Bible Reading Challenge Blog

So the current controversial topic du jour has to do with sexual sin.  But unfortunately it seems like all of our attention is focused on the sin of homosexuality.  But Jesus never speaks about the topic of homosexuality.  In this Scripture there is no mention of homosexuality.  Jesus addresses  adultery and lust.  Paul in this Scripture addresses heterosexual sin as well.  A vast majority of our conversations in culture deal with a topic that is rarely mentioned, as opposed to a topic that both our Savior and many other New Testament authors address.  Why is that?  Why are we so fixated on driving out the witches while we allow the warlocks among us without so much as a cough.  The answer is because it is low hanging fruit.  It is easy to talk about a sin that maybe many of us would never think about or consider, while one that is actually a potential threat is easier to overlook and ignore.

Discipline within our churches is not in any way reflective of what is recommended in the New Testament.  Paul tells us to drive the wicked person out from among you.  In my 22 years of ministry I have never asked a person to leave the church for good because of their illicit or immoral lifestyle.  I have approached members of church who are not living as they should and talked to them about it, unsolicited, but I have never asked them to leave.  Why do we shy away from what Scripture tells us in these matters?  It is because our experience tells us that if we were to clear house all those who sinned and fell short of the glory of God…well, then we would be very lonely in a very empty church.  In fact, we, me included, would need to have a talking to.  

Paul is telling the Corinthians that they really do have everything that they need.  He uses his own example and that of Apollo, a fellow evangelist, as people who not only can be trusted, but also as examples of people who are able to live with everything and with nothing.  He encourages the Corinthian Christians to do the same.  He returns to this theme later.  

Paul begins this chapter by speaking to the church in Corinth about the journey that they have been on toward maturity in the faith.  It is a journey that upon which we have all embarked, but we are all in different places along this journey.  He chastises the community because they are still of the flesh.  The manifestation of someone being in the flesh, at least in this case, is that (vs.3) there is jealousy and quarreling.  Notice carefully  that he is speaking to a church about problems within a church.  He is not talking about non-believers.  He is talking about issues that affect each one of us and all of our churches.  He scolds them because they have taken sides in regards to whom they are loyal here on this earth.  A similar parallel can be found in our churches when it comes to political parties.  At times churches can be divided, or at least can be shaken, by allegiances to political parties.  Paul’s words in vs.9 ring true when he tells us: “For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

He is also addressing the work that evangelists and others have done to lay the foundation of Jesus Christ.  If you look at vs.11 you will find those exact words.  Each person who comes along after the foundation has been laid adds to the building.  Let’s take First Presbyterian Church.  Way back in 1832 faithful followers of Jesus Christ came along and laid the foundation of this community, and the foundation was Jesus Christ.  That foundation has remained.  Each generation since then has come along and added to the community and left their mark in one way or another.  There have been times and seasons of growth and periods of decay.  It is all part of the life and the history of the church.  But as long as each person who steps into these doors and looks to focus on Jesus comes along, then they will contribute to the kingdom of God.  If we take a step outside of that and look to churches that have popped up just within the last 10 or 20 years, who are we as a nearly 200 year old church to say that they are not contributing to the foundation that has been set by our churches and by our people who were here long ago.  Each person, each church, each community contributes to the kingdom of God with a reality that is lasting and that does not go away.  As Paul tells us: “So let no one boast about human leaders.”

Just a reminder that First Corinthians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in the city of Corinth.  The city of Corinth is located below.

You can see that it is in the southwest part of Greece and right across the sea you will find Ephesus which is where this letter was written.  It is not far from Rome and the Italian peninsula.  So many of the churches that Paul founded, which considered him literally as the founding father, were located in a small geographical area.  It is hard to believe that this movement called the Way exploded into what we have today in Christendom.  But Paul was not happy with Corinth and their compromises, which he probably would have called apostasy.  Throughout this first letter to the church in Corinth he underscores the importance of getting back to the basics and not being swayed by any new thoughts or ideas of the day which really aren’t new after all.

In the first verses of this chapter he describes how he came to them in Corinth not pretending to be above them, but by reaching out to them in a relational way.  Remember, Paul had every right to vaunt himself over others.  He went to the best Pharisaical schools, he had studied under the best teachers, after school he had been chosen by the high priest to carry out very sensitive missions.  So if anyone could boast about their stature, it would have been Paul.  But his authority and his connection with the people of Corinth came from his actions.  They knew he had authority and they knew that he loved them because, as vs. 4 states, of the spirit of power.  He wants to be sure that they will not be swayed by the presence of any individual, but rather by the power of God.  They cannot trust in the words or the wisdom of any one person, especially people who might be stirring things up in Corinth, but rather by the tried and tested power of the Holy Spirit which does not change over the generations.

Paul then switches gears starting at vs.6 to say that to those who are mature, we do use words and concepts that are wise.  We are not to remain forever in a state where we only receive and we are never challenged.  But there is a fine line.  If we feel too challenged then we just might check out and think that this place is not for me.  But what would too challenged look like?  Maybe a place where we are called to do more than attend.  Maybe a place where we are called to participate in a sacrificial way.  Maybe a place where we are encouraged and enabled to read Scripture and pray as if it were a normal course of action.  Being challenged looks like a place which pushes us away from being satisfied from being an observer to gaining the confidence to become a participant.  

Vs.14 is a fairly crucial verse in regards to inclusivity and exclusivity.  How can we say that God loves the world and yet there is judgment day?  It has to do with the reality that God’s desire is that all would receive and take advantage of the gift of God’s Spirit.  Instead, there are some who choose the spirit of the world.  These two things are diametrically opposed to each other.  If we choose the spirit of the world it means that we would rather follow the example set by our culture and its values and its norms over and against the commandments of love and sacrifice which the Spirit of God provides to us.  It is a choice that is made.  We do not simply fall on one side or the other, we choose who will be our master.  We choose who will be our Lord.  If we choose the world then those things of the world will seem appealing.  If we choose to follow Jesus then those things of Jesus will be appealing.  It seems simple enough, but it really can get quite complicated.  

There are some who would take Jesus and his general approach of love and apply that to all things that come about in life.  So if we take the principle of love and have that trump any of Jesus’ other words or any other words of scripture then anything that you can paste the label of love on, will win the day.  Culture tells us that anything can be labeled by love.  Scripture tells us that we are to treat others as ourselves, with love.  These two concepts are not opposed, but can you not love your neighbor and yet not agree with your neighbor?  Does that mean that you can’t love your neighbor?  We are called to have the mind of Christ which is much more than love vs. hate.  Christ was incredibly grey in his life.  Render to Caesar, God made man for woman, sell all that you have and give to the poor, do not divorce except in for the case of infidelity…  These statements seem black and white, and those who are not wise need black and white.  The immature need black and white.  But those who are wise, I would even say that those who have the Spirit of the Lord, are able to exist in the grey.  Because, as Paul tells us in the last verse, we have the mind of Christ.

We find ourselves in another book of the Bible.  Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth was written while he was in Ephesus.  It is written to a church which he personally founded as we read in Acts 16.  I’ll leave you with I Corinthians 1:31.  Just be reminded that if we are are proud of anything, it better not be because we are noble, powerful, wise, or strong.  God breaks all of that and raises up the foolish and calls them His own and directs them to be the primary workers for his kingdom.  If you are going to boast, be proud that Jesus has called you one of His children.

It is hard to believe that we are finishing up Romans today.  In Paul’s farewell chapter he takes the opportunity to give greetings and shout out to those who have been significant in his ministry and in the ministry of those churches across the regions where he has proclaimed the Gospel.  There are some very familiar names listed.  Timothy is probably the best known, you can’t miss Junia in vs.7 who is described as a prominent apostle.  And who said women weren’t apostles?  

Did you know that Paul didn’t actually write this letter?  I mean, he wrote it, like Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, but he actually had a scribe.  Notice in vs.22 where Tertius gives a shout out to himself.  Now that’s different.  I do love Paul’s exhortation to greet one another with a holy kiss.  That is taken quite literally in the Mediterranean countries.  Whenever I go to Italy and I greet my friends, men and women, we greet with a kiss, actually two, one on each cheek.  I’ll never forget when we first served in Florida after 4 years in Italy and at the end of my first worship service there I went to the back of the sanctuary to greet everyone, as I do now, and I began by giving each person two kisses, one on each cheek.  It was just second nature and I didn’t even think about it.  It didn’t last long.  I realized that this simply was not done here.  I guess I take the Bible too literally.

It seems that here Paul has moved into a mode of writing which offers a simple request and gives advice to the Romans.  The last few chapters have been pretty intense and pretty significant in regards to how to live our lives even in the midst of trials and tribulations.  Here Paul simply says: be nice to each other.  Look out for the guy who is down and out and reach out to your hand to the person who is have a torrid day.  It is almost as if Paul takes the phrase: sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words have been taken on by Christ and turned aside.  It doesn’t flow as nicely as: words will never hurt me, but you get the point.  Paul prays that we would live in harmony with one another.  It is a prayer that needs to be prayed even more frequently these days.  The purpose of getting along with each other, according to Paul, is so that we can proclaim the presence of Christ even more powerfully and effectively.  

Paul finally lays out his plan to go to Rome to visit the community.  He never quite makes it on his own terms.  Sure, he goes to Rome, but as a prisoner, not as someone who is there to visit this fledgeling believing community.  He does beseech the Roman community to pray for him.  He felt very acutely the persecution and the anger that was directed toward him from those who lived in Judea.  He knew that he could not avoid Judea because Jerusalem was located in Judea and that was where “headquarters” were.  So his prayers were for his safety and for his continued ministry in a hostile environment.  It is important to note that Paul does not shy away from asking the community to pray for him as he faces an uncertain future.  

Before this Paul highlights the material offerings that the gentile communities in Macedonia and Achaia have given for the cause of the Way.  It is one of the few times that Paul gives thanks to the gentile communities for their material resources which have been invaluable in forwarding the Gospel message.  It is clear that at this point these communities no longer feel like outsiders like they did before the Jerusalem Council in chapter 15 of Acts. 

Chapter 14 can be a bit confusing if we are not aware of what is happening in the 1st century.  Remember the Christians were living in a pagan culture.  Part of that pagan culture was the sacrifice of animals to pagan gods.  When this sacrifice took place there was meat abundant, and for some people, this was the only meat that was ever available to them.  Many Christians believed that the eating of meat which was sacrificed to idols was a sin.  Because there had been sacrifices to false gods, then in some way the meat was also contaminated with the presence of false gods.  So the argument went, this was sin.  But the reality of the situation was that many Christians did not see the eating of meat offered to idols as sin.  It was just meat.  There was nothing magical about it and it certainly did not contain any  kind of bad spirits that would harm the person eating the meat.  Paul takes a very subtle approach.  He says you are right, the meat in and of itself is okay.  There is nothing wrong with it.  If your conscience allows you to eat meat sacrificed to idols, then go for it.  That was the context in which these Scriptures were written.  

Paul’s point in all of this is that we are not to call those whose conscience will not allow them to eat the meat as weak.  Or, conversely, we are not to call those who do eat the meat as sinners.  There is not a perfect analogy for this in our day, but I think one that is fairly close.  There are some who feel that celebrating Halloween is sinful.  It is dabbling with that in which ought not to be dabbled.  Here at the church we have seen it as a great opportunity to reach out to families with children as we have our annual Trunk or Treat.  When we read vs.5 it is pretty much the same issue where Paul states that some see one day as more important than another.  Some see Halloween as being a bit of a different day than another.  We don’t see any special meaning to Halloween, but rather an opportunity to reach out to people with an act of kindness and an act of gathering and fellowship.  

Ultimately, Paul tells us, it is about each one of us rejoicing and celebrating in the Lord.  Whether we eat the meat sacrificed to idols or hold special events on Halloween, it is all about doing it for the Lord.  Starting in vs. 13 Paul tells us not to make judgment calls on people based upon these superficial non essential things.  Do you remember the quote falsely attributed to St. Augustine?  In the essentials, unity.  In the non-essentials, freedom.  But in all things, love.  This is Paul’s basic gist of what he is saying.  We are not to judge those who believe differently by saying they must not be saved because they don’t believe as I do in a certain topic.  For the kingdom of God is not food or drink, it is not left or right, it is not gay or straight, it is not black or white, it is not pro-life or pro-choice, the kingdom of God, as Paul tells us in vs.17 is righteousness, and joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.  If we live our lives in that way it provides us with great freedom.

Once again the verses that we receive for this day are incredibly challenging.  I want to view them first from the perspective of Paul.  Remember where Paul is when he is writing this letter to the church in Rome.  As we said at the beginning in chapter 1 it is believed that he is in Corinth having already been in and out of prison under the hands of the Roman government.  He was also keenly aware of his fellow believers who had been arrested and executed because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  So when Paul tells us: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” and “You also pay taxes, taxes to whom taxes are due”.  Jesus is also consistent with this exhortation to pay taxes when he tells us render unto Caesar.  Here are two people who represented this group of fledgeling Christian believers who were terribly persecuted, told to obey the governing authorities and to pay taxes to the very same people who were taking away their lives.  How does this make sense?  How would the early founding fathers and mothers have reacted to this Scripture as they called out: “No taxation without representation”.  That’s not what Paul says here.  How can Paul do that in the context in which he lived.

Let’s consider Paul’s theological perspective on what was right around the corner.  Look starting at vs.11 how he lays out the reason for why we should not resist, for why we should pay taxes, for why we should basically be outstanding citizens and respected by all.  He says that now is the time for us to wake from our sleep.  What does that mean?  Well, we know that he consistently uses the word sleep to mean death.  So it is now time for us to wake from our death and claim the eternal life that Jesus has promised to us.  When does this happen?  He says that salvation is near and that we are to put on the armor of light.  Throughout Paul’s writings he is convinced that Jesus’ return is imminent.  He will be coming back at any moment.  As he states in vs.11, we are closer now to Jesus’ return than when we first became believers.  If this is your driving purpose, then it does not make sense to marry, it does not make sense to pursue justice, it does not make sense to object and fight for your rights, it does not make sense to get out of the situation in which you find yourself.  If Jesus is coming back any day, not any week or month or even year, then just keep on keeping on and when he comes back everything will change.  

The problem for us today is that Jesus still has not come back.  Are we allowed to have a different perspective than Paul in regards to the end times?  We still believe that Jesus can and will come back, we just simply do not know when and we probably don’t/(shouldn’t?) have the same teleological excitement and expectation that Paul had.  If our Kairos moment has shifted from any day or minute to someday, then our lives look different.  Then we shift fr0m Paul’s imminence to Isaiah’s justice that will roll down like waters.  This is the shift that I have made in my own thinking and understanding.  It does not detract from the expectation, the any day expectation, that Jesus is coming back.  That is still part of my thinking and my belief.  But I also recognize that until he does come back we have work to do.  We can get married, we can work our fields, we can speak out against injustice, we can protest when we are being taxed without representation, we can question governments and their policies, we can speak out when injustice abounds at the hands of people.  See how things change when we have a Christian world view which expects Jesus to come back but within a time frame that demands our action and our participation in this world?  It was different for Paul.

Nearly 15 years ago I decided on a Tuesday that I would preach from this chapter in Romans on the following Sunday.  That’s unusual for me.  Normally I have my sermon’s planned out months ahead of time with both Scriptures and the sermon title already chosen.  But that Tuesday changed the course of history.  It was September 11, 2001.  I don’t know why God has us reading again Romans 12 on this day in the life of the history of our people.  I can tell you that I focused on a number of aspects from this chapter, and probably focused more on vs. 17-21 than any other area if this chapter.  When we hear the Bible tell us that God responds by saying: vengeance is mine, I’m guessing that a part of us says – can I help?  Most of us would be fine if the verse just ended with leaving vengeance to the Lord, but then vs.20 takes us so far away from where we want to be: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink…”  And then finally Paul ends the chapter with these verses: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

What do we do when we find ourselves in a society and a culture, or even just a personal reality where the goodness is really hard to find?  Was Paul’s life any different from that reality?  Were not his people hunted and killed because they were Christians and they did not follow the status quo which was set up?  They were seen as threat to the society around them and so they were targeted.  When I heard about the officers being shot yesterday I was speechless and in shock for a little while.  This does not happen in a civilized world.  We do not shoot the people who protect us.  We do not shoot the people who lay down their lives every day to ensure our safety.  These actions don’t match with the civilization that we know.  The only application of this Scripture that we can think of is the part that speaks about vengeance and the part that defines what our actions ought to be toward our enemies.  But the advice given by Paul simply does not seem realistic.

Paul’s encouragement in vs.2 reminds us of what actions we need to take now that this reality is our reality.  We cannot be conformed to this world.  We have to be able to discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  What does our response need to be?  For police officers there will almost surely be an even more increased sense of vulnerability as at any time they can be the victims.  This has always been the case, but I’m guessing that these types of visible attacks serve to increase that vulnerability.  As citizens we need to make every effort that we can to support our officers with random acts of kindness.  They need to know that they are supported and that we simply need them.  Paul encourages us in vs. 9 to love each other in a way that we outdo one another in showing honor.  What would outdoing one another in showing honor look like?  What I hope would happen is that pastors from the black community would take the initiative and go to police stations across the country and apologize for a culture of anger and mistrust.  What I hope would happen is that police chiefs from across the country would go to black community churches and apologize for profiling.  From there my prayer would be that a dialogue would begin.  These horrendous, breath taking acts of violence and killing have to stop.  It takes the leadership from each of these communities to speak to it publicly and without hesitation.  I can think that this may be the only way that we can overcome evil with good.