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  • 1 Corinthians 7

    1 Corinthians 7

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    Concerning Married Life

    1 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

    8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

    10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

    12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

    15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

    Concerning Change of Status

    17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. 20 Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

    21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22 For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. 24 Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

    Concerning the Unmarried

    25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

    29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

    32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife—34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

    36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.

    39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

    Go Deeper

    This chapter builds off of the previous one on the topic of sexual immorality. In this passage, we see Paul putting on his “relationship counselor hat” as he continues to address questions the Corinthians evidently asked him about sex, marriage, divorce, and singleness. While we don’t know exactly what questions the Corinthians submitted to Paul, we know he thought they needed an answer. As we have seen thus far, Paul wants the Corinthians to look through each one of the topics addressed in this chapter through the lens of the gospel. If they’re to be living as spiritually mature followers of Christ, how should their worldview be different than everyone around them? 

    One major theme Paul drives home in this chapter is the idea of contentment where you are, even though it’s not always easy. First, Paul addresses married couples. The Corinthian church was overrun with all kinds of infidelity and adultery. Paul reminds them of the importance of finding satisfaction in your spouse (and only your spouse) and fleeing temptation that can come in from outside the covenant of marriage. He reminds believers married to nonbelievers that they have a unique opportunity to show Christ to their spouses. Single believers have a unique opportunity to devote themselves fully to the work of the Lord, and to the best of their ability, they should embrace the freedom to serve in that way. 

    Paul’s acknowledgement here is helpful: sometimes life is complicated, messy, and doesn’t go how you necessarily would have drawn it up. The message to the Corinthians is equally applicable to us today. Wherever you fall on the spectrum that Paul addresses, the goal for us is summed up in verse 19: “Keeping God’s commands is what counts.” Whatever stage of life God has called you to, you’re there for a reason (unless God calls you elsewhere).

    Flee temptation, resist sin, extend grace, pursue Jesus, and represent Him in all that you say and do. Live your life marked by the Good News of Jesus because that’s what the world needs from you.

    Questions

    1. What sticks out to you about Paul’s own personal experience in this passage?

    2. Which part of this passage felt the most applicable to you? Why? 

    3. Where do you sense discontentment in your own life? What can you do today to start finding contentment in each part of your life?

    Did You Know?

    From this passage we learn that Paul is single, which he considers a gift. Different scholars have different opinions about whether or not he was married previously and widowed or left by his wife after his conversion, so there is no definitive answer on his relational history prior to this season of his life. Either way, Paul sees his singleness as a blessing because he believes it enables him to serve the Lord more effectively.

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  • 1 Corinthians 6

    1 Corinthians 6

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    Lawsuits Among Believers

    1 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!

    7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

    Sexual Immorality

    12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.“I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

    18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

    Go Deeper

    This chapter continues Paul’s admonishment to the Corinthians to live as godly people–a stark contrast from the world around them. First, he begins by talking about lawsuits among believers and how the call for believers sit to live differently than the rest of the world. Next, he moves on to the topic of sexual immorality. 

    When you purchase something, you are the owner of it. You possess the right to do with it as you want. It is yours. In today’s reading, Paul makes it clear to the church in Corinth that they have been purchased by God because of what Jesus did for them on the cross. God owns them. Therefore, God cares what they do with the lives He has purchased for them. He goes even further to say that their bodies are a temple for God to live in. So, not only has He purchased the land, but He has built His house right there, in them. And because of that, He gets to decide how they live. 

    The believers in Corinth have been living as though they are their own gods, completely in charge of their lives and what they do with them. Paul lovingly corrects his friends here by reminding them that they are not their own masters, that they aren’t entitled to do whatever they want. He says that God, who purchased their lives with His son’s blood, is their new master and that they are to honor Him by the way they live.  

    God’s heart hasn’t changed on this issue today, either. The same is still true for us–when we become Christians, God adopts us into His family. He purchased us with His son’s death on the cross. We belong to Him; He cares about how we live with the lives He gave us. We are to live each day as though He is living through us. It may sound cliche, but we really should ask ourselves the question, “What would Jesus do?” all day, every day. How would Jesus respond to a conversation full of gossip at work? What would Jesus say to the homeless man on the street? What would it look like if Jesus were at home with your kids today? Because the truth is, He is there… in you.

    Questions

    1. In verse 7, Paul asks, “Wouldn’t you rather be wronged?” to dissuade believers from taking lawsuits against one another to court. It’s a bad look for Christians to be fighting publicly–the outside world is watching. When have you seen Christians give Christ a bad name? In what ways have you participated in that?

    2. Do you spend time each day asking God how He wants you to spend your day? Do you consider yourself a slave to God?

    3. In this chapter Paul is correcting people who are living with the “I can do what I want because of God’s grace” mentality. Do you tend to lean more towards legalism or cheap grace? What is bad about both of those camps?

    Keep Digging

    Read this article explaining theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s idea of cheap grace versus costly grace.

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  • 1 Corinthians 5

    1 Corinthians 5

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    Dealing With a Case of Incest

    1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

    6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

    9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

    12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

    Go Deeper

    The chapter begins calling out the specific sin of incest and, while we may tempted to skim over the rest finding that we don’t personally struggle with this issue, we need to stay focused. Verse 2 is a strong rebuke against what we, as Christians in today’s world, should be on guard against: pride. 

    The Christians in the Corinthian church had become prideful in their status as Christians. “Pride” or “being proud” is having or showing a high or excessively high opinion of oneself or one’s importance, and it disrupted God’s work in the Corinthians. They refused to acknowledge sin in their midst for fear that it would tarnish their reputation. They put their trust in themselves to do God’s work and relied on their own earthly wisdom. They believed they had to protect the church from public opinion more than protecting it from sin. They placed a higher priority on what the world thought than on what God commanded. 

    Despite the centuries, Paul could be writing to the American church. There are times when we, as Christians, think we need to make things happen for God rather than trusting that He will make things happen. We don’t want to recognize sin amongst ourselves out of fear it will tarnish the church’s reputation rather than confessing sin and repenting. We focus on the opinion and logic of the world around us rather than keeping our eyes on Jesus and following His example of love and forgiveness.

    In verse 6, Paul compares pride to how yeast works in bread. In the Bible, yeast (or leaven) is symbolic of sin, based on God’s command to the Israelites during the Exodus to make unleavened bread. GotQuestions.org explains it this way: “Like leaven that permeates the whole lump of dough, sin will spread in a person, a church, or a nation, eventually overwhelming and bringing its participants into its bondage and eventually to death.” A little bit of yeast will make the whole batch of bread rise. In the same way, a little bit of pride in the church can cause the whole congregation to become arrogant. 

    To guard against pride, we must follow the guidance of 1 Peter 5:5-6: “…clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”

    Questions
    1. Why are we so fearful of how the world perceives the church?
    2. In what way have you seen pride disrupt God’s work in the American church?
    3. In what way has your pride interfered in God’s work through you?
    Watch This

    Watch this message on humility in the church that was part of Harris Creek’s Forged series.

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  • 1 Corinthians 4

    1 Corinthians 4

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    The Nature of True Apostleship

    1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

    6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

    8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

    Paul’s Appeal and Warning

    14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

    18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

    Go Deeper

    This chapter is a glimpse into what the earliest version of consumerism in the church looked like. What Paul was dealing with 2000 years ago is not just a sin of the past, it is very much happening today. The Corinthians favored one leader over another and created groups from it. Some favored Cephas, others Apollos, and still others Paul. Their favoritism from personal preference created division within the church. Why was Paul so rampant about fighting for unity? For no other reason than because Jesus is. Jesus gave His life to unite us back to Him so as followers of Jesus, we must always be fighting for unity. 

    In the church today this is still happening. We still favor one Christian author over another. We like one pastor’s style more than another. We compare Christian leaders against one another, hoping our favorite “wins” the battle for our opinion on who is “better”. One of the scariest things about this particular issue is that it is often hidden under the banner of spirituality. We convince one another that it is simply a preference of the leader but in reality, it may be worship of man. It is wrapped in the lie that we can only learn from some leaders and not others. 

    So, how does Paul plan to solve this? Not how one might expect. He addresses how he found freedom from living from man’s approval. In verses 1-5, Paul uses the word judge 4 times. This word has the same meaning as the word verdict. Paul is using language one would use in a courtroom intentionally. He is explaining that the solution to being liberated from man’s approval is not in a discipline but in an eternal truth. Paul does not care what others think about him or what thinks about himself. How did Paul get there? He understood the Judge’s gavel had gone down on his life. The Judge is God and the verdict on Paul’s life is washed by the blood. The way to break free from caring about what others and you think about yourself is to know what God says about you. We are His beloved children whom He died for, we need no other approval but God alone.

    Questions
    1. Is there anyone you need to go and fight for unity with?
    2. In what ways are you living from man’s approval?
    3. Who could you remind today that the verdict is over and Christ has declared them righteous through faith in Christ?
    Did You Know?

    The Greek word “servant” in verse 1 often refers to the rower on a ship, listening to and obeying the orders of a supervisor. As long as the rowers listened and obeyed, the ship moved smoothly toward its destination. With that humble language, Paul made clear that he, Apollos, and Cephas (aka Peter) were merely servants of the true teacher: Jesus Christ.

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  • 1 Corinthians 3

    1 Corinthians 3

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    The Church and Its Leaders

    1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

    5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

    10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

    16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

    18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

    Go Deeper

    In this chapter, Paul continues to lay out for the Corinthians where they need to course-correct. As we have picked up on already, he was unsettled by the reports he was getting about the behavior of its members and the trajectory on which the church at Corinth was headed. But Paul wasn’t just interested in behavior modification–he was far more interested in heart change. It’s one thing to tell somebody they should change their behavior. It’s another thing to explain to them why their behavior should change because of the gospel. 

    Paul’s frustration with the Corinthians is that they weren’t living as people who believed what they claimed to believe; there was no distinction between them and the rest of Corinth. At the root of all of this was a lack of spiritual depth, with Paul calling them “mere infants in Christ” (verse 1). These internal disputes about who to follow (Paul, Apollos, or Peter) were indicative of the spiritual immaturity that was rampant in Corinth. The Corinthians had belief, but they hadn’t yet moved beyond belief into becoming true disciples of Christ. 

    Paul’s reminder to the Corinthians is every bit as applicable to us nearly 2000 years later as it was to them. Too often, we come to faith in Jesus, but our progress stalls somewhere soon after belief. We become complacent or apathetic. We don’t develop into fully mature followers of Jesus. But we don’t have to settle for that. Instead, we can move on from milk to solid food because we’re ready for it. Living in community, practicing spiritual disciplines, and repenting and fleeing from sin are all tools at our disposal to chip away at those rough edges to help us develop into the disciples Jesus has called us to be.

    Questions

    1. What sticks out to you most about Paul’s instructions in this chapter? 

    2. Paul calls out the jealousy and quarreling among the Corinthians. Where have you experienced this yourself in the church? How can you put to bed feelings of jealousy or any quarrels amongst you and other believers?

    3. Verses 6-9 are foundational in our understanding of how evangelism and discipleship work. Sometimes you’ll be planting seeds, sometimes you’ll be watering. Sometimes you’ll do both. But God is ultimately responsible for making things grow. How does understanding this concept affect how you go about living out the Great Commission?

    Did You Know?

    We don’t know exactly why some of the Corinthians favored Paul or Apollos or Peter more than the others, but we know it was divisive. It was common for each philosophical school in Greece to have a “chief teacher” and the competition among those teachers to be regarded as the best was often fierce. Paul’s point, however, is that there’s no place for that amongst servants of Christ.

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  • 1 Corinthians 2

    1 Corinthians 2

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    1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

    God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

    6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:

    “What no eye has seen,
        what no ear has heard,
    and what no human mind has conceived”—
        the things God has prepared for those who love him—

    10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

    The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,

    “Who has known the mind of the Lord
        so as to instruct him?”

    But we have the mind of Christ.

    Go Deeper

    Paul opens this chapter in both a humbling and powerful way. He was resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In other words, we never outgrow or graduate from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why would Paul say such a thing? The church in Corinth was dealing with a very common struggle: worshiping creation over the Creator. They had come to an understanding of what Jesus did for them and then began to drift from it. They had begun to prioritize the teacher over the One whom the teaching was about. It was not an outright rejection of Christ as much as it was a subtle mis-prioritization that led to a blinding idol. 

    Although Paul was well equipped in ways deemed of importance (Philippians 3), he came in weakness and depended on God’s Spirit and His power. This would have seemed counterintuitive to what the church wanted, yet it was (and still is) best. The idea went against the grain of culture and Paul was used to it. He was not coming to gain a following. In every church that Paul wrote back to, he constantly called them into deeper dependence on God. The secret to Christianity is not in becoming “strong” and doing it on your own. Candidly, it is the opposite. It is in becoming weak that God’s power is displayed. Paul’s plea for this church is that it would never outgrow Jesus Christ and Him crucified, but rather that they would live from that reality daily.

    How do we get to the place where Paul found himself? It is simple and profound: the Spirit of God unlocks the things of God to us. Paul ends this chapter by distinguishing between worldly and godly wisdom–and they are not the same. The Spirit of God is our Teacher. The only way one will remain in the place of dependence is through moment by moment of dependence. When we pray, give, teach, evangelize, lead, listen, etc., we are to be people who are in constant communication with God’s Spirit. May we preach Jesus and Him crucified to ourselves daily.

    Questions
    1. What blinding idols in your life do you need to call out?
    2. How could you depend on God’s Spirit more today?
    3. Paul came in weakness and was strengthened by God. In what ways are you relying on your strength instead of God?
    Pray This

    “Father, would you mercifully expose our blinding idols and the areas of our walk with You where we are depending on our strength instead of Your Spirit? We trust in Your kindness and discipline but help our unbelief. Amen.”

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  • 1 Corinthians Introduction + 1

    1 Corinthians Introduction + 1

    1 Corinthians Preview

    The book of 1 Corinthians is a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. Corinth was an important port city and a big economic center for the ancient world, and Paul spent a year and a half planting this church and discipling believers there. After he left and continued on his missionary journey, he received word about some dysfunction and conflict happening back at the church in Corinth. 

    Because Paul wasn’t able to tend to these matters in person, he wrote a letter to this church, giving corrections on the issues causing disagreement: divisions in the church, sexual immorality, food rules, order in worship, and confusion over the resurrection of Jesus. Paul addresses each of these conflicts in his letter by using the Gospel as a way to reorient their thinking. 

    A main theme he repeats often is this: “you are not your own; you’ve been bought with a price–therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Because our lives have been purchased by Christ’s death, we are to honor God with the way we live. Not only that, but His Spirit lives within our bodies! Therefore, as Christians, we are to live each day as though Christ were actually living through us, because He actually is. 

    The book of 1 Corinthians is important for believers to read today because, like the church in Corinth, Christians today can struggle with similar divisive issues. Reading the way Paul handled these disagreements shows us how to work to make unity a priority in church today and reminds us how the gospel is to infiltrate every aspect of our lives.

    Read 1 Corinthians 1

    1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

    2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

    3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Thanksgiving

    4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

    A Church Divided Over Leaders

    10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

    13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

    Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

    18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

    “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
        the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

    20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

    26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

    Go Deeper

    As Paul opens this letter to the church in Corinth, he starts off with a greeting and a reminder of how thankful he is for them. Then he gets to the matter at hand: they needed to come together. The church had become divided over time. The Corinthians were debating over who their favorite teachers were and other matters of preference, but Paul reminded them of the truth: Jesus is who matters. Paul is saying, “Focus on the message of the Gospel and not the messenger.”

    This reminder to focus on the Gospel is just as relevant to us today as it was to the Corinthians. The enemy uses a world full of noise and distraction to take our eyes off of what really matters. Just walk into your local bookstore or briefly browse through Amazon, and you’ll find plenty of self-empowerment books meant to help you be the best version of you that you can be. These types of books sell millions of copies every year as authors write their latest and greatest “pump up” speech. People snatch up this content because there is something within the human condition that tells us we aren’t yet who we need to be. In our desire to grow, we’re told to look inward to access the power we need to become great. 

    However, 1 Corinthians 1 sets up a stark contrast to the popular thinking of the day. Rather than foolishly searching for one’s own inner strength, we’re told to find true power from somewhere else. Self-empowerment is not the goal: sanctification is.  

    The good news is that we don’t have to create our own holiness. Instead, we can rely on the only One who has the ability to change our hearts. In this chapter alone, we’re told that God enriches us in every way (v. 5), keeps us firm until the end (v. 8), makes foolish the wisdom of the world (v. 20), and chooses the lowly things to shame the strong (v. 28). What becomes clear throughout this passage is that we aren’t the main actors in our own stories. The one who sets each and every scene is the God who holds all things together. If we’re searching for strength, it’s found in Him. If we’re searching for hope, it’s found in Him. If we’re searching for love, it’s found in Him. This life isn’t about you. It’s about you finding yourself in Him.

    Questions
    1. What word or phrase stuck out to you on your first reading of this chapter? Why?
    2. How have you seen the enemy use issues of preference to distract believers from the message of the Gospel?
    3. Verses 18-25 contrasts the wisdom of the world against the wisdom of God. What are some areas of your life in which you have bought into the world’s wisdom? How can you replace that with God’s knowledge?
    Watch This

    Check out this video overview of 1 Corinthians from The Bible Project!

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  • Ezekiel 48

    Ezekiel 48

    Editor’s Note

    We had a technical glitch this morning–sorry for the delay! Come back tomorrow as we re-enter the New Testament and read through Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.

    Read Ezekiel 48

    The Division of the Land

    48 “These are the tribes, listed by name: At the northern frontier, Dan will have one portion; it will follow the Hethlon road to Lebo Hamath; Hazar Enan and the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath will be part of its border from the east side to the west side.

    2 “Asher will have one portion; it will border the territory of Dan from east to west.

    3 “Naphtali will have one portion; it will border the territory of Asher from east to west.

    4 “Manasseh will have one portion; it will border the territory of Naphtali from east to west.

    5 “Ephraim will have one portion; it will border the territory of Manasseh from east to west.

    6 “Reuben will have one portion; it will border the territory of Ephraim from east to west.

    7 “Judah will have one portion; it will border the territory of Reuben from east to west.

    8 “Bordering the territory of Judah from east to west will be the portion you are to present as a special gift. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and its length from east to west will equal one of the tribal portions; the sanctuary will be in the center of it.

    9 “The special portion you are to offer to the Lord will be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. 10 This will be the sacred portion for the priests. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north side, 10,000 cubits wide on the west side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east side and 25,000 cubits long on the south side. In the center of it will be the sanctuary of the Lord. 11 This will be for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites, who were faithful in serving meand did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray. 12 It will be a special gift to them from the sacred portion of the land, a most holy portion, bordering the territory of the Levites.

    13 “Alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites will have an allotment 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. Its total length will be 25,000 cubits and its width 10,000 cubits. 14 They must not sell or exchange any of it. This is the best of the land and must not pass into other hands, because it is holy to the Lord.

    15 “The remaining area, 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for the common use of the city, for houses and for pastureland. The city will be in the center of it 16 and will have these measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side 4,500 cubits. 17 The pastureland for the city will be 250 cubits on the north, 250 cubits on the south, 250 cubits on the east, and 250 cubits on the west. 18 What remains of the area, bordering on the sacred portion and running the length of it, will be 10,000 cubits on the east side and 10,000 cubits on the west side. Its produce will supply food for the workers of the city. 19 The workers from the city who farm it will come from all the tribes of Israel. 20 The entire portion will be a square, 25,000 cubits on each side. As a special gift you will set aside the sacred portion, along with the property of the city.

    21 “What remains on both sides of the area formed by the sacred portion and the property of the city will belong to the prince. It will extend eastward from the 25,000 cubits of the sacred portion to the eastern border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. Both these areas running the length of the tribal portions will belong to the prince, and the sacred portion with the temple sanctuary will be in the center of them. 22 So the property of the Levites and the property of the city will lie in the center of the area that belongs to the prince. The area belonging to the prince will lie between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin.

    23 “As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin will have one portion; it will extend from the east side to the west side.

    24 “Simeon will have one portion; it will border the territory of Benjamin from east to west.

    25 “Issachar will have one portion; it will border the territory of Simeon from east to west.

    26 “Zebulun will have one portion; it will border the territory of Issachar from east to west.

    27 “Gad will have one portion; it will border the territory of Zebulun from east to west.

    28 “The southern boundary of Gad will run south from Tamar to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.

    29 “This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Sovereign Lord.

    The Gates of the New City

    30 “These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north side, which is 4,500 cubits long, 31 the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.

    32 “On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.

    33 “On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun.

    34 “On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.

    35 “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.

    “And the name of the city from that time on will be:

    the Lord is there.”

    Go Deeper

    As we finish Ezekiel, this final chapter is filled with details and lists like the names of tribes, the size of territories, and where they all should be placed. But when we look at the book in its entirety, we see that this chapter crowns God’s message throughout Ezekiel and all of scripture: God forgives, redeems, and restores. In the first portion of the book Ezekiel uses unique methods and parables to warn God’s people that if they don’t turn from their sin, there will be consequences and judgment. However, if we remember the theme of Ezekiel 11:19 the Lord declares “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Even in the midst of their disobedience God was promising and pointing towards a better future where he would not only take away the scars of sin, but restore the hearts of his people. 

    As we continued through the book, we saw how God’s goodness demands that he bring judgment on evil. We were reminded that we are all sinful, which in turn makes us all subject to judgment. Ezekiel details the judgment on Israel and God’s people, then on the surrounding nations. Then in Ezekiel 33, it all comes to a head as we read about the fall of Jerusalem and how God’s warnings came true. 

    But the book does not end there. God gives an additional 14 chapters of visions and promises of hope for all the earth! He details how he will raise up a new David, or messianic king (whom we know to be Jesus). He also promises to make not only Israel new, but also the hearts of his people. He gives vision to how God will defeat the evil of all nations and all people. Through the description and stories of Gog, we saw that not even all the forces of evil working together can defeat our God. And lastly, he gave vision to the new temple and living creation–which is where we find ourselves in Ezekiel 48. He has described how his dwelling place is rebuilt and full of his glory and life. But if you notice, he never names this glorious place the “New Jerusalem” which is what the Israelites expect after their beloved city has fallen. Instead, he names the new city “The Lord Is There.” 

    So often our Old Testament books are believed to be harsh and our view of the Old Testament God is mean or cruel. However, the God that is so good he has to judge evil is the same God that sent his own son to be a sacrifice for our evil nature. He gave us guidelines and commands to follow because He cares for our wellbeing just as a Father cares for a child. He placed messages of hope throughout all of our Old Testament scripture to show us how much he cares. Now we get to look forward to the new city where we will dwell with the One who loves us!

    Questions

    1. What was your favorite takeaway from the book of Ezekiel?
    2. In what ways do you view God as harsher than He is?
    3. How can you allow God to be more of a Father to you every day?

    Watch This

    Now that we have finished the book of Ezekiel, go back and watch this video overview highlighting the key themes of the book from The Bible Project!

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  • Ezekiel 47

    Ezekiel 47

    Read Ezekiel 47

    The River From the Temple

    47 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

    3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. 6 He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”

    Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.10 Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea. 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

    The Boundaries of the Land

    13 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These are the boundaries of the land that you will divide among the twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance, with two portions for Joseph. 14 You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your ancestors, this land will become your inheritance.

    15 “This is to be the boundary of the land:

    “On the north side it will run from the Mediterranean Sea by the Hethlon road past Lebo Hamath to Zedad, 16 Berothah and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer Hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.

    18 “On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the eastern boundary.

    19 “On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the southern boundary.

    20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This will be the western boundary.

    21 “You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord.

    Go Deeper

    At the beginning of this chapter, Ezekiel is brought to the entrance of the temple where Ezekiel sees a stream of water flowing towards the east from the Temple of the Lord. We notice that every 1,000 cubits (approx 1,700 feet) the water gets deeper. It begins as an ankle deep trickle, then becomes knee deep, then waist deep. Eventually, what began as a small stream becomes a river deep enough to swim in. The bank of the river has trees lining each side on its way to the Dead Sea. When the river empties into the Dead Sea (the lowest place on the face of the earth), the salt water becomes fresh. Ezekiel tells us this is where life is found and flourishing happens (v. 9). What once was not compatible with life is now a source of it. The trees on the river will bear fruit every month and their leaves will be used for healing. In scripture we see that water has the power to destroy and kill (Genesis 6) but also has the power to heal, restore, and nurture. It is the source of life. 

    In Genesis 2 there is a river in the Garden of Eden. Towards the end of the scriptures, in Revelation 22 we see a similar river, but instead of flowing from the altar of the temple it will flow from the throne of God and the Lamb (Revelation 22:1). God’s plan is becoming more clear as we move throughout scripture, to redeem not just humanity but the entire earth. This river described in Ezekiel is yet to come. Many scholars believe it will be during Jesus’s thousand year reign while the one in Revelation 22 will be even later (in the New Heavens and New Earth after the final judgment), when God restores Eden and we live in His presence for eternity.

    Jesus, in the gospel accounts of His life, tells us to come to Him and drink. He told the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:7-8). In John 7, Jesus said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive” (John 7:37b-39). 

    Like the Dead Sea in Ezekiel’s vision, we were once dead in our sin but because of Christ’s payment for our sin on the Cross, we have been made fresh or clean and we are no longer bound by our sin. Through the blood of Jesus Christ we are made whole by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the believer. This means we can have an abundant life that leads to eternal life. As we develop in our spiritual walk with Christ we will grow into deeper waters, welling up to the eternal life promised to the believer.  

    Towards the end of this chapter, Ezekiel was told that the foreigners living among the Israelites will also receive an inheritance. Friends, this is Good News! The Lord’s heart from Genesis to Revelation has always been to bless the nations through the nation of Israel. Because of God’s grace through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are children of God and receive an inheritance as a part of an eternal kingdom in the New Heavens and New Earth!

    Questions

    1. What did this chapter teach you about God? What did it teach you about humanity?
    2. What spiritual disciplines are you struggling with in this season? Talk to your Life Group and develop a plan to grow in your walk with Jesus. 
    3. What does this chapter teach you about eternity? Spend time fixing your mind on what eternity holds today.

    Keep Digging

    Interested in learning more about the healing trees (v. 12)? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org.

    Leave a Comment below

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  • Ezekiel 46

    Ezekiel 46

    Read Ezekiel 46

    46 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner courtfacing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened. 2 The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offering and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow down in worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until evening. 3 On the Sabbathsand New Moons the people of the land are to worship in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of that gateway. 4 The burnt offering the prince brings to the Lord on the Sabbath day is to be six male lambs and a ram, all without defect. 5 The grain offering given with the ram is to be an ephah, and the grain offering with the lambs is to be as much as he pleases, along with a hin of olive oil for each ephah. 6 On the day of the New Moon he is to offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect. 7 He is to provide as a grain offering one ephah with the bull, one ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to give, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.8 When the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico of the gateway, and he is to come out the same way.

    9 “‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. 10 The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out. 11 At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering is to be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs as much as he pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.

    12 “‘When the prince provides a freewill offering to the Lord—whether a burnt offering or fellowship offerings—the gate facing east is to be opened for him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut.

    13 “‘Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord; morning by morning you shall provide it. 14 You are also to provide with it morning by morning a grain offering, consisting of a sixth of an ephah with a third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour. The presenting of this grain offering to the Lord is a lasting ordinance. 15 So the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided morning by morning for a regularburnt offering.

    16 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance. 17 If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. 18 The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property.’”

    19 Then the man brought me through the entrance at the side of the gate to the sacred rooms facing north, which belonged to the priests, and showed me a place at the western end. 20 He said to me, “This is the place where the priests are to cook the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering, to avoid bringing them into the outer court and consecrating the people.”

    21 He then brought me to the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw in each corner another court. 22 In the four corners of the outer court were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide;each of the courts in the four corners was the same size. 23 Around the inside of each of the four courts was a ledge of stone, with places for fire built all around under the ledge. 24 He said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple are to cook the sacrifices of the people.”

    Go Deeper

    Many times, as we read scripture, we can hear the clear messages God has for us. Ezekiel 46 is wrapped in mysterious visions that are hard to understand. Who is the ‘prince?” Who is the “man?” Theologians are still struggling to answer those questions over this chapter. However, as we read on here, some of the mystery can be addressed and applicable for us today.

    This chapter clearly focuses on the importance of worship offerings and the special purposes of the gates within the temple. The offerings listed are many and varied and the locations of the gates are significant. It is obvious from the start, that the inner gate facing east is special. It is used only for the sabbath and new moon worship. The sabbath was weekly and the new moon monthly. Keep in mind that this entrance was closed until these times. Furthermore, the prince was the only one to enter through this gate first, to present the burnt and fellowship offerings. 

    According to this chapter, the prince then worshiped along with the priest and left the gate open. The people of the land would then enter through the north gate to share in the worship time. Also, notice the animals and produce offered by the prince are the best of the best. Lambs, bulls, rams, and grains were all the best of the land. Verse 10 says, “The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in, and going out when they go out.” The worshippers exited the south gate and the prince, the east gate which would then be closed. Verse 14 says, “The presenting of the grain offering to the Lord as a lasting ordinance.”  We see in this that the prince worshiped with the people and the grain offered represented their ongoing devotion to the Lord from week to week and month to month. 

    Even in the uncertainty of this chapter, two important thoughts emerge for us today. First, the temple in Jerusalem is where Christ will return in His second coming. He will lead and worship with His chosen people by entering the east gate. Every place in the temple described in this chapter are important to the service of God and its people. The parallel for the modern-day church is in Christ who is with us as we come to worship Him. Every corner of the church has its perfect purpose in both worship and service to God and its people. 

    Second, our whole selves, body, soul, and spirit, have the same purpose. Every part and corner of our lives, as His temple, are His for service unto God and others. First Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” What a blessing and mystery is ours through the gift of the Holy Spirit! In this chapter, we see that Christ is both our altar and our sacrifice into a redeemed relationship with God. We can now boldly go before God in worship, praise, and service. We can gladly surrender every part of our lives to Him and trust Him to work all things for our good and His glory. May every gate and corner of ourselves be fully surrendered to Him. From this place, we can love, serve, and worship Him now and forever.

    Questions

    1. What does this passage teach you about God? What does it teach you about humanity?
    2. The Jewish law of sacrifices and offerings is important in this chapter. Why is this important to God?
    3. Why do you think the east gate of the temple is important?

    A Quote

    “After surrender what? The whole of the life after surrender is an aspiration for unbroken communion with God.”

    Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

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