Ephesians 2:11-22 interprets many of the common passages we hear around Christmas and Easter in the light of Christ. The point is that Jesus is our peace, that He has made peace between us and God (and thus also made peace between Jews and Gentiles), and that He published peace through the apostles. We looked first at the Gentile Christians and then at the Jewish Christians and then saw that Paul's point was there is one new man. In fact, we are not Christians separately but only together. Likewise, we are not members of the youth group first or members of this organzation or that committee, we are not young or old first, we are not adult converts or children of the covenant first: we are Christians first.

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Labels: church, Gentiles, peace, unity

1 Corinthians 4 shows by the personal examples of the church's leadership during apostolic era that we will be united with the apostles if we are not concerned about status, honor and praise. Paul and Apollos are examples so that the people might not go beyond, "It is written" (that is, the written word of God) and might not exalt one person among them at the expense of another. And the only "well done" that is ultimately important is the Lord's. The spectacle of the apostles shows that the church should be upside down from the world. Where the world would see being last of all in the procession of a Roman legion as weakness and folly, it is the wisdom of God that the first will be last. And the apostles are last, prisoners and slaves, being led to the arena for slaughter rather than starting their reign as kings with Christ. And the third example that we should not be concerned about status, honor, and praise is shown by imitating Paul like a son imitates his father. This message gets at the heart of what the gospel does.

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Labels: 1 corinthians, honor, praise, servant, status, unity

1 Corinthians 4 shows by the personal examples of the church's leadership during apostolic era that we will be united with the apostles if we are not concerned about status, honor and praise. Paul and Apollos are examples so that the people might not go beyond, "It is written" (that is, the written word of God) and might not exalt one person among them at the expense of another. And the only "well done" that is ultimately important is the Lord's. The spectacle of the apostles shows that the church should be upside down from the world. Where the world would see being last of all in the procession of a Roman legion as weakness and folly, it is the wisdom of God that the first will be last. And the apostles are last, prisoners and slaves, being led to the arena for slaughter rather than starting their reign as kings with Christ. And the third example that we should not be concerned about status, honor, and praise is shown by imitating Paul like a son imitates his father. This message gets at the heart of what the gospel does.

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Labels: 1 corinthians, honor, praise, servant, status, unity

1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5 shows us how we can have unity in the message of Christ crucified. Paul was not trying to draw attention to himself, but to Christ crucified. This message is foolish to unbelieving Greeks and scandalous to unbelieving Jews, but for believing Jews and Greeks it is the power of God for salvation. Paul did not try to dress up the image of Christ crucified with flowery language or rhetorical flair, but he let it have its full effect. There are two reasons I look at briefly to show why we should be united behind this message. The first is that the philosophers, Torah scribes, and orators never would or could find this way of salvation. It is revealed by God through the preaching of Christ crucified. And secondly, we should be united behind this message because not many of us were wise, powerful, or of noble birth according to the world, but we were called by God through this shocking word of the cross. To clarify, Apollos is not Greek but he is apparently a Hellenistic Jew.

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Labels: 1 corinthians, christ, cross, salvation, unity

1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5 shows us how we can have unity in the message of Christ crucified. Paul was not trying to draw attention to himself, but to Christ crucified. This message is foolish to unbelieving Greeks and scandalous to unbelieving Jews, but for believing Jews and Greeks it is the power of God for salvation. Paul did not try to dress up the image of Christ crucified with flowery language or rhetorical flair, but he let it have its full effect. There are two reasons I look at briefly to show why we should be united behind this message. The first is that the philosophers, Torah scribes, and orators never would or could find this way of salvation. It is revealed by God through the preaching of Christ crucified. And secondly, we should be united behind this message because not many of us were wise, powerful, or of noble birth according to the world, but we were called by God through this shocking word of the cross.

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Labels: 1 corinthians, christ, cross, salvation, unity

1 Cor 1:1-17 begins our series, inspired by the last message on Ezekiel, on Unity in Christ. The danger to the unity of the church in Corinth was the development of splinter groups following personalities like Paul, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter) and even a splinter group claiming that they followed Christ unlike the rest. Paul appeals to unity for their fellowship with one another with the theme of calling since they have been called to be saints together (1:2) and called into the fellowship of Jesus (1:9). Under this theme we see that not only are we not to be lone ranger Christians but also not lone ranger churches and that factions within a congregation deny the definition of saints and fellowship. Likewise, we looked at the ideas of Spiritual gifts and baptism to shed more light on these points about the fellowship of the people of God in union with Christ.

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Labels: 1 corinthians, baptism, calling, fellowship, Spiritual gifts, union with Christ, unity

1 Cor 1:1-17 begins our series, inspired by the last message on Ezekiel, on Unity in Christ. The danger to the unity of the church in Corinth was the development of splinter groups following personalities like Paul, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter) and even a splinter group claiming that they followed Christ unlike the rest. Paul appeals to unity for their fellowship with one another with the theme of calling since they have been called to be saints together (1:2) and called into the fellowship of Jesus (1:9). Under this theme we see that not only are we not to be lone ranger Christians but also not lone ranger churches and that factions within a congregation deny the definition of saints and fellowship. Likewise, we looked at the ideas of Spiritual gifts and baptism to shed more light on these points about the fellowship of the people of God in union with Christ.

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Labels: 1 corinthians, baptism, calling, fellowship, Spiritual gifts, union with Christ, unity

Ezekiel 37:15-28 adds one new emphasis to what Ezekiel has been saying: unity. The restoration from exile would not restore two kingdoms but one (like in the days of King David), with one God. These verses point us to the work of Jesus Christ who is Lord and King over one people (not just over the Jewish people of the southern and northern kingdoms, but even over the Gentiles) because of His greater exile on the cross and His greater restoration from exile in the resurrection. And Jesus has poured out the Spirit on His people so that we can be with the one God as one nation. This nation knows no national boundaries, but consists of Christians throughout the world whose citizenship is in heaven. Unity is impossible with those who do not have the Spirit, those who have not experienced an initial sanctification by the Spirit, those who are not united to Christ. But salvation is the restoration of communion with God through union with Christ by the Spirit in our hearts.

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Labels: church, ezekiel, king, spirit, union with Christ, unity

Ezekiel 37:15-28 adds one new emphasis to what Ezekiel has been saying: unity. The restoration from exile would not restore two kingdoms but one (like in the days of King David), with one God. These verses point us to the work of Jesus Christ who is Lord and King over one people (not just over the Jewish people of the southern and northern kingdoms, but even over the Gentiles) because of His greater exile on the cross and His greater restoration from exile in the resurrection. And Jesus has poured out the Spirit on His people so that we can be with the one God as one nation. This nation knows no national boundaries, but consists of Christians throughout the world whose citizenship is in heaven. Unity is impossible with those who do not have the Spirit, those who have not experienced an initial sanctification by the Spirit, those who are not united to Christ. But salvation is the restoration of communion with God through union with Christ by the Spirit in our hearts.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: church, exile, ezekiel, king, spirit, union with Christ, unity