Afterwords -- no boasting
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“'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.' So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours..." (1 Corinthians 3:20-21)
June 14, 2024
Dear friends,
Christians and non-Christians look at things differently. Whether it is history, power, knowledge, wisdom, morals, money, or eternity, those born of the Spirit of God have a different mindset from the unsaved. This is called "the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 2:16)
In the early chapters of his first epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul calls out a problem that the church is having. There were factions of believers who followed certain Christian teachers with single-minded dedication. They proudly voiced their party affiliation and looked down upon others. This was due not only to human pride, but also to a misunderstanding (spiritual in nature) of what constitutes true wisdom and power. These Corinthian believers were not walking by the Spirit and were too easily impressed with influential people.
In this they were acting like the world with its adoration of movers and shakers, experts and scholars, and moguls and money-makers. Paul said that both Jews and Gentiles, both the religious and the irreligious, were blind to the real wisdom and power of God which is revealed in Jesus Christ. The rulers of this age, along with their concept of power and wisdom, will pass away (2:6-8). For the spiritual person, the gospel of Jesus Christ and him crucified is the center of all reality. D. A. Carson writes, "The gospel is God’s power to those who believe. The place where God has supremely destroyed all human arrogance and pretension is the cross." (From The Cross and Christian Ministry)
Christians, and churches, can succumb to factionalism, that is, to divisions that are based not upon faithfulness to biblical doctrine, but rather, on factions dedicated to following influential leaders or teachers. This has been the bane of churches down through history. We may have our favorite preachers, teachers, and theologians, but we ought not "swallow any man whole", as someone once said. When we have Christ, we need not be absorbed into any one person's orbit, no matter how learned or powerful that person. "Let no one boast in men."
I think this can also be applied to the political realm. A big challenge churches will face this November, will be to keep their fellowship together, worshiping Christ rather than being lockstep with a political party. The issues we face as a nation are important, but no man (and no party) can even partly provide the solutions that are needed for our generation. We tend to look to powerful people, smart people, and eloquent people to rally behind. They become our champions, our heroes, our deliverers. We want to be in their power base, or to share in their enlightenment. Is this not a form of idolatry?
God's work, however, is to build up his church through the Word and Spirit upon the one foundation of Jesus Christ. In this work he uses many people, whether famous or not, for our upbuilding. Paul says, "So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." (3:21-23) We are abundantly cared for in Christ, and we belong to God. All things work for our good. The church really doesn't need any super-heroes to worship.
Some years ago, I was helped by reading The Cross and Christian Ministry, by D. A. Carson. Here are a few highlights...
Paul’s point is that no public philosophy, no commonly accepted “wisdom,” can have enduring significance if its center is not the cross. Whatever the merits or the demerits of these various systems, they exhaust their resources on merely superficial levels. They do not reconcile men and women to the living God, and nothing is more important than that.
…
The world loves power and prestige; God displays himself most tellingly on the cross, in sublime and wretched weakness—yet that “weakness” effects God’s utterly breathtaking redemptive plan, and thus proves stronger than all the world’s “strength.”
…
And that means we will never reduce the God-sized dimensions of biblical Christianity to all that can be embraced by just one Christian teacher or worker, no matter how able or wise. Factionalism is utter folly. Not only does it hurt the church, it impoverishes all those who embrace it, for it cuts them off from the wealth of the heritage that rightly belongs to all the children of God.
-- D. A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry: An Exposition of Passages from 1 Corinthians (Baker Books, 2004).
MISCELLANEOUS.
-- “It's Always Too Soon to Quit”, chapel message by Tom Constable.
-- I'm chewing on this article... "3 Waves That Have Shaped Evangelical Churches (and a 4th on the Way)" by Trevin Wax.
-- "...the frequent user of a Bible app runs the risk of placing his feelings and desires at the center of his devotional life, of practicing an 'algorithmic spirituality,' rather than facing the uncomfortable and demanding task of conforming himself to reality." (Grayson Quay)
-- Apparently, three times the volume of earth's oceans is locked deep within our planet's mantle. "The concept that mountains might have once been the only land poking out of Earth’s global ocean if not for this hidden reservoir is both thrilling and a humbling reminder of nature’s hidden complexities." (Articles here and here.) I wonder how this relates to Genesis 7:11... "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth..."
-- "Say goodbye to rigid design rules and hello to the charming world of Eclectic Grandpa style. This trend takes inspiration from vintage aesthetics, mixing and matching patterns, textures and furniture styles with playful abandon. Picture a cozy reading nook adorned with antique rugs, mismatched armchairs and whimsical art pieces. Embrace the unexpected and let your creativity run wild with this eclectic and oh-so-cool trend. Eclectic Grandpa style is all about celebrating individuality and nostalgia, blending pieces from different eras and styles to create a unique and curated look." Read about the Eclectic Grandpa style.
FINAL QUOTE.
"Nothing will so avail to divide the church as love of power." (John Chrysostom, AD 347 – 407)
That's it for this week!
Sandy
Image credit: photo above by Austris Augusts on Unsplash. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.