1 Corithians 3:18-23 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 3:18-23, which read,
v.18-20 - Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that the may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness"; and again "The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless."
Paul has led the Christians in Corinth back to the fact through elementary teachings that they are the temple of God that has been built on the foundation of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God dwells within them. Doesn't that sound sufficient? Would we need anything more from any other man?
We can deceive ourselves. We can think we are what we are not. We can dream up realities that really aren't realities but live our lives like they are. We can rationalize evil to make it good. We have this ability but it gets us into a heap of trouble. Paul, with a play on words, puts before the Christians that the wisdom of the world sees following Christ as foolishness but it is true wisdom to be foolish in the eyes of the world.
Another point that Paul brings out is that God sees through all the foolishness of the world's thinking and plans. What they call wise is foolishness before God and He sees through it all from even its hidden agendas. God's assessment of the wisdom of the world which is foolishness before God is that it is useless.
v.21-23 - So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belongs to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.
Paul returns to the sin of pride expressed in our elevating ourselves over others because we are attached to some group led by a man. We can be thankful for Paul and Apollos and Cephas and we can even learn much from them but they will not replace that you belong to Christ. Paul also throws in anything else that we might use to elevate ourselves over others with his all encompassing phrases of "the world or life or death or things present or things to come."
Our unity, which is direct opposition to this sin of pride, is that we belong to Christ and so does the person sitting in the pew beside you if they are a believer in Him. Our eyes are focused on Him and Him alone. Even our teachers that we love and are so thankful for, the ones we provide for through Scripture as our spiritual shepherds here, are to always point us to Jesus and not themselves. They may be seen as physical examples but they are always physical examples of Someone else, Jesus.
It is an awesome and scary position to be a pastor. You feel the weight of the flock on your shoulders. You also know that you are human and you can also deceive yourself to thinking or being someone you are not. I am not the answer to your problems, Jesus is. I am not the savior that you need, Jesus is. I may be able to help you in your time of need, but your real help comes from the Lord. I am just a tool in His hand. I am just a spokesman for Jesus. The book I hold and read from is His and not my own. I am to boast in Jesus and Jesus alone.
"Lord, how we can deceive ourselves. Usually we need someone from the outside to point out that we are thinking and living not in accordance to You. Help us not to bite off the hand that is trying to help us. May we see our wisdom as foolishness when we lay it up alongside of Your wisdom. May we never forget that we belong to You. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.18-20 - Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that the may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness"; and again "The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless."
Paul has led the Christians in Corinth back to the fact through elementary teachings that they are the temple of God that has been built on the foundation of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God dwells within them. Doesn't that sound sufficient? Would we need anything more from any other man?
We can deceive ourselves. We can think we are what we are not. We can dream up realities that really aren't realities but live our lives like they are. We can rationalize evil to make it good. We have this ability but it gets us into a heap of trouble. Paul, with a play on words, puts before the Christians that the wisdom of the world sees following Christ as foolishness but it is true wisdom to be foolish in the eyes of the world.
Another point that Paul brings out is that God sees through all the foolishness of the world's thinking and plans. What they call wise is foolishness before God and He sees through it all from even its hidden agendas. God's assessment of the wisdom of the world which is foolishness before God is that it is useless.
v.21-23 - So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belongs to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.
Paul returns to the sin of pride expressed in our elevating ourselves over others because we are attached to some group led by a man. We can be thankful for Paul and Apollos and Cephas and we can even learn much from them but they will not replace that you belong to Christ. Paul also throws in anything else that we might use to elevate ourselves over others with his all encompassing phrases of "the world or life or death or things present or things to come."
Our unity, which is direct opposition to this sin of pride, is that we belong to Christ and so does the person sitting in the pew beside you if they are a believer in Him. Our eyes are focused on Him and Him alone. Even our teachers that we love and are so thankful for, the ones we provide for through Scripture as our spiritual shepherds here, are to always point us to Jesus and not themselves. They may be seen as physical examples but they are always physical examples of Someone else, Jesus.
It is an awesome and scary position to be a pastor. You feel the weight of the flock on your shoulders. You also know that you are human and you can also deceive yourself to thinking or being someone you are not. I am not the answer to your problems, Jesus is. I am not the savior that you need, Jesus is. I may be able to help you in your time of need, but your real help comes from the Lord. I am just a tool in His hand. I am just a spokesman for Jesus. The book I hold and read from is His and not my own. I am to boast in Jesus and Jesus alone.
"Lord, how we can deceive ourselves. Usually we need someone from the outside to point out that we are thinking and living not in accordance to You. Help us not to bite off the hand that is trying to help us. May we see our wisdom as foolishness when we lay it up alongside of Your wisdom. May we never forget that we belong to You. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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