Welcome to the long and winding road as we continue our stretch. Today we're going to finish Corinthians and also go into Galatians.
1 Corinthians 15
1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
The statement many people ask you concerning Christianity often times is, is one saved. "Are you saved," they ask as they are evangelizing. This is awkward questioned if you are not knowledgeable and inappropriate question if you are. The verse above adds to what Jesus said in Matthew 24, "he that endures to the end shall be saved." Paul says the preached to us the gospel and we are saved if we keep in memory all that he has preached over the years. You have to constantly be doing what Paul teaches, which is ultimately what Jesus taught in order to be saved. If you stop, if you do not endure to the end; you will not be saved. So is there a once saved, always saved? No, you can always fall from grace.
Paul tells us that everything said about Jesus is true; that He died and rose on the third day, and was seen by many, then finally seen by Paul like one born out of due season (v8). Jesus was born into the God family ahead of the appointed time, which is to be at the seventh day. In terms of God birth, He was like a premature baby .
People in Paul's day did not believe in the Resurrection, and many today do not; however, these same people attend church and keep faith in the scripture. This is backwards; if there were no Resurrection I must be perfectly honest, there would be no reason to sit and read 12 chapters a day for the last 82 days. There is no great reward in this life to look towards, and no damnable punishment to fear; so it would be a free for all. Paul says if there is no resurrection then Christ wasn't raised. If Christ wasn't raised, we are still in our sins and doomed for death. All our loved ones who died and finished, never to be seen again and everything we do in serving God is in vain. In vain means for nothing.
20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
However, Jesus did rise from the dead, the first fruits of them that slept or died. In the feast of weeks; you are to wave your first fruits to the Lord, this represented Christ. Every man will be made alive in order, first Jesus, then all who died in Jesus Christ, and they will be raised at His coming. There is no man in heaven right now; but we already knew and confirmed that in the Old Testament.
Death Destroyed
26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Paul also explains that we will have the same looking body; but it will not be of flesh and blood. However, we must sow or plant this body in order to get a new body (v32-50). We are made of earth now; so we are earthy; but when we are resurrected we will have a heavenly body. When a seed is planted, you just don't get the fruit; you get a tree bearing fruit; so our resurrection or change will be glorious.
The Last Trumpet
51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Not all will die; but all will be changed into bodies that are incorruptible. In a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet blown, which is the seventh trumpet. Then death will be put away.
55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
This great sting of death will be removed out of the righteous existence. Death is stinging; not only to the one who died; but more to the close family and friends the dead left behind. It is a sting that reminds us or should remind us rather of the painful decision to listen to Satan rather than God in the Garden of Eden. Every time someone dies, especially those close to us, it should remind you of the destruction sin has made on the earth. Hopefully, it sobers one to focus on God and Christ and avoid sin.
1 Corinthians 16
Paul is making plans, his travel plans with the saints and he is still keeping the feast of the Lord. 8But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. We will not move into the second book of Corinthians
2 Corinthians 1 Paul is still only greeting the Father and the Christ. I think Paul is a bit arrogant towards God the Holy Ghost. He has not greeted him in none of his letters as of yet.
2Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Paul tells us in this letter that we will have tribulations as he had great afflictions from God. He was near death plenty of times, and we read some of them in the Acts; but God delivers.
In 2 Corinthians chapter 2
Paul, being heavy of heart writes that we should all be forgiving people. Just as the example Jesus gave to forgive, we should always keep that in mind to forgive our brothers and sisters so that we can obtain mercy from the Father in Heaven.
2 Corinthians 3
2 Corinthians 4
We share the gospel freely Paul adjures, we hold nothing back; if someone does not have it, it is because they are lost and refused it being blind to the ruler of this world, the devil. They did not want the gospel of truth that is in Christ, who is the image of God.
14Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
We are working hard each day of our lives to show ourselves approved of God, and we know God raised up Christ from the dead. So the hardships we go through in this life are just for a moment; it seems hard now; but the reward or eternal life and abundant life is not to compare to the few minutes of hardship we are having now. The key is verse 18; to look towards the things not seen; what is seen, the new car, is temporal, but what is not seen, the house of many mansions is eternal.
2 Corinthians 5
1For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
This chapter is not meant to confuse but it can do a good job of it if you don't have a good understanding. Our body is our tabernacle, that is why on the Feast of Tabernacles, you dwell in temporary booths for seven days, then on the eighth day you get out of that booth. The seven days represents the 7 days you have in the flesh as a man (or woman). On the eighth day, you become God, if you've lived according to His ways, or you go into destruction. Same things with the circumcision, 7 days you have the foreskin representing flesh, then on the eighth day you are to circumcise the child representing the rolling off of flesh, being man, into becoming God.
So when we speak of a earthly house, we are indeed speaking of this body we are in now. It is not to say when we die, we leave this body and go to our heavenly body; but rather we will be changed into that body. Paul is speaking it as a metaphor, which make people thing they have a new body waiting for them; as if they look like Margaret Thatcher now, but when they receive their new body they will look like Cindy Crawford. That is not the case! What you have now, is what you'll have in the kingdom, except with more glory and shine.
6Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
While we are in the flesh, we are no good to the Father. He created us to be perfect beings to live forever. We search and found a way to die and so while we are in the flesh we are absent from the Lord.
10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
We all will have to and we are doing so now; if you do so righteously now; you will avoid standing in judgment but will judge. Therefore we must continue our work as ambassadors for Christ. We should seek to get as many into His kingdom as possible.
2 Corinthians 6
1We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
People usually take this and run with the globe thinking it is pertaining to marriage. They believe this gives them a reason to divorce their spouse because they are baptist and their spouse is Lutheran. It does not; rather Paul is saying don't spend quality time with unbelievers who refuse to believe. Remember, one spoiled apple can ruin the entire bag; this is why Jesus had a message of destroy evil out of Israel because it is cancerous. Before long you will have to kill the entire nation because you did not kill the two or three rebellious people.
Now the message is spare them, love them, take care of the evil people. Let the wheat grow with the tares, and they will be separated at the end of the the harvest because evil and good are intermingled like a black and white in the United States. Be careful in your engagement to unrighteous people, keep your guard and edge and purpose to attempt to shed light on them and not allow them to respread their darkness onto you.
2 Corinthians 7
1Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
With all the promises of eternal life, rulership, no tears, no sorrow, we should rid ourselves of all filthiness and perfect our walk with the Lord. Why risk missing out on all of His goodness He has stored for us?
2nd Corinthians chapter 8
Being generous towards one another is goal of the godly to keep and establish. 9For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Jesus made Himself poor just so He can serve us; so we should constantly be thinking of giving and being generous towards one another.
2 Corinthians 9
1For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Although this is a preachers favorite line, "God loves a cheerful giver" it is a true line. Keep your tithes if you are unhappy to give it. Have you ever been bugged by someone about an item, then finally you say, "fine you can have it, take it!" Does the person take it? If they really needed the item, they will, but where I grew up they usually say something to the effect of, "I don't even want it anymore."
If you are not happy to give to God and to your fellow human, simply do not give then.
2 Corinthians Chapter 10
Paul is defending his ministry. Obviously some men had problems with how he was spreading the word of God; so Paul just takes measured steps to show that his work has been after the Lord.
18For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. The bottom line is that we need not approval from men; but from the Lord only.
2 Corinthians 11
1Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
Paul feared that after all his teaching, people will be subtly tricked into another doctrine that does not belong to Jesus yet it uses His name all the day long. So we have to be aware if someone comes to us preaching about another Jesus who Paul and the disciples have not preached about. We have to be aware of someone who comes with a spirit we have not heard. If they do, we should bear with them, or deal with them.
What do you mean another Jesus, I didn't know there were two? We read that it was Jesus custom to go into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and read and teach. We read Paul and the disciples doing like their Master as well. How often do we go to the church on the Sabbath day and read or be taught or teach?
Jesus said He has long time desired to come to the earth to Jerusalem. How often have you desired to be raptured into heaven to be with the Lord?
Jesus said He will raise up all that was given to Him on the last day. How often have you looked to heaven and thought about your loved one smiling down on you? You see, this is Jesus, and the other is the other Jesus that Paul is warning us to look out for and when we see that other Jesus we need to straighten him out.
13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
There were false prophets in the days of the children of Israel, so even there are false apostles in this day working deceit making themselves to be apostles of Jesus Christ. This is not amazing because they get it from Satan who made himself an angel of light. Satan couldn't trick anyone if you walked in the building and he said, "welcome to the house of Satan." I think anyone looking for Jesus would run. However, if Satan welcomed you in the name of Jesus, then proceed to share his doctrine cloaked under the name of Jesus, unless you read for yourself you would not know you are being hoodwinked.
Paul Boasts Boldly
21I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
22Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Paul let's us know that he went through the ringer in serving the Lord. We read about some in Acts; but there is more (v23-28). He let's us know again that he is a Hebrew Israelite of the seed of Abraham just like the Pharisees and any other teacher of the bible.
Sometimes, it is good to read someones credentials.
2 Corinthians 12
1It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
This is thought to be his famous out of body experience that movies have been based on; but it was simply the way he described it and a bit of lack of knowledge by people that has caused this. Paul knew a man Christ about 14 years ago, if Christ was in the earthly body or in His heavenly body, Paul could not tell only God knows. Paul said Christ was like someone caught up to the third heaven. This let's us know that there are three heavens; but more important to our fact is that Paul could not tell if Jesus appeared to him physically or was He in the third heaven shouting down to Paul. Paul could not know because light shined on him and blinded him to the ground.
Paul did not go to the third heaven, and he did not have an out of body experience. Whatever happened to Paul that day, he could not tell what it was, so how can we?
4How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Here Paul is speaking of Jesus and not himself.
2 Corinthians 13
1This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
Jesus said the same thing and Moses wrote it that in two or three witnesses is a fact established.
5Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
6But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
14The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
Okay the Holy Ghost is mentioned but not in the capacity of God. Jesus also already told us that the comforter is the Holy Ghost, He will send in His name to comfort us. So we just have to find out what it is exactly and we will read about it soon.
Galatians 1
1Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
2And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul was made an apostle by Jesus Christ, and not ordained by men. He greets us again by the Father and by Christ.
12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 17Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Paul was separated by Jesus to teach the nations. It says Gentiles a lot because the Gentiles (Romans) were ruling at the time and are now; but Paul was the apostle to the nations, the heathens and not just the Gentiles. He was not taught by man; after he was blinded he went into Arabia, then to Damascus for roughly three years, reading the scriptures over to get the solid understanding to be an able teacher of Christ. Then he came back and met with Peter about his mission.
19But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. When we see or saw James the son of Mary; this is referring to Jesus brother in the flesh that Mary had after Jesus among other children. James is also the author of the book of James we will read shortly. With Paul's conversion; many people glorified God. We know how it is to see a guy who is good for nothing change his life and we immediately have to give God the glory for this.
Galatians Chapter 2
Paul was given a hard time after his conversion; but was ultimately accepted by the apostles. 7But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
Paul was sent to teach the heathen or what the Jews called the uncircumcision, just as Peter was sent to the lost tribes of Israel or the circumcision to teach the gospel.
Paul confronted Peter however, because he and the other apostles were not doing right. They ate with Gentiles secretly; but when other Jews came they would separate themselves as if they had no dealings with the Gentiles. Paul was not happy with this because, if Peter being a Jew is compelling Gentiles to live as the Jew; why was he acting like a Gentiles; one who is respecter of persons.
21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Our faith in Jesus is what will keep us; not our deeds of the law. Which law?
Galatians Chapter 3
So do we have faith in Jesus as our sacrifice or do we continue to keep the law of animal sacrifice? This is what this chapter is saying while leaving words out. Do we have faith in Jesus or do we keep the law? It is obvious, some Jews in Galatia had reverted back to killing and sacrificing animals to God. Doing this voids Jesus and puts no faith in His death and resurrection as our passover lamb.
13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law of animal sacrifice. After we sinned; we had to go get a goat or lamb and kill it to make atonement of our sins. It was pointless because the animal didn't sin, we did, so it didn't even remove our sin. Paying a speeding ticket doesn't remove it from your record. Paying bail doesn't remove being arrested from your record. Getting a pardon and a forgiveness removes those from your record. Jesus pardoned us; and removed the curse of killing animals as was law to do; and instead we find grace through Him.
Jesus tells the Father to forgive him, he didn't mean to do it. That is how we get grace from our High Priest, Jesus Christ.
17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Genesis 17 is the covenant; and Jesus confirmed it; now this covenant came 430 before the law of animal sacrifice. Animal sacrificial law cannot dis annul the promise that God made Abraham.
19Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
The law was added because of sins. So we know for a fact this is animal sacrificial law. The wages of sin is death; so instead of man dying, God implemented a temporary law to slow down sinning. It was not in the laws of the world to go to jail for murder. It was added for those who broke the law and murdered someone.
24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. The law of animal sacrifice was to let us know what Jesus was for us; a sin offering. When we sinned and an animal took our place in dying we were suppose to see that this is exactly what Jesus was going to do in place of the animal for us. Instead we just continue to enjoy the great taste of roasted lamb and goat, and even brought other unclean animals into the mix.
28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Once you have faith in Jesus and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, we become one, no longer Jews, Gentiles, rich, poor, men, women, but are one in Jesus Christ. We still must keep the commandments of the Lord but not the animal sacrificial commandment, which He nailed to the cross when the veil ripped in the temple when He died.
This concludes our reading today; we will see again tomorrow.
--
No comments:
Post a Comment