Devotions

how it works

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 12:10-12

1Co 12:10 But to another he gives powerful abilities, to another he gives prophetic insight, to another he gives the ability to distinguish between opposing spirits, to speak different families of languages, but he gives another the skill to translate languages.
1Co 12:11 But all these gifts are the work of one and the same Spirit, as he distributes each gift to its own recipient, just as he planned it.
1Co 12:12 In the same way there is the one body and it has many parts, but all the many parts function as one, this is also how it works with Christ.

how it works

Paul describes the functioning of these miraculous gifts as if they are the normal work that Christ is doing in the world, utilising our bodies and minds and tongues as extensions of his. He functions best not when we strive to look and act just like everyone else, but when we follow the Holy Spirit’s plan, and submit to his prompting to be different. The Corinthian Christians were all trying to outdo each other in the exercise of one or two prominent gifts. Paul warned them that it does not work that way.

LORD, give us the courage to let the Holy Spirit use each of us in different functions, so that his whole plan can be realised.

Posted in church, Holy Spirit, ministry, miracles, spiritual gifts, unity | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12 | Leave a comment

sovereign grace

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 12:7-9

1Co 12:7 But to each recipient the Holy Spirit reveals himself through the most profitable gifts.
1Co 12:8 For example, the Spirit gives one recipient a wise word, but to another recipient, the same Spirit gives a word exposing some mystery,
1Co 12:9 the same Spirit gives faith to someone else, but the one Spirit gives healing gifts to another.

sovereign grace

The Holy Spirit is sovereign over all the gifts he distributes among the body of Christ. I think most of us have more gifts than we choose to utilise, but that is not the fault of the giver. He knows which gifts will be the most appropriate for each occasion, and which are the most useful for each ministry.

Awareness of this fact can be very liberating. If someone (or some church) demands that I take on a certain task which I know is definitely outside my gift range, I am free to decline. He decides what position I play on the team, and I am ok with that.

LORD, we surrender to your sovereign grace in our lives and in our ministries.

Posted in contentment, dependence upon God, Holy Spirit, sovereignty of God, spiritual gifts | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12 | Leave a comment

spiritual gift structure

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

1Co 12:4 Now there are different types of gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.
1Co 12:5 That is, there are different regular offices of ministry, but the same Lord we minister for.
1Co 12:6 And there are different occasional manifestations, but the same God who brings about all of them in everyone.

spiritual gift structure

The fact that Paul is now talking about the supernatural aspects of church ministry does not mean that it is beyond explanation. In fact, Paul will go on to give a carefully itemised explanation of all the supernatural events taking place among the Corinthians. He begins this explanation by pointing out the structure of spiritual gifts. He says in verse four that there are different types of gift, then proceeds to explain two types in more detail in the next two verses.

The regular offices of ministry (diakonion) involve spiritual gifts that regularly manifest in the life of a particular person, who has an office that identifies him or her with the gifts. For example, Paul’s missionary gifts were regularly exercised in his relationship with the churches.

The occasional manifestations were those gifts that manifested during a particular event — like a worship service. Those gifts were not tied to any specific office, and could be manifested by anyone. These may or may not be ever repeated in the life of that person.

The Holy Spirit is a spirit of order, and we should expect to understand that order, within the limits of our human capacity to understand.

LORD, thank you for the ministries and manifestations of your Holy Spirit among us.

Posted in church, Holy Spirit, insight, ministry, spiritual gifts | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12 | Leave a comment

being led by the Spirit

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

1Co 12:1 But I do not want you to miss my answers to your questions about spiritual matters.
1Co 12:2 You are aware of the fact that back when you were Gentiles, no matter which way you were led, you were being diverted towards mute idols.
1Co 12:3 This is the reason I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

being led by the Spirit

Up until this point, all the issues Paul had addressed were what he considered pragmata — issues like lawsuits and unity and wisdom, and Paul’s defense of his own ministry tactics. But now he makes a major shift in his instruction, and tackles questions that have more to do with the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers in Corinth. These issues are the pneumatikoi. It looks as if someone had asked Paul to clarify how one can know for sure that a message proclaimed is really from the Holy Spirit, or merely the result of human imagination.

Paul’s answer is for the Corinthians to look at where that message will lead you. He reminds the Corinthians that before they joined the Christian community, they were Gentiles, and were consistently led to idolatry. So, they know what it is like to take the wrong road. When someone claims to be speaking by means of the Holy Spirit, the only way they will know whether that is true or not is to examine the intended results of what they are saying. Will following their message glorify Christ as Lord, or curse him as a deceiver? In other words, does their message correspond to the person and message of Christ himself? The Spirit will never lead you where Christ is not Lord.

LORD, give us the capacity to stay on the right road, and not be diverted from your gospel and your glory.

Posted in discernment, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, ministry, spiritual gifts | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12 | 1 Comment

choosing condemnations

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:31-34

1Co 11:31 But if we proved ourself faithful, we would not have experienced this condemnation.
1Co 11:32 Yet in these times of condemnation, we are being taught a lesson by the Lord, so that we do not experience the condemnation that the world will.
1Co 11:33 For this reason, my brothers, when you come together to eat, be considerate of one another.
1Co 11:34 If someone is hungry, he should eat in his own house, so that when you come together, you do not cause condemnation. I will take care of the rest of your questions when I arrive.

choosing condemnations

It’s tough to be a believer nowadays, because the church is on trial all the time. When we are doing something wrong, sometimes we suffer because of it. The Lord is teaching us a lesson in these times of condemnation, just like he taught Corinth a lesson over their abuse of communion. It isn’t cruel for him to do so, because he wants us to learn that lesson, stop sinning, and avoid the ultimate condemnation that the world will experience at Gehenna hell. When the Lord does punish us for something like not being considerate of one another, we can stubbornly defy him and keep doing it our way. If we do, we risk incurring his wrath, and in so doing, we are choosing the ultimate condemnation. Wrong choice!

LORD, thank you for your faithful lessons. Teach us to recognize those lessons quickly, repent fully, return to you, and thus not risk the ultimate condemnation of destruction in hell.

Posted in consideration of others, destruction in hell, judgment, repentance, wrath of God | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

communion court

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:26-30

1Co 11:26 Because every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he returns,
1Co 11:27 with the result that whoever eats the Lord’s bread or drinks the Lord’s the cup in an unworthy way will be required to give an account for the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 A man should be proving himself faithful, even when eating the bread and drinking the cup.
1Co 11:29 Because the one eating and drinking, eats and drinks himself into condemnation, if he does not recognise the significance of the body.
1Co 11:30 That is the reason many among you are weak and sick, and a considerable number are asleep.

communion court

Paul is reacting to news he has been told about the Corinthians’ abuse of the communion meal. Their beast feasts are making a mockery of this solemn event. He tells them that they are not realising it, but each time they gather to participate in communion, court is in session. The way they act during the ritual matters a great deal. The reason is that the communion table is one of the ways God has given us of preaching the gospel of his grace. When we come to the table, we are announcing the Lord’s death — giving people another opportunity to respond to his grace. When we do something to distract others from that opportunity, we are showing contempt for the gift of salvation via the broken body and shed blood.

Instead of doing that, believers should be proving themselves faithful while they are eating and drinking. If we do that, we will not be offending the Lord, and risking his immediate condemnation. In Corinth, the offenders were already experiencing this condemnation in the form of increased weakness, sickness and death (falling asleep). The Lord takes this table seriously, and so should we.

LORD, thank you for your grace, demonstrated ultimately by the sacrificial death of Christ to reconcile us to yourself. Show us how to preach that gospel every time we come to your table.

Posted in communion, discernment, evangelism, gospel, grace, reverence, the cross, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

do this too

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:23-25

1Co 11:23 Because this is what I received from the Lord, a truth I also passed on to you: On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread,
1Co 11:24 And after he gave thanks, he broke it up, and said, “This represents mine — the body broken on behalf of you all. Do this so that you will remember of Me.”
1Co 11:25 In the same way, he poured the cup also, after they ate the bread, and this is what he said, “This cup is the new covenant, launched with my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

do this too

We often snatch these words out of their biblical context and use them as a means of celebrating the solemn rite of communion. Paul used them to berate the Corinthians, who were using the bread and wine as mere additions to their beast feasts. Notice each pronoun referring to Christ in the text that Paul accentuates:

…He was betrayed
…he took bread
…he gave thanks
…he broke it up
…this represents mine
…remember me
…my blood
…in remembrance of me

Paul was pointing out that the ritual Christ gave us was focused on remembering him. Paul did not appreciate the fact that the Corinthians had made communion an excuse to indulge in their own prideful gluttony.

In the original context, these were the words of Jesus, and it is right for us to use them in our communion rituals. He broke the bread, and he told us to do this too, so that we remember that his body was broken for us. He poured the wine, and he told us to do this too, so that we can remember the new covenant, launched not with an animal’s blood, but with the blood of Christ himself.

LORD, thank you for giving us a tangible way to regularly remember you, and your gift of grace when you gave yourself for our salvation.

Posted in atonement, communion, Jesus Christ | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

beast feast

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:20-22

1Co 11:20 This is such a case: when you all come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Supper.
1Co 11:21 Because at the meal, each one eats his own supper ahead of others. So one person is staying hungry while another is getting drunk!
1Co 11:22 I say this because … Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass the ones who do not have what you have? What should I say to you? Should I show appreciation for you? I do not appreciate this behaviour!

beast feast

Paul had just told the Corinthians that they would be able to discern which preference groups within the church were actually worth joining by the behaviours that these groups displayed and tolerated. Now, he gives a case in point. The Lord Jesus had initiated a little ritual after he celebrated his last Passover with his disciples, just before his crucifixion. He had encouraged his disciples to eat this little meal often, and make it an occasion for solemn remembrance of God’s grace, and personal reflection. In Corinth, it had turned into a beast feast. Instead of communion, there was confusion. Instead of focusing on Christ, the people were focusing on the feed. Paul was ticked off, and rightly so.

LORD, we thank you for giving us a means of reflecting on the marvel of your grace, demonstrated by the sacrificial death of our Saviour. May we treat this gift with respect and reverence.

Posted in communion, consideration of others, discernment, divisions, shame | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

helpful heresies

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:17-19

1Co 11:17 But as I give this command, I cannot show appreciation, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.
1Co 11:18 Because first, I hear that there are schisms among you when you come together as a church, and to some extent I believe it,
1Co 11:19 because there must be groups with different preferences among you, so that those of you who are approved may become obvious.

helpful heresies

One of the tricky things about translating Greek into English is that sometimes you come across a word which has been appropriated into English. It might seem the easiest part of the process, but sometimes it is not, because the English use of the word may have a connotation that is not intended at the time it appeared in the NT. This is one of those cases. Verse 19 mentions ” groups with different preferences” — that is, subgroups within the churches which follow a certain practise or person or idea, in comparison to the others who do not. The Greek word is hairesis, from which we get the English heresy. But Danker’s Lexicon says that the “later technical sense “heresy” does not occur in the NT.”

What Paul is saying is that the church in Corinth is following a pattern that appears in a number of churches, a pattern in which those of like mind tend to unify, with the side effect being disunity within the whole church. Paul says that is not necessarily a bad thing, because it should then be easier to see the bad apples compared to the good ones. When one of those subgroups tries to force the whole church to get on its side and exclude the others who think or act differently — that is when it becomes a destructive heresy (2 Peter 2:1). Clarification of the truth is God’s will, but divisiveness and animosity are not.

LORD, keep us true to your word, and appreciative of our different approaches to it.

Posted in balance, consideration of others, criticism, divisions, heresies, unity | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

same principle, different application

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:11-16

1Co 11:11 All the same, a wife should not decide on this apart from her husband, nor a husband apart from his wife,
1Co 11:12 because just as the wife is from the husband, the husband is also on account of the wife. And it all comes from God.
1Co 11:13 Decide for yourselves: is it appropriate for a wife to pray to God uncovered?
1Co 11:14 Does not nature itself teach you the answer, by the fact that when her husband has long hair, he is embarassed by it,
1Co 11:15 but if his wife has long hair, she is proud of it, because she was given it instead of a covering?
1Co 11:16 But if anyone still wants to argue about this, we do not actually practice anything else, nor do the churches of God.

same principle, different application

Paul instructed the Corinthian Christian husbands that instead of forcing their wives to appear in public uncovered, they should allow the wives to decide whether it was appropriate. Now, he continues to teach the principle of self judgment by explaining that if both the wives and the husbands listen to their own conscienses (instead of the false teaching they had been subjected to) they will agree to keep the head coverings on. At that time, and in that culture, people would be embarassed if a wife paraded around without her head covering. Only the prostitutes did that.

It is a different situation in most parts of the world today. To insist on wives wearing head coverings today is to cause the very thing that Paul was trying to prevent: embarassment. Because in most cultures today, wearing a head covering is not a sign that you are a married woman; it is the sign that you are a Muslim woman.

So, as we seek to properly apply this text to our lives today, most of us will find that the proper thing to do is the opposite of what the Corinthians eventually did. The Corinthians obeyed Paul’s instruction and kept their head coverings on. For us, obeying Paul’s instruction means keeping head coverings off! The principle is the same, but the application has changed.

LORD, give us the wisdom to do those things which lead to your glory, and to not do those things which would bring you dishonour.

Posted in bible study, consideration of others, discernment, head coverings, judgment, marriage | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment