Monthly Archives: November 2018

Daily Bible Study

December 1, 2018 Bible Study — The Gift Of Love

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

9Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Corinthians 12-14.

    In today’s passage Paul writes about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He tells us that the Holy Spirit gives each and every one of us gifts in order to make us able to fill the role which God has given us. However, the Holy Spirit gives each of us different gifts. God has not called us all to the same roles, so the Spirit has not given all of us the same gifts. Furthermore, we do not decide what gifts we need. After all, they are gifts, therefore the Giver will decide what to gift to give us. However, just as a parent takes into account what gifts a child desires, so God takes into account what we desire. Therefor we should desire the better gifts, which is not the same as desiring the most impressive gifts. One mistake we often make is to think that those with the most impressive spiritual gifts are the most important. Paul states in no uncertain terms that this is not the case. Those with the most “mundane” spiritual gifts are every bit as important as those with the flashiest spiritual gifts.

    In fact, the gift which we should all desire, and which the Spirit will give each of us if we do, is the gift of love. Speaking in tongues is wonderful, but if it is not paired with love it is just so much noise. The ability to prophecy is wonderfully useful, especially combined with great faith, but if the two of them are without love, they are completely and utterly worthless. There are people who seem to have no other spiritual gifts except the ability to love the most unlovable people. When I read chapter 13:4-7 I think of people I know like that. I would rather be one of them than someone who cares nothing for others but can make wonderful speeches and perform great wonders.

Daily Bible Study

November 30, 2018 Bible Study — Paying Our Pastors and Eating Food Sacrificed To Idols

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

9Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Corinthians 9-11.

    What Paul writes in chapter nine can be a bit confusing. I believe that he is responding to people in Corinth who accused him of trying to take financial advantage of the Corinthian believers. His answer to that is twofold. First, he emphasizes that, as one who had preached the Gospel to them, he had the right to their financial support. The other part of his rebuttal of that accusation was to point out that he had never exercised that right. The case Paul makes here leads me to an important conclusion, also two part. Those who minister to their fellow believers and provide leadership for the Church are entitled to be paid. We should be prepared to provide for the financial needs of our pastors. However, some people are called by God to refuse that financial support. This latter can only be something that someone comes to on their own by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

    In chapter ten Paul goes into more in Depth on the issue of eating meat offered to idols. However, actively taking part in worship rituals to idols is idolatry. if for no other reason than it will cause some to believe that we worship those idols. Actively taking part in the worship rituals of pagans will encourage them in their false beliefs. It will bind them more deeply into their servitude to demons. Going on from there Paul lays out the guidelines we should follow, guidelines which can be easily applied in other areas. The most important point Paul makes is that since idols are of no real significance there is no harm if we eat meat that we were unaware had been offered to an idol. Therefore, we should make no effort to find out if the meat we are purchasing in the market had been offered to idols. This “willful ignorance” extends to the food served to us by a pagan who has invited us to dinner. Don’t ask, just eat what is offered. However, if someone makes the effort to inform us, either our host, another pagan, or a fellow believer, that the food put before us was offered to an idol, we should decline to eat it. This is not because our knowing it was offered to idols would change our relationship to the meat, the idol, or even to God. Rather, it is because, if we eat the food after being informed, we will encourage whoever informed us in worshiping idols.

Daily Bible Study

November 29, 2018 Bible Study — Dealing With Sin In the Church

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Corinthians 5-8.

    Paul writes about sexual sin in today’s passage. He addresses an issue where, rather than discipline someone for sexual sin, the Church in Corinth bragged about it. They were proud that they accepted someone going beyond what was acceptable in the very libertine city in which they lived. Here is where it gets interesting, Paul had previously told them not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. Apparently, the Church in Corinth had concluded that was impractical because so many of the people of Corinth indulged in sexual sin and chose to ignore Paul’s guidance. So, Paul reiterates and clarifies what he had written previously (in a letter which is lost to history). And the clarification point is important because many Christians today fail to pay attention to it. We as believers should not associate with those who claim to be followers of Christ who indulge in sexual sins. But not just sexual sins, we should also not associate with those “Christians” who is greedy, abusive, a drunkard, or cheats people. However, this guidance does not apply to those who are outside of the Body of Believers, who do not claim to follow Christ. In order to avoid associating with those who practice the sins Paul mentions who do not claim to be Christians we would need to isolate ourselves from the world in a way which would make reaching people for Christ impossible. In the Church today, we have both those making the same mistake the Corinthian Church made, boasting of their acceptance of sinful behavior, and those who try to stay away from all sinners.

    After addressing the issue of the Church member who was sleeping with his father’s wife, Paul discusses lawsuits between Church members, then returns to the issue of sexual sin. Because of the way Paul addresses the issue we often separate these two teachings, but in fact they are closely linked. Paul states that other sins should be handled the same way as sexual sins. In addressing the issue of lawsuits between believers, Paul is giving an example of evidence of those other sins, and the logic which shows that the lawsuits are because of sin. The lawsuit is evidence that one believer is greedy and/or trying to cheat another. If both parties to the lawsuit genuinely believed that it was a legitimate disagreement over the meaning of their agreement, they could have, and should have, brought their disagreement to the Church for resolution. Further, if the other party would not abide by the decision reached by the Church, it would be better to allow them to cheat you than take the case to unbelievers for resolution.
    After finishing his message on sexual sin, Paul discusses marriage in the Church. From what Paul writes here it is clear that some in the early Church thought that marriage was an obsolete institution. However, Paul makes it clear that this is not the case. Paul advocates for the benefits of remaining single, but makes it clear that not everyone is called to remain single. Paul tells us that remaining single should be the default assumption for Christians, but that not everyone is called to such a life. Marriage is neither the preferred state for followers of Christ, nor something for them to avoid.

Daily Bible Study

November 28, 2018 Bible Study — Unity Through The Wisdom of God

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Corinthians 1-4.

    When Paul writes about the divisions in the Church in Corinth, I believe he is talking more about factions than about actual disagreement over actual teachings. He is addressing those who are making a claim to being more righteous than those who are part of different factions. I have often heard this used by non-denominational congregations to justify not being part of a denomination, and to imply that they are superior to those which are part of a denomination. While they do have a point about denominations being the result of a failure of Christians to be truly faithful, they have clearly failed to fully read the passage because Paul addresses them when he writes “or, ‘I follow Christ’.” When we become divided into factions, we become more concerned with remaining loyal to our faction than in serving God. Factions also serve to make us feel superior to others and to gather power. We should be seeking to serve others and to elevate them, not lord it over them.

    Paul tells us that we will never convince people of the Gospel message by the wisdom of our arguments. By human thinking the Gospel message is foolishness. On the one hand are those who refuse to believe in the miraculous and thus will not accept Jesus’ resurrection. On the other hand are those who will not accept that Jesus’ death was His victory. Another way to put this is something I have said previously. No matter how sound your logic, if your starting assumptions are faulty your conclusions will be as well. Until we accept God’s assumptions, no amount of wisdom or logic will get us anywhere. One cannot arrive at the Gospel through the application of wisdom or logic, only through the action of the Holy Spirit. Paul makes clear that this does not mean, as some have concluded, that wisdom and logic do not have their place in Christian faith. Once one has come to understand the power of God and accept the assumptions upon which He created the Universe, the Holy Spirit can show us the wisdom and logic of God and how it should shape our lives.

Daily Bible Study

November 27, 2018 Bible Study — Unity Among Believers By Staying Away From False Teachers

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Romans 15-16.

    Paul concludes his case about how we deal with “disputable matters” by writing that we should not live just to please ourselves. Rather we should live so as to help others do what is right. By doing so we can live in harmony. As in other places, Paul writes here that those who follow Christ should live in unity. However, he also ends his letter to the Roman Church by warning them to stay away from people who cause division by teaching things different from what has been the teachings of the Church from the beginning. Paul’s teachings on unity among believers is often used by those who teach things counter to what he taught on issues concerning sexual morality and others. Faithful believers have often failed to recognize that Paul condemns those who advocate such practices without practicing them even more strongly than he does those who practice immorality. We would recognize that someone who encourages others to use heroin or cocaine recreationally is encouraging people to harm themselves. Why do we fail to recognize that those who encourage others to be sexually immoral are doing the same?
    As part of his conclusion, Paul writes that he is confident that the members of the Roman Church, to whom he is writing, are fully aware of the teachings he is writing about. He emphasizes that this letter to them is but a reminder of things which they already know and teach. He makes the point that this reminder is necessary, not because they were not fully aware of what he is writing, but because the things he wrote were so important that reiterating them is always a good thing.

Daily Bible Study

November 26, 2018 Bible Study — Do Not Conform, Be Transformed

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Romans 11-14.

    Paul discusses his desire for all Jews to accept Jesus as their Savior. Today, we often speak of trying to convert Jews to Christianity. Paul did not see that as something to be attempted because he believed that putting faith in Jesus was a natural result of faithfully following Judaism. Paul tells us that at all points in history there will be a number of Jews who faithfully follow God and accept Jesus as Lord. He also prophecies that at some point all Jews will come to the Lord. However, my biggest takeaway from Paul’s writing here on Jews is that you cannot be a faithful follower of Jesus and hate Jews.

    I want to write about chapter twelve because I think it contains some of the most important advice for Christians there is. However, I am unsure what to write because this is one place where what Paul writes is so clear and concise. All too often, we as Christians fail to listen to what he says here and allow ourselves to blend in. One of the most effective ways to reach unbelievers is to live our lives in a way which causes them to ask us, “Why are you different?” Paul is really quite clear. If we do not allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds, and thus transform us, we will conform to the patterns of those around us. Paul does not leave us to guess what that transformation would look like and he tells us how we can invite that transformation. The first step is to have an honest, accurate view of ourselves, not thinking ourselves better than others and recognizing that God has made us valuable to Him where and how we are. Whatever gifts He has given us we must put into use to the best of our ability, not spending our time attempting to do things which require gifts which God has not given us. Those who have been transformed bless those who persecute them and repay evil with good.

    I considered passing over the end of today’s passage partly because I am running out of time and partly because it is difficult to reconcile with the need to hold our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable to His word. Paul here tells us not to argue over “disputable” matters. He gives as examples of such matters, the issue of what is appropriate to eat or drink and celebrating holy days. On the issue of food and drink, I believe that Paul is referring both to Jewish kosher law and dealing with the issue of food sacrificed to idols (which he discusses in more details in his letters to the Corinthians). The important point about what he teaches here is that we should not attempt to force those who feel the need for more strict rules to abandon those rules just because we believe they are unnecessary. The key here is that those of us with a stronger faith should accommodate the beliefs of those with a weaker faith. In other words, if what you are arguing for is not fundamental to being a follower of Christ, you should drop the argument. Failing to drop the argument is a tacit admission that your faith is weaker than the person you are arguing with.

The Adventures of Surac

The Adventures of Surac — Interlude

    Our ship arrived in port late in the day. So Captain sara offered to allow us to stay on board until morning. This seemed wisest to all three of us passengers. In the morning, Vod and I headed to the gates to register for permission to gain access to the city proper. Apparently, no one is allowed into the city proper without providing evidence of what business they have there and with whom. Tifa joined us in this endeavor as she wished to explore the shops in the main part of the city. Initially, Tifa attempted to register to visit the Temple of Peony on the strength of her friendship with the Bishop of Thay, but the guard dismissed the idea of her being friends to such a personage out of hand (I later discovered that Tifa was indeed a friend of the Bishop). Upon observing this, I added Vod and Tifa to my request to visit the Temple of save-K’Nor. I was confident that my superiors in the church would extend their provenance to anyone for whom I requested. We were informed that it would be several hours before our paperwork would be processed
    .Since neither Vod nor I had any business until the paperwork was produced and the docks appeared to be inhabited by many unsavory sorts, we agreed to accompany Tifa, whose message was directed to someone near the docks. However, it turned out that the message was intended for the Prelate of the Temple of Peony here in Chirapher. So, Tifa was given papers to enter the city and go to that Temple. She convinced her contact to include Vod and myself on her paperwork. When we presented these papers at the gate, we were provided an escort to guide us to the Temple (and apparently to ensure that we did not wonder elsewhere). When we got to the temple of Peony, our escort remained outside the gate until an acolyte came out and spoke to him. As soon as he left, Vod and I departed the Temple of Peony to pursue our missions. Vod to seek information regarding the artifact he is seeking and I to go to the Temple of Save-K’Nor. I felt bad about leaving without saying farewell to Tifa, but felt I must take the opportunity which presented itself.
    When Vod and I separated at the entrance to the Temple, I told him that, should he have reason, he could seek me out there. I, also, informed the door wardens that my traveling companions should be made welcome if they came inquiring after me. They showed me in to see the head of my order, who wasted no time informing me that they wished me to investigate some unsanctioned arcane activity in the southeastern regions of the island. Since I am uninterested in whether or not the Church sanctions arcane activity, I inquired for more detail (which I would need anyway). It turns out that people had been disappearing in that region and a preliminary investigation revealed the misuse of magic was involved. The prelate promised me a full briefing with a packet containing all of their information shortly and dismissed me. When I left his office, the acolyte informed me that my companions were waiting for me in the antechamber.
    Vod had made a contact who was going to find information which might further his quest and Tifa was now at loose ends. All three of us were in need of lodging and Tifa had obtained a recommendation for such. Tifa even offered to pay for our lodging. Having shared quarters with both of them on the ship, I had found them agreeable companions. So, I was not loathe to continue our relationship. Once we had secured lodging, the three of us visited the merchants and craftsmen in the city. I found a nice set of clothes, but for the most part the proprietors of the shops were unfriendly and rude. Well, tomorrow will be another day.

Daily Bible Study

November 25, 2018 Bible Study — Why Our Congregations Are Dying

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Romans 8-10.

    Today’s passage continues a theme which Paul began writing on in yesterday’s passage. I did not touch on it yesterday because the thoughts did not come together. Today Paul talks about how we no longer need to follow our sinful nature because of what God has done for us. We are no longer enslaved to our sinful nature but are free to allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives. If we do the things that please the Holy Spirit, we are controlled by the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, if we do the things which please our sinful nature we will be controlled by our sinful nature. This entire passage often seems either plainly self-evident or complexly confusing. However, having read it year after year as part of writing this blog I have come to realize that Paul is talking about something I discovered some time back, and still fail to fully implement in my life. If we do the things which we know that we should be doing we will not have time to sin. The more we do the things which God desires us to do, the less opportunity we will have to succumb to temptation. The Holy Spirit will direct us in what we should do. If we follow its directions we will not yield to temptation. Yet, this is not what saves us. We should allow the Holy Spirit to guide us because we are saved, not think that we will be saved because we do as the Holy Spirit directs.

    In chapter 10 Paul gives the best summation of the Gospel message

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

That is from verse nine and is often misinterpreted as cheap grace. In verse ten Paul explains that believing in our heart makes us right with God, and as the Book of James explains, if we believe in our hearts our behavior will change. Further, Paul explains that the open acknowledgement that Jesus is the source of our salvation, not any action of our own, saves us. From there Paul goes on to remind us of the Scripture which says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Which leads him to give the most succinct explanation of our purpose as Christians and the purpose of the Church.

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?

When I was growing up, I perceived that just about everyone I knew had heard the Gospel message at one point or another. I know now that it was fewer than I had realized, but most people had still been exposed to that message. Today, most people I encounter have little familiarity with the Gospel. Of course our society is drifting ever further from god, because so few of the people in it have ever actually heard about Him. And our Churches are, all too often, failing to send anyone to tell them. Is your congregation dying? If so, when was the last time someone from it went out and preached the Gospel to people who were not already familiar enough with Christ to seek out the Church?

Daily Bible Study

November 24, 2018 Bible Study — Faith Does Not Make Us Right With God. It Allows God To Make Us Right With Him

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Romans 4-7.

    We do not earn God’s love, we accept it. As I read through today’s passage I realized part of why Paul’s writing here is sometimes hard to follow. There is a paradox of sorts at the heart of Paul’s understanding of how we become saved. Nothing we can do will earn us salvation. Nothing we do makes us better than anyone else. But we need to have faith that God has made us right with Him in order for that to happen. The best way to describe this is by example. At some point, most, if not all, of us have done something to someone which we know hurts them and which we know we cannot make right. Our natural tendency is to avoid interacting with them or talking with them. If we do talk with them, we tend to keep that interaction to the minimum necessary for the circumstances because nothing we can do can make right what we did. However, that person can make our relationship right by forgiving us. However, if we continue to refuse to interact with them, our relationship will never be made right. Further, because we will not connect with that person again, we continue to do things to them which are hurtful. In order to be reconciled with that person we must do two things. We must recognize that nothing we can do can fix the damage we have done. We must accept that they have forgiven us. In the same way our faith does not make us right with God, it just allows God to make us right with Him.

Daily Bible Study

November 23, 2018 Bible Study — I Am Not Better Than You (And Neither Is That Guy Over There).

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Romans 1-3.

    Today’s passage is one of those which is so full of stuff that I am not going to be able to comment on everything important. Paul writes to the believers in Rome telling them how much he wants to visit them. He wants to do so in order to bring them encouragement and teaching, but he also wants to be encouraged and taught by them. I never realized before how that fits in with what he writes later in today’s passage. One theme that goes throughout this passage, and much of Paul’s writing, is that no one has any position to “lord it” over others. I am not better than you, you are not better than me. We are all sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. Nothing we have done, or can do, can make us right with God. Only the action of God could make us right with Him. Jesus took that action by dying on the cross. Until we have faith in the power of Jesus to make us right with God we will continue to try to force God to accept our judgement of what is right and wrong. One thing that I want to point out about Paul’s teaching here. None of us can claim to be better than others, but the converse is also true: none of us can claim to be worse than others.

    Paul points out that God has made Himself known through the nature of the Universe. We know what is right and wrong almost by instinct. Yet we often choose to reject that knowledge. Paul goes on to detail the many perversities which result from refusing to accept God and the rules by which He has designed the world to function. And those of us who acknowledge God have no basis for considering ourselves better than those because we commit the same sins. We all fall short of God’s standard. Only when the Holy Spirit enters into us and transforms us will we live a life as God desires. If we live as God desires it is not to our credit because it only happens because the Holy Spirit is moving us to do so.