A Year of Grace

Psalm 22:1 – My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
² Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.

³ Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴ Our ancestors trusted in you,
and you rescued them.
⁵ They cried out to you and were saved.
They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

⁶ But I am a worm and not a man.
I am scorned and despised by all!
⁷ Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
⁸ “Is this the one who relies on the Lord?
Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much,
let the Lord rescue him!”

²⁵ I will praise you in the great assembly.
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied.
All who seek the Lord will praise him.
Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
²⁷ The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
²⁸ For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.

²⁹ Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.
Bow before him, all who are mortal,
all whose lives will end as dust.
³⁰ Our children will also serve him.
Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
³¹ His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
They will hear about everything he has done. (NLT)

Psalm 22 may have been the last prayer that Jesus prayed before his death.  Mark 15:34 records Jesus as uttering the first verse of this psalm just before he died.  I like to think that Jesus had this entire psalm in mind.  While I did not include the entire psalm in this post, it certainly fits the events of the last week of Jesus – including the Resurrection.

Yes, Psalm 22 has it all, from defeat in the presence of one’s enemies, to victory in the presence of God. 

This psalm is divided into two major sections.   Verses 1-21 are a cry of agony towards God.  Verses 22-31 are a hymn of praise and thanksgiving.  Not only is this the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but it can also be our story, as well.  Left on our own, sin has us defeated.  We stand powerless against sin, our enemy.  With Jesus, however, we can move from being defeated by sin to praising God in the presence of the great assembly (verse 25). 

Our praise of God for granting us victory is not something we keep to ourselves.  The Psalmist looked forward to a time when the whole earth would acknowledge God and bow down to God (verse 27).  If there was ever a generation that has had the resources and technology to get the message of God to the whole earth, it is ours!  Our churches should be doing everything they can to get the message out to our communities, and to the world!  We should do everything we can do to ensure that our children, and children not yet born, will know of the victory that has been won for us (verses 30-31).

Today, let us celebrate that we have come from defeat to victory!  Let us be eager and willing to tell the world! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 11:7 – As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? ⁸ Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. ⁹ Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. ¹⁰ John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
and he will prepare your way before you.’

¹¹ “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! ¹² And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. ¹³ For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come. ¹⁵ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! (NLT) 

These verses follow a passage in which John the Baptist was in prison.  John had sent word to Jesus asking if he was indeed the one of whom he preached.  His questions were honest, and considering his circumstances, understandable.  When we find ourselves in dire situations, we, too, may ask if Jesus truly saves.

Jesus understood that his followers were questioning John in their hearts, so Jesus praised John for his ministry.  Then he tells them that even as great as John’s ministry was, he and his ministry were less than the least in the kingdom of heaven.  This was in no way a cheapening of John’s ministry, for Jesus even tells us in verse fourteen that John had the spirit of Elijah, the one who would proclaim that the Messiah had come.

What Jesus was saying was that in the fullness of the kingdom, which Jesus would usher in with his death and resurrection, what came before was but a shadow of things to come.  Jesus states in verse thirteen that all their history was lived looking forward to the kingdom, and Jesus would bring it.

Jesus has brought it!  We are living in the best of times, for we can realize the kingdom.  We can live without questioning the kingdom, for Jesus has opened it for us.  Are we living like we have been given the kingdom?  Are we living confident in the promise that has been given to us? We should be! We should be living with confidence.  Chapter five of the Book of Romans speaks of this confidence and this hope.  Paul wrote: “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”  (Romans 5:5-6).

The one of whom John the Baptist preached has come, and our hope is secure!  Today, let us live confidently, not matter what trials we may face.

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 10:34 – “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

³⁵ ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
³⁶ Your enemies will be right in your own household!’

³⁷ “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. ³⁸ If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. ³⁹ If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

⁴⁰ “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. ⁴¹ If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. ⁴² And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” (NLT) 

To understand this difficult passage, we must understand what the Jews of that day were expecting from a Messiah.  They expected the Messiah to be someone who would remove foreign governments from the land, creating once again the nation of Israel.  In verse thirty-four, the word that we translate as peace is not the peace of shalom.  The word is εἰρήνη, which meant a state of national tranquility.  To paraphrase verse thirty-four, let us understand it this way: “Don’t imagine that I came to remove Rome from our land.”  Jesus was not the kind of Messiah that many were looking for, indeed, Jesus may not be the kind of Messiah many are still looking for! 

So, what are we to do with the verses that speak of Jesus setting families against one another?  Again, we look at the context of that day.  The people were going to have to choose what kind of Messiah they were looking for, and what kind of Messiah they would follow.  If one family member rejected Jesus because he was not a political or military Messiah, and another family member chose to follow the teachings of Jesus because they believed that he was a spiritual Messiah, it would cause divisions within the family.   

This choosing still has to be made in our day.  We have to choose what kind of Messiah we are looking for: a worldly Messiah who blesses us with things such as money, possessions, or status; or a Messiah who saves us from our sin and teaches us how to live with one another here and now.  Sadly, families are still dividing over who and what to follow.  Ultimately, Christians must love Jesus above all else.  This may sound harsh, but placing Jesus as our Lord will then put every other relationship into perspective.  Indeed, placing Jesus as our Lord will enhance all of our other relationships.

This day, we will all have at least one opportunity to make a choice.  Let us choose Jesus over everything else.   

Posted by Ramón Torres

Psalm 119:1 – Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the Lord.
² Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts.
³ They do not compromise with evil,
and they walk only in his paths.
⁴ You have charged us
to keep your commandments carefully.
⁵ Oh, that my actions would consistently
reflect your decrees!
⁶ Then I will not be ashamed
when I compare my life with your commands.
⁷ As I learn your righteous regulations,
I will thank you by living as I should!
⁸ I will obey your decrees.
Please don’t give up on me!

⁹ How can a young person stay pure?
By obeying your word.
¹⁰ I have tried hard to find you—
don’t let me wander from your commands.
¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
¹² I praise you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
¹³ I have recited aloud
all the regulations you have given us.
¹⁴ I have rejoiced in your laws
as much as in riches.
¹⁵ I will study your commandments
and reflect on your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your decrees
and not forget your word.

¹⁷ Be good to your servant,
that I may live and obey your word.
¹⁸ Open my eyes to see
the wonderful truths in your instructions.
¹⁹ I am only a foreigner in the land.
Don’t hide your commands from me!
²⁰ I am always overwhelmed
with a desire for your regulations.
²¹ You rebuke the arrogant;
those who wander from your commands are cursed.
²² Don’t let them scorn and insult me,
for I have obeyed your laws.
²³ Even princes sit and speak against me,
but I will meditate on your decrees.
²⁴ Your laws please me;
they give me wise advice. (NLT)

Psalm 119 is a lengthy psalm, as it is an acrostic.  It is divided into twenty-two parts, or stanzas.  In Hebrew, stanza one begins with the first letter of the alphabet, and each following stanza begins with the next letter.  In the twenty-four verses of this reading, we work our way through the first three stanzas. 

It’s been said that integrity is doing what is right when no one is looking.  For a Christian, integrity is staying in the will of God even when no one would know otherwise.  The Word of God tells us that this will bring joy into our lives (verse 1).  Verse three tells us that the godly do not compromise with evil.  For a Christian, evil is best defined as anything outside of the will of God.  Even seemingly harmless things can be evil.  If God’s will is for us to be involved in a certain activity, but we choose to involve ourselves in something else, we are outside of the will of God.  True joy comes from staying on the path that God has set before us. 

All three stanzas of today’s reading speak of living a life of integrity.  Note in verse nineteen the psalmist writes that he is only a foreigner in the land, and so he asks God not to hide God’s commands.  Our true home is with God, and the Word of God is our map as we travel through this foreign land.  Without our map we would end up hopelessly lost, with our map we stay on course.  The psalmist knew the joy of being on track because he knew the pain of being of course.  He wrote in verse twenty that he was always overwhelmed with a desire for God’s regulations.  What a picture of life – life lived to the full!

Today, let the desire for God’s Word be overwhelming in you!  Let the joy of the Lord be your strength this day! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Genesis 37:29 –  Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the cistern. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in grief. ³⁰ Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, “The boy is gone! What will I do now?”

³¹ Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. ³² They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”

³³ Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” ³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. ³⁵ His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.

³⁶ Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard. (NLT)

Several years ago I preached a sermon series on dysfunctional families from the Book of Genesis.  Jacob and his father Isaac were two of the main characters in this series.  While today’s passage seems to be just a tragic story of unruly brothers secretly selling their brother into slavery, we must realize the family dysfunction that precedes this story.

Jacob had a dysfunctional relationship with his sons.  He favored Joseph over his other sons.  Genesis 37:3 – Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. (NLT) A careful reading of Genesis 37 clearly shows that Jacob showed his favoritism with special gifts to Joseph, while Joseph spent his time reporting to his father on the behavior of his brothers.  This set up a very unhealthy family dynamic.  When we consider the childhood of Jacob, it is easy to see why he behaved in such a way, for his own parents showed their favoritism to different children.  Genesis 25:27 – As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. ²⁸ Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (NLT)

Whether it is with our families, or with anyone else, showing favoritism creates dysfunction.  We may look at these ancient stories and tell ourselves that we do not behave in such a way with our own children, but the spiritual application compels us to ask ourselves: “Do we favor certain types of people over others?”  It is a fact of life that some people are more likeable than others, but it goes against God’s design when we treat certain people with less favor because we find them less likeable.  Consider James 2:1 – My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? (NLT)

This is a bold statement, but then it is God’s Word!  Our faith in Jesus Christ must be displayed by modeling our lives after the life of Jesus.  Jesus loved all, and he was willing to even embrace those that society cast aside.  Certainly, this is something that we all battle, but is something in which we must continually seek strength from the Holy Spirit so that we may overcome the temptation.

Each of us, at some point this day, will be tempted to show less favor to someone less likeable.  When that moment comes, let us seek the strength we need, so that God will be glorified in our interactions with all of God’s people! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Mark 14:12 – On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

¹³ So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: “As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” ¹⁶ So the two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

¹⁷ In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples. ¹⁸ As they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me.”

¹⁹ Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one?”

²⁰ He replied, “It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me. ²¹ For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

²² As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.”

²³ And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴ And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. ²⁵ I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

²⁶ Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. (NLT)

This familiar passage depicts the story of the Last Supper.  While this passage is usually reserved for Holy Week, it provides us with a powerful lesson on any day.  To understand what this passage can teach us, let us consider two revelations that Jesus shared with his disciples during the Last Supper.

First, in this passage Jesus shared that one of the twelve would betray him.  That revelation ‘greatly distressed’ the disciples, and each asked, “Am I the one?”  If we look at the other Gospel accounts of the Last Supper, we discover the second revelation that Jesus shared that night – he told Peter that he, too, would deny Jesus not once, but three times! (John 13:38, Luke 22:34).

How shocking it must have been for these disciples to know that at least two of them would deny Jesus.  They had known Jesus for several years, and followed him everywhere.  As difficult as Jesus’ revelation must have been that night, how many of us who have known Jesus for years still find that we stumble and deny Jesus?  How many times, by our actions and words (or lack of), have we denied truly knowing Jesus?

While it does sadden us to think that we have denied Jesus, we should celebrate the covenant that Jesus established at this meal.  Because of the Body and Blood of Jesus, we have peace with God.  Paul tells us in Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Because of Jesus, we do not have to fear God when we stumble, for we have grace!

Today, let us celebrate the peace of God, which certainly exceeds anything we can understand! (Philippians 4:7). 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Psalm 148:1 – Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
² Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
³ Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
⁴ Praise him, skies above!
Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
⁵ Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
for he issued his command, and they came into being.
⁶ He set them in place forever and ever.
His decree will never be revoked.

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth,
you creatures of the ocean depths,
⁸ fire and hail, snow and clouds,
wind and weather that obey him,
⁹ mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰ wild animals and all livestock,
small scurrying animals and birds,
¹¹ kings of the earth and all people,
rulers and judges of the earth,
¹² young men and young women,
old men and children.

¹³ Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
¹⁴ He has made his people strong,
honoring his faithful ones—
the people of Israel who are close to him.

Praise the Lord! (NLT)

I can remember when I was a teenager my mother would sometimes say to me, “You better change your attitude, mister!”  She was right, of course.  I, like many teenagers, often had the wrong attitude.  Sometimes I had a rebellious attitude.  An attitude of rebellion is not unique to the young.  We often live out our rebellion in various ways.  After all, we are sinners living in a fallen world.

I believe that this psalm helps us maintain our focus, avoiding living a life of rebellion.  This psalm is one of the ‘hallelujah’ psalms.  Hallelujah means ‘praise the Lord’, and that phrase is repeated over and over again throughout this psalm.  What does ‘hallelujah’ and the having the right attitude have in common?  Praising God keeps us focused on the things of God, and focusing in the things of God helps us to continue to praise God.

There are plenty of things that would take our focus away from God.  Sometimes we can even involve ourselves in countless good things, yet still lose focus as to why we are doing what we do.  Throughout each day we must look for hallelujah moments.  We must be aware of the many opportunities we have each day to Praise the Lord!  Maybe it’s a beautiful flower garden.  Maybe it’s a kind gesture from a stranger.  I believe that we can find hallelujah moments most everywhere, we just need to stay aware.

Today, let us stay alert to the host of hallelujah moments that come our way.  Let us Praise the Lord throughout the day.  Let us stay focused, and we will in all times have the right attitude. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

1 Corinthians 14:1 – Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. ² For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. ³ But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. ⁴ A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

⁵ I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.

⁶ Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. ⁷ Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. ⁸ And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?

⁹ It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.   ¹⁰ There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. ¹¹ But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me. ¹² And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church. (NLT)

In this passage, Paul continues addressing a subject that began in chapter 12 – the subject of speaking in tongues.  Most of the Christians in Corinth had been members of various pagan religions before converting.  Pagan worship was characterized by words and sounds uttered without meaning.  The pagan worshippers would call this a state of ecstasy.  Many of these pagan converts were claiming that such a state of ecstasy was required for Christian worship.  Paul never claimed that speaking in tongues was not of the Holy Spirit (he even claimed to speak in tongues himself), but he did state that if one was gifted by the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues, then the gift would be used to build the church.  If there was no one to interpret, then speaking in tongues would be useless (verse 11).

It may be interesting to note that the word we translate as ‘tongues’ is the Greek word for language, or perhaps more specifically, dialect.  The KJV often adds the word ‘unknown’, but this was not in the Greek.  We should also note that the word we translate as ‘prophecy’ literally meant ‘to preach’.

For me, the most important part of this passage is found in verse twelve: “Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.”  With this verse in mind, let me share that my favorite Spiritual Gift is the gift of helping others.  Yes, it’s a Spiritual Gift! Paul mentions this one in 1 Corinthians 12:28.  Some of the most wonderful church people that I know are not necessarily those that we would call great leaders.  They are the ones who seem to always show up and pitch in with whatever needs to be done.

Whether we know it or not, we have all received a Spiritual Gift: “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” (1 Corinthians 12:7).  If you do not know what your gift is, please spend time in prayer as you discern your gift.  Just as there are tools to help companies discern personality types, there are tools to help you discern your spiritual gifts.   

Today, let us discern and celebrate our Spiritual Gifts, remembering that all gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to strengthen the Church. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

1 Corinthians 13:1 – If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. ³ If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

⁸ Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! ⁹ Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! ¹⁰ But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. ¹² Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (NLT)

This chapter is probably the most familiar of all Pauline passages.  It is certainly the high point of Paul’s description of the Christian life.  There is a major difference between the King James Version and more modern translations.  The KJV uses the word charity, while other translations use the word love.  The word used in this passage is agape, and it was often used to mean unmerited love.  Most modern commentators call it unconditional love.  Perhaps, in 1611, when the KJV was written, the word charity carried more weight, but today we can best understand this passage when we use the word love.  

This unconditional love is certainly the type of love that God offers to us.  We do not earn God’s love, it is given freely and without conditions.  As Christians – imitators of Christ – we must seek to change our very nature so that we can extend this unconditional love to others.  This is possible through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  We are not to love others because they make us feel a certain way, we are to love without conditions.

Let me share something that I often share with my church.  To measure how we are doing in our Christian walk, replace the word love in verses four through seven with your name.  Read it aloud to yourself.  When we go through this little exercise, these verses become a bit more challenging, don’t they?  These verses certainly describe Christ, and as Christ followers we must change what we can about ourselves so that these verses begin to describe us.

Today, let us love others without any conditions.  Let us love like God loves us. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

1 Corinthians 12:27 – All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. ²⁸ Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

²⁹ Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? ³⁰ Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! ³¹ So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Chapter 13:1 – If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. ³ If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. (NLT)

When we read the Bible, chapter divisions can get in the way of properly understanding a passage.  Today’s passage is an excellent example.  If we treat chapter 13 as separate material, we miss the fullness of chapter 13.

Remember, the problem in the church in Corinth was divisions.  One of the largest divisions was spiritual gifts.  Those who were speaking in tongues were claiming that those who did not were not as spiritual as they.  In the closing verses of chapter 12, Paul gives a list of spiritual gifts (please note that this is not an exhaustive list of spiritual gifts).  Paul repeats the question with each gift – do we all possess this gift?  This was a rhetorical question. The answer was supposed to be obvious.  We do not all possess the same gifts.  So, this in itself should have addressed the issue of whether or not speaking in tongues was a requirement for being a spiritual person.  Sadly, this issue remains two thousand years later!

We must keep in mind that chapter 13 – the celebrated ‘love chapter’ – is in direct

response to those who claimed that they were superior because they spoke in tongues.  Look at verse 1: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” When Paul mentioned speaking the language of angels, he was referring to tongues.  If one could speak in tongues, but did not have love, they were just a clanging cymbal.  A clanging cymbal was what used to awaken the pagan gods as one entered into a pagan temple.  The Corinthians were well aware of this practice.  Paul is saying that that if they did not have love – and dividing themselves was not love – then they were as useless as a cymbal that was trying to awaken a non-existent god!  Powerful words!

Today, no matter what our gift, let us seek what is best of all – love.  In all our conversations, all our responses, all our thoughts, and all our actions, let us seek love. 

Posted by Ramón Torres