as we know the one in Genesis had, which that one that allowed himself to be used by Satan had removed by God.

We know how beautiful Satan was in the Garden of Eden and why Adam and Eve were probably so used to him and unafraid of him by the reference to him in Ezekiel 28:13-15 as God weaves a description of Satan into his attack on the king of Tyrus, as God does in His descriptions of human beings who act like Satan.

But, Mr. Hebrew I’m Brilliant says, NO! It’s a nawchawsh, a snake, in Genesis 3:1. The word pronounced taneem means dragon or sea monster. And I say, Balderdash! When Moses is talking to God and throws his rod on the ground in Exodus 4:3 and it is turned into a snake it is nawchawsh. 

But, when Aaron confronted the Pharaoh’s sorcerers, magicians, what they both threw down became taneem.  Does anyone believe that after Moses rod became a snake that Aaron’s and the Egyptian sorcerers’ became fire-breathing dragons in the context of the story in Exodus 7? No, of course not, because the meaning of a word in the Bible is based on the context in which it is used and the cross-references by which it is linked to other writings given by inspiration of God. Whether it is nawchawsh or taneem is not important. It is the context that is important. Whether the word is serpent or dragon is not important, but it is the context in which those words are used that is important. In Ezekiel 29:3 the Pharaoh is likened to a taneem, a dragon. So, we see these words are all interchangeable by the linkage between cross references, something to which a modern translator is blind, not believing in the unity of the Bible as given by inspiration of God.

A serpent can be a dragon or a snake, depending on the context. A serpent that had legs is hardly a timber rattler, is it? A serpent that slithers and can be picked up by its tail is hardly a dragon, a dinosaur, is it? This is not rocket science, unless you are a highly educated buffoon with a reading comprehension problem.

For my last example, let's look at another darling of liberal Bible expositors; John 21:15-17.

After the resurrection Jesus asks Peter three times if Peter loves Him, which calls into sharp, painful memory that Peter had denied His Lord three times as Jesus predicted He would. And there are many other great sermons from this passage, I'm sure.

But, there is a problem. My friend who pretends to be a Greek expert is about to burst. He excitedly points out that the first and second time Jesus asks the question He uses the word Agape' for to love someone from esteem or respect and also used for divine love. Each of those times Peter responds with Phileo, the love that comes from friendship or brotherly love. The last time Jesus Himself uses Phileo and once again Peter responds with the same. My pseudo-scholarly friend will say that this lends much more meaning to the conversation because Jesus is asking for a different kind of love, a divine love, which Peter is not capable of and this reflects a fundamental failure in mankind's capacity or willingness to love God in the right way blah, blah, blah.

What my friend who likes to think he is more intelligent and knowledgeable than a Christian janitor who can read English has done is to reveal his own ignorance. Agape' and Phileo are words for love that are used interchangeably. No extra insight into these verses is gained by playing ping pong with them. In Matthew 6:5 hypocrites phileo to pray standing in the synagogues, in Matthew 19:19 you are told to agape' your neighbor as yourself, John 15:19 says the world won't phileo the disciples, 1Corinthians 16:22 says that if any man phileo not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha, and when we are repeatedly told to love our neighbor as ourselves with agape' the Scriptures in no way imply that this is superior to our brotherly love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I doubt anyone would imply that the kind of love Jesus says we are to have for each other, which distinguishes us as His followers, is inferior to the love we are supposed to have for a stranger who is in need.

Titus 3:4 doesn't have the love of God our Saviour toward man as agape'. Paul's admonition in Titus 3:15 isn't agape'. 1 Peter 1:22 uses both words for the same thought with phileo first and then agape'.

 Does knowing this change your understanding of the text? Does it help you know what you are to do? Is your lack of access or availability of access to the Greek a determinant of your ability to understand God's words? Finally, in Revelation 3:19 does it matter to you that Jesus phileos here?

Now, my point in saying all of this is very clearly, in a limited time, and taking only a few examples, is that you will gain no valuable insights in the Bible by going back to the original languages. It's like telling me you are going to really get to know the Gettysburg Battlefield and then immediately digging the deepest hole in the ground that you can. I would tell you to compare verse with verse in the Bible or tour the entire battlefield. Keep in mind Paul's admonition in 1Corinthians 2:13  "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and even Strong's Concordance, as well as the references I just gave you are not given by inspiration of God and are often corrupt. Lexicons, dictionaries of Hebrew and Greek are notoriously corrupt. Even their own creators and those modern translators who use them and revise them say so. Here are some quotes from the book, Biblical Greek Language and Lexicography.

“The fact is that opinions will very often differ over the precise wording of lexical definitions even - or perhaps, especially - after careful consideration of a proposed definition.”

“…there is the fact that even the latest lexicons derive their material from their predecessors, and a great deal of it has been passed on uncritically over the course of centuries.”

“…we cannot know for certain that what we find in front of us when we look up a word is sound.”

“…all the existing lexical entries in all our dictionaries are now obsolete and await reassessment in the light of the full evidence,or at least checking to see if there is further evidence to be added.”

“Lexicons are regarded by their users as authoritative, and they put their trust in them. Lexicons are reference books presenting a compressed, seemingly final statement of fact, with an almost legal weight. The mere fact that something is printed in a book gives it authority, as far as most people are concerned. And understandably: if one does not know the meaning of a word, one is predisposed to trust the only means of rescue from ignorance. Yet this trust is misplaced.”

Bernard A. Taylor, John A. L. Lee, Peter R. Burton &Richard E. Whitaker, Biblical Greek Language and Lexicography: Essays in Honor of Frederick W. Danker (Kindle Locations 955-956). Kindle Edition.

 So, compare scripture with scripture and ignore the scholar who says the original languages give more insight than the English. All they are trying to do is to take the authority of your Bible from you and replace it with their own intellect as your final authority.

1Corinthians 11:1-16 comments: hair length on women

11:1 ¶  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 2  Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. 3  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 4  Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5  But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6  For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. 7  For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 8  For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. 9  Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 10  For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. 11  Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. 12  For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. 13  Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14  Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15  But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 16  But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

A little context will be helpful in understanding Paul’s response to an apparent question presented to him. I’ll repeat some words I wrote earlier.

Sex was intricately involved with ancient religions as I explained earlier. Rising above Corinth is Acrocorinth, or Upper Corinth. It is the acropolis of ancient Corinth, a monolithic rock rising above.

Now the city of Corinth was known not only for the most expensive and skilled prostitutes in the Greek world but also the temple prostitution, common throughout the ancient world, of the cult of Aphrodite in her temple on Acrocorinth. Aphrodite, who was also Venus, Astarte, and Ishtar or the many other names listed in the Bible for her had, it is said, a thousand temple prostitutes with short hair or shaved heads servicing the devoutly religious pagan men of the city and pious visitors. Paul justifies their custom of their women wearing their hair long so as to differentiate the Corinthian Christian women from the priestesses of Aphrodite clearly. He says that it is perfectly reasonable to do so and offers spiritual arguments to justify their custom.

However, at the end of the passage he says that if any man be contentious or argumentative, disputing the argument, Paul admits that they do not have that custom in the churches of God.

Unlike the modern fundamentalist error this passage does not say that Christian women everywhere and at all times must have long hair. Even those women who feel under conviction to have their hair long should remember that, in America, when women were expected to have long hair to be ‘good’ women, in the eighteenth century, they were expected to wear their hair pinned up. “Letting your hair down,” had sensual connotations and was reserved for the marital bedroom unless the woman was of low moral repute. So, it is good to have your hair presented in a modest style but don’t regard yourself as conservative or spiritual simply because you wear your hair down around your shoulders as that would have been quite shocking in the time in America you are trying to imitate. Possessing the fruit of the Spirit spoken of in Galatians, chapter 5, not the cut of your hair, is evidence of your submission to Christ.

This passage also suggests that individual churches may face circumstances that require a unique approach to counter the world that other churches might not need. As an example, a church in a rural area might justifiably fight the opening of a strip club whereas a church in a city surrounded by vice might not waste its efforts on such a protest.

Verse 10 hearkens back to Paul’s argument that Christians have liberty but should exercise restraint on that liberty for the sake of others in the way he uses the word power.

1Corinthians 10:1-33 comments: Christian liberty versus self-restraint (part three)

1 ¶  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; 2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

This is a hint that many of the Corinthian Christians had been Jews. In the beginning Christianity was thought to be merely a sect of first century Judaism. Paul refers to all our fathers in a clear reference to the Hebrews who passed through the Red Sea. Not only is the Red Sea crossing a type of baptism but also the cloud which God moved in, a clear indication of how not all references to baptism refer to getting wet.

Exodus 13:21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Exodus 14:19  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

A reference to Manna is made and to the rock from which the Hebrews were supernaturally able to drink.

Exodus 17:6  Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Paul here, I believe, by the wisdom given to him by the Holy Spirit, makes a metaphor as a rock was not literally, actually Christ which Moses was told to strike. Christ wasn’t physically transformed into a rock or disguising Himself as a rock. The rock represented Him. There are those that would say that the rock as actually Christ in a type of disguise, which doesn’t seem in keeping with the way the Bible is written. Paul uses a great many metaphors in his arguments from the Christian’s body being a temple, from Christians being a building, and the church as Christ’s body on earth. All of these things mean something important but you are not made of stone, nor are your fellow church members bricks, and Christ is not a disembodied head floating around in the heavenly realm.

    6 ¶  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7  Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is

written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8  Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9  Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14  Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

Things that were revealed to us in the past were revealed for a reason. Brush aside all of the sermons on the events of Exodus mentioned here and see how the Holy Spirit, through Paul, interprets their meaning. The warning here is against idolatry, elevating false gods. Paul here also reveals his personal opinion and hope, like ours, that the end must be coming soon.

The word temptation here is not a reference to our modern notion of being tempted by something like gazing at the air-brushed images on the magazine rack in the grocery store or gossiping. This, in context, is about the traps that are out there that encourage us, attempt to trick us even, to defile our worship of God. A temptation urges us to worship it rather than God. It is also a trial, suffering, and grief that causes us to doubt our faith. In fact, it is anything that damages our faith and trust in God.

A personal disaster and grief, persecution for one’s faith, elevating something like sex, education, employment, or material possessions above God, and sin itself are temptations to turn away from the faith.

I recently have seen someone so bound up in their desire to do what they know God has forbidden that they not only did not repent of their ways but even began to deny their faith. And yet, they once prayed fervently and often for loved ones who did not trust and believe in God. Their desire to sin was a temptation that damaged their faith.

The Hebrews followed God and received a type of baptism but then afterwards committed idolatry and many were killed as a result. Paul warns the Corinthians to run from the idol worship which permeated the Graeco-Roman world of the first century. Many today have made their preferred sin an idol and now worship it rather than God.

Paul and the Corinthians lived in a world where a Christian’s life could be threatened with a warning, to renounce Christ or lose your property and your life. It was a world full of involuntary temptation that presented itself to you in a forceful way.

Lead us not into temptation…is a plea to protect us from malicious things that challenge our faith…but deliver us from evil. The greatest trouble, calamity, or evil is one that draws you to turn your back on your Creator.

    15 ¶  I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18  Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19  What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20  But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 22  Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Here, Paul draws a parallel between the Lord’s Supper and the religious feasts of the pagans. The Christian honors the Lord and calls to remembrance his death, burial, and resurrection. The pagan worships not God, but devils. We are not to have fellowship with, to worship, or to honor devils. It is inconsistent and wrong to partake of both.

I’ve read that when Christianity was made into the state religion of Rome hundreds of years later that people, still pagan in heart, would sacrifice an animal to a pagan god on the steps of a church building before entering to attend a service.

    23 ¶  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24  Let no man seek his own, but every man

another’s wealth. 25  Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: 26  For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof. 27  If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. 28  But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof: 29  Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience? 30  For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? 31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

 Paul speaks of Christian liberty here. We are free to do what we want to do but not all things that we can do are good or set good examples. Whatever is sold in the market, the shambles, is perfectly fine to eat. It all belongs to God anyway. If a Corinthian is invited to a feast and he is disposed to go he need not ask if the food was offered to an idol. But, if he is told that Christian must not eat if he is told that the food was part of a pagan sacrifice for the sake of the person offering him the food.

Whatever we eat and drink must be to the glory of God. But, what we do should not give offence, that is, to causes someone else to stumble, to wound their conscience toward God.

Matthew 18:7  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

The Corinthians were told not to do anything that would prevent someone from coming to Christ, something that would impede the gospel working in their heart. This included eating at a religious feast where it was obvious the food was offered to an idol.

Here, also, we have the three divisions of humanity from a religious perspective. There are Jews, non-Jews or Gentiles, and then there is the Church, which consists of the saved of both of the former.

We are trying to save people, not to justify their idolatry, or to use our liberty in a way that blinds them to the truth. Paul has made it clear that he does not approve of the Corinthian Christian dabbling in both worlds, that of the church and that of the heathen. Paul has defined the limits of Christian liberty.

1Corinthians 9:1-27 comments: Christian liberty versus self-restraint (part two)

1 ¶  Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2  If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

Paul begins to reinforce his argument regarding Christian liberty and self-restraint by establishing his credentials. He is an apostle and free to do what he wants in the Lord. He has seen the risen Christ. The Corinthians became Christians through his ministry to the Gentiles.

    3 ¶  Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, 4  Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5  Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6  Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 7  Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8  Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 9  For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10  Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11  If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12  If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13  Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14  Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

Paul asserts that he has the freedom and authority to eat and drink what he wants. He has the freedom and authority to have a wife to accompany him. He has the freedom and authority to be paid by the churches he supports.

But, he has not used this freedom nor exercised this authority and has suffered a great deal as a result for the purpose of not getting in the way of the work of the gospel of Christ. Even though he had the right to expect to have his living from the teaching of the gospel as the priests lived off of the offerings in the temple he has not done so. He has exercised great restraint in his ministry to serve the gospel of Christ.

Power, as a strength and authority under restraint, is an important theme in the Bible. Jesus exercised such restraint even with His strength and authority.

Matthew 26:47 ¶  And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48  Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. 49  And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. 50  And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. 51  And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. 52  Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54  But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 55  In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. 56  But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

John 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Paul will come back to this idea of not doing what one is allowed to do later in his discussion of hair length on Corinthian Christian women.

    15 ¶  But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. 16  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 17  For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 18  What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

Here, Paul insists that he would do nothing that he is permitted to do if he thinks doing it will impede the spread of the gospel. He is compelled to preach the gospel as many Christians find that in certain situations they, urged by the Holy Spirit, feel that they can do nothing else but tell someone about Christ. Jeremiah mentions this feeling that he can do nothing else but speak God’s word.

Jeremiah 20:9  Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Paul wants to be careful about not abusing his authority or his privilege, using his liberty in a way that might be used against the gospel of Christ.

    19 ¶  For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21  To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23  And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Paul has not held himself up to be a superior being to those to whom he witnesses. He will not attack Gentiles so that he may win them. Notice two proofs of that. One, regarding the Gentiles is his behavior in Athens.

Acts 17:16 ¶  Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 17  Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18  Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19  And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 20  For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21  (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

    22 ¶  Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23  For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25  Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

    32 ¶  And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33  So Paul departed from among them. 34  Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

   

Notice the difference here in how Paul dealt with Gentile non-believers and how the modern fundamentalist deals with variant religious and philosophical beliefs. Instead of screaming at them he reasoned with them, even quoting their own poets, using their words to make his point.

Regarding the Jews Paul was rather conflicted. Saying that his ministry was to the Gentiles and that he would no longer go to the Jews he bore a heavy burden for his people and went after them often. This resulted in some rather negative outcomes that would take too long to discuss here. Still, Paul has a heart for those who did not know the Lord who created them and wants very much to win them. For this he exercises restraint over that liberty he has in Christ. His desire is to be a diplomat for Christ, an ambassador, and a faithful representative.

Ephesians 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

    24 ¶  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Finally, Paul points out how an athlete has to bring himself under discipline, governing his body, if he wants to win a contest. Paul himself, showing the limit of the typology of comparing a Christian to an athlete, shows that he is not running for a temporal crown, is not shadow-boxing. He is running toward a finish line where all eternity awaits. He is in a real fight. Paul uses sports analogies like this elsewhere.

Galatians 2:2  And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Galatians 5:7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Philippians 2:16  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Hebrews 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

A Christian has to be disciplined to keep their body under control as a successful athlete must do. More is at stake than whether or not a crown is won. There is a testimony to be seen by the world. Now, Paul will give the conclusion of this argument on Christian liberty and self-restraint.