Women of Firm Faith

Paul starts this letter, written to the churches in the region of Galatia, by asserting his Apostolic authority which was given to him by God. The same God who sent His Son to die in our place, and had the power to raise Him from the dead in order to save us from our sinful condition and rescue us from the evil world we live in. This IS the gospel that we preach. Romans 5:8-9, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Paul personally declared this same gospel as we saw in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2. "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain." He is shocked at how quickly some were turning away from what they were taught, which me...

Paul had been accused of being weak in their presence, so he assures them that when he comes a third time, he will deal with those who still have not repented of their sin. This time he will come in the power of God with all boldness, not sparing those who are being hard-hearted toward the truth. He brings up the process of judgement based on the testimony of two or three witnesses, which is found in both the Old and New Testaments. Deuteronomy 19:15-20, “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord , before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he...

Paul had experienced visions and revelations, being caught up the the third heaven, and saw and heard things that he says weren't even lawful to speak about and would not be profitable for him to boast about. Compare that to today, with all these books written about experiences in heaven. It certainly makes you question their legitimacy. No doubt they may have had an "experience", but with who? Satan's desire is to destroy the work of God. He mimics God (he actually thought he could ascend to be like God) to confuse us and is also an excellent counterfeiter. We know he can mimic signs and wonders and he even mimics the trinity with his own unholy alliance. 2 Corinthians 11:14, "No wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light." In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that the thief (Satan) comes to steal, kill, and destroy. That's quite a job description! In order to discern God's voice from the enemy, we need to have a relationship with ...

Paul knows that he is being judged by outward appearance, rather than his fruit, and considered to be a fool by some of the Corinthians. Therefore he let's them know he's aware of it by using sarcasm in his letter to make a point. The irony is that they believe themselves to be so wise, yet are the ones being deceived by false teachers, and are really the fools. Romans 1:22, 24-25, "Professing to be wise, they became fools...Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." Paul is not jealous of these teachers becoming more popular than him, but is truly concerned for their spiritual wellbeing, having a Godly jealousy for them. He does not want them to exchange the truth they've been taught for a lie. Verses 3-4, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the ser...

Paul at times has been both humble and bold in his approach with the Corinthians. Humble when it comes to his obedience to Christ and not thinking more of himself than he ought to, but bold when sharing the truth in order to correct and rebuke. Many today use humility as an excuse to overlook sin and avoid correcting altogether. They act as though they are very spiritual for not judging, and may even throw out a bible verse or two. Have you ever heard anyone say "judge not lest ye be judged" or "let him without sin cast the first stone"? It sounds spiritual doesn't it, but in both cases the scripture is referring to hypocritical judging. The Bible doesn't tell us to not judge at all. God just wants us to remove our sin before we point the finger at another's. By looking at ourselves first, we are humbled by our own short comings and can help others with the right heart...one of humility.  Paul writes to the Corinthians with boldness because he is s...

Paul uses the physical illustration of sowing and reaping to make a spiritual point in regards to financial giving. Obviously, if you sow nothing, you can't really expect to reap anything at harvest time. Also, if you aren't sowing into the kingdom (sowing to the spirit), you cannot expect to reap spiritual blessings. Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." If you sow to your flesh, you reap corruption, as your flesh, and all that is in the world, will be done away with. Just as what you sow impacts what you reap, the amount you sow also impacts the amount you reap. Verse 9:6, "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." It is not merely about the value of the gift, as that can be relative to the person doing the giving, but more about one's attitude in giving. Poor people can be stingy or generous, just as rich people can be stin...

The Macedonians are being used as an example of having the proper heart toward giving, being willing to do so even though they are experiencing "deep poverty" themselves and finding much joy in giving to others. Verse 8:2, "that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality." What is so impressive is that not only were they giving out of their poverty, but they were "imploring" Paul to receive this gift for the saints in Jerusalem in order to take part in this ministering. It is quite obvious that no one was forcing or guilting them into giving; it was of their freewill and a result of their deep desire to do so. Now the Corinthians are being encouraged through Titus to do likewise. Verse 7, "But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see  that you abound in this grace also." We are all blessed by Go...

Since we have the promise from God that if we separate ourselves from ungodly people and behavior, that He will be our Father and call us children, we need to cleanse ourselves from the filth we have accumulated from living in the world in our early bodies. There are only two options: to be a child of God or a child of the devil. 1 John 3:10, "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." As children of God, we need to practice holiness, just as you would practice anything that you want to be better at. We certainly cannot expect to excel at something that we don't practice. Not that we will attain perfection, but our abilities are perfected through practice as we become more like Christ and are transformed into His image. Now if we confess or sins, God is faithful to cleanse us from our unrighteousness, but it doesn't mean we sit back and do not...

Paul can genuinely say, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." His faith had been tested and he was found to be a "doer" of the word, nor just a "hearer." 1 John 3:18, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." Paul's actions validated the authenticity of his ministry and he is blameless before God. As he follows Christ's example, rather than the world, he looks crazy. Jesus himself was accused of having a demon, John 8:49, and Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me." His own family thought He was crazy, Mark 3:21, "But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, 'He is out of His mind.' ”  When you are truly dead to your flesh and dead to this life, you can continue on your path, even if the whole world turns their backs on you. Paul had held back nothing from the Lord and is n...

The older I get, the more I can relate to this verse about desiring our new heavenly bodies. And even if you are still young and cannot relate to this physically (yet), the closer you get in your walk with the Lord, and the more persecutions and sufferings you experience on behalf of Christ, the more you should desire to be with the Lord in your permanent residence. Jesus has even given us the Holy Spirit as a downpayment of what's to come; it's our guarantee that He has every intention of fulfilling His promise to us. What we will enter into is called "Rest" for a reason. If this life isn't making you want that more, then maybe you haven't fully surrendered your life to Him. We need to walk by faith while we are here, despite the difficulties of the path we're on, being fully convinced that He is God! Verse 8, "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." You cannot please God without t...

Recognizing that this ministry was ordained by God,  Paul is not going to "lose heart" and become cowardly in approaching to his service to God. Contrary to what others have done, he is going to preach the message boldly without fearing man so much so that the message is altered in any way too his own benefit. Verse 2, "But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God." If the message is not received, it is not because Paul failed to speak the truth boldly or had some hidden agenda, but rather that the listeners' hearts were darkened, or veiled, "whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them (v4)." I love that Paul says "we do not preach ourselves..." How man...

Paul is asking if he needs to defend his ministry again. Or as other apostles would bring along a letter to validate their ministry, does he need to do that as well? This would be similar to a letter of recommendation, only of spiritual qualifications, not earthly. He even asks if he now needs one from the them (maybe some sarcasm?). There isn't anything wrong with these letters as he has sent letters on behalf of both Timothy (1 Cor. 16) and Titus (2 Cor. 8), but the proof of Paul's ministry should be evident in the lives of the Corinthians, and the fruit they bear. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, " You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." Paul also acknowledges that he is not qualified in himself, but that his sufficiency comes from God who has chosen and equ...

The letter Paul has written was out of love for the Corinthians, but was anguishing for him to write.  Choosing to send a letter rather than return to visit them on his way back through from Macedonia, was to avoid another occurrence of the first visit.  We can assume that the first visit was troubling for Paul, being their spiritual father so to speak, to see the church in the state it was in, requiring him to rebuke them harshly for their errors.  Much the same as when we are grieved when someone close to us goes astray (like our children), causing the need for strong words and discipline. Paul had sorrow over those whom he wanted to have joy.  Verse 4, “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears,  not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.” The intention of the letter was not to bring them grief, but to correct them in love and bring about a change of heart and...

Paul begins his letter by reminding the Corinthians of his position of authority in their lives, that was given to Him by the will of God, his apostleship. It is sad how he needs to defend his ministry with them because there are those among the flock who want to backbite and cause division within the body. I guess there is nothing new under the sun because this could describe what we see in churches today. It's funny how people don't want to address sin because that would be "judging" and cause divisions, but bringing the Word of Truth into people's lives is exactly what needs to happen for the health of the body. Dividing over doctrine is not bad, it's when we divide over carnal, sensual things that it is shameful. Proverbs 6:16-19, "These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness...

Paul is answering questions the Corinthians had regarding the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. He is speaking with authority when he tells them he ordered the same from the church in Galatia and is now ordering them as well. There is an expectation from the true believer to be giving to those who are truly in need. I John 3:17, "But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" If one can work, then they are not truly needy.  II Thessalonians 3:10-12, "...If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread." Also there is an expectation for Christians to help their family. If they have family that can support them, they aren't t...

As we have been reading about the church of Corinth, Paul has address many issues/ divisions among the body. Above all what Paul is addressing in chapter 15 stands out to be the greatest division among them, denying the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without the resurrection we have no hope of  the Lord's returning to take us home with Him to glory. The eye witness testimonies that we know of from the apostles about the Lord appearing to them throughout the new testament as well as the prophecy  all through the old testament would have been done in vain. How disturbing and upsetting for the Lord to have His own people reject the sacrifice that was made on the cross. His death burial and resurrection. In Isaiah 52:12-53:12*, Isaiah prophecies about the coming of Jesus Christ to take on the sin of the world. He goes through and describes Jesus' ministry on earth as He came as a baby, growing up and being rejected by men, being wounded for our transgressions. We can ...

The Corinthians knew that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, but evidently some were under the impression that WE did not. That being the case, then what is the point of the labor and suffering and persucutions we endure for Christ sake on this side of eternity? We might as well eat and drink it up while here, because death would be final.  We would have no hope at all, which is why we would be "the most pitiable" v19. Paul makes his case in previous verses, but continues to support the concept of resurrection by carrying the incorrect thinking through to show how it doesn't make sense even to Pagans. Although it appears that the Corinthians did not perform this practice, v29 asks "what will they do?" rather than "what will you do?", but others at this time believed they could baptize themselves on behalf of someone who was already dead. Pagans believed in a resurrection or there would be no point to their superstitious custom. It reminds me of Ja...

This chapter begins and ends with the exhortation to desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophesy, and makes a clear distinction between two gifts that involve speaking: tongues and prophesy. Why is prophesy especially desirable? One answer can be found in v24, "But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all." Prophesy is spoken to men and can edify everyone, believer and unbeliever alike. It is more fruitful for us to prophesy, because the whole church can benefit from it. This doesn't mean that tongues are useless and you shouldn’t pray for them though. Paul says he wishes that ALL the Corinthians spoke in tongues and that he’s thankful to God that he speaks in them more than all of them. They simple edify the person speaking rather than the whole church, unless there is someone present who can interpret. If others cannot understand what the speaker is saying, they are unable to "Am...

Some Bible scholars will use v10 of this chapter as evidence that spiritual gifts have been done away with. They interpret the words "that which is perfect" to mean the New Testament rather than Jesus. If you read v9-12 in context, it is easy to see that God gives us partial knowledge through the Spirit, but our understanding is still limited.  When we get to be with Jesus, however, our knowledge will be complete and we will have no need of these gifts. Paul goes on to use two illustrations to make this point: growing from a child to maturity and looking into a dim mirror then face to face. To replace Jesus with the New Testament doesn't even make sense. By that line of thinking, the New Testament would be complete and we would be so enlightened that we wouldn't need the Holy Spirit's help. John 16:7, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will s...

Spiritual gifts in the church have been a hot topic for debate. Some believe that these gifts are not for today. Others are so zealous for gifts that they chase after spiritual experiences even if they don't line up with the word of God, causing others to doubt their authenticity. We could just walk away and pretend like they aren't important or remain in the dark so to speak, but the Bible specifically tells us NOT to be ignorant in this area and to earnestly desire these gifts. v1, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant..." and v31, "But earnestly desire the best gifts." Now the thought of spiritual gifts may frighten some a bit, some gifts more than others. I had a friend who once asked if she needed to pray for all of the gifts because some were more appealing than others. The thought of speaking in tongues was a little scary to her. If we put our feelings aside and rest in who we know God is, you could ask yourself ...

Paul begins this chapter by sarcastically praising the Corinthians for keeping the traditions (Apostolic teachings) that were handed down to them. We know this is sarcasm because he reveals two such teachings that are not being kept: one dealing with the order of authority and their departure from the proper roles of men and women in the church, and the other in their partaking of communion in an unworthy manner. Verse 3 clearly defines the order of authority in the church, "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." The women in the church at this time wore head coverings, as an outward display of submission to their husbands. Their efforts to remove this covering indicated their desire or attempt to pray or prophesy in church outside of man's covering of authority. Later in Chapter 14, we get the picture that the women were trying to take charge and lead the service in an unsubmissive, outs...

Read this excerpt in The Berean Call today and thought it went along well with our recent studies. Here is the link if you want to read the whole article: http://www.thebereancall.org/content/november-2014-extra-first-indication " What Is the First Indication of Turning Away from God? " What is it that is so displeasing to God, devastating to our relationship with God, damaging to our fellowship with God and others, as well as distorting our witness as lights revealing Christ? The one attitude that hinders our love for Christ, prevents Christ from having the place of preeminence in our lives, and begins the believer’s turning away from God is not unbelief, anger, disobedience, or rebellion—rather, it is murmuring! We grumble about many things: We murmur about the food, the weather, taxes, politicians, the media, the temperature (inside and out), our paycheck, the people around us, our inadequate surroundings, poor workmanship, incompetent service, traffic, time (it is ei...

The Israelites were God's chosen people who were protected and provided for by God, and witnessed miracles performed by God, but most of them didn't make it into the promised land because of the hardness of their hearts. In fact, only two grown men who left Egypt, Joshua and Caleb, got to see it. These examples were written for our admonition, or strong warning, so we can see how they fell short and be on guard in order to avoid the same failures and enter into our promised rest.  So how exactly did they fail? The first example shows us that they could not keep their fleshly lusts under control. Maybe the Corinthians liked meat so much that they couldn't stop eating it, even if it did stumble another. What is your meat? There are lots of things that our flesh desires and it is always a good practice to say no to our flesh, otherwise we feed the beast and our desires intesify. What would our children be like if we never told them "no" and gave them everything...