First Corinthians 9

Paul launches from his discussion of freedom into a tremendous argument on his value to the Corinthian community. He could demand payment for his services and preaching, but instead has sacrificed everything so that they might know the Gospel.

His reasoning: I preach the Gospel free of charge so that others will God's glory only. Again, Paul defines Christian freedom, and lives it, solely in terms of the preaching of the Gospel. He does not view it as a duty, because fulfilling a duty has its own reward. No, he views it as a trust and calling, and fulfilling those has an eternal reward. Beware: attitude and perespective mean a great deal in the Christian walk. How many Christians have used the Gospel for their own benefit, and have already received their reward on earth with no thought about eternal consequences? Have I done this? What would it take to change my heart and persepctive from temporal to eternal?

This chapter also contains some of the more memorable verses from Paul:

v. 22 I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

v. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

To me, v. 23 and 27 sum up Paul's thought on sacrificing for the Gospel, both of which highlight the proclamation of Jesus and the eternal prize that comes with it:

v. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

v. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Do you think that the "blessings" and "prize" are earthly or heavenly blessings?

First Corinthians 5

Ok. My first thought is, "What was that guy thinking?"

Next, I notice that two ideas that played a prominent role in chapter 4 appear again. First, wisdom. Second, judgment. Paul plays his role as leader through his judgment of a potentialy destructive situation in the Corinthian congregation--a situation brought about by the whole church's embracing of human wisdom over God's wisdom. They thought they were celebrating freedom by doing something cutting edge(by accepting something not even the pagan's considered normal). I can hear them now: "Look at us. We are excercising the freedom of God by being sexual deviants! Now everyone will see us and want to experience the freedom that God brings through Jesus." They were sold on human wisdom and sexual freedom. They forgot that sacrifice was the hallmark of Christianity, not human freedom. In truth, we are free to sacrifice, not free from sacrifice. In addition, their Gospel of Freedom was for the body, not for the Spirit. so Paul comes with judgment (see discussion on Chapter 4) on their Gospel and their failure to understand the wisdom of God in Jesus.

His judgment seems rather extreme, but still warranted. "Hand this man over to Satan": in other words, remove fellowship from him and let him have his freedom without the protection of the support of the church. Also, "expel the wicked man from you": this is a direct allusion to Deuteronomy (17.7, for example) and the commands of God to expel those who are continually rebellious to the wisdom of God as seen in Scripture. This extreme course of action is intended to protect the body of Christ from someone who is not only does not understand Christianity, but who willingly and consistently acts in ways that are contrary to the teachings of that body. I would also submit that this extreme course of action should only be used in extreme situations. Grace, love, and acceptance should be exercised freely in the body. Only when one is unwilling to submit to the body of Christ, and its head, should we turn to such extreme measures.

Paul clarifies his position in this way: For evangelism sake, associate with those in the world who may have lifestyles contrary to God's wisdom. We must be with lost people! However, do not allow one who claims to be a part of the body to still live in that lifestyle. Becoming a brother means that you have adopted a new life, and it needs to show! So, if they want to act like they belong to the world, let them live in the world. We are not strong enough to get through to them. But God is, and he will walk with them in their travels until they return to him.

So, what aspects of our lifestyle may need adjustment as we seek to become more a part of Christ through his body?

1 Cor. 1:10-17

I find that Paul’s clarity on his mission is very refreshing and unsettling. It is refreshing to know exactly where he stands. It is unsettling because he is so sold out to the Gospel message and to Jesus that he almost seems too radical. Is it possible to be too radical for Christ? I mean, if you are truly sold out to Jesus and his message—not political or selfish undertones—can you be too radical? A follow up question: How far does Christ want us to go?

I am also amazed at what happens in churches when we get into the “cult of personality” (cue the 80s rock song here). Paul clearly calls on all Christians to put away hero worship and focus all devotion on Christ. Once again, Paul wants human agenda out of the way. For him, the most important aspect of Christianity is Christ. Go figure!

An interesting note: Paul says he did not call me to baptize, but to preach. Did Paul associate baptism with local pastors? Is he saying that he is called to be an evangelist-preacher, and that others are supposed to baptize and build the local church? If so, then God must call individuals to serve in specific functions. So, what is your specific role in the church, and are you doing it to the best of your ability?

After reading 1 Cor. 1, my prayer today is this: Father, let me totally focused on your Gospel today. Let your son be the center of my thoughts, so my Christianity will be full of Christ. Give me the grace and power I need to fulfill the unique calling you have given me. Thank you for reminding me that church is not about me, but about you. Teach me to worship you and you alone. And help me to point others to you.

Thank you. Amen.