November 22 - I Corinthians 4-6
I told you some of the problems in the church at Corinth were very serious, didn't I? It is almost hard to believe, but Paul begins to deal with some of them in this passage, so we can see the details. How can Christians get into such situations? It is certain that Satan will lead us to be deceived and to give a bad testimony before unbelievers, if he can. He is the ultimate culprit, but I am afraid, he doesn't have to help us all of the time. Sometimes, we do it to ourselves by trying to live in our own wisdom and power.
In chapter 4 we are challenged to be faithful stewards of all the Lord has entrusted to our care. (v.2) Faithfulness is what the Lord requires, and Paul was a steward of the church at Corinth because he founded it. It was Christ's church, of course, but since Paul started it, he was to keep it going in the right direction. This is his emphasis in this chapter. He is their spiritual father, and they need to listen to him. He may seem to be foolish to them and weak in some ways, but God had directed him to Corinth, and he was the one who won them to the Lord. It was wrong for them to reject him and to go off on their own without him. Therefore, if it was needed he would come to rebuke them. It is evident that Paul would rather come in love, instead of rebuke. Therefore, he asks them to deal with their problems quickly.
The problem in chapter 5 is a case of sexual immorality, where a professing believer was living with his step-mother. This was not even done by unbelievers. Paul is clear that they must not overlook this. They must not think God would forgive this, because he was a Christian. They must rebuke this person and put him out of the church if he failed to repent. (v.5) If not, this type of sin and other sins would spread through the church body. (v.6) Many churches do not practice church discipline today, but it is Biblical, and it is important. Since believers have been changed by Christ, we are not to live in sin. It is unbiblical and wrong. We must hold each other accountable in this way, so that no one will think that sin is acceptable to God.
In chapter 6 the problem is believers being unable to agree on an issue and going to a secular court to make the decision. This is a sin. Paul tells them to choose an arbitrator from among the believers to settle the dispute or to just be defrauded, but never to take it before a secular court. This course of action gives a bad testimony to the world, and it is against God's will since believers will help God judge angels in eternity. Think about this for a minute. Two believers who are supposed to be unified in Christ, can't agree even though they have the Holy Spirit to lead them. They get mad at each other, and they ask an unbeliever to settle their dispute according to man's laws instead of God's laws. There are many problems with this.
Don't let Satan deceive you, and don't deceive yourself into doing something that brings shame on the name of Christ like they did in Corinth. It is not about us. It is about Jesus and His will for us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 7-9.
In chapter 4 we are challenged to be faithful stewards of all the Lord has entrusted to our care. (v.2) Faithfulness is what the Lord requires, and Paul was a steward of the church at Corinth because he founded it. It was Christ's church, of course, but since Paul started it, he was to keep it going in the right direction. This is his emphasis in this chapter. He is their spiritual father, and they need to listen to him. He may seem to be foolish to them and weak in some ways, but God had directed him to Corinth, and he was the one who won them to the Lord. It was wrong for them to reject him and to go off on their own without him. Therefore, if it was needed he would come to rebuke them. It is evident that Paul would rather come in love, instead of rebuke. Therefore, he asks them to deal with their problems quickly.
The problem in chapter 5 is a case of sexual immorality, where a professing believer was living with his step-mother. This was not even done by unbelievers. Paul is clear that they must not overlook this. They must not think God would forgive this, because he was a Christian. They must rebuke this person and put him out of the church if he failed to repent. (v.5) If not, this type of sin and other sins would spread through the church body. (v.6) Many churches do not practice church discipline today, but it is Biblical, and it is important. Since believers have been changed by Christ, we are not to live in sin. It is unbiblical and wrong. We must hold each other accountable in this way, so that no one will think that sin is acceptable to God.
In chapter 6 the problem is believers being unable to agree on an issue and going to a secular court to make the decision. This is a sin. Paul tells them to choose an arbitrator from among the believers to settle the dispute or to just be defrauded, but never to take it before a secular court. This course of action gives a bad testimony to the world, and it is against God's will since believers will help God judge angels in eternity. Think about this for a minute. Two believers who are supposed to be unified in Christ, can't agree even though they have the Holy Spirit to lead them. They get mad at each other, and they ask an unbeliever to settle their dispute according to man's laws instead of God's laws. There are many problems with this.
Don't let Satan deceive you, and don't deceive yourself into doing something that brings shame on the name of Christ like they did in Corinth. It is not about us. It is about Jesus and His will for us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 7-9.