Author: Don Guthrie

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 4 (day one)

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. . .always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus. . . So death works in us, but life (works) in you.”–v 8, 10-12.

Ministry in the 1st century was hard.  Still is.  A great price is required for those who would serve the Lord.

Remember the old road signs?  A crew of workers on a street project.  A sign posted as you approached, “Men at work”.

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul makes a similar declaration.  Death IS at work.  Still.  Physical and spiritual. Servants of the Lord encounter opposition and spiritual pressure.  It will cost you to “carry” (in your own experience and story) the dying of Jesus.

But, you will also witness the victory of Jesus!  Through your witness, you will see (eyes of faith ) people lifted to life through faith in Christ.

Death is at work.  So is LIFE.  The Lord was good with this arrangement.  You?

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 1:12-24, 2:1-11 (day one)

Paul and the Corinthians did not have an easy marriage.  If “it don’t come easy, should you let it go” (Tanya Tucker)? “No”, said Paul.  Some relationships are worth the hard work required.  In much tension and many hard conversations, they had all learned some valuable lessons.

We need each other in eternity.  In “the day of our Lord Jesus”, says v 14,  one reason for confidence will be the people who came with us.  Life is a team sport.  Part of God’s evaluation for each of us will be “How did your team do?”

We need each other now.  In 2:2 Paul admits his dependency.  “If I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad?”  We live (all Christians and pastors and people) in symbiotic relationship.  Happy pastors make happy churches.  Happy churches make happy pastors.  See Hebrews 13:17

Those who do church best have learned a deep, important lesson.  We are in this together.

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (day one)

“Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in the God who raises the dead.‘–v 9

It is Who He is.  What He does.  We serve/love/trust/worship the God who raises the dead.

Jesus is the first/best example.  Crucified.  Dead.  Buried.  On the third day, God raised Him.

We will see it again when Christ comes.  God will raise all men to life.  Some to judgement.  Some to reward.  See John 5:28-29.  God at work again, doing what He does.

In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul gives his own testimony.  He remembers when he was so overwhelmed, so excessively burdened that his resolve “died”.  He despaired even of life.  Saw no hope.  No fight left.

But God delivered Paul from that moment.  Miraculously raised him to life, hope and renewed energy.

When things die (marriages, dreams, energy. . .)  no problem!  We serve a God who raises the dead.

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 15:3-20, 35-44, 50-57 (day one)

“For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”–v 53

We are not ready.  Not yet equipped to be citizens of a restored universe.  We need new bodies.

It is a transformation that began at conversion.  Ephesians 4:22-24 commands us to  “Put off the old self. . .and put on the new self.”  (If you go to buy a new coat, you don’t put it on over your old coat.  Silly.  You cannot just add Christ on top of your old ways.  The losses are as important as the gains).

At the end of life and time,  God will do something similar.  He will put off our old bodies (corrupted by sin and subject to death) and put new robes on us, new resurrected bodies.

Death is not fearful to a believer.  It is the door to a place and time when our transformation (salvation) will be gloriously complete.

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 13 (day one)

I went to visit my father last week.  94 years old.  It was good to be back in Amarillo.  As long as I live, that city will feel like home.

In Christ I have learned to anticipate a new home that will be mine someday.  “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places. . .I go to prepare a place for you.”–John 14:2-3

What will Heaven be like?  In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul identifies three things in our present experience that will abide (remain) into the new world.

FAITH will continue.  In a new shape. Trust that began in time will deepen into dependence and unbreakable loyalty.  HOPE that I previously held will expand to embrace unimaginable adventures in an eternally expanding story.  And the greatest?  The LOVE that I knew only in part (through a glass darkly)will be experienced fully in that coming day.  I will see Him!

And I will know that I am home.

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 12:4-31 (day one) 

“On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem weaker are NECESSARY. . .on these we bestow abundant honor.”– v 22-23.

It was a familiar analogy in the ancient world.  Even among secular writers.  Human societies are like the body.  Different assignments but one common life and destiny.

“The figure was ordinarily used to urge members of the subordinate classes to stay in their places in the social order and not upset the equilibrium by rebelling against their superiors.” (Richard B. Hays)

Paul uses the image in a very different way!  Rather than attempt to keep subordinates in their place, he urges privileged members to respect and value the contributions of every member.  In spiritual dignity and potency we are all equals!  Diversity, responsibility, respect. . . core values of an amazing new family!

And one of the ways that God teaches these revolutionary ideas is through the church.

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 8 and 1 Corinthians 10:22-33 (day one) 

“Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again.”   v. 8:13

It was a revolutionary ethic!  Not one anyone saw coming.  I will live love.  The good of others will be the foundational principle for my personal choices.

The alternative is ubiquitous.  The default of human history is self.  Self-advancement.  Self-protection.

Only the church (and only with the undeniable example of the selflessness of Christ) imagined a different way to make choices.  Concern for others.  The larger good.  A grand dream of the salvation of the world ( see 10:33) with all the logical and ethical and practical choices that flow from that vision.

A few months ago, our church met to ask ourselves, “What does LOVE look like?”  1 Corinthians 8 and 10 make that question larger than a single topic.  It is the center of the New Testament ethic.

Because we have been loved, we love.  At least we should. . .

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 5 (day one)

Challenging passage.  No question.  In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul presses uncomfortable questions onto the members of that ancient church (and to us).  Is sin contagious?  Are my personal choices your business?  Is your behavior my concern?

The situation was sad and dangerous.  A member of the Corinthian congregation “had” his father’s wife.  (see v. 1)  Was the father still alive?  Had there been a divorce?  The passage doesn’t tell us.  What we do know is that it was public and scandalous sexual relationship.   Even nonbelievers knew it was wrong.

Paul’s concern is that the church had not “mourned”  Not taken action. Swept in under a rug.  Avoided involvement. (See Matthew 18)

Where sin is tolerated, dismissed or justified, the church can never be what God designed it to be.  The Lord is not passive or uninvolved when we drift into sin.   He challenges!  Convicts the conscience!  Shouldn’t the church care in a similar way?

Give us courage, Lord.  Galatians 6:1-2

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 3:1-17 (day one)

“And I, brothers, could not speak to you as spiritual men, but to men of flesh.”–v 1

Is it possible to genuinely believe in Christ and still live out the desires and agenda of the old, unredeemed life?  Can sincere Christians live like the world in action and attitude? Yes.  Insert sad emoji.  Paul calls it being carnal (fleshly).

Having received the Spirit of God at conversion, the carnal man has not learned (or not obeyed) Christ’s call to crucify the old life.  This immature Christian calls Christ Lord, but in his choices and priorities, is a stranger to “life in the Spirit”.

Dangerous territory.  “Those who sow to the flesh will reap the harvest that always comes with flesh.  Those who sow to the Spirit will reap the glorious results of His life in us.”–Galatians 6:8

Friends, are you filled with God’s Spirit?  Are you walking in His power?

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (day one)

“For the word of the cross is for those who are perishing foolishness.”–v 18.

Our national pastime.  One of them.  Every 4 years we sit in front of TVs or tablets, waiting for election results.  “Based on the exit polls and early results, CNN is able to project _____________as the winner of the state of ___________.”

A metaphor of Paul’s perspective in 1 Cor. 1.  The results are in.  And rather than a mixed map, some states blue, others red, the Roman vote map was all one color.  They were united.  The word of the cross is crazy-talk.  Nonsense!

Certainly makes us a minority.  Vocal and unashamed advocates of a truth that lives in raw adversarial tension with the world.  We know by faith and experience that ONLY the message of the cross (sin, Savior, substitution, faith, Spirit) has power to reconcile humans to God.

Ok, we may lose every election.  Can we still win the world?