PRAY: Lord Jesus, you are the Lord of the church. Let us not trust in our own wisdom but, in humility, daily trust in your gracious truth and your wisdom as you build your church.
READ: 1 Corinthians 3:18–22
MEDITATE:
Have you ever deceived yourself because you thought you were something you were not? How does that happen? Peter thought he knew himself. He boasted he would not deny Jesus. But he did. “Pride goes before a fall.”
Paul zeroes in on the boasting of the Corinthians. They have been claiming that they are wise. “Greeks look for wisdom” (1:22). Paul knew the Greek culture and mindset. But were they wise according to the world’s ways, “by the standards of this age” (v. 18) or wise as God gives the ability to make right choices? The Corinthians are enamored of their own wisdom and intelligence, how bright they are, how knowledgeable, how wise. They are proud of their wisdom as they boast in their champion teachers. They have lost sight of the truth. Paul, Apollos, and Cephas are simply servants.
Who do you belong to? The apostles all belong to their master, Jesus. Are you ready to serve him and him alone, in the humility of the cross?
Questions and Application:
- What does this passage say?
- What does this passage mean?
- Are there ways in which our congregation or TEC has become enamored of its own “wisdom” as it interacts with academic and cultural currents of thought and behavior?
- What is it that Paul tells us we have in Christ? What does this mean?
PRAY: Lord Jesus, protect your church from arrogant and prideful disregard for the teaching and ethical standards of your holy Word. Keep me submitted and obedient to the truth and standards of your Word.