“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Peter 1:22-23

The inspired apostle Peter disclosed the fact that Christians have purified their souls in obeying the truth (1 Peter 1:22).  This implies that their souls at a previous time were not pure, but at the point of obeying the truth had been purified.

Among the false teachings of the first-century Gnostics who troubled the church, was the concept that sins in the body do not affect the soul.  The truth, however, is that man’s soul is involved in sin and becomes defiled.  When my inward man decides to go against the law of God, then I sin (1 John 3:4).  It is not merely the body that is involved in sin, but the soul as well.  For instance, when a person commits the sin of fornication, it begins in the heart (Matthew 15:19), it involves the body (1 Corinthians 6:15-18), and repentance is required so that the “spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5).  While certainly the body is involved in sins, the soul can sin (Ezekiel 18:20).  That the word “soul” is sometimes used as a synecdoche in the Scriptures to refer to the whole person does not remove the fact that the part of man known as the soul is involved when sin is committed. Consider this question in the book of James: “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” (James 4:5).  Sin defiles the soul.

How, then, did Christians purify their souls which had been defiled by sin?  The answer in 1 Peter 1:22 is, “in obeying the truth through the Spirit.”  Truth must first be known if it is to be of any benefit.  In John 8:32, Jesus said, “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  This freedom is freedom from the bondage of sin (John 8:34-36).  Jesus later prayed for His disciples to be set apart from the bondage of this sinful world when He petitioned the Father in John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Purification does not come to those who merely acknowledge truth without acting on it; it comes to those who obey the truth.  It is obedience of the truth that is the means of purification.

The Christians to whom Peter wrote obeyed the truth through the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the revealer of God’s truth, who gave the words of truth to the first-century apostles and prophets (John 14:26; 16:13-15); these words of truth are preserved for us in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:13; 14:37; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).  This is the incorruptible seed, the ever-living word of God, mentioned in the next verse (1 Peter 1:23).  Jesus said in John 6:63, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”  The word of God is living and able to pierce the depths of our souls (Hebrews 4:12).

Will you allow the word of God to enter your heart and move you to obey the truth so that your soul may be purified?

-Mark Day

When one reads the New Testament it is clear that there existed in the first-century church a miraculous spiritual gift that involved the ability to speak in different languages without previous study.  Jesus promised that one of the signs accompanying those who believed in Him would be “they shall speak in new tongues” (Mark 16:17).  This promise came to fruition on the day of Pentecost when the twelve received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4).  The apostles, men of Galilee, spoke in the native languages of those gathered; thus, it is evident that the gift of tongues was not speaking languages altogether unknown to humanity, but simply new and unknown to the speaker (Acts 2:6-8).

The gift of tongues was present at Peter’s preaching to Cornelius’ family and friends as a sign that God opened the door to the Gentiles to receive the Gospel (Acts 10:46).  In Acts 19:6, when the men who had been baptized under John’s baptism learned from Paul that it was no longer valid, they were baptized in the name of the Lord, Paul laid his hands on them, and they spoke with tongues.

The church at Corinth was started by the apostle Paul (Acts 18).  Corinth received miraculous gifts that were the signs of an apostle laying his hands on them (2 Corinthians 12:12).  In fact, they came behind in no spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 1:7).  However, those at Corinth abused their spiritual gifts to the dividing of the church.  For three chapters Paul addresses this abuse of spiritual gifts  (1 Corinthians 12-14).  In 1 Corinthians 12:28, he ranks the importance of the various gifts saying, “first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles….”  The gift of tongues and the interpretation of tongues are the last two items on the list.  The gift of tongues was a showy gift that the Corinthians had abused.  Paul sets them straight as to its relative importance and how it should be discharged with an interpreter in 1 Corinthians 14.

The purpose of the miraculous gifts of the first-century church has been fulfilled.  The gift of tongues was one of several listed in the closing verse of Mark as having the purpose of confirming the word (Mark 16:20).  New revelation from God is always accompanied with miraculous signs to show His approval of the message (Hebrews 2:3-4).  When the revelation of the New Testament was complete, the purpose of the miraculous gifts had been fulfilled.  The New Testament predicts the cessation of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, including tongues, saying “…tongues, they shall cease” (1 Corinthians 13:8).

The New Testament is complete, lacking nothing; it is called “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25).  The faith has been delivered once and for all (Jude 3).  We have all we need for life and godliness revealed in the word of God (2 Peter 1:3).  The gift of tongues, as recorded in the New Testament, no longer exists today.  Those today who utter gibberish in ecstatic frenzies of emotional excitement are not displaying the gift of tongues as the New Testament defines it.  It is an error to confuse these dramatic displays going on today in religious meetings with the miraculous ability to speak actual languages recorded in the New Testament.

–Mark Day

Hannah went before the Lord to pray for she was “in bitterness of soul” (1 Samuel 1:10).  She had no children.  Her husband Elkanah had another wife, Peninnah, who had been blessed with children; moreover, Peninnah was cruel, provoking and irritating her (vv. 4-6).  Hannah asked for a son and vowed to dedicate the child wholly to God (v. 11).

Eli, the priest, was nearby and watched Hannah while she prayed only moving her lips without making any sound with her voice.  He made an assumption about Hannah that was both hasty and undeserved; he rebuked her for being drunk (vv. 12-14).  Hannah explained that she was not drunk, but rather pouring out her soul before the Lord (v. 15).  She said, “Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial” (v. 16).  “Belial” is a word in Hebrew for worthlessness (cf. Deuteronomy 13:13).  Hannah had the godly character and judgment to regard being drunk as worthless debauchery.

In reality, Eli’s children were “sons of Belial” who robbed those who brought their offerings and committed fornication with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle (2:12-17, 22).  While Eli verbally rebuked his sons, he did not administer discipline that would be effective enough to curtail their evil (2:23-25).  It appears that Lord rebuked Eli for not only not restraining his sons but also being one of those who benefited from their robbery (2:29).

Hannah, however, was blessed by the Lord.  She returned home after pouring her heart out to the Lord in prayer, no longer distressed but at peace (1:18).  She became pregnant and had a son, naming him Samuel, meaning “asked of God” (1:20).  She weaned the child and was faithful to her vow by giving him to the service of the Lord (1:24-28).  Hannah rejoiced in God’s blessings and was, unlike Eli’s sons, willing to give what she received to the Lord.  Her child Samuel grew and served at the tabernacle with Eli (2:11).  Hannah “made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice” (2:19).  Hannah was rewarded five-fold for her faithfulness; she had three sons and two daughters (2:21).

It is easy for us to look at others and assume the worst while failing to really see our own sins clearly.  Members of the church can be like Eli or they can be like Hannah.  Those like Eli make exception for their own and operate by a double standard.  We are thankful for those who imitate Hannah, who in sincere devotion to God raise godly children.  When Samuel had grown old he could honestly say, “Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.”  Samuel had lived like his mother Hannah rather than Eli and his sons with whom he had served at the tabernacle.  Would to God that all of us and our children could honestly say what Samuel said when we have grown old.

-Mark Day

In lessons dealing with godly children, the focus is generally on parents and what they must do (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4). The focus is seldom, if ever, on what children must do. Children often hear preachers preach to their parents, but not to them. The word “godly” means showing proper respect and reverence, so being a godly child means to show respect toward the Lord and His wishes for life. To be a godly child, what would God have them to be?

Children need to honor and obey their parents. Paul declared, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Eph. 6:1-3; cf. Col. 3:20). Please note the two major responsibilities found within these verses – obedience and honor. To be a godly child, these responsibilities must be met. Children are to obey and submit in such a way as to bring joy and not grief to their parents (Prov. 10:1; 15:20; 19:26; Heb. 13:17).

Children need to honor God. To fail to recognize God’s appointed authority within the home is to disregard, disobey, and disrespect God. The only exception to this rule would be if parents told a child to do something contrary to God’s word. In this case, the child should respectfully and lovingly plead with their parents to change their stance. However, these situations are the exception. It should be noted that children would still have the responsibility to obey their parents in all other things. One wrong requirement on the part of a parent would not nullify the whole parent/child dynamic.

Children need to grow spiritually. Timothy had the advantage of a pious mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5), and he was learning about God from the time he was a baby (3:15). Love of God and His people is not a matter only for adults; by the time one has reached adulthood, the most deeply held convictions have already been established. Youth need to learn about and follow God while they are…youth!

Children have the opportunity to motivate their families. No doubt, we have all known little children who led their parents to church services. Without the constant clamoring of these children to go to Bible class, their parents wouldn’t have gone. Little children also often lead their parents in saying prayers and in reading Bible stories. Sometimes in the chaos of getting everyone fed and in bed, Bible stories are not read and prayers are not said. Children can encourage their parents by reminding them when these things are not done. When asked to go get a book to read before bed, children can pick a Bible story book. They need to have their own, appropriate expectations for spiritual activities.

Children have the opportunity to influence others. When His disciples were arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus took a child, set him in the midst of them, and declared, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:1-3). Jesus used a little child to lead His disciples. He used a little child to show them the spirit that they needed to have in order to be saved. Just one chapter later, He would again use a child to lead them (Matt. 19:13-15; cf. Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). In like manner, the Apostle Paul spoke of the example that young people can be to those who are older. To Timothy, he wrote, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity: Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Tim. 4:12-15).

Be a godly child. Make sure you learn about God and spiritual matters. Remember to obey God, parents, and figures of authority. Remember that you can make a difference in the lives of others.

Taken from 2009 Annual Southwest Lectures: Honoring Christ – Calling For Godly Homes.

-submitted by Jerry Sturgill

The church at Corinth had a significant segment who were beginning to deny the resurrection from the dead.  In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul addressed this issue with them in detail.  Being one of the foundational truths of Christianity, it was absolutely vital for them to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and their own bodily resurrection from the dead in the future when Christ returns.  Heaven awaits those who are saved, who will be resurrected with spiritual bodies to enjoy endless bliss with the Lord.  Paul concludes this chapter with this exhortation, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  The enjoyment of their reward in their resurrected state was an incentive for them to abound in their work for the Lord.  One may work in vain in many endeavors on earth.  A farmer’s crop can be ruined, an investor’s savings can be lost or stolen, but the work we do for the Lord is guaranteed to be rewarded if we stay faithful (1 Peter 1:4). Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Often when we are considering certain verses in the Scriptures, we fail to recognize the context that helps round out our understanding of a particular verse.  This failure is even more common when a verse is located next to a chapter division.  Chapter and verse divisions, handy as they may be in finding a particular portion of the Scriptures, were not part of the original documents but were added centuries after the Bible was completed (Langton gave us the chapters in 1200s and Stephanus gave the verse divisions in the 1500s).

The verses following 1 Corinthians 15:58 show a labor in the Lord that is not in vain – helping the poor (1 Corinthians 16:1-4).  The particular need at the time Paul wrote the letter was a famine that afflicted the people of Judea.  The churches of Christ were committed to sending relief to these people by the hands of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 11:27-30).  The principle we learn is that we should be giving when we are gathered together, motivated by love for the Lord and others.  Second Corinthians shows the continuation of this process and the good it did for all that were involved.  Jew-Gentile relations in the church were healed because so many Gentiles were willing to help the Jews of Judea.  While the church makes providing for the poor in the family of God the first priority, all men, even those outside the church, are benefited by God’s people doing good works (Galatians 6:10; 2 Corinthians 9:13).

Instead of being focused on accumulating as much wealth for ourselves as possible, we should help the poor who are in true need (Galatians 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 3:10).  If we do not help them, we are not of the truth, and have no good eternal reward to anticipate (1 John 3:17-18; cf. Luke 16:19-31).  Thus, in view of the resurrection, where we will experience riches that are incorruptible, we should abound in doing the work of the Lord, including giving to the poor.

-Mark Day