Corinthians A.3.1 - Aw, Grow Up!

Chapter 3.1

Paul opens a new comparison in verse 1: the difference between spiritual Christians and carnal Christians. My Bible notes on verses 1-4 state "Although the Corinthians were Christians, they were not fully spiritual (v. 1); they did not live in full obedience to the Spirit." I do not believe that is the sense in which Paul is using pneumatikois ("spiritual people"). Just as in 2:14 where he used psuchikos to describe the person who is motivated primarily by their intellect or some other facet of their soul, i.e. the soul-driven person, so now he uses pneumatikois to describe the person who is motivated primarily by their spirit, i.e. the spirit-driven or spirit-ruled person. And yet, here in v. 1, Paul tells the Corinthians he could not speak to them as spirit-driven or spirit-ruled people, but as carnal (sarkikois), i.e. body-driven or body-ruled. It was not even their intellect that was driving them but rather their desire for physical experience. I can't even say "pleasures," because the physical experience is not always pleasant: it sometimes involves pain, anger, envy, jealousy, discord, and strife. And yet these are as much a part of the physical experience as the pleasurable sensations. True, they are transmitted to and processed by the soul, but they are centered in the body.

Because of this tendency on their part to focus in this area, Paul calls them "babes" (nepiois) or infants in Christ. Now, Paul had spent considerable time among them (about 18 months) and then had gone on to other endeavors, and yet, in his absence, things had not progressed but rather had gone downhill, as he proceeds to detail. Thus, he says, he was not able to and still is not able to give them solid food (spiritually) but must feed them milk; nutritious, nonetheless, but lacking substance. He is still having to address issues that are usually in the arena of dealing with brand-new Christians, those who don't know any better, those who are striving to overcome old habits of their heathen ways and become more mature in Christ, able to crawl, some to walk, not an infant who must be carried everywhere by an adult. And the symptoms of their infancy? Personality cults (vs. 4).

Within the body at Corinth, they had splintered into clubs or cliques built around different teachings and teachers. Some aligned themselves with Paul, the original source of their introduction to the Gospel. Others had found new ideas and fresh "fire" in the teachings of Apollos, the fireball preacher from Alexandria. When he first came to Corinth, he really stirred the people up, but Aquilla and Priscilla had to take him under their tutelage to straighten out some of his theology. Still, a following developed around him. Others had taken their allegiance even further back and decided they wanted to associate with the original apostle, Peter.

Does this sound like anything today? What about the different denominations? Weren't they built around some person and their personality? True, it often coincided with their reception of revelation; for example, Martin Luther's revelation of salvation by grace; the Wesley's rescission of Anglican abuses; Calvin's concepts of predestination. Even more contemporaneously, what are the megachurches except personality cults around an individual, e.g. Jakes, Hinn, et al? True, they afford the opportunity to accomplish much more on a much larger scale, but having been part of such an effort, I can attest that there is lots of baggage that goes along with that kind of effort, and not much of it is positive. It becomes difficult to discern, after a while, what is gold, silver, and precious stones as opposed to wood, hay, and straw (v. 12).

Corinthians A.2.1 - And in this corner...

Chapter 2.1

The Gospel (i.e., "The testimony (marturion) of God," vs. 1) is not designed to convince people with its logic. In fact, Paul says, it is of all things the most illogical. Rather, it demonstrates the power (vs. 5, dunamei) of God. And yet, the Gospel holds a mysterious Godly wisdom (vs. 7, sophian theou en mysterio). In order to begin to understand how this works, we must dissect ourselves. We know we are constructed of three components: spirit (pneuma), soul (psuche), and body (sarx). The Bible states we were created in this image of God. This happens on at least two different levels: first, God is spirit (John 4:24); second, just as God is a tri-unity (three in one), so we are three parts in one person. Our bodies are easily recognizable. They are the corporeal evidence of our existence; yet, they bind us within the space-time continuum and limit our existence to the finiteness of our sensory perception. The soul combines the mind, will, and emotions into personality and gives us sentience. Animals possess bodies and souls. It is our spirit, however, which makes us unique in creation. Ministers often speak of humans in their natural state as having a "hole inside us only God can fill." It is not a hole; it's our spirit. And it's not dead; if that were true, we'd be like the animals. Instead, it is cut off from God, which is ironic, since the spirit was created by God to communicate with Him in a way that transcends mere intellect. Our spirit is constantly striving to bring the soul and body in obedience to God's will. It is a struggle that will continue daily throughout our Earthly lives that will require us to constantly discern what God's will is and then use our volition to subjugate our wills to His.

Paul continues his dissection of the human composition by quoting Isaiah 64:4, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him" (vs. 9). The inference is clear: the human eye can perceive only a narrow band of wavelengths call (appropriately) the "visible light spectrum." Correspondingly, the ear can perceive only a narrow band of frequencies that are within the boundaries of "audible" tones. Yet, our technologies have revealed to us that there are other wavelengths of light (e.g., infrared) and sound (e.g., a dog's hearing capacity) that we are not capable of naturally perceiving. In the same way, there is a spiritual plane of existence, which is God's domain, that only our spirits can perceive and appreciate. C.S. Lewis, in his The Great Divorce (which is not about marriage at all but rather about the divide in experience between life and death), attempts to express this through natural metaphors, such as grass so real it hurts to walk on it, colors so bright they hurt the eyes, etc. In the same way that the sense receptors we use to perceive our physical world are ineffective (i.e., incapable) of perceiving spiritual phenomena, so our intellectual abilities are incapable of making sense (i.e., rationalizing) spiritual truth or even its component truths. Which is why Paul compares natural (psuchikos) man (vs. 14) to spiritual (pneumatikos) man (vs. 15). Just as the natural physical sensory receptors cannot perceive spiritual reality, so natural psychological faculties cannot understand spiritual truth. Which is why we must trust our spirits in faith, because through our spirit, we have access to and through faith we possess the mind (nous, from ginosko) of Christ (vs. 16).

A.1.3 - His Way or the Highway

Chapter 1.3

In verses 18 through 31, Paul contrasts the Gospel with earthly wisdom and defines two major hindrances to faith: logic and tradition. The Greeks were all about logic; it was their passion. Aristotle included it as one of the three ingredients of rhetoric, along with ethos and pathos. To the Greeks, if you could not persuade them logically regarding a thing, then it really didn't exist. There was even a period in their history marked by the "Stoic" philosophers, a reference to the national pasttime of sitting on their porches ("stoa") and arguing (debating) with each other about the ideas of that day. It is interesting to note, however, that their logic failed them when it came to describing the origins of the universe and of themselves, causing them to devise an elaborate but metaphorical mythology. It seems they just weren't able to accept the truth that an eternal God could exist that created everything, so instead they determined that the creation must have existed eternally and that it spawned the pantheon they worshiped for Gods, who were really no more than superhumans with all the human failings.

The Jews, on the other hand, were all about tradition (okay, somebody tell Tevye to take his fiddle and get down off the roof). And if a little tradition (10 commandments) was good, more (over 600 laws) was better. They carried this even into their thinking processes. Everything had to be referenced by some recognized authority; if you expressed a thought, it had to be backed up by a reference, usually to some famous Rabbi, who had referenced someone else. This was one reason why Jesus was such a problem for them. In a way, they probably didn't want the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah to be fulfilled; it would undo their tradition of waiting for Him to come. In addition to that, Jesus didn't fulfill their expectations. They were looking for a political leader who would overthrow their Roman oppressors. Instead, He came the first time to suffer and die, completely opposite to their tradition. And then, to top it all off, when He spoke, He referenced no other authority than Himself! If you have an electronic Bible with search capabilities, check it out sometime. Use the keyword phrases "You have heard it said" or "But I say to you." He uses the latter phrase six times within twenty-two verses of Matthew chapter 5. So when Jesus came preaching a message of personal reform, it upset their apple cart, especially since they were making a good living off everyone else's tradition. Though not the Messiah, Luther performed the same function in the Catholic Church in the Reformation of the 15th century by coming against their un-Biblical traditions.

True God-faith will always defy logic and tradition. Those who are willing to take off these blinders will see the wisdom and the power of God, Paul says. It is the only way to recognize (look at that word: re-, again, and cognize, a form of to think: to think again!) that our natural ways are not God's ways and learn that if we are to be righteous and holy (sanctified) and redeemed, it has to be His way, not ours, so that only He gets the credit. After all, it was His idea to begin with; but that takes us back to Genesis, doesn't it? And we don't have time to go there just now. Next time we'll go on to Chapter 2 of Corinthians A.

A.1.2 - Agreement and Opinions

Chapter 1.2

Going back to the meat of the chapter, in verse 10 Paul first pleads (parakaleo) with them to "speak the same thing." KJV uses the archaic word "beseech" which really doesn't say anything special to us today. However, Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (which will be a common source in these studies) says it "literally denotes to call to one's side, hence, to call to one's aid. It is used for every kind of calling to a person which is meant to produce a particular effect, hence, with various meanings, such as comfort, exhort, desire, call for, in addition to its significance to beseech, which has a stronger force than aiteo (see Ask)." Therefore, Paul is actually "begging" them. He makes it even more emphatic by doing so "through the name (onomatos) of our Lord (kyrios) Jesus Christ." Vine's again indicates that "name" means more than just what someone is called. It is used "for all that a name implies, of authority, character, rank, majesty, power, excellence, etc., of everything that the name covers."

The word used here for "speak" is also especially significant. It is a form of the verb lego (now, how did that become the name of a children's building-block toy?) which is contrasted with another common verb for "say" which is laleo. Again, Vine's is especially helpful here, defining lego as "primarily, to pick out, gather, chiefly denotes to say, speak, affirm, whether of actual speech or of unspoken thought or of a message in writing." Further, there is a note on the word in Vine's which is even more elucidating: lego refers to the substance or meaning of what is said, laleo refers only to the mechanical words that convey the meaning or the physical act of speaking. The inference here is that "Paul does not ask that they agree with one another in all points, but he pleads for a common basic understanding of the Christian faith. He asks that different judgments not create broken fellowship. The Corinthians were still brethren [adelphoi], yet they needed to be restored to their former condition of full fellowship in Christ" (The Open Bible, NKJV, Notes, p. 1646).

So, how far does this agreement go? Do we all have to mimic one another, using the same cult-like jargon to prove our unity? Is this why we developed dogma out of doctrine? I grew up in a conservative, very liturgically based denomination (we used a liturgy for our services that followed a very distinct pattern and was very organized) and we were indoctrinated at a very young age in the church doctrine. Now, I have nothing against teaching children what is wrong and what is right (I'm an Educator!) but I have since found that some of what they taught was not actually based upon the Bible but on tradition. For example, have you ever compared the list of what some of the major denominations teach for the Ten Commandments against the actual list in Exodus 20? You may find that the second Commandment has been removed and the tenth has been altered in order to fill the gap that is left. What is the second Commandment? "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments." (Exodus 20:4-6) This is especially problematic to denominations that historically have included icons (statues of historical figures, people who have been elevated in importance) as part of their worship process and those denominations that are descended from them through the Reformation that did not revise the teachings they were brought up on. My point is, I can still fellowship with them based upon our mutual belief in Jesus as the substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of mankind, but I don't have to believe everything they believe, especially if it's just opinion, and I don't have to pass judgment on their opinions either. I'm content to go with the rhema God has given me.

Corinthians A.1.1

Paul's letter is very well organized and follows a very clear outline that is broken up, in my Bible's notes, into three distinct parts. Part 1, which begins in chapter 1 and extends through chapter 4, is written in answer to a report of divisions from the household of Chloe. Part 2 covers chapters 5 and 6 and deals with reports to Paul of fornication and other problems of relationships in the church body. Part 3 covers answers to their questions in a letter they sent to Paul and goes from chapter 7 to the end.

Chapter 1

After greetings of grace and a prayer of thanksgiving, he jumps right into the water in verse 10. They had splintered into personality cults around Paul, Peter, and Apollos. It seems like even then, people tended to align themselves with the speaker at least as much as what was spoken. It's not even about the denomination so much anymore but how "charismatic" or dynamic the leader is. Sure, you'd have to have a strong personality to manage a mega-ministry (if that's what God really wanted you to do), but Paul reminds them in and around verse 26 that God's ways are different. Look around you in Church some Sunday. How many movers and shakers do you see? How many rocket scientists sit next to you? Is the church full of leaders? The concept is almost ludicrous, because the fact is if you get to know some of the people in your congregation, you'll find they are just simple folk who love Jesus. The Kingdom of God is not built on our strength but rather our weakness so that God's strength would be pre-eminent. It seems almost a contradiction to build a ministry around someone simply because they have a strong personality, yet there seems to be a symbiotic relationship between those who want to follow and those who want to be followed. Paul says, in response to this, "Don't follow me: follow Jesus!"

Further, Paul points to three misunderstandings at the core of their divisions. First is their misunderstanding of the Gospel message. They are trying to fathom it through their intellect, but the Gospel is not about Earthly wisdom. It is Heavenly wisdom, and there is a distinct difference. The Greeks had two words for "word": most people are familiar with "logos." It's the word used by the Apostle John in his Gospel to describe Jesus as the "logos made flesh"; however, the second form is "rhema" or "revealed word." Romans 10:17 brings this out in a very familiar yet little understood passage, "So then faith (pistis) comes by hearing (akoe), and hearing by the word (rhematos) of God. The Apostle Peter, in his second letter, points this out in chapter 1, verses 19 through 21: "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed [or We also have the more sure prophetic word], which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, 'but holy men of God spoke [or but men spoke from God] as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.'" Peter is comparing the written word to the voice he heard from Heaven when he was on the mountaintop with James, John, and Jesus at the transfiguration. He says the written word is more sure than that voice of God that he personally heard. Here's the second point from this: if "men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit," what's the best frame of reference from which to interpret Scripture? If the Holy Spirit inspired it (Paul calls it "God-breathed" in his second letter to Timothy), then certainly the Holy Spirit is the best one to interpret it. When this happens, the logos becomes rhema which leads to hearing and hearing and hearing which leads to faith.

Corinthians A.0

This is the beginning of a study of Paul's letters to the Corinthians. It grew out of a discussion about the application of specific passages in the letters to current experiences in church. So often, isolated verses are taken out of the context in which they are found and wielded like a club to impress a point. It's a direct result of the technique of prooftexting, the use of a specific verse or verses of scripture to back up a doctrine, dogma, or even just an opinion. I've done it myself a time or two (or three) (or four) (well...you get the idea), but I don't think scripture should be treated like a smorgasbord (buffet, for those of you who haven't been to Sweden) where you get to pick and choose from among the offerings whatever you want or think is tasty. Rather, it's more like a multi-course meal where you start with one level and then move on to the next, but you eat the whole thing!

So, first of all, a note about the title. I'm going to use the format found in some Greek manuscripts where the two letters we have from Paul to the church at Corinth (there was possibly a third that predated them) are designated by the letters "A" and "B" rather than the more contemporary Roman numerals I and II. The second character in my title designator will be the chapter number, all the while realizing that Paul didn't put chapters in. Editors did that several hundred years later. The third character will be the sequence of the post. So a title designator of A.3.2 would be the second post on chapter 3 in First Corinthians, and the designator for this post is chapter 0 of the same, for some background setup.

A short note about my biographical and doctrinal backgrounds: I am a born again believer in Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God. I believe he died in my place as the atonement God required for my sins and that he was raised to life again by the power of the Holy Spirit. I also believe he is alive now and living at the right hand of God the Father. As a result of my acceptance of this belief, I also believe that God's Holy Spirit has come to be with me. However, I have also accepted a second step through asking him (Holy Spirit) to be in me. Thus, I have been baptized both with water in obedience to God's word and with the Holy Spirit to receive the "power from on high" that Jesus promised to his disciples and was fulfilled first on the day of Pentecost following his resurrection and ascension. I have spoken and still speak in a language that I did not learn. I have also experienced other elements of what is commonly called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you must label me, I entered this sojourn in the early 1970's during the "Jesus People movement" and at one time was called a Charismatic. However, I have and frequently do fellowship with believers of many different kinds of labels, including Catholics, Protestants of many kinds, and Pentecostals. But enough about me, already; let's move on and talk about Paul and the church he started at Corinth.

Front Matter

Corinth was the most important city in Greece in Paul's day. It was also a bustling hub of world-wide commerce, degraded culture, and idolatrous religion. Its closest contemporary American counterpoint is perhaps Las Vegas, Nevada, their more modern attempts at becoming family friendly notwithstanding. The most prominent religious feature in Corinth was the temple of Aphrodite with its 1,000 temple prostitutes.

First Corinthians reveals the problems, pressures, and struggles of a church called out of a pagan society. Paul addresses a variety of problems in the lifestyle of the Corinthian church, including factions, lawsuits, immorality, questionable practices, abuse of the Lord's supper, and spiritual gifts. Note that while that last item probably receives the least attention in Paul's letter, it is often the focus of most modern attention. We assume that since most Americans today do not worship the ancient pagan deities, they do not experience or have to deal with things like factions or cliques in the church, lawsuits between Christians, immoral behavior (how many Pastors have I known personally who have left their wives and the pulpit for another woman in the church?! Or even just had an adulterous experience with one!), etc. We take pains to read Paul's admonitions when we take the Lord's supper, but how do we live in between Eucharists? Do we really apply the rest of the letter during the week?

Now, we may not have temples dedicated to the open worship of Aphrodite anymore, but there are still places in American culture - some physical, some virtual - where identical or similar practices are found, so we are not really that far, even in America, from the pagan culture found in Corinth. There is much that we will find applicable to our current events, culture, and society, even in what was designed to be a Christian nation! So let's learn a little more about ourselves by looking at the folks at Corinth.

Elements of Vision 3

Finish the Deed

The third element of vision for ministry relates to execution. Nothing is more devastating to people than the cessation of a ministry they have come to rely on for help. It speaks of the unreliability of the minister but inherently reflects upon God as well. "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he may have enough to finish it?" Luke 14:28. "Therefore, since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God." Hebrews 12: 1,2. "If a job has just begun, never leave it 'til it's done; be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all" - my Dad. Here's the thing: what if Jesus had given up before going to the cross? Now we know that never would have happened, but it "almost" did--in the Garden of Gethsemane. Many teachers once held (and some still do) that there was a moment of indecision on Jesus' part, which is why he prayed "Father, let this cup pass from me." (Matt 26: 39, Mark 14: 36, Luke 22: 42). I and many others, however, believe that He was under attack by Satan who was attempting to prevent Him from reaching the cross and that He was on the verge of death there in the Garden. He knew that in order for Him to be the perfect sacrifice, He must die on the cross, because the scripture says "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." Galatians 3:13. Satan knew that as well, and so came against Him there until His sweat was mixed with blood as it fell on the ground, a physiological sign of imminent death. Even with all the miracles He performed and all the truths He taught, Jesus' ministry was incomplete until he reached the cross. He had to finish the deed for our sakes. Thank God He did! We must follow His example and finish whatever task He calls us to in ministry through His vision in us.

Elements of Vision

As a means to both understand and remember the working elements of vision for ministry, I have used some past-learned concepts in a mnemonic form. The first element is to find a need followed by the second, plant the seed. The third and equally important element is to finish the deed. Full attention to each element is essential for a successful outcome to the ministry, which is the ultimate goal to which the vision is directed. Vision for vision's sake is no ministry. Ministry must result in changed lives, which is the fruit that is harvested from the activity. Otherwise, what you have is a program.

Find a Need

It might seem that finding a need would be a simple task. All one need do is to look around one's environment, and needs seem to present themselves. However, such is not the case. Much of our perspective is colored by our training and experience, which in turn are often colored by the world's point of view of what we see. The world often views life's inequities from the perspective of fairness, whereas God views them from the perspective of justice. One must look beyond the surface symptom to find the core underlying cause and, hence, the true need. Let me give an example: at the Dream Center in Los Angeles, we drove buses downtown to Skid Row for every service to pick up homeless people who were also often hungry. We promised them a meal, after the service. We also offered them the possibility to get off the street and live at the Dream Center. The catch: they had to join the Discipleship program, which was a three-year rehabilitation that frequently started with a 90-day detox stay at a facility in the desert outside Los Angeles. Now, most of them could stay at one of several Missions downtown, which would get them out of their cardboard boxes or tents and off the streets. However, many of them refused to do so because the Missions had rules they would have to follow. Those that were truly down on their luck usually would not have a problem with this. Those who were the victims of their own pride and rebellion, however, would balk at the idea of having to submit to someone else's authority. Thus, their homeless condition, in either case, was a symptom of a deeper need. If they were simply down on their luck and needed a fresh start, the transition was an easy one. However, if the latter condition were the case, then they would have to work past their pride, often a formidable obstacle, to obtain the humility necessary to make the choice. Thus, the free meal became a "hook" to get them to come to service and allow the Holy Spirit to work on their hearts, as well as their mind, will, and emotions. You must identify the deeper need and keep that as your focus, even as you meet the surface need.

Elements of Vision 2

Plant the Seed

There are several ways to plant the seed of your vision. The first is to communicate it to others and plant the seed of the idea in them. If you want others to be passionate about your idea, you must first be passionate about it yourself. If you just looked around you, saw several things that were missing and picked one like a lottery, chances are you won't be very passionate about it. It's just one need among many. But if it is something you yourself have experienced or something God has been preparing you for all your life, it will have more meaning for you personally and thus a more intense perspective. Nevertheless, do not trust hyperbole ("hype") born of passion to sway potential co-workers into joining you. God will speak to them just the same as He spoke to you. "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" Matt. 9:38.

Of course, the simplest commodity you possess that you can invest in your vision is time, and yet that is often one of the most difficult; there are many distractions in life that will steal your attention if you let them. You must continually seek God about your priorities versus His priorities; you will often find them contrary to each other, simply because we don't always see what He sees. Where we see the obvious symptom, He sees beneath the surface to the root cause. He does not lose focus on the task at hand like we do, sometimes chasing rabbits or being distracted with our own desires. His attention never wavers like ours, nor does he grow weary in well doing (Gal. 6:9). Perhaps the most effective deterrent to wavering attention is to live with your vision. When you don't have to get up and drive to the site or back home, it gives you the opportunity to live with your vision. At least, that was our experience at the Dream Center, where we lived and worked on property. It became our community, and we supported each other in our visions through moral assistance, verbal encouragement, and physical involvement. The use of koinonia can be very effective in executing a vision.

One of the more difficult areas of planting the seed is the financial area. How much of your own money do you invest in the vision? Most rationale Christians recognize that you normally don't "take the food out of your children's mouths" to support your ministry. You need to provide for your family as a matter of course. If that means holding down and part-time or even a fulltime job to support your family in addition to contributing to the ministry, that is a decision you, God, and your family must make together. It has been said that "Money follows ministry," meaning that when you are actually doing something beneficial, others will see it and begin to contribute to your efforts. Sometimes that means you must "prime the pump," so to speak, from your own resources. Sometimes the presence or lack of financial resources can be an indicator of God's leading; yet circumstances should never be our primary, let alone sole, indicator of God's will. It requires a delicate balance to determine when the financial conditions contribute to direction and when they merely hinder it. Occasionally, God will speak clearly and wait for you to put in your two cents (widow's mites), then he responds with an abundance. After all, the essence of faith is hearing God's voice and being obedient to what he tells you to do, and that's what vision is really all about.

Vision

A vision is a plan for ministry. Perhaps the most well known scripture related to vision is Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." We often quote the first half but not the second; yet, proverbs always come in two parts: the premise and the conclusion (my terms). The premise sets up a condition for comparison or contrast with the conclusion. The conclusion finishes the thought. In the Biblical proverb, the conclusion is usually spiritual in focus. Hence, in this proverb, keeping the law (the Torah) provides vision for life; without it, you are bound to perish, physically, morally, and spiritually. Of course, from our perspective after the cross, Jesus came and fulfilled the law for us completely; however, its applicability for our lives is not diminished, we simply are no longer saved through keeping of the law (not that the Jews were ever saved through keeping something that was impossible for humans anyway; they were saved in that through their observance of the law, they acknowledged God's righteousness compared to their sinfulness and looked forward to God's salvation through the promised Messiah).

Therefore, vision is a plan not just for ministry, but for life. We must distinguish between true vision and what many churches pass for vision that is in fact merely a program of one kind or another. Based on our definition above, ministry vision must lead to life physically, psychologically, and/or spiritually. Feeding the hungry begins a relationship that meets a physical need first; however, if that's all that happens, the activity becomes no more than the bread lines of the Great Depression. It has social implications only; certainly it sustains the individuals physically, but if it does not go on from there to meet the areas of need in the soul and spirit, its effect is transitory and lasts only until the person gets hungry again. Starting and operating a private school ministers at the psychological level, working on the mind, the will, and the emotions. Yet, again, although the effect may last as long as a lifetime, that is still transitory; it will come to an end someday. Only a ministry that ultimately reaches the spirit will have results that last for eternity. Pointing the way to salvation and discipling will have eternal impact, but many times it is more effective to begin with a physical or psychological need as a means to gain the individual's attention and then refocus their attention on their spiritual need. An effective frame of reference can be found in this statement: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Forward!

Here we are in the home stretch. We're going to wrap up the last two ministers today, the Pastor and the Teacher. Then we will finish up this series by looking closely at exactly what a vision is, how it works, and where it comes from. Don't go away! There's lots more to come!

The Pastor (Gr: poimen) is often viewed as the head of the local body. However, the NT does not appear to ascribe such a pivotal position to this Minister. The word "Pastor" is merely the Latin form of the Greek word, both of which mean "Shepherd." Vine's goes on to expound on the term, "one who tends herds or flocks (not merely one who feeds them)...Pastors guide as well as feed the flock; cp. Acts 20:28, which, with ver. 17, indicates that this was the service committed to elders (overseers or bishops)...this involves tender care and vigilant superintendence." So, according to this perspective, the service of shepherding was given to someone who was already recognized as a leader in the local body. In modern perspective, however, the position has become a vocation. Licensing and ordination are now the path to Shepherdship with a focus on the church as a business enterprise. We even know the break-even point at which the size of a congregation can generate sufficient revenues to adequately support a full-time Pastor and his family. I do not believe this was the case in Paul's mind when he described this element of the fifth level of involvement. Interestingly enough, I recall a source which indicated that "Goat herders drive their flocks, while sheep herders lead theirs." Believers in Christ are always related to sheep in the NT. Therefore, the vision of the Pastor is for believers who are well fed and well cared for, growing into maturity, bearing lambs and producing wool (a protection against predators as well as a commodity).

The Teacher (Gr: didaskalos), the last (and my favorite) of the fivefold ministry gifts, is what I've been doing in this series. Fortunately, I come to it with a natural gift for research. The NT further distinguishes two different types of teachers: kalodidaskalos, a teacher of what is good (Titus 2:3), and pseudodidaskalos, a false teacher (2 Peter 2:1). The function of a Teacher is to share the truth that they have gleaned from diligent study of God's Word. Unfortunately, it can, like any of the other ministry gifts, be perverted and become simply a source of income. I think Paul may have had this in mind when he warned Timothy about the kind of Teachers who have been wrongfully chosen by those who have "itching ears." (2 Tim. 4:3) Because of grammatical structure in the Greek and its English translation, some have combined the ministry gifts of Pastor and Teacher into one. I think it is commonly accepted that a Pastor should be able to teach, especially within the concept of preaching. However, preaching and teaching have some distinct differences, which we will not digress into here. Suffice it to say, not all Teachers are Shepherds. The Teacher's vision is for believers who are enlightened and well equipped for battle with the tools and weapons forged from the knowledge of the Truth in God's Word.

So this is the fifth level of involvement. We began our study with Spectator, Participator, Contributor, and Motivator, and now have culminated the levels of involvement with the level where vision resides, the Minister. We have also broken down this fifth level into the five-fold ministry of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Next time, we'll look at vision itself. Y'all come back, now, y'hear?

Upward!

I'm going to try to advance the cause by combining the next two ministers. I'm also going to start posting more often than just once a week. I've been gathering some crops into the barn and I'm just about ready to load them up and take them to market. Maybe then those of you with attention spans just slightly longer than a goldfish will stay awake! Huh? Oh, squirrel!

The Prophet (Gr: prophetes) reeks of vision. The nouns prophet and prophecy, along with the verb prophesy, all have connotations in their original use of seeing circumstances from God's point of view and then speaking out of that divine perspective (pro, forth, phemi, to speak). The same Greek word is used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) for the Hebrew roeh, which is sometimes translated "Seer" in English, indicating that the prophet was one who had immediate communication with God. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines prophet as "one who speaks forth or openly..., a proclaimer of a divine message, denoted among the Greeks an interpreter of the oracles of the gods." The function of the Prophet is to bring God's truth to the body as they see it. Their perspective includes the past, present, and future. They often see God's view of people's past actions and their present condition as well as what God intends to do in the future. The Prophet's function, then, is to go to local bodies and bring them God's truth. One caveat: "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets," 1 Cor. 14:32. What this means is that it is possible for the Prophet to imbue their own personal vision with God's vision and add that to the speaking. There are three tests to the veracity of prophecy: (1) it must conform to and not contradict God's written Word; (2) the hearer must have a witness in their spirit from the Holy Spirit; and (3) any circumstances attached to the prophecy, whether past, present, or future, must be 100% accurate. God does not lie; people can fudge, however. So the Prophet's vision is for a body of believers that is operating with all the "intel" necessary to wage a successful war against the forces of darkness.

The Evangelist (Gr: euaggelistes) has roots in his or her local body but spends most of the time going to places where the Gospel has never been preached, spreading the word and eliciting new converts. They bring the good news to those who become the body in that locality. Literally, the Greek word means "a messenger of good (eu, well, angelos, a messenger). The initial stages of missions work involves heavy doses of evangelism, followed by the apostle and the other ministry gifts. So, the evangelist is usually the vanguard of the Kingdom of God and the one who most populates the list of martyrs (Greek for "witnesses"). They spend considerable time in cross-cultural environments, but they tend not to stay in one place for long. Their vision is to see as many people as possible hear the Gospel and have an opportunity to respond by accepting Jesus as their Savior.

Next time, we'll finish up the fifth level of involvement with Pastor and Teacher so that we can forge ahead into the mechanics of vision for ministry. Until then...

Onward!

Whoa! This is cool! I've been building this post and several others in a Word 2007 document and just found the "Publish" link under the Office button that allowed me to publish to this blog site. I love it when technology comes together and actually works! Well, let's mush onward toward an understanding of how to have vision for ministry.

The fifth and final level of involvement is Minister. However, more than an arrival state, it is the key that unlocks the door to a whole new world of experience. The hallmark of the Ministerial level is the reception of a vision for ministry along with communication of that vision to others in order to enlist their help in fulfilling the vision. There are five types of ministers, based upon their activity and function, as listed in Ephesians 4:11: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Each is unique, and yet each begins with a vision.

The Apostle (Gr: apostolos), in the NT, appears to have executive responsibility and authority. Extending from the original twelve, minus one who was replaced, Paul also claims this right of Apostleship through his personal calling from Christ on the road to Damascus. However, such an intimate, revelatory encounter with the living Christ does not appear to be a criterion for Apostleship, as Paul, in his letters to Timothy, instructs his young protégé in the discharge of the office. Apostles are primarily responsible for setting up and organizing local bodies of believers. The word apostolos literally means "he that is sent," or "one sent forth" (apo, from, stello, to send). The Apostle's function is to go to places where new converts have appeared and organize them into a body in that locale. Once the body has been established and set up, the Apostle moves on to the next place, allowing the body to grow and mature on its own. They do not usually exert remote authority unless a problem has arisen or a question has been posed. However, they do maintain a long-term relationship with the body, as evidenced by Paul's occasional return to and communications with bodies he established. The Apostle's vision is for an organized body of believers in which the members are functioning at all five levels of involvement and replicating themselves in the community around them as they exert a positive influence on that community through the reception and execution of a variety of visions.

Next time, we'll look at the Prophet and the Evangelist. Cheerio!

Rounding the far turn!

Yes, I think we've had enough preamble. Let's get down to brass tacks (anyone know where that phrase came from?) and talk about vision. We're finally to level five in the levels of involvement: Minister. It's an interesting term, one that has become laden with a considerable amount of baggage. Maybe we can use Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (1940) to ferret them out.

The first one listed is diakonos, "a servant, attendant, minister, deacon." Interesting, how we have come to attribute so much power and authority to such a humble word. Second is leitourgos, "denoted among the Greeks, firstly, one who discharged a public office at his own expense [what a concept!], then, in general, a public servant, minister." The last is huperetes, " properly an under rower (hupo, under, eretes, a rower) as distinguished from nautes, a seaman..., hence came to denote any subordinate acting under another's direction." It appears that where we commonly perceive honor and authority, the New Testament indicates humility and service.

For our purposes, in our hierarchical scheme of levels of involvement, this is the pinnacle level, the crowning achievement, the level to be most desired and sought after, and yet the one so seldom attained. Because of the responsibility and authority traditionally attached to this level, the common misconception is "There can be only one." Although that is true, in a sense, it applies only to the Son of God Himself, Jesus. He is the head; we are His body. It is as parts of His body that we minister.

However, more than an arrival state, it is the key that unlocks the door to a whole new world of experience. The hallmark of the Ministerial level is the reception of a vision for ministry along with the communication of that vision to others in order to enlist their help in fulfilling the vision. There are five types of Ministers, based upon their activity and function, as listed in Ephesians 4:11--Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Each is unique, and yet each begins with a vision.

The Apostle (Gr: apostolos), in the NT, appears to have executive responsibility and authority. Extending from the original twelve, minus one who was replaced, Paul also claims this right of Apostleship through his personal calling from Christ on the road to Damascus. However, such an intimate, revelatory encounter with the living Christ does not appear to be a criterion for Apostleship, as Paul, in his letters to Timothy, instructs his young protégé in the discharge of the office.

Apostles are primarily responsible for setting up and organizing local bodies of believers. The word apostolos literally means "he that is sent," or "one sent forth" (apo, from, stello, to send). The Apostle's function is to go to places where new converts have appeared and organize them into a body in that locale. Once the body has been established and set up, the Apostle moves on to the next place, allowing the body to grow and mature on its own.

They do not usually exert remote authority unless a problem has arisen or a question has been posed. However, they do maintain a long-term relationship with the body, as evidenced by Paul's occasional return to an communications with bodies he established.

The Apostle's vision is for an organized body of believers in which the members are functioning at all five levels of involvement and replicating themselves in the community around them as they exert a positive influence on that community through the reception and execution of a variety of visions.

Next time, we'll continue with the Prophet. See ya!

Enough, already!

Enough time, that is, which has elapsed since my last post. I really do enjoy this; I just get distracted with so many other things. But I'm not going to cut bait, so it's time to fish. Focus! (Squirrel!)

We left off talking about the third level of involvement, Contributor, and going on to the fourth level, Motivator. Now, some people are naturally born as encouragers--it's the way God wired them from the get-go. But this is another viewpoint related to vision for ministry that everyone can fit into. While it centers around encouragement, it is an altruistic experience, one that is not based on encouraging others because of what they can do for you; it is not encouragement for personal gain. Let me explain: any ministry leader ought to be encouraging the people who labor with them. (Aside: I struggled with this statement because I didn't want to say "the people under them"--I believe strongly that the ground is level at the foot of the Cross--or "the people who work for them"--we don't work for each other; we work for the Kingdom and for Jesus. We are co-laborers.) Instead, this level is applied without any thought for personal gain or reward.

Take a look at the comments on my first post. You'll find one there by Aaron Jayne, my stepson. I won't go into the details of our history (we've both changed since then), but, suffice it to say, we weren't always on the same page. Yet he has encouraged me many times to explore my potential as a person, as a Christian, and as a minister to "stretch out the boundaries" of my experience in Christ. It was his encouraging invitation to us in 1996 to come visit him at the Dream Center on our planned trip to Los Angeles that launched us on one of the most exciting times of our lives. He is one of the most positive people I know; when life hands him lemons, he starts building lemonade stands! And yet, this is not his natural gift. It is something he has developed, a level of involvement to which he has risen. He does it in support of other people's visions.

This is the hallmark of the Motivator level. You can't do this and have a glass that's half-empty, or even half-full, for that matter--it has to be overflowing! Only then can you share with others out of your abundance and still have some left over for yourself. By encouraging others, you advance the cause of Christ, and through their successes, you receive encouragement for your own visions. By depositing in other people's accounts in the Kingdom Bank, you earn interest on your own account. And God's interest rate is certainly better than any human financial institution's!

Next time (soon!), we will start to wrap this up by forging on into the fifth and last level of involvement, one to which every Christian should strive to attain: Minister. Till then...squirrel!

Wait! Wait! I'm here!

Wow! That was the month that was (for those of you that remember Laugh In). First, I procrastinated. Then, life happened! Finally, I flew to Houston. It seemed like the thing to do, since my wonderful wife was there, and I missed her terribly. But my aim is getting better. Joke!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we were talking about levels of involvement as a prelude to a discussion of vision for ministry. Most of you have heard Proverbs 29:18 quoted, "Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Well, what does that mean? You see, English is not the most precise language; many of our words are used synonymously with little negative impact, because they are not specific enough in the first place. Other languages, like Hebrew, the language the Old Testament was originally written in, and Greek, the language of the New Testament, use words with very specific meaning for a very specific purpose. God's gift to me is a prodigious vocabulary and the ability to use it effectively. It's just the way he wired me, and I'm learning daily how to use it better. However, anyone can discover what I'm going to share here with time and the right reference tools. In fact, I agree with some other Biblical teachers who feel we should all be able to dig into the original versions (with help) rather than be spoon fed by everyone who occupies a pulpit or has a TV ministry (not that those are bad). (Squirrel!)

Anyway, according to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, the Hebrew word for "vision" in this passage is chazon. I'm not going to try to use Hebrew or Greek characters here, so if you are a scholar of Hebrew and/or Greek, please forgive my simplicity. It means "a sight (mentally), that is, a dream, revelation, or oracle." The word here for "perish" is para', meaning "to loosen; by implication to expose, dismiss; figuratively absolve, begin: - avenge, avoid, bare, go back, let, (make) naked, set at nought, perish, refuse, uncover." Finally, the word "law" is the Hebrew word "torah" which is the written law found in the books of Moses.

I think we would all recognize God's Law as the epitome of order in creation. It gives sight to our spiritual blindness caused by original sin. It is an external revelation of what God wants to grow in us internally through his Spirit. It is like a mirror that shows us our true condition reflected in God's just nature. Without this picture, we would perish in our ignorance, even as millions of people do every day.

Vision for ministry is not given to spectators or even participants. They are essentially two different levels of observers, one passive, the other active, but both observers nonetheless. Nor is vision for ministry given to the next level, the contributor; yet, without the contributor, nothing would happen to bring the vision to fruition.

The contributor is one who fulfills a responsibility that leads to others participating; he is one who adds to the activity for the benefit of others. Contributors are like the Levites in the Temple, who assisted the priests in conducting the worship and assisted the people in participating in the worship. Contributors are a necessary element, a catalyst, in fulfilling the vision as they take care of many "mundane" efforts, like ushering, greeting, visitation, music, sound, and cleaning. Many of these efforts go on behind the scene, but without them the whole effort would suffer. However, as much as the contributor facilitates the fulfillment of the vision, it is the next level, the Motivator, that is the linchpin in connecting the spiritual and the natural aspects that make up the vision. That will be our topic for the next posting. Hopefully, it won't be as long in coming as this one was! See ya!

And now, the continuing saga...

So, spectators like to watch, sometimes from a safe distance and usually without comment. But at least they're watching and gathering information and knowledge on which to make a decision about whether or not to step up to the next level, participator.

Participators join in with others while they observe; sometimes they even respond or make comments on what they see or hear. They are engaging in practical application of what they have observed while they were spectators. Unfortunately, many people often feel this is sufficient and go no further; they feel at least they are doing more than just watching! They frequently feel this is all that is necessary or required of them for involvement.

Unfortunately, this is far short of what God has in store for them. (Remember, we're looking at this from a Biblical perspective.) They are still loitering on the periphery of their potential in Christ (remember, I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). So why fall short of the calling? Remember, many are called; one of the reasons they aren't chosen is because they fail to step up and become a contributor, the next step in the progression of levels of involvement.

Whoa, Nellie!

Wow! The Information Highway is more like a Los Angeles Interstate Parking Lot tonight! This thing is slower than molasses in January in Alaska! (Just a little West Texas humor before I get started--very little!)

What I want to begin is a short series (hah!) that will eventually focus on Vision for Ministry. But in order to get there, I need to talk about how people are involved in the Body of Christ by looking at "Levels of Involvement."

A number of years ago, one of my former Pastors (I'm not sure which) gave what he called the "Tator" sermon. I'm sure many of you have heard variations on this theme which deals with the difference between being a "spectator" and a "participatator." Yes, I know it's spelled funny, but so was the sermon. A couple of years ago, God began to elaborate on the concept for me. I began to see that there were actually five separate and different levels of involvement. Now, the Pastor was trying to encourage people not to be spectators but instead to be participators, and understandably so. And yet, we have all been spectators at some point in life with one experience or another. Before we can participate, we have to know what is going on. This is especially true in church meetings. I, for one, don't go into another church and begin participating until I know a little more about their culture, traditions, protocols, and whether or not I really want to be there. Any time I've experienced a "visitor" come to a service and try to engage themselves without any introduction, I've been somewhat nervous--it just doesn't seem right. Now, maybe some of you are thinking "Well, that seems somewhat selfish and narrow-minded," and to some degree you may be right. I'm not pronouncing my own perfection. And when we stand before the King, I'm sure there will be lots of other people there we didn't expect to see, and some who may be surprised to see us. Uh-oh, I'm digressing (or as Hardly Normal says, "Squirrel!")

Anyway, so being a spectator isn't such a bad thing because at least you're watching and, hopefully, learning. But if you stay at the spectator level, that can be a bad thing. There's a time for watching and waiting. But then there's also a time for action...and that's called participation.

So the second level is participator. Which we will discuss more next time.

Love ya!

First Attempt

This is my first attempt at blogging. My stepson, Aaron, suggested I use this venue to share some of the knowledge I have gained in my search for truth over the years. I do this not to promote myself, nor for any personal credit. I only wish to share those things that are important to me in the hopes that they will minister to anyone who might read them. I will try to keep them short, yet informative. I welcome your positive thoughts and constructive criticisms. If you wish to argue or debate, I can only point to to the One who has been the source of my information as well as my inspiration. I pray that he will similarly inspire and inform you.