I Corinthians 6
Christian commands concerning legal mattersverses 1-6
Dare any of you – having a matter against another
go to the law before the unjust
and not before the saints?
Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world?
and if the world shall be judged by you
are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Know you not that we shall judge angels?
how much more things that pertain to this life?
If then you have judgments of things pertaining to this life
set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church
I speak to your shame
Is it so that there is not a wise man among you?
NO – NOT one that shall be able to judge
between his brethren?
but brother goes to law with brother
and that before the unbelievers
Christians should accept suffering wrongverses 7-8
NOW therefore there is utterly a fault among you
BECAUSE you go to law one with another
Why do ye not rather take wrong?
Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Nay – you do wrong – and defraud
and that your brethren
Non Christians don’t go to heavenverses 9-10
Know you not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
BE not deceived – neither fornicators – nor idolaters
nor adulterers – nor effeminate
nor abusers of themselves with mankind
nor thieves – nor covetous – nor drunkards
nor revilers – nor extortioners
SHALL INHERIT the kingdom of God
Christian life definedverse 11
And SUCH were some of your – BUT you are washed
BUT you are sanctified
BUT you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
and by the Spirit of our God
Avoid sexual sinsverse 12-18
All things are lawful to me –
BUT all things are not expedient
All things are lawful for me
BUT I will not be brought under the power of any
Meat for the belly – and the belly for meats
BUT God shall destroy both it and them
NOW the body is not for fornication – BUT for the Lord
and the Lord for the body
AND God has both raised up the Lord
and will also raise up us by HIS OWN power
Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ?
shall I then take the members of Christ
and make them the members of a harlot?
God forbid
WHAT!!!! know you not that he which is joined to a
harlot is one body? for two
says HE – shall be one flesh
BUT he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit
FLEE fornication
Every sin that a man does is without the body
but he that commits fornication sins
against his own body
Christian bodies are temple of Godverses 19-20
WHAT!!!! Know you not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you
which you have of God
and you are not your own?
FOR you are bought with a price
THEREFORE glorify God in your body
and in your spirit – which are God’s
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? (1791 “shame” [entrope] means a state of disgrace or loss of self-respect, embarrassment, humiliation, insult, or reproach)
DEVOTION: Paul was commanding the Christians in the church of Corinth to stop taking their legal matters. They were hanging their dirty laundry in from of the world. They were letting those who don’t know Christ settle their differences rather than finding someone in the church to help them settle them.
In the eyes of the LORD they were doing wrong. They were showing the world that Christians couldn’t settle matters between themselves. They were saying that Jesus was not able to help them make legal judgments. These thoughts were wrong according to Paul.
He used the illustration that believers were going to judge the world. He also stated that saints are going to judge angels. If we are going to do this in the future shouldn’t we be able to deal with things that happen here on earth.
Paul thought that these actions were a shame. He thought they should look for someone who was wise in the church and get things settled that way. He thought a believer should never take another believer to court in front of an unbeliever. It would ruin the testimony of those who were doing it and the church.
CHALLENGE: Christians should be able to settle their differences outside of court and in the church through the use of wise counselors.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 9 Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. (3120 “effeminate” [malakos] means soft, of a boy kept for homosexual relations with a man, of a maile who submits his body to unnatural lewdness, a male prostitute, passive homosexual partner, or catamite)
DEVOTION: Paul doesn’t put any punches when he is describing those who will NOT inherit the kingdom of God. He lists a group of people who are living in sin who will NOT inherit the kingdom of God.
This description is not just for the first century but for all time. God has not changed in HIS attitude or definition of what sin is. It is not an alternate lifestyle. It is not personal rights. It is the difference between right and wrong.
God wants us to know that HE still governs what is right and wrong. Man has to go by God’s standards. HIS standards will not change over time. What was sin in human relations in the Old Testament is still sin today.
There are denominations and pastors who are saying that Paul didn’t understand what God really meant when HE said he would judge those who practice these sins. These are individuals who are given over to these kinds of behavior. This is not just a onetime sin it is a lifestyle of sin. These individuals will not inherit heaven.
If someone receiving these devotionals is practicing any of these sins there has to be a change in your life. Even if you said a prayer of repentance many years ago doesn’t mean that you are on your way to heaven. God looks at our life and judges us accordingly.
Jesus will say too many who come to HIM and say I went to church, I gave money to church, I did many wonderful works, I NEVER knew you. It sounds wrong to us but these individuals were not allowing the Word of God to change them into individuals who manifested the teachings of Jesus Christ.
CHALLENGE: Don’t follow those who say that the standard of sin had changed today. God’s standard toward the people described in these verses has not changed. They will not inherit the kingdom of God.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 11 And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (628 “washed” [apolouo] means make pure, clean, bathe, have remitted, baptize)
DEVOTION: Paul continues to hit issues in this church. He starts the chapter with legal matters between Christians. He tells them that they should NOT take fellow Christians to court but handle it in the church. He reminds them that they will judge angels.
He then gives a list of sinners who will not enter heaven. If an individual is living in these sins, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
Now he describes those who have become followers of Christ. He starts with the fact that every Christian committed sins in one of the categories that were mentioned in the previous verses.
However, now they are made pure. Now they are sanctified or set apart unto God. Now they are justified or just as if they had never sinned because of the blood of Christ. The word “sanctified” is not talking about progressive sanctification that is a lifelong process but our standing with God because of Christ.
How do we become pure? At the point of salvation in our lives we are blessed with the baptism of the Holy Spirit on our lives. The baptism of the Holy Spirit represents a cleansing of our inner man. God looks at us through Christ after this takes place. Our outward baptism is a symbol of an inward change. God declares us pure.
Does this mean that we never sin again? NO!!! This verse tells us that at least three other things happen to us at the point of salvation. First, we are made pure in God’s sight. Second, we are sanctified or set apart unto God. And finally, we are justified in God’s sight because of the blood of Christ.
God no longer sees our sin because of Christ. Does that mean that we can go out and sin more? NO!!! Paul gives a list of what those who became followers of Christ used to do. They used to live in sin. Paul makes it plain that people who live in these sins don’t inherit the kingdom of God.
Our bodies became the temple of the Holy Spirit when we became followers of the Lord. Praise the Lord. Each moment of every day we make decisions regarding the use of our bodies. Make wise decisions!!!
CHALLENGE: Start a list of everything that happens to us the moment we become believers in Christ. The list is long and it should give us encouragement to not give in to sin.
: 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1392 “glorify” [doxazo] means honor, magnify, praise, extol, celebrate, adorn with luster, cloth with splendor, or exalt)
DEVOTION: Paul wants the believers in Corinth to realize that they were brought with a price. The price was the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. HE went through a time of misjudgment. HE was beaten by the soldiers. HE was mocked by the crowd. HE took on HIMSELF the sins of the world. HE took on our sins, so that, we could spend eternity in heaven.
Once an individual repents of their sins and becomes a follower of Jesus Christ their whole life should magnify the presence of Jesus Christ with their actions.
Those who are believers have to realize that being a Christian is not just an external relationship with God. There is also an internal relationship with God. Our body should honor the LORD by its actions.
Also our spirit or internal actions should honor the LORD. People can’t see what goes on inside our body but they can see the results of our internal thoughts by our actions.
Paul is concerned with fornication in this chapter. That is using our bodies for sexual pleasure in an area that God considers sinful. It gives the illustration of a harlot. If a believer joins his body to a harlot, they become one flesh just like when a husband joins his body to his wife, they become one flesh.
Our body and our spirit belong to the LORD.
Therefore, we should honor the LORD with every action of our body. HE wants us to properly use our bodies for HIS glory. This only happens sexually between a man and a woman who are married. No other sexual action brings honor to the LORD. Our thought life is included in this teaching.
CHALLENGE: Control over our relationship with others gives proper honor to the LORD. Honor the LORD with your relationship with the opposite sex.
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)
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)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 9-11, 13-15, 19, 20
Kingdom of Godverses 9, 10
God raised up Jesusverse 14
God raises up believersverse 14
God gives Holy Spirit to believersverse 19
Glorify Godverse 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Lordverses 11, 13, 14, 17
Jesusverse 11
Lord Jesus verse 11
Name of our Lord Jesusverse 11
Resurrectionverse 14
Christverse 15
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spirit of our Godverse 11
One Spiritverse 17
Holy Ghostverse 19
Christian body temple of Holy Ghostverse 19
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Saints will judge angelsverse 3
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Go to law before the unjustverse 1
Worldverse 2
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Unjustverse 1
Shameverse 5
Christians taking fellow Christians to lawverse 6, 7
Unbelievers verse 6
Faultverses 7, 8
Defraudverses 7, 8
Deceivedverse 9
Unrighteousverse 9
Fornicatorsverses 9, 13, 18
Idolatersverse 9
Adulterersverse 9
Effeminateverse 9
Abusers of themselves with mankindverse 9
Thievesverse 10
Covetousverse 10
Drunkardsverse 10
Revilersverse 10
Extortionersverse 10
Harlotverses 16, 17
Sinverse 18
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Saintsverses 1, 2
Judgeverses 2-5
Wiseverse 5
Brethrenverses 5, 6, 8
Brother (fellows Christian)verse 6
Take wrongverse 7
Inherit kingdom of Godverse 9
Be not deceivedverse 9
Washedverse 11
Sanctifiedverse 11
Justifiedverse 11
All things lawful but not expedientverse 12
Not brought under power of any lawful thingverse 12
Bodies members of Christverse 15
Joined to the LORDverse 17
Flee fornicationverse 18
Christian body temple of Holy Ghostverse 19
Bought with a price: blood of Jesus Christverse 20
Glorify God in your bodyverse 20
Body and spirit of believer are God’sverse 20
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Judge angelsverse 3
Least esteemed in church to judgeverse 4
Wise man in churchverse 5
Last Things (Future Events)
Saints will judge angelsverse 3
Kingdom of God inheritedverses 9, 10
Raise up saintsverse 14
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
QUOTES regarding passage
3 To make his argument even stronger for the validity and competence of Christians to settle cases at Corinth, Paul teaches that Christians will even judge angels, but he does not specify any details (v. 3). By using angelous without the article, Paul is not necessarily including all the angels. He must mean that Christians, when ruling in the future with Christ, will have a part in judging the devil and the fallen angels at the Second Coming (cf. Rev 19:19, 20; 20:10). Or, the statement could mean, as Hodge suggests, that Christians will judge angels, even the good ones, in the sense of presiding with Christ over the angelic host (in loc.). Compare the statement of Matthew 19:28 about sitting “on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes,” i.e., presiding over them. (Mare, W. H. (1976). 1 Corinthians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 222). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
6:3. Since they were going to judge supernatural beings (the fallen angels, 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6), surely they should handle mundane matters satisfactorily. (Lowery, D. K. (1985). 1 Corinthians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 515). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The church at Corinth was rapidly losing its testimony in the city. Not only did the unsaved know about the immorality in the assembly, but they were also aware of the lawsuits involving members of the church. Not only were there sins of the flesh, but also sins of the spirit (2 Cor. 7:1).
The Greeks in general, and the Athenians in particular, were known for their involvement in the courts. The Greek playwright Aristophanes has one of his characters look at a map and ask where Greece is located. When it is pointed out to him, he replies that there must be some mistake—because he cannot see any lawsuits going on! However, the United States is rapidly getting a similar reputation: over 200,000 civil suits were filed in the federal courts in one recent twelve-month period. Nearly 1 million lawyers (their number is increasing) are handling them. In one year, more than 12 million suits were filed in the state courts.
Paul detected three tragedies in this situation. First, the believers were presenting a poor testimony to the lost. Even the unbelieving Jews dealt with their civil cases in their own synagogue courts. To take the problems of Christians and discuss them before the “unjust” and “unbelievers” was to weaken the testimony of the Gospel.
Second, the congregation had failed to live up to its full position in Christ. Since the saints will one day participate in the judgment of the world and even of fallen angels, they ought to be able to settle their differences here on earth. The Corinthians boasted of their great spiritual gifts. Why, then, did they not use them in solving their problems?
Bible students are not agreed on the meaning of Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 6:4. Some think he is using a bit of sarcasm: “You are better off asking the weakest member of your church to settle the matter, than to go before the most qualified unsaved judge!” Others take the phrase “who are least esteemed in [or ‘by’] the church” to refer to the pagan judges. Or it may be that Paul is saying that God can use even the least member of the church to discern His will. The result is still the same: It is wrong for Christians to take their civil suits to court.
Sometimes there are “friendly suits” that are required by law to settle certain issues. That is not what Paul was referring to. It seems that the church members were “at each other’s throats,” trying to get their way in the courts. I am happy to see that there is a trend in our churches today for Christian lawyers to act as arbitrators in civil cases, and help to settle these matters out of court.
There was a third tragedy: the members suing each other had already lost. Even if some of them won their cases, they had incurred a far greater loss in their disobedience to the Word of God. “Now, therefore, there is utterly a fault among you” (1 Cor. 6:7) can be translated, “It is already a complete defeat for you.” Paul was certainly referring to our Lord’s teaching in Matthew 5:39–42. Better to lose money or possessions than to lose a brother and lose your testimony as well.
Over the years of my own ministry, I have seen the sad results of churches and church members trying to solve personal problems in court. Nobody really wins—except the devil! The Corinthians who were going to court were disgracing the name of the Lord and the church just as much as the man who was guilty of incest, and they needed to be disciplined.
I recall a ministerial student who phoned me to tell me he was going to sue his school. Apparently the administration would not allow him to do something he felt was very necessary to his education. I advised him to “cool off,” talk to his faculty counselor, and get the idea out of his mind. He took my advice and in so doing not only avoided a bad testimony, but grew spiritually through the experience. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 587–588). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
6:3 judge angels. The Gr. word can mean “rule or govern.” Since the Lord Himself will judge fallen angels (2Pe 2:4; Jude 6), it is likely this means we will have some rule in eternity over holy angels. Since angels are “ministering spirits” to serve the saints (Heb 1:14), it seems reasonable that they will serve us in glory. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Co 6:3). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” After all, these things are so trivial; matters of money, of property, matters concerning personal reputation, are such small things when viewed in the light of eternity. We may make a great deal of them, we may magnify them and give them a place of importance altogether beyond that which they deserve, but the apostle declares they are very small matters indeed, and he strengthens his position as he adds, “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” What is that? Angels who are greater in power and might, are we going to sit in judgment upon them? Are angels coming into judgment? Yes, we read twice in the New Testament of angels coming into judgment. In 2 Peter 2:4 we read, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment,” and then certain conclusions follow. Then in the Epistle of Jude, verse 6, we read, “And the angels which kept not their first estate (their own principality), but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Now it is the final judgment that is in view, and at that last great assize these fallen angels shall be all brought into judgment. And who will sit upon that throne of judgment? Our Lord Jesus Christ, and all the redeemed throughout the ages will be associated with Him. We will be there with our Lord as assessors, we may say, in that last great assize. If this dignity is to be ours, if we are to judge the world during the kingdom age, if we are to judge angels when eternity begins, are we then unfit to judge affairs of this life? How much more should we be able to judge between our brethren! (Ironside, H. A. (1938). Addresses on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. (pp. 180–182). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Ver. 3. Know ye not that we shall judge angels, &c.] Meaning not the ministers of the Gospel, and pastors of churches, called angels, Rev. 1:20 whose doctrines are examined, tried, and judged by the saints, according to the word of God; nor the good angels, who, were it possible that they could, or should publish a Gospel contrary to what has been preached by the apostle, would be contradicted, condemned, and accursed by him, see Gal. 1:8, 9 but the evil angels, the devil and his angels: and this is to be understood not of their future final judgment and condemnation at the last day, when saints will subscribe unto, and approve of the sentence pronounced upon them, and will triumph over them in their destruction; but of the judgment of them, and of their ejection out of the Gentile world, out of their oracles, idols, and idol-temples, to which Christ refers, John 12:31 and calls the judgment of this world, and the casting out of the prince of it by the ministry of his apostles; and which was now already begun, and ere long would be fully accomplished: accordingly the Syriac version renders it, know ye not דלמלאכא דינינן, that we are about to judge angels? and the Arabic, know ye not that we judge angels? from whence the apostle infers very justly, how much more things that pertain to this life? this animal life; to the trade and business of life; to pecuniary matters, to estates and possessions in this world, about which differences may arise between one saint and another. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 635). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
But there is more! We are going to judge that world up there: “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” (1 Cor. 6:3a). The prophet Isaiah foresaw that time. He wrote, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth” (Isa. 24:21). At the beginning of the millennial reign the Lord will overthrow the Antichrist at Megiddo and his armies and all the assembled armies of the world (Rev. 16:12–16). The returning saints will participate as spectators of this final dissolution of Gentile world power (Rev. 19:11–21). Thus will end the “times of the Gentiles” spoken of by the Lord (Luke 21:24). The surviving remnant of the Jewish people will go on into the millennial kingdom as Christ’s ambassadors, viceroys, and administrators of the earthly kingdom (Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring 1 Corinthians: An Expository Commentary (1 Co 5:1–6:20). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.)
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!!)
To guard our speech, we have to guard our hearts, for “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12: 34). If we would say the right things, we must first think them. When our tongues let us down, it is because we have not first watched over our hearts and thoughts. (p. 40, On Being A PASTOR by Derek J. Prime & Alistair Begg)
Exodus 6
Moses is reassured by God.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal — as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit.
The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever. (Quiet Walk)
THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
But all these works that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 1 Corinthians 12:11
There are some principles about the subject of spiritual gifts that stand out clearly in the biblical teaching. The first is that spiritual gifts must be differentiated from natural gifts. We all have natural gifts, but the spiritual gift that any one of us may possess is something separate from and entirely different from this. It is a gift that is given directly to us by the Holy Spirit. Some people have fallen into the error of thinking that a spiritual gift really means a person’s natural gift taken hold of by the Holy Spirit and heightened so that it becomes a spiritual gift. But that is not what Scripture would have us believe. A spiritual gift is something new, something different.
The second principle is that these gifts are bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit in a sovereign manner. This is emphasized very clearly in 1 Corinthians 12; notice verse 11, for instance: “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” “As he will.” It is He who decides and not us. He decides what particular gift to give to a particular person. Verse7 enforces the same point: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” It is a gift, it is given, it is something that comes entirely from the Holy Spirit.
Third, each Christian is given and therefore has some gift: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” The clear implication there is that every single Christian is given some particular gift. So from this we deduce that every true member of the Body of Christ, every true Christian, who has been baptized into the Body of Christ by this one Spirit, has some particular spiritual gift. The fourth principle taught in 1 Corinthians 12, obviously, is that the gifts differ in value; see verses 14-30.
A Thought to Ponder: Every single Christian is given some particular gift.
(From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 265-266, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The mischievous artist Banksy pulled off another practical joke. His painting Girl with Balloon sold for one million pounds at Sotheby’s auction house in London. Moments after the auctioneer yelled “Sold,” an alarm sounded and the painting slipped halfway through a shredder mounted inside the bottom of the frame. Banksy tweeted a picture of bidders gasping at his ruined masterpiece, with the caption, “Going, going, gone.”
Banksy relished pulling one over on the wealthy, but he need not have bothered. Wealth itself has plenty of pranks up its sleeve. God says, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich . . . . Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle” (Proverbs 23:4-5).
Few things are less secure than money. We work hard to earn it, yet there are many ways to lose it. Investments go sour, inflation erodes, bills come, thieves steal, and fire and flood destroy. Even if we manage to keep our money, the time we have to spend it continually flies. Blink, and your life is going, going, gone.
What to do? God tells us a few verses later: “always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off” (vv. 17-18). Invest your life in Jesus; He alone will keep you forever.
(By Mike Wittmer, Our Daily Bread)
Written for Our Learning
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
Let no modern Christian ever think that he can ignore the Old Testament and base all his faith and practice on just the 27 books of the New Testament, as vital as they are. Even the apostle Paul, who wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else, depended heavily on the Old Testament Scriptures for his exposition of the New Testament doctrines he had received “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12).
For example, in the longest and most doctrinal of all his epistles—that is, Romans—he actually quoted from the Old Testament no less than 60 times, even though the epistle had been specifically addressed to Gentiles (Romans 11:13).
In his letter to the Gentiles at Corinth, after an extensive discussion of the Old Testament account of the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness, he said: “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).
In this passage, the word translated “examples” is the Greek tupos, from which we derive our word “types.” Thus, the experiences of the Israelites were actually revealed by God to be “types” of Christ and our relation to Him. Therefore, in addition to the many explicit prophecies about Christ in the Old Testament, many other Scriptures can be profitably expounded as “types” of Christ. Indeed, in all the Old Testament Scriptures, as Christ Himself taught, are “things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.