Living Word December 2013

"The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel," which means "God with us." Mat 1:23

Merry Christmas IN THIS ISSUE

www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk

In this month’s issue: 3.

Reigning by Serving

4.

Learn from the Past but Don’t Live in it Daniel Kolenda (CfaN)

5.

Go Easy on the Elder Brother

6.

Fight the Right Foe

7.

God’s Saving Purposes Completed

10.

Faith-builders Bible Study Mark 3

13.

Christmas Sermon Ideas

15.

Pure by Association

16.

Daily Moment of Thought

18.

In Depth Study – 1 Corinthians 10

Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)

Ken Legg (Australia) Zion Faith (India) Mathew Bartlett (UK) Derek Williams (UK) Various (UK) Abby Kelly (USA) Sonja Burketh (USA) Mathew Bartlett (UK)

©Photos above © Fred Palmeiri Cover: © Martin de Graaf Left © from top: Openas Openas, Jozef Sedmak, Godfer, Sebastian Grecu, and Photowitch Facing Arenacreative Back Cover: Benjamin Haas

Living Word Magazine is published in the United Kingdom by1Sharon Full Gospel Church, 7 Park View, Freeholdland Road, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, NP4 8LP Editor: Mathew Bartlett

Faithbuilders Bible Study Guide – Mark

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Reigning by Serving An extract from “Royal Insignia” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey Image (c) Olga Naidenova

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He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (John 12:25).

We become great by becoming little (Matt 18:4).

APARADOX has been defined thus: “A tenet or proposition contrary to received opinion and seemingly absurd, but true in fact.” The Gospel of Christ is full of paradoxes, for God’s thoughts and ways are on a higher plane than human thoughts and ways, and therefore appear impossible and even absurd from the merely human standpoint, just as the statements and actions of an astronomer searching the heavens with a telescope would appear absurd to the wild savages in the heart of Africa.

We become wise by becoming foolish (1 Cor. 1:20,21).

We give a few of these paradoxes: We see unseen things (2 Cor. 4:18).

We conquer by yielding (Matt.

5:5), (Rom. 12:20,21).

We are exalted by being humbled (Matt. 23:12).

We become free by becoming slaves (Rom. 6:17-22), (Rom. 8:2).

We possess all things by having nothing (2 Cor. 6:10).

All things are ours because we are not our own (1 Cor. 3:21), (1 Cor. 6:19).

When we are weak then we are strong (2 Cor. 12:10).

We triumph by defeat (2 Cor. 12:7-9).

Our honor is in our shame (Phil. 2:5-11), (Luke 6:26).

We glory in our infirmities (2 Cor. 12:5).

We live by dying (John 12:24,25), (2 Cor. 4:10,11).

—Bright Words, 1902-1907.

We rest under a yoke (Matt.

11:28-30).

We reign by serving (Mark 10:42,44).

“You said and your

will shine the brighter,” Shelhamer, a minister author, “by giving up own brilliancy; go the 3

faster by walking softly with your God; grow eternally tall by sitting on a low bench; reign over others by letting them reign over you; yea, save your life by losing it.”

Make me a captive, Lord, And then I shall be free; Force me to render up my sword, And I shall conqu’ror be.

I sink in life’s alarms When by myself I stand; Imprison me within Thine arms, And strong shall be my hand.

My heart is weak and poor Until it master find; It has no spring of action sure— It varies with the wind.

It cannot freely move, Till Thou hast wrought its chain; Enslave it with Thy matchless love, And deathless it shall reign.

My will is not my own Till Thou hast made it Thine; If it would reach a monarch’s throne It must its crown resign; It only stands unbent Amid the crashing strife, When on Thy bosom it has leant And found in Thee its life.

—George Matheson.

Learn From the Past but Don’t Live in It A Bible Study by Daniel Kolenda (CfaN) Photo: © Sebastian Grecu

Some people live with terrible regret over an the oftenpast.

Repentance is such Everyone makes misunderstood concept.mistakes.

Contrary Some of those mistakes may to what many people think, repentance be the result is notof a dirty disobedience word. It’s nottojust for the sinner who wants the known will of God. But to most get saved, nor is it just for those are a result of a lack of who are sins and prayer,committing a lack gross of wisdom, living in blatant immorality. For the immaturity, impatience, or child of God repentance should be misunderstanding of the a lifestyle. To repent means to facts. “turn,” to change one’s mind and direction.

If we could have known in

what many we people know Butthe herepast is where today, most of would misunderstand.

Weustend to have think made different decisions in of repentance as primarily turning away from something, as in turning some area of our lives.

As the away from goes, sin and “Hindsight making a onesaying is hundred-eighty-degree change to always 20/20.” the opposite direction. But this is The reality that point. we cannot missing the isreal For example, a sinner couldand turn undo away go back in time from a sinthat and still lost. Indone. fact, things havebebeen there are many religions that teach But what we can do, and morals and is abstinence from must do, stop moving in various sins, but that in and of the wrong direction, itself does not save anyone. acknowledge our mistakes, Therefore, from the Christian repent, and then move on. perspective, what you turn away from is not theauthorities issue. It is When thereally Jewish what you turn to that makes the brought to Jesus a woman difference.

she was clearly guilty of the sin she was being accused of.

Under the law adultery demanded death.

Justice required that this woman pay the price for her sin.

But Jesus had compassion on her. And after her accusers left, Jesus said, “‘Woman, where are they?

Did no one condemn you?’

She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more’” (John 8:10-11, nas).

Although we are emotionally moved by this story, let me ask you a practical question.

What gave Jesus the right to contradict the demands of the Law of Moses? Justice must be served and lawbreakers must be punished.

And yet the Lord Jesus did not simply dismiss this woman’s adultery as though

caught in the act of adultery,

4

it were unimportant. When He said these words, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more,” He was already on His way to the cross where He would pay for that woman’s adultery with His own sinless blood. Justice would be served, and every debt would be paid.

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Grace Roots by Ken Legg

‘the elder brother’. His younger brother went off in rebellion into the far country.

He wasted his inheritance and lived immorally with prostitutes. He insulted his father and brought shame on the family name. Yet at the end of the parable he is the one inside the party as the centre of attention and his dutiful, elder brother is outside, grumpy and all alone.

His father got up, left the party and went out to his elder son, pleading with him to come inside.

Order your copy online The pdf version is just $9 Australian Dollars Print version $19 ($22 outside Australia)

Go Easy On The Elder Brother “Who was very upset when the prodigal son came home?” the children’s church worker asked her class. A little boy put his hand up and replied, “The fatted calf!”

I can understand that. But, as we know, the answer the teacher was looking for was,

In response, the son uttered a phrase I have heard over and over again when a legalist gets the revelation that all he was trying to get through his works he already had by grace! “All these years I served you, and you never even gave me a kid goat!”

All these years Here are some of the things that people say when their eyes are opened to the unmerited, unconditional favour of God given to us freely in Christ: “All these years I have tried to keep the law; then you come along and announce that Jesus has fulfilled it completely on my 5

behalf and nailed it to the cross!”

“All these years I have tried to deal with my sins one by one – confessing and repenting, confessing and repenting – and then you come along and tell me that Jesus made one sacrifice once for all and all my sins have been forgiven!”

“All these years I have tried to get more power through fasting; and then you come along and tell me that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead already lives inside me.”

“All these years I have been trying to break curses over my life; and then you come along and tell me I am not cursed, but blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus!”

“All these years I have been trying to live for God; and then you come along and say, ‘Don’t try to live for God, let Him live through you!’”

“All these years I have been trying to die to self; and then you come along and tell me I am already crucified with Christ and that it’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!”

“All these years I have been chasing God; and then you

come along and tell me He never left me!”

And what did we get for all our work over all those years?

Not even a skinny goat! Why? Because God doesn’t do deals. Any works we perform in an effort to get things from God are called ‘dead works’.

They are superfluous, because everything God wants to give us and everything He wants to do in our lives is already paid for.

Surprise ending We expect Jesus to give the elder brother a bad ending in this parable; after all he deserves it, right? And so an appropriate conclusion to the parable would be to give him a good telling off.

But Jesus doesn’t do that.

Instead we see the father leaving the party to come out to his elder son and lovingly plead with him to come in.

You see, this father had two sons and they were both lost – one in the far country and the other in the house. And he loved them both equally – the rebel and the legalist.

world today. It is being known more and more as a house of grace. And prodigals are coming home because they feel safe to do so.

But let’s make it easy for the elder brother too. I have read several internet blogs on grace-based sites and wonder if a new breed is emerging – the grace Pharisee.

It’s easy to become smug and self-righteous in our newfound discovery of the wonder of grace, and then arrogantly turn and point the finger at the legalist who has not yet had the same revelation.

When I’m tempted to condemn the elder brother, God reminds me that I was once one! He is not the enemy of the lost; He is their Seeker and their Finder.

So when we engage in discussion and debate with the legalist, let’s not just preach grace – let’s model it also. May they not only hear grace, may they experience it too!

Fight the Right Foe "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh." (2 Cor. 10:3) Do you know why so many believers are losing the battles in their lives? They're fighting the wrong enemy!

They've been deceived into believing that just because a person said or did something to hurt them, that person is the one they need to fight.

But they're wrong.

You see, the Bible says we don't wrestle with flesh and blood. And since people are definitely flesh and blood, they're never the source of our problem.

"But, pastor you just don't know what So-and-so did to me!" It doesn't matter. If you waste your time fighting Soand-so, your real enemy will get away scotfree.

Who is that real enemy?

Look at Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Zion FAITH (INDIA)

Some wonderful things are happening in our Father’s house in different parts of the 6

God shall always stand with in every storm. Lord of all Creation, I thank you for

Last time we saw the Lamb opening the sixth seal and releasing a series of catastrophic events heralding the day of the Lord - a time when men will be judged for their sin. In chapter 7 we encounter a pause before the opening of the seventh seal which will bring not so much further judgment as further details of God’s judgment on the earth.

God’s Saving Purposes Completed Revelation 7 He loved us enough to give His son to die so that we may be made sinless. But because He desires for us to love Him, He left it up to us whether to “plug” into Him or to live in the darkness. Just like the lamp, we too need a source of power in order to shine. God is our power source. He is to us what the electrical outlet is to a lamp.

God’s Purpose in Preservation of Israel

the

Chapter seven begins with a picture of the destructive forces about to be unleashed on the earth (symbolized by the four winds) being temporarily held back by four angels. This picture reveals that our long-suffering God will restrain His wrath until His servants are in a position to be safe from judgment.

Remember that John has been caught up into heaven, and so he is seeing things from the heavenly view point, looking down on the earth.

Since the sphere of judgment in v2,3 is the earth, the people to be protected are clearly living on earth at the time. Notice how they have been deliberately set apart in the foreknowledge of God, who has sovereignty purposed to spare them and bring them to himself. They are not taken from every nation, but are Jews from the tribes listed.

This fact, together with numbering, is meant to be taken literally and seriously. Indeed, 7

the enumeration of the tribes would be pointless if it were merely symbolic. These Jews are sealed, that is, set apart for God’s protection during the time of trouble which is about to come on earth. That only a small remnant of Israel is preserved is a fulfilment of prophecy.

Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: "THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BE AS THE SAND OF THE SEA, THE REMNANT WILL BE SAVED. (Rom 9:27) It is a mystery which we should consider with awe, that in order to fulfil his promises, God has determined to save a remnant of the Jewish nation alive on earth and through a time of great trouble, to bring them to faith in Christ.

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "THE DELIVERER WILL COME OUT OF ZION, AND HE WILL TURN AWAY UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB; (Rom 11:25-26) The whole body of scripture points toward this end. These Jews will be protected physically, provided for supernaturally and converted soundly. However, they will not remain on earth during the Millennium as a separate people, different to Christ’s

church, but will be included in the one body of Jew and Gentile believers. For if they are admitted to fellowship with Christ by faith in him, they become heirs with the same privilege as all believers. I conclude that these Jews become part of the church at Christ’s coming, and the union between Gentile believers and the nation of Israel (now believing) will be complete.

God’s purposes in Old & New Testament will be united and completed in one, through Christ.

God’s Purpose in the Redemption of the Church

Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! Rom 11:12 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Rom 11:15

They are innumerable

Perhaps an Old Testament picture will help us to understand this teaching. Joseph was rejected by his brothers and in a figure died and came to life again, being exalted above all as Lord over Egypt- the Gentiles bowed down and submitted to him. Though at first they did not recognize him, Joseph began to bring his brothers to himself during the seven years of famine, eventually revealing himself to them. Even so, it remains my belief that Christ will supernaturally reveal himself to the nation of Israel at the end of time - a nation greatly reduced in number by reason of severe trouble, but protected by God.

From every tribe and kindred and nation, proving that God so loved the world.

So why is the church not given the same special protection as Israel? Why are only the Jews sealed? The answer is obvious, we will not need it, for we will not be on earth at the time.

Where will we be? From his vantage point in heaven, John turns to see a great company of people who are already there, and gives us

A description redeemed

of

the

A great multitude which no man could number. Just as God promised Abraham - as the stars of heaven or the grains of sand on the seashore.

They are multinational

They are secure They are before the throne of God. Jesus promised that we would be with Him where he is and he is on the throne. We stand in favour with the Lord of the universe. That is security.

Their clothing is white They have received the righteousness of Christ, which was bought for them by His blood shed at Calvary.

They carry palm branchesshowing their joy in the salvation 8

which Christ has provided for them. Isaiah said “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads.

They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isa 51:11 They have a shout of praise and victory on their lipsHosanna, or Salvation belongs to (or is the work of) the sovereign Lord who rules over all and the Lamb - the One who died for their sins. The combined company of heaven falls before God to cry Amen to this never ending hymn of praise.

Lest we should still be in any doubt as to the identity of this happy group, one of the elders turns to inquire of John who they are. John is too polite to reply, for evidently this man knows more than he does, and so John receives further assurance that these are the ones who: Have come out of great trouble The church certainly has come out of great trouble, for from its beginning it has been the subject of hostility, ridicule and persecution. Rather than getting better, the persecution of Christians today is happening on a unprecedented scale. This verse is often misused to show that Christians will be on earth during the time of trouble which concludes in the Coming of the Lord and Israel’s restoration to him. We have already shown

that is not the case, and merely point out that the word “the” is absent in the original Greek text, so that the reference is not to a fixed time of trouble, but to the trouble the church has experienced throughout its history.

They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb A clearer indication could not be given as to the identity of the innumerable company in heaven. What better description could you give of a Christian any way but that he is someone who is washed in the blood of the Lamb. Only the blood washed can enter heaven. Lord have mercy on those who think they can be washed clean of their sin by the water of baptism or by some other means. With serious emphasis let me quote the hymn “What can wash away my sin nothing but the blood of Jesus”.

That is the description of the redeemed, but what of:

The Destiny of the Redeemed V14 In his discussion with John, this unnamed patriarch of heaven goes on to describe the eternal destiny of the redeemed: The perpetual presence of God 15a. They are before his throne and never to be parted from Him again. What comfort do we find in the words of 1 Thessalonians 4.17 “we shall be forever with the Lord.”

The perpetual service of God

15b. We shall serve him day and night in his temple. Not an earthly temple, but the true temple in heaven where we are told God himself and the Lamb are the Temple of it. I have only a faint idea of what that service will be, but I realize from these pages in Revelation that it will involve ceaseless thanks and praise and that it will be a never ending source of joy and delight to have the privilege of serving my Lord.

nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8.39

The perpetual fellowship of God

The perpetual consolation of God.

15c. He who sits on the throne shall dwell among them. What is sweeter than walking, talking and having close heart to heart fellowship with your friend - two minds and hearts united as one.

This - to an infinite degree - will be our fellowship with God forever, delighting ourselves in each other’s company.

The perpetual satisfaction in God 16a They shall neither hunger nor thirst any more. What more could my soul ask for but you, O God. To be with the Lord is to be perfectly satisfied. David says Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. Psa 73:25 The perpetual preservation in God 16b. The sun shall not strike them nor any heat. We shall be free from all fear of harm or separation from our God - for 9

The perpetual provision of God 17a - food and drink and care of shepherd. In picture language we see here that whatever needs we may have in heaven and does anyone have a need in heaven? Are supplied by our Saviour.

17b And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. In this world we have many tears - for many reasons. The pain of parting will be no more - for we shall be forever with the Lord reunited with Christians who have gone before us.

Disappointment, rejection, physical pain and illness and any other cause of tears will all be past as God wipes away every tear.

Conclusion As we see trouble is coming on this guilty world as never before, God pauses to reveal to us the security we have as His redeemed. Those secure in Christ are secure indeed. No wonder the writer to the Hebrews writes: we have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. Heb 6:18

The Faith-builders Bible study series The ‘Faith-builders Bible study series’ has been developed a useful resource for today’s students of God’s Word and their busy lifestyles.

Pastors, home or study group leaders and indeed for anyone wishing to study the Bible for themselves will benefit from using Faith-builders studies.

Each volume is the result of many years of group Bible study, and has been revised again and again to be relevant, challenging and faith building whilst remaining clear and easy to understand.

Each chapter had thought provoking questions to aid study and sample answers are provided.

Below are the study notes for Mark chapter 3.

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Mark Chapter 3 (abstract)

The ‘Faith-builders Bible study series’ has been developed a useful resource for today’s students of Word and their lifestyles.

ByGod’s Derek Williams &busy Mathew Bartlett (UK) Image © Rorem

Doing Good on the Sabbath 3:1 Then Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

It was Jesus’ custom to attend the local synagogue; and on this occasion he met there a man with a withered hand.

3:2 They watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they could accuse him.

The Pharisees were there, scrutinising Jesus’ every word and action; ready to pounce on him with an accusation. They only saw the man's handicap as an opportunity to bring charges against Jesus. They had no compassion for the man himself. Jesus on the other hand

Pastors, home or study group leaders and indeed for anyone wishing to study the him, Bible forfor theythemselves did not wishwill to benefit from using Faith-builders studies. saw the man's need, and reached become ensnared in the very trap

Mark Chapter 2 (abstract)

out to him in genuine compassion; which they had set for him.

Each volume is the result of many years of group Bible whilst at the same time taking the study, and has been revised3:5again and again to be After looking around at them in opportunity to challenging emphasise his Image © Rorem relevant, and faith building whilst remaining anger, grieved by the hardness of teaching concerning the Sabbath. clear and easy to understand. their hearts, he said to the man, 3:3 So he said to the man whothought had ‘Stretch outquestions your hand.’

He Each chapter had provoking to aid the study withered hand, ‘Stand up stretched it out, and his hand was and sample answers are provided. among all these people.’ restored.

By Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett (UK)

Below are the study notes for chapter 2.

In calling the man to come forward The Lord became very angry and Buyof paperback now for £7.99 in front the whole congregation was grieved over the hardness of JesusKindle was challenging the man's Edition only £2.01 their hearts; their unwillingness to faith. bend the rules even for the sake of a helpless man. To the Hebrew 3:4 Then he said to them, ‘Is it “hardness of heart” meant “a lawful to do good on the Sabbath, stubborn resistance to the purpose or evil, to save a life or destroy it?’ of God” (A. Cole). If finding such But they were silent. hardness in the hearts of his enemies caused Christ pain, how Jesus then challenged his much more must he be grieved to opponents by asking them “is it find hard hearts among the lawful to do good or evil on the common people (John 12:37-40) or Sabbath?” They did not dare answer 10

even his own disciples (Mark 6:52).

At the command of Jesus the man stretched out his hand, and as he did so it was healed.

3:6 So the Pharisees went out immediately and began plotting with the Herodians, as to how they could assassinate him.

The Pharisees did not rejoice to see the man healed; they only saw Jesus as a threat to their authority and that of the law of Moses. The Pharisees and the Herodians hated each other vehemently, yet such was their mutual hatred of Christ that they joined forces in order to plot his death.

Note: Herodians. These were a party among the Jews who were supporters of King Herod and his family, as they looked upon him as the last hope for the Jews of retaining their own national government, as distinguished from absolute dependence on Rome 3:7-8 Then Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him. And from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan River, and around Tyre and Sidon a great multitude came to him when they heard about the things he had done.

Because of the rejection of the religious leaders Jesus withdrew from his synagogue ministry to continue preaching in the open air, as so many have been forced to do since (e.g. John Wesley in England).

Christ returned to the seaside where the people came to him, not only from Galilee but from all over Israel. They came to hear his teaching and to be healed by him.

The reason for the vast crowds was the publicity Jesus had gained by “word of mouth”. They had heard

from others the mighty things that Jesus had done, and wanted to see for themselves. It is only as we tell others about Jesus that they can know his power to save them (Rom. 10:14). Yet we also learn from these verses that there are times in our witnessing when we need to withdraw (as Christ did from the Pharisees) and allow the Holy Spirit to do his work, especially when our witness is rejected.

3:9 Because of the crowd, he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so the crowd would not press toward him.

The Lord was not ignorant of the possibility of his being overcome by the crush of the large crowd, and so asked his disciples to have a small boat standing by that he might use it as a pulpit. We might wonder why he should take this precaution, since in other places we see Christ divinely protected from the crowds (such as those who wanted to throw him over the cliff in Nazareth in Luke 4:29-30). Yet it appears that even in Jesus’ case, God expects men to use their common sense, and if provision can be made, to make it. Remember what Jesus answered when Satan tempted him to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple (Matt. 4:7).

3:10 For he had healed many, so that all who were afflicted with diseases pressed toward him in order to touch him.

There seemed to be no end to the number of people who needed healing of a huge variety of diseases. We read again that many were healed, which would perhaps suggest that not everybody was; not because of Christ's inability but because of their unbelief.

11

3:11-12 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.

Whenever unclean spirits saw him, they fell at his feet and cried out; acknowledging who he was. One commenter has suggested that the reason that there was such great activity by demonic power at this time was because Jesus Christ had come to destroy them. The reason for the increase in the manifestation of demonic power in the world today might be the same – for the devil and his demons know that the time is short before Christ comes to cast them into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).

Christ silences the demons, for he does not need their testimony.

What matters most to God is not the confession of vanquished demons, but the voluntary confession from the hearts of men who gladly yield their allegiance to him.

Jesus Calls the Twelve 3:13 Now Jesus went up the mountain and called for those he wanted, and they came to him.

Jesus next departed to the quietness of the mountains, where we are told (Luke 6:12) that he prayed all night before choosing his twelve apostles. Like Jesus, before we make any important decision, we should pray and have an open heart to receive the answer; whatever it might be. We may not all have the privilege today of being called as apostles, but Jesus is continually calling every one of us to a closer walk with him.

3:14-15 He appointed twelve (whom he named apostles), so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach and to have authority to cast out demons.

Christ’s purpose in choosing these men was to prepare them for the ministry he wanted them to fulfil.

This ministry entailed preaching the gospel message and (through Christ’s name) healing the sick and casting out demons.

3:16-19 He appointed twelve: To Simon he gave the name Peter; to James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, he gave the name Boanerges (that is, ‘sons of thunder’); and Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

The apostles were certainly a mixed bunch and if they were interviewed by employers according to today’s values they certainly would not have been chosen for the job. But God does not look at the outward appearance or at our achievements but at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).

Consider those who were chosen: Simon (meaning hasty, or rough and ready); whom he re-named Peter (a rock), for Jesus new that a work of grace would be done in his life to make him steadfast and sure; Andrew - the earnest but quiet witness who brought his brother Simon to the Lord (John 1:40-41); James and John - sons of thunder, boisterous, demanding (Mark 10:35-36) and aggressive. You would never have thought that John would be found leaning on Jesus’ breast and that James would be martyred so early in his ministry (Acts 12:1-2). Philip was slow to understand the truth (John 14:8),

but he became an earnest witness.

He found Nathanael (Bartholomew), who was a thinker, and in whom was no deceit.

Matthew was the hated tax collector and cheat who worked for the Roman enemies. Dithering and doubting Thomas was also chosen, together with Judas Iscariot, the thief and betrayer. Of the other disciples named here we know very little.

Division 3:20-21 Now Jesus went home, and a crowd gathered so that they were not able to eat. When his family heard this they went out to restrain him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’

The family of Jesus did not believe in him until after the resurrection.

On hearing that he was so heavily pressed by the people that neither he nor his disciples had time to even eat, they arrived to take him back home, accusing him of being mad.

3:22 The experts in the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and, ‘By the ruler of demons he casts out demons.’

The scribes who had come especially from Jerusalem to trap him seized this opportunity to accuse Jesus of being the devil or a demon (Beelzebul) and of casting out demons by the power of the prince of the devils (Satan).

3:23 So he called them and spoke to them in parables: ‘How can Satan cast out Satan?

Note that Jesus does not get angry or openly rebuke the lawyers, but calls them to him privately and corrects them by giving two 12

parables. But first of all he asks them a simple and clear question: “how can Satan cast out Satan?”

3:24-25 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom will not be able to stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

The first parable they should have understood from reference to their history in the Old Testament. A kingdom is united when it has one king to reign over it. Saul was the first king of Israel, David the second and Solomon the third. Only these three kings ruled over a united kingdom; for when Solomon died and his son Rehoboam became king the kingdom was divided. The two tribes of Judah and Benjamin became one kingdom under Rehoboam and the other ten tribes formed the northern kingdom, appointing their own king (Jeroboam).

Eventually both kingdoms were destroyed and all the tribes were scattered throughout the world (1 Kings 12).

The second parable of a house divided against itself is more personal, since if there is strife or rebellion in the family home it will not remain together.

3:26 And if Satan rises against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand and his end has come.

So it is with Satan: if he rose up in rebellion against himself, he could not stand but would bring about his own destruction.

3:27 But no one is able to enter a strong man's house and steal his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can thoroughly plunder his house.

3 Simple Christmas sermon ideas for your ministry!

Image Š Photowitch

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Š Joo Young Cho

The Shepherd Search Have you ever wondered why God chose shepherds to be the first to hear the news concerning Jesus' birth? The shepherds were despised. Because of the nature of their occupation they were unable to keep the details of the ceremonial law: they could not observe all the meticulous hand washings and rules and regulations; their flocks made too many demands upon them. So the shepherds were looked down upon as very common people. However, their dedication was recognized in heaven. Was it because they were shepherds that God revealed His secret to them? An

unblemished lamb was offered every morning and evening in the temple as a sacrifice. To make certain that the supply of perfect offerings was always available, the temple authorities had their own flock of sheep pastured near Bethlehem. These shepherds may have been in charge of the sheep from which the temple offerings were chosen. God may have selected these shepherds because of their expectation. After the angelic announcement they said, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us" (Luke 2:15).

These shepherds were seeking 14

someone and they were not disappointed.

1. The Shepherds Determined the Facts Concerning Christ "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us" Luke 2:15 An event of tremendous significance had taken place. The stillness of the night had been broken by an angelic announcement, accompanied by a blaze of glory. Transfixed with fear and yet of wonder, the shepherds heard the words: "‌ Luke 2:10-12 I bring good news of great joy which will be to all

people. For there is born to you in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger" This heavenly news was so astonishing and held such farreaching consequences that these wise shepherds could do no less than determine the facts. a) They Seriously Determined the Facts Concerning Christ "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us" Luke 2:15 Nothing else really mattered; even the care of their sheep was secondary. They must go at once and see this thing which the Lord had made known to them.

The witness of Mary centered in the miracle of the Savior's birth.

Mary was the mother of Jesus.

She had never known a man.

The Holy Spirit had come on her and the power of the Highest overshadowed her: therefore the holy one that had been born in her was called the Son of God. The miracle of the supernatural conception meant that He was without sin.

Therefore, His was a supernatural and sinless birth.

And so as the shepherds looked into Mary's face and heard the story, they worshiped because of the miracle of the birth of Christ.

b) They Speedily Determined the Facts Concerning Christ

S. Olford "Without the virgin birth we would have no Savior. If He had carried a single trait of sin then He would have needed a Savior, like any other son of Adam's race".

Luke 2:16 To with haste…"

b) They Found the Message of the Savior's Birth

"… they came

The matter was urgent. At once they had to investigate the facts that were announced by the angelic messengers.

2. The Shepherds Accepted the Findings Concerning Christ Luke 2:16 "… they… found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger" a) They Found the Miracle of the Savior's Birth "they… found Mary…" Luke 2:16

Luke 2:16 "they found… Joseph" The angel who had appeared to Joseph said to him, Matthew 1:20-21 "… do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" The message of Christmas should centre on the fact that Jesus was born to be the Saviour of the world. He did not come 15

into the world primarily to teach, reform, heal, or even raise the dead but to save.

1Tim. 1:15 "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" c) They Found the Majesty of the Savior's Birth Luke 2:16 "they… found… the Babe lying in a manger" In the Baby we see the majesty of His identity; God manifest in the flesh In the lowly manger the majesty of His humility. The shepherds knelt by that manger and accepted their findings; they believed.

3. The Shepherds Announced their Faith Concerning Christ The shepherds accepted the heavenly announcement as a special word to their own hearts.

Having determined the fact, they had accepted the findings. Now they proceeded to announce the faith which they had received as they knelt before the manger. a) They Publicly Announced Their Faith Luke 2:17, 20 "Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child b) They Praisefully Announced Their Faith "the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them" (Luke 2:20).

Wise Men Seek and Find

By Derek Williams………..

"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." Matt 2:2

not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel.......

c) The Saviour of the World.

Mat 1:21 She shall bring forth a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins."

By Sonja Burketh………..

A Daily Moment of Thought 2. They Came.

And when they had come into the house Matt 2:11

a) They Joined Together.

1. They formed a fellowship.

2. Inseparable.

3. Not Distracted.

Image © Openas Openas

1. They Saw. a) The Star. we have seen His star Math.

2:2 the star which they had seen in the East went before them Math. 2:9 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Matt 2:10 Num 24:17 "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but

b) To Worship.

Rev 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." b) The Child Matt 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother.....

16

Matt 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

1. Fell Down - submitted to His Lordship.

2. Presented - they gave of their substance.

two turtle doves, the offering which was made by the poor.

Christians are warned not to despise the poor (James 2:6), for Jesus himself was poor. Instead we are to see that justice is done for the poor (Eccl. 5:8; Psa. 35:10; Psa. 82:3; Prov. 29:14; Jer. 22:6).

Moreover, God's Word tells us always to show kindness to the poor (Deut. 15:7; Psa. 41:1; Matt. 19:21; Gal. 2:10)

Remember the Poor by Wesley Chick Image Š Lucian Coman

Proverbs 19:17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord and that which he has given he will repay him.

You only have to watch the news to see the extent of the financial chaos the world is currently in.

Day after day the rich are getting richer whilst the poor are getting poorer.

Tough austerity measures have been imposed in many countries, and more often than not it is the poor who experience the greatest hardship caused by these measures.

It was our Lord Jesus Christ himself who stated "The poor you will always have with you."

The poor are often neglected, despised and oppressed by others, especially by the rich (Job 24:4; Psa. 109:16; Prov.

30:14; Isa. 32:7; Amos 2:6) When our Lord Jesus came to earth that first Christmas, he was not born in a palace among the rich. He was born in a stable among the poor. We know that his family must have been poor because when they offered the sacrifice after Jesus’ birth it was 17

Our opening text says that he who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord. The word 'pity' means to be kind, gracious, to have mercy upon or to bestow a practical gift. We as Christians are to be benevolent, giving practical help to the genuinely poor (Isa. 58:7-10; Luke 12:33; Prov. 11:25).

Our text then goes on to say that which we have given to the Lord (by giving to the poor) will be repaid in full. God will see to it that a full recompense is given to those who remember the poor (Prov. 13:21; Luke 14:14; Psa. 41:1).

So, whenever we have an opportunity; and perhaps especially at Christmas time, let us help the poor in any way we can> Even if they cannot meet or thank us here, our actions will be noticed and recorded in heaven. Jesus said that even a cup of cold water given to a disciple in his name will never be forgotten by God (Matt. 25:3240).

Our In Depth Study.

1 Corinthians 10:1-33

By Mathew Bartlett Photo © Godfer Scripture taken from the NET Bible®.

Chapter 10 The Danger of Falling Away

leadership and were united to him, just as believers in Christ are united with Him by baptism into His death (Rom 6:3).

Our In Depth Study.

1 Corinthians 9:1-27 Paul plainly warns his readers about the dangers of going back to their old ways and falling away from Christ. He employs lessons from By Mathew Bartlett Photo © Godfer Israel’s history, for the Old Testament was our Scripture taken fromwritten the NETfor Bible®. learning and instruction. Since the consummation of God's purpose in Christ is now imminent, we must be careful to heed to the warnings God gives us through His Word; these dangers are real and serious.

10:1-2 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, redeeming them from slavery that they might be His own distinctive people. He gave them the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night as the means of receiving divine guidance, by which He led them through the wilderness to the Red Sea. In the face of approaching danger from the armies of Pharaoh who had pursued them, the people were willing to be led by Moses through the sea, which was a picture of baptism. Vincent says ‘they were introduced into a spiritual union with Moses, and constituted his disciples’.’ By participating in the events of the Exodus the people willingly accepted Moses'

10:3-4 and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

In these opening four verses Paul refers to all the children of Israel five times. They all ate the food and drank the water which had been supernaturally provided by God; not as a one off, for God provided for the people throughout their wilderness journey. The manna and the water from the rock were both pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Paul sees as the source of all Israel's blessings; for Christ is the bread which came down from Heaven and the source of living water (John 4:10; 6:53-55, 63). Just as Israel received physical food and water (albeit in a supernatural way) from Christ, so we receive our spiritual life from Christ, by faith in His death and resurrection.

By calling Christ the Rock, Paul equates Christ with God (Deut.

32:15; Ps. 18:2) and asserts the coequal status of the eternal Son within the Godhead. By his assertion that Christ accompanied Israel through the wilderness, he further argues the pre-incarnate existence of Christ.

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10:5 But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness.

Notwithstanding all their blessings and privileges, the majority of the people failed to enter the Promised Land. Only two men out of a whole generation of Israelites aged 20 or over entered; and they were Joshua and Caleb. Paul describes the corpses of all the others as being spread out over the whole desert because God was not pleased with most of them. Their deaths were not ascribed to natural or accidental causes, but were the direct consequence of God's judgment.

Israel's history makes clear that it is possible for those who have experienced great spiritual blessing to turn away from God to such an extent that they fail to apprehend the ultimate blessing to which they were called. Blomberg cites Hays: ‘participation in spectacular spiritual experiences does not relieve the people of God from ethical responsibility.’

10:6 These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.

The lessons of the past are still relevant today. Paul has been emphasising that as Moses was a type of Christ, so the church in the wilderness was a type of the church in the New Testament age. God has called believers out of their slavery

to sin into newness of life, and out of darkness into his marvellous light. He has chosen us to be his own special possession (1 Pet. 2:9).

Paul did not want His converts to become complacent in the privileges and blessings which they had received, for faith in God is not only meant to produce an initial blessing but an on-going relationship. So he cites a number of incidents from the forty years of Israel's desert wanderings, in order to teach us that our constant faith must result in behaviour which is acceptable to God. 10:7 So do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play."

Paul has already touched on the subject of idolatry in this epistle, since it was common in first century Corinth. In the instance he mentions, Moses had been absent for some time, receiving the law on the mount of God, and Israel, being left to themselves, made a golden calf to worship. The words the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play (that is, to dance and carouse) are a quote from Exodus 32:6, and reveal that this was a typical idol festival, culminating in wantonness and sexual immorality. The drink and drug fuelled parties of today are the modern equivalent of these idol feasts, for although the idols themselves may be absent, the demons influencing and ruling the passions of men and women are still present.

10:8 And let us not be immoral, as some of them were, and twentythree thousand died in a single day.

Their idolatry brought with it an epidemic of sexual immorality; the two are often linked. In Numbers 25, we read of the men of Israel participating in immoral sex with the women of Moab, an episode linked to pagan idolatry. Judgment came in the form of an epidemic which killed twenty four thousand people (Num. 25:5). Since Paul mentions 23,000, the two are obviously rounded numbers.

Modern Western society not only fails to censure sexually immoral behaviour, it actively encourages it.

If people do not take such matters seriously today, God still does. If Israel, with all its privileges, did not escape the judgment of God when they sinned then neither shall we.

The danger is that sin can lead us irretrievably and eternally away from God. By forsaking Christ in this way we join ourselves once again to sin and to the world, which is at enmity with God (Rev. 22:15).

10:9 And let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes.

We are not to test or tempt God. Vine defines the word test as ‘challenging’ God. To tempt God is to deliberately rebel against His revealed will, supposing that we can get away with it. To tempt God can mean to question His goodness, but we cannot challenge God in this way with impunity, for God is holy and must and will punish sin.

The incident referred to in the above verse occurred when the people complained to God about the lack of food, even though He had provided manna for them each day without fail. Although He had done so much for them, yet they still found fault with Him. This was going too far, and as a result of 19

provoking God, many of them died from the venom of poisonous snakes (Num. 21:5).

10:10 And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

The scripture warns us not to murmur (to mutter against), a word which denotes the brewing of insurrection or rebellion. In Numbers 14 and 16 we see examples of such murmuring; and on each occasion, there was a fitting punishment.

The group following Korah were overthrown by God when they rose up against Moses, whom God had entrusted with the task of leading His people. By rebelling against God in this way they brought death on themselves and their families. The earth opened and they went down alive into the earth, which then closed to cover their bodies.

Indeed, were it not for the intercession of Moses, the whole country would have been put to death in a moment (Num. 14:12).

This lesson may be taken as a warning for believers today, that those in office within Christ's church should be respected and obeyed, for they are not put there by men, but are called by God (Heb. 5:4; Acts 20:28).

However, there is an even greater application of the lesson, which Paul intends here. Since Moses was a type of Christ, those who rebelled against him serve as figures of those who rebel against Christ and suffer eternal retribution. When the word murmur is used today we think of it only in terms of grumbling. We might complain, for example, that the preacher’s sermon is too long or that the warden keeps the church

building too cold. Yet whilst these are only trivial matters, a grumbling heart may often be a symptom of a much deeper spiritual malady - the beginning of a spirit of rebellion against Christ. Dissatisfaction of any kind in Christ's church is the result of dissatisfaction with Christ Himself, and this is indeed a dangerous sickness, remedied only by our own repentance and God's restoration of our souls.

Persevering in Christ 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

Let us take heed to the warnings of Scripture, for they were written for our learning and instruction. The Old Testament was a foreshadowing of the reality which was to come (in the end of the ages, the present time) and as believers in Christ we have already begun to live in that reality. Hence if it was important for the Israelites to obey the voice of God, it is even more important for Christians to do so.

10:12 So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.

As Christians we should never become arrogant, thinking that we can never fall from our relationship with God. Whilst Paul wants the young believers to have assurance of salvation, he does not want them to be complacent. It is Christ who has saved us and it is Christ who must keep us; complacency is selfconfidence, which is the antithesis of faith in God. Let us maintain a spirit of watchfulness, keeping our eyes and our faith fixed on Jesus, lest at any time we fall away.

Our cooperation with Christ is essential as we continue on the upward way to heaven. As He upholds and keeps us, so we are to diligently press on. The scripture gives many exhortations for us to diligently persevere in Christ (e.g.

Heb. 6:11-12; 12:1; Job 17:9; John 15:9; Rom. 2:7).

10:13 No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.

There are no unique temptations for believers to face. The trials we face today have been faced by generations of believers before us and are still being faced by millions of other believers in the world. Just as others have triumphed by God's grace, so shall we, for Christ our captain has overcome the world and is able to give the grace which will enable us to overcome it too.

Believers will always find God's grace available and sufficient to enable them to conquer sin, and this is the way out Paul speaks of.

Moreover, should we fail there is grace to cleanse from all our sin, so that we might continue to live for righteousness.

Jesus Christ is our only means of escape. Through Him alone we are able to stand; for with Christ we are not unarmed - He is our sufficient armour, the whole armour of God (Eph. 6:13).

No Compromise A) Commitment to Christ

In

Our

10:14-15 So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I am speaking to thoughtful people. Consider what I say.

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At this point Paul applies his general exhortation to the specific matter of idol worship. Idolatry is not something to be meddled with. We cannot go near it thinking that we are safe from going any further, but rather go nowhere near it (flee).

There is to be no compromise.

‘Believers must not think of how near they can go but of how far they can fly’. In the following verses Paul exposes the true nature of idolatry. Those with spiritual discernment will be able to affirm what he says.

10:16 Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

When Paul speaks of the cup of blessing, he is thinking of the communion service. The phrase does not refer to the blessing of God which we receive as we take the cup, but to the blessing or thanksgiving which we give to God at the communion (which is why many traditional churches refer to it as the ‘Eucharist’, or ‘giving of thanks’). Through the simple act of taking bread and wine we remember all that God has done for us in Christ, and give thanks for it.

Whenever believers take communion they are participating in the blood of Christ. Let us be clear that the bread and the wine are merely emblems to remind us of the broken body and shed blood of Christ (they do not turn literally into his body and blood). However, as we partake of them, we are enjoying fellowship with the living Christ whose broken body and shed blood they represent, and as we take the emblems we are at the same moment enjoying living communion or fellowship with God.

Every time we take communion we are reaffirming our allegiance to Jesus Christ who has done so much for us.

accorded it; but rather that the idol is false and the food offered to it is the rightful property of the Creator God.

10:17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread.

10:20 No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.

As well as bringing us into fellowship with God, Christ's death has brought us into fellowship with each other. All who share in Christ are part of His body; and our taking of the emblems reveals our true spiritual unity. Christ and his people are inseparably joined (Eph. 5:3032); and this also means that His people are inseparably joined to each other. We are one, for we all partake of the one true and living bread - Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:5). All believers have been forever incorporated into the very life of Jesus.

10:18 Look at the people of Israel.

Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?

In the Old Testament, those who took part in the sacrifices were taking part in the worship of God and all that it represented. When we take communion, we are participating in an act of worship to God and fellowship with God. Since those who ate the sacrifices (the priests) were eating what was holy, they themselves were to be holy to God (Lev. 6:29; 22:6).

10:19 Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything?

In the same way, to take part in an idol's feast is to do more than eat food - it is participation in the worship of an idol. Paul is not suggesting that an idol is real or that it is worthy of the adoration

Paul insists that by participating in idol worship (which usually consisted of celebrating feast days in honour of the idols), the worshippers are having fellowship with the demonic personality to whom the offerings are made. The hosts of darkness blind men and lead them to worship false gods.

Thus the false gods represent the demons themselves. As Morris declares, ‘when men sacrifice to idols, it cannot be said that they are engaging in some neutral activity…

They are in fact sacrificing to evil spirits’ (see Deut. 32:17). To take part in such an idol feast is to have fellowship with the powers of darkness and to engage in the worship of those unseen powers.

It is possible for Christians, being influenced by their relationship with those who are in contact with the powers of darkness, to compromise their commitment to Christ. I once knew a Christian lady who mistakenly thought that she was helping to win Hindus to Christ by participating in their celebration of Diwali, which is an idol feast. She was wrong. There can be no compromise for the Christian with the powers of darkness. As Paul says I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

10:21-22 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.

You cannot take part in the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Or are we trying to provoke the Lord 21

to jealousy? Are we really stronger than he is?

If a man's wife wanted to be joined to another man, her husband would have every right to be jealous and angry. In the same way the Lord will not share his people with another (Exod. 20:4-5). Christ will not allow us to gather at His table for fellowship with Him, and then go to join ourselves in fellowship with demons. If we do, the Lord who is stronger than any of us will take the matter into His own hands. We may not have fellowship with Christ the light, and then walk in darkness.

The warnings Paul gave at the beginning of the chapter illustrate how the Lord brought judgment on the people of Israel for their idolatry, and His attitude towards idolatry has not changed (Rev. 2:14; Rev. 3:20-22).

B) In our Testimony to the Truth 10:23 "Everything is lawful," but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is lawful," but not everything builds others up.

Returning to his earlier theme of not causing offense, Paul here takes a slightly different approach. Then he was concerned about not offending believers; now he considers unbelievers. Repeating his earlier maxim that everything is lawful, he reminds us that not all things which are lawful will build us up in Christ, and this is what is important.

10:24 Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person.

The same selfless spirit which Christ had should reside in us. Christ did not seek his own, but the good of others. We are to follow his

example, especially in regard to the spiritual welfare of other people.

10:25 Eat anything that is sold in the marketplace without questions of conscience.

In the markets of first century Corinth it would have been very difficult to tell which meat had been offered in sacrifice to idols and which had not. Paul does not want believers to be over scrupulous about this. It is not the action of eating meat (however the animal died), but the participating in the worship of idols that he condemns (Mark 7:14-23).

10:26 For the earth and abundance are the Lord's.

its

All the earth and every living thing in it is God's and He has provided our food from its produce (Gen. 9:3). Just because meat has been offered to an idol does not make it now the property of the idol, nor should it be in any way associated with the idol.

10:27 If an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is served without asking questions of conscience.

In this verse Paul is obviously speaking of a situation where a believer is invited to a meal in an unbeliever's home - a meal in the idol temple has already been ruled out. Of course, we are at liberty if we choose to accept such invitations. As we dine, we do not need to over scruple by asking the origin of everything that is put in front of us, for all comes from God. 10:28-30 But if someone says to you, "This is from a sacrifice," do not eat, because of the one who told you and because of conscience --I do not mean yours but the other

person's. For why is my freedom being judged by another's conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I blamed for the food that I give thanks for?

Yet if our host were to volunteer the information that the food had been offered in sacrifice to an idol, we may infer from that that the host has some regard for the practice. He may view the meat as sacred to his god and so consider eating it to be an act of worship. If this is the case then we are to politely refuse to eat. God will have no other gods before Him we must not compromise on our commitment to Him. Actually, it is for the sake of the unbeliever that we refuse to eat. By not compromising our faith we give witness of the truth and show up idolatry for what it is in God's sight.

Far better to show sinners the error of their ways than to join them in their errors, condone their sin and so misguide their consciences.

Paul emphasizes that it is not for the sake of our own conscience that we refrain. Since God has given the meat to us for food, it would not be going against our conscience to eat it. Yet our host may not see it this way. What advantage would we gain by using our liberty to give an unbeliever the opportunity to accuse us of evil practices? It is not for men to judge us for we are the servants of Christ and He alone is our judge. If we eat what He provides and thank Him for it, what right has anyone else to speak evil of us? And why give them the opportunity?

10:31-32 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Do not give offense to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God. 22

The guiding principle for all our conduct is this: do everything for the glory of God. Though we are not to subject ourselves to man's judgment, we are not to be so foolhardy as to intentionally cause offense to any, whether Jew, Gentile, or to our fellow Christians.

Of course, the host referred to above may be offended by our refusal to eat his meat in that he might be upset. Yet we have still done the right thing to refuse. The kind of offence which Paul urges us to avoid is that which might put a stumbling block in anyone's way to keep them from coming to know Christ. Compromising the truth is certainly such a stumbling block.

10:33-11:1 Just as I also try to please everyone in all things. I do not seek my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

We do well to follow the example of Paul, who followed Christ's example, not for his own benefit, but for the eternal and spiritual benefit of others that they might believe be saved (Rom. 15:2-3).

Aplying the teaching of this passage to a contemporary setting, Blomberg observes that: Happily, some Christians are bucking the prevailing trends of individualism and isolationism. There are families who open their homes to guests or renters, leaders who take younger Christians along with them in their ministry, teachers and counsellors who make generous amounts of time available for their students and clients during off-hours... But such people remain in a minority.

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