I Corinthians 14
Preaching tops speaking in tonguesverses 1-5
Follow after charity – and desire spiritual gifts
but rather that you may prophesy
FOR he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men
BUT to God for no man understands him
howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries
BUT he that prophesies speaks to men
to edification – exhortation – comfort
he that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself
but he that prophesies edifies the church
I would that you all spoke with tongues – BUT rather that ye prophesied
for greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues
except he interpret – that the church may receive edifying
Gift of tongues needs gift of interpretationverses 6-17
Now brethren – IF I come to you speaking with tongues
what shall I profit you except I shall speak to you
either by revelation – knowledge – prophesying
or by doctrine?
AND even things without life giving sound – whether pipe or harp
except they give a distinction in the sounds
how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
for if the trumpet give an uncertain sound
who shall prepare himself to the battle?
SO likewise you – except you utter by the tongue words
easy to be understood how shall it be known what is spoken?
FOR you shall speak into the air
THERE are – it may be – so many kinds of voices in the world
and none of them is without signification
THEREFORE if I know not the meaning of the voice
I shall be unto him that speaks a barbarian
and he that speaks shall be a barbarian unto me
EVEN so you – forasmuch as you are zealous of spiritual gifts
SEEK that you may excel to the edifying of the church
WHEREFORE let him that speaks in an unknown tongue pray
that he may interpret for if I pray in an unknown tongue
my spirit prays BUT my understanding is unfruitful
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit
and I will pray with the understanding also
I will sing with the spirit
and I will sing with the understanding also
ELSE – when you shall bless with the spirit
how shall he that occupies the room of the unlearned
say AMEN at your giving of thanks
seeing he understands not what you say?
for you verily give thanks well
BUT the other is not edified
Testimony of Paulverses 18-19
I thank my God – I speak with tongues more than you all
yet in the church I had rather speak five words
with my understanding
that by my voice I might teach others also
than ten thousand words in
an unknown tongue
Relationship of tongues to unbelieversverses 20-25
Brethren – be not children in understanding
howbeit in malice be you children
but in understanding be men
In the law it is written
With men of other tongues and other lips
will I speak to this people
and yet for all that will they not hear ME
says the Lord
WHEREFORE tongues are for a sign – not to them that believe
but to them that believe not
but prophesying serves not for them that believe not
but for them which believe
IF therefore the whole church be come together into one place
and all speak with tongues
and there come in those that are unlearned
or unbelievers – will they not say that you are mad?
BUT if all prophesy – and there come in one that believes not
or one unlearned he is convinced of all – he is judged of all
and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest
and so falling down on his face he will worship God
and report that God is in you of a truth
Importance of an orderly church serviceverses 26-33
How is it then brethren? when you come together
every one of you hath a psalm – doctrine – tongue – revelation
interpretation
Let all things be done unto edifying
if any man speak in an unknown tongue – let it be by two
or at the most by three – and that by course – let one interpret
BUT IF there be no interpreter – let him keep silence in the church
and let him speak to himself and to God
Let the prophets speak two or three – let the other judge
if any thing be revealed to another that sits by
let the first hold his peace
for you may all prophesy one by one
that all may learn
and all may be comforted
AND the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets
for God is not the author of confusion – BUT of peace
as in all churches of the saints
Restrictions regarding womenverses 34-35
Let your women keep silence in the churches
for it is not permitted unto them to speak
but they are commanded to be under obedience
as also says the law
AND IF they will learn any thing – let them ask their husbands at home
for it is a shame for women to speak in the church
Spiritual believers are to acknowledge teaching verse 36- 40
What! came the word of God out from you? OR came it to you only?
if any man think himself to be a prophet OR spiritual
let him acknowledge that the things that I write to you are
the commandments of the Lord
but if any man be ignorant – let him be ignorant
WHEREFORE brethren – COVET to prophesy
and forbid not to speak with tongues
Let all things be done decently and in order
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 But he that prophesies speaks to men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. (4395 “prophesies” [propheteuo] means to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office, or to declare a thing that can only be known by divine revelation)
DEVOTION: The church at Corinth was a church that had many problems. The book has discussed some of their problems. Now we come to a problem with a spiritual gifts. Each believer receives at least one gift at the point of salvation through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
This church thought that some gifts were more important than others. Paul writes to tell them that he would rather they spoke in a known language in the church than to speak in an unknown language. Paul’s main concern was that everyone entering a church service would go home with at least one of these things happening in the service: edification or exhortation or comfort. It would be great if all three happened at the end of a worship service.
However, in this church there were many who thought that the gift of tongues was the most important and therefore wanted to manifest their spirituality by speaking in a tongue. Paul warned that if an unlearned or unbeliever entered such a service they would think they were barbarians or crazy. They would not learn what they needed to learn regarding belief in Jesus Christ.
He stated that if the word was given in a known language the unbeliever or unlearned would have the secrets of their hearts made manifest; they would fall down and worship God and they would report that God was with them. This was not happening in the worship services of the Corinthian church. There was a lot of confusion going on. People were visiting and learning nothing. Paul warned that they were not serving the LORD.
For a worship service to be Biblical it had to have the preaching of the Word of God. Paul said there could be tongues if they followed the three rules he set forth in this chapter. However, he also told them that he would rather they preached than that tongues were used in a service.
What is the outcome of most of our worship services? Are we seeing Christians who are edified, exhorted and comforted? Are we seeing those without Christ having their secrets revealed and falling down and worshiping the LORD? Are the unsaved coming away from our worship services with the idea that God was in the service?
CHALLENGE: Pray for the leaders of your church that these three characteristics are present in your church services.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. (2549 “malice” [kakia] means wickedness, badness, naughtiness, depravity, ill-will, desire to injure, hateful feelings, evil, trouble, or baseness)
DEVOTION: Attitude is very important in a church. Paul is dealing with bad attitudes in the midst of this church. They are fighting over who is more spiritual. They are fighting over who will be able to speak in the church. They are causing confusion in the church.
Paul wants them to grow up. His desire is for them to not be children in their understanding of the doctrines of the faith. Here his main concern is with the doctrine of speaking in tongues. There has be abuse in the use of this spiritual gift. Some were speaking without an interpreter. Some have not be concerned with the spiritual growth of the whole congregation but only to show off how spiritual they thought they were.
This had to stop. There was wickedness or sin in the church. He wanted them to start acting as little children who would have their little fights with each other but get over them quick. He wanted them to stop being children in their actions and start being men in their actions. He wanted those in the church to mature and act mature because there were those who came to their services who needed the LORD.
Even people who have been Christians for a long time can be babies at times. The church doesn’t need those who have been in the church for many years to act like babies. It was happening here and it does happen in many churches even today. Some people just want to show off how spiritual they are when in reality they are very immature in their spiritual growth. Some are forty years in the church but still one year old.
Hateful feelings should never be in a Christian’s heart. If it enters it must leave very quickly. These attitudes spread quicker than good attitudes. Pray for your church to be spared from these people. Pray that you are not one of these people. If so, confess your sin and ask the LORD to give you a proper attitude in your service to the local church.
CHALLENGE: Today there is much confusion in many local churches. Pray for your church to not be added to the list. Pray for growth in each of the members of your local church. Be an example of spiritual growth.
: 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. (518 “report” [apaggello] means tell, show, declare, bring word, announce, inform, command, acknowledge, convey intelligence to, or bring tidings)
DEVOTION: The church was established for those who are believers to come in and be exhorted to serve the LORD the rest of the week. There should be encouragement as the believers gather. There should be excitement in the church because we have a gift that gives us eternal life in heaven with Jesus.
However, even in Paul’s day there were those entering the church services that were unlearned and didn’t understand what it meant to be a follower of the LORD. If that person heard people speaking in words they didn’t understand it would cause confusion.
Paul wanted the services to be such that the unlearned or unsaved person would hear a message that could be used to convict his/her heart and there secret sins would be exposed to them. Once they were exposed one of their reactions could be that they would fall down on their knees and allow Jesus Christ to come into their life.
They would understand the truth of the Word of God and declare that God is real and HE is in the church. They would see God in the lives of those who were true believers. There would be no confusion. There would only be message of salvation that would touch the hearts of those who need Jesus.
CHALLENGE: Do our hearts reveal that we are truly worshiping the LORD daily?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 40 Let all things be done decently and in order. (2156 “decently” [euschemonos] means honestly, in a seemly manner, becomingly, in a manner characterized by propriety in manners and conduct, decorously, or with an implication of pleasing)
DEVOTION: God is NOT the author of confusion. HE wants those who worship HIM to worship HIM in spirit and in truth. Paul is dealing with a carnal church. Many in the church think they are more spiritual than others. One of the proofs they use for their thinking is that they have the ability to speak in tongues.
Now here is the problem. Some are speaking in tongues without an interpreter. Some women are speaking in church instead of consulting their husbands at home regarding what they are saying. This is causing those who enter the church to be confused about what is happening.
Paul would rather that everyone spoke in the tongue of the people, so that, there is no confusion and those who enter the church will realize their sin and repent of their sin and follow Jesus. He states that this would not happen if there is confusion in the church service.
God wants us to do things decently and in order. That doesn’t mean that we keep to a routine to the point where the service can be boring. There should be excitement in worshiping the LORD.
People who attend church should know that they have been in the presence of the LORD when they leave the building.
CHALLENGE: If this is not happening there needs to be a change in the church. Church is not for entertainment but for spiritual growth and fellowship!!
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Writeverse 37
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayverses 13- 15
Giving of thanksverses 16, 17
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Preaching in church –
Edification
Exhortation
Comfortverses 3-5, 12, 26, 31
Singingverse 15
Giving of thanksverse 16
Preach with understandingverse 19
Preaching reveals secrets of the heart in unbelieversverse 25
Preaching causes unbelievers to worship Godverse 25
Preaching causes unbelievers to say God is in churchverse 25
Psalmverse 26
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
It is writtenverse 21
Lawverse 34
Word of Godverse 36
Commandments of the LORDverse 37
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 2, 18, 25, 28, 33, 36
Lordverses 21, 37
God not author of confusionverse 33
God author of peaceverse 33
Word of Godverse 36
Commandments of the Lordverse 37
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Worldverse 10
Barbarianverse 11
Unlearnedverses 23, 24
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Uncertain soundverse 8
Speak into the airverse 9
Unfruitfulverse 14
Not edifiedverse 17
Unknown tongueverse 19
Children in understandingverse 20
Maliceverse 20
Believe notverses 22, 24
Unbelieversverse 23
Secrets of the heartverse 25
No interpreterverse 28
Confusionverse 33
Shameverse 35
Ignorantverse 38
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Charityverse 1
Spiritual gifts verses 1, 12
Prophesyverses 1, 3-6, 22, 24, 31, 39
Tonguesverses 2, 4-6, 13, 14, 19, 22, 26, 27, 39
Edificationverses 3, 4, 12,17, 26
Exhortationverse 3
Comfortverse 3
Prayverse 13
Say AMENverse 16
Thankfulverse 18
Teacherverse 19
Tongues are for a signverse 22
Believeverse 22
Worship God in truthverse 25
Indwelling of Godverse 25
Prophetverses 29, 32, 37
Learnverse 31
Comfortedverse 31
Peaceverse 33
Saintsverse 33
Spiritualverse 37
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Spirits of the prophetsverse 32
Church (New Testament people of God)
Preaching [Prophesies] edifies churchverses 4, 5, 12, 26
Revelationverses 6, 26
Knowledgeverse 6
Prophesyingverses 5, 6, 29, 39
Doctrineverse 6, 26
Psalmverse 26
Tongueverses 5, 6, 22, 23, 26
Interpretationverses 5, 26, 27
Brethrenverses 6, 20, 26, 39
Revelationverse 6
Knowledgeverse 6
Doctrineverse 6
Give a distinctionverse 7
Speak easy to understand thingsverse 9
Zealous of spiritual giftsverse 12
Edifying of the churchverse 12
Pray with understandingverse 15
Sing with understandingverse 15
Unlearned in church verse 16
Five words with understandingverse 19
Understanding be menverse 20
Tongues are for a signverse 22
Whole church come togetherverse 23
Silence in the church: no interpreterverse 28
All may learnverse 31
All may be comfortedverse 31
Peace in the churches of the saintsverse 33
Women keep silent in church verses 34, 35
Women to ask husbandsverse 35
Covet to prophesyverse 39
All things done decently and in orderverse 40
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
Not of confusion (οὐ—καταστασιας [ou—katastasias]). God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. We need this reminder today. As in all the churches of the saints (ὡς ἐν πασαις ταις ἐκκλησιαις των ἁγιων [hōs en pasais tais ekklēsiais tōn hagiōn]). Orderly reverence is a mark of the churches. This is a proper conclusion of his argument as in 11:16. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (1 Co 14:33). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
14:33 confusion. Here is the key to the whole chapter. The church at worship before God should reflect His character and nature because He is a God of peace and harmony, order and clarity, not strife and confusion (cf. Ro 15:33; 2Th 3:16; Heb 13:20). as in all the churches. This phrase does not belong in v. 33, but at the beginning of v. 34, as a logical introduction to a universal principle for churches. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Co 14:33). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
29–33a As for regulations for prophesying in church, only a limited number—not over three—should speak, lest so much be said as to cause confusion. The mention of revelation (v. 30) suggests that the prophecy in mind involved a revelation, a special deep teaching, which, however, was distinct from the kind of revelation that Scripture is (2 Tim 3:14–17). Such teaching should be heard even from one who had not been on his feet to speak. In some way the person with this revelation was a spokesman for God in giving some edifying message to the church. The “spirits of the prophets” (v. 32) are the spirits of the prophets themselves who were guided by the Holy Spirit in using this special gift. And these prophetic utterances are subject to being checked (hypotassō) by other prophets for accuracy and orthodoxy. All this leads to the peace and order of which God is the author (v. 33). The word akatastasia is a strong one, indicating great disturbance, disorder, or even insurrection or revolution (Luke 21:9). Paul is afraid of unregulated worship that might lead to disorderly conduct and belie the God of peace who has called them to be orderly.
33b–36 Paul now turns to the role of women in public worship, the implication being that men were to lead in worship. Paul’s instruction for Corinth is that followed in all the churches. The phrase tais ekklesiais tōn hagiōn (“the congregations [or, the churches] of the saints”) is distinctive, occurring only here in the NT. The expression emphasizes the universality of the Christian community. All the churches are composed of saints (those set apart for God), and should be governed by the same principle of orderly conduct.
The command seems absolute: Women are not to do any public speaking in the church. This restriction is not to be construed as demoting woman, since the expressions “be in submission” (hypotassō, cf. v. 32) and “their own husbands” are to be interpreted as simply consistent with God’s order of administration (cf. 1 Cor 11:7, 8; Eph 5:21–33). “The law says” must refer to the law as set forth in such places as Genesis 3:16; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:22; 1 Timothy 1:12, and Titus 2:5. Some have explained the apostle’s use of the word “speaking” (v. 34) as connoting only general speaking and not forbidding a public address. But this is incompatible with Paul’s other uses of “speaking” in the chapter (vv. 5, 6, 9, et al.), which imply public utterances as in prophesying (v. 5). A woman’s request for knowledge is not to be denied, since she is a human being equal to the man. Her questions can be answered at home, and not by asking her husband in the public service and so possibly interrupting the sermon. (Mare, W. H. (1976). 1 Corinthians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 276). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Ver. 33. For God is not the author of confusion, &c.] Or disorder, or tumult, as the Syriac renders it; wherefore he does not inspire and excite his prophets to deliver themselves in a disorderly and tumultuous manner, so as to break in one upon another; but when one speaks, the other is silent, or when one has any thing revealed to him, and he signifies it in a proper manner, the other stops and gives way to him, and when he has done another succeeds, and so the rest in order, till the whole opportunity is filled up in an orderly and edifying manner; and whatever is contrary to, or breaks in upon such a method, God is not the author of: for he is the author of peace, harmony, unity, and concord among his prophets and teachers, and so of order, for the former can’t be without the latter; where there is no order in the ministry, there can be no peace among the ministers, nor comfort in the churches; but God is the God of peace, he calls for, requires, disposes, and approves of peace and order among all his people: as in all churches of the saints. The Vulgate Latin reads, as I teach in all, &c. and so read some copies, and may refer to all that is said before; and the sense be, that all the rules he had prescribed concerning speaking with tongues, and prophesying, were not new ones, but such as he had directed to be observed in all churches he was concerned with, and which consisted of holy and good men; or God is the author, not of confusion, but of peace in all the churches; he orders and disposes peace among them, and they attend to it: peace and order, and not confusion and tumult, prevail in all churches that deserve to be called churches of the saints, and therefore were in this to be imitated by the church at Corinth. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 721). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING ABOUT YOU ?
To prevent Nehemiah from rebuilding Jerusalem’s wells, his enemies spread rumors about him. “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king (v.6NKJV). Now you can’t control what people think or keep them from saying it, but you can determine your response. Nehemiah did: “I sent messengers to them saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you? But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner (vv. 3-4 NKJV). This story teaches you three important principles;
[1] Refuse to give more attention to a critic than you would to a friend. To Nehemiah, the people who mattered were those who were for him rather than those against him. So instead of trying to change minds, he changed gears and moved forward. (2) Realize that with opportunity comes opposition. Paul wrote, “There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me(1 Co 16:9 NLT)
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Criticism is a sign of respect; if you weren’t succeeding, they wouldn’t even notice you. (Pg 25, The Word for Today Jun-July-August, The Word for You Today.
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The Royal Route to Heaven (Studies in First Corinthians By Alan Redpath
The head of Christ is God, says Paul. Here we enter on holy ground, into a realm of mystery which we cannot fully understand. Yet we can know this much from the lips of our Lord Himself: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Christ is equal with God in character and in deity. He also said, “I am not alone, because the Father is with me” (John 16: 32). Christ and the Father were one in cooperation, in service, in ministry. The Lord Jesus said again “My Father is greater than I” (John 14: 28b). Here is the submission which He voluntarily took upon Himself when He humbled Himself and stooped to the death of the cross for us.
Jesus Christ claimed equality with God but offered submission to God. He was claiming to be one with God, and yet delighting in the fact that He was submitting to God. Here submission is in the context of absolute fellowship, complete equality, utter understanding. Here is oneness of character, oneness of service, oneness of purpose, oneness of life. Yet He was subject to His Father for the purpose of redemption. (p. 127)
Exodus 14
The Lord parts the Red Sea for the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
When we are obedient to God, nothing can touch us that does not come from God Himself. The armies of Egypt, symbolic of the armies of Satan, are no match for a God jealous to care for His beloved people. Resting in God’s full protection in spiritual warfare, we may put on His full armor and stand firm, knowing that we will triumph in Him. (Quiet Walk)
THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER
…wait for the promise of the Father…. Acts 1:4
The final manifestation of the glory of the Son was that which was given on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was sent down upon the infant church gathered together at Jerusalem. That is the final proof of the fact that Jesus of Nazareth is the only begotten Son of God. The Scripture talks about “the promise of the Father.” The Father had promised the children of Israel in the old dispensation that He would send His Spirit. He keeps on saying that He is going to make a new covenant with them, that the day is coming when He will take out their stony heart, give them a heart of flesh, and pour out His Spirit upon them. That is the thing to which they were looking forward, and in a sense the work of the Messiah, the Deliverer, the Savior, was to send this promise of the Father. And this is the very thing that happened on the Day of Pentecost when the Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit.
Now in one place the Scripture tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit, and in another place it tells us that God the Father sent the Spirit after listening to the prayer of His Son. But it is the same thing, since the Spirit proceeds from the Father and from the Son. What I particularly want to emphasize is that “these words” of John 17:1 refer to the words that are recorded in chapters14, 15, and 16 of John’s Gospel, which all have to do with this promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord began to speak about this in chapter 14. He found that the disciples were crestfallen because He said that He was going to leave them. So He told them that He would give them another Comforter (14:16-17). Then He proceeded to teach them about the coming of the Holy Spirit.
A Thought to Ponder: The final manifestation of the glory of the Son was given on the Day of Pentecost. (From Saved in Eternity, pp. 84-85, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
By Faith
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
This great verse, evidently a definition of faith, appears to be somewhat obtuse, but it can be properly understood. The word “substance” carries the sense of reality, or assurance. The same author uses the word to explain that the Son of God took on human “substance,” consisting of “the express image of his person [or ‘substance’]” (Hebrews 1:3). The word “evidence” is more properly translated “proof.” The passage teaches, then, that faith provides the reality and proof of things that we can’t see directly. They are as sure to us, through faith, as are things we can see directly.
Faith enters into the picture whenever we attempt to understand something outside the realm of empirical observation. This surely includes creation. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3). Creationist faith is certainly reasonable faith, in stark contrast to evolutionist faith, which believes in ordered complexity from disorder without any ordering mechanism or outside intelligence.
Faith is extremely important in God’s economy: “Without faith it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6) in any area of life. “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Likewise, we live by faith: “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20). Furthermore, “by faith ye stand” (2 Corinthians 1:24) steadfast as a Christian, and “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are to “follow after . . . faith” and “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:11-12)
Since this list comprises only a sampling of things that must be done in, by, or through faith, it is no wonder that it “is the victory that overcometh the world” (1 John 5:4).
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
You can generally tell where a map was drawn by what lies in its middle. We tend to think our home is the center of the world, so we put a dot in the middle and sketch out from there. Nearby towns might be fifty miles to the north or half a day’s drive to the south, but all are described in relation to where we are. The Psalms draw their “map” from God’s earthly home in the Old Testament, so the center of biblical geography is Jerusalem.
Psalm 48 is one of many psalms that praise Jerusalem. This “city of our God, his holy mountain” is “beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth” (vv. 1-2). Because “God is in her citadels,” He “makes her secure forever” (vv. 3, 8). God’s fame begins in Jerusalem’s temple and spreads outward to “the ends of the earth” (vv. 9-10).
Unless you’re reading this in Jerusalem, your home is not in the center of the biblical world. Yet your region matters immensely, because God will not rest until His praise reaches “to the ends of the earth” (v. 10). Would you like to be part of the way God reaches His goal? Worship each week with God’s people, and openly live each day for His glory. God’s fame extends “to the ends of the earth” when we devote all that we are and have to Him. By Mike Wittmer (Our Daily Bread)
But don’t think for a second that making much of the Bible is somehow antithetical to heartfelt communion with Christ. (p. 131)
No matter how goofy or insignificant your church may seem, fellowship in that body of believers is fellowship with God. (p. 132)
Christianity without the church shoots himself in the foot, shoots his children in the leg, and shoots his grandchildren in the heart. (p. 132)
(The Hole In Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung)
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