Understanding God’s Jealousy: A Biblical Perspective

Posted on by korgrocker

“I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me. For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ.”
2 Corinthians 11:1-2 NLT

What do we think about God being jealous? There are the Scriptures such as Exodus 20:4-6, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments”. We also read Exodus 34:14, “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”. Then there is Deuteronomy 4:23-24, “Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God”. We might puzzle over these verses for a bit, wondering what they mean, but the clue is in Deuteronomy 4:23, where the word “covenant” emerges. God made several covenants with His people. The first was after the Flood and was made with Noah. We read what God said in Genesis 9:9, “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you”. However, this was a covenant of grace in which God promised never again to bring a flood to destroy all the creatures on the earth. It was a promise God made that, regardless of mankind’s behaviour, He would never do such a thing again. The covenant that applied to His people can be found in Exodus 19 and was the one He made through Moses. This was a covenant that bound both God and His people into a special, eternal relationship that has stood ever since. We read what God said to Moses, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites” (Exodus 19:5-6). The Israelites agreed to this covenant: “The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the Lord has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord” (Exodus 19:8). It is because of this covenant, which still stands intact today, that the nations in our world need to take a special note of it. God never breaks His promises, and, regardless of the behaviour of the Jews and the nation of Israel, they are His “treasured possession“, and God will not tolerate it for long if other nations treat them badly. Yes, Israel will have to stand before God to give an account of their actions one day, but that has nothing to do with the covenant God has made with them.

So what does it mean when God says He is jealous? It is not that God is jealous or envious because someone has something He wants or needs. He is jealous when someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him. In the Old Testament verses we read above, He is jealous of people who make idols and bow down to and worship them instead of giving God the worship that belongs to Him alone. God is possessive of the worship and service that belong to Him. It is a sin (as God points out in Exodus 20:4-6) to worship or serve anything other than God. God’s jealousy is not about possessiveness but reflects His deep love and desire for a faithful relationship with His people. God made an eternal covenant to protect His followers from the dangers of idolatry and unfaithfulness. 

In our human context, it is a sin to desire, envy, or be jealous of someone because the other person has something we do not. It is a different use of the word “jealous” when God says He is jealous. Being jealous of something that God declares to belong to you is good and appropriate. Jealousy is a sin when it is a desire for something that does not belong to you. Worship, praise, honour, and adoration belong to God alone, for only He is truly worthy of it. Therefore, God is rightly jealous when worship, praise, honour, or adoration is given to idols. This is precisely the jealousy the apostle Paul wrote, “For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself“. What is an idol? It is not necessarily a carved statuette or some other religious artefact, although it could be. It is anything that takes the place of God Himself. It could, but not necessarily, be a set of golf clubs or a classic car. It could be another person (consider the saying “He worships the ground she walks on”). The list of possibilities is long and comprehensive.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying that he was “jealous for [them] with the jealousy of God Himself”. As the one who founded the church in Corinth and led many of them to Christ, Paul sees himself as their spiritual father. But in the next verse, Paul builds on the metaphor of a father promising, or betrothing, his daughter to her future husband, as a picture of the church being betrothed to Christ as His bride. While betrothed, the future bride’s father ensured that his daughter was kept pure and undefiled until the big day. It is a metaphor that doesn’t hold much weight today, but in Paul’s day, it was the societal norm. Of course, the Corinthian church was not Paul’s personal possession, but he took on the responsibility for their purity and holiness, and he confronted those in Corinth who were peddling false teaching about God’s grace and faith in Christ. Our church leaders will feel a similar burden as they seek to pastor our churches.

Are we pilgrims supportive of our leaders, as they seek to pastor their flock, ensuring the spiritual well-being of the congregation? About them, Peter wrote, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example” (1 Peter 5:2-3). But about us pilgrims, the writer to the Hebrews wrote, “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit” (Hebrews 13:17). So, today, our committed and diligent leaders shepherd us “with the jealousy of God himself“. We thank God for them.

Dear Father God. Thank You for our church leaders, and I have in mind the lovely man who pastors the church of which I am a member. Please bless them, encourage them, and help them in their work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Understanding God’s Commendation: Our True Worth

Posted on by korgrocker

“Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory. As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.”
2 Corinthians 10:15-18 NLT

What does God think about us, and whatever it is, how do we know? Paul wrote that it is no good “commend[ing] ourselves” because “it doesn’t count for much”. “The important thing is for the Lord to commend [us]”, he wrote. But the question is still there: if the Lord is commending us, how would we know, and what is He commending us for? 

The Bible is full of encouraging verses answering this question, such as Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago”. The picture behind this verse portrays our Master Creator God seeing us and our lives through the corridor of time and planning out our lives of service to Him. He could see if we would marry and who the spouse would be. He could see our giftings and how they would be used in our jobs or in our leisure. He would even have known about the church we would attend, the date of our decision to believe in Jesus and so on. The picture continues with our lives being created just as He intended. But the fact emerges that even though God created everyone in the miracle of birth, He could also see many who would reject Him, and it must have broken His heart. Through His grace, He ordained the creation and provided the opportunities for created beings full of potential yet riven by sin, and He loved them all. God’s plans for human beings continue today, as new births are announced all the time. But for us pilgrims, each one of us is “God’s masterpiece”; can we boast about this? 

Another verse worthy of note is Ephesians 8:38, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love”. God loves us and He always will, because nothing can ever come between us. In all our thoughts and deeds, in our lives, in what we do and don’t do, His love and grace is always there for us, unstoppable, unmovable, and inviolable. But for us pilgrims, each one of us loved by God, can we boast about this? 

We have a hope for the future. Jeremiah 9:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope”. The plans God has for us are not just limited to our school years or perhaps our employment. His plans apply to the whole of our lives and, here’s the thing, our lives in eternity. God created us body, soul and spirit, and we know that when we pilgrims come to the end of our physical lives, our spirits will live on forever. Beyond the grave, God will still continue to love us and have good things for us to do. Heaven won’t be a time of drudgery and boredom. It will be a place where our spirits will experience “good things” beyond our wildest dreams. But for us pilgrims, each one of us loved by God, can we boast about this? 

We pilgrims have much to thank God for, if we stop to think about it, even for a moment. God has commended us, and we are always before Him, in His thoughts. Isaiah 49:16a, “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands …”. God also considers us precious, as His own eyes. Psalm 17:8, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings”. These verses must surely cause us to rush out and stop every passerby, telling them of what we mean to God, and what He thinks of us. We surely must shout it out from every rooftop so that the world knows and understands the way in which the Lord has commended us. There is a line in the hymn “Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven” which reads, “ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven”. That’s who we are. The world out there will not consider this anything to boast about, but we surely do.

Father God. We praise and worship You today, secure in the knowledge that You love us and care for us, each and every day of our lives and beyond in the place where we will be with You. Thank You. Amen.

No Lone Rangers

Posted on by korgrocker
People praying in a warm church while a man sits alone outside in the rain.

“Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory.”
2 Corinthians 10:15-16 NLT

Paul established the Corinthian church during his second missionary journey, around about 50 AD, and he spent about eighteen months there establishing the church with the help of a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla. He started his mission in the local synagogue, but, not getting very far, he left and went next door to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile believer. We can read all about it in Acts 18. But in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul addressed the issue of divisions and quarrelling, “Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ”” (1 Corinthians 1:12). From this, we can assume that Paul was not the only preacher in Corinth, with Apollos and Peter making their contribution. In our verses today from his second letter, Paul was clear to point out that he was not going to take any credit “for the work someone else has done”. Instead, generously, he recognised that “the boundaries of [his] work” would be extended by different men ministering there. It is a fact of life that people will follow leaders whom they can relate to, and that is not always the same person, and the men we know about, Paul, Apollos and Peter, each had their own followings. In fact, Paul effectively told the Corinthians that it was good to have an open pulpit, because it would free him to pioneer the preaching of the Gospel in places where people had not heard about Jesus. On the one hand, Paul was very jealous of his church plant in Corinth, but on the other, he realised that he couldn’t be in all places at the same time. Paul’s basic motivation was being an Apostle to the Gentiles, which was the driving force behind his mission to preach the Gospel. 

Today, we pilgrims go to churches that may or may not have an open pulpit. I have been in a church where there was only one preacher, someone who was very good, but inevitably, the delivery style and subject matter skewed the reception amongst the congregation. In another church I attended, back in the early days of my faith, the congregation was ministered to by three men: one a pastor and teacher, one a prophet, and the third an evangelist. A good mix of messages followed, and the congregation grew in a more balanced way. 

In Ephesians 4:11-12, we read about the different ministry gifts present in God’s order: “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ”. We call this the “Five-fold ministry”. It is obvious, really, that if the church of which we are a member only has one of these gifts, then some aspects of spiritual teaching will be neglected. The church, which I described as having one leader, mainly heard teachings on the Christian life, with an emphasis on healing. So the other ministries were neglected. In some cases, the church leader has more than one gift and fills in some of the gaps, but, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, the purpose of these ministries is to “equip God’s people to do His work” and “build up the church”. 

I suspect Paul would have been the first person to admit that he did not hold the positions of all these ministries, and visits from Apollos and Peter would have filled in a few gaps. Titus was another gifted man who visited Corinth, as we read earlier in the second letter, and Paul was not going to claim credit for their work.

The church of Jesus Christ, in its universal sense, is not there for individuals in splendid isolation, but it is a “body” of people who are being built into a spiritual temple. 1 Peter 2:4-5, “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honour. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God”. Paul wrote, “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19-21). Paul went further about this “body” when he wrote, “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Ephesians 4:16). It is also a fact that Jesus is coming back a second time to meet His bride, the church. Ephesians 5:25b-27, “… Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault”. 

We pilgrims are part of a much larger body of people. Some we will get on with; others we won’t. But together we make up the “body of Christ”. In this body, we are all responsible for acts of service, and with these the body grows “without a spot or wrinkle”. And it is our leaders who help us in this process by their teaching and encouragement. We must always encourage them in their ministries and help them in any way we can. As Paul said in his first letter, there will be different leaders with different gifts, but through them “[our] faith will grow”. Yes, it is possible for Christians to be individuals outside the body: in fact, there are some of our brothers and sisters who have little choice in the matter, and for them God provides a special blessing through His Spirit, but for the majority of us, we find out that we are in a body of believers, all heading in the same direction. We will all be at different stages in our journeys, but we are all looking forward to the day when we will meet the Lord Himself, glorified and home at last.

Dear Heavenly Father. You have kindly placed us in a family, made up of Your children. Please help us to build up our spiritual siblings, and support our leaders as they do the work You have asked them to do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Understanding Spiritual Boundaries in Christian Life

Posted on by korgrocker

“We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the Good News of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:13-14 NLT

As Christians, what do we pilgrims think about boundaries, the areas of authority that we believe we have? In a worldly sense, we know that there are many things that we can’t, or shouldn’t do, things such as burgle someone’s house or other property. Things such as pretending to be someone we aren’t, such as a Police Officer, or a doctor (unless we’re qualified as such, of course). Most people can’t fly a plane, or would even want to, come to that. Some people find boundaries because of their physical limitations, such as Nick Vujicic, who has no arms or legs. Or a blind man unable to see a sunset or a painting of beauty. Human beings have many limitations that form boundaries in their lives. We know all of that, and we don’t fret about it because we accept where we are at.

But what about spiritual boundaries? Paul was very sure about his “area of authority”, which he defined as “the work God has given [him], which includes [his] working with” the Corinthians. Are we similarly sure of where there are limitations to the work we should be doing? Having said that, there are many Christians, I fear, who don’t do any work at all! But as followers of Christ, there is a “sweet spot” of service to Him, where we know and understand exactly what our individual mission in life is, within the boundaries tailor-made just for us. Perhaps we should start with the Great Commission, which we find in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. This is a “work God has given us” and is the responsibility of every Christian, not just the minister or pastor, or the evangelist on the church leadership team. So in our sphere of family, friends, and community, we are authorised to make disciples. 

In the episode of Peter and John healing the lame man at the Temple gate, we read the time-honoured words, “But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”” (Acts 3:6). Peter also said about Jesus, “He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name” (Acts 10:43). The name of Jesus implies that with it we are invoking His authority. John 14:13, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father”. We know, of course, that using the name of Jesus will only be effective if it aligns with His will and purposes. If Jesus wants something to happen, then we are authorised to use His name to fulfil His will. In the story of the Centurion with a sick servant, we read about Christ’s authority being understood by a Gentile with faith. “But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it”” (Matthew 8:8-9). We have that authority as well, as pilgrims faithfully following our Master.

Another area of authority is that we are Christ’s ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5:20, “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God””. An ambassador is someone who represents their country when they are sent to another. There, they look after the affairs of their country in dealings with foreign countries, and in particular the interests of their fellow citizens. We pilgrims are ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, and we are assigned to represent the interests of this Kingdom in the worldly nation of which we are a part. So I am Christ’s ambassador to the part of Scotland where I live, and it is here that I represent Christ in all my dealings with the people around me. As we read through the Bible, we soon find out how we should behave as ambassadors for Christ. Ephesians 4:21-24, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy”. Ambassadors for Christ are led by the Holy Spirit in all that they do, empowered by communication directly with God, much like the way an earthly ambassador can receive instructions from his or her mother nation. 

Our boundaries are also based on servanthood. “But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world Lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave” (Matthew 20:25-27). In humility and with the same attitude Jesus had, we serve our fellow believers and those around us. We do not aspire to a position of authority, because it is only Christ who appoints such a person. Any worldly appointments are of no consequence to those in God’s family.

Dear Father God. As Your children, we are Your ambassadors in this world around us. Please help us to realise our boundaries, in what we can and cannot do, so that we can be effective in all that we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Dangers of Comparing Ourselves to Others

Posted on by korgrocker

“For some say, “Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!” Those people should realise that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away. Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!”
2 Corinthians 10:10-12 NLT

There were a group of men full of their own importance in Corinth, men who had emerged as leaders in the congregation and were hostile to Paul’s ongoing involvement in the church there. They subversively undermined Paul and his teaching and preached their own version of the Gospel. They may even have attempted to include some of the Gnostic or other erroneous teachings in their messages, although there was no evidence of that from Paul’s letters. Perhaps Paul gave a hint of concern when he wrote, “You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us” (2 Corinthians 2:17). But regardless of what really was the situation in Corinth, Paul was pulling no punches and he had some hard words about “these other men who tell you how important they are”. 

About “these other men”, it seems that their self-declared importance came from “comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement”. Straight away, we can see the danger in this, because a human being is no proper standard of measurement. Yes, we can get out the tape measures and the bathroom scales, the blood pressure monitor and the thermometer, and make certain physical measurements, from which a comparison can be made with others. For example, a person’s temperature can be compared with the temperatures of many others, and a good idea can be obtained about their health from that, with an elevated temperature indicating some form of infection. But when it comes to spiritual matters, then there is a problem. There is no final arbiter of the state of a human being other than God Himself, because He is absolute truth, whereas people are not. A person with all the Bible knowledge in the world, even a professor of theology or an expert Bible scholar, can fall short in the comparison stakes. 

“These other men” in Corinth were comparing themselves with each other, but what was the criterion they were using in the comparison? Was it their ability to pray in public? Was it their knowledge of the Gospel? Was it their ability to preach and bring a message that everyone could understand? Or was it their boasting about how good or rich they were, something supported by their material status in the Corinthian society? That latter question exposes the human problem of comparing oneself with others, using the physical or external attributes of their appearance in the comparison. So today, young girls can end up in trouble by comparing themselves with film stars or catwalk models and making decisions based on diet or clothes. Men can suffer the same from their prowess on the golf course, in the gym, or from the car they drive. 

But how do we pilgrims consider ourselves? Are we comparing ourselves with anyone? If so, what criterion are we using, and anyway, why are we doing it? Paul wrote about this in Philippians 2:3, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves”. Paul continued, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. …” Philippians 2:5-7a). So we pilgrims aspire to being humble, but what does that look like? This can be applied too far, so that the person shies away from offering an opinion or praying in public, lest they be considered boastful. In Romans 12:3, Paul provided some light on the situation. “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us”. We pilgrims must honestly do and say things in accordance with our faith that we have in the gift God has provided for us. How do we reach this point? Through prayer and, in the end, trial and error, perseverance with humility and the willingness to say we were wrong if necessary. 

There is no merit in comparing ourselves with others because their gifting and faith will be different to ours. All God asks us to do is in accordance with how He has made us and resourced us with His Spirit. In the Kingdom of God, the worldly rules don’t apply, and most of the time carry the caption “sin”. The Psalmist wrote, “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked” (Psalm 84:10). That is where I want to be. Many around us may claim to have a good life, something they conclude by comparing themselves with others, but all we must aspire to is a life of service to God. As we look up into Heavenly places, there will be no time to look to others.

Dear Father God. What can we say but “sorry” for the time we spend comparing ourselves with those around us. Please forgive us, we pray, and we ask for help when we get trapped in such a way. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Understanding Spiritual Authority in Christianity

Posted on by korgrocker

“I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, ‘His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.’ Such people should realise that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.”
2 Corinthians 10:9-11 NIVUK

In Corinth, it appears that some leaders had emerged who were preaching a different Gospel, one at variance with what Paul had taught the church there. Perhaps there was some confusion in these leaders’ minds concerning God’s grace, something that emerged when Paul wrote to the Romans, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase?” (Romans 6:1). But the same leaders were trying to exclude Paul as far as possible, and were undermining his letters and teaching in the process. So they were spreading the thought that Paul wrote “weighty and forceful” letters, but when he was with them in person, he was “unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing”. A personal attack that perhaps revealed the immaturity and wrong motives of his critics. However, Paul was the Apostle who established the Corinthian church, and he felt personally responsible for their spiritual well-being. 

In a way, we pilgrims today are very grateful that these issues have ended up recorded in Paul’s letters, because they have shaped the theology of our faith. Today, the same issues have emerged, exposing problems with spiritual authority within some denominations. This was different in Paul’s day, when the Christian faith was new and dependent on the Apostles for its authenticity and theological accuracy. Today, we have the Bible, but issues still come to light because sometimes a difference of opinion emerges among church leaders, with human and sinful factors creeping in, and, as a result, a church divides. As I have said before, in the city where I live, 14 churches were established in the 18th and 19th centuries, most of them Presbyterian by persuasion. Church splits sometimes come when a charismatic leader attracts a group of followers and moves away with them to a new location. Sometimes this is necessary, when the original leadership were unable to reconcile different beliefs and interpretations of the Bible. One example of this is between the liberal and traditional wings of one denomination I can think of. 

But spiritual authority is something that all believers must settle in their own minds. Far too often, a believer will follow a leader rather than follow Jesus, because it is sometimes easier that way. They don’t have to think about the rights and wrongs, the nuances and emphases, that emerge from the pulpit and instead rely on someone else to work all that out. That is fine when the leader is a sincere man or woman of integrity, well-versed in the Scriptures and preaching the truth of the Gospel. But what happens when he or she moves on to heed another call somewhere else? Do they leave behind a congregation of dependent people who fall apart and end up with a shipwrecked faith? And then we think of sects such as the JW’s and see how error can creep in and result in the people following a different god than the God of the Bible. 

Spiritual authority always starts with Jesus. We read in Matthew 28:18, “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. James wrote, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. …” (James 4:7a). Our church leaders are themselves under God’s authority and are accountable to Him for what they preach and teach. Hebrews 13:17, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you”. In Luke 10, we read about the time when Jesus sent out 72 disciples, their authority in spiritual matters delegated to them by Jesus. He said, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you” (Luke 10:19). 

For us pilgrims everywhere, there is good advice in the first two verses of Hebrews 12, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne”. We fix our eyes on Jesus, because anywhere else will lead to disappointment and disillusionment. Yes, God will appoint men like Paul, or our church leaders, to help us along in our journey of faith, but ultimately we must look upwards to our Heavenly Champion, because there is no other Source of spiritual authority worth considering.

Dear Heavenly Father. We look to You this morning as the Source of all we need to live the Christian life. Thank You for Your grace and guidance. Amen.

The Meaning of Belonging to Christ

Posted on by korgrocker

“Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognise that we belong to Christ as much as they do. I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up; it doesn’t tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority.”
2 Corinthians 10:7-8 NLT

A summary of these two verses indicates that Paul challenged the Corinthians to look beyond outward appearances and recognise the true basis of his authority. He reminded them that if anyone claimed to belong to Christ, they should acknowledge that Paul belonged to Christ just as much. His authority as an apostle did not come from human approval or impressive appearance, but from the Lord Himself. Paul also explained that the authority given to him was not meant to dominate or harm them, but to build them up spiritually. Even if he spoke boldly about this authority, he was not ashamed of it, because it was God-given and intended for their strengthening, not their destruction. We also remember that Paul’s authority was apostolic, emphasising that it came from Christ and was meant for the spiritual growth and encouragement of believers, not for control or intimidation.

Paul made an obvious point, though. Belonging to Christ is a label that applies to all saved Christians who have placed their trust and faith in Jesus, the Saviour of the world. We can never belittle our favoured state, because when we consider what Jesus did for us, in its universal application, what conclusion can we otherwise reach? God had a plan for the salvation of mankind, and He revealed it to His prophets throughout the Old Testament, as in Isaiah 53, which sets it out exclusively. Isaiah 53:10-11, “But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins”. Jesus was clear about His mission, as He implemented the plan, and John 3:16-17 succinctly summarises it. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”. The “world” is not a word that allows a selection for some people and not others. It is an all-encompassing catch-all that promises salvation for anyone who believes in Him, with all that that entails. 

So we pilgrims all belong to Christ, whether we are the minister or pastor, or just a new Christian sitting in a pew. One day, we will all find ourselves with Jesus in Heaven. Because we now belong to Christ, we live in such a way that honours Him. Paul wrote, “Don’t you realise that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Belonging to Christ is a state that determines how I live, because “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” (Galatians 2:20). 

Paul seemed to have some critics in Corinth who perhaps claimed that they belonged to Christ, and he didn’t. Today, some may make similar claims, even if they are not spoken aloud. Perhaps we do it ourselves when we look at other believers who perhaps are not so committed as we are. Other believers who perhaps only make the occasional Sunday service or who neglect to attend the monthly or weekly mid-week meetings. We forget in our criticisms that they, too, belong to Christ, and they are probably in a different place in their journey than we are. Our salvation does not depend on the number of meetings we attend or how many chapters in the Bible we read each day. The thief next to Jesus at Calvary claimed none of these things, and yet was promised a place in Paradise “that very day”. All that matters is what Paul wrote, “we belong to Christ”. From that favoured place, we worship Him today and every day. We were lost but are now found. We are secure in Jesus.

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your plan for our salvation. We confess that we have looked at others and not at Jesus when it comes to matters of our faith. Please forgive us, we pray, and help us on our journey to the Promised Land, our ultimate home with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Capturing Rebellious Thoughts: Paul’s Spiritual Warfare

Posted on by korgrocker

“We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.”
2 Corinthians 10:4-6 NLT

It seems that there were some in Corinth who were trying to undermine Paul’s authority. These people accused him of being someone who would be bold when far away and through his writings, but when with them in person, he was timid. Isn’t that an accusation of hypocrisy? How did things come to this? Obviously, sin was rooted in their response, and Paul mentioned their rebellious thoughts. There was also no New Testament as we know it that set out the Gospel and the teaching that we know and love. There was also no formal hierarchical structure, such as the established denominations have today. So, in this cosy corner in Greece, there was a church, established by Paul, but preferring to go its own way, probably into error, but nevertheless wanting to continue without any external input, particularly from Paul. Thankfully, there were still people in the Corinthian church who looked to Paul for guidance, giving him a platform to address their errors.

What was Paul’s goal in this? He wrote that through the use of “God’s mighty weapons”, he would “capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ”. Obedience to Christ was Paul’s goal. It wasn’t a personal thing. It wasn’t motivated by anger because some dared to disobey his instructions. Paul knew that if the Corinthian church followed the rebellious contingent, who were teaching things against the purity of the Gospel, they would soon descend into error and disappear. God will not be in a church that is against Him. We remember that the First Century was full of erroneous teaching, such as that of the Gnostics, and some Jews were trying to reintroduce legalistic practices, such as circumcision, back into the church.  When considered across all the churches established at that time, it was almost as though Paul was trying to play a game of “wack-a-mole”, preventing churches from descending into error. It seems that as soon as an error was corrected in one, news of a problem somewhere else reached him. Paul must have had some form of success because there are still Christian churches in Corinth today, although of an Eastern Orthodox persuasion, and there is a cathedral there dedicated to Paul.

Today, we pilgrims are blessed by having a Bible, which, although established many years ago, provides the basis for our faith. In it, we find the teachings of Jesus, written down by His faithful disciples. We find copies of many of Paul’s letters, as well as those of James, Peter, and John, and the books of Hebrews and Revelation. Powerful, Holy-Spirit-inspired and encouraging theology, containing Scriptures that are just as alive today as they were when they were written. Through them, we have the means to demolish the strongholds that caused problems in the Corinthian church.

Paul’s spiritual weapons, however, were powerful and sufficient to “capture [the] rebellious thoughts” present in Corinth. He had prayer, the power of the Holy Spirit, the Old Testament, and one or two letters circulating at that time. Paul and his companions were fully equipped to destroy the impressive-sounding arguments of his opponents, who seemed to be preaching a different Gospel. Through his spiritual weapons, Paul wrote that he would capture their “rebellious thoughts”, and in the next verse, Paul said that he was ready to confront those among them who remained disobedient to Christ. What did this mean, because punishment options would have been limited in their scope? Probably, this meant that Paul’s first priority was to see the majority of the Corinthian believers obeying Christ in all things, including Godly direction through Christ’s representative: Paul. He may have been referring to the false teachers among them, but if necessary, punishment would, of course, not involve any form of violence. Instead, it would have followed the model Jesus established in Matthew, where the ultimate sanction was, “If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector” (Matthew 18:17). Effectively this would have meant evicting the rebellious faction from the church. Sadly, as history records, such a person and people, treated in this way, go down the road and establish their own church. In Dunfermline, where I live, there were at some time over the last two hundred years or so, about 14 churches, mostly Presbyterian, in the centre. As soon as there was a falling out, regardless of the cause, many in the congregation followed a rebellious leader and established another church just down the road.  

We pilgrims follow Christ in obedience to His Word and with the faith we have learned. There is no other way. At a time when some disciples left Him, Jesus asked the Twelve if they wanted to leave as well. We read, “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” (John 6:68). In John 14:6, Jesus said, “ … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. The road to Glory is clear and unequivocal, but even today, some churches and sects still prefer to follow their own ways and whims. But not for us pilgrims. As Joshua said, “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Our faith is as simple as that – we will serve the Lord. 

Dear Father God. Thank You for all that You have done for us, and especially for Jesus. We praise and worship You today. Amen.

Spiritual Warfare: Understanding God’s Mighty Weapons

Posted on by korgrocker

“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NLT

If the word “war” is mentioned to a random person we meet in the street, they will immediately associate the word with conflicts such as the current wars between Russia and Ukraine, or the war between the US and Iran. A veteran might refer to a more recent spat, such as the Falklands war, and there are even a few brave men who can remember the Second World War. The earliest mention of such a human conflict in the Bible occurred in Genesis 14, and was between four Mesopotamian kings and five Canaanite kings, and it took place in the valley of the Dead Sea. The account was recorded in Genesis because Abram’s nephew Lot was involved, and we find the first mention of Melchizedek, “the priest of God Most High”, who blessed Abram with bread and wine. 

But these are all human conflicts waged by humans against humans, and such wars have been a feature of human life since the beginning. Paul was careful to point out, however, that the wars he waged were not like these. Instead, his weapons were not of the worldly variety but were “God’s mighty weapons”. And the foe was not another army or nation, but strongholds such as “human reasoning” and “false arguments”. Paul’s account in 2 Corinthians 10 began with the addressing of false conclusions about him being considered by the church in Corinth. Paul appealed, even begged, the Corinthians to sort themselves and their thinking out because he didn’t want to have to be bold with those who thought he was driven by human motives. False thinking, he was going to address, if he had to, using “God’s mighty weapons”, weapons that would be totally foreign to worldly people. 

Those of us familiar with Ephesians 6 will know that Paul wrote about items of armour and their spiritual equivalents, no doubt inspired by the Roman soldier he was chained to in prison. These items are mostly defensive, but they all have their place in God’s armoury. We read about truth and righteousness, the Gospel, faith, and salvation, and the one offensive “weapon”, the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”. The next verse in Ephesians mentions another weapon – prayer – and it adds another thought about being alert and persistent with the prayers offered. A soldier for Christ, equipped in this way, will be able to overcome even the strongest enemy in heavenly places. But echoing the words in 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). These were the “soldiers” of a foreign “army” but without any strategy or power capable of overcoming the well-equipped spiritual soldiers, pilgrims such as ourselves. 

“The human heart is the
most deceitful of all things“

When he returned to Corinth, Paul was prepared “to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments”. The human mind, as we know, has a tendency to delude itself with wrong thinking, driven by a false logic, or human thoughts. After all, we know the Scripture from Jeremiah 17:9, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” A human “heart” is the seat of thinking, emotions, and all the “false arguments” and “human reasoning” mentioned by Paul, and many people can be found who delude themselves in this way. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, warned them of something similar: “Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires” (Romans 13:14). 

So, when next in Corinth, Paul warned the believers there that he had spiritual weapons at his disposal that would be able to resolve the wrong thinking about him that had developed there. We pilgrims, too, have the same weapons available to us, and by prayer and God’s Word, we have the ability to destroy the strongholds in which our enemy thinks he is invincible. Isaiah wrote, “But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Isaiah 54:17). That day is with us now. With the spiritual weapons at our disposal, we are overcomers in the Lord.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your many blessings and for Your Word, the Bible. We turn our thoughts today to Heavenly places and not to the worldly and sinful ways we can so easily lapse into. Please help us to be overcomers today and every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Gentleness and Kindness of Christ

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realise you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives.”
2 Corinthians 10:1-2 NLT

The Corinthians apparently thought that Paul was “timid in person and bold only when” he wrote to them. Perhaps they gained that impression because all the good work straightening out the Corinthians’ faith and behaviour was achieved by the two letters, so perhaps when Paul eventually travelled there, there was nothing left for him to be “bold” about. He could then be more pastoral and display the “gentleness and kindness of Christ” in a way that suited both the congregation and him. 

But before we look further into Paul’s next visit to Corinth, and to put the situation into context, Paul had previously been in Ephesus, establishing a church there, and he stayed for a couple of years, holding daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. In Acts 19:11-12, we read that “God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled”. As a result, “… A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honoured” (Acts 19:17b).  But a man called Demetrius stirred up trouble because he feared his business venture making silver idols would soon be in decline because of Paul’s preaching. He instigated a riot, and it was only when a wise official intervened that it calmed. We then turn the page to Acts 20, and read, “When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye and left for Macedonia. While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he travelled down to Greece”. Going back to the origins of the Corinthian church, in Acts 18 we learn that Paul established the church, meeting in the home of Titius Justus, next door to the Jewish synagogue, and that he stayed there for 18 months, “teaching the Word of God”. Paul then apparently made a “painful visit” at some time between writing the two letters, which we can infer from 2 Corinthians 2:1, so after the second letter had been delivered, here was Paul making a third visit “where he stayed for three months …” (Acts 20:3a). So the Corinthians would have soon found out if Paul was a timid or bold man.

That Jesus was a gentle Man was indisputable. The saying, “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” comes from a Charles Wesley hymn written in 1767 and captures that side of His character, appealing to a little child. In the Buble, we read the verses in Matthew 11:28-30 and see God’s heart coming through His gracious words, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light””. Isaiah prophesied about the gentleness of the coming Messiah, “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young” (Isaiah 40:11). What a picture of God’s love, so carefully looking after His flock, the people who follow Him, and with such gentleness. That was Jesus. But isn’t it so sad that so many of His people, especially those of a more liberal persuasion, push Him away because of some misunderstanding over the validity of scripture? And then there are so many people who don’t believe in Him at all, even denying that He exists. But the picture remains of the Good Shepherd, “humble and gentle at heart”. That’s my Lord!

“He saved us … because of His mercy”

We know how kind Jesus must have been because of what He did for us by coming to this world. Who can ever get their minds around the fact that the Creator of the Universe would humble Himself to the extent that He cast aside His eternal life in Heaven, and instead took on the form of a man, born a baby in very humble circumstances, growing up as a normal Jewish boy and ministering as a travelling rabbi, before suffering a cruel death at the hands of the people He came to save? No other religion can claim anything even close to the kindness of the real and true God we follow and worship. Paul wrote about this kindness of Christ in Ephesians 2:7, “So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus”, and in Titus 3:4-5, “… When God our Saviour revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit”. 

Paul appealed to the Corinthians with the “gentleness and kindness of Christ“. He could, of course, confront sin when it was necessary, and he did, as we read his first letter. And I’m sure the confrontation continued during his “painful” visit between the letters. But on his third visit and during his three-month stay, I’m sure Paul presented the attitude of an under-shepherd, following in his Master’s footsteps with the “gentleness and kindness of Christ“. We pilgrims, too, must have such an attitude. There are times when our blood starts to boil as we observe the injustices that believers suffer in this world. But then we turn to Jesus, and I can just imagine Him smiling as He assures us that He has all under control. He will sort out the rights and wrongs of a situation. He will bring judgement at just the right time. But in the meantime, all we have to do is extend the “gentleness and kindness of Christ” to those around us. Like Paul, we too are under shepherds, following in our Shepherd’s sure and unwavering footsteps. And as we bring the concerns, worries, and cares in this life to Jesus, His peace will flood over us, What a wonderful Lord nd Saviour He is!

Dear Lord Jesus. You told us to take upon us Your yoke, and we will find rest for our souls. Thank You for Your peace and love, so precious and yet so freely given. Amen.