Daily Bible Devotionals

“If anyone has caused pain, he has not caused pain to me, but in some degree – not to exaggerate – to all of you.  The punishment by the majority is sufficient for such a person, so now you should forgive and comfort him instead; otherwise, this one may be overwhelmed by excessive grief.  Therefore I urge you to confirm your love to him.” 2 Corinthians 2:5-8 (HCSB)

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, in chapter 5, we learned of a situation where a man in the Corinthian church was sleeping with his stepmother.  Paul rebuked the church leaders for overlooking the sin or at least downplaying it.

Apparently, the Corinthian leaders received Paul’s rebuke and disciplined the man according to Paul’s instruction.  In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul suggests the incestuous offender’s punishment had been sufficient.  It was time to restore him to fellowship.  The man’s restoration would take a challenging measure of maturity on behalf of the church leaders.

It is easier to live in a black-and-white, right-and-wrong world.  It takes great discernment to restore those who have been rebuked and expelled.  We are generally bent on burying and forgetting old negative business to move toward positive things.

I dread confronting sin.  I find no pleasure in pulling people aside and holding them accountable, much less the task of removing people from the fellowship altogether.  Still, for the protection and greater good of the community, blatant, unrepentant sin must be purged.

But how must a leader respond when the expelled person displays genuine repentance?  True repentance involves more than simply shedding tears and saying, “I’m sorry.”  It is an observable character change sustained over time.

I like how Paul instructs the leaders while still respecting their leadership.

“Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (ESV)

For the truly repentant sinner, “shunning” should not last forever.  The main goal of “putting a sinner out” is determining whether the offender is a true believer.  If they can thrive outside of Godly community, they probably aren’t believers.  A true believer cannot thrive apart from the greater community of believers.  True believers will repent and submit to the Lord, His Word, and the congregational leadership He has established.

If we refuse to restore the genuinely repentant believer, Satan has used our spiritual pride and arrogance to overwhelm the former sinner with undue grief, to our shame.

“He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  For as the sufferings of Messiah overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Messiah.  If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in the endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.”  2 Corinthians 1:4-6 (HCSB)

I have made a lot of mistakes.  Unlike Frank Sinatra’s song, “My Way,” my mistakes are too many to mention.  Perhaps my mistakes are why I am interested in teaching the Bible to others.  I want to warn people of the enemy’s lies and inform them of the Lord’s faithfulness.

Because the Lord is faithful, His people should also be faithful.  And how do we acquire faith?

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

And how does interfacing with God’s Word result in man’s faithfulness?  In the words of Shakespeare (who was quoting Ecclesiastes), “Nothing is new under the sun.”  The people we read of in the Bible deal with the same fundamental issues, complications, and sins that we deal with today.    

“No sin has taken you except what is common to man.  God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also so that you will be able to bear it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13 (HCSB)

When we read their stories, we learn to stay away from where they fell.  We learn how patient, gracious, and merciful the Lord is to sinners.  We also learn how His patience has limits, and He rebukes, disciplines, and judges sin & sinners.

Put simply, as we experience the Lord’s interaction with the men and women of the Bible, we learn who God is…we learn His heart.  He is Holy, Just, and Trustworthy.  He is Faithful so that we can place our faith in Him.

Often, our faith choices lead us into difficult situations through which the Lord proves Himself faithful…and so it goes.  When God’s faithfulness is experienced, we are inclined to share it with others.  This is when the testimony of Scripture transcends the page and takes on “flesh.”  This is when we can comfort others with the comfort with which we have been comforted.

“Now about the collection for the saints: you should do the same as I instructed the Galatian churches. On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he prospers, so that no collections will need to be made when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you recommended by letter to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.”  1 Corinthians16:1-3 (HCSB)

A while back, I visited The Grove, a shopping area in West Hollywood. Touring the boutiques, I eventually meandered into the GAP store. At the front of the store was a huge display advertising “(RED).” (RED) was started to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. By partnering with prominent brands such as Amazon, Starbucks, Jeep, and others to create (RED) products and experiences, they raise money for the Global Fund, which brings relief to areas hard hit by disease and pandemics.

According to the World Health Organization, about 38 million people have AIDS. Approximately 25.6 million of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. No doubt, we should all pray for a cure and contribute our resources to research. The folks at the Global Fund will raise millions for that effort, and GAP and others will undoubtedly play a serious role.

What if there was a disease that made AIDS look like the common cold? What if there was a condition so deadly that it would eventually kill every living person on the face of the earth? Would you be concerned? Would you join the campaign to raise awareness, knowing it would affect you and your loved ones?

What if I told you there was a cure? It would take a vast amount of resources, but we could eventually heal every person on earth. We could inform them of their condition, show them the cure, and give them a choice to accept healing. What if the cure ensured eternal life in the favor and glory of God?

That’s precisely the kind of charity Paul is talking about. We are terminally stricken with sin until we become recipients of Jesus’ healing. We have the knowledge and resources to get the cure for everyone we meet. So, what are we doing about it? The next time you see the (RED) logo, let it bring to mind: The blood of Jesus was…RED.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Corinthians 15. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“And the prophets’ spirits are under the control of the prophets, since God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church meeting.” 1 Corinthians 14:32-35

FYI: I consulted my wife before deciding to broach this potentially volatile passage. It’s in the Bible for a reason, so we shouldn’t ignore it simply because it’s controversial.

Let’s begin by observing what the Scripture does NOT say. It does NOT say women are inferior.

This passage is less a commentary on women’s conduct than an exhortation of men’s natural bent towards passivity. Look at Paul’s advice to women:

“And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home…”

I am convinced that women are generally more spiritually sensitive than men. If you want to start a Bible study or prayer group, call some women. Men? Not so much.

Men don’t generally gravitate towards spiritual things, yet God calls them to be the spiritual leaders in their homes. This idea is considered, by many, to be arcane and a slap in the face of women’s rights. When people decry the Bible for being out-of-step with our culture, we must fall back on one foundational truth: God knows best. Consider God’s directive to fathers in Deuteronomy.

“Impress these words of mine on your hearts and souls, bind them as signs on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 11:18-19

When Paul addressed the women at Corinth, he was telling them they were disgracing their husbands (thus themselves and the church) by exposing their husbands’ lack of spiritual leadership at home. Less about putting women in their place, Paul’s exhortation was also intended for certain men of the church to step up, fulfilling their responsibilities to be priests in their own homes. A woman should ask her husband spiritual questions, and he should be prepared to answer her correctly.

When a man fails to lead correctly, those under his authority are tempted to step outside God’s order and take control. God is the epitome of order and control. So, men do your jobs, and your women won’t be justifiably tempted to usurp the authority the Lord has designed. Women, honor the Lord and the role He has given your husband by respecting and honoring him, especially in public.

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”  1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (HCSB)

Whenever my wife and I lead music, we usually sing a song I wrote called “Two Sets of Joneses.”  This song is about two young married couples at the starting line of their lives together.    One couple chooses to build their relationship on the sandy foundation of the world, while the other chooses to build on the solid foundation offered by Jesus.  

Severe difficulty befalls both couples, but only one couple is left standing in the end. Let’s just say while the worldly alternative often looks more attractive at a glance, it cannot endure long-term strain.

One reason is that the world has redefined the term “love.”  In our culture, we use the word “love” in many different contexts. We say we love our moms, but we also love apple pie. We (heart) poodles & unicorns, and we love Jesus? So, really, what is LOVE?

In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul lays out a picture of love as God designed it.

It is sobering to reflect on what love actually is.    Where Paul states, “Love is…”, I ask, “Am I?” Maybe it will help you to read this passage with that in mind:

Am I patient and kind? Do I envy? Am I boastful or conceited? Do I act improperly? Am I selfish or provoked? Do I keep a record of wrongs and find joy in unrighteousness? Do I rejoice in the truth, bear, believe, hope, and endure all things? Does my love end?

The Bible tells us that people should know that we are Christians by our love for one another. (John 13:35)  How effective are you at loving as Jesus would? Does your testimony compel people to follow Him or repel them from Him?

Let’s live out today’s passage from the perspective of “I will be…”

“But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (HCSB)

Some believe God doesn’t care about your decisions. They feel as long as you are a Christian, you can do whatever you want with your life. Your job, who you marry, how many kids you have…some would say that God shrugs His shoulders and doesn’t care about your choices as long as you’re a good person.

I happen to disagree because the Bible teaches “calling.” Not only does God call people out of the world, inviting them to know Him personally. He also calls each of us to accomplish His purposes on earth. God has a plan, a place, and a purpose for each of us. He calls us to specific places to minister to specific people for specific periods of time.  

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses the fact that God places each one of us in the body of Messiah, just as He wants. It is not up to us to choose whether we will be a hand, a head, a mind, or a heart, as it were. We are created to perform specific functions within the “body” of Messiah. Nobody is unimportant, and none are so important that their personal well-being takes precedence over the body’s well-being as a whole. That is to say, while we need everyone working in their specific roles, nobody is irreplaceable. If an individual ceases to serve the body, the body will suffer, but the Lord can raise up a replacement.  

Try to picture a master jeweler creating an engagement ring. His goal is to showcase the larger diamond at the center of the setting. He surveys a palate of gemstones, determining how and where to place the jewels in the setting. Of course, this is a metaphor, where the center stone represents Jesus. The Jeweler is the Lord. We would be the supporting gems, and the ring itself would be the Gospel. As the engagement ring plays a vital role in a groom’s proposal to his bride-to-be, so the Gospel should be presented with thoughtfulness and diligence to non-believers. How well do you fulfill your role in the greater scheme of presenting Jesus to the lost?  

You may feel like an insignificant chunk of coal, but God sees you as a diamond. As I mentioned earlier, you matter to God. At the same time, you may feel like you should be the center of attention, but that’s Jesus’ job! We each have an important role to play, but it must always be a supporting role. We exist to work within our specific callings, in unity, to glorify God through Jesus.

“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord.  So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink the cup.  For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment upon himself.  This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.  If we were properly evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged, but when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, that we may not be condemned by the world.”  1 Corinthians 11:27-32 (HCSB)

Almost every time I have taken Communion, a pastor has mentioned today’s passage: “Whoever eats or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner…”.  “Unworthy” is often taken to mean “non-believer.”  The pastoral explanation is usually accompanied by an invitation for a non-believer to come to Jesus before eating and drinking judgment upon themselves by taking Communion.

It is always good to lead people to the Lord, and I believe Communion is exclusively for believers.  But reading today’s chapter, I wonder if the scenario mentioned above accurately sums up Paul’s intended message to the Corinthian church.

First off, Paul is speaking of self-serving activities among professing believers.  

“For, to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.”  1 Corinthians 11:18 (HCSB)

There were social cliques and class divisions among the body of believers.  Paul reminded the Corinthian believers of the order and graciousness that Jesus displayed when serving His disciples.  Furthermore, Paul urges that those guilty of discrimination have abandoned the essence of Communion.  Perhaps Paul was calling their faith into question.

“For as often as you eat and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:26 (HCSB)

They taught us a good saying in kindergarten: You are what you eat.  When we take the bread and cup into ourselves, we also reaffirm our commitment to live sacrificially, even unto death, laying down our lives as an example so that others may enter into a saving relationship with Jesus and commune with Him as we do.

I believe that “to eat in an unworthy manner” includes those Christians who would receive the elements while blaspheming them by refusing to live sacrificially.  This would invoke the judgment of God, which leads to the disciplined correction of His children.  All this so the reputation of God’s Holiness among His people would be preserved in the world…that those in the world, in turn, would believe in Jesus.

"Now I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.  They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.  For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Messiah.  But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.”  1 Corinthians 10:1-5 (HCSB)

Paul uses the images of baptism and communion to compare the Christian faith to Israel’s experience and identity with God.  He also highlights the fact that not all the Jewish people were allowed to enter The Promised Land.  In addition, he is putting forth the idea that Israel’s mindset was bent on rejecting Messiah long before His advent.

Those who are against Jewish evangelism based on the argument that God has “another plan” for them (apart from faith in Jesus) should take special note of Paul’s remarks.  Only the faithful remnant of Israel (Joshua and Caleb) were allowed to enter with the new generation.  Joshua and Caleb believed by faith, and it was counted as righteousness.

Today, just because one has attended church and had worshipful moments there does not mean they are “saved” by some collective experience.  Each must individually come to Jesus to receive salvation.  Only Jesus could fulfill the Law on our behalf.    

“Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire evil as they did.  Don’t become idolaters as some of them were; as it was written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play.’  Let us not commit sexual immorality as some of them did, and in a single day, 23,00 people fell dead.  Let us not tempt Messiah as some of them did and were destroyed by snakes.  Nor should we complain as some of them sis and were killed by the destroyer.”  1 Corinthians 10:6-10 (HCSB)

Here is how Israel sinned against the Lord, disqualifying their deliverance: idolatry, sexual immorality, tempting Messiah (coaxing Him to perform for them), and complaining against the Lord.  Do these things sound familiar?

“Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, on whom the ends of the ages have come.  So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.  No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity.  God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.”  1 Corinthians 10:11-13 (HCSB)

These temptations have not changed since the day Adam and Eve sinned.  When followers of Jesus fall into temptation, it is because we break from our faith.  We cease to trust God’s Word, either because we choose to disobey it or have never heard it.

How do we obtain such faith?  “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  Romans 10:17 (NKJV)