Blogging the Bible

Life by the Spirit is not easier than life by the law. But it is very different. It is based on the law of love and not the law of prohibition. It is motivated by love of God and love of God’s creatures and creation, not by fear of punishment or arrogance of legalism–keeping the rules.

Life by the Spirit is demanding because it means we must stay tuned to the Spirit of God and keep our mind filled with his word to guide us. It is through knowing God’s word that we know what God wants. And it is through the presence of the Holy Spirit that we are reminded of these things and guided in every day living. Each new day bring new challenges to living out our faith. No static list of rules can adequately guide us. Our growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus guides us more accurately to know and do what God wills.

The list of fruits of the spirit in chapter five are, perhaps, the best guide for our living faithful lives. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is a hefty list to follow. It is a lifetime of guidance in who to be, not just how to act. If we would concentrate on developing these characteristics, fulfilling the law would never be a problem.

This is the message of the gospel. In Christ we are given God’s Spirit to guide us in life and we can be made more and more into his image if we live by the Spirit.

The message of Paul’s letter to the Galatians is an important one. The issue he addresses is one that consistently shows up in the history of the church. The issue is the relationship of the law to the gospel. Paul’s passionate appeal is both an argument against salvation based on keeping the law and a restatement of the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice for our sin—our salvation.

There are those in the church in Galatia—Judaizers as he later calls them—who are insisting that Gentile believers be circumcised as the Jewish tradition required. Paul says a clear, “No.” There is no salvation in keeping the law. The law only condemns because if we are going to keep it, we have to keep all of it (3:10) and we cannot.

And Paul also teaches against trying to play both sides of the issue. Peter is rebuked because when he was with the Gentiles he ate with them but when the Jews came he removed himself from the Gentiles and acted differently. This is not the gospel. Paul says the gospel is the same for Jew and Gentile. The law was given to show our sin and to lead us to Christ (3:23-25). NO ONE will be justified by keeping the law. Only those who put their trust in the death and resurrection of Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the law, will be saved.

Paul calls the Galatians foolish because what they KNOW began with the Spirit and now they are trying to complete with the law. The Spirit leads us to obey Christ and to follow his teaching so that we no longer need the law to guide us. We have something greater than the law—Christ’s Spirit in us. If we are led by the Spirit we will live lives pleasing to God that fulfill the the law–love God with all you heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said that on these two commandments ALL the law and the prophets hangs. (Mat. 22:36-40).

The Corinthian church was blessed to have Apostle Paul as their main adviser. Paul taught them the importance of generosity. A generosity based on the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, not in their own ability to give (Chapters 8-9).

The other important thing that Paul taught them was their need to do everything for the glory of God. He told them: “Let him who boasts  boast in the Lord” ( 2 Corinthians 10: 17) yes, because we are very willing to take for us the glory that only belongs to God.

This letter is also a more personal letter than the previous. On this one Apostle Paul talks more about his personal experience with God and his difficulties and struggles. Also on this particular letter the Apostle spent more time advising them for the present and for the future.

Obviously Paul lived everyday like it was his last. And because of that he always was trying to encourage and promote the best of God for every single disciple of Christ. Is there, anything that God is calling you to imitate from Paul?

I think if there is anything that we should imitate from Paul, that would be his passion, love and commitment for Christ and his people.

On the previous letter Apostle Paul dealt with very difficult situations that were shaping the daily living of the Corinthian church. On this second letter he acknowledged the necessity of reassuring them with the consolation that repentance brings. Paul started his letter by saying that God is a “God of mercies and the God of all consolations” (2 Corinthians 1:3)

The Corinthian church paid a big price by allowing its members and participants to practice their faith without being accountable.  Paul wrote the first letter in order to call them to the proper Christian behavior. The church took it to heart and was now excessively punishing those who failed to maintain a good Christian example. This is the reason why Paul wrote this second letter, he wants them to understand that discipline is restoration not destruction.

The whole letter is about consolation and restoration. God is the originator of the consolation. He consoles us, and he is expecting us to do the same with others. The other word that Paul uses is confidence. He actually says that the whole Christian life is about being confident in Christ about our salvation and our journey and ministry for him on this earth.

What is your challenge in this present moment? Whatever it can be, by the grace of God you can move forward and be successful in and through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

I need to make an addition to my blog from yesterday concerning spiritual gifts. I noted that the traditional Reformed view holds that the spiritual gifts described in Corinthians were unique to that particular time in church history. I also noted that Pentecostals hold that they are all functioning today. The Pentecostal view is actually that one of the spiritual gifts, speaking in tongues, is actually necessary as evidence of the Spirit filled life.

I should have noted that there is a middle way. There are many folks from many different traditions–Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal, Independent, Bible and Community churches that are called charismatic. This means that they they do not believe any one spiritual gift is necessary for faithful living but that the Spirit of God does still give these gifts at different times for personal edification and for building up the body. The majority practice these gifts quietly and privately for personal edification and they can be found in almost every church and denomination. So there is a wide range of belief and practice when it comes to the exercise of the spiritual gifts described in Corninthians.

However,the New Testament makes much more of the “fruits of the Spirit” than the gifts. These are necessary for faithful Christian living because the scripture makes it clear that when we belong to Christ the Spirit works in us to produce these characteristics. Okay. Now on to todays blog.

I want to focus on one thing, and one thing only. The resurrection of Christ is the centerpiece of these chapters and should be. Paul makes it clear that without the truth of the resurrection there is NO Christianity. He says it plainly. If Christ did not raise from the dead, we are of all people most to be pitied. Everything we believe rests on the fact that the physical resurrection of Christ from the dead really happened. It is what was foretold in the Old Testament, and it is what was preached by John the Baptist and it is what Jesus taught his disciples even though they did not get it. It is what the gospel accounts center on. Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again so that we might believe and have eternal life.

Jesus’ power over the grave was the final evidence that he was not just a good teacher, or another prophet, or an earthly leader. He was God. He has power over life and death because he created all that is (Colossians 1 and John 1) and he will reign forever as Lord and King (Rev. 21).

This is not a negotiable item in the list of things that we believe. It relates to all other essentials of the Christian faith. Christ died because we are sinners. We don’t like this belief anymore. Sin is outdated, old-fashioned. But it is why Jesus had to die. Jesus raising from the dead was necessary to prove that there is no other way. He is the ONLY God. There are not many ways to God. There is only one. It is Jesus. We don’t like this very much. It is not very American. It is not “nice.” It is viewed as arrogant and intolerant. It is none of these things. It is the truth. And the truth brings hope and life not despair and death because Jesus conquered death! He rose from the dead!

The truth of the resurrection means that we ought to be telling everyone we know that Jesus is alive, not dead. That he was God, not just a good teacher. We ought to be sharing the good news–Jesus raised from the dead and if we trust in him, so will we! There is no other faith that offers this promise. God took on human flesh and paid the penalty for our sin and conquered death so that we might live. We have a message to get out, not because we are better than anyone else, but because we have the best news that no one else has. Jesus is alive!

Chapter 10 tells us clearly that the old testament history was written for our example so that we might learn from their mistakes. Particularly that we might listen to what God says and follow it and not turn away from it. God’s love and mercy is great but his discipline and judgment are real. There are consequences to not following God’s word.

Chapter 12 is probably one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted passages in the new testament. The Corinthian church was full of spiritual gifts but it was also full of sin and so the gifts were not being exercised properly. Contrary to how the passage is often used, suggesting it is a model for the use of spiritual gifts in the church, Paul teaches more about how these gifts ought not to be used then how they are to be used. And he closes off the sections by saying that all of these things will cease, but faith, hope, and love, remain. And the greatest of them is love. No matter what other things you do in the name of Christ, if you do not show love you are nothing.

Different traditions have interpreted the use of these gifts very differently. The Reformed tradition (Presbyterians) holds that these gifts were uniquely used during the early church to authenticate the work of the apostles and the development of the scriptures and that they ceased when the scriptures were complete and the apostles died. Other traditions, Pentecostals for instance, believe that all these gifts are still in use today. Whatever the tradition, it is clear that the character of a person in living out Christian faith, having love, is far more important. And the test of any spiritual activiy or behavior ought to be whether or not it brings glory to Christ. The Corinthian church was in turmoil and bringing shame on the name of Christ by their sexual immorality. No show of spiritual gifts could hide this fact.

For us, it is the same. Though we may not exercise these spiritual gifts, we can be busy with all sorts of religious activity and yet, if we do not live lives of love toward our neighbors, we are nothing. God does not look on the outside, but the inside and the way we treat our neighbor is far more important to God than any other religious activity.

These chapters tackle some rough issues. In them are included divorce and remarriage, singleness, food from idol worship (how a believer interacts with other religions and their practices), and pay for preachers. I am especially interested in the last one! And relieved that Paul makes a strong case for paying full time ministers! =)

It is from this passage that we learn that, at least up to the time of this writing, Paul was unmarried. And he encourages others to follow his example. But he also makes it clear that it is a “gift” that some can bear and others cannot (7:7). It is also very clear that the reason for remaining single is not because there is anything wrong with marriage or sexual intimacy. This passage clearly does NOT teach that celibacy is a higher state of spirituality. But this passage does make it clear that the person who remains single is better able to serve the Lord without distraction. And this–serving the Lord–is really the focus of these chapters, NOT sex.

One of the most radical teachings of this passage that is almost always overlooked is Paul’s teaching that a woman can “sanctify” a man (7:14). This is way crazy radical teaching. In the Jewish mindset and worldview there was only one thing a woman could do to a man when it came to spiritual standing–she was a contaminant! Jewish law was interpreted to mean this because of the need for purification for a man after he was intimate with a woman. They deduced, wrongly, that the woman was only a detriment to holiness and so developed the doctrine of celebacy and other related beliefs. But Paul clearly says that a woman could be the reason a man is sancitfied–made holy! This is a very countercultural message!

Equally radical in this teaching is Paul’s reference to a woman leaving a husband or staying with a husband. At the time, women had no rights at all when it came to marriage (unless they were very wealthy!). But Paul here puts men and women on the same footing when it comes to marital status. To even speak of a woman divorcing her husband (7:13) would send shock wayves through the community. A man could divorce a woman, but a woman traditionally had no such power or choice. Now the important thing to notice in all of Paul’s teaching here about marriage and divorce is that personal happiness is not the purpose of either choice. Bringing people into a saving knowledge of Christ is the goal. The believing spouse has the power of influence to make that possible. But, that same spouse, Paul says, is not bound if the unbelieving spouse leaves.

Food sacrificed to idols is harder for us to sink our teeth into! (ha! ha! I did a pun!) But the central issue is about how Christians interact with others around them who operate under different beliefs. It is important to notice that again, the issue for Paul, is how this act of eating or not will affect the unbelieving or weak believing person.

In other words all things are to be done with the gospel in mind. How should I live my life knowing that people are without Christ and need the gospel? What I do with my relationships and how I interact with others of others faiths, matters because it affects my ability to share the gospel. Paul is advocating here or a Christ-centered life.We get all caught up in the issues when the issues Paul addresses only serve to either further the gospel or get in the way of the gospel. He asks us to examine our lives in that perspective.

These are some hard sayings for sure. In a brief blog like this, there is not time and space to address all the issues Paul deals with. There is a couple of months of sermons in these three chapters! However, there are two overarching principles that Paul speaks to clearly.

The one is an important one because we often get it wrong. It has to do with how we judge others. In chapter four it would appear that Paul is saying do not judge anyone but leave judgment up to God. In the final day all will be made know including the motives of people’s hearts! Yet in chapter five and six Paul clearly makes judgments about others. What is the difference?

The difference is that in chapter four Paul is talking about serving the Lord and what one does or does not do in the Lords name. He is still talking about leaders and the division among people who line up behind different leaders (from chapter 3). In these kinds of disputes, Paul says the Lord will be the judge of the motives and leadership of his people. But in chapters 5 and 6 Paul is addressing specific behaviors that Jesus and the scriptures clearly judged as sinful. Paul is not talking about motives for service or difference in beliefs about who is the right leader, he is talking about sexual sin, in particular, and the bible is clear on these issues. There is a difference between being “judgmental”–an attitude of arrogance toward others and “judging”–determining what is right and wrong based on what the scripture teaches. One is an attitude toward a person, the other is the truth about sin. Paul says do not be judgmental, but Paul does express what is right and wrong based on what Jesus taught and the scriptures teach.