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How to Understand New Testament Giving As a Church

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New Testament Giving: Corporate and Individual

© 2026 C. O. Bishop

Acts 11:27-30; 1st Corinthians 16:1-4; 2nd Corinthians 8:1-5; 2nd Corinthians 9:1-15

Introduction:

Many of us “shy away” from discussing the topic of giving. Part of the reason is that many unbelievers claim, “Churches are only after yer money!”And, sadly, there have been many charlatans over the years who took up collections. They supposedly did so for some worthy cause, or for a charitable project or something. But they were taking the funds for their own use. Some men and organizations still “make merchandise of religion,” so to speak, and even make merchandise of Biblical teaching.

2nd Corinthians 2:17 says “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”
Notice that the KJV only says they “corrupt” the Word of God. Newer translations say they are “peddling the Word of God for profit,” or making a “trade” of it. In “selling” God’s Word as a commercial product, people frequently do corrupt it. They water it down or “modify” it in other ways, to make it “more marketable;” more palatable.

That is one reason our church explicitly does NOT expect visitors to contribute. This church is self-supporting, and visitors are our guests. This is not a money-centered organization.

I feel fairly comfortable talking about giving because this church has been faithful to give. For at least the last thirteen years, money has not been a problem. No one here needs to feel as though anyone is “squeezing” them for money. Therefore, I can teach on New Testament Giving without fear that someone willbe offended.

Context Matters!

We do take a weekly offering, but we do not try to persuade people to give. And to those who give, we do not ask them to “give more.” Why? Because we know that people are already giving as God directs them!

In the scriptures we read today, we will see that one of the principles of New Testament giving is “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” But they had a purpose in their giving: A specific need right then: Turn to Acts 11:27-30, please.

Acts 11:27-30

27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: 30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

There was a famine, and it evidently hit Judaea pretty hard. The believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the believers in Judaea. They did so, and sent Paul and Barnabas to see that the funds arrived safely and were used properly.

When we give to missionaries, we do so because we already see how they are living. They are using their lives and funds in a way that honor God and that further the Gospel.

The first time we sent funds for Bibles, we sent through a known, reliable man. The people actually received the Bibles before we delivered the money to him! He was faithful! The recipients are faithful, too. They have sent photos of the people receiving their Bibles, and of them worshipping together, and being baptized, etc.

The best the believers at Antioch were able to do was to send reliable men. They sent Paul and Barnabas first, and others later. There was a period of time during which they were giving regularly to support the believers in Judaea. Please turn to 1st Corinthians 16:1-4.

1st Corinthians 16:1-4

1  Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. 4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

Notice that the pattern of giving had spread from Antioch to other churches across Asia Minor and Greece. The Galatian churches were involved, and so was the church at Corinth. Paul said that no collection was going to be taken up when he arrived to pick up their gifts: Each person was individually responsible to set aside their own intended gift each week, and whenever Paul arrived, they could put all the gifts together for the church’s corporate donation. Then he said they could choose in writing who they wanted to carry the funds, and if they wanted him to go with their representatives, he would do so.

We have periodically announced the need for Bibles in Kenya and Pakistan, and each person gave as they chose, simply specifying that their gift was for Bibles. We demanded nothing from anyone, but the giving was generous, and immediate. The same thing happened among the Churches in Macedonia: Notice what happened there:

2nd Corinthians 8:1-5

1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

Paul had to “encourage” the believers at Corinth, as voluntary “free will” giving was a new idea to them. But, he said that he had already “bragged” about them to other churches, and warned them that there could be emissaries from those churches, coming along with him….  So, he warned them not to embarrass themselves (or him) by stingy giving.

2nd Corinthians 9:1-15

1 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: 2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. 3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: 4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

Paul had even sent messengers ahead of time to give them ample warning, so they would not feel “ambushed,” or “cornered.”

5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. 6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Paul did point out that ministry includes (but is not limited to) giving, and that as we invest in God’s work, we know that a small gift can have great returns. We saw how the boy who offered his lunch to Jesus saw a huge “return on his investment.” 5000+ people were fed that day, and there was more left over than the entire amount he had given. Remember that he gave his whole lunch. That is what made it a “heavy investment.”

The “Bottom Line”

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

This is the rule: no one needs to feel that someone is shaking the plate and staring at them. We are not “paying admission” to attend. We give because we want to do so. And we look to God for His supply in each of our lives.

 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

Not for Personal Gain

Please do not see this as a temporal “investment program.” Some people do try to teach it that way, as though the Bible says, “give to the church and God will make you wealthy.” The believers in Macedonia gave out of their deep poverty, begging Paul to add their gift to the relief for Judaea. And they were still poor! They gave beyond their means. But the result was great:

10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; 13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; 14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

What About Us?

It is almost incredible to me, that God has allowed us the privilege of giving to feed His Word into the lives of hundreds of people in Kenya, and in Pakistan. The results have been amazing, and we are encouraged by those results. But those churches are praying for us, just as Paul says, here. So, the blessing is going in both directions. And all we can say is:

15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

AMEN!

Lord Jesus, we are thrilled to be allowed to serve You by giving to put Your Word in the hands and the hearts of people across the globe, most of whom we will never meet. Teach us to find our joy in Your presence and in Your blessing.

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How To Understand God’s Reasons for Believers’ Suffering

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Thirteen Reasons for Believers’ Suffering

© C.O. Bishop 02/2018 revised 2026

2nd Corinthians 1:3-11

Introduction:

We frequently wonder, “Why is this happening to me?” or “Why is this happening to our loved ones, or our church or our country?” It is good to look to God for answers:

Thirteen Biblical reasons for suffering (there may be more):

In the first place, let’s remember that God is Sovereign… He does not require our approval. His ways are just, even when we don’t like them. He defines Righteousness. The evil that is in the world came there as a result of Human sin, not “Divine caprice.”

So, Let’s Begin With the Concept of “Consequences” (Points 1-4):

  1. Consequences of Original Sin. There are bad things happening in the world, and the world got that way when Adam sinned. Romans 5:12—“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
    By the way, (Compare Romans 8:18-23) this sin affected the whole creation, not just humans, though the plants and animals have not sinned. But they were changed from all being herbivores to some of them being prey animals and others being ferocious, merciless predators. And all of that is the result of Human Sin.

    2. Consequences of (past) Personal Sin (or simply error, etc.:) There can be (usually are) consequences for sin, foolishness or errors. This is not “punishment,” but simple consequences. Sometimes we see the natural consequences of an error as punishment. But punishment implies wrongdoing, and some errors are not wrongdoing, but just bad judgment, or clumsiness, or ignorance—and all can have terrible consequences.

    I have a cousin who is missing an arm. He lost it because he fell out of a tree as a child and broke it: The attending physician did not realize that the bone had pierced the skin, and had plunged into the soil before pulling back into the flesh. It had thereby infected his flesh with the bacteria that nearly killed him.

    They had to amputate the arm to save his life, and even so, they nearly lost him. It truly was a deadly infection…but: Was it Punishment?
    No! It was partly original sin—there are terrible bacteria out there, as a result of the Fall of the Human race: And, infections can kill. Partly, it was a simple error on my cousin’s part—he fell out of a tree. It was also partly an error on the physician’s part: He was not careful enough in his diagnosis. But possibly, even had the surgeons known exactly what they were up against, they may have lost the arm anyway. And, no matter how you look at it, it is not punishment.

    3. Consequences of (current) Personal Sin. In a believer’s life, God may apply chastening to turn us away from error. It is still not the same as punishment. God says the wages of sin is death—eternal separation from God in the lake of fire. That is punishment. In John 3:18, Jesus said, “He that believeth in Him is not condemned; He that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.”

    We who are believers have placed our trust in Jesus’ shed blood at the Cross. So, where is our Judgment? At the Cross. Where is our sin? At the Cross. Where is our punishment, and our condemnation? At the Cross! Jesus truly paid it all!
    But God DOES chasten believers, to correct them. Do you think, perhaps, that Jonah’s “water-taxi” ride to the beach was fun? God corrected the prophet Jonah.

    4. Consequences of Personal Righteousness. This is an odd one—we think that if we are doing right, everything ought to go well…and sometimes it does. Proverbs 16:7 states, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” That is a general truth: In general, we can expect that result.
    But if our enemies are God’s enemies, then at some point, we will be attacked for being good. 1st Peter 2:19 says, “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.”

    “Non-Consequence” Reasons


    5. Training, or testing, in the sense of an athlete, or soldier, or student. God still refers to this as “chastening,” in Hebrews 12:3-15. But it is not punishment, nor is it even as a result of wrongdoing. It is a “workout” given so that we may profit thereby.
    When I was in high school, as a wrestler, we had brutally hard workouts, every evening. I went home with a terrible headache, every night.

    But, those workouts were by no means “punishment.” They were just because we were “on the team!” They were designed to build strength, skill, and speed, so that we could compete against wrestlers from other schools, in intermural tournaments.

    Sometimes God puts us through hard times to develop our faith. James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all Joy, my beloved Brethren, when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
    God loves us and He subjects us to stresses to make us better able to serve, and better able to stand against the evil of the world.

    Another view of the same concept is “pruning.” John 15:2(b) states that a healthy, live, fruit-bearing branch of a vine may still be pruned to make it more fruitful.

    6. Because it is simply God’s will for us at the time. Job did NOT know what was going on in his life, nor why he suffered the loss of all his possessions, and all his children in a single day. But we were given a little “peek” into what was going on.

    God did have a purpose, and it had nothing to do with any error on Job’s part, nor, apparently, any need for correction, testing or training (though we might read that into our understanding of the result.)
    God had his own purpose in Job’s life: He was not required to explain it all to Job. (And as far as we know, He didn’t, unless Job was the writer: It doesn’t say.) If Job was the writer, then God revealed to him all that had happened “behind the scenes.”

    7. Suffering for Faith. Being subjected to threats from around us, and suffering  persecution rather than renouncing our faith. (This is closely related to #4: Consequences of personal righteousness, but is a little different.)
    Under genuine persecution, a believer may be offered a chance to recant his faith in order to escape persecution. Refusing to recant, and accepting the suffering, is part of the believer’s lot.

    During the early days of the church, many believers lost their lives for that very cause. Philippians 1:29 says, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

    Over the centuries, thousands have been martyred for their faith, some by people who claimed to be acting on behalf of God, but, in fact, were persecuting the Church. Some were tortured and killed by people who were consciously enemies of God.
    But, even today, the believers who are actively living for Christ tend to be “outside the gate:” They are rejected by the World. (Compare Hebrews 13:10-14…this is not to be counted a “bad thing.” Jesus was rejected, too!)

    8. So that We may be a Comfort to Others. 2nd Corinthians 1:3-11 (read Verse 4.) “That we may comfort others with the same comfort wherewith we were comforted by God.” When we have suffered the same experience, we can offer encouragement to others who are going through it.

    I recently was able to offer comfort to the wife of a cousin, because, years ago, I went through open heart surgery. It was for what is called an “annuloplasty,” wherein the prolapsed mitral valve is repaired and reinforced, using Gore-Tex fabric and a thin ribbon of surgical stainless steel, wound up as a ring, supporting the inlet side of the mitral valve.

    She (Adelia Lee) had been in great anxiety for her husband (my cousin Peter Lee) and she was profoundly relieved to hear from someone who had endured exactly the same surgery and had regained full health.

    Now: Did I know, at the time I underwent that surgery, that I would thereby become a comfort to someone else? Nope! I was just glad to get well and regain some of my former strength and stamina. But I am glad that it was a help to someone else.

    9. So that our Consolation in Christ may Abound. Verse 5. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so may the consolation of Christ abound. We are called to join Him in the fellowship of his sufferings (Philippians 3:10 “….that I may know Him and the power of His resurr3ection, and the fellowship of His suffering…”). But we are to experience the reality of His consolation, as well. (Habakkuk 3:18 says, “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD: I will Joy in the God of my Salvation!”)

    10. So that Others’ Consolation may Abound Through Us. Verses 6-7. We can learn from the experiences of those around us. We cannot live long enough to experience everything ourselves, as individuals. But we can learn vicariously through their examples. I can learn from your example: You can learn from mine, perhaps.

    11. So that We will Learn to Trust God, and Not Ourselves (Tied to #5). Verse 9. This is an important one. At some point, we must learn that God is in control and that He is entirely trustworthy.

    Some of you have been praying for Hannah’s brother, Andrew, who is dying of cancer. He is declining rather rapidly, now: He can no longer stand and walk, and he can barely talk. But, when the Hospice nurse asked him, this week, “How are you doing?” He simply shrugged and said, “God’s got this!”

    (Amen!) The truth is, God has ALWAYS “got this!” The question is “What will it take for us to accept that truth and apply it on a daily basis?”

    12. So that We, as Christians may Learn to Pray for Each Other. Verse 11. This ties directly to Ephesians 6:18-20. We need the prayers of one another, but we are also commanded to pray for one another: Prayer is part of the Christian’s Armor in this world. And notice: Paul asked them to pray for HIM…it is not just for the weak or struggling believers: It is for all the believers.

    Ephesians 6:18-20 “18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

    13. So that Thanksgiving may be Offered on Our Behalf. Verse 11. The result of answered prayer is thanksgiving. And, as we see God’s hand moving in the lives of others, we can be filled with thanksgiving on their behalf, as well as for ourselves.

    So, What About Us?

    If we can accept the suffering in our lives (small or great,) and respond in faith, it will glorify God, and bring eternal blessing to us. In 2nd Corinthians 12:1-10, Paul gave us an example, where he cheerfully accepted God’s Grace as sufficient in his suffering.

    But Jesus is our ultimate example: He deliberately laid aside His eternal prerogatives as God, the Creator; God, the Eternal Son, and the Living Word of God, to become a human baby, living and growing up in a poor family, in a poor village, in a small, poor country that was already enslaved by the Roman Empire.

    Finally, He voluntarily took upon Himself the weight of all the sins of all humans for all time, and He became our sin, to take upon himself the whole judgment of God for our sins. He voluntarily laid down His life. Why? So that we could become the Righteousness of God, in Him!

    2nd Corinthians 5:21 “For He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him!

    The Resurrection we celebrated last week is the reason for the rest of our faith: We are risen with Him, ascended with Him, and seated with Him. That is why we can choose to accept our suffering as something hardly worth worrying over. That is why Andrew could say in all honesty, “God’s Got This!” And we can say so, too!

    Lord Jesus, please change our vision of the life we live, so that we can see just how temporary it is, and how completely we are in Your hand, and can trust Your Wisdom and Love. Teach us to walk with You in peace, and seek to fulfil Your will in our lives.

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    Do You Know how the Resurrection Affects the Church?

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    How Does the Fact of the Resurrection Affect the Church?

    © C. O. Bishop 2018 Revised 2026

    In the Context of John 14:3 “That, where I am, there ye may be also”

    Ephesians 1:13, 14; 2:6; 1st Corinthians 12:13; 15:3, 4; 15:22, 15:16-19;
    Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 3:1-4

    Introduction:

    We often hear Easter messages that either immerse us in the horror of the Cross, (Therefore, the enormity of our guilt and sin that necessitated the Cross), or in the mystery of the burial and resurrection, and the fulfilled prophecies. In addition, the messages often refute the various false myths that have sprung up from those rejecting the truth of the scriptures. Also, sometimes the messages even immerse us in the joy of the resurrection itself: They emphasize the effect that it had upon Mary Magdalene and the other disciples—Peter in particular—and on the newborn Church, at Pentecost. Those are all good things.

    All these approaches are valid; all have appropriate results in the hearers, and all have reasonably good grounding in the scriptures themselves, as a rule. (Some may wander a bit, but most are pretty solidly grounded in the Word of God.)

    But: What about today? What effect should the Resurrection have upon believers, today?

    The Promises of Jesus the Messiah:

    Jesus made an important promise in John 5:24: He said that whoever hears his word (regarding himself, and God’s redemptive plan), and believes on Him who sent Him (Places their trust in His redemptive work at the Cross), has everlasting life (present tense) and shall not (future tense) come into condemnation, but has passed over (past perfect tense) from death into life.

    He also stated (John 14:3) that he was leaving Earth, to prepare a place for his followers, that where He was they should also be. He also stated (John 14:16) that the Holy Spirit, whom He was sending in place of Himself, would be with His disciples forever.                                                                 

    In the light of these explicit promises, let’s examine the historical facts about the Resurrection:

    The Historical Facts:

    1st Corinthians 15:3, 4;

    Paul stated the bare facts of the Gospel here, but he prefaced the facts with a reference to their result. To begin with, He stated the results of faith, (we have received the Gospel, and believed it, and our standing with God is dependent upon its truth.) Then he simply stated the facts, as follows:

    1. Christ died for our sins, according to (in keeping with…in fulfillment of) the scriptures.
    2. He was buried (also fulfilling prophecies), and that
    3. He rose again the third day, also in keeping with Biblical prophecies.

    None of these things were “just happenstance.” All were called out, far in advance, by prophecy; some of them by a multitude of prophecies. The fact of the “three days and three nights in the tomb,” for example, was in fulfillment of two very explicit prophecies, and perhaps others not so plain. The facts of the crucifixion and resurrection, however, were in fulfillment of scores of clear prophecies and more or less clear Old Testament figures…pictures of the coming Christ.

    1st Corinthians 12:13;

    This one—the fact of the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”; the Act of the Holy Spirit placing each believer (us) into our respective places in the Body of Christ— is only dependent upon us being believers: When any sinner sees his own need for the Savior, and trusts in Jesus’s finished work at the Cross—Jesus’s shed blood—being full payment for his sins, the Holy Spirit immediately places him permanently into the Body of Christ. We remain there forever. Jesus said that, of all the souls given to Him, He will lose not one, but shall raise them up at the last day (John 6:39).

    Ephesians 1:13, 14;

    This one, too, is only dependent upon a person’s one time choice, to believe in Jesus as their only Savior and only Hope. It says that those who heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of our salvation (and who trusted in it), after they trusted in Him, were immediately sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit of Promise who is the Earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. Several important points are made, here, for us to cling to.

    • Obviously, this promise reiterates the promise of Jesus: that those who heard the Gospel and believed, have eternal life now: (Not waiting to see if they were “among the chosen.”)
    • Another is that we are “…sealed in Christ”: It says “in Whom, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise”
    • Finally, it says that we are sealed in Him “until the redemption of the purchased possession to the Praise of His Glory.” We will not be lost. We have been sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit…how long? Until the redemption of the purchased possession (the Church) unto the praise of His Glory. We are secure in Him.

    This is a stated fact: not just a promise of things to come. All of it is stated as a “done deal”—past tense fact—not dependent upon events still to come. Nothing is hanging in the balance.

    Ephesians 2:6

    Here’s another “historical fact” which we can’t see, but which God says is already a done deal, as well: Paul says, here, that the believers have already been raised up (resurrected) together with Christ, and have already ascended with Him, and are already seated with Him in Heaven! (This is absolutely beyond my comprehension, but it is clearly stated as a “past-tense fact.”

    The Personal, Current Facts: (On the basis of the Historical facts)

    Romans 6:2-5; Three things:

    1. We are Dead with Him. (v. 2, 3)
    2. We are Risen with Him. (v. 4, 5)
    3. We are Ascended with Him. (implied, in v.4; stated in Ephesians 2:6)

    We have been baptized (not by water baptism, but by the real baptism; the Holy Spirit having placed us into the body of Christ); we have been baptized into his death and his resurrection, and (Ephesians 2:6) we are currently seated with Him in the heavenlies. These are each stated as being current realities, not future possibilities.

    God does not exhort me to “Die to sin;” He says I am already dead to sin.
    God does not encourage me to “be risen with Christ:” He says that I am already risen with Him.
    He does not command me to “seat myself in the heavenlies:” He says that I am already there.

    What Incredible Statements!

    How can God say that I am “already dead with Christ?” Well…the fact is, it is true! In the Scriptures, Death always has to do with “separation” of some sort: Adam was separated from fellowship with God the moment he ate the forbidden fruit. He was spiritually dead, instantly. 930 years later, he died physically, when his spirit and soul were separated from his body.

    As a result of Adam’s sin, every human is born spiritually separated from God. Any person who is still spiritually separated from God, never having been reconciled to Him, and who dies physically, is then permanently separated from God. (God calls this the “second death,” in Revelation 20:14.)

    So How am I “Dead to Sin?”

    My old sin nature (the only nature I had before re-birth) was and is entirely committed to self, committed to sin. God says that it cannot be repaired, cleansed or redeemed. It cannot become subject to God’s righteousness. (Romans 8:7; Ephesians 4:22)

    The only way God could save me was to give me a new nature: One that was in harmony with Him. Ephesians 4:24 says that my new nature is created, after God (in His likeness) in righteousness and true holiness. That, too, is a “done deal!”

    I have been separated from my old sin nature to the extent that I am no longer enslaved to it, and I have a choice: I can obey God, with a clean heart, because I have a new nature. God never proposed to “fix” my old nature: as far as He is concerned it is dead…it is irretrievably corrupt. God sees the new “Me” separated from that old sin nature. He says I am dead to sin. I do not have to submit to its desires any more.

    Romans 6:2-5 says that we are also risen with Christ: His death, burial and resurrection became ours. For Eternity, God now sees us only in the person of Christ. Ephesians 2:6 says that His ascension is also ours. We are already safely at home with Him, in God’s eyes: All we are doing, here, in our earthly lives, is living out that reality. Both by word and deed, we are supposed to be demonstrating to the lost world around us, the truth of the Good News of Christ. Our lives are a living Gospel Sermon!

    How Should The Resurrection Affect the way we Think?

    Since these things are true, and if we are willing to accept them as fact (the Gospel and all God says about it); how should it affect our thinking and our response toward the people and circumstances with which we live?

    Can I genuinely exhibit the Love of Christ, because He lives in me, and not be offended by the petty offenses people or circumstances may bring? They truly are petty, compared to the absolutely criminal abuse that was heaped upon Jesus, by the Human Race.

    (And, yes, we are ALL guilty: Our sins made it necessary for Him to go there.) Consider the abuse that he endured, both on the way to the Cross, and in the Crucifixion itself: Is there anything in our experience that is worth losing sight of the Promises and Peace of the Savior?

    Can we see our tormentors as precious souls, for whom Jesus died? Can we grieve for their lostness, and pray for their salvation? Can’t we choose to be a blessing to them, in hopes of turning them away from eternal condemnation? Or must we secretly feel satisfaction, that “Well, they will surely pay for that!” What an incredibly selfish response! I am equally guilty before God, and His Grace was extended to me, a completely lost sinner: Can’t I extend my feeble grace and forgiveness to them, as an act of Worship to the God who first loved me?

    How Should those facts affect the way we live?

    Can I stop acting as if everything revolves around “how I feel about things?” Can I literally put others first, as Jesus did? Or will I continue to concern myself primarily with my own comfort, my own safety and my own future security?

    God calls us to offer our bodies a living sacrifice to Him, so that our lives will be lived out in a manner that honors Him. He calls this our “reasonable service” of worship. (Romans 12:1) That offer has to be renewed often: The problem with being “living sacrifices” is that we keep crawling off the altar! We don’t just “die, and get it over with.”

    We are called to “die to self:” to “take up your cross, daily, and follow” Him. Notice that we are not called to “die to sin”…that has already been accomplished. We are called to continually renew the conscious setting aside of sin, and to live in the newness of life:

    • To live out the resurrected Life of Christ, not just continue in our own self-centered way.
    • He calls us to become the living “Love of Christ” in the unloving world around us:
    • To become the living “Light of Christ,” in this dark world in which we live.
    • He calls us to become a clean source of the Living Water, to any soul who is thirsty.
    • To become a clean source of the Bread of Life, to any soul who is hungry.

    Live as Those Risen From the Dead

    Colossians 3:1-4  (Read it!) calls us, as those risen from the dead, to set our affections on things above: He says to change our priorities. He says, since we are seated with Him above, to see things from His perspective, and count His priorities to be our own. God reiterates that we are dead, and that our lives are “hid in Christ.” God only sees us there: In Christ. He concludes that, when Christ Himself appears, we shall appear with Him, in Glory. It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus!

    We are Ambassadors of the Risen Christ. That is the confidence that we have in Him: it is the assignment that we have in Him, and it is the direct result of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

    Lord Jesus, we thank you for the clear news of your death, and burial and, especially, your resurrection. Please use these truths to shape us into your likeness, and to transform our lives into your own image. Make us profitable servants of God.

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    How to Know the Desired Result of the Resurrection

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    What Should be the Result of the Resurrection?

    © 3/19/26 by C. O. Bishop

    1st Corinthians 15:50-58

    “50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

     53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

     57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

    Introduction:

    We have talked several times about the Importance of the Resurrection, and the Hope of the Resurrection, and how it applies to us, as believers. We need to examine how the Resurrection of Jesus, and the sure hope of our own resurrection should affect our lives as believers.

    The Necessity of the Resurrection

    For the vast majority of believers, the general rule given in Hebrews 9:27 holds true: “…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Thus, for all practical purposes, we all die, as Paul confirms in Romans 5:12. And yet, he confides to us the mystery of the Rapture in 1st Corinthians 15:50-53, and in the process, he shares the necessity of the resurrection.

    God simply does not permit our natural, flesh-and-blood bodies to enter there. (That does raise a good question as to where Elijah and Enoch are currently existing, since neither of them died….) I cannot give you a solid answer to that question, but I can say, authoritatively, that at least as a general rule, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.”

    So, one way or another, we have to “get past death” to arrive before the throne. And, as a general rule, all of us achieve that, as believers, simply by physically dying. Death separates our immaterial parts, (soul and spirit) from our material part…our physical, mortal body: the vehicle in which we travel Planet Earth.

    But, here in this passage, Paul unveils a “mystery:” something that God previously had hidden, but which He is now allowing Paul to reveal.

    We Shall Not All Die, but We Shall All be Changed!

    The necessity of taking on immortality is the real hurdle. Usually, we do that, as believers, by dying, and inheriting immortality as a direct result of our position “In Christ.” But at the end of the Church Age, (which is simply a “parenthesis” between the 69th and 70th “weeks” of Daniel’s prophecy: See Daniel 9:23-27) something unusual occurs. God has chosen to remove all His followers at once: All those in Christ, both the living and the dead. We have read about that, recently, in 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18. I encouraged you all to memorize that passage.

    Why is this Transformation so Important?

    This is the way that God is able to defeat the strength of Death. God said in Isaiah 25:8 “He shall swallow up Death in Victory…” And the Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, said, “54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

    On that day, we will see God’s victory over death, in our own lives. But, if we look back and read 1st Corinthians 15:26, we can see that Death will be the last enemy destroyed. And God will bring about that final victory at the Great White Throne judgment, when He will cast Death and Hell into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:14)

    The Sting of Death is Sin

    Hebrews 2:15 points out that the fear of death has enslaved us all (to one degree or another) all our lives. An unbeliever might argue, saying, “But that is just the natural instinct for self-preservation! Even animals feel this!” And that may be true, but humans can choose to deny their instinct for self-preservation, and sacrifice themselves to save another, or they may commit suicide, because they are more fearful of life than of death.

    But we humans have a problem, which the animals do not share. It is the awareness that we are guilty sinners. God has condemned the entire Human Race to eternal judgment. Unless we have received God’s only provision for redemption, that fear underlies all other fears. We recognize that God is the Eternal, Righteous Judge, and that we do not measure up to His Righteousness. Romans 3:23 confirms this truth, saying “For ALL have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” (That is why Adam and Eve fled from the voice of the LORD, as He was walking in the Garden in the cool of the day. They knew they were guilty.

    How Did God Remove The Sting of Death?

    But God says that in securing our salvation, and guaranteeing our resurrection, He has removed the “sting of Death,” and removed the “strength of Sin,” by fulfilling the Law on our behalf.  Galatians 2:19 says, “I, through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God.”

    Jesus completely fulfilled the righteous judgment of God on our behalf, by dying as our representative. The moment you trusted in Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit placed you into the Body of Christ. And by doing so, He permanently identified you with Jesus in His perfect life, His death, His burial, His resurrection, and His ascension. (Romans 6:1-5; Ephesians 2:6) In fact, He says we are already seated in the throne with Jesus. (Wow!)

    So, What Effect Ought That Truth to Have in Our Daily Lives?

    The first effect it truly ought to have, in 1st Corinthians 15:57,is that we should be able to give fervent thanks to God for the victory that He brought about and which He gives to us, through Jesus! If you want to see how that victory is applied to your life, read 1st John 5:4, 5. He says He has applied His victory to us through faith. And by that faith, He says that we have overcome the world. Does that mean that I will always “FEEL” victorious? No, it does not!

    Feelings are not a reliable reflection or indication of Reality! Paul said (2nd Corinthians 1:8) that during some of the trials he and his entourage went through, they “…despaired of life itself.” That does not sound like “feeling victorious!” But the reality… Thesimple fact, is that Jesus has already secured the Victory at the Cross! And our victory over sin and death is secure…in Him!

    How Should We Then Live?

    To begin with, as verse 57 pointed out, the giving of thanks should characterize our lives. We should be the most grateful people on Earth, regardless of our other circumstances, as we have already received Eternal Life.

    Together, we recently read in 1st John 5:11-13, that we not only already have eternal life, but God wants us to know that we already have eternal life. We are not “waiting to find out” whether we “made the team.” Ephesians 2:6 says we are already seated in the Throne in Heaven with Him.

    And Verse 58 Says What The Result Should Be:

    58 Therefore, (as a direct result of the Resurrection) my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

    • Steadfast: Firm, not wavering in Mind or action.
    • Unmoveable: Not affected by the actions or arguments of the World around us.
    • Always abounding in the Work of the Lord: Our lives belong to Him, so it makes sense that our primary objectives should match His primary objectives.

    Jesus’s Example

    In John 4:34, Jesus said, “My food is to do the Will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His Work.” This is a clear picture of “what motivated Jesus.” This was the focus of His life. It makes sense that if we are His disciples, our focus should be the same as His.

    Give this some thought: A baby can’t be a disciple: he or she has not learned to walk, yet, or at least not reliably. Discipleship is what we are supposed to grow into, and not dawdle around about it. Ephesians 4:11-17 says we are to grow up into Him and not be tossed around by every new thing we hear, but rather, to be stable in our walk with Him. Think about the following:

    • A baby cannot walk securely: Babies are very wobbly and unstable…they fall easily.
    • Babies cannot talk clearly, and have very limited understanding to draw upon in talking.
    • Babies cannot dress themselves: They need someone else to clothe them.
    • A Baby cannot clean himself up when he has made a mess of any kind.
    • Babies have not learned enough about the world they live in to be able to make good decisions and stay safe.

    What is the Problem, Here?

    There is nothing “wrong” with any of the above things, when the person in question is a baby: But babies are not supposed to remain babies. We are called to grow up:

    • We are called to learn to walk with Jesus.
    • As we learn the Word of God, we learn to talk: to speak His words clearly.
    • As we grow, we learn to clothe ourselves in the armor of God. (Babies can’t use armor.)
    • We go to 1st John 1:9 and we confess our sins, so that God can cleanse us.
    • We learn the principles of Life and Godliness, and we make decisions guided by God.

    All of these “parallels” to normal human children are also realities in the Normal Christian Life. If a human child fails to learn the things we just listed, we are concerned because they are not progressing in a healthy way. We take them to a physician to find out why they are not developing at a normal pace. But, we should be even more concerned that believers are not learning to function as disciples. When a believer has no hunger for God’s Word, or for fellowship with other believers, there is something amiss.

    Make it Personal!

    We can examine our own lives and ask ourselves where we fit in: Am I walking with Jesus? Am I able to share the Grace of God coherently with others? Can I put on the Armor of God, (and do I know how to use it?) Do I quickly recognize sin in my life and immediately confess it to the Lord, so as to restore fellowship? (Or do I usually “wallow in it” for a while?) Finally, how do I make decisions? Have I learned the principles of God’s values well enough that they guide my thoughts and plans and His Word guides what I do and the choices I make?

    All of these things result from Jesus’s Resurrection, but they also directly result from the reality Jesus accomplished at the Cross, and of your identification with Him.

    Give these things some thought. God asks all of us to take it seriously.

    Lord Jesus, raise us up to walk with You as Your true Disciples. Help us to set aside the traps and deceptive treasures of babyhood and seize upon the freedom and the true treasures and rewards of Discipleship.

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    Join Us In A Walk Through Galatians (Part 1)

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    A Walk Through Galatians Part 1

    © Lee Tankersley
    (Part 1: Chapter 1 verses 1-10)

    Today I want to start by thanking the LORD for all he has done for us, and take a deeper look into my favorite (and in my opinion one of the most powerful) books in the Bible, that I feel doesn’t get referenced enough: A letter that was written to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia, which is present-day Turkey.

    I have read this Letter by Paul to the Galatians numerous times, and it is where I go to see the love that our Father has for us. In doing this message and study, my hope is that this letter can become just as powerful to someone that was in (or may be in) the same position when it was revealed to me. What do I mean, you might ask: Well, let’s go back to not long after I put my faith in Jesus Christ…

    Back toward the beginning, probably around the one-year mark, I had been eagerly taking in so much information through videos and podcasts along with reading my Bible. But I would quite frequently come across people saying things that would tell me I need to be doing this or that, trying to convince me Jesus wasn’t enough, and the lines began to blur. I noticed myself becoming confused and feeling lost. So many people have an opinion on what they think we need to be doing to keep, earn, or not lose our salvation or earn favor with God.

    It all came to a head one Wednesday evening at Bible study, I was waiting for the moment that Chet would ask if anyone has any Bible question, the time came and I asked my question… if I remember right it was me processing Romans 4-8, not understanding the law and its purpose and trying to figure out what “I” should be doing now that I have been saved. What I got from everyone after I “hijacked” another one of the Bible studies was nothing but love and compassion from all of you and the teaching from Chet.

    On my walk home I began to pray… asking if God could just help make things clear to me or even give me a revelation of some sort. I got home and set down my bag and pulled out my Bible and opened it up to the letter to Galatians, at that time I have probably read this book a couple of times up to this point, but this time it hit different: So I started reading this letter from Paul, and for the next hour, with tears filling my eyes, I was filled with the confident hope that Jesus is enough, restoring my freedom from the slavery that our LORD has purchased us out of.

    This book that I have read many times now is my favorite book, and with the encouragement, guidance, and love that many have for me, I want to share this letter with all of you, for those who may feel lost or confused, I ask to just listen with an open mind and let Jesus give you a new heart.

    I invite you to grab a Bible, your Bible if you have one with you. Let’s read Galatians 1:1-10. I read from the NLT: You can follow along with me with whatever translation you like.

    (Read Galatians 1: 1-10)
    1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. 2 All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. 3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. 5 All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

    6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

    8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. 9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.
    10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

    Okay, there is already a lot to unpack here. Where do I start… This letter that Paul penned for the LORD is one of the first, if not the first, letters that Paul wrote to the churches and I think it is fundamental in the understanding of salvation and security. There are really 6 books in the Bible that I look at for our fundamentals, and we may remember the phrase “Go Eat Pop Corn” being Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, with that I have added two other. First and second Thessalonians closing it out, I added “once today twice Tomorrow” to the end of the “Go Eat Pop Corn” to help me remember where the fundamentals are.

    Being in amateur boxing it was crucial that I learned the fundamentals before my coach would even consider letting me get placed in the ring for a fight. No matter how much I tried to convince him and talk myself up that I was ready, he made sure I was prepared. It probably took 3 years of training before I had that first fight, learning footwork, protecting myself, conditioning, hitting a speed and heavy bags, and sparring with some of my team who were all much younger than me at that point of time and one that was a bit older but had the accolades of playing college football.

    I tell ya, that is a humbling experience. If it wasn’t for my coach being adamant in the fundamentals and making sure I was well prepared I could have gotten seriously hurt. I see that, and I thank him now.

    And that is what the Bible does for us, being the word of God as declared in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.” It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. Teaching us the fundamentals of our faith, so when we are in the world we know where our foundation is and can spot the lies or attacks as they come, and they will come.

    1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.

    The letter to Galatians is understood to be written just after Paul’s first mission with Barnabas as referenced in Acts 13: 2 – 14: 28, placing it just before the Jerusalem Council of AD 48-49 referenced in Acts 15:1- 35. Paul and Barnabas had just returned to Antioch, and Jewish Christians known as “Judaizers” began to criticize Paul’s teaching, accusing him of diluting Christianity to make it more appealing to Gentiles, saying that Christians needed to be circumcised and follow all the Jewish laws and customs to be saved: Basically they were saying they had to become Jews before becoming Christians.

    And some of these Judaizers were following Paul and Barnabas through their time in Galatia. Paul wrote this letter to combat the response he received. Paul explains that his apostleship was from Jesus: Not to elevate his apostleship above the original 12 but to show it rested on the same basis as theirs. If they are to question Paul then then they should be questioning Peter, James and John along with the rest. And such questioning is ridiculous for they were all called by Jesus and God the father, and they answered to God as their final authority.

    2 All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.

    Paul is expressing that all the people who have been traveling with him stand by this, such people would have been the likes of prophets and teachers. Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul (that we now know as Paul) listed in Acts 13:1, and that all the people reading this letter would have known from their time in Galatia. The names here highlight the diversity of the group, those of which come from different races, backgrounds, wealth, and education.

    When we start excluding people because they are not like us or they have not met certain requirements as Paul is combating in this letter, we are not representing the teachings of Jesus. The only requirement I can point to is in John 6:28-29 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

    The more we understand the gospel and embrace God’s vision for the body of Christ, the more we will appreciate and understand these differences and not allow them to divide us. At that point we will be able to say from our hearts that we love each other.

    3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

    Now Paul has arrived at his greeting that he starts all of his letters he is known for, and they are always in the order of grace and peace, because you can’t have peace without grace. Let’s dive into the Greek a little deeper for these two words. For grace the Greek word is charis (pronounced khar’-ece). It describes as unmerited or undeserved favor. And peace comes from the Greek word eirēnē (pronounced i-ray’-nay), representing the state of tranquility, harmony, and order. Paul’s letters always tie them to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ from which they come.

    4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. 5 All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

    Paul is now pointing out to the Galatian churches that this has been the plan all along, forgiveness and salvation comes through Jesus’s finished work on the cross. No amount of good deeds or following traditions can supplement that: It is a gift we receive through faith that Jesus has done enough to rescue us from the coming judgement that is declared on this world.

    You may not even believe in any of this, and I could say to you that I don’t believe the sky is blue or 2+2=4, but that doesn’t make it “not true.” Even being ignorant of it is not an excuse: that even applies in the world and culture we live in today, and to say you were unaware will not save you from a ticket or possibly jail time.

    Go read for yourself Romans 1:18 – 3:23. The case has been made! And you will see in Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. I ask you to humble yourselves and to actually read all the scripture I bring up for yourselves. Don’t just listen to what I say: Go read it! So, Paul is absolutely right to say, “All glory goes to God our merciful Judge and Savior. Amen!”

    6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

    As Paul, Barnabas and the others traveled through the province of Galactica, they already were experiencing conflict by the Judaizers who were following them, trying to undermine the good news that Salvation is a gift. They were saying faith in Christ was not enough, putting the burden of requirements and traditions of the old covenant and causing confusion.

    We can see in Philippians 3:2-11 while Paul was in prison, (which was written 10 + years later than this letter to the Galatians) that it is something Paul dealt with throughout his ministry. and it still goes on today. Whether the Judaizers were deliberately trying to undermine Paul out of jealousy, or a sincere love for the richness of Jewish heritage and the laws of Moses, or the belief that one must become Jewish before becoming Christian is not known, but a twisted or distorted version of the truth is harder to spot then a straight up lie. Jesus has made the gift of Salvation available to all people, not just the Jews.

    Paul says in Ephesians 4:14 “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”

    We need to be careful, so we don’t fall for the same traps: Whether it’s because they don’t understand what the Bible teaches, or they think they know better, or they just reject the truth. God has provided only one way to be forgiven of sin and to inherit eternal life: By believing in Jesus finished work on the cross. Some religions even say that there are many paths to God: In a free society people have the right to their religious opinions, but this doesn’t guarantee their ideas are right. God does not accept human religion as a substitute for faith in Christ.

    8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. 9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.

    These are some harsh statements being made by Paul, but look at what is at stake, someone’s salvation. Paul says that God’s curse should fall on anyone, even an angel from heaven, if an angel came preaching another good news he wouldn’t be from heaven no matter how he appeared. In 2 Corinthians 11:14 -15 Paul warns that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 “But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.”

    Paul also extends the curse to include himself if he should ever twist the good news. Paul’s message must never change, because the truth of the Good News never changes. When we add to the Good News we are basically saying “Jesus gave it a good shot but let me show him how it’s done.”

    I know that I can look at my life and see that I can’t even follow my own rules that I come up with for my day-to-day life let alone do them all the time. And if I’m being honest with myself, half the time I don’t want to.

    Now if you are thinking that I am saying to go do whatever… you are severely mistaken and is not the right heart attitude to have, Paul says in Romans 6:1-2 “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”

    Now if you have any issues with what Paul has been saying then you have issues with Peter. But Peter “the rock” has declared in 2 Peter 3:16 “…speaking of these things in all of his (Paul’s) letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.” And if you have an issue with that then I would say you have an issue with Jesus.

    “10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

    Now Paul makes an important statement here, and I will walk the same path to defend the good news about Christ.

    Now to close, I will be going to Matthew 23. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

    Matthew 23:13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.”

    Matthew 23:15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!”

    Matthew 23:27-31 “27What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.


    29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’ 31 “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.”

    Matthew 23:33 “Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?”

    Let that sink in, and ask yourselves “How will I escape the judgment of hell?”

    Let’s give glory to God and pray.

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    How To Understand the True Priorities of God

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    How To Understand the Priorities of God

    © 2026 C. O. Bishop (Haggai 1:2-11; Mark 6:36-44, etc.)

    What are God’s Priorities? How do Mine Compare?

    Introduction:

    To Unbelievers:

    Before we begin the main message I have prepared, I would like to caution anyone and everyone, that IF you have not been born again, literally—if there has never been a time that you recognized yourself as a lost, hell-bound sinner, and placed your trust in Jesus’ shed blood as your only hope—then this message is not for you.

    Your only priority should be to find your way to the foot of the Cross, and throw yourself on the mercy of God: He will not reject you, and He will receive every repentant sinner who comes to him. Jesus said, ‘…he that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out.” Jesus said that is His first priorityfor you…He says, ”Come unto Me, all ye…” Matthew 11:28

    If you don’t know for sure you are saved, I would like to talk with you. Essentially it comes down to one question: “Has there ever been a time in my life when I placed my full trust in Jesus’ shed blood as full payment for my sins?” If the answer is “Yes,” then you are saved; But you still may need to learn to walk. If you are not sure, then you can make that decision at this moment, if you are willing. There is no time better than the present.

    For Believers

    For those of you who have been born into the family of God, there is a constant pulling at your heart to grow into the likeness of Christ, and choose His priorities. Whether or not you always recognize the cause, there is always going to be an emptiness, frustration, and unfulfillment, until you are in agreement with your Savior, and walking with Him.

    In Amos 3:3 God asked, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” The answer is “NO!” If we disagree with God, we cannot have fellowship with Him: We will always be at cross-purposes with Him. Our timing will always be off, and our lives in disarray, at one level or another. The most serious result, besides the lack of fellowship itself, is the lack of fruit. Let’s read in the book of Haggai—three books before Matthew.

    Haggai 1:2-4

    God said, “This people say the time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?

    The historical context: the 70-year captivity was over. The people were trickling back into Jerusalem. Under Ezra and Nehemiah, the work had progressed: the wall was rebuilt; the city was becoming livable—all these were good things. The Persian king Cyrus had sent them to rebuild the Temple! King Ahasuerus had said to rebuild the city: rebuild the walls, hang new city gates; Make it a real city again. (Read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah!)  

    But the people have leftthe group effort of rebuilding the city, including the temple. Everyone has turned to building his own house. That’s OK, right? The walls were up, the gate was hung, the municipal buildings were usable—they had fulfilled the king’s orders.

    What is the Problem?

    But something was going wrong—while they had been building, they had been farming, too, and things were not going well. Look at verses 5-11 (read them aloud)—God told them to look around, and ask themselves whether God was blessing their work. The answer was a clear “NO!”—He said they had been denied the harvest because of their wrong priorities.

    They partially fulfilled an earthly king’s command, and had seen the Lord’s hand protecting and guiding them day by day. But now they were not seeing His blessing. They had failed to honor Him above themselves. He had no objection to them having pleasant homes. But they had neglected His house. They had ignored the temple.

    Remember that in that time, The Lord had specifically said He would dwell in the temple. That is incredible in itself, that the God who created every atom, and all the inhabitants of the world…that He should “camp out” in a building made by a tribe of refugees here on Earth. But He did say it, and He kept His promise too, just as He had done at the tabernacle.

    The people were rebuilding the city, and their own homes, but His house was still a ruin—and He was quietly asking, “What about Me? Doesn’t my house count for anything?”

    That Was Then:

    But today, God says he does not desire to live in a box, be it a tabernacle, a temple, an Ark of the Covenant, or any other man-made thing. He is building a temple of human lives, each chosen by Himself, redeemed from the destruction of sin, and gloriously reborn. He has gifted every individual person who is part of that building, so as to function and propagate the life that is now within them, and see the whole temple grow together, through the effectual working of every part. How do we know this?

    Look at Ephesians 4:16 —

    “From whom the WHOLE body, fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love.”

    While we are there, look back at Ephesians 2:19-22:

    “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

    One Temple

    The Church—the Body of Christ—is the Temple.

    This assembly is a local expression of the temple of God.  Don’t jump to a wrong conclusion, and think that this building is a parallel with the temple in the Old Testament: it definitely is not. This is not God’s house—the CHURCH is. This building is only a church building: You are the church—we are the church.

    So… If I want to apply the teaching of Haggai 1 to my life, where do I begin? It doesn’t simply to give more money, although there may be some who should—I am not here to squeeze anyone. That is between you and God—if you have been short-changing the Lord, I am confident that He has been speaking to you about it, and you are probably feeling a little uncomfortable right now. That’s good… but that is not what I want to address.

    One Priority

    Throughout the scripture, the single central theme is God’s redemptive work toward the fallen race of Man. What was the priority of God in the book of Haggai? He specifically says it was the need to build His temple, right? He said if they would adopt His priority, He would meet their other needs.

    Today, the temple is constructed of souls, and He still says that is His priority: They are all people for whom He died. He says that is first on His list. Nothing has changed: when the disciples tried to get Jesus to take a break, and eat, He said, “My FOOD is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish HIS WORK” John 4:34

    Jesus’s Priorities

    Jesus also said, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” In Ephesians we see that the reason he gave the office gifts (Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor/teachers) is to equip the church for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.

    In Mark 6:36-44,The disciples wanted to send the people away to buy food. Jesus said, “YOU give them something to eat.” The disciples thought they had nothing to offer, but Jesus asked them what they did have, and He multiplied the little they had, to feed a crowd. We can expect no less, provided we respond the same: submit our little to His greatness, and allow Him to multiply it to His own glory. But Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”

    How Can We Do His Will?

    We are not helpless—the Lord indwells us personally. He empowers us to do the work of the ministry. (I don’t mean just the leaders—I mean you.) God has called us to feed the flock—He has made us ambassadors, reconciling the world unto Himself. And He says, “YOU give them something to eat.” None of us is helpless to serve, if we allow Jesus to serve through us. Jesus said “…apart from Me ye can you nothing.” That is the literal truth.

    But, in Him, there isn’t one of us who can’t arm himself or herself with God’s Word, practice with another believer, and learn to share his or her faith. There isn’t one of us who is “too busy” to pray for the souls of the people we know. We each have 168 hours per week: it’s only a matter of how we choose to use that time, and on whom we choose to spend it. Yes, God cares where you spend your money, your time, and your efforts. He owns you, body and soul, and He has the right to claim and oversee it all.

    One Hope to Offer

    God says, “YOU give them something to eat!” What do you feed a dying world? What do we have to offer? Jesus said to offer them the “Living Bread:” His flesh, via the crucifixion. He said the Preaching of the Cross would seem foolishness to some, and an offense to others, but by that means, and none other, He has chosen to save those who believe.

    We preach Christ crucified: That is the only message of real Hope. If his death on the Cross is not full and final payment for my sins, then I have no hope. So, the true message of Hope is the message of the Cross! It is the good news that Jesus died for my sins and yours, fulfilling the scriptures, that he was buried, that He rose again the third day: He is alive forever, and coming again. It is the good news that Jesus Saves! We have no other hope.

    One Job; Many Tasks

    We have only one assignment—God only gave one job to the church: He outlined it in Matthew 28:18-20. He reiterated it several times in other passages. We must not allow ourselves to be sidetracked by the affairs of life, to be snared by sin, or to be intimidated by the enemy. Increasingly, we must make God’s priority our own, and ask Him how to implement it in our daily lives. We all may have different tasks within that one job, but we only have one job.

    One Calling; Many Gifts

    Just like a diet, this requires re-committing oneself daily. You can’t just “get pumped up” today, and make a decision to live for God, and expect that to last the rest of your life. Chances are, it won’t last the rest of the week, let alone your whole life. So, daily, in prayer, we seek His face, and ask that He make us useable, and place us into His service.

    Can we do that much? Can we daily Seek the Face of God, in prayer, and in His Word? Can’t we daily confess our sins, and ask Him to make us useable in His hand? Can we ask Him to prepare souls before us, and give us wisdom and discernment to meet the challenge?

    If we can’t, then we can’t ask for God’s blessing. If we are willing to try, and keep trying, and praying for His direction, and keep studying to know His will and His wisdom, then, as God offered His blessing in Haggai’s day, He offers it to us as well. We will see the joy of a harvest of souls—not grain. A building made of people praising and serving the living God.

    In Jeremiah 5:24, 25, God says that our sins are what keeps us from the harvest. That passage was specifically to Israel, and it was regarding a harvest of food. But the Harvest of Souls is all around us, and far more important. If we are not seeking to win souls, perhaps our priorities are wrong. God says, “…he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)

    So, What Can I Do? 

    I can:

    • Pray for specific people whom God lays on my heart.
    • Pray for opportunities to be used by God, in non-specific ways. And in either case, I then can watch for those opportunities.
    • Prepare myself for those opportunities, by Bible study and prayer.
    • Prepare by seeking the teaching I need, to share the Gospel with people such that if they are interested, they can actually choose to receive the Lord Jesus.
    • Practice giving my testimony. I can work on it, until I can clearly tell how I became a Christian…and why.
    • Set aside money for Bibles to give away, as I find hungry people to feed.
    • Support missionaries.
    • Pray for the ministries in the Church. And support them, by giving of my time and money, and in any way I can, to be a servant to God, and to his people.
    • Learn my gifts, through practice, and how to use them to edify the church.

    Conclusion:

    I’d like to encourage all of you to embark on a deliberate journey of faith, with the goal being to become useable in God’s hand. It’s a goal you have to personally choose, and keep on choosing. If there is any way I can be a help to you, I want to do so. But ultimately, each of you has to make a personal choice what kind of disciple you will be. Jesus said “You shall be my witnesses—“ He didn’t say whether we’d be good ones or bad. It’s your call.

    Lord Jesus, quicken our hearts to love You and to desire to serve You with what time we have left in this world. Change our priorities and teach us to walk as Your disciples.

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    Did You Know Jan Marie Larsen? Eulogy and Final Message

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    Jan Larsen’s Graduation

    © 2026 C. O. Bishop

    1st Thessalonians 5:16-19; 1st Corinthians 15:22; Numbers 21:5-9; John 5:24, etc.

    Introduction:

    Unquestionably, today all of us are missing Jan Larsen, our precious sister. She encouraged all of us with her joyful approach to life and faith. Jan finished her course in this life, and she graduated into God’s presence. She was the living embodiment of Paul’s commands, in 1st Thessalonians 5:16-19 “16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit.”

    Rejoice Evermore

    To begin with, Jan found the joy of the Lord in all of her life. As a result, she was an encourager to others to do the same. She sat people down and told them exactly what she so much appreciated in them.

    Unsurprisingly, her last words to me, when she was lying in a bed, struggling to breathe, were “You are awesome!” (Obviously, that could have just been the meds talking, I will concede, but it is just the kind of thing she would say.)

    Moreover, Jan blessed the Lord with all of her heart, and spoke her blessings aloud, not just thinking about Him quietly. She blessed all of us with that abundance of Joy, as well.

    Pray Without Ceasing

    Jan and Rick prayed together and they studied scripture together every day of their married life. Jan was an eager student of God’s Word, and fervent in prayer. She studied God’s Word as a whole. She knew that the Old Testament comprises nearly 80% of the Bible. And, she knew that the Holy Spirit authored the entire Written Word of God. So, she chose to read it her desire to be the best that she could be at whatever service The Lord assigned to her.

    In Every Thing Give Thanks

    Jan and Rick gave thanks together for God’s provision in their lives, whether it was the stream of tiny bird visitors they saw outside their apartment, or the people around them in church every week. Even in her sickness, she thought of ways to honor the Lord in the giving of thanks.

    Finally, when Brandy Pedigo visited Rick, after Jan died, she brought him eggs and fresh-baked bread. He was thrilled with her kindness and care. But she was thrilled at seeing the Peace of God glowing in Rick’s face and in seeing his Joyful demeanor. That is the effect that Jan had on many people. She encouraged us to focus on Jesus and to learn Joy and Peace.

    For This is the Will of God, in Christ Jesus, Concerning You!

    Let’s make this a little more personal: Jan took this passage personally, and she went out of her way to communicate it with those around her. She knew that this passage was God’s Will for her life as a believer, because she was in Christ Jesus! She wants YOU to know it, too!

    Jan also knew how it is that God invites a person to move from his or her natural position (where they have been from birth,) to a new, eternal position, in Christ.

    1st Corinthians 15:22 tells us that there are only two positions, or locations in which a human can be: “…in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” We are either still in Adam, via our natural birth, or we are permanently in Christ, by means of the New Birth.

    Jesus Explained It

    Beginning in John 3, Jesus explained this concept to Nicodemus, first emphasizing (v. 3) that without that new birth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus found the idea of being born again very confusing. So, Jesus spent some time explaining.

    Next, in verses 14-16, He said that, just as the people in Numbers 21:5-9 were invited to look away from their own devices and efforts and look to God’s solution for their sins (in their case a bronze serpent high on a pole) even so, today, God invites us to Look Away from our own philosophies and self-made piety, and moral posturing, and recognize that we are lost sinners. He invites us to turn our eyes upon Jesus, as the full payment for our sins, and thereby to gain eternal life.

    Finally, Jesus told Nicodemus “Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness,” (As God’s provision for those punished for sin by snakebite)  “…even so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (In the crucifixion: As God’s solution for the Sin of the Human Race.) “…that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Then He reiterated, by stating it clearly, “For God so loved the World that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever (that means you and me) believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

    Jesus’s Promise

    In John chapter 5, Jesus said we can have eternal life now and not wait until we die to find out whether we have been accepted by God: John 5:24 says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life [present tense], and shall not come into condemnation [future tense]; but is passed from death unto life.” [past-perfect tense: it can’t be undone!]

    In Ephesians 1:6, God says to those who have trusted in Him, that they have already been “made accepted in the beloved.”

    In Acts 16:30, 31, the Philippian Jailer asked Paul and Silas “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!”

    Our Sister Jan knew all these things: She loved the Lord with all her heart, and she sought to “pass along” that eternal life and supernatural joy to anyone willing to listen.

    Quench not the Spirit

    The last verse in this passage (verse 19) is easy to overlook: It says, “Quench not the Spirit.”

    Jan Larsen never put a “damper” on joy. She did not dwell on the wreckage of the world around her, nor the political posturing and false “virtue signaling,” of evil people. She saw the people of the World as the souls for whom Jesus died, and she cared for them as such. But, she did not allow them to take her focus away from the Lord Himself. He came first, though she grieved for the lost, and prayed for their salvation. He came first!

    Jan remained focused on Jesus and on the various assignments she had from Him. She allowed Him to handle the World and all of its threats. She just kept her eyes on Him: the One who bought her with His Blood at the Cross!

    And she would encourage each of us to do the same!

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    How to Understand the Hope of the Resurrection (Part 2)

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    The Hope and Truth of the Resurrection

    © 2026 C. O. Bishop

    1st Corinthians 15:8-28

    8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

    10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

    12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

    14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

    15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

    20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

    24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

    27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

    Introduction:

    We began studying the truths and the Eternal Hope of the Resurrection, and we at least saw how vital that hope is to the entire Christian faith. We skipped through 1st Corinthians 15, hoping to come back the next time and fill in the blank spots.

    What Would Be the Results if the Resurrection Never Happened?

    Paul builds a sort of “legal case outline,” here. He points out several connected ideas:

    • He himself was the last of the Eyewitnesses. Not because he was good…quite the opposite. And he underscores the fact that he is not worthy to be called an apostle, since he had viciously persecuted the Church.
    • Whatever the case, “it is what it is:” He says, “I am what I am.” He had to accept what he was, and start there, just as we do.
    • And Paul testifies that by the Grace of God, he had accomplished more than the others, but not on his own: God did the work. However, regardless of which apostle did the preaching, the people had received the Gospel and believed it.
    • But, now some among them were denying that the Resurrection was a reality. He said:
      • If that is true, then Jesus is still dead.
      • If Jesus is still dead, then the Gospel (which is dependent upon the truth of the Resurrection) is not true!
      • Those who trusted in Him have a vain hope.
      • All those who preached salvation by Jesus are liars and false witnesses.
      • Those who believed in Him are still dead in their sins.
      • Those who died, believing in Him, are in Hell, and lost forever. (Wow!)
    • He concluded that, if the Hope we have in Christ is only valid for this earthly life, we are of all men most to be pitied.

    BUT! Christ IS Raised from the Dead!

    Paul refuted all the connected side-effects (of the resurrection hypothetically being a lie,) with the single statement: “He is Risen!” The Gospel is true!

    • Jesus is the firstfruits of the believing dead who will be raised to be with Him. He says:
      • Death came by Man (Adam,) thus the Resurrection also came by Man (Jesus.)
      • All in Adam die: All in Christ shall be made alive. (Resurrected.)
      • All will occur in proper order: Jesus first, afterward, all the rest of us.
    • The Resurrection will culminate in final victory for Jesus,
      • Jesus will reign until He supersedes all other kingdoms and authority.
      • All enemies will be under His feet.
      • The final enemy to be destroyed is Death.
      • The Final Kingdom and all glory will return to God the Father.

    So, What Do We Do With All That Information?

    Point One

    The first thing we perhaps ought to notice is that only Paul lays hold of these three claims:

    • I am not worthy to be called an apostle. (1st Corinthians 15:9)
    • I’m less than the least of all saints. (Ephesians 3:8)
    • I am the chief of sinners. (1st Timothy 1:15)

    If others had made similar claims, we might simply consider it a mark of humility. If Peter had said it, I might have assumed it was self-condemnation, for his having denied Jesus. But only Paul said these three things: So, I have to conclude that, because the Holy Spirit chose the words, and He chose they would only come from Paul, then there must be some sense in which all are true, and only true of Paul, since all are exclusive statements.

    Why is this important? Because it means if these were literally true of Paul, they cannot be true of me or of you, even if we “feel” they are true. Feelings are not reliable reflections of reality. If God could use Paul, He can use anyone.

    And, just as Paul was forced to do, we have to start where we are, and choose to obey Jesus, and submit our lives to Him, if we hope for God to accomplish anything through us. This is not a “Do-it Yourself” project! Jesus said, “…apart from Me ye can do nothing!” (John 15:5)

    Point Two

    The Truth of the Resurrection, and the Hope of the Resurrection are central to the Truth of the Gospel. In John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” If Jesus did not literally, physically rise immortal, from the dead, then all the rest of the Gospel falls apart.

    If He is still dead, then the whole Bible is a lie! The Central Theme of the entire Bible is the Redemptive Plan of God, foreshadowed in Genesis and repeatedly confirmed, in stronger and stronger terms, throughout all of the Word of God. Thus, if the Central Theme is negated, the entire structure is fatally flawed.

    The “Gospel” would not be “good news.” All who believed it would have made a fatally bad decision, trusting a false messiah, and they would be just as fully lost as if they had no savior… because they truly would not have one.

    Paul concludes that if our faith in Jesus has only temporal results, then it is no different than all the “world religions.” If we have been following a false messiah, then we are pitiable, miserable wretches, and still headed for destruction. But!

    Point Three

    Jesus is Alive! All of the above questions and speculation about the “result of a false messiah” are pointless, in the face of the eternal fact of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    Paul went on to teach the logic of the resurrection, showing that it was entirely fitting that a man (Jesus) should undo the damage done by the first man, Adam. Although He doesn’t elaborate, here, this fits the requirements of the Kinsman Redeemer from the Old Testament:

    • The Redeemer had to be a near relative (which is why Jesus became a man.)
    • He had to be free, Himself (Jesus was sinless and free from the taint of sin.)
    • The Redeemer must have the price of Redemption (a sinless body, with untainted blood.)
    • He had to be Willing.

    Two Positions, Two Heads of a Race

    Adam sold out the entire Human Race: Jesus bought back the entire Human race, but He left it up to the individual to choose whether to trust in His completed work at the Cross. All who choose to remain in Adam simply remain spiritually dead; separated from God. All who choose to believe God, and trust His plan of salvation, are placed into (literally “baptized into… immersed into”) the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, and we are permanently bound to Him by His Grace and Love.

    Why will we be resurrected? Because He bought our salvation at the Cross. All we did was to believe His Word, and receive Him. He has already been resurrected, but God said that from His perspective, if you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, then, in Him, you are already resurrected, too! Ephesians 2:6 says you are already seated with Him on the throne in Heaven!

    Point Four

    Because He is already the Victor, (and we have joined Him in that victory,) we will see His ultimate victory over the entire world, as well as over all the unseen evil beings. We will see Him triumph over all His enemies, including Death! Revelation 20:14 says “Death and Hell will be cast into the Lake of fire.” After that, He will deliver the eternal Kingdom to the Father, with the Glory that goes with it.

    How Does All This Truth Affect Us?

    Does it make a difference in our lives, knowing that the Resurrection of Jesus The Messiah is a fact, and that we are already resurrected with Jesus? It truly ought to make a difference! Pat James used to conclude, regarding this sort of truth, “We’re bullet proof!” meaning that we simply cannot fail to end up with God for eternity, as we are already there, and Jesus promised, “He that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out!” (John 6:37)

    How much more confident would we feel in daily life, if we truly grasped how completely He has redeemed us, and how fully He has made us His own?

    Romans 6:2-6 explains that through our being baptized into Christ, by the Holy Spirit, we are now fully identified with Him in His death, burial, resurrection and eternal life. He says we are dead with Him. He says we have been buried with Him, and that we shall be like Him in the resurrection. Ephesians 2:5, 6 makes it more explicit, saying that we have been (past tense) brought to life in Him, and raised up (ascended) with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenlies. It’s a done deal!

    That truth should set us free to serve without fear and without holding back. I do not claim to have fully grasped this, because, like most people, I sometimes suffer doubts and fears. But I do know this truth, and I believe that it is fully applicable today.

    Lord Jesus, please bring the truth and the hope of the resurrection to life in our minds and hearts, and use it to set us free from our fears, our doubts, and our besetting sins. Teach us to walk in the newness of life.

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    How To Understand The Hope of the Resurrection

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    The Hope of the Resurrection

    © 2026 by C. O. Bishop

    1st Corinthians 15; 1st Thessalonians 4:13-19; 2nd Corinthians 5:1-10

    Introduction:

    We were in 1st Corinthians 14, and we were nearly (but not quite) ready to begin 1st Corinthians 15. (People sometimes call Chapter 15 “the Resurrection Chapter.”) However, we recently lost our beloved Jan Larsen. It seems good to me to address the “Blessed Hope” of Believers today, rather than waiting.

    First, I want to point out that the “Blessed Hope” in Titus 2:12, 13 is the returning Person of Christ. He is the Person of our Salvation. Furthermore, God describes Him, the indwelling Christ, as our “Hope of Glory,” in Colossians 1:27 “…Christ in You, the Hope of Glory.”

    So, regarding our current “Hope of Glory:” Each of us has embraced that Hope, by believing the Gospel. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

    Notice that this is the ONLY thing God describes as being His power to save sinners. This is THE power of God unto salvation, “to every one who believes.” The choice is there for everyone. He does not offer His Grace by any other means but through the Person of Christ. Jesus said so. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6)

    Does that sounds “exclusive?” Well, the fact is, our sins excluded us from the presence of God. This is Him offering us restoration: we can be INcluded in the Family of God.

    So, What Is The Gospel? What is the Good News?

    1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

    Here is the Gospel in outline form:

    3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

    4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

    5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

    6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

    7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

    8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

    Point by Point

    If you want to see it “point by point,” notice the first three points, in verses 3, 4. Together, they complete the Gospel…the GOOD News!

    1. The death of Jesus, for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, fulfilling Prophecy,
    2. His Burial, also in accordance with prophecy (Jonah 1:17 and Matthew 12:39-42), and
    3. His Resurrection, on the third day, also confirming the scriptures, fulfilling Prophecy,

    And, the next few comments are simply the confirmation of the many eye-witnesses, most of whom were still living at the time of that writing.

    Paul goes on to emphasize the importance of the Resurrection. There were people present (especially including the Sadducees, but possibly the Gnostics and others) who denied that the resurrection was possible. He points out in verses 12-19, that if there “is no resurrection,” then Jesus is not resurrected, which would mean He was not the Savior, as that was a requirement, as part of His Credentials.

    And that would mean that those who believed in Jesus had a vain faith: a vain hope in a false Messiah. And that would mean that they were still in their sins, and still headed for Hell!

    But in verse 20, he answers that doubt with finality: “But now, Christ IS risen from the dead and IS become the firstfruits of them that slept!”

    So, we should address some questions regarding the Resurrection:

    Why Will We Be Raised?

    In verses 21-22, we see that, in the wisdom of God, He saw it fitting that “… since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

    And then He spells out that the result that there are only two places we can be. You are either “still in Adam,” and thus, dead in your sins, or: You are “in Christ” as we read in Ephesians 1 & 2, and eternally alive!

    Thus, those who can say with confidence that they will spend eternity with Jesus can only do so because He shed His blood for their sins… and they have trusted Him as their Savior. They plead the Blood of Jesus as their only Hope.

    When Will We Be Raised?

    The resurrection of these bodies (in which we now live) will be completed at what we call the Rapture. 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 tells us in detail how that will happen, in what order, and (in connection with the next chapter) we can see it will happen just before the Tribulation begins.

    13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

    15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

    But there is an obvious question that arises when we affirm these things: “In the meantime, between now and the Rapture, Where are our loved ones?”  Where are all of our believing friends and family? (Where is our precious sister, Jan??)

    2nd Corinthians 5:1-10 is our answer:

    1 For we know that if our earthly house (Our physical body in which we live) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

    5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

    9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

    Resurrected or Replaced?

    The passage in 1st Thessalonians 4 teaches us about when our physical bodies will be resurrected. The one here, in 2nd Corinthians 5, tells us how it will be temporarily replaced with an immortal body until our old bodies are raised immortal. Then he says, we will be like Him and see Him as He truly is! If we die before His return, then we will see Him that way from the moment we leave our old body behind, But after the Rapture, every believer will see Him as He is, and we will all have our old bodies raised immortal.

    How Will We Be Raised?

    1st Corinthians 15:50-53 tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. then He tells us that the day will come, when the last trumpet will sound and the Dead shall be raised incorruptible. He specifically says that “this mortal shall put on immortality.” He says “we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

    50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

    53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

    Collectively, the scriptures clearly teach that Jan is with the Lord today, even though her worn-out, little, old body is in a morgue, somewhere: She is with Him, face-to-face, and completely wrapped in His Joy and His Peace.

    At the Rapture, when that trumpet blows, she will have her body back, perfect and immortal, and we will all recognize one another, just as James, Peter, and John recognized Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration.

    After that we will all face the Bema seat: the Awards ceremony: the Judgment Seat of Christ. God says so. But right this moment, Jan is completely focused on the reality of the Risen Christ, and she worshipping Him in person.

    What Will Our New Bodies Look Like?

    The short answer is: “I don’t know!” When we all get our new bodies, will Jan still be the shortest person in the room? I seriously doubt it. She may be nine feet tall, with fire in her eyes! Or, maybe we will all be the same height. We simply are not told.

    However, God does address the broader question, in 1st Corinthians 15:35-38

    35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

    36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

    37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

    38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

    Paul’s Reply

    He points out that when we plant wheat, we do not expect wheat seeds to come springing up out of the ground: We expect something that first resembles grass, but which eventually bears a seed head with many wheat seeds.

    Then He answers the question in verses 42-49:

    42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

    43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

    44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

    Fulfilling the Pattern

    45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

    Does that really “satisfy us?” Maybe not, but we choose to rest in that promise. None of us have seen the immortal, so we cannot accurately imagine it, and it is fruitless to try. We know that we will be like Him. That is the best we can say. And until then, all we can say for sure is that all our believing loved ones, those whom we have lost, are with Him now, and are safe in Him.

    Lord Jesus, give us the faith to simply trust You and to believe Your Voice above all others: Help us to cling to Your Voice and Your Promise alone. As sheep follow their Shepherd, let us follow You and be safe in Your care.

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    How To Understand What The Bible Teaches about Tongues

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    What about Tongues? (Part 1)

    © 2026 by C. O. Bishop

    1st Corinthians 14:1-28, 39-40

    1  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

    2 For he that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

    You may see that the word “unknown” is in italics in your Bible. That is because, in every case, the adjective “unknown” is not in the original language. It only means a language the speaker has not learned.

    3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

    4 He that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 5 I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

    6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

    Non-living Examples

    7 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?

    8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

    9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

    10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

    11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

    12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

    13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue pray that he may interpret.

    14 For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

    15 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.

    16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned (has not learned that language) say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

    17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

    18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

    How Did Paul Use Tongues?

    I do not know how Paul was using this gift. Dr. McGee thinks he used it to preach the Gospel. But there is zero evidence in the Bible that God ever used the gift of tongues in evangelism. Rather, He used it in praising God, magnifying God, and speaking the wonderful works of God.

    Most of the places Paul went already spoke Greek. This was the result of the Grecian empire expansion from 400 years earlier. The conquerors introduced the Greek culture and language wherever they went. The empire included all of the Grecian peninsula, Northward into what is now Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, and all of Turkey. It reached southward into the Northeastern section of Egypt. Then it reached Eastward across the entirety of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Iran, and even deeply into Northwest India.

    Everywhere he went, Alexander named cities after himself, and left soldiers there to govern the areas. It was all in the Greek language, with the result that Greek culture and language deeply affected a huge area…in fact, ALL of the areas in which Paul would later preach. My assumption is that he was speaking in Greek, wherever he went.

    Speaking With Understanding

    19 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.

    20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

    21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

    This prophecy (Isaiah 28:11, 12) is that Gentiles would bring the Gospel back to the Jews in their various languages. They would testify to Israel of the Truth of God’s Word, and His Righteous, Holy Character, and His Messiah. And the Jews would still reject the message. History has continually fulfilled that prophecy .

    A Sign

    22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

    23 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 ye are mad?

    24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 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.

    26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

    27 If any man speak in an [unknown] tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

    28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

    Introduction:

    As I have said before, I do not see in scripture a definite time when tongues will cease. I only see that they will. The closest thing I have, declaring when, is 1st Corinthians 13:8-12. So far as I see, the “Perfect,” in verse 10 is the return of the Lord Jesus at the end of the tribulation. It is the beginning of the Kingdom age. And, it has not happened. So, if the gift has ceased, I can’t prove it and I can’t say when it happened.

    Over the years, you all probably have figured out, I really do not like to cite extrabiblical sources as authoritative. However, I will briefly do so, here. In studying this chapter, I looked to some commentaries. Why? Because this chapter is confusing, even when I try to read it in context with the rest of scripture.

    The Continuing Question: Have Tongues Ceased?

    I consider only God’s Word to be completely authoritative, however, speaking historically, Dr. J. Vernon McGee quoted John Chrysostom. (He was an early church father at the end of the fourth century, from AD 347-407.) He wrote, regarding chapter 14, and the matter of tongues. “This whole passage is very obscure, but the obscurity arises from our ignorance of the facts described, which, though familiar to those to whom the apostle wrote, have ceased to occur.”

    It is interesting that from that early church father’s perspective, the gift of tongues had already faded out of existence. And the gift ceased long before the time of Chrysostom. Long enough that no one was sure how the gift worked.

    So, have these gifts ended? I don’t know. However, the few examples I have personally seen, of a “message in tongues” and an “interpretation,” were false.

    Test the Spirits

    Dr, McGee also told of a former student of his who came from a deep Roman Catholic past. As a believer, he went into a Charismatic church: One which regularly practiced “tongues and interpretation.” He stood up and recited in Latin, part of a Catholic mass. Then he sat down: And another man popped up to “interpret.” The second man gave a lengthy “interpretation,” but one which had nothing to do with what actually had just been said.

    So, the first speaker stood, again. He declared that the interpretation was false. He said that what he had actually recited was the Catholic mass, in Latin! And the church’s response? The ushers hustled him out of the meeting and told him not to come back! They were not upset or disturbed by the false interpretation: They were upset because it was exposed!

    I have personally known other believers who “tested the spirits” in this way, and those they exposed were also very angry. In one case, the only reason the man did so was because his relatives had been pressuring him to “try speaking in tongues.”

    He was exasperated by their persistence, so he finally raised his hands and quoted a children’s poem in Pennsylvania Dutch. They were thrilled; moaning and praising God, declaring that they could “feel the Spirit moving!” But he stopped and sadly told them what he had actually said. And they were furious!

    (Sorry: That sort of thing makes me very skeptical about the true source of the modern tongues movement.)

    As we begin Chapter 14, I will reiterate that I see no Biblical teaching that the gift of tongues has already ceased. However, I will also say have never personally seen a genuine application of the gift, used as prescribed by God.

    We See Several Things In 1st Corinthians 14:

    The gift of preaching (as described in verse 3) is far more valuable and productive than the gift of tongues.

    The phenomenon of tongues (verse 22) is a sign, but it is a sign for unbelievers, not believers. We can see three major events where tongues were a sign:

    Acts 2:4-14 a sign to the Jews that the Gospel is true: Jesus is the Messiah.

    Acts 10:44-47 a sign to the Jews that the Gentiles were born-again saints.

    Finally, Acts 19:1-9  a sign to the Jews that the message of the Gospel is true.

    Notice that in each of these three cases, God gave the miracle to draw attention to the message.  This is also true of the various healings. The lame man healed in Acts 3:1-11, was an undeniable miracle, but God specifically gave it to draw attention to the Gospel. When Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, it was to draw attention to His message of the Kingdom, not just to “make the man feel better,” or to “set up shop as a healer.”

    Tongues Were Real Languages

    Also, please note that Acts 2:4 specifies that the disciples, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, actually spoke in these other languages. Many commentators have attempted to teach that they were all just speaking “some ecstatic heavenly language,” and the audience only heard them in their own individual languages. That is not true. Each disciple spoke in a language that he or she had not learned. The listeners heard them speak in those languages: their native languages.

    Finally, 1st Corinthians 1:22-24 states that it is primarily the Jews who demanded such signs.

    Also, there evidently is (or was) a use of tongues in prayer, but this is the only place God mentioned it, so I can’t say much about it.

    The use of tongues in church was limited to two or three (at most) people per service, by turns, and that was only if interpretation was given. Without interpretation, they were to keep silent.

    So, How Do We Proceed?

    Though God’s Word does declare certain boundaries and priorities, Paul admonished the church as a whole, in 1st Corinthians 14:39, 40

    39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

    In conclusion, we do not attempt to prevent people from using the miraculous gifts (if they still exist.) But we also see a caveat. When the true gift is being used: By necessity, the True Giver has to determine how people use the gift. Otherwise, it is not God at work, but our old nature.

    A Biblical Example:

    The book of Numbers tells us that Balaam was a true prophet, but he sold out. When Balaam used the gift of prophecy, it truly was God speaking through him: But it did not produce what he or the Moabite king wanted to hear. So, he offered “advice” in addition to the true prophecy, as to how to cause Israel to fall into sin. And it worked! But the result was that the Moabites and Midianites were defeated, and Balaam died with them! (See Numbers 22-24, and Numbers 31:1-8)

    The remainder of 1st Corinthians 14 is dealing with the orderly form of a God-centered Church Service. We will continue to examine the remainder of the chapter in the near future.

    Lord Jesus, we ask that You, as the Living Word, will guide our hearts and minds: And that You, by Your Holy Spirit, will teach us to follow Your Written Word in all things. Help us to avoid deception and distractions, and to walk with You in Truth.

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