God, in the 3rd person of Holy Spirit, speaks to us we just need to listen!
Colossians 1:20-21-23 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
The grace of God to the Gentiles given in the sacrifice of the Cross is our salvation and our Savior, Jesus, is the head of that body, the Church. He is our peace and reconciliation with God.
Colossians 2:24-27 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
In nature, as in the new life in Christ, out of death comes life. In faith we are set apart as a peculiar people who abide in the love of God. We are without blame in His sight. We are grounded and cannot be moved in our hope in Him.
Every person has heard of this Gospel of Grace given to Paul but not all accept it. Paul was made a minister to the Body of Christ by dispensation of God. The mysteries of Jesus and this grace was given to him for the non Jewish believers in Him. the whole of Scripture was manifested in the Word of God made flesh.
1 Corinthians 1:5-9 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The church in Corinth was seeped in sin but as believers they were held blameless in His sight. Faith plus nothing is salvation, the gift of God, in Jesus Christ. You cannot lose this gift, you are blameless and forgiven, in Him. No greater love has ever been offered to mankind.
In Him ALL sins are forgiven in our faith in His work of the Cross not in our good works. We love others because He loves them. Carla
Since there was a very large wealth gap in Corinth, Paul emphasizes that riches are found in a life of following Christ; Christ’s gifts are what matter. This is Paul’s first response to a problem he addresses further in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34. People are poor prior to coming to Christ in the sense that they are removed from the life that God wants them to have in relationship with Him. To Paul, the only life worth living is one for Christ —even at the cost of all things, including wealth and physical well-being. Paul is modeling a life that doesn’t revolve around economy but on a relationship with God and others. His life is focused on love as God is focused on love.
The Greek word used here for speech, logos, refers to that which is spoken (in this instance). The Corinthians highly esteemed both speech and knowledge because of their cultural value. The Greek word used here for knowledge, gnōsis, may refer to an understanding of Christian teaching but based on Paul’s subsequent reference to the testimony of Christ among believers in verse 6, it likely refers to remembrance of how Christ has worked in people’s lives. Romans prized speech and knowledge—rhetoricians were renowned. It’s likely that because of this, believers in Corinth were drawn to the ministry of Apollos; he was knowledgeable and eloquent (Acts 18:24–25). Likewise, they have been drawn to the ministry of Peter (Cephas) because he had firsthand experience of Jesus during His life before the resurrection, whereas Paul only knew Jesus in person briefly after His resurrection.
Paul emphasizes that all spiritual gifts come from Christ, and thus one person’s gift doesn’t make that person any more important than others. Instead, the emphasis should be on Christ.
Testimony is Paul referring to the work that he told the Corinthians that Christ would do in them; it’s now happening and is providing a witness for Christ in the world. Christ has sent the Holy Spirit to them to transform them. Literally “spiritual things”—refers to the gifts described in chapters 12–14.
The greek word for Gifts of the Spirit used here, apokalypsis, often rendered as “revelation,” can either refer to the second coming of Christ or to God revealing something directly to a believer through the gift of tongues, prophecy, or a vision (Revelation 1:1) The second coming of Christ interpretation best fits the context here. Paul also uses the Greek word apokalypsis in reference to spiritual gifts later in 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 14:6, 26) and in reference to visions in 2 Corinthians 12:1, 7.
Day of the Lord refers to the day when Christ will fully inaugurate justice in the world by delivering His followers and purging the world of evil. Paul uses the Greek word koinōnia here—meaning “to fellowship” or “join together.” God intended for the Corinthian believers to join together because of Christ; instead, they focused on leaders and teachers, which (among many other things) caused division within their church (1 Corinthians 1:11–12). Faithlife Study Bible
Enriched means that the Corinthians had been spiritually destitute but had become abundantly prosperous through God’s grace. Gift here is probably a reference to the spiritual gifts described in chapters 12–14. Despite the Corinthians’ boasting, their many gifts had come from God. The Corinthians were richly blessed with spiritual gifts because God was giving them everything they needed to do His will.
The Corinth which Paul knew had been founded as a Roman colony during the century before Christ. It was strategically located in the Roman province of Achaia on a narrow strip of land between the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea, with two adjoining ports. Corinth’s location made it a center for trade routes passing from east to west, and the resulting prosperity brought both luxury and immorality. “To live like a Corinthian” meant to live in gross immorality, and many pagan temples located in Corinth encouraged this licentious way of life through temple prostitution.
The letters Paul wrote to the believers in this city reveal the problems, pressures, and struggles of a church called out of a pagan society. Paul had founded the church in Corinth during an 18-month stay in the city (a.d. 51–52) Because God is faithful to His word, Paul was confident that even the sin-plagued Corinthians would stand blameless before Him. This blamelessness does not refer to the Corinthians’ works, but to their standing in Christ, their justification. The NKJV Study Bible
Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
Deuteronomy 7:9 “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
2 Corinthians 8:7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also
There is a famous saying, "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Whether we struggle with a habit of lying or gossip, an attitude of pride or judgment, or something else, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
When we recognize that every sin, whether hidden or public, intentional or accidental, is an offense against God and His holiness, our focus shifts from behavior correction to genuine concern for our relationship with Him (Psalm 51:4-10). First5
“Be a kind voice in this broken hearted world give grace and be ready to receive it. Listen so well that the person you’re with can rest in your attention for a moment. Be a light. Be a light. Be a light.” Nanea Hoffman
Prayer for our week...
When the world feels hopeless and heartless,
take a moment to look around.
There are beautiful humans everywhere,
often hiding in plain sight in cabs,
on buses, in cafes, on trains, in libraries,
on park benches, in laundromats, on subways.
They may not be rich or well-educated.
They may be broken and hurting themselves.
They may not have much to offer
in terms of worldly goods.
But they are the comforters, encouragers, sharers,
teachers, servers, healers, mentors, connecters,
helpers, and counselors who keep
the random hurting humans,
the weary and the lost,
the invisible sufferers who walk among us every day,
going just long enough
to find their hope and strength again.
It doesn't take a degree or wealth
or a grand gesture to make a
difference in this world.
It just takes a human who cares.
L.R. Knost (excerpt from Sabbath Moments)
No comments:
Post a Comment