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Arthur Pigdon Seeds of the Spirit (2001) |
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This question was asked in the context of a discussion on immorality and it was presented as an argument against prostitution. Verse 15 shows how unthinkable this is for a Christian. Apart from hunger for food, the urge for sexual expression is probably the strongest urge we experience. In one sense it is the citadel of the soul, because if Satan can bring about our downfall in this area of great vulnerability he has breached our moral defences and obtained the beginnings of control over us. So often a moral lapse is the beginning of a drift from the Lord and the fellowship of his church. If it occurs, we should not try to 'bluff it out' but go into damage control mode immediately. King David loved the Lord but failed him at this point. Psalm 51:1-17 is the record of his confession, his petition for forgiveness and request that God would not take his Holy Spirit away from him. God undoubtedly forgave his sin but he could not escape the long-term effects or the loss of his throne. When the Holy Spirit comes to abide in our body it becomes his body also and God's temple. We belong to him and by our commitment to him we have given him control over our body. What a privilege and what a trust that our body is the temple of God's Spirit. |
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Today's reading reminds us that we will be subject to temptation throughout our lives. Israel's temptation only really began after they left their Egyptian bondage, and after their 'baptism' in the sea, which marked the beginning of their new life. Jesus underwent a period of temptation following his baptism. The temptation to follow our own inclination and the ways of unbelievers around us never leaves us. Many who begin the walk with Christ yield to some particular temptation, then another, then another, and so progressively turn back to the bondage of Satan. Paul cites examples of Israel's sins 'to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did'. Did you notice that grumbling was a major point where they failed? Grumbling opens the door to Satan. It is good to give praise to God whatever the circumstances. Verse 13 reminds us that God's Spirit within us gives us power to resist any temptation that beckons us. In the spiritual tug of war God's Spirit within us grasps the rope by which we are being pulled over the line and pulls us to victory. But we must call on him for help. |
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The believers at Corinth had no established church organisation to provide a pattern for their worship. When Jesus established the Lord's Supper it was at the conclusion of a meal. The Corinthians were also making it part of a normal meal, each eating their own food, hence some ate lavishly and others frugally. Paul had to remind them that there was a simple ritual pattern to follow and, in particular, the Lord's Supper was a reminder that they were participants in the new covenant made possible through Christ's death. The purpose of the Supper was to remind them that Christ had died for them--it was in memory of him. Paul refers to the unworthy manner in which they were observing the Supper, not unworthiness within themselves. No one is worthy--it is only sinners who partake of the Lord's Supper. Nevertheless, he says, 'A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.' (verse 28) He calls them, and us, to focus on the significance of the ritual being performed. Verse 30 is ambiguous. It may be taken literally but probably is a reference to the unhealthy spiritual state of those who fail to use worship, and especially the Lord's Supper, as a means of spiritual discipline. |
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It is necessary to read the whole chapter to get Paul's full teaching on spiritual gifts. The gifts of the Spirit are distinct from the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) All believers should give evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives by manifesting the fruits of the Spirit but not all will experience the gifts of the Spirit. Neither can we expect that any or all of these gifts will be available to everyone. The Spirit gives them 'as he determines'. When they are given they are not for that person's private use but 'for the common good'. It is unscriptural to expect that every believer ought to get messages of wisdom or words of knowledge or have the ability to prophesy or speak in tongues, or interpret, or have a healing ministry. Note that no one is given the gift of healing but that 'healings' is plural. It is the Spirit himself who retains the power to heal and each healing is a gift from him. The potential for all these gifts is always with believers but is not always realised. Verses 27-30 make it plain that the Spirit shares his gifts among the believers but that no one can expect to exercise a particular gift, nor should they consider themselves an inferior Christian if they receive none of the gifts. But all receive the greatest of God's gifts, the gift of love. |
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Have you ever wondered why chapter 13 is so universally acclaimed? It strikes a responsive chord in the human heart. We all instinctively recognise that to have love in our heart towards others is more important than all the other human achievements we often rate so highly. To be able to exercise one of the gifts of the Spirit can easily lead to spiritual pride and a feeling of superiority over those who do not have the gift. Jesus never mentioned spiritual gifts, nor did he command us to exercise them, but he did say 'By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.' (John 13:35) Paul exalts love above prophecy, knowledge, faith and martyrdom. He says that the very essence of love is that it is not self-seeking. The need for prophecies, tongues and knowledge will pass away but love is eternal. Paul says that to exalt the gifts of the Spirit as more important than loving others is childish. Only when we have learned to love all people under all circumstances have we become spiritually mature. Faith in Christ is important, our hope of eternal life is also important, but loving God and others is the most important of all. |
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This is another case where it is important to read the whole chapter. Well does Paul say, 'If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.' (verse 19) The hope of the resurrection and belief in a future life is the single most distinguishing feature of the Christian faith. Unbelievers are materialists and live for pleasure and possessions because they think this is the only life they will ever have. The resurrection of Jesus changed all our values overnight. It gave life a totally new dimension. Christ has conferred on all believers the hope of eternal life. To Martha, he said, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.' (John 11:25) So Jesus has not abolished physical death. 'Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.' (verse 50) We are told, 'If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.' (verse 44) We should also read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 where Paul likens our present body to a temporary tent and our future 'body' to an eternal house. Our physical bodies will wear out and we will leave them behind like old unwanted clothes, but we will continue to live on in the spiritual realm with Christ. |
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There are five different and important aspects of our faith in this short passage; they are found in verses 15, 17, 19, 20 and 21. We have chosen two to comment on. The RSV translation of verse 19 reads, 'God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself'. Since there is only one God, and God is a unity expressed as Father, Son and Spirit, it is important to realise that God did not stand apart from the ministry and death of Jesus, but the Eternal Spirit clothed himself in flesh and entered the stream of human suffering, enduring the humiliation of rejection and crucifixion himself. The second great truth presented here is that God has entrusted us with proclaiming the message of reconciliation. God did his part, now we must do ours and become his voice, hands, feet and purse. Paul calls us Christ's ambassadors--we represent God to the kingdoms of earth, and our churches are his embassies in the world. In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself and now our message to the world is, 'Be reconciled to God.' (verse 20) Today we live in a world in conflict. Our greatest need is reconciliation within families, within society, and between nations. This will not happen unless people are first reconciled to God. |
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Chapters 8 and 9 lay down the principles of giving for the Lord's work. There are six aspects of giving. (1) Jesus' example: 'Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor so that . . . you might become rich.' (8:9) (2) Give ourselves first, 'They gave themselves first to the Lord.' (8:5) The Lord wants us more than our money. (3) The desire to give is more important than the amount. 'The gift is acceptable according to what one has.' (8:12) (4) The amount of any gift should be deliberately decided, 'what he has decided in his heart to give'. (9:7) We should not give impulsively, or casually. Our giving should be proportionate to our income. Paul makes no mention of tithing. Paul's silence about it, both here and elsewhere, is clear evidence that he did not teach tithing to the Gentile churches as an obligation. (5) We should give cheerfully, 'God loves a cheerful giver.' (9:7) If our offering has become a burden we should reduce it to the point where it is a joy to give what we can afford. (6) Blessing is proportionate to the sacrifice we make (not the amount). 'Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.' (9:6, 8, 11) A gift is always just that, a love offering. |
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The identification of the believer with Christ is one of the most ennobling concepts in the New Testament. Paul's conversion was dramatic and his commitment to Christ total. He says, 'I have been crucified with Christ'. (verse 20) He speaks of being united with Christ in his death and says, 'Our old self was crucified with him so that . . . we should no longer be slaves to sin'. (Romans 6:6) He concludes, 'Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.' (Romans 6:11) This death to sin and self is the prerequisite for one to say 'I no longer live but Christ lives in me.' Christ, the holy one, cannot co-exist with sin; he can only live in the believer who truly dies to sin. It is not presumption for us to say, 'Christ lives in me,' but it would need to be backed up by a Christ-like life or we would not be believed. Paul prays for the Ephesians that they may be filled with all the fulness of God and reminds them that by the power at work in them Christ was able to do 'immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine'. (Ephesians 3:20) What a vision to set before the newly baptised believer. This is the path to victory over sin and to a life of effective service for the Lord. No longer I, but Christ living in me. |
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The letter to the church at Galatia was written to assure Gentile converts that they were not obliged to observe Jewish laws and ritual. Abraham received covenant promises from God 430 years before the law was given through Moses. It was his faith in these promises that made him righteous, not his obedience to the law. So Galatians 3:8 says that in like manner, God would justify the Gentiles through their faith. And Galatians 3:14 tells us that the blessing given to Abraham is available to Gentiles through Jesus Christ. Verse 18 concludes that our inheritance through Christ depends on the grace of God and the divine promises and not on observance of the law. Verse 29 links Gentile believers to Abraham and makes them participants in God's covenant--they are not linked to Moses and the laws given at Sinai. These were exclusively for Jews. Therefore, it is wrong for Christians to apply every Old Testament statement to themselves. The Old Testament is important as historical background and for the moral standards it teaches. These issues were settled at the Jerusalem conference (Acts 15) and they are explained in more detail in Hebrews. The New Testament only is the book of doctrine for Christian believers. |
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To be led by the Spirit is the secret for living a Christ-like life. The work of the Holy Spirit is to reproduce Christ's nature within us. In verse 16 it says, 'Live by the Spirit.' In Romans 8:5 we are told that 'those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires'. We can consciously set our mind on whatever we choose. We can focus our thoughts. But how can we know what God's Spirit wants us to do and be? There are two ways--the teaching of Jesus and the apostles clearly presented for us in the New Testament and the inner witness of the Spirit within our own hearts. I like verse 25, which says, 'Let us keep in step with the Spirit.' So having crucified our sinful nature and its expressions listed in verses 19-21 we are to allow the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts and actions and produce the fruit of his own lovely personality. The nine fruits of character listed in verse 22 stand in sharp contrast to these features of our sinful nature. Which kind of person would you rather be? It is no good blaming our parents for our natures because it is within our power to crucify and put to death that old nature. (See Philippians 3:5-14.) If Christ is enthroned and made Lord of our life he will make us anew. |
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The New Testament speaks of two mysteries--the mystery of iniquity and the mystery of godliness. The Greek word for 'mystery' does not mean something impossible to understand but a secret known only to the initiated. God's activity in the world is not incomprehensible but he reveals his will and plans only to those whom he considers worthy of his confidence--to those who have been 'predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will'. (1:11) The book of Ephesians places much emphasis on the purpose and plan of God. The words 'chose' and 'predestined' are used, but always with the plural 'we' or 'us'. God has not predestined individuals to be saved and others to be rejected--he has predestined that out of the Gentile nations the believers will become a chosen and predestined people. It is 'in Christ' that we are predestined to be God's chosen people. He says, 'You were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth.' (1:13) The gospel invitation includes all and excludes none. By our response of faith and obedience we are included among those whom God has predestined to be with him in his kingdom. |
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This whole chapter is so rich in its teaching that it is difficult to select any one verse. It sharply points up the contrast between those who are privileged to be God's people and those who follow the spirit of disobedience. In verse 1 Paul says, 'You were dead in your transgressions.' Gentile unbelievers were 'excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world'. (verse 12) This is the state of all unbelievers. Foreigners and aliens have no rights--only citizenship confers rights. In verses 4-9 Paul shows how it was the love and mercy and grace of God that reached out, through Christ, to make us citizens of the kingdom of God. The parenthesis in verse 8, which includes the words 'the gift of God', has introduced an ambiguity here leading some to think that faith also is a gift of God. It is salvation that is God's gift. Faith is the instrument by which we lay hold of the situation that God's grace has provided. Grammatically, 'this' cannot refer to faith because it is in the neuter form and in Greek nouns and adjectives must agree. Faith is our response to the grace of God. |
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Paul, like Jesus, was always concerned to maintain a spirit of unity among the disciples. He urged them to be humble, gentle, patient and forbearing with one another. He was also concerned for the growth in maturity of all disciples. The ideal he sets before us is that we should attain to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ. The expression, 'the fulness of Christ', refers to the moral perfection of Christ. We may never attain this high objective but it is good that we should have such a worthy ideal set before us. To help us grow to spiritual maturity Christ has gifted various members of the church with the different skills listed in our text. Verses 15 and 16 show the ideal situation where the gifts of the Spirit are exercised for the benefit of all. We are encouraged to speak the truth in love. We wilt under a critical comment but we grow and blossom when the truth is spoken in love. Paul uses the analogy of the body, where each organ mutually contributes to the whole body. The church 'builds itself up in love, as each part does its work'. (verse 16) You may feel that your contribution is tiny, but so is a raindrop, yet each tiny raindrop contributes to our beautiful harvests. |
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The statement, 'Be filled with the Spirit,' is contrasted with being drunk with wine. In both cases there is a freeing of the spirit but, instead of the bawdy songs of the drunkard, the Spirit expresses joy in songs of praise and worship. It has been said that Christianity is the only singing religion but Judaism also has its hymns of praise. Psalm 150 shows us that every kind of musical instrument was used in the worship of God. Every revival movement within the church has been accompanied by a revival of singing and a creative phase of song-writing. The famous singing miners of Wales and their wonderful male choirs were the result of the Welsh revival earlier this century. So we are encouraged to sing and make music in our hearts to the Lord. How can anyone fail to be filled with joy when they consider the wonderful love, goodness and promises of God? Paul urges the Ephesians to be 'always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'. (verse 20) Christian hymns and songs enshrine the essential doctrines of our faith, they lift our spirits and they express our adoration to our wonderful Lord. |
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The real struggle of good and evil that goes on continuously in this world is not just between human beings. It is a struggle between the Spirit of God and the spirit of Satan. These spiritual forces inhabit and use people, pitting them against each other. The same struggle also goes on within each person. Fortunately, it is an unequal struggle. God is the Supreme Being who has power over Satan. Whenever Jesus commanded evil spirits to come out of a demon-possessed person they had to obey him. Satan could only do to Job what God gave him permission to do. God will yet bind Satan and destroy him forever. In verse 10 we are told that our strength is 'in the Lord and in his mighty power'. We are to combat Satan with truth, righteousness, readiness, faith and a knowledge of God's word, which we can use as Jesus did when he was tempted by Satan. The other weapon we have is prayer. 'Pray in the Spirit on all occasions.' 'Keep on praying for all the saints.' 'Pray for me.' (verses 18-19) Prayer enlists the wisdom and power of God on our behalf. Do not underestimate the subtlety and power of evil but do not fear Satan for the presence and power of the risen Christ is with us always. |
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It is a surprise to us that one of the major characteristics of the eternal God who is Lord of the universe is humility. This is strikingly exemplified in his Son, Jesus Christ, who had the nature of God yet chose to relinquish his exalted status to live on earth as a man. He 'made himself nothing', which in the Greek is literally, 'He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave.' He humbled himself yet further by submitting to the humiliating death of crucifixion. Paul presents this as an example for us to follow. He says, 'Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,' (verse 5) and adds, 'Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.' How different this is to the spirit of self-exaltation and status seeking we often find in life. Jesus said to his disciples, 'Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.' (Matthew 11:29) The missionary Charlie Studd said, 'If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.' People often despise but God esteems those who are humble in spirit. Jesus' love for us is so great that he was even prepared to accept the humiliation of a criminal's punishment of death on a cross. |
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Oh how we wish we could forget some things from the past, but we cannot. Is Paul suggesting the impossible? The word 'forgetting' he uses means not only to have a lapse of memory but can also mean to disregard, to suppress or to wilfully forget. It would appear that Paul is saying that he has put away, or disregarded, the fact that he was once a persecutor of Christians and is not allowing it to hinder his commitment to the work to which Christ has called him. Peter also had to 'forget' his threefold denial of Christ. Our past will always be recorded in our mind but we must disregard it and not allow it to be a handicap for our present effectiveness. We need to have a goal to provide a purpose in life, something that gives the ordinary daily tasks of life meaning as they contribute to that goal. Paul put the past behind him and was 'straining toward what is ahead'. He says, 'I press on.' We all need to 'forget' the past and 'press on' towards some purpose beyond ourselves. Paul looked forward to the prize. 'There is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord . . . will award to me . . . and to all who have longed for his appearing.' (2 Timothy 4:18) |
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We all suffer from anxiety at times. We become anxious when our security is threatened. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus sought to allay our fears and anxieties by assuring us that our Heavenly Father would care for us just as he cares for sparrows and wild flowers. He urged us to put God first and our normal temporal needs would be met. We are to give thought to an immediate, pressing problem, but we are not to worry or be anxious about it. We are to bring the matter to the Lord in prayer and make our petitions and requests to him, believing that he knows our needs and will provide an answer. Jesus said, 'Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you'. (Matthew 7:7) We are also to give thanks to God for his blessings. It is hard to worry when your heart is full of gratitude for present blessings. The result will be that our anxiety will be replaced with a peace that comes from God that will guard our minds from further anxiety. In addition we are urged to 'rejoice in the Lord always'. Joy is one of God's best gifts. Anxiety cannot live in the heart that is full of gratitude for God's goodness. Praise lifts the spirit and glorifies God. |
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What wonderful advice this is. It has been said, 'Sow a thought and reap an action, sow an action and reap a habit, sow a habit and reap a character, sow a character and reap a destiny.' We need to be careful about the thoughts we 'entertain', i. e., invite into our minds and allow to take up residence there. We put 'no junk mail' on our letter boxes and we ought to put 'no junk thoughts' on our minds. Thoughts mainly enter through our eyes or our ears. Our television sets deliver a constant stream of junk programs. We need to be very selective. If we look at pornographic pictures it will lead to pornographic actions. If we hear racist and hate propaganda often enough some will probably be accepted by our mind. Learn to think true, noble, right, pure and lovely thoughts. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy we are to dwell on such things. What a beautiful person we will become if we always look for the good qualities in others instead of thinking and talking critically. There are a lot of aspects of our lives over which we have no control but we have control over our thoughts. We are responsible for our thoughts. |
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To these wonderfully explicit statements about the person of Christ we could add, 'No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.' (John 1:18, RSV) The writer of Hebrews expresses the same thought when he says, 'The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being.' (Hebrews 1:3) In the light of these and many other texts the doctrine of the divinity of Christ is firmly established. It is impossible to regard Jesus as only a man and a prophet on a level with the other Jewish prophets. He is unique. For the first time, we are given a close-up portrait of our Creator. In the attitudes and actions of Jesus we are able to see into the mind and heart of God. And what do we see? An understanding, compassionate, forgiving, self-sacrificing, suffering Father and a humble Son who uses his miraculous powers only for the relief of human suffering. In Jesus we see goodness personified. How can we fail to love him with all our heart and soul? Let us be like Thomas and worship him declaring, 'My Lord and my God!' |
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Yesterday we saw that God was in Christ; today we see that Christ is in us. The idea that God has his residence somewhere beyond the sky is not tenable. God, the eternal Spirit, dwelt within a human body as God the Son, then came to dwell in the human bodies of those who believed and received him as God the Holy Spirit. And so the wonderful truth is that the Spirit of the Christ of Nazareth, and of the Father, actually has his residence in our hearts and minds and is our hope of future glory. This is the message we are to proclaim. We are to teach the whole plan of salvation to everyone, warning everyone that God has no other plan for their salvation except through Jesus Christ. As we proclaim this message we are to use wisdom and present it in such a way that it does not give offence, but will appeal to the universal needs of people. Our ultimate purpose is to become mature in Christ. Paul is very definite that the spiritual maturity is brought about by Christ in us. Notice how he says in verse 29, 'I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.' Read verse 27 again noting that the mystery is 'Christ in you, the hope of glory'. |
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Most of Paul's letters deal with some aspect of Christian doctrine in the early part but in the latter part they deal with specific behaviour. This chapter is a good example. He says that we are to set our minds on the things of God not on the things the world seeks and values. He gives us two lists, which elsewhere he calls the works of the flesh and the works of the Spirit. We are to put to death the former and put on the latter. Even without being told we know that the things in the first list are wrong and those in the second list are superior and commendable. God has done for us what we could not do but there are some things we must do for ourselves. We must choose the kind of person we want to be. We are responsible for the kind of person we are. Some try to blame their parents, or genes or circumstances, but these are only excuses. At every moment of our lives we stand at the crossroads. We can choose to be immoral or pure, compassionate or angry, kind or slanderous, forgiving or wanting vengeance. Our choices will be determined by where we 'set our hearts'. If we ask Jesus Christ into our life he will change our whole attitude. This one decision will decide all the other choices for us. |
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Those who are called to leadership in the church are to feel the same responsibility for the Christians in their care as mothers or fathers feel for their own children. Paul says, 'We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.' (verse 7) The word 'pastor' literally means one who feeds the sheep. Paul gave great attention to nurturing his converts. People become believers and disciples by a single choice, but it takes a lifetime to grow to be a mature Christian. We need a lot of encouraging, teaching, comforting and urging to hold firmly to the faith in testing circumstances. Example is an important part of this shepherding process. Paul reminds the Thessalonians 'how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you'. (verse 10) He also reminds them that they must expect to be misunderstood and perhaps persecuted. Those who taught that believing Gentiles should observe the Jewish laws created much division in the early churches. But we need not depend only on our leaders. We can nourish ourselves on the scriptures and support and encourage each other in the faith. We can all share in a ministry of encouragement. |
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This elevation of work to a Christian virtue has given rise to the Christian work ethic. Paul wrote elsewhere, 'If a man will not work, neither let him eat.' Work was considered degrading for people of position in Paul's day--it was a slave's role. Jesus' teaching and example ennobled even the humble task of footwashing. He said that he did not come to be ministered to but to minister. Some people have the view that pleasure is the real end in life and work is a necessary evil. These people miss the satisfying sense of achievement that comes from completing a task with conscientious thoroughness and a quality result. When we do our work, as to the Lord, and not to others, we find real meaning and purpose in the humblest tasks. We scarcely need the compensation of pleasure, for we find total satisfaction in our work. But few jobs are so perfect. Some people, unfortunately, have not found an employer and it is right that a society that cannot employ them should support them. This is not charity, it is our duty. We need to equip ourselves with specific skills and prayerfully ask the Lord to open an opportunity for us to serve our generation. |
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The return of Christ has always been one of the major doctrines of the church. His return will mark the end of the church age and usher in the end time. His coming will be accompanied by 'the trumpet call of God'. It will be a public and visible return. Those who died 'in Christ' will be raised first. This is the first resurrection spoken of in Revelation 20:6. They are called blessed because they do not experience the 'second death'. After they are raised the believers still living will be 'caught up' to meet the Lord in the air. In case anyone is wondering if they would be able to achieve 'lift off' in that momentous moment it is reassuring to know that the Greek word translated 'caught up' means to be seized irresistibly, suddenly and forcibly. We do not have to rise up of ourselves; we are caught up by the power of the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 15:51 we are told also that we will 'be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet'. 'So we will be with the Lord forever.' (1 Thessalonians 4:17) We are reminded that this event will be both sudden and unexpected, so we are warned always to be ready. |
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In the previous reading the emphasis was on believers. Here it is on the fate of unbelievers. This passage needs to be read carefully regarding their punishment. They are not punished in blazing fire, but it is Jesus who comes 'in blazing fire'. God's presence is often symbolised by fire. The punishment of unbelievers is 'everlasting destruction'. They are 'shut out from the presence of the Lord'. Compare the five foolish virgins of the parable who were shut out of the wedding. (See also Luke 13:23-28 and Revelation 22:14-15.) These passages make it quite plain that not everybody will have a place in the kingdom of God. Jesus says that when the door is shut, i. e., when this gospel era closes, some will find themselves 'outside'. And because humans are not immortal, but only attain immortality by linking their lives with Jesus Christ, those who, by reason of their rejection, neglect or unbelief find themselves outside, have no future. Paul says their lot is eternal destruction. God told Adam that if he was disobedient he would die. The wicked do not live forever--they die forever. |
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Paul here gives some details about the last days that are not revealed elsewhere. Christ's coming will be preceded by a period of rebellion, or apostasy, when people will turn away from faith in God. Into this spiritual vacuum will come the Antichrist, claiming to be God and opposing true religion. He is called 'the man of lawlessness'. He will use counterfeit miracles and signs and will deceive those who refuse to believe the true gospel because they delight in wickedness. This final flowering of lawlessness is held back by an unnamed influence. Scholars are divided over the meaning of verse 7. Some suggestions identify it with the Roman state, others Judaism, others the church or the Holy Spirit. The latter appears the most probable. One thing is certain; the Antichrist will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns. The spirit of unbelief and rebellion that entered the world with Adam and Eve has been growing, flowering and fruiting through the whole of human history and it will reach its climax in 'the man of lawlessness', only to be totally and permanently destroyed by the Son of God when he returns to judge the world and usher in the kingdom of God. |
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This statement is made in the midst of an instruction on prayer and therefore needs to be understood as applying particularly to prayer. Jesus is the one and only mediator to whom we should address our prayers. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the saints have no ability to mediate for us before God. Jesus is the only successor to the Jewish priesthood. He continually makes intercession on our behalf. (See Hebrews 7:23 to 8:2.) Paul gives Timothy instructions regarding public prayer. He is to make intercession for everyone, including kings and all in authority. Romans 13:1-4 is another passage urging respect for governing authorities. Verse 8 is an interesting commentary on the posture of prayer. We can pray standing, sitting, kneeling or walking. The practice of raising hands in prayer may have come from the attitude of supplication Moses adopted at the battle with Amalek (Exodus 17) or from Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the first temple. (1 Kings 8:22) It has been revived this century in the public worship of some congregations, not following any precedent but as a spontaneous expression of reaching towards God in praise and intercession. To pray 'in the name of Jesus' is to pray through him as our redeemer and mediator. |
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Paul was concerned that those appointed as leaders in the churches should be examples to the members. He lists two classes of office--overseers and deacons. The Greek word for 'overseer' is episkopon from which we get the word 'episcopal' describing a church governed by overseers. The English translation is 'bishop'. In Titus 1 the terms 'elder' and 'bishop' are used interchangeably as different names for overseers. The term 'deacon' means one who ministers or serves. The first deacons were appointed to arrange the food distribution in the church. They minister in a specified area of responsibility. The character qualifications are similar and of a high level. If anyone holds office in a church and fails to live up to the standard Jesus laid down for his disciples it reflects on the church and the honour of Christ's good name. Leaders also need to have a good reputation with nonmembers to enhance the standing of Christ's church in the community. Even their wives and children need to be more careful in their behaviour than other church members. No congregation can rise above the level of its leadership. Quality leadership is essential. |
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Arthur Pigdon Seeds of the Spirit (2001) |
| Copyright © 1997, 2001 by Arthur Pigdon |