Devotions

considering the consciences

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 8:7-9

1Co 8:7 However, this knowledge is not in all of us to the same degree. In fact, some have habitually thought like idolaters until now, so when they eat food that has been offered to an idol, their weak conscience is corrupted.

1Co 8:8 But a food will not really affect our standing in God’s sight. Neither are we lacking his blessing if we do not eat it, nor do we gain his blessing if we do eat it.

1Co 8:9 But you all had better see to it that your right to choose in this matter does not become a cause of tripping up the weak ones.

considering the consciences

Many of the problems pointed out in the Corinthian churches were caused by people with the right theology, but who practiced it in such a way as to hurt other believers. In this case, those who rightly understood the gospel message as setting them free from dietary restraints – thought nothing of availing themselves of the cheap meat which had been ceremonially dedicated to a false god. After all, it was just meat. Paul told these believers that their theology was right, but their actions were wrong. They failed to consider the consciences of the other believers – those who did not have the same degree of confidence that they had.

Our generation needs to learn this lesson again. We seem to flaunt our rights to watch whatever we want, eat whatever we want, drink whatever we want. Meanwhile, there is a new generation of believers, peering over our shoulders, checking out our behaviour. In some cases, perhaps our freedom is being seen as hypocrisy. It would not be a bad idea to practice a bit more self-control, for their sake.

LORD, give us wisdom as to how we display our freedoms.

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imposters

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 8:4-6

1Co 8:4 So, about eating food which has been offered to idols, we know that “an idol in this world is nothing,” and “there no God, except for the one.”

1Co 8:5 Because even though there are those spoken of as gods in the sky or on the land – yes, there are many such gods and many lords —

1Co 8:6 but to us – one God, the Father, from whom came all things, and we are for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom came all things, and we live because of him.

imposters

There are still many throughout the world who cannot make the faith assertions that Paul makes here. Sadly, idolatry is not relegated to the dark ages of our prehistory. The belief in, and “worship” of idols and ancestral spirits still holds many parts of this world in its grip. I put the word “worship” in quotes because it is not really worship. People sacrifice to idols and pray to them as a means of manipulation, because they believe that such practices get them what they selfishly want. They “exist” because people want them to. They exist because people created them.

But Paul contrasts the one God and the one Lord Jesus Christ. It is the other way around. We exist because of them. We live because of them. We are for them. Other people have a god, and an image made of stone or wood or metal — by which they communicate with that god. We have one God, the Father, and a Son, who is his exact image, and who has brought us into relationship with him. We have no need for those imposters.

LORD, purge from us the stupidity of idolatry in all its forms.

Posted in animism, dependence upon God, discernment, idolatry, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 8 | Leave a comment

gossip game

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 8:1-3

1Co 8:1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about what is happening. But knowledge makes a person arrogant, love builds him up.

1Co 8:2 If someone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know as well as he needs to know.

1Co 8:3 But if anyone loves God, this is known by God.

gossip game

They are playing the gossip game in Corinth. Some of the church members have found out a juicy bit of knowledge about some others, and that “secret” is now the talk of the town. Everybody knows what is going on. The word is that some are going to the seedy side of the marketplace and buying second-hand meat – meat that had been dedicated to a pagan god before it was sold. The news even got included in the letter to Paul, so now he gets to chime in on the hot discussion.

Paul begins his discussion of this topic by pointing out the difference between what a person knows and whether a person loves. Our knowledge is always limited, but our love does not have to be. We can love God, even though our knowledge of him is elementary. He can love us, in spite of our limits. This is where we should begin when touching on topics like this: relationships. Before I dare gossip about another believer, I had better know that I am picking on someone whom God loves.

LORD, forgive us for slandering those whom you have chosen to love.

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distracted by desire

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 7:36-40

1Co 7:36 But if anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his fiancé, if his passions are strong, and so it has to be, let him do what he wants to; he is not sinning. Let them marry.

1Co 7:37 But the one who stands firm in his heart, being under no necessity but having his own desire under control, and has determined in his own mind to keep her as his fiancé, he will do well.

1Co 7:38 So then, he who marries his fiancé does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better.

1Co 7:39 A wife is tied down as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she wants to, only in the Lord.

1Co 7:40 But in my opinion she is happier if she stays the way she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

distracted by desire

The situation in the Corinthian churches seems to be that some young men who were at the age of marriage were concerned that doing so would be out of God’s will. Someone said that Paul said it was better not to marry. This was causing some concern. Paul writes back to the Corinthians and says, “Yes, I did say it was better not to marry, and it is, but if you are going to be distracted by your desire to marry, then it is better to marry.”

LORD, we want to be as committed to you and your kingdom as possible. Help us to keep our other desires and plans under control.

Posted in commitment, discipleship, marriage, self-control | Tagged 1 Corinthians 7 | Leave a comment

worry engines

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 7:32-35

1Co 7:32 But I want you to be free from unnecessary worry. One who is unmarried worries about the things of the Lord, how he may accommodate the Lord;

1Co 7:33 but one who is married worries about the things of the world, how he may accommodate his wife,

1Co 7:34 and he is distracted. And the woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, worries about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married worries about the things of the world, how she may accommodate her husband.

1Co 7:35 And I am saying this for your own benefit; not to put a noose around your neck, but to help you make right choices, and to assure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

worry engines

Human minds are extraordinary things. We can actually choose the things that we think about. We can choose our focus. That is what Paul is getting at here. In Corinth, some of the church members were getting far too carried away with the things of the world, even worrying about who they might marry, or how they might take care of their fiancés. Paul had taught them that it was best not to concentrate their worry engines on such things. For those so gifted, they can be devoted to the Lord without distraction.

LORD, train us to focus our worry engines on you and your kingdom.

Posted in commitment, discipleship, holiness, marriage, relationship with God, self-control, worry | Tagged 1 Corinthians 7 | 1 Comment

a dissolving world

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

1Co 7:29 But I am saying this, brothers: the time which is appointed to us has been shortened, so that the ones married to wives are as though they are unmarried,

1Co 7:30 and the ones weeping, as though they did not weep; and the ones rejoicing, as though they did not rejoice; and the ones buying, as though they did not possess;

1Co 7:31 and the ones making use of the world, as though they did not make full use of it; because the shape of this world is dissolving.

a dissolving world

Paul’s analogy describing the time in which he lived is appropriate for the modern context as well. So much change – a world in flux, a world that is dissolving around us. How do you live in such a world? Keep your extraneous commitments few, so you can concentrate on your essential commitments. That is why Paul advised the young Corinthian Christians to reconsider their marriage plans. What commitments are you considering which might complicate your life? Is it kingdom essential?

LORD, give us wisdom to make only the essential commitments.

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consequences of commitment

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 7:25-28

1Co 7:25 But as to your question about those yet unmarried, I do not have a specific command from the Lord, but I can give an opinion as one who is faithful by the Lord’s mercy.

1Co 7:26 I think then that this is good in light of the present crisis, that it is good for a man to stay as he is.

1Co 7:27 Are you already committed to a woman? Do not try to get out of the commitment. Are you free of any obligation to a woman? Do not look for a wife.

1Co 7:28 But if you marry, you have not sinned, and if an unmarried woman marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will experience distress in this life, and I am trying to prevent you from experiencing that.

consequences of commitment

This is one of the times where Paul makes it clear that his advice is more tied to his current context, so exegetes need to be more careful not to turn the advice into ecclesiastical law. But Paul’s purpose is to try to get those considering marriage to recognize the consequences of that commitment. He thinks it is better for Corinthians who are of marriage age to remain unmarried, because of “the present crisis.”

The general principle we can glean from this text is that the fewer commitments we make, the freer we will be to pursue kingdom life. For those of us who have already committed ourselves to life with another person, the choice has been made, and we should honour that commitment. In some cases, a life without a marriage partner is a less stressful one.

LORD, give us wisdom when we consider our life commitments.

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purchased at a high price

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Cor. 7:21-24

²¹ Were you called while a bondservant? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, I would rather you use that opportunity. ²² Because the bondservant called by the Lord is emancipated by the Lord, just like the free person is a bondservant of Christ. ²³ You were purchased at a high price; do not become bondservants of other men. ²⁴ As each has been called, brothers, stay in that state in the presence of God.

purchased at a high price

Paul has been addressing questions posed to him about how becoming a Christian should change one’s relationship to others. He has asserted that becoming a Christian does not essentially change the marital relationship (1-17), nor does it change someone’s ethnic or cultural heritage (18-20).

Now, Paul addresses that considerable percentage of the Corinthian population – and the Corinthian church – who are bondservants. He tells them essentially the same thing. Their new faith does not change that relationship. The general principle that Paul applied was the same: stay in the state you were in when you became a believer. In this case, he makes two exceptions:

Now there is a higher reality, and – in a sense – now every Christian, no matter how he is employed – has been bought with a high price. The price Jesus paid for us was his own death on the cross.
If there is any way for a Christian bondservant to pay his debt and become free, he should do it. It is better strategically for the church if its members are not tied down to obligations other than those to Christ.

LORD, thank you for setting us free by the high price you paid for us. Thank you, also, for the servanthood you have called us to – to a better master.

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spray painting the temple

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Cor. 7:18-20

¹⁸ Was someone called after having been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was someone called who is uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. ¹⁹ Neither being circumcised nor having a foreskin is what really matters, but what matters is keeping God’s commands. ²⁰ Each person has been called in a certain state; in that state each should remain.

spray painting the temple

The practical and spiritual advice Paul gave the Corinthians was designed to keep them from a world of worry and hurt. Simply put, God is not interested in them making external changes in order to get better or more spiritual. I have seen entire congregations destroyed and families in upheaval because people are convinced that in order to be more spiritual, they have to be more Jewish. It is just not so. Paul speaks to this Gentile church and tells them that getting circumcised is not going to change them. They are already God’s temple. They do not have to spray paint it.

Instead of trying to please God by external changes, concentrate on letting him take you, the way you are, and use you to bring others into his kingdom. External changes will not do that, but the Holy Spirit will.

LORD, here we are. Use us just the way we are, for your glory and to bring others into your future kingdom.

Posted in church, dependence upon God, discipleship, ethnic Israel, Holy Spirit, sanctification, witness | Tagged 1 Corinthians 7 | 1 Comment

called from conflict

Posted on March 27, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Cor. 7:15-17

“¹⁵ But if the unbeliever leaves, let him or her leave. The brother or the sister is not bound in such instances. God has called us to live in peace. ¹⁶ Because how do you know, wife, whether you will bring your husband to salvation? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will bring your wife to salvation? ¹⁷ If not, then each of you should continue the life the Lord has assigned you, to which God called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

called from conflict

Apparently in first century Corinth, there were not only a number of mixed marriages among the believers, but a lot of conflict over that fact. Paul had encouraged those who had unbelieving spouses who wanted to remain with them – not to get a divorce. But he instructs those who are the victims of divorces because of their faith not to contest the divorces. His reasons are as follows:

A Christian is not bound by law to stay in a marriage no matter what. There are circumstances where divorce is the best option.
God has called us from conflict, even conflict in marriage. We should seek peace.
The fact that you are a believer does not guarantee that your marriage can be saved, or that your spouse will eventually repent and be saved.

For those whose spouses are willing to stay, Paul’s advice is to continue with the marriage because God called them while married. It was his practical rule which he shared with all the churches he supervised. Marriage is messy, and divorce is always harmful. But Paul did not see a divorce as a catastrophe. He saw hope, even in that state of brokenness. God loves divorced people, and so should we.

LORD, give us compassion for those who have experienced the tragedy of divorce.

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