QT 30/06/2024 Sun. 1Cor 2. 哥林多前书2章
QT 30/06/2024 Sun. 1Cor 2.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/1cor2
LISTEN
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/1cor.2
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about A.D. 54 or 55 from Ephesus (1Cor 16:8) across the sea. Be careful if you attempt to "imitate" the believers there because Paul wrote to a church that was MESSED up in MANY major areas:
(1) "What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?" (1Cor 4:21)
(2) Disunity prevailed, with cliques forming, in rejection of fellowship with others of a different power turf (1Cor 1:13).
(3) A man having sex with his father's wife ("incest", 1Cor 5:1), "sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans"!
(4) And they were proud of item 3 above! (1Cor 5:2)
(5) They had lawsuits against one another, a sign of defeat already (1Cor 6:7).
(6) Tolerance of sin in the church and association with the sexually immoral (1Cor 5:9-13), even prostitution (1Cor 6:13-16).
(7) Participation in pagan worship and idol feasts (1Cor 8:1-11:1).
(8) Rebellion / divisions at the Lord's Supper (1Cor 11:17-34).
(9) Usage of spiritual gifts for the promoting of self rather than edifying others (and without love) 1Cor 12:1-14:40.
(10) Various doctrinal errors, e.g., on the issue of resurrection (1Cor 15:1-58) etc.
For this mess, Paul rebuked, admonished and regulated their behaviour. He showed the readers the way to recovery.
REFLECTION (1): Listen to our own speeches! What category do they belong to? Do they reveal (i) "the spirit of the world" or (ii) "the Spirit who is from God" (1Cor 2:12)? "Wise and persuasive words" or "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1Cor 2:4)?
APPLICATION: Go back to the basics of the gospel, Jesus Christ and him CRUCIFIED (1Cor 2:2). The messenger (Paul) also embodies some of this spirit–"in weakness and in fear and much trembling" (1Cor 2:3), speaking a message that is "not wisdom of this age" (1Cor 2:6).
REFLECTION (2): Am I also embodying all of these qualities in my speech and behaviour, "so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (1Cor 2:5)?
星期日 2024年6月30日 今日读经：哥林多前书2章
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/1Co/2/
听音频哥林多前书2章
https://www.bible.com/bible/41/1cor.2.cnvs
保罗在公元54或55年在以弗所写信给隔着海的哥林多教会(哥前16:8)。如果你尝试“仿效”那里的信徒，那你要当心了，因为保罗写信给一间在许多重大事情上都搞砸的教会:
(1) “你们愿意怎么样呢？要我带着刑杖到你们那里去，还是以温柔的灵，带着爱心去呢？”(林前4:21)
(2) 他们不团结、自搞小圈子、拒绝与他们的势力不同等的人团契(林前1:13)。
(3) 有人与父亲的妻子发生淫乱的关系(“乱伦”，哥前5:1)，“这样的淫乱在教外人中间都没有”！
(4) 而他们还为以上的三项引以为傲！(林前5:2)
(5) 他们彼此告状，这已经是失败了(林前6:7)。
(6) 教会容忍罪并与淫乱的人有来往(林前5:9-13)、甚至是把身体当作娼妓(林前6:13-16)。
(7) 参与偶像祭拜和献食物给偶像的宴席(林前8:1-11:1)。
(8) 悖逆/在主的晚餐上有分歧(林前11:17-34)。
(9) 把恩赐用在提升自己多过于用来建立他人，而且不是出自于爱而作的(林前12:1-14:40)。
(10) 各种教义上的错误，比如关于复活的事等(林前15:1-58)。
为了这混乱，保罗斥责、劝诫和规范他们的行为。他也让读者知道如何恢复。
反思(1):听听自己的言论！它们是否流露了“世界的灵”或是“从神来的灵”(林前2:12)? “用智慧的话去说服人”或“用圣灵和能力来证明”(林前2:4)?
应用：回到福音的根基、耶稣基督和他被钉死十字架(林前2:2)。那使者(保罗)也体现了一些这样的精神--“又软弱又惧怕，而且战战兢兢”(林前2:3)，所讲的信息“不是这世代的智慧”(林前2:6)。
反思(2): 我是否也在自己的言论上和行为上体现出这些特质，“使你们的信不是凭着人的智慧，而是凭着 神的能力”(林前2:5)?
