June 3

10 – Paul wants those who are following Christ, in fellowship, and taking communion to continue in their faith and to do so in a holy manner.  Some were endangering their faith by taking part in wrongful practices – the habits from their former lives in the ungodly world. The illustration of the Exodus is a brilliant parallel for them. They had left Egypt and were ‘baptized’ being brought through the Red Sea. They were, however, not in the Promised Land…not yet! And those who strayed enroute, in the desert, died in the desert. In this day as before, they had been saved from bondage, they were on pilgrimage, but however, they needed to hang on to their holy faith in reverence, lest they be cast away and ‘die in the desert’ – not reaching the Promised Land of Paradise. Those parallelisms from Exodus applied in Corinth, and they apply today. Paul assures them that God will protect them as they hang onto their faith.  The living in lust, the complaining, the idolatry and the dabbling in the demonic – all that had to go!  Paul reminds that whatever we do, it must be all for the glory of God and the edifying of one another.

11 – The matter of headcoverings is far less contentious than some of the nervy feminists that have slipped into the church make it out to be. Paul is addressing an era wherein women had their heads covered in public unless they were “women of the night” / prostitutes / or just plain “loose” women.  Women were joining churches; and in various cases coming to Christ more readily than some reticent men and/or their husbands were.  The freedom in Christ was tremendously alluring to women of the world who, in the pre-Christian era, were seen as property, not much above slaves, and in many situations lower than the household pets. These women came to church and were so overjoyed that they would remove their head coverings in elation.  To some this was perceived as “gee, she joined a church, now she looks like a hooker! What is going on in that church anyway?!” <– This is what Paul is addressing.  He isn’t trying to jerk anyone around or squash women. He’s not trying to keep women under clothing tents as some cultures do even today. He simply is reminding Christian women to look different than women of ill-reputations.  He also wants women to not try to take over the churches but to be subject to the men who were in charge. All studies show that when there is an institution wherein the women take it over, the men don’t fight it – they just leave it (they “go fishing”) and they don’t come back. If this were to happen unchecked, the next generation would involuntarily leave; 75% of them. Once a second generation passes through, it would be all but dead. Guaranteed, if Paul had not addressed this matter, the Church would have been a phenomenon of the first century; a completely abandoned movement by 200 A.D. at the latest. That cannot happen.

-As for the communion, this too needed to be returned to its purpose. The Corinthians were turning communion into a lavish food contest; the rich were flaunting, and the poor were excluded from the table, others were ingesting wayyyy too much wine. What was started by Jesus at the Last Supper was turning into a “Roman food orgy”.  Christ was long forgotten for them.  So thankfully Paul [very appropriately] laid out the structure of what the communion was to be and how it was to be, who was to take part and under what conditions.

12 – This is the spiritual gifts chapter.  I love it when a sports commentator refers to someone as a gifted athlete.  [. . . whogave them that gift? or are we allowed to ask question in public anymore?]  Paul was explaining that each person’s gift(s) that were employed were to bless the body of Believers and the Kingdom as a whole as a gift.  Gifts are something we are excited about, grateful for, they are useful for blessing and building.  They are not to be issues to squabble over or compete with, or to use to get ugly toward others over !  These gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, languages (to bless and reach others for the gospel) were just that; GIFTS from God to build and bless.  They were one body and each played a part of that body for God’s glory.  No one was better than another.  Within that, the teachers were highly reverenced and therefore worthy of double honor.  But that only made them subject to more spiritual scrutiny – it was not for lording over others.  They were to abide with each other, call upon each other, honor one another, assist one another, bless and cover for each other, ad infinitum. For we are the unshakeable and unending Kingdom of God.

Looking back on this week – the details seemed of paramount importance:  The details of the

Tabernacle were intricate and manifold. This would be where God visited them. No slop allowed. Interesting that in the middle of this 15 chapter long section of scripture there is the golden calf incident to provide disgusting contrast of what it looks like when a people have no mind for details – only their latest urges to party like hyenas.

-the details following the aging and passing of David are quite interwoven. There are residual attitudes that needed to be addressed in a precise manner. Each one is dealt with properly and specifically – especially the rebels. David gave clear orders for Solomon to follow (Sol. could have paid better attention to this and to the details of the Law, yes?)

-The Psalms are classics and it is a issue of precision that David keeps his attitude properly segregated in that he remains adverse in heart to his enemies and yielded in heart to his God. Too many that we meet along the way in life, run into trouble from an adversarial person (who happens to be quite against God) and too many come away from something like this angry . . . at God – for something God didn’t do!  Let’s keep our emotional details straight here!!

-in Jeremiah, the details of Judah’s destruction, Jeremiah’s sorrow and preservation, his need to remain celebate, to not engage in the locals follies or ceremonies, to remain fixed on God, to keep the Sabbath and remind others of the same – these are details of dire importance.

-the famine that Joel tells of was a matter that, perhaps God could have gotten through to them some other way but, apparently no other detail worked on them.  So God used this. When people ignore God’s details for them nothing gets their attention like a fast.  And, uh, the storehouses were empty along with the fields – a detail that could not be ignored.

-the details of Jesus final days are astonishing. The specifics of the woman who anoints Jesus are the stuff of legend!–>and still talked about all over the world. Jesus makes numerous predictions and each is spot on. The Sanhedrin try to accuse Jesus but what doesn’t add up?…the details of their accusations! And it forever ought stick in our minds that Judas; who despises Jesus, kisses him (before killing himself) while Peter, who screams against Jesus, is committed to Him unto death and therefore has a triumphant ministry that shook a continent.

-the detailed gifts that God gives to His followers are numerous and wonderful. Do yourself a favor and read through them all again today.  Open yours and use it, Halleluia.