Respect for all men

 

1 Peter 2:17

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor.

Everything mentioned in this verse does not come to us naturally but can only be cultivated in our lives after we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. And even then, it is no easy task to apply these godly principles without the supernatural help of Holy Spirit.

We are called to respect everyone, without exception. What about that boss that makes our lives miserable at work? Even that one, says Peter in verse 18 when he addresses household servants: Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. He was speaking to the fact that slaves who converted to Christianity were targeted by their masters because they did not participate in worshiping their idols anymore.

In verse 13 he exhorts us to Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, and this corresponds with his instruction to honour the emperor in our quoted verse. Did you know that the emperor he is referring to was Nero? The one who impaled Christians and set them alight to be human torches used as lamps in the streets; the one who let others be torn apart by dogs? Peter called on his readers to honour even this emperor. He pleads with us not to fall into lawless rebellion in verse 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

Why?

We find the answer in two verses. Verse 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. It is God’s will that you should live in such a way that everybody who wants to slander and accuse you can find nothing in your conduct to use against you. And also verse 21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. Jesus was reviled; insulted; abused; and He suffered greatly, even though He was innocent of all charges. Yet He did not retaliate but left everything to God, Who will one day judge fairly.

To bear patiently with suffering that comes when you do right and which is undeserved, is behaviour acceptable and pleasing to God (verse 20).

Pearls to ponder:

We are confronted with dishonest and corrupt leaders all around us. How do we honour them? I think the answer lies in honouring the office of authority (president, magistrate, etc) and never letting our hearts develop a hatred towards the person occupying that office – we should instead stand in the gap for them and cry out for their salvation. We can identify wrongdoing and take steps to counteract these while still obeying the laws of the land, as long as these laws do not expect us to do something against God’s laws. Then civil disobedience (the nonviolent refusal to obey certain laws) is called for.

Vessel of honour

How many Gifts of the Spirit do you have

 

1 Corinthians 1:7

Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

This verse is mostly interpreted as pertaining to the whole body of Christ, collectively. But what if Paul also had the individual believer in mind?

We receive Holy Spirit when we first come to confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord of our lives (Gal 3:2 …… Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.). The question I would like to ask is, how much of the Spirit did you receive? Because He comes to live inside your spirit in His completeness, bringing all His gifts.

The next step after receiving Him, is the empowering event of the work of Holy Spirit in you, which is described as baptism of the Holy Spirit. We see this happening all through Acts, and a beautiful picture of this action is seen through the experience of the disciples of Jesus themselves. They first received Holy Spirit when Jesus blew on them (John 20:22 When He had said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.) They then had to wait 10 days in the Upper Room to be empowered by the Spirit (Acts 2:3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.) This receiving of supernatural power (for Jesus-centred ministry) normally, but not exclusively, happens at the time of your water baptism, and is repeated throughout your life as Holy Spirit sees fit.

Paul himself is a good example of one person displaying many gifts of the Spirit. He operated in the gifts of prophecy, healing, miracles, teaching/knowledge, wisdom, leadership, faith, discerning of spirits and speaking in tongues.

Then what about 1 Cor 12-14 where Paul speaks about the gifts of the Spirit being given to believers according to Holy Spirit’s discretion? When I read 1 Cor 12 in its entirety, I count the word “body” at least 16 times. Overwhelming proof that the context of this chapter, is using the gifts for the edification of the whole body of Christ. Thus, even as I have all the available gifts potentially inside my spirit, Holy Spirit will bring specific gifts through me to the forefront to be of service in the Body of Christ. As I “practise” these gifts, (by being available to Him and having faith that He will do as He promised and then just acting on His prompting), I will eventually be known as the one who, for example, speaks in an unknown tongue in church – please note, not the one who can speak in tongues, but who actually does; or the one who prophecies; or has great wisdom; etc.

Another reason why I believe as I do, is that Paul writes in 1 Cor 12:31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way. How can we “eagerly desire” a gift if we are of the opinion that we might not have received it?

Paul also says in 1 Cor 14:13 So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. He is showing here that you can ask for a specific gift to work through you - you are not limited by what you think your gift is.

Pearls to ponder:

Let’s say you are the only person standing beside the bed of a very ill person, and Holy Spirit wants to heal that person at that moment. If you are willing, He is going to use you for His healing to flow through you, whether you think that you have the gift of healings or not!

The only important thing to remember, is that the total Holy Spirit is your Gift. Be available to be used by Him, believing that He has equipped you to do all things!

Holy Spirit Breath of God

How new is the New Covenant

 

2 Cor 3:6

He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah spoke of the new covenant that would come, 600 years before it came to be (Jer 31:31-34). He revealed that it would shift the keeping of the covenant away from following external rules and regulations to inward transformation of hearts; it would pave the way for ordinary people to get to know God without having to rely on someone else approaching God on their behalf; it promised the forgiveness of sin by the mercy and goodness of God and would remove the hold sin has over people; and it would remove the burden of having to earn salvation through obedience to laws and show that we are saved through God’s grace alone.

Jesus then came and established this New Covenant through His death and resurrection ( Luke 22:20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.) We as Gentiles are now included in this New Covenant along with our Messianic Jewish brothers and sisters who also believe in Jesus, because after Jesus’ resurrection we all became one new man in Christ, guided by the Spirit, given a fresh identity: 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Have you ever thought about the fact that our new covenant is more than 2000 years old by now? How can it still be considered new? The answer lies in the original Hebrew words “brit haddashah”. Brit means covenant, but haddashah means so much more than new. It means fresh. It describes the nature of the covenant, not the time in which it came to be, so that it stays just as new throughout your life as a believer as the day you first entered it.

Pearls to ponder:

If something is left to stagnate, it stops flowing, stops being life-giving, much like a blocked riverway where water dams up and becomes a breeding ground for all sorts of unwanted pests. Keep the awareness of the New Covenant alive in your everyday life – ponder the love, the grace, the truth and the salvation that is always new for you every day! Here are a few suggestions to get started: When you wake up, do not grab your phone and start scrolling. Instead, thank Him for the breath in your lungs; for your position as a child of God; for everything! Read something from Scripture, even if only one verse. Pray from your heart, give Him a minute of silent adoration. Listen to worship music as you get ready for the day. And as you keep the river of the Spirit flowing every day you will become more aware of His presence in your life, and your covenant with Him stays fresh for you!

New Covenant

Can women speak in church

 

1 Cor 14:34-35

Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

These two verses must be some of the most controversial verses in the New Testament, used to (erroneously) teach that women are not allowed to speak in church, and then expanded into a ban on women to be elders, pastors, leaders of home groups, etc. All based on the meaning of the words in today’s language and context – which can be very misleading to say the least!

The English language is still evolving, even today, so that words lose their earliest definition and take on more modern meanings. Examples would be nice, which originally meant “ignorant or foolish”; awful used to mean “full of awe and wonder”; silly once meant “happy, blessed or worthy”.

If we look at a few of the Greek words used in our passage above in their original meaning and usage throughout the New Testament, a very clear picture emerges of what Paul was really saying here.

The Greek word for “be silent” is sigaō which everywhere else in the New Testament means restraint in certain situations, not a blanket ban on speech. The verb for “speak” is λαλέω, which Paul used in this chapter to order specific worship activities, not to stop all vocal participation. If we know what kind of silence Paul wants, and what kind of speech he is regulating, then we can ask: what were the women doing that was so wrong?

And this is where two other Greek words come into play. In verse 35 Paul uses ἐπερωτάω which means a direct, pointed question aimed at a specific person, either to trap them, or genuinely to learn something. This is what Paul asks the women to do at home instead of in the assembly. Why would he do that?

 That word is joined with μανθάνω (to learn), which is the root word for disciple. It means to enter the long training period of discipleship, taking in knowledge by questioning it, debating it, owning it and living it – not sitting in a pew just passively listening to it. Paul used this exact same word earlier in verse 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and when he says ALL may learn, he includes men and women.

He is not criticizing the women’s desire or right to learn, but in how they were doing it. They were interrupting the teaching with mostly elementary questions, because most women in that era had far less education than the men – not through any fault of their own - the culture simply refused to teach them. In ancient Mediterranean times, learning was interactive. Students interrupted the teaching sessions constantly, BUT there were rules governing who got to interrupt and how. Beginners were expected to stay in the background and learn quietly, while advanced students were allowed to ask questions during the lessons. In that setting, asking elementary questions in the teachings were considered shameful.

Can you now picture the scene in those early churches? Women who were recently set free in Christ and were hungry to understand but did not have the schooling of the men, interrupted the teachings and asked questions at a basic level. This not only shattered the order of worship, but in their culture, looked scandalous. This is why Paul uses that word, the scandal of it tainted the church to the outside world.

Pearls to ponder:

Woman’s voices inside church do not offend God. Paul wrote what he wrote because this particular behaviour, in this particular culture, went against all accepted norms of learning and honour for that time, and the Gospel was suffering because of it.

This is not muzzling women – Paul was assuming (quite correctly) that the husbands knew enough to answer their elementary questions in the privacy of their homes, and they could then naturally progress to the level of advanced students.

We are one