Devotions

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

angels and authority

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:7-10

1Co 11:7 Because, on the one hand, a husband should not have his head covered, since he is supposed to reflect the character and good reputation of God; on the other hand, his wife reflects her husband’s good reputation.
1Co 11:8 Because a husband is not from a wife, but a wife from a husband,
1Co 11:9 because a husband was not created on account of a wife, but a wife on account of the husband.
1Co 11:10 For this reason, the wife ought to have the right to decide about her head — because of the angels.

angels and authority

You will notice from my translation that I approach this text with a different set of assumptions. I am not convinced that Paul is trying to get rebellious women to submit to godly men. I am also pretty sure that Paul is not reflecting some theology of gender hierarchy that all Christians should accept on the same footing as the gospel. I was almost convinced of those two doctrines a few years ago, but now I see them as erroneous. The reason I changed my mind is that I seriously studied this text. I discovered that most translations reflect the assumptions related to those erroneous doctrines.

My assumption is that some husbands in Corinth are insisting that their wives go uncovered during worship, to prove that they are free to do so. The wives are horrified to do such an embarrassing thing, so they appealed to Paul. That is why Paul says something that seems so out of place if you think he is arguing for submission. He says that the wives should have the right to decide (exousia) what to do with their own heads (10).

He gives three reasons for this instruction: First, he says that what wives do reflects back (eikon) to their husbands’ reputation (doxa), so they should not be forced to do something that would shame their husbands (even if it is their husbands who want them to do it).

Secondly, he points back to creation, reminding the husbands that — like Eve — their wives were lovingly created on account of them. When they worship, they reflect that fact by wearing the head covering.

Thirdly, Paul reminds the Corinthians of what he said earlier in this letter about angels. “Do you not know that we are going to decide the fate of angels? So, why not questions of normal life?” (6:3). In that context, Paul was desperately trying to get the Corinthians to stop taking each other to secular court. He said that believers should be able to resolve their own conflicts because someday they will be deciding the fate of angels. He was teaching the principle of personal judgment. He’s doing the same thing in here chapter 11. He’s arguing that the wives of Corinth have the wisdom to decide for themselves whether or not to wear a head-covering when they worship.

LORD, forgive us for how we have abused this text to teach a doctrine of gender supremacy. Help us as husbands and wives to love one another and submit to one another out of reverance for Christ.

Posted in angels, consideration of others, discernment, head coverings, marriage, submission, worship | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

holiness and hats

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:4-6

1Co 11:4 Any husband who decides to be praying or prophesying while having something against his head, puts his head to shame.
1Co 11:5 But any wife who decides to be praying or prophesying with her head uncovered puts her head to shame, since that is one and the same as having it shaved.
1Co 11:6 Because if a wife is not covering up her hair, she should cut it off; but if it is disgraceful for a wife to have her hair cut off or shaved, she should cover it.

holiness and hats

I was told once that up until recent history all wives everywhere wore head coverings as a sign of their husbands’ authority over them. That’s a load of crock. What I will concede is that in first century Corinth it was considered shameful for a wife to go without a head covering, because head coverings served the same purpose as wedding rings: they indicated that a lady was married. Thus, for a wife to appear in public without her head covering, it would put her head to shame. It would literally put her head to shame, and it would bring shame to her husband as her head. The people in that culture and time objected to exposing their wives’ hair. I have no such objection. My wife has beautiful hair, and I do not mind letting the world see it.

Now, the problem in the Corinthian church was that there was a group of husbands who — belonging to the “freedom” faction, insisted that their wives should go uncovered. The wives — not wanting to be exposed to public shame — wanted to keep with their cultural tradition and keep their veils on. They appealed to Paul. He told those husbands that they should not insist that their wives go uncovered in public. His reasons had nothing to do with their husbands’ authority over them. His reason stated here was that it would embarrass both the wives and the husbands. It would be the same if the husbands walked around with head coverings on — like cross dressing.

So, basically this passage has less to do with holiness and more to do with being considerate of one another, and not seeing our freedom as license to do something stupid. More on this tomorrow.

LORD, we do not want to put you to shame, either by how we dress, how we act, or what we profess. Teach us to be considerate of one another.

Posted in consideration of others, discernment, holiness, marriage, worship | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

headship and heartache

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:1-3

1Co 11:1 Become imitators of me, like I seek to imitate Christ.
1Co 11:2 Now, I appreciate the fact that you have all remembered me and, are trying to hold to the traditions, in the same way that I passed them on to you,
1Co 11:3 but I want you to know what I meant when I said “the head of every husband is Christ, and the husband is head of a wife, and God is head of Christ.”

headship and heartache

The church in Corinth had really missed Paul’s point about headship. Today’s church consistently does the same thing. Just like first century Corinth, we are so used to thinking of marriage as a hierarchy that we use Paul’s words to defend our traditions rather than seriously considering what he actually said. As we will see over the next few days, even the Bible translators have missed the point of this passage.

Let me just say at the outset that the Bible is not the problem here. As much as we might pride ourselves on being independent thinkers, we are all victims of our culture, and because cultures are made up of sinful humanity, they often steer us wrong. Take today’s text for example. Do you see a hierarchy in verse three? Many preachers do. They (often passionately) proclaim that according to this verse, God has a pecking order, and that it is him first, then Christ, then males, then females. Readers who have grown up in hierarchical cultures will probably admit that they read verse three that way.

Here is the order of the subjects of verse three: the head of every husband (Christ), the husband, God. If verse three represented a hierarchy, the subjects are out of place. If we wanted to talk about a hierarchy, wouldn’t we start with God and then go down to the females? But, no. That is not what Paul was doing. He is not to blame for our hierarchical thinking. We have caused our wives a lot of heartaches thinking and teaching that way.

What Paul taught was not hierarchy but headship, and there’s a difference. More on this tomorrow.

LORD, forgive us for reading our cultural biases in the text of scripture. Help us to get closer to your heart, and avoid giving our loved ones heartache.

Posted in Bible, discernment, marriage, traditions, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

freedom and conscience (part 2)

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 10:27-33

1Co 10:27 If someone from the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, as long as you can do so with a clear conscience.
1Co 10:28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you.
1Co 10:29 I am not saying your own conscience should be bothered, but the other person’s might. Because “Why should my freedom be limited by a decision made by someone else’s conscience?”
1Co 10:30 “If I am sharing by grace, why should I be insulted over that which I am thankful for?”
1Co 10:31 This is why: whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1Co 10:32 Become blameless to Jews, and to Greeks, and to the church of God,
1Co 10:33 just like I also am trying to please all people in all things, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.

freedom and conscience (part 2)

Paul is discussing this issue in his letter to Corinth because some among the groups feel that their freedom in Christ is being wrongly condemned. Paul’s point is that freedom in Christ is a valid principle, but that there is a higher principle that the freedom group is not considering. That higher principle is that of sharing the gospel. Believers should choose their activities or refrain from certain activities on the basis or whether those activities bring glory to God, enhancing his reputation, because leading people to a relationship with God through Christ is our prime directive. Paul tried to please everyone because he wanted to reach everyone with the gospel. His freedoms and his preferences took second place to that objective.

LORD, give us a heart to reach others with the gospel, and a commitment to be blameless in everyone’s sight in order to accomplish that mission.

Posted in conscience, consideration of others, freedom, gospel | Tagged 1 Corinthians 10 | Leave a comment

freedom and conscience (part 1)

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 10:23-26

1Co 10:23 “I am allowed to do anything,” but not everything is profitable. “I am allowed to do anything,” but not everything contributes positively.
1Co 10:24 No one should search for what he prefers, but search for what the other person prefers.
1Co 10:25 Eat anything sold in the market as long as there is no question in your own conscience,
1Co 10:26 because the land and all it contains belongs to the Lord.

freedom and conscience (part 1)

There is a faction within the churches of Corinth advocating total freedom for Christians to do anything they want. The particular question (of eating meat that had been dedicated to a false god before it was sold) was a case in point for them. They argued that the meat was perfectly okay to eat. Paul said that they were right — in principle. Everything the land contains belongs to the one God who created it. So, everyone is free to eat that meat. But there are two things anyone has to think about before chowing down. First, how do you really feel about that meat. Is it something you really want to eat? Second, what about the people around you? How will exercising your freedom affect them?

LORD, teach us to be considerate of and thoughtful in everything we do.

(More on this subject tomorrow)

Posted in conscience, discernment, freedom, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 10 | Leave a comment

too far

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 10:19-22

1Co 10:19 What am I saying then? That something offered to idols is real, or that an idol is real?
1Co 10:20 Instead, I am saying that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to become sharers of demons.
1Co 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
1Co 10:22 Or have we started provoking the Lord to jealousy now? We have not become stronger than him — have we?

too far

The group within the Corinthian churches that were advocating eating meat offered to idols was probably the freedom group. They argued that a Christian is free to do whatever he wants — that there are no dietary restrictions like there were under the old covenant. They probably based their teaching on some exact quotes from Paul. Like these, for example:

“the one who abstains must not criticise the one who eats anything, because God has accepted him. Who are you to criticise another’s servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.” (Rom. 14:3-4 JDV)

“But you who eat vegetables only– why do you criticise your brother or sister? …Because we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. Scripture puts it this way, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.” So, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:10-12 JDV)

This group probably had a large number, and may have won a lot of debates, because they highlighted a legitimate biblical principle — that of self-judgement. Unfortunately, they were taking that principle too far. Our freedom in Christ should never be used to indulge in activities that offend Christ.

LORD, give us the wisdom to check our freedom so that we do take it too far.

Posted in balance, discernment, freedom, self-control | Tagged 1 Corinthians 10 | Leave a comment

grace at the table

Posted on April 17, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 10:16-18

1Co 10:16 The cup of praise that we speak so well of, is it not a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 Because it is one loaf, the many of us are one body, because we all have a share of that one loaf.
1Co 10:18 Look at ethnic Israel. Are not the ones who eat the sacrifices sharers of the altar?

grace at the table

Paul is still responding to the question as to whether it is appropriate for Christians to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols. He had conceded that there is nothing wrong with the meat itself, and that the “gods” people are worshipping are not really gods. But he makes the case that Christians should not knowingly eat of those sacrifices because those who do so are part of another culture — a different one.

Christians share a common culture, and we celebrate our mutual identity each time we participate in the communion. When we praise God for the shed blood of Christ we are sharing in that sacrifice. When we break the bread we are participating in that sacrifice, just as the ethnic Israelites did when they shared in the temple sacrifices. To share in the sacrifice bonds the worshipper to the deity being worshipped. It is a celebration of God’s grace that meets us at our point of need.

LORD, thank you for your grace, and for giving us a tangible way of celebrating that grace each time we come to your table.

Posted in communion, ethnic Israel, grace, idolatry, unity | Tagged 1 Corinthians 10 | Leave a comment

end point

Posted on April 16, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 10:13-15

1Co 10:13 A temptation has not taken you unless it is human. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability, but he will also make an end point with the temptation, allowing you to be able to endure it.

1Co 10:14 For this reason, my loved ones, run away from this idolatry.

1Co 10:15 I am speaking to you as people with insight; decide for yourselves on what I am saying.

end point

The particular temptation Paul spoke of here was that of falling back into a life of idolatry. He pleads for the Corinthian Christians to run away from idolatry. This is possible because God has provided an end point within them: a point where they can stop thinking and acting like idolaters. Paul challenges the Corinthians to look within themselves, and see if the God who is faithful to them has given them what they need to be faithful to him. He has, and he has given it to us too.

LORD, give us the insight to know that the faith you gave us when we were saved is the faithfulness we need to overcome temptation.

Posted in faith, faithfulness, grace, idolatry, insight, temptation | Tagged 1 Corinthians 10 | 1 Comment