#1Corinthians2 - A Mystery Revealed

Click here to read 1 Corinthians 2:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

After saying in chapter one that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, Paul then goes on to explain that it is not foolish at all. Rather, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was actually what God had planned "before time began." It was simply a mystery to all, even though God spoke about it through the Scriptures and the prophets. It just didn't make sense from a human perspective, but from God's perspective it was the perfect and only plan to redeem mankind from a fallen state of sin. It's like reading a mystery and not really knowing for sure what's going on until the final clues are discovered and the mystery is revealed.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

Paul also talks about the gospel being a mystery in Colossians 1:25-27, which says, "I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." He explains that the mystery is not only that Christ would die for our sins, but that he would rise from the dead, and through the power of the Holy Spirit dwell within us - his people. That is still bizarre, a mystery in it's own way, but the plan is now clear.

3. What does this mean for my life?

I really appreciate how Paul begins this chapter, humbly stating that it wasn't with any human wisdom that he came. He simply shared the wisdom of God through God's word, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. He didn't win people over with super speeches, but simply with the loving message of the gospel. I hope and pray that I would have that same humble approach to sharing the gospel, that God's wisdom would guide me and that I would not try to sound super spiritual on my own. Rather, I want to simply point people to Jesus and his love for us.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

What did Paul mean when he said in verse 15, "The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments..."?

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#Ephesians3 - Second Most Powerful Prayer In The Bible

If you can get past the early 90's styles, this is a song by the group Acappella that uses Ephesians 3:20-21. It's beautiful.

Ephesians 3:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

For being a relatively short chapter of the Bible (only 21 verses) there is SO much good stuff in here. What caught my attention was this profound prayer that Paul offers for the Ephesians and "all the Lord's holy people." It is both very simple in nature and incredibly powerful in the outcome. It is a simple prayer, that people would receive the Holy Spirit as their source of strength and guidance, put their faith in Christ, and understand the deep love of God the Father in Christ. It's not long or drawn out, and it's not asking for riches or health or success in careers. It's a prayer for people in their relationship with God. Honestly, of all the recorded prayers in the Bible, I would put this as number 2 on the list of prayers we should all know about and pray ourselves. (Number 1 is the Lord's Prayer...if that needed clarification).

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

First, in this prayer, Paul really emphasizes how we relate to each member of the Trinity. God the Father is the head of the family, Christ is the Son and is our Savior in whom we put our faith, and the Holy Spirit is sent to dwell within us. Since we just read the book of Galatians, I thought of a portion of Galatians 4 that really mentioned the members of the Trinity in a similar fashion. Second, since this is a prayer that I believe we as believers should be very familiar with, I thought right away of the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6 and also in Luke 11.

3. So what does this mean for my life?

This chapter and prayer was sort of a slap-in-the-face reminder that I need to be praying for others in this way. I do pray, and I do pray for others, but it's usually about healing their illness or helping them through something. While none of these prayers are bad, I often forget to pray for my friends (believers and unbelievers alike) that they would simply come to know Christ more and more and more. The mission statement of Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps is "To know Jesus Christ and to make Christ known to all." This mission is based on the same passion as Paul's prayer here in Ephesians 3, that people would know Christ in a life-changing way. I need to pray this prayer more often for others, as well as for myself.

4. What question do I have about this passage?

This is more of an English question than a theological question, but the two are related. What is the meaning of the word 'administration' as it appears in this chapter in verses 2 and 9? It seems to confuse me just a little bit. I get the overall picture of how Christ's salvation by faith in Him was kept a mystery until it happened and now it is revealed, but I don't know what the "administration" part is. If that word doesn't appear in your translation, click the link on the "Ephesians 3" above to read it in NIV on BibleGateway.com .

God's blessings.

In Christ,
Dan