I Corinthians 9-11

Americans often seem to be obsessed with “rights”. Insofar as we stand firm to protect the rights of others, particularly those who might otherwise be powerless or oppressed, that is a good thing, for without the protection of individual rights or the rights of a minority, a democracy can quickly become indistinguishable from a lynch mob, where the will of the majority is done efficiently and effectively. So it is imperative that we stand up for rights as an act of love for those who need protecting. The alternative is tyranny.

But how about when we stand up for our own rights? How about when we assert our own freedoms at the expense of others, or — more importantly — at the expense of the Gospel? Do we love our rights more than one another? Do we cling to our rights more than to God?

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

I Corinthians 10:23-24

In other words, just because you technically have the freedom or the right to do something, does not mean that you should go ahead and do it. First consider the effect of that action on others, and seek their good, not your own. This principle of love is sprinkled throughout today’s reading, from whether to eat meat sacrificed to idols (an issue we may not directly face today, but for which I am sure you can find parallels), to Paul’s own refusal of compensation (though he clearly has a right to such compensation), to sharing (or not sharing) a church meal.

So, the next time you partake of the body and blood of Christ (I Cor. 10:16-17; 11:23-32), consider Christ’s surrender of rights before you think too much about asserting your own.

See also:

• August 24 (2021) / I Cor. 9:1-27
• August 25 (2021) / I Cor. 10:1-33
• August 26 (2021) / I Cor. 11:1-22
• August 27 (2021) / I Cor. 11:23-34

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One more thing…

For future reference, it would be better to put the previous chapter, I Corinthians 8, together with today’s reading, rather than yesterday’s, as that is where Paul introduces the principle of willingly surrendering one’s rights and freedoms for the benefit of others.

I Corinthians 5-8

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

I Corinthians 6:19-20

The immediate context here regards sexual conduct, with the obvious focus on the body and the need for holiness, a message that we would do well to heed, especially as our culture grows ever more overtly sexualized and ever more twisted in its thinking. But that middle sentence — You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. — goes well beyond sexual morality. It is a central truth that applies across the board throughout our lives.

You are not your own. How our natural selves rebel against that thought! But what is life in Christ apart from this truth? All sin is ultimately a rejection of the idea that we might owe allegiance to One other than our selves. But we do owe such allegiance: for you were bought with a price. The price paid is the Cross of Christ, a higher price than we can ever imagine, and one we must never forget.

See also:

• August 19 (2021) / I Cor. 5:1-13
• August 20 (2021) / I Cor. 6:1-20
• August 21 (2021) / I Cor. 7:1-19
• August 22 (2021) / I Cor. 7:20-40
• August 23 (2021) / I Cor. 8:1-13

I Corinthians 1-4

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

I Corinthians 1:10

How are we doing on that? If one looks at the global Church (or what purports to be the Church), with the Great Schism of 1054, the Protestant Reformation and the English Reformation of the 1500s, and the thousands of resultant current denominations, one would have to say, “Not so well.” Apart from the power of prayer, you and I can have very little influence on that global scenario. More significant to our daily lives is how we ourselves are doing right here locally. Are there squabbles and divisions among us? Do we let minor differences of opinion fester into factionalism? Do style preferences prevail over relationships? Are we truly united in our faith in Christ? Do we love one another as Christ loves us?

Let’s listen to what Paul has to say here to the Corinthians. More than that, let’s listen to the Holy Spirit. Let’s recognize where we might be part of the problem — and repent.

See also:

• August 15 (2021) / I Cor. 1:1-31
• August 16 (2021) / I Cor. 2:1-16
• August 17 (2021) / I Cor. 3:1-23
• August 18 (2021) / I Cor. 4:1-21

II Thessalonians 1-3;
Acts 18:12-19:22

While Paul is in Corinth, he writes a second letter to the followers of Christ in Thessalonica, encouraging them to stand firm in their faith in the face of persecutions and afflictions. Key to that faith is the expectation of Christ’s return, when God will set all things right, bringing to judgment their tormentors and giving relief to the believers.

Do we truly believe in the Second Coming? Do we look expectantly for Christ’s return? Oh, sure, we say we do. After all, it is a well-known doctrine of the Church, and we profess it when we recite the Creeds: “…He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead…” But do we really believe it? Or, after 2,000 years of waiting, have we adopted a more “pragmatic” or more “realistic” view, in which we live in effective denial of this doctrine altogether? Has the Second Coming become blasé?

During this Advent season, as we remember and rejoice in the humble birth of the Christ Child, meek and mild, may we also look expectantly forward to that Day when Christ will come again in glory as King, revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire… (II Th. 1:7b-8a) In whose camp do you want to be on that Day? Are you ready?

See also:

• August 11 (2021) / II Thess. 1:1-12
• August 12 (2021) / II Thess. 2:1-17
• August 13 (2021) / II Thess. 3:1-18
• August 5 (2021) / Acts 18:1-28
• August 14 (2021) / Acts 19:1-22

I Thessalonians 1-5

Imagine that you are a Thessalonian. A man named Paul comes to town with a couple of traveling companions, one named Silas and another named Timothy. Paul and Silas bear the marks of a recent beating, and you wonder what they did to deserve it. These men start speaking about a Man named Jesus, Whom they call the Christ, the Anointed One. They say this Jesus was crucified, but that God raised Him from the dead, all in accordance with the Jewish Scriptures. “Ludicrous!” you think.

But the more you listen, the more you find their message compelling, not just because of their words, but because of how they act. They demonstrate a life you’ve never seen before. They show love and kindness and compassion. They speak with authority, but also with humility. They treat one another and their audience with respect. These men do not seek money. They work for a living and pay their own way. It is obvious that they are not fraudsters. They are authentic. They truly believe in this Resurrection. Seeing the reality of the Resurrection in how these men live, you come to believe, too, and you enter into fellowship with them and with their Lord, Who is now your Lord, too.

You’ve never known a depth of love that you now experience with these men and with your fellow Thessalonians who likewise come to faith in Jesus. But just as you are getting established in this new life, the Jewish leaders in town gather some of the local rowdies into an uproar. Fearing for their safety, you and your fellow believers hustle Paul and his companions out of town, and you wonder if you will ever see them again.

After some weeks Timothy returns and encourages you and your fellow believers, letting you know that Paul and Silas are OK. He teaches you more about Jesus and exhorts you not to be discouraged or dissuaded by the challenges that Paul and company might face — or that you yourself might face. Tearfully, you all send Timothy back to Paul with the report that you are standing firm in your faith in Jesus.

Then after several more days you receive this letter from Paul. You all gather around to hear what your dear friend has to say. What a letter! What encouragement! You look forward to seeing Paul again, but more than that you are reassured that you will meet Jesus face to face some day, even if you die before His glorious return. In that knowledge you find renewed hope, hope for yourself and hope for all your loved ones. And so you rejoice and give thanks to God, Who called you into His Kingdom.

OK, so maybe we’re not Thessalonians, and maybe we’ve never met anyone quite as gifted as Paul or Silas or Timothy. But we still have this letter and the rest of the Scriptures. And we have the same Father, the same Lord Jesus, and the same Holy Spirit. How might we live so as to encourage one another in the faith? How might we live so as to demonstrate the reality of the Resurrection? How might we live in the expectation of Christ’s return? How might we live as children of light, children of the day? (I Th. 5:5)

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He Who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.

I Thessalonians 5:23-24

See also:

• August 6 (2021) / I Thess.1:1-10
• August 7 (2021) / I Thessalonians 2:1-20
• August 8 (2021) / I Thessalonians 3:1-13
• August 9 (2021) / I Thessalonians 4:1-18
• August 10 (2021) / I Thess. 5:1-28

Acts 15:36-18:11

Having taken in two Epistles, one from Paul and one from James, we’re now back to the historical narrative of the Acts of the Apostles (but just for today, then back to more Epistles). Today we go with Paul on his second missionary journey as he travels from place to place proclaiming the Gospel message, preaching that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Wherever Paul goes, there are those who come to believe. And wherever he goes, he meets opposition, mostly from Jewish leadership, but also from some Gentiles. This opposition is not just a “cold shoulder”, not a few mere verbal insults. It’s serious business, with severe physical pain and suffering. Sometimes it seems like we gloss over this pain as we read through Acts. We instead see the miraculous release of Paul and Silas from the Philippian jail. We don’t notice that the jailer still needs to tend to their wounds. (Acts 16:33) I suggest we bear in mind what Paul and his companions endure for the sake of the Gospel as we continue through the Epistles and the remainder of Acts. Perhaps that will serve to help put our own situations — whatever they might be — into proper perspective.

See also:

• August 1 (2021) / Acts 15:36-16:15
• August 2 (2021) / Acts 16:16-40
• August 3 (2021) / Acts 17:1-15
• August 4 (2021) / Acts 17:16-34
• August 5 (2021) / Acts 18:1-28

James 1-5

I love this letter from James. It comforts and encourages those facing trials, and it delivers very real “rubber meets the road” challenges to us all. Are you suffering, facing various difficulties? Count it all joy, as such testing produces steadfastness. (James 1:2) Do you think you are religious? You are deceiving yourself if you can’t bridle your tongue. (James 1:26, 3:2-12) Do you boast of your business savvy? You do not know what tomorrow will bring. (James 4:13-16) Yes, James covers a lot of ground — and packs a punch as he does so.

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is One; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! … You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James 2:17-19,24

Some see these words from James as contradicting Paul, particularly Paul’s letter to the Galatians that so forcefully argues that one is justified by faith, and not by works of the Law. But nothing could be further from the truth; there is no real contradiction here. What James is saying here is that “the proof is in the pudding”, that authentic faith — real trust in Jesus and not just intellectual assent to a few facts — results in actions (“works”) that reflect that faith. Paul clearly agrees with that notion, saying that what matters is faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6) So if you’ve ever been bothered by this so-called “contradiction”, you can put that idea to rest.

See also:

• July 27 (2021) / James 1:1-27
• July 28 (2021) / James 2:1-26
• July 29 (2021) / James 3:1-18
• July 30 (2021) / James 4:1-17
• July 31 (2021) / James 5:1-20

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One more thing…

Our reading schedule follows the order given in the Thomas Nelson Chronological Study Bible, so we may be tempted to think that we are, in fact, reading things chronologically, with the Epistles presented in the order in which they were originally written. But the problem is that there is quite a lot of guesswork that goes into assessing the chronology of things 2,000 years old. For example, this letter from James may have been written before Paul’s letter to the Galatians, even though we are reading it after. Or it might have been written several years later and after other letters that we have not yet read. We simply do not know.

My point here is that we should not take the order given by The Chronological Study Bible as being definitive in any sense. Nor should we base any doctrine on any such supposed chronology. Rather, hold the chronology loosely, and consider what the Word of God actually says, not so much when it might have been said.

Galatians 3-6

O foolish Galatians!

Galatians 3:1a

Discounting geography, might this epithet from Paul apply to you? Are you striving to make yourself righteous by following a set of rules? Having glimpsed the grace of God in Christ, are you now trying to earn His approval? Having started with the Spirit, are you now trying to go it alone?

I, for one, have fallen into this trap multiple times. I say I believe in Jesus. I say I appreciate His Cross. I say I acknowledge His Resurrection. Yet I often persist in trying to clean myself up on my own. I effectively tell God, “Thanks for the help. Now I’ve got this!” O foolish Galatian!

Paul goes on to explain that our righteousness comes only through faith in Christ, not from outward conformity to the Law. Any attempt to establish our own righteousness under the Law is not only futile but counterproductive, even deadly, as it undermines grace and cuts us off from Christ. (Gal. 5:4) It reveals that we are really trusting in ourselves and not in Christ at all.

Does that mean, then, that — not being “under the Law” — we should go ahead and engage in all sorts of illicit behavior? Am I free to cheat on my wife? May I steal? Lie? Murder? It should be abundantly obvious that the answer to all of that is, “No!” (Gal. 5:13-15) We must not indulge the flesh. We must instead walk by the Spirit.

So examine yourself. Are you trying to make it on your own? Or do you have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you operating in your own strength, trusting in your “flesh”? Or are you walking by the Spirit? Look at yourself in the light of Galatians 5:19-26? What kind of fruit do you see? Even if you might look good on the outside, what’s going on inside?

See also:

• July 21 (2021) / Galatians 3:1-14
• July 22 (2021) / Galatians 3:15-29
• July 23 (2021) / Gal. 4:1-31
• July 24 (2021) / Gal. 5:1-15
• July 25 (2021) / Gal. 5:16-26
• July 26 (2021) / Gal. 6:1-18

Acts 15:1-35; Galatians 1-2

Old habits die hard. And the oldest habit of all is self-justification.

Paul, once the ultimate Pharisee, sees through legalism and self-justification like no one else. He understands what it means to be zealous for the Law of Moses and for the traditions of his fathers. (Galatians 1:14; Philippians 3:4-6) He also knows Jesus. He knows that he cannot attain righteousness under the Law. He knows that by the grace of God he is already righteous in Jesus.

Paul says:

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Galatians 2:19-21

We have a choice. We can trust in ourselves and seek to make ourselves look good, to prove ourselves, to justify ourselves. Or we can die and turn our lives over to Jesus. Which will it be today?

See also:

• July 18 (2021) / Acts 15:1-35
• July 19 (2021) / Galatians 1:1-24
• July 20 (2021) / Galatians 2:1-21