1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:03,600 Welcome to From the Pulpit and Classic Sermons. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:05,580 Each week we bring you a different message 3 00:00:05,580 --> 00:00:07,560 from some of history's greatest speakers in the 4 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,260 Christian faith, and powerful sermons for modern preachers 5 00:00:10,260 --> 00:00:10,540 too. 6 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:13,480 This week, we have Zac Coonan with his 7 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,940 message, 1 Corinthians Chapter 11, verses 1-34. 8 00:00:20,150 --> 00:00:22,870 Let's turn today to 1 Corinthians Chapter 11 9 00:00:22,870 --> 00:00:24,370 and verse 1. 10 00:00:25,930 --> 00:00:30,210 Be imitators of me, just as I also 11 00:00:30,210 --> 00:00:31,509 am of Christ. 12 00:00:32,890 --> 00:00:38,850 It's an amazing thing that Paul's attitude in 13 00:00:38,850 --> 00:00:41,530 this matter was so different from much that 14 00:00:41,530 --> 00:00:42,270 we hear today. 15 00:00:43,390 --> 00:00:45,610 Today very often we hear preachers say, don't 16 00:00:45,610 --> 00:00:48,390 look at me, meaning don't look at my 17 00:00:48,390 --> 00:00:50,950 example, but look at Christ, who is the 18 00:00:50,950 --> 00:00:51,710 perfect example. 19 00:00:53,130 --> 00:00:55,950 That sounds like a very humble thing to 20 00:00:55,950 --> 00:00:58,610 say, but the interesting thing is that not 21 00:00:58,610 --> 00:01:01,310 a single apostle would ever make such a 22 00:01:01,310 --> 00:01:07,030 statement, because if our life as those who 23 00:01:07,030 --> 00:01:09,870 preach the word of God are not worthy 24 00:01:09,870 --> 00:01:13,290 examples for other people to follow, then we 25 00:01:13,290 --> 00:01:15,110 have no right to preach to others. 26 00:01:16,070 --> 00:01:19,270 The only person who has a right to 27 00:01:19,270 --> 00:01:21,930 preach the word of God to another is 28 00:01:21,930 --> 00:01:24,430 one who can say to the other, follow 29 00:01:24,430 --> 00:01:26,710 me as I follow Christ. 30 00:01:27,250 --> 00:01:30,350 Follow my example as I follow Christ. 31 00:01:30,810 --> 00:01:33,070 I may not be perfect, but at least 32 00:01:33,070 --> 00:01:34,870 I'm trying to live up to what I 33 00:01:34,870 --> 00:01:35,250 proclaim. 34 00:01:36,530 --> 00:01:38,590 And it is because people do not live 35 00:01:38,590 --> 00:01:42,530 according to what they preach that they have 36 00:01:42,530 --> 00:01:44,810 to say, do not look at me and 37 00:01:44,810 --> 00:01:45,430 my example. 38 00:01:46,330 --> 00:01:49,410 Paul could say boldly, be imitators of me, 39 00:01:50,130 --> 00:01:53,570 just as I also am of Christ. 40 00:01:53,570 --> 00:01:56,150 And in what context is he saying this? 41 00:01:56,870 --> 00:01:58,550 It is unfortunate that there is a chapter 42 00:01:58,550 --> 00:02:01,710 division between chapters 10 and 11 at this 43 00:02:01,710 --> 00:02:06,390 point, because strictly speaking, this first verse should 44 00:02:06,390 --> 00:02:09,449 be the concluding verse of that whole section 45 00:02:09,449 --> 00:02:11,610 beginning in chapter 10 verse 23. 46 00:02:12,950 --> 00:02:15,590 He's telling the Corinthian Christians how they can 47 00:02:15,590 --> 00:02:16,550 be spiritually minded. 48 00:02:17,290 --> 00:02:18,870 You are carnal, you are babies. 49 00:02:19,990 --> 00:02:21,830 If you want to be spiritually minded, he 50 00:02:21,830 --> 00:02:23,250 says, follow my example. 51 00:02:23,530 --> 00:02:24,510 And that was not boasting. 52 00:02:25,670 --> 00:02:28,570 He was saying that I am practicing what 53 00:02:28,570 --> 00:02:29,030 I'm preaching. 54 00:02:29,570 --> 00:02:31,230 I'm only preaching to you what I've done 55 00:02:31,230 --> 00:02:32,270 first in my own life. 56 00:02:33,070 --> 00:02:35,290 And there's nothing arrogant about that. 57 00:02:35,370 --> 00:02:36,930 In fact, that should be the testimony of 58 00:02:36,930 --> 00:02:37,550 every preacher. 59 00:02:38,270 --> 00:02:40,010 Like it says in Acts 1 verse 1 60 00:02:40,010 --> 00:02:41,870 that Jesus first did and then he taught 61 00:02:41,870 --> 00:02:44,890 what he had already done in the same 62 00:02:44,890 --> 00:02:47,950 way Paul first did and then taught others 63 00:02:47,950 --> 00:02:49,790 what he had already practiced in his life. 64 00:02:50,530 --> 00:02:52,590 He preached what he had practiced. 65 00:02:53,590 --> 00:02:54,850 And this is the meaning of verse 1. 66 00:02:56,010 --> 00:02:58,430 Don't just hear what I say, but you 67 00:02:58,430 --> 00:02:59,370 can do as I do. 68 00:03:00,410 --> 00:03:02,770 You can live as I live. 69 00:03:03,550 --> 00:03:06,170 This is in clear contrast to what Jesus 70 00:03:06,170 --> 00:03:08,250 told the disciples in Matthew 23 about the 71 00:03:08,250 --> 00:03:08,810 Pharisees. 72 00:03:09,550 --> 00:03:11,030 He said the Pharisees are different. 73 00:03:11,690 --> 00:03:15,270 In Matthew 23, he says in verse 3, 74 00:03:16,170 --> 00:03:18,950 whatever they tell you to do, you can 75 00:03:18,950 --> 00:03:19,190 do. 76 00:03:19,730 --> 00:03:23,110 But don't do according to their deeds, for 77 00:03:23,110 --> 00:03:25,370 they say things, but do not do them. 78 00:03:25,650 --> 00:03:27,970 The mark of a Pharisee is that he 79 00:03:27,970 --> 00:03:30,370 preaches something and then he says to people, 80 00:03:30,790 --> 00:03:33,030 don't look at my example, but look at 81 00:03:33,030 --> 00:03:33,390 Christ. 82 00:03:34,470 --> 00:03:37,430 That is the clearest mark of a Pharisee. 83 00:03:38,250 --> 00:03:40,330 But an apostle, a true disciple of Jesus 84 00:03:40,330 --> 00:03:42,210 Christ, would not say that. 85 00:03:42,990 --> 00:03:44,930 He would say, be an imitator of me, 86 00:03:45,490 --> 00:03:48,070 because I'm only telling you to do what 87 00:03:48,070 --> 00:03:50,470 I've already done in my life, otherwise I 88 00:03:50,470 --> 00:03:51,010 wouldn't tell you. 89 00:03:51,790 --> 00:03:52,910 There are a lot of things I can't 90 00:03:52,910 --> 00:03:55,130 tell you yet, a disciple would say, because 91 00:03:55,130 --> 00:03:56,370 I haven't yet done them in my life, 92 00:03:56,930 --> 00:03:58,270 or I'm not even seeking to do them. 93 00:03:59,210 --> 00:04:01,390 That is honesty, the opposite of which is 94 00:04:01,390 --> 00:04:03,690 hypocrisy, which makes a man a Pharisee. 95 00:04:04,130 --> 00:04:05,490 But it is in the context of what 96 00:04:05,490 --> 00:04:08,250 we considered in our last studies, from verse 97 00:04:08,250 --> 00:04:11,430 23 to 33 of chapter 10, Paul sought 98 00:04:11,430 --> 00:04:14,770 what was profitable, 10.23, and he sought 99 00:04:14,770 --> 00:04:16,529 that which would edify other people. 100 00:04:17,209 --> 00:04:20,390 In everything, verse 31 of 10, chapter 10, 101 00:04:20,870 --> 00:04:24,690 Paul sought the glory of God, and in 102 00:04:24,690 --> 00:04:27,350 verse 33, in everything he sought the salvation 103 00:04:27,350 --> 00:04:27,910 of others. 104 00:04:28,470 --> 00:04:31,250 He did not seek to please himself, but 105 00:04:31,250 --> 00:04:33,290 the profit of the others, how it would 106 00:04:33,290 --> 00:04:35,830 help and bless the others, and in this 107 00:04:35,830 --> 00:04:38,310 connection he says, be an imitator of me, 108 00:04:38,390 --> 00:04:40,410 see how I live, seeking the good of 109 00:04:40,410 --> 00:04:43,610 others, seeking the salvation of others, seeking the 110 00:04:43,610 --> 00:04:46,290 glory of God, seeking what is profitable spiritually, 111 00:04:46,810 --> 00:04:49,230 seeking how this will build a church, and 112 00:04:49,230 --> 00:04:52,170 considering all these things, I live my life, 113 00:04:52,390 --> 00:04:54,070 and he says, you can follow my example, 114 00:04:54,690 --> 00:04:56,930 I'm not telling you to do what I 115 00:04:56,930 --> 00:04:58,870 do not do myself, in my own life. 116 00:04:59,670 --> 00:05:01,170 What a wonderful example we have in the 117 00:05:01,170 --> 00:05:04,830 Apostle Paul, that we can be challenged by, 118 00:05:05,410 --> 00:05:08,470 not only to follow his example, but also 119 00:05:08,470 --> 00:05:11,230 to be such examples ourselves, to other younger 120 00:05:11,230 --> 00:05:14,970 believers, who are looking at us, particularly in 121 00:05:14,970 --> 00:05:16,930 this matter of seeking the glory of God 122 00:05:16,930 --> 00:05:19,770 in everything, and the building of the church, 123 00:05:20,190 --> 00:05:23,670 and the salvation of others, in every single 124 00:05:23,670 --> 00:05:24,910 aspect of our life. 125 00:05:25,790 --> 00:05:29,150 There's a great need of self-examination in 126 00:05:29,150 --> 00:05:31,710 all areas, if we are to come to 127 00:05:31,710 --> 00:05:33,370 the place Paul was in, in chapter 11, 128 00:05:33,430 --> 00:05:35,730 verse 1, where we can tell others, be 129 00:05:35,730 --> 00:05:38,250 imitators of me, as I also am of 130 00:05:38,250 --> 00:05:38,570 Christ. 131 00:05:38,670 --> 00:05:40,170 We know in Philippians 3, Paul said, I 132 00:05:40,170 --> 00:05:42,010 haven't yet attained, Paul wasn't saying that he'd 133 00:05:42,010 --> 00:05:44,190 become like Christ, but he was saying that, 134 00:05:44,490 --> 00:05:47,570 I'm seeking to follow Jesus' example, and you 135 00:05:47,570 --> 00:05:49,750 can follow my example, as I'm seeking to 136 00:05:49,750 --> 00:05:52,390 follow Jesus' example, as I'm walking in his 137 00:05:52,390 --> 00:05:55,130 footsteps, you can walk in my footsteps, and 138 00:05:55,130 --> 00:05:56,810 this is what makes a man an elder 139 00:05:56,810 --> 00:05:57,750 brother in a church. 140 00:05:58,350 --> 00:06:00,810 You can't become an elder by election, or 141 00:06:00,810 --> 00:06:01,410 by appointment. 142 00:06:02,170 --> 00:06:04,110 You become an elder brother, a true elder 143 00:06:04,110 --> 00:06:06,530 brother, by being an example in your life 144 00:06:06,530 --> 00:06:07,830 of following Jesus Christ. 145 00:06:08,410 --> 00:06:10,290 And if a man cannot say, be an 146 00:06:10,290 --> 00:06:12,110 imitator of me, in my family life, my 147 00:06:12,110 --> 00:06:14,110 personal life, my thought life, my business life, 148 00:06:14,390 --> 00:06:16,410 in my financial affairs, in all areas of 149 00:06:16,410 --> 00:06:17,710 my life, in my eating and drinking, in 150 00:06:17,710 --> 00:06:20,290 my sleeping, in my sex life, in everything, 151 00:06:21,290 --> 00:06:22,810 be an imitator of me, if a man 152 00:06:22,810 --> 00:06:25,550 cannot say that, he is not fit to 153 00:06:25,550 --> 00:06:27,970 be an elder or a guide of anyone, 154 00:06:29,170 --> 00:06:31,790 any other Christian, and certainly not fit to 155 00:06:31,790 --> 00:06:32,750 preach the word of God. 156 00:06:33,990 --> 00:06:37,690 And now we come to some other questions 157 00:06:37,690 --> 00:06:40,850 that Paul is answering to these Corinthians who 158 00:06:40,850 --> 00:06:44,330 had written concerning various matters, and this is 159 00:06:44,330 --> 00:06:46,910 concerning the place of men and women in 160 00:06:46,910 --> 00:06:47,490 the church. 161 00:06:48,970 --> 00:06:50,550 And he has some very important things to 162 00:06:50,550 --> 00:06:50,930 say here. 163 00:06:51,030 --> 00:06:52,810 He says, I praise you because you remember 164 00:06:52,810 --> 00:06:54,510 me in everything and hold firmly to the 165 00:06:54,510 --> 00:06:56,510 traditions just as I delivered them to you. 166 00:06:57,690 --> 00:06:59,790 There were certain traditions that the apostles delivered 167 00:06:59,790 --> 00:07:01,450 to the churches which have now become the 168 00:07:01,450 --> 00:07:02,010 word of God. 169 00:07:02,350 --> 00:07:05,550 This is different from the hypocritical traditions of 170 00:07:05,550 --> 00:07:09,010 the Pharisees which Jesus destroyed and spoke against. 171 00:07:09,890 --> 00:07:11,710 Here he is referring to those traditions which 172 00:07:11,710 --> 00:07:13,050 have now become God's word. 173 00:07:13,050 --> 00:07:14,550 In those days there was no written word 174 00:07:14,550 --> 00:07:15,710 of God as we have today in the 175 00:07:15,710 --> 00:07:19,670 New Testament, but the apostles delivered certain teachings 176 00:07:19,670 --> 00:07:22,710 which were called the apostles' traditions and the 177 00:07:22,710 --> 00:07:23,470 apostles' doctrine. 178 00:07:24,010 --> 00:07:25,690 Today it is God's word to us in 179 00:07:25,690 --> 00:07:26,250 the New Testament. 180 00:07:27,510 --> 00:07:31,150 And he says, I praise you, Corinthians, because 181 00:07:31,150 --> 00:07:33,070 you remember me in everything and you hold 182 00:07:33,070 --> 00:07:34,010 firmly to the traditions. 183 00:07:34,230 --> 00:07:35,170 And he says, now I want to tell 184 00:07:35,170 --> 00:07:36,490 you something about the place of men and 185 00:07:36,490 --> 00:07:38,250 women in the Christian church. 186 00:07:38,730 --> 00:07:40,570 I want you to understand that Christ is 187 00:07:40,570 --> 00:07:42,330 the head of every man, and the man 188 00:07:42,330 --> 00:07:43,450 is the head of the woman, and God 189 00:07:43,450 --> 00:07:44,110 is the head of Christ. 190 00:07:44,190 --> 00:07:46,090 Here is a very simple order. 191 00:07:47,170 --> 00:07:51,370 God on top, beneath him, Jesus Christ, his 192 00:07:51,370 --> 00:07:52,910 son, and our elder brother. 193 00:07:54,430 --> 00:07:58,470 Beneath Christ, man in the church, and beneath 194 00:07:58,470 --> 00:07:59,490 man, woman. 195 00:08:00,670 --> 00:08:02,710 Now you may say men and women are 196 00:08:02,710 --> 00:08:02,970 equal. 197 00:08:03,130 --> 00:08:04,610 In one sense they are, just like God 198 00:08:04,610 --> 00:08:05,370 and Christ are equal. 199 00:08:05,970 --> 00:08:08,330 But for the sake of a particular ministry 200 00:08:08,330 --> 00:08:10,910 that Jesus Christ had to fulfill, he voluntarily 201 00:08:10,910 --> 00:08:15,630 took a place beneath God, the Father, as 202 00:08:15,630 --> 00:08:18,250 being the body where the Father was the 203 00:08:18,250 --> 00:08:18,530 head. 204 00:08:19,530 --> 00:08:21,830 And in exactly the same way today, in 205 00:08:21,830 --> 00:08:24,090 the church, men and women are equal. 206 00:08:24,610 --> 00:08:26,970 But for the sake of the ministry in 207 00:08:26,970 --> 00:08:30,870 the church, a God-fearing spiritual woman will 208 00:08:30,870 --> 00:08:34,049 take her place beneath the man in the 209 00:08:34,049 --> 00:08:34,309 church. 210 00:08:34,450 --> 00:08:37,110 The mark of a carnal woman is that 211 00:08:37,110 --> 00:08:38,950 she wants equality with the man in the 212 00:08:38,950 --> 00:08:39,890 ministry in the church. 213 00:08:39,890 --> 00:08:41,730 This is a mark of a carnal Christian, 214 00:08:42,070 --> 00:08:44,390 but a spiritually minded Christian would voluntarily take 215 00:08:44,390 --> 00:08:48,930 that place beneath her husband, or her father, 216 00:08:49,330 --> 00:08:51,710 or the elder brother, whoever is above her 217 00:08:51,710 --> 00:08:52,390 in the church. 218 00:08:52,490 --> 00:08:56,270 And man would have the upper place in 219 00:08:56,270 --> 00:08:56,710 the church. 220 00:08:56,990 --> 00:08:59,750 But of course, man himself being beneath Christ, 221 00:09:00,190 --> 00:09:00,850 who is the head. 222 00:09:01,090 --> 00:09:02,870 It's very important for us to see this. 223 00:09:03,510 --> 00:09:05,430 And thus we see that there's nothing disgraceful 224 00:09:05,430 --> 00:09:08,990 about a woman taking that place of submission 225 00:09:08,990 --> 00:09:10,910 to the man, as some women think, because 226 00:09:10,910 --> 00:09:12,670 it is not an inferior position. 227 00:09:13,490 --> 00:09:15,550 The example for all women is Jesus Christ 228 00:09:15,550 --> 00:09:20,190 himself, who submitted to the authority of his 229 00:09:20,190 --> 00:09:20,510 Father. 230 00:09:21,390 --> 00:09:23,130 And as he submitted to the Father, a 231 00:09:23,130 --> 00:09:25,490 woman is called to submit to the man. 232 00:09:26,270 --> 00:09:29,070 And in this connection of submission to authority, 233 00:09:29,190 --> 00:09:31,470 he speaks about women covering their heads. 234 00:09:32,010 --> 00:09:33,650 So we need to understand this matter of 235 00:09:33,650 --> 00:09:35,170 a woman covering her head with a veil 236 00:09:35,170 --> 00:09:40,670 or a cloth as something that symbolizes her 237 00:09:40,670 --> 00:09:42,570 submission to the authority of man as God 238 00:09:42,570 --> 00:09:44,390 has appointed it in the church. 239 00:09:45,010 --> 00:09:46,450 A man should not cover his head, he 240 00:09:46,450 --> 00:09:49,090 says, because he disgraces his head if he 241 00:09:49,090 --> 00:09:50,690 covers his head when he's praying or prophesying. 242 00:09:50,770 --> 00:09:51,370 Who is his head? 243 00:09:51,690 --> 00:09:52,110 Christ. 244 00:09:52,490 --> 00:09:54,150 And Christ must be uncovered in the church. 245 00:09:54,250 --> 00:09:56,950 This is the symbolism of man's physical head 246 00:09:56,950 --> 00:10:02,310 being uncovered, symbolizing thereby that Christ is to 247 00:10:02,310 --> 00:10:06,070 be revealed and uncovered, unveiled in the church. 248 00:10:06,870 --> 00:10:07,790 But a woman. 249 00:10:09,150 --> 00:10:10,230 And who is the woman's head? 250 00:10:10,330 --> 00:10:11,510 We just saw that in verse 3. 251 00:10:11,610 --> 00:10:12,890 The woman's head is the man. 252 00:10:14,130 --> 00:10:17,390 And since man and man's glory has to 253 00:10:17,390 --> 00:10:19,450 be covered in the church, therefore a woman 254 00:10:19,450 --> 00:10:22,810 has to cover her physical head while she 255 00:10:22,810 --> 00:10:24,310 prays or prophesies in the church. 256 00:10:24,710 --> 00:10:28,530 If she keeps it uncovered, then she disgraces 257 00:10:28,530 --> 00:10:30,130 her head, which is the man. 258 00:10:30,130 --> 00:10:31,630 She is to be in submission to the 259 00:10:31,630 --> 00:10:34,630 man, for that is the same as having 260 00:10:34,630 --> 00:10:35,590 her head shaved. 261 00:10:36,390 --> 00:10:37,790 In other words, if a woman does not 262 00:10:37,790 --> 00:10:39,750 want to put a veil over her head, 263 00:10:40,490 --> 00:10:42,230 it's better that she shaves off all her 264 00:10:42,230 --> 00:10:42,490 hair. 265 00:10:43,030 --> 00:10:46,030 But he says, if it's a disgrace for 266 00:10:46,030 --> 00:10:48,730 a woman to have her head shaved, then 267 00:10:48,730 --> 00:10:51,030 let her cover her head with a veil. 268 00:10:51,570 --> 00:10:52,250 Verse 6. 269 00:10:52,650 --> 00:10:55,790 A woman who does not cover her head 270 00:10:55,790 --> 00:10:57,270 must have her hair cut off. 271 00:10:58,170 --> 00:11:01,090 The reason is, a man should not have 272 00:11:01,090 --> 00:11:02,430 his head covered because he is the image 273 00:11:02,430 --> 00:11:03,290 and glory of God. 274 00:11:03,810 --> 00:11:06,010 But a woman, verse 7, is the glory 275 00:11:06,010 --> 00:11:06,370 of man. 276 00:11:06,450 --> 00:11:09,310 If only a sister could see this, she 277 00:11:09,310 --> 00:11:11,950 would see that in submission to God's word 278 00:11:11,950 --> 00:11:15,010 here, she is manifesting a tremendous truth that 279 00:11:15,010 --> 00:11:17,310 the glory of God is manifested in the 280 00:11:17,310 --> 00:11:19,070 man and the glory of the man is 281 00:11:19,070 --> 00:11:21,110 manifested in the woman and must be covered, 282 00:11:21,650 --> 00:11:23,550 and therefore she covers her head. 283 00:11:24,070 --> 00:11:28,570 Let's turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and 284 00:11:28,570 --> 00:11:29,130 verse 3. 285 00:11:30,390 --> 00:11:32,450 We were considering in our last study something 286 00:11:32,450 --> 00:11:35,830 about the reason why the Holy Spirit asks 287 00:11:35,830 --> 00:11:39,810 women to veil their heads in the church 288 00:11:39,810 --> 00:11:44,270 meetings when they pray or prophesy, and why 289 00:11:44,270 --> 00:11:48,010 a man should have his head uncovered, without 290 00:11:48,010 --> 00:11:51,830 anything on it, when he prays or prophesies. 291 00:11:51,830 --> 00:11:55,410 And the reason begins with the order in 292 00:11:55,410 --> 00:12:01,030 creation that God has placed man above the 293 00:12:01,030 --> 00:12:03,410 woman in his divine order. 294 00:12:04,450 --> 00:12:06,110 They are equal in one sense, in the 295 00:12:06,110 --> 00:12:08,110 sense of being accepted before God, in the 296 00:12:08,110 --> 00:12:11,050 opportunity to partake of the life of Jesus 297 00:12:11,050 --> 00:12:15,090 and the opportunity to glorify God in every 298 00:12:15,090 --> 00:12:16,050 aspect of their life. 299 00:12:16,350 --> 00:12:18,390 But when it comes to ministry in the 300 00:12:18,390 --> 00:12:22,510 church, the woman is to be subject to 301 00:12:22,510 --> 00:12:22,910 the man. 302 00:12:22,990 --> 00:12:24,530 This is a very important principle which the 303 00:12:24,530 --> 00:12:27,050 devil is seeking to violate in many places 304 00:12:27,050 --> 00:12:29,570 and that brings confusion into the church. 305 00:12:30,490 --> 00:12:32,750 And the greatest example for women here is 306 00:12:32,750 --> 00:12:34,890 described in verse 3 as Jesus Christ himself, 307 00:12:35,410 --> 00:12:37,370 who though equal with the Father, for the 308 00:12:37,370 --> 00:12:39,110 sake of a particular ministry, for the salvation 309 00:12:39,110 --> 00:12:41,690 of humanity, which was that ministry, he humbled 310 00:12:41,690 --> 00:12:43,470 himself and took a place of submission. 311 00:12:44,350 --> 00:12:47,330 And if a woman cannot follow that example 312 00:12:47,330 --> 00:12:49,150 of Jesus Christ in submission to God as 313 00:12:49,150 --> 00:12:52,290 the head, then she is no longer a 314 00:12:52,290 --> 00:12:53,610 spiritual sister. 315 00:12:54,770 --> 00:12:56,950 In verse 3 it says, God is the 316 00:12:56,950 --> 00:12:57,590 head of Christ. 317 00:12:58,130 --> 00:12:59,710 And this is the example for a woman 318 00:12:59,710 --> 00:13:02,330 who accepts man as her head. 319 00:13:02,810 --> 00:13:04,970 And this is why a woman has to 320 00:13:04,970 --> 00:13:09,070 cover her head, because otherwise she is disgracing 321 00:13:09,070 --> 00:13:09,450 her head. 322 00:13:09,450 --> 00:13:12,030 She is saying that she does not accept 323 00:13:12,030 --> 00:13:14,670 the man as her head when she does 324 00:13:14,670 --> 00:13:15,670 not veil her head. 325 00:13:16,450 --> 00:13:18,090 The putting of a veil on top of 326 00:13:18,090 --> 00:13:20,890 a woman's head is therefore a sign of 327 00:13:20,890 --> 00:13:23,850 submission to that divine order that God has 328 00:13:23,850 --> 00:13:27,130 placed in creation of being subject to man, 329 00:13:27,850 --> 00:13:29,070 that man is the head. 330 00:13:30,570 --> 00:13:33,230 And also it symbolizes here the man not 331 00:13:33,230 --> 00:13:36,810 covering her head, covering his head, that he 332 00:13:36,810 --> 00:13:40,650 is the image and glory of God, verse 333 00:13:40,650 --> 00:13:40,970 7. 334 00:13:41,670 --> 00:13:46,030 In other words, in the church, the man 335 00:13:46,030 --> 00:13:50,190 is to the woman as Christ is to 336 00:13:50,190 --> 00:13:50,750 the church. 337 00:13:51,230 --> 00:13:53,610 Just like in the home, the husband-wife 338 00:13:53,610 --> 00:13:57,590 relationship is a picture of the relationship between 339 00:13:57,590 --> 00:13:58,830 Christ and the church. 340 00:13:58,910 --> 00:14:00,910 And this is why the woman is asked 341 00:14:00,910 --> 00:14:04,750 to submit to her husband in exactly the 342 00:14:04,750 --> 00:14:07,850 same way as the church is submissive to 343 00:14:07,850 --> 00:14:08,250 Christ. 344 00:14:08,790 --> 00:14:10,050 That is the meaning of verse 7, that 345 00:14:10,050 --> 00:14:13,370 the man reflects what God is. 346 00:14:13,490 --> 00:14:16,390 He is the, he represents the likeness and 347 00:14:16,390 --> 00:14:18,970 supremacy of God in the church. 348 00:14:19,090 --> 00:14:21,610 And a man not covering his head is 349 00:14:21,610 --> 00:14:24,390 a testimony that God is supreme here. 350 00:14:24,990 --> 00:14:27,810 And a woman covering her head is likewise 351 00:14:27,810 --> 00:14:30,950 submitting to the man and saying, I am 352 00:14:30,950 --> 00:14:33,390 submitting to the person whom God has appointed, 353 00:14:33,670 --> 00:14:34,670 whether it be in the church or in 354 00:14:34,670 --> 00:14:39,130 the home, as above me in order to 355 00:14:39,130 --> 00:14:41,910 glorify God in that way. 356 00:14:41,970 --> 00:14:43,930 So we see that submission glorifies God. 357 00:14:45,070 --> 00:14:47,490 And a woman, if she does not cover 358 00:14:47,490 --> 00:14:53,190 her head, she is disgracing her head because 359 00:14:53,190 --> 00:14:54,510 she is the glory of man. 360 00:14:54,780 --> 00:14:56,970 Verse 8, it says, A man does not 361 00:14:56,970 --> 00:15:00,730 originate from woman, but woman from man. 362 00:15:01,710 --> 00:15:04,590 And this is another reason why Paul says 363 00:15:04,590 --> 00:15:09,570 submission is right, because God made the man 364 00:15:09,570 --> 00:15:10,090 first. 365 00:15:11,010 --> 00:15:13,050 And the first man was not born of 366 00:15:13,050 --> 00:15:16,490 a woman, as we see now, but the 367 00:15:16,490 --> 00:15:19,050 first man was created directly by God. 368 00:15:19,690 --> 00:15:23,530 And then, from that man, a woman was 369 00:15:23,530 --> 00:15:26,690 brought forth in the creation of Eve, recorded 370 00:15:26,690 --> 00:15:27,510 in Genesis 2. 371 00:15:28,410 --> 00:15:29,850 And Paul is saying God didn't make a 372 00:15:29,850 --> 00:15:30,290 mistake. 373 00:15:30,710 --> 00:15:31,890 He knew whom to make first. 374 00:15:32,690 --> 00:15:37,530 And that symbolizes that man is to be 375 00:15:37,530 --> 00:15:39,930 supreme in the man-woman relationship, in the 376 00:15:39,930 --> 00:15:40,990 home and in the church. 377 00:15:41,570 --> 00:15:43,890 And further, another reason he says is that 378 00:15:43,890 --> 00:15:46,630 man, Adam, was not created to be a 379 00:15:46,630 --> 00:15:47,470 helpmeet to Eve. 380 00:15:47,470 --> 00:15:50,930 On the contrary, the woman, Eve, was created 381 00:15:50,930 --> 00:15:52,390 to be a helpmeet for Adam. 382 00:15:53,090 --> 00:15:55,070 In other words, Adam was the one who 383 00:15:55,070 --> 00:15:57,130 had a ministry from God, and the woman 384 00:15:57,130 --> 00:15:59,870 was to be subservient to him in fulfilling 385 00:15:59,870 --> 00:16:00,850 his ministry. 386 00:16:01,430 --> 00:16:02,630 Not the other way around. 387 00:16:03,190 --> 00:16:04,990 Not that the woman has a ministry, and 388 00:16:04,990 --> 00:16:07,250 the man just tags along, trying to fulfill 389 00:16:07,250 --> 00:16:07,870 her ministry. 390 00:16:08,050 --> 00:16:10,650 Now unfortunately, this is happening in some circles 391 00:16:10,650 --> 00:16:12,630 in Christendom, but it's a complete violation of 392 00:16:12,630 --> 00:16:13,090 God's order. 393 00:16:13,630 --> 00:16:15,110 And even though there may be blessing, God 394 00:16:15,110 --> 00:16:16,770 blesses many things that he's not happy with, 395 00:16:16,770 --> 00:16:20,530 yet it is a complete contradiction to the 396 00:16:20,530 --> 00:16:21,810 divine order mentioned in scripture. 397 00:16:22,230 --> 00:16:24,090 And anyone who has the slightest fear of 398 00:16:24,090 --> 00:16:26,630 God will tremble at his word, and will 399 00:16:26,630 --> 00:16:29,590 not do that which God says he should 400 00:16:29,590 --> 00:16:30,030 not do. 401 00:16:30,450 --> 00:16:33,390 And no spiritually-minded sister would ever violate 402 00:16:33,390 --> 00:16:35,810 the order given here in 1 Corinthians 11, 403 00:16:35,890 --> 00:16:36,870 verses 2 to 16. 404 00:16:38,030 --> 00:16:41,370 And further, continuing on this theme of authority, 405 00:16:41,590 --> 00:16:43,910 he says therefore, verse 10, and we have 406 00:16:43,910 --> 00:16:45,550 seen that wherever we find the word therefore, 407 00:16:45,710 --> 00:16:48,550 we need to see the context, and see 408 00:16:48,550 --> 00:16:52,910 what that word is therefore, in relation to 409 00:16:52,910 --> 00:16:53,710 the previous verses. 410 00:16:53,890 --> 00:16:57,170 Therefore, since all that is mentioned earlier, that 411 00:16:57,170 --> 00:16:59,450 the woman is to be under the headship 412 00:16:59,450 --> 00:17:02,930 of the man, verse 3, and since the 413 00:17:02,930 --> 00:17:06,089 woman is the glory of man, therefore, the 414 00:17:06,089 --> 00:17:09,690 woman, verse 10, ought to have a symbol 415 00:17:09,690 --> 00:17:12,790 of authority on her head, a sign that 416 00:17:12,790 --> 00:17:14,410 she's under the man's authority. 417 00:17:15,210 --> 00:17:18,109 It's a woman's duty to have a sign 418 00:17:18,109 --> 00:17:21,650 of authority on her head, an outward sign 419 00:17:21,650 --> 00:17:22,750 of man's authority. 420 00:17:23,750 --> 00:17:25,490 And what is that outward sign? 421 00:17:25,569 --> 00:17:27,030 That is the veil that he's been speaking 422 00:17:27,030 --> 00:17:27,329 of. 423 00:17:28,310 --> 00:17:31,390 And there again, he says that this veil, 424 00:17:31,630 --> 00:17:33,650 the absence of it, would indicate that a 425 00:17:33,650 --> 00:17:38,150 woman is rebelling against that God-appointed authority. 426 00:17:39,510 --> 00:17:41,150 And in this connection, he refers to the 427 00:17:41,150 --> 00:17:41,490 angels. 428 00:17:42,470 --> 00:17:43,890 He says, remember, there are angels. 429 00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:49,620 There are angels for every person in the 430 00:17:49,620 --> 00:17:50,020 church. 431 00:17:50,620 --> 00:17:54,440 There are angels, evil spirits that are watching. 432 00:17:55,420 --> 00:17:56,980 Why does he speak about angels here? 433 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:01,460 Because rebellion was first manifested in the midst 434 00:18:01,460 --> 00:18:02,160 of the angels. 435 00:18:04,420 --> 00:18:08,620 When Lucifer rebelled against authority, and he says 436 00:18:08,620 --> 00:18:12,520 the angels have seen rebellion, they've seen it 437 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:14,900 in heaven, and those angels of heaven do 438 00:18:14,900 --> 00:18:17,040 not want to see that again in the 439 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,680 church, with a woman having that same spirit 440 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,760 by refusing to cover her head in the 441 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:24,120 meetings. 442 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:26,720 So he says, for the sake of the 443 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,720 angels, because of the angels, cover your head, 444 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:31,580 be submissive to man. 445 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,360 And also, we could say, that a woman 446 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:37,100 who does not submit to that God-appointed 447 00:18:37,100 --> 00:18:38,780 authority, which is the man in the church, 448 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:43,440 is thereby exposing herself to these evil spirits, 449 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:45,980 to the spirit of rebellion, to possess her, 450 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:47,840 and that can bring ruin in her life, 451 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,980 her family, and wherever she is given freedom 452 00:18:50,980 --> 00:18:53,380 to exercise her independent authority. 453 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,380 However, he says, this is not to discourage 454 00:18:57,380 --> 00:18:59,200 sisters, as they have no place at all. 455 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,680 Remember, Jesus Christ is the great example of 456 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:03,340 submission for all sisters to follow. 457 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,340 But he says, in the Lord, in the 458 00:19:07,340 --> 00:19:10,820 church, in the ministry, we cannot say that 459 00:19:10,820 --> 00:19:12,680 a man can do everything apart from the 460 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:12,880 woman. 461 00:19:13,420 --> 00:19:14,800 No, a woman is also needed. 462 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:18,480 For in the Lord, neither is woman independent 463 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:20,960 of man, nor is man independent of woman. 464 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,180 And he uses an example, he says, just 465 00:19:23,180 --> 00:19:25,620 as the first woman originated from the man, 466 00:19:25,940 --> 00:19:27,960 so also today all men are born through 467 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,720 women, and all things, of course, originate from 468 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:31,060 God. 469 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,020 And so he says, there is a balance, 470 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:35,580 which means the woman is also needed, her 471 00:19:35,580 --> 00:19:37,720 ministry is needed in the church. 472 00:19:37,940 --> 00:19:39,560 It's not that she has nothing to do. 473 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:42,300 For example, it's only a sister who could 474 00:19:42,300 --> 00:19:45,760 reach many unconverted women and give the gospel 475 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:46,160 to them. 476 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:47,820 What an important ministry. 477 00:19:48,340 --> 00:19:50,760 But she must always do it in submission 478 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,420 to the man who is the leader in 479 00:19:53,420 --> 00:19:53,940 the church. 480 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:56,080 This is the important principle. 481 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,320 Both are needed in the Lord. 482 00:19:58,980 --> 00:20:00,220 No one is independent of the other. 483 00:20:01,100 --> 00:20:02,260 No man can say, I can do it 484 00:20:02,260 --> 00:20:02,480 all. 485 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:03,560 He needs the sisters. 486 00:20:04,140 --> 00:20:06,320 And no sister can think that she doesn't 487 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:07,220 need the men. 488 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:09,680 Then he goes on in verse 13 to 489 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:10,660 say, judge for yourselves. 490 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:13,040 He says, just think of it from a 491 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,480 merely human standpoint, quite apart from God's word. 492 00:20:16,500 --> 00:20:18,660 Is it proper for a woman to pray 493 00:20:18,660 --> 00:20:22,860 to God with her head uncovered, without a 494 00:20:22,860 --> 00:20:24,220 veil on top of her head? 495 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:28,220 He says, doesn't even nature teach you that 496 00:20:28,220 --> 00:20:29,520 if a man has long hair, it's a 497 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:30,200 dishonor to him? 498 00:20:30,340 --> 00:20:32,260 There is a natural principle here, he says, 499 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:34,540 that makes us feel so clearly that long 500 00:20:34,540 --> 00:20:36,140 hair is disgraceful for a man. 501 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:40,680 But that same natural principle in nature teaches 502 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:42,360 us that if a woman has long hair, 503 00:20:42,700 --> 00:20:44,500 that is an added grace to her. 504 00:20:44,860 --> 00:20:45,780 That is her pride. 505 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:47,200 That is her glory. 506 00:20:48,740 --> 00:20:51,960 Her hair is given to her as a 507 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:52,820 covering for her head. 508 00:20:53,980 --> 00:20:56,700 And there is a glory in that long 509 00:20:56,700 --> 00:20:59,220 hair for a woman, but no glory in 510 00:20:59,220 --> 00:21:00,360 long hair for a man. 511 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:01,240 That is disgraceful. 512 00:21:01,900 --> 00:21:04,680 And these verses teach us further that it's 513 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,160 wrong for a man to have long hair. 514 00:21:07,860 --> 00:21:09,080 Even nature teaches it. 515 00:21:09,660 --> 00:21:10,920 The meaning is, how much more? 516 00:21:11,780 --> 00:21:12,820 The Holy Spirit. 517 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,540 Likewise, it's wrong for a woman to cut 518 00:21:15,540 --> 00:21:18,740 her hair short, because her long hair is 519 00:21:18,740 --> 00:21:21,720 given for her by God as a covering 520 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:22,660 and her pride. 521 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:24,780 And now there are people who say that 522 00:21:24,780 --> 00:21:26,720 this means that there is no need for 523 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:27,040 a veil. 524 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:28,400 But that is not the point. 525 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,600 This which is her glory must be covered, 526 00:21:33,180 --> 00:21:34,980 just like the glory of man which is 527 00:21:34,980 --> 00:21:37,300 the woman must be covered, as we saw 528 00:21:37,300 --> 00:21:37,700 earlier. 529 00:21:37,700 --> 00:21:40,940 In the same way, this long hair which 530 00:21:40,940 --> 00:21:42,520 is the glory of the woman needs to 531 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:42,940 be covered. 532 00:21:44,180 --> 00:21:48,780 And this veil covers what is the woman's 533 00:21:48,780 --> 00:21:50,140 glory, that is her hair. 534 00:21:51,660 --> 00:21:53,860 Therefore a woman is not to show off 535 00:21:53,860 --> 00:21:55,720 her hair in the church, it is to 536 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:56,100 be covered. 537 00:21:57,340 --> 00:22:00,140 Now concerning this matter, many people can have 538 00:22:00,140 --> 00:22:03,120 many arguments about long hair and about covering. 539 00:22:03,660 --> 00:22:05,240 And so he gives a final word in 540 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:05,860 verse 16. 541 00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:08,580 If anyone is inclined to be argumentative or 542 00:22:08,580 --> 00:22:10,120 contentious, he says, we're not going to argue 543 00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:11,740 about this, but we just want to tell 544 00:22:11,740 --> 00:22:13,380 you this is a spiritual thing to do 545 00:22:13,380 --> 00:22:15,580 and this is what we practice and what 546 00:22:15,580 --> 00:22:17,180 all the churches of God practice. 547 00:22:17,620 --> 00:22:19,420 He who has ears to hear, let him 548 00:22:19,420 --> 00:22:19,640 hear. 549 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:22,740 Let's turn today to 1 Corinthians chapter 11 550 00:22:22,740 --> 00:22:24,740 and verse 16. 551 00:22:27,580 --> 00:22:30,120 We were considering in our last study the 552 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:33,600 reason why women are asked to cover their 553 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:35,580 heads in the church. 554 00:22:36,300 --> 00:22:40,440 As a symbol of submission to authority, as 555 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,980 a means of covering their own pride and 556 00:22:43,980 --> 00:22:47,080 glory which is their long hair and as 557 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,460 a testimony that the glory of man must 558 00:22:49,460 --> 00:22:53,100 be covered in the church because woman is 559 00:22:53,100 --> 00:22:54,840 the glory of man as we read in 560 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:55,320 verse 7. 561 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:57,680 So there are a number of reasons and 562 00:22:57,680 --> 00:22:59,660 it is good for sisters to know why 563 00:22:59,660 --> 00:23:01,560 they cover their heads, not to do it 564 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:02,100 meaninglessly. 565 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:04,960 But also concerning this matter we find particularly 566 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:06,760 in the 20th century there has arisen a 567 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,520 lot of contention and that is why we 568 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,180 read in verse 16 that if anyone is 569 00:23:12,180 --> 00:23:14,880 inclined to be contentious or argumentative about it, 570 00:23:15,100 --> 00:23:16,340 Paul says, I'm not going to enter into 571 00:23:16,340 --> 00:23:18,840 an argument, I just want to say this 572 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:22,120 is our practice among the apostles and in 573 00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:24,220 the churches of God and it's good for 574 00:23:24,220 --> 00:23:25,880 us to follow the practice of the apostles 575 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,920 even if we do not understand the meaning. 576 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,020 For it is far better to obey God 577 00:23:34,020 --> 00:23:38,500 even without understanding than to reason and argue 578 00:23:38,500 --> 00:23:40,080 and to say I will not obey until 579 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:41,040 I understand the reason. 580 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:43,140 Trust in the Lord with all your heart 581 00:23:43,140 --> 00:23:45,060 and lean not to your own understanding. 582 00:23:45,060 --> 00:23:48,340 There are many matters in the word of 583 00:23:48,340 --> 00:23:52,240 God which we are called simply to obey. 584 00:23:53,540 --> 00:23:56,680 Understanding may sometimes come later but we are 585 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:00,160 still to obey and certainly not to be 586 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:01,040 argumentative. 587 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,200 It's very easy to get into an argument 588 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,720 concerning many of these things and thus lose 589 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,980 out on the spiritual principle that is exemplified 590 00:24:10,980 --> 00:24:13,080 through certain actions that the word of God 591 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:14,040 calls us to do. 592 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:16,160 It's the same in the Lord's table. 593 00:24:16,300 --> 00:24:17,780 There are people who feel that the Lord's 594 00:24:17,780 --> 00:24:20,240 table is just a meaningless ritual and they 595 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:21,060 have done away with it. 596 00:24:21,620 --> 00:24:22,420 This is wrong. 597 00:24:23,620 --> 00:24:25,520 When God has commanded us to do something, 598 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:27,820 it's right for us to obey and that 599 00:24:27,820 --> 00:24:30,040 is a mark of our humble submission. 600 00:24:31,660 --> 00:24:33,420 In giving this instruction, he goes on to 601 00:24:33,420 --> 00:24:35,220 say in verse 17, I do not praise 602 00:24:35,220 --> 00:24:35,340 you. 603 00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:38,300 Now he's moving on to another subject because 604 00:24:38,300 --> 00:24:39,880 he says you come together when you come 605 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:41,320 together for your meetings. 606 00:24:41,820 --> 00:24:44,060 It should be for the better but it's 607 00:24:44,060 --> 00:24:45,240 not for the better, it is for the 608 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:45,600 worse. 609 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,360 In the sense that instead of becoming more 610 00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:51,440 united through your coming together, you're becoming more 611 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:51,800 divided. 612 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:55,160 I do not praise you in this, he 613 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:55,500 says. 614 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,180 When you come together as a church, verse 615 00:24:58,180 --> 00:25:00,780 18, I hear that divisions exist among you. 616 00:25:00,820 --> 00:25:02,660 In other words, there were certain people who 617 00:25:02,660 --> 00:25:05,800 had reported to Paul that there were divisions 618 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,040 in the church and he says in part 619 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:09,820 I believe it. 620 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:12,900 There are divisions. 621 00:25:13,900 --> 00:25:16,800 Now he says in verse 19 that there 622 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:22,900 must be dissensions and differences of opinion among 623 00:25:22,900 --> 00:25:26,480 you because it is thus that those who 624 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:31,180 are approved, those who are true are distinguished 625 00:25:31,180 --> 00:25:32,360 from the rest. 626 00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:36,420 Just like when gold is put into the 627 00:25:36,420 --> 00:25:39,020 fire and the dross is melted away, the 628 00:25:39,020 --> 00:25:40,000 gold shines forth. 629 00:25:40,900 --> 00:25:43,340 In the same way, he says, the existence 630 00:25:43,340 --> 00:25:46,840 of differences of opinion is a means by 631 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,240 which God sifts out the gold from that 632 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:51,220 which is not gold. 633 00:25:52,180 --> 00:25:53,840 And this is a very important verse for 634 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,180 us to understand and this gives us the 635 00:25:56,180 --> 00:25:59,400 reason why there are so many doctrines in 636 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,340 scripture concerning which there are so many differences 637 00:26:02,340 --> 00:26:04,820 of opinion among Christians. 638 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:08,200 One would wish that God had written some 639 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,420 of these things a little more plainly so 640 00:26:10,420 --> 00:26:12,060 that there would be no difference of opinion 641 00:26:12,060 --> 00:26:12,580 whatsoever. 642 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,460 But in the great wisdom of God, he 643 00:26:15,460 --> 00:26:19,920 has written them vaguely and the clever and 644 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,480 the intelligent will be confused, as Jesus said 645 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,380 in Matthew 11, 25, for these things are 646 00:26:24,380 --> 00:26:25,740 hidden from the clever and the intelligent. 647 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:28,480 But those who come as little babes, not 648 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:31,200 using their own reason, but in humility seeking 649 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:32,960 the revelation of the Holy Spirit, will not 650 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:33,640 be confused. 651 00:26:34,260 --> 00:26:36,920 And thus God is able, through those vague 652 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:39,840 instructions, to sift out those who have the 653 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:42,140 spirit of a babe from those who are 654 00:26:42,140 --> 00:26:43,100 clever and intelligent. 655 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,120 And this is the reason for the differences 656 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:46,680 of opinion. 657 00:26:47,540 --> 00:26:49,320 Those who have the fear of God and 658 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,680 a humble spirit will understand the truth revealed 659 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:53,520 by the Holy Spirit. 660 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,980 But those who use their cleverness and their 661 00:26:55,980 --> 00:26:59,260 intelligence, lean upon their own understanding in spite 662 00:26:59,260 --> 00:27:01,060 of the clear command in Proverbs 3, 5, 663 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,540 not to lean on our own understanding, will 664 00:27:03,540 --> 00:27:04,840 be led astray. 665 00:27:05,540 --> 00:27:06,920 And thus there will be a difference of 666 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:09,540 opinion and thus, as it says in verse 667 00:27:09,540 --> 00:27:12,120 19, those who are approved by God will 668 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:12,800 become evident. 669 00:27:13,100 --> 00:27:15,660 Those who are genuine will become recognized. 670 00:27:15,780 --> 00:27:18,800 Those who are true metal, true gold, will 671 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:20,540 be distinguished from the dross. 672 00:27:21,020 --> 00:27:24,280 The genuine, wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ will 673 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:26,280 be recognized in such a situation. 674 00:27:27,100 --> 00:27:28,840 And this is why God has allowed differences 675 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:32,800 of opinion to exist, even among many who 676 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:35,020 call themselves Christians on matters such as baptism, 677 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,380 the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the covering 678 00:27:37,380 --> 00:27:40,440 of women's head, the Lord's table, and many, 679 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,380 many matters, church, order and government and so 680 00:27:43,380 --> 00:27:44,040 many things. 681 00:27:44,740 --> 00:27:46,940 But in the final day, it will be 682 00:27:46,940 --> 00:27:50,760 seen very clearly that those who feared God 683 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:52,940 and had a humble spirit were right. 684 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:55,720 And those who were just leaning on their 685 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:59,180 own intelligence and understanding went astray. 686 00:28:00,580 --> 00:28:05,100 Further, in verse 20, he says concerning the 687 00:28:05,100 --> 00:28:08,540 eating of the Lord's supper, he says, when 688 00:28:08,540 --> 00:28:12,120 you come together, in your eating, each one 689 00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:13,300 takes his own supper first. 690 00:28:13,300 --> 00:28:15,140 Now, this was a common practice among the 691 00:28:15,140 --> 00:28:17,200 Christians of those days, that when they came 692 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,460 together to break bread, they also had what 693 00:28:20,460 --> 00:28:22,320 they would call a love meal or a 694 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:25,020 love feast together, where they ate lunch together 695 00:28:25,020 --> 00:28:28,000 or a dinner together, along with the breaking 696 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:28,380 of bread. 697 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:31,500 And he says, but here, for this love 698 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:33,160 feast, each of you brought your own supper, 699 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:33,820 that's all right. 700 00:28:35,140 --> 00:28:37,480 But he says, you're disgracing the Lord's name 701 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:38,840 in the way you're going about that love 702 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:42,540 feast, because you don't care to share the 703 00:28:42,540 --> 00:28:44,540 excess you have with some other poor brother 704 00:28:44,540 --> 00:28:47,040 in the church who lacks, then what is 705 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:48,180 the meaning of breaking a bread? 706 00:28:48,260 --> 00:28:48,900 That's the point. 707 00:28:49,340 --> 00:28:50,960 In your eating, each one takes his own 708 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:51,740 supper first. 709 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,860 In other words, you are just thinking of 710 00:28:55,860 --> 00:28:58,920 your own food and you rush in to 711 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,340 eat your own supper and one has not 712 00:29:01,340 --> 00:29:03,480 enough to eat and another has so much 713 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,560 and gets drunk at the Lord's table. 714 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:07,920 He says, what? 715 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,760 Are you going to disgrace the church of 716 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:11,480 God like this? 717 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,620 Don't you have houses in which to eat 718 00:29:14,620 --> 00:29:15,720 and drink, verse 22? 719 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,300 Are you going to show your contempt for 720 00:29:18,300 --> 00:29:20,760 the church of God by coming there and 721 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:22,620 showing off the grand food you can eat 722 00:29:22,620 --> 00:29:25,160 and the drink you can afford and humiliate 723 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:28,260 those poor believers who do not have enough? 724 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:31,760 That's a very searching question. 725 00:29:32,780 --> 00:29:36,480 To humiliate those who do not have as 726 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:37,080 much as you. 727 00:29:37,340 --> 00:29:39,040 There are various ways in which a believer 728 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:42,020 can come to the church and show off 729 00:29:42,020 --> 00:29:43,900 that he is superior to others. 730 00:29:44,020 --> 00:29:46,340 It can be by expensive clothes and saris 731 00:29:46,340 --> 00:29:50,340 and fancy things that we can wear and 732 00:29:50,340 --> 00:29:52,760 come to church in, to the meeting, in 733 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:55,520 order to despise and show forth that we 734 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:57,500 are superior and better off than others. 735 00:29:57,500 --> 00:30:00,420 And this is a very searching word for 736 00:30:00,420 --> 00:30:01,980 many Christians today, verse 22. 737 00:30:02,140 --> 00:30:05,700 Do you despise, verse 22 middle, do you 738 00:30:05,700 --> 00:30:10,740 despise the church of God and shame those 739 00:30:10,740 --> 00:30:12,860 who have nothing or those who don't earn 740 00:30:12,860 --> 00:30:13,860 as much as you do? 741 00:30:15,020 --> 00:30:15,860 What shall I say to you? 742 00:30:15,940 --> 00:30:17,920 Shall I praise you in this? 743 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:19,960 I will not praise you. 744 00:30:20,540 --> 00:30:20,860 No. 745 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,620 He says, you are dishonoring the Lord by 746 00:30:24,620 --> 00:30:26,680 coming to the church in order to show 747 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:28,900 off, whether it is food or clothing. 748 00:30:29,820 --> 00:30:32,140 We are not to do anything or to 749 00:30:32,140 --> 00:30:33,660 dress in a particular way or do anything 750 00:30:33,660 --> 00:30:35,840 in the church that makes another brother who 751 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,020 is in poorer circumstances feel small and humiliated. 752 00:30:39,620 --> 00:30:43,400 Not even use grandness of speech in the 753 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,540 church in order to humiliate others who when 754 00:30:46,540 --> 00:30:48,560 they share their testimony are not so grand 755 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:49,280 in their speech. 756 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,480 In the church we give honor to those 757 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:54,020 who fear God and who are humble, not 758 00:30:54,020 --> 00:30:55,900 to the rich and the great and the 759 00:30:55,900 --> 00:30:58,200 well-dressed and the eloquent. 760 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:00,680 In this he says I will not praise 761 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:00,820 you. 762 00:31:01,020 --> 00:31:02,840 These are the marks of a carnal Christian 763 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:06,280 that he glories in those things which have 764 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:09,040 no eternal value, no spiritual value, in earthly 765 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:10,680 things, in his wealth. 766 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:12,780 And then he goes on to speak about 767 00:31:12,780 --> 00:31:14,040 the Lord's table and he says do you 768 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:16,340 realize what it is we testify to when 769 00:31:16,340 --> 00:31:17,020 we break bread? 770 00:31:17,140 --> 00:31:19,400 I received from the Lord that which I 771 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:21,000 delivered to you that the Lord Jesus in 772 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:22,620 the night which he was betrayed took bread, 773 00:31:22,700 --> 00:31:23,260 verse 23. 774 00:31:23,260 --> 00:31:25,360 When he had given thanks, he broke it, 775 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:26,840 saying this is my body which is for 776 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:26,980 you. 777 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:28,320 Do this in remembrance of me. 778 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:31,800 We saw earlier in 1 Corinthians 10 that 779 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:33,880 that was a testimony concerning the one body. 780 00:31:34,860 --> 00:31:36,700 In the same way the cup also after 781 00:31:36,700 --> 00:31:39,040 supper, saying this cup is the new covenant 782 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:39,720 in my blood. 783 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:41,160 Do this as often as you drink it 784 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:42,280 in remembrance of me. 785 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:45,360 For as often as you eat this bread, 786 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:47,440 verse 26, and drink the cup, you proclaim 787 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,780 the Lord's death until he comes. 788 00:31:50,620 --> 00:31:53,360 So here is a testimony that must continue 789 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:55,560 in the church right up till the coming 790 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:56,240 of Christ. 791 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,420 There is never a time when we can 792 00:31:58,420 --> 00:31:59,340 stop breaking bread. 793 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:02,360 It is only after Jesus comes that this 794 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:03,480 testimony will be ended. 795 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,920 So until the Lord comes, this testimony must 796 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:08,700 continue in the church, but it must continue 797 00:32:08,700 --> 00:32:09,240 meaningfully. 798 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:12,720 It must be a proclamation of the Lord's 799 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:12,960 death. 800 00:32:13,740 --> 00:32:15,880 And he says in that context, verse 27, 801 00:32:15,980 --> 00:32:17,620 if anyone eats the bread or drinks the 802 00:32:17,620 --> 00:32:20,080 cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, 803 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:21,820 he will be guilty of the body and 804 00:32:21,820 --> 00:32:22,440 the blood of the Lord. 805 00:32:22,660 --> 00:32:23,600 And what is the context? 806 00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:26,860 The context is of humiliating others who don't 807 00:32:26,860 --> 00:32:27,760 have as much as you. 808 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,120 In other words, you don't consider them as 809 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:31,460 members of the same body. 810 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:34,460 Let a man examine himself, he says in 811 00:32:34,460 --> 00:32:36,580 verse 28, and so let him eat the 812 00:32:36,580 --> 00:32:37,400 bread and drink the cup. 813 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:38,980 Let him judge himself to see what his 814 00:32:38,980 --> 00:32:40,600 attitude is towards his brother. 815 00:32:41,260 --> 00:32:43,180 For he who eats and drinks, eats and 816 00:32:43,180 --> 00:32:45,440 drinks judgment to himself if he does not 817 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:46,620 judge the body rightly. 818 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,860 And that is the body of Christ, in 819 00:32:49,860 --> 00:32:52,080 which there is no distinction between the rich 820 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:53,900 and the poor, the great and the small, 821 00:32:54,380 --> 00:32:55,360 the clever and the stupid. 822 00:32:55,540 --> 00:32:57,900 All are equal, unless we come to that 823 00:32:57,900 --> 00:33:00,700 place of recognizing every brother and sister as 824 00:33:00,700 --> 00:33:02,720 equally accepted before God, and we don't want 825 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:03,980 to humiliate them in any way. 826 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,900 We eat and drink damnation to ourselves, for 827 00:33:06,900 --> 00:33:08,540 we're not eating and drinking in a proper 828 00:33:08,540 --> 00:33:08,900 way. 829 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:11,000 And the word of God here to each 830 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,180 of us is, let every man examine himself. 831 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:19,660 Let's turn today to 1 Corinthians chapter 11 832 00:33:19,660 --> 00:33:22,100 and verse 23. 833 00:33:23,860 --> 00:33:25,820 In this passage, as we were considering in 834 00:33:25,820 --> 00:33:28,180 our last study, Paul was speaking about the 835 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,980 testimony at the Lord's table, the breaking of 836 00:33:31,980 --> 00:33:33,540 bread and the drinking of the cup. 837 00:33:35,060 --> 00:33:36,500 He says, I received from the Lord. 838 00:33:36,740 --> 00:33:38,360 In other words, Paul got this as a 839 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,600 revelation directly from the Lord, what he had 840 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:44,440 taught the Corinthians to practice. 841 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:48,240 And that was a practice instituted by the 842 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:48,780 Lord Jesus. 843 00:33:49,620 --> 00:33:51,480 In the night in which he was betrayed, 844 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:53,260 he took bread. 845 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:58,920 And that bread symbolized his body, which was 846 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:01,540 broken for us. 847 00:34:02,660 --> 00:34:04,380 And when we realize that Jesus took that 848 00:34:04,380 --> 00:34:06,260 bread on that night and said, this is 849 00:34:06,260 --> 00:34:09,120 my body which is broken for you, we 850 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,199 see that he was not referring merely to 851 00:34:12,199 --> 00:34:14,320 that body which was going to be broken 852 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:16,260 on Calvary's cross, pierced. 853 00:34:17,300 --> 00:34:18,960 But there was a brokenness in that body 854 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:20,400 which was already existing. 855 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:23,500 He did not say, this is my body 856 00:34:23,500 --> 00:34:26,120 which will be broken for you tomorrow morning 857 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:26,880 at nine o'clock. 858 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:27,360 No. 859 00:34:28,139 --> 00:34:31,000 He said, this is my body which is 860 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:32,260 broken for you. 861 00:34:32,340 --> 00:34:34,500 There was something in that body which was 862 00:34:34,500 --> 00:34:35,360 broken already. 863 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:38,040 And that was his own will. 864 00:34:39,199 --> 00:34:42,360 Jesus came from heaven to earth, John 6, 865 00:34:42,420 --> 00:34:46,179 38, not to do his own will, but 866 00:34:46,179 --> 00:34:48,040 the will of him who had sent him 867 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:48,460 the Father. 868 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:51,860 What was broken in Jesus' body, it was 869 00:34:51,860 --> 00:34:54,860 his own will that was constantly broken right 870 00:34:54,860 --> 00:34:55,840 through his earthly life. 871 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:58,780 And when he took that bread and gave 872 00:34:58,780 --> 00:35:01,040 it to his disciples and said, this is 873 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:03,460 my body which is broken for you. 874 00:35:04,250 --> 00:35:06,820 He was referring to that broken will, a 875 00:35:06,820 --> 00:35:09,440 body in which he never did his own 876 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:12,120 will, a body in which he did not 877 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:14,940 use his eyes as he wished, his tongue, 878 00:35:15,860 --> 00:35:18,760 his feet, or his hands, or anything as 879 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,180 he wished, but only to do the will 880 00:35:21,180 --> 00:35:21,600 of the Father. 881 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,240 This is my body, broken for you. 882 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:29,760 And finally, there was a culmination to that 883 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:34,240 on Calvary's cross, where his body was pierced 884 00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:35,060 for us. 885 00:35:35,620 --> 00:35:37,320 And he said, do this in remembrance of 886 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:37,480 me. 887 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:39,560 He never told us how often we were 888 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:39,960 to do it. 889 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:42,260 There's no command in scripture which tells us 890 00:35:42,260 --> 00:35:43,980 whether we are to break bread once a 891 00:35:43,980 --> 00:35:45,140 day or once a week or once a 892 00:35:45,140 --> 00:35:46,700 month or once in six months. 893 00:35:47,460 --> 00:35:48,780 There God gives us freedom. 894 00:35:49,380 --> 00:35:51,360 And we are to give freedom to one 895 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:53,420 another lest we become Pharisees. 896 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,100 Where God has given freedom, we must give 897 00:35:56,100 --> 00:35:56,960 freedom to one another. 898 00:35:57,600 --> 00:35:59,380 But he did say that whenever we do 899 00:35:59,380 --> 00:36:01,160 it, that's up to us to decide how 900 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:04,180 often we do it, according to our own 901 00:36:04,180 --> 00:36:06,540 situation and circumstances, we are to do it 902 00:36:06,540 --> 00:36:08,600 in remembrance of him, the way he lived, 903 00:36:09,260 --> 00:36:10,400 and how he gave himself. 904 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:13,300 And when I partake of that bread, I'm 905 00:36:13,300 --> 00:36:15,380 testifying, Lord, I want my will to be 906 00:36:15,380 --> 00:36:16,460 broken in my body too. 907 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:19,840 I'm giving my body also, in the same 908 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:21,060 way as you gave your body to the 909 00:36:21,060 --> 00:36:21,280 Father. 910 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:26,020 In the same way, the cup, verse 25, 911 00:36:26,100 --> 00:36:27,740 after supper, saying this cup is the new 912 00:36:27,740 --> 00:36:28,780 covenant in my blood. 913 00:36:29,620 --> 00:36:31,280 The new covenant was different from the old 914 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:34,000 covenant in the sense that in the old 915 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:37,360 covenant they could have forgiveness of sins only. 916 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:41,060 Psalm 103 says, Bless the Lord, O my 917 00:36:41,060 --> 00:36:42,560 soul, who forgives all your iniquities. 918 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:43,460 That was old covenant. 919 00:36:44,260 --> 00:36:46,160 But in the new covenant, there is not 920 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:49,160 only forgiveness through the blood of Jesus, but 921 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:55,710 a deliverance from sin, a cleansing, a clean 922 00:36:55,710 --> 00:37:00,190 heart, a heart in which sin does not 923 00:37:00,190 --> 00:37:04,530 have power, because we drink the new covenant 924 00:37:04,530 --> 00:37:05,090 in the blood. 925 00:37:06,010 --> 00:37:07,690 Sin shall not have dominion over you, for 926 00:37:07,690 --> 00:37:09,230 you are not under law, but under grace. 927 00:37:09,310 --> 00:37:11,310 You're not under the old covenant, but under 928 00:37:11,310 --> 00:37:11,930 the new covenant. 929 00:37:12,830 --> 00:37:14,690 And this is what it means to share 930 00:37:14,690 --> 00:37:17,310 in the fellowship in the blood of Christ, 931 00:37:17,350 --> 00:37:20,430 to share His dying, that I enter into 932 00:37:20,430 --> 00:37:23,370 the meaning of Jesus shedding His blood, for 933 00:37:23,370 --> 00:37:26,470 that blood which Jesus shed symbolized something. 934 00:37:27,330 --> 00:37:29,370 In Hebrews 12, 4, we read about Jesus 935 00:37:29,370 --> 00:37:31,650 striving against sin to the point of shedding 936 00:37:31,650 --> 00:37:31,970 blood. 937 00:37:33,010 --> 00:37:34,410 In other words, He was willing to shed 938 00:37:34,410 --> 00:37:35,550 His blood rather than sin. 939 00:37:36,690 --> 00:37:39,250 And when we put that into 1 Corinthians 940 00:37:39,250 --> 00:37:41,650 11, 25, we understand something of the new 941 00:37:41,650 --> 00:37:44,250 covenant that when I drink that cup, I'm 942 00:37:44,250 --> 00:37:46,350 testifying thereby, saying, Lord, I want to have 943 00:37:46,350 --> 00:37:48,690 the same attitude as You had towards sin, 944 00:37:49,430 --> 00:37:52,350 to be willing to strive unto sin, unto 945 00:37:52,350 --> 00:37:56,650 blood, in my fighting against sin, to the 946 00:37:56,650 --> 00:37:58,950 shedding of blood, I'm willing to strive against 947 00:37:58,950 --> 00:37:59,250 sin. 948 00:37:59,810 --> 00:38:02,610 This is to drink the cup of the 949 00:38:02,610 --> 00:38:05,530 Lord meaningfully, and we do it in remembrance 950 00:38:05,530 --> 00:38:09,670 of Him who strove against sin unto the 951 00:38:09,670 --> 00:38:11,770 shedding of His blood, the blood of the 952 00:38:11,770 --> 00:38:12,210 new covenant. 953 00:38:13,450 --> 00:38:15,490 For as often as you eat this bread 954 00:38:15,490 --> 00:38:17,350 and drink this cup, and that's up to 955 00:38:17,350 --> 00:38:19,450 us how often we do it, we proclaim 956 00:38:19,450 --> 00:38:22,950 that death of the Lord to sin, in 957 00:38:22,950 --> 00:38:24,970 that He died to sin, He died once, 958 00:38:25,590 --> 00:38:27,670 and we are testifying through the breaking of 959 00:38:27,670 --> 00:38:30,750 bread, our desire also to die to sin 960 00:38:30,750 --> 00:38:34,190 and to live unto God, to die to 961 00:38:34,190 --> 00:38:36,050 the world, to live for God. 962 00:38:37,090 --> 00:38:38,810 And then we understand what it says in 963 00:38:38,810 --> 00:38:41,270 verse 27 about eating the bread and drinking 964 00:38:41,270 --> 00:38:42,510 the cup of the Lord in an unworthy 965 00:38:42,510 --> 00:38:45,530 manner, just like the cross has two arms, 966 00:38:45,590 --> 00:38:47,990 a vertical and a horizontal one, in the 967 00:38:47,990 --> 00:38:50,170 same way, there is a vertical and a 968 00:38:50,170 --> 00:38:52,570 horizontal fellowship that we testify to in the 969 00:38:52,570 --> 00:38:56,330 breaking of bread, a fellowship with God and 970 00:38:56,330 --> 00:38:58,570 with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in 971 00:38:58,570 --> 00:39:01,510 our personal walk that we deny ourselves and 972 00:39:01,510 --> 00:39:03,730 our own will to do His will, and 973 00:39:03,730 --> 00:39:07,650 a horizontal fellowship with our fellow believers with 974 00:39:07,650 --> 00:39:10,670 whom we have a right relationship where we 975 00:39:10,670 --> 00:39:14,910 recognize each person as a valuable member of 976 00:39:14,910 --> 00:39:15,750 the body of Christ. 977 00:39:16,490 --> 00:39:19,070 Now if either of these, the vertical or 978 00:39:19,070 --> 00:39:21,290 the horizontal are not in order in our 979 00:39:21,290 --> 00:39:25,010 lives, then we are eating the bread and 980 00:39:25,010 --> 00:39:29,830 drinking the cup in an unworthy manner, and 981 00:39:29,830 --> 00:39:32,150 then we are guilty of the body and 982 00:39:32,150 --> 00:39:33,370 blood of the Lord, that's a very strong 983 00:39:33,370 --> 00:39:35,650 word, it means that I'm just as guilty 984 00:39:35,650 --> 00:39:39,010 as those Jews who demanded the crucifixion of 985 00:39:39,010 --> 00:39:39,410 Christ. 986 00:39:40,190 --> 00:39:43,310 Just as guilty as them, guilty of crucifying 987 00:39:43,310 --> 00:39:47,170 Christ, if I don't eat and drink meaningfully. 988 00:39:48,550 --> 00:39:51,050 And therefore we are exhorted in verse 28 989 00:39:51,050 --> 00:39:54,450 to examine ourselves before we eat and drink. 990 00:39:54,630 --> 00:39:57,010 Every time we eat that bread and drink 991 00:39:57,010 --> 00:39:59,230 that cup, we are to examine ourselves and 992 00:39:59,230 --> 00:40:01,030 see that we are in a right relationship 993 00:40:01,030 --> 00:40:04,670 with God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in 994 00:40:04,670 --> 00:40:07,850 a right relationship with our fellow believers, otherwise 995 00:40:07,850 --> 00:40:11,370 that cup and that bread, instead of bringing 996 00:40:11,370 --> 00:40:14,090 blessing to us, verse 29 will bring judgment, 997 00:40:14,790 --> 00:40:17,710 because we haven't judged the body rightly, we 998 00:40:17,710 --> 00:40:20,610 haven't judged the body which Jesus gave to 999 00:40:20,610 --> 00:40:22,830 the Father without spot, rightly as to how 1000 00:40:22,830 --> 00:40:24,710 He lived in that body, and we haven't 1001 00:40:24,710 --> 00:40:26,610 judged the church today, the body of Christ, 1002 00:40:27,050 --> 00:40:32,410 rightly, recognizing each person with us as a 1003 00:40:32,410 --> 00:40:33,470 member of that body. 1004 00:40:34,470 --> 00:40:36,750 And it is because we do not examine 1005 00:40:36,750 --> 00:40:39,130 ourselves aright, He says in verse 30, that 1006 00:40:39,130 --> 00:40:42,050 many, not just some, but many among you 1007 00:40:42,050 --> 00:40:46,750 are weak and sick, and a number even 1008 00:40:46,750 --> 00:40:47,150 die. 1009 00:40:47,430 --> 00:40:49,330 In other words, a believer can die before 1010 00:40:49,330 --> 00:40:53,170 his time, because he has taken sin lightly, 1011 00:40:53,170 --> 00:40:55,610 he has lived in a wrong relationship with 1012 00:40:55,610 --> 00:40:58,510 his fellow believers, and then he dies before 1013 00:40:58,510 --> 00:40:59,730 God's appointed time. 1014 00:41:00,770 --> 00:41:02,810 It begins with just weakness in the body, 1015 00:41:03,610 --> 00:41:06,690 and then sickness, and if he still doesn't 1016 00:41:06,690 --> 00:41:09,290 wake up spiritually, finally God may judge him 1017 00:41:09,290 --> 00:41:10,090 even with death. 1018 00:41:10,410 --> 00:41:13,310 And this happened in Corinth, not just to 1019 00:41:13,310 --> 00:41:15,290 a few here and there, but according to 1020 00:41:15,290 --> 00:41:20,450 verse 30, many, many believers in Corinth were 1021 00:41:20,450 --> 00:41:23,550 sick and died before their time, because they 1022 00:41:23,550 --> 00:41:24,530 took this matter lightly. 1023 00:41:25,150 --> 00:41:27,030 Then isn't it possible that even today that 1024 00:41:27,030 --> 00:41:30,610 many believers are sick, because they haven't judged 1025 00:41:30,610 --> 00:41:32,630 themselves in this matter of their relationship with 1026 00:41:32,630 --> 00:41:33,570 God and their fellow men? 1027 00:41:34,030 --> 00:41:34,410 Certainly. 1028 00:41:35,570 --> 00:41:37,210 And that's why James says in James chapter 1029 00:41:37,210 --> 00:41:39,830 5, confess your sins one to another and 1030 00:41:39,830 --> 00:41:41,090 pray for one another that you may be 1031 00:41:41,090 --> 00:41:41,350 healed. 1032 00:41:41,350 --> 00:41:44,190 Because, 1 Corinthians 11, 31, if we judge 1033 00:41:44,190 --> 00:41:45,870 ourselves rightly, we will not be judged. 1034 00:41:47,750 --> 00:41:50,970 If we live in the habit of judging 1035 00:41:50,970 --> 00:41:54,170 ourselves instead of judging other people, the Word 1036 00:41:54,170 --> 00:41:56,350 of God has told us very clearly, Jesus' 1037 00:41:56,530 --> 00:41:58,670 words in Matthew 7, 1, do not judge 1038 00:41:58,670 --> 00:41:59,030 others. 1039 00:41:59,750 --> 00:42:01,410 If we would only stop judging others and 1040 00:42:01,410 --> 00:42:04,030 judge ourselves, then God would not judge us 1041 00:42:04,030 --> 00:42:05,350 with weakness, sickness, or death. 1042 00:42:07,110 --> 00:42:09,930 But when God allows weakness or sickness or 1043 00:42:09,930 --> 00:42:12,070 death to come to us, verse 32, when 1044 00:42:12,070 --> 00:42:13,930 we are judged, it is a means by 1045 00:42:13,930 --> 00:42:16,970 which God is seeking to discipline us, so 1046 00:42:16,970 --> 00:42:18,690 that we may not be condemned along with 1047 00:42:18,690 --> 00:42:19,030 the world. 1048 00:42:19,150 --> 00:42:21,210 It's very easy, even for a believer, according 1049 00:42:21,210 --> 00:42:23,910 to verse 32, to be condemned along with 1050 00:42:23,910 --> 00:42:24,330 the world. 1051 00:42:24,450 --> 00:42:27,730 Otherwise, verse 32 would be meaningless, if it 1052 00:42:27,730 --> 00:42:29,430 is impossible for us to be condemned along 1053 00:42:29,430 --> 00:42:29,850 with the world. 1054 00:42:29,970 --> 00:42:32,650 Yes, we can be condemned along with the 1055 00:42:32,650 --> 00:42:33,090 world. 1056 00:42:33,650 --> 00:42:35,530 In order to save us from that judgment 1057 00:42:35,530 --> 00:42:40,650 and damnation, the Lord disciplines us through weakness 1058 00:42:40,650 --> 00:42:45,690 and sickness, through financial hardships, perhaps, and other 1059 00:42:45,690 --> 00:42:46,210 means. 1060 00:42:47,050 --> 00:42:50,210 And if when those chastenings come our way, 1061 00:42:50,330 --> 00:42:52,410 those disciplines of the Lord come our way, 1062 00:42:52,990 --> 00:42:55,090 if we do not judge ourselves in that 1063 00:42:55,090 --> 00:42:58,230 situation, if we become full of self-pity 1064 00:42:58,230 --> 00:43:01,330 and bitterness against the Lord, and judge other 1065 00:43:01,330 --> 00:43:04,370 people who cause us suffering, then we will 1066 00:43:04,370 --> 00:43:06,130 not realize that it is the Lord who 1067 00:43:06,130 --> 00:43:06,850 is judging us. 1068 00:43:07,470 --> 00:43:09,850 Then we do not judge ourselves rightly, then 1069 00:43:09,850 --> 00:43:11,410 we are fit to be judged by the 1070 00:43:11,410 --> 00:43:13,010 Lord and condemned along with the world. 1071 00:43:13,430 --> 00:43:15,370 So every discipline of the Lord is meant 1072 00:43:15,370 --> 00:43:18,870 to make us alert and awake spiritually, so 1073 00:43:18,870 --> 00:43:20,210 that we are not condemned with the world. 1074 00:43:20,830 --> 00:43:23,670 So then, my brethren, when you come together 1075 00:43:23,670 --> 00:43:25,670 to eat, be considerate. 1076 00:43:26,330 --> 00:43:29,770 Wait for one another means show consideration for 1077 00:43:29,770 --> 00:43:31,230 one another. 1078 00:43:31,730 --> 00:43:35,090 Don't just think of yourselves, but consider the 1079 00:43:35,090 --> 00:43:35,310 other. 1080 00:43:35,890 --> 00:43:37,710 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at 1081 00:43:37,710 --> 00:43:38,550 home, verse 34. 1082 00:43:39,490 --> 00:43:42,690 Don't come here to show off your good 1083 00:43:42,690 --> 00:43:45,690 food or anything else which would humiliate another 1084 00:43:45,690 --> 00:43:48,090 brother, so that you may not come together 1085 00:43:48,090 --> 00:43:48,670 for judgment. 1086 00:43:49,890 --> 00:43:52,030 And the remaining matters I shall arrange when 1087 00:43:52,030 --> 00:43:52,410 I come. 1088 00:43:52,870 --> 00:43:54,810 It's a very serious warning here in this 1089 00:43:54,810 --> 00:43:59,010 passage, and we need never fear that warning 1090 00:43:59,010 --> 00:44:01,770 if we live in a constant self-judgment. 1091 00:44:02,230 --> 00:44:03,390 This is a verse that we need to 1092 00:44:03,390 --> 00:44:05,050 put before our minds at all times, verse 1093 00:44:05,050 --> 00:44:05,410 31. 1094 00:44:06,150 --> 00:44:08,910 If we judge ourselves rightly, we will never 1095 00:44:08,910 --> 00:44:09,510 be judged. 1096 00:44:09,870 --> 00:44:12,030 He who has ears to hear, let him 1097 00:44:12,030 --> 00:44:12,230 hear. 1098 00:44:13,590 --> 00:44:15,390 You've been listening to the From the Pulpit 1099 00:44:15,390 --> 00:44:16,690 and Classic Sermon series. 1100 00:44:17,190 --> 00:44:19,430 This week, you heard Zach Poonen with his 1101 00:44:19,430 --> 00:44:22,850 message, 1 Corinthians 11, verses 1-34. 1102 00:44:23,670 --> 00:44:25,190 Tune in next week to hear Parris Reedhead 1103 00:44:25,190 --> 00:44:28,050 speak about So Great a Salvation Abiding in 1104 00:44:28,050 --> 00:44:30,850 Christ on From the Pulpit and Classic Sermons.