Love as Our Source
Healthy Churches make lifelong disciples who make disciples.
By Cara Garrity, Development Coordinator, Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
What comes to mind when you hear the words disciple and discipleship? Perhaps images of Jesus with His twelve disciples come to mind. Maybe you think of a discipleship class that you have taken or facilitated. Maybe you think of the time you began to think of yourself as a disciple of Jesus.
Here’s one way we can describe discipleship:
Christian discipleship is the disciplined habit of thinking and acting in Christ. Discipleship is growing closer to Christ, becoming more like Christ, and growing deeper into Christian community with other believers.
In her book Centering Discipleship Eun K Strawser writes:
Discipleship – being a disciple and making disciples – is about becoming more like Christ, taking on both his identity and his praxis. Denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following him (Luke 9:23) means taking on his identity and mission of self-giving love, identified as participating in a sent community of people on mission together.
When we understand discipleship as being transformed in Christlikeness, we begin to see that it is an ongoing, lifelong journey. As we grow in our appreciation of discipleship as a lifelong journey, we are compelled to reflect on our own discipleship journeys and examine the spaces of discipleship that are facilitated within the life of our local congregations.
In our own discipleship journeys, it is easy to become complacent. It can become easy to neglect our own discipleship, even without noticing. This may be especially true for leaders who are considered among the mature Christians who teach and pour into others. We must continue to submit ourselves to the transforming power of the Spirit for the entirety of our Christian lives. Even as Christian leaders, there is no “destination” at which our Christian discipleship becomes complete or sufficient. Healthy leaders are first and foremost disciples.
Consider:
In the life of our local church, it can be easy to focus primarily on creating spaces for the discipleship of new and young believers. While of course this is vital, it is not the only thing that is important. We must continue to cultivate spaces where disciples in all seasons can continue to grow in Christlikeness. Healthy Churches make lifelong disciples who make disciples.
Consider:
Remember, discipleship is not a one-time event, a program, a curriculum, a class, or a single season of Christian life. It is a lifelong journey of transformation in Christlikeness.
Each day is an opportunity to practice kingdom relationships.
By Carrie Osborne, LPC, Associate Pastor, Grove City, Ohio, U.S.
This year, we’re centering on Kingdom Culture. We’re exploring how it transforms ministry, equips us for kingdom living, and teaches us to embody kingdom values. Healthy relationships are a kingdom value. Whether Jesus was with a large crowd, His family, the Pharisees, or His disciples, He demonstrated healthy relationships. By the Spirit, Jesus related to others as His Father instructed. We can too. Are we allowing the Spirit to form and disciple us in relationships?
Through my own journey of learning from Jesus and from others He has taught, I have found the writings of Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend to be encouraging and practical. It is encouraging because their foundation is Jesus and practical because we all encounter people who need God’s love. In their book, Safe People, they write:
Our safe relationships with others testify to the world about God’s safe love for us. He meant us to be ‘in’ each other, just as the Father and the Son are. Imagine that: We are to internalize, or take in, love from one another and use it, just as God does.[1]
Paul’s letter to the Colossians collaborates well with this reminder to internalize and use love as we seek to be in healthy relationships with others. I found three guiding principles in Colossians 3:12-17 to help when experiencing discord. The points seem easier to find when you read through the passage and then start from the bottom and move up. And you will notice with each principle, we begin by examining ourselves, not attempting to change the other person.
Listen carefully for the prompting or conviction from the Holy Spirit. If your motive is first to defend Christ or defend yourself rather than to love your neighbor, perhaps take some time to pray and worship.
If you are angry, ready for a battle against or an argument with another person, then your heart is not ready to proceed. Jesus has not asked us to defend Him in this world. He has asked us to love others as He has loved us. When this love is difficult (and really, is there a day when it’s not?), ask for Jesus’ peace. Peace to your heart, mind, and tongue, which in turn brings love and perspective to your relationships with others.
God’s love in our hearts, the inward transformation, produces fruit that is apparent outwardly. God has chosen you and given you a wardrobe fit for a citizen of the kingdom — tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. We’re to be clothed in kindness; kindness is not an item we pick up and “perform” on occasion. We wear it; we inhabit it! In Christ, kind is who we are. As the triune God grows us up into Christ the head, the traits of our false self — accusations, indifference, arrogance, self-centeredness, cruelty — fall away.
God created us for relationship with Him and with others. Each day is an opportunity to practice kingdom relationships. Ask the Spirit to empower you to relate to your neighbors in a transformed and kingdom-minded manner.
Go Deeper. For some practical examples, read this article about postures of facilitators. It applies universally to relating to others.
[1] Safe People: How To Find Relationships That Are Good For You And Avoid Those That Aren’t, Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, p 63
Engage, Equip, Empower, and Encourage — these are the keys to building healthy leaders who lead Healthy Churches.
Learn how Ministry Development Plans can help you invest in your team’s growth! Read the full Church Hack here or click the image below.
Join us in welcoming the next Equipper editor.
By Michelle Hartman, Communications Director, Steele Creek, North Carolina, U.S.
I am excited to share that Elizabeth Mullins has been promoted to Publications Editor for Grace Communion International. Elizabeth joined our team in 2022 as Publications Assistant, joining us with extensive expertise from her previous work as a contractor for Google, where she performed document control and copy editing. She also brought valuable pastoral experience, having served as a pastoral resident and playing a key role in relaunching a congregation. She quickly demonstrated dedication, skill, and leadership which led to her promotion to Publications Coordinator, and during her time on the team we have also celebrated her ordination — an affirmation of her Christlike empathy, pastoral heart, and deep love for Jesus and His church.
Elizabeth’s experience combines technical expertise and pastoral ministry, creating a unique foundation for her work. She serves not only in her role on the Media Team but also within her church plant team in Durham, NC, where she place-shares in her neighborhood and is working toward the launch of a parish church. This integration of pastoral experience and her strong background in editing and writing equips her perfectly for her new role, allowing her to seamlessly merge her love for the church with her editorial expertise.
Elizabeth is not only a strategic and thoughtful leader but also a prophetic voice, calling us to see the ways we can join Jesus in bringing the kingdom near. Her intentionality is evident in the inspirational stories of Healthy Church she shares in Update, and I am confident she will continue to elevate the articles from across GCI as she now manages Equipper in her new role as Publications Editor.
In this role, Elizabeth will oversee a network of contracted writers, ensuring editorial excellence and alignment with GCI’s vision and mission. She will also be intentional in gathering resources and formational practices that support our pastors and leaders around the world. This reflects her deep love for the body of Christ, and her unwavering commitment to equipping and encouraging its members to live out their calling.
I look forward to the creativity and excellence she will bring to the new content she manages, inspiring and equipping our fellowship to continue living and sharing the gospel. Please join me in celebrating Elizabeth’s promotion and in praying for her as she continues to serve with passion and purpose!
Check out the following curricula for children that follow the lectionary. These are fun resources that can help parents and teachers connect to children in meaningful ways.
We’re pleased to offer a new resource to help you prepare for the time of giving and taking communion in your Hope Avenue. These are meaningful formational practices that we can plan with care and intentionality.
An outline is provided for you to use as a guide, followed by a sample script. Both the offering moment and communion can be presented as a short reflection before the congregation participates. Here’s how to use it effectively:
For more information, see Church Hack: Offering and Church Hack: Communion
January Theme: Unity in Giving
Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 16:1-3
Key Point: This offering moment highlights Paul’s guidance on giving as a practice shared across early churches. Just as the New Testament church collected offerings in unity, we are invited to join in this same spirit of peace, unity, and purpose. Giving together strengthens our bonds as the body of Christ and supports the mission of the church both locally and globally.
Invitation: “As we give today, let’s join together in unity, celebrating that our offerings help sustain the work of God’s church, near and far.”
Sample Script (time: 2-3 minutes, not including giving instructions)
In some parts of the Bible, we find clear guidance on practical matters in the church. The apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth gives us such direction when it comes to offerings.
In 1 Corinthians 16, Paul says:
Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 16:1-3
A few things stand out in Paul’s instruction:
Unity in Practice: Paul had given the same guidance to the church in Galatia. Collecting offerings was a practice across the early church. In this letter, Paul also emphasizes doing things ‘decently and in order,’ in peace and without confusion. This model encourages us to offer our gifts in a spirit of unity and peace today.
Prepared and Purposeful Giving: Paul says, ‘each of you,’ suggesting that this practice was meant for all believers. This guidance invites us to prepare and plan our giving thoughtfully. While spontaneous generosity is beautiful and welcome, regular giving can be something we pray over and reflect on in advance.
Supporting Both Local and Distant Needs: The specific offering Paul describes here was intended for the persecuted church in Jerusalem. Paul’s example shows us that a healthy church is a giving church — one that meets needs both close to home and in the wider community of believers.
As we prepare to give today, may we do so with hearts centered on Jesus and with an understanding of how our giving joins us in the larger work of Christ’s body. Our offering here is a reflection of God’s love and provision, shared freely and joyfully.
January Theme: Trusting Jesus, Our All-Sufficient Savior
Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Key Points: Jesus, as the light of the world, reconciles us to the Father, taking what doesn’t bear His image and making it new. In doing so, He makes us one body — united in His life and love.
Invitation: “Let us be reminded that we can always and forever trust Jesus to call us, guide us, accept us into His body, and love us for eternity.”
Sample Script (time: about 2 minutes, not including giving instructions)
During this season of Epiphany, we focus on Jesus being the light of the world — a light that not only exposes darkness but replaces it — all of it. How does he replace it? By being our all-sufficient Savior. By not only dying on our behalf for us to be reconciled to our Father, but also by taking everything in our lives that does not bear His image and redeeming it. He then tells us there is only one body, and we are part of it.
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form on body — whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
When we share in communion, we are acknowledging two amazing truths. One, Jesus offers us His life — the bread of life — and reminds us we are now part of that life — His life, the one body. And two, Jesus offers us the cup of love — or as Paul called it, “the cup of thanksgiving” — reminding us that we are part of that one body because He is our Savior. Let us be reminded that we can always and forever trust Jesus to call us, guide us, accept us into his body, and love us for eternity.
Psalm 71:1-6 • Jeremiah 1:4-10 • 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 • Luke 4:21-30
This week’s theme is love. In our call to worship Psalm, it is the Lord who is our refuge, deliverer, and rock of refuge who can be trusted. The Old Testament portion of Jeremiah recounts the Lord’s intimate words to Jeremiah assuring him of his calling and that the Lord will go with him. Our reading from 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that love is the greatest gift of all. The Gospel text in Luke recounts Jesus was rejected because He extended God’s love beyond His hometown.
The last two weeks we have traced Paul’s words to the Corinthian church as he addresses some of the problems they have been struggling with. This week, we will continue where we left off, however we will not rehash an old problem or address a new one. Rather, Paul will fill out what he introduces as “the most excellent way.” We will see that this is how the believers in Corinth were to work through all the problems they faced, and it is the same way for us to move forward as well.
There are a few challenges in preaching this text. First, it is so beautifully written that adding words or commentary to it risks diminishing its impact. Second, it is such a familiar passage that we may not expect to hear anything new. Third, and most challenging, the passage speaks of “love,” which is a word so overused and misused in our society that the word risks becoming meaningless. However, we will read this passage in the context of the challenges Paul has been addressing with the Corinthian church. This will hopefully lift the passage off our wedding invitations and land it directly as “the most excellent way” forward for any particular problems we may be facing in our own churches and lives today.
Let’s give it a try.
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV
The first three verses of this section speak to the necessity of love. Paul does not argue that we should dispense with spiritual gifts and only have love. Rather, what Paul advocates is that love should be the controlling factor of how we use those gifts. For Paul, to “have love” is to speak and act towards others in the same way God has spoken and acted toward us in Christ. So, we cannot detach love as some generic feeling or ideal that we possess apart from the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Paul takes issue with the Corinthian church for masking many sins under a label of “spirituality.” Other chapters in the letter record Paul’s correction of the Corinthian church for their tolerance and even endorsement of sexual immorality, greed, and idolatry. They did this while using certain gifts, like speaking in tongues, as a claim to spirituality. But their actions clearly indicate that they claimed a spirituality based on certain religious trappings while endorsing and even acting out a debased Christian ethic devoid of the love we see displayed in Jesus Christ. The love Paul speaks of is defined by the concrete act of Jesus coming to die for the sins of the world. That love certainly does not endorse the various sins our society would like to push.
Notice the theme of the language used in Paul’s comparisons to illustrate the necessity of love. He begins with speaking in tongues since that gifting seems to be the prevailing claim to spirituality. But he also includes things like prophecy, knowledge, faith, charitable acts, and self-sacrifice. Paul certainly does not say these things are bad or meaningless. Rather, these all reflect “religious” language and “spirituality.” The Corinthian church seemed to be more interested in their spiritual appearance than in actual love for their neighbor. Paul uses these comparisons with emphatic statements to show how they all amount to nothing without love. So, to just say or do “good” things is not enough. If those things do not build up the church, or edify the body of Christ, or bear witness to Jesus in our world, then we are no better than a “clanging cymbal.” That’s an interesting illustration Paul chooses to begin with since “clanging cymbals” were also used in many of the surrounding pagan cults. This seems to be a nod that their claim to spirituality by exhibiting certain gifts without having love was tantamount to being no better than the empty pagan culture around them.
Paul now moves on to describe the character of love. In doing so, he does not allow any room for any idealistic conceptions of love that fall outside the revelation of God’s love toward us as seen in Jesus Christ.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
Paul includes fifteen descriptors to detail the character of love. The first two are positive statements, “Love is patient” and “love is kind.” These two statements taken together show that love plays both a passive and active role toward others. These statements point to the work of Christ towards us. He took our sins upon Himself and patiently endured them all the way to the cross, while at the same time exercised great kindness toward us and gave us all things that belong to Him.
Then Paul moves to list seven characteristics of love with statements of what it does NOT do. This list seems tailor-made for the Corinthian church. Each statement adds up, and essentially Paul says that love is not what you have been doing. Ouch! This list would make a wonderful study on its own and would be worth going through one statement at a time.
The next two descriptions, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth” probably are meant to be treated as two sides of the same coin. Here again we see a description of who Jesus is toward us and who God is in His very heart and character. God is a God of truth and because of that He cannot and will not affirm evil. If we truly live out the love of the Father poured out to us by the Spirit, we will celebrate and stand for all that is good while at the same time not entertaining or supporting that which is not aligned with the truth.
Paul then concludes his list. He adds four more characteristics that love “always” does: protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Included here are both faith (trust) and hope which are the other two great Christian virtues. One thing Paul’s multiple descriptions of love provides for us is a list of checks and balances for our conceptions of love. We must hold all of them together. Otherwise, we could risk seeing love as just “kindness” towards everyone without resisting evil or holding accountable that which does not benefit everyone. In other words, love is not just a feel-good sentimentality. We should not treat others contrary to the way God has treated us in Jesus Christ. Paul’s list also gives us an opportunity to see an epiphany of who God has revealed Himself to be in Jesus Christ.
We could go back and substitute the name “Jesus” where it refers to “love” and it would read as an accurate picture of who God is in His very heart and character. That may be an exercise to do on your own. However, Paul means this list to be a point of reflection for the Corinthian church. So, we could also go back and substitute our name for “love” and see how we are doing. Where is there a call to repentance and an opportunity to receive more of the love the Spirit has for us? That too would be a good exercise to engage in personally.
Paul now concludes as he proclaims the permanence of love.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 NIV
This section begins with “Love never fails.” That is a statement of permanence the Corinthian church needs to measure against the temporary nature of spiritual gifts, which Paul states, ultimately pass away and disappear. Paul is trying to redirect their understanding of being “spiritual” to that which is eternal. Paul does not devalue gifts, but rather highlights the importance of using those gifts to serve the purpose of love. If they do not use their gifts to build up the church, to edify and honor their brothers and sisters, and Paul himself, but use them for their own self-gain, then they essentially act like little children who have not grown up or like people who have confused a reflection in a mirror for a real person.
Paul concludes as he places love alongside faith and hope. In this way, he shows that love is in a whole different category and should not be equated with spiritual gifts. Faith, hope, and love continue in the present in all we do and say in the church. However, even here our faith will one day become sight, and our hope will be fulfilled when Jesus returns with His kingdom. And that kingdom will be one of love. In that way, Paul pushes the permanence of love to the very end.
This is a point in the passage where we can take a good look at ourselves and see if our efforts are aligned with what is eternal, or if we simply seek to achieve some temporary status in the present day. Those who belong to the church are called to be witnesses and citizens of another kingdom — God’s kingdom that will never fade. This world and all it claims to offer is nothing in comparison to where King Jesus is taking us. Jesus is real, and the love of the Father revealed in Him will never fail.
Psalm 138:1-8 • Isaiah 6:1-13 • 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 • Luke 5:1-11
This week’s theme is faith. In our call to worship Psalm, thanks is given for the Lord’s steadfast love and faithfulness. The Old Testament selection recounts Isaiah’s faithful response to accept his call and the difficult words he was to share. Our reading from 1 Corinthians outlines the gospel message Paul reminds us to put our trust in. The Gospel text in Luke recounts the story of Jesus as he builds Peter’s faith by a miraculous catch of fish.
For the last three weeks we have covered Paul’s concern over the believers in the Corinthian church who had fixated on spiritual gifts in an unhealthy way. They saw themselves as “spiritual” on account of some charismatic gifts that they felt were a badge of spirituality. This seemed to give them cover for the many issues the Corinthian church faced that Paul had to address concerning sexual immorality, divisions, litigations between fellow Christians, idolatry, abuse of the Lord’s Table, and more. In this section, Paul will lay the groundwork to address another issue concerning the resurrection.
Some in the church denied a bodily resurrection. This distorted view of one of the most basic understandings of Christianity seems to be related to the “spirituality” issue Paul has been dealing with up to this point. These Corinthian believers felt they had already attained the pinnacle of spirituality and were not concerned about the body. Since they saw themselves as already fluent in the language of angels, they devalued and dismissed the body, and hence ridiculed the idea of a bodily resurrection. (The belief that the body was evil and the spirit was good is described as Gnosticism and was present at the time Paul was writing to the Corinthians.) This belief would also contribute to their lack of concern with what they did with their bodies in the present. This would set up another justification for many of the sexual sins of which they approved. What does it matter what you do with your body, they may have reasoned, if it is only temporary? Paul constructs three arguments to counter this, and we will cover two of them, one today, and one next week.
In today’s reading, we will see much more than Paul’s attempt to address this issue on the resurrection of the body. In this first section of Paul’s argument, he lays the foundation of what all believers hold in common, the reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In short, we are reminded of the gospel message that is distinct to the Christian faith and worship. This is a message about Jesus, in whom we are called to place our trust for all things.
Let’s see how Paul chooses to begin laying the groundwork:
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NIV
Notice as Paul begins, he addresses them as brothers and sisters. By doing so he already appeals to a common belief they share. He does not pit himself against them but identifies with them as a brother. And the first thing he does is “to remind you of the gospel.” That’s what brothers and sisters in Christ should always be in the habit of doing. Each Sunday when we gather for worship, we gather to remind each other of who God is and what he has done in Jesus Christ. Perhaps these believers had gone too long without being reminded of the foundations of the Christian faith and they were susceptible to believing all kinds of distortions. Paul’s strategy here speaks to the need to continually remind each other of the gospel.
We also noticed that this gospel Paul wants to bring to their memory is one that had already come to them by the preaching of Paul. Not only that but they had originally received it and placed their trust in it. This is where they once took their stand. So, we see that Paul’s effort is not to create a clever logical argument to prove the resurrection of the body. He’s not trying to convince them of something they do not know, or at least once knew; he is trying to remind them of what they once knew and believed.
Paul also reminds them that it is this gospel that saved them. If they continue to hold loosely to what they once received, they run the risk of having their faith be “in vain.” These believers, as we have seen in the past few weeks in this letter, have placed their trust elsewhere and it has eroded the life of the church. They need to return to what’s of first importance and stop their flirtation with the latest “spiritual” fad that makes them feel significant or special. They have forgotten who they are in Jesus Christ.
Paul now aims to remind them:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 NIV
Notice how Paul does not claim that he had some new teaching that he came up with for others to believe in. No, Paul clearly states that what he passed on was established before him. He merely seeks to pass on what was given to him. He is not the originator of this good news. That’s an important reminder for the church today. How often are we presented with some new-fangled idea, method, strategy, or program that will amount to some form of salvation? Maybe someone has a new approach that will save our church from decline. Or maybe it’s the newest program for our youth that will keep them in the pews. Or it could be any number of things that do not rely on the once delivered good news of Jesus Christ. How often are we tempted to place our trust in something other than Christ, or at least in something in addition to Christ? Paul is forceful here as he states that the foundation of the Christian faith that he passed on was of “first importance.” Everything else is secondary at best.
Paul then proceeds to remind them of what is of “first importance” since they seem to have forgotten. First, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” There’s no way to hear this without also hearing that we were once sinners in need of forgiveness. This would be a good and hard reminder for a group of Christians who boasted about their own spirituality. It’s always a good reminder to know that we are saved, not just from some past sins, but from our own sinful nature. We really have nothing to boast about.
Also, notice Paul added “according to the Scriptures.” The only Scriptures recognized At the time of Paul’s writing, “Scripture” was the Old Testament, which pointed ahead to the coming of the Messiah. This gospel reminder has been revealed in the Scriptures and has culminated in Jesus Christ. We can never detach the Scriptures from our proclamations of the gospel. This too is a matter of faith. Do we trust that God’s word is sufficient to bear witness to Christ? Do we trust that God’s way of changing hearts and minds through His written word is sufficient? Or do we have a better plan, one that we can take credit for?
Paul continues with his reminder with “he was buried” and “he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” Again, Paul was clear that what he was saying was nothing beyond what the Scriptures were saying. Paul emphasized that Jesus did objectively die by including the fact that He was buried. Jesus didn’t experience some “spiritual” transformation or higher plain of thinking that got branded as a “resurrection.” No, Jesus experienced a real death in a real body just like you and I will. But He was raised. Now Paul comes to his point that aims to correct the Corinthian believers who criticized the message of the resurrection. For extra measure, he grounds this claim in real historical events. He reminds the Corinthian believers that Peter, the Twelve, and then five hundred other brothers and sisters gave witness to the fact that Jesus had indeed been risen from the dead.
Paul doesn’t leave them with only an account of all these witnesses who experienced seeing Jesus alive after the resurrection. He goes on to include his own experience as well. And he qualifies, saying “and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” Paul has certainly not elevated his witness as the key witness involved, but neither does he leave it out. Why would one argue for a belief that wasn’t true for them personally? Paul makes it personal.
Paul will conclude this portion of his argument. He explains why he referred to his own witness of the resurrected Lord in such self-deprecating terms.
For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. 1 Corinthians 15:9-11 NIV
Paul was not held in high esteem by those in the Corinthian church who took issue with some of his teachings. They felt they knew more than him and that Paul wasn’t even an apostle. It’s interesting how Paul deals with this. He does not argue by way of virtue or “spirituality” for being an apostle. He states that he is the “least of the apostles” and does not even deserve the title. However, in doing so, he does not deny that he is an apostle. Rather, he bases his calling on the grace of God, and not by some measure of “spirituality” that the Corinthians favored. He takes the Corinthian believer’s argument against him and uses it as a witness of God’s grace, and therefore a more solid foundation for his appointment as an apostle.
Note also how Paul referred to his past experience of persecuting the church. What he thought was correct and zeal for God, was, in reality, an enemy of God. Perhaps he hopes the Corinthian church will reflect on their own self-acclamations of being “spiritual” and exercise some caution. Paul does mention that he “worked harder than all of them,” but that does not mean he seeks to compare his work ethic to theirs. Instead, he is points to the grace of God at work in him. Grace had a deeper work to do in Paul seeing that he was the “least of the apostles.” And that lands us on a final note of the good news we are to be reminded of today.
God’s grace does not cease to work in any of us, no matter our past or how bull-headed and arrogant we may behave in the present. God’s grace will never give up on any of us. We can trust He will complete the good work He has set out to do. Our response is to trust in God’s grace, letting it work out of us all that needs to be repented of so we to can pass on to others what we once received.
Psalm 1:1-6 • Jeremiah 17:5-10 • 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 • Luke 6:17-26
This week’s theme is hope. In our call to worship Psalm, the blessed man is one who delights in the Lord and His ways with the result of prospering like a tree planted by streams of water. The Old Testament reading in Jeremiah makes a stark comparison between those who trust in the Lord and those who place their trust elsewhere. Those who trust in the Lord bear fruit and are not anxious. Our reading from 1 Corinthians grounds our future hope in the resurrection of Christ. The Gospel text in Luke recounts Jesus’ teaching of present longings being filled for those whose hope is in the Lord.
As we saw last week, Paul laid the groundwork to refute the Corinthian believers who claimed there is no bodily resurrection. He did this by returning to the basics, the foundations of the gospel. At the heart of that foundation is the fact that Christ is risen from the dead. Today, we will look at Paul’s second approach as he counters this false teaching, as he builds on the foundation established in last week’s reading. He will simply lay out a logical argument on the premise of the foundation laid out last week. He is using the Corinthian church’s own hearing and receiving of the gospel as the common ground to build on. He does not bring up something new but rather reminds them of what they should already know.
Before we look at Paul’s logical argument, maybe we should ask ourselves today what difference does this make for us? Do we really need Paul to make a case for a future bodily resurrection? We may look around and say, “Well, I don’t see anyone preaching that there is no resurrection of the dead in this fellowship, so this doesn’t really apply to me.” However, there are many forms of preaching that take place as soon as we roll out of bed and engage in our world. If you remember back a few weeks, we talked about one of the biggest challenges for the Corinthian church was that it was being influenced by the culture around it. That is always a present danger for all churches, and all believers who belong to them, through all times. Today is no different.
Many believe we only get this one life, so our only hope is to get as much out of life as possible while we are breathing. Nothing else matters. We could also state this in a much darker and pointed way: we live in a culture of death. Our society is hyper focused on youthfulness, strength, and power. Commercials are geared to keep you looking and feeling younger and stronger, even when your age stubbornly argues against it. Underneath it all, is the belief and fear that death has the final word. So, you better live your best life while you can. There is no life after death to look forward to. As an old commercial claimed, “It doesn’t get any better than this.” Taking note of these prevalent messages in our society, we would be naïve to think we haven’t absorbed some amount of thinking that goes along the lines of these believers who lived in Corinth. Paul’s words to them are no less relevant for us today.
Let’s see what more Paul has to say to the church in Corinth, and to us as well.
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 1 Corinthians 15:12 NIV
Paul builds on the foundation he laid in the previous section. He reminds them that the gospel that they received entails the central proclamation that “Christ has been raised from the dead.” The word Paul chose to use to describe what he means by “dead” is the word nekros, which means totally separated from the living, a corpse. Paul does not leave room for someone to claim that Paul meant a person’s spirit only is resurrected or her inner self or soul will go to heaven to be with the Lord. Paul is being very specific with his word choice. We are talking about dead bodies, period. From here, Paul’s logic is straight forward: on the basis of what we all agree on, that the gospel preached necessitates that Christ has been bodily raised from the dead then it does not follow that you could claim that there is “no resurrection of the dead.” Clearly there is, on account that Jesus has been raised.
Next, Paul pours on more logical connections.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 1 Corinthians 15:13-16 NIV
Here, Paul essentially takes up their premise as true and works out the implications it would have, especially in regard to their preaching, which has been established as something they received and took their stand in. So, in a sense, Paul says, “Ok, if there is no resurrection of the dead then there has never been anyone resurrected in the past, and there will never be anyone resurrected in the future.” That would mean that the preaching they received about Christ being raised from the dead is a lie. And that means that they have no ground for their faith. They are essentially believing and taking their stand in a lie.
Now Paul doubles down on his argument and adds one more bit of absurdity that comes from their premise.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 NIV
Paul now cuts to the chase to state the fact their faith in a Christ who “has not been raised” is a waste of time. And not only that, but that would mean they are “still in their sins.” For Paul, death is the great enemy which is linked to sin. He states elsewhere that the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The gospel is a proclamation that Jesus has defeated death. If this is not true, then we do not have a God who can defeat death and deliver us from it. We have no hope. If that is truly the case, then not only have we lost any hope of a future, but we have also lost our past. All that God has done to deliver us has come to nothing. And that leaves us with a miserable present reality.
And when we take an honest look around our society, is that not what we see? When the present is all there is, we have no hope. And that will mean we can’t even enjoy the present. Paul indicates that if we really believe this is the way of things, then adding Christ to that belief system is even worse than not believing in Christ at all. We would be better off just living out our present miserable lives till the clock runs out.
Thankfully, Paul will conclude with a thunderous “But Christ” statement to bring us back to reality and wake us up from this nightmare belief system the Corinthian church had fallen prey to.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:20 NIV
Praise God. That’s a reminder that we have hope. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone who has died or will die in the future. The result of remembering the gospel and turning to it once again to take our stand is a hope for the future based on the concrete work of Christ in the past that fuels our present with rejoicing and joy. May we continue to remind one another of the beautiful truth that “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.”
Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40 · Genesis 45:3-11, 15 · 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 · Luke 6:27-38
We continue in the season of Epiphany, a time of revealing or making Jesus known. Our theme for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany is doing what Jesus did. This theme is reflected in our call to worship, Psalm 37, which encourages us to “refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret – it leads only to evil.” We see this acted out in the story of Joseph’s response to his brothers in Genesis 45, and we wonder how it is possible not to hold a grudge against someone who sold you into slavery. 1 Corinthians 15 contrasts the physical body with the spiritual body and the first Adam from the second Adam (Jesus), revealing the superiority of Jesus as the second Adam. Our sermon text, found in Luke 6:27-38, contains the verse (v. 31) known as the “Golden Rule.” This passage explains God’s mercy and love in practical terms and helps us better understand the mystery of the cross.
You may have heard sayings like this:
You must give to get.
What you bless blesses you in return.
Give what you want first, and it will come back in buckets.
Smile, and the whole world smiles at you.
I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.
These sayings are expressions of the law of reciprocity, a well-known cognitive bias that Forbes magazine says is “fundamental to our survival as a species.” Sales teams employ this strategy as a means of building social capital or the trust and goodwill of others. The law of reciprocity appeals to our notions of what is fair and equitable, so that means if someone does something nice for us, we feel obligated to do something nice for them. While reciprocity can be a good starting point, it doesn’t exactly help us when we’re faced with someone who doesn’t play by this rule.
Our sermon text today contains the well-known “Golden Rule,” but we miss the broader meaning of the text if that’s all we notice about this passage. Jesus explains the mystery of the cross to his listeners and ends with an assurance that we will never know a scarcity of God’s mercy and grace when we respond like Him. Let’s read Luke 6:27-38 (read sermon text).
In Luke 6:20-26, we read a passage known as the Sermon on the Plain that closely corresponds to the Beatitudes, part of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. Barclay’s Commentary says that “They take the accepted standards and turn them upside down. The people whom Jesus called happy the world would call wretched; and the people Jesus called wretched the world would call happy. Just imagine anyone saying, ‘Happy are the poor, and Woe to the rich!’ To talk like that is to put an end to the world’s values altogether.” This sets up our sermon text by turning the typical and natural human responses upside down.
In verses 27-30, believers are commanded to behave in a positive manner toward people who are described as enemies, haters, cursers, abusers, and thieves. It’s important to point out that Jesus paints a picture of how we are to live and act as disciples. It’s more than endurance of mistreatment; we are being asked to mirror God’s mercy to the world. In another Gospel, Jesus told us to love others as He loves us. This passage in Luke shares examples of that love in practice — join others in their sufferings; walk beside them in their pain; allow them to vent to us; share what we have with others. These are constructive activities we are encouraged to participate in — blessing, praying, offering, giving, and loving.
Verses 31-37 explain this positive Christian ethic where we choose to act or respond positively rather than to simply refrain from harm. Barclay writes, “It is not unduly difficult to keep yourself from such action [i.e., not doing to others what we would not want done to us]; but it is a very different thing to go out of your way to do to others what you would want them to do to you. The very essence of Christian conduct is that it consists, not in refraining from bad things, but in actively doing good things.” The reason we choose to behave in this manner is our decision to reflect God toward others. To be children of God, Barclay says, requires us to “seek even our enemy’s highest good … It is that love we must copy.”
Verse 38 focuses on the outcome of our reflection God’s love and mercy to others: abundance, running over, but not the way we typically read it. This verse suggests reciprocity again, and when taken out of context, we often interpret it to refer to financial resources. But the imagery suggests an overflowing return of the same mercy and forgiveness we offer others. It’s a reciprocity, but one that isn’t undertaken for its end result. Professor Karoline Lewis writes the following:
Our impulse is to use Jesus’ words as justification for our own value and worth when it comes to adequate belief and acceptable discipleship. And yet, our perceived ability to follow Jesus’ principles is likely grandiose, most of the time. We’d like to think we can do all of these things. The truth is, we can’t. It is a leveling list. It puts us all on the same plane. … these words of Jesus are but a vision for what is possible, for what should be were we to have Jesus’ sermon at Nazareth in mind; were we to have Mary’s Magnificat in mind.
Both Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and Zechariah’s Song (Luke 1:68-79) identify God as merciful and reveal that mercy is an assurance of the fulfillment of God’s promises. When we think about God’s mercy, as spoken about in Matthew 5:44-46, we are humbled as to how far short we fall in mirroring God’s love and grace:
But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Matthew 5:44-46, NRSVUE
Luke 6:27-38 presents a worldview much different than what we’re used to because it is fueled by our connection to Jesus and not our own human will. This same worldview also helps explain the mystery of the cross. Let’s consider the myth of redemptive violence and the forgiveness of reality’s contradictions in light of the mystery of the cross.
The myth of redemptive violence asserts that violence is the only way to bring about justice and peace, as we destroy what we perceive as the cause of a problem (or evil). Theologian Walter Wink says that “this Myth of Redemptive Violence is the real myth of the modern world. It, and not Judaism or Christianity or Islam, is the dominant religion in our society today.” The life and death of Jesus opposes the myth of redemptive violence as it reduces the emphasis human beings place on group identity, the nuclear family, and one’s occupation or security. Instead, Jesus emphasizes inclusion of all people and groups, and that requires forgiveness. Rather than devote our energy to reject what we believe is “bad,” we expend our energy to choose love and the highest good for everyone.
The cross itself has often been interpreted as a means of paying the debt of sin to an angry God (which is the erroneous substitutionary atonement theory). In this line of thinking, the cross becomes a transaction rather than a means to convey through imagery what God’s love for creation looks like. In actuality, the cross expresses a solidarity with suffering in an effort to change humanity’s mind about God’s character and love while offering a chance to contemplate our own violent tendencies toward those we think problematic or evil.
Franciscan priest and author Richard Rohr calls the cross “the victory” because its opponents are also included:
The cross is about refusing the simplistic win-lose scenario and holding out for a possible win-win scenario. The cross is refusing to hate or needing to defeat the other because that would be to only continue the same pattern and reciprocate the violence and to stay inside of the inexorable wheel that the world has always called normal (p. 203).
Rohr offers that the cross helps us understand our complicity with evil rather than thinking we exist on some sort of moral high ground. He writes,
What the mystery of the cross teaches us is how to stand against hate without becoming hate, how to oppose evil without becoming evil ourselves … The goal of nonviolence is always winning the true understanding of the supposed opponent, not his or her humiliation or defeat (p. 203).
It helps us to see that our perceived enemy is a victim and a symbol of evil, and we find ourselves on that level playing ground again, no better and no worse than any other person.
Human life is hard, and some endure more difficult lives than others. Our existence can’t be controlled the way we would prefer. Though there’s just enough consistency to make us think it might be possible to have control if we could only ________ (fill in the blank). We must begin by accepting that reality is full of contradictions if we are to understand in part the mystery of the cross and Jesus’ nonviolent resistance to empire.
Rohr writes:
The price you pay for holding together the contradictions within yourself, others, and the world is always some form of crucifixion … We agree to bear the burden of human evil, of which we all are victims, and all are complicit. It is the ultimate act of solidarity with humanity (p. 206, 204).
By God participating in human suffering through the cross rather than watching it happen as a detached observer, now our suffering and tragedies also hold the potential for resurrection.
Through nonviolent resistance, Jesus exposes the sin and evil of corrupt human systems. He shows that our preoccupation with purity and individual moral behaviors has missed the mark, and Jesus’ identification with victims of these corrupt human systems reveals his solidarity with our human vulnerability. Through our exposure to the injustice of Jesus’ crucifixion, teaches us that evil is overcome or absorbed by love’s choice to do good (Romans 12:21 NRSVUE).
Jesus’ life and death were subversive; they upended the myth of redemptive violence and the false belief that reality for us is something that could be predicted and controlled. Instead, Jesus offers His believers a worldview that makes love the pinnacle of any faith. This isn’t a limited love, restricted to reciprocal relationships, but a love that eagerly seeks the highest good and flourishing of all, even one’s enemies. Reciprocity, or I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine, doesn’t result in transformation that establishes God’s dream for peace on earth. Reciprocity keeps us stuck in a mindset based on moral superiority rather than on a level playing field where we humbly acknowledge we fall short. Luke 6:27-38 shows us that God’s love flowing through us to others goes beyond the Golden Rule to the mystery of the cross.
Call to Action: Consider the way you express love to others, primarily those whom you consider different, difficult, or maybe even evil in their opinions or viewpoints. Think about how you can proactively reflect the mercy of God to them, reflecting on the fact that we all fall short.
For Reference:
Rohr, Richard. Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality. St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2008.
https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/simple-rules
https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2022-02-14/luke-627-38-2/
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/luke-6.html
https://www2.goshen.edu/~joannab/women/wink99.pdf