Author: ianfrancoisdt

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.

“It is good for you to be amazed, to be overawed that the Creator of the whole universe – the One who created all the galaxies should allow you to stand here in his presence. But I not only allow you, I invite you and I invite you not as one who is just an object that I created – but I invite you as a friend, I invite you into fellowship – to sit at my table as it were with Me and enjoy my friendship. I invite you as a son, a brother, a friend – my purpose is growing that friendship – so yes, stand amazed and overawed – but let that be the starting point, the underlying basis of our friendship – but let it grow from there into a full blown friendship where you can share everything with me.”

Continuing now in 2 Corinthians 7, Paul maintains his affirmation of love and concern towards them He reminds them of the delegation of Titus to them and affirms his delight at the result. Not only did the news of their reception comfort him, he is delighted that Titus had in fact, comforted them. We are taken back again to the beginning of the letter where Paul emphasized the concept of “comfort”, against the background of God being the Supreme Comforter and how we should all take a cue from that using the comfort we have received during difficult times as a basis to comfort others.

But now we come to a crucial paragraph in the whole letter from vs 8. Underlying Paul’s previous letter, which he describes as severe and which he is sort of expressing regret (I think with tongue in the cheek) that he had to send it, we have this magnificent exposition of what true repentance is. That is the repentance that Paul was seeking in them and perceived that they had shown it.

Can you see the emphasis in this section? Paul starts with the fact that repentance starts with “sorrow” vs 9. However he makes a strong point about this sorrow. You see there are two types of sorrow people experience when they are confronted with their sin. Can you see them? Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow..

I can remember sitting on the beach at Pringle Bay where I had gone to confront a brother who was involved in adultery. As I spoke to him he wept copiously, threw himself on the ground and declared his sorrow. However, as it turned out, his behaviour never changed. The sorrow he was expressing was “worldly sorrow”. In some way, I suppose he was sorry that he had been exposed and would be unable to continue as before.

True, godly sorrow comes when one realizes the full extent that your behaviour has offended God, not other people. We see that in Psalm 51:4 where David, although his sin had causes huge pain to others, is more concerned about the pain that it caused God. “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done evil in your sight”.

Paul compares the two types of sorrow in their final effect. Godley sorrow leads to salvation and leaves no regret, whereas worldly sorrow brings death. I take it he is speaking here about eternal death.. Look how he shows that their sorrow was indeed godly sorrow. vs 11,12. Godly sorrow, followed by true repentance always leads to a change in behaviour, even if it is slow sometimes.

Paul has turned the purpose of his writing to a different perspective at the end of this chapter. He expresses his satisfaction that having encouraged them at the same time they had in turn encouraged Paul and Titus. How this correspondence had, in fact improved their relationship with each other. He ends the chapter with a final word of encouragement in vs 16 “I’m glad I can have complete confidence in you”.

So what did I learn and hear Jesus say from this chapter? Well, firstly I was reminded of the pivotal role repentance plays in the practice of our relationship with the Lord. Without writing an essay on it, I would say that the important feature’s of repentance are – firstly a recognition of the the enormous gulf sin causes between us and God. To remember the pain we cause Him when we sin. Then a genuine regret that comes with that as well as realizing that in Jesus lies complete forgiveness and the power to change future behaviour. This is integral to how we conduct our relationship with the Lord. It should be like breathing.

I find it abhorrent when fellow Christians walk around with long faces bemoaning their sinful state. We live a life of victory in Jesus and the remedy for our sin is at hand. We should recognize it and deal with it in the manner which God has prescribed. Then we can experience the full joy of our relationship with the Father.

It has also struck me how hard Paul has worked at winning the Corinthian church back to him and to he Lord of course. That is surely an example we need to take to heart.

Well. bless you on this cold wintery evening and share any other insights you may have had from this chapter with us on the blog comments.

I have been thinking of “The Song Of Solomon”.

“ The song of Solomon has been placed in the center of My word as a reminder of the kind of relationship I would have with you and all those who have responded to Me. It is a reminder that I, like the bridegroom, have been wooing you into a love relationship with Me. I have taken the initiative. I have approached you and revealed My heart do you. My attitude has been to woo you into discovering the fullness of life which can only be found in Me. My word is my love letter do you – so remember it is not like a thorn branch full of prickles to make you feel uncomfortable. It is a revelation of Myself and demonstrating My desire to have a relationship with you. And as you respond My love letter will reveal My heart to you so that you may understand how you should do that so that our relationship will be perfect. So come close to me my loved one and all that of those who read this and receive my love”.

We have reached ch 7 of 2 Corinthians. In the first part, vv 3-10 Paul opens up again about the personal hardships, suffering and pain he has gone through. Why is he laying it on so thick here again?

It seems the answer is in vv 11-13. It appears that a number in the Corinthian church have built up a sort of animosity towards Paul. Probably partly due to the tone of his earlier communication with them and partly due to the actions of at least one person who has made it a task to alienate the Corinthians from Paul. Its as if Paul is using the maximum emotional pressure on these people, to get them to respond to the message he has for them. They first need to “open wide their hearts”, before they will be in a position to HEAR what Paul is wanting to say to them.

These vv are a remarkable revelation, once again of the sort of life Paul had been living for the gospel. As I considered these revelations, I found myself, on the one hand being grateful that the Lord has not called me to that sort of life and at the same time wondering if I would still be able to be as positive as Paul was after it all if I had been faced with these sorts of hardships. It helped also to put into perspective any hardships I might feel that I have experienced.

At the same time I am reminded of the many fellow believers who have been martyred over the years. Recently in a documentary on the bible that I saw, it revealed that over 50 million people had been brutally tortured and put to death by the Spanish Inquisition over a question of 4-600 years. It was a stark reminder to me of how important God’s word is and our faith, that all these people were prepared to die an excruciating death rather than recant. It made me appreciate God’s word so much more as well as the immense privilege I have to be part of His kingdom.

Now Paul, having drawn the attention of the Corinthians and hopefully persuaded them to “open their hearts”, addresses the next concern He has. Their purity. Now it is important to see that this section comes after he has spoken about the gospel, in the previous chapters. The order is most important. We cannot purify ourselves before our hearts have been changed by the gospel. In fact, once we are born again we are judicially regarded as being pure. However our status is not necessarily matched by our behaviour. Here in Corinth there were some pretty questionable practices going on, especially in the temples.

It would appear that the things that were happening were carried on by “unbelievers”. Some who had not accepted Jesus as their Saviour. What appears to have been happening is that some of the believers felt that they were now judicially pure and therefore free to participate. They were being led and influenced by the unbelievers.

Paul wants them to sit up and listen. There is no place for tasting these fruits. There is only one way for a true Christian and that is to walk the road of purity with the Holy Spirit. He really expresses this in he strongest of terms, which should remind us too that we should be careful of feeling immune to the devil’s temptation and share in things that are borderline. Many Christians have come to grief because of not realizing how important purity is in God’s kingdom. There can be no place for dabbling in something, even if it is only in the shallow water of questionable disobedience.

This is also a warning to be careful who your close friends are. It does not mean you must not be friendly with non-Christians, but a really close “bestie” type of friendship can perhaps override your standards if the other person has a strong personality. I have seen that happen on more than one occasion. Of course this passage is often used as a warning to those who are planning to get married. It is applicable, but not the main thrust of Paul’s teaching.

In closing we can look back at Paul’s life and see to what extent he was prepared to go to remain “pure”, as it were. Let us never think this subject can be buried under the banner of God’s grace. Remember the warning in Hebrews 12:14; “without holiness no one will see the Lord”. Holiness is not a deprivation, it is a joy. So have a lovely holy week each of you.

I have been singing, “it was finished upon that cross”.

“Do you fully understand and appreciate the full extent of what those words convey? Of that moment in time when everything changed? Up till then the whole of creation, the whole of history was building up with bated breath and as I called out those words the dam broke and my healing power, my forgiveness, my grace flooded the world in a new way and from then onwards everything was changed, made new. But, although Satan was defeated at that moment he still prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The battle is intense – look around you and you can see all the debris of the battle in the broken lives, the pain and the suffering. Do not ever underestimate the intensity of that battle – yes I am the victor, in Me you are safe. So be alert, hide yourself in me as a shield against the fiery darts and go out in that confidence, the confidence of My victory.”

As we move now into Chapter 5 of 2 Corinthians, we follow Paul’s discussion on the contrast between our present frailty and the beautiful permanence of the gospel. He reminds us, as if we need to be reminded of the sighing and groaning in our lives in this world. He uses the picture of a tent for our bodies, to emphasize the temporary nature of our life here on earth. We need to remember that this life is only temporary and we are reminded that we were sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment we were born-again to guarantee a life which is still to come, a life of real permanence.

In the meantime Paul also reminds us that, in this life we live by faith (v 7) and our aim should be to live a life which is pleasing to God. And we will all appear before the throne of grace eventually – not to be judged, Jesus has taken God’s judgement on Himself, but for the things that are due to us (v10).

I have pondered a lot on this passage, as to what Jesus is actually saying to me. I have been experiencing a number of physical challenges in the last months and have often found myself so wrapped up in my immediate feelings and emotions that I have seemed to have put my relationship with Jesus on the back burner. It is what I feel at the moment which fills my mind. Yet what Paul is saying is that everyone is living a temporary life here on earth, the sighing and groaning are common to all. I need to step past that, remind myself of the bigger picture and live by faith in a way that pleases God, from moment to moment. I can only do this with the power of His Spirit to help me.

Paul then goes on to describe his actual ministry, in this case to the Corinthians, but I dare say it has been his ministry from the beginning. Similarly it is every one of us’ ministry. Maybe for some in only a small way and for others a full-time career.

He gathers it all together with the description of the ministry being one of reconciliation. vv 18 ff. Notice though, it is a ministry in which God is doing the reconciling “through Christ“. He is reconciling the whole world to himself. The role of the minister? the role of each of us? Is to be an ambassador, appealing to the lost on Christ’s behalf.

Paul launches this section with two reasons why he is constrained to do this work. v11 “Since, then we know what it is to fear the Lord”. And in vs 14 “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all , and therefore all died.”

Do you know what it really means to “fear the Lord?” And are you constrained by Christ’s love to follow Him as He asks, being an ambassador for Him?

In this section is also the kernel of the gospel again, so well put and worth taking in. vs 14b “One died for all and therefore all died. (15)And He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” vs 17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” vs 21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”. vs 19 “God was reconciling the world to Himself , in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them”.

Then finally the appeal to respond in Ch 6. We all would like to call out to some of our loved ones “Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation”. It is urgent but it is God who saves, as much as we may call out to the lost. Seeing that it is God who saves our all should equally be to Him to save.

So bless you all for another week.

In my mind’s eye I surrender all I have to the Lord this morning. I give him back everything he has given me to live my life with. I surrender that back to him and I have a picture of myself kneeling naked before His cross.

“I hear you and receive all you have surrendered to Me. Stand up – I have taken you and clothed you with my cloak of holiness, of praise and of righteousness. You have received a new life – not the old life patched and repaired – a new life completely fresh in my holiness and in my loving presence. You are a new person – not a reconstructed figure from the past. I have created you for this experience to be part of My holy family, so cast off all your doubts, your cares and your insecurities and remind yourself of My love which surrounds you. And in all this, I will give you all you need to live in righteousness and godliness, but most of all I will give you Myself and my love. Let that thought govern your whole life “

As we turn now again to 2 Corinthians, let us start today by reminding ourselves of the melodic line which runs through this letter: “Paul’s suffering is the revelatory vehicle through which the knowledge of God – manifest in the cross of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. His suffering, the embodiment of Christ’s crucifixion – is the very instrument that God uses to display His resurrection power. He does this in two ways: – either rescue when it is all too much to bear – or strengthening in the midst of adversity, so that God will be glorified”.

It helps to keep this in mind as we seek to unravel all Paul’s twists and turns in His arguments and speeches.

As we come now to Ch 4 we can pick up another bracket in the text which should help us follow the main thought. The phrase is: “Therefore we do not lose heart”. vv 1 and 16. As Paul continues to defend His ministry in the light of the accusations that he could not be a true apostle because of his weakness and all the trouble he has been through.

Paul’s defence is quite clear: “But we have this treasure (ie the blessing of the gospel) in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us”. vs 7 God’s power becomes blindingly obvious when we are weak and our obstacles appear insurmountable. His intervention, in whatever way, is much clearer under those circumstances.

Friends, this is a principle which is just as true today as it was then. When we are “self-sufficient” and think we have everything under control, God is unable to demonstrate His supernatural power. I, myself love to have things under control, it gives me a sense of security. However God is in the business of showing me how much I actually need Him, in every part of my life. So He knocks my feet, my security out of under me, to show how false that is. Sometimes those lessons are really painful.

Now as we read this chapter we have two things contrasted. Paul’s weakness and all his troubles, on the one hand and the brilliant blessing of the perfect gospel on the other. The two should not be confused. In the middle we have a key statement which we should not miss (v13). It is Paul’s faith which gives him the right to speak with absolute confidence of the amazing work of Jesus on the cross and being raised from the dead.

Paul will not allow the Corinthians to disparage the gospel because of all the troubles he has had and his apparent weakness. Therefore (vs 16) he is determined not to lose heart but to continue his ministry to them even though there are those who oppose him.

His summary at the close of the chapter (4:16-18), is perhaps the most revealing as to how he is feeling. This sentiment, I am sure resonates among all of our readers. We are all conscious of the wasting away of age and infirmity, but the clarion call is that we should not be measured and we should not measure ourselves by that. The reality is, if you are walking with Christ, that the inward spiritual, real you is being strengthened every day and will be that part of us which will one day experience the full joy of being in the presence of God Himself and the Lamb that was slain.

So I call on you all to heed 4 :19; “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen eternal” and not lose heart, no matter how difficult things may seem or become.

God bless till next week.

“ You have been singing, ‘On that day you will see Him’. On that day as the curtain is drawn aside – you’ll see and understand the fulness of My grace – My Grace has been surrounding you and protecting you and even as you have said, ‘Your grace is sufficient for me’ – you have never really plumbed the full depth of what that means. But on that day it will all be revealed to you and even as all your cares and worries are shed the best part of all is that My Grace will be replaced by the fullness of My Presence – that is a promise from Me which you even now cannot fully appreciate – but relax now and receive My peace and grace and enjoy every moment I give you here in preparation of that great day.”

As we go on now into this letter to the Corinthians, in Ch 2 from vs 12, (till 3:18), we see Paul continuing the defence of his ministry, in the face of severe criticism and suggestions that he was not an authentic Apostle. After some personal notes as to his travel plans, he makes the first point. We see that in vs 17 where he reminds them that he did not come to them trying to make money out of preaching the gospel. This sort of gives one a picture of what was happening at the time when there were no written scriptures available yet. Nothing’s changed as we look at the world around us today, with many trying to and succeeding, may I say to get rich from peddling the gospel.

He goes on to mention letters of recommendation. It seems that some of the travelling teachers carried letters of recommendation to authenticate their ministry, which was probably very helpful in the face of the many false teachers around. However Paul makes the point that he did not need any letter, because the people who he had ministered to were his letter. Obviously he is speaking about the real change that happens when people are genuinely converted to Christianity.

Buried in there (2: 15 ff) is the classic statement about the aroma of Christ, which I am sure you have all experienced and seen from time to time. It is a very apt description of the two ways that people respond to the gospel and the eventual outcome which follows each decision.

In 3:4 Paul once again affirms the important point that his appointment is from God and that leads him to describing his message in terms of the New Covenant as compared to the Old. There were probably quite a number of converted Jews in the congregations and Paul wants to make clear how the New Covenant is a major advance over the Old. Why don’t you read through3:6 – 3:18 and see what the three points are that Paul is making in comparing the two.

1. Vs 7. The law, as glorious as it was, set the standard, but was unable to provide the power necessary to obey it, which the Spirit who is even more glorious does (vs 8).
2. The law had an honourable purpose, but it was only temporary. Paul uses the example of the fading glory on Moses face (v 11).
3. The law betokened a barrier between God and the people of Israel – both in Moses’ day as then and even today. The barrier, which is likened to the veil over Moses’ face, hides the truth and only Christ can remove that barrier. This is the work of the Spirit and is responsible for the glorious transformation that the message of the New Covenant brought then and right up to today.

This brings us right back to the beginning of our passage today. The authentic gospel always brings a dramatic change to those who embrace it and the measure of a church’s effectiveness is the many lives that are changed through its ministry.

So what has Jesus’ being saying to me this week? Firstly the reminder of the power of the gospel is so relevant and makes me excited as a minister of that very glorious gospel, which I feel God has appointed me to do even if only in a modest way.

Secondly it is also a reminder, if we need one, of the many who turn their backs on the gospel message, to whom it is the aroma of death. Knowing this as a fact means I should never take a negative reaction personally, as long as I have been careful to respect the person I am speaking to.

I suppose there is much else, but finally there is a reminder, and I’m sure this is for all of us, in 4:18. It is a timely reminder that God is busy with each one of us busy transforming us into His likeness, through His Spirit. Written between the lines is the reality of this whole letter that that transformation often happens through greater or lesser suffering and difficulty.

So keep walking with the Spirit this week friends and be ready to give an answer for the hope you have, which is demonstrated by your changed life. Even and often in the face of suffering.

“God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He’s so good to me.” I imbibe this little song and what it means to me and countless others.

“Yes, My goodness overrides everything in this world and this universe. What you see when you look around you is chaos, fear, violence, hate, a world scurrying around – yet behind all this is a huge solid framework – the framework of My goodness. Everywhere My goodness is manifesting, sometimes there to see, sometimes hidden. The pinnacle of My goodness was My death on the cross which has suffused every situation in the whole world. Which has especially suffuse the suffering and chaos you see. Settling into a solid framework of my goodness which upholds My whole creation. So, yes, appreciate My goodness not only in general but towards you personally and towards every person who reads this blog”.

Picking up now in Corinthians where we left off last week, where we had started looking at the prologue to the letter, we find that we are reading a unique piece of literature. Everywhere else Paul speaks with such authority and clarity. He often speaks of difficulties he has had to face, but he always appears to have been able to deal with them decisively and without really seeming to become too emotionally involved. Here we have a deeper insight into Paul and his feelings. We see a man who is wracked with regret that he may have offended some. We see a man who has been trying to organize his life in such a way as best to deal with a situation which he is perceiving as extremely difficult.

Read from 1:12 to 2:11 and see if you can follow the gist of what he is saying. I found I had to read it several times to get an idea of his presentation as it seemed sometimes to be a bit confusing.

In 12 – 14 he defends his conduct and his correspondence with them, trusting that the Lord will help them to understand in due time.

Then from 12 – 22 he speaks about the plans he has had and has had to change , because of circumstances.. This seems to have been a sore point to the Corinthian church. We don’t know what they had said to him but it seems that they were saying that if he could change his plans so easily then his message is probably equally unreliable. This is an important point for Paul, because the gospel message’s integrity must be kept at all costs. So we find him writing the well-known words in vs 20, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the amen is spoken to us to the glory of God”. Then he goes on to reaffirm how sure our position ‘In Christ” is, repeating the reassuring words from Ephesians 1:13 that we are “sealed by the Holy Spirit” as a sign of His total ownership of ourselves.

These are most reassuring words to the Corinthians and to us today. The message is evident. “Don’t rely completely on anyone. We are all fallible human beings. The only one that we should rely on completely is Jesus Himself. His answer is always yes and Amen. He is totally dependable under all circumstances, even when we may not see it so easily..

He then explains why he had not come to them earlier. It had to do with his previous interaction with them. He had, of course, written 1 Corinthians, which was quite a severe letter. The it seems he had visited them and there he was confronted with the fact that they were quite upset with him. Here he tells of his feelings towards them and how he would like to correct the bad taste he had left.

(2: 5-11) Prominently there appears a figure who seems to have been behind much of the rejection and bad feelings towards Paul in the Church. Here he shares how glad he is that the church had dealt with this person and disciplined him. He now pleads that they should forgive him, even as he, Paul has forgiven him.

This whole section shows the complexity of Paul’s relationship with this church an how he had invested much emotion in this relationship with them. It is a remarkable insight into Paul, the person.

So what has Jesus been saying to me from this passage.? Well firstly my conduct before and with anyone can have a definite effect on whether they will believe my message. This is easy, perhaps when you are ‘on show’ as it were, but it is in the unguarded moments that people often assess my character. So my actions and behaviour, my words and manner should always be, as much us possible under the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit.

Secondly; while a person does not want to become too emotionally involved, it is important to remember that the word “compassion” means you have passion or are feeling with the person you are speaking to. It is easy to sense when when people are not really listening to you when you speak to them. So also they can sense when your mind is elsewhere when they are sharing some deeper feelings. This takes practice and the help of the Holy Spirit as well.

Finally we have here the case of the one person who opposes you. I have experienced this in several situations and it is extremely unsettling. However, on looking back I see how the Lord has used these people to help me to grow in my ability to relate and to forgive.

Have a good week all of you and remember, “God IS so Good to you and to me”.

I’ll never know how much it cost for you, my Lord, to take my sins to the cross.“You Will never be able to stand in My shoes, those of the Creator of everything and to take the sins, yours and countless others, upon Myself on the cross. It is not possible for you to be able to fully comprehend that amazing and magnificent act. Yet you can and are reaping the benefits. The cross is the sign and promise of My love, My complete commitment to My creation and you as well as billions of others benefit from it. Even as you look at the lifeless body on the cross, it should bring waves of appreciation and love to you. So just received that, even though you find difficulty in comprehending what this all has cost Me. Just continue to draw near to Me, at My invitation. I in turn will draw near to you as more and more that separated us is dealt with. You will also never really appreciate My comfort for you unless you perceive your life with all its difficulties without my comfort. So, take this love and comfort and share it with as many as I bring to you.”

As we start with this second letter to the Corinthians, just a few words to give it some context and background. It is actually the 4th letter, since two have been lost. The tone is completely different to the first. In many ways it is the most personal letter that we have of Paul. He spends much of the letter defending himself and his apostolic ministry and explaining it. The church, now meeting in many homes (house-churches) has many followers of Paul and his ministry. However, there is a faction who are still rejecting him and therefore also his message. Try and imagine all these groups without a central pastor or teacher, how different their ideas could become, without the New Testament scriptures to guide them. They were hugely vulnerable to false teachers.

The prevailing religious attitude (both Christian, as well as the religion of some 35 other deieties) was that any religion which had power and was worth anything, would result in prosperity, a happy life and health. Much like our prosperity gospel teachers today. Against this background, Paul, persecuted, ill, having faced innumerable difficulties, was being portrayed as a false apostle because he seemed to have no power. And because they were rejecting him, they were also rejecting his message. This explains much of the melodic line of this letter.

Today we will just look at the opening 11 vv. The opening praise paragraph, from v 3 -7, bears much scrutiny. It sets the tone of the whole letter and indeed of much of Paul’s ministry as a result of the trials he experienced. The word “comfort” is used 9 times. The Greek word ‘parakaleo’ is very close to the name that Jesus gave the Holy Spirit in John’s gospel, ‘Paraclete’ (John 14:16,6). So, do you see the message of Paul to the Corinthians and to us today? Jesus promised that He would be with the disciples (John 16:33) and while He has overcome the world, we will still experience tribulation while we are here.

Against that background we see Paul, as an example of one who experienced huge tribulation. So, Paul wants to put this in perspective. The perspective of Christ’s sufferings on the one hand and his and ours on the other. What he is saying is that all this suffering has a purpose. They are not just random happenings. It God’s way of growing our faith (1:9,10; 12:10). It also provides us with the opportunity of ministering to each other, in the light of the experience we have gained from our own sufferings.

I smiled on Friday as God demonstrated this principle to me in a practical way. My daughter Leslie, who comes to lunch with me every Friday, is overseas visiting her two sons in Europe. Out of the blue a good friend of hers and erstwhile disciple group leader, Laura Alderman contacted me and told me she was standing in for Leslie and wanted to have lunch with me. A practical demonstration of God’s care, which I could share with her as I shared this passage, while she was telling me how she has now retired and wants to spend time doing caring.

The other side of this that, as Paul points out how, faced with the “sentence of death”, his suffering was so great (1:8ff), he was able to recognize that this intense suffering had the purpose of teaching him to rely on God rather than himself. He picks this theme up later again.

Then finally we see the important role of intercessory prayer in this whole matter of suffering. (1:11) I am afraid this is an area that I need to take far more seriously.

So, this introduction gives us three glimpses into the multifaceted subject of suffering. Paul will build on these as we read further, but in the meantime, we can ruminate on these three important lessons that Jesus is teaching us here.

Suffering, I suppose, remains the great enigma of Christianity, and while we can learn, from God’s word and by personal experience, there always remains a mystical element which we may struggle to come to grips with. Next week we will see the accusations that the people were making against Paul about his lack of decisiveness. See you then.

“The darling of heaven, high and exalted – who came to die for you, what an enigma – yet this is the One who you worship – you have trouble finding the words to describe how you see Me – in pictures and in My word. But, the reality is that I am here with you in this room, through My work on the cross. You have this privilege as billions of brothers and sisters also have, to be able to experience My presence right there with you. It is not because you are better, it is because I have chosen you before time began as I have many others. So, make the most of this time, make the most of this relationship – enjoy Me and My presence fully – that is my will for you today.”

So, we come to the end of 1 Corinthians, this week. Ch 16 appears to be almost an anti-climax after the soaring description of the gospel in ch 15, ending with the emphasis on the resurrection. As you can see ch 16 deals with a few personal issues, as Paul closes the letter.

The first paragraph of ch 16 has some very insightful teaching about giving, which is worth considering carefully. But today I want to ask you to think back over the whole letter and pick up what the main line of teaching is, again. It is easy to get lost in the detail and forget Paul’s main message, which is very important. So why don’t you just spend a bit of time thinking through what Paul was focusing on. Write it down and then I will share what I have picked up.

Firstly, try and visualise the situation of the church in Corinth at that time. Corinth was a totally pagan city, with widespread worship of various deieties, especially Apollo. This overshadowed the whole of society and the social scene. Most of the social activity took place in the temple of Apollo. This involved feasting and orgies and sexual interaction with temple prostitutes, among others. In this millieu, a number of people were saved as a result of Paul’s preaching. It seems some tended to revert back to their old social (mis)behaviour, while others distanced themselves from these activities totally.

Now as Paul writes his letter, he is responding to reports (there is a lost letter) he has received of this lack of good Christian behaviour. One commentator describes Paul’s letter as highlighting a number of issues and “scolding” the members for their misbehaviour. We can pick up that there were great divisions in the church, caused by pride, especially in the gifts that some had received. There were also cliques as different groups followed different leaders and their teaching. This was so bad that there were even court cases between members of the church. Then there were the sexual and marriage issues.

Now I want to suggest the key vs to Paul’s approach is 12:13. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink”. He later expands this reminder with a description of the central gospel message, which had given rise to that baptism and on which their faith is built. 1 Cor 15:1-4.

You see, true Christian behaviour does not stem from trying harder to follow the law, it is a response to the gospel message of Jesus. It is living in the freedom of the Spirit to follow the law. (Galatians 5). So, in the center of the letter Paul focuses on the communion service, which should be a demonstration and reminder of the central belief of the members, drawing them closer into a sense of oneness and communion resulting from this One Spirit and One body. (Cf Ephesians 4:1-13).

After a discussion using the concept of the body’s functioning as a coordinated unit, he follows with the well-known message of love in ch 13. Who would continue to bicker and fight if they took these things seriously into consideration?

On reflection, it has been insightful to me to see how Paul faces up to the wrong behaviour, but drills down to the central teaching of Christianity. The gospel message. Looking around me I am supremely conscious of the many failures in Christian churches, yet I am not surprized as I hear the teaching which is being given in many places, where every other issue is raised except the central gospel of Jesus. (King Charles is, for instance agitating for an ‘interfaith’ service at his coronation)

That goes for personal counselling as well. The answer to brothers and sisters who are struggling with sin issues as well as discouragement and loss of hope, is , yes, the gospel. Change of behaviour does not come from scolding, chevvying one on etc, it comes from understanding the gospel better and responding to that.

I trust that you can see this letter then, in its entirety and that it will encourage you again in your Christian walk in the future. From next week I am going to go on to the second letter to the Corinthians and see what Jesus has to say to me from that. Please join me.

“IT IS FINISHED !” Is the cry that rings out over history. That cry which introduced a new era. An era where the battle has been won – the vast forces arrayed against each other – the foe vanquished. The cry that heralded the coming of God’s kingdom on Earth. The battle has been won – death has no sting anymore, sin is conquered, the foe vanquished. Yet so many saints have not embraced that victory and are still living under the bondage of sin, Satan and the law. Make this Easter a time when you step into the light of that great cry: “It is finished”, “Tetelestai”, ” It has been accomplished”, and join the throng as you all go marching to victory. Banish Satan‘s lies from your thinking. Allow Me to release you from all the chains that are holding you and all the precious souls who read this blog. Join Me in the cry: “It is finished”, as you break the rope on the finish line”.

Last week we saw how Paul placed the gospel on the forefront of this chapter (1 Corinthians 15) as being of first importance. As He discusses the gospel message in the rest of the chapter, we see his emphasis on the meaning and importance of Jesus’ resurrection as an integral part of the gospel. His arguments are sometimes a bit convoluted and hard to follow. We must understand that, primarily he is answering questions and problems from the church in Corinth. We have to sort of guess what some of those problems were, but as we do so we will get more clarity on Paul’s discussion. I am just going to lift out some salient points, which will allow Jesus to speak into your heart about this most important subject, especially now at Easter.

Firstly, there seem to have been many in the church who questioned whether the resurrection had really happened. Paul addresses that right at the beginning, by presenting the facts that are known concerning this event, vv 5-7. These are irrefutable facts, which could have been checked out by the contemporary readers. They are also the facts which we base our immoveable faith in Jesus and His resurrection on. It is not a philosophy or an ideal. It a real happening, which was well documented for their and our benefit.

In the next paragraph, vv 12 – 19 Paul raises 7 “ifs”. If Christ was not raised these ifs would come into play, ending with the resounding if in vs 19: “If only for this life we have hope, we are to be pitied more than all men”. Thus, the doctrine and belief in Jesus’ resurrection is integral to our faith, otherwise our faith would be a waste of time.

Then Paul starts to explain the significance of this doctrine in the next paragraph, vv 20 – 28 (the paragraph 29-31 is enigmatic.) He rounds his discussion of the importance of understanding the meaning of this doctrine as he sums it up in vv 54 – 57. The greatest enemy of every human is death and Jesus’ resurrection has taken the sting out of the fear of that event.

From vv 35 – 54 Paul addresses the nature of the resurrection. He is obviously dealing here with the fears and objections the Corinthians were having at the thought of old, mouldy bodies getting up out of their graves and mooching around. It is an insightful section which gives us a glimpse of what the resurrection of each individual is going to be like, but is not central to the whole of Paul’s argument.

Finally, we need to see that Paul is concerned that this doctrine should not be an esoterical discussion, but should have an effect on our everyday lives, as Christians. see vv 34 and his final v 58. I presume when he says the readers should stop sinning in v 34, he is addressing the fact that they were spreading doubts about the truth of the resurrection. It is a thought that spreading a false doctrine is actually a form of sinning.

But he brings us down to earth again in v 58, where he reminds the reader of our responsibility, “ to stand firm and give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord.” Friends this important doctrine should affect each one of our lives, it is never OK to give it a passing nod. That is perhaps why the Easter celebrations are so important. So that we are reminded of the importance of this event in the overall explanation of the gospel.

May each one of you have a blessed weekend and feel even more close to our loving Lord after that. God bless.

I sit at Jesus feet and listen. Did his voice have a deep timbre, a resonance? His eyes – they seem to be focused right on me and my heart.

“The entire history is focused on the events you have been reading about and will remember next weekend. All of creation waited with bated breath for that moment. The explosion happened on the Sunday. The one happening which gave everything else significance. The whole aim of my coming was salvation – the rescue of a dying world. But the act of rescue on the cross would have been meaningless without my resurrection. My resurrection placed the seal on the work I had done on the cross, to open heaven’s door so the new kingdom could be launched – the kingdom which you now all are part of. That is the visible sign of the greatest act ever– It is your guarantee and that of everyone who reads this blog with trust – allow it to transform you this Easter.”

Now to 1 Corinthians 15. In Roman’s and in Colossians, for instance, Paul launched his message with a focus on the gospel. What it’s message is and the power which is released through the preaching of that message. Here in this Corinthian letter, he gather’s these thoughts together here at the end. So, as we read the first 11 vv of this chapter we see his statement firstly in v1, “I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand”, bracketing the passage at the end in vs 11 with, “this is what we preach, and this is what you believed”. The real, full gospel lies then between these two statements.

Now notice the importance of this positioning. Against the background of all the mal-practices of the Corinthians, Paul wants to emphasize the importance of the gospel and draw it into the center of His reply to them. He wants to draw them back to the most important reality of their faith. Notice his emphasis on “which you have received and on which you have taken your stand” and “this is what you believed”.

Can you see the significance of what I am saying? You see the central tenet of Christianity is the gospel. In Paul’s words in Roman’s it is the “power of God for salvation of everyone who believes…” It is the main message of Christianity which holds everything else together. So, when there are things happening in the church which are wrong and questionable, it invariably starts with the people losing sight of this important fact.

Now let us look at what he says about the gospel. Firstly, vs 3, “he received it”. It was not his idea. Then he repeats twice that this message was “in accordance with the scriptures“. It was actually the culmination of the whole thrust of the bible up to Jesus’ coming. He, that is Paul regards this message then of “first importance”. (vs3)

The central message then of the gospel follows: “that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and on the third day he was raised.”

Christ’s death on the cross is the central, pivotal fact. The act that changed the world. However, if He had just died, no-one would have realized the reason or understood the full import of the purpose of His death. It was His resurrection that changed all that. It showed that He was Divine, God Himself. It proved that what He had set out to do had been accomplished. It changed what would just have appeared a laudable act into a supernatural, world shattering, historical earthquake which changed the world for ever. The two events are inseparable, Good Friday without Easter Sunday means nothing.

So why am I making such a huge issue of these facts that all of you surely know? It is surely, in knowing these facts so well that the danger is that they lose their charm and power, as we become more and more familiar with them. It is in remembering the basic gospel that we can fully appreciate the whole of Easter and it’s message.

I have emphasized this here to show you why Paul then goes ahead for the rest of this chapter discussing the resurrection. Driving it home, as it were so that every reader may embrace it and by believing it have their lives changed. And by emphasizing these facts to such a degree this acts as a counter to the many heresies out there. If every believer continually reaffirms the facts of the gospel and reminds themselves of them, their faith will grow stronger and stronger and they will be kept from going off on a tangent, like the Corinthians did.

So, friends why do you not spend the next week pondering these facts of the gospel and preaching them to yourselves. Yes, and maybe to someone else. So many people out there who claim to be Christians don’t actually really understand what happened on the cross and the importance of the resurrection. Maybe this is the time to initiate that discussion with someone. This week can also be an opportunity to read the rest of the chapter and understand why Paul makes such a fuss about the resurrection, in the light of these earlier vv. and I will discuss them in our next blog.

So, soak yourselves in these thoughts. Listen to what Jesus is saying to you and may each of you have a real sense of anticipation for next weekend. Let us pray for each other that Satan does not draw our attention away from this central issue.