You created the mountains by your power,

and demonstrated your strength. Psalm 65:6

1

O GOD, OUR SAVIOR. ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TRUST IN YOU, PSALM 65:5 IN THIS ISSUE

©Photos

In this month’s issue: 3. God’s Exchequer to the Lowly Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)

4. What If I’ve Missed the Will of God? Daniel Kolenda (CfaN)

5. Present Tense Grace Ken Legg (Australia)

7. Worthy is the Lamb Revelation 5 Mathew Bartlett (UK)

10. Faith-builders Bible Study Mark 1 Derek Williams (UK)

15. Jehovah Shammah: The Lord is there Wesley Chick (UK)

18. Danger Ahead! Sonja Burketh (USA)

19. In Depth Study – 1 Corinthians 8 Mathew Bartlett (UK)

22. Our Lord Jesus Christ William F. P. Burton (Congo)

©Photos above © Jerryway Cover: © Harun Left © from top: Lenora, Jozef Sedmak, Godfer, Sebastian Grecu, and Kam Por Yeung. Facing page:Bellemedia Back Cover: Benjamin Haas

Living Word Magazine is published in the United Kingdom by Sharon Full Gospel Church, 7 Park View, Freeholdland Road, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, NP4 8LP Editor: Mathew Bartlett

Bible Studies Online International

www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk

2

Faithbuilders Bible Study Guide – Mark Paperback

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3

God’s Exchequer to the Lowly

An extract from “Royal Insignia” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey Image (c) Olga Naidenova

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Reproduced by kind permission of Harvey Publishers. www.harveycp.com Blessed are the poor in spirit: for

theirs is the kingdom of heaven

(Matt. 5:3).

The whole exchequer of God

shall be made over by deed of

gift to the soul which is humble

enough to be able to receive it

without growing proud because

of it. God blesses us all up to the

full measure and extremity of

what it is safe for Him to do. If

you do not get a blessing, it is

because it is not safe for you to

have one. If our heavenly Father

were to let your unhumbled

spirit win a victory in His holy

war, you would pilfer the crown

for yourself, and meeting with a

fresh enemy you would fall a

victim, so that you are kept low

for your own safety. When a

man is sincerely humble and

never ventures to touch so much

as a grain of praise, there is

scarcely any limit to what God

will do for him. Humility makes

us ready to be blessed by the

God of all grace, and fits us to

deal efficiently with our fellow-

men. —C. H. Spurgeon.

Alexander Duff, a well-known

missionary and educator,

remarked: “The only thing that

really distresses me is that they

are already publishing all

manner of extravagancies about

me in the newspapers. The

natural tendency of all this on

my spirit is to paralyze it, as the

glory is too much taken from the

Creator and bestowed on the

creature. This is sinful, and the

Holy and jealous God will not

allow it, but blast the whole with

the mildew of His sore

displeasure. Oh for grace, grace,

grace!” Every act which shunned

the trifling plaudits of mankind,

Shall here to wondering millions

be displayed, A monument of

grace. —C. P. Layard.

“Love of glory can only create a

great hero; contempt of it, a

great man,” said Talleyrand.

And with the maxim as our rule,

we might well conclude that

Luther was indeed a great man

however others might have

judged him. At Wittenberg,

Melancthon had issued an order

that all the students should rise

when Luther entered to lecture.

Although this was an ancient

college custom, yet the humble

Luther was not pleased with it,

and said, “I wish Philip would

give up this old fashion. These

marks of honor always compel

me to offer more prayers to

keep me humble. If I dared I

would almost retire without

having read my lecture!”

When a friend proposed to him

that he should dedicate one of

his writings to Jerome Ebner , a

Jurist-Consult of Nuremburg,

who was then in great repute,

“You have too high a notion of

my labors,” answered Luther,

modestly, “but I myself have a

very poor opinion of them. It

was my wish, however, to

comply with your desire. I

looked among all my papers—

which I never before thought so

meanly of—I could find nothing

but what seemed totally

unworthy of being dedicated to

so distinguished a person by so

humble an individual as myself.”

—Table Talk.

“I pray,” Luther said on another

occasion, “you leave my name

alone, and not call yourselves

Lutherans, but Christians. Who is

Luther? My doctrine is not mine.

I have not been crucified for

anyone. Paul would not that

anyone should call himself of

Paul or of Peter, but of Christ.

How then does it befit me, a

miserable bag of dust and ashes,

to give my name to the children

of Christ? Leave, my dear

friends, these party names and

distinctions. Away with them all

and let us call ourselves only

Christians after Him from Whom

our salvation comes.”

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

—Isaac Watts.

4

Part 1 - Stop and Acknowledge

Your Mistake

Revelation 13:8 describes Jesus as

the Lamb who was slain “from the

foundation of the world.” The

implications of this verse are

astounding. Before the fall of Adam

and Eve in the Garden of Eden,

indeed before the garden or its first

inhabitants even existed, God had

already initiated a plan of salvation

that would culminate with the

cross. This means that when Adam

and Eve partook of the forbidden

fruit, God was not surprised. Their

failure had already been factored

into His sovereign plan, and

provision had already been made

for redemption.

If you have missed the will of God,

be encouraged by this thought:

Before God called you, before you

were saved, in fact, before you

were even born, God knew how

your life would play out. Before you

had made even one mistake, God

took all your future failures into

account, and in His infinite wisdom

and love He preempted your

blunders with a plan to turn your

tragedy into a triumph in the end.

With this knowledge you can be

confident that if you are still

breathing, it is never too late for

God to intervene and restore what

the locust and cankerworm have

eaten.

Having said these things, it’s

important to understand that

disobedience to God’s will is not a

trivial matter. God’s grace does not

guarantee that we will never have

to live with negative consequences

of our actions. Many times, even

though God forgives and restores,

there are still scars that remain

from disobedience, and often the

process of correcting our errant

route is long and painful.

Jonah was called to go to Nineveh.

The easiest, fastest, and most

comfortable way would have been

by ship. But because he disobeyed

God’s command, Jonah chose the

hard way. Although he still

ultimately made it to Nineveh, by

the time he arrived he had been

through a storm, thrown off a ship,

and swallowed by a big fish. He

spent three days inside that fish and

was finally vomited onto the beach.

Yes, Jonah made it to Nineveh all

right, but the first option would

definitely have been better. If you

have missed the perfect will of God

in your life, you need to take the

following steps immediately.

Stop!

If you are going in the wrong

direction, before you do anything

else, you need to stop! As strange

as it sounds, if we feel we have

blown it, sometimes there is a

temptation to just keep going.

People who are trying to lose

weight on a strict diet have

struggled with this. They may have

been very disciplined for a few

weeks, but then a holiday comes.

They ruin their diet for several days

in a row, they gain a few pounds

back, and rather than stopping the

downward spiral, they say, “What’s

the use? I’ve already blown it. I

might as well just give in.” If you are

still on the wrong track as you read

this bible study, you need to realize

that every day you continue on that

path is a day you can never get

back. Don’t waste one more day or

hour moving in the wrong direction.

Stop now!

Acknowledge Your Mistake

Even if your mistake was not caused

by deliberate disobedience against

the known will of God, you need to

acknowledge your mistake and ask

for forgiveness. Maybe it is a job

you shouldn’t have taken. Maybe it

was a bad investment or taking on

debt that you ultimately realized

you could not afford. It may have

been something that happened as a

result of carelessness or neglect, or

it may have been caused by outright

rebellion against God. Whatever the

case may be, there is still

redemption for everyone in the

great grace and love of God. “If we

confess our sins, He is faithful and

righteous to forgive us our sins and

to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, nas).

Reproduced with kind

permission Christ for all Nations.

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5

Grace Roots by Ken Legg

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The pdf version is just $9

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Present Tense Grace

God has a word for us. It is,

‘Today’. An important key to

understanding the Christian life

is to learn to live one day at a

time. We have left the past. We

can plan the future. But we can

only live today.

One of the differences between

God and us is that we are limited

by time and space; He is not. We

are finite beings; He is infinite.

He is the One “who is and who

was and who is to come”

(Rev.1:8). We are confined in

location and limited in time.

Time is the measurement of

duration or existence. Our lives

are given to us in bite size

pieces, measured out by the rise

and set of sun.

There is grace for today. This

means that we are empowered

for all that life may bring us

today. Yet Satan will try to

nullify God’s grace with two

other words, ‘Yesterday’ and

‘Tomorrow’. If he can hold us

hostage in the past, or carry us

off into the future, then we will

not experience the grace of

today.

What Kinds Of Things

Might Imprison Us In The

Past?

1) Nostalgia

There is a difference between

reminiscing and nostalgia. To

reminisce is to remember the

past with affection. It’s good to

look back on precious memories

with thanksgiving in our hearts

to the Lord.

But nostalgia is a sentimental

yearning for some period of the

past. The nostalgic person

refuses to move on, wishing they

could re-live the past.

Some live in a time warp. They

think the ‘good old days’ will

always be better than the

present time. (They usually have

a selective memory!)

When the Israelites returned

from captivity, and laid the

foundations of the new temple

there were mixed emotions. The

younger men shouted for joy,

but the older ones wept because

they remembered the splendour

of Solomon’s temple. They

refused to believe that the

potential of the new beginnings

could rival the glory of the past.

Don’t be robbed of present

tense blessings by thinking that

today can never be as good as

yesterday.

2) Unforgiveness

We all get offended. But some

hold on to offences for a long

time; or rather they are held by

offences.

In a weird way we can think that

by not forgiving we are getting

even with the one who has

offended us; but it doesn’t work

that way. We are actually the

ones held hostage to the past. In

Proverbs 18:19 we read, “A

brother offended is harder to be

won than a strong city: and their

contentions are like the bars of a

castle”.

When we genuinely forgive

someone we set a prisoner free,

only to discover that the

prisoner we release is us!

Nothing holds us captive to the

past like unforgiveness. It is

yesterday’s prison. But God’s

grace sets us free by

empowering us to forgive, even

as we have been forgiven.

3) Bad Theology

Many Christians, through the

influence of popular psychology,

have succumbed to the teaching

that we are victims of the past.

6

They blame the past for the

present and find no way to

break free from the past

experiences of life.

Of course people and

experiences may influence us,

particularly those that we have

early in life, yet the truth

remains that we are not a

product of our past - but of the

cross and resurrection of Jesus

Christ. Getting a revelation of

our new creation identity in

Christ will enable us to make the

transition from ‘victim’ to

‘victor’.

What Kind Of Things

Take Us Off Into The

Future?

1) Presumption

In Proverbs 27:1 we read, “Do

not boast about tomorrow, for

you do not know what a day

may bring forth.”

Sometimes, when we are facing

difficult challenges, there is a

temptation for us to put some

things off until tomorrow that

need to be done today. This is to

boast or presume about

tomorrow.

We say ‘tomorrow’ when today

seems too hard. But delay does

not make obedience easier; it

only hardens the heart. When

difficult times come these are

opportunities to trust God and

discover His miracle-working

power in our lives. We can do all

things through Christ who

strengthens us.

2) Anxiety

Worry is destructive. The Greek

word for ‘worry’ means to rip

apart. Worry tears us in two.

Half of us, as it were, goes off

into the future trying to solve

our potential problems; and the

other half remains in the real

world.

We can’t deal with tomorrow’s

problems today. We have no

grace for tomorrow until

tomorrow becomes today.

God’s answer is to get involved

in today’s business today.

Jesus said, “...do not worry

about tomorrow, for tomorrow

will worry about its own things.

Sufficient for the day is its own

trouble” (Matt.6:34).

What challenges, responsibilities

and opportunities are before

you today? Give yourself to

these, trusting in God’s grace.

“Whatever your hand finds to

do, do it with your might...”

(Ecclesiastes 9:10).

He loved us enough to give His son

to die so that we may be made

sinless. But because He desires for

us to love Him, He left it up to us

whether to “plug” into Him or to

live in the darkness. Just like the

lamp, we too need a source of

power in order to shine. God is our

power source. He is to us what the

electrical outlet is to a lamp.

7

At the end of Handel's great

Oratorio, Messiah, so often

performed at Christmas or Easter, is

a piece set to music from this very

chapter of revelation. Its title is

"Worthy is the Lamb". Here the

Lord Jesus Christ is portrayed as the

universal conqueror, who is worthy

of all the honours bestowed on him.

In this chapter we will consider why

He is worthy, although our thoughts

will probably do no more than

scratch the surface of his infinite

worthiness. The Lord Jesus is

Worthy for He has secured:

1 The Realization of Our Future

V1 The chapter begins with

reference to a scroll which is in the

hand of Him who sits on the throne.

We could think of this scroll as

God's blueprint of his plan for

humanity - it is the title deed not

only of the universe now but of the

ages to come. It unveils God's

eternal purpose for salvation of

man, a purpose which of course

must include the pouring of his

wrath on unbelievers. V2 the plans

have been long drawn, but who is

able to carry them out to

completion? A cry goes out to find

the one who is worthy. V3 Surely to

us the question is a rhetorical one.

For there is no one worthy in

heaven or earth or under the earth -

with one exception. This one is

greater than all in heaven, earth or

under earth - our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore God also has highly

exalted Him and given Him the

name which is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every

knee should bow, of those in

heaven, and of those on earth, and

of those under the earth,

(Philippians 2:9-10)

V4 Notice how in v4 John gets

personally involved, for the eternal

purposes of God contained in the

scroll include God's plan of salvation

for man. So if no one was found to

open the scroll, there would be no

salvation for John - or you and me

either. How grateful we are that the

Lord Jesus is worthy to open the

scroll, that he might realize our

eternal future in God.

2 The Redemption of Our Souls

V5 The picture in v5 presents first of

all the Lord Jesus Christ not as a

lamb, but as a lion. As a lion he

devours and conquers his prey. The

conquest in view here is that over

sin, death and hell.

Judah is a lion's whelp; From the

prey, my son, you have gone up.

(Genesis 49:9)

The great victor, the Lord Jesus

Christ, was born into Judah's family.

Isaiah said:

There shall come forth a Rod from

the stem of Jesse, And a Branch

shall grow out of his roots. Isa 11:1

V6 But in order to achieve his

victory, the lion also had to be a

lamb, speaking of his sacrificial

death on the cross, through which

His victory was won. The seven

"horns" speak of His strength, for

He alone was able to overcome the

great enemy.

The seven eyes indicate the perfect

attributes of the Holy Spirit who is

within Him; all the attributes of

wisdom and knowledge which are

found in Christ alone. Paul says of

him in Christ are hidden all the

treasures of wisdom and

knowledge. (Col 2:3)

Christ not only knew what came

into the world to do, he had the

wisdom which purposed to carry

that plan out. Even so, no human

Worthy is the Lamb

Revelation 5

Truth for Today

A brief extract

from another of

our forthcoming

books.

By Mathew

Bartlett

Photo: ©

Pidiyath100

8

power took Jesus through the

experience of the cross. Nor was

any angelic aid was given to the Son

of God beyond Gethsemane.

how much more shall the blood of

Christ, who through the eternal

Spirit offered Himself without spot

to God, cleanse your conscience

from dead works to serve the living

God? Heb. 9:14

Through the victory which he won

by himself - for us, he has obtained

eternal salvation for us.

who, in the days of His flesh, when

He had offered up prayers and

supplications, with vehement cries

and tears to Him who was able to

save Him from death, and was

heard because of His godly fear,

though He was a Son, yet He

learned obedience by the things

which He suffered. And having been

perfected, He became the author of

eternal salvation to all who obey

Him, (Heb. 5:7-9)

who being the brightness of His

glory and the express image of His

person, and upholding all things by

the word of His power, when He

had by Himself purged our sins, sat

down at the right hand of the

Majesty on high, (Heb. 1:3)

And every priest stands ministering

daily and offering repeatedly the

same sacrifices, which can never

take away sins. But this Man, after

He had offered one sacrifice for sins

forever, sat down at the right hand

of God, (Heb. 10:11-12)

Three times in this chapter the Lord

Jesus is described as the Lamb that

was slain. He was indeed slain, but

now He is glorified in his role as

redeemer. The song of the saved is

"you have redeemed us by your

blood". The Christ of the Cross is

the glorified Saviour in heaven. He

gave himself for his people that we

might be redeemed. We are there

by virtue of his victory, it is his

achievement not ours. People from

every tribe and nation are there,

because of Him. Without Christ, the

story of mankind is that of universal

condemnation - for all have sinned -

but with Christ, universal salvation

has been made available to all who

believe. For Christ has secured the

redemption of our souls.

3 The Reward of our God

In v7 Christ receives, or is

presented, with the scroll. Christ

has been entrusted with the task of

carrying into effect the eternal

plans of God by the One who sits on

the throne, for he first humbled

himself to do the will of the Father.

God has exalted the Lord Jesus to

the highest place in the universe,

since he first humbled himself as a

man, and became obedient to God -

even to death on the cross.

God's reward for Jesus is:

The Highest Place

which He worked in Christ when He

raised Him from the dead and

seated Him at His right hand in the

heavenly places, far above all

principality and power and might

and dominion, and every name that

is named, not only in this age but

also in that which is to come. And

He put all things under His feet, and

gave Him to be head over all things

to the church, (Ephesians 1:20-22)

God has exalted Christ to the

highest place in the universe.

Having completed the work of

salvation for us, he has sat down at

the right hand of God. He now

shares with His father the throne

which was his before the world

began. But he has not returned

there without gain, for in the time

between leaving his throne and

returning to it again, he has won

the victory to bring many sons to

glory.

The Highest Name

Therefore God also has highly

exalted Him and given Him the

name which is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every

knee should bow, of those in

heaven, and of those on earth, and

of those under the earth, and that

every tongue should confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of

God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

Men recognize names as denoting

someone important. If I spoke of

Elizabeth Windsor, you would know

that she is Queen of England.

George Bush is president of USA. A

name conveys a sense of someone's

importance. So if I mention Jesus

God wants you to know that he is

Lord. Whoever you are, he is Lord.

The Highest Honour

Not only did God confer honour on

Christ when he spoke from the

Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved

Son, in whom I am well pleased." (2

Peter 1:17), he later crowned him

with glory and honour as the only

Saviour of men.

But we see Jesus, who was made a

little lower than the angels, for the

suffering of death crowned with

glory and honor, that He, by the

grace of God, might taste death for

everyone. (Hebrews 2:9)

That is why the Lord Jesus is the

only Saviour of men, for:

Salvation is found in no one else, for

there is no other name under

9

heaven given among men by which

we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

4 The Right of Our Praise

Genesis 49 says "To Him shall the

gathering of the people be".

Daily He shall be praised. (Psalms

72:15)

The inhabitants of heaven are

completely united in their view that

the Lamb who was slain has won

the right to our praise. The twenty

four elders, representing the

church, fall down to worship him,

the prayers of the saints are offered

to him. The angels join in to sing

"Worthy is the Lamb that was

slain." Then in v13 we see every

creature which is in heaven and on

the earth and under the earth and

such as are in the sea, and all that

are in them, saying: "Blessing and

honor and glory and power Be to

Him who sits on the throne, And to

the Lamb, forever and ever!"

Conclusion

Surely the One who has

secured the realization of

our future, the

redemption of our souls

and the reward of our

God has a right to our

praise.

Let us join the angels

around the throne

singing,

"Worthy is the Lamb."

Image: © Jozef Sedmak

'Tis the Church Triumphant singing, Worthy the Lamb;

Heaven throughout with praises ringing, Worthy the Lamb.

Thrones and powers before Him bending, Odours sweet with voice ascending,

Swell the chorus never ending, Worthy the Lamb! J. Kent

10

The ‘Faith-builders Bible study series’ has been developed a useful resource for today’s students of God’s Word and their busy lifestyles.

Pastors, home or study group leaders and indeed for anyone wishing to study the Bible for themselves will

benefit from using Faith-builders studies.

Each volume is the result of many years of group Bible study, and has been revised again and again to be

relevant, challenging and faith building whilst remaining clear and easy to understand.

Each chapter had thought provoking questions to aid study and sample answers are provided.

Below is the study notes with discussion questions and

sample answers for chapter 1.

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Mark Chapter 1 (abstract) By Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett (UK) Image © Rorem

New Bible Study Resource Out Now!

Introduction

1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Here we have the title of the book; it is not actually the gospel of Mark but the gospel (good news) about Jesus Christ. Mark declares that the promises God had made throughout the Old Testament of a coming deliverer (e.g. Gen. 3:15) had been fulfilled by the coming of Jesus Christ. So the good news is all about Jesus.

In Hebrew, the name “Jesus” is “Joshua” or “Jeshua” and means “Jehovah is salvation”. This is the name that the angel told Joseph to give to the child born of the Virgin Mary; “for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

Mark calls Jesus the “Christ”, the one anointed by God to become the saviour of world through his death and resurrection. In the beginning of Mark’s gospel we also see that Jesus is called the “Son of God”. The apostle Paul also always preached that Jesus was the Son of God (e.g. Acts 9:20). Such is the importance of this Christian belief that 1 John 4:15 tells us “whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he dwells in God.” It is as Son of God that Jesus embodies the perfect image of his Father (Heb. 1:3).

11

Old Testament Prophecy

Fulfilled

1:2-3 As it is written in Isaiah the

prophet, ‘Look, I am sending my

messenger ahead of you, who will

prepare your way, the voice of one

shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare

the way for the Lord, make his paths

straight.'

Mark unites the Old Testament with

the new to show that the new is a

fulfilment of the old (Matt. 5:17).

The quotations from Malachi 3:1

and Isaiah 40:3 refer to John the

Baptist as the forerunner of Christ;

the one who came before him as a

herald to announce the arrival of

the Saviour and to prepare the

hearts of the people to receive him.

In those days heralds were

employed to run before reigning

monarchs to clear a pathway for

them so that they were not

hindered in their journey. John was

sent to remove the obstacles of sin

and unbelief from the people of

Israel so that they might be able to

accept the Christ. He did not take

his message to the towns and cities

to be heard, but into the

wilderness. His message was that

the people should return to God by

turning from their sin. John was to

make the way straight for Jesus by

calling the people to a change of

heart which would result in a

change of conduct.

1:4-5 In the wilderness John the

baptizer began preaching a baptism

of repentance for the forgiveness of

sins. People from the whole Judean

countryside and all of Jerusalem

were going out to him, and he was

baptizing them in the Jordan River

as they confessed their sins.

John told them that they needed to

repent, that is, “a change of one's

mind for the better and heartily to

amend one's ways with abhorrence

of past sins in order to obtain

forgiveness of and release from

sins” (Amp. N. T.). John's baptism

was not Christian baptism as we

know it today, but an outward sign

that those who came to him had

responded to his message with

repentance. It is clear from Matt.

3:7-8 that John demanded the

peoples’ lives be changed to show

that their repentance was genuine.

Notice that John did not go to the

people, but they came to him from

every city, town and village

throughout Judah (it would seem as

if this was a move of the Holy

Spirit); and on confession of their

sins he baptised the repentant in

the Jordan River.

John's Abode and Appearance

1:6 John wore a garment made of

camel's hair with a leather belt

around his waist, and he ate locusts

and wild honey.

John's dwelling place, dress and

food showed him to be a prophet

after the order of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8)

and he was recognised at once

being a messenger from the Lord.

Pre-eminence of Christ

1:7 He proclaimed, ‘One more

powerful than I am is coming after

me; I am not worthy to bend down

and untie the strap of his sandals.

John made it very clear that he had

not come to project his own image

but that he was merely the signpost

to the one that was coming after

him, Jesus Christ. He was very

conscious of his own unworthiness

and esteemed himself of no value

compared to the one that would

come in power and who would far

exceed him and anything that he

could achieve.

1:8 I baptize you with water, but he

will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

Here we have the first mention of

the promise of the baptism of the

Holy Spirit. John baptised in water,

but it is only Jesus Christ who can

baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire

(Acts 2:38). This verse can be taken

as an assertion of Christ’s divinity –

for only God can be said to be the

giver of the Spirit of God.

Christ's Baptism and

Temptation

1:9 Now in those days Jesus came

from Nazareth in Galilee and was

baptized by John in the Jordan River.

Jesus came to John to be baptised;

not for the remission of his sins, for

he had none (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb.

4:15). He came rather because he

had a desire to “fulfil all

righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).

1:10-11 And just as Jesus was

coming up out of the water, he saw

the heavens splitting apart and the

Spirit descending on him like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven: ‘You

are my one dear Son; in you I take

great delight.’

In this verse is depicted the

Christian belief of God as a trinity:

God the Son (Jesus) is seen coming

up out of the water as God the Holy

Spirit descends on him and God the

Father speaks to him from heaven.

The voice of God confirmed Jesus to

be his only beloved Son with whom

he was well pleased.

1:12-13 The Spirit immediately

drove him into the wilderness. He

was in the wilderness forty days,

enduring temptations from Satan.

He was with wild animals, and

angels were ministering to his

needs.

12

Immediately after the Holy Spirit

came on Jesus, he (that is, the

Spirit) impelled Christ to go into the

wilderness, where he remained for

forty days and nights being tempted

by Satan. This “corresponds to the

forty years of testing that Israel

endured in the desert” (A. Cole).

The desert to the Hebrew was a

place of gloomy terror, the abode of

devils and wild beasts; a place to be

avoided. During all this time God

protected his Son (Psalm 91:11;

Matt. 4:6); and after he had faced

the temptations of Satan the angels

of God came and ministered to him.

Both Matthew 4 and Luke 4 provide

further details of this temptation of

Christ.

John the Baptist came before the

first appearance of Christ to

prepare the way for him by

preaching repentance. Today, we

can prepare others in a similar way

for the second coming of Christ by

living a life that reflects his

character and by preaching the

gospel message. Our hope is that

others may come to know Jesus as

their Saviour. John said “I must

decrease but he must increase”

(John 3:30) and to be good

witnesses like John, we too must

wear humility as a cloak, allowing

the Lord to reign in every area of

our lives. When this is so, it will be

“no longer I who lives but Christ

who lives in me”; God will be able

to use us in whatever way he will.

Whenever we are tempted and

tried, let us remember that Jesus

understands, for he suffered the

same temptations that we do, so

that he might help us in time of

need (Heb. 2:18). God has sent his

angels to watch over us and

minister to us (Heb. 1:14).

Christ's Message

1:14 Now after John was

imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee

and proclaimed the gospel of God.

God's ways are not our ways; his

ways are past finding out. Therefore

we cannot fully understand why it

was that John was removed from

the scene by being put in prison and

eventually beheaded. Yet it was at

this point in time that Jesus started

his ministry. It was not to Judea, the

most important region, nor to

Jerusalem, but to Galilee that Jesus

went. Galilee is seen by some

commentators as a picture of

spiritual bondage as historically it

had always been the first area to fall

into the hands of invaders. It was

this region of spiritual darkness that

the prophet Isaiah foretold would

first receive the light (Isaiah 9:1-2).

1:15 He said, ‘The time is fulfilled

and the kingdom of God is near.

Repent and believe the gospel!’

Jesus's message differed from

John's in as much as Jesus brought

the “good news”; indeed, he was

the good news! Christ had come to

make a way for people to enter the

kingdom of God so that through

him we might be able to live the life

of that kingdom. This kingdom

would be found within the hearts of

people (Luke 17:21); for it was not

an earthly kingdom but a heavenly

(or spiritual) one (John 18:36, Rom.

17:21). Jesus proclaimed that the

hour had come which all the

prophets had pointed to: the

kingdom of God had come, for the

king had arrived. Like John, Jesus

called the people to repent so that

they could have their sins forgiven

(Acts 3:19). But Jesus added one

thing more; he said, “Believe the

gospel”. They were to believe on

him as the Son of God, the

promised one; the way into God’s

kingdom (John 14:6).

The Call of the First Disciples

1:16 As he went along the Sea of

Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew,

Simon's brother, casting a net into

the sea (for they were fishermen).

It was not by chance that Jesus

walked by the Sea of Galilee; he

purposed to do so that he might call

these men to follow him. Simon,

Andrew, James and John were

about their daily work, what they

had been doing since they were old

enough to go fishing and what they

expected to be doing for the rest of

their lives; but Jesus had other plans

for them. So it can be with us. We

may have been doing the same

thing for ages never expecting

anything different to happen, and

then Jesus comes along and

changes our lives.

1:17-20 Jesus said to them, ‘Follow

me, and I will turn you into fishers of

people.’ They left their nets

immediately and followed him.

Going on a little farther, he saw

James, the son of Zebedee, and John

his brother in their boat mending

nets. Immediately he called them,

and they left their father Zebedee in

the boat with the hired men and

followed him.

This was probably not the first time

that these disciples had seen Jesus.

They may have been present when

he was baptised by John, but they

certainly would not yet have known

Jesus well. Nevertheless, at his

bidding they immediately left what

they were doing (their livelihood)

and followed him. He would teach

them the new trade of winning

souls. “They abandoned all that

they held dear, and all earthly

security in simple committal to

Christ” (A. Cole). This is the

13

minimum requirement for every

Christian (Luke 14:33).

A Demonic Delivered

1:21 Then they went to Capernaum.

When the Sabbath came, Jesus

went into the synagogue and began

to teach.

It was the consistent practice of

Jesus to attend the synagogue and

the temple, and on this Sabbath,

being in Capernaum, it was to the

local synagogue he went. This may

have been the same synagogue

which Luke informs us had been

built by a Roman centurion (whose

servant was healed in Luke 7:2-10).

It was customary in the meeting for

the Rabbi to invite someone to read

and explain the scriptures. So Jesus

would have done this by invitation.

1:22 The people there were amazed

by his teaching, because he taught

them like one who had authority,

not like the experts in the law.

This was no ordinary meeting and

no ordinary teacher, for he spoke to

them as one who not only knew the

scriptures but also the full truth of

them, which the scribes did not. The

words came from him with life and

power and the people were

astounded; even the powers of

darkness were stirred up.

1:23 Just then there was a man in

their synagogue with an unclean

spirit, and he cried out,

It would appear from this verse that

the man was a regular attendee at

the synagogue and would have

been well known. It was the demon

within the man that cried out (not

the man) and made itself known to

Jesus.

1:24 ‘Leave us alone, Jesus the

Nazarene! Have you come to

destroy us? I know who you are —

the Holy One of God!’

The first thing he cried was for Jesus

to “leave us alone”. As there is only

one demon mentioned in verse 23,

25 and 26 the “us” might possibly

be a reference to the man and the

demon (unless the demon is

speaking on behalf of his kind).

“What have we to do with you” that

is, “what have we got in common

with you?” Of course the answer is

“nothing” for Jesus is pure - the

demon unclean; Jesus is light - the

demon darkness; Jesus came from

God - the demon from the devil;

and Jesus came from heaven - the

demon from hell. The demon

addressed Jesus in the first instance

by his earthly name “Jesus of

Nazareth”. He knew that Christ had

come to destroy all the works of the

devil (1John 3:8); and he confessed

who Jesus was (James 2:19). Since

all power has been given to Jesus in

heaven and earth, even demons are

compelled to obey him.

1:25 But Jesus rebuked him:

‘Silence! Come out of him!’

Note that Jesus did not lay hands on

the man – and he did not speak to

him, only to the demon - nor did he

pray for him. He rebuked the

unclean spirit by commanding him

to shut up, or “be muzzled”, and

then to come out of the man.

1:26 After throwing him into

convulsions, the unclean spirit cried

out with a loud voice and came out

of him.

The demon could not do any other

than obey Jesus’ command ‘. As he

left the man, he convulsed him

violently and gave a loud screech.

The power of the Lord Jesus caused

the demon to be wrenched away

from the man.

1:27 They were all amazed so that

they asked each other, ‘What is

this? A new teaching with authority!

He even commands the unclean

spirits and they obey him.’

The man was set free! This

deliverance caused a great stir

among the people, for although

they had most probably seen the

priests exorcising unclean spirits,

this was the first time that they had

witnessed someone actually having

authority over them and casting

them out by his word of command.

1:28 So the news about him spread

quickly throughout all the region

around Galilee.

This demonstration of the power

and authority of Jesus caused his

fame to spread right throughout

Galilee. But although the people

were amazed and wondered at

these things, Mark does not say

that they believed on him.

At Simon Peter's House

1:29-30 Now as soon as they left the

synagogue, they entered Simon and

Andrew's house, with James and

John. Simon's mother-in-law was

lying down, sick with a fever, so

they spoke to Jesus at once about

her.

These few verses tell us a few

details concerning Simon’s home

and family. From all that is recorded

of Simon Peter we see that he was a

rough and ready kind of person,

often getting things wrong. Yet here

we see him as a tender and caring

family man. He not only provided a

home for his widowed mother-in-

law but also for his brother Andrew,

so we can assume that the brothers’

parents were dead (see 1 Tim. 5:8).

He was also hospitable, for he

invited Jesus, James and John back

14

to his home for a meal (1 Pet. 4:9;

Rom. 12:13).

However things we not well at

home and the household were not

prepared for visitors. Peter's

mother-in-law had a fever and so

was bed-ridden. Although they had

known Jesus only for a short time

they immediately brought this

problem to him and had faith to

believe that he would heal her.

1:31 He came and raised her up by

gently taking her hand. Then the

fever left her and she began to serve

them.

Jesus did not pray or speak with her

he just took hold of her hand and

she was immediately healed. There

are other recorded incidents when

Jesus healed and raised people

from the dead by taking them by

the hand (e.g. Matt. 9:25). The

mother-in-law wasted no time in

recovering; she helped to wait on

them, serving them food, as many

other women would do throughout

Christ's ministry.

1:32-33 When it was evening, after

sunset, they brought to him all who

were sick and demon-possessed.

The whole town gathered by the

door.

Following the miracle in the

synagogue and the healings in the

home the news spread quickly

throughout the whole of

Capernaum and by the evening

everybody that was sick or demon

possessed was brought to Jesus at

Simon’s home. He turned no one

away but ministered to them all.

1:34 So he healed many who were

sick with various diseases and drove

out many demons. But he would not

permit the demons to speak,

because they knew him.

Yet it is not certain from the text

that all were healed, for the verse

says “many” and not “all”. It is

Matthew who insists (citing the

same incident) that every sick

person, without exception, was

healed (Matt. 8:16). Once again

Jesus would not allow the demons

to bear witness to who he was for

they did so by compulsion and not

voluntarily. “Christ is prepared to

await the revelation to be made by

God to men that alone will enable

them to say with Peter, 'you are the

Christ' (Mark 8:29). Demons may

well believe but they do not trust”

(A. Cole).

Discussion Questions for

Chapter 1

1. vv. 1-45. List those who, in this

section of Mark’s gospel, give

witness that Jesus Christ is the Son

of God (don’t forget 1:10-11).

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2. vv. 10-11. How can you be sure

that Jesus Christ was without sin?

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3. vv. 1-45. In what ways does Mark

(in chapter 1) show Jesus as

someone greater than John?

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4. vv. 36-39. Why do you think Jesus

chose to leave behind, rather than

stay and build on, the apparent

success of his ministry in

Capernaum?

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5. vv. 1-45. In what ways does Christ

demonstrate His authority in the

first chapter of Mark?

_____________________________

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15

When we read through the

scriptures, we find a number of

what are known as Jehovah

titles. For example, Jehovah

Jireh, Jehovah Nisi, Jehovah

Shalom etc. One such title is

found in Eze.48v35 which says-

It was about eighteen thousand

measures and the name of the

city from that day shall be the

Lord is there.

This begs the question, where?

The reply would be there, as the

verse says! Then comes another

question, but where exactly is

there? Of course the simple

answer is the Lord is

everywhere.

I would, briefly, like to make

three points.

Point one. The Lord was

there in eternity past.

ls.57v15: For thus says the high

and lofty one that inhabits

eternity, whose name is holy, I

dwell in the high and holy place,

with him also that is of a contrite

and humble spirit, to revive the

spirit of the humble and to

revive the heart of the contrite

ones.

We read here that God inhabits

eternity, he wasn’t just at the

creation of the world, but in the

ages of eternity before.

De.32v40: For I lift up my hand

to heaven and say 1 live forever.

Job.36v26: Behold, God is great

and we know him not, neither

can number of his years be

searched out.

Ps.9v7: But the Lord shall

endure forever; he has prepared

his throne for judgement.

Ps. 135v13: Thy name, o Lord,

endures forever and your

memorial, o Lord, throughout all

generations.

Point two. The Lord is there

in the present.

In Ps. 139v7-lO it says. Where

can I go from your Spirit? Or

where can I flee from your

presence? If I ascend in to

heaven, you are there; if I make

my bed in hell, behold, you are

there. If I take the wings of the

morning and dwell in the

“Jehovah Shammah: The Lord is there.”

By Wesley Chick Image: © Lenora

Image © Lichtmeister

16

uttermost parts of the sea, even

there your hand shall lead me

and your right hand shall hold

me.

From these verses we see that

the Lord is everywhere. The

psalmist asks where can I go and

gives two extreme examples, as

far as distance goes, if he could

ascend to heaven God is there. If

he could descend into hell, or

the grave, God is there. If he

could flee to the farthest points

on earth, he could not escape

Gods presence. Just like Jonah,

when God told him to go to

Nineveh, he thought he knew

better and tried to run away. He

soon found that he couldn’t

outrun God and eventually did

as he was told. This tells us that

God is omnipresent.

Deu.4v39: Know then this day

and consider it in your heart,

that the Lord he is God, in

heaven above and on the earth

beneath, there is none else.

Pr.15v3: The eyes of the

Lord are in every place,

beholding the evil and the good.

Is.66v1+2, Thus says the Lord,

the heaven is my throne and the

earth is my footstool; where is

the house that you build to me?

And where is the place of my

rest? For all those things has my

hand made and all those things

have been, says the Lord. But to

this man I will look, even to him

that is poor and of a contrite

spirit and trembles at my word.

Je.23v24 Can anyone hide

himself in secret places that I

shall not see him? Says the Lord.

Do I not fill heaven and earth?

Says the Lord.

We read in the previous verse,

that heaven is Gods throne and

the earth his footstool. Yet he

takes time to look to and dwell

with he who is poor and of a

contrite spirit. This speaks to us

of the nearness of God to all

who call on him for salvation

and follow him.

Ps. 16v8: I have set the Lord

always before me, because he is

at my right hand, I shall not be

moved.

Ps.34vl8: The Lord is near to

them that are of a broken heart;

and saves such that have a

contrite spirit.

Ps.145v18: The Lord is near to all

those who call upon him, to all

that call upon him in truth.

Je.23v23: Am I a God at hand,

says the Lord and not a God afar

off.

Because of Gods promise to be

near us, as Christians, we can be

sure that whatever

circumstances we face, whether

good times, sometimes referred

to as mountain top experiences,

or in bad times, sometimes

referred to as valley

experiences, the Lord assures us

through his word that he is there

with us. His divine presence is a

comfort to his saints in the

pilgrimage of life.

Ge.28v15: And behold I am with

you and will keep you in all

places wherever you go and will

bring you again into this land;

for I will not leave you, until I

have done that which I have

spoken to you of

Affords rest.

Ex.33vl4: And he said, My

presence shall go with you and I

will give you rest.

Gives courage in lifes battles.

De.2OvL When you go out in

battle against your enemies and

see horses and chariots and a

people more than you, don’t be

afraid of them; for the Lord your

God is with you, who brought

you up out of the land of Egypt.

A comfort in trials.

Is.43v2: When you pass through

the waters, I will be with you

and through the rivers, they

shall not overthrow you; when

you walk through the fire, you

shall not be burned, neither shall

the flame kindle upon you.

Mat. l8v20: For where two or

three are gathered together in

my name, there I am in the

midst of them.

Unto the end.

Mat.28v20: Teaching them to

observe all things that I have

commanded you; and lo, I am

with you always, even to the end

of the age.

Point three. The Lord is there

in the future.

As we see in the previous verse,

the Lord is with us all through

our Christian pilgrimage right to

17

the end of the age. But He is also

there in the future. We find it

difficult to understand what our

future will be like in eternity. We

try to imagine what heaven will

be like and what we will be

doing. But with our limited

human minds we cannot begin

to grasp what the future will be

like. But the scriptures do give us

an insight.

Jn. l4vl-3: Let not your hearts be

troubled; believe in God, believe

also in me. In my father’s house

are many mansions; if it were

not so, I would have told you; for

I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place

for you, I will come again and

receive you unto myself~ that

where I am, there you may be

also.

Rev.22v1-5 And he showed me a

river of water of life, bright as

crystal, proceeding out of the

throne of God and of the Lamb,

in the midst of the street

thereof. And on this side of the

river and on that side, was the

tree of life, bearing twelve kinds

of fruits, yielding its fruit every

month; and the leaves of the

trees were for the healing of the

nations.

And there shall be no curse

anymore; and the throne of God

and of the Lamb shall be in

there; and his servants shall

serve him; and they shall see his

face; and his name shall be on

their foreheads.

And there shall be no more

night; and they need no light of

a lamp, neither light of the sun;

for the Lord God shall give them

light; and they shall reign for

ever and ever.

Rev.2lvl-4: And I saw a new

heaven and a new earth; for the

first heaven and the first earth

are passed away; and the sea is

no more.

And I saw the holy city, new

Jerusalem, coming down out of

heaven of God, made ready as a

bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a great voice out of

the throne saying,

Behold, the

tabernacle of

God is with men

and he shall

dwell with them

and they shall

be his people

and God himself

shall be with

them and be

their God.

And he shall wipe away every

tear from their eyes; and death

shall be no more; neither shall

there be mourning, nor crying,

nor pain, anymore; the first

things are passed away.

I thank God for bring the gift of salvation to us through His precious son Jesus Christ.

All Christians pass through challenges at different levels but WE ARE ALL CALLED FOR VICTORY

Remember the words of Jesus to Peter in Matthew 16:18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Just want to remind you that when Jesus builds a church even the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

We must fight the devil knowing that our weapons are effective and powerful.

Here are 5 things to know about our adversary the Devil.

1. He is an imposter 1 Peter 5:8 He is like a roaring Lion.

2. He is powerless Against Christ. Hebrews 2:14 and Luke 10:18

3. He is to be resisted Jude 1:9

4. He is not to be feared Numbers 23:23-24

5. He should be pursued and attacked Mark :23

God bless you and I pray that all blessings rain and overflow upon you and all what you do in Jesus name.

ISAAC MWAGI (KENYA)

18

Road signs provide the

protection needed for us to

travel as reasonably and safely

as possible. At least when we

pay attention and follow the

instructions that is.

Stop signs in particular, are

crucial as they usually signal a

potential danger that if not

heeded could mean immediate

harm.

Unfortunately, there

is poorly designed

intersection located in

my neighbourhood.

The stop sign is placed

so far back that in

order for you to see

clearly when making a

left or right turn, you

must drive past the

stop sign.

Those familiar with

this intersection have

knowledge of its

dangers and

understand what is

required to safely

transition.

However, those that

are not generally find

themselves in near

miss situations.

I began to think, does

God provide warnings

for the purpose of

providing safe

passageways in our

lives?

Does God provide

warnings of dangers

that lie ahead?

The answer is, yes He does.

And according to 1 Samuel 19:2-

3 He sometimes uses people.

Saul called his son Jonathan

together with his servants and

ordered them to kill David. But

because Jonathan treasured

David, 2 he went and warned

him: "My father is looking for a

way to kill you. Here's what you

are to do. Tomorrow morning,

hide and stay hidden. 3 I'll go

out with my father into the field

where you are hiding. I'll talk

about you with my father and

we'll see what he says. Then I'll

report back to you. 1 Samuel 19:

2-3 The Message Bible

David was about to be killed at

the command of Saul.

Fortunately for David, Jonathan

decided to share with David

what his father was about to do.

David heeded and his life was

spared. Several vital activities

had to occur for this to happen.

First, Jonathan had to care

enough and be willing to share

with David what he was privy to.

Secondly, David had to be willing

to believe and trust what

Jonathan had shared and follow

his instructions.

Without both, tragedy would

have most definitely occurred.

Although possibly not to this

extreme, God still uses others to

warn us of danger. He has given

some the ability to care enough

and just the right amount of

clarity, insight. And the boldness

to speak up.

One should not be so quick in

dismissing these warnings.

Instead, through prayer, ask God

if He is using this person as a

possible human stop sign,

providing valuable instructions

for divine guidance and

protection.

Danger Ahead!

by Sonja Burketh Image © Kam Por Yeung

19

Chapter 8 The Abuse of

Christian Liberty

Do not be puffed up with

Knowledge

8:1 With regard to food

sacrificed to idols, we know that

"we all have knowledge."

Knowledge puffs up, but love

builds up.

Some of the Christians in Corinth

were asserting their Christian

liberty by eating meat which had

been sacrificed to idols. They

reasoned that since an idol was

only a piece of wood or stone,

and that they knew that actually

the true and living God had

provided the food and that they

were thankful to Him for it, they

were not wrong to eat it.

With regard to the facts, they

were quite correct: an idol is

nothing but a statue, and all our

food is given to us by God. Yet

these facts alone do not make

the eating of food sacrificed to

idols a morally neutral question.

Whilst believers have received

knowledge of spiritual matters

through their relationship with

the Son of God, knowledge that

is not applied wisely and lovingly

may lead only to intellectual

pride, and not benefit the

recipient in a real

sense. Pride about

what we know does

nothing to build up our own or

anyone else’s Christian faith; it is

entirely contrary to that spirit

which the Christian ought to

possess - a spirit and character

which are dominated by humility

and love.

Phillips says, ‘While knowledge

may make a man look big, it is

only love that can make him

grow to his full stature’ (that is,

his full spiritual potential). So

rather than show off their

knowledge, Paul urges the

believers to concentrate their

efforts on building up their own

characters and those of others

by the perfecting ministry of

Christian love.

8:2 If someone thinks he knows

something, he does not yet know

to the degree that he needs to

know.

Even the knowledge we have

received from Christ is

incomplete (1 Cor. 13:9-12).

Christians may be supernaturally

born of God, but they are not as

a result able to understand

every mystery of the universe. If

we have an understanding about

the things of God, it is only

because God has chosen to

reveal these truths to us through

Jesus Christ (Matt. 11:27). God

revealed Himself to us by grace,

not because we merit it, but

because He delights to reveal

Himself to little children (Matt.

11:25). What justification do we

have for boasting in our

knowledge? The perfect tense

used for the word knowledge in

this verse implies full and

complete knowledge, this

knowledge which is God’s alone

shall nevertheless be

comprehended by every believer

when we see Christ face to face

(1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 13:12). When

we think of all that will be made

known to us in the ages to come,

we will begin to appreciate that

whatever we know here and

now is actually very little.

8:3 But if someone loves God, he

is known by God.

Christian assurance is rooted in

the fact that although we do not

know everything about God, He

knows us entirely and

intimately. We are God’s

children, redeemed by the blood

of His Son, and we have the sure

hope of one day entering into

every eternal blessing which

Christ has obtained on our

behalf (Eph. 1:3).

Our In Depth Study. 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 By Mathew Bartlett Photo © Godfer

Scripture taken from the NET Bible®.

20

8:4 With regard then to eating

food sacrificed to idols, we know

that "an idol in this world is

nothing," and that "there is no

God but one."

Paul applies this lesson about

knowledge in general to the

specific matter of eating food

sacrificed to idols. He leaves the

Corinthians in no doubt that he

agrees with their view that since

idols are manmade they have no

significance for the believer who

is personally acquainted with the

true and living God.

8:5 If after all there are so-called

gods, whether in heaven or on

earth (as there are many gods

and many lords).

Whilst there are many religions,

who worship many so-called

gods, the Christian is in

possession of the truth that our

God is the only God and there is

no other besides Him (Deut.

4:35).

8:6 Yet for us there is one God,

the Father, from whom are all

things and for whom we live,

and one Lord, Jesus Christ,

through whom are all things and

through whom we live.

The Christian faith is a

monotheistic faith, for we

believe in one God who created

all things. Since all we have

comes from God, our acceptable

act of worship is to return all

that we have and are to Him

(Rom. 12:1).

Our creator is also the Father

who gave His Son, the Lord Jesus

Christ, to be our Saviour.

Through His Son He has brought

us into a relationship with

Himself, so that by Christ’s

redemptive work, we now

belong wholly to God. What a

joy and privilege it is to belong

to the One by whom we exist

and who created us for Himself!

You are worthy, O Lord, To

receive glory and honor and

power; For You created all

things, And by Your will they

exist and were created (Rev.

4:11 NKJVTM).

Although Christians believe in

one God, we accept also the

doctrine of the Trinity. That is so

say, that whilst we accept that

God is one God, we also believe

that He exists as three distinct

persons. In this way we believe

that the Son of God is co-eternal

and co-equal with God the

Father and with the Holy Spirit

(Matt. 28:19; John 1:1). Indeed,

in this verse as elsewhere in the

New Testament, Jesus Christ is

credited with creating and

sustaining all life in the universe

(Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:3). Hence we

acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord

in accordance with the will of

God our Father (Acts 2:36; Phil.

2:9-11).

8:7 But this knowledge is not

shared by all. And some, by

being accustomed to idols in

former times, eat this food as an

idol sacrifice, and their

conscience, because it is weak, is

defiled.

While it is true that there is only

one God, and that idols are of no

consequence, still the matter of

eating food which has been

sacrificed to idols is not by this

fact rendered ethically neutral.

In giving his verdict on the

matter of eating food sacrificed

to idols Paul does not so much

depend on knowledge as on the

principle of love for others.

Many people remain ignorant of

the true and living God whom

we serve. There are even some

believers who were so ensnared

by idolatry before they came to

Christ that they find it hard to

separate the eating of food

offered to idols from the actual

worship of idols. Paul describes

these believers as having weak

consciences in as much as they

cannot see the act of eating as

being indifferent. To them, the

eating of food sacrificed to an

idol would constitute an act of

worship to the idol, and

participating in this would make

them unfaithful to the Lord Jesus

and so guilty of sin in their own

conscience.

8:8 Now food will not bring us

close to God. We are no worse if

we do not eat and no better if

we do.

Paul admits that eating or

refraining from different foods is

an ethically neutral matter. We

are not brought closer to God by

eating, nor are we advantaged in

any way spiritually by declining

to eat, for eating itself is not a

spiritual matter. Jesus taught

that food enters the stomach

and that the waste is expelled

from the body, and that as it

21

passes through it has no effect

on a person's spiritual life at all

(Mark 7:18-19).

In saying these words, Jesus

declared all foods to be clean,

and so in that sense Paul allows

that even food which has

previously been offered to idols

may be considered clean for

believers. Bear in mind,

however, that whilst food which

has been offered to idols may be

considered clean, the practise of

idolatry itself is not; and Paul will

deal in greater detail with this

subject in chapter 10.

Consider the Weak

8:9 But be careful that this

liberty of yours does not become

a hindrance to the weak.

Paul’s teaching in this chapter

has been leading up to this

point. Whilst he accepted that

the knowledge of which the

Corinthians boasted was well-

founded, he foresees the danger

which the misuse of this

knowledge would bring. Paul

does not want the believers

guided by knowledge alone, but

also by love and consideration of

their fellow Christians; lest the

use of their freedom

inadvertently results in weaker

Christians being made to fall

from their relationship with

Christ.

8:10 For if someone weak sees

you who possess knowledge

dining in an idol's temple, will

not his conscience be

"strengthened" to eat food

offered to idols?

One Christian may feel free to

eat food offered to idols in an

idol's temple because they

understand that the idol is not a

god, and that the gift of food

does not come from a piece of

wood, but from God Himself.

Another Christian, who was

formerly enslaved by idolatry,

might (by following the example

of the first person) become

enslaved all over again by

idolatry and so fall away from

Christ. One believer is strong

and thinks that their actions will

hurt no one, but the weaker

believer is drawn back into the

ways of sin by following this

example. Clearly, the actions of

a stronger believer in such

circumstances would result in a

great deal of harm.

The principle is a broad one, and

does not only apply to food

eaten in idol temples. For

example, many Christians deem

it acceptable to have the

occasional alcoholic drink, for

the drink does not get hold of

them. They remain in full control

and are able to take one drink

and then stop. Yet another

believer might see and follow

their example and (because of a

former addiction) be led away

from Christ by the power of their

craving for alcohol and so return

to the life of sin from which

Christ had formerly freed them.

8:11 So by your knowledge the

weak brother or sister, for whom

Christ died, is destroyed.

If a weaker brother or sister falls

away from Christ because of

your conduct then you are guilty

of bringing spiritual ruin and

catastrophic harm to him. You

could entirely destroy your

brother or sister's relationship

with Christ and cause them to go

back into the world, where they

will ultimately perish. Our

weaker brothers and sisters are

not without importance. ‘Yet it

was for his sake as much as for

yours, to save him from

destruction, that Christ - no less

a person, died - no less than

that’ (my paraphrase of

Robertson and Plummer).

8:12 If you sin against your

brothers or sisters in this way

and wound their weak

conscience, you sin against

Christ.

To sin against the church of

Christ is to sin against Christ, for

Christ is so indivisibly joined to

His people that anything done to

the least of them is done to Him

(Matt. 25:40-45). Jesus

emphasises the awful

consequences of sinning against

His own people in Mark 9:42.

It is easy to think of certain

weaker Christians as being less

important, but the truth is they

are not; for they are still Christ's

people. The very fact that Jesus

Christ gave His life for them

seals their dignity forever.

Whenever a strong believer

overlooks the needs of the

weak, he or she does violence to

them, for the words wound their

weak conscience imply hitting

with vigorous blows, a beating.

22

Such behaviour could accurately

be termed spiritual bullying.

8:13 For this reason, if food

causes my brother or sister to

sin, I will never eat meat again,

so that I may not cause one of

them to sin.

Paul has resolved to take on

board his responsibility as

guardian of his weaker brothers

and sisters. If it is necessary in

order to prevent them going

back from the Lord, then he will

never touch meat again

throughout his life. Paul held it

to be of far more importance to

build up the church of Jesus

Christ than to assert his own

rights and freedoms. His was a

voluntary slavery, the blessed

slavery of love for his fellow

men. Paul refused to exert his

so-called rights at the expense of

someone else, and in chapter 9

he sets out his chosen lifestyle

as a pattern for others.

Leon Morris sums up his own

treatment of this passage with

these words, While it would not

be true to say that the robust

Christianity of the New

Testament envisages the strong

as permanently shackled by the

weak, yet the strong should

always act towards the weak

with consideration and love.

The Pentecostal

Bible Commentary: 1 Corinthians

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A Bible Study about the Humanity of Our Lord Jesus

Christ LOOK UP EACH REFERENCE:

He became man. John 1:14; Phil. 2:7; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:16, 17.

He was born of the Virgin Mary, Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:34, 35; Gal. 4:4.

Of the family of Israel. Isa. 9:6; Acts 13:23.

Of the seed of David as regards His body, but of the Son of God as regards His spirit. Rom. 1:3-4.

He grew up like us. Luke. 2:40; 2:46-52; Heb. 2:14; 5:8. Appeared as any other man; a Jew (John 4:9); a gardener (John 20:15); a stranger (Luke 24:18, 19); undistinguishable from other men by outward standards (John 21:4-5); a carpenter (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3).

Had an ordinary body (Heb. 2:14), soul (Matt. 26:38) and spirit (Luke 23:46; John 13:21); knowing hunger (Matt. 4:2); thirst (John 19:28); tiredness (John 4:6; Matt. 8:24); sorrow (wept tears) (John 11:35); slept (Matt. 8:24); was tempted in all points as we are (Heb. 2:9-18).

He is still a man in the Glory. 1 Tim. 2:5; Acts 7:55; Phil. 3:21.

Study from William F. P. Burton, who founded the mission that is today Central African Mission. They still stock several of Mr Burton’s PRICELESS books.

We commend them as worthy of your prayers and financial support. Visit www.camafrica.org

Our Lord Jesus Christ

23

Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett

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