Christ
Everything You Know about 1 Corinthians 13 Is Wrong
You can’t find a more popular portion of the Bible than 1 Corinthians 13.
It’s the bubbly “love” chapter, clamping down on the biblical meaning of love.
Or so you think.
First Corinthians 13 at first blush is perfect for weddings. Hallmark cards. Little plaques above your kitchen sink [where ours hangs].
Who wouldn’t love the simplicity of “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude”?
It carries a certain charm–an almost mystical hold on us when it comes to love.
I once found this chapter in an anthology of love poems, alongside the likes of Lord Byron and Kahlil Gibran. Unusual bedfellows if I ever saw any.
Never the Purpose of 1 Corinthians 13
I know during one of my crankier moments in life [that extended from birth to MAYBE just a couple of weeks ago] I memorized this chapter in hopes that it would manage to make me a more kinder, gentler man.
It didn’t work.
Why? Well, it was never intended to be a charter on sweetness. Or seventeen habits of highly-sentimental people.
Paul intended it to be a lot dirtier than that.
Just think were the chapter is embedded…in between two very tough chapters on spiritual gifts.
But you’re still being very narrowed minded if you leave it at that. You must step back even further.
Think about Who Paul Was Writing To
First Corinthians 12-14 are couched in a letter to who? The Corinthians. A self-absorbed, smug, stingy set of church members.
That means while writing his letter hunched over, pen in hand and brow furled bent on setting the Corinthians straight, Paul didn’t sit back and say, “I feel like writing a splendid little reverie on love. Barnabas, did you hear that? I’m going to write a love poem!”
No.
He intended chapter 13 to serve much like God intended the ten commandments to serve: a schoolmaster who drives the disobedient to Christ.
Think about this: Paul is saying, “You think you know what love is? You don’t have a clue what love is. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful….”
In other words, 1 Corinthians 13 is a reprimand. Not an elegant poem that gives us the warm and fuzzies.
A Good Sermon on 1 Corinthians 13
Alistair Begg makes this point in a wonderful series on 1 Corinthians 13. He explains that taken in isolation, 1 Corinthians 13 is often abused, as I noted above.
But once you understand Paul’s original meaning and purpose behind the chapter, you’ll appreciate the chapter so much more.
In the end, 1 Corinthians 13 is a statement against the popular notion [that still holds today] that love is out of our control.
Paul declares that godly love is manly and willful:
It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
It takes guts to endure all things.
What to Do Next
But Paul’s point in the end is that we will never measure up to the standard laid out in 1 Corinthians 13. There is only one person who did such a thing. Jesus Christ.
And what that means is that we will always struggle with this love–a love that never ends–until we humbly submit to the only living person who ever fully and completely fulfilled the law of love–Jesus Christ.
Does this mean you throw out that plaque hanging over your kitchen sink? No. It means you look at it and remember that you will never measure up to that standard until you bow down to the very lord of love–Jesus Christ.
5 Posts You Might’ve Missed [Plus, Blogger for Hire]
Some of you might have seen my tweet this weekend where I said I’d be happy to write a guest post for you.
Yes. It’s true. I’m for hire.
But hire is such a strong word. [In truth, I don't charge a dime. Actually, I should be paying you. But that's another story.]
Anyway, I’m available. Email me if you are interested.
Why am I doing this? I like to write. I like the challenge. More importantly, I want to promote my blog so I can elevate Christ and be that little footnote in your personal history.
So far I’ve got seven people in line. There’s no limit, so shoot me an email anytime.
I’d like to say I’d write for any topic. But, alas, I’m not sure I could pull it off. I have to keep it narrow.
But if you’ve got a blog that deals with creativity, writing, leadership or Christianity, I’m game.
In the meantime enjoy the latest installments of guest posts I’ve written for some outstanding blogs.
Simple, Bare-Bones Purpose Behind Leadership Three non-negotiable elements every leader must incorporate to be effective leaders. [Sorting Beans]
How to Play Like a Child–Again How’s your spiritual life? Is it full of joy? Or is it dominated by frustration and anxiety? You don’t have to live like that. [Desire Spiritual Growth]
How to Read the Bible [Seven Births Method] One of the main problems we have when it comes to new believers and reading the Bible is this: Where in the world do we start? Here’s an answer. [You See Dry Bones]
How to Develop a Mature Christian Mind The amount we invest into our faith determines the amount we get out. Here’s some advice to make the most out of your faith. [Hills Bible Church Blog]
Being a Christian: It Means More Than Going to Church There are two people in the world: Those who go to church and those who don’t. Let’s talk about those who go to church. [Sorting Beans]
Do me a favor after you read these articles: Support these guys. Subscribe to their blogs. Comment on their posts. Share links via your own blog or Twitter.
Good, Christ-honoring guys to support.
Also, if I’ve written a post for you and didn’t include it here, let me know. I think I rounded up all the outstanding posts…but don’t want to assume.
Now, email me if you want a guest post. I’m waiting. Pencil in hand.
The Millennium: Can We Safely Neglect this Doctrine?
I have to admit: Before I cracked open the books, I didn’t give the doctrine of Jesus’ thousand year reign a second thought.
Shoot–I hadn’t even given it a first thought.
But am I any less of a Christian?
And could I continue as a healthy, functioning Christian without this doctrine?
In other words, can Christians safely neglect the doctrine of the millennium?
Before we answer that question, let’s explore three different positions on this particular doctrine: amillennialism, postmillennialism and premillennialism.
Amillennialism
According to this position, we are in the millennium. At Christ’s death, God reduced Satan’s power so the gospel could be effectively preached in this age.
This position declares that Christ’s one thousand year reign [a figurative number by the way] is a heavenly–and not an earthly–kingdom.
That means Revelation 20 is being fulfilled as we speak. It also means that there WILL NOT be a future kingdom.
This is it.
This reign will continue until Christ’s return when unbelievers will be raised to judgment and believers to eternal bliss.
Postmillennialism
This view holds that Christ’s return will occur AFTER the millennium.
In the meantime, this view sees the power of the gospel gradually growing over a very long time [the millennium, again, is a figurative thousand years] so that the world becomes more and more Christ-like…culminating in his second return.
As you can guess, this doctrine becomes very popular during times of pervasive peace and prosperity when we see strong influences of Christianity dominating our society.
Premillennialism
This view sees Christ’s return BEFORE the millennium–but AFTER the tribulation. In other words, Christ’s return inaugurates his thousand year earthly reign.
At the beginning of this time Christ will cast Satan into the bottomless pit and believers will be raised from the dead.
At the end of this period Christ will release Satan from his prison who then attempts one last time to defeat Christ but is in turn summarily defeated.
Once Satan is defeated, final judgment will ensue–unbelievers to hell, believers to heaven.
Warning: Be Careful with This Doctrine
Listen: As with any prophetic, future doctrine interpreting the exact meaning of the millennium is both complex and difficult.
Our conclusions will be less certain than with other doctrines…
And although I think a strong case can be made for one position over the others [I'll explain in a minute what that is], I also think it is VERY IMPORTANT to extend a large measure of grace when discussing this topic.
Putting aside questions of positions for a minute, what are we supposed to do with this doctrine? What’s at stake if we neglect it? Can we achieve personal applications from it?
To help us think through this I’ve adapted a few questions from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. When you get a minute, answer these questions in the comments section. My answers are indented.
Questions to Ask Yourself about the Millennium
Do you have any conviction about Christ’s return: Whether it is amillennial, postmillennial or premillennial?
Yes. I affirm it is premillennial. I believe the stronger scriptural case lies with premillennialism. Furthermore, I believe the other positions create problems they can’t solve like amillennialisms slip into two returns for Christ .
How does your present view of the millennium affect your Christian life?
This is hard. Because it is in the distant future. But I would have to say it compels me to make my salvation sure, stimulate the faith of other believers and evangelize unbelievers despite my fears.
What do you think it will be like to live in a glorified body with Christ as King over the world? What sort of emotions and attitudes might you experience?
To the first question, weird. I don’t think I could confidently talk about such a state. I have zero reference point–expect for Christ’s resurrected body. So it may be the same, except without sin, disease or death. As far as emotions, I can only say it will probably be a deep sense of gratitude.
Lastly, do you really look forward to such a kingdom?
I confess: Not until I brushed up on the topic. I do now, though. In fact, I have a growing desire to learn more, because if you think about it contemplating such a kingdom and our place in it can only cause a far-reaching hope that sinks into every corner of our lives–changing us in ways Christ intended.
What about you? How would you answer these questions? Leave your answers in the comments.
And naturally your answers will depend on what position you hold, but don’t be afraid to share if we don’t agree. I’d still love to hear from you. I want to grow together.
A Recovering Rage Addict Looks at Anger Management
Seems not quite right: A former–and still struggling–rage junkie would have something to say about managing anger.
But indeed. I do. Quite a lot. As you’ll see in a minute.
Let me start with this: I think “anger management” is an awkward, if not inappropriate, title.
See, anger is not managed. It is subdued. But not by you.
Let me explain.
A Tiny Bit of History with Anger
Anger issues usually get drawn out when someone gets married. That makes sense: Require two very different people to live together and conflict is bound to erupt.
It did in my marriage.
Funny, because before I got married, I thought I had it all together. Not much could rattle me. Then again, not much was required of me. People pretty much left me alone.
And since nobody called me out on it I honestly thought I was doing well. Until I got married.
You don’t see things like this coming: An apparent innocent statement causing your fists to clench. Or the simple neglect of things important to your spouse setting her or him on edge.
To make matters worse, you keep it up–and defend yourself endlessly. For the first ten, I don’t know, eleven years, that defined my marriage.
Here’s the deal: I didn’t want it to be that way. But anger defeated me. It worked me over. Manhandled me. I knew who was the master and who was the slave.
Of course, my wife took the brunt of this anger. Post-flare up I’d grovel. Break out the “anger” books. Burn the typical verses into my memory. Plead with God.
But inside of me I was still boiling. “How dare I go through this!”
As you might guess, the next round of heated arguments would reveal that I was not winning the battle…
I was STILL blowing my top and stomping about the house like a mad man. And things even got worse when our children were born.
Anger and Children
This is not scientific, but married people WITHOUT children tend to argue less. But once you involve wee ones and their round-the-clock demands, even greater disaster awaits.
Something you should know: All of this was before my conversion.
Why is that important? In spite of my best efforts to “conquer my anger” my wretched heart was doing the only thing it knew how to do: Defend and exalt self. Even over the children.
That meant my anger drifted from my wife to my first child. Then my second.
I’d lose it when they would fuss for hours during bedtime. I’d flip when they trashed the kitchen floor with their dinner. And stare them down if they nagged me while I watched a football game.
It wasn’t pretty.
But we managed to stitch along enough happy times that they seemed to enjoy themselves for the most part. Yet, they weren’t immune to my wrath.
This Broke My Heart–Kind Of
One thing that sobered me up was the recognition that my children were growing afraid of me. They said as much in their beautifully upbeat and jolly ways.
As you can guess, this broke my heart.
Sadly, I could bear being mean to my wife–but I couldn’t bear being mean to my children. So I vowed to hunker down and kick this wrath habit.
Fat chance.
My tactics to suppressing my anger amounted to walking away, counting to ten and simply trying to remember that I don’t want my children frightened of me.
The problem with this is that my anger was rooted in a wicked heart. And that just proved too much for me.
Understand: I’m not trying to excuse my behavior. I’m motoring to a point. And that point is this: Liberation from anger only comes through Christ.
Here’s what Jesus said about it:
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. Matthew 15:18-19
In other words, a corrupt heart will only produce corrupt deeds. And my tactics amounted to thin cosmetic changes that didn’t fool anyone to the decrepit nature below the surface.
It was only when God regenerated my heart that I truly was able to master my anger.
But “master my anger” is the wrong phrase to use. Indeed, it was Christ who mastered my heart through the new birth.
And it has been the grace of God, a daily plowing of that heart with the Bible and an unapologetic infatuation with the majesty of Christ that has allowed me to experience any kind of victory over rage.
Post-Conversion Recovery from Anger Addiction
Dramatic improvements have come in my life since I was born again. The difference between the years before and after is as stark as night and day.
For example, remaining calm in situations that used to send me into a rage…I simply just don’t get rattled [as much].
No doubt, I am still recovering from many bad habits, including anger. But each day I shed a little more residue of the old man as the elements of the new accrue.
I do co-opt certain psychological strategies to manage my anger, like paying attention to what I’m doing, remaining calm and, most importantly, making sure I’m actively giving good quality time and attention to wife and children.
But I’m not brave enough to say I’m no longer a “rage addict.” Some people may not like that. But let me say this: I must keep that label in front of me because, left to my own devices, I will systematically destroy those around me.
It’s also biblical.
Why I Remind Myself of My History with Anger
Often, to drive a point home, the Apostle Paul would refer to his past when he was a legalistic Pharisee hellbent on prosecuting Christians. He remembered where he came from. And he wanted others to do the same:
Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:12
Paul’s point: Denying your past is trouble because it leads to hubris and susceptibility to making the same mistakes in the future.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather NOT do that.
So, in the end, if it not for Christ, I’d hopelessly remain a rebellious, self-absorbed misfit of madness–no matter how many neat tricks I employed to combat nasty hissy fits.
A Possible Defense of Rage
One objection remains unanswered: Didn’t Jesus rage about in the temple? Wasn’t that a vicious display of anger?
Yes. He did. And it was.
But there’s an important difference between his rage and our typical rage: He was angry at injustice and corruption–not from frustration or an unfulfilled sense of entitlement.
Anger directed at corruption or cruelty is okay. But keep in mind: Don’t sin when angry. Instead, use your anger as a motivation to change things.
Final Thoughts
In the end, if you want to overcome anger, you don’t discover the formula and then work that formula.
No. You must start with regeneration.
Then, and only then, can you slowly recover from a life dominated by rage and grow into a life dominated by a sublime sense that you are at peace with the creator of the universe.
There is no other way.
So, yes, a former rage addict does have a little something useful to say about anger management. And if this at all speaks to you, let me know. I’m truly interested to know what you have to say.
This post inspired by a reader’s question. Got a question you’d like me to answer in a post? Email me.
A Christ-Centered Approach to Bible Study–Part 5
Finally, we come to the part of this Christ-centered Bible study series that I have been waiting for.
The C in “T.H.I.N.C.”
Christo-centric
Basically, this means “Christ-Centered.” Hence, the type of Bible study this is.
This is the meat on the bone. The wings to the plane. The juice in the jug.
Not getting this is like wearing shoes without shoe laces. And I have been this person almost all my life.
Thank God for people who have helped me see the beauty of the centrality of Christ in Scripture.
Throughout this study series, I have been developing on Matthew chapter 5.
It has served as a good chapter because of its hard sayings and deep meanings.
And as much as I want to show you how the Beatitudes are Christocentric in that their meaning reflect the person who finds Christ, I will be taking us out of Matthew 5 and into some other parts of Scripture.
Let’s talk about this Christo-centric thing
The traditional approach to reading Scripture is to read it moralistically. But I am going to suggest something different. So please, hold stones until the end.
There are two ways we do this:
1. We are urged into moral behavior or action.
2. We read a moral “meaning” of the text, thus attributing it’s meaning to our person.
What is interesting is that the Gospel message is not one that says you must clean up your act before you come to Christ.
In fact, you can’t. That’s why you and I need the Gospel.
The moral behavior the Bible teaches is good…we just cannot live up to it, because guess what—you and I still struggle with immoral thoughts.
So what do we do when we come across a passage that teaches us moral behavior?
Enter Jesus.
The question you have to ask your self is this: “How does Christ fulfill this text where you cannot?” Let’s look at some examples so I can show you what I mean.
Scriptural Examples
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17
This is a moral-action Scripture. It challenges us to a higher standard of morality.
And that is good. But it is not all.
What if we stopped here? We would simply get a moralistic teaching and possibly come out of the experience discouraged.
How in the world are we to “be wise,” or “don’t be foolish” and “understand the will of the Lord”?
Scripture never calls us into any mandate that Jesus did not fulfill.
We can paraphrase the above Scripture as such:
Jesus looked carefully on how he walked, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days were evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Jesus fits the bill on this one, because He is after all the one who fulfills the promises.
When you see it this way, then you see the beauty of Jesus in Scripture, and by that simple fact, you are better able to make connections to the cross.
The next one is the moral “meaning,” or “plot” of the text
For example: David and Goliath. Everyone knows these guys.
Many times (probably too often) I have heard this passage as David being the example to us being able to conquer our giants in life.
But is that the goal of that event? I don’t think so.
If we look at this Christocentrically, then I think we can see the beauty of Christ in it.
David was a “type” of Christ. He is the one who killed the giant so that all others could live.
Jesus killed the Giant, Jesus defeated the army for God. In other words, Jesus is the hero–not me!
This puts man in the center, not Jesus.
Another example would be in Daniel 4. Daniel is imprisoned and was told that the King was going to kill his magicians because they could not interpret his dream.
Daniel, however, in the special knowledge of God interprets the dream and Nebuchadnezzar’s. Thus, God gives Daniel the message, and Daniel reveals to Nebuchadnezzar’s what the dream means.
My traditional reading of this would be to interpret the passage into meaning that if I seek out God just like Daniel, then I could “interpret” dreams, too.
But actually, that just makes us the heroes of that account. Which is wrong.
What happens when we put Jesus into the meaning of this message? He becomes beautiful, we can respond in worship, and we don’t have to be the hero.
You see, we were all the magicians who were actively working against God, and Jesus stepped in be the mediator between God and man. And just like what happened with Daniel when all the magicians were saved as a result, so too are God’s people saved from execution because of Jesus working on their behalf.
Yet Another Example
What about when we are charged to not provoke our children to anger?
Well, Jesus did not provoke us to anger, but instead was patient and long-suffering in our return to Him.
Therefore, if we understand and remember what Jesus has done for us, we too will be patient and long-suffering toward our children.
This is Christocentric in a nut-shell.
If you REALLY want to learn about this method, hunt down Tim Keller’s lecture series “Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World” on Monergism.com. Get it and listen to it–it’s free.
Remember
You are not the hero of the story, no matter the story.
And what ever morality that Scripture is calling you into, it is not doing so without first in mind that Jesus has fulfilled that very call.
So tell me, have you ever though that YOU were the David in the story?
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