1 Corinthians 8
The Corinthians had asked Paul in a previous letter if they
could eat meat offered to idols. Paul had addressed issues of conscience
stemming from the background of the Jewish Christians at Rome in Romans 14. Now
Gentile Christians have an issue of conscience which comes from their pagan
background. We have all been given spiritual knowledge and wisdom. The
knowledge that the old covenant had been done away was new spiritual knowledge
for the Jewish Christian. Many Jewish Christians due to strong religious
upbringing as Orthodox Jews had weak consciences when it came to doing anything
that would violate the old covenant. Now new in the faith Gentiles of Corinth
have a similar weakness concerning eating meat which had previously been
offered to idols. Verses 4-7, Most meat in the meat-markets of Corinth, or for
that matter any pagan city, was meat that had been previously offered to some
idol. I mean, why waste the meat? There was money to be had in the resale,
obviously. Now Paul brings out that the Christians basically know that the
pagan idols are just wooden or brazen statues, and are nothing. To eat or not
eat the meat offered to pagan idols did not defile a Christian. Those older and
more mature in the faith knew this, and it wasn't an issue with them. Those who
were newer and more immature in the faith were bothered by eating such
meat, just as the Jewish Christians were equally bothered by food that went
against the Hebrew dietary laws of Leviticus 11 in the old covenant. The older
and more mature members were using their head-knowledge about what was and
wasn't permissible in a spiritually prideful way which was endangering the
newly forming Christian consciences of the others. They weren't acting out of
love toward the newer brethren. Love builds up and edifies, while
indiscriminate use of head-knowledge only serves to puff up the user and
potentially damage others spiritually. Knowledge and wisdom vary in degree to
what maturity level the particular believer is at. So with this, let's see what
Paul has to say about this issue in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3. "Now about food
sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. 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 God is known by God." They weren't
using knowledge aright, they were using it to tear down, not build up. How were
they doing this? As I explained earlier, the Gentile convert had come out of
paganism. All the local meat markets sold meat which had been offered to idols.
Verses 4-7, "So, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol
is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if
there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are
many 'gods' and many 'lords'), yet for us there is but one God, the Father,
from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord,
Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not
everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when
they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and
since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near
to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we
do."
Now, how were these older Christians using their knowledge to
tear down and not edify? Verses 9-13. "Be careful, however, that the
exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak."
(Sort of like taking someone you know who is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous
out to the bar and grill for dinner and tossing down a cold beer with your
dinner right in front of him!) "For if anyone with a weak conscience sees
you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple [where a lot of this
meat was cooked and sold], won't he be emboldened to eat what has been
sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed
by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound
their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes
my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not
cause him to fall."
Knowledge should edify. Knowledge without love
only tears down. 1 Corinthians 13:1-7. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of
angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If
I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and
if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If
I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have
not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it
does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres." This is the crown statement of what Paul has to say about
the right and wrong use of knowledge. If how we use knowledge doesn't fit the 1
Corinthians 13 pattern, you are not using it aright. Liberty does not mean you
have the liberty to cause your brother to stumble. If the exercise of your
liberty does cause a brother to stumble you are not acting out of love and you
are misusing your liberty. You are not being a truly mature Christian.
1 Corinthians 9
The concept of the relay race probably came from Corinth. The
forerunner of the Olympic Games started in Corinth. The phrase "Let those who
have the light pass it on" was first coined in Corinth, foreshadowing the
passing of the torch in a race or the Olympics. Our concern should be that
others see Jesus Christ in us. Our concern shouldn't be how "we" look before
others. People with the puffed up mindset are always trying to show you what
they know. The knowledge that we should be concerned about is the knowledge
that we know God and love God, and that God knows and loves us. Then having the
love of God fill us, we spill it onto others, God's light shines from us onto
others. Matthew 5:14-16. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill
cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Paul had Jesus Christ in him. He was
just plain and serving them and not trying to impress anyone, and because of
this many were ragging on him. Paul is now saying "Don't I have a right to
partake of the fruit of your labors when you are my harvest in the Lord? He who
plows should have the right to partake of the fruit of the harvest. Verses
1-12, "Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are
you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle
to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the
Lord. This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. Don't we have the
right to food and drink? Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along
with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? Or is it
only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?" [Paul supported himself as
a tentmaker.] "Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a
vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink
of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? For it is written
in the Law of Moses: 'Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain
[Deut. 25:4].' Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for
us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows
and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the
harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a
material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you,
shouldn't we have it all the more?"
Paul was a tentmaker, and what
is more, he provided for his own needs and for those that were traveling with
him. He didn't charge anyone for the gospel. Paul's motive was pure--verse 18.
Mike McIntosh and those that travel with him often travel around on gospel
outreach tours and pay for all their own expenses. They don't charge admission
and don't beg for money from the crowd. We don't demand money or offerings.
People know where the offering box is, and they give freely because they are
inspired to. God loves a cheerful giver. Finances should never hamper the
gospel of Jesus Christ--and greed will kill your efforts to promote the gospel
faster than anything else. Paul went for days without food in order to promote
the gospel, rather than charge anyone. God always provides the means. God is
greater than all of us. The universe is his! And somehow, when you're not
demanding money, the money comes--and abundantly--if you're doing the will of
the Lord. Verses 12-18, "But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we
put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don't you know
that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who
serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the
Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living
from the gospel. But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing
this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than
have anyone deprive me of this boast. Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot
boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply
discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: THAT
I MAY OFFER IT FREE OF CHARGE, AND SO NOT MAKE USE OF MY RIGHTS IN PREACHING
IT." (Emphasis mine.) Wow! Beware of those who would charge you a hefty
entrance fee at a revival meeting. Is their motive as pure as Paul's was? Think
about it. God inspires people to see when the motive is pure, and then the
people freely and bountifully give, because they can trust those who exemplify
a pure Godly motive.
The Philosophy of Paul's Ministry:
I am all
things to all men. To Jews I am a Jew, to the weak I am weak--so that I can
share the gospel with them all. Verses 19-23, "Though I am free and belong
to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To
the Jews I became a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like
one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those
under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law
(though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win
those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have
become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I
do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its
blessings."
Paul adds to this the attitude of an athlete. Paul
didn't have a lazy man's attitude toward Christianity and being a Christian,
but an athlete's attitude toward being a Christian. Our primary focus should be
as spiritual athletes. Desire that people see Jesus Christ in you. The standard
is of love--building others up and edifying them. Verses 24-27, "Do you not
know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in
such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into
strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to
get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running
aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and
make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize."
1 Corinthians 10
What taste do you have of Jesus, is it sweet or sour? This is
still part of Paul's answer to the questions the Corinthians had asked Paul in
a previous letter to him. Verses 1-4, "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you
to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the
sea. All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same
spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that
spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." What Paul is
saying is 'Take heed to God's dealings with Israel.' Their experiences were
written down for our good. The Israelites were under God's special covenant
blessing. Paul says they were all given special intimate fellowship with God.
As they departed from Egypt, they were brought into this covenant of blessing.
They were symbolically baptized as they crossed through the Red Sea. In the
Bible, Egypt is symbolic of this sinning world and it's societies. We leave the
Egypt--world, it's ways and habits of sin--through baptism. And we receive
spiritual baptism through the Holy Spirit--that's what the cloud symbolizes.
Paul says they entered into a special union with God as His people, as they
left Egypt and passed under His cloud, the shelter and blessing of God. The
people of Israel were initiated and indoctrinated into a special communion and
fellowship with God. Much of Paul's letters to the Corinthians is about
communion or fellowship with God. Paul also says in verses 3 and 4 that they
ate of the same spiritual food and they drank of the same spiritual drink. He's
referring back to Exodus and Numbers. Exodus 16 & 17 and Numbers 20. In
Exodus 16, this is just a few weeks after the Israelites left Egypt. After all
that God had done they began to complain about the good Egyptian food they no
longer had. God provided bread miraculously for them. Exodus 16:1-15. "And they
journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to
the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of
the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt [they departed on
the fifteen of Nisan, the first month, exactly one month earlier]. Then the
whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron
in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, 'Oh, that we had
died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of
meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this
wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.' Then the Lord said to
Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go
out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they
will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall
prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather
daily.' Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, 'At evening
you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in
the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your murmurings
against the Lord. But what are we, that you murmur against us?' Also Moses
said, 'This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening,
and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your murmurings which
you make against Him. And what are we? Your murmurings are not against us but
against the Lord. Then Moses spoke to Aaron, 'Say to all the congregation of
the children of Israel, 'Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your
murmurings.' Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of
the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the
glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
'I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying,
'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with
bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God. So it was that quails
came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all
around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the
wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. So
when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For
they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, 'This is the bread which
the Lord has given you to eat.'"
Water From the Rock: Exodus 17:1-7.
"Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey
from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and
camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore
the people contended with Moses and said, 'Give us water, that we may drink.'
And Moses said to them, 'Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the
Lord?' And the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against
Moses, and said, 'Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and
our children and our livestock with thirst?' So Moses cried out to the Lord,
saying, 'What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!'
And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go out before the people, and take with you some
of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck
the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb;
and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people
may drink.' And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called
the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the contention of the
children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, 'Is the Lord
among us or not?'
And then we have the same Israelites 40 years later in
Numbers 20. Numbers 20:1-13. "Then the children of Israel, the whole
congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the
people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there. Now there
was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and
Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: 'If only we had
died when our brethren died before the Lord! Why have you brought up the
congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should
die here? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this
evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is
there any water to drink.' So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the
assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their
faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them. Then the Lord spoke to
Moses, saying, 'Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly
together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water;
thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the
congregation and their animals.' So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as
He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before
the rock; and he said to them, 'Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for
you out of this rock?' Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice
with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their
animals drank.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did
not believe me, to hallow me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore
you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.'
This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with
the Lord, and he was hallowed among them."
What is the significance
of God repeatedly bringing Israel to the point of hunger and thirst? And why do
they continue to doubt God--after all the mighty miracles He had done for them
going all the way back to Egypt? God had a greater purpose for Israel--that
they should hunger and thirst for him. God brought them bread from heaven. They
drank from the Rock, and Paul said that Rock was Christ. God wanted them to
know that he was all they needed. He could provide all their needs, both
physical and spiritual--and much more importantly the spiritual. God was
telling them, "I can fill your stomachs, but eventually you will die. I want
you to partake of me."
In the Middle East (and this includes the Jewish
people) there was a belief that partaking of a meal was much more than a
physical thing--when you partook of a meal with somebody else. There was a
oneness that took place. In the Middle East partaking of a meal together was
highly regarded. It was probably the most intimate part of fellowship you could
have with a person--each eating the same food and having that food become a
part of you. Jews wouldn't have meals with Gentiles because they believed that
this oneness was taking place. They also took this thought and transformed it
to their worship. When you look at some of the sacrifices in the Old Testament
you find the people were ordered (by God) to partake of the meal that took
place as a result of the sacrifice, and the part that would be burnt would make
smoke which would be wafted before the Lord and he would partake of it--and
there was this oneness, and this oneness was between God and his people. God's
purpose is to have a people for himself, and fellowship with them.
Unfortunately the people of Israel were always concerned about their physical
needs. Every time you read about them they're saying, 'Oh I'm hungry, Oh I'm
thirsty. I liked Egypt better because there we had physical food.' God's point
is this: The physical food will fill your stomach--but it won't keep you alive
spiritually--it won't give you eternal life. Spiritual fellowship is so much
more. God brought bread from heaven and water from a rock to show them he was
there to satisfy their needs.
Let's look at John 6. Jesus said, "I am
the Bread of life." John 6:25-62. "When they found him on the other side of the
lake, they asked him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?' Jesus answered, 'I tell
you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but
because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils,
but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.' Then they asked him,
'What must we do to do the works God requires?' Jesus answered, 'The work of
God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.' So they asked him, 'What
miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What
will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He
gave them bread from heaven to eat.' Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth,
it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father
who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes
down from heaven and gives life to the world.' 'Sir,' they said, 'from now on
give us this bread.' Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who
comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be
thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will
never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do
the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I
shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him
shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.'
At
this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, 'I am the bread that
came down from heaven.' They said, 'Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose
father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from
heaven'?'
'Stop grumbling among yourselves,' Jesus answered. 'No one can
come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at
the last day. It is written in the Prophets: They will all be taught by God.
[Isaiah 54:13]' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to
me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen
the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am
the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they
died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat
and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats
of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give
for the life of the world.'
Then the Jews began to argue sharply
among themselves, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' Jesus said to
them, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and
drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my
blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh
is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my
blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live
because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and
died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.' He said this while
teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum."
The physical doesn't truly
satisfy. Partaking of Jesus Christ satisfies. That is what Jesus is saying.
That is what Paul is saying. In 1 Corinthians 10:5 we read that God was not
pleased with the Israelites. He did all these things--even bringing
supernatural food from heaven and water from rocks. And he was not pleased with
them. Most of them--all but two, died in the desert. Two entered the promise
land. Why did they enter? They entered because of faith. Joshua and Caleb
showed faith and trust in God when nobody else would. Verses 5-7,
"Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were
scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us
from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as
some of them were; as it is written: 'The people sat down to eat and drink and
got up to indulge in pagan revelry."
Exodus 32:1-10. "Now when the
people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people
gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, 'Come, make us gods that shall go
before us, for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of
Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' And Aaron said to them, 'Break
off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and
your daughters, and bring them to me.' So all the people broke off the golden
earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received
the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made
a molded calf. Then they said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you
out of the land of Egypt!' So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it.
And Aaron made a proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.' Then
they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace
offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to
play.
And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go, get down! For your people whom
you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have
turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made
themselves a molded calf, and worshipped it and sacrificed to it, and said,
'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' And
the Lord said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and indeed it is a
stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot
against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.'"
Moses then pleaded for the lives of the Israelites and went back down, ground
up the calf and threw the gold dust in the water and made the people drink of
it, giving them stomach aches.
Verse 8, "We should not commit sexual
immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them
died."
Exodus 25:1-5,9. "Then Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and
the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the
people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to
their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was
aroused against Israel. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take all the leaders of
the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the
fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.' So Moses said to the
judges of Israel, 'Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of
Peor'...And those who died in the plague were twenty-four
thousand."
Verse 9, "We should not test the Lord, as some of them
did--and were killed by snakes." Numbers 21:4-9. "Then they journeyed from
Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the
soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke
against God and against Moses: 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die
in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this
worthless bread.' So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they
bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people
came to Moses, and said, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord
and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.' So
Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery
serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten,
when he looks at it shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on
a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the
bronze serpent, he lived." The symbolism here is very strong and points to
Christ, who on the cross took on the sins of Satan's world, the great serpent.
He had the appearance of a sinner by dying on the cross, yet without sin. And
everyone who looks to Christ in faith is saved and receives eternal life, just
as those bitten by the fiery serpents lived when they gazed upon the bronze
serpent. We have all been bitten by the fiery serpent, for this is his
world. When we gaze upon Christ in faith, we are healed of the spiritual death
that Satan's bite inflicts and receive the promise of life eternal. The bronze
serpent was a symbol of Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice on the cross,
and of how we can be healed of Satan's bite and receive eternal life by looking
to Christ in faith.
Verse 10, "And do not grumble, as some of them
did--and were killed by the destroying angel." This grumbling took place
just after God had killed many leaders who had risen up with Korah in
rebelling, trying to assume the right to be priests and serve as the Levites
did in the temple service (Numbers 16:1-40). Numbers 16:41-49. "On the next day
all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and
Aaron, saying, 'You have killed the people of the Lord.' Now it happened, when
the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward
the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of
the Lord appeared. Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Get away from the congregation, that I
may consume them in a moment.' And they fell on their faces. So Moses said to
Aaron, 'Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and
take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has
gone out form the Lord. The plague has begun.' Then Aaron took it as Moses
commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and already the plague
had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the
people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was
stopped. Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred,
besides those who died in the Korah incident."
So what is the bottom
line to all this? What is Paul trying to say? Verses 11-12, "These things
happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom
the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm,
be careful that you don't fall!" Then Paul goes on to talk about the trials
we go through and a promise God makes about them to us. Verse 13, "No
temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he
will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can bear it." God didn't
necessarily say he would remove the "temptation" or trial, but that he would,
1) not let the temptation be more than we could bear, and 2) make it possible
for us to bear it. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord
to Zerubbabel" comes to mind here.
In verses 14-22 Paul goes on to talk
about them eating meals in pagan temples as opposed to just buying the meat
offered to idols in the open market place, showing there was an important
difference between the two. Basically he was saying to flee idolatry, i.e. you
can't partake in the fellowship meals in pagan temples because you are
fellowshipping with demons. There is all sorts of application here for
Christians today. Our conversations with other people in the world--what we
watch on TV and videos--what we pull up on the Internet--are we in Christ's
temple or a pagan temple of this world? Verses 14-22, "Therefore, my
dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for
yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks
a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a
participation in the body of Christ? [referring to the Lord's supper] Because
there is one loaf, we, who are many all partake of the one loaf. Consider the
people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? No, but the
sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you
to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the
cup of demons too; you cannot have a part both in the Lord's table and the
table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger
than he?" And remember back a few verses where Paul was showing what
arousing God's jealousy was like for the Israelites Moses was leading out of
Egypt. 'The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow--so take
heed.'
The Believer's Freedom
In verses 23-30 Paul
explains that they can eat this meat offered to idols when it ends up in the
market place--but if someone invites you for a meal and points out that this
meat was offered to idols, don't eat for the conscience sake of the one who
told you. Verses 23-30, "Everything is permissible--but not everything is
beneficial. Everything is permissible--but not everything is constructive.
Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. [Philippeans 2:4,21]
Eat anything sold in the market without raising questions of conscience, for,
"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." [Psalm 24:1] If some
unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before
you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, 'This
has been offered in sacrifice,' then do not eat it, both for the sake of the
man who told you and for conscience sake--the other man's conscience, I mean,
not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? If I
take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of
something I thank God for?"
Paul goes on to give his motive and says
let it be ours also. Verses 31-33, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever
you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether
Jews, Greeks or the church of God--even as I try to please everybody in every
way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be
saved." Then he goes on in verse 1 of chapter eleven, which really appears
to belong here, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of
Christ."
1 Corinthians 11
God wants order within his Church. God is a God of order.
Nature is full of order. The universe is full of order. Why is there a movement
toward disorder within many churches? God wants order in church services so we
can represent God properly to the world. Remember when Moses misrepresented the
Lord when he beat the rock and gave his angry little speech to the children of
Israel? God didn't take that lightly. He didn't allow Moses to enter the
Promised Land as a result.
In verses 1-2 we find the Corinthian church
remembering the practices of the church, and Paul praises them for this, but as
things unfold in the chapter we'll find they were forgetting Jesus. The church
was in a period where their focus was on the rituals, ordinances and practices
while they were forgetting their relationship with Christ. Today, we see a
revival taking place where people want the joyful relationship with Jesus
restored, but they are now throwing away the proper order and rituals--creating
disorder. The balance is what Paul was pointing to. We need both--proper order
and rituals and a restored joyful experience with Jesus Christ. In verses 3 and
17 Paul focuses on the structure of authority. In Galatians it says we're all
equal in Christ. In society we recognize the need for authority and the Church
itself has levels of authority within it. [Complementary to this vital subject
of order within church services is Hank Hanegraaf's new book "Counterfeit
REVIVAL", available on http://www.amazon.com .]
Verses
1-2, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you for
remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed
them on to you."
This teaching only appears once, in verses 3-16.
Things of great importance God inspires to be written two or three times. Paul
shows women do pray and prophesy within the church. But historically in the
temple of Aphrodite the temple prostitutes had their head shaved. It is a
potential theory that Paul was addressing them in this matter. It could be a
historical reason more than anything. Also, in the Middle East women wore veils
in public to show they were unavailable. Verses 8-9 show the woman is the glory
of the man. In the 90's the feminization of man and the masculinization of
woman has taken place. This goes against the Godly established order Paul was
stressing here. Verse 10 potentially indicates the angels assigned to us like
this order. This shows there is heavenly emphasis pointing towards order in our
families and within the Church. God even divided up his mental/psychological
gifts to men and women. There is a complementary created order here, even in
the way our minds are hardwired and in the mental software. Men and women are
not the same mentally, but complement each other. The trinity even reflects the
order and authority structure. Verse 14 is the controversial "hair-length"
scripture. If you're a man and like to have long hair, you have to search your
own conscience with the Lord. Also what one person considers long is not
considered long by another. We mustn't be judgmental of others. This is a
personal matter. Verse 14 could also be the modifier for the previous verses
about being covered and uncovered--being covered referring to having long hair
and uncovered referring to having short hair. We just don't know for sure. You
have to search your conscience and follow what you believe is right, for what
is not of faith, as Paul says in Romans, is sin. Paul leans more on our
exercising and using our Christian conscience in matters than in adhering
strictly to firmly established do's and don'ts as legalists try to do. There is
a balance. Legal authority and order within church services and government is
needed so God and Christ are properly represented to the world. But many
matters are left up to individual Christian conscience.
Verses 3-16,
"Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head
of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or
prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays
or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head--it is just as though
her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her
hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or
shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since
he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For the
man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for
woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman
ought to have a sign of authority on her head.
In the Lord, however,
woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman
came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
[verses 13-15] Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God
with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a
man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair,
it is her glory? If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other
practice--nor do the churches of God."
The Lord's Supper, Communion Ordinance
Paul points out a divisive attitude they were showing during their observances of the Lord's Supper. They were having agape feasts, big pot lucks at which they were eating and getting drunk. They've remembered the ordinance, but had forgotten the passion. There are four reasons the passion dies.
Paul was saying, 'The way you guys have been doing this is
totally wrong. He then goes on to share a warning with them, 27-32. Verses
17-32, "In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings
do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together
as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.
No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's
approval. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as
you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains
hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do
you despise the church of God [the name of the first century Church Jesus founded]
and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise
you for this? Certainly not!
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on
the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke
it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.'
In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new
covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.'
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's
death until he comes. [Some fellowships and denominations call this Communion
or Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, and observe it on a regular basis,
sometimes twice a month, while some few chose to observe this once a year as
a true memorial, kept on the 14 Nisan as John, Polycarp and Policrates
did. The Bible doesn't say either way is right or wrong. It is one of those
matters left up to the individual conscience.]
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner [without proper respect or reverence for what the ceremony represents]
will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought
to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone
who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks
judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number
of you have fallen asleep [died]. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come
under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so
that we will not be condemned with the world."
In verse 33 Paul reminds them to come together with a right heart. In these
first two elements of Church order they were dishonoring God. Verse 33, "So
then, my brothers, when you come together to eat [and by context here, he's
talking about eating the Lord's Supper, Communion], wait for each other. If
anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may
not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions."