Reviving the Holy Kiss: Unity in Modern Christian Fellowship

Posted on by korgrocker

“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All God’s people here send their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
2 Corinthians 13:11-14 NIVUK

A kiss amongst Christians is unfortunately a problem in our Western societies, or at least in the UK, because it can be misconstrued or misinterpreted due to the societal views and taboos that exist. It can be just about considered acceptable between a man and a woman who know each other, but when observed between those of the same sex, the fault line exposed by an onlooker’s views on gender issues rises up and can cause problems. Not all the time, of course, because multi-cultural Britain has come to understand and accept customs appropriate to certain people groups and religions. But in our traditional churches and denominations, the holy kiss does not appear in the liturgies or even in more social settings. In fact, in some churches with larger congregations, any form of greeting can be missing. It can be easy to slip into the meeting after it has started and slip out without talking to anyone, let alone give someone a handshake, hug or even a kiss.

But things were different in those early Christian days, when Paul and the other Apostles were turning the Mediterranean societies upside down with their message of the love and forgiveness of God and of Christ crucified for their sins. In those days, a holy kiss was a non-sexual, sincere greeting of brotherly affection, unity, and love amongst the early believers, signifying a “set apart” spiritual family bond. A kiss was an acceptable form of greeting among people in the Middle East and was even a cultural norm, used to greet guests or family members. It was even a common greeting showing respect to those in authority or when reconciliation was required between two parties. But what set the Christian holy kiss apart from the secular equivalent was that it was “holy” and had a deeper spiritual meaning for early believers, particularly as it crossed racial and cultural boundaries. 

So, in a setting where there were different factions, as was the case in Corinth, Paul’s encouragement to “Greet one another with a holy kiss” would have been a sign that any differences had been settled and unity between believers was again present. This he followed up with his final words, “may … the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”. Such fellowship was not possible in an atmosphere of antagonism, disunity and chaos.

Paul encouraged the believers in Rome to do the same, as we read in Romans 16:16, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings”. It must have been standard text for Paul, being word-for-word the same as in 2 Corinthians 13. Again, the greeting appears in 1 Corinthians 16:20, “All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss”, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26, “Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss”. But it wasn’t just Paul who wrote this greeting. It appears at the end of 1 Peter, “Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ”. 

In the Old Testament, there were occasions where a kiss was used in a similar context, such as in 1 Samuel 10:1, “Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?” In this case, it was in an act of reverence, as Samuel recognised God’s presence with the man before him. And we all remember the kiss that sealed Jesus’ fate when the soldiers came to the garden to arrest Him. Matthew 26:48-49, “Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him”. Why was the signal to be a kiss? In those days, it would have been a natural way to honour someone and to demonstrate brotherly love.

So today, we pilgrims reflect on how we greet one another and consider the “holy kiss” in an appropriate setting. It is not always acceptable to everyone, as in the case of a young man I knew who recoiled from human contact of any sort, because he was somewhere on the autistic spectrum. As an aside, though, it has been wonderful to see God at work in him, bringing healing that enabled him to gradually overcome his phobia. 

In greeting someone there is an opportunity to share a common bond that centres in God. It may be with a hug, or a handshake, or even a “holy kiss”, but its inherent meaning is one of mutual love and respect. The early church considered such a greeting to be important, and today we would do well to emulate their sentiments and intentions in our modern churches and fellowships.

Dear Father God. With one mind we greet one another, knowing that we do so in Your name and to Your glory. You created families, and we are part of Yours through Jesus. Thank You. Amen.

Encouragement and Peace in Christian Fellowship

Posted on by korgrocker

“Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet each other with a sacred kiss. All of God’s people here send you their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
2 Corinthians 13:11-14 NLT

We continue today with a second look at Paul’s final thoughts in this, his second letter to the Corinthian church. He asked the believers to “encourage each other” and “live in harmony and peace”. Was this an impossible ask, or was it achievable amongst the disparate believers in Corinth? From a natural perspective, any group of people will eventually fall apart because it is not long before there is a falling-out, and the group members will go their separate ways. Selfish desires, differences in intellect and perspectives, different agendas, and so on soon reveal themselves with fault lines that grow until the gaps are unbridgeable. However, some groups with a clear set of rules and a common goal will survive, as with a golf club or another hobby-based vision. Or, better still, a group focused on Jesus. 

Among Christians, there is a clear bond that draws each person ever closer to one another and to Christ. I always envision a triangle, with God at the apex and believers at the other two points. As they look up to God and get closer to Him, they inevitably get closer to each other. If they neglect their relationship with God, they will move further apart. It is also a good analogy to use in marriage counselling. Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians to “live in harmony and peace” implied a common bond, as they “grew in maturity,” meaning they were becoming more and more like Jesus every day. 

In Romans 12, Paul used the analogy of our physical bodies as the body of Christ. Romans 12:4-5, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other”. Paul revisits the analogy in 1 Corinthians 12:12, “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ”. But in the next verse, he emphasises that no matter our differences, we are all still part of the body of Christ. “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptised into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit”. And further down the page, we read, “In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honourable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honourable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honour and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad” (1 Corinthians 12:22-26). In these verses, one word emerges, and that is “honour”. We should honour one another as a priority in our relationships, because that is how we live together as a body of believers. 

It is therefore obvious that a properly functioning body of believers will only live in harmony with each other if they care for each other in the same way as we care for our own bodies. So if we cut ourselves, we clean the wound and put on a plaster. But what we don’t do is ignore the hurt, as otherwise the wound may become infected and lead to a more serious condition. In the same way, in the body of Christ, if a member is hurting, we tend to the hurt so that it doesn’t worsen and lead to an infection that could ultimately destroy the body.

To “live in harmony and peace” requires effort and diligence on the part of the church members. Otherwise, the believers become separated from each other, and the church ceases to function as God desires. This can be seen in some declining churches, where members meet only on Sunday morning for an hour or so, and leave their fellowship there. Then, when a crisis erupts, there is no cohesion, and the opposite of “harmony and peace” appears. To be a fellowship of believers in the way Paul was encouraging the Corinthians requires diligence and effort. They would have had to work hard to bind with one another and live out his instructions, particularly, as his letters have shown, there was much going on with the potential to tear them apart. 

Are we pilgrims a part of a fellowship, living in “harmony and peace” with each other? If not, we must ask ourselves the question “Why not”? Our relationships with one another start with our relationship with God and cross cultural and racial boundaries. To be harmonious starts with Jesus. Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others”. But here’s the thing. The next verse nails it, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus“. Any group of believers that lacks harmony and cohesiveness will find that personal and corporate peace is elusive. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). The peace of Christ didn’t die out with the Apostles. It is still there for us, from the fount that never runs dry.

So are we pilgrims experiencing a lack of peace today? As we look up to Jesus and gain His perspective, we will soon find the way back onto the right track.

Dear Heavenly Father. As with joy, You are the Source of peace. Thank You for the peace we can experience as we live in harmony with each other. Amen.

Maturing in Faith: Embracing God’s Truth

Posted on by korgrocker

“For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth. We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature. I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t need to deal severely with you when I do come. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.”
2 Corinthians 13:8-10 NLT

There is a connection between God’s truth and the maturity of a believer. And there is a further connection between weakness in a believer and the Lord’s strength and authority. A human being can go through life in the kingdom of the world, blissfully unaware of the Kingdom of God, apart from a few vague and intangible feelings that there must be something spiritual out there. But all this changes when a believer opens the door into a new world, a spiritual world of which they have become a part. This turns out to be a life-changing event because once someone is aware of God and His Kingdom, through His Son, Jesus, there is no going back. Going forward is the only option, and to do that, God’s truth is required to lead a believer on to maturity. Of course, there are those who recoil in horror at the extent their lives will have to change, and they turn their backs on God and somehow shut out all thoughts of Him, perhaps with the vague notion that there will be plenty of time to open that door again. We pilgrims know that becoming a believer is a life-changing experience and one that will extend beyond the grave into a vast unknown spiritual domain, where we will be with God in a place Jesus called Paradise. 

Paul wanted the Corinthians to become mature, and to help them, he provided several warnings that the immaturity they had been exhibiting would need to be confronted. He hoped that this would not be necessary, but the threat was hanging in the air. There were those whom Paul called the “super-apostles” present in Corinth who were subverting the believers’ faith, as they spread lies and insinuations about Paul and his colleagues, but they would not be able to stand when Paul was able in person to demonstrate the power and authority of Christ. 

Paul wrote, “This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Ephesians 4:13-15). The goal of “unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son” seemed rather elusive in Corinth, because they were being led astray both by their own unconfessed sins and the presence of sinful men who were misleading them by preaching a message that they wanted to hear, rather than needed to hear.

This can be a problem in our churches today, because the temptation is for the pulpit to avoid certain difficult subjects that are nevertheless required to help a believer grow in maturity. In one church I know about, there was a prominent and vociferous member who had a relative who was homosexual, and who was very sensitive about any Bible passage that revealed the truth of God’s view. At one point, this person even had the audacity to complain that these Bible passages were wrong, resulting in a sensitivity on the part of the church leadership, leading them to avoid any mention of the verses in question. The problem is that too many church people have become offended by Biblical truths and teachings, and have decided to move to another church where the teachings are less confrontative. One church I was in had a prophetic man who preached confrontational messages, but we also had a lovely pastor who helped the congregation through any difficulties that arose. Another reason why a church needs a five-fold ministry team. 

Biblical truth is necessary to help a believer grow towards the goal of being mature in their faith. But there are some basics that the author of the Hebrews wrote about: “You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognise the difference between right and wrong” (Hebrews 5:12-14). That was where the Corinthians seemed to be – in the place of “need[ing][ someone to teach [them] again the basic things about God’s word”. They needed to be able to discern what was right and wrong and deal with the consequences, but were unable to do so.

Paul’s heart was to see the Corinthians set back on the right track. They had been “tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching” and needed to once again come back to the Cross of Christ, where their sins would be forgiven. A place where Paul’s fear “ … that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarrelling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behaviour” (2 Corinthians 12:20) would be groundless.

We pilgrims know that the place where we will find God and the truth of His Word is not on YouTube or one of the “God” channels on TV, good as they are sometimes. The only places where growth towards maturity can be found are in the nurseries that God has established – his churches (as long as they are Bible-believing) – and in the study of the Bible itself. Through it all is the need for prayer, asking God for His truth to be manifested in all that we hear and read. 

Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your Word and the truth it contains, truth that will guide us through a world of strident voices intent on diverting us away from our road towards maturity in the faith. Please help us, we pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What is Truth?

Posted on by korgrocker

“We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority. For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth. We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature.”
2 Corinthians 13:7-9 NLT

In His trial before Pilate, Jesus was asked a question: “Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognise that what I say is true”” (John 18:37). Pilate’s reply was timeless, and it starts the next verse with “What is truth? …”. Truth is something that has two facets – absolute and relative. Most of what goes on in our world that is defined as “truth” is relative, because it is only through God that absolute “truth” can be realised. 

A secular view on “truth” prioritises empirical evidence, scientific inquiry, and human reason over divine revelation or dogma. It holds that truth is discovered, not revealed, and is constantly updated through investigation and doubt, focusing on verifiable facts and human welfare rather than supernatural explanations or absolute religious certainties. But this definition of “truth” is purely relative, and it is liable to change, making it unreliable. Something that is defined as being true today can be found to be not true, or false, tomorrow. 

But before we get sidetracked into a philosophical discussion about Pilate’s statement, “What is truth?” it is far more rewarding to obtain God’s perspective. Paul said in our verses today, “For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth”. That is our position as pilgrims because, along with Paul and countless others, we believe that God is truth. Famously, Jesus said, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). About the Holy Spirit, Jesus also said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future” (John 16:13). About God, the psalmist wrote, “The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever” (Psalm 119:160). So, for us pilgrims, it is a safe assumption to believe that any words that emanate from the Bible are words of truth. Come to that, Jesus said, about God’s Word, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth” (John 17:17). Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16). 

To us believers, we look at Jesus and know in our hearts that He is truth, embodied in Him as a Person. No one can find a word spoken by Jesus that was false. No one can find any sin in Him, or any action that would prove to be sinful. And because He was God, His statement that He is the truth is immutably correct. So anything that God says, or has said, is absolute truth and cannot be changed, and will always happen as He has said. 

God’s truth is trustworthy but in our world system, there is a person who embodies the opposite of truth, the devil. Of him, Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees, said, “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). In Scotland, and as I write this, we are in the run-up to the Scottish parliamentary elections, and when this blog is posted, the outcome will be known. But one thing we electors remember is that little trust can be placed in the statements our wannabe politicians make. To garner votes, they will make all sorts of outlandish statements, most of which are unachievable and, therefore, can be labelled as “lies”. If we enter the world of social media, we will soon find many posts that purport to be truthful statements, but which are based on the poster’s false or skewed interpretation of events. Truth is a scarce commodity in our world, but that is not surprising because Jesus referred to the devil as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31). 

We pilgrims know about the truth because we believe in Jesus. John 8:31-32, “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free””. We have been set free from the bondage to lies and the relative “truths” that abound in this world. We carefully consider all “truths” presented to us by referring to the Word of God, which is the only Source of truth that this world will ever possess. By looking at the world around us through God’s Biblical lens, we can make right decisions when necessary, discard the half-truths and lies, and keep our feet firmly established on the narrow way that leads to Glory. But there will be many seductive statements that will attempt to throw us off course. Remember what the serpent said to Eve – “Surely God didn’t say …”? If something that is said to us sounds right, but nevertheless seems at odds with God’s Word, then we discard it. The devil will never give up trying to lure us into sin until we are home, safe and sound, in the arms of our wonderful Saviour.

Dear Father God. You are truth. So we pray for protection from the lies of the evil one – “deliver us from evil” – and help for our journey in the years ahead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What It Means to Be Born Again in Christianity

Posted on by korgrocker

“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognise that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.”
2 Corinthians 13:5-6 NLT

In a previous blog we asked the question, “Who or what is a Christian”? And to start with, we defined some basics such as “A Christian is someone who belongs to Jesus Christ, by trusting in Him, following Him, and being transformed by Him”. We also mentioned the importance of being “born again”, understanding what that means and reading what Jesus Himself said in His conversation with Nicodemus. John 3:5, 7, “Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. … So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again’”. There are some “Christians” who deride the “born again” element in believers, whom they assign to a fringe element of fundamentalism populated by bigots and right-wing extremists. But being “born again” is that wonderful moment when a new believer suddenly bursts into a new experience where they find a spiritual world they didn’t know existed before. Some people take a long time to make the transition from spiritual darkness into the wonderful light of God’s Kingdom. Others have a Damascus Road experience, but whatever the process, Jesus said that being “born again” is necessary to become a Christian. It is so sad that there is a schism in the Christian faith, in the same way that there is a schism between those who believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and those who don’t. 

A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ, someone who tries to align their lives with the teachings of Jesus. It is a hard road to adopt because there is much opposition from society around us and more from within us, as our sinful person (our “old man”), rebels against living the Jesus way. Luke 9:23, “Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me””. The Cross to which Jesus referred was His own, a place where He laid down His own life in obedience to His Father. We pilgrims also have crosses, where we have laid down our lives in following Jesus wherever He takes us on our journey to Glory. 

A Christian is someone who has been redeemed from slavery to sin. Through Christ, a Christian is justified—declared righteous—not by their own works, but by grace. Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us”. Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it”. These self-revealing verses mark the start of the Christian neophyte’s journey through life and form the basis of faith in God.

A born-again believer is a person in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. Acts 2:38 describes how the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit””. 1 Corinthians 6:19, “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? …”. Paul also wrote, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14), with the implication that those who are not led by the Spirit are somehow not part of His family. 

A Christian goes through a process of sanctification in their lives, as they become and behave more like Jesus and start to display the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” 

Finally, a Christian is adopted into God’s family. John 1:12-13, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God”. What a wonderful privilege it is to be a child of God. But as with all families, there are times of difficulty, and children will wander off and get into danger. We read the parable of the Prodigal Son, and become deeply touched by a picture of the Father waiting for the wayward child to return into His arms. God, our Father, is always there for us, the perfect Parent, who sadly but willingly lets His children follow their own ways, but who is always ready to welcome them home.

We pilgrims are children of God, followers of Jesus and a part of His family, both in this life and the life to come. We examine ourselves regularly, praying as David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24). God is faithful, and He will answer that prayer, because He loves us too much not to.

Dear Loving Heavenly Father. Please forgive us for our waywardness and rebellion. We are Your children, and we live our lives as representatives of You in our families and communities. Please help us to grow up and become more like Jesus, Your loving Son and our elder brother. In Your name we ask. Amen.

What It Means to Be a True Christian

Posted on by korgrocker

“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognise that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.”
2 Corinthians 13:5-6 NLT

Something here in our verses today will bring us up short and cause us to pause our lives while we ask ourselves a question. Am I a Christian with genuine faith? But before we can answer it, we have to define what it means to be a Christian. Many think being a Christian is all about following Christian morals and being a “good” person. Such people can go to a church on a Sunday, listen to the sermon, sing the hymns, and say the prayers, but somehow there is a lack of any connection with God. No relationship there, in the way that we pilgrims know God. Occasionally, a crisis will drive them to their knees, but for most of the time, they live their lives as they always have, sinful and unchanged. But being a Christian is more than that, as we shall see.

Paul asked the Corinthians to “examine themselves to see if [their] faith is genuine”. He went on to define genuine faith by saying that if they fail to understand that Jesus is among them, then they “have failed the test of genuine faith”. It’s all about Jesus. Paul implied that it was all about knowing Him and sensing His presence with them day by day. 

So, back to our question. Who or what is a Christian in the way that Paul was implying? From our verses today, Paul used the word “faith” twice, and that is a central principle in answering the question for ourselves. Unfortunately, the word “faith” has become corrupted today because it is used to define a number of different religions, by calling them “faiths”. So, according to the authorities, we live in a “multi-faith” society that includes Muslims, Hindus, and others, as well as Christians. There have even been ”multi-faith” services held in our churches, and our current King in the UK considers that he is the defender of “faiths” rather than being the traditional head of the Christian church, the defender of the faith. The University of Edinburgh goes further and offers not only “multi-faith” support for students but also offers seminars in fringe topics unfamiliar to us pilgrims, such as Yoga, mindfulness, and Tai Chi. Confusion reigns, therefore, over the use of the word “faith”. 

A Christian is someone who belongs to Jesus Christ, by trusting in Him, following Him, and being transformed by Him. So straight away, the Corinthians had a measure for their belief. Paul wrote in Romans 10:9-10, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved”. Is that something the Corinthians were doing, or had done? We don’t know, but we can apply this to ourselves. Jesus said that true believers in Him are “born again”. John 3:5, 7, “Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. … So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again’”. This is a divisive verse amongst Christian communities today, because many fail to understand what this really means about their faith. The wording “being born again” even causes offence to some people because it implies a radical experience of salvation. But it is a spiritual process, sometimes rapid, as it was with Paul on the Damascus road, or gradual over a period of time, as it was with C S Lewis. Regardless of the way we pilgrims came to believe in Jesus, the reality of our faith in Him prevails. 

For the Christians in Corinth, it appears that some subversive elements had crept in, something that was probably not unheard of in those days. The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here” (1 John 4:1-3). These verses from John complement the verses that Paul wrote to the Corinthians, and again the word “test” appears. And straight away, we can think of churches today that fail this test. For example, I can think of a cult that only believes that Jesus was a prophet, and yet they call themselves “Christian”. 

There are other characteristics of Christianity that we must continue at another time, but in the meantime, we declare that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour. We love Him and worship Him because of who He is and what He has done for us.

Dear Heavenly Father. We thank You for Jesus and His sacrificial death on Calvary’s Cross. We fall on our knees before Him today, in love and adoration. Amen.

Paul’s Third Visit: Testimony and Warning

Posted on by korgrocker

“This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”). I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, that next time I will not spare them.”
2 Corinthians 13:1-2 NLT

We begin the last chapter of 2 Corinthians considering what Paul is intending to do in this, his third visit to the church in Corinth. The sinning amongst the believers will be his focus when he arrives, and he issued a warning in advance, probably in the hope that all would be sorted out by the time he gets to Corinth. Paul had obviously heard things about the goings-on in the church and reassured them that he wouldn’t act just on one person’s testimony. Paul quoted Deuteronomy 19:15, “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”. This common-sense principle still underpins our legal system today, and the prosecution of anyone in the “dock” accused of a crime will need evidence that is backed up by a variety of factors, one of which is the importance of multi-witness testimony.

There were twelve men who spent three years of so in the company of Jesus, and in that time they were convinced that Jesus was who He said He was, the Son of God. And they continued through the rest of their lives suffering greatly for their testimony about who he was. Before the Sanhedrin, Peter said, “Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 4:10). This was a testimony that silenced the High Council, and we read, “But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say” (Acts 4:14). In this case, Peter was the witness and his testimony was boldly proclaimed and backed up by the miracle that had taken place. We can just imagine the religious hierarchy staring at Peter open-mouthed, for once silenced by such indisputable evidence. There was nothing in their law book that could cope with this. And Acts 4:33 recorded “The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all”. 

The Gospels are full of the works and sayings of Jesus, and they were witnessed by His disciples and many others at the time. Paul wrote, “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:3-7). Lawyers today have examined the available evidence for the death and resurrection of Jesus and have concluded that there was sufficient to meet the threshold of achieving a positive confirmation of the truth of it. So why is it that people still won’t believe in Jesus? Evidence from far more than the required “two or three” exists.

People don’t believe in Jesus because it is a deliberate act of their will to deny the truth. They know that if they do believe in the evidence, then they will have to make some changes in their lives. Big changes for some, if not most, and in the verses we are considering today, the biggest issue is that of sin. Sin is defined as rebellion against God and His ways, but mis- and disinformation conspires to cover it up, or call it something else. Blame for sinful behaviour is apportioned to a number of factors, such as upbringing, social circumstances, or a popular one today – mental health. These are all valid to a greater or lesser degree, and they play a big part in defining who a person is, but they only mask the fundamental problem. I met a man the other day with a bright yellow sweatshirt emblazoned with the strap line “ADHD is not a lifestyle choice”. It probably isn’t – I’m not qualified to express even an opinion – but I worship a God who is bigger than any human condition, and we pilgrims know that He can take the weakest human being and turn them into a mighty man or woman of God. Paul wrote, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). God uses people who are weak, powerless, inadequate, uneducated, even sick, physically or mentally, to witness for Him. I have a dear friend who was hospitalised for some weeks recently with a heart condition, but even in his distress, he made sure that all the doctors and nurses knew about his faith in Jesus.

We pilgrims are counted amongst the “two or three” swelling the numbers who witness for Jesus into an uncountable multitude. And yet there are many more who do not know Him, and we have to tell them that they will perish in their sins unless they make the right choice to follow and believe in Jesus. What else can we do, other than tell people about God’s love and grace, about how he sent His Son, Jesus, to die for everyone, taking on their sins and taking on Himself the punishment for what was legally ours? 

Dear Heavenly Father. We understand that we are Your witnesses here in this sad and dying world, and we pray that we will get opportunities to declare “the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” whenever we can. In Your precious name we pray. Amen.

Confronting Sin in the Corinthian Church

Posted on by korgrocker

“Perhaps you think we’re saying these things just to defend ourselves. No, we tell you this as Christ’s servants, and with God as our witness. Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you. For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarrelling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behaviour. Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.”
2 Corinthians 12:19-21 NLT

The Corinthians must have been a rowdy lot, if Paul’s fears were realised. In fact, it is a surprise that there was a church there at all. Perhaps they were trying to realise the best of both worlds, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world, but as we know, the two are incompatible. Earlier in this letter, Paul wrote, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). Perhaps they had heard about the Laodiceans, suffering from the same apostasy, and we read what Jesus said about them, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (Revelation 3:15-16). The same incompatibility was in Jesus’ mind, I’m sure, when he said, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money” (Matthew 6:24). If the Corinthians were in fact trying to still live in their old, sinful ways, as well as pursue the things of God, then they were in for a shock, because Paul would have to confront it when he arrived for his third visit. 

Of course, in our churches today, the people would not have the same dichotomy, being “nice” people not guilty of any of the “crimes” Paul wrote about, such as “quarrelling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behaviour”. I’m sure the believers in Corinth knew that such behaviour was wrong and sinful, just the same as we would, but there it was bubbling away in the background, under the surface, but still visible to the Spirit-led gaze of Paul and his colleagues. One of the behavioural problems Paul wrote about was sexual immorality. In those days, without access to pornographic material, either in print form or internet-based, sexual sins would have been very visible, although largely accepted, or even encouraged, by the pagan societies in Greece. Today, the same sin exists, even within men of God, either in leadership or in the pews, who act out their secret lives, hoping that they will never be caught. So on a Sunday, the “nice” people worship together, but terrible things can happen when no one else is around. 

Another sin Paul mentioned was gossip. The sin of talking negatively about another person, criticising them, and even making up things about them that aren’t true. And gossip is not just a thing between people who know each other. It also takes place on social media, with sad people hiding behind a keyboard and the relative anonymity offered by pseudonyms and hidden accounts. 

So, in a nutshell, the problems Paul feared in the Corinthian church were no different from the problems that lie beneath the surface in our modern churches today. I have been in a public meeting when sinful behaviour was called out from the pulpit, but it is a rare occasion today. 

Paul’s complaint was that many of the Corinthians “[had] not given up [their] old sins. [They] [had] not repented of [their] impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure”. As believers in Jesus, there was a time when we came to the foot of the Cross and repented of our sins. So started a journey we call sanctification, as we gradually, and painfully slowly at times, cleaned up our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit, and under God’s Fatherly gaze. It was the same with the Corinthians, but it seemed that their journey was having a problem getting off the starting blocks. I’m sure that this was not a universal problem with the Corinthians, but there was still a worldly element in the church there. 

Today, there are some denominations that have allowed worldliness to enter their churches, as they preach a liberal doctrine that, in some cases, even denies the truth of Scripture. We pilgrims all know what that is and how it is leading to the decline of once-proud and effective beacons of light for the Gospel and our wonderful Jesus, with worldly doctrines that are dividing and destroying fellowship and subverting the purity of the Word and the Good News about Jesus. 

Paul had no choice other than to confront the sinful behaviour of the Corinthians, and through the Holy Spirit gifts that he had access to (as we all do), he would have been able to put his finger on those who were the culprits, not with a view to putting them out of the church (even though that had happened before), but with a view to restoring them back into the fellowship of believers. Paul’s advice to the Corinthians in his first letter was in fact to evict a blatant sinner from their midst: “Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. … God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, ‘You must remove the evil person from among you’” (1 Corinthians 5:5, 13). But Paul was after restoration and repentance, so that the church could be strengthened and able to continue in the way of the Lord. 

Today we pilgrims must always try to align our lives to that of Jesus, adopting the Biblical truths that set out God’s ways rather than man’s. There is no other way. Liberal doctrines and worldly practices have no place in our churches and fellowships; all that matters is God’s truth.

Dear Father God. We proclaim Your Gospel message of repentance in a world of sin and evil. We want to be pure and holy in Your sight, now and forever. Amen.

Understanding Paul’s Thorn: Lessons in Humility

Posted on by korgrocker

“If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.”
2 Corinthians 12:6-8 NLT

I wonder what Paul saw and heard in Heaven. We don’t really have a clue about what is there, although Jesus called it Paradise. Revelation gives us a few glimpses of what John saw there, with a door opening for him to reveal a throne with the One sitting on it, appearing as brilliant as gemstones. There was a sea of glass, an emerald rainbow, flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder. Elders, 24 of them, wore gold crowns and white robes. Living creatures were there constantly singing a hymn of praise to God. But this was all that John could describe in a brief glimpse of Heaven. Paul had a similar experience, being “ … caught up to paradise and [where he] heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell” (2 Corinthians 12:4). John was told to write down his experience, but Paul was commanded not to. It’s possible that Paul saw what eternity would be like and now knew things the rest of humanity could never know. Such an immeasurable gift would have given Paul seemingly limitless confidence to keep preaching, despite terrible suffering. It also gave him the perspective that such suffering in this life was not worth comparing to the glory of eternity. 

A lesser person than Paul would have become puffed up with pride and would have gone through his life boasting about his experiences. After all, if someone today meets a special person, such as a royal, or a famous actor or actress, they make sure everyone knows about their experience. So just in case, Paul “… was given a thorn in [his] flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment [him] and keep [him] from becoming proud” (2 Corinthians 12:7). What would this have been? The imagery Paul creates here is that of a sharp object, like a sharp piece of wood, stabbed into his body, unable to be removed, bringing chronic pain and discomfort. Paul attributed it to it being a “messenger of satan”, and we read that he begged the Lord to take it away from him. It was something that he was constantly aware of, but it was not so debilitating that his ministry was affected. 

There has been much speculation by scholars and theologians about what Paul’s thorn was, with suggestions that it was his eyesight. We know from Galatians 6:11 that his writing had to be enlarged to make it visible to him. We also know from Acts 23 that Paul had a problem in trying to discern who the high priest was amongst the gathered members of the Sanhedrin, perhaps due to his poor eyesight. Then there are some who think he might have had a tremor of some kind, such as a friend of mine has. 1 Corinthians 2:3, “I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling”. Perhaps Paul had a problem articulating his words in a way that could be easy to listen to or understand. 2 Corinthians 10:10, “For some say, ‘Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!’”. But this is all speculation, and we won’t know what his “thorn” was until we can ask him ourselves one day. 

But whatever the cause, Paul had a physical condition that kept him from becoming proud about his wonderful experience in the Third Heaven, a place he referred to as paradise. Paul was therefore continually in a state of humility, knowing that God had allowed something to happen to him for a purpose. We should also note that Paul attributed his condition to satan, meaning that God had given him permission to cause him some distress. We know that this can happen, because of the story of Job. We read in Job 1:10-12 the account of a conversation between satan and God about Job, and satan complained, “You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence”. Nothing happened to Paul by the devil without God’s permission, and we can assume the same. Why would God allow such an attack from the enemy? If it were against us, we could assume it was for our higher good, as it was with Paul. In Hebrews 12:6 we read, “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child”. It is possible that the devil would be allowed to assist in this process.

If any of us pilgrims are living with a physical condition that is debilitating or unwelcome, we must never assume that it is a “thorn in our flesh” as it was in the case of Paul, or given to us by satan. We live in a fallen world, and sin will sometimes be manifested through illness or disease. But whatever the situation, we learn to look up rather than inward, because it is only as we see God and perhaps catch a glimpse of the Third Heaven that we can find the strength to continue in our lives here on Planet Earth. 

Dear Father God. We confess our sins before You today. Please forgive us for our moaning and complaining. Instead, we pray for a glimpse of Heaven to sustain us through Your Spirit, in our years ahead. Thank You. Amen.

Receiving Credit: God’s Perspective vs. Worldly Views

Posted on by korgrocker

“But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell. That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message,”
2 Corinthians 12:4-6 NLT

What do we pilgrims get credit for? It starts with our goals and aims in life, so a student will get credit for passing an exam, or an athlete for winning a medal. Someone with an unblemished payment record will be assigned a good credit score and, similarly, will be eligible for a credit card. In our employment, a good worker will be credited with a pay rise. A good preacher will receive credit for their oratorical skills or perhaps for their knowledge of the Bible. Receiving credit for something brings with it a glow of self-importance or self-satisfaction. But these are all worldly examples, and they do not apply in God’s Kingdom, where self-promotion is never valued. It is only God who gets the glory. 

In Genesis 15, we can read the story of Abraham and the covenant God made with him. It started with a vision which we can read about in Genesis 15:1, “Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great’”. But this was a problem for Abraham because he had no heir to his wealth, and he was concerned that it might instead go to one of his servants. But there then came the promise, “Then the Lord said to him, ‘No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir’” (Genesis 15:4). And just to confirm His promise, “… the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, ‘Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!’”. How would we have responded in such a scenario? Here was Abraham getting close to 100 years old, with a wife not far behind, barren as well,  and yet God was promising a son? I would think it would have been a miracle if the old couple were having sexual relations at that age, let alone seeing the fruit of it with a child. And yet we read in verse 6, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness”. 

There are many spiritual blessings that we are credited with, not the least our salvation. And we mustn’t forget the physical blessings we receive as well, all credited to anyone created by God. So we have the environment around us, in a world just right to sustain the lives God has populated this planet with. We have our life, our health, our families, food on our tables, homes and clothing. God has credited us with many blessings. And all these things are there for us through God’s love and grace.

But back to Paul. He had much to boast about, with his vision of being taken up into the Third Heaven. Not many people, if any, can boast about such a thing. However, Paul wasn’t going there, and instead, he only wanted credit for the things he was doing for God and what God had done in his life. He didn’t even want to make claims about this, preferring to let people see it in the way he lived and acted, and through what he said. So it should be the same for us pilgrims. Self-promotion may be the way of those living a worldly life, but it is not the way for Christians. Paul was a very humble man, and he encouraged believers to be the same. He wrote, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:3-5). Jesus said to His disciples, “… 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). 

We pilgrims, to our credit, believe in God. The Apostles creed starts with “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth”. But it doesn’t stop there. A bit further down we read, “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord”. And it finishes, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting”. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our Trinitarian God, the One we worship. And every time we speak out that creed, believing what we are saying in our hearts, then our faith brings us credit with God. 

Dear Heavenly Father. We do believe, but please forgive us for the times when we have doubts and waver in our faith. Thank You for Your many blessings and provision, Your love and grace. And Your patience with us. Amen.