Discipline: How to Make Good Results of Rebuke and Correction

The Result of Rebuke and Church Discipline

Discipline’s Results are not Always Predictable or Visible

2^nd Corinthians 7:2-16 (Result of Church Discipline)

²Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. ³I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

⁴Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. ⁵For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. ⁶Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; ⁷And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

What Changed?

⁸For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. ⁹Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. ¹⁰For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

¹¹For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

¹²Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

¹³Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

¹⁴For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.

¹⁵And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.

¹⁶I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.

Introduction to the Result of Church Discipline:

I had to read this passage about the results of Church Discipline over and over. Initially, I distracted myself : I tried to link this to specific narratives in the book of Acts. I was unable to do so. Paul’s recorded stops in Troas do not seem to agree with the narrative here. (The first time we saw him in Troas was long before he ever went to Corinth. The second recorded time was much later, when he was en route to Jerusalem, and ultimately to Rome.)

I am aware that there are various schisms of understanding as to how many “Missionary Journeys” Paul made. I am also aware that the narrative in Acts doesn’t address this discipline at all. It only touches on the noteworthy “high” points. It is about specific things that happened, and the noteworthy places the apostles went.

There were potentially thousands of exchanges with other people and many physical side trips. We would find them fascinating, but the Holy Spirit did not choose to record them.

I finally had to conclude that I don’t know exactly when this happened…and that is OK. The “location on the time-line” and the exact locations on maps are interesting. But they are not nearly as important as the central message of what happened, and why it happened.

Consider the History in Corinth (Necessitating Discipline)

In 1^st Corinthians 5:1-13, Paul addressed a bad situation in Corinth. It was common knowledge to all of the church, there, but he had only just heard about it. (Some young man was sleeping with his father’s wife. Not his mother, but a younger woman married to his older father. The same had occurred between Reuben and Bilhah, in Genesis 35:22. By the way, we also saw the judgment that came because of that sin, in Genesis 49:1-4.)

But the situation in Corinth was different. This is Church-Age teaching, and Paul had called for Church discipline, for the purpose of restoration. He rebuked the entire assembly for their complacency. They had even been proud of themselves for “tolerating” the blatant, open sin. (Does that sound familiar? Many churches today are publicly doing the same.)

Paul called for the rest of the assembly to repent of their sin. (They were ignoring, tolerating, and even approving of the sin going on among them.) He called on them to put the sinning brother out of the fellowship. They were to have nothing to do with him. The purpose and the desired result was to be restoration, as we saw in Galatians 6:1. But Paul is describing the practice of Church Discipline.

Our problem with discipline is that we can never be sure that restoration will actually occur. It is possible for a person to continue rebelling. They can simply harden their heart against the collective reproach brought against them. If they respond with that sort of anger and resentment and continued rebellion, then restoration may never happen.

Why Did Such “Church Discipline” Work at All?

We should remember that there was not “another church, two streets over,” to which they could turn. In the early church, Proximity (location and distance) was the only division that the church recognized. Proximity was a practical necessity: They had no means by which to easily “commute” to another village.

The believers in a single village or city met together for fellowship, teaching, correction, corporate prayer, worship and mutual blessing. A person who was truly part of that fellowship, but who was later excluded because of sin, would be hard-pressed to replace what he or she had lost in that relationship. This is still true in many countries today, where walking is the primary means of travel. There are no other like-minded people close enough to join them.

But, in this specific case, the man repented. 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11 points out that the discipline had already accomplished the intended purpose. Paul directed the church to forgive the man for his past failure and receive him back into full fellowship. (If we look just a little further, verses 12 & 13 tie this directly to the account in chapter seven, where Paul was “looking for Titus.”)

So, in 2^nd Corinthians 2, the Church seems to have responded to that discipline by obedience to the Word. But until we see chapter seven, we do not understand the change in the church as a group.

They Responded to Discipline in the Fear of the Lord.

That’s a good thing! Psalm 19:9 says, “The Fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.” The result of their fear of God’s displeasure was that they took action against sin. And, (from what we can read in 2^nd Corinthians 7) it seems that they took action against sin in their own lives. They were not just pointing fingers at someone else, in condemnation, they were purging their own lives, in the realization that God is completely Holy. God’s Holiness is not “selective,” as Human “righteousness” tends to be.

By the way, that is where we get the phrase “self-righteous.” When we declare ourselves to be righteous, (and thereby qualified to condemn others,) we completely miss the vision of God’s righteousness. Paul pointed out, in Romans 10:3, “For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

Isaiah’s Example

I can’t say what Isaiah thought of himself before his vision of the Lord in Isaiah 6:1-8. But a single look at Jesus completely demolished any complacency Isaiah may have had, regarding his own goodness or righteousness. We would do well to seek His face in that manner, as well: It is a great “leveler.” No one can honestly see the holiness and righteousness of Christ laid out in the Word of God, and still see themselves as being “Just fine, thank you!”

Paul’s Feelings About the Situation

In verses 2-7, here, we see that Paul had felt sick about having to write to Corinth with a letter so full of rebuke, and hard lessons. But Titus told him how the Corinthian believers had received him, and how strongly and fervently they felt toward Paul as their teacher and mentor. Then he quit “feeling bad” about the disciplinary letter! He saw that the Godly sorrow it had stirred up in their hearts had resulted in the transformation of the church!

The Results

Verses 10-12 tell the results of Church Discipline: They were results that Paul could not have predicted, nor could he have known, except Titus told him.

They cared what God thought,
They wanted to clear themselves of sin in their own lives
They were indignant against themselves and their own complacency,
- not just the man who was sinning.
The Fear of the Lord filled them.
They vehemently desired Change
The Zeal to do God’s bidding filled them
(King James Version says “Revenge.” NIV says they “wanted to see justice done.” New King James says “vindication.”)

In short, Paul says that their actions proved where their hearts really were. So, he then reveals to them where his heart really was.

Why Did Paul Write to The Church at Corinth?

He says, that he did write to them about the man who was in sin. But it was not because of that man, nor because of the man whose son took his wife. It was because he, Paul, feared for the health and safety of the Church itself.

The gross sin in one person or group of people, if left to flourish, will spread and infect the whole church. Hebrews 12:15 specifically warns that the sin of bitterness will spread, and infect others. “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

Jesus said, “yeast spreads through a pan of dough until it leavens all of it.” That is a good allegory of sin. (If we are baking bread, that might be a good thing. But in many areas of medicine, yeast infections are a serious threat to health.)

Sin, and the willingness to tolerate sin, to excuse or cover gross sin, will soon corrupt a church to the point that it ruins its collective testimony. Paul said that was why he wrote to them.

Paul’s Conclusion

¹³Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

¹⁴For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. ¹⁵And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. ¹⁶I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.

Paul said that he was comforted by the result in their lives, and the fact that their relationship with the Lord was restored, as well as that of the fellow from the previous letter.

He admitted that he had previously “bragged” to Titus about how the Corinthian believers were responding to God’s Word. But he said he was not ashamed of that, because, as Titus confirmed, it was all true!

Titus had enjoyed a refreshing time of fellowship with the Corinthian believers, and He now related to Paul how they felt about the whole exchange. And Paul could rejoice in the entire experience, having now seen the end result.

Our Conclusion

Whole denominations have fallen into bad theology, modernism, and tolerance for sin. They have collapsed, becoming organizations who were simply no longer representatives of Christ.

A few of them realized what was happening, and repented. They went back and undid the damage, getting rid of false teachers and holding pastors and professors accountable. It can be done, but it truly is not fun! The only way to avoid having to do such major house-cleaning, is to keep careful watch, so that we do not become a band of complacent “religious sinners,” but rather we focus on drawing near to the Holy God we claim to serve.

Lord Jesus, teach us to walk with You, choosing to starve our old sin nature and choosing to feed our new nature on the Food of Your Word. Help us to walk in obedience and a practical, functioning holiness.

August 29, 2026August 29, 2026

How to Know Peace: A Walk Through Galatians (Part 4)

A Walk Through Galatians (What happens in Failure?)

Part 4: Chapter 2 versus 11-21 ( Peter’s Failure!)

The Bible is a historical account of God redeeming his people for his glory. But, it doesn’t leave out the dirtiness of relationships, the hardships of life, or even the failure of God’s people. We do not normally expect to see such transparency: Or at least, I am not used to seeing it. People tend to minimize or hide their flaws and failures. They amplify their strengths and successes, especially when someone is trying to get your vote and mine.

Like, let’s say, the American political system where you have each candidate highlighting each of their successes and accomplishments. They disregard their views or opinions of the past, to win your vote, while completely ignoring their failures and faults. Then they drag each other through the mud, slandering one another much to their enjoyment. The Bible does just the opposite. Today is going to be one of those stories of failure, but keep in mind that we know how the story ends.

Personal Failure

But I won’t act as though I’m any better. I’m not even sure I should be here in front of you all. There is nothing special about me. I can give numerous accounts of my failures. And I could tell of my disappointments, life tragedies, and broken relationships. I can tell of heartaches, distressing situations, betrayals of trust, or poor choices that I have made.

Hang around me long enough, and you will probably hear some of them. And I’m sure just about each and every one of you can do the same, on some account. But do you know what I need to remind myself of, even with all my failure, and the mess that I am? There is Someone out there that loves us despite all our failures. He has a use for us, and wants me and you to spend eternity with him.

Personal Results of Salvation, Despite my Failure

I can’t help but try to tell everyone about him. Romans 10:14-15 says, ¹⁴ But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? ¹⁵ And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody about Jesus.

I’m reading from the NLT. If you want to turn to Galatians 2:11-21, you can follow along with whatever translation is your preferred choice. I also would like to give my sources credit they deserve. The NLT Life Application Study Bible, A Layman’s Look at the Epistle to the Galatian Churches, and the Bibleref app. Thank you.

(Read Galatians 2: 11-21) Peter’s Failure

Galatians 2:11-21 ¹¹ But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. ¹² When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. ¹³ As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Confrontation

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? ¹⁵ “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. ¹⁶ Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

¹⁹ For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. ²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

(Read Galatians 2:11)

¹¹ But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. (It was a serious failure!) After Paul and Barnabas (and Titus, if you remember from last time) went to Jerusalem, they had full support from the apostles. Peter and John and the leader of the church in Jerusalem (James) fully approved of the Good News they preached.

At some point Paul and Barnabas went back to Antioch, and Peter also made his way there. God does not give this sequence in an exact timeline. But we will see that what happened was not out of character for Peter. Especially when he was in a situation of accountability, or extreme pressure. Peter, once known as Simon, experienced failure a couple different times even when He was with Jesus in the Gospels. Probably the most recognized is Peter’s denial of knowing Jesus. Matthew 26: 69-75, Mark 14: 66-72, Luke 22: 54-65, and John 18: 25-27.

Read Galatians 2:12-13 (Failure spread to others)

¹² When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. ¹³ As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. Peter arrived in Antioch after the Jerusalem council in 48-50 AD as documented in Acts 15.

(We went over that, in part three of “A Walk Through Galatians”.) That was where Paul and Barnabas got full approval from Peter, John, and James for the Good News they preached, that salvation is by grace, through faith, in Christ, and it was for everybody, and the original apostles accepted Barnabas and Paul as co-workers. There was no legitimate cause for Peter’s failure.

Peter’s Failure: Hypocrisy

Peter had no problem when he arrived in Antioch. He even shared meals and sat with the other Gentile believers at first. But some Jewish men from Jerusalem (connected to James) who still promoted circumcision and the law, came to Antioch. Peter then separated himself from the Gentile believers for whatever reason. Paul said it was due to fear. Some speculate that it was also to protect James’s prominent position he held in Jerusalem. But, Paul went and confronted Peter for his actions. Peter was implicitly supporting their claim that Christ alone was not sufficient for salvation. His failures had even caused Barnabas and others to question things and to separate themselves from the Gentiles.

Peter had to know that what he was doing wrong. James 4:17 says, ¹⁷ Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

This confrontation with Peter, that Paul is describing, reminded me of something I have heard of: A passage I find comfort in, during my walk with Jesus, and the war that rages inside me. It comforts me to know that Paul also struggled with failure, and the exact war that’s going on inside me.

The two Natures

Romans 7:14-25 ¹⁴ So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. ¹⁵ I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. ¹⁶ But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. ¹⁸ And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. ¹⁹ I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

²⁰ But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. ²¹ I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. ²² I love God’s law with all my heart. ²³ But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. ²⁴ Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? ²⁵ Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Other Interpretation

While I was studying this confrontation between Paul and Peter, it reminded me that I have heard that some people believe Paul was only talking about himself before he believed and accepted Christ in these verses. I don’t believe that is what Paul is describing here. Hearing that this is what some believe Paul is describing, it would lead me to assume they think that after Paul had trusted in Christ, he didn’t sin anymore. I guess they call it “sinless perfectionism”.

People seem to believe this view because of the chapter breaks added later. They fail to see the letter of Romans as a whole. The chapters and verse numbers we have in our bibles today are there to help us with locating and memorization of passages, They didn’t exist before. If Paul really was just describing who he was before salvation, then I’m done for. But as I said, through my studies and the understanding that God has given me, that is not the case. I think, “How can those people go and put that burden on anyone by teaching that? Much less themselves?” I pray every day that the struggle with my old nature would just end, but the more I pray for it to end, the more I see my need for Jesus!

What God Says

We know the truth about anyone who says they have no sin, or that they don’t sin. They are claiming they have no failure! We can look to 1 John 1:8 ⁸ If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. I have yet to personally meet one person that holds this view, so I don’t know how prominent this position is, but I guess they are out there. But I do wonder what they think of Peter during this confrontation in Galatians 2:11-21 in regards to James 4:17?

All I can tell you is this fact, Romans 8:1 ¹ So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And when I do fall, (and I inevitably will) I know that Jesus is there defending me in my failure, for in 1 John 2:1 says ¹ My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

(Read Galatians 2: 14)

Paul, Peter, and Barnabas were all Jews. (I say “were,” because for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, there is no distinction, and to hold on to those labels does nothing to benefit us.) Colossians 3:11 says, ¹¹ In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. And it’s also in Galatians 3:28, but we will get there eventually.

Historical Context

But for context of the confrontation between Paul and Peter, we should know that there was a culture barrier between Jews and Gentiles, and of Jewish customs at the time. Peter lets us in on this detail on the customs of the time, after God sent him a vision and had him go to Cornelius’s place, in Acts 10:28. ²⁸ Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.

So, Paul publicly confronted Peter. Peter being a leader of the church, was acting like a hypocrite, and not being true to the Good News. Paul knew he had to put a stop to it before his actions damaged the church, so he opposed him to his face. Any one of us is prone to make a mistake, even the best of leaders, and we should rely on each other to get us back on track.

(Read Galatians 2: 15-16)

¹⁵ “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. ¹⁶ Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

Both Paul and Peter were all too well aware of the Old Testament law and the sacrificial system, but that Jesus had changed everything. Paul is not saying the law is bad, for in Romans 7:12 Paul says, ¹² But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. Paul is instead saying the law can never make us right with God, and for it to make us right with God we would have to follow it perfectly, and not one of us is perfect, except for Jesus. He is the human that came to be the kind of human that none of us could ever be.

And through trust in His finished work at the Cross, in His death and resurrection, he offers us forgiveness and eternal life by his grace. John 3:16-18 ¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

(Read Galatians 2: 17-19)

¹⁷ But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! ¹⁸ Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. ¹⁹ For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.

I want to recommend for anyone who is listening, that you read Romans 5:12-21. We will just be highlighting a few verses here. Paul studied the Old Testament scriptures, and he understood that the law can’t save us. Sin has infected us all, as shown in Romans 5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. And in this way Sin has separated us from God. We are unable to keep God’s laws perfectly: Fortunately, God made a way to deliver us through an act of love by Jesus Christ and not by our own efforts.

Romans 5:18 ¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Knowing this truth, we must guard against the temptation of thinking that acts of service, good deeds, or any other effort that you can think of can be a substitute for faith.

(Read Galatians 2:20-21)

²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

When we are crucified with Christ, it means we surrender to Jesus every aspect of our sinful lives–our goals, plans, desires, ideas, and even relationships. We treat these things as though they died with Jesus at the cross. Then we live a life of surrender to the Author of life. Because Jesus came back to life, and He now lives in us by the Holy Spirit, filling up all the empty places that we have given to Him, which all our old pursuits could never really fill. Our self-centered way of life ends, and our new Christ-centered way of life begins. It does not mean we will be free from failure.

To be honest, letting go of these desires, goals, plans, and relationships is hard, and failure is common. But I know that whatever God has in store for me will be far greater than I can even understand or imagine right now, or maybe even ever will on this side of life. But I can continue to trust God, who loves us and has a greater understanding than I can ever see myself having.

How have our old selves been crucified with Christ? It was when Christ was crucified for our sin. Through faith, we trust that His death paid for our own personal sin. In this way, we are crucified with Him.

How God Sees Us, Regardless of Our Failure

Legally, God sees us as if we died with Christ, because Jesus took the penalty for all our sins when he died. Paul says in Colossians 2:13-15 ¹³ You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. ¹⁴ He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Relationally, we have become one with Christ, and His experiences are ours. Our Christian lives begin when we are joined with him: We die to our old life and begin a new life. Romans 6:5 says ⁵ Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. The focus of Christianity is not on death but on life. Because we have been crucified with Christ we have also been raised with Him, receiving a new resurrection life as He did, we have a new power, a new vision, and a new community, and we have been reconciled with God, despite our failures. We are no longer alone, because Christ lives in us. He is our power for living and our hope for the future.

The Danger of False Teachers

False believers today can still be a danger for us, and they are a danger to anyone not in Christ. They act as if Jesus did not have to die, by replacing Jewish legalism with their own form of Christian legalism, by believing they can earn God’s favor by what they do. Such teaching denies our own continuing failure. They do not trust completely in Christ’s work on the cross. By struggling to believe in God’s power to change them, they do not rest in God’s power to save them.

It is only because of Him that anything good comes from me. It is only because of Him, that the things that need to be changed can change. And it is only because of Him that I am saved. If we could be saved by “being good,” then Christ did not have to die. The Cross is the only way to salvation.

Please follow me to Acts 4:11-12 as this comes to an end ¹¹ For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ ¹² There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Did you find it? Your name, is it there? Yeah, I didn’t see mine either. Praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen.

May 23, 2026May 23, 2026

How to Understand The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

Introduction:

Quite some time ago, we taught through 1^st Corinthians 5. There we saw a man known to be having sexual relations with his father’s wife. The church of Corinth did not see this as an evil thing. They did not know the Mosaic Law condemned such behavior in strongest terms. That is no surprise, since, in the first place, they were Gentiles, and abysmally ignorant of the Mosaic Law.

But Paul pointed out that, even in most Gentile societies, such a thing was unthinkable, and universally condemned. So, how could they have “missed the memo,” so to speak? Why did the Corinthian Church actively support behavior that “everyone knew” to be wrong? (And which God specifically stated was wrong?)

“Welcome to Corinth!” The community center for that city was the largest house of prostitution in known history! It was the temple of Aphrodite. There, the practitioners approved every form of perversion! The Britannica Encyclopedia said, in its peak years, that temple employed 10,000 prostitutes, male and female. Corruption ran especially deep in Corinth. And that is where this story originated! Please turn to 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7.

1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

¹ It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. ²And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

³For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, ⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

⁶Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? ⁷Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

What Was The Problem? Incest!

This is nothing new. It happened in the Old Testament, at least once (Genesis 35:22.) And it had permanent consequences for the young man involved. He had committed incest with one of his father’s younger wives (Genesis 49:3, 4).

But in Corinth, they proposed no consequence for the sin. The church seems to have applauded it. They were at least proud of their own “tolerance.” (Sounds eerily familiar, doesn’t it? It is happening today, as a spreading pattern among churches.) Paul said they were “puffed up,” meaning “conceited, or proud.” But He condemned their pride. He said that they were dead wrong, for not judging the sin that was being openly paraded before them.

Paul warned that some sins are especially “contagious.” He said sin spreads, just as yeast multiplies in bread dough, until all the dough is full of yeast. They knew enough about the Passover to know that it used strictly “unleavened bread.” Yeast, or any kind of leaven was forbidden. God is Holy, and a walk with Him will constantly require self-examination and confession.

So, he concluded that their “glorying” in their tolerance of sin was not good: it was both counter-productive, and destructive. He said that they should have been mourning that such a thing was happening among them. And he commanded that they separate themselves from that Evil, by separating the individual from their fellowship.

Church Discipline

We usually call this practice “Church Discipline.” But we seldom practice it today. And, sadly, when we attempt to do so it is usually done wrongly, with wrong motives, and for wrong reasons.

I knew a man whose wife left him for another man. But his own church put him out of the fellowship! Why? Because they felt that he had “not done enough” to bring her back.

A few months ago, I heard of a young mother whose husband had been continually abusing her. She finally left him. And her church informed her that she was no longer welcome to take communion with them, because her marriage had failed.

Both of these circumstances are horrible misuses of Church discipline, and they are the sorts of things that give churches a bad name.

Galatians 6:1-5 outlines the correct motive for approaching another believer about sin: The motive is restoration, not condemnation. If there is sin that is threatening the flock, it does require that we approach the persons involved, hoping for restoration, but knowing that, “unless something changes, we are going to part ways.” So far as I am aware, that has only happened once in the thirty years’ history of this church.

So, what happens then? What if they repent, and they want to do right?

The “Other Side” of Church Discipline

The Corinthian Church repented of their sin, and they obeyed Paul’s command! We know nothing about the inner workings of how that played out, but we do get to “read the last chapter” on that situation: The man repented! So, what should they do now??

We Can Read About The End Results In 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

¹ But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. ²For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? ³And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

⁴For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. ⁵But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

Here, in verses 1-5 we can see how Paul felt about the whole matter: He knew that the words he had sent the church, regarding the sin in their midst, were going to cause grief. He did not want to have to deal with such a “mess” in person, if they would respond to a letter.

He wanted to have a good relationship with them, and, if they would obey the Word without Paul’s personal presence, they would surely have a more joyful response when he finally arrived in person. In fact, in verse 9, he stated that one reason he wrote was to find out whether, indeed, they would obey,

Discipline is Temporary, for Restoration

But the most serious point, here: They had seen the separation as a permanent expulsion. Paul informed them that that was not the purpose of church discipline.

I have never played hockey: but I have read that when a player violates some rule, the referee sends him to a “penalty box.” And the rest of the team struggles on, competing without him. He is not “off the team,” he is just off the ice, for a period of time. It is a penalty for both him and the whole team! In a limited sense, Church discipline is similar.

We need one another, and we do not want to lose people. But God commands that if we “can’t play right,” then He requires our own team to put us out of fellowship. This is not due to some unintentional error, or because someone doesn’t like them. It is a united response to a known sin, and it is specifically due to an unrepentant response to all attempted correction.

We need one another, and we are aware of our own fragility. We are not condemning a person: we are condemning a persistent practice of deliberate sin.

But What Happens When The Sinning Brother Repents?

Paul says: ⁶Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

The man in 1^st Corinthians 5 was living in a corrupt city, where there was only one group of “Bible-believing Christians,” as we might call them today. He could not say, “Well, fine, there’s a dozen other churches I can join!” There were no other believers to join.

How to Understand The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

Introduction:

1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

What Was The Problem? Incest!

Church Discipline

I knew a man whose wife left him for another man. But his own church put him out of the fellowship! Why? Because they felt that he had “not done enough” to bring her back.

Both of these circumstances are horrible misuses of Church discipline, and they are the sorts of things that give churches a bad name.

So, what happens then? What if they repent, and they want to do right?

The “Other Side” of Church Discipline

We Can Read About The End Results In 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

Discipline is Temporary, for Restoration

But the most serious point, here: They had seen the separation as a permanent expulsion. Paul informed them that that was not the purpose of church discipline.

We need one another, and we are aware of our own fragility. We are not condemning a person: we are condemning a persistent practice of deliberate sin.

But What Happens When The Sinning Brother Repents?

Paul says: ⁶Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

The unrepentant Sinner found himself “drifting” in a sea of vile sin and corruption. He found himself “shipwrecked” on a desert island, devoid of the food and water of fellowship. But he soon realized that his decision to practice the same sins as the community of the lost, forced him to take up residence with them again… He had nowhere else to turn.

Less Effective Today

Today, this practice is much less effective, because people do feel that they can just “find another church.” (And they can!) But… he repented! Paul told them how to respond to the repentant man:

⁷So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. ⁸Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

Paul commanded them to receive him back, and to comfort him. The goal was never to drive him to despair, but only to allow him to reflect on his bad decisions, and make a new, good decision.

He needed to see that the other believers still loved him and cared for him: But they simply could not allow him to continue in a pattern that would not only destroy his relationship with God, but would also affect the believers around him.

⁹For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

Paul admitted that part of the reason he wrote to them in the first letter, regarding the sin in their church, was to discover whether they would respond to correction. They passed the test! Now he says, “The penalty is over! He is repentant, and he desires fellowship with you. He has abandoned his sin, and he is trying to walk with God again! Step in and help him! Encourage him! Forgive him for all the past error!”

Paul Concludes:

¹⁰To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; ¹¹Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

He assures the Corinthian Church that he is in full agreement with their forgiveness and the restoration of fellowship. The Unity of the Church is a vital part of our testimony in the World. The three criteria by which Jesus has authorized the World to judge the Church, are:

The Agapé Love which we either do or do not show toward one another. Remember, Jesus said, “by this shall all men know that ye are my disciple if ye have Love one for another.” (John 13:34, 35)
The Unity of the believers…not fighting and bickering amongst themselves. Jesus also said, (John 17:21) “…That they may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
The Good Works of committed believers. The overall “Smell of Jesus” in their lives. (Matthew 5:15, 16; 2^nd Corinthians 2:14-16)

We are not to be tearing each other up, in self-righteous indignation over imagined faults. But certain sins can “infect” other people. Hebrews 12:15 points out that bitterness, for example, is contagious, and, if it is allowed to remain, it will defile many. Give that some thought.

Lord Jesus, help us to learn the principles of Your Holiness, and the Power of Your Grace, and the Value of Your Forgiveness, to the end that our fellowship may grow strong in all three.

April 19, 2026April 19, 2026

How to Understand New Testament Giving As a Church

New Testament Giving: Corporate and Individual

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

2^nd 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

²⁷And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. ²⁸And 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. ²⁹Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: ³⁰Which 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 1^st Corinthians 16:1-4.

1^st Corinthians 16:1-4

¹Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. ²Upon 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. ³And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. ⁴And 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:

2^nd Corinthians 8:1-5

¹Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; ²How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. ³For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; ⁴Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. ⁵And 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.

2^nd Corinthians 9:1-15

¹For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: ²For 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. ³Yet 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: ⁴Lest 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.”

⁵Therefore 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. ⁶But 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”

⁷Every 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.

⁸And 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:

¹⁰Now 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;) ¹¹Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. ¹²For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; ¹³Whiles 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; ¹⁴And 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:

¹⁵Thanks 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.

February 7, 2026February 7, 2026

How do the Other Gifts Compare to the Foundation of Agapé?

Other Gifts, Compared to the Foundation of Agapé

1^st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-13

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Introduction

We spoke about the supremacy of Agapé love in God’s valuation. We saw that Jesus’s “New Commandment” was specifically that we practice that care for one another. Finally, we saw the 15-point outline of the character of Agapé in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8.

Now, we will back up and look at two questions:

How much value do the gifts have without Love (Agapé) and
How long will the other gifts last as compared to Agapé?

Value of the Gifts, without God’s Love

Paul lays out a very clear, and rather curt dismissal of all the gifts absent the core value of Agapé:

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

[Only verse in the Bible that suggests (or reveals) that angelic language may be different than human languages. We are given no further information on this subject, so I am going to let it rest as stated.] The real issue? If the “gift of tongues” is there, but agapé love is not, then it is just “noise.” Maybe a thrilling noise, like a gong or cymbals or the rattle of a tambourine, but it is still just noise.

²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Aren’t those Gifts Important?

Prophecy seems pretty important! Speaking for God is an honor and a terrific responsibility. Supernatural Wisdom that “sees through” all mysterious puzzles is also a wonderfully valuable gift. Supernatural Knowledge seems to be able to answer all questions. That seems pretty powerful as well. And supernatural Faith that can (perhaps) move mountains…. They all seem great!

But Paul says all these things amount to nothing of value, unless the Love of God is both empowering them and motivating their application. More specifically, he says that a person manifesting the gifts, but not the Love, is nothing!

³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

He says that generous, heavy giving and personal sacrifice, too, (even including martyrdom,) are valueless without the Agapé love. The person who lives this way is investing their time and effort and money and life itself in something that has no eternal value.

**The Gifts Themselves are Not Eternal**

Paul lists some of the gifts and points out their limitations:

⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

These three gifts, specifically, he says, will cease. He goes on to give us some hints about when they will cease. People argue endlessly about the time-line, but verse 12 pretty much clears up the controversy.

⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

“Partial” as compared to “completion” is the issue. The Greek word translated as “perfect” is “teleios,” and it always means “complete” or “ripe” or “mature,” not “without flaw.” But usually it means complete. So, Paul contrasted our partial knowledge against complete knowledge. Prophecy has always told only part of the whole story. The fulfillment virtually always includes some sort of irony, or a twist in the tale, so to speak.

A Biblical Example: The prophet informed a rich, political official that although he would see plentiful food, the next day, he would not get to eat any of it. He undoubtedly thought, “Oh yes I will!” But when they A Biblical Example: The prophet informed a rich, political official that although he would see plentiful food, the next day, he would not get to eat any of it. He undoubtedly thought, “Oh yes I will!” But when they opened the city gates, the starving people pressed through. In their frenzy to reach the food outside the gates, they trampled that rich, arrogant man to death in the gate!

The prophecy only told the truth. It did not tell how it would be fulfilled.

What Is the “Perfect” that Shall Come?

This is a passage over which there has been a fair amount of controversy. One fairly standard reply to the question is that the “perfect” (or “complete”) here is the completion of the Bible, specifically, the completion of the New Testament.

Yet another is the completion of the Body of Christ, the Church.

Another is the second coming of Christ, Himself.

Whatever it is, we have to agree that when that “perfect” comes, there will be no more of those three gifts, at least. (Perhaps it actually applies to all the miraculous gifts.)

¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

He doesn’t leave much room for argument on that issue. So, the main question left is “What is the “Perfect” that he predicted?”

“Growing Up” Issues

¹¹When I was a child, (Greek, “nepios”…a baby who can’t talk yet.) I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, (Greek “aner” …a man, or in some cases, a husband) I put away childish things.

Paul uses the example of a child growing up to maturity. He demonstrated that some things will be best left behind as one matures to adulthood. So, let us compare this passage to the passage in Ephesians 4:11-16, where God tells us to “grow up into Christ,” and see what He means.

Ephesians 4:13-15 says “grow up into Christ.” Paul begins by saying that all the gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11-12 will continue until the events in verses 13-15 have been completed.

He then goes on and tells us to grow up into the measure of Christ Himself, to a perfect man. If the “perfect” in 1^st Corinthians 13 is the completion of the New Testament, then the passage in Ephesians is wrong, as the office gifts in Ephesians 4:11 have not produced the Church as a completed man, in the stature of Christ. Sorry, the Church at large is far from complete, and its members are, on average, far from mature!

“New Testament Completion” Problems

If I say that the “perfect” is the completion of the New Testament, then I have to face verse 12, and ask myself, “Do I truly see Jesus, face to face? Do I know God as well as He knows me?”

¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

If my answer to that is, “No!” then there are only two possible things I can say:

Either I have failed to know the written Word well enough to allow me to see the Living Word, face to face (Can that even be done?) And I must have failed to apply His Word diligently enough that I know God as well as He knows me (That sounds somewhat blasphemous, to me!)
Or, I have to admit that the completion of the New Testament is not the “Perfect” to which Paul is referring.

Church Completion problems

As we noted, the Church is neither complete nor mature, and the gifts will not be needed, by the Church, once the Church is completed and raptured. We will be with the Lord face to face! We will “know him as we are known,” etc. It all seems to fit! But the rest of the world will not know him, nor will the tribulation saints: those who come to faith during the Tribulation.

Forty years ago, someone told me that the word translated as “Perfect,” in verse ten was a feminine word. So I reasoned that it could not refer to either the Written Word of God, or to the Second Coming of the Living Word of God, as both are about Jesus, and He is fully masculine.

But they were wrong! And, as a result, I taught it wrong! I recently looked up the word for “perfect,” in the interlinear, and it is the Greek word, “teleion.” This is not to be confused with the word “teleios.” (What’s the difference?) “Teleion,” the word used in 1^st Corinthians 13:10, is masculine, NOT feminine! It cannot refer to the Church, which is the Bride of Christ.

Combine that with the dreams and visions that Israel will experience during the Tribulation, after the Church is gone, and the prophetic judgments that will be laid upon the world during that time, and we have to concede that the “perfect” cannot be the completion of the Church.

“Second Coming” Answer

The Return Of the King obviously seems a great option, simply because Jesus certainly is “perfect,” both in the sense of being flawless, Holy, etc., and in the sense of “completed.”

Also, we realize that after His return, there will be no more need for prophecy or tongues or special gifts of knowledge, because every living human will have seen Him face to face, and “The knowledge of the LORD will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9)

And, yes, the entire Body of Christ will be “All Grown Up!”

Combine that truth with the fact that the noun translated as “Perfect” in verse ten is masculine, and we can see that the Personal Return of Jesus, to reign in Jerusalem as the immortal King, is what the “perfect” has to be.

So, What will Remain?

Some things will remain, even after the Return of Christ:

¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Faith, Hope and Love will remain after the Kingdom begins. There will still be people born who will reject faith, and secretly hate the Lord. They will be revealed at the end of the Kingdom age. But believers will still be saved by faith, and they will hope in the final fulfillment of God’s Word. They will Love the Lord with agapé love, and love those around them in the same manner.

But Evangelism will no longer happen. The knowledge of the Lord will be complete. People will still have to decide whether they will enter into a faith relationship with Him, but they will all know who He is.

So, What Should We Do With This Information?

To begin with, I think the principle in Matthew 6:33 applies. “But, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” I entered into a permanent relationship with Him by His Grace, through faith. That placed me into His kingdom, and into His body, the Church, but it also implanted in me His righteousness. Not “something I do,” but rather, “all that He did!” 2^nd Corinthians 5:21 says that “He (who knew no sin) became sin for us, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him.”

Philippians 3:9 says that we need to be found “in Him,” “…not having my own righteousness,” which is by the Law (by our works,) “but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

We need to learn to walk with Jesus in such a way that our works conform to His, by Faith and by Love. This gives us great assurance of Hope, knowing that we are aligned with His Love.

Lord Jesus, Please free us from our slavery to sin, and pride, and public opinion. Lift us up, every day, to continue walking with You.

December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

What Have We Learned in 1st Corinthians 1-10?

What Have We Learned in 1^st Corinthians?

Return To Corinthians

We are returning to complete our study in 1^st Corinthians. We had stopped at the end of chapter ten. Subsequently, we went all the way through Ephesians, 1^st John, 2^nd John, 3^rd John and Jude. But now we hope to go back and complete what we began in our Corinthian studies.

By way of review, I will summarize what we learned, going through the first ten chapters:

In Chapter One, we Learned:

The letter is to all believers in every place and throughout all history.
There is much for which to give thanks, regarding the Church.
God Desires Unity in the Church: That is one of the three things by which the World can judge the Church. The others are the Agapé love and our behavior as believers.
We saw that Disunity can have several sources:
- Doctrinal Differences
- Personality Preferences (Who is YOUR favorite teacher? Who baptized YOU?)
- Other sources
We saw the Wisdom and Power of God as opposed to what the World thinks.
We saw that the Door to the truth is the Will, not the intellect. We choose to believe God.
We learned the nature of our calling before God. We truly are nothing Special: He is!
We learned that Jesus is the only person we can boast about.

In Chapter Two, we Learned:

That “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” is the core issue of the Good News we have to offer. We should allow Nothing else to obscure those truths.
We see that there is such a thing as a Godly “fear,” under which we serve, fearing to do things in such a way as to obscure God’s light, by leaning on Human “wisdom.”
We learned that humans do NOT know what heaven is like, beyond the limited information God has given us. He says we can’t even imagine it.
We learned the difference between a “natural man” and a “spiritual man.”
We learned our privilege: Having the “Mind of Christ.”

In Chapter Three, we Learned:

That a third type of individual exists: the Carnal man. He is a believer, but he lives in the flesh. He is not walking with Jesus, not obeying His Word.
We learned that there are eternal results for either obedience or disobedience: Rewards or loss of reward.
We learned that Salvation is a gift: Rewards are “wages” for works.
We learned that Jesus is the foundation in our lives, and that He gives us freedom to build upon that foundation. How we choose to build affects eternal rewards.
We also learned that some “wisdom” does not come from God.
We learned that the “Temple of God” is the Body of Christ—all believers as a group.
We learned that the Lord protects His church, and will punish those who willingly defile it with bad teaching or evil influence.

In Chapter Four, we Learned:

God requires Stewards to be faithful: All servants of God are stewards at various levels. God requires faithfulness to His values and His standards. He holds us accountable.
Paul pointed out that the Apostles were nothing special…and that we are nothing special, either. Jesus is the judge, over all of us.
- Thus, we learned the Humility of Discipleship.
- We learned that pride and self-will have no place in a disciple’s life.
- We learned that we are emissaries of God.
- We learned the responsibilities of the Ambassadors of God.

In Chapter Five, we Learned:

How Paul commanded the Church to deal with flagrant, open sin.
We learned that Judgment is a command: Not all judgment is bad…Most is good.
We learned the various Greek words for Judgment. God forbids some kinds, while He requires others.
We learned what five judgments believers face, or have faced.
We learned of the Coming Judgment which will NOT affect believers.
We learned why God will exclude believers from the Coming judgment.

In Chapter Six, we Learned:

God calls the Church to handle interpersonal problems between believers.
We learned what God means when he calls the believers “righteous,” and what He means when he condemns the “unrighteous.”
We learned that we were the unrighteous, but that He has taken our sins upon Himself, transferring us from darkness into the Kingdom of Christ.
We learned that because God literally owns us, Body, Soul, and Spirit, we are no longer our own, and we are not free to choose immorality.
We learned that Sexual immorality causes Spiritual, internal damage and it has lasting effects.

In Chapter Seven, we Learned:

The principles of a Godly marriage.
- A gift from God.
- No immorality allowed.
- The marriage Covenant
- Mutual care
We learned that there is a parallel between a Godly marriage and the relationship between Christ and the Church
We learned something about the responsibilities of marriage.
We learned that God hates divorce.
We learned about the calling of God, and how it should affect us.
We learned that in certain times and places and harsh circumstances, marriage might not be a good idea.
We learned that regardless of circumstances we are not to allow either the World or our relationships (including marriage) to alter our relationship with Jesus.

In Chapter Eight, we Learned:

God says to govern Knowledge by Agapé Love. Knowledge puffs up: Love builds up.
Food sacrificed to idols remains physically unchanged.
The idol itself is nothing: It is a block of non-living material.
The spiritual issue is there, especially for unbelievers, but evil spirits cannot undo the work Jesus accomplished at the Cross.
While we are free in such matters, we are not to use our freedom in such a way as to weaken another believer. There are times when we abstain from our freedom in order not to cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble.

In Chapter Nine, we Learned:

The Burden of the Gospel as borne by God’s messengers.
We saw Paul defending his position as an apostle, though it seems unclear what the attacks were or what the motives for the attacks might have been..
We saw why Paul chose to forgo receiving pay for his teaching.
We saw that he worked to learn Christ-likeness, and to follow Jesus. He took his Christian life very seriously. And, He encouraged us to do the same

In Chapter Ten, we Learned:

We learned that all the experiences, good and bad. that the Children of Israel endured were examples from which we are to learn.
We learned that the Spiritual Rock from which they received millions of gallons of physical water, was, in fact, Christ Himself!
We learned that There is a sharp division between the spiritual life of the world religions and the spiritual life of followers of Jesus.
We learned that “Communion” means Fellowship. Shared experiences, values, and goals.
We were warned that the world does not have the same experiences, values or goals. We are not to join in fellowship with the world. We do not take part in their worship.
He says we are not to attempt to mix light with darkness.
He also says that we do enjoy freedom that others may lack. But we are not to misuse that freedom.
We want to live in such a way that others see the truth of God’s Word alive in our lives. The fruit of the Spirit is never an offensive thing.

Chapter Eleven Holds Rich Lessons, Too!

We will learn how we are to follow Paul as he follows Christ…
We will learn why the Corinthian believers were given special instructions as to hair length and head coverings
We will learn why the Corinthian believers were being chastised for their treatment of the Lord’s Supper

Next week, we will begin 1st Corinthians Chapter Eleven.

November 21, 2025November 21, 2025

How to Recognize False Teachers (Part Three)

How to Recognize False Teachers ( Jude, Part Three)

Jude 13-25

Introduction:

Over the past few weeks, we have begun to examine Jude’s warnings regarding false teachers and false brethren. He has given examples and has warned of the coming judgment. Here, in verses 13-19, he continues to describe such individuals by the fruits of their words and lives.

Characteristics of False Teachers

¹³Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Some such men are very vocal and public about their stance, John says they are “raging waves of the sea. ” Waves of the “raging” sort only cause damage. Storm waves are truly spectacular. Some people make special trips to the coast to watch the violence of the storm-driven waves in the winter. But such watchers usually know enough to stay out of the reach of those waves, for fear of their lives. People who get up close for a “special photo” often become casualties.

Human Movements and Waves of Unrest

Similarly, people who join movements that God did not originate eventually become part of the sad wreckage those movements bring. Even genuine believers can become distracted by the affairs of the world, and often become “shipwrecked,” unable to function as believers, because they have abandoned the path that God offered them. They have become judicially blind, and they are now unable to see His light. They unwittingly worked for the enemy, just as Samson did: He was physically blinded, and enslaved by the enemy, because of his own bad decisions.

There are deceitful leaders, who claim the mantle of “religion,” but who only use the church as a political platform. They start Political Action Committees, and Social Reform movements. They draw others to follow them, and they stir up people to anger and unrest.

In some cases, their activity may turn out well, in the short run, but often, there was a hidden agenda. The founder of the movement turns out to be “not as advertised.” They sought money, power, or fame, and often had a “secret life” that gave the lie to everything they said they believed. Sadly, when they are exposed, it also gives “ammunition” to those who claim that “all Christians are hypocrites.” They give unbelievers cause to feel more secure in their unbelief.

We are warned to stay out of the reach of such “waves” and movements. We are commanded to follow Jesus.

Wandering Stars

The phrase “wandering stars” is actually in reference to “planets.” (The Greek phrase is “asteres planetai”) They look like stars, but they do not maintain a reliable position in the sky, and (at that time) they could not be used for celestial navigation.

Today we have reliable predictions as to where in the sky a given planet should be at any given time. So, if a person wanted to use a planet for navigation, they could do so, but with great caution. But, at that time, though the planets looked like very bright stars, people could not use them for navigation, as they kept changing their relative positions in the sky.

Recently, Ann and I noticed some bright lights, to the east of us, low in the sky, hours after sunset. I first thought that they were planets, and I wondered which planets they were. But these were more unreliable than planets: They were the landing lights of distant aircraft, facing toward us, so that we had to watch carefully, to see their movement. It was fun to watch the steady stream of aircraft moving into the landing approach pattern, but we can never use such lights to guide our walk on earth. They are not in a stable location in the sky.

Don’t get your directions in life from a false teacher! They might seem to be “shining lights,” but if they are not directing you right back to the Word of God, they are unreliable guides.

God addresses false teachers quite sternly, both here and in 2^nd Peter 2. Here, it says that, because they have rejected the light of God’s Word, and because they have taught others to do so, what awaits them is the blackness of darkness forever. What a grim, terrifying statement!

So, How Do We Learn to Spot a False Teacher?

We do so by learning God’s Truth so intimately that any divergence away from His Word is immediately obvious! And the only way to do that is to deliberately, consistently, feed yourself on His Word. Study it, in orderto root yourself securely in His truth. Allow His Holy Spirit to speak to you through the Word. Go to Him in Prayer, seeking His face, to learn His ways.

Then, when a false teacher opens his or her mouth, your spirit will receive the warning “nudge” of the Holy Spirit, alerting you to listen very carefully: there is something wrong!

Reference to Enoch

Here is another apocryphal quotation. The Book of Enoch is not part of the Canon of scripture. But John uses it to remind us that judgment is coming. All through scripture He repeats the reminder, that God is still the Majesty on high, and He is the Omnipotent, Holy Judge.

¹⁴And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

¹⁵To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

The clear message here is that “no one is ‘getting away with’ anything.” Judgment is coming! Jesus is the Eternal Judge, as well as our Savior. He is the Eternal Judge of all the Earth, as revealed in Genesis 18:25, and John 5:22. He is the coming King, in Revelation 19, arriving to destroy the enemies, and to exact judgment on the Earth.

Observe the Character of False Teachers

¹⁶These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

They murmur against God, and cannot be content. These people pursue their own interests and desires, good or bad, and they do not focus on the things of God. They are great talkers: They use inspiring words, to impress people, and to influence others to think the way they do.

Other translations render this last phrase as, “they seek admiration from other men, and give their admiration to others, to gain advantage.” They seek social advantage and influence, and are willing to say and do the things that gain that advantage.

We Have Been Warned

¹⁷But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; ¹⁸How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. ¹⁹These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

In our times we have watched the stream of televangelists who have become incredibly wealthy through their preaching. Journalists have caught some in their lies and some in their immorality, and their hypocrisy. But it did not stop them: they kept right on preaching and condemning those who exposed them.

God warned us that they were coming. And the world has flocked after such leaders, openly applauding them for their excesses, and extolling them as “men of God.”

Conclusion, Response of the Believers

So…What are We Supposed to Do?

Jude switches his focus from pointing out the coming hazards and the coming judgment, to giving us final instructions as to how to live in the age of apostasy, when everything around us is collapsing into unbelief and apathy.

First: How do We Respond to God?

What are we to do, to pursue our relationship with Him? (verses 20 and 21)

²⁰But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, ²¹Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Building up (edifying) yourself in your holy faith (Do the things that God says edify believers)
Praying in the Holy Spirit. (Fervent, honest prayer, pouring your heart out before the Lord, and depending on the Holy Spirit to direct your thoughts.)
Keep yourselves in the Love of God. It is our responsibility to direct our love back toward God, who is the origin of the Agapé love. (1^st John 4:7-21)
Look for the Mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life. We look only to Jesus for eternal life. We recognize that it is only by His Mercy and Grace that He does not condemn us for our sins. God calls us to continually turn our eyes toward Him, and seek His Mercy and Grace by which to live.

Then: How do We Respond to Those Around Us?

²²And of some have compassion, making a difference: ²³And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

In the context of having warned us of ungodly teachers and deceivers, it would seem that the “some” here, must refer to unbelievers around us, though some assume it is referring to correcting sinning believers.

If we see this passage (verses 22, 23) as being about evangelism (which makes sense, as that is what the Lord left us here to do!) then we may see three categories of sinners:

One

On some, having compassion: “…making a difference” This is a strange phrase, and it is rendered differently in different translations. The distinction (difference) mentioned may be that the person on whom they are having compassion may be “making distinctions” or doubting, arguing against the gospel, or questioning the truth of God’s Word. (Some commentators see it that way.) But it sounds as though we are the ones who are called to be discerning. We may discern that a person’s doubts only amount to excuses for unbelief. We may “challenge their thinking” by using the Word of God as the Sword of the Spirit; gently reminding them that they are running out of time.

Two

“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire…” There may be some that require rather drastic urging, warning them of the coming judgment. Jesus spent far more time warning of the coming Judgment and a literal Hell, than He did describing the Joys of Heaven.

Three

…hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. There may be some that require us to exercise great caution to avoid our being drawn into the sin that is enslaving them. This has frequently happened to believers who attempted to “get close to someone” as an avenue of approach for the Gospel. They tried to “become relevant” to ungodly people by joining them in their activities.

But eventually they found that in doing so, they had wandered away from their own walk with God, and were ensnared by sin, themselves. They ruined their own testimony and instead of “becoming relevant” by joining the world, they became completely irrelevant, as there is no distinction between their life and the lives of the ones whom they are attempting to reach. Bear in mind that light dispels darkness. How? by being the opposite of darkness, not by joining it. Light exposes the deeds of darkness for what they are.

Jude’s Final Benediction

Jude closes his letter by blessing the believers, and by committing them unto the care of God. He blesses God, and declares that all Glory belongs to Him.

²⁴Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

God is the One who keeps us from falling. He is the One who will present us faultless before His throne. He is to be our eternal Joy, as Our Savior and Our God.

²⁵To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Lord Jesus, as You are making us intensely aware of the darkness of the World around us, draw us deeper into Your Light and deeper into Your Truth, so that we truly shine in that darkness, reflecting Your Light, and so that we will have answers for the doubts of those who ask a reason for our faith.

August 30, 2025August 31, 2025

How to Understand John’s Closing Notes to the Children

A Letter to the Children (Part 15)

1^st John 5:14-21, Final Notes

¹⁴And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: ¹⁵And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

¹⁶If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. ¹⁷All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. ¹⁸We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. ¹⁹And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

²⁰And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

²¹Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Introduction:

To begin with, John wraps up his first epistle with several related comments: He offers Encouragement, Teaching, and Admonishment.

Encouragement in Prayer

Obviously, knowing God hears us is a real source of encouragement. This is because we know we are not just “talking into the void.”

There are several verses about answered prayer, in the book of First John, and we can learn about prayer, here.

Teaching, Regarding Sin, and Judgment, and Righteousness

We see that God calls something a “sin unto death.” We will have to compare the rest of Scripture to understand that concept, but it is there for us to learn. Also, we see a definition of sin, here: one of four such definitions in the New Testament.

Admonishment Regarding the Difference Between the One True God and Idols

Finally, John reiterates the union with Christ that has been conferred upon us. More specifically, that we actually can know Him, and we have been placed into Him.

Furthermore, he reiterates what Jesus said in John 17:3. “This is eternal Life that they may know thee the One True God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”

And, finally, in contrast to that One True God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, he admonishes us to avoid everything that is not that “One True God.” He says, “Little Children, keep yourselves from idols!” Amen!

What do We Know About Prayer?

Obviously, Jesus encouraged his disciples to always pray.

Also, Paul told the Thessalonian believers to “pray without ceasing.”

Paul also told Timothy that the believers were to pray for all men everywhere, and especially for the leaders, so that the believers could have peaceful lives. God also says this was a “good and acceptable” thing. He said God “ desires all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Sometimes we say, “Well, prayer is just talking to God!” That is an extremely simplistic view of prayer, but true, if only in the same sense that “talking is just communicating with your voice.”

There is More to Prayer thanThat!

Scripture lists different kinds of prayer. The most common prayer we seem to experience is “supplication,” or “petition:” It means asking God for something, whether for ourselves or for someone else. There is nothing wrong with asking: in fact, Philippians 4:6, 7 commands it, along with the giving of thanks. James 4:2, 3 says that sometimes we don’t have what we need because we did not bother to ask the Lord: But he also says, sometimes we do not receive what we asked for because we had wrong motives in asking.

Confession of our sins and our failings, to the God we serve, is also a type of prayer. And it probably should usually precede the other kinds of prayer, because the psalmist said, in Psalm 66:18, that “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

When we Praise God, that is a form of prayer. When we Worship or Adore Him, it is also a form of prayer.

We should make the Giving of Thanks a constant part of our prayers: Paul told the Thessalonian believers (1st Thessalonians 5:18) “In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!”

Sometimes I remind myself of the other kinds of prayer, so that I do not always come to God asking for something, but rather bring the confession and worship. I use an acrostic, C.A.S.T.

Confession, Adoration, Supplication, Thanksgiving. He commands us to “Cast” all our cares upon Him because he cares for us. 1^st John 5:14, 15 is a final review on Prayer.

What Do We Know About Sin, Judgment, and Righteousness?

in John 16:8, Jesus said, “When He (the Holy Spirit) is come, He shall convict the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment.”

So, it seems fitting that John discusses those three again, here, near the end of the New Testament. There are several things to notice, and some questions to ask, here:

The people in verses 16-18 are all believers. John addresses believers, and he refers to the one in sin as a brother.
All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin NOT unto death
But there is also a sin that IS unto death: What KIND of death?
If the sin is not a “sin unto death,” what kind of sin is it? And why would we need to pray for that brother to save his life, if it is not a sin unto death anyway?
Why does John immediately confirm, seemingly, that “real believers don’t sin?” Or does he really say that?

Where Did God Judge Your Sins?

If a person is a genuine believer, where did the Lord judge their sins? And, what portion of their sins did He judge there? (When Jesus died for YOUR sins at the Cross, how many of YOUR sins were still in the future? The answer? All our sins were future, and He judged them All at the Cross.)

Jesus said, (John 5:24) that the moment you believed in Him and His finished work at the Cross, you crossed over from spiritual death into spiritual life! (And it was written in “perfect tense,” which implies that you can’t cross back into that spiritual death. You can’t be “UN-born-again!”

So…what kind of death are we talking about? I can experience a sort of “walking dead:” a separation from fellowship with Jesus, caused by any unconfessed sin that I hang onto, whether anger, lust, or any other sin I am unwilling to confess.

Definitions of Sin

Verse 17 says “all unrighteousness is sin” This is one of four New Testament definitions of sin:

1^st John 3:4 “…sin is the transgression of the Law.”
1^st John 5:17 “all unrighteousness is sin.”
James 4:17 “…to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
Romans 14:23 “…whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

What is a Sin Not Unto Death?

But v. 17 also says “there is a sin not unto death.” So, it can’t be either of these types of spiritual death. You can’t be lost again, but you DO separate yourself from fellowship every time you choose to sin. Neither of those can fit in this context. That leaves only physical death.

There are sins that call for capital punishment. If a Christian commits such a crime, (and they can do so: We are warned in 1^st Peter 4:15 to not be a murderer, etc.) then John says, in such a case, we are not to pray that they escape judgment. Their sins were judged at the Cross, yes: but there are always consequences for sins, in this life.

New Testament Examples

And there are cases in the New Testament where believers were literally “taken home” by God for sins that the world would not have judged, at all: But they were actions which undermined the holiness of God’s work on earth. In Acts chapter 5, we saw Ananias and Sapphira, who were believers, but who lied to God, trying to gain honor before other believers. And God revealed their sin, and took their lives.

In 1^st Corinthians chapter 11, we read of people who took lightly the holiness and solemnity of the Lord’s Supper. Paul said many of them had been physically sick, and some had physically died, because of that sin.

In both those cases, God decreed that their sin was “unto death,” and it was physical death, but it was for sins that the world would not even have seen as sin, but about which God does care. God does not “ignore our sin.” He hates sin, but He loves the sinners and died for them. And even among believers, He may say, “You have gone far enough! I am bringing you home!”

What About “Sinning Believers?”

In verse 18, John said, “¹⁸We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. ¹⁹And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”

Some folk attempt to teach that this means “real Christians never sin!” That teaching is not only contrary to the experience of every born-again believer I have ever known; it is also contrary to the truth of God’s Word. Christians do sin. Every single genuine believer is a saved sinner, trying to live in the reality of their new born-again nature. And we often fail!

A New Testament Example:

Peter was already a believer when he denied Jesus, cursing, and swearing that he never knew Jesus. How do I know? Jesus said so! In several places, actually, but specifically, in John 15:3, Jesus told the eleven (including Peter) that they all were clean, through the Word that Jesus had spoken unto them.

And, in Antioch, long after Peter had received the Holy Spirit, both Barnabas and Peter were caught up in the hypocrisy of the Jews who claimed that they could not eat with the Gentile believers. (Galatians 2:11-14) But, honestly, Why would John tell the believers to confess their sins and be cleansed, in 1^st John 1:9, if believers never sin?? The answer is, they do sin!

But a believer should not be comfortable in their sin, nor should they willingly continue in sin. One of the results of genuine saving faith isa true continuing repentance, as we see the sin in our lives and confess it, and desire to completely abandon our old way of life.

We know that the World will continually present us with temptations and traps, attempting to ensnare us and to render us unfruitful in our Christian life. But if you have been born again, then you are literally the offspring of God, and you will desire to be with Him, and to walk with Him and to work with Him. You will desire to see Him at work in your life, and desire to see your new life transformed into His holy, righteous life.

The New Life and its Source

²¹Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Jesus, the Son of God, came, born in human flesh, and provided eternal life through faith in His shed blood at the Cross.

Through Him, every believer begins to learn the reality of the New Life in Christ. We have been placed into Him by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our bodies, as a guarantee that we cannot be lost again. He is the true light of the World, the true life that God offers to the World, and the true God in the Flesh who died for us.

Jesus said, in John 17:3 “And this is eternal life that they may know thee the One True God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.”

He invites us to know Him on an experiential basis, joining Him in His work, in His Love, and in His Life. This is the invitation of God which has been extended to the World from the beginning.

Avoiding Idols

Anything we allow to distract us from the relationship He has offered, is an idol. We ignore the true source of the Living Water, and we go “drink from a muddy creek,” contaminated by the World, the Flesh, or the Devil.

We can either accept HIS invitation, responding daily by faith, or we can ignore it, and miss out. Those are the choices.

Lord Jesus, we ask that you would shine more and more brightly in each of our lives, through the study of your Written Word, and by the authority of Your Holy Spirit, so that we see that we truly have been called as your ambassadors, to be your hands and feet and voice, here on Earth. Give us the faith to follow You in every way.

August 16, 2025August 16, 2025

How To Know and Experience The Love and Victory of God

A Letter to the Children (Part 13)

1^st John 5:1-5

Introduction:

John begins this passage with the critical importance of Faith:

¹ Whosoever believeth [trusts…is persuaded: Greek “pisteuon”] that Jesus is the Christ [the Messiah] is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat [the One who “sired” you as a born-again child…the offspring…of God] loveth him also that is begotten of him. [The other “born-ones” of God.]

First, the “belief” implied here in 1^st John 5:1, is not simply “intellectual assent.” It is not just a casual “admission of a fact.” Rather, it is a decision to trust in Jesus as the Messiah, with all that the name “Messiah” implies. It is a deliberate choice. It is a commitment to depend upon His blood at the Cross, as our only hope for salvation.

Also, the result of that choice (which we call “saving faith”) is multifaceted: At that very moment, The Holy Spirit placed each of us into the Body of Christ, permanently. Finally, (also permanently) the Holy Spirit indwelt each of us, individually. Also, we gained a new position, in Christ, and a new destiny as His born-again child…His offspring. As a result, we began a new relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe. We do so through the Person of Jesus the Messiah. And, as we daily choose to engage in that relationship, He works daily to “transform us through the renewing of our minds,” by His Love.

Furthermore, Romans 12:2 encourages us to choose that continual renewal. He calls us to embrace that transformation. In contrast, he says to avoid being compressed and deformed by the World. Avoid being forced into its mold, conforming us to its values.

What Does That “Transformed Life” Look Like?

²By this we know that we love the children [“tekna“…offspring] of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

Compare Jesus’s words in John 14:21-23.

“²¹He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. ²²Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? ²³Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The agapé love always manifests itself in behavior. As we allow our experiential knowledge of Christ to grow deeper, we will find ourselves more thoroughly committed to obey Him. As we learn to love God with the agapé love, and learn to walk in obedience to Him, we suddenly realize that in so doing, we are also loving the brethren.

Change in Perspective

We discover, experientially and progressively, that His way is literally always the best. So, we choose, more and more consistently, to follow His lead. As a result, we respond to our “fellow-travelers” and we react to our surroundings more and more consistently the way Jesus would have us to respond and react.

One of the results of that particular transformation is that unbelievers see the change in our attitudes and behavior, and they have to admit to themselves that “whatever they’ve got, it seems to be real!” (Remember, Jesus said, “by this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Again, this is the agapé love, not just brotherly love.)

³For this is the love of God, [this is what marks people who love God, as opposed to loving the World, or loving self.] that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. [Not heavy…Not burdensome.]

A genuinely transformed life is willingly seeking to obey the Word of God, Jesus, Himself. We seek to obey the Spirit of God. We desire to walk in fellowship with Him, in Partnership with Him in His Work.

Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work.” The “transformed life” begins to echo that desire, seeing the completion of His work as the beating heart of God in our daily lives.

Serving With Jesus

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Remember that, when Jesus said, “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” He meant exactly that! Clearly, the life He calls us to enjoy is impossibly hard in the flesh…it can’t be done at all! However, He never asked us to “live the Christian life” in our own strength. On the contrary, He said “apart from Me ye can do nothing!”

I am told that the Greek word Jesus used for “yoke” implied a double-harness, whereby two workers could share a load, and get far more accomplished. He did not say, “Here, put my yoke upon you and become my slave.” Rather, He invites us to join Him in double-harness, and work with Him.

Laborers Together With Christ

This is what is different about being a “disciple” of Jesus, as opposed to being a disciple of any human teacher: We are not just “trying to emulate our teacher,” or trying to “earn His favor” through obedience. He conferred His favor upon us “unearned.” (We call that Grace!)

He has already “blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in the heavenly places.” He is working with us, and as we walk with Him, He is transforming us from the inside, so as to make us His fellow-laborers. And He promises to reward His “fellow-laborers.”

But allowing Him to live through you makes even the things we consider “major trials” to be relatively easy. Unbelievers experience the same sorts of things, and they have no supernatural “comforter” on whom they can lean and find “rest for their souls,” as Jesus promised us.

What About “Victory in Jesus?”

⁴For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. ⁵Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

We frequently sing the hymns, “Victory in Jesus,” and “Faith is the Victory,” but I think we seldom connect either of them with this passage. 1^st John 5:4, 5 spells out the fact that our faith in Jesus as the Messiah, as the incarnate Son of God…God in the flesh…that faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

Hezekiah’s Example

The moment King Hezekiah (In 2^nd Chronicles 29-32) set out to trust the Lord and to worship Him only, God began blessing Him with protection and sustenance. And, when the enemy (King Sennacherib, of Assyria) laid siege to Jerusalem, Hezekiah was already in the habit of trusting the Lord for all things. So, he simply continued to do so. And you may recall the rest of the story: The Angel of the LORD went out that night (We call Him Jesus) and He killed 185,000 troops in the enemy army. The rest packed up and went home. And the enemy king was murdered by his own sons while he worshipped in the temple of his god, Nisroch.

That Victory belonged entirely to God, but it was given to Hezekiah and Jerusalem by Grace, through Faith. And God says that if you are trusting in Jesus as the Son of God, the sacrificial Lamb of God, then He has made you a victor over the World. You have been declared the victor, by Grace, through Faith.

No Coincidences!

As we continue to trust Him and walk with Him, and Work with Him, the victories become more pronounced. We will no longer feel tempted to just say, Well that was serendipitous!” or “What a coincidence that was!” We will recognize His hand at work in our lives, and we will be encouraged to exercise still greater faith.

There was no “coincidence” that caused 185,000 troops to die that night outside Jerusalem. And, it was not due to any “coincidence” that the remaining forces decided they had better things to do, back in Assyria.

It was no coincidence (and no surprise to us,) that Sennacherib was murdered by his own sons. We have learned the character of God: People who mock Him and who attack His people will be judged by Him.

What Are You Seeking?

Our victories may not be of such earthshaking character. But, in our own lives, the lives of our friends and families, and in our church family, we can learn to look for such victories. We have frequently noted that “God has big hands, and He leaves big fingerprints.” If we learn to watch for them, we see His fingerprints everywhere.

J. Vernon McGee told about a big game hunter who spent five months in India When he came home, he was regaling some friends and acquaintances with stories of the hunt. But someone asked about missionaries, and he remarked that he saw missions as a waste of time and money. He said, “In the five months I was there, I didn’t see a single missionary!” An old man on the edge of the group asked, “Pardon me for asking, but how long did you say you were in India?”

The man replied, “Five months!”

The old man pressed on: “And, why did you go there?”

The hunter replied, “To hunt tigers!”

“And, did you see any tigers?”

“Oh, yes,” the man replied: “We saw scores of them!”

The old man said, “That is very odd! I was in India for thirty years, and I never saw a tiger! But, then…I was there as a missionary, and I saw hundreds of other missionaries! It must depend upon what one is looking for!”

Make it “Personal:” What are YOU Seeking?

As we walk by faith, seeking God’s will, and looking for His “fingerprints:” As we seek the evidence of His handiwork, we gain deeper and deeper insight into His Word, and we become increasingly alert to His working in our lives. And that is exactly what He wants us to do!

Lord Jesus, teach us to love the Brethren, to obey Your Word, and to learn to see the victory of God in our own lives.

January 18, 2025January 19, 2025

How to Walk Worthy of the Calling of God (2)

Walking Worthy (2)

The Gifts of Christ

Last week we began to look at the gifts of Christ to the Church. We saw the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Pastor-teachers.

**But, How Many Apostles?**

The original twelve Apostles, of course, became the Eleven, when Judas Iscariot died—so the eleven grabbed Matthias, and named him an apostle. Was he thereby an apostle? Maybe, but he was never mentioned again. And we do not see that God commanded them to choose him. On the other hand, we see no rebuke. And there are other apostles about whose lives we know very little, as well.

Paul, in contrast, was drafted by The Lord Himself, and that may have completed the twelve—though the scriptures do not say so. So, we do not know for sure who “The Twelve” are, now.

But other apostles show up, too—Barnabas was identified as an apostle in Acts 14:14. In Romans 16:7, Priscilla and Aquila were stated to be “…of note among the apostles.” (Some say that this only means the apostles took note of them…but that is not what it says, and, grammatically, it says they “are noteworthy apostles.” Perhaps grammar has changed over the years.) But there is no question about Barnabas. He is called an apostle.

And, in 1^st Corinthians 4:1-9, especially v. 6, Paul seems to identify Apollos as an apostle, as well. So how many apostles were there? And what is the prerequisite for a person to be one? Some see the passage in 1^st Corinthians 9:1 (having seen the Lord) as being a prerequisite. And, possibly it is…but, reading carefully, we see that it is a rhetorical question, with the answer being “yes” that Paul HAD seen the Lord. In 2^nd Corinthians 12:12, Paul states that the “signs of an apostle” had been wrought among the people of Corinth. In both passages, he was defending his own apostleship, not defining what makes an apostle.

**What Are the Signs of an Apostle?**

We are not told what the signs of an apostle include, but we can see numerous examples in the Acts. It may also be noteworthy that, as the book of the Acts progresses, the “signs” are fewer and fewer. The signs may have been largely transitional in nature, and may still be extant, but only where unbelieving Jews are present (1^st Corinthians 1:22; 14:22), or only where the Gospel is entering for the first time. Of all of these things I can only point to what the scriptures actually say…I have no solid conclusion to offer.

What an apostle is and does may be of greater importance. An Apostle is a “sent one”—each was sent by God to do something. Paul shows the central thrust of his ministry/gift in several places. One, in Romans 11:13, simply states that he was the “apostle to the Gentiles”. Parallel passages state that his job was to “preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8), and that he “laid the foundation…which is Christ” (1^st Corinthians 3:10, 11).

So, perhaps we could say that a missionary (provided he/she is truly sent by God) could be called an apostle: He or she is “preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ” to the heathen, planting churches, leading people to Christ, “laying the foundation of Jesus Christ” in places where the Gospel has never gone before. Does that make them an apostle? I don’t know!

I have never known a person who claimed apostleship, and the few of whom I have heard who made such a claim, seemed to have done so falsely. So, perhaps the people who say that gift was only for the “apostolic age” are correct. I simply can’t support that conclusion from scripture.

What About Prophets?

Similarly, a prophet is “one who speaks for God”…not necessarily foretelling the future. Today, (present tense) according to 1^st Corinthians 14:3 the prophet is to speak to edification, exhortation, and comfort. There is no reason to conclude that this gift has ended. But it certainly will end, according to 1^st Corinthians 13:8. Perhaps the apostles have already ceased, and perhaps true prophets are becoming scarce. But the scripture does not say they are gone.

We know for sure that the time will come when “perfection” (completion) will have arrived, and all the gifts certainly will cease to function.

In the Meantime

In the meantime, we are to grow toward this goal:

¹⁴ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

We are to stop being deceived by bad doctrine, as if we were little children, easily led astray. That, too, will be complete when we see Him, but in the meantime, that is the goal.

In banks and credit unions, they teach tellers and other employees to recognize counterfeit money by thoroughly training them in the recognition of real money. It is impossible to train a person to recognize bad doctrine by listing all the bad doctrine and showing why it is bad. There will always be new twists on old heresies.

Training to Recognize False Teaching

But a believer can become so familiar with God’s Word, and so accustomed to heeding the Holy Spirit that it is nearly impossible to deceive him/her, since they are always “measuring what they hear by the standard of God’s Word.” (That is exactly why the Berean church was commended: see Acts 17:11) Believers seek wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit, not trusting in our own prowess as a “Biblical Scholar.”

Even if we really are “Bible Scholars,” the Holy Spirit is God, and our wisdom cannot compare with His. We need His constant supervision and care. We need to feed on God’s Word, and constantly pray for God’s wisdom. Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

How We Speak

¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

We are told to grow up, then—it has not “happened” yet, in full, but the process has begun. We are to speak the truth in love. This is not a license to “blast everyone around us with our criticism, or our opinion of them or others.” The key words are Truth and Love…not the speaking. Unfortunately, we speak constantly, usually omitting either truth or love… or both.

It would be helpful if we could keep a tight enough rein on our tongue that we could consider how Jesus would have us speak before we actually do so.

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.

This is where the “rubber meets the road” so to speak…this is where we “put shoe leather” on the gifts of God. Paul says that the whole Body of Christ—all believers—are joined together in Him, and are each individually responsible to contribute.

“the Whole Body”
“Joined together”
“Compacted”
“Every Joint Supplies… ”
“Effectual Working”
“Every Part ”

“…maketh increase of the Body, unto the edifying (building up) of itself in Love.”

Just as a physical body grows, and functions, with every member’s participation, so the Church is to grow and function with every member’s participation.

So, What Has to Change?

¹⁷This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, ¹⁸Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: ¹⁹Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

²⁰But ye have not so learned Christ;

We are not to live as we used to live. Remember that in Ephesians 2:1-4, we saw that all of us, prior to salvation, were slaves to sin: We lived out our various desires, at whatever level, perhaps thinking we were “good:” But all of us were under the direct influence of Satan, and in reality, we lived to fulfill our fleshly desires. (That was the Bad News! The Good News is in verse 4: “But God, who is rich in Mercy, for His Great Love, wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. (By Grace ye are Saved!)”

Who Makes the Change?

You see, God stepped in to change our life trajectory: instead of being headed for eternal destruction, we are now headed for eternal Peace with God. And, as our Position has changed (we are now in Christ) He calls us to stop acting as though nothing has changed! Do not behave the way you used to behave! At that time, your understanding was darkened. You were ignorant of God, ignorant of His Holiness, and ignorant of His Word. In Fact, God says your heart was blind! He said that the unbelievers greedily go after uncleanness. But none of that is true of you anymore: So, don’t behave as if nothing has changed.

That is NOT what Jesus has taught you: It is NOT what the Holy Spirit is teaching you!

How Can We Apply This Truth?

We do not all have the same gifts, abilities, or capacities, but we have the same collective responsibility to submit to God, emulate His Holiness and Love, and to seek to win the lost.

In 1^st Corinthians 15:34, Paul chided the believers, saying “make the most of every opportunity, for some have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame.”

I don’t want to be ashamed when I consider my relationship with God…but I frequently am. It is all too easy to miss the opportunities he provides, and later realize that yet another opportunity to serve, or to bless, or simply to behave in a Christlike manner has slipped through my fingers. And that opportunity is lost forever.

Each of us can pray. We all can worship. We all can tell someone how we became a believer. Each of us can strive to be a blessing to those around us. In John 6:29,Jesus said, “…this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” We all begin there, by believing God! We take Him at His Word. But we all can look for more opportunities to exercise faith, as He leads us. And… God definitely has called each of us to be transformed by His Spirit.

Next week we will see what the Church looks like when everyone functions.

Lord Jesus, awaken us to Your call on our lives and teach us to walk with You in such a way as to glorify You with our words, actions, and attitudes.

The Result of Rebuke and Church Discipline

Discipline’s Results are not Always Predictable or Visible

2nd Corinthians 7:2-16 (Result of Church Discipline)

What Changed?

Introduction to the Result of Church Discipline:

Consider the History in Corinth (Necessitating Discipline)

Why Did Such “Church Discipline” Work at All?

They Responded to Discipline in the Fear of the Lord.

Isaiah’s Example

Paul’s Feelings About the Situation

The Results

Why Did Paul Write to The Church at Corinth?

Paul’s Conclusion

Our Conclusion

A Walk Through Galatians (What happens in Failure?)

Part 4: Chapter 2 versus 11-21 ( Peter’s Failure!)

Personal Failure

Personal Results of Salvation, Despite my Failure

(Read Galatians 2: 11-21) Peter’s Failure

Confrontation

(Read Galatians 2:11)

Read Galatians 2:12-13 (Failure spread to others)

Peter’s Failure: Hypocrisy

The two Natures

Other Interpretation

What God Says

(Read Galatians 2: 14)

Historical Context

(Read Galatians 2: 15-16)

(Read Galatians 2: 17-19)

(Read Galatians 2:20-21)

How God Sees Us, Regardless of Our Failure

The Danger of False Teachers

The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

2nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1st Corinthians 5:1-7

Introduction:

1st Corinthians 5:1-7

Church Discipline

The “Other Side” of Church Discipline

We Can Read About The End Results In 2nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

Discipline is Temporary, for Restoration

But What Happens When The Sinning Brother Repents?

How to Understand The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

2nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1st Corinthians 5:1-7

Introduction:

1st Corinthians 5:1-7

Church Discipline

The “Other Side” of Church Discipline

We Can Read About The End Results In 2nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

Discipline is Temporary, for Restoration

But What Happens When The Sinning Brother Repents?

Less Effective Today

Paul Concludes:

New Testament Giving: Corporate and Individual

Introduction:

Context Matters!

Acts 11:27-30

1st Corinthians 16:1-4

2nd Corinthians 8:1-5

2nd Corinthians 9:1-15

The “Bottom Line”

Not for Personal Gain

What About Us?

1st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-13

Introduction

Value of the Gifts, without God’s Love

Aren’t those Gifts Important?

The Gifts Themselves are Not Eternal

What Is the “Perfect” that Shall Come?

“Growing Up” Issues

“New Testament Completion” Problems

Church Completion problems

“Second Coming” Answer

So, What will Remain?

So, What Should We Do With This Information?

What Have We Learned in 1st Corinthians?

Return To Corinthians

In Chapter One, we Learned:

In Chapter Two, we Learned:

2^nd Corinthians 7:2-16 (Result of Church Discipline)

2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

We Can Read About The End Results In 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

We Can Read About The End Results In 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

1^st Corinthians 16:1-4

2^nd Corinthians 8:1-5

2^nd Corinthians 9:1-15

1^st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-13

**The Gifts Themselves are Not Eternal**

What Have We Learned in 1^st Corinthians?

1^st John 5:14-21, Final Notes

1^st John 5:1-5