1 Corinthians 3:10-17--The Bible in Context

It is amazing really how often scriptures are lifted from their context. A case in point is 1 Corinthians 3:10-17. Here are the verse from the HCSB:

^"According to God’s grace that was given to me, as a skilled master builder I have laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, ¹¹ because no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid—that is, Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire. ¹⁶ Don’t you know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? ¹⁷ If anyone ruins God’s sanctuary, God will ruin him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are."

Often these verses have been used in sermons and Bible studies which deal with the day Christians stand before the Lord in judgment. The preacher emphasizes the fact that Christians need to live their lives by buiding good works upon the foundation of Christ [gold, silver, and costly stones]. If a person does not do that, his/her works will be burned but he/she will be saved.

While it is certain that we will stand before Christ in judgment, the fact of the matter is that Paul is dealing not with Christians in general but ministers in particular. The larger context of the passage is the fact of factions in the church. One reason for the factions is that the church did not understand Christian ministry. In chapter 3, Paul begins to compare his ministry with that of Apollos. Each of them, he writes, is servant of the Lord, who Himself causes the growth of the body. Each minister [Paul and Apollos] will receive his own reward based upon his own labor [vv. 5-9]. Paul then warns the minister of God's church to build well upon the foundation of Christ. However he builds, Paul writes the minister's work will be become evident in the Last Day [vv. 10-15]. The sternest warning is found in vv. 16-17: If someone who calls himself a minister of God destroys the temple of God [the church], God will destroy him.

"But let each man be careful how he builds upon it" [v. 10].

Cremation Article

Thanks to David Alan Black for pointing out an article by Rodney Decker concerning the Christian response to cremation.

http://faculty.bbc.edu/rdecker/documents/Cremation.pdf

I plan to digest the article in the next day or two and have some theological/pastoral responses.

Relevant Preaching

I read this a few days ago in Paul Powell's "A Pastoral Letter."

Years ago Elton Trublood warned about the cult of contemporaneity. The church, he suggested, can become so obsessed about being relevant that it becomes irrelevant. The church is to be an original not a copy, a voice not an echo. We don't have to work at making the scriptures relevant; they are eternally so. Just preach them and the Holy Spirit will make them relevant.

How do we do that?

• Preach with enthusiasm. The word comes from two Greek words that mean "God in you." When He is in us, it touches people where they live.
• Preach with conviction. God's word is alive and powerful. It is like seed. It has life itself.
• Preach with empathy. Be sensitive to the people to whom you preach. The late Browning Ware said, "If you scratch any person deep enough, you will find hurt."

Well said!

Sermon Outline of the Week

Each week I'm going to post a sermon outline for any preacher who wishes to use it. I feel like Adrian Rogers--If you can take my sermon and improve it have had it.

Protecting the Community

Romans 14:1-15:6

How do we protect the fellowship of the church?

1. You must reject a judgmental spirit [14:1-12]

What protects us from a judgmental spirit?

• God accepts all His children [v. 3]
• Jesus is Lord of all [vv. 7-9]
• We will all stand in judgment [vv. 11-12]

2. You must focus on higher priorities [vv. 13-23]

What are those higher priorities?

• Love [vv. 15, 19-23]--Love willingly forgoes all liberties that cause another to stumble.
• The church's reputation [v. 16]--Don't allow disputes to cause the world to slander the church.
• The non-negotiables [v. 17]--Righteousness standing before God, peace with God, and the hopeful joy of the indwelling Spirit. Also note Paul's emphasis upon Jesus' death, resurrection, lordship, and His coming again [vv. 9-10]. Ethics and theology are always bound together.

3. Follow Christ's example [15:1-6]--His selfless life informs and empowers ours. The closer you get to Him, the more you reject a selfish lifestyle.

The fellowship of the church must be protected for the health of the faith community and the eternity of the lost community!

I wonder if this kind of message is needed in the church today? I think so, given the fact that the vast majority of our church disputes are over things like Paul deals with here in Romans. Note that he believes there is room for disagreement over custom and ceremony but not in theology or moral issues.

Jerry Vines

Jerry Vines will preach his final sermon as pastor of FBC Jacksonville, FL on Sunday. The church will then celebrate his ministry tomorrow night. Dr. Vines is one of the great preachers of the SBC, and is one of my favorites. How blessed I was when I served in Jacksonville to listen to his messages, and I've taken the opportunity to listen to him whenever he was in this area. I believe he will be in the chapel of Southwestern in February. I'll have to get that date.

There is much on Dr. Vines' ministry:

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/012806/met_vines.shtml

New Orleans Seminary

I read today on Baptist Press that New Orleans Seminary welcomed 200 students back to its home campus this week. Congratulations!

http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=22534

Giving

A report in the January 23 Baptist Standard reveals that if American Christians tithed, churches could gain $156 billion a year. And if denominations allocated a greater percentage of their receipts to international human needs, they could make strides in eliminating poverty-related child deaths. The study released by John and Sylvia Ronsvalle showed that in 2003, members of Christian churches in the U.S. gave an average of less than 2.5% of income to their churches. [Ken Camp, "Untapped Potential in Christians' Wallets", 11].

I've alway said if church members tithed we would have more money than we would ever need to do God's work around the world. Here are some questions I've asked myself:

• I wonder what would happen if American Christians really wanted to help the poor, the hungry, the naked, and the diseased?
• I wonder what would happend if we decided in the SBC to be less top heavy and spend even more on attacking poverty, disease, etc.?
• I wonder what would happen around the world if we stopped trying to build bigger buildings and spend that money on meeting human need?

Just some random thoughts.

Romans 16 Part Two

In my previous post on Romans 16, I briefly wrote about the two exegetical problems found in the passage. There are also two textual problems. The first concerns verse 24: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen." Most Greek mss. contain the verse, however, it is lacking in some key mss. (p46, p61, 01, B C D 81 1739 2464 pc). In other mss. (P 33 104 365 ), the verse is found after v. 27. Neither NA nor UBS place the verse in the text. Most modern translations either bracket the verse or footnote it. The strong external evidence and the fact that the verse is redundant [see v. 20], make it probable v. 24 is not part of the original text of Romans.

The second textual problem concerns the doxology found in vv. 25-27. As the note in NET makes plain, there are considerable differences in the mss. over the presence and placement of these verses. Primarily, the mss. place the verses after v. 23, after 14:23, or after 15:33. Some mss. have the verses in two places. Only a few mss. omit the doxology, therefore, it is very likely part of the original text.

A decision on this text is difficult, and the opinions of scholars differ. I hold to the traditional placement at the end of the letter. I do so for two reasons. First, it doesn't make sense for it to be placed at 14:23. From 14:1 through 15:13, Paul is dealing with one subject--accepting one another in love. 15:1 continues the thoughts of what went on before it, and a doxology here would disrupt the thought. Second is the external evidence. P46 is the only support for the doxology after 15:33 (1506 has the doxology after 14:23 and 15:33). Granted, it is very early support, but there is no other external evidence to warrant placing it there. Internally, v. 33, "Now may the God of peace be with you all. Amen" is sufficient--the doxology would be redundant. There is more support for placing the doxology after 14:23, but the strong evidence placing it at the end of the letter is persuasive (p61, 01, B C D 81 1739).

Metzger suggests two possibilities for the textual problem. First, Paul may have send two different copies of Romans--one lacking chapter 16 and other with it. Second, Marcion distributed a copy of Romans lacking chapters 15 and 16.

Another suggestion could be that Paul himself kept copies of his letters in a notebook and after his death someone [Luke, Timothy?] distributed a shortened Romans. I find this very plausible.

Romans 16

I have been reading Romans during my devotion time. Today I read Romans 16 and was reminded again how many exegetical conundrums are found in a realtively unimportant chapter [it is mostly greetings with a doxology].

The first problem is in verse 1: "Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea [NET]. The debate centers around the word "servant." Is Phoebe just a servant of the church or a deaconess? The same Greek word can be translated either way. The argument for deaconess usually centers around the fact that Phoebe is associated with a certain church, likely making her a deaconess of it. Contra that, however, is the fact that Epaphras is associated with the churches of Colossae and Timothy with Ephesus. Neither is considered a deacon for those churches. I lean toward "servant" but the conclusion is held loosely. I must admit that my Southern Baptist presuppositions play a part in my view (can presuppositions ever be denied?).

The second problem is in verse 7: "Greet Andronicus and Junia . . . They are well known to the apostles" [NET]. The debate here centers around the phrase "well known to the apostles." As the NET translates the phrase, it is in the elative sense, following Daniel Wallace. Others, however, insist the phrase should be translated in the comparative sense, "prominent among the apostles." There is no doubt that Junia is a female, probably the wife of Andronicus. But is she an apostle or someone well known to the apostles? Once again, the evidence is difficult to determine for sure. Eldon Epp has written persuasively for Junia's apostleship [Junia: The First Woman Apostle-Augsburg Fortress Press, 2005]. He brings considerable exegetical skill to his argument. Contra Epp is the article by M.H. Burer and D.B. Wallace, "Was Junia Really an Apostle? A Re-examination of Rom. 16:7," NTS 47 (2001): 76-91.

I must admit that the Burer/Wallace article is not as compelling as Epp's work. I have not made up my mind competely on which translation I support. The most natural reading of the phrase favors Epp. The NT silence about any other woman who might be an apostle leans toward the apostle's knowlege and respect for Junia.

There are two other textual problems in Romans 16. I'll deal with those later.

'Book of Daniel'

NBC has put "The Book of Daniel" out of its misery. The Baptist Press report reads in part:

The show’s most outspoken critic, Donald Wildmon, founder and chairman of the American Family Association, celebrated the news that low ratings, a dwindling roster of sponsors and reluctant affiliates had taken a toll on the show that spotlights an Episcopal priest and his family in various quagmires of promiscuity, homosexuality, alcoholism and drug abuse. The show also featured a “Jesus” who engaged in easygoing dialogue with the priest.“NBC's decision to pull The Book of Daniel shows the power of the pocketbook,” Wildmon wrote to supporters via AFA’s website. “Because of your efforts, the sponsors dropped the program.”Wildmon noted, “Had NBC not had to eat millions of dollars each time it aired, NBC would have kept The Book of Daniel on the air.”

Money always talks in T.V. Reports are that the show was down to only one sponsor.

Gladys Patton

I have been away for a few days due to the death of my paternal grandmother. A good ol' country girl who had a great impact on my life. Her obituary from the Daily Dunklin Democrat:

Gladys PattonThursday, January 19, 2006

PattonGladys Marie Grills Patton, 87, of Kennett, died Monday, Jan. 16, 2006, at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett.
Born Nov. 18, 1918, in Horse Island, Mo., she was the daughter of the late William Grant and Matildy "Tildy" Ann Crafford Grills.
On Oct. 6, 1934, in Kennett, she married Paul Patton, who preceded her in death on Feb. 8, 1998. She was also preceded in death by two sons, William Glen Dail Patton and Gerald Paul Patton, Sr.; one daughter, Carolyn Joyce Patton; two brothers, Earl Franklin and Chester Lee Grills and two sisters in infancy, Ethel and Jewell.
Survivors include two daughters, Mary Sue Henry, of Collinsville, Ill., and Barbara Ann Webb and husband, Larry, of Kennett; one brother, Jerry "Junior" Wilson Grills and wife, Janette, of Galesburg, Mich.; one sister, Irene Velvet Grills, of Kennett; a grandson they raised, Keith Woodruff, of Poplar Bluff, Mo.; 11 grandsons, Stephen Dale, Robley Paul, David Glen and John Keith, Gerald Paul Jr., and Kevin Patton, Scott Webb, Ashley Grant Henry, Scott and Jeff Henry and Gary Scarlet; four granddaughters, DeAnna Hughen, Paula Kaye Webb, Susan Beaumont and Joelene Denny; 31 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. today, Thusday, Jan. 19, at the McDaniel Funeral Home in Kennett.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at the McDaniel Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Stephen Patton officiating.
Burial will follow at at the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Kennett.
Pallbearers will be Rob Patton, John Patton, David Patton, Scott Webb, Kevin Patton and Gerry Patton.

Golden Globes

I didn't get a chance yesterday to blog on the Golden Globes, but it shouldn't be a surprise to you that movie with gay themes were the hits of the night. Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and Transamerica were all winners. It is just another indication of where Hollywood wants to take us.

Christianity and Europe

Albert Mohler has an interesting blog today concerning the religious climate in Europe. It seems that Europe is becoming older and godless. It is another indication that missionary work is desperately needed there. See a previous blog of mine [January 9] that makes the same point.


www.albertmohler.com

Mark 1:41

The Text Criticism Discussion Group has had an interesting debate lately about Mark 1:41. This verse, part of the Mark's account of Jesus' healing of a leper, reads: "And because he had compassion, after he stretched out his hand, he touched him and said to him, 'I am willing, be cleansed" [my translation]. A difficult text variant, found only the Western mss. D and a few Old Latin texts and the Diatessaron, reads "And because he was angry."

The reading is rated a "B" in the UBS text. In his commentary, Metzger writes: "It is difficult to come to a firm decision concerning the original text" [65]. He admits that it is easy to see why scribes would change "angry" to "compassion," but the majority of the UBS committee was impressed by the overwhelming external evidence in support of "compassion."

While UBS and NA agree that "compassion" should be the text, many modern commentators disagree. I did a brief study last week of various commentaries, finding them overwhelmingly in favor of the western reading [Cranfield, Edwards (although he seems a bit ambivalent), Guelich, Lane, Marcus, France, Witherington, and Brooks]. I found that Gundry, Swete, and Cole were in favor of the traditional reading.

Those in favor of "anger" basically follow two arguments. First, they find it probable that scribes would change "anger" to "compassion" and not the other way round. Second, they believe "anger" complements v. 43 a bit better.

Proponents of "anger" spend a great deal of time dealing with the question: "Toward what or whom is Jesus' anger directed? Generally, commentators believe that Jesus was angry at the illness or with Satan who was at the bottom of the man's disfigurement. Lane writes that Jesus was showing "righteous indignation at the ravages of sin, disease and death which take their toll on the living, a toll particularly evident in a leper" [86].

I am inclined to still accept the tradional reading for two reasons. First, there is overwhelming external evidence to support it. I find it odd that modern commentators, who are quick to dismiss western evidence for the most part, are jumping on the western bandwagon here. Second, I believe that the reading "anger" can be explained by v. 43 ["and after he strongly warned him immediately he cast him out"-my translation]. There is strong language in this verse, and a scribe could just have likely changed "compassion" to "anger" because he could not harmonize Jesus' "softer" side in v. 41 with a "stronger" side in v. 43.

Thus, while modern commentators almost unanimously disregard the external evidence for the traditional reading in favor of the internal, there is both external and internal evidence to suggest that the traditional reading is original. I would also be inclined to rate the reading less than a "B" as found in the UBS text. Due to the debate surrounding it, it merits no more than a "C". Of course, the UBS committee often is too optimistic than it should be on the variants it presents.

Biblical Illiteracy & Training Union

There is an interesting feature in the latest Baptist Standard concerning religious education, or perhaps the lack of it in Baptist churches. Some of the salient quotes:

• "People already are biblically illiterate. It's scary what they don't know, and I'm afraid it will only get worse" [Dennis Parrott, minister of education].
• "There's been a decline in emphasis on religious education in churches" [Budd Smith, B.H. Carroll Institute]. Smith goes on to say, "It's no fault of any particular church or group, but the focus now is on worship. In the meantime, there's been a movement away from education."

Smith traces the de-emphasis in religious education and decline in biblical illiteracy among Baptists to the demise of what was known as Traning Union [Discipleship Training when I became a Christian]. I would agree. Almost all the biblical/doctrinal/practical training I received as a young believer was at 5:00pm on Sunday nights during the time set aside for Discipleship Training. It was during that time I learned the basic doctrines of the church, how to read my Bible, how to pray, the need to tithe and serve using my spiritual gifts. It was during that time I learned how give the "weekly devotion," a prelude to my preaching ministry.

I attribute the development of my basic convictions to religious education, given by my church during the Discipleship Training hour. It's a shame that our emphasis upon worship and "personal experience" have placed religious education on the back-burner.

There is a real hunger among believers today for in-depth biblical teaching. I would urge pastors and religious educators to make sure that hunger is met. While people do respond to the topical classes that deal with "felt need," I truly think most believers still want a firm foundation.

What's Right with Sports

Earlier I posted on what is wrong with sports. In Saturday's Star Telegram I read an article about Tony Dungy, coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Of course, he and his family went through an unspeakable tragedy last month--the apparent suicide of Dungy's oldest son. While there is no question that Dungy desires to win today and ultimately the Super Bowl, he said: "WIth my son's situation and our family, it puts it all in perspective. I've always thought that the playoffs are great and the Super Bowl is great, but it's not the most important thing in the world. I certainly don't take it for granted."

Nice guys do finish first.

Devotional Book

Last night during Wednesday service, I mentioned a devotional book that I've started using. I couldn't remember the title last night, but here it is:

Voices of the Faithful with Beth Moore and Friends. The devotions center around missionary stories. So far, each one has been a blessing. I plan on using the book throughout the year as a devotional tool. You can get the book through Lifeway.

Lost

I'm still trying to watch Lost on ABC. Each Wednesday night I come home and try to watch it. I've been lost trying to watch Lost. No matter how much I try, I can't keep up with it. I did, however, like the episode last night, "The 23rd Psalm." The rendition of it at the end was pretty cool. I guess I'll stick with it, but I don't know why.

Vince Young and College

What else is wrong with sports, especially big-time college sports? Note what Vince Young said in his news conference: "I've accomplished all I can in college." What? I thought there was still one thing--a degree. With all the underclassmen who go pro these days it seems that for the NFL and NBA, college sports has become the "farm system."

What's Wrong With Sports?

A couple of recent incidents show what is wrong with big time sports. Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins was thrown out of last week's game after he spit in the face of an opponent. The NFL fined him only $17,000 for the incident, and there will be no suspensions. I don't understand either. The fine is only "chump change" for a guy in the NFL, and there should be an immediate suspension of at least one game. I know they are in a playoff run, but wouldn't that send the message-- that kind of behavior is unacceptable?

Then there is Marcus Vick. The now former Virginia Tech quarterback was kicked off the team a few days ago because of numerous incidents. Now he has been arrested after allegedly brandishing a gun at several people. Just before that incident he told reporters he wasn't concerned about Virginia Tech's decision; "I'll just go to the next level." The sad part is that he's probably right. Some NFL team will draft him in spite of his problems.

If you are good, it doesn't seem to matter what you do. If you are good, you can break the law or be a major problem, and everyone looks the other way. What kind of message does this send? It sends the message the winning is everything.

The "winning is everything" philosophy is not just an NFL problem. It goes right down the line through college, high school, middle school, and even little league. I'm all for winning but not at the cost of character. Doesn't that matter too?

Some Books

Here are some good books I read during 05: [not in any particular order]

• Who Runs the Church? 4 Views on Church Government. This is from the Counterpoints series [Zondervan]. I was particularly intrigued by the single-elder/multi-elder sections since this seems to be a growing discussion among Baptists. I'm a "single-elder" man, and this book did not change my mind. In fact, I think the multiple elder arguments are weak.
• It Only Hurts on Monday: Why Pastors QWuit and What You Can Do About It, by Gary McIntosh and Robert Edmondson. I read this book on the recommendation of a friend. It is an excellent treatment, showing how different pastoral ministry is from any other "job." It would be extremely helpful for pastor search committees.
• Paul and First Century Letter Writing, by E. Randolph Richards. Richards has done alot of work in this area. I liked this book not only for the information given concerning letter writing--both composition and collection, but I also appreciated the historical/social background given. Finally, Richards gives some plausible explanation for many of the so-called Pauline interpolations. I will likely require this book in future course on Pauline studies.
• Why Churches Die, by Mac Brunson and Ergum Caner. There are some great real-life case studies in this book. Every pastor should read it.
• Devotionally, my favorite book of 05 was Max Lucado's It's Not about Me. In essence, Lucado writes, it's all about God. He's right!

Need for Missions

Sometimes Christians may wonder about the need for missions, particularly in Europe. An e-mail handed to me by one of my church members Sunday dispells any doubt about that need. Lance Borden, a missionary to Austria, wrote about some answers given to a survey about Christmas:

• What do we celebrate at Christmas? "Festival of love"
• Whom do we celebrate? "I don't know"
• What do we celebrate at Christmas? "Festival of family"
• Whom do we celebrate? "Family?"
• What does Jesus Christ have to do with Christmas? "I don't know". [Lance writes that one should keep in mind that there are manger scenes everywhere.]
• When did Jesus live on earth? "Uhh..wasn't it at the beginning of the 19th century?"

Lance writes: "These answers came from Austrians who, in the public schools, attended religious instruction classes every week for 8 years. He reports that Austria ranks alongside many Muslim countries in percentage of people who have saving faith in Christ [about 1/2 or 1%].

Do we need to send missionaries around the world, even to Europe? Absolutely!

God Given Words and Text Criticism

There is an interesting post and further discussion on the Evangelical Textual Criticism blog concerning verbal inspiration and the consequences of that position in light of text criticism. P.J. Williams has posed, "In particular it would be worthwhile discussing the problems posed by textual criticism for the idea that God inspired particular words and their sequence within scripture."

I would refer you to the blog for the entire discussion, but I would make a couple of points. First, one must come to the text of the Bible by faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him" [Hebrews 11:6]. Apart from faith, text criticism will leave one to throw verbal inspiration to the wind [just read Bart Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus]. Second, while it is true that there are problems with all manuscripts, the text of NT is very well presevered. I would agree that in all the the variant readings one can find the original reading. That is both the crux and challenge of text criticsm. We may not find the solution to every textual problem, but that should not allow us to doubt. Third, I do believe part of one's concept of inspiration must be the fact of preservation. If God inspired it, God preserved it. I believe both statements. Both statements lead me to come to the task of text criticism with faith and not fear.

You can access the discussion to which I've referred at:

http://evangelicaltextualcriticism.blogspot.com

A Little Poetry

Roses are red;

USC is blue;

They're no longer #1;

Now they're #2!

New Year Prayer

We're back from our Christmas vacation. Our family was well, and although we enjoyed our visit with everyone it was wonderful to see the Burleson, TX city limit sign! My wife and I agree that the trip gets longer every year.

Our New Year's Day church attendance was a bit low, but it was a spirited group. It was good to be back in the pulpit. I really can't be out more than one week before getting the "itch" to preach. My sermon was taken from Philippians 4. During my vacation, the Lord kept bringing me back to the passage for my New Year's message. It was entitled "A New Year's Prayer." This is a prayer for myself, for my congregation at Riverside, and for you as well.

In 2006 I pray that I will:

• Be more joyful-"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice" [v. 4].
• Be more gentle-"Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is near [v. 5].
• Be more prayerful-"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" [vv. 6-7].
• Be more thoughtful-I need to "think the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse" [v. 8 Msg].
• Be more content-"Not that I speak in respect from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am" [v. 11]. [By the way, I believe this really is a key verse in Philippians].
• Be more giving-"Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction" [v. 14].
• Be more of an example-"The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you" [v. 9].

Happy New Year!