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Fall Quarter 2023: God’s Law Is Love
Unit 3: Christ Frees, Law Enslaves
Lesson 13
Sunday School Lesson for the week of November 26, 2023
By Craig Rikard
Devotional Reading: James 1:19-27
Background Scripture: I Corinthians 8; 10:23-11:1
Key Text: I Cor. 10:23b
Lesson Aims
- To realize there are moments when our response might be in concert with Scripture but not beneficial to the non-believer before us.
- To more fully understand what it means to live for the common good as a Christian.
- To recognize the importance of prayerful consideration in all our actions and speech.
- To learn the importance of praying for discernment in seeking to maintain a clear conscience and remain a viable witness of Jesus Christ.
Introduction
I want to thank all who read and taught this quarter’s lessons. Delving into Paul’s doctrinal writing is never easy but always profitable. May God bless you as we complete this unit. This entire unit has been related to the real intent of the Mosaic Law and its intimate relationship to the Shema, Deut. 6:4. Paul understood that the Shema was the one spiritual dynamic that would bind Jew and Gentile Christians together. Of course, Jesus was the embodiment, the fulfillment of the Shema. Thus, our unity has always ultimately been made possible through our common faith in Jesus Christ.
Historical/Theological Background
Corinth
Corinth, understood in today’s language, was an appointment many would hope the Bishop would never appoint them as pastor. The church was riddled with problems. Not only did they have the problem of melding Jew and Gentile together, they also struggled with their moral life, especially the sin of hubris. Some refer to Corinth as “sin city.” Those with certain spiritual gifts viewed themselves as more important than others with less public gifts. They struggled to understand the common ground that existed at the foot of the cross.
Corinth was an isthmus jutting out into the Mediterranean from southern Greece. It was inhabited by both Jews and Greeks, but Greek culture was far more dominant. Paul spent a lot of time with Corinthians, staying at the home of Aquilla and Pricilla. Just 146 years prior to Jesus, the men of Corinth were brutally killed by the Romans, and their women and children become slaves. The city was burned to the ground and remained charred rubble for almost 100 years.
The city and the surrounding area were eventually rebuilt and became a thriving area for commerce. The currents were so strong around the isthmus that ships often sank as they engaged in trade. Therefore, a system was created to literally carry the ship across the land of Corinth and relaunched on the other side. Therefore, the people were exposed to a myriad of thoughts, philosophies, and religions. As Corinth grew in wealth it also grew more hedonistic. Perhaps their hedonism was the sinful response after years of pain, loss, and struggle. However, Paul knew that such a lifestyle did not give life, it destroyed life in the end. The body may have known pleasure, but the heart did not know peace, real hope, or the transforming power of God’s love.
Greek Thought
Though many Jewish Christians were part of the Corinthian church, a large population of Gentile Christians also were part of the family. Most thought like Greeks. One of the major differences between the Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians was the nature of the soul. In Judaism one could talk about the body, soul, heart and spirit as distinct parts of man and woman. However, they believed they were
inseparable. A man or woman was one integral whole, and thus we could not separate any facet of our being from another. Heart, soul, mind, and body were all intertwined and were inseparable. Thus, after death, there will be a day of bodily resurrection, with the entire body and its parts renewed.
In Greek thought the soul was distinct from the body. As a matter of fact, the body was an impediment and almost useless in the pursuit of spirituality. Thus, at death the soul leaves the body and finds its eternal purpose. In his early letters Paul strongly believed in the bodily resurrection. (Read I and II Thessalonians). However, as Paul ministered in the Greek world his understanding of what happens when we die broadened. Remember, Paul’s faith was not static. He was always growing in faith and understanding. He still believed in a day when the body would be resurrected. However, he also wrote, “I am willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” Reconciling the Jewish and Greek understanding of death remained a difficult struggle. There are certain mysteries in our faith that are unknowable in this life. However, they drive us to our knees in prayer and create “spiritual seeking” within the heart.
Do you believe most of our funerals are more Jewish in thought or Greek? Do we really have to know what happens at death since Jesus revealed we have eternal life? What is certain for us as Christians at death and beyond death?
This understanding in Greek thought helps us understand many of the issues afflicting Corinth and giving rise to hedonism. Many Greeks so distinguished the body from the soul they thought one could do with their body what they pleased and it would have no bearing on their spiritual lives. In other words, one could be sexually promiscuous and still be spiritually righteous!!!
Christianity taught that righteousness always began with a transformed, loving heart that effected our behavior. Our outer life should be as righteous and loving as our soul. Proverbs reads, “Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?” (Proverbs 6: 27-33) The proverb is saying if we have a destructive, unrighteous heart it will affect our outer life. This also means that if we have a loving, righteous heart it will affect our outer life for the good.
Our text today addresses how we are to live our outer Christian life in a culture that is not Christian, or a situation in which the Christians with whom we fellowship hold to a very different interpretation of righteousness. Paul has taught, above all, the heart matters most. If our hearts are transformed by Jesus, and we embrace the Shema through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it affects how we act, especially in the presence of others. For Paul there was no separating the heart and one’s actions. Poor actions are destructive to a loving heart. Righteous actions contribute to a loving heart. A loving heart will lead to righteous actions. A self-centered heart will lead to sin.
Walking Through the Text
“I have the right to do anything you say; but not everything is beneficial”
Some of the Christians at Corinth had taken Paul’s teaching on being liberated from the Law too far. They had adopted an attitude, “I can do what I please, for I am not bound by the Law.” It is true they were not bound by the Law, but they were bound by THE LAW. They were bound by the Shema. Through Jesus and the power of the Spirit we are to live a life of incredible, selfless love. We obey the Shema, not to gain salvation, but because we are the recipients of that love from and through Jesus. We did not deserve the love revealed by Jesus and imparted by the Holy Spirit. There was nothing we can do to deserve it. Remember, in I John 4:10 it reads, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” We live the Shema because we are the recipients of the Shema through Jesus.
In what ways do you think our witness may become prideful? Do you think as Christians we have learned well when to speak and when to listen? Are our actions often too “loud”? Can you share a moment in which you witnessed a well-intended Christian do more harm than good with their words and actions? How can we set boundaries that warn us when our words and actions are nearing self-centeredness?
Though we are liberated from the rites, rituals and laws of Judaism, it does not mean we flaunt our liberty. There is a standard by which we judge when to ignore such tenets of Judaism and when to keep them. That standard is THE COMMON GOOD (as defined by God)! If a Christian was asked to dine with a non-Christian adherent to Judaism, and they ritually wash their hands before the meal, so should the Christian. What good would be accomplished if the guest haughtily said to his host, “I don’t have to do that. I am a Christian!” The host would be offended, and our opportunity to witness to our host is greatly damaged. Refusal to wash one’s hands would be a “holier than thou” act on the part of the Christian in this case. No harm would occur by simply washing one’s hands. Great harm would occur through refusal. In this case we have the right not to wash our hands, but our refusal would be anything but beneficial.
How do you determine “the common good”? What is your spiritual resource for recognizing the common good? How do you think we can distinguish “what is good for me,” and “what is good for all”?
Paul uses the example of dining with a non-Christian Gentile. If a meat is served that has been sacrificed to an idol, do we eat it or inform the host we do not agree with their religion? According to Paul, we thank God for the food and ask God to bless it. Thus, for us, it is no longer a meat offered to idols. Our host will eat it as a meat offered to idols. The Christian should not eat the meat to appease the conscience of the host. In contrast, the Christian gives thanks to God for the meat and eats. We would eat it because we are thankful for God’s provision, not to fall in line with the belief of host. Again, we have not insulted our host or violated our conscience. We have acted for the common good. The opportunity to be a loving witness to Jesus is alive in the moment. Insult would close the ears of the host quickly.
Can you share a moment, without names of course, when you watched an open door of witness slam shut? Do you think it is important to understand as deeply as possible the life of the one to whom we witness? Do you think such knowledge should be acquired over time, being patient before speaking and acting? Do you think most beneficial witnessing is done over time rather than in a single moment? What does our patience say to the one to whom we witness?
As Christians, we do not engage in unrighteous acts. So, there are lines we do not cross. If someone were making racial remarks and jokes, we could not join in and say, “We don’t mean them when we say them.” Our witness is greatly damaged when we demean and devalue any of God’s children. We enter each moment prayerfully observant. We ask, “How can I best be a witness of Jesus in this moment in a manner that opens the ears in front of me?” In this case, our non-participation is not an arrogant gesture on our part. It is a witness as to who we are and to the love of God present in our hearts. Those around us might very well respect our non-participation and think for themselves about the nature of their behavior.
Even in seeking the common good, are there not moral and ethical lines we should not cross? Can you share an example? How do we determine what is permissible and what is not?
Again, we are not bound by the rules, rites and rituals of non-Christians. We also are not bound by the rules of other Christians who do not act out of God’s love. However, if we can participate while remaining true to our heart and conscience and keeping our witness alive, we should so do.
In summary, Paul’s use of the phrase “is not beneficial” is an important word of instruction. We live in a world in which even Christianity has been subjected to “added rules, selective sins, and other requirements.” We are not just witnesses to non-believers. We are witnesses to all. We always care about the common good. It takes restraint to hold our tongue and actions and consider our circumstances. We should ask, “Would my refusal or my challenge to their beliefs violate my conscience or damage my ability to be a loving witness?” “Would my participation violate the Law of love Jesus has placed in my heart?” “Would my words or actions prove beneficial?” “Would they be beneficial to my witness and their ability to spiritually hear?” When Paul reminds us to do all “to the glory of God,” he is stating the motivation behind all we do or say. The word “glory” often is interpreted in Koine Greek as “the character and nature of God.” When Paul writes, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” he is proclaiming that the presence of Jesus within us is our hope of living out the character and nature of God. Thus, when all is to be done for the glory of God, we are being taught every situation and circumstance has an opportunity for God’s nature and character to be seen within us and through our actions. The most beneficial thing for another is to see the nature and character of God in a believer.
Why do you believe a non-believer finds it difficult to listen when arrogance is present? Can even a true word of witness do harm? In other words, can my words be correct, yet damaging? Can you share an example? What are the things that hinder our witness to many non-Christians? How important are patience and prayer to our witness?
“Do not cause anyone to stumble”
Is it possible that our Christian life can actually cause someone to stumble? If we lived and acted in perfect love we would cause no stumbling. However, we are not yet perfect in love, though we journey toward that perfection every day. There are moments when our own sense of self and self-importance is too dominant. We can come across as judgmental and condescending. Most people do not respond well when someone speaks “down to them.” Arrogance and Christianity do not gel. In Christianity, Jesus is Lord; in arrogance, I am lord. We may not become the instrument of God’s transformation in a single moment. However, our humble, loving faith opens a door and keeps it open.
While studying Marriage and Family Therapy one of the students in our small group shared that she was recently divorced. Two men, professed Christians, immediately began to share how her divorce was unacceptable to God. I did not participate in their diatribe. It was not that I was better or more pious. I just knew my own pain and struggles well and was learning to recognize our common humanity, especially in pain and suffering. At the end of that long, exhausting night, the teacher looked toward the other two women in our group. She asked them, “If you were going through a divorce, who in this group would you go to?” None mentioned those two men. Their self-righteousness was beneficial to no one, and it had slammed the door on an opportunity to truly help her.
What do you think is meant by a Christian life that invites the seeker? What about us and others can invite someone to seek us out for comfort, for advice, for help? What are some behaviors or words that are very uninviting? What was it about Jesus that made people come to him? Listen to him? Respond to him?
Our witness should always seek to open doors and keep them open. We do not do so by violating our Christian conscience. We do so by prayerfully discerning what is beneficial for the glory of God in any given moment. I cannot help but remind the readers of the lesson of the importance Jesus placed upon children. His words were strong and, for some, harsh toward those who caused a child to stumble. I was having dessert with two other couples one night, and they were talking about the problems they saw in the church and the people they judged to be trouble-makers. This was one of those moments in my young, green ministry when I experienced a tap on the shoulder from the Lord. I looked at our kids. They had stopped playing and were intently listening. We had done them no good. We were planting seeds of negativity toward the church and those they mentioned. Again, we did those kids no good. When we seek to cause no stumbling we should be equally aware of those we do not think are listening, especially the children. As Paul stated in our text, “It is our desire that they may be saved.”
Summary
As we close out this unit, Paul has moved from the doctrinal to the practical. He is speaking of everyday life and common circumstances. Christianity is not simply a spiritual journey; it is also a practical journey. Our faith is meant to be applicable to everyday life. May we remember, not everything is beneficial, seek the common good, cause no one to stumble, that all may be saved.
Prayer
Almighty God, teach us patience. Empower us through your Spirit to hold speech until we have spoken to you in prayer. Strengthen us to wait before rushing into a moment, until we understand what is the most beneficial and loving. Thank you for every beneficial word we heard in our journey and will continue to hear. Thank you for actions that allowed us to witness selfless love. We pray to imitate those lives whom you used to redeem us. In Jesus name, Amen.
Dr. D. Craig Rikard is a South Georgia pastor. Email him at craigrikard169@yahoo.com.
