Listen and Respond to Christ’s Voice

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27 NIV).


As a child growing-up on the farm, Dad expected me to run in response to his commands. If he asked for a 11/16" deep socket, I ran to find the 11/16" deep socket, then ran to deliver the socket to him. He expected the same response in getting a shovel, a tractor, the pick-up or something in the house. When my father spoke, he expected an immediate, urgent response in my running to fulfill his command. I obeyed because I knew my father's voice, and I strongly desired to please him. Oftentimes, Dad did not have time to explain why he needed me to run for whatever he needed. I was expected to run in response despite whether I understood the purpose of the command.


Naturally, our loving desire to please our heavenly Father, responding to Christ's voice spoken in our hearts by the indwelling Holy Spirit should generate at least an equal response to our dad's voice.

True obedience responds immediately.

~ Dr. Stan Toussaint, Dallas Theological Seminary

Other times have failed to immediately respond to Christ's voice, because my selfish pride prevented my recognizing, my knowing Christ's voice. In the spring and early summer of 2009, I had "hunches" to visit a neighbor across the yard. My sinful, inward focused pride prevented me from visiting this neighbor who lived by himself. I justified that I was too busy; another time will work better for both of us.


Additionally, my sinful pride rhetorically asked, "What will this guy whom I never met think? What will the other neighbors think of me visiting this raggedy dressed man.'


I am embarrassed to write about my terrible sins, I now am unable to understand what causes such as awful thoughts, and more importantly what caused my obedience to these sinful, prideful thoughts. During Saturday morning Bible study in mid-July, one of the men told of my neighbor whom I was too busy and prideful to visit, committed suicide due to loneliness. The indwelling Holy Spirit requested that I visit this man. I ignored the Holy Spirit, I failed to listen to Christ's voice. I failed to follow Christ to that man's home.


Consequently, I now strive to immediately respond to Christ's voice, even if I risk embarrassment. I would rather be embarrassed in immediately responding to the voice of Holy Spirit, than risk failing to respond. This includes calling someone immediately before entering a meeting because I hear in my heart and mind the Holy Spirit's voice instructing me to leave a message of healing and encouragement. A few minutes later the person sent a text message thanking me for the message. This text message validates that I did appropriately listen to and respond to Christ's voice.


Other times, I send messages of thoughts, encouragement, hopes and prayers via text, e-mail, facebook or a spoken word to those whom the Lord places on my heart. Sometimes it seems rather awkward, yet I know that as long as I seek to serve and please God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit He will guide my messages in hearts of the receptors.


This morning at church a couple and their young son whom I had never met, sat by me. Near the end of the service, I heard the Lord instruct me through my heart to tell the mother how I could easily see and sense her and her husband's authentic Christian love for their son. Despite the awkwardness, I immediately responded to Christ's voice. The mother thanked me profusely. She repeated her gratitude as we departed the sanctuary. I further stated that their love for their son is indicative of her and her husband's love for each other. Her eyes once again softly leaked with compassion and gratitude as she assured me of their authentic Christian love for one another.


The reason for Christ using me to express this message to this mother remains unknown to me. Yet, just as I Dad didn't always explain why he needed me to run for something for him, neither does God need to explain each of His commands to me.


The above stories have little to do with Rick E. Meyer, rather everything to do with how you will listen to Christ's voice, immediately respond to Christ's voice as you follow Him.


To listen to Christ's voice, assumes we know Christ's voice spoken non-audibly in our heart and mind by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Do you listen and respond to the Holy Spirit? Listening and knowing mandate immediate response. Delays in belief cause delays in belief, we respond according to our belief.


To know Christ's voice, pray—this includes listening, read scripture, associate with mature Christians and journal to aid your calibration of His voice.


How has God used you to touch lives, even when it seems awkward?


Are you prepared and willing to immediately respond to Christ voice in serving His people in whatever method He commands? Trust Him! Seek to honestly say, "Lord, you know that I try to hear, listen and respond to appropriately to your voice. Cause me to glorify you even when I inadvertently mess up in understanding your message and / or how to respond to your message. Lord, thank you for using me, and helping me perpetually improve in listening and responding to Christ's voice spoken to me from the indwelling Holy Spirit."


Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
(Psalm 37:4-5). Listening and responding to the Christ who sent the indwelling Holy Spirit to believers—delighting in the Lord—results in you and I requesting God to infuse His desires into your heart and my heart.


See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!
Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com




 

1 Corinthians 11 – Christian Order and Lord’s Supper

Christian Order 11:1-16

Imitate Paul, who imitates Christ, thus do as I do and imitate Christ. This contrasts the Corinthians imitating their societies' aforementioned secularism, including self-centeredness. Christ serves as the head of man, and man the head of the woman. Paul explains men and women holding distinguished roles and responsibilities in creation's order, with the definition of the Greek word equating to "subordination and origination".⁴⁰ He keeps both humble in spelling out God's created codependency of men and women on one another—the man being her head, and she is his glory and mother. ⁴²
  
He continues with the expectations of women in church meetings.⁴⁰ Regarding women wearing hats, Eldreb Echols of South Africa Bible School views this practice as "linguistically and historically impossible." Rather hair provides the most likely inference of women's head covering. John Calvin argues that women's covered head prevented her beauty from generating lust. The uncovered men's head avoided dishonoring Christ, his spiritual head.

Lord's Supper 11:17-34

Some in the Corinthian church turned the Lord's Supper into mockery and factions, originally this occurred in ignorance. Now Paul addresses with greater sternness. The mockery and divisions resulted from selfishness and immorality, as some ate too much and others drank excessively. Paul admonishes them as participation in the Lord's Supper hinges upon unity derived from Christ's love, this leads to focusing on Christ and the well-being of his people.

The purpose of the Lord's Supper rests in recalling the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, while awaiting his second coming.⁴⁴ The Corinthians abused the Lord's Supper as previously mentioned, consequently Paul tells them that this must halt immediately. Paul specifically instructs the Corinthians to self-examine, individually, before partaking in the Lord's Supper. This includes reflecting on the aforementioned purpose of the Supper, and focus on the unity of their church and its individual members.

Unity mandates waiting for one another. Some Corinthian Christians arrived at church hungry, and quickly ate on their own. Thus, Paul addresses this misbehavior with a command to eat at home if you are hungry. The lack of hunger allows the church members to gather while focusing on the stated purpose for the Lord's Supper.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com
  

(Lowery 1983, 528)
² (Coffman 1984, 164)
³ (Pringle n.d., 356-360)
⁴ (Pringle n.d., 363-371) (MacAurthur 1984, 266-270)
⁵ (Radmacher, Allen and House 1999, 1477)









 

1 Corinthians Argument – Chapt 10

Israel's History 10:1-13

Paul shares Israel's history lesson of their miraculous freedom from Egypt with the Corinthians. He requests their cognizance of Israel following God in the cloud, passing through the sea and receiving baptism into Moses—yet they remained dry in the sea. Moreover, the Israelites consumed the same spiritual food and drink as the Corinthians—Christ. Paul uses this history to show the similarities between the Israelites and the Corinthians. God also directed and protected the Corinthian Christians, providing them with the miraculous release from the bondage of sin, through salvation in Christ.


The Corinthians were baptized into Christ. One may conclude Paul's reasoning properly included the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. The Corinthians needed to better understand that no automatic blessings resulted from these sacraments. Some in the Corinthian church may have errantly believed in mysterious protection, as taught by some false religions to offset wrong doings. Paul reinforced the latter in telling of the twenty-three thousand Israelites who fell in one day after engaging in immorality.


Many Israelites, like many Corinthians, engaged in idolatry and sexual immorality. Israelites and Corinthian Christians rebuked their leaders. Paul informs them that these happened as examples because Corinthians' human wisdom and arrogance blinds them of realizing that past consequences do indicate future consequences. However, spiritual freedom accompanied with spiritual responsibility leads to the blessing of a relationship with God, in Christ Jesus.

Idol Feasts and the Lord's Supper 10:14-22

Paul speaks again about eating food sacrificed to idols, covering the points of meat to idols in the section on chapter eight. In writing about the Lord's Supper, Paul emphasizes church unity and participation. He continues the Lord's message of blood and body of Christ. Paul who expounds upon many messages, leaves this one at face value. Paul teaches the Corinthian church, through example, to also accept the body and blood at face value despite lacking complete understanding.


Modern times provides amazing examples of technological and scientific truths existing and proven despite incomprehensible by the average person. In chapter two, Paul denounces human wisdom, while praising spiritual wisdom. God's truth exists independent of man's ability to comprehend and explain. Christians partake of the Lord's Supper firmly focusing their faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the resulting forgiveness of sins. Paul combines the message of idol sacrifice and the Lord's Supper to show the principle resides in whom one worships in these meals, while antagonism exists in all relationship(s) between God and all god(s). This antagonism continued between those following evil and those following Christ.

Freedom of Believers 10:23-33

Paul invites the Corinthians to precede action with thought. The Corinthians' neighbors and fellow church members freely exercise immorality, while others slowly grow in their faith, wisdom, spiritual knowledge and understanding. Paul instructs the church to conduct a cost to benefits analogy of their actions' consequences on themselves and those with whom they associate. Prudence demands that this analogy factor the influence on others especially when your action carries no harm to yourself, such as eating meat from the marketplace.


Eating this meat may damage the faith of a carnal or infant Christian. For example, one of my high school cross country teammates thought it was okay for one to consume a small amount of alcohol, such as one beer, while he adamantly opposed drunkenness—alcohol consumption was legal for eighteen year olds at that time in Kansas. However, Dan did not and has never consumed an ounce of alcohol. He avoids any consumption because people view Dan as a Christian zealot. He was concerned that unbelievers, as well as carnal and infant Christians, would view his consuming a small amount of alcohol as justification for their excessively consuming alcohol.


Additionally, Dan, while in high school, considered that God may lead him into politics, therefore he avoided—to the best of his ability—any action or activity that might appear unfavorable later in life. Dan's name has yet to appear on a political ballot, however he has worked as a Chief of Staff for a Congressman, served numerous leading roles in the Whitehouse for President George W. Bush and now serves as an advisor to the United States Senate Minority Leader. Dan's considering the influential consequences of his actions, pays off. Effectively, Dan's method of considering one's actions correlates with Paul's message to the Corinthians. "Think about the consequences on others before acting!"


See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!


Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com



(Lowery 1983, 525-526)
² (Exodus 32:1-6, 1 Cor. 8:10, 10:14)
³ (Num. 16:41-49, 1 Cor. 1:11; 4:18-19)

⁴ (Lowery 1983, 527)

⁵(D. S. Toussaint n.d.)

 

Think Spiritually : Act Spiritually

A common slogan states that we, Think Globally, Act Locally. This is excellent advice for non-Christians.


As Christians we are called to, Think Spiritually : Act Spiritually. In other words, submit our hearts and minds to power of the Holy Spirit sent by the Son the Lord Jesus Christ from God the Father. The Bible instructs us to act in and with obedient love to the triune God.


Unfortunately, many will probably attempt to add qualifiers on to this statement. Qualifiers simply indicate that our wisdom exceeds God's wisdom, including the confession one may not hear, listen, or respond to God. When we communicate with God in every aspect of life, He will guide us according to His will. Can we, man and women, increase the value of God's will? An affirmative reply suggests the responder believes themselves greater than God—the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.


Submit your plans to the Lord, He will direct your thoughts.


See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!


Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

Prayer Considerations

Consider the persistence of someone asking for an item, opportunity or a favor. Whether the person is a toddler or retired business person, the clarity, diligence details and persistence with which we ask depends on our belief in the power, ability, love, and influence of the person we ask to deliver. Love seeks the best for all involved, consequently the absence of results may result from negative effects to ourselves or others which we either overlook or remain unaware of their occurring as a result of our request.

 

Your prayer life and my prayer life depends on our belief—as opposed to head knowledge—of God's power, ability, love and influence. God's love seeks the best according to God's wisdom, which equates to the best for us regardless of our agreement—lest you and I believe our wisdom exceeds God's wisdom.

 

Every conversation I have with Phil Krug from Salina, Kansas regarding our fraternity, he also reminds me to keep praying. Phil tells of starting out living in a 12' x 60' foot trailer house, followed by building a forty-three state insurance agency. He contributes his success to prayer, faith and work. Phil consistently recognizes God's hand in his business, and the necessity of prayer. Does Phil believe in the prosperity gospel, a belief that God provides everything we ask if only we are good enough or give enough money? NO!!!

 

Phil recognizes God's answer to prayer sometimes contrasts our human desires, God's wisdom far exceeds man. Yet, because of his relationship and the eternal salvation through the belief in Jesus' death and resurrection, Phil knows that his wife whom died from cancer several years ago is now with God the Father, Son—the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. Despite this loss Phil continues praying for everything because of his faith and belief in the triune God.

 

As you pray and ponder your spiritual life, consider my fraternity's—Beta Sigma Psi—statement: "A life rooted with Christ in God is the only true goal of human existence."

 

During the fraternity's award banquet during its national convention in St. Louis—January 2013—alumnus and keynote speaker Jim Folkerts who retired as Vice President of Coca-Cola shared, "faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:17, 26) adding "Prayer is a deed."

 

Succinctly stated: Your prayer life and my prayer life directly reflect our belief in and our relationship with God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

 

What do you believe?

 

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

 

Rick E. Meyer

See, Believe, Achieve Inc.

www.rickEmeyer.com

 

1 Corinthians – Rights of an Apostle

Rights of an Apostle 9:1-27

Paul illustrates applying the principle of love preceding knowledge within Christian liberty. The first issue focuses on his financial support from those whom he shares the gospel, including as a spiritual mentor. He lays out six reasons for paying him, his apostleship, common for workers to receive pay, God's law allows monetary pay, other leaders receive payments for their services, a widespread practice, lastly because Jesus approves it.


Expecting affirmative responses, Paul rhetorically addresses his freedom, apostleship, seeing Christ, and preaching the gospel in Corinth during his second missionary journey which generated the believers whom he now writes. He continues by giving examples and asking questions to further his point of each of the six reasons. The Corinthian church had questioned its responsibilities of supporting Paul's ministry. Paul illustrates his sacrifices, such as avoiding food and drink, to prevent offending others when necessary. He also instructs this in chapter eight, as well as avoiding offending Jews in various situations, and he did this to reach non-believers.


In 1 Corinthians 9:24, he asks about a runner who races to win—Paul sought to win the incorruptible award in Jesus Christ. This running illustration carries power, as a runner's training causes every fiber in their body to ache during their workouts, and throughout the day. Runners who train to win, sacrifice social and professional opportunities, and are often sick to their stomach several hours after training runs. A winning runner's training consumes and affects every aspect of their life. A winning runner increases flexibility, and adjusts to every imaginable physical and emotional scenario. Paul uses this extreme comparison of a runner training to win a corruptible prize to the spiritual training and life consumption necessary when seeking and preaching the incorruptible prize of Christ. The champion pastors and evangelists must also adapt to every imaginable scenario, increasing their flexibility in communications, and relationships. Paul concludes describing how a primary key to winning resides in controlling your body, instead of your body's desires controlling you, the Corinthian Christians.


See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!


Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

1 Corinthians 8 – Food to Idols

Sacrificing food to idols 8:1-13

Corinth possessed a plethora of temples, idol worshiping flourished. Pagan priests sacrificed nearly all the Corinth meat supply to the Gentiles' idol gods. Consequently, this presented a challenge to church members who believed it wrong to eat meat sacrificed to idols. A person can eat meat offered to idols in one of three ways, first in the idols temple, second by eating surplus meat in the marketplace, thirdly when eating as a guest in someone's home.

 

The Corinthian church members inquired of how to handle these situations, including those whom failed to see harm since they placed no value on idols. Paul's response commences with love, repudiating arrogant knowledge. Desire the absolute best for those you influence and with whom you associate. If eating the meat lacks any effect on someone because their faith in Christ removes any power from an idol, then eat the meat in good conscious. If one senses the slightest doubt, whether from your own conscience or your conscience of influencing others, avoid indulging. If someone engages in eating and hurts another believer who adamantly opposes eating this meat, they also "sin against Christ."

 

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

 

Rick E. Meyer

See, Believe, Achieve Inc.

www.rickemeyer.com

 

1 Corinthians 7 -- Marriage

Marriage 7:1-40

The Corinthians divided on the key issues regarding physical relationships. Paul addressed the hedonists in the previous chapter. The other group believed an abundant spiritual life mandated depriving physical desires, they believed in celibacy. Paul encourages marital sexual relations over sexual sin by preventing Satanic temptation. This message carries extra-weight in Corinth, a city known for sexual immorality. Paul clearly states that his encouragement of marriage "is a concession, not a commandment," in other words a recommendation for those with strong sexual desires.

 

Paul continues with the various scenarios of divorce regarding believers and unbelievers. Given the immorality and "free for all" mentality, the Corinthians certainly faced every imaginable situation and included them with their questions to Paul. Paul fails to address the scenario of a believer divorcing a believer when one party opposes the divorce, unless one assumes that anyone seeking divorce is an unbeliever. This seems highly doubtful. Paul recognized that forthcoming Christian persecution would make married life exceptionally difficult, thus his discouragement of marriage for virgins if one could control their sexual desires.²⁹
Paul reiterates that singleness is a recommendation, as opposed to a command. Paul concludes with stating that he has the Spirit of God who enables him to speak with wisdom and provides the apostolic authority.

 

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

 

Rick E. Meyer

See, Believe, Achieve Inc.

www.rickEmeyer.com

 

(Radmacher, Allen and House 1999, 1469-1471)

Internalize-Implement-Achieve

Speakers appreciate all compliments. However, the most powerful exist when people share about the positive impact of a message give 6 months or 6+ years ago. A very humbling experience hearing how God has used you, the speaker, to positively impact lives. The key resides in humbly serving as a conduit of Wisdom--not the source rather the messenger.

The message's sound waves travel to everyone in a room. Some heckle and snicker, and others ignore. A few ponder while camping on "Someday Isle."

Yet, a handful in every meeting internalize, implement and achieve. I pray each of you choose the latter.


See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!


Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com


 

1 Corinthians 4:1-6:20 Argument Paper

Servants 4:1-21

The Corinthian church contained arrogant individuals, some of whom desired to judge others and themselves too quickly. Paul writes that he is unqualified to judge his own motives, rather he leaves this judgment to Christ at the end. He instructs them of the significance of proving oneself trustworthy. Paul humbly avoids singling out individuals in this chapter; instead he addresses the group as a whole. Furthermore, he encourages their obedience to the Word of God, by avoiding trying to "exceed what is written." Considering Paul often uses examples of athletes, he effectively states foolishness exists in changing your workouts—God's Word—based on suggestions from yourself, your teammates and those in the stands—human reasoning, doctrine and philosophy. In doing so, one humbles themselves as "fools for Christ."


The Greeks view of humility contrasted with Paul's message, as they considered humility as a trait for slaves, and the weak—un-begotten for great men. Consequently, Paul denounces the arrogant three times in this chapter. Paul knows the physical and emotional challenges—including its countering secular culture—required to follow Christ, he invites the Corinthians to follow in his example of suffering through these examples. The suffering results as a product of living as Paul, for Christ. Because he understands the challenges, he effectively says, "Join me, do as I do. I am walking with you." Understanding that rebuke risks driving people away, Paul completes this topic by rhetorically inquiring of their preferred method of his approaching them whether with "a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness".

Immoral Believers 5:1-13

Corinth's immorality exceeds imagination with arrogant Christians eagerly participating—one sleeps with his step-mother. Paul says that he—in spirit—handed this man over to Satan in order to preserve his salvation. The local church has authority to discipline, yet lacks the apostolic authority to hand immoral Christians over to Satan. However, the local church, because of its arrogance, failed to instigate any previous discipline on this man. Paul instructs the church of their responsibility of disciplining its own. Paul boldly instructs other church members to disassociate with the church's immoral members. The avoidance results from love derived discipline, desiring they return to representing God in His image. Paul acknowledges avoidance of the immoral outside the church would omit sharing the gospel to the lost. The Corinthian Christians must avoid succumbing to the immoral pre-Christians practices, while directing the immoral to the Lord's pottery barn. God will judge the non-believers.

Lawsuits and Immorality among Believers 6:1-20

Corinthians, church members too, abundantly enjoyed lawsuits, and legal litigations. Paul sought to halt this practice of placing Christians at the judgment of the wicked. He prioritized legal action with fellow Christians. First, avoid lawsuits in secular legal system. How can the wicked rightly judge the righteous as they judge with human wisdom instead of spiritual wisdom? Second, if you must engage in legal action, submit to the judgment of believers in the church. Third, avoid lawsuits completely. Paul reminds them that they will judge angels, therefore how can the ungodly rightly judge their matters.


The Corinthians argue that the church lacks the court's legal expertise because they base their argument on faith in human philosophy over God's wisdom found in the church. Their eagerness for lawsuits arises from their patience in enduring injuries. Fault (v.6) comes from a Greek word that "signifies a weakness of mind." The proper response exists in being patient with one another to righteously resolve disputes. Despicably, their disputes continued into the atrocity of cheating on one another. Paul continues his condemnation of sexual immorality, reminding them that these practices oppose God's Kingdom. He explains they, as Christians, are set apart and declared righteous in Christ, by the Spirit. Consequently, these sins are washed from their souls for eternal salvation. However, this excludes choosing to continue in these practices of non-believers.


Paul tells them that permissible and profitable lack automatic symbiosis. Paul charges them to weigh the consequences of their actions. The hedonists believed physical sins lacked any effects on one's spiritual life. Because of their immoral life, Paul explains that food serves simply as fuel for the body, while immorality affects one's eternal body, mind and soul belonging to the Lord. If the body represented only the physical, then everyone should strive for only physical perfection. Rather the body includes nerves, nerve endings, neurons, neurotransmitters which affect thoughts and emotions. Thoughts and emotions affect one's spiritual journey with the Lord. Similarly, one's emotional and spiritual health affects their physical health. Paul probably lacks cognizance of these intertwining facts, however the Holy Spirit writing through Paul possesses all knowledge and understanding.


The danger of immorality on one's relationship with God results in Paul writing to "Flee," as opposed to avoid or "be careful." Flee amplifies immorality's magnetism—it forcefully draws and retains the body, mind and soul. Paul concludes in telling the Corinthian church that they are bought with a price, a price beyond measurement. This serves to inform them of their significance in God's eyes, thus the significance and resulting blessings of their proper response in living by the Spirit's guidance. This concludes the section of Paul's response to issues reported by Chloe's household. He now begins answering questions the Corinthians sent to him.
(Lowery 1983, 513)
² 1 Cor. 4:21
³ (D. S. Toussaint 2012, Class Notes)
⁴ (Pringle n.d., 193)
⁵ Rom. 9:21
⁶ (Pringle n.d., 204)
⁷ (Getz 2011, 1574)
⁸ (D. S. Toussaint 2012, Class Notes)
⁹ (Radmacher, Allen and House 1999, 1469)
¹⁰ (Mathias 2003, 1-219), (Pert 1999)
¹¹ (Radmacher, Allen and House 1999, 1469-1471)

 

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Maturity and Divisions 3:1-23

The Field

Paul addresses allegations of false prophets (2 Cor. 11:12-15), or teachers, attempting to present Paul's simplistic teachings as shallow. Agronomically, the Law of the Minimum explains that the least proportionally available nutrient restricts the yield benefits of additional crop-inputs. Paul informs the Corinthians that their deprived spiritual maturity prohibits benefits of advanced instruction. Paul uses the analogy of babies ability to digest only milk. Biology teaches that digestive tracks require advanced development before the consumption of whole food. Additionally, calves and human babies require colostrum from the mother's milk, which contains enriched levels of proteins, antibodies and carbohydrates, in first few days of their life. Paul instructs the Corinthian church that some of them lack the spiritual maturity needed for digesting the solid food of the gospel. This solid food understands the prudence of focusing on Christ instead of causing divisions among his servants. Additionally, some in the church should have matured enough for solid food, yet their spiritual complacency keeps them on milk. Ultimately, Paul reminds the Corinthian believers that while they remain eternally saved, it is time for spiritual growth—disposing of their spiritually complacent lifestyle. Spiritual maturity results from intentional effort of seeking Godly wisdom, along with the necessary experience to develop perception and understanding.


Paul continues explaining that while he plants and Apollos waters, growth originates in God. God causes the soil to hold the water, and the seed to absorb the soil-water. God created phototropism causing germinating plants' upward growth toward the sun and soil surface, resulting in emergence. Paul's analogy correlates relatable physical truths for the Corinthians with spiritual truths they struggled to grasp. People can plant churches, share the gospel and preach the word, yet God causes seed absorption of soil-water, emergence, and growth. Shatter cane and velvet leaf seed often germinates quickly, yet their seed may lay in the soil for up to fifty-years without germinating, yet a flash of sunlight striking the seed for 1/1,000 may induce germination with proper soil-moisture. While God causes growth, the timing varies for each seed and person. He expects us to faithfully serve as farmers, planting and watering, amidst his people—leaving the concern of germination and resulting growth to God. Because of Paul's founding of the church at Corinth, the church should focus their efforts on serving God only in this one, as opposed to someone placing another foundation adjacent to this foundation.

The Foundation

The building materials separate into combustible and non-combustible types. This scripture illuminates the spiritual division from actions towards physical and emotional pleasure, along with the resulting effects on eternal rewards. Paul encourages the Corinthian church members to invest their physical, emotional and spiritual effort in the enduring materials pleasing to God. Wood, hay, and straw represent the flammable yields of false doctrines and believers in the church who neglect spiritual reproduction. Foundations comprising of gold, silver, and costly stones correlate with eternal yields produced from preaching the sound doctrine of the gospel—Jesus Christ—and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25), all of which results from doing the Father's will (Jn. 4:34). Some in the Corinthian church intentionally straddled the fence demarcating Christianity and secularism, saved by Christ yet focusing actions producing yields of wood, hay and straw. Jesus will judge us, and allocate eternal rewards for the incombustible foundations produced in this life, while the consequence of the combustible foundations only results in receiving no rewards. Additionally, selfish motives in building otherwise proper foundations create unrewarded, combustible foundations. This reminds the Corinthian church to check their motives, along with putting them at ease in regards to seeking credit. Because, when they (and we) understand that God knows and rewards any and all, who cares if others give them credit.

Temple

The divisions in the Corinthian church damage the church—God dwells in the temple. Paul instructs the Corinthians of the seriousness of the quarreling in the church, specifically squabbling over whom to follow—Paul, Cephas or Apollos—and choosing human wisdom over wisdom from the Spirit of God. Because their serious errant actions of damaging the church, Paul clearly spells out that God will destroy those whom damage or destroy His temple. The temple in this passage refers specifically to the local church. Consequently, the local church should stand guard against divisions, selfishness and false doctrine.




See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!


Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com



(Coffman 1984, 39)
² (MacAurthur 1984, 69)
³ (D. S. Toussaint n.d., 4)
⁴ (D. S. Toussaint 2012, Class Notes)
⁵ (MacAurthur 1984, 77)
⁶ (Lowery 1983, 511-512)
⁷ (D. S. Toussaint 2012, Class Notes)

1 Corinthians Argument 1:4 – 2:16

Thanksgiving 1:4-9

An old saying states, People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care (love). This passage informs the Corinthian church of Paul sharing Christ's love for them, which opens the audience's heart and mind to the message. Paul dwells on the God's eternal faithfulness, praising God for using those in the Corinthian church. He instructs the church of amazing gifts of grace resulting from dwelling in Christ. This grace is comprised of at least three factors defined by Dr. Gene Getz, first, God's Favor in Salvation, "called as saints" (Eph. 2:8-9). Second, A Divine Source of Strength, in each greeting of Paul's thirteen letters, he uses "grace" and "peace" (1Cor. 1:3) and Paul requested God to provide strength to all believers in their daily lives. 3) The Grace—Freely given gifts of the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 1:4-7; 12:11). The Corinthians needed reassurance of the power available to them from God to overcome the temptations. Prudence also mandated understanding among the Corinthian church that these gifts resulted in God's goodness as opposed to any perceived human goodness.

Divisions in the Church 1:10-17

Paul proverbially grabs the church by the ear saying, get your act together as there is only one Christ, follow Him as a unified church body. Paul quickly acknowledges Chloe as his source of information, a significant factor for credibility in any repudiation. The church errantly divided over which of Christ's servants to follow, Paul, Apollos, Peter—most likely one of his disciples or members of Christ's party—probably Judaizers, those falsely claiming to be Christians. Division destroys (Mk. 3:24-26) relationships, organizations and structures. Conversely unification enhances strength (Ec. 4:12). Additionally, "I thank God that I baptized none of you" strongly illustrates salvation's independence of baptism—especially human wisdom,
rather salvation's complete dependence on the gospel of Christ.

Christ's Wisdom and God's Power 1:18-2:5

Corinth residents pontificated on human wisdom, this arrogance infiltrated the church. Soil saturation measures the volume of water in relation to the soil's total volume (θ = V_w /V_t). Conversely, salvation relies 100 percent of one's belief and acceptance of the "message of the cross." Any dependence on any human wisdom fully negates salvation in Christ. Salvation = Belief in Christ / Christ's deity and humanity multiplied by Christ's death and resurrection. Denying Belief in Christ or any factor of the denominator equates to zero salvation. This principle decimates credibility from boasting about human wisdom. Philosophers elevate humanity's thoughts and actions with human wisdom.


Paul, a well-educated man, counters this by negating an attempt of "excellency of speech or of wisdom" with Greek philosophy, rather speaks solely with gospel philosophy. For example, the Greek's human wisdom comprised denying Christ's resurrection. When shooting a rifle with a mounted scope, the true hunter avoids observing and describing the rifle or scope in attempting to bag his trophy buck. Firing the gun while externally observing the scope will result in missing the target at best, or injuring or killing an unintended target at worst. Human wisdom interacts with religion and Christianity as the above described gun handler. Two primary reasons for observing the scope instead of using the scope reside in ignorance and arrogance. The ignorant fail to understand the power of the scope, or lack cognizance of the scopes optic components. Arrogance believes one can see as well as, or perhaps better, on one's own than with the optics.

Spirit's Wisdom 2:6-16

Spiritual wisdom causes one to evaluate religion and Christianity first through the scope of scriptural truth, placing one's spiritual eye in line with the lens of creation (Gen. 1:25-26), the fall, the seed of the serpent, and the seed of woman (Gen. 3:1-16) all the way through the scope to the book of Revelation. Only the Holy Spirit's optics of spiritual wisdom enable placing the cross-hairs of salvation firmly and solely on Jesus Christ. Paul explains that those who externally observe the scope lack comprehending the clarity, magnification and cross-hairs viewed within and through the scope of the Holy Spirit to recognize Christ.


Gun scopes offer various magnifications, each level increases clarity and precision. Many details undistinguishable with the naked eye appear magnificently through the scope. Moreover, spiritual maturity increases our scopes magnification. This scope enables the understanding of such things as Christ's congruent deity and humanity, as well as his death and resurrection. Spiritual wisdom utterly befuddles those—like the Corinthians—relying on human wisdom. Paul informs the Corinthian church that as Christians they have the Holy Spirit's scope, they simply must look through it to properly understand the world and the resurrection of Christ and the saved, and avoid confusion. He acknowledges the development of some Corinth church members' development into spiritual maturity.




See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!
Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc. www.rickemeyer.com



(Getz 2011, 1566)
² (Toussaint 2012, Class Notes)
³ (Radmacher, Allen and House 1999, 1460)
⁴ (Hillel 1982, 11)
     ⁵
(Coffman 1984, 27)