1 Corinthians

Love Defined and Displayed

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4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV

It is virtually impossible to read these verses without considering Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit found in his letter to the Galatian churches.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. – Galatians 5:22-26 ESV

It is important to keep in mind that Paul’s discussion of love in 1 Corinthians 13 follows his discussion of the spiritual gifts. Those gifts, given by the Spirit of God, would most certainly reflect the fruit that He produces, including love. Operating under the Spirit’s influence and displaying a gift He has given, but without love, would be impossible. God is love, and the same is true of the Spirit of God. When we live under His influence, our lives will reflect His loving nature, and Paul describes what that love looks like.

It is patient – it puts up with a lot, including others’ offenses against us. It doesn’t seek to get even or enact revenge.

It is kind – it acts benevolently. In other words, it manifests as tangible expressions of kindness and goodness toward others. Even to those who hurt us.

It isn’t envious – the actual Greek word means to “be heated or to boil with envy.” God’s kind of love rejoices with others, rather than getting jealous of what they have.

It doesn’t boast – It is impossible to love like God and grandstand at the same time. When godly love is in operation, it is other-focused rather than self-promoting.

It isn’t arrogant – God’s love requires humility, not pride. It doesn’t exhibit an inflated sense of self-worth.

It isn’t rude – you can’t say you love someone and treat them in a disrespectful or unseemly way.

It doesn’t insist on getting it’s on way – we can know we are displaying godly love when we aren’t out for our own good. His brand of love is selfless and sacrificial.

It isn’t irritable – when the Spirit’s love is operating in us and through us, we won’t be easily provoked. We will have resilience and a resistance to the words and actions of others.

It isn’t resentful – God’s kind of love doesn’t keep score or maintain a list of wrongs suffered, and it most certainly doesn’t seek to get even.

It doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing – when we love like God does, we won’t approve of others’ sins, and we won’t find pleasure in sinning ourselves.

It rejoices with the truth – godly love is overjoyed when others do what is right. It allows us to rejoice alongside them, rather than being jealous of them.

It bears all things – Spirit-empowered love can endure all kinds of people and circumstances.

It believes all things – when we love as God does, it allows us to maintain our faith in all kinds of situations and among all kinds of people.

It hopes all things –godly love doesn’t become hopeless or defeated by what happens to us in this life. It remains hopeful in the face of difficulties.

It endures all things –despite what others might do or say, godly love patiently and persistently weathers the storms of life without giving in or giving up.

It never ends – the kind of love Paul is describing is long-lasting, not short-lived. There will never be a time when godly love becomes non-existent or non-essential.

But spiritual gifts have a shelf life; they will not always be needed or necessary. When Christ returns and establishes His Kingdom on earth, there will be no more need for prophecy, tongues, or the gift of knowledge because all will be fulfilled. God’s plan will be complete. But love will prevail and persist, because God is love. The permanence of godly love is why it should have preeminence in our lives, and when we operate under the Spirit’s control, we will display the characteristics of God’s love. Our spirituality will be marked by love, rather than envy, deceit, or provocation.

Godly love unites and never divides. It always flows out and never turns in on itself. Paul describes a life in which God’s love flows through us to others. The apostle John provides a much-needed reminder of love’s source and its significance in our lives.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. – 1 John 4:7-12 ESV

It is God’s unwavering and undeserved love for us that should motivate our love for others. Jesus told His disciples, “As I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34 ESV). All those who have been the recipients of God’s love, as expressed through the gracious gift of His Son, should reciprocate by passing that love on to others. According to John, claiming to love God while failing to love others is not only hypocritical but also a sin.

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? – 1 John 4:20 NLT

If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? – 1 John 3:17 BSB

According to Paul, godly love is not only practical, but it’s also practicable. With the Spirit’s help, we can love others as God has loved us because His brand of love is tangible and applicable to everyday life. But our love is more than beneficial to others; it’s educational.  When we love one another as Jesus has loved us, we prove to the world that we are not only His followers, but that we are His agents of reconciliation to a lost and dying world.

“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35 BSB

Father, if we truly learned to love as we have been loved, the world would sit up and take notice. That kind of love is in short supply and desperately needed. And You have not only commanded us to love well, but You have provided the means to do so through the gift of Your Spirit. We have the power to love and more than enough opportunities to put it into practice every day. So, light a fire in our hearts so that we might reject selfishness and embrace the selfless, sacrificial love You have showered on us and share it with all those we meet — no matter how undeserving or unloveable they may be. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Gift of Love

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27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. – 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3 ESV

Paul says that we are individuals who, together, make up the body of Christ, the church. We are individuals, and our Spirit-endowed giftedness makes us indispensable. We have each been given a gift by the Holy Spirit for the corporate good of the rest of the faith community in which God has placed us. God has designed it so that none of us is an independent agent operating in isolation.

As Paul points out to the Corinthians, the body of Christ included some who were apostles. Others were assigned the gift of prophecy or teaching. Some worked miracles or performed healings, while others used their gift of administration or helping. And then there were those who had been given the gift of tongues. Each was necessary. Yes, some of the gifts might seem more significant, but all were essential to the church’s overall well-being. Their fallen nature led the Corinthians to elevate one gift above another. This categorization and prioritization of the gifts produced jealousy or pride, depending on the particular gift an individual received. So, Paul determined to show them a “more excellent way.”

Essentially, Paul addresses the one thing that holds the body of Christ together. Interestingly enough, it isn’t going to be our shared faith in Christ. That is what places us in the body of Christ, but it is not the glue that holds us together. Even our giftedness is not enough to keep us unified and compatible. So what is the glue that holds this unique collection of individuals together? What prevents our diversity, even in our areas of giftedness, from creating division, disorder, and dysfunctionality?

For Paul, the answer was love.

Within the Corinthian church, the gift of tongues had been elevated to rock-star status. In their estimation, tongues was a more flamboyant, outwardly obvious gift that garnered attention and created an aura of spirituality for the one who practiced it. But Paul is going to take a handful of the gifts, including tongues, and show that each is worthless if they are performed without love.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. – 1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV

The gift of tongues, practiced without love, was nothing more than a loud, irritating noise. It may be unavoidably noticeable, but it will also be undeniably unprofitable. The gift of tongues, like every other gift of the Spirit, was intended to build up and edify the body. To practice tongues without love would be to focus on self and to neglect the overall health of the church. The goal of the one speaking in tongues would be to garner attention for themself, rather than allowing the Spirit to use the gift for the good of others.

But Paul is not done.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:2 ESV

You could have legitimate prophetic power to foretell the future and reveal God’s hidden truth, but if you did so without love, your efforts would be of no value. In essence, Paul is saying that, while your gift might make you a somebody in the eyes of others, in God’s eyes, you would be a nobody, unimportant and non-essential. Your lack of love would negate any value your gift might have had. It is worthless to understand the mysteries of God and to grasp the knowledge of God if that information is shared in a loveless and selfless manner. Paul drives his point home by stating that mountain-moving faith is useless without love. Even if you had enough faith to do the impossible but lacked love, your actions would not impress God, because your accomplishment would lack any redeeming value.

Next, Paul brings up a seemingly contradictory example.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:3 ESV

Isn’t sacrifice always motivated by love? Wouldn’t love be the only thing that would cause someone to sacrifice their life? After all, Jesus Himself said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 ESV). But Paul’s point is that even the gift of giving, demonstrated by the ultimate act of martyrdom, can be done without love. You can die for a cause, but fail to do so out of love for others. You can give away all your possessions to gain the praise of men, but not out of love for them. It was Jesus who said, “When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:2 ESV). You may enjoy the accolades of men, but you will gain nothing from God.

Love is essential because God is love. To practice any of the gifts without love would be ungodly and out of character. It is possible for us to emulate or imitate the spiritual gifts, but we can’t produce them on our own. We can easily confuse talents with gifts. Just because we are capable leaders in the marketplace does not mean we have the spiritual gift of leadership or administration in the body of Christ. We may be gifted teachers or educators, but that does not mean we have the spiritual gift of teaching. When the Spirit of God gives a gift, it is always accompanied by love and intended to build up others in the body. Each gift is inherently selfless in its expression and is never accompanied by the question, “What’s in it for me?” A spiritual gift simply gives, expecting nothing in return, because that is the essence of love.

As Paul will make clear in the following verses, love is the only thing that will last. There is a day coming when all of the spiritual gifts will be unnecessary, having served their earthly purpose. In the eternal state, there will be no need for tongues, prophecy, healing, or miracles. We will no longer need faith or hope, because all things will have been fulfilled and made complete. God is love, and because He is eternal, so is love. Love is the glue that holds all things together; it is the bond of unity between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

For Paul, love is the more excellent way. It is the ultimate expression of God’s identity and far surpasses any of the gifts. In fact, it is love that gives each gift its true value.

Father, the bottom line for You is love because it is the greatest expression of Your divine character. Even Your holiness is best expressed through Your love. But Your love is not some kind of sentimental, sacrine, Valentine’s card kind of love. It is selfless, righteous, redemptive, and always focused on the betterment of others. Paul seemed to have You in mind when he wrote, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV). You desire that we follow Your example, and You sent Your Son, as an expression of Your love for us, to make it possible. Then You gave us Your Spirit so that we have the power to model Your love here on earth. But we tend to make everything about us. We practice a form of self-love that is always motivated by greed rather than grace. We can even make the gifts of the Spirit all about us. But without love, even the gifts of the Spirit lose their value. Without love, our faith becomes meaningless. So, give us an ever-increasing understanding of  and appreciation for Your love for us so that we might pass it on to all those around us. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Unity In Diversity

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12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 ESV

God’s goal for us is oneness. It was one of the primary requests Jesus prayed to His Father in the garden on the night He was betrayed.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” – John 17:20-23 ESV

Jesus knew that the unity of His followers would be the greatest expression of the heart transformation that only salvation can produce. It is the Spirit-empowered oneness of believers that proves to the world that Jesus was who He said He was and that He actually accomplished all He claimed He would do.

Paul picked up on the theme of Jesus’ high priestly prayer and echoed those sentiments to the believers in Corinth, whose brand of spirituality was not working. Rather than leading to unity and reflecting the oneness of Christ and the Father, it was producing arrogance, pride, and division within the church. Even their view of the gifts of the Spirit was dividing rather than unifying the body. So Paul gave them a lengthy primer on the spiritual life, with special emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit.

Paul emphasizes that they are all one in Christ, but they are not all the same. Unity does not demand uniformity; instead, it embraces diversity. That is what makes the body of Christ so unique and reflects God’s power. He takes people of all shapes and sizes, colors and creeds, backgrounds and traditions, and molds them into a single entity called the body of Christ, His church. The unifying factor of the church is not our shared ethnicity or ancestry, our common cultural background, or country of birth. It is our mutually shared calling by God and our redemption as a result of faith in the death of His Son. We are one because God has made us so. He has adopted us as His sons and daughters, placed us in His ethnically diverse family, and given us the power of the Holy Spirit so that we might live in love and unity.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul described Jesus as “the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it” (Colossians 2:19 ESV). It is our common faith in Christ that binds us together, and He does so through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. That is Paul’s point to the believers in Corinth, and to make it clear, he uses the analogy of the human body.

Each of us has just one body, but it is made up of many parts. It consists of muscles, ligaments, organs, and limbs, each assigned a different purpose and designated function. Some parts operate behind the scenes, unseen and unrecognized for their role in the body’s functioning. Others are more prominent and seem to bear greater responsibility for the body’s overall health. We give these “vital” parts the lion’s share of our attention because we can’t imagine life without them. Paul uses the ears, eyes, hands, and feet as an example.

If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? – 1 Corinthians 12:15-17 NLT

It is the diversity and unity of the human body that make it so incredibly amazing. Each part, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is necessary for the whole body to function properly. In fact, Paul states, “some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary” (1 Corinthians 12:22 NLT).

There is a God-ordained design to the human body that causes it to operate most effectively when it is unified, and each part fulfills its assigned role. The same thing is true of the body of Christ. Paul writes, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT). That means no one is more important than anyone else and no spiritual gift is more essential than another. The spiritual gift each individual receives is intended to build up the body of Christ, not to stroke the ego and promote an air of self-importance and selfishness.

Paul lists various spiritual gifts, including the utterance of wisdom, the utterance of knowledge, faith, healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, the ability to distinguish between spirits, various kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. The list is intended to emphasize the variety of the gifts, not their order of importance. Yet the Corinthians were categorizing the gifts by what they believed to be their importance. They were focusing on which gift appeared to be the most significant and spectacular. But Paul reminded them that it was the Spirit who distributed the gifts, as He saw fit.

The Corinthians needed to spend more time using the gifts they had been given rather than debating over who had the better gift. The goal was unity, but it was their God-ordained uniqueness that made it possible. Each individual’s gift, assigned to them by the Spirit of God, is intended for the mutual edification of the entire church. But in the Corinthian church, the more flamboyant gifts, like healing and tongues, had been deemed more important and therefore more desirable. But one’s giftedness is not to be a badge of honor or a source of pride.

The Holy Spirit does not give out gifts to stroke our ego or prioritize our importance within the church. We have been gifted by God for the good of the body of Christ. The goal behind our calling and giftedness is “harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26 NLT). Individuality and community. Uniqueness and unity. Giftedness and shared good. That is what makes the body of Christ function and proves that our faith is real and our Savior is alive.

Father, unity in diversity is a difficult concept for us to grasp. We tend to prefer homogeneity and uniformity. because there is something strangely comforting about sameness. Yet, at the same time, we all fight the urge to be different, to stand out in the crowd. And we see the spiritual gifts as an opportunity to set ourselves apart. So we place them into categories that differentiate their importance and elevate our own significance. But that was not Your plan. The gifts were given to unify and edify. As the apostle Paul stated, the diversity of the body of Christ was meant to illustrate Your wisdom. “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT). The church was intended to be a melting pot of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, unified by their faith in Christ and equipped with the gifts of the Spirit for their common good and Your glory. Show us how to make that a reality in our individual fellowships and throughout the universal church. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

That’s the Spirit!

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1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. – 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 ESV

Paul now takes on yet another issue causing conflict within the Corinthian church. Like authority in worship and the celebration of the Lord’s table, this one has led to conflict and confusion. It is being misunderstood and, therefore, misused by many within the church. This will cause Paul to dedicate far more time and attention to this topic than any of the previous ones, indicating its importance within the body of Christ.

The issue at hand is the role of the Spirit of God within the life of a believer and the usage of the gifts He provides within the body of Christ. There is an obvious difference of opinion between Paul and some in the church regarding the Holy Spirit’s role and the use of the gifts He gives. The Corinthians, having come out of a pagan background, brought their own definition of the Spirit to the table. They tended to view the Holy Spirit through their former religious experience.

Living in a Greek culture, they viewed life from a dualistic perspective, separating the spiritual from the material. They believed that the spiritual portion of their life is what led to wisdom and knowledge, so it was considered good. But the physical or material aspects of life and the world were evil. Even tongues, as practiced in the pagan religions of the time, was a means of having a spiritual, heavenly-like experience while living in the physical/material realm. This bifurcated view of the human existence was having an unhealthy influence on their understanding of the Spirit of God and the use spiritual gifts within the church. For instance, they tended to view the gift of tongues from a self-centered perspective, considering it as a highly personal experience. They gave little thought to its influence or impact on the body of Christ as a whole.

Paul tells them, “I do not want you to be uninformed.” The word translated as “uninformed” can also be translated as “ignorant.” He is inferring that they were ignorant regarding the role of the Spirit and the proper use of the spiritual gifts, but he didn’t want them to remain that way. Throughout this section of his letter, and culminating in chapter 14, Paul stresses the role of love and the importance of community when it comes to the Spirit and the gifts He bestows. He will tell them, “Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church” (1 Corinthians 14:12 NLT). And sandwiched in-between chapters 12 and 14 he places his famous “love” chapter, dedicating a section on the significance of love when it comes to the use of the gifts of the Spirit.

Early in this chapter, Paul provides a simple test for true Spirit-filled expression. He wants to clear up any misconception that any seemingly spiritual-sounding utterance was necessarily from the Spirit of God. Someone could claim to be filled with the Spirit, but the proof would be in the words that came out of their mouth. He tells them, “no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3 NLT). In other words, a Spirit-filled person would never deny Christ, and a non-Spirit-filled person would never proclaim the deity of Christ. The presence of the Spirit is the key, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, always promoting and making much of Him.

Paul confirms that there are all kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come through the Holy Spirit and are ultimately given by God to the church. In fact, Paul states, “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7 ESV). Every spiritual gift is intended to build up of the body of Christ. The gifts of the Spirit are for mutual edification, not the personal pleasure or promotion of the individual.

Paul provides them with a partial list of the gifts, indicating that each of them comes from the Spirit. It is the Spirit who determines how the gifts are distributed. It is not a competition, and the gifts are not handed out based on merit. However, the Corinthians were using their gifts as a kind of barometer to determine spiritual worthiness. The more demonstrative the gift, the more spiritual the bearer considered themselves.

In the opening of his letter, Paul seemed to indicate that the church in Corinth had been given all of the gifts of the Spirit. He proudly proclaimed, “you are not lacking in any gift” (1 Corinthians 1:7 ESV). The problem was not the presence of the gifts, but the proper use and understanding of them. The Corinthians were guilty of prioritizing the gifts, making some more important or significant than others. They tended to elevate and aspire after the more flamboyant gifts, such as tongues or prophecy. They were turning the gifts into badges of honor, wearing them with arrogance and pride, and promoting themselves as somehow more spiritual than others because of their particular gift.

But the gifts of the Spirit, like the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5, were not to be self-promoting or self-focused. They were intended for the good of others. The Holy Spirit apportions or hands out the gifts based on community need, not individual merit. The gifts are given for the good of others. For instance, the gift of tongues was intended to minister to those who spoke another language. The gift of wisdom was not meant to make one person wiser than everyone else, but was given to share the wisdom of God with all. Healing, miracles, faith, prophecy, and tongues are all other-oriented and designed to build up, edify, minister to and strengthen the body of Christ.

The Spirit of God brings a spirit of unity and love, not division and competition. We can know that the Spirit of God is active within us when our lives have a positive influence on those around us. The Spirit never produces jealousy, pride, anger, or division. When we pridefully conclude that we are more spiritual than someone else, we are operating outside the will of the Spirit. He produces a spirit of humility and a heart of service. His power creates within us an unnatural compassion and care for others. When He is at work within us, we will be motivated to put the needs of others ahead of our own desires.

This problem of misusing or abusing the gifts of the Spirit was not unique to the church in Corinth. Paul addressed s similar issue when writing to the believers in Galatia.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. – Galatians 5:25-26 NLT

There is no place for pride, petty posturing, and a spirit of competition within the body of Christ. The gifts of the Spirit are not evidence of our godliness. They are not the byproduct or fruit of our personal success at achieving spiritual maturity. They are gifts freely given by the Spirit of God and designed to build up the body of Christ.

Our new life in Christ was made possible by the Spirit, and He is the one who makes possible our daily walk with Christ, so that we can live in selfless, sacrificial, loving community with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Father, thank You for the promise of the Spirit. Had he not opened my eyes to the truth of the gospel message, I would have remained blind and incapable of accepting Your gift of grace and forgiveness made possible through faith in Your Son. And the One who played a vital role in my salvation is continuing His work in my sanctification through the gifts He has given me. But I needed this reminder that the gifts of the Spirit were never intended for the benefit of the bearer. The gift I have been is not my own; it belongs to the body of Christ. It was never intended to be a measuring rod to determine my spirituality. Everyone of the gifts of the Spirit are other-oriented and intended for the edification of the church. Keep us from allowing pride and selfishness to dilute the impact of the Spirit’s gifts. Show us how to operate in His power and for the good of Your people at all times. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Much More Than a Meal

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23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. – 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 ESV

The gospel was central in all of Paul’s life and teaching; everything he did centered around and was based upon the gospel. So when he heard that the Corinthians were misusing and even abusing the ordinance of the Lord’s table, he was less than thrilled. The celebration of the Lord’s table was to be a time for commemorating the central aspect of the gospel: The death of Jesus. It was not to be taken lightly or treated contemptuously.

Paul had given the Corinthians instructions regarding the Lord’s table’s meaning and import. He reminded them that what he had taught them regarding the ordinance had come from Jesus Himself, not from his own imagination.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you… – 1 Corinthians 11:23 ESV

Paul had received direct revelation from Jesus regarding the institution of the Lord’s table, in the same way he had received the gospel message he preached.

For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. – Galatians 1:11-12 ESV

In his second letter to the Corinthian believers, he recalled another life-changing experience where he received “visions and revelations of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 12:1 ESV). These divine encounters were not just inspirational, they were educational. Everything Paul wrote in his many letters, which were to become part of the canon of Scripture, came from one source: Jesus. This included his teaching regarding the Lord’s table.

While the gospels are clear that Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples that fateful night, He actually used that annual meal to reveal something new. He took the time-honored ritual of the Passover celebration and breathed into it new life. It would no longer be a meal to celebrate the Israelite’s exodus from Egypt; it would commemorate the work of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus used that meal to present Himself as the true Passover lamb. His body and blood would be shed. His life would be given as a substitute, so that those who placed their trust in His death would receive life. In essence, the death angel would pass over them, just as it had over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt all those years ago.

Jesus made Himself very clear that night. He broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and told them, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24 ESV). Then He took the cup, held it up to His disciples and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25 ESV). Jesus wanted them to use that meal as a call to remembrance; so that from that moment on, they would recall what He was about to do. The Lord’s table was to be a time of reflection and recollection, soberly considering the significance of what Jesus’ death had accomplished on their behalf.

But the Corinthians had turned the Lord’s table into a feast, focusing their attention on the food, not the selfless sacrifice of the Savior. Paul wanted to remind them that the intention of the ordinance was to proclaim the Lord’s death until the day He returned. It was to be a visual and verbal expression of the gospel.

In chapter 15 of this same letter, Paul articulates the central message of the gospel:

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ESV

So when Paul accuses the Corinthians of eating the bread and drinking the cup in an “unworthy manner,” he is saying that they were failing to remember and appreciate what Jesus had done for them. They were treating His death with contempt by focusing on the meal instead of the one to whom the meal pointed. To take the Lord’s table unworthily meant to do so irreverently, flippantly, and with no regard to its significance. To do so, Paul says, was to be “guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27 ESV). They were profaning or treating with contempt the death of the Savior. In a less significant sense, it is what most of us as Americans have done to the celebration of Memorial Day. Rather than focus on those brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives in defense of our country, we have turned the day into a personal holiday, and made it all about us and our own enjoyment. It has become about time off from work, shopping discounts, and meals. In the same way, the Corinthians had turned the Lord’s table into little more than a reason to enjoy a good meal.

So Paul warns them to examine themselves and take a long hard look at their motivation. He tells them, “if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself” (1 Corinthians 11:29 NLT). They were opening themselves up to God’s discipline and Paul even indicates that some of them were already experiencing it in the form of physical weakness and sickness. Some had even died. To treat the death of Jesus lightly was serious business. Several times in this letter, Paul has told them that they were bought with a price. Their salvation cost God the life of His own Son. Peter writes, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19 ESV).

The Lord’s table was not to be taken lightly. The significance of Christ’s death was not to be treated flippantly. And the reality that He died so that we might become part of His body, the church, was not to be overlooked. The Corinthians were neglecting their love and concern for one another. The Lord’s table was to be a community celebration, not an opportunity to indulge one’s appetites.

Belief in the sacrificed body and blood of Jesus was to be the bond that held the Corinthians together. It was to be the unifying factor that made it possible for them to live with and love one another. We are to remember the death of Christ until He calls us home or until He comes again because it was His death that gave us life. It was His sacrifice that provides us with salvation. It was His taking on of our sin and suffering in our place that made possible our righteous standing before God. Why would we ever take that for granted? Why would we ever treat it lightly?

Father, You are a loving and patient God. You tolerate so much from Your ungrateful, self-centered people. Despite all Your have done for us, we are so quick to make it all about us. Even our attempt to worship You on Sundays can devolve into a myopic form of self-adulation that is more about fulfilling our own personal preferences than honoring You. Yet, You continue to love and put up with us. You don’t withhold Your blessings from us. But Paul would have us remember that You are holy and expect Your children to treat You with the honor and reverence Your deserve. There is no place for flippancy or complacency in our worship of You. There is never any reason for us to make it all about us. So, help us to learn from the mistakes of the Corinthians and to apply the wisdom of Paul: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Disorder, Disunity, and Division

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17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. – 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 ESV

Disorder, disunity, and division. All three took place in the church in Corinth. That is partly the reason Paul had to address the issue of authority and headship. It appears that some were uncomfortable with his teaching on headship and submission. Once again, the issue of freedoms and rights had come up. In the opening verses of this chapter, Paul addressed women in the church who refused to cover their heads during worship. This was not about value or worth; it was about God-ordained headship, authority, and responsibility.

Paul said, “The head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV). It is noteworthy that Paul makes it clear that both the husband and the wife, the male and the female, were free to prophesy and pray when the church assembled. But the man was to do so with his head uncovered, because to pray or prophesy with his head covered “dishonors his head” (1 Corinthians 11:4 ESV). In other words, he would be blatantly rejecting Christ’s headship in his life. And if a wife prophesies or prays with her head uncovered, she “dishonors her head” (1 Corinthians 11:5 ESV). Her actions would be construed as dishonoring her husband’s God-appointed headship.

For Paul, it was all about order, unity, and submission to God’s will. That’s why he now addresses their attitude toward the Lord’s Supper. Ordained by Jesus Christ Himself, this ordinance was to be a regular occurrence in the church, and the early church commemorated it as a feast. Unlike our modern version of the Lord’s Table, theirs was a meal. In the book of Acts, we read, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:46-47 ESV).

This “love feast” was a communal gathering at which they commemorated the Lord’s death with the bread and the cup. But they also shared a meal, and that’s where the problem began. Paul says, “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat” (1 Corinthians 11:20 ESV). In other words, they had turned the Lord’s supper into something altogether different. Their supper was marked by selfishness, division, and even drunkenness. They were making it all about the meal instead of memorializing Christ’s crucifixion. The food had taken center stage, not the celebration of Jesus’ sacrificial death, which made their salvation possible.

Paul doesn’t sugarcoat the problem. “For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:21 ESV). The gladness and generosity mentioned in Acts 2 had long since passed. It was as if everyone was in it for themselves. Some ate, while others went without. The meal had lost its communal aspect because people were eating without any regard for others. And then there were those who were using the “love feast” as an excuse to get drunk. There was little difference between this Christ-ordained event and the feasts held in pagan temples. Paul was shocked by their behavior and couldn’t understand why they didn’t just eat their meals at home if they couldn’t control themselves. The Lord’s Supper was meant to remember all that Christ had done to make their salvation possible, not to satisfy their fleshly appetites.

In a not-so-subtle attempt to shame their actions, Paul asks them, “Do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?” (1 Corinthians 11:22b ESV). Their actions reflected a lack of love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. There was no sharing of meals or compassion for the needy among them. The church in Corinth bore little resemblance to the early church recorded in the Book of Acts.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. – Acts 2:42-45 ESV

How easy it is to lose sight of our purpose as followers of Christ. We can turn our times of corporate worship into individually-focused moments of self-satisfaction. If we forget that we gather to worship God, we end up making it all about ourselves, demanding that the music and the message cater to our personal preferences. We can go through an entire Sunday service, neglecting those around us and never truly worshiping God. In doing so, we miss the whole point of corporate worship.

For Paul, the Corinthians had missed the message behind the Lord’s Supper. It was not about enjoying a good meal; it was to be a celebration of their common bond in Christ and a commemoration of His sacrificial death on their behalf. Luke records the words of Jesus on the night that He instituted this sacred service.

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”

After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” – Luke 22:14-20 NLT

Just moments after this sobering sequence of events, the disciples would argue over who was the greatest among them. They had missed the point. So Jesus said to them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:25-27 ESV).

The Kingdom of God was about selflessness, not selfishness. Followers of Christ, in imitation of Him, were to be servants, not self-serving. When we focus on the self, we end up loathing the body of Christ. When we make it all about ourselves, we neglect the fact that Jesus died, not just so that we might enjoy the self-satisfaction of our salvation, but solidarity as the people of God.

Father, You are all about unity and oneness. That is what Your Son prayed for in His high priestly prayer on the night He was betrayed. He pleaded that we would be one just as You and He are one. Yet, our sinful natures are prone to selfishness and self-centeredness. We have the unique capacity to make everything about ourselves. We can even turn a communal meal, designed to commemorate the selfless sacrifice of Your Son into a me-centered moment of self-aggrandizement. Yet, You have called us to live selflessly and sacrificially. You have even provided us with the Holy Spirit to make our unity possible. But as Paul said, “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants” (Galatians 5:17 NLT). It is not that we lack the power to live in unity; it is that we lack the desire. Open our eyes to the danger of selfishness. Help us to see that there is no place for self-centeredness in the body of Christ. We are to live in oneness and reflect the unity You enjoy with Your Son. As Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Hair, Headship, and Holiness

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2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. – 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 ESV

What in the world is Paul talking about in this passage? There is little debate that this is one of the hottestly debated sections in the Bible. There are those who write it off as just another example of Paul’s male chauvinism and unbridled misogyny. Others believe that we are obligated to adhere to Paul’s teaching regarding hair length and head coverings in the church today. Some have determined that Paul is addressing a cultural issue unique to Corinth that has no bearing on the modern church.

But if all Scripture “is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV), then it would seem prudent to discover what Paul is trying to tell us in these verses. Obviously, some of what Paul is addressing is cultural and contextual, and has to do with believers living in the Greek city of Corinth. They had to operate in an environment markedly different from the one in which we live. But that does not mean Paul’s remarks are entirely irrelevant or non-binding for the rest of us. There are timeless truths taught within these verses that apply to us as well.

The challenge is to discover the non-negotiable principles intended for the church in every age, and not to allow ourselves to be distracted or deterred by the seemingly incongruous and archaic arguments of Paul. Verse 3 is essential to understanding what Paul is trying to say in the passage:

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. – 1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV

The real point of this passage is authority; more specifically, God-ordained authority. As you can imagine, in the cultural context of Corinth in which Paul was trying to preach and teach, there were some strong objections to much of what he had to say. And the topic of authority or headship was one of the more controversial. So he lays out the God-ordained order of things:

The head of (authority over) Christ is God

The head of (authority over) man is Christ

The head of (authority over) the wife is her husband

Paul states that man, who was created by God, is “the image and glory of God” (1 Corinthians 11:7a ESV). Then he adds that “woman is the glory of man” (1 Corinthians 11:7b) because she was made from man. The creation account tells us that Eve was created by God from one of Adam’s ribs. So, Paul concludes, “man was not made from woman, but woman from man” (1 Corinthians 11:8 ESV). And while Paul does not state it directly, he infers that Jesus came from God, but not in the sense that He was created by God, because Jesus, like God, is eternal. The apostle John made this point quite clear in the opening of the gospel that bears his name.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. – John 1:1-4 ESV

But Jesus’ birth and incarnation were the work of God. Mary conceived because of the Spirit of God. All of this is to say that God has ordained an irrevocable order to things, and ever since the fall, mankind has been trying to turn that order on its head. It is interesting to note that, as a result of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Eve received a very specific curse. God said, “You will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you” (Genesis 3:16 NLT). One of the things that caused the fall to happen in the first place was that Adam failed to honor his God-ordained headship by allowing Eve to disobey the expressed will of God. It was to Adam that God had given His command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, Adam gave Eve the lead and allowed her to make the decision. So, “she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too” (Genesis 3:6 NLT).

The issue of head coverings and hair length appears to be culturally influenced. The real point is headship and the proper expression of it. A woman wearing a veil or head covering as a sign of submission to her husband’s authority, while culturally acceptable, did not necessarily mean that she was truly submissive. A man wearing his hair short as a sign of submission to the authority of God did not necessarily mean he actually lived under that authority. The outward evidences of submission mean nothing if the inward expression of submission is missing.

The bottom line about authority, headship, and submission is that each of us ultimately submits to God. Paul states, “But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God” (1 Corinthians 11:11-12 NLT). There is a God-ordained inter-dependency at work here. Eve was made from Adam, but every male since Adam has come from a woman. It is not that men are more important or of more value to God than women; it is about divinely orchestrated authority and responsibility. 

If we are not careful, we will spend all our time debating head coverings and hair length and miss Paul’s primary point of headship. There comes a point at which we have to reconcile ourselves with God’s will, even when it seems to contradict the world’s patterns and our own preferences. Jesus submitted to the will of God, even though it meant His death. Paul submitted to the will of Christ, taking the gospel to the Gentiles, even though his efforts were met with rejection and persecution.

Men are to submit to Christ, acknowledging Him as their head, even though it means giving up their rights and learning to love sacrificially and selflessly. Wives are to submit to their husbands and daughters are to submit to their fathers, as to the Lord. This divine order of things does not imply that the husband or father is wiser or knows better. As Paul told the Ephesians, each of us is to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21 NLT). And Peter reminds us, “humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6 NLT).

We may not understand all that Paul is saying here; we may not even like what we do understand. But we must trust that God’s will regarding headship and submission is best. We must submit to His will and trust His wisdom. This passage has a lot more to say about holiness than it does about hair. God’s will regarding headship is not arbitrary or optional. He has a divine purpose behind all His commands, and the way they manifest will remain consistent over time, although their application may vary by cultural context. Are head coverings mandatory for women in the church? That question remains a hot-button topic in some denominations. But Paul’s greater concern was the state of the heart, not the exposure of one’s hair. He was addressing the matter of headship, not head coverings.

Is it sinful for men to wear hats? If we take this passage too literally, those are the kinds of conclusions we can draw from Paul’s words. But he would argue that we are missing the forest for the trees. In the first-century context of Corinth, head coverings for women were a societal norm.

“In the Corinthian culture, women normally wore a head covering as a symbol of their submission to their husbands. Paul affirms the rightness of following that cultural mandate—to dispense with the head coverings on women would send the entirely wrong signal to the culture at large. In fact, Paul says that, if a Christian woman refuses her head covering, she might as well shave her hair off, too (verse 6). A woman who refused to wear a covering in that culture was basically saying, “I refuse to submit to God’s order.” Therefore, the apostle Paul is teaching the Corinthians that hair length or the wearing of a “covering” by the woman was an outward indication of a heart attitude of submission to God and to His established authority.” – “Should Christian Women Wear Head Coverings.” GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/head-coverings.html.

Paul was encouraging the new believers in Corinth to refrain from doing anything that might damage Christ’s reputation in their community. Women without head coverings would have been unacceptable in their cultural context. Men who covered their hair would have been viewed as effeminate and unmanly. This kind of behavior would have sent mixed signals to the unbelievers in Corinth, painting the church in a negative light. But, for Paul, the issue was always about headship and following God’s divine order. He wanted believers to live in a way that honored God by submitting to His divine order.

Father, You have established an order for Your creation and, as Your children, we have been charged with maintaining that order as Your servants. You made man and woman in Your image, and we are to reflect that image to the world. You created marriage to reveal Your glory to the world as the husband and wife mirror Your sacrificial love and selfless service for one another in the roles You pre-ordained for them. We get into trouble when we decide we know better than You do. We create confusion and conflict when we try to rethink and reorder Your divine plan for the roles and relationships You have established. Chaos ensues, conflict erupts, and our role as Your image-bearers becomes blurry to a lost world that desperately needs to see Your will lived out in real time and clarity. Give us the strength to live out our calling according to Your will and not our own — for Your glory and the good of all those around us. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Follow My Lead

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1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV

If we didn’t know so much about Paul, this simple statement might come across as little more than prideful arrogance. It sounds a lot like someone with an over-inflated sense of spiritual self-worth. But this is the same Paul who said, “‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ – and I am the worst of them all” (1 Timothy 1:15 NLT). He knew he was far from perfect and was well aware of his flawed past.

I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. – 1 Corinthians 15:9 NLT

At one point, he even referred to himself as “the very least of all the saints” (Ephesians 3:8 ESV). So Paul was far from a braggart. He wasn’t one to boast of his spiritual superiority or to set himself up as some kind of icon of virtue. He was honest about his shortcomings and always transparent about his life being a work in progress.

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3:12-14 NLT

So how could Paul have the audacity to say, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”? Why would he set himself up as an example to follow? Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate for him to simply say, “Imitate Christ”? Shouldn’t Jesus be our focus, and not Paul?

But it is essential that we not take this verse out of context. For three chapters, Paul has been dealing with an issue within the body of Christ in Corinth regarding the eating of meat sacrificed to idols. Most of what he has addressed concerns the legitimate rights of believers and their freedom in Christ, but his emphasis has been that their rights were never to trump their obligation to live compassionately and sacrificially among fellow believers and the lost. Their primary goals were to glorify God and to seek the spiritual good of those around them. In order for the gospel to be demonstrated and disseminated, they had to die to themselves. Their rights would have to take a back seat to God’s will and the spiritual well-being of others. And Paul used himself as an example of that very lifestyle.

Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. – 1 Corinthians 10:32-33 NLT

He followed up this statement with his call, “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT).

Unlike the original 12 disciples, we don’t have the benefit of having seen Christ with our own two eyes. We have not been privileged to watch Him work, hear Him teach, or witness His selfless lifestyle firsthand. On the very night He was betrayed, He washed the feet of the disciples, then said to them: “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:12-15 ESV).

The point of that fateful evening was not about washing feet, but about servant leadership. Jesus was their teacher and Lord, and yet He was willing to set aside His rights and privileges to serve them. He willingly stooped down and performed the file of a common household servant. He washed their filthy feet, rather than rightfully demanding that they do the same for Him. Jesus went on to tell them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:16 ESV). He was informing His disciples that they, as His servants and messengers, were never to view themselves as somehow better than Him. They should never consider themselves unworthy and unwilling to serve and sacrifice as He did. They were to follow His example and serve others just as He had served them – humbly, willingly, lovingly, and sacrificially.

It was the apostle John who wrote, “By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:5-6 ESV). So, in a sense, we are to emulate Christ by walking as He walked. We are to conduct our lives in the same manner as He did. If we follow His lead, we should be able to call others to line up behind us. To do so is not to claim that we have arrived at Christ-like perfection; it is to declare that we are faithfully attempting to live our lives in keeping with Christ’s example.

Paul knew that his rights were never to stand in the way of the gospel, because He knew that Jesus had never let His will get in the way of His Father’s divine plan for His life and mankind’s redemption. On the night of His betrayal and arrest, as Jesus prayed in the garden, He pleaded with His Father, “If you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42 NLT).

In His humanity, Jesus dreaded the prospect of the pain and suffering He was about to face. He was no more a fan of facing pain than you or I would be. But in His divinity, knew that He must accomplish the will of His Father, even though it meant that He must sacrifice His life. Paul reminds us that, “being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8 ESV).

Paul was willing to follow Christ’s example, and he was prepared to die for the sake of the gospel if necessary. And even if God did not require his life, Paul was willing to give up his rights and privileges to see that others came to know Christ. He was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to see that believers in Christ grew in their knowledge of Him and in their likeness to Him. Paul wasn’t afraid to challenge others to follow His example because he knew that he was following Christ, not perfectly but faithfully.

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. So when we imitate Christ, we honor Him. But before we challenge another believer to imitate our lives, we must make sure that our attitude and actions mirror His. When we invite others to imitate our lives, we take a huge risk, because we are telling them they can do as we do and say as we say. We are assuring them that it is safe to follow our lead because we are following the example of Christ Himself. But for Paul, setting yourself up as an example to follow begins with sharing Christ’s humble attitude.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
    he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross. – Philippians 2:5-8 NLT

It all begins with sacrificial service and selfless love, putting the needs of others ahead of our own.

Father, I want to be an example other can follow, but I know it begins with having the attitude of Christ. I must mirror His humility, love, and willingness to put the needs of others ahead of my own. But that is hard. No, it’s impossible. I can’t do it in my own strength. No matter how hard I try, my pride, ego, and autonomy step in and make it all about me. But with the help of Your Holy Spirit, I know I can die to self and live for others. I have seen it happen. I have experienced those rare moments of selflessness and willing sacrifice that are to mark the life of a Christ-follower. But I long for those experiences to become more frequent and natural. I desire that others might be able to model their life after mine and become more like Christ. Please continue Your sanctifying work in my life until my transformation into Your Son’s image is complete. I know it will take a lifetime and will never be complete until Your Son returns or You call me home. But, in the meantime, don’t let me grow weary in doingi good. For Your glory and the good of others. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

What Would Jesus Do?

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23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. – 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 ESV

Paul revisits a point he made back in chapter six. “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV). The Corinthians had made a big deal of their liberties or freedoms in Christ and were convinced that there were certain things they were at liberty to do because of their newfound freedom. Paul doesn’t contradict their conclusion; he simply argues against their motivation. They were only looking at things from a self-centered perspective, motivated by their own rights and focused on selfish pleasures. That is why Paul repeats their point of reference back to them again.

“I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.– 1 Corinthians 10:23 NLT

Yes, they had certain freedoms in Christ, but they were not to let those freedoms be driven by selfish desires or motivated by self-centeredness. They were to ask themselves whether those freedoms were helpful and edifying. Throughout this section of his letter, Paul places the emphasis on others. In the very next verse, he writes, “Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.” (1 Corinthians 10:24 NLT). Paul was elevating compassion over lawfulness and promoting selflessness over selfishness.

Paul concedes that they were free to eat any meat sold in the marketplace, even if it had been sacrificed to idols. He supports his stance by quoting from the Psalms.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. – Psalm 24:1 NLT

Even if they were invited to an unbeliever’s house, they were free to eat whatever was served. But should their host acknowledge that the meat had been sacrificed to idols, the circumstances took on a different light. They were no longer “free” to eat what was served. Paul explains that disclosing the meat’s origin made it a matter of conscience.  Not their conscience, Paul asserts, but the conscience of their lost friend and anyone else who might be in attendance.

Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) – 1 Corinthians 10:28-29 NLT

The lost friend would not know of or understand the concept of freedom in Christ. In telling their Christian guests that the meat had been sacrificed to idols, they would be assuming Christians would not want to eat such meat because it would violate their faith. Should the Christian go ahead and eat the meat, the message conveyed to their pagan friend would be confusing. Should a less mature believer be in attendance at the same dinner and see the more mature believer eating meat sacrificed to idols, he or she might be caused to follow their lead, even though their conscience told them it was wrong. 

Paul follows this with two logical questions he knew the Corinthians would ask.

For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it? – 1 Corinthians 10:29-30 NLT

In other words, why should a Christian let the conscience of a lost person dictate their behavior? Or why should a more mature believer allow the ignorance of a less mature believer determine their actions? Paul answers both questions with a single answer.

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

The more important question a believer should ask is whether their actions will bring glory to God. If the primary motivation behind our behavior is our personal pleasure, we miss the point. The bottom line for Paul was God’s glory and man’s salvation.

I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. – 1 Corinthians 10:33 NLT

He was willing to give up his freedoms so that others might know what it means to be free in Christ. He was willing to die to his rights so that others might be made right with God.

In chapter 13, the great “love chapter,” Paul says that love “does not insist on its own way” (1 Corinthians 13:5 ESV). Instead, love cares about others and focuses on building up and edifying them, even at the expense of self. Christ-like love focuses on the good of others and the glory of God. It is selfless, not selfish. It is sacrificial, not self-centered. And the greatest example of this selfless, sacrificial kind of love was Jesus Himself. Even before He willingly laid down His life on Calvary, Jesus declared His intention to put the needs of others ahead of His own.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45 NLT

In his letter to the believers in Philippi, Paul challenged them to follow Jesus’ example of selfless, sacrificial love.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
    he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross. – Philippians 2:3-8 NLT

Jesus died so that we might live. He willingly relinquished His divine rights and humbled Himself, even to the point of enduring a gruesome death on a Roman cross, all for the sake of others. And Paul is asking the Corinthians, the Philippians, and every other person who has placed their faith in Christ to follow His example. We are called to die to self because love trumps liberty every time. Giving up our rights for the sake of others and for the glory of God is well worth any sacrifice we may have to make. And, in the long run, it will produce fruit that is far more valuable than the fleeting pleasures we may have to give up. 

Father, dying to self is hard. It goes against everything in our fallen human nature. Because of sin, we are inherently selfish and self-centered. We have a natural capacity and propensity to make everything about us. But Paul calls us to make it all about You and others. Your Son demonstrated what that kind of love looks like when He willingly went to the cross on our behalf. He took our place and took the full brunt of Your wrath against sin, so we wouldn’t have to. Now, we have the opportunity to follow His example and love those around us by placing their needs ahead of our own. You are not asking us to die in their place; You are simply asking that we die to our rights. Thank You for providing the Holy Spirit to make it possible and thank You for showing patience as we continue to struggle with obedience. May we continue to see Spirit-empowered progress in this area of our lives for the good of others and for You glory. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Protection For Our Affections

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15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? – 1 Corinthians 10:15-22 ESV

As far as Paul is concerned, this is all about our affections; it is about what we love and choose to prioritize in our lives. As Paul addresses the issue of idols and meat sacrificed to them, he is not implying that the idols actually represent other gods. In fact, he says that when the pagans offer sacrifices to their idols, they are actually sacrificing to demons. The fact that the gods they worshiped were non-existent did not make their activity any less sinful. They were giving their affections to something they believed existed. They were associating themselves with a god who represented an alternative to the one true God, and they were joining with those who shared their beliefs, participating in worship and the offering of sacrifices together. When they held their feasts, they were doing so with those who were of like mind.

Paul uses the Lord’s Table to illustrate what he means. Paul asks the Corinthians to consider that when they take the cup and the bread together as part of communion, “is it not a participation in the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:16 ESV)? The Lord’s Table was a common celebration and commemoration of their shared belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. When the Israelites made sacrifices to God at the altar in the Tabernacle or Temple, did they not do so with a sense of shared belief in God? And Paul insists that the pagans are doing the very same thing. By participating together in their sacrificial services, feasts, and celebrations, they express their common bond as worshipers of their particular god, whether that god is false or real. And when the Corinthians joined them in their celebrations, they were aligning themselves with the pagan worshipers and their false gods, or, as Paul indicates, demons.

“Paul’s line of reasoning proceeds as follows: Christians who eat the bread at the Lord’s Supper express their solidarity with one another and with Christ. Likewise, Jews who ate the meat of animals offered in the sacrifices of Judaism expressed their solidarity with one another and with the God of Israel. Therefore Christians who eat the meat offered to pagan gods as part of pagan worship express their solidarity with pagans and with the pagan deities.” – Thomas L. Constable, Notes of 1 Corinthians, 2007 Edition

There is a spiritual dimension to virtually everything we do. We are spiritual beings, and there is a spiritual battle taking place all around us, hidden from our view, but as real as the air we breathe. Paul warned the Ephesians about this spiritual war.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12 NLT

There is very little in life that is not impacted and influenced by this unseen spiritual conflict. While we may view a particular action or activity as amoral, being neither right nor wrong and not prohibited by God, we need to walk carefully. It is essential that we examine our motives and check our affections. We need to ask ourselves why this activity is so important to us. Would we be unwilling to give it up if the circumstances required it? There were those in the Corinthian church who were eating meat that had been sacrificed to false gods. They were even participating alongside pagan worshipers at the feasts associated with those false gods. But their rationale was that these gods did not exist, so their activity was perfectly acceptable. However, Paul warns them that if their participation caused a brother or sister in Christ to stumble, they were wrong. Not only that, but by joining in the feasts alongside idol worshipers, they were expressing unity with them. To the rest of the world, both pagan and Christian, they appeared to be one with those who worship false gods. And as if that was not bad enough, Paul indicates that they are really associating themselves with demons.

There are many things we are free to do as followers of Jesus Christ. But that does not mean that all of them are things we should do. We are free to read books other than the Bible, but it is imperative that we give thought to the content of the books that we read. As believers, we are free to watch TV and movies, but not every show is one we should expose ourselves to. We need to examine the content and consider the message it sends. There are very few movies that do not have an agenda. The world we live in is heavily influenced by the unseen spiritual battle taking place behind the scenes. Satan will use any resource available to him to influence our affections and diminish our dedication to God.

It always goes back to our affections. When God commanded the Israelites to have no other gods but Him, He was not suggesting that these gods actually existed. He simply knew that He had wired mankind for worship. God’s intention was that humanity share its affections with Him, but men and women are fully capable of giving those affections away.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus to name which was the greatest commandment given by God, He responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 ESV). The most daunting challenge we face as Christians involves our affections. Do we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind? The answer is no, because we can’t. We are incapable of doing so. But that does not mean we should not try to make it a high priority in our lives.

The enemy wants to get our minds off of God and to distract our affections from God. He wants our souls to be satisfied by something other than God. There is a spiritual battle taking place all around us, and Satan subtly uses the seemingly innocuous and inconspicuous things of this world to deceive us. Our failure to believe in the demonic realm does not make it non-existent. Just because we don’t see the spiritual warfare taking place all around us doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Because the battle is invisible, we need to arm ourselves with the spiritual weapons God provides. We need spiritual discernment and divine assistance to fight an invisible yet real battle. That is why Paul told the Ephesians, “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm” (Ephesians 6:13 NLT).

God offers us protection for our affections and a way of escape from every temptation.

God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

Father, we live under constant siege from the enemy, but sometimes act as if the battle is not even real. Through compromise and complacency, we make alliances with the enemy and allow his subtle lies to dilute our faith and diminish our dependence on You. If we refuse to spend time in Your Word, we will be easy prey for the enemy’s deception. We will find ourselves defenseless and powerless to resist his temptations. He loves to deceive us and cause us to compromise our convictions. He doesn’t waste his time trying to get us to walk away from the faith; he simply tries to make our faith a non-factor in the way we walk. But You have called us to live set-apart lives that reflect Your character and demonstrate the Spirit’s power within us. Don’t allow us to compromise or grow complacent. Keep us alert to the enemy’s lies and more determined than ever to live according to the truth of Your Word. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.