Will Christianity Survive?

Introduction

No, this isn't about Jesus' words "I will build My Church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." No, this isn't about the long term viability of the Christian Church. We've been around two thousand years and we'll be here til Jesus returns. This is about the TV show Survivor, now in its fifteenth season and yes some people still match it (myself included).

CBS: Survivor China

Survivor always has a collage of characters. If you watch Survivor Live on CBS.com, you'll learn that most of the cast (aways) are cast offs from the acting world. In other words, most of them are actors and not real people. This season, just look at Dave and Ashley. Dave is a former model and Ashley is a female wrestler. They are at each others' necks the whole two episodes so far and no wonder, they are both actors! I wonder if CBS gives the cast aways "Scripts" at least loosely like "Alright you want to be this kind of person.." or "pick one person to pick on and be cool with everyone else." Cuz it seems that many of them fall into these predictable niches. Or maybe CBS just sees into their souls and can readily identify who will turn out a certain way.

Contestant: Leslie Nease

Which brings me to the point of this entry. Leslie... the token Christian. Leslie seems at first glance like a nice lady. A Christian Talk Show Radio personality. Actor... So shes a talker and a Christian woman... you'd figure a nice personable kind of lady. We haven't seen much interaction between her and other tribe members yet. Except episode two's major blunder. She receives a gift from the opposite tribe: a clue to the hidden immunity [insert non-religious word here]. What does she do? Look for it a little and then tell it to the token gay guy. And then there's the great scene in episode one where she takes James under her wing (that was a touching picture, a sincere reaching out on her part).

But what is she known for? As they arrive on set at the beginning of the game, the Buddhist monks welcome the Survivor contestants to China and invite them to participate in a ritual of welcome. Jeff Probst, the host, is sure to tell the contestants before the ceremony that nothing religious is being done but it is rather a cultural, non-religious welcome. The contestants then put on garb and enter the temple with a huge Buddha statue. The monks play some music and start bowing down to Buddha. The contestants are asked to do it and they follow suit. Leslie begins, but is convicted about it and she stops and exits the temple. Probst immediately pounces upon her afterwards. He asks why she left, which is okay to ask. But then he asks, "do you think this decision will affect her interaction with her new tribe?" That question stinks and automatically prejudices her tribe against her no matter what she says.

Then we come to the opening music for the show. Every contestant gets two video sequences about them. One is their mug shot and another is of them doing something in the game. Leslie's video? Her crying after leaving the temple.

Wrap-up: Media Biased

Come one CBS, throw us a bone, just cuz we have some standards, don't throw us to the lions. This is the problem with Christians in the media. It's not that we behave badly, it's that you'll find any reason to make us look different and weird. And we are... just as Peter told us... "we are strangers and aliens in this world."

All You Need is Love

Introduction

This is the place to comment on "How to Use the Gifts of the Spirit", my sermon from Sunday, September 23, 2007.

Listen to The Sermon
Read Notes on the Sermon
Read My Translation
Read the Text (NASB)

Weeding Motives

So, Love. Love ought to be the sole motive for our ministries. In the small church, many serve out of necessity or a sense of obligation. In a large church, many may serve our of a desire for fame or the admiration of others. Regardless, weeding the garden of our soul from all motives but sacrifical love is a difficult thing. But like those green nasties, spiritual weeds get worse too if gone unchecked. Get out into the fields and weigh your motivations for ministry.


Measuring Up

Of the list of descriptors for love, which are you good at, which do you fall short in? You can but don't have to reply to that, but certainly ask yourself and the LORD that question.




What Will Cease When?

We had a good conversation Sunday night after Evening Worship about another point raised in the text. Gifts will cease, but the trio of faith hope and love will remain. But interestingly, Paul cites three examples of the gifts and chooses 3 revelatory or sign gifts out of the 25 gifts. Is he indicating that only revelatory and sign gifts will cease, but other genres will remain? The alarm sign that raises in my mind if some but not all have ceased, why hasn't the Bible clearly given us both doctrinal and applicational teaching to this end? God has prepared us in the Scripture for every good work, yet He has not instructed us on this point. That being said, the observation of "prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will cease" is a very important and interesting one.


Wrap-Up

What are your thoughts on 1 Corinthians 13?

Living Biblically for a Year

The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs.

What would your life be like if you obeyed all the commands of the Bible? What a really neat, quirky question! Okay, what a ridiculous question. Ridiculous that I would ask you since this is the very cry of your heart. Ridiculous that a Newsweek writer would find it fresh and intriguing in an intellectual sense. Here is the article I am referring to.

Listen to the tagline of the article "What if you spent one year following every rule in the Bible? A. J. Jacobs did exactly that." Right, here's an unbeliever who's actually going to obey it all for even a day, let alone a whole year!?!? No offense, it just isn't possible. Not for you or me and not for the author. For the author's reputation sake: he admits in the article that he didn't keep them all even for one day.

But it does bring up two interesting questions. First, which of the over 630 commands are we required to obey as Christians? Second, can we keep all the ones that are required -and if not - how diligent are you to obey? It won't happen by accident.

The final question (and probably the most important) we need to talk about is: should I grow out my beard like Jacobs'?

Greek for 9/23/07

This Week's Text

1 Corinthians 13

We will study this text together at Morning Worship on Sunday, September 23, 2007

Introductory Thoughts

I hate when people use this text in a wedding. It isn't about romantic love! It's about the proper attitude for ministry. That's what happens, I guess, when people don't read the Bible as a book. No one ever picks up a chapter of Grisham or a paragraph of Agatha Christie. Alright, enough of that rant... seriously, good stuff here for ministering within and outside the Church using your gift in a loving way. With that introduction, now the text:

The Text

Greek		Translation
12:31b και ετι καθ υπερβολην οδον υμιν δεικνυμι 1 εαν ταις γλωσσαις των ανθρωπων λαλω και των αγγελων αγαπην δε μη εχω γεγονα χαλκος ηχων η κυμβαλον αλαλαζον 2 καν εχω προφητειαν και ειδω τα μυστηρια παντα και πασαν την γνωσιν καν εχω πασαν την πιστιν ωστε ορη μεθιστανειν αγαπην δε μη εχω ουθεν ειμι 3 καν ψωμισω παντα τα υπαρχοντα μου καν παραδω το σωμα μου ινα καυχησωμαι αγαπην δε μη εχω ουδεν ωφελουμαι 4 η αγαπη μακροθυμει χρηστευεται η αγαπη ου ζηλοι ου περπερευεται ου φυσιουται 5 ουκ ασχημονει ου ζητει τα εαυτης ου παροξυνεται ου λογιζεται το κακον 6 ου χαιρει επι τη αδικια συγχαιρει δε τη αληθεια 7 παντα στεγει παντα πιστευει παντα ελπιζει παντα υπομενει 8 η αγαπη ουδεποτε πιπτει ειτε δε προφητειαι καταργηθησονται ειτε γλωσσαι παυσονται ειτε γνωσις καταργηθησεται 9 εκ μερους γαρ γινωσκομεν και εκ μερους προφητευομεν 10 οταν δε ελθη το τελειον το εκ μερους καταργηθησεται 11 οτε ημην νηπιος ελαλουν ως νηπιος εφρονουν ως νηπιος ελογιζομην ως νηπιος οτε γεγονα ανηρ κατηργηκα τα του νηπιου 12 βλεπομεν γαρ αρτι δι εσοπτρου εν αινιγματι τοτε δε προσωπον προς προσωπον αρτι γινωσκω εκ μερους τοτε δε επιγνωσομαι καθως και επεγνωσθην 13 νυνι δε μενει πιστις ελπις αγαπη τα τρια ταυτα μειζων δε τουτων η αγαπη Read on BibleGateway Research on ZHubert		12:31b And yet I will show you a higher way. 13:1 If i speak with the tongues of mean and of angels but I do not love, I become a clinging ring or a noisy cymbal. 2 And if I have prophecies and I see all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have faith as to move mountains, but I do not have love, I am nothing. 3 Even if I might feed with all my possessions and if I might give over my body to be glorified [burned], but I do not love, I benefit nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous, it is not boastful, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act unbecomingly, it does not enumerate wrongs. 6 It does not rejoice concerning evil, but it fully rejoices with the truth. 7 It endures all things, it believes all things, it hopes all things, it perserveres all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether prophecies, they will be ended. Whether tongues, they will cease. Whether knowledge, it will be ended. 9 For in part we know and in part we prophesy. 10 But when the perfect comes, the part will be ended. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. At the time I have become a man, I have ended the things of a child. 12 For I see presently through a mirror in obscurity, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will fully know just as I am fully known. 13 But now remain these three things: faith, hope, love. But the greatest of these is love. Read on BibleGateway

Spiritual Gifts

The List of Spiritual Gifts
taken from the Notes for Sunday, September 16, 2007

These are the Spiritual Gifts listed in the NT
Click on one for a in-depth explanation of that gift. The unfinished ones will be coming Monday.

I. Revelatory Gifts
1. Word of Wisdom
2. Word of Knowledge
3. Prophecy
4. Faith

II. Sign Gifts
5. Healing
6. Miracles
7. Discernment
8. Tongues
9. Interpretation

III. Saving Gifts
10. Apostles
11. Evangelism

IV. Growth Gifts
12. Teaching
13. Pastoring
14. Exhorting

V. Church Gifts
15. Helps
16. Administration
17. Leading
18. Service
19. Giving
20. Mercy

SGs - Administrations

What is This Gift?

See the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:28

SGs- Teachers

What is This Gift?

See the Following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11, Romans 12:7

SGs - Apostles

What is This Gift?

See the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:28, Acts 1:12-26, 1 Corinthians 15:7-9

The gift of Apostleship is the "first" gift according to Paul not because it is the first in importance, but first in chronology. It was the first gift given. Apostleship is a gift of leadership authority by which the recipient is entrusted by God to open the door of salvation to new people groups. Interestingly, Jesus tells Peter that "whatever he binds will be bound and whatever he lossens will be loosened" (Mt 16:18-19) and Peter opened the door of salvation to the Jews, Samaritans, and the Gentiles.

The twelve Apostles presided as the elders of the church of Jerusalem until at least a generation, for they were all still there at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). Yet it was James (Jesus' brother) who seemed to lead the group and not Peter. Church history tells us that soon after this council, the apostles went out as far as India, Spain, Russia, and Egypt with the Gospel.

Are there still apostles today? Missionaries serve in the role with a lowercase "a" but certianly the job of opening the doors of salvation was a one-time gig, accompished by the first twelve (or thirteen, depending on your count).

SGs - Tongues and Interpretations

What are These Gifts?

I'm sorry. I don't have a lot of patience for this issue. It is such a hot button that I don't even want to address it, but I will. This gift is listed last in every list it appears on. It isn't less important than the others, for the whole thrust of 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 is that all the different gifts really are equally important. It appears last because for some strange reason, everyone wants to make it preimmanent. Paul places it last on three lists because he doesn't want God's people to think it's first. It is funny how the calendar changes but some issues don't change. Today, you either love 'em or you hate 'em.

What is tongues? The first instance of speaking in tongues in the Bible is on the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled the twelve apostles along with 108 other Christians to evangelize to foreigners visiting Jerusalem. They didn't speak Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek. Each disciple spoke the language of the person he was speaking to. To a Persian, the disciple spoke Persian. To a Dalmatian, he spoke that local dialect. The first instance of this gift is evangelistic. Within twenty or thirty years after Petecost, Paul had to write to this church and the Church to tell them their use (rather, misuse) of this gift was hurting worship of God, edification of the saints, and evangelism of the lost. Read chapter 14 for more on that.


Today?!?

Today, if you are willing to say tongues is still a practiced gift, it ought to be practiced evangelistically and not within the walls of the church building. You have tongues, eat an egg roll, chalupa, or spaghetti. That isn't sarcastic. Rescue the perishing!

SGs - Distinguishing Spirits

What is This Gift?

See the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, 1 John 4:1-4

This is the only text which explicitly calls this a spiritual gift. Elsewhere it tells us to weigh the words of a speaker (whether they be a prophet or otherwise). The gift of distinguishing spirits is the ability to discern whether a speaker is speaking the words of God, self, or a malicious spirit. We know that Satan and his "ministers" decorate themselves as ministers of light. We know that cults dress in sheeps clothing all the time being ravenous wolves. We know that holders of false doctrine love to mislead the elect people of God rather than the "unaffiliated" non-Christians. It is not a mistrust of God's servant or a natural tendency to doubt the prophet which drives us to seek discerning people. Rather, it is the knowledge that liars put their best foot forward which causes us to want and need discerning people.

SGs - Prophecy

What Is This Gift?

See the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:10, Acts 13:1-2

Prophecy is telling people God's message. In the OT, God recited a message which the prophet dutifully wrote down exactly how God said it and then went out to tell everyone what he had just been told. In the NT, local church prophets functioned in much the same way. Before God's Word had been completed and circulated, God's people were in need of instruction in doctrine and godly morals. Prophets fulfilled this job. God revealed to them what He needed from the congregation and they communicated it to everyone. The gift of distinguishing spirits was given to test the prophetic revelations, just so everyone could relax and receive the word from God confident that it really was His word. Notice in the text that distinguishing spirits is immediately after prophecy just as interpretation of tongues immediately follows speaking in tongues (1 Cor 12:10). We can conclude safely that distinguishing is a gift in the same manner as interpretation.


Does This Gift Still Work Today?

We know what God expects from us. We have all doctrine. Peter tells us, we have everything necessary for life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him" (2 Peter 1:3). Is there still room for this gift? Although we always think of prophecy as "telling the future" or "revealing a previously hidden truth from God to man," the OT and NT prophets often reminded. Certainly this aspect of prophetic ministry is still valuable today, but is not much different than the role of a pastor, exhorter, or teacher.

There is another way in which a prophet is still used of God today. Often, a local church is in need of direction from God that is not pertinent to the universal Church. Think of a ministry, program, decision. The Bible would be too large if His entire will were expressed for every local church throughout history. Nor is it necessary that God should reveal His whole will in the Bible. there is room for God to use a prophet to reveal His will for that local church to that local church. Obviously distinguishing of the spirits is necessary, but we should embrace God's will as He tells us through Paul

"19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good." (1 Thes 5:19-21).

God's Church is constantly in need of His counsel and the revelation of His will. We should seek the prophet out to hear God's counsel.

SGs - Healing and Miracles

What Are These Gifts?

See the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:9-10

These are two distinct gifts, but for time's sake, I will treat them together in one blog entry. The gifts of healing and miracles are both miraculous in that the effect of both of them is supernatural occurences that are scientifically inexplicable.

Healing is obvious in its application: it is the miracle of restored physical health. In the Bible, we readily think of numerous healings by Jesus for the blind, lame, leprous, etc. We can also think of Peter raising Dorcas, Paul raising the sleepy worshipper, and many others. Today, we can see this on the mission field, especially in areas where the Gospel is penetrating for the first time. I can relay a second-hand story of a missionary (who was a cessationist) and in an African tent meeting, they prayed for a man with a shrivelled arm. As they prayed, the man's arm began to blow up like a balloon and was fully restored.

Miracles is the gift of doing miraculous things beyond the realm of health. Moving mountains, walking on water, exorcisms, causing fruit to grow on barren trees and vice-versa, all are examples of NT miracles. Also, there are OT examples, like the widow's oil running endless. Many-a-Christian can recount financially tight years when their "oil" miraculously continued to pour.

In the Bible, the use of both these gifts always involved prayer. Even Jesus usually prayed before discharging the miraculous. More often than not, these gifts were employed in the evangelism of unbelievers. Today, it is the Church's experience that miraculous sign gifts occur much more in the frontiers of God's kingdom than in the "conquered territory."

SGs - Faith

What is the Gift of Faith?

See the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:9

The spiritual gift of faith is a different "thing" than saving faith. All Christians possess saving faith and saving faith IS a gift from God (Eph 2:8-10). However, the spiritual gift of faith is beyond saving faith. Even in the text, we see this "to another is given the gift of faith by the same Spirit." Some have it, others do not have it.

So what is it? I think the best text which explains this gift is Jesus' words about faith in Matthew 17:14-21

14 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him." 17 And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" 20 And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21 "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

So faith is described by Jesus as an ability to believe impossible things and trust God to accomplish them for His Name's sake. And how can it be done? Through prayer to God (v21). Notice in this passage it is certainly miraculous. The context is driving out demons. Jesus' other example is the moving of mountains (literal or figurative) Paul cites this allusion again in the very next chapter of 1 Corinthians in 13:2 "if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."Again, Faith is believing that God will act in an impossible way for His Name's sake and asking Him to do it.


Who Had This Gift in the Bible?

The people that come to my mind are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Listen to what they said to the king when they faced the fiery furnace.

17"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18)

Others who had this gift are listed in the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. Certainly many NT examples can be listed. Compare Zecahriah's lack of this kind of faith with Mary's possession of this kind of faith in Luke 1.

SGs - Word of Knowledge

What is a Word of Knowledge?

See the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:8

This spiritual gift is a special revelation of the Lord's truth. It was especially useful during the time period in the Church in which all the books of the NT had not yet been written and widely circulated, but it is still useful today. When a local church or the Church is struggling with a particular doctrinal issue, it is this gifted person that the Spirit uses to instruct the congregation in the truth of God. This person does this by taking the Word of God and explaining it to the group. In situations in which the Bible does not specifically address the question at hand (e.g. before the closing of the canon, or certain specific modern moral dilemmas like human stem cell research), the person often alludes to relate passages of God's Word and makes applications that the congregation can use in beginning to assess the Lord's will on the matter.

Honestly, many of the issues we face today are not explicitly talked about in the Bible. It is men and women gifted with the word of knowledge that have a width, breadth, and depth in knowledge and understanding who can comb through all of God's Word and tell us the pertinent Scriptures to the dilemma.

The obvious question for non-"charismatic" evangelicals is "how highly do we esteem comments made that are above and beyond the Scripture?" Are their words inspired in the same way the authors of Scripture were inspired? Should we equate the word of knowledge given today with any Scripture? For me, flat out, there is no raising of these statements to the par of Scripture. But God has given this gift for the upbuilding of the Church and He has also given the gift of discerning of spirits to the Church as well to aid in balancing a rogue use of this gift. I would hate to dismiss God when He tells us through Paul "do not forsake prophetic utterances" (1 Thes 5:16).


Who Had This Gift in the Bible?

Most of the NT writers employ this gift in their epistles. Think of how they used OT statements and breathed fuller life into them in applying them to circumstances in their own day. I think especially of James who did this frequently in his epistle.

SGs - Word of Wisdom

What is a Word of Wisdom?

See the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:8

This spiritual gift is a special revelation from the Lord to an individual that the rest of the body is not privy to. It is closely associated with the next gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8, word of knowledge. Two examples: first, the congregation is considering a building project that exceeds the financial ability of the group so they consider taking a huge debt to finance the project and the person(s) gifted with the word of knowledge speaks God's counsel from the Bible about debt to the congregation. Second, a small group at church is considering methods of evangelizing as a team and after the small group evaluates several options, the one gifted with the word of knowledge senses the Lord's direction towards one method, he communicates his burden and the team implements that method with great success.

In these two examples, the first is God's will communicated in Scripture. All are privy to His wisdom but the gifted one is the one whom the Spirit "reminds." Wisdom often is taking truth and being able to apply that truth to a particular situation. Often the practical implications are much more sophisticated than my given example. The second ecample is God's will which is not communicated in Scripture. God does want us to evangelize, but the technique employed is not. Wisdom is necessary in order to assess which is befitting to the group's situation. What are their skills? Whom do they want to reach? What will hook their audience? What venue is appropriate? All these require wisdom.

Is wisdom a specially revealed object? Is there wisdom available to the gifted person that is not available to any believer? Insofar as there is a spiritual gift with this name, and the text teaches us that "to one is given this, to another is given that... all to the common good of the body of Christ" we must say that the one given this gift is given wisdom beyond that wisdom which is ascertainable to the general Church body.

When I'm Not Around

My daughter just turned one. All you who know her, see her as an incredibly pleasant and smiley baby girl. The deep-dark-secret is that she is fooling you all. At home, she is really fussy. I know everything said on the Internet lasts forever (as the experts say) so sorry girly ... i hate to embarrass you.

Just now, Evelyn was playing on the kitchen floor while I read Ray Bertolet's blog and while Rachel was in the bano. She was pleasant and even cheery. As soon as Rachel came out of the bathroom, Evelyn started fussing and reaching out for mama to hold her. As Nathaniel always said as a baby, "hold you me!"

So Rachel commented after this fuss: "Why is she only pleasant when I'm not around?" Believe you me, it is frustrating and stressful to hear the wailing of a baby. But in this moment, I thought about things from my baby girl's perspective. She is thinking "I happiest when I'm in my mama's arms."

All this got me thinking about us and the Lord. There are times in my life that I am close to the Lord and there are times when my spiritual vitality is dry and my soul is hungry for Him. When I see Him moving in my life, or in the lives of those around me. I realize that He is there and I do all I can for Him to hold me and stir and fill my aching soul. When I am blind to His quiet working, when I don't notice His presence and workings, I am content to busy myself in the matters that surround me.

Like my baby girl, I am pleasant when I forget about my God but when I see Him, all I want is for Him to be close with me. May I put away the propensity to be content apart from Him. May my spiritual eyes be restored to full sight. May I always see His movings. May I always hunger and even ache for closeness to Him. May I be eager to hear the whispers of love and assignment from His Spirit.

God at Work in China

The Facts, Ma'am, Just the Facts

Read this article by Pastor John Piper: "Mark This Day and Marvel at the Work of God." This past Friday marked the two-hundreth anniversary of the first Protestant missionary to enter China. I want to encourage you to read Piper's comments, but for now, I'll quote the missionary's prayer. His name was Robert Morrison and he wrote in his journal to the LORD: "“May he be the first-fruits of a great harvest, one of millions who shall come and be saved on the day of wrath to come." God, teach me and my church and my nation to pray this way.

Where China is Today

There are 111 million Christians in China. 90% of them are Protestants. A CLOSED NATION IS THE THIRD LARGEST CHRISTIAN NATION IN THE WORLD!!!! We have GOT to pray more for God to work in this world.

Do you think He is waiting for us to ask before He works? It reminds me of that poignant statment by Jesus "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith in the world?" (Luke 18:8) He says this right after preaching on the need for intense, consistent prayer for God to act on one issue.

We're ALL Charismatic

Order in Ministering Together

Let's talk about last Sunday (9/9/07).

What are your thoughts about the roles of different ministers in the church? Is it hard or easy to see yourself as a minister? Is it easy to recognize laypeople as ministers? Is it easy to see the pastor as one-among-many ministers? I'll post after a few go ahead. My sermon is available on the church site in audio and notes. My Greek Translation of the text is available on the blog.

Specifically focusing on 1 Corinthians 12, but other texts are okay too.

React to This!

How do you feel about the statement "all Christians are Charismatics" ??

Greek for 9/9/07

This Week's Text

1 Corinthians 12

We will study this text together at Morning Worship on Sunday, September 2, 2007

Introductory Thoughts

Again, nothing terribly controversial here. The hot-n-heavy stuff enters in chapter 14. I would really like to know where (so-called) charismatics are coming from in v10 "to some, tongues" (i.e. not to all, but to some) and v19 "if all were one part, where would the body be?" I call them so-called charismatics because we are all charismatic. That is to say we are all gifted by the Spirit. When they call themselves charismatic, they are really saying they practice the sign gifts (like tongues, prophecy, miracles, etc). With that introduction, now the text:

The Text

Greek		Translation
1 περι δε των πνευματικων αδελφοι ου θελω υμας αγνοειν 2 οιδατε οτι οτε εθνη ητε προς τα ειδωλα τα αφωνα ως αν ηγεσθε απαγομενοι 3 διο γνωριζω υμιν οτι ουδεις εν πνευματι θεου λαλων λεγει αναθεμα ιησους και ουδεις δυναται ειπειν κυριος ιησους ει μη εν πνευματι αγιω 4 διαιρεσεις δε χαρισματων εισιν το δε αυτο πνευμα 5 και διαιρεσεις διακονιων εισιν και ο αυτος κυριος 6 και διαιρεσεις ενεργηματων εισιν και ο αυτος θεος ο ενεργων τα παντα εν πασιν 7 εκαστω δε διδοται η φανερωσις του πνευματος προς το συμφερον 8 ω μεν γαρ δια του πνευματος διδοται λογος σοφιας αλλω δε λογος γνωσεως κατα το αυτο πνευμα 9 ετερω πιστις εν τω αυτω πνευματι αλλω δε χαρισματα ιαματων εν τω ενι πνευματι 10 αλλω δε ενεργηματα δυναμεων αλλω [δε] προφητεια αλλω [δε] διακρισεις πνευματων ετερω γενη γλωσσων αλλω δε ερμηνεια γλωσσων 11 παντα δε ταυτα ενεργει το εν και το αυτο πνευμα διαιρουν ιδια εκαστω καθως βουλεται 12 καθαπερ γαρ το σωμα εν εστιν και μελη πολλα εχει παντα δε τα μελη του σωματος πολλα οντα εν εστιν σωμα ουτως και ο χριστος 13 και γαρ εν ενι πνευματι ημεις παντες εις εν σωμα εβαπτισθημεν ειτε ιουδαιοι ειτε ελληνες ειτε δουλοι ειτε ελευθεροι και παντες εν πνευμα εποτισθημεν 14 και γαρ το σωμα ουκ εστιν εν μελος αλλα πολλα 15 εαν ειπη ο πους οτι ουκ ειμι χειρ ουκ ειμι εκ του σωματος ου παρα τουτο ουκ εστιν εκ του σωματος 16 και εαν ειπη το ους οτι ουκ ειμι οφθαλμος ουκ ειμι εκ του σωματος ου παρα τουτο ουκ εστιν εκ του σωματος 17 ει ολον το σωμα οφθαλμος που η ακοη ει ολον ακοη που η οσφρησις 18 νυν δε ο θεος εθετο τα μελη εν εκαστον αυτων εν τω σωματι καθως ηθελησεν 19 ει δε ην [τα] παντα εν μελος που το σωμα 20 νυν δε πολλα μελη εν δε σωμα 21 ου δυναται [δε] ο οφθαλμος ειπειν τη χειρι χρειαν σου ουκ εχω η παλιν η κεφαλη τοις ποσιν χρειαν υμων ουκ εχω 22 αλλα πολλω μαλλον τα δοκουντα μελη του σωματος ασθενεστερα υπαρχειν αναγκαια εστιν 23 και α δοκουμεν ατιμοτερα ειναι του σωματος τουτοις τιμην περισσοτεραν περιτιθεμεν και τα ασχημονα ημων ευσχημοσυνην περισσοτεραν εχει 24 τα δε ευσχημονα ημων ου χρειαν εχει αλλα ο θεος συνεκερασεν το σωμα τω υστερουμενω περισσοτεραν δους τιμην 25 ινα μη η σχισμα εν τω σωματι αλλα το αυτο υπερ αλληλων μεριμνωσιν τα μελη 26 και ειτε πασχει εν μελος συμπασχει παντα τα μελη ειτε δοξαζεται μελος συγχαιρει παντα τα μελη 27 υμεις δε εστε σωμα χριστου και μελη εκ μερους 28 και ους μεν εθετο ο θεος εν τη εκκλησια πρωτον αποστολους δευτερον προφητας τριτον διδασκαλους επειτα δυναμεις επειτα χαρισματα ιαματων αντιλημψεις κυβερνησεις γενη γλωσσων 29 μη παντες αποστολοι μη παντες προφηται μη παντες διδασκαλοι μη παντες δυναμεις 30 μη παντες χαρισματα εχουσιν ιαματων μη παντες γλωσσαις λαλουσιν μη παντες διερμηνευουσιν 31 ζηλουτε δε τα χαρισματα τα μειζονα και ετι καθ υπερβολην οδον υμιν δεικνυμι Read on BibleGateway Research on ZHubert		1 Now concerning the things of the Spirit, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 Know that at one time you were nations with mute idols, by which you were led astray. 3 Therefore, I make known to you all that no one in the Spirit of God speaks saying "Cursed is Jesus" and no one is empowered to say "Lord Jesus" if it is not in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are diverse gifts but there is one Spirit, 5 and there are diverse ministries and one Lord, 6 and there are diverse works but one God who works all things in all. 7 But each one is given a clear display of the Spirit for the purpose of the commono good. 8 For inded, one through the Spirit is given a word of wisdom, but another a word of knowledge from the same Spirit, 9 still another faith in the same Spirit, but another a gift of healing in the one Spirit, 10 but another a work of power, but another prophecy, but another a discernment of spirits, still another a variety of tongues, but another an interpretation of tongues, 11 but all these works are in one and the same Spirit who divides specially assigned tasks to each one just as He pleases. 12 For even as there is one body and it has many parts, so all the many parts of the body are in one body, so Christ is also. 13 For also in one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Jew or whether Greek, whether slave or whether free, and we all are given drink in one Spirit. 14 For also the body is not in one part but many parts. 15 If the foot might say "since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body" from this is it not from the body? 16 And if the ear might say "since I am not an eye, I am not of the body," from this is it not part of the body? 17 If the whole body is an eye, where is hearing? If all hear, where is the sense of smell? 18 But now God destined the members, in each one in the body just as He chooses. 19 Now if all are in one, where is the body? 20 But now, these many are still one body. 21 But the eye is not able to say to the hand, "I do not have need of you." 22 Now those members of the body which are supposedly weaker are necessary. 23 And that which we think to be less honorable of the body to these we bestow a more excessive price and the indecent of us has more excessive honor, 24 but the honorable of us does not have need. But God united the body giving more abundant honor to the one who lacked, 25 in order that there be no schism in the body so that the members might be anxious for one another. 26 And if a member suffers, all suffer with the member, 27 But we are the body of Christ and members out of the whole. 28 And God appointed in the Churh first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, next a gift of healing, helps, leadership, kinds of tongues. 29 Not all are apostles, not all are prophets, not all teach, not all work miracles, 30 not all have a gift of healing, not all speak tongues, not all interpret, 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. Read on BibleGateway

An Invitation

What is your spiritual gift? How do you use it?

Sweet ... at First

The Text

Revelation 10:9-10

So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

Some Thoughts

How would you describe your devotions today? this week? this month? Would you say they give you warm fuzzies all the time? Feeling close to Jesus is a good thing and I wouldn't want to rob someone of it. My belief is that sometimes, devotions need to hurt. Have your devotions ever hurt?

The saying goes: no pain, no gain. I'm not ready to buy it hook-line-and-sinker, but the axiom: pain makes you grow, I believe that is true. How does this relate to devotions? Sometimes we need the comfort and affection of Jesus in our one-on-one times with Him. But sometimes, as my dad says, we need a yardstick whacked over our heads. Sometimes it should be sweet to the taste. Sometimes it should be bitter in our stomach. Don't feel like you devotion times are no good when you feel far from Him. We are only ever far from Him when WE move far from Him. He always stays on course; we are the ones that meander all over the thicket on either side of the path. When devotions hurt, it's often because we are being convicted of wandering.

This is why, in general, I am not crazy about these devotional booklets. They certainly have their place in life, but when was the last time you read one and it said something tough to swallow? Too often, I fear, Christians stuff themselves on spiritual junk food (all fluff and no subtance) instead of truly craving spiritual meat (sometimes tough to chew, but always beneficial). I'm not indicting all devo books, I'm just throwing an idea out there.

When John ate the scroll, it tasted sweet at first, but became sour later on. Many times it feels good to start in on devotions and you're reading and all of a sudden, it hits you like a ton of bricks: I fall short. I don't measure up. It becomes bitter. Don't stop your devotions! This is the ministry of the Spirit in your life. He convicts in order to fix, He fixes in order make you like Jesus. This is His job. And you'll never end up like Jesus until you surrender to His convicting. Let Him work... He's a professional!

Neat Labor Day Blog

I was reading my favorite blogs and came across this one about Labor Day and eternity. Will we work in heaven? Read this blog by Mike Metzger over at Vanguard Church.

Taking the Lord's Name in Vain

The Text

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." Exodus 20:7

Some Thoughts on This

In a few months, we will be doing "Tough Sayings" in Evening Worship. The first will be the Unpardonable Sin that Jesus speaks of in the Gospels. Essentially, the unpardonable sin is ascribing to Satan the works of the Holy Spirit. Is this command in the Big Ten related at all to the Unpardonable Sin?

Enter, Dennis Prager

I heard on the radio this week a Jewish man speaking about war atrocities. His thesis was that atrocities in the name of secular ideology far outweigh the atrocities in the name of religious idealogy. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and other 20th century dictators kiled more for their purposes than all of the crusaders throughout the millenia. Then he came to the current atrocities perpetrated by Islamic extremists. They kill in the name of their god. He said they are breaking this Big Ten. Taking God's name in vain means (to the Hebrew mind) to do evil for God and call it good. I had never heard that before.

Aw, Jeez...

According to this scholar, "oh my G-d" and "J-sus Chr-st!" when you are shocked, hurt, etc may be wrong, but it isnt part of the Big Ten. He says God is big, noble and He wouldn't vaporize you for that. But what He cannot abide is when truly wicked people make religion and make Him appear to be advocating the sick and truly evil behaviors of those spokesmen. I get it. That certainly is more evil than "goodness gracious!"

It's Your Turn

Your thoughts on the Third Commandment?