1 Corinthians 2

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Tuesday, Aug 28: 1 Cor 2

Paul continues to hammer away at the centrality of the cross: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified,” (v2). This is more than a template for his preaching ministry; for Paul, the cross holds the key to life itself. Paul’s vision is cruciform, that his entire being would be conformed to the image of the cross. He understands that this sort of existence appears as weakness to the worldly, but he insists that our faith rest not in “the wisdom of men but in the power of God,” (v5). And as Paul will remind us, God’s power is most profoundly demonstrated through weakness.

How is that some receive this Gospel for the “Good News” it is while others reject it as foolishness? Paul helps us understand the spiritual “players” involved in this process as well: “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God,” (v12). Through faith, God mediates His own Spirit to us, countering the wisdom of the world and “interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual,” (v13). It’s as if the Spirit equips us with new lenses, replacing our old way of seeing through “worldly” eyes with a deeper level of vision, one of true clarity and spiritual insight. Lest we should boast, we remember this is all grace, the complete gift of God.

But this leads to yet another gift that Paul mentions at the end of the chapter. The Spirit works to bring discernment, yet the “natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him” (v14). Blessed with the Spirit of God, the believer’s mind is also conformed, culminating in this glorious statement: “But we have the mind of Christ,” (v16). Even our thought life is capable of being redeemed, transformed by the Spirit’s work to form us into the image of Christ. We’re reminded that this mind is one focused on humility, service, and obedience (Phil. 2:5-11). This is the mind Paul desires for us (Phil. 2:5). And this is the mind for which we strive.

A mind formed around the cross.

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1 Corinthians 1

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Monday, Aug 27: 1 Cor 1

Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians in a fascinating way: he addresses these believers as those “called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours,” (v2). Saints! These people? As we read through this letter, we might find ourselves asking, “Paul, are you sure this is what ‘saintly behavior’ looks like?” But Paul is insistent — these believers with all their foibles and struggles and outright brokenness….these are the people Paul considers saints by right of the cross. Sometimes we’re our own worst critics; we can berate ourselves, feeling worthless, hopeless. Our lives feel like a sinking ship and we simply can’t bail water quickly enough to stay afloat. We feel rather “unsaintly”, I suppose. But we need to hear this word, just as the Corinthians before us. Paul insists on this title, “saint”, as an apt description of our newfound identity in Christ. Keep that in the back of your mind as we read through Corinthians together.

Two phrases immediately help us understand more fully who we are in Christ: “sustain you to the end” (v8) and “God is faithful” (v9). Saints are not those among us who live some sort of blissfully sinless existence; you can put that guy in the same category as Sasquatch, the Lochness Monster, and magical rainbow-colored unicorns! Rather, saints are those who are sustained to the end by the faithfulness of God. In our study of Romans 1, we looked at v17 and how the righteousness of God is revealed to us through faith. Our faith? Well, in part. But God’s faithfulness toward us is (I believe) what Paul primarily has in view. Our faithfulness has done nothing to reveal the Gospel; it is only through His enduring faithfulness that we even know of the Gospel. So our “sainthood” is contingent upon HIS faithfulness, sustaining us through all of our brokenness until we reach completion on the other side.

Paul’s thesis in this letter is revealed in v18: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The cross is central to Paul’s understanding of everything. The world hears the story of the cross as foolishness. How can one find life through death? True life is found in the acquisition of power, not through its relinquishment! Or so the argument goes. The message of a sacrificial Messiah was unfathomable in a culture where humility was considered a weakness, a liability.

But Paul holds up the cross of Jesus as the key to life, the complete demonstration of Jesus’ teaching that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve (Matt. 20:28). The power of God is manifest through Jesus’ willful position of weakness. The Gospels demonstrate Jesus as being in complete control of the situation as he dies. He submits his will to the will of the Father in prayer. He allows the soldiers to take him into custody. He prays for these perpetrators as they nail him to the cross. In the end, he chooses death, willfully giving up his spirit and committing himself to the Father. What the world sees as an act of weakness and humiliation, we see as the ultimate expression of power and love. In the cross, the imperial emblem of pain, torture, and death, we now see life, redemption, and healing.

This is why Paul preaches Christ crucified (v23).

Because it’s the only message worth preaching.

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1 Timothy 6

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Friday, Aug 24: 1 Timothy 6

Paul’s mentorship of the young Timothy is an instructive model for our day. Paul just pours himself into Timothy, instructing him and guiding him away from controversy and deeper into a ministry of the Living Word. His words here rival a Vince Lombardi halftime speech for their motivational quotient: “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses,” (v11-12). And Paul goes on: “I charge you in the presence of God…and of Christ Jesus…to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord,” (v13-14). Paul doesn’t mince words — this is a high calling. But Timothy has to be encouraged in the knowledge that Paul deems him worthy, deems him capable of living into this calling. This is what mentors do — they see us at our worst, yet they continue to believe in and point us toward the best version of ourselves we can become.

I once read that in order for a boy to grow into the kind of man God intends him to become, he needs the example of another man in his life. I’ve had several such mentors in my life and I’ve written about them from time to time on this blog: Johnny Markham, Lee Milam, Gary Bradley — men who, like Paul with Timothy, have put their arms around me as a young minister, teaching and instructing and (on occasion) rebuking me along the way. Their examples have been consistent, their encouragement toward me persistent. Maybe the greatest blessing has been the fact that they’ve believed in me, believed I was at least capable of service and ministry at some level. And that belief has truly made all the difference in my life.

So, on behalf of every Timothy out there, today we give thanks for our Pauls, for our spiritual fathers in the faith, the men and women who reach out in love, showing us the most excellent way.

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1 Timothy 5

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Thursday, Aug. 23: 1 Tim. 5

Although Timothy is not to let any one despise him for his youth (4:12), he is still commanded to approach his elders in a spirit of respect and love. “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity,” (5:1-2). Although Paul will argue against many of the prevailing social norms that separate Jews and Gentiles, he also sees great value in the mutually respectful tenor of familial relationships, which forms the basis of his teaching in these verses.

Paul turns his attention to a particularly important subject in body life: carrying for those in need, specifically the widows in the church. Paul reinforces the familial obligation as the primary means of provision for widows (perhaps drawing on Jesus’ teaching against those who would declare the right of “corban”, material gifts devoted to God). But Paul also spells out criteria for helping those who are truly in need. The takeaway for us is to seek generosity coupled with discernment. It is interesting that Paul does not recommend an indiscriminate pattern of generosity; instead, stewardship requires the set of criteria Paul offers. The goal is not to withhold blessings from those in need; far from it. The goal is to provide for those who are truly in need, while encouraging individual family units to help in ways that are appropriate.

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1 Timothy 4

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Wednesday, Aug. 22: 1 Tim. 4

Several of our readings this year have reinforced the idea of “falling away”. Paul’s reflections at the beginning of 1 Timothy 4 is another such passage. Paul reminds Timothy of the Spirit’s warning, “that in later times some will depart from the faith,” (v1). Paul seems to specifically have in mind those who would minimize or even deny the “fleshly” blessings of marriage and food (v3). Paul’s comment in v4-5 reflects a deeply held Jewish conviction: “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” Echoing Psalm 24, Paul reinforces the created world as God’s domain for expressing His goodness toward us.

Lest we take this emphasis on materiality too far, though, Paul counters: “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come,” (v7-8). Paul’s sage advice to Timothy: avoid worthless controversies and put your full effort into something that counts – godliness! Why is godliness so important? It is for godliness we were created (Gen. 1:26-27).

Timothy is to oppose this false teaching in spite of his young age. “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Paul continues, encouraging Timothy to devote himself to the ministry of the Word, teaching and studying and proclaiming Gospel truth. The stakes couldn’t be any higher, “for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers,” (v16).

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1 Timothy 3

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Tuesday, August 21: 1 Timothy 3

 

In this chapter, Paul spells out qualifications for church leaders: elders and deacons. It’s interesting that Scripture lays out the qualifications for these men, but no qualifications for “ministers”, at least not in the sense that we understand the term in our churches today. What does that tell you about the leadership structure God intends for His churches?

As a full-time minister, I certainly appreciate the support and encouragement I receive from our church family. But I also want to recognize the tireless service of the men who serve our flock as elders. Oversight can be a time-consuming project, but they commit themselves to it wholeheartedly because they understand this as one of the demands of leadership. But they compliment this with a true pastoral touch, a shepherding presence among the flock. This begins in their families, where these men again exercise oversight. But that oversight is coupled with true compassion, modeled first by the Good Shepherd. Take a moment and thank God for your shepherds and their families. They give of themselves, they pour their hearts out in prayer, they balance their responsibilities at work with responsibilities at home and responsibilities at church…and they deserve our prayers.

And the deacons of the church deserve commendation as well for their leadership and stewardship. In my opinion, we often overlook these men who commit themselves to the ministry of the church, men who serve in many roles either public or private. We have one such deacon at Mayfair, a man who has quietly prepared our communion trays nearly every Sunday for the past 15 years or so. Every Saturday afternoon, he brings his radio to the building — years ago it was a transistor radio; now it’s his iPod! — and he begins the two-hour long process of filling communion cups for 1,600-1,700 worshipers. I run into him some Saturdays if I happen to be at the building for something. But he’s there ever week, quietly serving the Lord and our church body. These deacons and their families are equally deserving of our prayers. Thank God for the men who are carrying out the ministries in your local church. Pray that God will grant them strength as He mounts them up on wings like eagles. “For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus,” (v13).

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1 Timothy 2

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Monday, August 20: 1 Timothy 2

Paul begins with an encouragement to prayer, which is something you’d probably expect to find in the Bible. What’s interesting is his emphasis on praying for “all people”, particularly ruling authorities. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way,” (v1-2). This is good and pleasing to God (v3) because it is in keeping with His desire that “all people” would be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (v4). This broad scene of “all people” referred to here is countered by the acknowledgement of one mediator, one access point to life with God: “Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (v6).

Paul moves from prayer into a broader discussion of the mechanics of worship: lift holy hands without quarreling; women should adorn themselves modestly in keeping with the godliness they profess; women should also learn in quietness and submission, rather than seeking to wield authority. Much ink has been spilled in an effort to explain these verses as they pertain to women’s roles in the church’s public life of worship. Is Paul’s statement universally binding on all churches and all believers everywhere? Based on his appeal to the order of creation and his indictment of Eve as the one who was deceived (v14), some will argue that this is the case. And based on other passages like 1 Cor. 14:33-35, the evidence seems to point this direction. But then, what are we to do with the teaching of Paul in 1 Cor. 11 where he encourages women to cover their head while they pray or prophesy, presumably in the corporate worship setting where these activities took place?

The issue is obviously one that requires a lot of attention and discussion. For our purposes, I want to point out Paul’s insistence that the Biblical narrative has power to speak to our current circumstances, no matter how contemporary they may seem. The challenges facing people of faith today are certainly unique to our times. Yet, Paul gives us hope that the template of faith is already laid out for us. Paul finds these little hooks throughout the Biblical narrative, places where he can get a foothold and survey the landscape. Paul enters into the world of Scripture and finds instruction and guidance. And the same is true for us. I suppose people will debate the nature of Paul’s teaching here for a long time, but what’s undeniable is his insistence that true life is found in God’s Word, the Living Word alive in these stories, making them more than episodes of Scripture but something even more robust and lively — the key to life itself.

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1 Timothy 1

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Friday, Aug 17: 1 Timothy 1

I’ve never noticed until today the way Paul begins his letter to Timothy: “Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior,” (v1). This tells us a lot about Paul’s self-identity. His life is devoted to the commanding authority of God. Paul has relinquished his own story for engagement in the grand, sweeping story of God revealed through Christ Jesus. Paul considers his position as God’s “slave” or “servant” (terms he often uses in his introductions throughout the epistles) superior to being “god” of his own little world. This is instructive for us.

Paul also calls Timothy “my true child in the faith” (v2). Paul, who never marries and never has a child by blood, adopts Timothy, a young man whose mother and grandmother possess deep faith, but about whose father we know very little. Could it be that Timothy is a template for today’s “unfathered” generation, a generation hungry for true paternal figures in the wake of their biological fathers’ absences and failings? And Paul help us imagine how to reach out to these young men to disciple them and mentor and shepherd them “in the faith”?

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith,” (v5). God’s command over Paul’s life is aimed at demonstrating love. For all of our indebtedness to Paul for his teaching ministry, perhaps his greatest contribution is his ongoing insistence that love remains the core Christian doctrine, “the greatest of these” (I Cor. 13). This love is manifest first in the person of Jesus and this is the basis of Paul’s teaching: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost,” (v15). But this love becomes personal, extending beyond mere theology into testimony: “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life,” (v16). And this truth comes spilling out of Paul in doxology: “To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen,” (v17).

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Colossians 4

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Thursday, Aug. 16: Colossians 4

Paul closes this chapter with some final remarks about the Christian life: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful,” (v2). For many of us, I suspect prayer is a posture of thanksgiving. We readily acknowledge God as the source of blessing and most of the time we are quick to thank Him to these. But we are also to remain watchful, anticipating His glorious in-breaking into human history but also seeking to perceive His “lesser” movements — a long prayed-for possibility coming to fruition; a definitive “Yes” or “No” in response to our request for clarity; a gentle and inexplicable leaning toward something out of the norm that we can only attribute to the working of the Spirit. We pray in thanksgiving and we pray in expectation. This is our charge in prayer.

Paul gives us insight as we seek to interact with our friends and colleagues who remain outside the Christian community. “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person,” (v5-6). In light of our highly charged political culture today, especially in light of the national conversation re: homosexuality, the Bible, and marriage, these words are a timely reminder of the kind of speech that brings Jesus honor.

Paul closes with a flurry of names: Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister; Onesimus, the faithful chronicler of Paul’s missionary activity; Aristarchus, a fellow prisoner; Mark, Barnabas’s cousin; Jesus / Justus, Epaphras, Luke, Demas. The image we get is that of Paul surrounded by these dear friends and co-laborers, each drawing encouragement and strength from his brothers in arms.

Although the names are different for us, we quickly realize that we are equally blessed with the community God has surrounded us with. May we continue to strengthen and encourage one another until He comes again.

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Colossians 3

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Jason

Reading for Wednesday, Aug 15: Colossians 3

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (v1,2).

With this statement, Paul seeks to elevate the Colossians to a more high-minded position. We struggle to know the particulars of the Colossian heresy, but it appears again that their argument is based on “human philosophy” (2:8), man-made opinions, rather than God’s instruction. Paul’s statements in ch3 remind us of our call to reflect on matters of eternal significance, the “weightier matters” that Jesus spoke about.

This does not require the Christian to reflect only on “heavenly” matters. It’s been said that Christians are so heavenly minded that their of no earthly good. Although the critique is unflattering, it’s a point worth making. We’re not commanded here to ignore matters of justice, poverty, and oppression in the world. Paul’s point is just this: you’ve put to death the earthly nature (v5), so live like it. As people who have put greed to death, we should have no problem assisting our brothers and sisters in need. We’ve been liberated to live generously. But we remain vigilant, ever on guard against the wiles of Satan. “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator,” (v8-10).

No, the life we live here on earth matters too much to ignore it completely. In fact, it matters so much that Paul implores us to a particular kind of living: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (v12-14).

These statements hardly need any commentary: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,” (v15-17).

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