Additional Thoughts on 1 Corinthians – Part 2
1COR 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1COR 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Here the Christian life is likened to a race. A race that does indeed have a prize. And we are instructed to try to obtain it. The prize is compared to what an earthly race offers and there really is no comparison. They are vastly different. It says that the earthly race’s crown is corruptible. The rewards of the fleshly earthly races will all rust, fade, and fall apart. They are corruptible. They will not last. The prize that a Christian is to strive to obtain is quite different. It is incorruptible. It will not rust, fade, or fall apart. In fact it will last for all eternity. What we strive for is infinitely more valuable.
We are to run the race after we are saved. Salvation is a free gift. Crowns are not. You do absolutely no works to get saved, but you do work to get rewards.
The Bible does teach a reward system in heaven. Some will get crowns and some will not.
Are you running the race so that you may obtain?
1COR 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
Paul did not preach for money. He did not preach for fame or so people could shower gifts upon him and take care of him. Paul was very poor. He says for necessity is laid upon me. Many times Paul went hungry. He suffered many times in many different ways. Why did he do it? One reason is found here. He had a burning in him to preach the gospel. This is the burning of heart that is given to God called men. When this comes up I think of Jeremiah.
Jer 20:8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
Jeremiah’s message was not received by the people God sent him to preach to. In fact they treated him horribly. He got to the point where he wanted to quit. He even tried to quit.
Jer 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But [his word] was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not [stay].
Jeremiah could not quit. He had a burning fire in his heart. He says he was weary with forbearing. The Word of God burning in his heart would not leave him alone. He understood what Paul was talking about. Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.
I have seen many have this fire; this calling of God. I have seen some get called, and then fall by the wayside. However, the fire does not go away and they become miserable. I have seen others who had it become disqualified and they too were miserable. I knew an old time preacher who had it. He was in his upper 80’s and his body no longer had the strength, but he still had the fire.
I would go over to his house, sit on his couch and ask a few questions just to get him going. And sit there and let him preach his heart out. He could not quite keep focused on the same thing for very long, but he still had the fire. It did him good to preach even to an audience of one. I have seen God give this calling, this fire to many and to varying degrees. They would all say woe is me if I don’t preach. I would say woe to any man who gets into preaching without some of this kind of God called, God enabled fire burning in his heart.
1COR 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
1COR 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
1COR 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
The Old Testament is not to be ignored. It has a very important role for Christians today. And we see part of that role is here.
Referring to the Old Testament in verse 6, the Bible says that they are our examples. We are to look at how they lusted after evil things, and see what happened to them because of it and learn from that.
There are many events in the Old Testament that are recorded for our example of what NOT to do. Several examples are then given in the next verses.
We are not to follow all of the rituals of the Old Testament. We are not to sacrifice lambs today. What that pictured has already been fulfilled so there is no longer any need to show the picture. Jesus the Lamb of God has already been sacrificed on the cross. The picture has been fulfilled.
We are not to follow the rituals of the Old Testament. There is no more need of priests like there was in the Old Testament. But we are to follow the examples of the Old Testament. You will find in the Old Testament examples of what to do and examples of what not to do.
The truths that they teach are timeless and we need to take heed to them and learn.
1COR 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Whenever you are tempted don’t think that you are alone. Whatever you are tempted with, others have also been tempted with. Temptation is common to man. We are all tempted, every one of us. It is to be expected.
After this is established the Bible says, “but God is faithful.” God knows that you are tempted. It is not a surprise to Him. He sees it every time and He is with you every time. And our faithful God, “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.” God does not want His child to fall to temptation. God does not want you to have to suffer the consequences of it. So He, “will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
If you fall to temptation, you cannot blame God for it. God did not fall down on the job. He is faithful and He did provide a way to escape. If you fall to temptation it is because you choose to.
Watch the words closely. It says will with the temptation. The way of escape is presented at the same time. To avoid falling to temptation you need to escape at the moment that the temptation comes. Joseph and that wicked woman is a great example. Joseph ran from her! And he did it immediately. He did not stay and linger around the temptation.
When we fall to temptation it is often because we lingered around the temptation. We did not take the way of escape that was offered when the temptation came. When temptation comes, and it will, RUN. Don’t look at it, don’t listen to it, run from it. God is faithful and He will provide a way of escape, but you must take it
1COR 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. The immediate context of this passage is talking about making the decision on whether to eat meat offered to idols and not giving offence to the Jews, Gentiles, or to the church of God. The question in your mind should be, is what I choose what God would have me to do in this situation. Is what I am doing going to cause others problems? Is it going to give someone cause to speak ill toward my Savior. These are the questions we need to ask ourselves. We are to consider the choices we make with this underlying principal. Is the choice that I am making giving glory to God?
This applies to every choice you make in life. The verse says, “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” That includes everything. How do you handle yourself on the job? Is everything you do to the glory of God? How about your choices in entertainment? Finances? Friend choices? Music? How you worship? The list would be endless. Everything we do should be done to the glory of God. This of course would necessarily mean that we would have to deny ourselves some things. Tell the flesh no. That is where the problem comes in. Understanding the principal stated in verse 31 is not hard. It is simple, it is just and right. God deserves all the glory, we should honor Him in all we do. It will make a difference, not only in our lives but in the lives of the lost. Understanding that is not hard. What most people have trouble with (to varying degrees) is denying their flesh and what it wants to do.
The other problem we have is being consistent. Some days we can do really well, others – not so much. What we need to succeed in this is a close walk with the Lord. Keep your eyes upon Jesus every day and you will do much better in giving Him the glory in all you do.
1COR 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
In this chapter we have some very important instructions concerning the Lord’s Supper.
First we see the timing. Notice that no definite time period is stated. It does NOT say every week, or every month. Instead the Bible says as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup.
This indicates that it is up to the local church as to how often they do it.
Secondly in this verse we see that the Lord’s Supper is symbolic. It says that when we do this we are showing the Lord’s death. It is a symbolic picture of the broken body of Jesus and His shed blood. The Lord’s Supper does not save. It is only a showing forth. It is symbolic.
Thirdly we see how long we are to keep the Lord’s Supper. The Bible says that we are to do it until Jesus comes back.
1COR 11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
In this verse we see that there is more than one ordinance because the word is plural. From other scripture we know that there are only two ordinances. They are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Paul is writing to this local church and instructs them to keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. The ordinances were given by God and were to be done a specific way.
They are both symbolic in nature. Neither one saves. Baptism is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. And the Lord’s Supper is a memorial ordinance of His broken body and His shed blood. If you change the ordinances, then you mess up what they picture.
This command to keep the ordinances in their original form was given to a local church. It is a church ordinance and it is the responsibility of the local church to keep the ordinances as they were delivered.
The church at Corinth was messing around with the Lord’s Supper and had perverted it. Paul deals with this in the later part of this chapter. And in verse 30 we see that many were made sick because of it. God was making a point of how serious He takes His ordinances.
1COR 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
Local churches need to take a stand on the ordinances and keep them as they were delivered.
1COR 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
God has instituted an authority structure. Christ is at the top, then the man, then the woman. I have seen women get mad about it, and I have seen men abuse it. Some men will go to this verse and then ignore many other verses on the relationship between a husband and wife for example Eph 5:25.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Love puts others first, it considers what is best for them over yourself. Properly obeying Eph 5:25 would prohibit you from abusing 1 Cor. 11:3. Also, if a man treats his wife like God wants him to, then she would not have a problem with verse 3. She would know that her husband truly loves her and wants what is best for her. If he has a great working sacrificing love for her, then it is natural for her to have a great respect for her husband. A proper two way relationship between the husband and the wife solves most problems before they ever start.
But when the man is wanting to go one direction on something and the wife wants to go another the conflict must be resolved somehow. The man can out of love in most cases give in to please the wife. However, when it is something that the man cannot go along with because it would dishonor God, then he needs to make a stand. At times like that God has given the authority to the man to make the decision. God has given him the responsibility to make the right choice. It should not be taken lightly. This authority should NEVER be abused. It is not a matter of who is better, it is not to lift the man up in pride. In fact the responsibility should humble him. The purpose is so that there is order in the home instead of chaos.
1COR 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1COR 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
In this chapter the local assembly (church) is likened to a body. A body is made up of many different individual parts but it is still one body.
1COR 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
Each part has a specific function. A eye can see, but an eye cannot hear. A ear can hear but it cannot smell, for that you need a different unique part, you would need a nose.
It is the same principal with Christians. Each Christian is placed into a local body by God for a reason. That unique Christian has a certain function to perform in that local Church. Just like every body part cannot be an eye, not everyone in the Church is to be the preacher.
God puts some in the Church to teach the children, some to sing, some to run a bus route, some to be a servant of widows (deacons), some to help with the building, some to be encouragers, some with great faith, some to be prayer warriors, some to be great givers, some to do odd jobs, and on and on the list goes.
God put you into your Church for a reason. If you are not active doing some function in your church, then you need to ask God what He would have you to do.
As a member of a local body of believers you do have some function that you are to be busy performing. If you are not doing your job, then the job does not get done, or it gets pushed to another overworked member.
Churches would get a lot more done for Christ if every member would find their function and get busy.
1COR 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Sadly to say there are many liberal preachers who deny the deity of Jesus. They might say that He was a good teacher, or a Jew of noteworthy importance. But they deny that Jesus is the Lord. What they believe is not of God. The Bible over and over testifies that Jesus is the Son of God; that He is God manifested in the flesh. Thomas even called Jesus God to His face and Jesus accepted it. The Bible is clear on the matter. So why do so many preachers deny it? The answer is in verse 3. “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”
You receive the Holy Ghost at salvation. He comes into your heart and the Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus. One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to be our teacher. He will open our eyes to the truth. A lost man does not have that. The scriptures are a closed book to them.
If you ever hear a preacher or teacher deny the deity of Jesus, then you know that you are dealing with someone who not only is teaching contrary to the Bible and the Holy Spirit, but they are not saved.
1COR 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
God does give a variety of gifts to His children. Verse one says diversities. And each Christian does not get the exact same gift or gifts. Some people get more than one. The giving of the gift is unique to the individual. It is God who gives the gifts and He knows best which ones to give to whom. No Christian should covet a gift that God in His wisdom did not give them.
1COR 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
1COR 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
There are many different gifts. And God would not have every Christian use them the same. Two preachers might have the same gifts but God would have one be a Pastor and the other an Evangelist. Men of God will also do things a little different. Take David Livingston and Billy Sunday. They were both greatly used but in their own unique way. Billy Sunday could not have opened up Africa and David Livingston could not have preached the sawdust trail.
1COR 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Here we see that all Christians are given some gift. The Spirit is given to every man. This happens at Salvation. The Bible is clear if you don’t have the Spirit, then you are not His. When someone tries to tell you that you need an experience to get the Spirit after salvation, they are teaching contrary to the Bible.
We also see the reason we are given spiritual gifts. “is given to every man to profit withal.”
The gifts are given to benefit others. They are not given to puff people up in pride. Some will put people down if they don’t have such and such a gift. This is very wicked. Those people are dripping with pride and God is not pleased. Gifts are to be a blessing and a profit to others. They are to be used for His honor and glory and not for self and not for a side show.
The modern Charismatic movement is way off in many areas. Every man is given the Spirit at salvation, Spiritual gifts are just that – gifts from God. You cannot do anything to earn them. God is Sovereign and He gives gifts as He sees fit. Not every person is to have the same gift. Gifts are given to be a profit to others and not to self.
These verses show that every Christian has been given a gift and it is to be used to help others. What is your gift? Are you using it to build others up?
1COR 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1COR 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1COR 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Verse 8 clearly says that tongues shall cease. Tongues was a temporary sign gift. Verse 10 tells us when the temporary sign gifts were done away with. They ended when that which is perfect is come. That is a reference to the Bible. The Temporary sign gifts only lasted until the Bible was finished.
Their purpose was to validate a preacher’s message. Once the Bible was finished the sign gifts were no longer needed to validate a preacher’s message. The perfect authoritative Word of God is all that is needed to validate what the preacher says.
So when the perfect Word of God was finished the sign gifts like tongues ceased.
Some argue that that which is perfect is not a reference to the Bible but is a reference to Jesus. There are several problems with this argument.
First Jesus was a male. Thus for the reference to be Jesus the Greek tense would have to be masculine, but it is NOT.
Second by reading the early church fathers it is clear that tongues had already ceased very early on. If the reference was to Jesus and not the Bible, then Jesus would have already come because tongues had already ceased. It is clearly evident that Jesus has not yet come back.
Greek grammar and early church history make it clear that the reference in verse 10 is the perfect Word of God and not Jesus. You can also see tongues diminish in the N.T. as the years progress. There is no mention of them at all in all of the last N.T. books that were written.
1COR 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1COR 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1COR 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1COR 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity is love, kindness, affection, tenderness, benevolence, and good will. It is “that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorable of their fellow men and to do them good.” Charity is not that superficial emotional feeling that most think of when they use the word love.
Charity is kind and does not envy another. Charity does not get puffed up with pride. Charity is not self-centered, and it does not seek its own. It is more interested in others and their needs than self. Charity is not easily provoked. Someone who is quick to the fight does not have charity. Charity is patient with the faults of others.
In verse 5 we see that charity thinketh no evil and in verse 7 we see that charity hopeth all things. This does not fit with gossip does it. You most likely have heard the story about how miss gossip saw the preacher’s car in front of the liquor store. She runs home as fast as she can and gets on the phone and calls everyone and tells an awful story about how the preacher is a boozer. The fact was that the preacher’s car simply broke down. He had nothing to do with the liquor store. She immediately thought evil. She had no charity. Charity will think the best until the worst is proven. It will hope that there is an explanation and will have patience. Charity is opposite of miss gossip in the story.
The tongues crowd totally ignores this chapter of the Bible. By the time Paul writes this chapter, much more of the New Testament has been written and thus the need for sign gifts was diminishing.
1COR 14:6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
Paul asks a rhetorical question, if I come speaking tongues what shall it profit you. The implied answer is that it will not profit you.
Paul says that he will not profit them unless he speaks by knowledge or prophesying (preaching) or by doctrine.
1COR 14:7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
1COR 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
If it is important that trumpets give a certain sound that is understood, how much more important our words in the Church?
1COR 14:9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
The implication here is that it will not be known what is spoken. You will be speaking to the air and not to the people because the people will not know what you are saying.
1COR 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
1COR 14:11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
Verse 11 is really good! Paul calls speaking in a language that someone else cannot understand is barbaric. It makes you seem like a barbarian to others.
1COR 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
In verse 22 we see that tongues are for a sign. And that they were not for a sign for saved people, but for lost people. (only for that time period).
1COR 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Paul makes his position on tongues clear in verse 19. He would rather speak 5 words with understanding that he might teach others than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
He would rather have 5 words that people could understand coming from his own voice than 10,000 words in tongues. 5 words over 10,000.
Speaking with understanding was 5 to 10,000 times more important to Paul.
1COR 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
The answer to the question is of course they will say you are mad (as in crazy).
1COR 14:24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
1COR 14:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
The sign gift of tongues was still in effect at the time of this letter. It stopped when the Bible was completed. But even before the gift stopped, Paul compares tongues with preaching. And preaching is greater. It is thru the preaching that the lost are saved. It is preaching that speaks to the heart. “And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest”
Rom 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
It is preaching that brings faith, it is preaching that instructs, it is preaching that God uses to work in the hearts of men. That is why like Paul we are to put a priority upon preaching. I like the way Paul put it so strongly in verse 19.
1COR 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Preaching needs to be kept at center stage in the church.
In chapter 14 there is a premium on prophesying. Which is speaking forth the Word of God. Verse 1 says but rather that ye may prophesy.
1Co 14:2 For he that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him
1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [to] edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
Those 3 are greatly needed. We need edification, we need exhortation, and we need comfort.
1Co 14:4 He that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
Verse 5 says, “but rather that ye prophesied: for greater [is] he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues”
Shouldn’t just the first 5 verses alone tell us there is something wrong with this modern day movement that over emphasizes what they call tongues – which is totally unrelated to Bible tongues.
Paul did not say, pursue tongues, but pursue charity. He did not say desire tongues, but desire spirituality. He did not say I’d rather you speak with tongues, but rather that they prophesy.
1Co 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual [gifts], seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Once again notice the theme, church edification! Read all of Paul’s epistles and you will never find a more church-oriented person. Why? The church is Christ’s body. Do all to edify and build up and help the church. It is Bible study and good Bible preaching that needs to be the focus. Today more than ever we need edifying in the churches instead of a sideshow.
In these verses is the Bible definition of the gospel. In verse one Paul says that he is going to declare what the gospel is, then in verses 3 and 4 we have the definition of the gospel.
1COR 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1COR 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1COR 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
The Bible definition of the gospel is the the death, burial and the resurrection of Christ.
That is it. Just those three. We are not to add to it or take away from it.
Some groups will try to add to it by saying that they have the full gospel. They will add something to the death burial and resurrection. But anything added to the death burial and the resurrection is no longer the Bible gospel but another gospel.
Still others will preach the death and the burial and stop there. But that is not preaching the gospel. To preach the gospel they must preach all three. They must also preach the resurrection.
We have an empty tomb. We have a risen savior. We have a Lord who is victorious over death, hell, and the grave.
Never leave the resurrection out! Amen and Amen.
1COR 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1COR 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1COR 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Our bodies are corruptible. They degrade with time. We end up getting arthritis, become hard of hearing, and get many other aliments with age. We are sinners living in a sin stained world and in the end sin brings forth death. Nothing can change this. They will never be able to stop the ageing process. But God can and He will. One day we will be changed. Our corruption will put on incorruption. Our mortality will put on immortality. We will be raised incorruptible. No more getting old, no more sickness, no more pain. All the saved will have new bodies.
But it will be more than just a new body. The old sin nature will also be put off. No more having to carry that wicked old man around anymore. No more having to battle the old sin nature. No more thoughts that you don’t want, no more falling to temptation, no more failing our Lord.
What a wonderful day it will be.
1COR 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1COR 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1COR 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
After Jesus was raised from the dead He was seen by many people. Verse 6 describes one instance where He was seen by more than 500 people at once. He was also seen by smaller groups. The apostles are mentioned. But there are others. The resurrection of Jesus is a fact. Jesus showed Himself time and again over a period of 40 days. People talked to Him and listened as He taught them. He had a real body. He told Thomas to touch Him. And in another place we see Jesus eating food with them after His resurrection. Jesus did not raise again and then quickly depart.
He stayed around a while and gave ample proof to the world of the truth of His resurrection. It was proof that God the Father had accepted the payment for sin that was made by God the Son. The wages of sin is death. If the payment was not enough Jesus would not have risen. But praise God He is risen and He stayed around and showed Himself because He wanted the world to know. The work had been completed. It was finished, and now He was risen.
That great truth needs to be shared with the world. Are you involved in that?
1COR 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
I want to mention several things that this verse teaches.
First – they were gathering on the first day of the week. That is Sunday not Saturday. They changed from going to the synagogue on Saturday to going to Church on Sunday after they got saved. That is because we worship a risen savior who rose from the dead on Sunday. We do not worship the law, we worship the Christ who came and fulfilled the law.
Second – they were to give to God’s work as God had prospered each individual. The Bible clearly teaches proportional giving. Everyone is not to give the same exact dollar amount. Those that God has given more to are expected by God to give more. Giving is to be proportional based on income. The more you make the more you should give. That is fair.
Third – They were to give so that there would be no gatherings of money when he got there. They were to give so that the needs would be met on time.
If all Christians would give to their Church according to God’s plan, then there would always be enough money for that Church to do the work that God has called it to do.
Proportional giving is God’s plan and it will always work. We just need to be obedient and put it into action. And do it out of a heart of love. God loves a cheerful giver.
1COR 16:9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
Paul says a great door was opened to him. God does open doors of opportunity. He does work in circumstances. Paul also says that this door was effectual. It was an opportunity to have a great effect. This door was a door that could bring great results.
And then Paul adds, “and there are many adversaries.” This is an example of the truth that with great opportunity comes great opposition. Don’t expect to go out and do something great for God without running into great opposition. The Devil does not like his kingdom spoiled and so there will be some things thrown your way. Some messes if you will. This brings to mind Proverbs 14:4
Pro 14:4 Where no oxen [are], the crib [is] clean: but much increase [is] by the strength of the ox.
Where work is being accomplished, there will be some messes to clean up. Some distasteful things to deal with. The proverb says that by the strength of the ox that increase comes. They were not going to be able to do near the amount of farming work without the ox. They needed the ox to get the work done. But with the ox also comes things to clean up. You cannot have the work of the ox without the mess. Without the ox the stall will be clean, but nothing will be accomplished either.
This proverb teaches a spiritual principle. The work of God is not going to be all roses. With the increase there is going to be things happen that are not pleasant. There is going to be opposition. So just expect it. And know that the results in the end will be well worth it.
1COR 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Watch ye. They needed to do it then and we need to do it now. Watch for what? A great many things. Watch for the Lord’s return. One of the things that this does is keep you living right. If you expect Jesus to come at any time, then you will not be doing anything that would not please Him. We also need to be watching for false teachings and error so we can keep them from creeping in.
Stand fast in the faith. They needed to do it then and we need to do it now. Don’t compromise the Bible. Don’t change it, don’t adjust it, don’t correct what God said. Don’t treat it flippantly and make it say something that it does not say. Stand fast in the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Don’t go joining with people who believe in a works salvation or in a health and wealth false gospel or any other of the thousands of heresies out there. A Christian needs to be a Christian and take a stand for the truth. Don’t compromise.
quit you like men, be strong. O’ where is the manhood today? Where are the men who will stand. Be strong in your local church. Don’t let the worldly compromise in. Don’t let the rock-n-roll in. Don’t let sin and fornication stand in the church. We greatly need men to be men in the home. You cannot have strong churches or a strong society without strong homes. This is why there is such an attack on the home today. Those that attack do not want a strong moral society.
We need to be strong. Persecution is gaining steam in America. I believe that it is only beginning. This year alone Christians have been arrested on a public street for quietly passing out scripture, a man was kicked out of the North Carolina Legislature for praying in Jesus’ name. There are more lawsuits against expressions of Christianity every day. Our Constitutional rights are under attack and the intolerant attackers are getting more bold every day. The Muslims are out for world domination and they are moving into America taking over entire towns. History has proven time and again that they will be meek until they have enough numbers and then watch out! You need to learn to be strong now. Make your decision now. Are you going to be strong and stand for Christ?
What a powerful verse. 1COR 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Amen and Amen.