Category Archives: 1 Corinthians

Day 246: The folly of idols

Isaiah 43-45; 1 Corinthians 8

Imagine that you are an exile living in Babylon. You have lived through hell on earth – seeing the Babylonian army destroy your people and your beloved Jerusalem – and now you are a foreigner in a strange land. You might think that your God, the mighty God of Israel, has abandoned you.

But then somehow you find the scroll of Isaiah – the prophet that lived so many years earlier… before the destruction, before the horror.

Imagine how you would respond – knowing that God had planned for you to receive comfort through a hundred-year scroll. That he had ordained all of history… that he planned for you to be in Babylon, but not only that, he had a plan for the destruction of Babylon and the restoration of Jerusalem!

These familiar words take on new meaning in this context, don’t they?

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:1-3).

Now continue to think of yourself, living in Babylon and reading these words… And imagine your amazement as you read further…

I am the Lord, who made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself, (44:24)

who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’
and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,
and I will raise up their ruins’; (44:26)

who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,
and he shall fulfill all my purpose’;
saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’
and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” (44:28)

Cyrus?? Cyrus the Great, King of Persia!!?? How could Isaiah have known? How could he have predicted? And as you read further through Isaiah 45, you see that the great and mighty Cyrus is just a pawn in God’s hand.

The Babylonians feared Cyrus. The people would make idols – in hopes that some god, any god, might save them. But because of the truth found in Isaiah’s scroll, you would know… that salvation comes through God, and God alone!

Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other (Isaiah 45:22).

This was a great lesson for the Babylonian exiles… They were to trust in the power of God who ordains all of history and reject the Babylonian idols. In light of the power of God, to think that a piece of wood fashioned from man’s hands would have any saving power is pure folly!

Yet idol-worship was still prevalent in Paul’s day… (see 1 Corinthians 8) and idol-worship is also prevalent in our culture… our idols just look different!

We might not be tempted to eat meat offered to idols or to bow before a wooden statue, but we are tempted to look to other things to rescue and save us from difficult circumstances…like relationships or job-security or success or comfort. Yet, these are all powerless to save. They might bring temporary comfort – but nothing that has any real staying power.

Think of the God of Israel! He hasn’t changed! He still orders the universe and has plans to restore and prosper his people! He still is the only God powerful enough to rescue you for eternity!!

Trusting in idols is nothing but folly.

They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are deliverance and strength.’ (Isaiah 45:24, NIV)

Day 244: My procrastinating…

Isaiah 40; 1 Corinthians 7

I confess that I’ve procrastinated in writing this post. Paul addresses marriage, singleness and divorce in this chapter, and frankly, I don’t want to write about those topics. Especially since Paul’s teaching isn’t crystal clear, and there is a myriad of views of exactly what Paul means – especially concerning divorce. He is also misunderstood regarding his dealings with marriage and singleness, and I don’t even want to go near the section about servitude in the middle of the chapter!

Now I’m exaggerating a bit. But there is quite a theological stir created by Paul’s teachings in this chapter.

I’ll say this… Divorce is painful – both before and after. I understand why God hates it so much. It’s a ripping of flesh, a tearing apart, and it hurts. But sometimes I think the church can judge too harshly when someone has been through this painful experience. The church should be there to offer God’s truths in a supportive and comforting way – not to condemn.

And regarding Paul’s comments on marriage and singleness. Some can misinterpret him and conclude that marriage is bad. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Marriage reflects the unity and diversity of the trinity itself! It was ordained by God in the very beginning as the foundation for all of civilization. Marriage is one of God’s primary tools for sanctification in the believer! Some are better equipped to spread the gospel because of their spouse’s support and influence. But others are not, and Paul falls into the single camp. God uses both singleness and marriage to purify His people and glorify His name. They are both good.

Now what about Isaiah? :)

Today’s reading in Isaiah is the beginning of a 15-chapter section that addresses the future exiles in Babylon. It is a period in Israel’s history where God’s wrath has (partially) been satisfied and God is working to rebuild and restore his people.There are many familiar verses in these chapters of Isaiah, for they speak of God’s comfort and grace.

It is easy to translate these chapters to the church, today – because we, too, live in a time where God’s wrath has been satisfied and He is working to build and strengthen his people. We can look to these chapters for comfort and strength as we, citizens of God’s spiritual Kingdom, live as exiles on this earth.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:1).

Day 242: The Lofty and Mundane

Isaiah 33-35; 1 Corinthians 6

I would not have chosen to pair the soaring beauty of Isaiah with the practical how-to’s of 1 Corinthians. But, as I think further, I’m thankful for the reminder that the beautiful, sweeping truths of Isaiah can be applied to our nitty-gritty daily grind.

In typical ‘Isaiah’ fashion, he skips around in time – first declaring that God would save Jerusalem from the impending Assyrian threat (chapter 33) and then fast-forwarding in time to the end of the age – when the nations would be judged (chapter 34) and his people would be saved (chapter 35).

Meanwhile, Paul is talking about court cases and sexual purity. Great. But at the heart of the sins of the Corinthian church was a shallow understanding of the gospel. Both Isaiah and Paul commended their readers to delve into the depths of God’s character found in the beauty of the gospel.

Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you (Isaiah 35:4).

Isaiah points forward to the sure promise of God’s salvation. Hope in God is the key to persevering faith.

Paul encourages the Corinthians to look past the physical world and acknowledge the forever spiritual realm. In doing so, he challenges them to apply the truths of the gospel to their everyday lives.

He argues that our present-day actions will have an eternal impact. The deeds done in the body affect us forever spiritually because even our bodies are “members of Christ.”

How are we united with Christ? How is it that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit? Because of our faith in the gospel… that Jesus’ sacrifice has reconciled us to God. Our faith seals us with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). We are his.

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Isaiah reminds us of the beauty of the salvation of God. It comes as “waters break forth in the wilderness” (35:6) and causes “sorrow and sighing [to] flee away” (35:10). But Paul makes the gospel practical – and challenges us to make these beautiful truths affect our moment-by-moment choices.

Remember. You were bought with a price. The love of Christ should compel us to obey.

Day 241: Our Helper

Isaiah 30-32; 1 Corinthians 5

Today, Paul addresses a specific sin in the Corinthian church… incest. Lovely.

The problem was… this person’s sin was damaging the church’s witness in Corinth, so for the sake of the gospel, Paul directed the church to “remove him from among you” (vs. 2). But this instruction was not given solely for the good of the church, but also for the good of the sinner. For it was Paul’s hope that the severe discipline would result in a change of heart. So the church was not to excommunicate the member in harsh judgment – but rather in mercy… “so his spirit could be saved in the day of the Lord” (vs. 5).

Many times, I have misunderstood God’s judgment for being unloving. God’s character is unchangeable. He is not only loving – He is love. It is impossible for him to act in a way that is unloving.

Consider today’s reading from Isaiah. These chapters were written less than a year before Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah. Isaiah 30 denounces Israel for looking to Egypt to save them from the mighty Assyrian army. Ironically, Israel made this same mistake years earlier… They looked to Assyria to defend them from other foreign invaders – and now they are being threatened by the same country they trusted in for help years earlier.

At the heart of Judah’s sin was unbelief. Their unbelief in the God of Israel led to impatience. They could not wait on the Lord’s salvation…

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
But you were unwilling… (Isaiah 30:15-16)

Isaiah reveals Israel’s true “Helper” in 31:4-5. With the fierceness of a lion and the gentleness of a bird hovering over its nest, He will guard his people.

…the Lord of hosts
will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
he will spare and rescue it (Isaiah 31:5).

Despite their unbelief, God showed grace to Jerusalem.

And then Isaiah looks farther in history – to the Messiah – where in the beginning of Chapter 32, he describes life under the Messiah’s rule. It will be like “a shelter from the storm” and like “streams of water in a dry place.”

This is the love of the Lord…offering mercy to the sinner, extending grace to an unbelieving people, not only to the people in Isaiah’s day but ultimately to all nations through the life and death of Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God! He is our Help – Let us wait, trust and rest in His salvation!

Day 240: God’s response to pride

Isaiah 28-29; 1 Corinthians 4

The Corinthian church was divided over leadership… Some claimed to follow Paul, others followed Apollos – and still others were loyal to Peter. Paul tries to help them see that they should be united in following Christ!.

Each group was puffed up – thinking their “leader” was better than the others. Paul cuts straight to the heart of the matter… pride.

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7)

Similarly, in Isaiah, we read two chapters of vivid imagery describing the pride of both Ephraim in the north (Chapter 28) and Jerusalem in the south (Chapter 29). Isaiah, like Paul, cuts straight to the heart of the matter… “Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim” (Isaiah 28:1).

Pride caused the Israelites in both the Northern and Southern kingdoms to set aside their God and look to self for salvation. They exalted human wisdom, alliances with foreign kings, self-sufficiency and shallow worship to the place of deity. They had turned the order of the world upside down – foolishly thinking that they, as the clay, could mold the Potter to their whims (Isaiah 29:16). Pride was at the root of their sin – just as it was in the Corinthian church.

But thankfully, God’s grace abounds. He always gives an opportunity for repentance – just as Paul echoes at the end of today’s reading:

What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness (1 Corinthians 4:21)?

What would you want? Discipline for an unrepentant heart? Or forgiveness in the face of humble repentance? I know what I would prefer!!!! But hear this… both discipline AND forgiveness are rooted in love.

God brought judgment on the Israelites out of love for His people and zeal for His name!! Even as the great pride of His people is on display in these two chapters, God promises that He will break their pride and change their hearts! This is a message of hope for those who struggle with pride (like me). It’s a message steeped in His persevering love!

“Jacob shall no more be ashamed,
no more shall his face grow pale.
For when he sees his children,
the work of my hands, in his midst,
they will sanctify my name;
they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding,
and those who murmur will accept instruction” (Isaiah 29:22-24).

Day 239: In light of eternity

Isaiah 26-27; 1 Corinthians 3

Isaiah continues his vivid descriptions of the end of the world when God will gather his remnant from the ends of the earth.

In days to come Jacob shall take root,
Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots
and fill the whole world with fruit (Isaiah 27:6).

The whole earth will be like the garden of Eden – bursting with fruit and kept in perfect peace by God himself. Isaiah’s sweeping imagery makes the context of Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians 3 seem trite.

The people were fighting amongst themselves. Their differences were petty and threatened the testimony of the gospel in Corinth.

Paul painted a broader picture for the Corinthians – a picture of the end of the age when all believers will be saved… but their works will be judged. Each man’s work will be revealed by fire. If their work survives, they will be rewarded, but if their work is consumed, their lives will be saved, “but only as through fire” (3:15). Only those works done in faith by the power of the Spirit will survive the fire and receive a reward (3:10-15).

The way we choose to live our lives today will affect our eternity. Paul challenged the Corinthians to look at life with an eternal perspective. In light of eternity, their divisions seemed insignificant.

What areas of your life become trite when you look at them through the lens of an eternal perspective? Let it go. Your eternity awaits!

Day 238: Secret Wisdom of God

Isaiah 24-25; 1 Corinthians 2

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”

Chapter 24 of Isaiah begins a four-chapter-section where Isaiah looks forward in time to the end of the world. We learn that God will destroy the earth (24:1-12), but will preserve a remnant (24:13). This remnant then emerges from every corner of the earth “singing for joy” (24:14-16)!

Chapter 25 describes the final salvation of God’s people when they will feast together on Mount Zion and the Lord will “swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces” (Isaiah 25:8).

What a wonderful promise – a promise that we anticipate with great longing!

We know this promise of salvation is only made possible by Christ’s once and for all sacrifice on the cross. This is the “secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7).

Paul makes it clear that the revelation of God’s wisdom – the implications of Christ’s death and resurrection – can only be attained through the Spirit.

…no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God (1 Corinthians 2:11b-12).

If you understand the gospel, do not think yourself wise – but consider yourself loved by God. Your understanding is a gift – just as your salvation is a gift!

And because of the grace of God, we can look forward to the fulfillment of all God’s promises – to when death will be swallowed up forever and there will be no more tears and no more pain!!

Day 237: The foolishness of God

Isaiah 22-23; 1 Corinthians 1

Isaiah looks forward to a day when Israel will be threatened by foreign invaders…

In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool, and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago (Isaiah 22:8-11).

Do you see the irony? The people of Judah were working so hard in their own strength – but they failed to look to the only source of salvation – the God of Israel. He was the one who ordained their plot, and he was the only one who could deliver them. They chose to trust in their own wisdom – and they perished as fools in their self-reliance.

The ways of God are contrary to the wisdom of men. Worldly wisdom says that salvation comes through power. The gospel says that salvation comes through death.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1:18, NIV).

What other world religion teaches that the way up is down – or that the weak of this world are really the strong – and the lowly and despised are really the most valued?? This is foolishness in the world’s eyes! But this is the wisdom of God!

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength (1 Corinthians 1:25).

In God’s kingdom, people like my daughter, who suffer with debilitating disability, find hope in the “foolishness” of God. My daughter might be looked upon as “lowly” in this world, but in God’s kingdom, she is priceless. She is valued in the Kingdom of Heaven because she knows no pride here on earth. In many ways, her disability is a blessing. Her hope is in Christ, alone.

God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, […] so that no human being might boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:28-29).

In God’s kingdom, self-reliance is a liability and pride is the way of death. Christ stands as the world’s only true hero and we are left with nothing but worship. We must put off our “strength” and embrace our weakness. Our hope must be in Christ, alone!