P2 - Why meaning, value, purpose and truth are impossible without God

1 Corinthians 15:30-34 "Why are we also in danger every hour? 31 I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”34 Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame."

Introduction and review
Yesterday we began considering why meaning, value, purpose and truth in life is impossible without God's existence. We ended with noting some observations from major Christian thinkers. To review, authors such as the late Francis Shaeffer and theologian and philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig have illustrated how value, meaning and purpose are likened unto an upper story in a house, with man living in the lower story:

God

Meaning, Value, Purpose

--------------------------

Human beings

We had noted how one could construct an apologetic argument concerning why value, meaning and purpose are only possible with God. It would go something like this:

Premise #1: If God does not exist, meaning, value and purpose does not exist

Premise #2: Objective Meaning, value and purpose exist as part of our world

Therefore: God exists

Today we continue on where we left off and will aim to conclude why meaning, value, purpose and truth are impossible without God

The inconsistency of worldviews that assert there is no meaning, value, purpose and truth

In the above argument, its not too difficult to prove Premise #2 (objective or universal meaning, value and purpose exist as part of our world). Whether someone believes the universe and life to have ultimate meaning (i.e significance) or not is to assign some sort of meaning. An atheist such as Richard Dawkins may claim in his book: "The God-delusion" that life is "pitiless indifference"; however, he asserts such values as tolerance and rails against injustice, thus betraying the implications of his atheistic outlook. Physicist Steven Wienberg in his classic book: "The First Three Minutes" draws out implications from his reflections on the initial moments following the Big Bang. In his estimation, since the universe is all that exists, assigning meaning is pointless. However, Weinberg obviously doesn't consistently hold to such a notion, since he spent countless hours co-developing the scientific theory that explained the unification of the weak and electromagnetic forces that netted him the Nobel Prize in physics in 1979. 

Meaning in this world requires God's existence
To say that the universe is without meaning is to assign a meaning to it!

The atheistic worldview is inconsistent and breaks down in the realm of livability and practical application.

When we speak of "value" in premise #2, we are referring to moral values and duties. Morality deals with right and wrong and duties deal with good or bad. Morality is the behavior of individuals that stems from ethical norms that transcend cultures. There is an objective right and wrong. Duties have to do with the obligation I have to perform what is right and wrong. The question we must raise is: "are moral values and duties immaterial, universal and abstract or are they material, personally subjective and concrete?" The atheist would try to argue the latter.  Prominent atheist Sam Harris will assert that moral values and duties arise from physical brain states and are measured by human well-being. Yet did moral values and duties exist prior to the existence of human beings? If not, then Harris' view of "good and evil" being defined by the level of human well-being does not escape the trap of morality being a matter of personal choice or society. People who murder may find doing such makes them feel good, and thus promote their own sense of human flourishing and well-being. Thus we find meaning and values cannot be grounded in this material realm.

Purpose in this life requires God's existence

What about purpose? Does the universe, life and humanity have a purpose? Just like the previous two observations, purpose is connected to meaning and value. If meaning and value are derived from outside our material universe, then purpose is as well? Why? Purpose is a value judgment. Again, on atheism there is no purpose to the universe, life and humanity. Atheists like the late Bertand Russell will on the one hand assert that life has no purpose, while all the while producing volumes of philosophical writings declaring that in the end, we have no purpose to discover, and thus we need to bravely hold onto the despair of it all. But now even such a statement begs the question: "why even bother to be brave?" 

Closing thoughts

Therefore in reflecting on the philosophical and scientific evidence, we can see that even among foremost atheistic thinkers, the reality of objective meaning, value and purpose cannot be escaped. Even by asserting that there are no such things as value, meaning and purpose is to proclaim that there are indeed such features! Thus, premise #2 holds in the following argument:

Premise #1: If God does not exist, meaning, value and purpose does not exist

Premise #2: Objective Meaning, value and purpose exist as part of our world

When we consider how both premises together are logically airtight, the conclusion thus follows:

Therefore, God exists.

P1 - Why meaning, value, purpose and truth are impossible without God

1 Corinthians 15:30-34 "Why are we also in danger every hour? 31 I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”34 Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame."

The absurdity of life without God

What happens when people adopt a view of life that excludes God? Atheistic philosopher Albert Camus advocated a philosophy built around the concept of "absurdity of life". This concept of "absurdity" is defined by Camus as follows: "His (man's) exile is without remedy since he is deprived of the memory of a lost home or the hope of a promised land. This divorce between man and his life, the actor and his setting, is properly the feeling of absurdity". Camus' philosophy can be summarized in the following quote: "There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy." 

The Apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:32 express how absurd life would be if Christ had not raised from the dead. Christ's resurrection from the dead entails the existence of an all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present, all-good God. Although Camus' philosophy was bleak, it was an honest attempt to trace out the ultimate implications of his atheism. Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 15:32 is to show that if God did not exist, then the only alternative would be to "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die". Unless God exists, there is no basis for meaning, value, purpose and truth. 

An important clarifying point

Now let's make something perfectly clear: I am not saying that lack of belief in God means that one cannot discover meaning, value and purpose in this life. Many atheists and people who claim to have no belief in God can be good parents and fine citizens. The issue at hand is not whether belief in God or lack thereof determines objective moral values and duties. Rather, the point of Paul's words and, ironically, the philosophy of Camus agree: if there is no God, there is no meaning, value or purpose to discover in this life.  After all, on atheism, we should not expect to discover such values and duties. Yet, atheists themselves will still champion causes for justice, tolerance and the value of human life. Such universal moral values are exactly what people know to be the case. 

How we must have an "upper story" in order to have value, meaning, purpose and truth in this "lower story" world

Concerning Paul's comments, the Bible Knowledge Commentary notes: 

"Why face that if this life were all there is? The Epicureans (and less philosophical men before them; cf. Isa. 22:13) would be right—pursue pleasure and avoid pain (cf. Epicurus Letter to Menoeceus 128). But Paul knew there was more, and his life testified to that fact (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24–27; 2 Cor. 4:16–18)."

The people in Paul's remarks lived their lives as if there were no God. On their viewpoints (which would correspond to Atheism today), since there is no God nor God to regard, then there is no purpose, no value and no meaning to life. Worldviews that deny God and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead have no basis for which to assert the value, meaning and purpose of human life. 

Authors such as the late Francis Shaeffer and theologian and philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig have illustrated how value, meaning and purpose are likened unto an upper story in a house, with man living in the lower story:

God

Meaning, Value, Purpose

--------------------------

Human beings

Since meaning, value and purpose are immaterial objective features of reality, this material realm (i.e our universe) could not possibly explain their role and function in our world. If we were to construct an argument as to why value, meaning and purpose are only possible with God, it would go something like this:

Premise #1: If God does not exist, meaning, value and purpose does not exist

Premise #2: Objective Meaning, value and purpose exist as part of our world

Therefore: God exists

Tomorrow we will continue on by considering further this argument. For now, let's keep in mind that value, meaning, purpose and truth are impossible without God's existence and more specifically, withough the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Defining Christian apologetics and four reasons for doing it

1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Introduction:

In today's post I want to offer a short treatment on the definition of Christian apologetics and its role in the Christian life. As Peter opens up this verse, he urges his readers to "sanctify" or "set-aside as special" Christ in one's heart. However and whatever we define the Christian apologetic task to be, it must be centered around the desire to cultivate a closer walk with Jesus Christ. Moreover, such a task as Christian apologetics aims to ultimately convince people to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus in saving faith. 

When we speak of "apologetics", were not talking about making apologies for being a Christian. Instead, the Greek word behind the term translated "defense" is the word "apologia", from whence we get our English term "apologetics". In its most basic meaning, "apologetics" describes the task of defending and communicating the Christian Faith. By understanding what Christian apologetics is all about and what function it has in Christian development (i.e discipleship), the reader will hopefully become intrigued to study further on this subject. 

Further refining our understanding of Christian Apologetics
Dr. William Lane Craig in his book: "Reasonable Faith", page 15, defines Christian apologetics as follows:


"Christian apologetics may be defined as that branch of Christian theology which seeks to provide rational warrant for Christianity’s truth claims." 

Another Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias, has offered the following definition of apologetics in an article explaining why churches need apologetics: 

"(A)pologetics is the branch of Christian theology that seeks to address the intellectual obstacles that keep people from taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ seriously."

Readers may had noticed the picture associated with today's post, featuring a chess board with opposing armies of chess pieces. When this blogger snapped the above photograph, the thought came to mind about the importance of fighting the good fight of faith. When William Lane Craig mentioned of giving "rational warrant", that is another way of saying: "giving good reasons for why you believe what you believe". When Ravi Zacharias brought up the point of "addressing intellectual obstacles", we come to grasp how apologetics functions as a form of "pre-evangelism" or "removing of grounds for dismissing the gospel". Apologetics is a crucial tool in the Christian's growth in discipleship. As the opening verse of today's post states, we must be prepared to give an answer with the attitude of Christ that exercises both gentleness and respect toward the questioner. 

The four purposes served by Christian apologetics
Dr. William Lane Craig's book: "Reasonable Faith" spells out four main purposes for Christian apologetics. I will list what they are and then offer a brief exposition of each:

a). Express our cognitive love to God (Mt 22:37).

We should not only love Jesus with all our heart, but also our minds (hence the term "cognitive". In as much as the spirit of a man is instantly converted at saving faith, the mind ought to be the subject of progressive, ongoing transformation as the Christian grows in their faith. Both heart and mind are essential in the cultivation of Christian spirituality.

b). Explain/defend Christianity to unbelievers

This second purpose reveals how apologetics functions as a form of "pre-evangelism". Apologetics ought to lead us to a deeper burden for sharing the Gospel. Often we must knock down the intellectual barriers and opposing arguments to get to the root of a person's rejection of Jesus Christ. The Bible uniformly describes mankind's rebellion against God as moral and spiritual. Apologetics aims to eventually expose this root while also addressing the intellectual branches that issue forth from the trunk of unbelief. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 that we aim to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 

c). Confirm our faith to Christians

I have found that Christian apologetics can strengthen the Christian's faith. There are those seasons where all Christians have doubts or struggle in the midst of great difficulties. Christian apologetics can function alongside the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit in verifying to the Christian that following Jesus is worth it all.

d). Explore connections to Christian doctrines and other truths

As one engages in Christian apologetics, growth in understanding how the Christian worldview fits together comes as an added bonus. Key doctrines that typically comprise any Christian apologetic includes: the doctrine of creation, the doctrine of sin, the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of salvation and the doctrine of last things. When you think about it, these five classical "key points of Christian doctrine" provide a broad outline of the Bible. Throughout every age, these five key areas have been attacked and have needed to be repeated and communicated. Other doctrines are appealed to along the way as one grows in their understanding of the Christian worldview. 

Closing thoughts

Today we defined Christian apologetics and four main purposes for doing it. My hope is that the reader has been inclined to increase their knowledge of what they believe, why they believe and how to defend what they believe. Such a strategy will enable Christians to have effective testimonies in the workplace, the university campus, the local church and among their families and friends. 

Faith in the miraculous Jesus (some thoughts on Jesus, miracles and faith)

John 4:46 "Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum."

Introduction:

As one begins to study John's Gospel, the main purpose of the writing is found in John 20:31. As we approach this particular account of Jesus' healing of the nobleman's son in John 4:46-54, we note how much space is devoted to not only the miracle itself, but in the authentication and testimony of it. John's goal is to demonstrate that this Jesus is indeed the eternal Son of God in human flesh. He does so by a variety of means: personal recorded conversations, sermons preached or teachings taught by Jesus, testimonies by others and by what he calls "signs" (i.e miracles). John 20:30-31 attaches this latter method of miraculous attestation to the overall purpose of the book: "Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."

What is a miracle?

So then, what is a miracle? A miracle is an infrequently occurring, direct act of God that is performed in a religiously significant setting to confirm God's messenger and message. In John's Gospel we find seven particular signs or miracles mentioned:

1. Water to wine at Cana. 2:1-12

2. Healing of Nobleman's son. 4:46-54

3. Healing of man at Pool of Bethesda. 5:1-17

4. Feeding of 5,000 6:1-14

5. Walking on Water 6:15-21

6. Healing of man born blind. 9:1-34

7. Raising of Lazarus. 11:1-46

Each of these miracles communicate something particular about Jesus, whether it be His ministry, His majestic Deity, His marvelous identity or His manhood of humanity. Concerning the first miracle at Cana and this second one, we find Jesus' identity as the Mediator is the focus of the first (water into wine). The second miracle or "sign" demonstrates to us His majestic Deity. In this particular account we come to understand the relationship between miracles and faith. 

Contrary to popular opinion, miracles are not  "violations of the law of nature". 18th century Scottish skeptic David Hume had popularized this definition about miracles being violations of the laws of nature. Hume's project included denial of not only God's direct intervention in the world, but also the impossibility of being able to identify one. In effect, Hume's work influenced many agnostic and atheistic conceptions as to how our world works exclusively by natural laws and forces. Even though the last half-century of philosophical thought and mathematical inquiry has shown Hume's theories about miracles to be inadequate and inaccurate, a good number of people still find them convincing. 

The problem with Hume's ideas and objections against miracles is several-fold. For one thing, C.S Lewis notes that with respect to nature and the place of miracles: "In calling them miracles we do not mean that they are contradictions or outrages; we mean that, left to her own resources, she could never produce them." Lewis shows that the laws of nature are not opposed to the possibility of miracles. The problem with Hume's definition is that it makes the laws of nature "prescriptive" rather than "descriptive". In other words, on Hume's definition, the laws of nature necessarily prescribe how things ought to behave in nature, as if they were in a closed system. 

Again, Lewis illustrates this problem by having us imagine a dresser drawer with six pennies placed in it on a Monday. Then on Tuesday, we would place six additional pennies in the same drawers. When we would open the drawer on Wednesday, we ought to expect to find twelve pennies, since the laws of mathematics describes 6 plus 6 equals twelve. Lewis then describes a person coming into the room and taking some pennies between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. If we open the drawer on Wednesday, expecting to find twelve cents, and instead find a different amount, what are we to conclude? Have the laws of mathematics been "violated". No. Instead, an agent has intervened, changing the expected resulted. 

So we come back once more to our definition of a miracle: A miracle is an infrequently occurring, direct act of God that is performed in a religiously significant setting to confirm God's messenger and message. 

How does Jesus' "signs" compare to our suggested definition of a miracle?

Jesus' nearly four-year ministry saw a total of 35 miracles recorded in our four gospels, 7 of which are listed in John's Gospel. Miracles in scripture did occur relatively infrequently, clustering in three major time-frames: Moses, Elijah/Elisha and Jesus/the apostles. Although Jesus did perform quite a few miracles, His ministry emphasized mainly His teaching and preaching. 

Concerning God's direct activity, we can say this fits Jesus' ministry. John's point is to show that Jesus is the incarnation of the Divine Son, hence His performing of miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit means that strictly speaking - God is directly doing the miracles (whether we credit the Son or the Spirit, both Persons share in the one, undivided, Divine nature).  

So what about religiously significant contexts? Certainly the setting of Jesus' miracle was in and around the place He had performed His first miracle, which was to prove that He was the Mediator of the New Covenant. The point of Jesus' healing of the royal official's son was to attest His message and Himself. So we can say that what we see happening is a miracle. But what about the testimony of it?

How John demonstrates the reality of Jesus' miracle

When we find the royal official inquiring about the day and hour when his son was healed, we may wonder why John would include such a detail? Dr. Timothy McGrew, Chairman of the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University and a prominent Christian apologist, has noted that when a testimony of a miracle is used as a way of screening whether or not a miracle has occurred, the probability for us to identify a miracle increases. It seems here at least, John is purposefully using this nobleman's series of questions to show the reader that Jesus' miracle was undoubtedly real, and thus Jesus' power as God in human flesh was truly attested. 

How we see the Nobleman exercising true faith in the miraculous Jesus

We read in John 4:53-54 "So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household. 54 This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee." The man's faith in Jesus was due to Jesus, with the miracle functioning as a way of attesting Jesus' identity. When we first meet this man, we find him only focusing on the need and Jesus' miracle working power. 

Indeed, this man's need was great and he recognized Jesus' as a miracle worker, but so did Nicodemas in John 3. Although miracles can attest to the message and the messenger, they cannot confer faith in the observer. The Holy Spirit working in the heart by the Word of God is the only way in which anyone will believe in Jesus. Jesus had spoken the word for the man to "go". That word had the Spirit's signature power attached to it, opening the man's eyes to behold Jesus not as merely some "miracle worker", but as God-incarnate, Savior, Lord. 

What it means to have the fruit of joy

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Introduction:
What does it mean to have the fruit of joy in the Christian life? In past posts, we looked at the fruit of the Spirit that is described in Galatians 5:22-23, with specific focus upon the first of such fruit: "love" (see the link to that post here: http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2016/08/understanding-fruit-of-spirit-love.html). We labored in that post to grasp how the Holy Spirit connects the Christian to the love of God and its varied expressions that we find throughout scripture. We also noted that in so far as the fruit include love and the other eight virtues supplied by the Spirit, the responsibility of the Christian is to exercise these virtues by obedience and service to others. The Holman Christian Standard Commentary on Galatians 5:22 notes the following about the fruit of the Spirit: "This fruit the Holy Spirit produces in the life of a faithful Christian. In other passages of Scripture, we are commanded to fulfill the individual characteristics. The answer to this seeming paradox, I believe, is that only the Holy Spirit can produce the fruit; but he will not do so unless we are striving to the best of our ability for them in faithful obedience."

Today we want to consider the second "fruit of the Spirit" mention in Galatians 5:22-23, "joy". As we already mentioned, we want to grasp what it means to have the fruit of joy. What is it that the Holy Spirit does in connecting us to such joy in the Christian life? What does such joy look like when I am regularly walking in it? Such questions are practically important, since there are times even in my life when joy seems to elude me. If we understand joy to be more to do with an internal condition of the heart regulated by the Spirit, then perhaps one's experience of joy has more to do with how aware one is of the work of joy the Spirit is operating within them. Hence, perhaps it is not so much the fruit of joy that eludes me as it is my day-to-day partaking of His work or being more distracted by the things around me. At any rate, let's note the following headings:

1. Joy in God
When we talk about "joy" in the spiritual Christian walk, we must begin with the fountain head "joy of all joys" - namely joy in God Himself. Pastor John Piper has defined the idea of Christian joy as follows: "Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world" (see link: http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-do-you-define-joy ).

When we do word studies on "joy" in the original languages of the Bible, ideas emerge such as "delight", "shouts of praise", "thrilling exuberance" and "delightful contentment". God Himself is the only being that can bring cause for joy apart from whatever benefits He may be able to do for us. In other words, the source of joy for the Christian is found in God Himself. If God were never to do one other thing for us, we would find just as much joy in Him as when He does the countless things of goodness towards us. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, begins her prayer by saying in 1 Samuel 2:1: "My heart exults in the Lord...". In the New Testament, we find Mary beginning her "Magnificat" in Luke 1:46 "My soul exalts in the Lord". The Apostle Paul urges us in Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice".  

God is worthy of rejoicing. God is the source of joy due to the fact that He possess great-making properties such as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, all-goodness and beauty. It requires the Person of the Holy Spirit to convince us and make clear to us that this is so. Once the Holy Spirit comes to us in conversion, the grace He brings includes this component of rejoicing in the Lord. Jesus notes in John 7:37-39 "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." As Jesus was asserting this truth, He undoubtedly was referring back to Old Testament promises and predictions such as Isaiah 12:2-3 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.” 3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation." The Holy Spirit connects us to God, which brings us joy in God. Thus to have the fruit of joy means we have the ability and desire to rejoice in God, which supplies the believer with strength for daily living (Nehemiah 8:10). 

2. Joy in salvation
As we rejoice in God, we find scripture urging us to rejoice in His works. We could talk about His work in creation, which can indeed be cause for joy due to how creation demonstrates His power, glory and honor (Psalm 10:1-6; 104:1-4). We could also talk about the victories He grants as cause for joy (1 Samuel 19:5; Isaiah 41:16). God's works are often appealed to by the Biblical authors to encourage further joy in God (Psalm 66:3-5). The particular work which seems to elicit the greatest cause for joy is God's work of salvation. In 1 Samuel 2:1, we find Hannah rejoicing in God and in the salvation He brings. Psalm 40:16 states - "Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!”  In Luke 10:21, Jesus Himself rejoices in His Father and the unfolding purposes of salvation He is revealing through Him: At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight."

So many more passages could be cited, but the point is well made with respect to rejoicing in God's salvation. Joy marks the converted heart (Romans 5:1-5) and is delivered to us by the Holy Spirit. He is the One who delivers such joy not only in conversion but in the Christian's growth in sanctification. Paul writes in Philippians 3:3 "for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh." So we see that having the fruit of joy entails joy in God, His salvation and thirdly...

3. Joy in His Word.
The scriptures are ever needed when it comes to converting the human soul (Psalm 19:7; James 1:18) and sanctifying the Christian (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But what about our joy? Do the scriptures deliver to us the joy of the Lord or joy in the Lord? We find the following verses that assert the link between the Christian's joy and the scriptures:

Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."

Psalm 112:1 "Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who greatly delights in His commandments."

Psalm 119:14 "I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches."

Psalm 119:111 "I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart."

Psalm 119:162 "I rejoice at Your word, As one who finds great spoil."

Jeremiah 15:16 "Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts."

Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Acts 2:41,47 (41) "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (47) "praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

Closing thoughts
Today we considered that second virtue that is listed by Paul in his presentation of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, namely "joy". We first of all considered that such joy, as delivered by the Holy Spirit, connects us to joy in God. Since the Holy Spirit is a member of the blessed Trinity, as well as being Himself truly and fully God, then it follows that He could directly connect us to joy in God. Second, we saw that the fruit of joy also leads to joy in our salvation. Then lastly, we noted how the scriptures, and our rejoicing in them, feeds and cultivates our joy. 

A proposed outline of 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13:4-7  "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Introduction
In our last post we had aimed to understand the thrust of 1 Corinthians 13. Today we offer a suggested outline of the chapter. 

1. The Priority of God's Love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Without God's love, I'm no better than...

A. The finest speaker
B. The most faithful saint
C. The most fervent martyr

These three categories were prized in the cultures of Corinth and 1st century Judaism. In the Greco-Roman world, were speakers that practiced what was called "rhetoric". Rhetoric entailed the finely skilled art of communication. Certain philosophers in Greek history would had been respected, since they had followings and in some cases (like Socrates), died for their teachings. Judaism had its share of Martyrs (such as the Jews who died in the Maccabbean revolts of 168-165 b.c) and saints (like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses).  If God's love is not included in these efforts, such actions are useless. God's love is prioritized. To apply what Paul is saying here, are we as Christians cultivating our love for God, and allowing His love to flow through us by our obedience, surrender and exercise of the gifts.

2. Practice of God's love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Compare what love "is" and what love "is not"...

Love is...patient, kind, rejoices in truth, bears all, believes all, hopes all, endures all (7 positives).

Love is not...jealous, bragging, act in unbelief, self-seeking, provoked, counts wrongs, rejoices in unrighteousness, never fails (9 negatives).

3. Power of God's love. 1 Corinthians 13:8b-13

A. Enduring quality of God's love. 13:8b-10

B. Maturing quality of God's love 
13:11

C. Illuminating quality of God's love. 13:12-13

Now as we think of the priority, practice and power of God's love, additional cross references can be used to shed light on 1 Corinthians 13.

1 John 4:15-19 "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us."

We can also note how the love here is spoken of in 1 Peter 4:8 "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins." 

God's love, poured through the Christian and the gifts He gives, can be likened unto a mighty river flowing through an otherwise dry river bed. Consider for example John 7:37-39  "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

Closing thoughts
Today we have offered a brief outline of 1 Corinthians 13, along with some appropriate cross references. May the reader use this for the glory of God to the betterment of their spiritual lives and others. 

Understanding the great love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3  "But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.
13:1  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing."

Introduction

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul introduces his readers to the subject of spiritual gifts. We find him describing the various Spirit-given abilities to be God-given empowerments of grace given to Christians so that they can do the will of God. In past posts we have noted four general categories of spiritual gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12-14 and elsewhere in the New Testament (see Ephesians 4:11-17; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Peter 4:7-10). Those four categories of spiritual gifts are: motivational, leadership, service and occasional (or miraculous). We've also noted too how spiritual gifts function as spiritual-fingerprints for each individual Christian and the local church. Today we want to understand what is often called "the great love chapter" of the Bible - 1 Corinthians 13. 

The reader may had noticed that I started today's opening passage in 1 Corinthians 12:31. The chapter and verse divisions of our Bibles were not introduced until the Middle Ages. On occasion, wherever a chapter division begins may not be where the text itself ends or begins. 1 Corinthians 12:31 is a transition verse between Paul's foregoing discussion on the spiritual gifts and what will be his communication of God's love through the gifts. 

What kind of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13?

Over the years I have heard 1 Corinthians 13 used in wedding ceremonies. It is most often the case taken to mean the type of love shared between a husband and a wife. For sure, certain applications about human love could be gleaned, however that does not appear to be the thrust of 1 Corinthians 13. This writer would submit that the type of love featured in 1 Corinthians 13 is none other than God's love expressed through and by the Christian to God and to others around them. 

Without getting into the technicalities of the underlying Greek text of 1 Corinthians 13, the way in which the word "love" is rendered suggests that a certain quality of love is the focus in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. In addition, Paul then uses another grammatical feature to specify the type of love he is talking about to not be just any love in general. 

Note: For those readers who want to explore the technical reasons as to why we can say that God's love through the Christian is the focus of 1 Corinthians 13, click the following link to the post:
https://biblicalexegete.wordpress.com/2016/08/31/1-corinthians-131-4-in-greek-and-english/

Several commentators over the years have noted the following about the type of love we find in 1 Corinthians 13:

Ellicott's Commentary notes: "The more excellent way is “Love.” Without it all moral and intellectual gifts are valueless. If there be love—the love of God, and the love of our brethren—in our hearts, all will be well." 

James-Fausset-Brown note in their commentary: "The New Testament psalm of love, as the forty-fifth Psalm (see Ps 45:1, title) and the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament." This particular remark is telling, since virtually all commentators have noted how Psalm 45 and Song of Solomon portray or illustrate the relationship of love God has for His people through the lens of marriage. 

More recent commentators indicate that the love spoken of by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 cannot be reduced to mere "human love" or sentimentality. The Bible Knowledge Commentary for example notes: 

"Paul shifted from the first person to the third person and replaced himself with a personification of love. Some have seen in verses 4–6 the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23); others have seen here a description of Christ Himself. As different sides of the same coin, both are applicable and provided a solution to the many Corinthian problems." 

With respect to the Christian, the type of love expressed by such is explained in the Holman Standard Commentary on this text: 

"Paul’s deep concern for the unity of the church at Corinth caused him to address several aspects of Christian love. The first quality Paul listed was love is patient. Patience is a quality of love that the New Testament frequently mentions by this or closely related terminology. It signifies forbearance, slowness to repay for offenses. God is patient because he does not immediately punish those who offend him. God’s patience slows down the judgment process and opens the way for reprieve from punishment altogether. Believers should behave similarly because of their love for one another."

Oftentimes we will find God's attributes described as being "incommunicable" or "communicable", with the latter referring to those traits with which He and His people share in common. Thus, God is a God of love, with the communication of such love carrying forth in the way the Christian loves other people with His love. One final contemporary resource stems from a sermon Pastor John MacArthur preached on 1 Corinthians 13:1. MacArthur notes the following summary of Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 13:1 - 

"Now, that is precisely the kind of thing Paul is pointing out in 1 Corinthians 13.  No matter what a person is like, no matter how he behaves, no matter how he relates to you, seek his highest good.  That’s what God did.  As God sends His rain on the just and the unjust, so you are to shower acts of self-sacrificing service on the deserving and the undeserving equally.  Now, you’ll have to remember that this is not related to emotion but related to will.  It is not an act of the emotion, it is an act of the will.  To love somebody in terms of an act of self-sacrifice is not a feeling but it is a determination that you make in your mind that this is right and this is what you will do."

Closing thoughts

Today we aimed to understand the great love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. Our goal was to grasp what kind of love Paul is speaking of in the chapter. We concluded that this is nothing less than God's love expressed through the Christian in the exercise of their gifts. Without God's love flowing like a river through the Christian's obedience and gifts, the outcome will end up being nothing.