What a beautiful day yesterday! Helped a neighbor plow several acres of field for planting (eventually) clover, radish, and turnips for deer food plots. It was fun to be on the tractor for a few hours...nothing to think about but just drive!
I hope you had a chance to get out and enjoy the day...not too bad. Today may be a different story! Really warm today so stay inside as much as you can!
Paul takes another strong stance in this next case. Apparently one Christian felt they were wronged by another of the faith and decided to have the case heard in court. The issue that Paul brings up is that the judges were not Christians, so the people had no right to take the case to them. Paul argues that because of our destiny, we are able to judge cases brought to the church (v 2). Paul says that we will even be judging the angels (v 3)! I'm not so sure of that! Are there evil angels that need to be judged? Are there? Paul essentially says that these matters should be taken up by members of the church. What do you think about that? Paul talks about how wise the Corinthians think they are, but then they go and do something like this (vv 5-6)! How would you feel hearing a case between two people in your church?
If you are truly Christian, you should try to work things out on your own and not get the courts involved. The fact that the Corinthians already have several cases that have been tried by the courts says that they have failed in their faith (v 7)! It is better to be wronged than to defend your "rights" at the expense of God's glory. Use the church system is was Paul is saying!
Christians certainly shouldn't be doing wrong, but to do wrong to another Christian is even worse than that (v 8)! I can almost hear Paul saying; "How can you do that?! Don't you know how bad that is?! Come on people!" The man that did wrong is in the class of all the other sinners (v 10+). We can talk about the list and what's in there...but... Anyway, God's great work in each of us is described in three terms: washed, sanctified (made holy), and justified (made right). That's quite a process! Do you feel washed, sanctified, and justified?
Paul has brought up sexuality in the last two sections, and he continues here in this section. I hope you're ready! Paul reminds them that just because something is legal, it doesn't mean you should do it (v 12). Think about that...just because something is legal doesn't make it something you should do! Any "for examples"? Paul especially wants the people to know and recognize that some things will make them a slave unto them (food, drugs, etc...). That's what the people need to be mindful of. V 13 may need some explaining: The Corinthians were probably justifying rampant sexuality with this statement (v 13). My body wants food so I eat, my body wants sex, so I have sex. Sounds logical- right? But, Paul states that he body is for God and should not be defiled. If we are part of Christ, and Christ is pure, then we should never join our body (and then by extension, Christ's body) with a prostitute. Sex is defined as between two monogamous people forever; there is no "casual sex" in the Bible. The two people are united as one in that moment. Any discussion?!
Paul saya (v 18) "Run away from sexual impurity!" Sounds quite urgent! And its specifically sexual impurity- not sex...there's a difference. Paul doesn't say that sexual impurity is a greater sin than others- it just affects us differently...body and mind and soul. Just a quick giggle (?): It is said that Augustine had difficulty keeping sexually pure. This is supposedly one reason why it took him so long to begin following God. It is said that he would pray often, "God, make me pure-- just not yet." He did turn his life over to God and several years later, he visited a town on a business trip. He happened to see one of his lady friends and she came running, arms outstretched, yelling his name. He saw that, turned the other way, and began to run. She yelled, "Why are you running? It is me!" He returned with "I am running because I am not me!" Not sure if it is a true story- but that will preach some day!
Paul closes with the reminder that our bodies are temples...holy places that should not be defiled. Also in that temple is where God is living. Do you feel God living in you?
Some interesting words on an interesting topic form Paul! Hope you enjoyed it!
Stay cool today!
Shalom+
Pastor Paul
Thinking of yesterday's reading
ReplyDeletereminds me of one rotten apple spoiling the whole bushel so we need to remove that one rotten apple to save the bushel I think that was the point Paul was making.
Today we need to settle disputes amonst ourselves just as when we were kids and our siblings would disagree with something another said and arguments would ensue . Parents would have you settle the matter by figuring it out by yourselves before and if they needed to step in. The parents being the outside judge would remain out of it unless things got too bad.
Paul goes into immorality especially sexual immorality. Like jack mentioned you still look. Why would God make other individuals to look so pleasing to us if we weren't expected to notice someone who was pleasing to our eye.. He could have made us all to look alike so when we looked all we saw was the same person. Even at my age I
notice someone if He (or she) looks really pleasing to my eye. I am not yet blind. That of course doesn't mean you act on those pleasures but we still look w e are not blind.
I also did not realize that we are going to judge others and angels in God's kingdom. Where did that come from , why would we be judges??
Good analogy...one spoiled apple ruins the whole bunch!
DeleteI think people should try to settle their own disputes. We don't sit and talk anymore!
We are crated in God's image, so God must be pleasing to look at!
And the judging the angels has me just as confused too...not even sure where that came from!
Good points CLara!
In my study bible it refers vs. 3 (judging angels) to both 2Peter2:4-9 and Jude 6 - both refer to angels that went "bad". Vs. 6 in Jude says "And the angels which kept not their first estate (heaven) but left their own habitation, He (God), hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgement of the great day." And 2Peter 2:4 says "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into the chains of darkness, to be reserved into judgment." So I am thinking that Paul meant those angels ????? and wasn't it an angel who became the devil - along with his friends. I know that as long as it wasn't a criminal case, the Romans let the Jews decide their own disputes among themselves. But I am still thinking how easily it would be to judge wrong! I don't think I would want to do it. And it does seem that Paul is taking a rather lofty view of Christians being somewhat better then non Christians in handling these matters. Don't get me wrong, if I were to have an operation I would MUCH rather have the surgeon that was a Christian then non BUT I wouldn't choose a surgeon based solely on his being a Christian. I am thinking that the Corinthian Christians were really on a road to Hades....."in a hand basket". I agree, Clara, I still look, and I can still get pulled into flirting!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know angels could go rogue! I guess they can! Right- Satan is a bad angel, but that was a long long time ago!
DeleteI don't know if I would feel comfortable "judging" a case. And like you mention- Paul does seem to loft Christians higher than non-Christians!
Oh what a tangled web we weave!!
Good points Donna!
On my I love these comments. I think we would be lying if we said we never looked at someone who is attractive. I really like that Donna admits she can be pulled into flirting! I would really not want to be the one passing judgement even though I certainly have at times. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who has never been immoral.
ReplyDeleteTrying to stay cool!
Look but don't touch I guess!
DeleteJudging others is something we do, yet we wouldn't want to judge a dispute! It would be tough!
Thanks Cindy!
I almost feel that I have started a fire storm. I didn't intentionally start it. I went back a re-read my comment from yesterday and I feel that I got caught up in a double-negative. I don't want to start that thread going again, so I will just say that I agree with the 3 comments preceding this one. Did God put good looking people on the earth to cause the rest of us to sin? When I see a good looking woman, I tend to forget how old I am and think I am in my 20s again. Oh, to be young again! This getting old stuff sucks.
ReplyDeleteI would never want to be in a position of having to sit in judgment of someone else. I just got a jury duty questionnaire. I have sat on a Grand Jury in Owego and I found that interesting. I hope I am never called to sit on a trial jury where the defendant is accused of murder. I would hate to be on a panel that had to decide the disposition of the defendant. Does he live or die? It is one of the duties of living in a democracy like ours, so I will do it without complaint, but I don't feel that I could or should be playing God. I think that this is what Paul is getting at in this chapter. (I have no idea if Montana has the death penalty, but there have been murders near here recently.) To sum up, it apparently mattered to Paul if people sitting in judgement were Christians, but it doesn't matter to me. What does matter is that the persons sitting in judgment know the law, as imperfect as it may be, and are able to apply it in a fair and just manner.
Getting old is hard! I am beginning to feel it! I get it!
ReplyDeleteHmmm....playing God...good point Jack! I have been called up for jury duty, but never actually sat. The proceedings were interesting though. Paul does seem to have a lofty view of Christians. But like you say- they are as unqualified as anyone!
Good thoughts Jack!