2.10.11 -- Jude

Jude

The book of Jude is the last book before Revelation in the Christian Bible. At only 25 verses long, it is often overlooked in favor of weightier tomes. Yet it contains much!

The entire epistle is a note to Christian believers to warn them that in their midst are some who are ungodly. I love the description of these men in Jude 4: "who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ." Notice that it doesn't say "who do not practice good works" or "who do not show the fruits of the spirit" or "who do not pray" or even "who have not been baptized." These men are ungodly because they are an affront to the grace of God!

In the very next verse, Jude 5, it goes on to say that God destroyed "those who did not believe." Yes, there is also talk of destruction of sinners (characterized primarily by their sins), but it seems to me that the very heart of the issue is not the sin, but rather the lack of faith (belief!) that it stems from.

Later, in Jude 20-21, we are given the answer to this invasion of the ungodly into the midst of the church: "building yourselves up on your most holy faith,& praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." That's right -- the solution Jude gives us begins with faith.

The letter is concluded, as is customary, with a benediction. Jude 24-25 says:

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.

Powerful words indeed! Note however, it doesn't say "God who will keep you from stumbling," but "God who is able to..." This is an important distinction since this verse has more than once been used to accuse those who stumble of not knowing God. We all stumble, but we stumble a lot less when we're walking close to Him. If we were to walk perfectly with Him at all times, I truly believe that we would never stumble, but we are easily distracted and we wander away on our own paths. We find ourselves far from his presence, we stumble and fall, and He comes and picks us up again and for a time we walk with him until we repeat the whole cycle again.

2.23.10 -- 1 Corinthians 11

1 Corinthians 11

1 Cor 11:14-16 ~ Men having short hair and women having long hair is Biblical. A woman with short hair should cover her head when praying. These seem to be things that the Corinthians were squabbling over. I like how Paul sums it up in v 16.

2.22.10 -- 1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10

1 Cor 10:4 ~ Even in the old testament, Christ was the way to salvation.

1 Cor 10:11 ~ I sometimes have the tendency to ignore the old testament in favor of the new. I really need to work on that.

1 Cor 10:13 ~ This verse is such a comfort to me sometimes!

1 Cor 10:31 ~ What a great reminder -- whatever we do, we are to do it for God's glory! That includes the little things we barely think about as well as the big things.

2.20.10 -- 1 Corinthians 8

1 Corinthians 8

1 Cor 8:1-3 ~ Is Paul here actually condemning knowledge of the Lord and of th scriptures? Of course not! Often people point to this passage and say that you shouldn't tell other believers that what they are doing is wrong. Earlier in this very book, Paul talks about judging others within the church. And in 2 Tim 3:16 he makes it quite clear that we are to use scripture "for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." What then is he talking about here? Humility and love. We aren't to be puffed up or proud in our knowledge. We are to correct our brothers lovingly.

In the context of the letter, Paul was specifically applying this concept to Christians who were laughing at other believers who still clung to laws that no longer applied to them. Some of the Christians in Corinth had come from idolatrous backgrounds. Meat offered to idols was problematic for them because of their former lives. If they saw their brethren doing what they rightfully could, eating that meat as if the idols meant nothing (which is correct and acceptable for Christians), it could cause them to stumble. So, in love, the other believers should refrain from eating meat sacrificed to idols, so as not to cause their brothers in Christ to fall.

I don't know about you, but I don't know many folks for whom meat sacrificed to idols is an issue.

I do, however, know people who have other stumbling blocks. Alcohol is a big one for some. If someone came to be a Christian from a life of partying and drunkenness, and gave up that life in order to serve God, going out to a bar and having a few drinks might be an issue for them. More so for someone who was addicted, a full-blown alcoholic. Drinking is completely acceptable for Christians, else Jesus would not have famously turned water into wine. However, we should not indulge ourselves at the expense of our weaker brothers and sisters.

2.19.10 -- 1 Corinthains 7

1 Corinthians 7

1 Cor 7:1-9 ~ This is often used to say that God doesn't want us to marry. While that is true in certain specific cases, I think it's also quite obvious that marriage was an institution created by God, for our good. After all, was it not God who looked down on Adam in the garden and said "it is not good that man should be alone" (Gen 1:18)? I think the broader context here is that if God has called you to remain single, you should do so. But if He has called you to marriage, you should marry. This is what Paul says just a few verses later in 1 Cor 7:17.

1 Cor 7:10-16 ~ Here is the far more strict commandment. Marriage vows are a serious covenant made before man and God. We, as Christians, are to keep them. Divorce is not an option other than in the case of adultery, and even then it is not a good option (Mark 10:1-12).

1 Cor 17:18-19 ~ This verse is almost comical if the word "circumcised" is taken literally. Obviously there would not need to be a command not to "become uncircumcised" -- that's pretty well a one-way street. Rather, Paul here is using the word (as is often his habit and the common use of the day) to refer to someone living under the Jewish law. That is to say, Jews, who keep the law, are not to turn from it when they become Christians. Likewise, Gentiles, who are not under the Jewish law, have no obligation to obey it when they become Christians. That doesn't mean we can just do whatever we like (as v 19 points out). There are plenty of commands given to Christians by Christ himself and later by His Apostles.

1 Cor 7:29-31 ~ Again, Paul here is not speaking of abandoning duty or forsaking covenant. These verses should be understood in light of the following point.

1 Cor 7:32 ~ Here is the main point of this entire section. We are not to put our spouse or our other cares above the service of the Lord. He is to remain number one in our lives. All else should fall into place within the context of our service to Him.

2.18.10 -- 1 Corinthians 6

1 Corinthians 6

1 Cor 6:2-3 ~ This one surprises me every time I read it. I know it's there, I know it's truth, but I have a tendency to forget! It seems mind-boggling to imagine that we, as believers will one day join Christ in judging the fallen angels!

1 Cor 6:9-11 ~ This laundry list of those who will not inherit the Kingdom is most often brought out to condemn others. Yet if you look at the context, Paul quite clearly states "such were some of you, but you were washed." Amen to that!

1 Cor 6:12 ~ Here's a verse that is also frequently misused. If Paul says all things are lawful, what is there to stop us from doing whatever we want? Read the context. All things are lawful, but clearly not all things are right or good or pleasing to God. And that should be our main focus, should it not?

1 Cor 6:20 ~ I'm often told that the free grace gospel is heresy because "if people believed that, what would stop them from doing just as they pleased?" Here's the answer. We were bought at a price. I know that I forget this often, and find myself in foolish situations. I'm still human after all. But when I do remember this verse, when I do think about the price paid for my salvation, I find myself in awe of the great and powerful love of God for me, and for those around me. Makes it a lot easier to want to follow His will!

2.17.10 -- 1 Corinthains 5

1 Corinthians 5

This is a great chapter on the concept of judgment within the church. There seem to be two ways to go today.

Some churches steep themselves in judgment so deeply that they don't seem to do anything else. You've heard of them. They're the ones who make the news carrying signs that read things like "God hates fags." They rail on and on about the wickedness of society while not doing a thing about their own anger (and last I heard wrath is still a sin).

The other option we see often is a total lack of judgment of any sort. "Don't judge" has become a mantra of sorts for a lot of people and for a lot of churches. They're so politically correct they're afraid to even discuss the concept of sin lest they should offend someone. This too is not a good approach.

What then is a Christian to do? Well, in this chapter Paul pretty well lays it out.

1 Cor 5:5 ~ Wow, this sounds really harsh. Lots of people read this verse and think Paul is talking about someone losing their salvation. Since elsewhere in the Bible the concept of "once saved always saved" is quite clearly taught, and the Bible (being inerrant) can't contradict itself, that can't really be the meaning here. What then does the verse mean when it speaks of delivering someone over to Satan? The next few words give us a clue. It's not the soul that will be destroyed, but rather the flesh. Basically what is being said here is if someone is so determined to follow the path to (temporal) destruction, let them! Don't keep trying to get them to repent if they refuse. They will experience God's wrath here on earth (rather than in eternity) in that Satan (whom they chose to follow) will be permitted to torment and even destroy their physical bodies.

1 Cor 5:6 ~ I have a tendency to just jump right over this one some times. However, it's well worth looking at. When a church allows its members to sin unrestrained, the praise of the entire group is spoiled in God's eyes. Similarly, when a Christian allows a little bit of sin to reign in just one part of their life, their entire being is tainted by it. Does this mean that we have to be perfect in order to praise God? Not at all! None of us are that. What it does mean is that we need to deal with our sins, and those of our fellow believers, in a manner befitting our station. Rather than letting sin reign, becoming a slave to it, we should exert control over it. We should struggle against sin, not just sit back and let it have its way with us.

1 Cor 5:9-13 ~ Here is the formula Paul gives for judging others. Don't judge non-believers! How silly to try to get people to follow a set of rules when they don't know the God who made those rules! It's like going to another country and trying to get the people there to follow the laws and regulations of your home town. They follow the world because they are of the world. Likewise, when someone becomes a Christian, they should put aside the traditions they are accustomed to and learn the ways of the faith. A Christian who continues in sin is like someone who becomes a naturalized citizen of this country but still attempts to live by the rules of their former home. It just doesn't work! So, Christians should not expect non-Christians to follow God's laws. And Christians should expect other Christians to follow God's laws. Pretty simple, huh? If a Christian doesn't want to follow the rules, the church should cast them out. Sounds drastic and harsh, but sometimes it's that type of "tough love" that wakes someone up enough to repent!