QUALIFIED To DECIDE-III—1Corinthians 6:1-11
OR Qualified To Rectify
Attention:
Shoe Cover-Up:
One day a man found himself in a pickle because he had to drive his secretary home after she fell quite ill at work.
He felt ill at ease about the situation, even though it was an innocent gesture. But he decided not to mention it to his wife, because he didn’t want her to think anything was inappropriate.
Later, that night the man & his wife were driving to a restaurant.
Suddenly he looked down & spotted a high-heel shoe half hidden under the passenger seat.
Not wanting to be conspicuous, he waited until his wife was looking out her window before he scooped up the shoe & tossed it out of the car. With a sigh of relief, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot...
That's when he noticed his wife squirming around in her seat.
She asked, “Honey, have you seen my other shoe?"
That husband was not the most Qualified to Decide because he did not recognize his own wife’s shoe!
Paul rebuked the Corinthian Christians because they sought out & trusted secular sources to rectify personal grievances among themselves.
‘Grievance’—‘A real or imagined wrong or other cause for complaint or protest, especially unfair treatment.’
‘Rectify’—‘To put(something) right; To correct.’
The Church & Christians are uniquely fitted for properly rectifying personal grievances among themselves.
How/When are Christians fit to rectifying personal grievances?
6 confirmations that Christians are uniquely qualified to properly rectify personal grievances.
We have already found that Christians are qualified to rectify grievances thru Their...
1. DARING/Boldness(:1)
2. DESTINY(:2a & :3a)
3—Christians are qualified to rectify grievances thru Their...
INFERENCE(s)(:2b & :3b-4)
Explanation:(:2b & :3b-4)Extrapolation/Application/Deduction/Conclusion
:2—“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”
:3—“Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?”
Inference—“a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence & reasoning.”
--What’s the evidence?—That we will judge “the world & angels”(:2a, 3a).
--What’s the inference?—That we are competent/qualified to judge earthy matters—“things that pertain to this life”--even to “the smallest matters.”
*Because the true church is obviously competent to make official & decisive decisions that carry eternal weight regarding right vs. wrong in “matters” of our/this earthy life...therefore Christians likewise are uniquely qualified to righteously “judge” among their own.
*Given that “saints” will one day be involved in “judging” the ultimate ends of eternal matters(:2a, 3a), therefore “saints” are surely competent enough for any decisions among themselves at the smallest, finite, & earthly level.
Since there is a grand scheme that is ordained of God, And one of which Christians are an integral part, then that scheme obviously holds true in all matters of life...in both temporal & eternal matters...even of those matters that we deem of smallest or least importance.
*By trusting their grievances to the secular courtroom & secular judgment, the Corinthian Christians were openly but unwittingly declaring that they were “unworthy” judges!
Seeing that saint’s are destined to one day declare &/or render official decisiveness in the spiritual realm, it is vital that the church take to heart such a God-ordained privilege in “this life.”
Paul’s argument highlights the pivotal role which personal submission to God plays in a person’s fulfilling God’s will.
Jesus voiced this principle about the all-encompassing importance of earthy & spiritual matters:
Lk. 16:10—“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; & he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”
Judas was unfaithful in little(God’s kingdom here on earth), & would also be unfaithful in much(God’s kingdom in fullness).
Jn. 12:2-6—“There they made Him a supper; & Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, & wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii & given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, & had the money box; & he used to take what was put in it.”
The so-called ‘official’ decisions by Christians & by the church in “this life” are to deal more with personal opportunity for moment-by-moment repentance & obedience, rather than a concern with obtaining reward & avoiding punishment or meting out punishment on others.
Every seemingly “small” thing you are involved in as a Christian— every step, every decision, every thought you entertain & employ, is of vital importance to every second of the present & future! There are eternal, spiritual ramifications to our every thought & action!
“How Much more”—mhti ge—mhti or mh ti—Particle—1) Whether, at all, perchance.. Strong—Whether at all.—&—ge—Particle—1) Indeed, truly, at least; 2) Even; 3) If indeed, seeing that. Strong—a primary particle of emphasis or qualification(often used with other particles prefixed). Used 9X.
From—mhti or mh ti(from mh[a primary particle of qualified negation] & the neuter of tiv[an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object])—Whether at all.
“Unworthy/Not Competent”—anaxiov—Adj.—1) Unworthy, unfit for a thing. Strong—Unfit. Used 1X.
From—A(as a negative particle)—&—axiov—Deserving, comparable or suitable (as if drawing praise).
“Judge/Constitute”(See :4)—krithrion—Noun Neuter—1) The instrument or means of trying or judging anything—1a) The rule by which one judges; 2) The place where judgment is given—2a) The tribunal of a judge, 2b) A bench of judges; 3) The matter judged, thing to be decided, suit, case. Strong—neuter of a presumed derivative of krithv[one who passes or arrogates to himself, judgment on anything]; A rule of judging("criterion"), i.e. by implication--A tribunal. Used 3X.
English=‘Criterion’(a determining or judgment point)
“Smallest/Trivial”—elacistov—Adj.—1) Smallest least—1a) In size, 1b) In amount: of management of affairs, 1c) In importance: what is the least moment, 1d) In authority: of commandments, 1e) In the estimation of men: of persons, 1f) In rank & excellence: of persons. Strong—superlative of elacuv(short); used as equivalent to mikrov; Least(in size, amount, dignity, etc.). Used 13X.
“Matters/Law courts”—Added for emphasis per “Judgement”(krithrion).
“Pertain to this life/Matters of this Life”(See :4)—Adj.—biwtikov—1) Pertaining to life & the affairs of this life. Strong—Relating to the present existence. RWP—Biwtika occurs first in Aristotle, but is common afterwards. In the papyri it is used of business matters. It is from biov(manner of life in contrast to zwh, life principle). Used 3X.
From biow—1) To spend life, live. Strong—To spend existence. :4—“If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?”
It is conclusively deduced/reasoned from :2b & :3b, that Since secular courts exist to make judgments in a worldly setting, Then no church should ever “appoint/set(up)” or depend upon unbelievers as unequivocal judges of their(church--spiritual) matters!
Secular law courts exist which deal with matters of “this life” only, which are ‘naturally’ separate from God’s church. Thereby such courts should never be employed(“appoint”) to ‘officially’ handle spiritual matters regarding Christ & Christians.
*These judges from the world should be “least esteemed” by the church because the world, operating out of an entirely natural framework, is incapable of unbiased, honest, & open-minded spiritual discernment(2:12-16).
1Cor. 2:9-16—“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
The world ironically shuts out any so-called ‘open-mindedness’ as it ‘naturally’ chooses ignorance & it’s distance from the fullness of reality, by rejecting the One aspect of reality that is solid!...God Himself!
No judge in Christian matters should be a non-Christian! And all matters encompass Christian matters!
As the local prison chaplain said, ‘Be careful where you get your counsel from.’ ‘If it’s bad counsel, it’s not from God.’
The whole point is that the Church “should grasp the opportunity to demonstrate the power of grace to non-believers by resolving such disputes themselves. Unless it is missionary, the church is untrue to itself.”—ECNT(D.E. Garland)
“Have”—ecw or scew—Present Active Subjunctive 2nd Plural—1) To have, i.e. To hold—1a) To have(hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have(hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as; 2) To have i.e. Own, possess. Strong— a primary verb; To hold(used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possessions; ability, continuity, relation, or condition).
“Judgments/Law courts”(See :3)—krithrion—Noun Neuter—1) The instrument or means of trying or judging anything—1a) The rule by which one judges; 2) The place where judgment is given—2a) The tribunal of a judge, 2b) A bench of judges; 3) The matter judged, thing to be decided, suit, case. Strong—neuter of a presumed derivative of krithv; A rule of judging("criterion"), i.e. by implication--A tribunal. Used 3X.
English=‘Criterion’(a determining or judgment point)
“Concerning/Dealing with”—Added for English clarity.
“Things Pertaining to this life/Matters of life”(See :3)—Adj.—biwtikov—1) Pertaining to life & the affairs of this life. Strong—Relating to the present existence. RWP—Biwtika occurs first in Aristotle, but is common afterwards. In the papyri it is used of business matters. It is from biov(manner of life in contrast to zwh, life principle). Used 3X.
From biow—1) To spend life, live. Strong—To spend existence.
“Appoint/Set up”—kayizw—Present Active Indicative 2nd Plural—1) To make to sit down—1a) To set, appoint, to confer a kingdom on one; 2) intransitively—2a) To sit down, 2b) To sit—2b1) To have fixed one's abode, 2b2) To sojourn, to settle, settle down. Strong—another (active)form for kayezomai[To sit down]; To seat down, i.e. Set(figuratively,--Appoint); intransitively--To sit(down); figuratively--To settle(hover, dwell).
“These”—toutouv—Pronoun—1) These. Strong—accusative case plural masculine of outov, outoi, auth, autai; These(persons, as objective of verb or preposition).
“Least esteemed/Of No Account”—exouyenew—Verb—1) To make of no account, despise utterly. Strong—a variation of exoudenow & meaning the same; To make utterly nothing of, i.e. Despise. Used 11X.
From—ek/ex—1) Out of, from, by, away from. Strong—a primary preposition denoting origin(the point whence action or motion proceeds), From, out(of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote).—& a derivative of the neuter of—oudeiv/feminine oudemia/neuter ouden—Not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e. None, nobody, nothing.
“Church”—ekklhsia—Noun Fem.—Strong—A calling out, i.e. concretely--A popular meeting, especially a religious congregation(Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both).
“Judge/Judges”—added for English to extend thought from :3.
Argumentation:
1Cor. 5:12-13—“For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
2Cor. 10:3-6—“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments & every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, & being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Mat. 18:7-9, 15-20—“Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off & cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out & cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.”.....“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go & tell him his fault between you & him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’[Deut. 19:15; 17:6] “And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen & a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, & whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Isa. 8:13-20—“The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling & a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap & a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall & be broken, Be snared & taken.” Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. Here am I & the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs & wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums & wizards, who whisper & mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law & to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
Mk. 7:1-9—“Then the Pharisees & some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees & all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received & hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, & couches. Then the Pharisees & scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered & said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers & cups, & many other such things you do.” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”
Illustration:
If people would only grasp the connection between their future with God in heaven & that future life’s significance for their life now!...What a difference it would make in the church’s wisdom, ministry, & the recognition of Christ to the world!
If your inferences/reasonings/deductions lead you to continual strife among the family of God, then there is a high likelihood that your inferences are faulty.
And If that is the case, then You need to reboot, & delve into God’s written revelation, hit your knees in prayer, & reconsider God, reconsider His standing, reconsider His overall purposes, & reconsider how those purposes involve yourself!
These if’s are what Christians ‘should’ deal with every moment of every day!
There is a palm seedling located in the back yard of the pastorium/It was probably planted by a bird sitting on the electric wire directly above it/The bird eats the fruit by swallowing the entire fruit—seed & all/It digests the fruit & expels the seed while sitting on the wire singing a beautiful song/If undisturbed, the seed works its way into the ground & germinates/Over the years it puts out new leaves & continually grows in girth & height/Eventually it becomes a danger to the inflow of electricity because it gets tall enough to reach the wires/If left to itself, the tree will stress the wires so that they may fray or short-out or even snap/During a storm the extra stress on the wire will cause the electricity to fail/INFERENCE(s)—Do not plant a seemingly small tree underneath a power line!
The moral of the story is, Know/Identify the ‘trees’ in your life! All matters(trees) in this earthy life relate to either one’s spiritual demise or well-being!
Do not buy a ‘cute little puppy’ if you’re not willing to sacrifice for it’s well-being!/There are physical & spiritual ramifications to your decision/INFERENCE(s)
Do not have children if you’re not willing to change your direction for the sake of their well-being!/There are physical & spiritual ramifications to your hormonal & behavioral & societal decisions!/INFERENCE(s)
Application:
?Your INFERENCE(s) Qualify or Dis-Qualify you to Rectify Personal Grievances?
?You Qualified/Fit to properly Rectify Personal Grievances?
4—Christians are qualified to rectify grievances thru Their...
WISDOM(:5-6)
Explanation:(:5-6)
:5—“I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?”
Paul writes the above directives to the “shame” of the Corinthian church. “Shame” is no small matter:
English “Shame”=“a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.” “caused to feel...inadequate or foolish by being outdone or surpassed by persons or events, so that one’s dignity is damaged.”
“Shame”—entroph—Noun Fem.—1) Shame; 2) Respect, reverence. Entroph stands somewhat between the other two words[aidwv[moral repugnance to doing a dishonorable act] & aiscunh[fear of being found out]] in meaning, but in the N.T. leans to the nobler side, indicating that wholesome shame which leads a man to consideration of his condition if it is unworthy, & to a change of conduct for the better. Strong—Confusion. Used 2X.
English=‘Entropy/Entropic’—Lack of order or predictability—random(ness), deterioration.
From—entrepw—To invert, i.e. (figuratively & reflexively)in a good sense--To respect; or in a bad one--To confound. RWP—The idea is to have one's thoughts turned in on oneself.
The Corinthians are effectively saying that there is no one in their midst with enough godly fortitude & wisdom who is capable of making godly, proper decisions between their own Christian “brothers.”
“Wise man”—sofov—Adj.—1) Wise—1a) Skilled, expert: of artificers, 1b) Wise, skilled in letters, cultivated, learned—1b1) Of the Greek philosophers & orators, 1b2) Of Jewish theologians, 1b3) of Christian teachers, 1c) forming the best plans & using the best means for their execution. Sofov denotes wise, skilled, an expert. Strong—Wise(in a most general application).
“Among”—en—
“Not even”—oude—Conjunction—1) But not, neither, nor, not even. Strong—Not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.
From—ou—1) No, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer. Strong—a primary word; the absolute negative [compare mh] adverb; No or not.—&—de—1) But, moreover, &, etc..
“One”—eiv—Numeral—1) One. Strong—(including the neuter[etc.] en hen); a primary numeral; One.
“Able”—dunamai—Future Middle Deponent Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability & resources, or of a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom; 2) To be able to do something; 3) To be capable, strong & powerful. Strong—To be able or possible.
“Judge/Decide”—diakrinw—Aorist Active Infinitive—1) To separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer; 2) To learn by discrimination, to try, decide—2a) To determine, give judgment, decide a dispute; 3) To withdraw from one, desert; 4) To separate one's self in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with dispute, contend; 5) To be at variance with one's self, hesitate, doubt. Strong—to separate thoroughly, i.e. literally & reflexively--To withdraw from, or by implication--Oppose; figuratively--To discriminate(by implication--Decide), or reflexively--Hesitate.
“Between”—ana mesov——ana—Preposition—1) Into the midst, in the midst, amidst, among, between. Strong—a primary preposition & adverb; properly--Up; but by extension(used distributively)--Severally, or locally--At(etc.). Used 15X.—&—mesov—Adj.—1) Middle; 2) The midst; 3) In the midst of, amongst. Strong—Middle(as an adjective or [neuter] noun).
“Brethren”(See :6, 8)—adelfov—Noun Masc.—1) A brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother; 2) Having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman; 3) Any fellow or man; 4) A fellow believer, united to another by the bond of affection; 5) An associate in employment or office; 6) Brethren in Christ—6a) His brothers by blood, 6b) All men, 6c) Apostles, 6d) Christians, as those who are exalted to the same heavenly place. Strong—from A(as a connective particle) & delfuv(the womb); A brother(literally or figuratively) near or remote.
:6—“But brother goes to law against brother, & that before unbelievers!”
Instead of acting thru the Holy Spirit driving their reasoning, they are relying upon secular/“unbelieving” courts to decide spiritual disagreements. Thereby they have chosen to rely upon human reasoning alone without the Spirit of God. What a disgrace!
“Before unbelievers”—cf.-:1--“...before the unrighteous...”
One must ask what such a public scenario says to the lost about the power of God thru the Church. Both God & His Church are disgraced, dishonored, & sidelined as mere religion.
“Brother”2X(See :5, 8)—adelfov—
“Goes to Law”(See :1, 7)—krinw—Present Passive Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose; 2) To approve, esteem, to prefer; 3) To be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion; 4) To determine, resolve, decree; 5) To judge—5a) To pronounce an opinion concerning right & wrong—5a1) To be judged, i.e. summoned to trial that one's case may be examined & judgment passed upon it, 5b) To pronounce judgment, to subject to censure—5b1) of those who act the part of judges or arbiters in matters of common life, or pass judgment on the deeds & words of others; 6) To rule, govern—6a) To preside over with the power of giving judicial decisions, because it was the prerogative of kings & rulers to pass judgment; 7) To contend together, of warriors & combatants—7a) To dispute, 7b) in a forensic sense—7b1) To go to law, have suit at law. Strong—properly--To distinguish, i.e. Decide(mentally or judicially); by implication--To try, condemn, punish.
“Before”(See :1)—epi—Preposition—1) Upon, on, at, by, before; 2) of position--On, at, by, over, against; 3) To, over, on, at, across, against. Strong—properly, meaning superimposition(of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution[with the genitive case], i.e. Over, upon, etc.; of rest(with the det.)--At, on, etc.; of direction(with the accusative case)--Towards, upon, etc.
“Unbelievers”—apistov—Adj.—1) Unfaithful, faithless, (not to be trusted, perfidious); 2) Incredible—2a) Of things; 3) Unbelieving, incredulous—3a) Without trust(in God). Strong—actively--Disbelieving, i.e. Without Christian faith(specially, a heathen); passively--Untrustworthy(person), or Incredible(thing).
From—A(as a negative particle)—&—pistov—objectively--Trustworthy; subjectively--Trustful.
Argumentation:
1Cor. 1:26-31—“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, & God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; & the base things of the world & the things which are despised God has chosen, & the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption-- that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
Acts 6:1-6—“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples & said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God & serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit & wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer & to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith & the Holy Spirit, & Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, & Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; & when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.”
Mat. 11:16-19—“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces & calling to their companions, “& saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.’ “For John came neither eating nor drinking, & they say, ‘He has a demon.’ “The Son of Man came eating & drinking, & they say, ‘Look, a glutton & a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors & sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
Mat. 13:53-58—“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished & said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom & these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, & Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country & in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
Isa. 40:13-14—“Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, & who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding?”
Jn. 16:13-15—“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; & He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine & declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine & declare it to you.”
1Cor. 2:16—“For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
Job 38:36—“Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?”
Prov. 1:7—“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom & instruction.”
Prov. 2:1-11, 20-22—“My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge & understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness & justice, Equity & every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,”.....“So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness. For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it; But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.”
Js. 1:5-8—“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally & without reproach, & it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven & tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Js. 3:13-18—“Who is wise & understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy & self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast & lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy & self-seeking exist, confusion & every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy & good fruits, without partiality & without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
Illustration:
Fire in a fireplace within your home can provide warmth for the whole house, a sense of soothing comfort, & even a means of cooking/Open Fire can be inside a home & not destroy it!/But if an open fire is left to itself without any restraint, it will destroy everything it touches!/It will multiply & compound itself, if it contacts anything that will fuel it/WISDOM
Music tastes & music adherences may be two very different things/The vast majority of available music is produced by those without Christ/Thus a very small minority is produced by those with Christ/All ‘music’ is lyricized from the heart/If the heart is driven by flesh alone, then the lyrics & music will show it/Likewise, if the heart is driven by Christ alone, then the lyrics & music will show it!/Our job as Christians is to be discerners of & witnesses to God’s presence in the ‘music’/WISDOM
“It requires wisdom to understand wisdom; the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.”—SermonCentral Staff
Native hunters in the jungles of Africa trap monkeys by slicing a coconut in two, hollow it out, & in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other coconut half before fastening together the two halves of the coconut shell. Finally, they secure the coconut to a tree with a rope, retreat into the jungle, & wait.
Sooner or later, an unsuspecting monkey swings by, smells the delicious orange, & discovers its location inside the coconut. The monkey then slips his hand through the small hole, grasps the orange, & tries to pull it through the hole. Of course, the monkey’s hand holding the orange won’t come out because now both together are too big for the hole. To no avail the persistent monkey continues to pull & pull
While the monkey struggles with the orange, the hunters simply stroll in & capture the monkey by throwing a net over him. As long as the monkey keeps his fist wrapped around the orange, the monkey is trapped.
It’s too bad-the poor monkey could save its own life if it would let go of the orange. It rarely occurs to a monkey, however, that it can’t have both the orange & its freedom. That delicious orange becomes a deadly trap.
The world sets traps for you that are not unlike the monkey trap. You hear constantly that if you just have enough money, enough stuff, enough power, enough prestige--then you’ll be happy. Under that illusion people spend their whole lives thinking you must have it all.
The call of Christianity is unlike that of the world. The world focus’ on what you & get out of life. A Christian should focus on what they can give.
Application:
?Your WISDOM Qualify or Dis-Qualify you to Rectify Personal Grievances?
?You Qualified/Fit to properly Rectify Personal Grievances?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The husband who unknowingly tossed his own wife’s shoe out of the car...“Honey, have you seen my other shoe?"
Action:
Christians are qualified to rectify grievances thru Their...
3. INFERENCE(s)(:2b & :3b-4)
4. WISDOM(:5-6)
1. DARING/Boldness(:1)
2. DESTINY(:2a & :3a)
Pts. 3-4 presented 04/21/2017pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
