The Truth About Temptation To Sin

I want to draw attention to the great assurances which Paul brings us in 1 Cor 10:13.

The first section states, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.” At times when we find ourselves severely tempted, we are likely to feel that this is a quite unique or particularly strong temptation - and we may be in danger therefore of thinking that in these circumstances we cannot resist it, or even that we are justified in giving in to it. Hence the relevance of this first encouragement: the temptations that we face are the same kind that everyone else has to face. Our temptation is not unique and we are not alone in ­having to face it.

Next, Paul says, “God is faithful”, πιστος (pistos), that is, “reliable”, “dependable”, “trustworthy”. We are not facing this temptation on our own; God is with us - we can rely upon that absolutely.

Then, “he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability”. There are some temptations which would be so strong that they would totally overwhelm us; but God does not permit temptations like that to come to us. He allows us to be tempted; but he filters the temptations that could come to us, and only permits those that we can bear.

At times when some particularly strong temptation is attacking us and we feel almost overcome by it, we may ­marvel at the level of confidence that this indicates God has in us! But we have this word of absolute assurance that whatever that temptation is, we can endure it. This is the clearest ­possible statement of a great biblical truth: that it is never necessary for us to sin; succumbing to temptation is never inevitable, because “God can be trusted not to allow you to suffer any temptation beyond your powers of endurance” (Phillips translation).

Finally, we are told how this can be so. It is not because of the inner strength and determination of the individual person. This strength and determination is required - the Hebrew Christians were rebuked because (Hebrews 12:4, NASB), “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood, in your striving against sin.” We need to strive against sin. The encouragement of Paul’s word to the Corinthians is that we can know that we can strive successfully. Thus we will not give up the struggle. We are assured that with the temptation God will also provide the way of escape, so that we are able to endure it.

What is the way of escape?

Paul does not give the answer here as fully as we might have wished - but the way of escape will vary according to the nature of the particular temptation. It will involve prayerfully appropriating the grace of God and the power of the indwelling Spirit, putting on the armor of God, and taking hold of the teaching of Scripture; it will also involve something appropriate to each type of temptation to sin. To the rich man who was beset by covetousness Jesus said “Sell all that you have and give to the poor” (Mark 10:21); to the person being tempted to immorality Paul says, “Flee” (6:18). He has a similar word of instruction now in relation to idolatry.

Notice the careful balance in these two verses. In verse 12 we are reminded: sin is never impossible. And in verse 13 we are assured: sin is never inevitable. We find a similar balance between these two truths in 1 John 1:8 and 2:1: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us ... My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.”

(This is one of the “Practical and Pastoral Reflections” upon Paul’s Epistle, taken from
B Ward Powers’ First Corinthians - An Exegetical and Explanatory Commentary.)

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Review of Progressive Publication of Matthew.

Paul D Larson has written a very detailed review of my book Progressive Publication of Matthew.

The review can be found at https://www.crediblefaith.org/writings/2013/02/review-of-b-ward-powers-the-progressive-publication-of-matthew-an-explanation-of-the-writing-of-the-synoptic-gospels.php

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Christians and Drinking Alcohol

CHRISTIANS AND DRINKING ALCOHOL

Explaining a Few Things From the Bible

by Rev Dr B Ward Powers

(ward@bwardpowers.info)

VIEWPOINTS IN THE CHURCH

It is very widely accepted by responsible members of our society that while “binge drinking” and drunkenness is a bad thing, the drinking of alcohol is a pleasure to be enjoyed: it is only the excess that is wrong. And there are many Christian who would agree with this. For some Christians, drinking wine, beer, or whatever you like, is such a normal part of life that it really does not need any justification. But other commentators have thought about it care­fully, and have concluded that there are five good reasons for accepting that we are free to enjoy alcohol in moderation - reasons (they maintain) all based on the Bible. A Christian who upholds his “freedom to choose to drink” may tell you: “How, in the light of these Bible teachings, could anyone possibly contend that alcohol is something a Christian should avoid?”

But there are solid grounds for recognizing that these “five biblical reasons” are actually in error: these five assertions are based on a misunderstanding and wrong interpretation of the Bible. The real facts are not what these assertions claim them to be. Indeed, there is good reason to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages of any kind, even in (so-called) “moderation”.

What are these “five biblical reasons” which are said to endorse the drinking of alcohol, and thus to grant us the “freedom” to be a drinker today? And on what grounds could these biblical reasons be called into question, and held to be mistaken? If we wish to be “biblical Christians” in this matter, we should certainly give these five reasons our thoughtful consideration.

THE FIVE BIBLICAL REASONS

ADVANCED IN SUPPORT OF MODERATE DRINKING

1. The Bible specifically approves the drinking of alcohol, for wine is said to be one of God’s good gifts to us, for our enjoyment: only excess is condemned.

2. The term “wine” in the Bible is obviously referring to alcoholic wine, for it is drunk all year round and clearly grapes and grape juice would not keep unfermented all year round. (Thus the wine at Passover must be fermented, as this feast falls so long after the grape harvest.)

3. In the New Testament, Jesus himself is described as a wine drinker - in this, he is giving us his own example.

4. There cannot be anything wrong with our indulging in drinking alcohol seeing that Jesus miraculously supplied a huge amount of it for a wedding feast.

5. Jesus chose alcoholic wine to represent his blood in the celebrating of the Holy Comm­union, the Lord’s Supper.

These five assertions seem at first glance to present a pretty impressive case for accepting the drinking of alcohol, drawn as they are from both Old Testament and New, from precept and practice and circumstance. But do they really stand investigation?

ASSESSMENT, SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

This article examines and assesses the biblical evidence that is claimed to support drinking of alcohol if in moderation. It shows that the conclusion approving “moderate” drinking is based on a misunderstanding and wrong interpretation of the Bible. The real facts are rather different.

The article sets out, to the contrary, good reasons to abstain from alcohol altogether.

Online version of article (html without synopsis) 

Print ready version of article (pdf with above synopsis)

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Mars Hill Athens, and The Nature of the Gospel Message

Extract from B. Ward Powers (2008), First Corinthians: an exegetical and explanatory commentary, Wipf and Stock. In 1 Corinthians 1:17b Paul embarks on an Excursus which raises the question: did Paul make a mistake at Athens? (pp.35-37).

Some scholars have seen in Paul’s Excursus a deliberate repudiation by Paul of the policy which (on their view) he had followed in Athens, the city from which he had just come, where he preached philosophy and logic rather than the simple gospel (Acts 17:22-31). Paul’s approach at Athens was a failure (these scholars say), and thus he changed his message for his ministry at Corinth to a simple gospel presentation, as he outlines in his Excursus.

But this is reading some rather far-reaching conclusions into the text on the basis of flimsy evidence. It is highly probable that Paul’s comments on the Greeks seeking wisdom (1:22), and not being able to perceive the wisdom of God, are indeed made against a background of his recollection of his difficulties in proclaiming Christ at Athens. But what he did at Athens was, in accordance with his established policy (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23), to seek for a bridge for the gospel to the thinking of his hearers. He began with their religious beliefs and practices (Acts 17:22-23) and quoted their poets (Acts 17:27-29) to gain their attention and goodwill, and to win a hearing for himself. In this he was successful - but in his sermon, just as soon as he reached the subject of the death and resurrection of Jesus (Acts 17:31), they laughed him to a standstill (Acts 17:32). He never got to finish his address: they sneered at him; they said, “We will hear you on this subject some other time” (NEB): but they would not let him continue his presentation of the gospel to them then, and he was forced to leave them (Acts 17:33 - note particularly the force of the word “so”, ESV/RSV/TEV/NEB, “at that”, NIV). There was a small response (Acts 17:34), but the attitude of the Athenians was such that Paul could see it would be pointless to persevere there, so “After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth” (18:1).

The difference between Athens and Corinth was not that he preached an unsuccessful message at the one and had more success after changing his message for the other city, but that the Athenians were not prepared to grant him a hearing and he gave up the attempt as futile, whereas at Corinth there were significant numbers who were at least willing to listen to his message (Acts 18:4-11).

It would be interesting to learn what Paul would have said at Athens had he been permitted to finish his address. He had reached the presentation of the resurrection when the sophisticated Athenians stopped him in his tracks and said to him, “Some other time” (Acts 17:32). I suspect his message would have been very like his outline of the gospel that we find in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2: for, he says (1:23), “we preach Christ crucified - to both Jews and Gentiles.” Note the “we” and the “preach”. In context we can see that Paul is speaking of himself and his fellow apostles and evangelists. And “preach” is present tense: this is their universal and their habitual message: “Christ crucified”. There is no other.

The full gospel message is found in here, in Paul’s Excur­sus, plus 15:1-10. It has an objective and a subjective element.

Objectively, historically: Christ was crucified, dead and buried, and rose again. This is “the message (λογοσ, logos) of the cross”, which is utter foolishness to those who are lost (1:18) - but which is the demonstration of the power of God to those who are being saved (1:18, 2:4). Subjectively, personally: It was for our sins that Christ died (15:3); and the gospel becomes effective in our individual lives when we encounter the resurrected Christ ourselves, as Paul did (15:8, 10), and experience the forgiveness of our sins that he died to accomplish for us. This is what Paul and the others preach (15:11, again present tense), this is the gospel message in which the Corinthians had placed their faith (2:5; 15:11), and by which they are being saved (1:18; 15:3). This must continue to be the center of our own proclamation, and we can thus have confidence that, in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (2:4), we shall then see God at work saving those who believe (1:21).

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Fracturing and Fragmenting the Church of God

Extract from B. Ward Powers (2008), First Corinthians: an exegetical and explanatory commentary, Wipf and Stock. Comments on Dissension in the Church as a theme of the letter introduced in chapter 1 (pp.33-35).

In 1 Cor 1:10-12 Paul speaks, in some considerable concern, about how the Corinthians are plagued with divisions and quarrels. They are dividing themselves into factions clustered around the names of Paul, Apollos, Cephas (Peter), and Christ himself.

Commentators are agreed that the factions were neither started by nor supported by the men whose names they bore. We have no real knowledge now of the basis for these factions, nor do we know what they were differing about. Various conjectures have been made. For example, that the Jewish Christians laid claim to Cephas and probably Apollos, and the Gentiles to Paul. Or those who were (or wanted to be) married pointed to the marital status of Peter, while those who were unmarried elevated Paul and Christ himself as their exemplars (the married status of Apollos is not mentioned in 9:5-6, and remains unknown). Or the differences between the factions may have centered in differences of methods, of preaching, of behavior, or the like, which the Corinthians detected (or thought they detected) between the persons around whose names they gathered themselves. The fact is, we do not know.

But for the Corinthians - and for Paul - the matter was a serious one. Paul has many important issues to raise, requiring careful consideration and extensive change. But before discussing any of these, Paul feels obliged to tackle this issue of their disunity. It is dividing brother from brother in a destructive way (3:17). It must be faced. It must be dealt with. It must be stopped. Paul’s approach is, first, to reiterate the nature of the ­gospel, which is the major factor which unites them all; then, to emphasize that he and Apollos (and the others) are equally inspired and led by the Spirit, and are colaborers, even if their ministries may perhaps differ in some ways (“I planted, Apollos watered”).

Christ is the foundation (3:11): all of us (Paul indicates) are building upon that foundation - and we must be very careful just how we build (3:12-15). As we shall see in subsequent chapters, there are various kinds of differences to be seen at Corinth. In addition to those indicated in this first chapter (whatever in fact they were), there are the different builders of chapter 3; the differences between the “libertarians” and the “ascetics” in the church in regard to their attitude to sex (chapters 6 and 7); between the “knowers” and the “weak” in relation to food offered to idols (chapters 8 to 10); between the “haves” and the “have nots” at the Lord’s Supper (chapter 11); between those more obviously gifted by the Spirit and those less so (chapters 12 to 14); and between those with various views concerning the resurrection (chapter 15). Where there were moral or doctrinal errors involved, Paul pointed these out clearly and called for change. But, these apart, Paul did not ask them to become what they were not. His basic approach, which we can see exemplified in 7:20, was, “Stay as you are.”

What he did ask was that there be no disunity, no quarreling, “but that you all be united in the same mind and the same judgement” (1:10).

Some churches of today, in seeking to put into practice the spirit of this teaching of Paul, have adopted as their policy not to make any changes to the status quo unless the whole church (or at least the whole body of the leadership of that church) are unanimously agreed. So till then they will continue to pray and to “wait upon God”.

But there are so many issues which Scripture leaves open for our own determination (e.g. various aspects of how we conduct our worship of God), and so many ways in which we will differ (perfectly legitimately) from one another, that when this approach is followed rigorously it often happens that that church moves very slowly in any matter, or not at all. In some ways, some matters, this may be to the good; but overall it inhibits progress in adapting the eternal gospel to the circumstances of a changing world. Often this means that those people who are most vocal or have the strongest personalities (or who simply get in first to express their views) carry the day, because the less vocal, or the less pushy, or the more reticent, do not want to jeopardize the “unity of the Spirit” by expressing a different opinion.

Some have had, historically, a different approach: when (say) 75% want this and 25% want that, and they cannot agree or accommodate each other’s differences, they split - often acrimoniously. Then in their separate enclaves they can each have their “unanimity” over the issue. And thus perhaps another denomination is created. Then because of our investment (both emotional and financial) in the whole situation, the divisions and the divergences become so totally entrenched that they continue long after the basic causes have been forgotten and the original antagonists have passed from the scene.

Sometimes God blesses them all in this situation, and good may result. It can happen. The most famous example in Scripture is the quarrel between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36-41), which resulted in two missionary parties going out, each under an experienced leader. But more often, in modern times, this simply results in bad feelings, a more divided Christian witness to the world, the waste of precious resources through the doubling-up on church infrastructure, and the fact that the one group can no longer benefit from the gifts of ministry which the Lord has given to members of the other group. Oftentimes the fact that a minority dissents over an issue will mean that the whole matter receives more careful consideration. Issues should still be decided by majority, but it will happen with an awareness of how often in history significant progress was made in any given field of endeavor only because a minority - or a single voice - dissented from the accepted outlook or the consensus of the majority or the status quo. It may indeed be that he or she is a voice in the wilderness, but they could be voicing prophetic insights from the Lord. Or not.

Paul’s earnest plea in this section is not a call for uniformity. Or unanimity. We need to distinguish clearly between the danger of the factions forming in our church which was of so much concern to Paul, on the one hand, and on the other, the expressing in valuable robust discussion of differing points of view. Different people espousing differing views and opinions is no justification for fracturing the unity of the body of Christ in a given church.

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Weighing A Message at Corinth

Weighing A Message at Corinth (1 Cor 14:29)

The “weighing” of prophecy in this verse is just the same as our “weighing” of what is said in a sermon: which every congregation does today after a sermon. You have - or should have - an opinion about the sermon, a response. And it would be totally informal, and usually also totally private and personal. So this instruction is as important a challenge to the church of today as it was to the church in Corinth when Paul first wrote it. Paul is saying to us today: Don’t automatically believe everything you hear, not even everything you hear in a sermon! Assess it! Evaluate it!

It is actually easier and clearer to us today to do this, because we have the complete Scripture available and accessible. They would have had their knowledge of true teaching, pure doctrine, from what they had heard from Paul and others like him. But just as they - and we - are to resist evil, so also it is important to resist error. Jesus himself warned (Matthew 7:15) that false teachers would come like wolves in sheep’s clothing, false followers who would be capable of wreaking havoc amongst the flock of God.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 Paul said again the same kind of thing: Put everything you hear (even from prophets) to the test, and hold fast to what is good. Later, to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:29-30) he was to exhort them to guard themselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit of God had made them overseers, for savage wolves are coming to ravage the flock. (What a clear reminiscence of Jesus’s teaching!)

In the same way Peter (in 2 Peter 2:1-3) warns that, as there were false prophets of old, so there will be false teachers invading the church in his day, promoting destructive heresies.

In recent centuries down to present times - as indeed before, throughout church history - there have come false prophets in the church, enemies of the gospel masquerading as children of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). And also quite often there are earnest and genuine followers of the Lord who, in their teaching, simply are sincerely astray, sincerely wrong.

Too often the church of God has been too slow to weigh the teaching of the teachers against the Scripture, and to denounce error for what it is. The combined result is to be seen in parts of the church today: places where believers were previously true to the Scriptures but who now have accepted wrong teaching about the things of God, and wrong moral and ethical standards which are contrary to the Word of God.

And if we ourselves are called to a ministry of prophecy, of preaching - instructing, exhorting, and encouraging the people of God - this underlines the responsibility we are undertaking. James 3:1 reminds us that teachers will be judged with greater strictness. Paul says to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:3), “instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine.” And Paul says here, “Weigh carefully what is said.”

Let us do this conscientiously, testing what is being taught against the whole teaching of the Word of God. Isaiah said (8:20) “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no light.” To do this requires that we are diligent and teachable students of the Bible, so that we put ourselves genuinely in a position today to evaluate preaching accurately by biblical standards, and we do not reject something just on the grounds that it is at variance with something else we learnt before. Like the Bereans of Acts 17:11, we must be active in searching the Scriptures for ourselves, as to whether these things are so.

The general teaching of the Scripture is that we are to accept the leadership of our leaders, and give them our loyal obedience (1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Corinthians 16:16; Hebrews 13:17). But this is to be balanced by a healthy scepticism which weighs up what is being said by the preacher: for Paul here puts this into balance. The fact that something is said by a prophet, a preacher, a leader in the church, does not automatically guarantee that it is right and true, and a word from God. Perhaps if those in earlier generations had been more alert to assess, identify, and counter wrong teaching, we may not have to the same extent the doctrinal and moral confusion which exists in many parts of today’s church. Perhaps if we heed now these words of warning from Paul, we may do a better job of guarding the deposit of God’s truth and handing it on faithfully - and accurately - to the next generation, as Paul in 2 Timothy 2:2 challenged Timothy to do, and as Jude 3 also exhorts us.

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Christians and The Law of Christ

There are those who live under the law and to them Paul became, he tells us, as one under the law (“though not being myself under the law”), that he might win them. And to those who do not have the law he became as one “without law” (ἀνομος, anomos) that he might win them also. He cautiously qualifies this by saying also, “not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ”. He is careful to show us that he is not without law, or outside the law, i.e. “lawless”, but he is subject to the law of Christ. So there are those who are under law, and those without law, and those who are subject to the law of Christ.

And what exactly does this “law of Christ” mean?

The New Testament regards the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ as authoritative and definitive. We have seen that Paul has already cited teachings from Jesus as the decisive word of the Lord on a point (7:10 and 9:14). Jesus himself referred on a number of occasions to his “commandments”, and in the ­Missionary Mandate of Matthew 28:20, when commissioning his followers to go throughout the world and make disciples from all nations, he instructed them to teach these converts “to obey all that I have commanded you”.

Paul refers specifically to the “law of Christ” in 9:21 and also in Galatians 6:2. John refers several times to his commandments in his First Epistle. James writes of the “Royal Law” in James 2:18 and of the “perfect law, the law of liberty” in 1:25 and again of the law of liberty in 2:12. And there is, throughout the New Testament, an attitude that in Jesus God has spoken and is to be obeyed at all costs (e.g. Acts 5:32).

Jesus placed his imprimatur upon the two greatest ­commandments as “love God” and “love your neighbour” (Matthew 22:37-40//Mark 12:29-31), and Paul summarized all the commandments of the Mosaic law as “love your neighbour as yourself” (Romans 13:9-10). John emphasized that we are to “keep his commandments and do what pleases him”, and identified in particular that “this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us” (1 John 3:23; cf. 2:8).

Jesus made his commandments definitive of the relation of the disciple to him. “If you love me, you will keep my ­commandments” (John 14:15). “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word” (John 14:23). And supremely, this is because it is to be recognized that “The word that you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me” (John 14:24). Again Jesus said, “You are my friends, if you do what I command you” (John 15:14). John echoes this: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:2-3.)

The Lord’s primary commandment is love (John 13:34-35). There is a sense in which all the rest of the teaching of Jesus is explicatory of how this commandment is fulfilled in practice, as Paul has said (Romans 13:10). But those “explanatory details” are important for clarifying how we are to behave in day-to-day living.

This does not mean that the commandments of the Old Testament have been abrogated or discontinued in some way, but rather, that they are now internalized and reapplied: and this, initially and primarily through the life and teaching of Jesus Christ himself. Indeed, a major distinction in the New Testament era in which we live is that all the commandments of God are now internalized: for the Christian, they are written by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone (like the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai), but on the tablets of human hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). This happens as the Christian responds to the exhortation to “grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). The Lord himself instructed, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” (Matthew 11:29).

Paul reminds us that we “are not under law but under grace”, which means that Christians, “who were once slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed” (Romans 6:14-17).

Then, thus knowing the commandments of the Law of Christ, he and she will keep them because of the motivation of love for Christ. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Paul is not “lawless”: he lives in submission to the “Law of Christ”. So also must all Christ’s followers do.

Ward

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