Regarding 1 Thessalonians, how do I apply this to myself?:
Thanks to the truth of 1 Thessalonians 4:9, I can always praise Jesus.
Regarding 1 Thessalonians, how do I apply this to my community?:
Back in 1998 and 1999, there was a woman who worked at the Family Christian Stores (registered trademark) on 88th Avenue which is now in "Broomfield," Colorado, though it is right across 88th from Arvada. Having lived in Arvada for seven and a half years, I went there much, and I made several friends of the people working there, especially in the first few years after I moved to Arvada. So this woman who worked there back in the late 90's was a really hard worker, and she was extremely helpful to all of the customers. She was married, and just seemed super cool. She had this old car, though one that probably was in better shape than mine is now, with a bumper sticker that read, "In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned." That friendly woman seemed like someone who was already with Jesus. And people in the community probably learned that fact.
Hunter Irvine
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
1 Thessalonians background
1 Thessalonians
Author: Paul
[See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: About 50 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: Writing from Corinth
Purpose: To encourage and instruct Christians in the midst of persecution.
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: I Thessalonians 4:16-17 is a verse with varied interpretations. I personally interpret this passage to teach a "rapture," because Paul leads into the statement by talking about the resurrection of Christ. Jesus, who was resurrected, later ascended into heaven, as is clearly shown in Acts. Thus taking verse 17 literally is fitting to the context, rather than this being a metaphor for Christians meeting Jesus somewhere else.
Three key points need to be made. First, when Jesus returns, which in a sense is in two stages, it will not be unnoticed to anyone. Verse 16 reveals there will be "the trumpet call of God." Professor Tafoya explained his conviction regarding this in (my New Testament) class, and I really agree with what he said.
Second, the first stage of the Second coming will be a surprise to those who are not waiting for it. I Thessalonians 5:1 teaches that the return of Jesus will be a surprise, and obviously the surprise element is for the first stage. Anyone who turns to Christ during the tribulation, which I think is meant to be a part of the last call by our loving God, will recognize that the second stage of Christ's return is going to follow the tribulation, as Christ enters the world in His glory.
So third, it only makes sense for the rapture to take place before the tribulation, otherwise, during the tribulation, Christians would come to realize they were in the tribulation period, and they would be expecting Jesus at the conclusion of it.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947).
Author: Paul
[See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: About 50 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: Writing from Corinth
Purpose: To encourage and instruct Christians in the midst of persecution.
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: I Thessalonians 4:16-17 is a verse with varied interpretations. I personally interpret this passage to teach a "rapture," because Paul leads into the statement by talking about the resurrection of Christ. Jesus, who was resurrected, later ascended into heaven, as is clearly shown in Acts. Thus taking verse 17 literally is fitting to the context, rather than this being a metaphor for Christians meeting Jesus somewhere else.
Three key points need to be made. First, when Jesus returns, which in a sense is in two stages, it will not be unnoticed to anyone. Verse 16 reveals there will be "the trumpet call of God." Professor Tafoya explained his conviction regarding this in (my New Testament) class, and I really agree with what he said.
Second, the first stage of the Second coming will be a surprise to those who are not waiting for it. I Thessalonians 5:1 teaches that the return of Jesus will be a surprise, and obviously the surprise element is for the first stage. Anyone who turns to Christ during the tribulation, which I think is meant to be a part of the last call by our loving God, will recognize that the second stage of Christ's return is going to follow the tribulation, as Christ enters the world in His glory.
So third, it only makes sense for the rapture to take place before the tribulation, otherwise, during the tribulation, Christians would come to realize they were in the tribulation period, and they would be expecting Jesus at the conclusion of it.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947).
Colossians application
Regarding Colossians, how do I apply this to myself?:
Since I am on a roll telling about friends from Salt and Light from The Falls Church back when I was only a lad in Christ, I'll tell about Rae. I liked Rae the first time I ever met him. He was a different person than I, yet he seemed like a sincere and nice guy. Rae and I were both on an unofficial Salt and Light retreat once to Assateque Island, and he had driven me to the campout, and he was my ride home. We stayed at the beach after everyone else had left, since he flew the cool kite. He let me try it, and showed me how to maneuver it, but I crashed it. On the way home, we were talking, and Rae said something that shocked me. He said that Jesus was God. I had always thought of Jesus as the "Son of God." I was offended a bit. I do not know if I was more standoffish with Rae that fall. But then on Christmas Eve, I got a ride to The Falls Church for the special service. Yet then I needed to try and get a ride home on that cold night. Rae found out I was looking for a ride home and gladly took me home. That act alone made me think very highly of Rae, and I was more open to take into consideration what he had said. I finally came to learn that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three Persons, yet One Being, One God. To learn this, you have to examine how each One is described in the Scripture. Jesus is Immanuel, which means God with us.
Regarding Colossians, how do I apply this to my community?:
Tell people about Jesus like Rae told me.
Hunter Irvine
Since I am on a roll telling about friends from Salt and Light from The Falls Church back when I was only a lad in Christ, I'll tell about Rae. I liked Rae the first time I ever met him. He was a different person than I, yet he seemed like a sincere and nice guy. Rae and I were both on an unofficial Salt and Light retreat once to Assateque Island, and he had driven me to the campout, and he was my ride home. We stayed at the beach after everyone else had left, since he flew the cool kite. He let me try it, and showed me how to maneuver it, but I crashed it. On the way home, we were talking, and Rae said something that shocked me. He said that Jesus was God. I had always thought of Jesus as the "Son of God." I was offended a bit. I do not know if I was more standoffish with Rae that fall. But then on Christmas Eve, I got a ride to The Falls Church for the special service. Yet then I needed to try and get a ride home on that cold night. Rae found out I was looking for a ride home and gladly took me home. That act alone made me think very highly of Rae, and I was more open to take into consideration what he had said. I finally came to learn that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three Persons, yet One Being, One God. To learn this, you have to examine how each One is described in the Scripture. Jesus is Immanuel, which means God with us.
Regarding Colossians, how do I apply this to my community?:
Tell people about Jesus like Rae told me.
Hunter Irvine
Colossians background
Colossians
Author: Paul
See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.
Date: about 62 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: From Rome while in prison
Purpose: "This letter is plainly written to refute the false teaching which was poisoning the church life at Colossae." (2)
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: The identity of Jesus is crucial because if you are going to follow Jesus at His request, you need to know who He is.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 119.
(2) Ibid.
Author: Paul
See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.
Date: about 62 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: From Rome while in prison
Purpose: "This letter is plainly written to refute the false teaching which was poisoning the church life at Colossae." (2)
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: The identity of Jesus is crucial because if you are going to follow Jesus at His request, you need to know who He is.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 119.
(2) Ibid.
Phillipians application
Regarding Phillipians, how do I apply this to myself?:
When pondering Phillipians, I normally think about an email that was sent to me by a sister-in-Christ when I was on a tough business trip in April of 1994. The note contained Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (NIV). One thing is for sure in reading this passage: even if there seems nothing before us that is excellent to think about, we can always think about God.
Regarding Phillipians, how do I apply this to my community?:
When I was on the Leadership Team of Salt and Light, we had to memorize a bunch of Bible verses. Being a rather new Christian, it was challenging, yet I committed to it, though in doing the rope memorization I was often not soaking in the meaning. One weekend, I really wanted to get away. I drove to Blacksburg, Virginia, and attended the Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse game. That night I camped in a field in National Forest land. By flashlight I read and memorized Philippians 4:6-7. I am thankful that I have this verse memorized. Bible memorization is great, though I do not think it should be forced on people, and memorization does not mean you understand it in your heart. What separates Scripture from other writings is that God always has a message for your heart, and that is what you must have for goodness!
Hunter Irvine
When pondering Phillipians, I normally think about an email that was sent to me by a sister-in-Christ when I was on a tough business trip in April of 1994. The note contained Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (NIV). One thing is for sure in reading this passage: even if there seems nothing before us that is excellent to think about, we can always think about God.
Regarding Phillipians, how do I apply this to my community?:
When I was on the Leadership Team of Salt and Light, we had to memorize a bunch of Bible verses. Being a rather new Christian, it was challenging, yet I committed to it, though in doing the rope memorization I was often not soaking in the meaning. One weekend, I really wanted to get away. I drove to Blacksburg, Virginia, and attended the Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse game. That night I camped in a field in National Forest land. By flashlight I read and memorized Philippians 4:6-7. I am thankful that I have this verse memorized. Bible memorization is great, though I do not think it should be forced on people, and memorization does not mean you understand it in your heart. What separates Scripture from other writings is that God always has a message for your heart, and that is what you must have for goodness!
Hunter Irvine
Phillipians background
Philippians
Author: Paul
See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.
Date: About 62 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: While imprisoned in Rome (J.B. Phillips)
Purpose: To acknowledge a gift, and to encourage the believers in Christ.
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: We can have joy for the reason that God is faithful.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters to Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 100.
Author: Paul
See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.
Date: About 62 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: While imprisoned in Rome (J.B. Phillips)
Purpose: To acknowledge a gift, and to encourage the believers in Christ.
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: We can have joy for the reason that God is faithful.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters to Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 100.
Ephesians application
Regarding Ephesians, how do I apply this to myself?:
"...Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit..." (Ephesians 1:13 NIV).
I was baptized with water by an ordained minister when I was only about seven weeks old. However, I was not sealed with the Holy Spirit at that time. This Scripture teaches you are sealed by the Holy Spirit when you believe! That is when the baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place, the baptizer being Jesus! It is not a work of man, rather a work of God.
Regarding Ephesians, how do I apply this to my community?
Whenever I hear the last passage of Ephesians, "the armor of God," I think of a piece I read once by my sister in Christ, Kathy Kellogg. When I was a new Christian, and began to get involved with a special singles group, Salt and Light at The Falls Church, there was a woman who served there who was always nice to me. As someone who was still evaluating "church people," Kathy made a special impression on me. As I started to do more with the group, she was starting to do less with the group, yet I got to know her a little more as a friend in church. I really did see her as a "big" sister (though I think I was five days older) because of her Christian maturity. Along with her Christian maturity was a zeal for living. She took me to a baseball game in Baltimore once when her date was unable to make it. We had a super great time. I remember dancing with her as we tried to get on the jumbo tron.
Concerning the armor of God passage, when I first heard that, it sounded weird to me. I thought of Jesus as the Prince of Peace, and the military analogies seemed out of place. Then one month, Kathy wrote the main piece for our singles group newsletter. It was a piece on the "armor of God." Here was a woman, who worked for a senator, who wrote about that passage as if she suited up in that armor every morning. When the plane crashed in 1996 which was carrying a number of people from the Commerce Department on it including Ron Brown, the Secretary of Commerce, Kathy was on that plane, and she physically died. When I went to the ceremony at Dover Air Force Base where they took the caskets off of the cargo plane one by one, it was too much for me to think that Kathy's mutilated body was in one of those caskets. Kathy was someone who loved Jesus. She was someone who realized that the Bible was completely true (she was the first person to ever convey that to me). And she was someone who spiritually suited up in Christ's love, and is in that Love forever.
Hunter Irvine
"...Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit..." (Ephesians 1:13 NIV).
I was baptized with water by an ordained minister when I was only about seven weeks old. However, I was not sealed with the Holy Spirit at that time. This Scripture teaches you are sealed by the Holy Spirit when you believe! That is when the baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place, the baptizer being Jesus! It is not a work of man, rather a work of God.
Regarding Ephesians, how do I apply this to my community?
Whenever I hear the last passage of Ephesians, "the armor of God," I think of a piece I read once by my sister in Christ, Kathy Kellogg. When I was a new Christian, and began to get involved with a special singles group, Salt and Light at The Falls Church, there was a woman who served there who was always nice to me. As someone who was still evaluating "church people," Kathy made a special impression on me. As I started to do more with the group, she was starting to do less with the group, yet I got to know her a little more as a friend in church. I really did see her as a "big" sister (though I think I was five days older) because of her Christian maturity. Along with her Christian maturity was a zeal for living. She took me to a baseball game in Baltimore once when her date was unable to make it. We had a super great time. I remember dancing with her as we tried to get on the jumbo tron.
Concerning the armor of God passage, when I first heard that, it sounded weird to me. I thought of Jesus as the Prince of Peace, and the military analogies seemed out of place. Then one month, Kathy wrote the main piece for our singles group newsletter. It was a piece on the "armor of God." Here was a woman, who worked for a senator, who wrote about that passage as if she suited up in that armor every morning. When the plane crashed in 1996 which was carrying a number of people from the Commerce Department on it including Ron Brown, the Secretary of Commerce, Kathy was on that plane, and she physically died. When I went to the ceremony at Dover Air Force Base where they took the caskets off of the cargo plane one by one, it was too much for me to think that Kathy's mutilated body was in one of those caskets. Kathy was someone who loved Jesus. She was someone who realized that the Bible was completely true (she was the first person to ever convey that to me). And she was someone who spiritually suited up in Christ's love, and is in that Love forever.
Hunter Irvine
Ephesians background
Ephesians
Author: Paul
[See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius: Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: About 62 A.D.
Language: Greek
Place: While imprisoned in Rome (J.B. Phillips)
Purpose: To encourage the believers in Christ.
What kind of book?: Letter to followers of Jesus
Reflection: Some say Paul did not write this letter, yet he even states "I, Paul" in the middle of the letter at the start of Chapter 3. And the "household code" seems like just the kind of thing Paul would put in a letter to Christians whose roots were the paternal Jewish culture, (though sometimes sexist back then I must add) yet who were surrounded by Gentiles who were decimating the institution of the family.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters to Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 100.
Author: Paul
[See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius: Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: About 62 A.D.
Language: Greek
Place: While imprisoned in Rome (J.B. Phillips)
Purpose: To encourage the believers in Christ.
What kind of book?: Letter to followers of Jesus
Reflection: Some say Paul did not write this letter, yet he even states "I, Paul" in the middle of the letter at the start of Chapter 3. And the "household code" seems like just the kind of thing Paul would put in a letter to Christians whose roots were the paternal Jewish culture, (though sometimes sexist back then I must add) yet who were surrounded by Gentiles who were decimating the institution of the family.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters to Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 100.
Galatians application
Regarding Galatians, how do I apply this to myself?:
Many years ago, as I was on my way to work, I was thinking about doing something I knew I should not do as I walked through the tunnel at the subway station near my basement apartment. On the second escalator, I prayed that I would not do it. I was enabled not to so that day by God.
Regarding Galatians, how do I apply this to my community?:
Paul's instructions make it clear that I do not need to act "religious," rather I need to be loving. And the most loving thing a person can do is witness for Jesus, who is Love.
Hunter Irvine
Many years ago, as I was on my way to work, I was thinking about doing something I knew I should not do as I walked through the tunnel at the subway station near my basement apartment. On the second escalator, I prayed that I would not do it. I was enabled not to so that day by God.
Regarding Galatians, how do I apply this to my community?:
Paul's instructions make it clear that I do not need to act "religious," rather I need to be loving. And the most loving thing a person can do is witness for Jesus, who is Love.
Hunter Irvine
Galatians background
Galatians
Author: Paul
[See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: 56 or 57 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: Probably writing from Corinth (J.B. Phillips)
Purpose: Some people convinced some Galatian Christians they had to still obey the Mosaic Law.
"Paul warns the Galatians that although they are free, as Christians, from the Law, yet their lives must exhibit the fruits of the inner law of love implanted by God's Spirit." (2)
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: The Israelites were in a covenant with God, what is now termed the "Old Covenant." I like to refer to this as the "Leading Covenant!" Jesus offered the "New Covenant," which is available for Jewish folks and everyone else also. For a person in the New Covenant, we do not have to follow sacrificial laws of the "Mosaic Law," which were fulfilled by Jesus. Nor do we need to follow the civil laws of the Mosaic Law, which were only for Jewish people since the Old Covenant was only between God and the Israelites. And even Jewish people who receive the Messiah do not need to follow them, since they were specific to pre-Messiah Israelite era. For example, Christ made possible a priesthood of all believers. We still must follow the moral laws, as is obvious because Jesus even furthered them. Yet there is only one way to be able to obey the commandments of Christ as given in the Sermon on the Mount and in other places in Scripture, and that is to be enabled by the Holy Spirit Himself. The Spirit of Christ is the One who can enable a person to live by the true love of God.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters to Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 89.
(2) Ibid.
Author: Paul
[See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: 56 or 57 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: Probably writing from Corinth (J.B. Phillips)
Purpose: Some people convinced some Galatian Christians they had to still obey the Mosaic Law.
"Paul warns the Galatians that although they are free, as Christians, from the Law, yet their lives must exhibit the fruits of the inner law of love implanted by God's Spirit." (2)
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: The Israelites were in a covenant with God, what is now termed the "Old Covenant." I like to refer to this as the "Leading Covenant!" Jesus offered the "New Covenant," which is available for Jewish folks and everyone else also. For a person in the New Covenant, we do not have to follow sacrificial laws of the "Mosaic Law," which were fulfilled by Jesus. Nor do we need to follow the civil laws of the Mosaic Law, which were only for Jewish people since the Old Covenant was only between God and the Israelites. And even Jewish people who receive the Messiah do not need to follow them, since they were specific to pre-Messiah Israelite era. For example, Christ made possible a priesthood of all believers. We still must follow the moral laws, as is obvious because Jesus even furthered them. Yet there is only one way to be able to obey the commandments of Christ as given in the Sermon on the Mount and in other places in Scripture, and that is to be enabled by the Holy Spirit Himself. The Spirit of Christ is the One who can enable a person to live by the true love of God.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters to Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 89.
(2) Ibid.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
2 Corinthians application
Regarding 2 Corinthians, how do I apply this to myself?
In all of the Christian reading I have done, there have been a few times when I read a particular chapter of a Christian book and knew Christ had a lesson for me to apply all my days. One such time was when I read one of the introduction chapters of The Sermon on the Mount, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. He gave two key to principles for studying the Bible. First, always take a verse in the context of the passage or even the entire chapter or book. And second, look at the spirit, not the letter.
I just learned that he probably got the second point from 2 Corinthians 3:6. This is helpful for me when studying Paul since his writing sometimes contains poor semantics, and he can go off on tangents. Yet just as he told people in the church that they were a letter from Christ written with the Spirit of the living God (2 Corinthians 3:3), Paul was a man inspired by the Spirit of the living God, and God's messages are found in his writing.
Regarding 2 Corinthians, how do I apply this to my community?
2 Corinthians 3:18
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (NIV).
Many years ago, someone did something hurtful to me in church. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to spend a day with only God, getting healing. The following Sunday, I went to a Bible study I attended every Sunday morning. Later on, a woman who had been in that Bible study who also knew what had happened to me told me: I had been worried about you, but when you sat down, your face was glowing, and I thought of Moses' face, and I knew you were alright. In this hurtful world, we followers of Jesus are called to rely on the Spirit of Christ to enable us to show His glory to whoever will notice.
Hunter Irvine
In all of the Christian reading I have done, there have been a few times when I read a particular chapter of a Christian book and knew Christ had a lesson for me to apply all my days. One such time was when I read one of the introduction chapters of The Sermon on the Mount, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. He gave two key to principles for studying the Bible. First, always take a verse in the context of the passage or even the entire chapter or book. And second, look at the spirit, not the letter.
I just learned that he probably got the second point from 2 Corinthians 3:6. This is helpful for me when studying Paul since his writing sometimes contains poor semantics, and he can go off on tangents. Yet just as he told people in the church that they were a letter from Christ written with the Spirit of the living God (2 Corinthians 3:3), Paul was a man inspired by the Spirit of the living God, and God's messages are found in his writing.
Regarding 2 Corinthians, how do I apply this to my community?
2 Corinthians 3:18
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (NIV).
Many years ago, someone did something hurtful to me in church. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to spend a day with only God, getting healing. The following Sunday, I went to a Bible study I attended every Sunday morning. Later on, a woman who had been in that Bible study who also knew what had happened to me told me: I had been worried about you, but when you sat down, your face was glowing, and I thought of Moses' face, and I knew you were alright. In this hurtful world, we followers of Jesus are called to rely on the Spirit of Christ to enable us to show His glory to whoever will notice.
Hunter Irvine
2 Corinthians backgound
2 Corinthians
Author: Paul
[See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: Possibly 57 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: Macedonia (2 Corinthians 1:16, 7:5)
Purpose: Paul is trying to strengthen the repentant. Paul is also trying to convince the rebellious. (Professor Tofoya)
What kind of book?: Letter re: specific occasion
Reflection: When I was young, when I did something wrong, in addition to any punishment, my mom would often instruct me to say "I'm sorry." I always did, but I often did not mean it. I was saying it because I had to. As one who has received the forgiveness of sins from Jesus, whenever I have told Him, "I am sorry," I meant it. It is one of the great phrases of love for fallible people. It is an all too rare phrase. I want to say it more.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters to Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 68.
Author: Paul
[See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: Possibly 57 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: Macedonia (2 Corinthians 1:16, 7:5)
Purpose: Paul is trying to strengthen the repentant. Paul is also trying to convince the rebellious. (Professor Tofoya)
What kind of book?: Letter re: specific occasion
Reflection: When I was young, when I did something wrong, in addition to any punishment, my mom would often instruct me to say "I'm sorry." I always did, but I often did not mean it. I was saying it because I had to. As one who has received the forgiveness of sins from Jesus, whenever I have told Him, "I am sorry," I meant it. It is one of the great phrases of love for fallible people. It is an all too rare phrase. I want to say it more.
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters to Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947), 68.
1 Corinthians application
Regarding 1 Corinthians, how do I apply this to myself?
In class we examined the discussion by Paul concerning the "Lord's Supper." I note here the importance of the Lord's Supper for me. There is something about Communion that always reminds me that I have been blessed because Jesus gave of Himself.
Regarding 1 Corinthians, how do I apply this to my community?
Paul was addressing in this book the problem of people taking more than their fair share of the Lord's Supper. The shortage today seems to be with people who partake in Communion from our community. For example, I live by Lakewood High School. I would be fascinated to know how many students from that large high school participated this Sunday in the Lord's Supper as I did. On one youth retreat I was about six years ago, I noticed that many students did not go up front when the Lord's Supper was served during the Sunday morning worship. In the denomination that was running that retreat, you are supposed to be baptized before you can take the Lord's Supper, thus I figured that many of those students were not baptized, since many of them were friends with students who were active in churches.
First things first, these young people need to be told about Jesus so they can make a decision about whether they will receive Him. No such public invitation was made to students on that retreat that I recall. On such youth retreats, students need to be told the Gospel, and they need to be invited to receive Jesus. For those who believe, they will be baptized by the Holy Spirit. And then we need to give them an opportunity to be baptized with water and to partake in the Lord's Supper.
Hunter Irvine
In class we examined the discussion by Paul concerning the "Lord's Supper." I note here the importance of the Lord's Supper for me. There is something about Communion that always reminds me that I have been blessed because Jesus gave of Himself.
Regarding 1 Corinthians, how do I apply this to my community?
Paul was addressing in this book the problem of people taking more than their fair share of the Lord's Supper. The shortage today seems to be with people who partake in Communion from our community. For example, I live by Lakewood High School. I would be fascinated to know how many students from that large high school participated this Sunday in the Lord's Supper as I did. On one youth retreat I was about six years ago, I noticed that many students did not go up front when the Lord's Supper was served during the Sunday morning worship. In the denomination that was running that retreat, you are supposed to be baptized before you can take the Lord's Supper, thus I figured that many of those students were not baptized, since many of them were friends with students who were active in churches.
First things first, these young people need to be told about Jesus so they can make a decision about whether they will receive Him. No such public invitation was made to students on that retreat that I recall. On such youth retreats, students need to be told the Gospel, and they need to be invited to receive Jesus. For those who believe, they will be baptized by the Holy Spirit. And then we need to give them an opportunity to be baptized with water and to partake in the Lord's Supper.
Hunter Irvine
1 Corinthians background
1 Corinthians
Author: Paul
[See Eusebius in Ecclesiastical History;" Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: 56 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: Ephesus (J.B. Phillips)
Purpose: To inform the Corinthian church of their errors, and to give them Christian guidance. (J.B. Phillips)
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: In the concise write-up regarding the theme of the epistle, J.B. Phillip's discusses the 'incredible sexual promiscuity' taking place in Corinth. An issue that many do not like to talk about, yet which I think needs to be confronted, is the vast sexual promiscuity in our culture today. Being someone who has been single and celibate for years (and years) {and years} [and years], (O.K. I have never had had sex. Call me a loser, but I am waiting to make love), I am probably even more sensitive to it. There is much disregard for the standard held by Jesus that sex should be only enjoyed in marriage, which include his teaching not to commit adultery. The word adultery is even one that you do not hear much any more. Encouraged by the 'casual sex' carried out in movies and talked about on TV, sex outside of marriage is common. I think a key reason for the huge shift in sexual norms just in the past 30 years is the easy access in this day and age to birth control. Even teenagers can go to some stores and buy condoms at the self checkout lanes without anyone even knowing, besides God. Yet it is God who does not want anyone engaging in sex outside of marriage, because God intended for sex to be an expression of true love, and nothing less. Now Christians are called by God to love everyone. Sex is for a special romantic love relationship, and it is for expressing love as much as receiving physical pleasure and having kids. As someone who has waited a long time to be married and make love, enabled only by Jesus to wait so long I assure you, I am willing to say that the cultural acceptance of sex outside of marriage is wrong, and the blessing of making love in the commitment of marriage, God's plan, is good. I cannot wait to get there! :)
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947).
Author: Paul
[See Eusebius in Ecclesiastical History;" Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2.]
Date: 56 A.D. (1)
Language: Greek
Place: Ephesus (J.B. Phillips)
Purpose: To inform the Corinthian church of their errors, and to give them Christian guidance. (J.B. Phillips)
What kind of book?: Letter re: a specific occasion
Reflection: In the concise write-up regarding the theme of the epistle, J.B. Phillip's discusses the 'incredible sexual promiscuity' taking place in Corinth. An issue that many do not like to talk about, yet which I think needs to be confronted, is the vast sexual promiscuity in our culture today. Being someone who has been single and celibate for years (and years) {and years} [and years], (O.K. I have never had had sex. Call me a loser, but I am waiting to make love), I am probably even more sensitive to it. There is much disregard for the standard held by Jesus that sex should be only enjoyed in marriage, which include his teaching not to commit adultery. The word adultery is even one that you do not hear much any more. Encouraged by the 'casual sex' carried out in movies and talked about on TV, sex outside of marriage is common. I think a key reason for the huge shift in sexual norms just in the past 30 years is the easy access in this day and age to birth control. Even teenagers can go to some stores and buy condoms at the self checkout lanes without anyone even knowing, besides God. Yet it is God who does not want anyone engaging in sex outside of marriage, because God intended for sex to be an expression of true love, and nothing less. Now Christians are called by God to love everyone. Sex is for a special romantic love relationship, and it is for expressing love as much as receiving physical pleasure and having kids. As someone who has waited a long time to be married and make love, enabled only by Jesus to wait so long I assure you, I am willing to say that the cultural acceptance of sex outside of marriage is wrong, and the blessing of making love in the commitment of marriage, God's plan, is good. I cannot wait to get there! :)
Hunter Irvine
(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947).
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