Milo

OCTOBER 20

Reading 293

TRUE SPIRITUALITY 1 Corinthians 12–13

“Love is patient, love is kind. . . . It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Cor. 13:4, 7).Love is the true test of spirituality.

Background

Tongues in Corinth.

In first-century pagan culture, ecstatic expression and trances had long been associated with religion. Oracles, such as the famous one at Delphi, featured young women who breathed fumes, and whose mutterings were then interpreted by priests. Epilepsy, which threw its victims into seizures, was called the “divine disease,” and a god was thought to struggle for control of the individual at such times. It’s not surprising that the spiritual gift of tongues, here speaking by the Holy Spirit in an unknown, spiritual language, was highly valued by believers saved out of paganism. In Corinth tongues was viewed as the true test of one’s spirituality, and those with the gift were considered special. So in 1 Corinthians 12–14 Paul addressed this issue. He never denied that tongues were a valid spiritual gift. In fact, Paul claimed the gift for himself (14:18). Instead Paul affirmed all the gifts of the Holy Spirit as vital to the body of Christ, held up love as the test of true spirituality, and then went on to correct abuses of the gift of tongues by the Corinthians.

Overview

The Holy Spirit’s gifts enable each believer to minister to others (12:1–11). As a human body’s parts differ, so do members of the body of Christ, which we are (vv. 12–31). Yet the truest expression of the Spirit’s work in our life is love (13:1–13).

Understanding the Text

“Now about spiritual gifts” 1 Cor. 12:1. The Greek text simply says, “Now about the spiritual.” Translators have supplied “gifts” because Paul went on to speak about them in verse 4. But it’s best to understand Paul’s subject as the broader issue of spirituality, not just spiritual gifts. Most Christians are concerned about spirituality. How do I know when I’m living close to the Lord? What makes a person really spiritual? Is it that he or she prays a lot? Is it mastery of Scripture, or power in preaching? Who should be the spiritual leaders in our congregation? How can we recognize them? Can even I live a truly spiritual life? If so, how? All these questions, and more like them, are answered by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12–14. If you’re hungry for true spirituality, this passage will feed your soul. “Jesus is Lord” 1 Cor. 12:2–3. Apparently some in Corinth so confused the ecstatic utterance with divine revelation that when such a speaker denied Jesus, some believers began to doubt. Paul said there’s no doubt at all. Only one who affirms Jesus as Lord can be speaking by the Holy Spirit. The utterance of anyone who denies Jesus as Lord comes from another source. True spirituality is impossible for anyone who is unwilling to go beyond his or her salvation experience. You can receive God’s gift of life in Jesus, and be saved. But for spiritual growth you must surrender your life to Jesus. Affirming “Jesus is Lord” involves more than uttering words. It involves committing yourself entirely to Him. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit” 1 Cor. 12:4–6. What is important to true spirituality isn’t possession of a particular spiritual gift. It’s possessing the Spirit! Paul made a vital point here. God’s Spirit works in different ways through different persons. Rather than exalt certain gifts, we should exalt the God who expresses Himself in different ways through all His gifts. One thing is sure. It is not “spiritual” to focus on the gifts. We are to focus on the Giver! “To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” 1 Cor. 12:7. You have a spiritual gift. So does every other Christian. And those gifts were given by the Holy Spirit for a specific purpose: “the common good.” This tells us three things. (1) You and I need to use whatever gifts we may have to contribute to the welfare of others. (2) You and I need to be intimately involved with others so that we can minister to them, and receive their ministry. (3) Whatever spiritual gift I may have, it has not been given to set me apart, but to build others up! As I write it’s near Christmas, and the decorations have gone up on houses along our street. How bright and beautiful they look. Spiritual gifts are not like a string of Christmas lights, something to decorate and beautify. Spiritual gifts are much more like a hoe, something that serves as a tool to be used while working in a garden. We’re not to compare spiritual gifts, as if they were given to beautify us. We’re to exercise them, as we work in God’s field. “There is given through the Spirit” 1 Cor. 12:8–11. Some of these gifts of the Spirit are visible and spectacular—“miraculous powers,” “healing,” even “tongues.” Others seem almost pedestrian. Who gets excited when someone gives a “message of wisdom” or exercises exceptional “faith”? This list of gifts isn’t meant to be exhaustive. Paul purposely left off many of the more “ordinary” gifts he named in Romans 12:5–8. Why? Because his point was that both the ordinary and the spectacular gifts are given “through the same Spirit.” Any spiritual gift is miraculous in its operation, for the work performed is a work that can only be done by God. If your gift seems ordinary, don’t be disturbed. And don’t envy those with more visible expressions of the Spirit of God. The contribution you make to the good of others is as completely miraculous, and as much a work of God, as the contribution of anyone else. “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts” 1 Cor. 12:12–31. Paul’s powerful analogy was vivid and clear. The church, the body of Christ, is like a human body. Each part is different, yet each part is necessary to create a harmonious whole. Paul even went on to say that “those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (v. 22). Whoever you are, and whatever your spiritual gift, you are “indispensable” to the others in your church, and in the church. So be an active participant in your local congregation. After all, your left arm wouldn’t do you much good if you were in Toledo, and it was in Detroit. The only way you can function as a part of Christ’s body is to live in close relationship with them. When you’re close to others, you can be their left arm. And they can be your eyes, ears, and feet! “Eagerly desire the greater gifts” 1 Cor. 12:31. This verse has been misunderstood by many, who have “tarried” after church to beg God for one of the more spectacular spiritual gifts. But Paul had just spent all of 1 Corinthians 12 arguing that all spiritual gifts are “great,” for each is an expression of the Holy Spirit’s divine power, and each is indispensable in the body. It seems best to take this verse as an introduction to a theme developed in chapter 12, and interrupted by chapter 13. Paul would say to the Corinthian congregation, “If you want to emphasize any gifts, emphasize those that involve intelligible speech” (cf. 14:1–7). But should you as an individual desire “the greater gifts”? Yes, if your motivations and understanding are in harmony with the Lord. Yes, if you passionately want a greater spiritual gift so you can better serve others. No, if you passionately want a spiritual gift so you can appear “special” or “spiritual.” At the back of the stage in the theater in Corinth were empty brass vases. The hollow vases were the first “sound system” used to amplify the voices of actors! Paul’s “resounding gong” (13:1) is literally “sounding brass”—one of the hollow amplifying vases of first-century theater! And what an image! A person may serve as a channel for the Spirit. But without love, that person is himself a spiritual void, a hollow man. Don’t confuse a person’s gifts with his spirituality. First Corinthians 13 teaches that the truly spiritual person is filled with love. “Love is” 1 Cor. 13:4–13. At last we come to Paul’s description of the marks of true spirituality. And we make the amazing discovery that spirituality has nothing to do with one’s gifts. It has nothing to do with training. It has nothing to do with platform skills. The truly spiritual person is the individual whose attitude and actions express love. Verses 4–7 are well worth posting on the bathroom mirror, above the kitchen sink, and by your bed. And well worth memorizing. They remind us what we are to value in others. And what others will value most in us. And, above all, what God values in us.

DEVOTIONAL

Without Love(1 Cor. 13)

One of the most frustrating experiences a Christian can have is to serve faithfully, and feel totally empty inside. It’s happened to most of us at times. Some Christians live their whole lives feeling that crushing void. And wondering why. Paul had an answer, in a little phrase found in verse 3. A person can serve selflessly, and if he or she “has not love,” Paul said, “I gain nothing.” The text doesn’t say that a person who serves “but has not love” is ineffective. Not at all. He or she may have spectacular gifts, and build a giant church where thousands are saved. In Paul’s analogy, “If I give all I possess to the poor,” the poor will certainly benefit. What Paul said was that while others may benefit from service rendered without love, whatever I do “I gain nothing.” If you’ve been one of those many Christians who work hard at serving, but still are empty, his reminder may be for you. If you or I serve in order to gain recognition, or because we fear we won’t otherwise be accepted, or even because we feel it’s our duty, our service will help others. But not us. We’ll still struggle with dissatisfaction and loneliness. We’ll still feel empty and unfulfilled. But if we serve others out of love—ah, then we truly are filled! We gain satisfaction. We gain joy. We gain future rewards. And we gain the inner serenity that comes with knowing we have pleased the Lord.

Personal Application

If you lack love, ask Jesus to love others through you.

Quotable

“Tell me how much you know of the sufferings of your fellowmen and I will tell you how much you have loved them.”—Helmut Thielicke

OCTOBER 19

Reading 292

WOMEN AND WORSHIP 1 Corinthians 11

“In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman” (1 Cor. 11:11).Worship is still too significant to be conducted in an unworthy manner.

Background

Women and social customs.

First Corinthians 11 is one of the most difficult biblical passages to interpret—and one of the easiest to twist. This is due in part to a tradition of interpretation that misunderstands several key terms, but mostly to our ignorance about certain first-century social customs and their meanings. Yet as we read carefully, it is clear that Paul carefully guarded against one major misinterpretation of his teaching. He did not want us to misuse this passage to justify the subordination of women to men in the church. He did not want us to think women are somehow less significant, or less able to contribute to mutual ministry, in the local community of faith. Women did “pray and prophesy” in first-century Corinth, and Paul clearly affirmed their right to do so (11:5, 10). So must we.

Overview

Men and women should preserve cultural distinctions between the sexes as both participate in worship (11:2–16). Fellowship meals should exemplify rather than deny Christian unity (vv. 17–22), and a distinction maintained between such meals and the Lord’s Supper (vv. 23–34).

Understanding the Text

“The head of the woman is man” 1 Cor. 11:3. Most modern commentators agree that Paul was not establishing a hierarchy here. He was instead affirming that a distinction exists between men and women, man and Christ, Christ and God. The distinction is proven by the headship of one in relation to the other. “Head” here is not used in the modern sense of “head of state.” It is used in the first-century and biblical sense of “source.” Yes, women and men are different. Genesis 2 pictures Adam as the source of Eve, even as Christ as Creator is the source of mankind, and God as Father, the source of the Son. But note. Woman is no more inferior to man in their differences than Christ is inferior to God! Difference, and even headship, is no basis for discrimination against one of the sexes. “Every woman who prays or prophesies” 1 Cor. 11:4–10. Paul assumed that women, like men, should pray and prophesy in meetings of the local church. That was not a problem for Paul. The problem was that in Corinth the women did this with their “head uncovered.” The Greek word may suggest a head covering, as the NIV. But many believe it indicates loosed or unbraided hair. Just why this was a problem in the first century is something no one can imagine. First-century art showing men and women gives no hint. First-century pagan and Christian literature alike are silent. But clearly something about head covering or hairstyle was significant in that culture. To preserve the reputation of the church, Christian women were not to adopt styles the culture defined as appropriate to men. Don’t be distracted by what we don’t know. What we do know is that women did “pray and prophesy” along with men in church meetings. And that Paul did not forbid, or even criticize, this practice. “A sign of authority on her head” 1 Cor. 11:10–16. Please note. Paul didn’t say a “sign of submission.” He said a “sign of authority.” Some, impelled by a misuse of “head” and a tad of male chauvinism, have added words lacking in the Greek. They say the hairdo is a “sign of [the man’s] authority on her head.” In fact, it’s just the opposite! As best as we can reconstruct the situation, some of the Christian women in Corinth were so excited at the freedom they had in Christ to participate in worship that they overreacted. If they could speak out, as men had always been able to, then they were now like men! And they would look and act like men! Paul’s reaction was one of horror. Didn’t these women realize that God created the race male and female? That He made a distinction that was to be preserved? Even more, didn’t they realize that now, in Christ, women have God’s own authorization to participate as women in the life of the church? By rejecting female headdress, the women of Corinth were denying the very truth that excited them in the first place! By trying to look and act like men, they obscured the fact that they now had authority to participate in worship as women! What a wonderful truth this reminds us of. In Christ, none of us have to deny who we are. In Christ, every person counts! Each of us has significance; each has a gift and the authority to use it, and so contribute to others in the body of Christ. Just as we are. “Woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman” 1 Cor. 11:11–16. Paul added this, to make sure his earlier words would not be twisted. Yes, men and women are different. Yes, man (Adam) was the source of woman (Eve). It’s even true that Eve was created to fill a need in Adam, rather than the other way around (v. 9). But some have drawn from this the notion that women are subordinate creatures. To make sure that no one so twists his meaning, Paul added this section on interdependence. Life itself tells us that both men and women are necessary to the continuation of the race. Thus the drawing of Eve from Adam does not imply that women as women are subordinate. It implies they are necessary! What a counterbalance to the teaching of some that women have no significant ministry to perform in the church. Men and women may be different. But as far as praying and prophesying are concerned, the ministry of both sexes isn’t optional. It’s required. “It is not the Lord’s Supper you eat” 1 Cor. 11:17–22. Social clubs were popular in the first century. These clubs held regular dinners, usually in a sponsor’s home. Within these clubs clear social distinctions were maintained. The host or hostess would not only seat upper-class members above those in the lower classes, but also upper-class members would be given better wines and food, and sometimes would be served two or three times as much to eat as others! Apparently the Corinthians imported the club dinner into the church, and dubbed it the “Lord’s Supper.” And the hosts and hostesses in Corinth followed normal practice and fed upper-class members well, while giving the poor only scraps! Two great sins were involved. The one was to deny the unity of the body of Christ by making such distinctions (v. 22). What an opportunity such a meal would have been to affirm the truth that all are equal in Jesus Christ (cf. Gal. 3:26–29). The other sin was to completely miss the significance of the Lord’s Supper (see DEVOTIONAL). What is intended as one of the Christian’s most solemn acts of worship became a rowdy party. And Paul was not amused. You and I too need to approach worship with respect and great care. The God we come to honor is worthy of our best. Anything less is unacceptable to Him. And should be to us. “That is why many among you are weak and sick” 1 Cor. 11:27–32. Worship in Corinth had become so lax that God intervened with judgment. Let’s not let this happen to us. What Paul called for was self-examination. Let’s examine our hearts as we come to God, renounce any evil we find, and let the service of worship lift our hearts up to God.

DEVOTIONAL

In Remembrance(1 Cor. 11:23–32)

The Communion service is a unique expression of our faith. And the word “remembrance” is the key to understanding its significance. The parallel word in the Old Testament is zikkaron, usually translated “memorial.” Passover was a memorial feast. The pillar of stones that marked Israel’s passage through the Jordan River was a memorial too. Like the others, these memorials were a witness to the past—and a call to each believer to enter into his heritage. As the Israelites ate the Passover meal, each family relived the experience of its ancestors. As an Israelite passed the heap of stones by the Jordan, and touched their rough surface, he or she was led back in time, and realized afresh that he was there when God parted the waters. Communion too is a memorial. It is remembrance. Not of an event covered with the dust of centuries, but of an event that is ever fresh and new. Not of an experience witnessed by men and women long dead, but of an experience we share today as we return, through the elements that represent the body and blood of Jesus, to the foot of the cross. In the Communion service we stand there again as, united with Christ through faith, we share His death even as we share in His resurrection. “Do this in remembrance” is an invitation to experience the awesome moment when our salvation was won. “Do this in remembrance” is an invitation to experience the holy and, by coming into the very presence of God, to offer Him our thanks, our worship, and our praise.

Personal Application

Take Communion “in remembrance” of Jesus and His sacrificial love.

Quotable

“The effect of our Communion in the body and blood of Christ is that we are transformed into what we consume, and that He in whom we have died and in whom we have risen from the dead lives and is manifested in every movement of our body and of our spirit.”— Pope Leo I

OCTOBER 18

Reading 291

GOD AND IDOLS 1 Corinthians 8–10

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Cor. 8:9).A person can be right about doctrine, and yet very, very wrong.

Background

Meat offered to idols.

These chapters consider two separate but related issues. In Corinth most fresh meat was purchased at temple markets, which sold carcasses of animals offered to the deity they honored. Some Christians in Corinth argued that to buy a steak at such a market was participation in idolatry. Others thought this view foolish. After all, the gods represented by the idols weren’t real. Paul affirmed the right of the Corinthians to eat such meat, but urged those who feel free to do so to consider surrendering this “right” in any situation where a weaker brother’s conscience might be harmed. The other issue concerned participation in banquets, which in the Roman world were typically dedicated to some god or goddess. Here Paul warned against participation, on the basis that though idols are not real, real demonic forces as well as immorality were associated with such feasts. A final note dealt with an ordinary supper invitation to the home of a pagan friend. Paul suggested the guest make no fuss about the meat, but if the host made a point of saying it had been offered to some pagan deity, then don’t eat.

Overview

Eating meat purchased from a temple meat market is not wrong, but harming a weaker brother is (8:1–13). The Corinthians should follow Paul’s example, for he had surrendered many apostolic “rights” to better serve others (9:1–27). Idolatry and associated immorality were to be avoided (10:1–13), so it was wrong to participate in banquets held in honor of some pagan deity (vv. 14–22). But a Christian could eat meat at an unconverted friend’s house, unless the friend specifically said the meat had been dedicated to a pagan god (vv. 23–33).

Understanding the Text

“Since their conscience is weak, it is defiled” 1 Cor. 8:4–12. It’s nice to be right. Those folks in Corinth who scoffed at pagan idols and held tight to the one true God probably felt a glow of self-satisfaction when Paul confirmed their view (vv. 4–6). They could pull up their chairs to a steak every night if they wished, and do so with a clear conscience. The glow may have faded quickly, though. Paul reminded them, and us, that there’s something more important than being right. And that’s caring about the spiritual well-being of others. Paul didn’t ask folks who are right to surrender their doctrinal insights. He didn’t even ask them to surrender a steak dinner now and then. He just asked them to care enough about others to be more concerned with their well-being than with either being right, or exercising personal rights. Eating that steak at the church social doesn’t improve or harm spirituality. Meat has nothing to do with that. But sin has a lot to do with spirituality. And it is sinful to knowingly wound the conscience of a weaker brother or sister in the Lord. So be glad if you have a mature grasp of theological issues. But take pride in your mature surrender of personal rights out of love for a less mature Christian brother or sister. “Am I not an apostle?” 1 Cor. 9:1–27 Paul presented himself as one who had surrendered many personal rights for the benefit of others. This was not bragging. It was sharing. As such, it was a powerful revelation of the motives that not only drove Paul, but also can energize us as we seek to serve the Lord. Note first the rights Paul surrendered—and then his motives. He gave up the right to marry and travel with a “believing wife” (v. 5). He gave up the right to be financially supported by those he ministered to (vv. 6–12). And he gave up the right to live as he pleased in order to meet the expectations of those he ministered to (vv. 19–23). Why? Paul wanted to make preaching the Gospel a gift, not a purchase (v. 18). He wanted to fit in with others, so as not to personally offend anyone who needed to hear the Gospel (vv. 22–23). He placed such a high value on the rewards Christ will give in the future that mere earthly pleasures held little attraction (vv. 24–27). If you and I are as eager to serve God, as sensitive to others, and as focused on eternity, our “rights” will seem unimportant to us as well. “These things occurred as examples” 1 Cor. 10:1–11. Paul turned again to the question of idolatry. This time he made an important point. The Bible isn’t just a book of doctrine. It’s a book of human experience as well. The experiences recorded in Scripture are intended to serve as examples for us. Here Paul’s argument from experience was that though the Old Testament community like the New participated in Christ (vv. 1–6), this was not enough. Some turned to idolatry and the immorality associated with it—and were destroyed (vv. 7–9). Some complained bitterly about their lot—and these too were destroyed (v. 10). These experiences should serve as a warning to those Corinthians who are so sure of their doctrinal correctness. Those who “think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall!” Being “right” is no guarantee we won’t sin! “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” 1 Cor. 10:13. Being right is no guarantee against sinning. But God does make us a promise. We are able to successfully overcome every temptation—if we take God’s way out of it. Don’t think that God’s way out is all that hard to find, either. Paul summed it up in the next verse when he said, “Flee from idolatry.” That word “flee” occurs several times in Paul’s writings. The Greek word, pheugo, is found here, in 6:18; 1 Timothy 6:11; and in 2 Timothy 2:22. We’re not only told to flee idolatry, but to flee fornication, flee love of money, and to flee youthful lusts. We may have to stand and fight Satan (James 4:7), but when it comes to temptation, Scripture’s “way to escape” is just that: escape! First-century banquets like the one pictured above were commonly dedicated to a pagan god or goddess, and all were expected to offer a libation as part of the festivities. Paul urged Christians not to attend. Demonic forces lay behind paganism. One who participates in Christ can hardly join in the worship of demons (vv. 14–27). “Eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience” 1 Cor. 10:23–33. It’s not necessary to parade your faith. It’s not even necessary, when eating lunch with non-Christian business associates, to bow your head and fold your hands in obvious prayer. You can say, “Thank You” to God as you lift that first spoonful of soup. That’s essentially what Paul was telling the Corinthians here. You don’t have to make a big show of being a Christian. Go on out to supper, and if your host makes no big deal out of the meat having been offered to an idol, enjoy it! There’s another side to this issue, though. Sometimes non-Christians have their own ideas about what a believer ought and ought not to do. So the host might feel uncomfortable offering a believer a dish made from dedicated meat. In that case, Paul said, don’t eat, for the sake of his conscience! And, if your associates ask if you want to “say grace” before the meal, do it. Again, for the sake of their conscience, not yours. What a sensitive way for Christians to live with others. Free, because we know the truth in Christ. But willing always to surrender any freedom that will benefit believer or unbeliever alike.

DEVOTIONAL

When Doctrine Divides(1 Cor. 8:1–13)

At first glance it looks like a fight over roast beef. One group said, “Don’t eat it! It’s polluted!” The other said, “Looks all right to me. Mmmm. Tastes good too!” Actually it’s a doctrinal battle, set in the kitchen. The folks who cried, “Polluted” were saying that any animal offered to a pagan deity bears the taint of idolatry. The folks who said, “Tastes good. And less filling,” were saying that pagan deities aren’t real! So whatever was offered to an idol can’t be polluted by the act! What fascinates me here is that Paul showed us a fascinating approach to resolving our doctrinal disputes. He didn’t say, “Well, this group is right.” Instead he said, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves is known by God” (vv. 1–3). What in the world was he saying? Simply that those arguments about “who’s right” won’t help settle doctrinal disputes! The claim of superior knowledge just leads to pride. And that pride was ill-founded. Whatever we know, we know it imperfectly. So those fights about who is right about doctrine can only isolate us from one another. In view of our human limitations, we can’t even be sure the winner of the argument is more than half right! What Paul suggested is that we approach doctrinal disputes on the basis of love, rather than of knowledge. Love doesn’t puff people up, it builds them up. And love opens up our hearts to the ministry of the Spirit of God, who is able then to instruct both parties in the debate (implied by v. 3, “is known by God”). What about while we’re waiting to learn? Why then, each group needs to be sensitive to the other’s convictions and conscience. We can exercise our freedom and live by our personal beliefs. But we also need to be “careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (v. 9). Is it wrong to dispute over doctrine? Not at all. It’s only wrong if dialogue becomes a dispute, and dispute dissension. We need to hammer out our understanding of God’s truth. But we need to do it together, so we can learn from each other. And we need to do it in a spirit of love, so that both parties can grow spiritually through the experience.

Personal Application

Hold on to your doctrines, but hold on even tighter to your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Quotable

“It has not pleased God to save His people by dialectic.”—Ambrose of Milan

OCTOBER 17

Reading 290

MARRIAGE MORALITY 1 Corinthians 7

“But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2).Marriage is intended to be a joy—and a lifelong commitment.

Background

Confusion in Corinth.

Paul didn’t spell out the background when he discussed problems in Corinth. He didn’t need to. He and the Corinthians knew the situation well. We, however, have to re-create the situation from clues in Paul’s advice. Most scholars draw this picture. Corinth was proverbial for sexual looseness. Paul taught a strict morality, but after he left, the church became confused about how to apply his teachings. Some opted for celibate marriage, assuming sex even in marriage was sinful. Some believed Christians shouldn’t marry. Some thought they should divorce unconverted spouses. Others, who had been deserted by pagan spouses, wondered if they were somehow guilty of violating Christ’s command, and if they were still bound in a now-empty relationship. In this brief chapter Paul clarified all these vital issues, and answered questions many ask today.

Overview

Husbands and wives are to meet each other’s sexual needs (7:1–7). The unmarried with overpowering needs should wed (vv. 8–9). Christians should not seek a divorce, even from unbelieving spouses (vv. 10–14). But if one’s partner leaves, the believing spouse is not bound (vv. 15–16). Paul advised retaining the place held when converted (vv. 17–24). He advised celibacy, but didn’t restrict the virgin or the widow who wished to marry (vv. 25–40).

Understanding the Text

“It is good for a man not to marry” 1 Cor. 7:1–7. Paul frequently began by quoting what folks in Corinth had been saying. He did this here. And Paul agreed with the quote, insofar as it expressed his personal opinion. He did not agree that it expressed his official teaching (cf. v. 7). We need to be as careful as Paul in making this distinction. It’s one thing to tell someone, “Here’s what I think best.” It’s another entirely to say, “Here’s what all Christians must think or feel or do.” We shouldn’t impose our personal preferences on others. And we shouldn’t let others con us into believing their preferences are binding on us. “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband” 1 Cor. 7:2–5. The Bible identifies three functions of sex in marriage. Sex is a means of procreation of children, and the seal of marital intimacy (Gen. 2). And sex meets a legitimate human need. It isn’t “spiritual” to dislike sex. It isn’t “spiritual” to have celibate marriages. What’s spiritual is to realize that as a husband you are privileged not only to love your wife, but also to be God’s gift to meet her sexual as well as other needs. What is spiritual is to realize that as a wife you are privileged not only to love your husband, but are also privileged to be God’s gift to meet his sexual as well as other needs. If you want a spiritually intimate marriage, giving your body gladly and lovingly to your partner plays an important part. “It is better to marry than to burn with passion” 1 Cor. 7:6–9. Paul was not a supporter of the “anti-sex” clique in Corinth. While he himself had gladly chosen the celibate life, he realized that “each man has his own gift from God.” Today we recognize that hormones play a key role in the sexual drive of both men and women. Some, in Paul’s terms, “burn.” And some do not. Don’t make the mistake of viewing one condition as better, or more spiritual, than the other. Paul didn’t. The structure of our bodies, including the heat our hormones generate, is part of our gift from God. So don’t look down on those whose physical nature is different from your own. And don’t envy them, either. “I give this command (not I, but the Lord)” 1 Cor. 7:10–11. Paul spoke very bluntly when he shifted from giving personal advice to passing on Christ’s command. Those folks who thought of sex as dirty and wrong, and were proceeding to divorce their spouses for “spiritual” reasons, must stop! Immediately after stating a wife “must not,” Paul added an “if she does” condition. Why? Quite likely because some in Corinth, in their eagerness to do what they thought God wanted, had already obtained divorces! Now Paul told them to remain single or be reunited with their spouses, and live together as man and wife. There are valid reasons for divorce and separation (cf. Matt. 19:9). But there are no frivolous reasons for divorce. God’s goal is a real marriage, that lasts a lifetime. “The unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife” 1 Cor. 7:12–15. The next question the Corinthians were sure to ask was, “What about those of us married to non-Christians? How can we have a ‘spiritual’ relationship with an unbeliever?” Paul’s answer was surprising. When just one partner is a believer, the family is “set apart” to God through His relationship with the believing person. This is no guarantee that spouse or children will be converted. It is a guarantee that God’s power flows from the believer, rather than Satan’s power flowing from the unbeliever. The Christian radiates Christ, and all within the circle of his or her influence are affected by the divine magnetism. Rather than break contact by divorce, the Christian who already has an unsaved spouse who is willing to stay married to him or her should seek to deepen the relationship, not break it. Let Christ touch your spouse and your children through you. “If the unbeliever leaves” 1 Cor. 7:15–16. Sometimes a person can’t help a divorce. Are we still bound to a relationship our spouse has abandoned? Paul’s reassuring answer was, “A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances” (v. 15). I’ve just contributed to an InterVarsity Press book that presents four views on divorce. There may be no more hotly argued question in many churches. There certainly is no issue that causes greater pain and anguish for anyone personally affected. It seems to me that Paul here takes a stand with grace. When a marriage simply cannot be maintained, and the relationship has in effect ended, let it go. The believer is “not bound” in such circumstances. He or she is unmarried in fact, and thus free. In debates of this kind, where strong arguments exist for various interpretations of the biblical text, it’s generally best to find yourself on the side of grace. That’s where God usually is. “Retain the place in life that the Lord assigned” 1 Cor. 7:17–24. Paul summed up his teaching with a general principle that is applicable to many different situations. Did God call you as a married person? Then stay married. Were you a slave? Then don’t feel you have to be free, though you can take the opportunity for freedom if it comes. A tremendously exciting concept underlies this principle. God can use us wherever, and whomever, we may be! You don’t have to be free to be spiritually significant. You don’t have to be married. Or celibate. The chances are that God can and will use you just where you are. So don’t fall into that awful “if only” trap. If only I were a college grad, we think, God could use me. If only I had a million dollars. If only I’d gone on to seminary. If only I didn’t have a wife and 11 kids. The devil loves to have us play “if only.” It keeps our eyes on fantasy, and off reality. If we open our eyes to what’s around us, we might be used by God where we are. “What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short” 1 Cor. 7:25–35. Paul applied his “retain place” principle to marrieds and singles. But he also made an important point. It’s so easy to get caught up by concern for the welfare of a spouse. It’s so easy that we may become “engrossed in” the things of this world, in our attempt to make a better life for him or her. We should love our husband or wife. But we Christians most of all should put God first—together.

DEVOTIONAL

Undivided Devotion(1 Cor. 7:25–40)

“June! Can you come over tonight? We’ve just met the nicest young man!” Ever notice the matchmaking that goes on in a church? Or how we pressure people to marry? A single person starts coming to church, and within a month everyone’s busy trying to arrange a meeting with this or that prospect. It’s the same with widows and widowers. “Would you like to come over this evening. We’ve met the nicest woman, and she’s just your age!” Well, it’s not fair. Especially to those with a gift that Paul values highly: the gift of celibacy. We can make it really hard for men and women who, for their own reasons, choose not to marry. Instead of respecting their choice, we assume that there must be something wrong with them—and we mount campaigns to correct it! Paul made it clear that virgins and widows are free to marry if they wish. But he wanted us to give brothers and sisters the freedom not to marry if they wish—and not to be harassed about their choice. It may help us back off if we consider Paul’s reasons. He said (and every married person knows it’s true) that “those who marry will face many troubles in this life” (v. 28). The married become responsible for spouse and children, and thus have a powerful motive to be “engrossed in” the things of the world (v. 31). After all, we’ve got to provide a house to live in. And with the costs of a college education these days, we need to work harder and save more money than ever before! Now, it’s right to be concerned with “pleasing” our spouse. But the responsibilities that come with marriage mean we have less time, less money, and less energy to devote to pleasing God. Our choices are, rightly, shaped by considering the welfare of our families. The unmarried, however, are free from all such restrictions, able to give “undivided devotion to the Lord.” And this, the gift of undivided devotion, is something that God is certainly pleased to receive. So the next time a single person comes into your fellowship, welcome him or her gladly. And forego the matchmaking. You may have one of those special people who has decided to follow Paul’s advice, and live a life of undivided devotion to the Lord.

Personal Application

Welcome and honor singles in your church family.

Quotable

“This is self-renunciation—to unlock the chains of this earthly life which passeth away and to set oneself free from the business of men, and thus to make ourselves fitter to enter on that path that leads to God and to free our spirit to gain and use those things which are far more precious than gold or precious stones.”—Basil the Great

OCTOBER 16

Reading 289

CHURCH DISCIPLINE 1 Corinthians 5–6

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you’ ” (1 Cor. 5:12–13).It is the responsibility of believers to keep the church morally pure.

Background

Church discipline.

Christ’s church represents Him on earth. Thus it is vital that the church be pure, holy, and self-cleansing. First Corinthians 5 makes it clear that persistent immorality requires discipline by the local congregation, and that if a believer fails to respond to discipline, he or she is to be cut off from fellowship. It’s important to note several things about discipline. First, it is NOT exercised over differences in doctrine. It is NOT exercised over differences in conviction. It is NOT exercised over divergent opinion on procedure, or questions about motives. Church discipline IS exercised only in cases where a believer openly and persistently engages in practices which Scripture identifies as sin. In such cases, the church is not judging so much as agreeing with God’s verdict that certain behavior is sinful. Church discipline is not to be vindictive, nor an attempt to punish a wrongdoer. It is to be a loving attempt to restore a sinning brother by acting out on earth the interruption sin causes in our fellowship with God. It is an obedient response to the Lord, who calls us to maintain a pure and blameless reputation as we represent Him.

Overview

Paul called for expulsion of an immoral brother (5:1–8), but not isolation from immoral non-Christians (vv. 9–13). Legal cases should be settled within church (6:1–8), as befits saints (vv. 9–11). Sexual immorality is unthinkable because of the believer’s union with Christ (vv. 12–20).

Understanding the Text

“Put out of your fellowship the man who did this” 1 Cor. 5:1–3. Who is responsible for church discipline? You are. I am. The “you” in Paul’s directive is plural, indicating that members of a congregation are accountable for the purity of the local body. Matthew 18:15–17 is usually understood to give a pattern we can follow. First go to a brother alone. If he repents (stops doing what was wrong), drop the issue. If not, bring along another person and confront him again. If he repents, drop it. If not, bring in the leaders of the church. If he will not listen to them, inform the church as a whole, and “expel the wicked man from among you” (v. 13). This process isn’t an easy one to follow; many Christians would rather just look the other way. That happened in Corinth. And it happens in modern churches too. Yet through Paul the Lord tells us that, even though it hurts, church discipline must be enforced. “Hand this man over to Satan” 1 Cor. 5:4–5. Long ago God told the serpent who had hosted Satan, “You will eat dust all the days of your life” (Gen. 3:14). Some commentators have observed that while Satan eagerly seeks the believer’s life, all he ever gets is the dust of our bodies. Our souls—our essential self—is safe with God (1 Cor. 5:5). Many see a reflection of this thought here. Expelled from the church, with the protection of believers’ prayers withdrawn, the person under discipline is handed over to Satan “so that the sarx [the body, the flesh, not ‘sinful nature’ here] may be destroyed” (v. 5). The sinning believer is out of fellowship, yes. But not out of Christ! Dust is still all the devil gets. “His spirit [is] saved on the Day of the Lord.” “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough” 1 Cor. 5:6–8. Like yeast, malice and wickedness can quickly infiltrate and corrupt the spiritual life of a local congregation. Church discipline isn’t an option. It’s a necessity. “Not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral” 1 Cor. 5:9–13. Christians aren’t party-poopers, always going around with a disapproving glare, pointing out the sins of others. Christians are partygoers, meeting others with a happy smile, always ready to lend a helping hand. Somehow many Christians have the idea that unless they jump all over non-Christians and condemn their sins, they imply approval. Not at all. Everyone who gets to know us soon becomes aware of what we don’t do, and would not do. But we don’t judge non-Christians. We let the Holy Spirit convict. What we do is to associate with wicked folks when in good conscience we can, to show by our holy and happily lives that there’s an alternative. We need to be the kind of persons unsaved folks turn to as an alternative, not turn away from as an aggravation. “You must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is. . . .” 1 Cor. 5:9–13. “Must” is a pretty strong word. But it’s the word Paul used. Don’t worry about making the world holy by criticizing unbelievers. The world is simply being itself. Do worry about keeping the church holy by disciplining fellow believers. The church needs to be itself too! “Take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?” 1 Cor. 6:1–6 Paul wasn’t asking Christians to accept the role of victim. In New Testament times, ethnic communities had a significant amount of self-government, including the right to settle disputes by applying their national law even if they weren’t living in their homeland. So Paul implied here that Christians, who are citizens of Christ’s heavenly kingdom, ought to settle their legal disputes among themselves, applying the laws of Christ’s heavenly kingdom rather than relying on earthly courts. The shame was that the folks in Corinth either did not think of appointing a panel of fellow believers to settle disputes, or else were unwilling to. I do watch one TV program each day when I can. It’s “The People’s Court,” which comes on here at 10 A.M., about when I finish half my day’s writing. The program concludes with a line we Christians ought to modify. The host says, “So, if you have a dispute you can’t resolve, don’t take the law into your own hands. Take it to court.” Paul said, “Take it to church.” “You yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers” 1 Cor. 6:7–11. I got a letter the other day from “Peacemakers International,” a Christian ministry that seeks to help Christians resolve disputes in a biblical manner. It urged those who received it to get involved in a dispute between a well-known Christian and a believer who worked for him for some time, and finally has been taken to court. Not that it’s over one of those “trivial cases” Paul mentioned in verse 2. Some serious charges are involved. The problem is, the “victim” has been willing to take it to a panel of Christian lawyers to settle out of court. But the other person has not—and has used verse 7 to condemn the brother who finally brought the suit! What if the victim is willing to use a biblical procedure, and the perpetrator is not? “Peacemakers” says, “Treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector” (Matt. 18:17). And there’s no injunction in Scripture about taking one of them to court! “The wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God” 1 Cor. 6:9–11. An apt paraphrase is, “The wicked are headed for hell.” And Paul then went on to list behavior that requires such punishment: adultery, homosexuality, criminal behavior, alcoholism. Don’t think though that even such acts cut one off from the possibility of grace. Paul said, “That is what some of you were” (v. 11). That’s were. What a Christian becomes, after he has been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus, and is an ex-adulterer, an ex-homosexual, an ex-criminal, an ex-alcoholic. Don’t let anyone who practices such sins deceive you by claims that he or she is a citizen of God’s kingdom now.

DEVOTIONAL

Sex and Sandwiches(1 Cor. 6:12–20)

He was young. Good-looking. And he ardently challenged Billy Graham in a question/answer period after the evangelist’s televised talk to college students. Why all this fuss about sex? If a person is hungry, he eats a ham sandwich, doesn’t he? If he feels the urge, why not have sex and satisfy that hunger? The question, though I saw the program about 15 years ago, reflects our society’s blatant move toward pagan sexual standards. It also reflects the attitude of some Christians in Corinth, whom Paul quoted as he returned in these verses to the question of immorality. “Everything is permissible for me,” Paul himself said of food choices (v. 12; cf. Rom. 14:14). And “God will destroy” this sinful body and replace it in the resurrection (1 Cor. 6:13). Why make such a big deal about what a person does with this meaningless ol’ body anyway? Paul’s threefold response answered the question about sex and sandwiches as well as the Corinthians’. That casual pagan attitude toward sex fails to see that the body is important. The body is meant for the Lord, as a tool through which He performs righteous acts (v. 13; cf. Rom. 6:16–18). The body is important enough that God has determined to resurrect it (1 Cor. 6:13–14). The body is even now joined to Jesus Christ through our spiritual union with Him. Can we take Christ to visit a prostitute? (vv. 15–17) In paganism, sex really is trivial. The casual attitude, the adolescent snickers, even the heated passion that constantly leers from movie screen and TV tube, all suggest that sex and sandwiches are on a par. Only Christianity affirms that life here on earth has more significance, and that our bodies were created for higher purposes. Our bodies are temples of God’s Spirit. Our bodies are instruments for His use. Our bodies—all we are and have—were bought with a price. We Christians are determined to use our bodies only to glorify Him.

Personal Application

Sex isn’t trivial, because you and your body are special to the Lord.

Quotable

“Sex has become one of the most discussed subjects of modern times. The Victorians pretended it did not exist: the moderns pretend nothing else exists.”—Fulton J. Sheen