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“Gathering At The Lord’s Table” 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Gathering At The Lord’s Table 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Gathering At The Lord’s Table
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Introduction
The backdrop of today’s passage is the disorder of the Corinthian church. Paul is so concerned about several issues that have reached him from far away, that he sits down to address them in the epistle of 1 Corinthians.
Prayer
A Church That Has Lost Its’ Way (vv. 17-22)
But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions (literally schisms) among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.
The early church celebrated the Lord’s Supper around a meal, Jude even calls it a “love feast “(Jude 12). At the meal it seems a possibility that one could over eat, or drink too much wine. Also, the people seem to arrive in stages. Those who have the flexibility to leave their jobs early, or have jobs that don’t require them to clean up or change clothes arrive before those who cannot or need to clean up.[1]
The meal seems to be purchased from the common funds of the church, and those that arrive early are getting the choice parts of the meal, and those arriving later get the picked over portions, or no food at all. Around this meal, there seems to be divisions among the church. You know you have a problem as a church when things are worse when you get together instead of better; Paul says, “it is not for the better but for the worse.”
Paul also says, “in the first place. . .”[2] He indicates that there are other issues, but disunity, cliques, and division in the church crowds out whatever else was on his mind. This issue was so consuming on Paul’s mind that he never moves on to “in the second place, third place, etc.” This topic that Paul writes the churches about was a deadly sin, and he knew it would destroy the church if not dealt with. Whenever they get together – the people are worse in spirit instead of better.
Paul even says that while they thought they were celebrating the Lord’s Supper in reality they were not, “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.” Is it possible to be so carried away by sin that a church can think they are doing some religious act, but in reality, it is not recognized by God?
Buttrick said, “The greatest sins have always been the abuse of the greatest blessings.”[3] One of the greatest gifts and blessing that the Lord has given to Christians is the local church. It is the fellowship that we share that gives the church strength. We destroy fellowship by not exercising love toward the neighbor. “The evil to which he (Paul) referred was not merely that they had degraded the Lord’s Supper into an ordinary meal, but that they were divided into parties, some eating and drinking to excess, and others left without anything, vs. 20.21.”[4] Another name for the Lord’s Supper is Communion (sharing together).
But like spoiled children we (the church) just expect it to always be there, we see it as something not to be revered, but something to get something out of. If you don’t like this one, then just go down the street to another one.
The American church has wealthy churches, poor churches, cowboy churches, black churches, traditional churches, contemporary churches, not to mention denominations, Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ, Pentecostal, etc. You name it, there is a church for all of our preferences. But in the city of Corinth – there was one Christian church and that was your only church. So you had wealthy people, poor people, slaves, different races, all gathered on an equal footing to worship, and to experience life together. [5]
There was a foundational teaching of the church that was being lost. Instead of the Lord’s Supper reminding them of Jesus’ sacrifice and ultimate mission for the church – it had become a fellowship meal with little fellowship and for some no meal. There was little love at the love feast. There were drunk people stagger about, people gorging themselves on the food, little groups forming that caused division, and poor people being embarrassed because they were hungry and had nothing to eat.
When the Church focuses on the wrong things, it enters into areas of danger. They had forgotten what the Lord’s Supper means and had turned the gathered church into something resembling the world around them.
(v. 18) “I hear that there are divisions (literally schisms) among you” – “They were cliques, parties, separated from each other by alienation of feeling. It is evident that the rich formed one of these parties, and distinguished from the poor. . .” We gather as Grow Groups (Sunday School classes) separately, but we are still one church, and when we gather to worship (and especially to celebrate the Lord’s Supper) we are one body. There are no old people, young people, charter members, or new members, Nashville natives verse those new to the area; we are all one church.
(v. 19) “19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” – Why would God allow churches to go through times of division and schisms? This church has had its share of division over the years – why would God allow that to happen? Because there must be a time where we realize that our desires, our preferences, when we place ourselves at the center of the universe – we have to realize that that is not the purpose and mission of the church, that is not the point of being a member of any church. The genuine among the believers put others and Jesus first.[6]
So Paul says, “Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?” The purpose of the gathering of the church is not for them to eat and drink, they could do that at home, the purpose was to experience the Lord’s Supper together. A church that has disunity, a lack of concern for others (especially their own church members), and is given over to sin (gluttony, drunkenness) is open season for Satan. It is only a matter of time before its’ over. So Paul is greatly concerned, “I do not commend you.”
Paul then reminds them of what the Lord’s Supper means.
The Reminder of Why They Assemble (23-26)
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Paul begins his explanation with “that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread . . .” There was no further need to set the time he was talking about – it was the night when he was betrayed. He links their actions of division, greed, and uncaring for one another to Judas. “You guys remember when that guy Judas, betrayed Jesus?” Yeah, that night, Jesus took some bread . . .
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Paul includes “after supper” – which gives us a clue that the Lord’s Supper would traditionally be celebrated after a fellowship meal, or at least came after the meal when Jesus and the disciples first had the Lord’s Supper.[7] Jesus may also have taken the bread and passed it out and then some-time later passed the cup.[8] So, if it were traditionally celebrated after the meal – there are some who would be drunk during the sacrament.
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood” – Jesus is saying that there was an old covenant between God and His people, but now there is a new covenant. We see this foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-33 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
“Rather than giving the people laws and ceremonies they must obey, God will work a transformation of the heart of each believer.”[9] In John 3, Jesus has the conversation with Nicodemus and his needing to be born again.
(In the Jeremiah passage) Even though God’s people, in the marriage, broke the old covenant, “my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband” God is metaphorically taking them back to the exodus from Egypt and reestablishing a covenant, but this one will be different. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper at the Passover, which commemorated the Exodus (Exod. 12:14-27).
This new covenant, that involves a transformation of the heart, is established by a blood offering, Jesus says, “the new covenant in my blood.”[10] This blood will cover all sin, in fact, God will remember the sin no more.[11] Ordinarily blood was shed to symbolize the bond between those who enter covenant.[12] The Old Testament Passover meal had the people wiping blood over the doorposts and eating a special meal — This new covenant involves only God’s blood, that is shed.
In verses 25-26 we see that the Lord’s Supper is a remembrance and proclamation, “in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are remembering a resurrected Lord, A God who shed His blood for us, but did not stay dead, and that same resurrected Lord will return.
In the Old Testament God encourages Israel to remember the sabbath day (Exodus 20:8), or to remember to keep the commandments (Numbers 15:39), and Moses in Deuteronomy encourages Israel to remember God, his deeds, the desert journey, how they were once slaves in Egypt – these memories will instruct them on how to treat the foreigners in their own communities.
These memories should correct behavior that goes outside of what they should have learned from the experiences.[13] When we remember Jesus, and how he laid down his life for us (specifically his body and blood), then that should have a corrective impact on our behavior toward other believers, the church, in our own sinful behavior, and the lost around us.
The proclamation of the Lord’s Supper is a way of preaching the gospel, to act it out. It is done again and again to proclaim our deliverance from sin, just like the Passover for the Jewish people was repeated to recall their deliverance from slavery in Egypt.[14] It is the ministry of the church to proclaim the gospel to the unbelieving world. “When the world sees the church eating and drinking in order to remember the significance of Christ’s body and blood, the word of the gospel is made visible.”[15]
Therefore, we can pull three reasons why the church should regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper;
1) It reminds us to look back to the redemptive historic work of Jesus and the cross; the once and for all sacrifice is the ransom for all who put their faith in Him; His body was broken for us, and His blood covers all our sin.
2) It draws us to worship the ever-present Lord; “the meal declares the sacrifice by which the covenant is entered.”[16] We are entering into a covenant with God, and we are entering this covenant together with other believers (in our church).
3) It encourages the church to look forward to the consummation of time, and the return of Jesus.[17] When Jesus returns the Lord’s Supper reminds us to be found faithful.
The Lord’s Supper is something that we participate in, it is an action that we do as believers. However, the Lord’s Supper reminds us to monitor our relationship with the Lord and how we approach Him in worship.
A Warning of Continued Undiscerning Behavior (vv. 27-34)
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.8 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.”
“an unworthy manner” – We know that some or many of the church at Corinth were partaking of the Lord’s Supper by being greedy, drunkenness, causing divisions among the brethren, etc. but these are not the only ways. Traditionally this has been interpreted to mean taking of the Lord’s Supper while having unconfessed sin. The period of examination is time to seek forgiveness of sin before you take of the Lord’s Supper.
But in this passage, it seems to be even more specific than that. Paul seems to be indicating that when a person participates in the Lord’s Supper in such a way that failed to exhibit the unity of the church in Christ. The solution to this “unworthy” manner was to wait. Paul says, “wait for one another.” Take others into account.
Consider your brothers and sisters in Christ while we gather together.
The Lord’s Supper is a time of self-reflection, Paul says to “Let a person examine himself.” During this time of examination, the person should search the Holy Spirit of personal sin, but the judgement mentioned here is the person who is not encouraging the unity of the church, and in that unity, the remembering and proclamation of Christ.
We should not focus so much on ourselves during the supper but on Christ and what He has done for all believers. The focus of this meal is not a time where we all “get right with the Lord” at the same time.[18] But if we truly discerned what we are like, then we would not come under judgement.
When the Church does not exercise the Lord’s Supper properly, they are “guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.” The Lord has given the church an ordinance that specifically teaches and shares the gospel to the world and reminds the church of the things we mentioned earlier – when that is corrupted it becomes just another meal – and if that’s the case then Paul says, “eat at home.”
Just like the Jewish people not performing the Passover correctly, they would forget about their days in slavery – now the church may forget the body and blood of Jesus and why it is so important.
They would be sinning against the hope of salvation.[19] The gathering church is a blessing given to Christians – together in unity they celebrate the Lord’s Supper as a message to the world of the gospel. When we don’t do this there is judgement. When we get this right, we accomplish Jesus’ desire for His church until He comes again.
With these things in mind – we will now celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
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[1] George Buttrick, The Interpreters Bible, Vol. 10 (Nashville, Tennessee; Abington Press, 1953) 131.
[2] Ordinal numbers indicating the order in a sequence.
[3] Buttrick, 131.
[4] Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM. Eerdmans Publishing, 1969) 215.
[5] https://drewboswell.com/touching-the-untouchables/
[6] “The overruling justice of God permits schism temporarily in order to strengthen and vindicate faith (Vincent of Lérins). Gerald Bray, Editor, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament VII 1-2 Corinthians (Downers Grove, Illinois, 1999) 110. “These heresies are a magnet attracting unsound and unsettled minds (Findlay).” Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume IV (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1931) 163.
[7] Buttrick, 133.
[8] Ibid, 138.
[9] Fred M. Wood, Holman Old Testament Commentary, Jeremiah & Lamentations (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman Reference, 2006) 262.
[10] “Not all the blood of beasts, On Jewish alters slain, Could give the guilty conscience peace, Or wash away our stain.” Isaac Watts, “Not All the Blood of Beasts.”
[11] J. Andrew Dearman, The NIV Application Commentary, Jeremiah & Lamentations (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 2002) 287.
[12] Clifton Allen, Gen Ed., The Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 10 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Publishing, 1970) 358.
[13] George Arthur Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, K-Q (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1980) 345. Memorial, Memory
[14] Allen, 359.
[15] Richard Pratt, Holman New Testament Commentary, 1 & 2 Corinthians (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman Reference, 2000) 201.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Buttrick, 139.
[18] Pratt, 205.
[19] Ibid, 202.
“Seek The Things That Are Above” Colossians 3:1-17
“The Supreme Life”
A Sermon Series in Colossians
“Seek The Things That Are Above”
Colossians 3:1-17
Introduction
My grandfather’s brother owned a hog farm and he lived less than a mile up the road from our family home. If the wind was blowing in the right direction you could smell the pig farm and man did it stink! Carlyle had a routine that when he finished his day of pig farming, he would strip down at his back door and go directly to the shower. Tootsie (his wife) would not let him come in unless he stripped down, and his clothes went right into the wash. He had to have a routine of taking off his stinky dirty clothes and taking a shower, then putting on clean clothes. Can you imagine coming in with pig stuff all over your clothes and sitting on the couch, lying in the bed, hugging his wife – we would say nope.
Today Paul is going to call Christians to take off the sin in our lives and put on righteous behavior because this is the process of living the life God has called us to. Living a godly life does not just happen – believers must make a concerted effort and be intentional about how we live our lives.
Prayer
Living the Christian Life Must be Intentional (vv. 1-4)
If (Since) then you have been raised with Christ (coresurrected), seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Up until this point in the book Paul has been warning the church about false teachers and for them not to allow themselves to be carried off with man’s traditions, teachings about elemental spirits and things that would corrupt the gospel (angel worship, works like being circumcised, etc.) Now Paul turns to what they should be doing, and he phrases it two ways, “seek the things that are above,” and “Set your minds on things that are above,” – Jesus says it this way Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness . . .”
“Believers “seek the things above” (keep on seeking, continuous) by deliberately and daily committing themselves to the values of the heavenly kingdom and living out of those values.”[1] It is an intentional orientation of the will. Also notice that there is a break between “where Christ is, (comma) and “seated at the right hand of God.” Jesus is in heaven, so we should focus our minds on where Christ is.
Paul gives four reasons why you should seek and think about the things that are above:
- Because You Are “In Christ.” There are several places where Paul just a few verses earlier combines the believer with Jesus. Colossians 2:11-15 “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Here is 3:1 he says, “you have been raised with Christ” – Jesus rose from the dead overcoming sin and death, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. And in some way we go with Christ into eternity, as Paul describes as, “your life is hidden with Christ in God.” – It is hidden now because you are still alive, but when you pass from here to glory the secret will be told, you will be with Him in reality (not just in promise). If God hides you away, no thief can break in and steal you – you are well hidden by God until the proper time.
2) Because Your Previous Sin Led to Death – “you have died,” –
3) Because Christ Returns You Will Be With Him In Glory – “and your life is hidden with Christ in God,” and “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory,” –
Living the Christian Life Requires Putting Things Off (vv. 5-11)
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.[2] 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Paul has told the church that they are to have a heavenly mindset, so they should then be eager to get rid of things that don’t reflect that heavenly mindset. “Put to death,” – mortify, “to treat something like it is dead.”[3] (v. 7) describes them as once “walking in them” and “living in them.” You are either living in an action or you are treating it like its dead. (v. 9) Paul says, “now you must put them all away.”
(v. 5) Paul says to put to death “what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” The word used for idolatry here points back to the previous list, and it is covetousness because you want more and more of these experiences. It is the increasing desire for more and more pleasure experiences that it then becomes an idol on their lives.
This is the progression of sin in our lives – it begins with something outside of God’s Word and plan for your life, because of this it leads to impurity in your life, then it creates within you a desire for it, which leads to wanting more and more of it, to the point to where you bow down to, it controls your life.
Seeking after earthly things leads to idolatry in your life
and judgement upon your church.
In v. 6 we have another reason (number 4) to be intentional about our walk with Jesus. 4) Just in case you think sin is not that big of a deal Paul adds, “On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” Our minds must be on the things above because the wrath of God is coming. Our lives, words, actions (within the church and without) all impact the world around us, and while we may be forgiven and have a place in eternity, those around us may not have chosen Christ yet.
“God’s true people are guaranteed deliverance from wrath (1 Thess. 5:9; Rom. 5:9), but at the same time, they are repeatedly warned that persistent sinful behavior will bring God’s judgement.”[4] And again this is given in the context of those that belong to the church. What you do in private (or maybe not even in private) affects the church as a whole. If you say, “My sin is private – it does not affect others” that is not true. And if you say, “Then I will hold on to my sin but not belong to the church because I don’t want it to affect others,” then it is idolatry and an offense to God.
(v. 8) “But now you must put them all away,” and “you have put off the old self,” – “This is a metaphor for clothing, replace the filthy rags (sexual immorality, passion, etc.) with “have put on the new self,”
(v. 8) “anger, wrath (rage), malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another,” All of these deal with speech, and what you say. These ways of using language should never be used by those who are walking a new life in Christ.[5] They are given as a group pointing to the same idea of how Christians are to communicate with other Christians. “obscene talk” – or filthy language, literally shameful words, in the context of referring to another person. The things that come out of your mouth come from your heart. Jesus explains it this way, Matthew 15:18, “ . . . what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart,”
You are not showing love and Christ likeness when you rage, in anger, and say things against someone with the intention to harm their reputation, or curse at them with vulgar words – cussing them out and then lying about it.
“which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” – At the beginning of time before the fall, humanity had a knowledge of God. Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” This knowledge of God was lost when sin came into the world. As the believer puts on a new self he will progress towards true knowledge of God.
It is through our relationship with Christ that we learn how to live in relationship with God and His creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” Every human is made in the image of God, and everyone loses what that means because of sin. But when a person is saved, that knowledge is restored as they grow in their relationship with Him.
(vv. 9-10) We are not trying to put on the Greek or the Jew, it’s not about appearing circumcised or uncircumcised; we are not trying to be the ideal barbarian, or Scythian, slave or free – the image we want to put on is one of our Creator, we put on Christ. Our identity is Christ not where we are from, how much money we have, or our race. So racial distinctions disappear (no Greek or Jew), class distinctions disappear – in the church there were slaves, free, slave owners, freedmen all in the same church. It is our identity with Jesus that strips away any distinctions.
Living the Christian Life Requires Putting Things On (vv. 12-17)
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
(v. 12) “Put on then” – In order to have a change in your life, whatever a person takes off, needs to be replaced with something else, and Paul gives that which you should put on. Also, this list are virtues that will foster community and give the church cohesion (whereas the above list of vices causes division and splinters the church). This is a list of things the Christians is to put on, but it is not a list isolated from their relationship in the church – it is a list of how to live life out as a church. Here again is the assumption by the apostle that the Christian is associated and an important part of the local church.
“chosen ones, holy and beloved,” These three terms are standard ways of describing Israel in the Old Testament. But instead of choosing or electing His people from one nation, now God chooses them from the world (Jew and Gentile). Holy means to be set apart for God’s purpose, and beloved means greatly loved. So God has chosen you, set you apart for His purposes, and He greatly loves you – in light of these things consider your sin.
1 Peter 2:19-20 puts it like this “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1) compassionate hearts,
literally translated as bowels, the seat of emotion, be moved to the core of who you are towards people 2) kindness, goodness, gracious acts 3) humility, Philippians encourages us to show humility in that we view others value as being above our own, and looking out for the interest of others, 4) meekness, not being overly impressed with one’s sense of self-importance, 5) and patience, kindness refers to our basic approach to people, and patience refers to the kind of reaction we should display toward them.
6) 13 bearing with one another
Literally means “holding yourselves back from one another.”[6] Or “put up with one another.” This is the first step in establishing community within the church. We all have our ideocracies – so put up with the strange and annoying stuff we all do. Paul has also mentioned people from different religious backgrounds, people from different regions and socio-economic levels. These differences need to be overlooked for the bigger mission,
7) and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
One step further than just putting up with one another, we actually forgive each other. Jesus says it like this as part of the Lord’s prayer, “. . . and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors . . . For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:12, 14ff). God has forgiven our sins, so we should also (as we are in Christ), forgive others (specifically others within the church).
8) 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
If Paul is referring to putting on this list of things, around all of it is a belt. What holds it all together is love. Put on love – it is an intentional decision to choose love. When everyone puts on love, there is harmony.
9) 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.
The peace that we let rule in your hearts is the same idea as an umpire – when the ball moves across the plate he has to make a decision (strike or foul, inside or outside the line). When life comes your way, and you have to decide how to react, Paul says, “let the peace of Christ” decide – choose the peace of Christ (instead of anger, wrath, slander, etc.) Paul highlights “peace” as one of the key blessings of Christian experience.
“to which indeed you were called in one body” – God calls men to serve as pastors, but He also calls people to join churches. Those at Colossae were called into one body (the body of Christ), and together with all their challenges, putting up with one another, forgiving one another, together they were to reach their area of responsibility for Jesus. If you are a believer God is calling you to join a church, to get plugged in (to follow this list of virtues) and find your place of service. We are one unit – one body (where Jesus is the head, and the gospel is our mission).
10) And be thankful. There is peace that comes from knowing that in all of life’s struggles, you are where you are supposed to be, doing what God has called you to do. And in that place – be thankful. Thankful within the body of Christ.
11) 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
(v. 16) references when they gather for worship there was to be the teaching of God’s Word (let it live within you richly), and putting God’s Word to music, adding new music or songs of praise – and as you worship let your hearts be thankful. How can those who have not experienced the salvation of Jesus, and the life change that he brings – sing the songs of the Lord? They can sing the songs, but there is no thankfulness in their soul.
The reaction that drives the worship service is thankfulness to God. We must be careful not to try and drive our worship services with worldly methods.
12) 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Everything, including what we say and what we do, should be governed by the consideration of what it means to live in the realm of the risen Christ.
Conclusion
After serving a prison sentence, prisoners are released. They are set free from bondage since their time has been served. After they come out of jail, they take off their prison clothes and put on new clothes. These clothes suit the new life they have begun. The same is true for Christians we have been set free from the bondage of sin. We are no longer prisoners to it. We have started a new life. Therefore, we should once and for all throw out the old clothes of death and put on the new clothes of life. After Jesus rose from the dead, He had no use for His grave clothes so He left them in the tomb. He now lives in the garments of righteousness and life. Since believers have been raised from the dead we too should put on the clothes of righteousness. We should practice what we are in principle.
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[1] Douglas J. Moo, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eermans Publishing Company, 2008) 246.
[2] See also Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 4:29-31.
[3] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume IV (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1931) 501.
[4] Moo, 259. See also Hebrews 12:5-6
[5] My comments on the importance of godly speech, click here
[6] Robertson, 504.
“Two Believers Are Arguing; What Do We Do?” Philippians 4:2-9
A Study of the Book of
“Philippians” Unity. Humility. Joy.
“Two Believers Are Arguing; What Do We Do?”
Philippians 4:2-9
Introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaDEoDAmznM
Deer’s antlers locked from combat. If they stay locked together they both die, no matter who “won” the argument. In church, disagreements will arise, because we are people, but sometimes when those disagreements turn into arguments that need to be addressed, someone needs to step in and help free the congregation from this entanglement. If they don’t, it will splinter and damage will be done.
There is however, no irreparable damage to a church – because we have the gospel. No church has gone so far that the love of Jesus and faith in Him can’t turn things around.
Prayer 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Agree in the Lord (vv. 2-3)
I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Paul up to this point has strongly encouraged the Philippian church to be united, to stand firm, and he has been thankful for their partnership in the gospel – but he is also writing them because there was division within the church. Now, he specifically mentions two women’s name (Euodia and Syntyche). By entreating, pleading both of their names, he is not choosing sides.
However, “his reference to them by name in a letter to be read to the whole church appropriately and understandably identifies a major cause of the problem of disunity addressed in numerous ways throughout the entire letter.”[1]
All of the issues of disunity within the church swirled around these two women. The only way for the church to have unity is for these two women to be united and (as he has said earlier) be of the same mind in the Lord. We don’t know what they were arguing over, or what caused this sharp division – Paul has already mentioned earlier that “such division is caused by pride, selfish ambition, and spirit of rivalry. These church leaders were engaged in a power struggle to expand their spheres of influence and control over the church.”[2]
These two women don’t seem to be able to work this out on their own, so “I ask you also, true companion,2 help these women” – The division was so heated, and was spreading like a cancer to the entire church, there needed to be a moderator – a third party to step in and help these two women work this out.
The women were famous for serving with Paul, he says the women “who have labored side by side with me in the gospel,” – They are believers, “whose names are in the book of life.” But whatever this issue may be, they are greatly divided over the issue.
So how do you get from division to “agreeing in the Lord?”
Let us assume that we are the “true companion” that Paul is asking to step in and help these women, what could we do? Paul is continuing his teaching of how the church is to “conduct” themselves “in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27). Our agreeing “in the Lord” is paramount to the mission being completed.
This is why doctrine is so important on the front end of church membership – if anyone can believe anything at any time, then there will always be division. So, we say, this is what we believe, and how we live this out (basic values) – once that is established, then division should go away. Because beyond this, we are not arguing over essential beliefs, we have moved into opinions and preferences.
These two ladies are not arguing over a doctrinal issue. Paul has already addressed the doctrinal issues of the dogs, the evildoers, and the mutilators (3:2). Paul is not addressing the message of the church, but how two believers are disagreeing over the method of the church.
7 Principles of Moving From Arguing to Agreeing
- Remember that this (the church) is not an “us” and “them” – it is always just “us.” If you find yourself using language like “those people,” or any way of diving the church into different groups, then you are on the road to division.
- Think about what is at stake if the two groups don’t come to an agreement: division will continue, and it will escalate. The church will slip in two; it will splinter. Is one side’s viewpoint so right, that it should cause a church split? Is this issue or opinion a hill to die on?
- Remember Believers serve and love the same Lord. Paul uses the phrase “in the Lord,” several times throughout the book. They can be joyful “in the Lord,” even in times of persecution; they were to welcome Epaphroditus back home “in the Lord,” even when his plans had to change, and these two ladies should seek unity because they are “in the Lord.” We all serve the same Lord and Christianity serves the same mission – sharing the gospel.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
- Rejoice. To rejoice is to “show great joy or excitement.” It is an expression of joy. If we are to settle a dispute between believers (whose names are in the book of life), Paul says to rejoice. It’s the only one of the list, that Paul repeats, “again, I say rejoice.” We are to rejoice, specifically “in the Lord,”
We serve a risen Lord, who has called us to salvation, we get to be apart of the gospel expanding, and seeing lives eternally changed. Rejoice in the Lord that you are apart of the most noble life purposes. Rejoicing will keep your focus upward, and you are less likely to complain.
Rejoicing in our salvation reminds us how much we have been forgiven. “Philippians 4:4 is a Paul’s hyperlink to Matthew 18:23-35. There in response to Peter’s question about how to respond to his brother who sins against him, Jesus tells the gospel story. That is, Jesus takes Peter vertical. Over and against the one-hundred-denarii offense of our brother, Jesus points out our ten-thousand-talent offense against God. And yet, he reminds us, God our Master forgives us.”[3]
“Rejoice in the Lord,” is a call to realign our attitude and agenda with God’s. The Lord’s agenda, must be our agenda.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.
- How Believers Deal With Conflict is a Witness to the Power of the Gospel. “Reasonableness” “a yielding up of certain real rights.”[4] In order for there to be a possibility of a partnership in the gospel, all parties must yield certain real rights, in order for others to hear and understand the gospel – we show the power of the gospel by displaying to the community our reasonableness to work together for important things; in other words, the gospel is more important than my feelings.
https://churchanswers.com/blog/twenty-five-silly-things-church-members-fight-over/
Our reasonableness is rooted in a desire to make peace. James 3:16-18 “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Remember the “Lord is at hand.” – we don’t have to settle this issue alone, we don’t need to be anxious about this conflict or division, instead God is here to help us work through it. “prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,” – We go to the Lord in prayer, to seek wisdom, and the Lord will hear and answer our prayers. Paul adds that we should pray in times of conflict, “with thanksgiving.”
Paul even opens this book by saying how thankful he is for the church, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,” (1:3). The church had issues, that’s why he wrote the letter, but thankfulness allows him to see the big picture.
When there is a lack of thanksgiving, our hearts tend toward idolatry, Romans 1:21-25 “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. . . 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator . . .” Instead of God, the gospel, the lost, the kingdom, the mission, etc. being the center of our thoughts, we substitute what we think about this issue in it’s place, and our feelings on that topic becomes the idol.
We think on that issue all the time. Also, without thanksgiving for all that God has done, this one point of disagreement becomes our whole world. Thankfulness keeps our minds aware that there are things going on in the world (in the church) other than what we think about a given issue. Our view become myopic.
Without thanksgiving, prayer becomes merely a way of complaining to God about all the bad things in our lives. Knowing that God is near, that he hears our prayers, and we have a thankful spirit, that leads to . . .
(v. 7) “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” – Give the issue to the Lord. “Lord, this is your church, these are your people, I am here to serve, and will do whatever you want me to do.” – and mean it. Don’t add, Lord this is your church, now do what I want or I’m going to leave,”
In our hearts, when God moves to the center, and we give everything to Him. God’s peace stands guard over our hearts and minds. Earlier in the passage, where it has been “in the Lord,” (agree in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord, etc. ) now as we apply these things to our lives, it moves to “in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:26 echoes this same idea, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” There is no “us” and “them” – just those in Christ Jesus. Just those who love Jesus and have put their faith in Him. We are all seeking to serve the same Jesus.
And in our relationship with Jesus we have experienced forgiveness. “Our blindness to sin and unwillingness to forgive reveal more than a failure to think of God. They reveal our failure to remember our own offenses against God and his amazing grace and acquittal of our sin.”[5]
“do not be anxious about anything” – This is in the context of church life. There are things in church life that may lead us to be anxious. Matthew 6:31-34 “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” Anxiety is doubt that God will come through with an answer, the solution, that He somehow doesn’t know what we need. We strive toward Jesus, we serve with all our hearts, and we trust that God will take care of us.
- Choose What You Will Think About
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Now Paul gives us six things to consider for the Christian life – but without these no ideals can exist. Think about these things, what is: Honorable, Pure, Lovely, Commendable, Excellence, Praise Worthy
Think on these things – you can choose to focus on the strongness of the coffee at the fellowship meal, or how something was changed on the stage in the sanctuary, or how a decision was made and your input was not considered – or you can think on things that will bring you peace, and peace within your church. “We are responsible for our thoughts and can hold them to high and holy ideals.”[6] Or you can choose to dwell and think on things that cause division and at the end of the day will keep you (like those deer) locked up in combat.
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There’s a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.[7] We live in a world that cries out for forgiveness – let it be found in the church.
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[1] G. Walter Hansen, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Letter to the Philippians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009) 282.
[2] Hansen, 284.
[3] Alfred Poirier, The Peacemaking Pastor, A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books, 2006) 121.
[4] W. Robertson Nicoll, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume 3 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967) 466.
[5] Poirier,121.
[6] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume IV (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1931) 460.
[7] http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/f/forgiveness.htm
Peace With Bad Doctrine is not a True Peace
Should We Disrupt the Peace of the Church in Order to Deal With A Doctrinal Issue?
You don’t have to be a church leader for very long before you realize that you get a whole lot more done when things are calm and peaceful, than when people are arguing and the church is in chaos. And it has been my experience that churches, for the most part, prefer for things to be peaceful and they strive for unity.
Recently, I have been reminded that it is the church leader’s responsibility to guard the doctrine of the church and to guide the church toward a clear understanding of why it is that the church believes what it does. Doctrines, Creeds, and Constitutions act as guard rails against disunity and conflict. They provide a space for the members of the church to express their faith in such a way that is agreed upon, and supported by the local church as a whole. Everyone is in agreement on what this church is, what it is to do, what members are to do, who is and who is not a member, leadership, etc.
So, what happens if things are calm, but there is a doctrinal issue that needs to be addressed? By dealing with the issue, it may cause conflict. But to ignore what you know to be false, in order to maintain peace is a false unity because it is not rooted in truth. The church cannot strive toward a common mission, if the mission is blurred and convoluted and the core beliefs are not supported. Doctrines, Creeds, and Constitutions actually provide a way for people of like mind to have unity. Baptists go to Baptist churches because they agree with Baptists thinking toward the Bible.
A Baptist should not go to a Methodist church and demand they do things “the Baptist way.” That assumes, of course, that people actually know what they believe. Southern Baptists have such an agreement called, The Baptist Faith and Message and many would specify which version they support (BFM 2000 for example). While SBC churches are autonomous, they have an agreed upon doctrinal statement that defines what it means to be Southern Baptist. Conflict within the SBC happens when individual churches or leaders step outside of those agreed upon beliefs and practices.
Guarding the agreed upon doctrinal beliefs and practices actually produces peace in the long run and the church accomplishes its’ biblical mandates. John Piper and NT Wright are both Christian men, pastors, authors, etc. but John Piper wrote a book addressing where he feels NT Wright is wrong on the issue of justification. So, in the opening chapters Piper addresses this issue of addressing wrong doctrine, and the cost of causing a disruption or potential disunity.
“The assumption of the entire New Testament is that we should strive for peace. Peace and unity in the body of Christ are exceedingly precious. ‘Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!’ (Psalm 133:1). ‘Seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11). ‘So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding’ (Romans 14:19). But just as clear is that we are to pursue peace by striving to come to agreement in the truth. ‘the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable’ (James 3:17). It is first pure. Peace is not a first thing. It is a derivative. It comes from a hearty agreement in truth.”[1]
Therefore, let us have sound doctrine, agreed upon practices, and peace in the body. But until we have clearly established the first two, we will not have the last.
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[1] John Piper, The Future of Justification, A Response to N.T. Wright (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Books, 2007) 30.
