To the Christians in Corinth, Paul wrote:  

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. ( 1 Cor. 9:24-27.)

Paul used the metaphor of athletic competition to convey the concept of giving up liberties and making sacrifices for the salvation of souls, including his own.

Those in Corinth would have been familiar with the metaphor. The d were an ancient Greek sporting event held every two years in the Isthmus of Corinth. The games were held in honor of Poseidon, the god of the sea, and were one of the four Panhellenic Games, along with the Olympic, Pythian, and Nemean Games. The Isthmian Games were first held in 582 BC and continued until the 4th century AD. They were similar to the Olympic Games in that they featured a variety of athletic events, such as running, wrestling, boxing, and chariot racing. The victors of the Isthmian Games were awarded a wreath of pine or wild celery and also honored with statues and poems.

Paul referred to the victor’s wreath that awaits Christians. In contrast to the wreath the winning athletes received which wilted, the crown the Christian will wear is eternal. That being the case, how much more then should Christians give effort to obtaining the imperishable crown? Bodily exercise pales in comparison to the rewards godliness provides (1 Tim. 4:8). Paul was not going out for a morning jog, meandering wherever different paths might take him. No, his run was purposeful. He was running the Christian marathon toward the finish line (Acts 20:24; Gal. 2:2; 5:7; Phil. 2:16; 2 Tim. 4:7). He pressed toward the goal (Phil. 3:14). He was not shadow boxing. He was in the fight of his life—the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12). All Christians, even Paul, must exercise self-discipline to strive for the goal of eternal life.

Paul’s crown was not only the salvation of his own soul (2 Tim. 4:8), but also the souls he had won to Christ. Paul spoke of his converts to Christ as his joy and crown (Phil. 4:1; cf. Acts 16:11-40). He looked forward to presenting them to the Lord Jesus Christ on the final day. He made some converts to Christ at Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-4) To them he wrote, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:19-20).

In a world that so often focuses on individual rights, we desperately need to consider the message Paul is conveying in 1 Corinthians 9. He was willing to give up whatever rights he had in order to win people to Christ so that their souls would be saved (1 Cor. 9:19-23). Instead of complaining about our rights, let us focus on our responsibilities. Let us strive to master ourselves and be willing to make sacrifices so that souls will be saved. Members of the body of Christ must work together for the good of the whole (1 Cor. 12:12). Eternal souls hang in the balance.

Life presents us with many obstacles. We need wisdom to handle these problems. Books such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job are part of the wisdom literature of the Bible. These books are filled with timeless wisdom that can be applied to modern life. They provide guidance and advice on how to live a meaningful and fulfilling life in a variety of situations. These books differ in their approach to the skill of living wisely.

Proverbs, for example, is filled with practical advice on how to live a life of integrity and wisdom. With short sayings and metaphorical comparisons, it encourages readers to be honest, to be humble, and to be wise in their decisions. The setting of instruction in Proverbs is often the home, with the father and mother imparting this precious wisdom to their children (Prov. 1:8; 10:1; 15:20; 20:20; 23:22, 25; 30:11, 17; 31:1).

Ecclesiastes, on the other hand, is a book containing reflections of the “Preacher” as he considered the question of the ultimate meaning of life. While the majority of the book regards the vanity of earthly life “under the sun,” it also encourages readers to find joy and contentment in life while preparing for the final judgment (Ecc. 12:14). The certainty of death ends earthly satisfaction (Ecc. 9:2-6), but one can enjoy God’s gifts and fear Him by keeping His commandments (Ecc. 9:9; 12:13). Young people should remember their Creator while they still have the majority of their lives before them (Ecc. 12:1).

Finally, Job is a book that encourages readers to remain faithful to God, even in the midst of suffering and difficulty. People often turn to the book of Job thinking that the book will explain why they or their loved ones are suffering. But Job is never told why he suffers. With these misguided expectations, it is no wonder that many find the book unsatisfying. The book of Job is more about how God alone is wise. Each person who speaks in the book tries to diagnose the cause for Job’s suffering and provide the corresponding antidote, but none of them really have the right answer. The lesson is that faithful sufferers learn to trust in God without having the answer for their suffering. This is reflected in Job’s statement, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).

These books are part of the larger book—the Bible. With all its various parts, God’s word presents us with the problem of man’s sin and the need for God’s salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus grew in wisdom and displayed great understanding (Lk. 2:40, 47; Mk. 6:2). Jesus lived the ultimate life of integrity. Jesus had wisdom greater than that of Solomon (Lk. 11:31). In Jesus is the wisdom of God hidden from all of the sages that came before Him (1 Cor. 1:24, 30; Col. 2:3). He is the ultimate innocent sufferer who trusted in God even as He was slain for our sins (Lk. 23:46). Wisdom is fully realized in Jesus. By following Him, we can live meaningful lives here on earth and be prepared for the final judgment.

“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.” (Psalm 95:1-2.)

Psalm 95 begins by extending an invitation to an assembly. The words are not singular, “let me sing…” but plural “let us sing…” indicating corporate worship. The psalms are a compilation of songs (like a hymnbook) of Israel. They were used primarily in public corporate worship in Old Testament times.

Today, in the Christian era, the New Testament also calls us to sing and worship together. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). Each individual has their own relationship with the Lord involving prayer and worship; however, coming together in corporate worship is God’s command. Christians are to be “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). The phrase “one another” in these two passages shows that these instructions cannot be carried out alone, in isolation.

Worshiping God and studying His word with others helps me to know Him better—in a way I could not know God alone. We all benefit when we come together to extol God’s greatness. I am often benefited by a comment made in a Bible class, an observation that is shared before we partake of the Lord’s Supper, or the way something is phrased by one leading us in prayer.

This is especially true in regard to the songs we sing. Expressing the truths of God’s word in the poetic form of a song sparks our imagination and stirs up our emotions toward greater appreciation. Notice how the heart is mentioned in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. Notice also the mention of shouting joyfully in Psalm 95. God has good reasons for including the Psalms in His word. He has good reasons for commanding us to come together and sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to Him and one other. He intends for more to occur than merely imparting information to us in appealing to our intellect. The social and emotional aspects of our nature are involved too.

The Lord wants to appeal to our will to shape our values and desires. Colossians 3:16 mentions not only the teaching aspect, but also admonition. This involves warning and counsel about the proper course of action. Many of the contemporary worship songs are praise songs; this is great! However, good old hymns that encourage us to be workers for the Lord, warn us about the damage of letting angry words slip, and admonish us not to yield to temptation have their proper place. Corporate worship helps us encourage one another, stirring each other up to love and good works (Heb. 10:24-25). To do this we must not only be present physically in an assembly but also engaged in the worship.

Perhaps you are reading these words as you are preparing to assemble with God’s people on the first day of the week. Maybe you are already at the building. Have you come to worship? “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker” (Psa. 95:6).

God gave the commands to Israel regarding Tabernacle construction (Exodus 25-40). This was the place where the ark of the covenant was housed; above the mercy seat, between the cherubim atop the ark is where God met with His people (Ex. 25:22; 30:6). Wherever they travelled in the wilderness, the tabernacle was erected at the camp and priests would enter it to perform the religious services to God. Many years later—when Israel had long dwelt in Canaan—David bemoaned the fact that he dwelt in a fine palace of cedar, but the ark of the Lord continued to dwell in a tent (2 Sam. 7:2). The Tabernacle’s existence suggested a people still not fully settled in the promised land. Yet, God would not allow David to build the permanent structure of the Temple, but instead commissioned David’s son to do so (2 Sam. 7:3-13).

The arrangement of Tabernacle (and later the Temple) had meaning (Heb. 9:1-7). Each piece of furniture was a shadow of heavenly things (Heb. 8:5). Jesus is the substance of those shadows by functioning now as our High Priest in heaven itself (Heb. 8:1, 2; 9:24). Jesus fulfilled the law of Moses, rendering the temple in Jerusalem obsolete by the sacrifice He made with His own body (Mt. 5:17; Jn. 2:19-22; Heb. 10:8-10)

The church of Christ is God’s place of service and worship today. Yet, the church is not made of material things; instead, it is the people God has saved (Acts 2:47). God’s kingdom is in the hearts of those who follow Him (Lk. 17:20, 21). The Lord’s church must be arranged as He has directed (Col. 3:17). However, we should not confuse the church God has established with the building where His people meet. Jesus told the woman at the well that soon the geographical location of worship, which was so important under the Old Testament, would no longer be of consequence (John 4:21-24).

The New Testament does not command us to have a church building. It commands assembling (Heb. 10:24-25; cf. James 2:2; Acts 20:7); therefore, as an expedient, a building is often the best way for us to come together in one place to worship (1 Cor. 11:18, 33,34; 14:23). Some who have imbibed of the surrounding religious culture and are ignorant of the New Testament teaching on the church may regard the physical structure where Christians meet as holy. They may try to make a parallel between selling religious material on church property and the moneychangers at the temple (John 2:13-17). They may make a law forbidding eating on church property based on an erroneous application of 1 Corinthians 11:22.

Certainly, the assembly should be focused on worship and devotion to God, rather than distractions of business transactions or satisfying one’s hunger. I’m not advocating that just anything should be done in a church building or on church property; however, I am asking if the New Testament does not require (much less mention) the church having a building or owning property, then how important are rules people make regarding what activities may take place on that property? Remember, today it is God’s people, Christians, who are His holy temple, not a physical place or building (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; Eph. 2:21).