Category: 1 Corinthians

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What Is the Lord’s Supper? (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

georgepwood

What is the Lord’s Supper? We find an answer to this question in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. First, it is a tradition. Paul writes: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you…” Traditions can stifle spirituality. Jesus himself criticized “the Pharisees and teachers of the law” when he said, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men” (Mark 7:8). But Jesus also instituted traditions such as the Lord’s Supper (cf. Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, and Luke 22:17-20). When we eat the Lord’s Supper, we are taking–across … Continue reading What Is the Lord’s Supper? (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

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Physical Meal and Spiritual Communion (1 Corinthians 11:20–22)

georgepwood

If you are hungry, will the Lord’s Supper satisfy you? For most of us, the answer is no. A bite of bread will not fill our stomachs. A sip of grape juice will not slake our thirsts. Also, for most of us, the question itself is problematic. Despite the name, the Lord’s Supper as we practice it is not a meal, and its outcome is not physical satisfaction. Instead, we view it as a symbol whose outcome is spiritual communion with Christ and other believers. The question is problematic, then, because it commits a category mistake, confusing the physical and … Continue reading Physical Meal and Spiritual Communion (1 Corinthians 11:20–22)

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More Harm Than Good? (1 Corinthians 11:17–19)

georgepwood

On November 26, 2010, Tony Blair and Christopher Hitchens debated whether religion is a force for good in the world. Blair, former Prime Minister of Britain and a Roman Catholic, argued the affirmative case. Hitchens, an atheist and author of God Is Not Great, argued the negative.   What if the real case is ambivalent? I cannot make this ambivalent case from an atheist point of view, of course, since I’m not one of them. But as a Christian, I can make a religious case against religion. Indeed, I can make a religious case against religion by citing chapter and … Continue reading More Harm Than Good? (1 Corinthians 11:17–19)

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Different, but the Same (1 Corinthians 11:2–16)

georgepwood

My wife is an excellent sermon critic. She cuts through rhetorical folderol, long-winded illustrations, and abstract theologizing like a hot knife through butter. And she does it with a simple question: What do you want me to do? I think of her question when I read 1 Corinthians 11:2–16. Commentators disagree on the details of this passage[i]. For example: Paul uses the word head—Greek, kephale—metaphorically in verse 3, where he writes: “the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” Does kephale denote “authority over” or “source … Continue reading Different, but the Same (1 Corinthians 11:2–16)

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Is Organized Religion Worth the Effort?

georgepwood

Is organized religion worth the effort? For me, this question arises at this point in our study of 1 Corinthians because we are about to examine three topics that, for different reasons, may turn off modern readers. The first topic concerns the physical appearance of Christian men and women as they pray and prophesy during the church service (11:2-16). The second concerns how the Corinthians abused the Lord’s Supper by failing to provide for the physical needs of their poorest members (11:16-33). And the third topic concerns how love requires that people exercise their spiritual gifts in a way that … Continue reading Is Organized Religion Worth the Effort?

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Permissible, But Not Beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1)

georgepwood

The Daily Word will begin after the following book review blurb… __________ Alister McGrath, The Passionate Intellect: Christian Faith and the Discipleship of the Mind (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2010). $22.00, 210 pages. Recently, so-called “new atheists” have been making loud noises about how stupid and wicked religion is. Richard Dawkins thinks belief in God is a “delusion” to be replaced by scientific thinking. Daniel Dennett views religion as a “spell” that needs to be broken. Sam Harris longs for “the end of faith,” whose absolutism he thinks leads only to violence. And Christopher Hitchens argues that “religion poisons … Continue reading Permissible, But Not Beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1)

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The Choice of Religion Is a Critical One (1 Corinthians 10:18-22)

georgepwood

In 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, the apostle Paul urges the Corinthian Christians not to eat food sacrificed to idols at pagan feasts in religious temples. His argument has two components. First, he reminds the Corinthians that those who celebrate the Lord’s Supper participate in the blood and body of Christ (verses 14-17). Then, he argues that those who eat idol-food at pagan temples become “participants with demons” (verses 18-22). Here’s what he writes: Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, … Continue reading The Choice of Religion Is a Critical One (1 Corinthians 10:18-22)

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What Does Communion Look Like to You? (1 Corinthians 10:14-17)

georgepwood

In 1 Corinthians 10:14–22, Paul argues that Christians cannot participate in the Lord’s Supper and eat idol-food at religious feasts in pagan temples. Why? Because the former is “a participation in the blood [and body] of Christ,” while the latter makes the eaters “participants with demons.” This devotional will focus on the former. The next devotional will focus on the latter. Regarding the Lord’s Supper, Paul writes: Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the … Continue reading What Does Communion Look Like to You? (1 Corinthians 10:14-17)

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Participation in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:14–16)

georgepwood

In 1 Corinthians 10:14–22, Paul writes: Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? Do I mean then that a sacrifice … Continue reading Participation in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:14–16)

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A Way Out (1 Corinthians 10:11–13)

georgepwood

In 1 Corinthians 10:11–13, Paul writes: These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. M. Scott Peck begins The Road Less Traveled with … Continue reading A Way Out (1 Corinthians 10:11–13)