Category: Digging in Deeper

Digging in Deeper: 1 Corinthians 14:1-3

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“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.  For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.  On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Here in this letter Paul raises the issue of the spiritual gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues.  The latter has apparently always been the more popular and interesting of the two.  Still, there is a fair bit of ambiguity regarding what exactly these two gifts entail.   Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 1 Corinthians 10:25-29

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“Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.  For ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”  If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.  But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience–I do not mean your conscience, but his.  For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience?”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Here are Paul’s final thoughts on the issue of eating meat that came from a pagan sacrifice: Eating it doesn’t matter.  If you want to eat it, go ahead.  If you don’t, don’t worry about it.  It’s meat.  Making a mountain out of this molehill is a worthless effort.   Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 1 Corinthians 10:20

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“No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God.  I do not want you to be participants with demons.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Wait, I thought Paul’s conclusion was that eating the meat that came from a sacrifice at one of the local pagan temples was not morally problematic?  Now it’s demonic?  What??

We actually get more clarity on Paul’s final position a couple of verses from now and there is no contradiction.  I’ll deal with that in a subsequent post.  What is worth reflecting on here is not Paul’s main point, but some of the broader implications for what he has said.  Most notably, that the pagan sacrifices were demonic.   Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: Ecclesiastes 10:20

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“Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Ever wonder where the phrase “a little bird told me” came from?

All day long we see people and have thoughts about them.  We can’t help it.  They come to us almost before we even realize what is happening.  These snap judgments may be kind and charitable, but they also may not be.  In fact, for most of us, they’re not more often than they are.   Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: Ecclesiastes 7:10

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“Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’  For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Have you ever longed for the “good old days”?  Why?  What about them did you desire?  Simpler times?  Different social interactions?  Fewer burdens?  No social media?

I have come to the conclusion that one of the major false gods of our culture is called Nostalgia.  The thing about Nostalgia, though, is that he is subtle.  No one realizes they are worshiping him at first, and even if you were to point it out to them, they’d just respond, “No, I’m not.  I’m just reminiscing about the way things were.”

And yet, this is what the worship of Nostalgia looks like.  We come to his altar and offer sacrifices of time and memory.  We offer cynicism about the current state of the world.  We offer judgments of people who are younger than we are.  In return, he gives us warm feelings about the past that are a comforting salve for the pressures of the present.   Read the rest…