Author: ianfrancoisdt

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.

“Be exalted” – is ringing out in my ears. “Be exalted oh God” – so holy, so wise, so omnipotent, so other – I lift my voice and sing – “be exalted!”.

“Yes Ian – it is indeed a privilege – an almost immeasurable privilege you have to be able to meet with Me – the Sovereign Ruler of the whole universe. Yet it is My desire to meet with you, that is why I sent my Son to bridge this gap between us, so that you can receive from Me all the blessings and love I want to share with you. You are enormously privileged, yet no more than any other of my precious children. This is available to every one of you without measure. You have and are receiving every blessing in the heavenlies. As your heart is overwhelmed and filled to overflowing, share these thoughts that those you are in contact with can appreciate just how much they have and are receiving from Me – and by appreciating it, keep singing, “Be exalted oh Lord”.

Chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians next, opens with the words “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy”. The whole question of spiritual gifts in this church has been a divisive element and Paul has been addressing it in various ways since the beginning of the letter. When I was a young Christian this whole question of the so-called “supernatural gifts” was very prominent. I am afraid it was also very controversial and often led more to divisions and quarreling than to the upbuilding of God’s church.

We must realize that the circumstances in that community and church were very different to what we have today. People were used to living their social life in the pagan temples and once saved were having difficulty distancing themselves from that lifestyle. There were no printed scriptures yet as we have them. Teaching came from prophets. There were those who were itinerant prophets and then of course local people within the congregation. There was a huge possibility of false teaching. Hence the many warnings in the various letters to test the teachers and prophets who were bringing God’s message.

Then there was the question of “tongues” which seemed to have become almost a distinguishing sign of superiority to some. Against this background I want to pick out the central teaching of this chapter. Maybe you should read the chapter again and see if you can see the core teaching Paul is giving.

Here goes: Verse 26b “All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church”. Whatever the practices which are being discussed here and how they are played out today should have this main aim in mind. “The strengthening of the church”.

Central to the upbuilding of the church was and will always be the right teaching. Today we have the scriptures which are the core which we use for our teaching. God’s word. God speaking through His word as it is opened up by teachers who, let me use a useful expression, have a prophetic teaching ministry as they open up the scriptures and as the Holy Spirit gives us understanding and applies it for us.

Very important to the upbuilding of the church is that it should be “outsider focused”. The whole first part of this chapter focusses on this important point. If we as God’s church are to carry out His mandate in the world today, we must keep reminding ourselves of the importance God places on the expansion of His Kingdom. Internal strife and quarreling invariable takes everyone’s eyes off this important role the church is called to fulfil. How can we be witnesses if we can’t get on together, never mind love one another. So, while there is a place to discuss doctrine and such issues it should always be done in love and behind closed doors.

The other factor which Paul raised in the last 12vv is the question of church order. Whatever factors which were causing disorder in that church probably are not replicated today. However, it is only fitting that our services should be orderly as another part of our witness to God and His kingdom. That there should be participation by the congregation is highly advisable as it draws everyone in. The church of England has dealt with this by producing the “Book of Common Prayer”, dating back to the 15 and 1600’s.

The liturgies of the services that are used give ample opportunity for participation, in various ways in the service. There is also a heavy emphasis on the role of the scriptures. It is important to see how the church has progressed since the early days, taking into consideration all the attacks on it. It still remains the apple of God’s Eye and the means through which He is reaching out to the world.

While some may long for what they perceive to be the freedom of worship in the Corinthian church, they should realize that it led to much abuse and division, and we should take that as a warning and directive for ourselves.

So, where do you stand in your involvement in the church function? As we read this chapter, we should realize again how vital our positive participation in the church is. We have all been gifted for the common good and by not using your gift/s you are withholding a vital part of God’s plan for His church.

“Love – such a mystical word and concept. On the one hand you can decide to do it and on the other hand it only becomes truly real, truly genuine when your heart is changed, and love flows from it naturally because of that. True love, My love, agape – is only possible if you have first received that from Me. It is only as My agape gets hold of your heart that your love becomes genuine. It starts with a response to My love then overflows to those you are in contact with. It is a mystery, it is potent, it is life changing. So many are disabled because they don’t experience, true love. At the same time, it is a decision you should make continuously – To love others to counteract the assaults on it that Satan tries. My command remains – love Me with all your heart, body, soul and mind and your neighbour as yourself. You are the beacon of my love. Plant it on the highest hill and in every relationship”.

Now to 1 Corinthians 13. Perhaps one of the best-known passages in the bible. Unfortunately, it is usually read on its own, without taking its context into consideration. Step back into ch 12 and remember the message there. It is all about the gifts of the Spirit. It appears that the Corinthians were obsessed with these exciting supernatural gifts. Yet the way they were using them was having the opposite effect to what they were intended to do. It was causing divisions, jealousy and disunity.

So, Paul ends the chapter with the advice – “Desire the greater gifts”. Then he blasts them with the words “Now I will show you the most excellent way.” The message is quite simple. All the gifts and abilities that come supernaturally are of little value if they are not practiced with love. The speaking gifts especially were just like an empty gong, if not used with love.

So, what does he mean by love? Vss 4-7 are like dynamite. I suggest that you readers scan over these qualities by which Paul defines what the characteristics of real agape are. I include myself here. So, this week I sat down and wrote each characteristic down on a separate line of my notebook and then prayerfully considered whether I really understood the full meaning and nuance of each one. It took me some time as I was confronted again and again as to how shallow my understanding and interpretation of each one has been. I was hugely challenged and decided to return to these notes each day after that to remind myself what love truly is all about. I realized that it covers almost every aspect of our daily lives as we interact with others. In fact, the emotions and feelings associated with each one of these characteristics often start in our hearts long before we actually interact with others. Take “envy” for instance. This usually starts in one’s heart and then gathers momentum giving rise to a sense of dissatisfaction and can finally result in a negative outcome in one’s interaction with others..

I am not going to try and interpret each word and concept for you. That should be something each one does individually with the Lord. But I challenge you all to do something like that.

The last part of the chapter vv 8-13 is really motivational to what Paul has been saying about love. The Corinthians, as I said, were very much into the speaking gifts especially prophecy and tongues but also a word of knowledge. These were and can be exciting as it expresses the reality of God’s presence. But are really in place because we do not see God face to face yet. So, when we finally get to meet with God face to face these gifts will just become redundant and love will be all that remains.

As I have been writing this, I am reminded again of the weekend teaching I received on Ch 12, at Noordhoek in 1980, where God revealed Himself to me. It was the sense of immediacy which I experienced that blew my mind as to the reality of God. Yet as I think back, the weekend was concluded with a communion service. As Angus Bain administered the host to me, he laid hands on me and gave me a personal prophecy. Later I tended to dismiss this experience and the message as a bit suspect. It is only recently that I have been reminded of that message again. “I am giving you the power of love”. Was the message.

I now realize how important it was that I should have understood that using the gifts without love was like an empty gong. I also realize forty years later, how much I have needed that power over the years and especially now in the circumstances I find myself in. It is also interesting that the word “power” was used. One of the first talks that weekend had been on the work and presence of the Holy Spirit. The speaker explained that the word for power in the NT Greek is “dunamis” from which we have derived the word dynamite. I was suddenly being introduced to the fact that real Christianity is about the reality of the power of God at work among and in us.

I did not immediately understand how living the Christian life requires the power of the gospel to accomplish it effectively. So, to demonstrate love as it is described here would need the transforming power of the Spirit to accomplish. It is counter to our natures and requires a complete transformation to practice it effectively.

Unity, true unity in the church can only be accomplished if these love principles are understood and practiced. They will also be the greatest witness to the reality Of Christ and His work on the cross if they are displayed effectively in a broken society.

In the light of the songs about the glory of God’s creation and the revelation of His love, revealed in His act on the cross, I decide again to take up my cross and follow Him.

“Yes Ian, that is the only logical response to My revelation of Myself and My glory; to make the active decision to take up your cross and take the first step in following me – it is only then, as you lay aside you’re selfish desires, motives and program. Your petty likes and dislikes, your grumbling and complaining. It is only as you put that all aside and instead take up your cross putting all that to death, that you can fully see Me and My glory. That you can fully appreciate Me and may I say that your life and your words will be a worthy contribution to My glory. That is what I seek in our relationship, to have all of you and in the process the benefit to you will be immeasurable. So yes, do that every day – take up your cross – make that decision even on a moment by moment basis.”

We come now to 1 Cor 12. This is an important chapter in understanding the message of 1 Corinthians. The key verse lies here. Why don’t you read the chapter and see whether you can identify that verse?

It was at a weekend camp in 1980 that I came to know the Lord. The subject of the teaching was all from 1 Cor 12. However, despite the fact that the Lord used that teaching to reveal Himself to me, they was a serious deviation from the truth as revealed in this chapter.

Let us step back and remind ourselves of the scene in Corinth that Paul was addressing. There were a number of questionable behaviours going on in the church there, which reflected the immaturity of that church. However perhaps the main one was reflected in the divisions in the church tearing it apart. Divisions of class and divisions in theological understanding. This was fired by claims as to special spiritual gifts and experiences by various members, which made them feel more important than others in the same community.

The key verse is verse 13. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and we were all made to drink of one Spirit”. Note the repeated emphasis on the word “one”.

Paul then explains this statement with the beautiful example of the human body. I think the analogy is self-explanatory. Which can be described by the phrase “unity in diversity”.

The basis of the teaching of my weekend was that being a Christian was all good and well, but if one wanted to serve God effectively one had to be baptized in the Spirit. Through this act the Spirit would endow one with supernatural gifts. That was the basis of the Charismatic teaching, focusing on the Charisma or gifts. This two staged Christian experience clearly led to the sense of some being haves and others have-nots.

It took me some time to realize that this key vs was exactly what proved their teaching wrong. Baptism is essentially an act of initiation and shows that you are NOT a Christian until you have been “baptized in the Spirit”. I won’t go into the reasons for this teaching arising in the first place, but essentially I discovered eventually that this phrase described the same act as being “born again”, “converted”, “receiving the Lord”, “being saved”. All these descriptions describe the same thing. Ultimately you are not a Christian until you have been transformed by the Spirit. At the same time let it be said when you have received this baptism you receive everything God has for you.

let me get back to the important teaching of 1 Cor 12 by making a few remarks.

1. Every Christian receives certain endowments or gifts which are unique for him/her. Equipping them for the service within the church and that is required to make the church function smoothly. Sometimes these gifts only manifest themselves later when they are required.
2. Every member of the church is equally vital to the full function of the church, no matter how unimportant they may appear or feel. The body needs its thumb as much as it needs its eyes.
3. God endows these gifts for a specific purpose that the church may fulfil its function effectively. This function is for the benefit of the church members that they may grow effectively and be supported in their lives and service of the Lord. It is also essential in God’s plan to extend His kingdom throughout the world. He sets up the make-up and gifts in the church so that it may function to His glory and as a witness of His love and power to the world.
4. Taking all this teaching together it shows God’s care for each individual and a great part of that is our interdependence. This flows logically into the conclusion that there is no room for Christians living in isolation, not wanting to join a church or commit themselves. There is also no room for church-hopping and tasting various churches.
5. In summary then: The church is a vital part of God’s plan for us and the world. This teaching is very underemphasized. Many see the church as a place where they can benefit rather than serve. The challenge is to take this seriously for each one’s own benefit as well as the kingdom’s sake.
6. God bless for this week.