. ____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ November 9, 2008 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified (Dan King) 2) The Last Fight (Robert F. Turner) 3) A Matter of Life and Death (Bill Crews) 4) News & Notes ____________________________________________________ -1- Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified by Dan King All of us have felt inadequate before some great task in our lives. The first time we had to speak in front of a group of people was such an experience for most of us. Those of us who were not particularly good in some phase of mathematics, like Algebra, Geometry or Calculus, felt frustrated and weak before these profound disciplines of math. Some have known total frustration on their first day at a new job, learning and having to keep up with those who have been "at it" for some time already. It is certainly a very human emotion, natural to a variety of circumstances and situations. We have surely known, then, something of how Paul must have felt when he came to the great metropolis of Corinth, capital of Achaia. Trained as a Jewish rabbi, converted to Christianity and empowered by Christ, he still knew the feeling of inadequacy in the face of so grand a work as this among so intelligent and sophisticated a people as these highly cultured Greeks. John Pollock captured this historic moment with the following description: "Corinth was the biggest city Paul had yet encountered, a brash new commercial metropolis founded in its current form less than a hundred years earlier after a century in ruins It squeezed nearly a quarter million people into a comparatively small area, a large proportion being slaves engaged in unending movement of goods. Slaves or free, Corinthians were rootless, cut off from their country background, drawn from races and districts all over the empire and, except for the Jewish community, without natural groupings: a curiously close parallel to the population of a twentieth-century "inner-city," the over crowded materialistic heart of any great urban concentration, with the superficial difference that Corinthians masked their materialism, sexual appetites and superstitions behind a cloak of religiousness. . . If the love of Christ Jesus could take root in Corinth, the most populated, wealthy, commercial-minded and sex-obsessed city of eastern Europe, it must prove powerful anywhere" (The Apostle: A Life of Paul 121). His own strength was meaningless, his own wisdom pitiful, as he saw it. He did not know this then, but it is just at such a time as this that we are truly strong, for then is God's strength capable of being exercised (2 Cor. 12:9). God's power is made perfect in our weakness, for then we will move out of the way (so to speak) and, in faith, permit God to do his part. It was under such circumstances, and in the context of the Corinthian work, that Paul came fully to comprehend the power of God which had been poured into earthen vessels: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (2 Cor. 4:7). Thus, he made the following observations about his preaching, which ought to have tremendous power in consoling us over our own feelings of inadequacy about living the Christian life and facing its many trials and challenges: 1. Paul came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom (1 Cor. 2:1). Human wisdom was already in great abundance in Corinth, as it is present in our cities and towns today. But the world is not looking to us for either of these, at least that portion that would be saved. The world needs the saving word of the Gospel, the message of truth and hope. Of course, there is a natural appetite that the world has for the appealing things of this carnal realm, but we cannot give it what it wants, but rather what it needs: "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Cor. 2:4). That is just what Paul did. He delivered them a dose of what was needed, whether it was wanted or not. The result was a bountiful harvest of souls at Corinth: "and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized" (Acts 18:8). This was not always the case, for Athens was relatively negative toward the Gospel (Acts 17:32-34). 2. Paul was with them in weakness (1 Cor. 2:3). The natural impulse of the male of our species is to show no weakness, but rather to appear strong in the face of all odds. Apparently Paul overcame this impulse, for he really was dwarfed by the immensity of his opposition at Corinth. This city was the home of a great temple of Aphrodite, a cult dedicated to the glorification of sex. One thousand girls were kept consecrated to the goddess, and their processions, rituals and individual solicitude so aroused male devotees and set the tone of the city that the ancient world described habitual fornicators as "Living like Corinthians." Here was also the temple of Apollo, which also glorified sex as well as music, song and poetry, for Apollo was the ideal of male beauty. The temple's inner recesses held nude statues and friezes of Apollo intended to fire his male worshippers to physical displays of devotion with the god's beautiful boys. Apollo's temple encouraged homosexuality and pedophilia. Before such magisterial evil, Paul stood in abject fear: "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling" (1 Cor. 2:3). But he knew, even as John did that "greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 Jn. 4:4). 3. Paul determined to know only Christ crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). Paul was a well-educated man: no doubt he knew a lot of things, many facts and figures, names and dates, etc. But he came to these people knowing only the message of Jesus and the cross. Yet, the wonder of it is that this is all he needed, for it turned the city upside down. A fine congregation of saints was borne out of his proclamation of the crucified Christ at Corinth. 4. Paul established their faith in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5). By refusing to promote human wisdom, he turned the people's attention away from himself and man's wisdom, firmly planting the Corinthian church on the solid foundation of Christ. Paul could not save anyone, not even himself. Only the power of God and the blood of Christ could accomplish sin's remission. But Paul could only establish their faith in Christ when his was first centered upon him. This was the order then, and it is the order now. In our own struggle toward the goal of the high calling of God, let us remember that a feeling of utter inadequacy is not only normal but even healthy. It is our own opportunity to reach out to the only source of true spiritual enlightenment and strength. When we come to know only "Jesus Christ, and him crucified," that is, realize our own weakness and inadequacy, and fall back upon the wisdom and power of God. Then and only then, will we be able to accomplish any important thing in his service. -- Via Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 4, p. 20-21, February 18, 1993 ____________________________________________________ -2- The Last Fight by Robert F. Turner On the ruins of a theater in Ephesus there is a memorial to an athlete of the 2nd century A.D. which reads: "He fought three fights, and twice was crowned." Watch out for that last step! You see, those "athletes" fought to the death. A man's last fight was always fatal. So, the crown meant only that one changed opponents; and sooner or later the last would slay him. What a difference in this crown, and that of the apostle Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day..." (2 Tim. 4:7,8). Paul did more than fight "unto death" -- he fought unto life, eternal. If his fight of faith cost him his earthly life, it only meant he was now free to claim the crown that counted most (Rev. 2:10, 2 Cor. 5:6-f.). How different from those who die without hope. Paul sought an enduring victory -- one that could not be taken from him. He exhorted Timothy, "Lay hold on eternal life..." (1 Tim. 6:12). This called for training, perseverance, and above all, self control (1 Cor. 9:24-27). The athlete trained his body only to prolong the day when it would fail him; but Paul trained his that it might the better serve the Lord, and thus serve his eternal purposes. We are all engaged in some sort of battle, and in a very real sense it is "unto death." The fatalist, the fool, resigns himself to shortchange. Though he fights 3,000 times, he can expect but 2,999 temporal crowns, not one of which he can take with him beyond that last fight. The futility of it all is enough to make a man throw in the towel. The Faith gives purpose to life. The Christian fights, hard and often. But he has submitted himself to God's will, "strives lawfully" (2 Tim. 2:5), and his fight is never in vain. Jesus Christ has provided for him a crown, and not for him only, "but unto all them also that love his appearing." -- Via Plain Talk, January 1971 ____________________________________________________ -3- A Matter of Life and Death by Bill Crews We've all heard the statement, "It's a matter of life and death." It expresses a sense of urgency, and it's designed to get attention and solicit immediate response. It may be used in a phone call to the police, the paramedics, or the firemen, or in hospital situations. It is physical life and physical death we're talking about, and when it's a life or death situation involving us or our loved ones, we think anyone would agree that it is an urgent matter indeed. But for some strange reason, when it becomes a matter of spiritual life or spiritual death, when it involves the salvation of a soul or the eternal destiny of a soul, our own, that of a loved one, that of a friend or neighbor or fellow-worker, the urgency is gone, and the matter can wait. With all too many this is not a priority that should receive immediate attention, and it is put off until it is too late -- forever! How do we really feel about the life or death, about the eternal destiny of a soul -- yours or some else's? I really believe that if I were lost and knew it, I could not rest, could not sleep -- could not have any peace -- until I took care of that matter once and for all. What about you? -- The Beacon, November 4, 2008 ____________________________________________________ -4- News & Notes We extend our condolences to the family and friends of Philip Robertson (Ken's brother) who passed away November 9. Let those of us who are Christians be praying for the loved ones, who can have comfort in knowing that Philip had been a Christian. There will be a gospel meeting at the Park Forest church of Christ in Baton Rouge November 16-21 with Robert Harkrider as the guest speaker. Sunday services will begin at 9 AM, 10 AM, and 6 PM; and Monday through Friday at 7:30 PM. The church meets at 9923 Sunny Cline Drive (at the corner of Aletha). ____________________________________________________ CHURCH OF CHRIST 201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn) Denham Springs, LA 70726 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 tedwards@onemain.com http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go DIRECTIONS: Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12. At the end of the exit ramp, turn north. Go about a stone's throw to Rushing Road. (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas stations; with each on each corner.) Turn left on Rushing Road, and go less then 0.3 of a mile. Hampton Inn will be on the right. We assemble in its meeting room, which is very close to the reception counter. ____________________________________________________