Fridays are for Newspaper Articles

Here, as usual, is my weekly article from the Canyon Lake (TX) Times-Guardian.  Enjoy!

“A Thought-Provoking Lesson

from the Academy Awards” 

            I did not watch the Oscars last night.  As they say, I didn’t “have a dog in that hunt.”  But, I did hear this morning that the four major actor awards given (i.e., male and female, supporting and primary actor/actress) were all won by non-Americans.

            From a quick Google search, I found out that this Oscar shut-out of American actors has happened before, but not since the 1960s.  Thus, it is notable in regard to both what took place and what did not happen.

            I wonder how some of those high-profile American actors and actresses (e.g., George Clooney, Tommy Lee Jones, Laura Linney, Ruby Dee) felt in getting passed over for their counterparts from other regions of the world.  It could not have been fun, even if they secretly felt like the persons who took home the statues actually deserved to win (and, admittedly, there is a lot of subjectivity involved in making such judgments).

            As I see it, though, such significant disappointments do well in helping us to consider how we have “invested” our lives.  Certainly, none of these nominees could be considered to be merely mediocre in their craft, particularly in the role(s) for which he or she was nominated.  But, looking back, did they do their best?  Rather than resting on their laurels of being an Academy Award nominee—and, for many, it was their first time and possibly a “career maker”—they should all definitely ask, “What can I learn from this experience?  How can I be even better in my next role?”

            Whether we want to admit it or not, each person who is alive on this earth is going to be involved in a judgment ceremony before Almighty God.  In Revelation 20:11-15, all unbelievers will be judged for their works and every single one will be found wanting.  Why?  Because works—no matter how good or how much—can ever save anyone before God (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Only faith in Jesus Christ’s redemptive death on the Cross can save you from the just judgment of your sins (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

            But, for those who are saved through faith in Christ, there will be a “rewards ceremony” before the heavenly victory stand (2 Corinthians 5:10).  Much like gold medals are handed out at the Olympics, or Oscars were awarded at the Kodak Theater in L.A. last night, those believers who have been truly faithful before the Lord will be honored in such a way that will last for all eternity.

            What an incredible thought!  In the Olympics, only the most elite gifted athletes can take home the gold.  At the Academy Awards, only the truly elite actors and others in the motion picture world can win an Oscar.  But, in the church of Jesus Christ, any believer who chooses to walk by faith with the Lord on a consistent basis can win a heavenly crown and hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

            Do you want to be left out when you stand before the Lord?  If you are already a Christian, you can begin to “store up treasures in heaven” by living your life daily to the glory of God.

            If you are not yet a Christian, just listen to the Apostle Paul’s answer to the timeless question he was asked in Acts 16: “What must I do to be saved?”  His reply: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”  It really is that simple.  So, just do it! 

Coming Monday: “What So ‘Spiritual’ about Spiritual Gifts?”

The Holy Spirit and the Southern Baptist Convention Today (XXVII): “Looking Closer at the Spiritual Gifts in 1 Corinthians 12″

(Note: I am going to be out of town from this evening [Wednesday] until Saturday evening.  Since I do not know if I will have access to a computer during that time, please do not feel slighted if I don’t reply to your comment.  That is one thing I really try to do: respond to every comment [unless, of course, it is targeted at someone else, in which case I will usually mind my own business].  It seems to help keep the comment stream from turning on itself as much.)

If you missed Greg Harvey’s comment on my last post, he holds the view–if I understood it correctly–that Paul primarily names all the other spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 to shift the focus away from tongues by reminding them how much the Body needs all the listed gifts.  And, given the way that Paul deals with the tongues issue in chs. 13 and 14, he is probably pretty close to right.

However, I am still going to discuss the totality of the gifts to some degree.  As I have already labored to make clear in an earlier post on 12:4-6, and as we will see again in 12:12-26, the optimum health of the Body of Christ only occurs when all the gifts are functional and when all gifts people are using their gifts with the unique impact the Lord designed (v. 6).  Suffice it to say here that, however many spiritual gifts the Lord has graced His church with, none are insignificant and all need to be functioning to His glory!

The following are the 13 spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 (working off the HCSB translation).  Starting with the list in 12:7-11:

- “message of wisdom” (v.

- “message of knowledge” (v.8)

- “faith” (v. 9)

- “gifts of healing” (v. 9)

- “performing of miracles” (v. 10)

- “prophecy” (v. 10)

- “distinguishing between spirits” (v. 10)

- “different kinds of languages” (v. 10)

- “interpretation of languages” (v. 10)

Now, moving to the additional gifts found in the list in 12:27-31:

- “apostles” (v. 28)

- “teachers” (v. 28)

- “helping” (v. 28)

- “managing” (v. 28)

 As has often been noted, the list of gifts in 12:27-31 appears to be set up in a decending order: e.g., “first,” “second,” “third,” “next,” “then.”  If that is correct, then tongues is “”being put in its place,” so to speak, given that it appears last in this second list (see both vv. 28 and 30).

Of course, that doesn’t mean tongues is not a gift.  It simply means that it does not have central importance to the building up of the Body of Christ.

But, that still does not explain why the list in 12:7-11 contains the gifts it does, or why they are listed in the order they are.  So, allow me to offer a couple of thoughts before moving on quickly to attempt some definitions.

Even though I think that Greg may well be right about tongues being the most vaunted of the spiritual gifts in Corinth–perhaps due to the parallel presence of similar phenomena in the circles of regional oracles and some of the local worship–I also think it likely that the gifts listed in vv. 8-10 were viewed as the ’second tier’ in the Corinthian church.  If correct, this would make some sense of why Paul placed each of these others before tongues and interpretation (v. 10).

Another plausible reason why Paul may have listed these other gifts at this point could be that each in vv. 8-10 would require just as much a moving of the Holy Spirit as tongues or interpretation.  Thus, to wade through the list to get to tongues and interpretation (v. 10) would remind any reader that the last two were hardly uniquely spiritual or edifying.  In fact, as Paul will argue in ch. 14, they may be less edifying, especially if misused for selfish purposes.

Having said these things, allow me to close this post by laying out my own basic definition of each of these 13 spiritual gifts.  (Note: Since I am still thinking through quite a bit in this area, I reserve to change the definition later in our “journey” through 1 Corinthians 12-14.  If I do, I will freely admit it and give credit to any of you who showed me the error–or at least short-sightedness–of my viewpoint.)

- “Message” (lit. “word”) of knowledge” appears to be a direct revelation of some factual material.  Its counterpart, “message of wisdom,” would seem to be a revelation about how to wisely apply certain knowledge, perhaps that supplied through the word of knowledge.

- “Faith” would have to be an unusual ability to believe the Lord for that which is over and above normal faith.

In fact, since knowledge, wisdom and faith are things every Christian can have to a significant degree, these first three gifts appear to be “super-charged” (better: “Spirit-enhanced”) versions of what every Christian possesses to some degree.

- The use of the plural in “gifts of healing” is probably very significant in understanding what Paul is getting at here.  It would have to mean that there are numerous variations on how healing could take place.  And, it would appear that “the performing of miracles” is basically a counterpart to “healing,” doing amazing supernatural works in a much broader context than just physical healing.

- “Prophecy” is the proclamation of direct revelation from God and did have a foundational role in the church (Eph. 2:20), as well as still being needed for the church’s ongoing upbuilding (4:11-13).

- “Distinguishing between spirits” would seem to be something like “spirit-enhanced intuition” in regard to whether words and/or actions are being energized by the Holy Spirit or the demonic realm.  And, if this seems overstated, perhaps we should all review Ephesians 4:26-27 and recall how easily the Devil can get a foothold in any of our lives.

- It is still unclear to me whether “different kinds of languages” (lit. “tongues”) is to be understood as strictly human languages, a heavenly language or both… or something else.  The reason for my confusion (I hope to work through it before I get to the key passages in chs 13 and 14) is that, in Acts 2, the “tongues” are human languages.  But, in 13:1, Paul does not say (to use the well-known rendering) “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels… .”  And, yes, there is dramatic overstatement in 13:1-3.  But, that does not of itself prove that angelic tongues, if you will, does not exist.

“Interpretation…” is, of course, the ability to hear the “tongues” and translate them into the language of the audience at hand.

- “Apostles” were also foundational (Eph. 2:20), but are still needed for the churh’s ongoing edification (4:11-13).  Now, are “apostles” today the same as those in the first century?  I do not see how they could be, given that an apostle had to have seen the risen Lord (Acts 1:22).  Thus, the gift of apostle would have to follow the broader sense of the word, which was occasionally applied to Barnabas and other missionary or church planter figures in the NT.

- “Teachers” are those who expound God’s previously-revealed Word to His people for their learning and edification.

- “Helping” is apparently the gift that the wonderful selfless workers behind the scenes in all our ministries manifest as they minister effectively with joy.

- “Managing” appears to be the primary gift for effective administration within the Body of Christ.  (Interestingly, this is one of the gifts that I believe I have, yet I did not know that until I was put in a position to have to do primarily administrative work at about age 50.  Thus, I am convinced that it is possible for gifts to lay dormant until the Lord sees fit to use them.)

That’s my first take!  What do you think?

 (PS- I can’t get rid of the emoticon in the middle of the post.  Sorry!)

Coming Friday: “Fridays are for Newpaper Articles”

The Holy Spirit and the Southern Baptist Convention Today (XXVI): “An Initial Overview of Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor. 12:7-11)”

To begin his more specific treatment of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul wrote: “A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages” (12:7-11, HCSB).

There are nine charismata (the Greek word normally rendered “spiritual gifts” at the beginning of Paul’s discussion in v. 4) listed in vv. 7-11.  But, there are four more listed in vv. 27-31 (HCSB; i.e., ‘apostles,’ ‘teachers,’ ‘helping’ and ‘managing’), where several of those in vv. 7-11 are repeated.

Besides these 13 in 1 Corinthians 12, the following spiritual gifts are listed in Romans 12 (HCSB): ’service’ (v. 7), ‘exhorting’ (v. 8), ‘giving’ (v. 8), ‘leading’ (v.8) and ’showing mercy’ (v. 8).  In addition, Ephesians 4:11 lists the spiritual gifts of ‘evangelists’ and ‘pastors.’

Just at first glance, this means that 20 spiritual gifts are listed in the New Testament (although it is quite possible that helping and service are the same gift, as well as managing and leading).  However, the most striking thing is that no two of the lists of spiritual gifts is the same.  What should the reader make of that?

This is, to me, a foundational question, definitely a topic worth pursuing a little as we begin our study of the spiritual gifts.  So, I am going to do so and I hope you will quickly see why I think it carries a certain amount of importance.

First, within 1 Corinthians 12, we need to explain the differences between the listing of gifts in vv. 7-11 and the one in vv. 27-31.  Such diversity in the same context calls attention to itself far more than the differences in Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 (or 1 Peter 4, which merely lists two general categories of gifts–more on that in a later post!).

What’s going on 1 Corinthians 12: the best explanation I am aware of is that either: 1) the nine gifts listed in vv. 7-11 were the gifts the Corinthian church tended to emphasize the most; or 2) these gifts were specifically asked about in the church’s listing of questions to Paul (see 7:1: “About the things you wrote…” (HCSB).

In either case, though, the reason for the second listing in vv. 27-31 would be roughly the same: to state which gifts the Lord sees as most important to be functioning in the church (note the descending wording ‘first,’ ’second’ and ‘third’ in v. 28).  This second list would have been for the purpose of correcting certain misunderstandings on the part of the Corinthian believers (which will be discussed in future posts).

But, what about the others gifts in Romans 12 and Ephesians 4, which are not found in 1 Corinthians 12, which is, by far, the most detailed discussion of spiritual gifts in the NT?  First, Ephesians 4 can be fairly well explained as gifts to build up the church at large, not any specific local church.  But, the same is not true for Romans 12.  The church at Rome was a local church just like that at Corinth.

The following is strictly a personal opinion (though it is also held by others), because there is simply not enough information in the NT to prove it one way or the other.  But, even as a bare opinion, it seems to me that it is worth stating.

It appears to me that the most likely expalantion for the differences in the lists of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 is simply that different local churches do not all have the same spiritual gifts functioning in their midst.  In that regard, it is likely that the lists in 1 Corinthians 12 are closer to being complete because of Paul’s earlier statement in 1:7: “you do not lack any spiritual gift” (HCSB).  That would mean that Paul could have gone on even beyond what is listed in 12:7-11 and 12:27-31 in naming spiritual gifts at work in the church in Corinth.

I am going to stop at this point because I am in no hurry to get through the issues at hand.  But, in closing, it seems that the most obvious initial applicational point for churches within our SBC context to take from these passages is that, just as no two Christians will be exactly alike in the ministry impact of their spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 [see my recent post on this passage]), neither will any two local churches be exactly alike in regard to how many gifts–and how many with each gift–will be functional at the same time.  Bottom line: just as Christians should not compare themselves with other believers in regard to spiritual gifts, we are ill-advised to compare one church with another.  There are no ‘xerox copies’ in the Body of Christ!

Coming Wednesday: “Looking Closer at the Spiritual Gifts in 1 Corinthians 12″

Fridays are for Newspaper Articles

The following is my weekly article in the Canyon Lake (TX) Times-Guardian:

                 “A Painful Lesson from NASCAR” 

            I am not a rabid NASCAR fan.  But, we do have some people in our church who are pretty close to NASCAR fanatics.  And I probably know just about enough about their favorite sport to sound ridiculous when I talk to them about it. 

Perhaps it is most accurate to say that I watch NASCAR when there is a big race and when there is no other sporting event on that really interests me that much.  With this in mind, why was I watching the Daytona 500 this past Sunday?  After all, there was all the hoop-la surrounding the NBA All-Star Game, not to mention the L.A. Open on the PGA tour.  So, what swayed me?

First of all, to watch a basketball game with no defense being played is like watching baseball when everybody is guaranteed to get a hit.  The scoring and the “bull-fighter” defense (i.e., wave at the guy with the ball as he goes by to the basket) gets old very fast.  Second, as a “lefty” myself, I am a Phil Mickelson fan, but golf is a SLOWWWW sport.  In that respect, it is no comparison to the adrenaline rush from watching NASCAR.

But, this is the real biggie: in my opinion—as short-sighted as it might be—there is nothing else in NASCAR that compares to Daytona.  For reasons that completely defy logic, NASCAR has its “Super Bowl” at the very beginning of the season, rather than at the end.

So, now you know why I was watching the Daytona 500.  But, what did I notice that really stood out to me enough to write this article about it?

I’m so glad you asked!  Here’s what I saw (and it’s really quite simple, but that does not mean it is not also extremely important!): Not every driver who started the race finished… and only one (Ryan Newman, hardly a pre-race favorite) won.

OK, go ahead and lambaste me for just stating the obvious!  But, here’s the thing: those realities—not all finish what they start and only one wins—are often overlooked on the spiritual side of life.  And, because that is so true, it can potentially be greatly helpful to underline them again here.

On the subject of striving to win, in 1 Corinthians 9:24, the Apostle Paul says, “Do you not know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way to win.”  So, if you are already a Christian, that is the attitude you should have about living for the Lord: “Run” your life with the kind of focus that is a winner in God’s sight. 

No, that does not mean “win at all costs!”  Instead, it means to give your absolute best while doing everything God’s way.  Often “winning” in the eyes of the world is losing in God’s eyes, because of the borderline practices, if not outright cheating (e.g., the current performance enhancing substance scandal in baseball).

But, it is also necessary to finish the race well (9:27).  The Christian life is a marathon race, not a sprint.  How sad it was that some of the cars and drivers at Daytona were right up at the front of the race until just a few laps from the end, then crashed.  That is a sad thing in a race when so much financially is at stake, such as at Daytona.  But, it is even far more tragic when a Christian has a moral/spiritual blow-out and “crash” later in life.  So, we must make sure that we are in it for the long-run, to the glory of God.  There are great spiritual rewards in the presence of the Lord that we would forfeit if we do not “finish strong.”

Coming Monday: “An Initial Overview of Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)”

The Holy Spirit and the Southern Baptist Convention Today (XXV): “What are ‘Spiritual Things’ (1 Cor. 12:1) and ‘Gifts of Grace?’”

The beginning of 1 Corinthians 12 says, literally, “Now concerning the spirituals… .”  The “now concerning” wording tips you off that this is a new question from the church in Corinth that Paul is dealing with, as he had previously in 7:1 (singleness and marriage) and 8:1 (eating meat sacrificed to idols), where the wording in both cases is “now concerning.”  But, what does he mean by “spirituals” (Gk. pneumatikon)?

 There are two ways to approach the issue and both have to do with context.  As I’m sure you know, one of the most basic principles of proper biblical interpretation is often stated in the following words: “A text without a context is a pretext.”  What that means, of course, is that, if a proposed interpretation of a biblical passage does not make sense in its context, then it cannot be the proper interpretation.  Instead of emerging out of the passage itself, it is being foced upon the passage.

However, while the principle of context itself is clear and very important, it is not always as easy to apply.  That is especially true when two aspects of the context conflict with the each other… as they do in this case.

What do I mean?  Well, in the immediately following context in 1 Corinthians 12, the discussion centers on spiritual gifts.  So, from that standpoint, the tendency would be to understand the “spirituals” in v. 1 as spiritual gifts.  But, if that is the case, why does Paul use the Greek term charisma throughout the rest of the passage to refer to “spiritual gifts?”

With that in mind, we at least have decent reason to consider the other factor of context to help us understand what Paul means by “spirituals” in 12:1.  In this case, “context” refers to usage in the previous part of the book.  To cut through all the other uses (2:13; 9:11; 10:3, 4[please check them out, to make sure I'm not misleading you!]), the ones most like the context in 12:1 are 2:15 and 3:1.

In 1 Corinthians 2:15, the “spiritual person” (HCSB) is contrasted with the “natural man” (HCSB) in 2:14, who is the unbeliever.  This person can be called “spiritual” in a general sense: because the Holy Spirit indwells him or her and is there to be drawn upon potentially in Christian growth.

This is apparently the way that the Corinthians understood their having the Spirit in their lives: it automatically made them “spiritual.”  However, in the immediately following use in 3:1, Paul is quick to point out that, in the more specific use of the word, it means “consciously controlled by the Spirit,” as opposed to the “carnal” Christian, who has the Spirit within, but is choosing to live in the power of the flesh (see Galatians 5:17, 19-21).

So, after this brief exegetical excursion, where do we find ourselves on the meaning of “spirituals” in 12:1?  It appears that there is good reason to conclude that Paul took the word the Corinthians used in asking the question in their letter (12:1; see 7:1), but, knowing their wrong outlook (i.e., that having the Spirit meant you were “spiritual”), he chose to immediately refocus things by substituting charisma, which, literally, means “gift of grace.”

What difference would that make?  A great deal!  The Corinthian outlook was that they were truly “spiritual” people who had these spiritual gifts and, because they were spiritual, their use of the gifts was, without question, properly motivated and lived out.  Paul’s corrective seems to be that the Corinthian Christians not only were not spiritual, but could not take any credit for the spiritual gifts that were theirs.  They were not really their possessions at all.  They were undeserved gifts, strictly of God’s grace.

Perhaps you see how this issue applies to the SBC.  We are, as a group–with wonderful exceptions, thankfully!–those who think we are far more spiritual than we are.  In fact, there are many among us who are very carnal, as exemplified by their attitudes and behavior (1 Corinthians 3:1-4; Galatians 5:19-21).  In addition, there are many who proudly employ their spiritual gifts in ministry, also thinking that makes them spiritual.

Paul, of course, would strongly disagree with both those conclusions and the lack of thankfulness that comes from taking one’s spiritual gifts for granted.  Thus, he probably would not be at all happy with most of us, were he to show up in our churches or especially at an annual SBC meeting.

May we all–myself included–listen carefully and humbly to the Apostle’s wise counsel to the church.  If we don’t, whether we are continuationists or cessationists, we will show ourselves to be as carnal as most of the Corinthian church.

Selah and Amen.

Coming Friday: “Fridays are for Newspaper Articles”

The Holy Spirit and the Southern Baptist Convention Today (XXIV): “A ‘Big Picture’ Understanding and Application of 1 Corinthians 12-14″

This is the area I have wanted to get to ever since I started this blog last Summer.  But, I got side-tracked on other subjects related to the SBC–all worthy of consideration, yes.  However, with the occasional short break for something VERY significant, I plan to stay in 1 Corinthians 12-14 (and parallel passages) for some time.

Why am I doing this?  First, I have only really become a continuationist–at least “both feet in”–within the last year.  So, this is my first time to explore these key chapters since finally making that major change theologically.  And, I want to be very careful in thinking through the issues here (i.e., I am, and intend to remain, a highly cautious continuationist.

Second, I am preaching through 1 Corinthians on Sunday mornings and have just gotten through chapter 9.  Thus, whatever I do here will help me do a better job of expounding this difficult material to my congregation.  And, since we have both continuationists and cessationists sitting in our church services every Sunday, that is no small thing.  They all deserve the very best treatment of God’s Word that I can give them, not just some “party line” theologically that I’ve always heard or adhered to for whatever reason.

Third, even with all that has flown around in the Southern Baptist Convention about this section in the last couple of years or so because of the “apocryphal” doctrinal actions of the trustees for the International Mission Board and Southwestern Seminary, I don’t think that anything close to “the last word” has been said on the issues that cluster in 1 Corinthians 12-14.  Frankly, it is my considered opinion that we are still not much past “the first word,” at least where truly prayerful and in-depth thoughtful consideration is concerned.

Because I have taken a long and winding road to get to this point, it will not be surprising to you to realize that I actually started this focus with my post on 12:4-6 last Wednesday.  Frankly, I had not thought things out as much as I have since, so I simply ask your forgiveness for that “false start” of a sort.

However, that spontanaeity may well reappear in future posts.  I am trusting the Spirit to lead me in what I deal with.  Warning: I do not have this laid out like writing a dissertation or a book!  So, I am not sure how long it is going to take me to get through all the issues or what my conclusions are going to be as I wade through things.  In other words, I expect to be as surprised as some of you at what I will say at many junctures.

Thus, if nothing else, writing the posts for these next weeks–possibly several months–is going to be both instructional (including to me!) and exciting.  And, I certainly hope that my journey will also minister to you!

As I begin this overview of chapters 12-14, I must say that is hard to improve on F.F. Bruce’s generation old one-sentence summary of this section (in I & II Corinthians, New Century Bible [Eerdmans, 1971): “The primary token of the indwelling Spirit, the indispensable evidence that one is truly ’spiritual,’ is not glossalalia, but love” (p. 117).

Since Bruce had no ax to grind against continuationists, all of us in the SBC do well to heed his point.  Biblically, there is no spiritual gift or amount of theological knowledge (see 1 Cor. 8:1-3) that makes any of us ’spiritual.’  It is only when those factors are combined with the love described in 13:4-7 that we can truly be considered spiritual.  Otherwise, we are simply swelled heads (8:1) or worthless religious exhibitionists (13:1-3).  God is totally unimpressed with our giftedness alone, only our loving use of the gifts he has chosen to place in the lives of each believer.

Now, to get on with the “big picture” of chapters 12-14:

- Paul begins by pointing out that the most important things about the “spiritual things” (Gk. pneumatikoi) operating in their midst are what their source is and who they glorify (12:1-3)

- As we saw last Wednesday, no believer, even if they theoretically had the exact same spiritual gifts and ministry job description (12:4-5), could take anyone else’s place in the church.  Why?  Because they cannnot produce the same effects/impact (12:6).  Every Christian is as unique as a snowflake in that respect.

- There is a wide variety of spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has chosen to give to individual Christians (12:7-11).

- But, the great diversity of gifts does not override the unity of the Body of Christ.  Also, the truth of the Body means that those with less spectacular giftings are just as important for the proper functioning of the Body (the church) as are any golden-tongued orator or other kind of leader (12:12-26).

- Still, some of the gifts are more important to the spiritual health and growth of the Body than others (12:27-31).

- The use of spectacular spiritual gifts without true God-like love is futile in the Lord’s eyes.  Others may be greatly impressed, but, to Him (and He is the One who matters most!), it is completely unprofitable spiritually (13:1-3).

- The kind of love that should be energizing every Christian’s use of his or her spiritual gifts is selfless and forgiving–the opposite of being a proud know-it-all (13:4-7).

- Besides, all spiritual gifts are temporary, while love will last eternally (13:8-13).

- “Public” spiritual gifts should be exercised for the purpose of the edification of the wider Body–or, if evangelistically, so that the gospel can be best understood, not primarily for self-edification (14:1-25).

- And, all spiritual gifts must be exercised “decently and in order” in church services (14:26-40) because “God is not a God of disorder” (14:33a, HCSB).

This is what we are going to be looking at together for the foreseeable future.  As I hope you can see from this overview summary, there is a great deal here that all of us in the SBC need to hear individually, in our congregations and as a corporate denomination.

What do you think?

Coming Wednesday: “What are ‘Spiritual Things’ (1 Cor. 12:1) and ‘Gifts of Grace?’”

Fridays are for Newspaper Articles

As always on Fridays, the following is my weekly article in the Canyon Lake (TX) Times-Guardian: 

(Note: Although the McCain camp has, since I wrote the article below, formally leaned on Mike Huckabee to drop out of the race, stating that he cannot mathematically win enough delegates to get the Republican nomination, Huckabee has not, at the time of this posting, complied.)

                   “A David and Goliath Story” 

            After “Super Tuesday,” I heard Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee say, “A young boy with a smooth stone can accomplish more than a great army.”  Huckabee was, of course, referring to the biblical story in 1 Samuel 17 in which young David killed the Philistine giant, Goliath, when a smooth stone thrown skillfully by David’s sling imbedded in the middle of the giant’s forehead.  And, given Huckabee’s continued pesky effectiveness this past Saturday, he may yet prove to have giant persuasive ability in regard to the details of the eventual Republican platform, even if he is not a figurative “giant killer” through the reminder of the primary/caucus season.

            I freely admit that I admire Mike Huckabee.  But, that is not as natural as some of you might think.  You see, I grew up in Mississippi, where there is not a natural fondness for folks from Arkansas, the state which they are used to competing with for 49^th or 50^th in things like literacy and average household income.  In addition, I was not impressed in the least by the governors of Arkansas who immediately preceded Huckabee, one of which landed in jail and the other one of which landed in the White House (but easily could have gone to jail for any of a number of reasons).

            By now, some of you are saying to yourselves, “Huckabee’s a former Baptist preacher.  That’s why you like him.” 

            That, however, is at best a half-truth.  You see, sadly, there are quite a few Baptist preachers I don’t admire at all.  There are a lot that I do, but it is by no means universal.  It all has to do with the authenticity of the particular person and whether their lifestyle stacks up with their words.  As they say, “You must walk the walk as well as talk the talk.” 

            Some of you may also be saying, “But, what about Huckabee pardoning those criminals as governor who went out and did some horrible things?  And, what about those times that he raised state taxes in Arkansas?”

            Frankly, I would imagine that any state chief executive who ever pardoned much of anybody lived to have regrets about what some of those pardoned went out and did later.  In Huckabee’s case, I have at least heard him take responsibility for his actions and I think he would have learned some very painful “I won’t make that mistake again” lessons in the process.

            In regard to the taxes, it is my understanding that at least Huckabee got some decent “bang for his buck” instead of it going down the tubes, as is so often the case with increased tax revenue.  What do I mean?  The parks system in Arkansas is now much better as a result of Huckabee’s administration, as is the state of health care and education.  In other words, as governor of Arkansas, Huckabee came a lot closer to being the “compassionate conservative” that George W. Bush ran as, but did not turn out to be nearly so much.

            No, Huckabee is not perfect.  Nobody who has ever lived (Romans 3:23), except Jesus, ever has been, and nobody else ever will.  And, no, I do not agree with Huckabee on every point.  But, then again, I can’t ever remember agreeing with anybody on every single point that came up. 

            In conclusion, Mike Huckabee seems to be that rarest kind of animal in the modern American political arena: A sincere, humble and godly man who is more interested in making a difference than in making a name—and a massive fortune—for himself.  May his tribe increase!

 

Coming Monday: “A ‘Big Picture’ Understanding and Application of 1 Corinthians 12-14″

The Holy Spirit and the Southern Baptist Convention Today (XXIII): “Different Gifts… Different Ministries… Different Impacts”

Besides the hopefully blatantly obvious ethical problems related to nepotism and cronyism, there is a very good biblical reason why such unsavory practices should be completely done away with in the Southern Baptist Convention, as well as why strict term limits should be instituted.  It is laid out by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6: “Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different ministries, but the same Lord.  And there are different activities, but the same God is active in everyone and everything” (HCSB).

Maybe you are thinking “What in the world do these verses in this classic passage on spiritual gifts have to do with nepotism, cronyism and term limits?”  I’m really glad you asked (even if you didn’t think you did!).

First, let me lay out quickly the meaning of verses 4-6 by use of my own interpretive paraphrase:

- Verse 4: There are a variety of “giftings bestowed by God’s grace” (the literal meaning of the Greek charisma), but they are all given by the Holy Spirit (see also vv. 7 and 11 in this context).

- Verse 5: There are a variety of specific places of service (i.e., ministries) in which those spiritual gifts are used, though they are all intended to glorify the same Lord.

- Verse 6: There are also a wide variety of “outworkings” (Greek energema) of these various gifts, but it is God who is bringing about all these very different impacts.

What is the Apostle Paul trying to get at here?  It is clearly that no Christian can take any other believer’s place in the Body of Christ.  That is, if we are not all functioning through the effective use of our spiritual gifts, the wider church is impoverished by the lack of the intended gifted variety of the Body (vv. 4-6).

You may be saying, “Come again!  How did you get that out of vv. 4-6?” 

Maybe the following obvious practical implication of vv. 4-6 will help you see this point: Even if you happened to have the exact same spiritual gift as someone else (v. 4), and even if you had the exact same ministry (i.e., title and job description; v.5), your ministry will not have the same impact (v.6).  In other words, Christians are like snowflakes in the practical outworking of their Spirit-gifted ministries–no two have ever been, or will ever be, exactly alike.

So, what does this have to do with the need for the SBC to make a clean break with nepotism and cronyism and to institute strict term limits?  Well, far beyond the fact that these changes would greatly improve our ethical standards and, in a general sense, bring new blood into leadership, we would stop cheating ourselves out of the blessings of the God-intended variety within the Body that is laid out in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6. 

Just think about it for a moment.  Even if, for example, the SBC was to conclude that only people with gifts for leading (v. 4) should be elected or appointed to the various leadership roles (i.e., ministries; v. 5) of the SBC, are there not many more who have those gifts and could admirably fill those ministries among our 6 million members than are ever given the opportunity to serve?  And, does not v. 6 make it clear as a bell that we are missing out on the variety of outworkings that God intended by simply re-cycling the same old leaders?

Bottom line: I would go so far as to say that the rampant nepotism and cronyism and re-cycling of those in elected or appointed leadership roles in the SBC is ditrectly contrary to God’s will, as it is clearly expressed in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.  No, the leadership “in crowd” approach that has ruled the roost all these years in the SBC indeed is not much different at all than what takes place in most of our local churches.  But, that does not make it right.  If anything, that is simply using a lame excuse to deny the spotlighted truth of God’s Spirit-applied plan for variety in the Body, which Paul tells us about in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.

There is no lack of wonderfully gifted people in the SBC.  If it has ever been the case, the need to get beyond the “same old… same old” is a crying one at the moment.  And, a competely biblical way to do that is to bring in a whole new wave of gifted brothers and sisters, whose impacts will move us beyond the current ruts in which we are stuck.

That’s what I understand the Scripture to be saying.  What do you think? 

Coming Friday: “Fridays are for Newspaper Articles”

Coming Monday: “A ‘Big Picture’ Understanding and Application of 1 Corinthians 12-14″

Break in Series: “Powerful Political Parallels for the SBC to Ponder”

I was thinking about the following earlier today and decided to take a “break” from the Holy Spirit series for this one post.  As I think you will agree, the thoughts I am about to present are at least worth considering.

Unless you have been hiding in the back of a cave during the recent Republican primaries and caucuses–not a few of which have been in the South, where this is the greatest concentration of Southern Baptists, you have probably noticed these two interesting trends: 1) Conservative Republicans are not following the lead (i.e., endorsements) of their previously-assumed “leaders.”  What I mean, of course, is that many such conservatives–including a huge number of Southern Baptists, almost surely–clearly are voting for candidates other than the one(s) their group spokesperson(s) “anointed.”  (More on this later.); and 2) Because of an unlikely movement hanging on and gathering momentum, there is a very real possibility of leveraging the party platform in a more conservative direction.  Basically, what that means is that the only realistic hope to unite the party to move ahead together before the general election is to listen to the gathering force of the unlikely minority–which is a much bigger percentage than thought even a couple of weeks ago–and make some needed changes.  In other words, the leader and his group can keep going in the directions they are and probably win the nomination short-term.  But, without the other group, the long-term forecast is somewhere between bleak and absolutely disastrous.

You may be wondering why I have not used the names McCain and Huckabee so far, even though it is clear that I am talking about them and those who support them.  Here’s why: Because I wanted you to think more about the observed trends and less about the political figures themselves.  I wanted you to do that so that it would be easier for you to see how both apply fairly directly to the current political situation in the SBC.

In regard to the first trend, the powers that be in the SBC ignoring Mike Huckabee early on, simply because he did not play footsy with them 100% back in the ’80s, is now blowing up in their faces.  If they don’t back him now, because they don’t think he can win, and instead back McCain, they are revealing themselves to be nothing more than pragmatists.  And, if they say nothing at all, they are simply proving how irrelevant they are becoming.  If, however, they do choose to back Huckabee after all, it will come across as “arriving late to the dance,” unless, of course, they are repentant in choosing to embrace a brother to whom several have, to this point, given the cold shoulder, even when he has tried to reach out to them.

In further application of this trend, should not the powers that be in the SBC be quaking in their boots over concern about whether this trend will bleed over into SBC internal affairs?  After all, the election of Frank Page in Greensboro and the passage of the Garner Motion in San Antonio are already significant instances in which the “Convention-al” wisdom (excuse that terrible pun!) has been turned on its ear.  The question that remains is: Were those “blips” in the overall pattern of the last nearly 30 years, or were they powerful examples of this trend of no longer ”following the leader” any more, for no better/stonger reason than he/they say so?

In regard to the second trend, it is certainly true that, short-term, Al Mohler may be able to win in Indy, then Louisville, and that the “covert ops phase” of the Regurgence/Dominance may be able to keep cramming things down the SBC’s throat through the “apocrpyhal” back-door means of legislating doctrine through entity trustee boards.  But, the momentum against this “divine right of kings” approach to Convention leadership is gathering and the long-term consequences of continuing to ignore the desperate need for reform in the SBC inevitably will be disastrous.

You may be thinking to yourself, “These trends may indeed be playing out before our eyes in the political realm.  But, why should we think that things out of the political world would apply to the ’spiritual’ world of the SBC?”

My answer: “That would be a very good question if the SBC really was a ’spiritual’ world.  However, if truth be told, the SBC is little, if any, more spiritual than the Republican Party–to which many SBC big wigs have staked their loyalty without requiring any sort of meaningful accountability from the Republicans–in the way it conducts its business, especially in the way it elects its officers and appoints its committees and trustees.”

The long-term choices appear to be either: 1) The current narrowing can continue for awhile until the dramatic shrinkage of the SBC becomes so apparent that even the realistic 6 million of us that are left in 2008 will be a distant memory and there will be much regret that nobody in power listened to the legitimate cries for reform; or 2) As McCain is going to have to humble himself to forge a meeting of the minds with Huckabee in order to have any chance for long-term success, so the proud leaders of the SBC establishment are going to have to meet halfway the various constituencies among us who have asked for reform in recent years in various ways (i.e., not just bloggers, but younger leaders and others).  If they don’t, it is altogether likely that they will find themselves presiding over an SBC whose glory will fade like that of the British Empire, but much more rapidly.  It is at once as simple, and as sad, as that.

Coming Wednesday: “Different Gifts, Different Ministries… Different Impacts”

Fridays are for Newspaper Articles

The following, as always, is my weekly article for the Canyon Lake (TX) Times-Guardian: 

                                  “Super ______?” 

            I’m writing this article the day after the Super Bowl and on the eve of so-called “Super Tuesday.”  Hence, I am, at least calendar-wise, surrounded today by super-ness—if that is a word.

            But, whether or not “super-ness” is a legitimate addition to our vocabulary, the word “super” is completely acceptable and widely used.  It simply means that something is “of superior size, quality or grade,” with “super” being a shortened version of superior.

            With that meaning in mind, we do well not just to ask what makes the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday “super.”  We should also ask about who ends up having the superior showing in these “super” events.

            The answers to the first question are easy.  In the context of the merger between the American Football League and the old NFL, the Super Bowl name was created to set apart the championship game of the National Football League as above and beyond any other sporting championship… and, it has kept its word.           

            Similarly, Super Tuesday derives its name from the fact that almost half the states in the U.S., and well over half of its population were voting in political primaries on February 5, 2008.  Nothing this extensive had ever happened before.

            In answer to the second question: The New York Giants stunned the experts and sporting fans world-wide by beating the previously-undefeated (18-0, no less!) New England Patriots.  To put it another way, the Patriots clearly appeared to be the superior team leading into the game, but, nevertheless, they were defeated by the Giants.

            But, since Super Tuesday is a day beyond when I’m tapping this out on my computer, there is no way for me to know for sure at this point who will be the superior candidate(s).  According to the polls, it looks like McCain is solidifying on the Republican side and Obama is surging in Democratic ranks.  But, then, the New England Patriots were installed as prohibitive favorites before the Super Bowl (and, apparently, I was one of the few fools who actually thought the Giants could win).  So, who knows what is actually going to happen?  (You will by the time you read this, of course.)

            While we’re on the subject of “super” things, I would like to bring up the word “supernatural.”  By the definition I provided above, it obviously means that which is superior in quality to the realm of nature.

            How is the supernatural realm superior to the natural realm?  It is superior in respect to the fact that it does not have to obey the laws of nature, because it is over and beyond nature.  That means that God and the angels, who inhabit the supernatural realm, but are not visible to our limited physical eyesight, can do miracles and answer prayers that don’t make sense when compared with the laws of nature simply because they are carried out by supernatural power.

            What difference does that make to me, you might say?  Well, it could make a huge difference.  You see, when things appear a certain way according to the natural way of looking at things, you cannot afford to stop there in your analysis.  You would be discounting the entire supernatural realm, including the fact that God may see fit for things to work out very differently and He can make sure that happens by acting supernaturally.

            Do you know this God who rules the supernatural realm and is far more “super” than the Super Bowl or Super Tuesday?  If you don’t, all you have to do is believe in Jesus’ death on the Cross as enough to accomplish the eternally “super” effect of paying for all your sins—past, present and future.

 

Coming Monday: “Different Gifts, Different Ministries, Different Impacts”