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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
July 25
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Today's Pathway:
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Beginning with today's passage, Paul spends most of the next four chapters dealing with problems that were occurring in the church services at Corinth. He opens this section by praising the church for remembering him and what he had taught them, and for practicing many of the principles that they had learned. The word "ordinances" does not necessarily refer to the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Almost every other time the Greek word appears in the New Testament it is translated "traditions". A word of explanation is necessary here. In the Scriptures, traditions can either be based on the teachings of God or the teachings of men. In Matthew 15:2-3 Christ dealt with man-made traditions. The Pharisees asked,
"Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition."
Jesus said that man-made traditions are not the Biblical standard, and, in fact, may contradict the Word of God. Paul says the same thing in Colossians 2:8,
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."
However, there were traditions that were Biblically based. Paul also wrote
"Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (II Thessalonians 2:15).
So, there is nothing wrong with traditions, providing that they are based on the Bible and not simply on the opinions of men.
In verses 3-14 Paul teaches on the principle of Headship, and relates it specifically to worship in the House of God. He begins by showing that there is an order of headship that has been established by God. Principle number one is that Christ is in authority over every man. This should be obvious to all believers. Second, he states that the head of the woman is the man. In other words, God has established the husband to be the leader in his home. Third, he writes that the head of Jesus is God the Father. The third principle gives us some insight into the second. Some men seem to believe that because God has established them to be the head of their home that somehow this makes them better than their wives. They may see their wives as being inferior. The third principle destroys this idea, for God the Son is certainly not inferior to God the Father. When speaking about Christ, Paul writes in Colossians 2:9,
"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily".
That doesn't sound like Jesus is somehow inferior to the Father. However, it is clear from the Scriptures that there is an order even within the Trinity. This verse states that the Father is the Head of the Son. In John 14:16 Jesus said,
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever."
Jesus didn't send the Holy Spirit; the Father did, and He did it in response to the request of His Son. In John 14:16 Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit when He said,
"He shall glorify me".
Verses like this show that there is an order even within the Godhead, and so there should be no issue with the Lord establishing an order within the home, or in the church. The Lord has given a definite chain of command: God the Father, then God the Son, then the man, and then the woman. Jesus submits to God the Father, so the man is to be submissive to Christ, and the woman is to be submissive to the man whom God has placed as her head. We will see some practical applications of this principle tomorrow.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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