1 Corinthians 11:20-26 - Communion

20 Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper,
21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 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.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

Communion - The Lord’s Table - Part 1

V. 20 - “Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper” - Now we begin to see the problem. In the first part of this section - verses 20-21 - Paul chastises them for their practices. According to several commentaries, the Corinthian church was having ‘potluck dinners’ and calling these dinners “The Lord’s Table.” Apparently, these potlucks were neither like our communion observance nor our typical church potluck. We know from Acts 2:37-47, the first group of believers pooled their resources and shared them.

That does not appear to be what is going on here. The church was coming together for a meal, and calling it the Lord’s Table - named after the Lord’s Last Supper (Matt 26:6-29; Mark 14:-25; Luke 22:17-20). Their meal was not even a potluck, as we know it - each family brings a ‘pot’ of food, it is put on a table, and all the attendees eat from the food laid out there.

V. 21 - “for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.” - It seems that each family or member of the church was bringing their food and drink, and eating or drinking it themselves, without sharing it with others. Otherwise, why would Paul say that some have food, others do not? The members ate what they brought - if they brought nothing, they ate nothing, and were hungry. Some are not even bringing food, only booze! Some commentaries indicated that the richer church members were thereby insulting the poorer members. (I don’t know of any evidence of this in the scriptures, but it is possible. The church of that day had a huge span between the rich and wealthy believers to the poor and slaves who had accepted the Lord.)

Picture this: they were meeting together for church. They were having a meal “together”, except they were not sharing the meal together. It shows a lack of caring about other people in the church. Some had plenty to eat, but didn’t share it with those who did not. Some cared so little about what was going on they used the time together to get drunk - it was not supposed to be a church tailgater!

V. 22 - “What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? ” - Eat at home first before you come to worship the Lord. That is better than either showing disdain for others, or not caring at all about others. Neither their disdain nor their uncaring attitudes promote the faith.

“do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? “ - This is opposite of the church experience in Acts 2. Perhaps the rich were flaunting their wealth in order to make the poor feel bad. Or perhaps they were doing what they always had done, and took no thought or care for the poor and the slaves. The rich did not even notice the humiliation the poor might feel as they sat there with nothing watching the rich eat their fill. Paul instructed them “What is going on with you people???”

“What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.” - There is nothing good that Paul can say about this behavior. This is not to say they do not do other things in Christ’s name that aid and care for the poor. In this instance, they are not demonstrating the love that comes from being saved from their sin by Jesus Christ.

Paul is telling them, “What you are doing is not the Lord’s Table!”

Do not call potluck dinners “The Lord’s Table”. They may be a chance for church fellowship. But - eating a meal, separately together - is not an appropriate observance of the Lord’s Table which is a specific observance instituted by our Lord. (See: Matt 26:6-29; Mark 14:-25; Luke 22:17-20.) Eating and drinking your own personal meal in front of others (some may not have food to eat) - eating and not sharing - is not in keeping with the spirit of the church services first held in Jerusalem. This is the opposite of “caring for one another”; it is flaunting your personal largess.

Listen up! This is the Lord’s Table!

V. 23 - “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you” - This is not a throw-away line from Paul trying to impress. Paul was not present at the Last Supper. Paul was instructed by the Lord after his road-to-Damascus conversion (Acts 9:3-16, Gal 1:11-12, 17). He is not telling them what he heard from Ananias in Damascus. He is not repeating the lessons from Peter, James or John. The Lord took Paul to Arabia for about three years to instruct him.

“the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread” - The Gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount the Last Supper and the start of the communion ordnance. The Last Supper happened at the Passover meal - one of the most holy days on the Jewish calendar. Jesus’ trial and crucifixion happened on Friday, the day before Feast of Unleavened Bread Sabbath. (The sequence of this holiday season was: Passover; Feast of Unleavened Bread; Sabbath - an eight day observance.) Jesus died on Friday afternoon, was buried (He had to be buried before the Sabbath started, because they could not touch a dead body on the Sabbath.) Jesus was in His grave Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and was resurrected then! Remember, the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus killed before the Sabbath day - probably so they could witness his death. They would not be able if it was done on the Sabbath. (They did not even go into Pilate’s home or palace, because being in a Gentile’s home would ‘defile’ them and they would not have time to go through a purification ritual in time for Sabbath!)

It is called ‘The Passion Week’ - Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Jesus went out to pray on the Mount of Olives, after the Passover meal. Some time during that night or early hours of the next day Judas betrayed Him to the officials. He was arrested taken to the High Priest, and to Pilate. The proceedings and trials, with interviews and scourging, with interviews and discussions between Pilate and Jewish leaders took an indeterminate amount of time. The reason I mention this is there is some foreshortening that goes on when we read the accounts, or see movies or TV specials, of the trial and crucifixion. It seems like it happens in a day or less, from the betrayal to the death on the cross. Not a lot of time detail is given in the Gospels - No ‘time stamps’, as it were. It makes sense to me that the ‘Last Supper’ happened just before a Sabbath (Passover - e.g., Matt 26:18). Jesus died before sundown on Friday -  before Passover - the women came to process the body on Sunday (the first day of the week - Matt 28:1ff).

They - Jesus and his followers - finished the meal. As they sat around the table discussing what was about to happen - the apostles-to-be were clueless - which brings us to The Lord’s Table. There was bread on the table, and a drink. (We do not know if it was wine or water. It is not described, so we must extrapolate.) Jesus picked up the bread.

V. 24 - “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.’ ” - Some commentaries make comments about the broken bread and broken body of Jesus. The bread was broken apart and given to the disciples as a symbol of Jesus’ body being offered as a sacrifice. John noted in 19:31-37 that Jesus fulfilled the words in Psa 34:20 that none of His bones would be broken. It is important to realize that Jesus’ death was a physical death, not just a spiritual death and separation. He actually died in our place. The bread helps us remember it was not an imaginary death, a fake death, but a real horrible agonizing death.

Jesus said a prayer, ‘gave thanks’, and told us this is how to remember His death.

V. 25 - “In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.‘ “ - He gave thanks again, this time over the cup left from the Passover meal. We do not know whether it was wine or water in the cup (Not that it matters much). Wine was a common drink for meals, I believe, at that time. In some cases wine was used as a disinfectant for wounds (see Good Samaritan story - Lk 10:34). It may have also been mixed with water, again as a germ killer for the water. The liquid in the cup is not important. Like the bread, the cup serves as a concrete reminder of what was done for us.

“the new covenant in My blood” - The sacrifice of the Passover lamb part of the holy day celebration of what God did for Israel to free them from slavery in Egypt. The blood was to be brushed on the door posts of their houses. (See: Exo 12:21-24) That night the Lord passed through the land, every house that had the blood showing on the door posts was spared. (Hence the term “Passover”.) God’s promise to Israel, His covenant and pledge, was to be forever. Note: God will NEVER FORGET what He promised the people of Israel. The people of Israel could easily forget what God had done and what He promised. They did just that!

This ordnance, the Lord’s Table, is physical reminder of the covenant established by God with mankind. We are not an “independent covenanting party” (See note 1) because we can bring nothing to the agreement but our obedience. This is not a mutual compact, but a promise from God (who does not break His promises) to us. God will NEVER FORGET what He promised!

V. 26 - “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” - Do this ceremony - bread to represent Christ’s body and death, the cup to remind us that Christ’s blood was shed. The communion cup is not the covenant. As the blood on the doorpost was not the covenant, but was a reminder to the people of Israel that God’s covenant (promise, or oath) would deliver them. God told them if they would believe and obey He would act for them. If you believed God and put the blood on the doorposts, He woiuld see and death would not enter your house.

When we exercise our belief and faith in Christ, by taking the bread and drinking the cup, we are saying, “Jesus died for me. He took my sin upon Himself. I must live in obedience to Him, beyond this ordnance.”

We need to do this until He comes to take us to be with Him and the Father! Echoing God’s message to Israel (See: Exo 12:26-27), “Why do we do this? What does the Lord’s Table mean?” The answer, “Christ took my place in facing the judgment of the Lord. I am now clean, because He paid for my sin. I can face the Father unafraid. His righteousness has been placed on me.”

Jesus Christ took my place. That is a momentous statement. I think of the movie “Saving Private Ryan”. A squad or platoon is sent across the western front in WWII to get private Ryan to safety - he was the only survivor of four brothers who were serving in various campaigns. At the end of the movie, an aged Ryan stops in a military cemetery at a grave marker. He breaks down saying he hopes his life has been worth the price paid. That should be our approach to our Christian life - are we living up to the cost.

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Note 1: “Unger’s Bible Dictionary”; Merrill F. Unger; Moody Press; 1966.

1 Corinthians 11:17-19 - Who is Right; Who is Wrong

17 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.
18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it.
19 For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.

I See Problems…

Some of the Bible translations interpret verse 17 as a change in focus. Instead of “But in giving this instruction…”, these say “In the following instruction…” So, is this paragraph summing up the discussion about appropriate behavior and dress codes in church, or is it about the way the church is taking communion in the Corinthian church (vss. 20-34)?
Obviously the church was being divided over women praying in the group setting. Some thought they were being disrespectful of their husbands and the Lord, some did not. Did Paul give an instruction on that problem? Well, sort of. In the following verses, he deals with the disagreements they are having over communion. In either area - appropriate dress codes or communion - they are having problems getting along, coming to an agreement.

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V. 17 - “But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you” - Let’s go with the idea that the next few verses is the problem Paul is dealing with, and not what was said previously. (It makes a nice transition this way.) Paul is not pleased with them. It gives him no pleasure to have to deal with this issue. As we read through to the end of the chapter, we can find no ‘wiggle room’ in which there may be some praise for their conduct.

“because you come together not for the better but for the worse.” - In other words, they are at each others’ throats whenever they meet for church. There is no harmony and spirit of worship. There is anger and arguments.

V. 18 - “I hear that divisions exist among you” - When they meet together as the church to worship Jesus Christ they are not of one mind, one body, and one spirit. The church is divided and the information has reached all the way to Ephesus where Paul is ministering.

V. 19 - “For there must also be factions” - There are ‘divisions’ and ‘factions’ in the church over this issue. What is the difference? Divisions would indicate there is disagreement over the way things are being done. Factions would indicate the divisions have calcified and people are taking sides. It has gone to the point where people are separating themselves based on who they approve. The church is being split apart on this issue. This is deeper than one group liking the modern worship music and another liking the old-style hymns. It is more than an internal squabble - EVERYONE knows the church is being split apart.

This reminds mw of what is going on these days in our politcal and social structure in the U.S.  Many have noted that people used to disagress politically, and yet could be friends, or at least polite with each other. Too often now disagreement spawns HATE. Violence against your opponent is encouraged. (Example: Charlie Kirk’s assassination ellicited laughter and joy on some TV talk shows. Or, an ice cream store is offering free ice cream if President Trump is assassinated.) The death, even the murder, of a political opponent is cheered. Civility is breaking down. That is what Paul was worried about in the Corinthian church.

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1 Corinthians 11:8-16 - Praying Men & Women

1 Corinthians 11:8-16

8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;
9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.
10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,
15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

Introduction:

This is a continuation of the discussion above. This section of the letter is an explanation of the statement started in verse 3. Paul has instructed them, “Do not dishonor God. Do not dishonor your husband.” Now I understand that we are to honor God in all things, especially our behavior in church, our prayers in church. (I don’t think these ‘rules’ Paul puts forth apply to personal, private prayer. When we are alone talking with Jesus, no one will see to be able to judge or condemn for violating community standards.) (See Notes 1 through 4 below.)

Men and Women in Prayer

V. 8 - “For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man” - Look back to the statement in verse 3, above: “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.” Chuck Smith stated in his commentary, “Christ is the authority over the husband. And God is the authority over Christ. Bible has never taught that God favors the man over the woman. The Bible does teach that God made man first, and then from man formed the woman.” (Note 2)

V. 9 - “for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.” - Paul’s basis for saying this is found in Genesis “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him.’ The LORD God formed out of the ground every living animal of the field and every bird of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them, and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man named all the animals, the birds of the air, and the living creatures of the field, but for Adam no companion who corresponded to him was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was asleep, he took part of the man's side and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become a new family. The man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.” (Gen 2:18-25)

God brought every creature to Adam, who gave each animal a name to identify it. God knew Adam was alone, and not ‘complete’. After this exercise, Adam still was in need of companionship. So God created Eve from Adam’s rib. So, woman (Eve) came from man (Adam). Man and woman have a relationship that is much closer than man with animal. Man has identified every type of animal, fish, bird, or insect. But man (husband) does not have a personal, intimate relationship with these as he does with his wife (woman).

Chuck Smith stated, “Bible has never taught that God favors the man over the woman. The Bible does teach that God made man first, and then from man formed the woman. God saw that man by himself could never make it, and thus, the woman created, as God said, ‘for the man.’ “ (Note 2) It might not be stated in scripture, but man is also created for woman - the symbiotic relationship between man and woman is deeper and more meaningful than any other except our relationship with the Lord. The differences in our mental, emotional, and physical make-up are such that the two melded together makes each of us more complete than we can be individually. We bring balance to each other that is attained in no other way.

V. 10 - “Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” - The covering of the woman’s head when in public, in church services, when praying in church shows she accepts that her husband has the authority assigned by God (not by men’s laws, but by God’s). What about single, unmarried, women? Do they pray with veils when in church? Perhaps that is implied - the woman accepts the authority of Jesus Christ over herself. Again, I note that we do not have such customs in the United States (we did many years ago - most women wore hats in church).

V. 11 - “However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.” - God has created man and woman to be His children through Christ Jesus our Lord. There is no distinction - neither is superior to the other. We all come to God by grace and the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. Christ’s resurrection confirmed that death for us was defeated. We can live in eternity with Him, without fear, with great joy. “In worship men should follow dress and hair codes which proclaim them to be male, etc. (woman show to be woman). Make sure our worship is ordered appropriately to honor God’s creation and anticipate its fulfillment in the new creation - this is still a priority in our services.” (Note 4)

V. 12 - “For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God” - Paul wrote God considers men and women equally, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female - for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28) From one of the commentaries, “Men and women are not independent, but a partnership. They cannot live without each other. Much respect for mothers (we all have one!) Therefore, love and respect must be shown (especially in the home). If we cannot respect women (mothers) we are not following God’s will. “ (Note 1)

V. 13 - “is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?” - Community standards indicated that married women were to show their respect for their husbands by having a head covering. In some, if not most instances, an adult woman without a head covering was a sign to the community she was not married. A married woman was to be respected by all in the community - she was ‘not available’. N.T. Wright said, “In that day, only prostitutes did not cover their heads when in public. So, if people see the women with their hair down and uncovered, they might jump to the conclusions about what was going on in the ‘church’ “. (Note 4)

V. 14 - “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him” - There are few doctrinal mandates in Christianity. Hair length is not one of the doctrinal statements from the Lord. However, faith and belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, confession that you believe in Him; remembering His sacrifice by taking communion; publicly acknowledging your faith in Christ by word and deed - that is: confession and baptism are ‘must haves’. Long hair on a man is not a violation of God’s commands, but it does reflect on us as believers.

As David Guzik said, “Long hair (for a man) is a shame, not a sin. It is distracting. Similarly - a woman’s short hair is also a shame and distracting. (It is so distracting they might as well shave their heads!)” (Note 1)

Also, N.T. Wright wrote, “So Paul, then, speaking of the woman is saying it is dishonoring in a sense to her husband, her head, if she would go unveiled. Paul said that it was dishonoring to your husbands, because living there in Corinth they were living in the center of pagan licentiousness. not wanting to wear their veils, not being understood by the world, were opening themselves to be misidentified as a prostitute, and thus, dishonoring their husbands.” (Note 4)

V. 15 - “but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.” - I am not sure this is a rhetorical question answered by “Yes. Long hair on a woman is to her glory.” Perhaps it is more of a statement that women have long hair styles, and in essence is part of the visible differentiation between men (short hair) and women. If Paul was insisting that women’s long hair was vital, then the question would have been a statement (“Women’s long hair is for His glory, and is a covering.) N. T. Wright says that “Paul does not congratulate the women on their expressions of freedom (hair and clothing changes - he is advocating maintaining gender differentiation during worship.” (Note 4) This is echoed by Guzik, “Women’s long hair is “nature’s veil”, therefore a covering.” (Note 1)

V. 16 - “But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.” - Chuck Smith put it this way: “Thus, it was not intended to be a universal rule for the church as some of the churches sought to make it a universal rule. For years the women have had to wear hats and all when they went to church. But Paul said that we don't have any such custom in all the churches. If you want to argue about it and all, there is no such custom in all the churches. It was something that did relate more to the church in Corinth.” (Note 2)

Men and women do not need to be picking on each other about this. See: “Men and women are for mutual comfort and blessing, not as slave and tyrant. God said we are ‘one flesh’, therefore each should know their place. Man should not abuse his ‘position’ or ‘power’. There should be no breaches in natural decency.” (Note 3)

Also - “Custom is in a great measure the rule of decency. And the common practice of the churches is what would have them govern themselves by. He does not silence the contentious by mere authority, but lets them know that they would appear to the world as very odd and singular in their humour if they would quarrel for a custom to which all the churches of Christ were at that time utter strangers, or against a custom in which they all concurred, and that upon the ground of natural decency. It was the common usage of the churches for women to appear in public assemblies, and join in public worship, veiled; and it was manifestly decent that they should do so. Those must be very contentious indeed who would quarrel with this, or lay it aside.” (Note 3) Finally, from Wright’s commentary I’ll add: “In worship men should follow dress and hair codes which proclaim them to be male, etc. (woman show to be woman). Make sure our worship is ordered appropriately to honor God’s creation and anticipate its fulfillment in the new creation - this is still a priority in our services. Paul does not congratulate the women on their expressions of freedom (hair and clothing changes) - he is advocating maintaining gender differentiation during worship.” (Note 4)

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A little side note here on my observations: Part of how we view this is because almost every movie, TV show, or painting of 'Biblical' times has the men with long(ish) hair. Since there are no photographs of the people of those eras, we assume that men had long hair because there probably no barber shops. Note there are a couple a couple of instances in scripture, particularly in the OT, where men do not cut their hair on purpose because they are fulfilling a vow (Num 6:5; Acts 18:18) - couple of these are 'positive': if the men took a 'Nazarite' oath they did not cut hair or beard until the oath was fulfilled; the judge Samson (Jdg 13:24, 19:19-21) did not have his hair cut as commanded by the Lord. (There may be other examples) On the other hand, David's son, Absalom had long hair which led to his demise. (2 Sam 18:9ff) There are instances of 'crazy' men who did not have their hair cut. Also, men would shave their heads when in deep mourning. (Jer 7:29) This is not to claim evidence, but an observation that maybe a man with long hair was little unusual. I’m not saying they wore ‘buzz cuts’, but long hair down to their shoulders may not have been standard, Also, it seems implied that women's hair styling included long hair. 

(This passage is difficult, and I did not feel competent to comment with assurance. I have consulted several commentaries, three of which were included in my “Blue Letter Bible” application on my iPad, and one other. See Notes 1 through 4 below.)
Note 1: David Guzik; “1 Corinthians Commentary”; from “Blue Letter Bible” application on iPad.
Note 2: Chuck Smith; “1 Corinthians Commentary”; from “Blue Letter Bible” application on iPad.
Note 3: Matthew Henry; “1 Corinthians Commentary”; from “Blue Letter Bible” application on iPad.
Note 4: N.T. Wright; “Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians”; Westminster John Knox Press; 2004

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1 Corinthians 11:3-7 - Spiritual Hierarchy

3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.
5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.
6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.
7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

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This passage does not denigrate women, as is noted “Paul has no problem with women, having pointed out we are all one in Christ - Jew, Gentile, Greek, slave or free, male or female." (Note 4) (See notes at the end of this section.)

Christ is Head

Women play a prominent role in the New Testament - in Jesus’ ministry: Mary and Martha (Lk 10:38ff; 11:1-39); Samaritan woman at the well (Jn 4:7-42); Mary Magdalene (Matt 6:7-10; Ml 14:3f; Lk 7:37ff); Woman with bloody discharge (Matt 9:20-22; Mk 5:25ff; Lk 8:43ff); and the Crippled Woman (Lk 13:11ff).
Women were also prominent in the apostolic church - see a sampling: Lydia (Acts16:14ff); and Damarius (Acts 17:34). Women were mentioned in the letters to the churches - Priscilla & Aquila, Mary (Rom. 16:3, 6); Julia, Nereus’ sister (Rom 16:15); Nympha (Col 4:16); Claudia (2 Tim 4:21).

V. 3 - “Christ is the head of every man” - Okay, let’s be honest. We have no problem with this statement. Also, “God is the head of Christ.” - we have no problem with this statement.
But, “man is the head of a woman” - we have a problem with this statement. It is Biblical, and your objections are secular in opposition to the Bible. This is a modern cultural issue.

It is fully understood that there are men who are cruel and abusers of women. Abusing women is not a Biblical concept, but from societies and cultures where domination is accepted and encouraged. How does "Love your wife as you love yourself" equal domination? Which normal man abuses his own body, is cruel to himself? A culture based on love and forgiveness does not ban women talking in public, nor does it force women to completely cloak themselves in floor-length clothes, nor does it approve of beating women who may disagree with a man, not to mention killing a woman who commits adultery. The Bible teaches the man is the leader, not the tyrant or dictator.

From a commentary: “The word head here being the idea of authority. And so the husband is the designated authority over the wife. Christ is the authority over the husband. And God is the authority over Christ… Bible has never taught that God favors the man over the woman. The Bible does teach that God made man first, and then from man formed the woman... He is establishing the chain of command. However, I do think that there is something worth noting here. The authority over the man is Christ, even as the authority over the woman is the man. And I believe that if the man, the husband, is not under the authority of Christ, then the woman has to jump the missing link. I do not believe that God intends that a godly woman be under the authority of an ungodly man. Under the authority of man only as he is under the authority of Jesus Christ. God never meant marriage to be a slavery kind of a situation, or a tyranny kind of a situation, where some big oaf rules over his wife with force, or whatever. ” (Note 2) Also: “Our problem is the sequence of God as the ‘head’ of Christ; Christ as the ‘head’ of man; and man as the ‘head’ of woman. We see hints of superiority. (Or, from the woman’s point of view - inferiority to men). However, Paul is referring to the creation account in Genesis, (See Gen 1:26-28, 2:7-25, and Psa 8:4-8)” (Note 4)

V. 4 - “Every man who has something on his head while praying disgraces his head” - Again, this is a concept that is difficult to grasp (for Americans). From Chuck Smith’s commentary: “The idea here is that man was made in the glory of God and it would be dishonoring to God for him to cover his head while he prayed or prophesied.” (See Note 2) Perhaps we can see this concept in our western culture in that when we ‘tip’ our hats or salute another person we are showing respect. We no longer remove our hats when talking to a boss or a political leader (people used to do that). As far as I know, women never removed their hats in church or when speaking with a boss or leader, but men did. Is it possible to say that ‘men with hats’ were a sign of authority?

"The idea is that if a man is talking to God, especially in church, with a hat on his head - he is showing disrespect to God. God is in ultimate authority, and deserves (demands) respect.

"In some cultures, especially in Europe or Great Britain, one could almost determine a man’s station in life by the hat he wore. I think that in the United States, with our emphasis on personal freedoms and equality, hats became less of an indicator of rank or station in life. 'The idea here is that man was made in the glory of God and it would be dishonoring to God for him to cover his head while he prayed or prophesied.’ ” (Note 2)

V. 5 - “every woman who has her head uncovered while praying disgraces her head” - Again, part of this is referring to local, cultural etiquette. It is hard to draw this statement into our modern culture. In that culture (maybe even  now in the Middle East) the woman’s head covering (a scarf or a veil) indicated that woman is “attached”. By this I mean she is engaged or is married (by definition to a man), or possibly a daughter who is not yet betrothed. (I don’t think this applies to girls, i.e., too young to be married.) In that culture, married women always wore a scarf or veil on their heads when in public. It was a sign to all other men that she was ‘untouchable’. It was a crime, a sin, to make sexual advances to a married woman. “For a woman to go out without a veil was an open invitation for the men. It was sort of a declaration, ‘I am available.’ But for a veiled woman, no man would dare to approach her. Thus, it was a covering. “ (note 2)

“for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved” - N. T. Wright notes, “In that day, only prostitutes did not cover their heads when in public. So, if people see the women with their hair down and uncovered, they might jump to the conclusions about what was going on in the ‘church’.” (Note 4) Or, we read,  “So Paul, then, speaking of the woman is saying it is dishonoring in a sense to her husband, her head, if she would go unveiled. Paul said that it was dishonoring to your husbands, because living there in Corinth they were living in the center of pagan licentiousness. not wanting to wear their veils, not being understood by the world, were opening themselves to be misidentified as a prostitute, and thus, dishonoring their husbands.” (Note 2)

V. 6 - “let her cover her head” - I don’t quite understand how talking to God without a head covering disgraces her husband. How could a woman be ‘wanton’ when talking with God? So if a married woman without a head covering goes into public and talks to men is a disgrace to her husband; does talking to God without a head covering indicate she is ‘bypassing’ her husband (somehow) and therefore diminishes him in God’s estimation? That seems to be the implied message. This is not saying women are not allowed to talk to God (I think…).

V. 7 - “man ought not to have his head covered” - Let us go with this idea, and say it makes sense that, “The idea here is that man was made in the glory of God and it would be dishonoring to God for him to cover his head while he prayed or prophesied.” (Note 2) I hate not understanding why women praying without a covering is dishonors God, and a man with a head covering also dishonors God. Especially since “Paul has no problem with women, having pointed out we are all one in Christ - Jew, Gentile, Greek, slave or free, male or female.” (Note 4) It must be a cultural thing, not a doctrinal thing.

It seems to me this discussion is not completely doctrinal, but is mostly cultural. The commentaries often mentioned that men had short hair and women wore their hair long. I bristled at that (no pun intended). When contemplating this I realized that indeed most countries/cultures in the world indeed do have different ‘looks’ for men and women. Even in these times, men around the world generally have much shorter hair styles than do women.

There are some distinctions between men and women that cannot be denied - men are generally bigger and stronger than women; men have whiskers or beards, women do not (e.g., the circus freak shows used to have ‘bearded ladies’ for people to ogle). Women do not have penises; men do not have breasts. Admittedly, men can grow their hair long (e.g., when Jewish men took a ‘Nazarite’ vow, like Samson), but it is not common nor the majority.

While I don’t completely understand the covering or uncovering of the head and the relation to dishonoring the husband or God, I think I can see that the way we dress reflects on our family and church and our Savior. If we show up at church in swim trunks, or women in a bikini, eyebrows will be arched, people will “Tsk, tsk, tsk” whilst shaking their heads. A woman in a negligee would raise a ruckus - people would be “shocked, shocked I tell you”.

Conclusion:

Don’t dress, act, or behave in a manner that would bring embarrassment or shame. I know that some people have a very high embarrassment thresholds (i.e., they aren’t easily shamed), and then there are those who blush at almost anything. Consider where you are, and who you are with. Consider that the non-Christian world is always watching.

***

(This passage is difficult, and I did not feel competent to comment with assurance. I have consulted several commentaries, three of which were included in my “Blue Letter Bible” application on my iPad, and one other. See Notes 1 through 4 below.)
Note 1: David Guzik; “1 Corinthians Commentary”; from “Blue Letter Bible” application on iPad.
Note 2: Chuck Smith; “1 Corinthians Commentary”; from “Blue Letter Bible” application on iPad.
Note 3: Matthew Henry; “1 Corinthians Commentary”; from “Blue Letter Bible” application on iPad.
Note 4: N.T. Wright; “Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians”; Westminster John Knox Press; 2004

1 Corinthians 11:1-2 - Imitators of Christ

1 Corinthians 11:1-2 - Imitators of Christ

1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.

Remember and Hold Firmly

V. 1 - “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” - Many of the commentaries claim that these two verses really belong at the end of chapter 10. Almost half of the letter to this point has been instructional in how the disciples should live together and in their communities to be witnesses for Christ - Morality vs. Adultery; Marriage vs. staying single so as to serve the Lord; Dealing with idols; dealing with the communion service; Freedom of worship vs. Idolatry.

Since that day on the road to Damascus, Paul has committed and devoted his life and activities to doing what God and Christ want him to do. He is teaching “Do what I do - obey and follow Christ.” Remember, Christ Jesus obeyed the Lord - He came to earth to live and die, giving His life as a sacrifice that saves us from sin. Christ was obedient. Paul follows His lead and is obedient to the calling of Christ. He urges us to do likewise - follow Christ, and like Paul be obedient to Christ’s commands and leading.

V. 2 - “you remember me in everything” - Remember that Paul turned from following Judaism to Christianity. He now follows and obeys Christ Jesus our Lord. “Do as I do. Do as I say.” Paul could say that since there is no conflict or hypocrisy in Paul’s life and teaching. Paul is confident enough in his faithfulness to Christ that he can tell them to follow his example.

“hold firmly to the traditions,  just as I delivered them to you.” - What traditions did Paul bring with him on his missionary journeys and to Corinth? Corinth was not a Jewish city, but a fabulously wealthy Greek city, a commercial city on a major trade route situated on a narrow isthmus. Southeast of this isthmus is the NE Mediterranean Sea (or perhaps the western Aegean Sea). Crossing the four-mile wide isthmus brings you to the Ionian Sea which is almost directly east of the 'boot heel' of Italy. Corinth had been around for centuries. Rome had conquered it, destroyed it, and then rebuilt it. This was an important Greek city. I do not suspect that any Jewish traditions that might have been introduced would be significant. The Jewish presence was not important enough to demand their traditions be followed in Corinth.

Paul brought new traditions (which seems to be an oxymoron). Sometimes traditions do not need to be handed down for generations. For example: My wife’s parents bought a cabin near Lincoln City, Oregon. We went there and stayed with our kids on a weekend. The first meal we fixed there was tacos, beans, chips, burritos, salsa, etc. Some time later, we again went to stay. The kids wanted to know why we weren’t having Mexican food since it was a tradition! (Note: the second time we stayed there, and it already was a tradition!)

This is one of those cases where a Greek word can have more than one English equivalent. The word here can be read either “traditions, or ‘ordinances”. For me, personally, these two English words have different connotations. One is something you do, because you have always done it this way - “tradition”. Think of ‘communion’, and of how many ways this is observed - bread or wafers, wine or grape juice, each element served to you by a deacon or you pick up the elements from a tray, or the elements come pre-packaged. Does your church offer a prayer for each element alone, or one prayer for both? Or is communion an ordinance - a part of the worship service commanded by the Lord? Is it both and ordinance and a tradition? I believe it is both - Jesus said that when we remember Him, to remember His body broken for us - the bread, and His blood shed for out sins - the wine/juice. (See: Matt 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20) It is the doing and remembering that is important, and perhaps not so much the how the act is done.

Paul delivered to the churches he planted ordinances and traditions they were to use to preach and remember Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation.

Preaching Christ and Him crucified.
Believe in Christ and you shall be saved.
Baptism, Communion.
Fellowship.
Teaching.
Caring for each other.
Witnessing to non-believers.

These are the traditions (ordinances) Paul brought with him and gave to them. See: “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim 2:2)

These principles were not to stop when Paul stopped teaching, but were to be handed to others so they could know and grow in Jesus. See: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Heb 5:12) Also: “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” (1 John 2:27)

Paul taught with a purpose so they could listen, learn, apply the truths of the Gospel, and then go out to teach others also. You are saved and remain here on earth so others might hear and learn and receive Christ as Savior.

***

1 Cor 11 - Introduction

Introduction:
Chap. 11 Outline
11:1-2 - Imitators of Christ
11:3-7 - Spiritual Hierarchy and Prayer
11:8-16 - Praying Men & Women and Authority
11:17-19 - Who is right; who is Wrong
11:20-26 - Communion
11:27-34 - Lord’s Supper
***

Verses 1-2 is Paul urging the Corinthians to copy the way he lives.

Verses 3-16 present is a set of ‘problem verses’ for 21st century Christians, especially those believers in the United States. I am not saying the verses are wrong, nor that Western Christians are wrong about these verses. The concepts presented in these verses are difficult for people who value freedom almost above anything else. Americans are exceptionally proud of our freedoms. We are proud that our country promotes equality of men and women, or of races. Our founding documents, especially the Constitution, have been amended by the people to lock in legal equality for all. We are free to worship as we please, to dress as we please, to talk however we wish, to work wherever we want. “Freedom” trumps all.

So when we come to these verses which discuss who has authority over whom, or who is the ‘head’, or how you must dress when you present yourself to the Lord in prayer, we Americans bristle. We get huffy. Who are you to tell me how I should dress when I pray? Who are you to tell me how I should wear my hair? How dare you tell me that someone has authority over me? I am free and subject to no one! I can almost hear the protest, “Who are you to tell me that I must wear a veil, when praying or teaching? Who are you to tell me that a woman cannot teach or preach in a church service?” Which brings us to cultural norms.

Things that were standard practice Israel and the ‘Middle East’ at that time are not acceptable in the modern Western culture. How do we discover the basic truths here, without demanding compliance with ancient regional customs? I am not sure that the custom of women wearing veils in public was a ‘custom’ anywhere else on earth - Africa, Asia or India, Europe (Greece and Rome), anywhere but the Palestinian environs. (This letter was written to address problems in the Corinthian church. That does not mean there are no principles that apply to us. ) We can clearly see what happens when customs become sclerotic - a woman or a girl wearing a burka, covered head to toe whenever in public. We can also see what happens when standards are thrown away completely - public display of various states of undress in public, in movies, on TV. Neither extreme is good for our society.

Honestly, I have looked up several commentaries on these verses. Very few of them satisfactorily explained what Paul was addressing, and especially how it applies to you and I as modern era Christians. In some cases these commentaries can’t even agree what is meant by ‘veil’ - is it a face covering, or is it a scarf for the hair and head, or is it a hood that covers the head down to the shoulders? And then there is the matter of hair styling: men are to have short hair and women long? If so, how come most movies and videos of the those ancient days show men with long hair, almost to the shoulder. None of them has a buzz cut. The men have long hair cuts, maybe not below shoulder length and not as long as some of the women. I wouldn’t call the men’s hair cut short in any case.

I will cover the introductions to verses 17 to the end of the chapter when we come to them.

So, now that I have whined about how hard it is to read and understand these verse, let’s saddle up and head on out! Excelsior!

***

1 Corinthians 10:23-33 - Do All to His Glory

This paragraph is a continuation of instructions from the previous subject - you cannot worship the gods of idols and the God of the universe at the same time, or waffling back and forth. Paul takes the idea of worship of gods a little bit farther - don’t give people the opportunity to think you may have reverence for a god (that is, any spiritual being who is not Yahweh.)

1 Corinthians 10:23-33

23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.
25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake;
26 FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS.
27 If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake.
28 But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake;
29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience?
30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

Glorify the Lord

V. 23 - “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.” - It should be intuitively obvious, even to the most casual observer, Paul is not condoning sinful activity. That is NOT what is meant by “all things are lawful”. The activities prohibited by the Ten Commandments still hold. This section of the letter is not about worshipping idols, or participating in idol worship, or worshipping gods represented by the idols.

This is about being aware that what you do is being watched by people around you. And a fallout of this is that a seemingly innocent action or behavior might be misinterpreted by the watchers. For whatever reason the response of those watching you is, “Did you see what he did?!” I know this doesn’t seem fair (and probably isn’t fair).

People may have a preconceived notion of how you, a Christian, should behave. For example: a Christian does not worship at an idol, or worship a god represented by an idol - not an unreasonable expectation. We must be aware that what we do may be misinterpreted by others. So we must seek to live and behave in such a way that no questions are raised, no accusations can be leveled. This may seem to be a heavy burden to carry for the sake of the Gospel. It should not be.

V. 24 - “Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.” - Our lives should be lived in such a manner that non-believers will want to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 5:16) Paul wrote elsewhere, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,” (Col 3:23)

V. 25 - “Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake.” - This is not about vegetarians, or whether is right to eat meat. This part of the letter is making you aware that everything you do is the Lord’s “business”. Food purchased in a grocery store is not designated for an offering to a god. It is food to eat. You may purchase and eat without worry that you are participating in worship of Safeway, or Kroger, etc. You do not need to ask the question, “Is this meat ‘legal’ to eat?”

Part of this comes from the laws handed down to the Israelites concerning offerings and sacrifices (See the rules in Leviticus 6, 7, etc.). Some of the animals brought to the altar had to be totally burned up. Some sacrifices involved on parts of the animal, and the rest could be consumed by the priests and Levites. In some cases, this is how the Levites got their food since they did not have secular jobs whereby they could buy meat and grains. Non-Levite Jews could not eat the meats or grains that had been offered, but was solely for the Levites and priests. (Note: Priests were also Levites, anyone who was not a Levite could not be a priest. As Israel became more apostate, especially after Solomon’s death, there may have been non-Levite priests, but they were not so legally. Levites were ‘special’ in that this was the only tribe that was not granted a portion, or a territory, of the promised land to claim as their own. They were given cities and agricultural land within the twelve tribal areas.)

Meat offered at the altar is an indication the person offering believes in the God (or god) represented by the altar. When we take communion - bread and cup - it is an outward and visible confession we believe that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and is now advocating for us with God the Father.

V. 26 - “FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS.” - Quoted from Psa 24:1, 50:12. Does this mean the dietary restrictions we see in the Pentateuch no longer apply? Perhaps it does. There is an incident in Acts where Peter is presented with food in a vision. He refuses to eat because some of the animals are ‘unclean’ or ‘holy’ (in the Levitical sense). Peter is informed that basically those rules no longer apply. (See Acts 10:9-16). The old rules no longer apply for those who have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit.

V. 27 - “If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go” - Paul follows up with an another, or second scenario (the 1st example - you go buy meat for your meals at the grocery store) - a unbeliever invites you to dinner. Go! Enjoy your time with them.

This may be a big change for any of the Jewish believers. The impression we have of the Jews is that they did business with Gentiles, but did not socialize with them. That is, a Jew would not go to a Gentile’s home for a meal - how would you know if the food was prepared ‘kosher? How much bigger span of believer vs unbeliever can you get? Jew and Gentile. Perhaps this comes from a stereotypical view of Pharisees and Sadducees - who were extremely strict and rigid. Jews being a minority of the population in almost every country where they reside would have to interact with Gentiles. But it is highly possible that Jews did not socialize with Gentiles by going to dinner in Gentile homes.

V. 28 - “But if anyone says to you, ‘This is meat sacrificed to idols’, do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake” - You do not know where the food being served at the unbeliever’s table came from. You do not ask this kind of question when invited to another’s house. Eat and enjoy your time with them.

However, if you are told that meat was taken from an altar, even an altar for a pagan god, stop and do not eat. You should already know that it is no big deal. Paul said that very thing earlier. “What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.” (1 Cor 10:19-20) Idols are nothing, because the gods the idols represent are nothing. Therefore, food taken from the idol means nothing to you, because the idol/god is inconsequential to you and your well-being.

But that’s not the point of this section of the letter. The point made here is that the person making the comment is bothered by you eating the meat offered to the idol. The question in their mind is, “Does this Christian believe in the idol and god? They must, or they would not be eating this sacrifice!” The person making the comment is still held captive by the power of the god.

V. 29 - “I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s” - You have no moral problem eating the food, even if it has been offered to an idol. Your conscience is clear for this issue. The other person is conflicted. Your witness for Jesus Christ is compromised, the chance to win another person to Him has been blunted.

V. 30 - “If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?” - You don’t have a problem with this issue (eating meat offered to idols) because the idol means nothing to you. The other person does have a problem, and now you are part of it! The ill will or bad impression caused by you eating ‘sacred’ food, even if it is a worthless idol, means that the value of Christ has been diminished in that person’s opinion.

Paul is saying, “I don’t have a problem here. Why does that person have a problem here?” But, he also says, “It doesn’t matter in this case that you are okay with it. The other person thinks less of you.” (That is the ‘slander’, your reputation has taken a hit.) Therefore Christ has also taken a hit. People generally do not see Christ, except as they see Christ living in and through you. Paul is also making the point that why should you be slandered when you don’t need to be? You can bypass the idol’s food without harming yourself, and thereby without harming your witness for Christ.

V. 31 - “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” - This concept has now been extended to your lifestyle! It is no longer just a matter of whether you eat food offered to an idol.

Whatever you do…. Outbursts of anger on the golf course. Not a good witness... Foul language. Not a good witness for Christ… Drinking or living in excess. Christ is slandered… Living immorally, such as adultery, or pornography. Your witness is damaged, as is Christ’s. Lying. You can no longer be trusted. Neither can Christ.

V. 32 - “Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God” - This is not a command to be milquetoast, namby-pamby, weak and without opinion. Paul said. “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Eph 4:32). He also said, “Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.” (1 Cor 6:18) Live your life under the control of the Holy Spirit, not on auto-pilot.

V. 33 - “just as I also please all men in all things” - Paul is paraphrasing Jesus. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 5:16)

“not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many” - Paul said the same thing in verse 24, above.

“so that they may be saved.” - God put us here on earth, leaves us here after we become His children, to lead others to Him.

---

End of Chapter
(25-Oct-2021)

1 Corinthians 10:14-22 - Idols Are Not All that Important

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 - Temptation is Normal

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 

You Will Be Tempted

 

V. 12 - “Therefore” - Now, Christians, learn from others’ mistakes. You do not need to go to the school of hard knocks. “Experience is a dear school, but fools will learn in no other way.” (B. Franklin) (I think that is who said that.) We do not need to screw up our lives by making bad decisions. Well, actually that is how we screw up our lives - making bad decisions. When we operate our lives without all the facts or ramifications of the situations we face, making good decisions is blind luck. (Pro 17:10; Eccl 7:5) Preaching, teaching, mentoring each other in our faith is essential for our growth in Christ.

“Let him who thinks he stands take heed” - I just read today in Psalm 10: the psalmist is bragging how well he is doing, and then a little trouble happens and he appeals to the Lord for help. (See also: Pro 8:33) Apparently he got a little over-confident. That is a reminder to us that any success we have is because of the Lord and our faith in Him. When things seem to be going well for you, don’t think, “Look at what I’ve done!”, or “I did this!”

V. 13 - “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man” - You may think that “this” has never happened to anyone else. But we see in Ecclesiastes, “So there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9)

“God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able” - Don’t Panic. You are not on your own. Fighting against temptation and sin seems overwhelming at times - is there nothing I can do to stop this litany of failures? It is not you against the forces of evil, by yourself. Praise the Lord!  We read in Ephesians, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12) Although demonic forces are arrayed against us, Jesus has overcome all this! He is victorious! “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. “ (Pro. 3:5-6) I know that is Old Testament, but the thought is the same. We constantly fight against temptations and sin, and will constantly fail unless we call upon Jesus, trust in Him, rely on Him. See: “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Zec. 4:6)

So the following from Ephesians shows us the tools: “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:12-17)

“but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” - That is: you are not one your own in this spiritual battle. Do not be deceived, your decisions with regard to temptation and sin is a spiritual battle. Will you follow after your own ungodly lusts, or will you let the Lord guide you. “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.” (Jude 1:18-19)

God Himself is deeply invested in your well-being. He is providing His Holy Spirit to each of us. Think on that! God’s own Spirit is in you. He is not forced upon you, but is ever ready to act whenever you ask. See also: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life… Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:18-25)

Keep yourself in the love of God. He is able, and He will keep you from stumbling in sin when you ask. Think on this: humbling yourself before and to God, praying to Him will bring you blameless to Him, with great joy. Because we have someone who has all glory, majesty, dominion and authority before God’s throne speaking for us, defending us, who gave His life for us.

What more could you ask?

***

1 Corinthians 10:6-11 - Examples for Us

Verses 6 through 10 of this chapter warns us to refuse to be blasé about our salvation. The example given is the Jewish nation - God rescued them from slavery under Egyptian pharaohs; He fed them and watered them for 40 years in the desert region of Sinai; He conquered whole nations to provide them a place to live. The record is clear from Genesis through 2 Chronicles - God took care of them completely. Even so, it took almost nothing for them to turn on God, disobey and follow false gods. That is the example presented here. The Jews had every thing they needed for faith in God and Christ. The message is: don’t fall into the same spiritual trap. Be strong and courageous in your faith in Christ. Be of the Same Mind and Spirit

1 Corinthians 10:6-11

6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.
7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to pray.”
8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.
9 Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.
10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

We Can Learn From Our Ancestors

V. 6 - “Now these things happened as examples for us” - They were not set up simply to be warnings for us. I do not believe God is saying, “See what happens to people who do not obey me. This could happen to you” Nor did He decide to wipe some people out as object lessons. On the other hand, it has been fairly clearly stated that disobedience has negative consequences, and that obedience and faithfulness to the Lord has positive consequences.< /p>

There are several lessons. God’s blessings flow to those who don’t earn it - God chose Abraham, Isaac, David to demonstrate His grace and mercy. They did not earn the grace shown. These examples are samples of the declaration: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) The Lord saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, even though most of the Jews were fairly ignorant of the Lord God. God brought victories to Israel during the exodus and during the takeover of the Promised Land - and these people were not faithful followers.

“so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved” - It is indisputable that the Jews chased after some evil things and practices. Some of the things they ‘craved’ were sinful - worshipping idols and false gods, etc., - but some were were fairly ‘natural’. They wanted food, water, safety. It seems that many were willingly ready to jump to the conclusion, “You brought us out here to die!” It wasn’t very often that their response to a perceived crisis was to go to the Lord in prayer and supplication.

V. 7 - “Do not be idolaters, as some of them were” - I tend to think of idolators as people who worship some false god or another person. However, it goes deeper than that. Whether it is food, or golf (any sport or activity), or cars, or politics, etc., anything that grabs our attention and keeps it away from the Lord - that may be idolatry.

“The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to pray.” - (See: Exo. 32:19) This was from the golden calf incident - they went about their lives oblivious to their sin. This statement is different than the defiant, “Eat. Drink. Be Merry, for tomorrow we die!” We can get so wrapped up in our lives and activities that the Lord is not part of our existence. He is not just on the ‘back burner’, but not even on the stove.

V. 8-10 - “Nor let us act immorally… try the Lord… grumble” - Three incidents from the Exodus saga, see: Num. 25:1-9; Num. 21:5-9; Num. 16:41-49. In the first, the Israelites were consorting (immorally) with Moabite women and even marrying them, thereby disobeying the Lord’s commands. In the second, the Israelites accused God and Moses of trying to kill them in the desert. Some of the people accused Moses, Aaron, and God of bringing them out of Egypt just to kill them (Note: this was just after God had dealt with rebellious Levites in a spectacular way!). In each case, the Lord was being challenged - they were not going to be told what to do, or not to do, by Moses, Aaron, or even God. (Does that sound familiar in your life?) It does not end well for them.

V. 11 - “they were written for our instruction” - If you are like me, you must be wondering why Paul is including ancient Jewish history in a letter to some Gentiles in Corinth. There probably were some Jews in the church, because he usually started each mission in a synagogue wherever he stopped. These incidents from Numbers were most likely taught to Israelite children in school or synagogue. (On the other hand, considering the state of history education in the U.S., maybe the Jewish children were also ignorant of their past. On the other, other hand, looking back at Old Testament account sometimes it seems the Jews didn’t seem to learn from their own mistakes even when taught.)
The facts of God’s miracles for the Jews, his chosen people, are amazing and we are fortunate to have this recorded history. The facts of God’s judgements against His own people are just as astounding! We can see that God is intensely interested in His people and their successes, and equally concerned when they fail. It is clear God does not ignore His own, especially when they begin to stray - He takes corrective action.

***

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 - Our Ancestors

Outline - Chap. 10
10:1-5 - Our Ancestors
10:6-11 - Examples for Us
10:12-13 - Temptation is Normal
10:14-22 - Idols Are Not All that Important
10:23-33 - Do All to Glory

***

Paul is addressing questions from the Corinthians, and problems in the church of Corinth. He moves the discussion from support of his ministry (ch. 9:1-11) and serving the Lord as a calling - not just apostles, preachers and missionaries but all believers. In this chapter, he is warning them against over-confidence. He takes them all the way back to the Exodus.

***
1 Corinthians 10:1-5 - Our Ancestors

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;
2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 and all ate the same spiritual food;
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.
5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

A Brief History...

V. 1 - “For I do not want you to be unaware” - This sentence makes sense for both the Jews and Gentiles to whom Paul was writing. To the Jews, Paul was reminding them of their history. To the Gentiles, he was helping them see that Christianity did not pop out of the blue fully formed - Christianity has a history, a foundation going back to the earliest Jewish history - Genesis and Exodus.

Do you need to know about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc., to believe that Jesus can take away your sin? No, you do not need know all that. But it can help understand some facets of our faith. Does knowing about Moses, David, or Solomon make accepting Christ as Savior ‘automatic’? Absolutely not!

“our fathers were all under the cloud… through the sea” - Two primary images of Jewish history are crossing the Red Sea (Exo. 14ff), and the Lord speaking to the Israelites from a cloud (Exo. 16:10; 19:16-20; 24:18-18; 33:9-10; 40:34-38). The trip through the Red Sea - on the dry seabed, walls of water to the right and left - was the capper of the miracles the Lord provided to free the Israelites from bonds of slavery in Egypt. That was not the only miracle God provided to them. He fed them for forty years on their travels through the Sinai Desert - manna, quail, and water.

V. 2-4 - “all were baptized into Moses… same spiritual food… same spiritual drink” - All the people of Israel went through the same experiences in Egypt, in the desert, and crossing into the promised land. The sacrament of baptism had not been instituted yet, not until Jesus Christ, our Lord commanded it. (See: Matt. 28:18-20, et. al.) (See note 1, below)

Paul is not referring to the Christian church ordinance, but to going through the same experience - similar to ‘trial by fire’ or ‘baptism under fire’. Jesus also used this same idea in response to a request by James and John. “They said to Him, ‘Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?’ They said to Him, ‘We are able.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.’ “ (Mark 10:37-39)
The Israelites witnessed the same miracles as Moses - the 10 plagues visited upon Egypt, (Exo. 7:20-12:32) the parting of the Red Sea, (Exo. 14:10-31) clothes that never wore out, shoes that never fell apart, etc. The Israelites ate the same manna as Moses (Exo. 16:4-12), ate the same quail (Exo. 16:13-16). They drank the water that miraculously came out of the rock (Exo. 17:6ff). These miracles are amazing, but without being flippant they are not vitally important.
What is important is that the power and protection of the Lord Almighty was demonstrated. The Jews had done nothing to deserve salvation. It might not be a stretch to say they deserved the opposite. Their complaints were ridiculous! They were freed from drudgery and slavery and yet they longed for ‘the good old days’!

“the rock was Christ.” - The tribes saw the same miracles Moses and Aaron saw. Little did they know, and seems that little did they care, it was Jesus Christ acting for them under the direction of God the Father, and by the power of the Holy Spirit to work these miracles. (See devotion book “The Songs of Jesus” [Keller] for Sep 27th)

V. 5 - “Nevertheless” - How could you become “Ho hum” about the display of God’s power, daily. Imagine standing on the sea shore, watching the impending doom coming toward you. They were defenseless against the Egyptian war machine! And then, that mighty army - cavalry and chariots - was swatted away like you would a fly. It was there, and then it wasn’t. This kind of thing happened over and over for 40 years.

“with most of them God was not well-pleased” - Over 600,000 men came out of Egypt, with their families and household goods. For the next two years or so, God supported them by His grace and power. They vexed Him to the point He said He was ready to wipe them out and start over. (See: Num. 14:11-23) Moses appealed to God, who relented. The adults who rebelled were denied entrance to the promised land.

---

Note 1: Bible dictionaries designate ‘Baptism’ as an ordinance of the Christian faith, along with communion. Moses, Aaron and some of the priests washed themselves and their clothing before performing some of the Jewish ordinances. It seems these were to cleanse the person and clothes before the ceremony. Followers of John the Baptist were immersed as a show of confession of sins in preparation for the coming of the promised Messiah. (See: Matt. 3:6, 13; Mk. 1:5, 9, et. al.) And, as noted before, our Lord Jesus Christ commanded baptism in His ‘Great Commission’. Baptism is a physical announcement that you have accepted and believed in Jesus Christ and His saving work - death on the cross for our sins, resurrection and ascension into glory.
Some churches insist that “if you aren’t baptism you aren’t saved”. (Likewise, there are churches that believe if you don’t take communion, your sins cannot be washed away and you could be lost…) I do not hold to either of those positions. Baptism is a one-time demonstration of your faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. Communion is an ongoing celebration of that same life saving sacrifice - body and blood of Christ. In almost every instance in Acts two things happened when someone heard the Gospel and believed: they confessed (spoke) of their faith and belief in Jesus; they were baptized to demonstrate that belief. (See: Matt. 16:16; Acts 1:5; 2:38, 21; 8:12-13, 36-38; 22:16, et. al.)
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1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - Discipline to Win

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

***

V. 24 - “Run in such a way that you may win.” - No half measures. The 2021 Summer Olympics is on. The commentators for the various sports tell us how hard these athletes train, how long - hours and hours, day after day - the commitment.

V. 25 - “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.” - We cannot improve at a sport if we don’t practice. Even practice must be disciplined. Hitting a bucket of balls on the driving range is just hitting balls unless done with purpose and plan. The same commitment and discipline is needed to grow in your faith. A snarky question from several years ago, “So you say have been a Christian for 15 years. Is that 15 years of experience, or one year’s experience 15 times?” The imperative is to know and grow in Christ.

“They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” - You may receive a medal when you win, and can cherish it as long as you live. Any ribbon, medal, or floral arrangement is impermanent. Jesus tells in a parable, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ … But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ “ (Matt. 25:21, 31-34) He links doing a job well here on earth to eternal rewards from the King of Kings.

V. 26-27 - “I discipline my body and make it my slave” - It is much more than spiritual discipline which necessary. It is the physical discipline - getting up in the morning, making the time to study the Word, to pray, to witness and share the gospel - fueled by the will to obey our Lord. We can say, “I ought to get up and do…” Good intentions are a dime-a-dozen. I know that sounds trite, or cold. However, Paul writes in Romans, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART’-- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’ ” (Rom. 10:8-13)

Note: believing results in righteousness.

Note well: confessing Christ - out loud - brings you to salvation. The physical act demonstrates the spiritual commitment. (I am not saying if you don’t speak it your soul is lost - there may be circumstances… )

But resisting the call to confess your faith in Jesus Christ could be problematic. See: “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 10:33) Refusing to say you believe is de facto denial.

“I myself will not be disqualified” - Not talking about salvation, but approval from the Master with respect to our service for Jesus.

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End of Chapter
(30-Jul-2020)

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 - For Gospel’s Sake

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.
22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

***

V. 19 - “For though I am free from all men” - Paul is not beholden to any person on earth.

“I have made myself a slave to all’ - Still, Paul serves every man he meets. He tells of Christ and Him crucified.

V. 20 - “To the Jews I became as a Jew” - Paul was a Jew, and a Roman citizen. He did not abdicate from being a Jew when he believed and accepted Christ as Savior. As we read through Acts we see the first place Paul goes when he enters a new city is the synagogue. Being a Jew and a Pharisee he immediately relates and has a connection with the people in the synagogue. He is not a ‘stranger’. He is able to start with the Law - familiar ground for those in the synagogue - and explain how Jesus fulfills the Law and the Messianic prophecies.

V. 21 - “to those who are without law” - He was not stymied when speaking and teaching to Gentiles. God’s love and forgiveness is available to all.

“under the law of Christ” - No longer bound to the Law - as revealed in the Pentateuch - but committed to the ‘new’ law as revealed by Jesus Christ. The question was asked of Jesus: "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus said to him, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:36-40. See also - Deut. 6:5; Lev.19:18) This is the Law we are now ‘under’.

All of the apostles understood the ‘new’ Law - “Then he brought them outside and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.’ " (Acts 16:30-31) I think the jailer was more concerned for his physical life, for it was forfeit if prisoners escaped his custody. Paul elevates the answer to a new level of understanding. Note the ‘Law’ is never mentioned in this instance. Salvation was found in no one else. (See Acts 4:12)

All of the apostles understood their mission: “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.’ ” (Mark 16:15-16)

The apostles debated and came to the same conclusion, that it was faith, not obedience to the Law that saved. “After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, ‘Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, has testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between them and us, cleansing their hearts by faith. So now why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.’ " (Acts 15:7-11)

Paul was called to go to the Gentiles and spread the gospel, without encumbering them with Levitical law. Peter and the other leaders of the early church came to the same opinion - Salvation is in faith in Christ alone. “Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. For the scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9-13)

V. 22 - “I have become all things to all men” - This is not about being wishy-washy, spineless or go-with-the-flow, letting others determine what you believe. Paul wants to use the most effective approach to every person he meets in order to win all to Christ.

V. 23 - “I do all things for the sake of the gospel” - No half measures for Paul. Whatever it takes being led by the Holy Spirit to win souls to Christ.

“so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” - If Paul did not preach the gospel to everyone he meets, then he would be disobedient to his calling. Rather than standing for the gospel, he would be working against the gospel. But being in the gospel, sharing and teaching the gospel to all comers he is fully involved in the gospel. When Paul talks of being a “partaker” of the gospel, he is not discussing his personal salvation. He is taking part in preaching and teaching the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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1 Corinthians 9:12-18 - My reward

1 Corinthians 9:12-18

12 If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
13 Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar?
14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.
16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.
17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.
18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

***

Those Who Serve The Lord

V. 12 - “If others share the right over you, do we not more?” - What ‘right’? The right to be supported financially by the Corinthian church. See the discussion for verses 4-11, above. I have this note from a Bible Study on 1 Corinthians (See note 1), “This question of Paul’s support or non-support is related to the larger issue of how the philosophers and wandering missionaries in the the first-century world were supported. There were four traditional sources: fees for service, support by a rich patron, begging, and work (at another job). Paul’s means of support came from the latter, which in his case meant tent-making (4:12).”

He could have claimed he deserved the right to be supported by the Corinthian church. And there is some validity there - Paul had spent a lot of time and effort to share and teach the Gospel to them. Had any other missionary devoted so much to them?

“Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.” - From the same Bible Study, “Were Paul to have accepted financial reward, this might well have been misunderstood by potential converts in Corinth as the main motive for his ministry.” (See note 1.)

V. 13 - “Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar?” - We know that is true for the priests and Levites of Judaism.

The Jewish priests were to all from the tribe of Levi. That tribe received no allotment in the distribution of the promised land to Israel. That is, the tribe of Levi did not get a section of land for their tribe.n(See Josh. 13-19.) There were some towns and surrounding farm land given to the Levites in each of the other tribal allotments. The Levites were chosen by God to represent Israel in the tabernacle or temple for sacrifices and offerings, so they did not receive tribal land. Also, parts of certain sacrifices and offerings were to be given to the Levite priests for their use and livelihood. The Jewish priests were supported by a temple (or tabernacle) tax and by the bread and meat of some of the offerings and sacrifices. (See Lev. 7, for example).

I do not know the religious practices of the pagan religions in the first century, especially those that took place in one of the temples. I suppose those who worked in a temple received payment from offerings and sacrifices made at the temple.

V. 14 - “So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.” - Jesus also indicated this, see Matt. 10:10. The apostles, preachers and teachers were supported by the believers from the very beginning. (See: Acts 2:41-47)

V. 15 - “But I have used none of these things.” - Paul has every right to claim and demand support from the Corinthian church based on scripture and local custom. He has not demanded the Corinthian church provide support him.

“it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.” - Paul is bragging (just a little…). What a claim! He would rather be dead than have people be able to say he demanded and accepted money from the church. What a dilemma! Paul and Barnabas were called to spread the gospel - this is their full-time ‘job’ - yet they were not making demands upon the new believers. What a difference from the modern day ‘televangelists’ who overwhelm us with appeals for support for their ‘ministry’. I do not think Paul is exaggerating.

V. 16 - “For I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” - Called by God to spread the gospel. Jesus takes an enemy, reveals Himself to him, and gets an apostle. Paul is ‘driven’ to share the gospel - he can think of doing nothing else with his life. He would be the most unhappy man alive if he did not teach and preach Christ. It is a compulsion; he will go slightly insane if he does not preach.

V. 17 - “For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward” - The money is not the reward! Paul is saying: If you think I do this (preach the gospel) because I want to do it; you are correct. There is a reward for me because I am following my calling. God will say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” (See: Matt. 5:21, 23; Luke 19:17)

“But if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.” - Paul is also saying: If you think I do this (preach the gospel) because I am forced to do it, that I don’t really want to do it; you are not correct. God has called me to be a missionary. I give myself to Him to use as He pleases. Knowing that He is using me to spread the gospel, means that I know what is required - the stewardship of the gospel. It is not just a job, there is an important responsibility to be faithful to the message God has for the lost.

V. 18 - “I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.” - Support for Paul must never be a stumbling block for new or potential believers. Sometimes perceptions can put up mental roadblocks that prevent us from hearing a message. We see this all the time - in politics, in our work, in social settings. Is there a president or congressman (-woman) with whom you disagree? Do you immediately dismiss their statements and claims - simply because they are in the other political party, or you dislike them so much? If a person in your home owners association board gets on your nerves, do you roll your eyes and shake your head whenever they talk? Do you hesitate to talk with a co-worker because you know you will probably disagree with whatever they say?

Paul is saying he does not want support for his ministry to stop the Corinthians from hearing and believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior. He may deserve support as an apostle-missionary. No one should be ‘turned off’ because of a demand for support. This is an interesting turn-around: he claims he is worthy of support because of his calling; yet he is making no claim for support if such a claim will prevent you from becoming a Christian. Your salvation is more important than any other thing.

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Note 1: “Serendipity Group Bible Study Series”; Serendipity House, Littleton, CO; 1989. ***