Category: Devotionals, Pastor Scott

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR

Bloom where you’re planted

1Corinthians 7: Where you are right now is God’s place for you.

The believers at Corinth have some questions about marriage and divorce. They know that when they became Christians that they left much of their old life behind, becoming new people. They have some practical concerns about how their faith impacts their new life. For instance, if a person was single when they came to Christ, are they to remain single? How about believers who are married to unbelievers? Is it better to abandon their marriage rather than be married to a person who doesn’t share their faith? Paul’s answer is “where you are right now is God’s place for you.” He leans toward singles staying single, but doesn’t command it. He leans toward people who are married to unbelievers remaining married, but doesn’t command it. An individual can be a Christian in a wide variety of circumstances. Common sense tells us that this isn’t always the case. For instance, a bigamist needs to come clean and find the best route out of an impossible situation. However, in general, we can live our lives in Christ right where we are. Beyond the marriage and divorce questions there’s a solid principle here that I can take to the bank. It’s wrong for me to think, “Right now the circumstances of my life make it unreasonable for me to be a Christian. When things change, then I’ll be ready.” If living for the Lord doesn’t work where I am right now it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Right here and right now the Lord stands ready to live in me and through me.

Take Away: God loves to work in ordinary lives in ordinary circumstances.

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR

Giving up a free meal

1Corinthians 8: When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ.

You’d think that today a discussion about eating meat that’s been offered to an idol can be safely skipped. However, to do so is a mistake. While the literal situation is foreign to me, the principle Paul teaches here is invaluable. In Corinth there’s lots of idol worship. Often people share a meal with their god, offering some to the idol and then having a party in the god’s honor with the rest of it. A Christian might receive a friendly invitation to the party. That’s where there’s a problem. Some Christians think it is fine to attend, that meat is meat and an idol is nothing anyway. Other Christians are just coming out of that idol worshiping culture. Not too long ago they were the ones dining with the idols and to them eating the idol’s meat is a step backwards into the old way of life. The church at Corinth has been debating this issue and now Paul weighs in on the subject. He tells them that the issue in play isn’t about meat and idols at all. Rather it’s about Christians loving one another. Even if the more mature believer knows that idols are nothing but wood or stone he or she has the responsibility to love their fellow believer who’s still working through the issue. The principle, then, is that I’m to be willing to give up some of my “rights” for the good of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Now, I can’t resist adding here that if you know enough about this that you use this principle as a way to control me (“oh, you can’t do that because it’s against my convictions”) then you’re just trying to manipulate me. Thus, you become the one who’s guilty of disregarding this same principle. When all is said and done, I’m still left with the truth that I’m to love you enough to be willing to sacrifice a bit rather than cause you pain. If I fail here, I not only hurt you but I hurt the Lord we both serve.

Take Away: Love is the guiding principle of Christianity.

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR

You get what you pay for

1Corinthians 9: We who are on missionary assignments for God have a right to decent accommodations.

Frankly, the church at Corinth is every pastor’s nightmare. There’s sin in the church and the church has a bad reputation in the city. There are factions wrestling for control and leadership that isn’t leading, at least in any positive direction. Some, apparently, are questioning Paul’s authority, pointing out that he was there as a volunteer and in no official capacity. The Apostle claims his authority over them as one who has a personal commission from Christ. He concedes that he never accepted salary from them, but contends that if he had done that, it would have been his right. He reminds them that’s it’s a biblical principle that those who serve ought to be paid for their service. Now, in a strange twist, the fact that Paul served them without pay during his time with them is being used by some as reason to discount his ministry. It’s a no-win situation for Paul. If he had he accepted salary from them they’d have felt they owned him. Now since he didn’t accept salary they question his authority over them. The Apostle makes the best of it, reminding them that at least they can’t accuse him of just being in it for the money. Probably the best take-away here is that those who serve have every reason to expect financial support for doing so. At the same time though, there’s a time and place to just give away our service of the Lord. To some extent this sets us free from the domination and expectations of those we serve.

Take Away: A worker is worth his or her hire – at the same time, sometimes it’s best to just give our work away for the sake of Christ.

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR

Freedom in Christ

1Corinthians 10: I’m not going to walk around on eggshells.

Somehow, Paul ends up back on the topic of meat offered to idols. It seems that he wants to be sure his readers understand just how freely God wants his people to live their lives. He tells them that if they go to the butcher to buy meat, just buy it without worrying about whether or not it was once part of a sacrifice to an idol. He doesn’t want Christians to live their lives in fear that they’re going to somehow mess up and get God upset with them. Of course, there are common sense rules to apply. If a Christian is a guest somewhere and the host says, “Now, I’m not sure you’ll want to join me in eating this particular piece of meat, as I’m eating it as part of a fellowship meal with an idol” then it’s plain that whether or not one eats that meat is a big deal to the host. Still, Paul’s message here is that I don’t have to live in fear that I’m going to somehow accidentally say or do or eat the wrong thing and get on the wrong side of God. Rather, I’m to live the life of a person who’s loved by God and who’s free to enjoy all the good things he sends to my life. So, praise the Lord, and might I have just a bit more of that excellent pot roast!

Take Away: The Christian life is to be one of joyful, thankful, freedom.

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR

Q&A session

1Corinthians 11: I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you.

I’m not sure that the questions sent to Paul by the Corinthian church are legitimate or just a seeking of more ammunition for their church squabbles. The Apostle answers a few of their questions and then defers the remainder until he can meet with them in person. When he deals with the chain of authority from God to man to woman he bases this approach on how other churches see it. He also warns them that chain of authority or not, that there’s not a lot of value in “who’s first” debates anyway. Church dinners are a concern. He’s not really against them meeting together for a meal but he’s greatly concerned that the “haves” are meeting early so they can eat their fill before the “have-nots” arrive. On the topic of communion, Paul brings out the big guns. What he’s about to say doesn’t come from the practices of the other churches as is the case with the chain of authority. Rather, this comes from the Lord, himself. They must always receive the communion meal in reverence and in remembrance. They’re to be very careful that they “never let familiarity breed contempt” and they’re to handle the meal as a spiritual activity and not as a way to satisfy their hunger. For a person to do otherwise is to bring judgment on his or her life. As I read this passage I can’t help but compare the “that’s how all the churches do it” to “these instructions come from the Master himself.” “How the churches do it” ought to carry weight with us. God’s people have carefully thought out how to best operate as Christians, applying their faith to current concerns. As a part of the Church I’m to take those traditions and practices quite seriously. However, beyond that is the “instructions of the Master.” Sometimes God wants things done in a particular way. I might sometimes (rarely) look at “how the churches do it” and think times have changed and a different approach might better reflect my faith in today’s culture. At the same time, I’d better be very careful here. Some things come from the Master himself. I have absolutely no authority to make adjustments in those areas.

Take Away: On occasion, with the passage of decades, the traditions of the Church might change, but the Church never has the authority to ignore the specific commands of the Master.

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR Thousand Trails – near the campground

God at work in the Church

1Corinthians 12: They all originate in God’s Spirit.

One result of the “gifts contest” at Corinth is that various gifts have been elevated to the point that the “Gift-giver” has been somewhat overlooked. On the Day of Pentecost the disciples receive, not merely spiritual gifts, but the Gift-giver himself, the Holy Spirit. From that day on, the Holy Spirit has administered the gifts, bestowing them as he deems best, not for individuals, but for the Body of Christ: the Church. When the Spirit decides that the Church needs “wise council” he bestows the gift of counseling on the right person. When he sees the need for healing, he grants someone the gift of healing. If a person sees a healing take place and decides that would be a neat gift to have and starts begging for that gift, they aren’t going to get anywhere. Or, from a different point of view, if a person is given the gift of teaching and decides that their gift is the one everyone needs, well, they’re simply wrong. No individual “owns” their spiritual gift. The Church is the beneficiary of spiritual gifts, but not the dispenser of them. Paul wants the “gift oriented” congregation at Corinth to stop focusing on gifts and to start focusing on the Holy Spirit, acknowledging his authority over the Church. He’ll hand out unique capabilities and enable people to serve in various capacities in the Church as he sees is best. God, the Holy Spirit is in charge, not us.

Take Away: Let’s be “Spirit-oriented” rather than “gift-oriented.”

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR Thousand Trails

The Big Three

1Corinthians 13: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

I firmly believe all God’s Word is inspired but some of it inspires me more than other parts. This is such a passage. Paul rises to new heights of writing as he describes the supremacy of love. It’s no surprise that these words are heard in weddings. When a two people pledge themselves to one another in love they’re committing themselves to these glorious ideals. Still, I know Paul isn’t writing to a madly in love young man and woman here. Rather, he’s writing to a church. In fact, he’s addressing a church that isn’t madly in love at all. It’s a church that’s more mad than in love, is fussing and fighting and making itself a spectacle in its community. As I read these words in the context of what it’s really like in Corinth, I feel somewhat uncomfortable. Hopefully, in most churches today there aren’t lawsuits being filed by one member against another. Still, as I gaze at this beautiful word picture of love and realize it’s supposed to describe Christians relating to one another, I fear that we often fall short. The thing is, Paul hasn’t departed reality and entered into some theoretical state of bliss. Near the end of this glorious writing, he confesses that right now we don’t see everything God intends. We’re left with instructions to concentrate on three things while we await the completion of God’s purpose for his Church. We’re to focus on faith, hope, and love with an emphasis on love. It’s quite possible and reasonable to conclude that the church of today can operate at a level above what we see in Corinth. It’s also reasonable to conclude that the ideal pictured in this passage is somewhat beyond our reach. In the middle, then, are the people of God striving to be all God intends; focusing on the Big Three as the route we’re to travel as we journey to that destination.

Take Away: The Lord is working inside the Church to make us one, and, as we cooperate with him, that’s just what he’s going to do.

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Cape Meares, OR – in the fog

Worship service or a wrestling match?

1Corinthians 14: When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared….

Attending a church service at Corinth must be quite an experience. Some people are involved in a civil lawsuit against each other. There’s blatant immorality and the church has divided between the “it’s no big deal” crowd and the “it’s sin” crowd. Communion has been turned into a potluck and there’s competition, not over who makes the best apple pie, but who gets to eat the most. Now, we see that people are fighting over gets to be “featured” in the worship services. One person starts praying, maybe in a prayer language, only to be shouted down by someone else who tries to pray better. One person has a “message from God” but is shouldered out of the way by someone being more spiritual about their “message from God.” The whole thing, in Paul’s eyes, is infantile. The Apostle tries to walk a tightrope about it all. On one hand, he likes the idea that they’re excited about having the Holy Spirit work in and through them. On the other hand, this disorganized, competition-filled approach to worship has to go. Paul lays down some rules intended to calm things down. When he’s finished, their Spirit-language praying is, for practical purposes, removed from their worship services. He also rules out this business of talking over the top of one another with their competing “words from the Lord.” He tells them to get organized and to come prepared rather than making up their worship service as it goes along. Singers, teachers, and preachers are supposed to come ready to do their part. Basically, he calls them to intentional, prepared, humble, courteous, organized worship. If a person can’t handle that, they probably shouldn’t be up front in the first place.

Take Away: We want Spirit-filled worship but an indication of that isn’t people competing to be the most spiritual.

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Cape Meares, OR – in the fog

The heart of the matter

1Corinthians 15: It’s resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection.

Even a casual journey through this book of the Bible convinces us that the church at Corinth is a troubled church. Paul has received word of all that’s happening there and in this letter he takes on the most outrageous problems and promises to deal with other issues in person. Apparently, he’s saved his biggest concern for last. Some in the church are beginning to doubt the Resurrection. He warns his readers stay away from such talk and launches into a reasoned defense of this core doctrine of Christianity. At the heart of it is simply this: if there’s no resurrection, Jesus isn’t resurrected and if Jesus isn’t resurrected we’re still in our sins. Resurrection is, for believers, vitally important. Our hope of salvation is in it and our hope for eternity rests on it. All the other problems at Corinth are minor in comparison to their wavering on this key point of faith. The Apostle says he wouldn’t be out on the front lines taking the hits if he didn’t believe in the resurrection. The resurrection defeats sin in our lives today and, in the end, it defeats our final enemy, Death. I’m thankful for this reminder today. Life tends to wrap us up in an ever tightening grip. Even “being a Christian” gets loaded down with non-central stuff like committee meetings and various activities that are fine but not central. A reminder like this refocuses our priorities, taking us back to that which really matters.

Take Away: Christianity without the Resurrection is something other than Christianity.

Devotional on 1 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Cape Meares, OR – in the fog

I’m glad I’m part of the family of God

1Corinthians 16: And I love you all in the Messiah, Jesus.

Paul has been pretty hard on the church at Corinth and with good reason. On one hand, they appear to be a template for what a Christian church isn’t supposed to be. There are failures upon failures there and in this letter the Apostle is like a fireman trying to extinguish several blazes. On the other hand, he has a warm, fatherly, relationship with them. He’s not angrily ready to toss them aside. Instead, he sees them as worth redeeming. Beyond all that, I have the distinct feeling that my impression of this congregation is rather one sided. There’s plenty wrong there, but a lot of it is likely associated with their being enthusiastic about living for the Lord and, at the same time, are coming out of a clueless, immoral culture. The result is enthusiastic ignorance. Maybe that’s better than being knowledgably bored! Paul concludes his letter by restating his love for them. They may be an ignorant and frustrating crowd, but Paul claims them as his own. It’s a pretty good reminder of how things are supposed to be in the family of God. We may have a few who are sometimes a bit off the grid, (of course that doesn’t include you and me!) but we love them just the same. After all, we’re together in this family of God.

Take Away: As the old saying goes, “Sometimes I wonder about everyone but me and thee…and sometimes I wonder about thee.”

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Cape Meares, OR – in the fog

At the end of myself and at the beginning of God

2Corinthians 1: And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.

Since his first letter to the church at Corinth Paul has gone though some hard times. His words remind me of some of the Psalms of complaint when David thought it was all over for him. In words similar to what David used, Paul describes how he was crushed and sure that he was at the end. In his despair he realized he was out of options and that there was nothing he could do to save himself. At that low point, he remembered his greatest Resource. When he came to the end of himself he found himself at just the beginning of God. Throwing himself on the mercy of God is the smartest thing he ever did. After all, Paul reminds us, this is the God who even raises the dead. The Lord was equal to the challenge and, for Paul, the sun rose once again in his life, giving him a new lease on life. This journey to death’s door and back, Paul says, has turned out to be a positive event in his life. These days he’s quicker to stop struggling and to start trusting in God to bring about a rescue in his life. This is a lesson I need to learn anew. I serve a God who loves me and who has the power to, when necessary, raise the dead. I may not like it when life brings me my share of uncertainty and even pain. At the same time, I can remember that the same God who has brought me through difficult times in the past can “rescue me as many times as I need rescuing.”

Take Away: In an uncertain world the Lord remains my steadfast certainty.

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Cape Meares, OR – in the fog

God is the God of Second Chances

2Corinthians 2: Getting you to take responsibility for the health of the church.

This is likely a reference to the situation described in the first letter. Apparently, one of the members of the congregation at Corinth was living in an immoral relationship with his stepmother. Now, Paul has received word that the church took action on this. There has been, first: discipline, and then, second: repentance, and now, forgiveness. Paul tells them that that’s good enough for him. He stands by their handling of things and now counsels them to add a double portion of love for the one who had been involved in the immorality. Otherwise, he cautions, the enemy of their souls will use the situation to work against them, doing more harm than good. It seems to me that the church generally errs on the extremes of issues like this. Sometimes, we’re so open minded that we just go with the flow. People behave in immoral ways and “we just love them anyway” never getting around to pointing out that their behavior will destroy their lives and damn their souls. In other situations, the church is so intent on “telling it like it is” that we drive away the very people for whom Christ died. We think we’re being spiritual, but really we’re just being hateful. In the middle there’s loving people enough to tell them the truth in such a way that they know we love them. God is a God of Second Chances and the church should be a Church of Second Chances.

Take Away: We need the help of the Lord to find the middle ground when dealing with sinners who are loved by Christ.

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Cape Meares, OR – in the fog

My close, personal Friend

2Corinthians 3: God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone.

Paul’s ancestors placed the weight of their hope in God on the Law given through Moses. And not just his ancestors, Paul, himself, starts off here. Then, out in the wilderness on the road to Damascus he has a personal, transforming encounter with the Lord that forever changes his life. Never again will he base his relationship with God on what was written on stone tablets hundreds of years earlier. Now, his relationship with the Lord is just that: a relationship. He doesn’t have to check a rulebook to know how things are between him and God. Rather, he enjoys a personal, intimate relationship with his Creator. This “face to face” level of faith is what the Apostle wants for his friends at Corinth and it’s what the Lord wants to have with you and me. Listen, don’t ever settle for a book of rules when you can personally know God. That’s the offer he makes to us in Christ, who not only came to die for us, but also came to live with and in us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. For Christians, the Bible isn’t a book of rules to be followed. Rather, it’s a map that leads us to God and then helps us live in his personal presence.

Take Away: Don’t settle for rules when the reality of God in your heart is abundantly available in Christ.

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Cape Meares, OR

I’m just an old lump of clay

2Corinthians 4: All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you.

I wonder what Paul actually looked like. He describes himself as unimpressive, the kind of person you meet at a party but don’t remember the next day. Maybe he’s just being honestly humble here. However, he wants his readers to know that it’s his message that matters and not the power (or lack thereof) of his personal presence. He imagines himself to be a plain clay jar that holds a treasure of unimaginable value. To look at the outside no one would ever guess what’s on the inside. Here he is: a plain sort of fellow sharing an extraordinary gift with all who will receive it. This is such an important concept and one that resonates with me. It’s the message that matters. Other servants have other gifts, some quite impressive and often well used of the Lord. The bottom line, though, is that we’re all mere messengers, “errand runners.” On the surface, we’re ordinary or less. What we have to give is a gift beyond imagination. For my part it’s good to be reminded of my place in this grand scheme. I’m honored to be a “plain clay jar” used in the service of the Master. As I realize that the message is bigger than this messenger I’m reminded of my responsibility to never let my life get in the way of my message.

Take Away: The Message of God is more important than the messenger.

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR

Our number one motivation

2Corinthians 5: Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing.

Having described himself as a “clay jar” the Apostle is well aware of his inadequacies. The day’s coming, he says, when these “tents” (that is our earthly bodies) will shut down and be replaced by bodies of heavenly construction. The weaknesses we deal with every day even to the point that we come to think of them as ordinary and acceptable will be gone forever, replaced by that which is amazingly superior. Paul says that we get just a taste of what it will be like as we enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As good as that is, it’s just a small sample of what’s coming. With such exciting prospects you’d think that that’s what Paul would think about all the time and that if he’s asked what motivates him his answer will focus on making the big move from the “tent to the palace.” Make no mistake; he likes thinking about it all. However, the big deal for him isn’t “exile or homecoming.” Rather, he declares, the big thing is pleasing God in all his life. His greatest motivation is the knowledge that there’s a way to live in this life that’s pleasing to God. There’s a possibility of standing before the Lord and hearing him say “well done.” For Paul, the big deal isn’t pie in the sky as much as it’s pleasing the Father in this life. Going to heaven is huge, no doubt about it. However, pleasing the Lord, our Creator and Master, according to Paul, is even bigger.

Take Away: When we live to please the Lord we’re living as we were designed to live.

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR

Living unreservedly for God

2Corinthians 6: The smallness you feel comes from within you.

These are emotional words from the Apostle. He loves this church. They’re his dear friends. In fact, he considers them to be his children in Christ. At the same time he’s frustrated with the smallness of their lives. The infighting, bickering, competing attitude of theirs not only breaks his heart but it also limits their view of God and what he does in people’s lives. Without reservation Paul has given himself to them and to the Church in general. He’s suffered physically for it but at the same time he’s been blessed beyond description. If the Corinthians feel their religion puts them in a straightjacket it’s their own fault. There’s so much more to being a Christian than trying to be first in line at church potlucks or getting to be the one who sings the special song. Paul calls them to a better way: a passionate life lived joyfully for the Lord. These words speak to church people throughout the ages. Am I going to make church about meetings and rules and authority or am I going to make it about living passionately for the Lord? The first binds and limits me. The second sets me free to live “openly and expansively.”

Take Away: The Christian life isn’t binding – rather, it’s wonderfully freeing.

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR

Tearstained letters

2Corinthians 7: I know I distressed you greatly with my letter.

The book of 1 Corinthians is almost painful to read. It’s clear the there are some sick situations there and that this church is far from being a healthy congregation. The Corinthian church isn’t a prototype of what a Christian church is supposed to look like, although how Paul deals with them is a primer on how a spiritual leader is to deal with a difficult church situation. An insight in this passage is that as Paul writes to Corinth he knows the impact his words will have on the church. Beyond that, his words impact him as well. Administrating this strong medicine is painful for Paul too. The old “this hurts me more than it hurts you” line is literally true in this situation. Paul gets no pleasure in writing to his friends at Corinth as he does. He’s frustrated with them and somewhat fearful for them. Still, he expects his strong medicine to bring about, in the long run, good results. Sometimes parents have to be disciplinarians. It would be nice to always feel warm and fuzzy about things but to do so isn’t what real love is like. In his first letter Paul steps up to the plate, telling them the facts of spiritual life even though, in his words, “I felt awful at the time.” Sometimes preachers have to be disciplinarians. As it is for Paul and as it is for parents, proper discipline should never carry with it a sense of pleasure in causing pain. I imagine tearstains on the parchment that contains what we think of as 1 Corinthians. In the same way, there should be tearstains on the sermon notes of a pastor who preaches a sermon that will cause some pain. Otherwise, that sermon should never be preached.

Take Away: Sometimes discipline must be done but it should never be done with pleasure.

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Pacific City, OR – dory coming into the beach

Good business

2Corinthians 8: We don’t want anyone suspecting us of taking one penny of this money for ourselves.

Paul’s collecting an offering for the Christian poor in Jerusalem. The idea came from the churches in Macedonia but has now spread throughout the Gentile Church. There’s no pressure as to what individuals give. Paul just urges people to give the best they are able. He does note though, that in spite of the Macedonian Christians going through some hard times of their own that they’ve set the giving bar pretty high. Now, Paul’s sending some folks to Corinth to collect their offering and take it to Jerusalem. He’s quite business like in his approach and wants to assure them that Titus won’t be alone in caring for this money but will be joined by another trustworthy individual in handling it. The Apostle adds that he doesn’t want anyone to have any reason to think he’s skimming expense money off the top of this designated offering. He wants them to be confident that everything they give will go to its designated purpose. As a pastor I’ve always followed Paul’s approach in money matters. I try to stay away from handling church cash if at all possible. Also, in the church we deal with money handling issues using accepted business practices along with a dose of sanctified common sense. Like Paul, we want to handle money and other church assets in such a way that no reasonable person will have reason to question our honesty. Beyond that, of course, we’re well aware that the Almighty sees it all and that someday we’ll stand before him in Judgment.

Take Away: Good business practices are good business for the church.

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Along Oregon Hwy 101 – north of Florence – Heceta Head Lighthouse

Hum “Family of God” as you read this one

2Corinthians 9: God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.

In spite of Paul having written some pretty stern stuff to them, he remains confident of his good relationship with the Corinthians. In fact, he moves from the topic of his first letter to them to encourage them to be generous in their giving to a special relief offering he’s collecting to be taken to the Christian poor in Jerusalem. If you think about it it’s quite an impressive thing he’s doing. These Gentiles wouldn’t have given a second thought to some Jews living in Jerusalem just a few years earlier. They felt no connection to them and they certainly wouldn’t have considered sending them a relief offering. Now, though, it’s all changed. Their lives are now linked to the lives of people throughout the region. Before it was “us and them” but now it’s all “us.” What has happened? Jesus! His presence in their lives has made them part of a family. These days, they not only know about fellow believers in distant Jerusalem, but they’re willing to send them some of their hard earned cash to help them through hard times. What Paul began so long ago continues to this day as Christians send offerings to people in distant places in the Name of Jesus. God’s people are the most generous people on the face of the earth. The reason, according to Paul, is that we’re behaving like our Heavenly Father who’s the most generous Being there is. We’re part of a great family and our Father has set for us a powerful example of giving. We give to all who are in need, but we’re especially willing to give, even sacrificially, to help our brothers and sisters. “I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God.”

Take Away: God’s people are wonderfully generous people.

Devotional on 2 Corinthians

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2014 – Along Oregon Hwy 101 – north of Florence – Heceta Head Lighthouse

The voice of authority

2Corinthians 10: I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ.

Paul’s first letter was rather stern and was, in general, well received. Most of the church at Corinth took it to heart and responded positively to it. However, we see here that not everyone received it in the spirit in which it was written. Some complain that Paul should mind his own business and that “them and God” will work things out. Others point out that there are leaders aside from Paul in their number who hold different opinions from him. Yet others say that Paul writes tough, but in person he’s not very impressive and his letters shouldn’t be treated as though they’re the final word on anything. The Apostle takes all this on in this passage. He wants them to understand that he’s being as patient with those who oppose him as possible, but that his words aren’t his own, but carry with them the very authority of Christ. He hasn’t tried to manipulate them and he hasn’t avoided the more sticky points. He knows that there’s opposition both outside and inside the church. After all, his teachings are radical and run counter to the world’s way of doing things. He’s not just putting band aids on severe wounds. Rather, he’s in a battle to the death with an ungodly culture that still has a foothold in the Church. All this he does under the direct authority of Christ. If they want to hear from someone with authority, he’s it! Paul’s self-assurance here is breathtaking. In spite of his obvious weaknesses he pulls no punches in claiming authority in this situation. I’m sure there’s a case to be made for humility and for letting people work things out between them and God. Here, though, I’m reminded that sometimes God chooses to use unlikely people to state his message. This, I think, is different than a preacher taking a text and, using its authority, delivering a sermon. This kind of prophetic voice is seldom heard, but when it happens people tend to recognize it. Beyond recognizing it, we’d better pay attention to it.

Take Away: It’s the Lord who gives authority to his message.

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