From 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Later in Corinthians we will read about the challenge and call for the church to be holistically unified, a similar topic as these verses if you only look at the heading for the section. Paul’s instruction here is slightly more specific in scope.  In these verses, Paul rebukes the Corinthians for being divided according to their human leaders.  Some claim to follow Paul or Apollos or Cephas or Christ, and Paul rhetorically asks if he was the one crucified for them or if they were baptized into his name. The obvious answer is “no,” because Christ was the one crucified for them – and He is not one among many.  In fact, God has a long history of suffering no rivals.  The Corinthians have fallen to the temptation to elevate human leaders, human leaders who were undoubtedly excellent in their roles, to a status higher than was appropriate.

This temptation is not something that we are exempt from in modern times.  If anything, the advent of different communication technologies has made celebrity pastors more common.  Now, Christians might not fight over the different pastors or leaders they prefer in the church (they might, but it’s not something I’ve personally experienced), but they will still leave one church to follow a pastor to another or refuse to engage with their community because of one leader.  These are just to ways that we still elevate leaders higher than they ought to be at the expense of our Christian communities and what they are called to be.  It is appropriate to be thankful for leaders in your church and to appreciate them for the things they do well, but we always need to remember that they are only humans, and they are ultimately servants alongside us.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously blesses His church with good leaders.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to not put leaders in the church on a pedestal.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for your church and its leaders.
• Confess to God the times where you elevate leaders higher than they should be.
• Ask God to bless His church with faithful and humble leaders.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

This devotion is the first in the next series we’ll be going through with these written devotions, and we’ll be focusing on the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians.  Today our verses are simply Paul’s greetings and thanks for the Corinthian church.  It provides us with an opportunity to give some rudimentary background on Paul and these epistles.

Paul was not always a Christian. In fact, he aggressively persecuted Christians as a leading member of the Jewish political scene at the time.  While he was doing that, God confronted him and he converted to Christianity.  Paul was a Roman citizen and well educated.  These traits allowed him to make his way around much of the ancient world, planting churches and sharing the Gospel wherever he landed.  He also wrote extensively, authoring many of the epistles (letters) in the New Testament.  Corinthians was an influential city at the center of an important trade route of the ancient world.  The city had a reputation for sexual immorality, religious diversity, and corruption.  In many ways, the concerns Paul addresses in the Corinthian church are concerns that we can also see to varying degrees in the American church today.

Paul writes to the Corinthians to address some issues they are facing that have come to his attention.  In addition, he writes to the young church to help them as a community figure out what it means to live as Christians.  Regardless of your role in the congregation, these letters contain wisdom for how we live in community with other Christians and with the world around us.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously blesses His church with intentional wisdom.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to work for our communities to reflect God’s will for how we relate to one another.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for your church.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t live up to His standards for Christian living.
• Ask God to bless His church with faithful community.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 2 Timothy 4:9-22

At the end of Timothy, like so many of Paul’s letters, we see a long list of people he wants to greet specifically.  This speaks to the relationships that Paul built when he was in the different places where early churches sprouted.  In fact, if we look at the larger body of Paul’s ministry and the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of the early church, it had an incredibly relational focus.

Today, there is a temptation to take a “just me and God” attitude towards our faith.  We want to put the focus on just our relationship with God and figure as long as we take care of our own Bible readings and devotions that’s enough.  But it’s not just about you and God, it’s about the community.  That’s part of what makes joining a church and being actively engaged with it so important.  We are called to live and believe and grow together as a community, so whenever you can, take the opportunity to build relationships with your pastors and with the other Christians at your church.

Focus on God

We are reminded that God has graciously blessed us with a community.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to be actively engaged in a church.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for His Church.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t take the opportunity to build Christian relationships.
• Ask God to bless His church and its mission.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

On a non-devotional note, we are now at the end of Timothy.  The written devotions will be going on a short break (the rest of this week and next week) because of my schedule and some professional development I have coming up. Video devotions, podcasts, and other materials are still available at edgewaterlutheran.org even during this break, so feel free to check those out.

From 2 Timothy 4:1-8

We are called to proclaim the council of God to the people in our lives.  We believe that Jesus loves us enough to die for us.  We believe that He did die for us and that His death and resurrection give us the gift of eternal life with God.  We believe that we receive that gift by faith.  We believe that His Word and the instructions we find there are for our benefit.

So if you genuinely care about someone in your life, why wouldn’t you share that with them.

Why would we withhold the promise of eternal life, the love of almighty God, and the wisdom He has given us for life in His creation from the people we care about?

We live in a world like the one Paul describes here, surrounded by people who won’t endure sound teaching and want to find a teacher that suits their own passions.  We should not be discourage and should strive to continue to speak the truth.

Focus on God

We are reminded of the power of God and the love He has for us.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to talk about the truths of God with the people we care about.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for His Word.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t share about God with others.
• Ask God to bless His church and its mission.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 2 Timothy 3:10-17

The instructions in these verses apply to every Christian, from the newest convert to the most seasoned pastor. Paul encourages Timothy to continue in what he has learned and firmly believed, lifting up the value of Scripture for teaching, reproof, correction, and training.

Stay in God’s Word, as regularly as you can.  Find space in your day and consistently strive to make more time for it.  If you haven’t read the Bible cover to cover, it can seem like a monumental task – I assure you it is worth it.  Find someone to keep you accountable, read with your significant other or a close friend.  Be in the Word, it’ll keep you rooted in the Gospel.  If you don't already, make sure you click on the linked reference above when you do these devotions and read the Scripture they come from.

That's it . . . go read your Bible!

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses of the incredible gift of God’s Word.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to stay in the Word.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for His Word.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t read the Bible as regularly as you should.
• Ask God to bless His church and its mission.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious