Bible Reading Reflection from 1 Corinthians 11-16

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (SSEU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible] 

𝕀 ℂ𝕆ℝ𝕀ℕ𝕋ℍ𝕀𝔸ℕ𝕊 𝟙𝟙:𝟙  

"Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ."

How many times can we say this? Many seem to be saying the very opposite: “don't imitate me.”

I think it's good to read the word of God and share what we learn in a small group like this. It is just for a season. As you see I have done for Acts, Romans, and now, am in I Corinthians. I would, in the spirit of Paul, exhort you to imitate me, if and since you have affirmed it to be good. After the book of I Corinthians, I shall be doing the same in II Corinthians, perhaps the last book for this group. And I shall update no more!

 

𝕀 ℂ𝕆ℝ𝕀ℕ𝕋ℍ𝕀𝔸ℕ𝕊 𝟙𝟚:𝟚𝟞

"And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

This describes the nature of the church. How each individual affects the church in a good way or a bad way. Actually, in every church I have been to, I have never seen this truth being practiced satisfactorily. I don't think there will be any church on planet earth for that matter. Of course, if it's small enough it could be.

What I see is some people, not each individual. Some big people or some nerds or some talkative people can make a scene in the church. But some people are always behind (left out/ignored).

Well, pastors and leaders aren't the Good Shepherd, we are just under-shepherds. We aren't wise enough, loving enough, powerful enough, of course. However, I see something to fervently ask upon the Lord!

 

𝕀 ℂ𝕆ℝ𝕀ℕ𝕋ℍ𝕀𝔸ℕ𝕊 𝟙𝟛:𝟞-𝟟 — 𝕃𝕆𝕍𝔼

I am an undistracted single. No special woman in my mind or eyes or even in my fantasy/dream. However, whenever I think about love between a man and a woman, I think of

v7 "it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

I don't know what couples think of love and what description of love in this passage will they choose. 🙂

Now, as a pastor, and especially in this season of my life when I think about love, verse 6 is more realistic (stands out) to me.

v6. "It does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth"

It takes love not to be rejoicing. It takes love to be hurtful. It takes love to weep. It takes love to care. It takes love to lose sleep.

Positively, love rejoices too, in truth, righteousness, godliness, Christlikeness. When someone does good, it is not jealous, it rejoices.

 

𝕀 ℂ𝕆ℝ𝕀ℕ𝕋ℍ𝕀𝔸ℕ𝕊 𝟙𝟜:𝟚𝟘

"Brothers, do not be children in your thinking; rather in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature."

In Thinking — don't act like children.

In Evil — be infants

Again,

In Thinking — Be mature

Interesting! Two commandments for thinking. A negative commandment. Then further clarified by a positive commandment.

Just one commandment for evil — a positive commandment, just don't even think of it!

I have a blog called "Help Think" because I want to help people think. I want to help people think through various issues of life.

Let us be thinking Christians! Let us be thinking leaders and leading thinkers too!

 

𝕀 ℂ𝕆ℝ𝕀ℕ𝕋ℍ𝕀𝔸ℕ𝕊 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟘

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me."

Chapter 15 is the biggest in I Corinthians. It is about the Gospel. And it centres on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from v12-58. However, I find the humility of Apostle Paul in response to this glorious truth expressed in v8-11 soul-searching.

Many people have used the famous line "I am what I am" from this verse in their testimony and their successes. And recently, CityAlight has come up with a great hymn from this verse using the line "Yet not I, but Christ in me."

And many organizations, including UESI has been familiar with a line from this verse "His grace not in vain." This verse is indeed an amazing and so influencing verse.

What seems to be left behind from this verse, often ignored, treated as Cinderella is of course, "I labored even more than all of them," and it seems obvious because we, normally don't want to work, that also working very hard, that also harder than the rest, that also than the rest of the apostles, Peter, James, and John and everyone.

ℍ𝔸ℝ𝔻 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕂, ℕ𝕆 ℂ𝕆𝕄ℙ𝕃𝔸ℂ𝔼ℕℂ𝕐

 

𝕀 ℂ𝕆ℝ𝕀ℕ𝕋ℍ𝕀𝔸ℕ𝕊 𝟙𝟞:𝟚

"On the first day of every week each one of you is to set something aside, saving whatever he has prospered, so that no collections be made when I come."

Top 5 observations:

1. Early churches gather on Sunday.

2. Offerings are collected regularly.

3. Offerings are used up for giving to others (missionary). It's not a contribution for food after church service.

4. Offerings are the outcome of settled principles, not an occasional impulse. Budgeting is implied.

5. Offerings are not one-time giving. It's a regular giving. So that in the end, offerings collected will be more than the one-time giving.

🅁🄴🄵🄻🄴🄲🅃🄸🄾🄽:

If I give an offering of ₹10 every Sunday, I will be giving a maximum amount of only ₹40 or ₹50 by the end of the month.

But, if a missionary shows up and collects an offering, I think I will be likely to give 100 rupees. If I do that, my one-time offering is more than my regular offering, which is the opposite of Paul's principle.

Paul's regular offering is to give more yet not to exhaust all our earnings. But many church members give offering without budgeting, without principles, without serious thought, and contrary to Paul's direction!