Saturday, September 26, 2015

New Testament Lesson #35—Alison

New Testament Lesson # 35: 2 Corinthians
“Be ye reconciled to God”

Introduction

The second epistle to the Corinthians was written possibly 6 months after the first and is characterized by joy that the Corinthians received and accepted Paul’s first epistle and had made changes. However, there appeared to be two factions—those who readily accepted Paul’s call to repent and those who had been swayed by false teachers. Second Corinthians addresses both sides. “Shortly after Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, a riot developed in Ephesus in opposition to his teachings (see Acts 19:23–41), and he departed to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1; 2 Corinthians 2:13; 7:5). It appears that while he was there he wrote 2 Corinthians, likely about A.D. 57. In addition to 1 Corinthians, it is believed that Paul wrote two other letters before writing 2 Corinthians. We know about these letters because Paul mentioned them (see 1 Corinthians 5:9; 2 Corinthians 2:3–4, 9; 7:8–12).” [1]The themes running through 2 Corinthians are Christ’s Atonement, sacrifice, priesthood authority, tithes and offerings. In honor of Elder Richard G. Scott, I have chosen the quotes this week from his talks.

Overcoming Tribulation 2 Corinthians 1:3–11; 4; 6:1–10; 11:21–33; 12:1–10.

“Father in Heaven has provided us tools that help to build the fortifications between our vulnerabilities and our faithfulness. Consider the following suggestions: Make covenants and receive ordinances for yourself. Then steadily and consistently work to provide ordinances in the temple for your own ancestors. Share the gospel with nonmember or less-active family members or friends. Sharing these truths can bring a renewed enthusiasm into your life. Serve faithfully in all Church callings, especially home teaching and visiting teaching assignments. Don’t be just a 15-minutes-a-month home or visiting teacher. Rather, reach out to each individual member of the family. Get to know them personally. Be a real friend. Through acts of kindness, show them how very much you care for each of them. Most important, serve the members of your own family. Make the spiritual development of your spouse and children a very high priority. Be attentive to the things you can do to help each one. Give freely of your time and attention.”[2]

Question: We have heard this type of counsel many times. Have you followed it in times of tribulation? Has it made a difference in your life?

Second Corinthians 4:14 teaches of the Atonement: “How our Father in Heaven must have rejoiced that sacred day when His totally obedient, completely worthy Son shattered the chains of death. What eternal purpose would our Father’s plan of happiness have had except it be made alive through the infinite and eternal Atonement of His gloriously obedient Son? What eternal purpose would have come from the Creation of the earth, where intelligences tabernacled with spirits would receive a body, if death were the end of existence and none would be resurrected? What a glorious moment that morning was for all who understood its significance.”[3]

Question: Do we understand the significance of the Atonement for us personally? How do we gain a greater understanding?

Chapters 11 and 12 deal with the tribulations that Paul faced. Particularly mentioned was the “thorn in the flesh.” “Recognize that some challenges in life will not be resolved here on earth. Paul pled thrice that ‘a thorn in the flesh’ be removed. The Lord simply answered, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness’ [2 Corinthians 12:7–9]. He gave Paul strength to compensate so he could live a most meaningful life. He wants you to learn how to be cured when that is His will and how to obtain strength to live with your challenge when He intends it to be an instrument for growth. In either case the Redeemer will support you.”[4]

Forgiving Others 2 Corinthians 2:5–11.

Paul appears to be talking here about a particular member of the Church in Corinth who received some kind of disciplinary action. Sometimes finding forgiveness in our hearts is hard. Here is Elder Scott’s counsel:

“Many of you suffer needlessly from carrying heavy burdens because you do not open your hearts to the healing power of the Lord. May this message encourage you to feel the prompting of the Holy Ghost to make those changes that will lead you to be free of oppressive burdens. . . . You may be carrying a heavy burden of feeling injured by another who has seriously offended you. Your response to that offense may have distorted your understanding so that you feel justified in waiting for that individual to ask forgiveness so that the pain can leave. The Savior dispelled any such thought when He commanded: ‘Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men’ (D&C 64:9–10).”[5]

Question: How can the Atonement help us find forgiveness for others?

Feeling Godly Sorrow for Our Sins 2 Corinthians 7:8–10.

“To continue to suffer when there has been proper repentance is not prompted by the Savior but the master of deceit, whose goal is to bind and enslave you. Satan will press you to continue to relive the details of past mistakes, knowing that such thoughts make forgiveness seem unattainable. In this way Satan attempts to tie strings to the mind and body so that he can manipulate you like a puppet. I testify that when a bishop or stake president has confirmed that your repentance is sufficient, know that your obedience has allowed the Atonement of Jesus Christ to satisfy the demands of justice for the laws you have broken. Therefore you are now free. Please believe it. To continually suffer the distressing effects of sin after adequate repentance, while not intended, is to deny the efficacy of the Savior’s Atonement in your behalf.”[6]

President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “Godly sorrow is a gift of the Spirit. It is a deep realization that our actions have offended our Father and our God. It is the sharp and keen awareness that our behavior caused the Savior, He who knew no sin, even the greatest of all, to endure agony and suffering. Our sins caused Him to bleed at every pore. This very real mental and spiritual anguish is what the scriptures refer to as having ‘a broken heart and a contrite spirit.’ (See 3 Ne. 9:20; Moro. 6:2; D&C 20:37; 59:8; Ps. 34:18; 51:17; Isa. 57:15.) Such a spirit is the absolute prerequisite for true repentance” (“A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct. 1989, 4).

Question: Can we examine our regrets and determine what is godly sorrow and what is worldly regret?

Be Reconciled to God 2 Corinthians 5:17–21

This passage might be a little difficult to understand. I include the translation by J B Phillips in the hope that it clarifies a little, “ This means that our knowledge of men can no longer be based on their outward lives (indeed, even though we knew Christ as a man we do not know him like that any longer). For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether—the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. All this is God’s doing, for he has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ; and he has made us agents of the reconciliation. God was in Christ personally reconciling the world to himself—not counting their sins against them—and has commissioned us with the message of reconciliation. We are now Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were appealing direct to you through us. As his personal representatives we say, ‘Make your peace with God.’ For God caused Christ, who himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.”[7]

Here is Elder Scott on that “peace with God”:
“There are many prophetic promises of the blessings of daily studying the scriptures. I add my voice with this promise: as you dedicate time every day, personally and with your family, to the study of God’s word, peace will prevail in your life. That peace won’t come from the outside world. It will come from within your home, from within your family, from within your own heart. It will be a gift of the Spirit. It will radiate out from you to influence others in the world around you. You will be doing something very significant to add to the cumulative peace in the world. I do not declare that your life will cease to have challenges. Remember when Adam and Eve were in the garden, they were free from challenges, yet they were unable to experience happiness, joy, and peace.7 Challenges are an important part of mortality. Through daily, consistent scripture study, you will find peace in the turmoil around you and strength to resist temptations. You will develop strong faith in the grace of God and know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ all will be made right according to God’s timing.”[8]

Question: How can we thus make peace with God?

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Sunday, September 13, 2015

NT#34 Prophets' comments on I Corinthians 11-14

re: 1 Corinthians 11:11.  “We never could be in the image of God if we were not both male and female. … When we become like [our Heavenly Parents] we will be presented before [them] in the form in which we were created, male and female. The woman will not go there alone, and the man will not go there alone, and claim exaltation.” (Elder Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 276.)

re: 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 . . .

. . . “[S]acrament meeting is the most sacred and the most important meeting … of the Church. If any … have in their hearts any feeling of hatred, envy, or sin of any kind, they should not partake . . . otherwise they will eat and drink unworthily and bring upon themselves the condemnation spoken of by Paul.” (Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:343)

. . . “To partake of the sacrament unworthily is to take a step toward spiritual death. No one can be dishonest within himself without deadening the susceptibility of his spirit…. On natural principles such a one ‘eats and drinks damnation to his soul.’” (Elder David O. McKay, October 1929 Conference Report).

. . . “There is the person who partakes of the sacrament unworthily rather than stir curiosity. Whom do they deceive?”(President Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, 240.)

. . . “Sacrament meeting … it is not a time for whispered conversations … or for texting ... When we partake of the sacrament, we make a sacred covenant that we will always remember the Savior. How sad to see some violating that covenant in the very meeting where they are making it.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, October 2008 Conference Report [CR].)

. . . “[S]ome check email, Facebook, Twitter, or [other] accounts or send text messages during the most important gathering in the restored Church of Jesus Christ . . . In this important meeting we should be focusing on the Lord through praying, singing hymns, and partaking the emblems of His body and blood . . . We need [to] wean ourselves from the distractions of our electronic devices … so that we can connect to the Spirit of God.” (See Elder Ballard, May 2014, CES Devotional.)

re: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, “charity [Greek, agape: love] . . .”

“The commandments … are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ … shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become”; “what children of God are supposed to become.” Eternal life (which Jesus said is to “know” our Heavenly  Father and His Son [John 17:3]) “is achieved not just by doing what is right, but by doing it for the right reason . . . the pure love of Christ. . . . The reason charity is greater than even the most significant acts of goodness is that charity is not an act but a condition or state of being.”(See Elder Dallin H. Oakes, Oct 2000 Conference Report.)

re: vs. 3.  (See James 2:15-16, 1 John 3:17)

re: vs. 4. “Charity suffereth long . . .” 

“The suffering that can come from loving [may be] the result of our great caring …because [others will] matter to us so much” (President Aileen H. Clyde, Oct 1991 CR).  Jesus, “who loved most of all, endured the most” (Elder Hugh B. Brown, Oct 1954 CR).   “[H]e shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind . . . . for He loveth the world”(Alma 7:11; 2 Nephi 26:24). 

vs. 5.   “. . . seeketh not her own”  

“Charity never seeks selfish gratification. The pure love of Christ seeks only the eternal growth and joy of others.” (President Ezra Taft Benson, October 1986 CR.)  “Our service should be for the love of God and the love of fellowmen rather than for … any other lesser motive” including “hope of earthly reward” or “the hope of an eternal reward” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Oct 1984 CR).

“. . . is not easily provoked”  “I know of no instance where [it] would be . . . possible to feel the Spirit of our Heavenly Father when we are angry. . . .  No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us … we must choose to refrain from becoming angry. I testify that such is possible.” (President Thomas S. Monson, October 2009 CR.)

“. . . thinketh no evil” (logizomai ou kakos: “counts no offenses”). 

“[The ‘saints’] have plenty to do to examine themselves and to purify their own hearts; and if they look at their neighbors and examine their conduct, they will look for good and not for evil.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, 269-70.) “Watch constantly for that which is worthy and noble in others”  (President Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 112).  “Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ” (President Thomas S. Monson, October 2010 CR).


vs. 8.  “... never faileth [Gr. ceases]”   “... endureth forever”(Moroni 7:47).

“[P]ray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love …. which love endureth by diligence unto prayer” (Moroni 7:48; 8:26).

 “Love is a choice”(Elder Lynn G. Robbins, 2015; see also Elder & Sister Bednar, 2015, "Face to Face"). 

“[W]e must … reach out to [help] others even as we reach [up] to God [for help to do so], rather than waiting to respond to others' needs until our charitable instincts are quickened by the Spirit” (Elder Bruce C. Hafen, 2011, The Broken Heart, 234).

1 Corinthians 14:1-31 “... prophesy [Gr. propheteuo: speak by divine inspiration, testify]


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Saturday, September 5, 2015

New Testament Lesson #33 "Temple of God"

New Testament Lesson # 33: 1 Corinthians 1–6
“Ye Are the Temple of God”

Introduction

Paul wrote to Corinth more than to any other branch of the Church. This letter, although not the first (see 1 Cor. 5:9), was written while he was at Ephesus for three years, during his third missionary journey. He had established the branch during his second missionary journey (see Acts 18). The purpose of his letters can be found in 1 Cor. 15:1–2: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” Corinth was the capital of the Roman province Achaia, which covered most of ancient Greece south of Macedonia. “As a wealthy trade center, Corinth attracted people from throughout the Roman Empire, making it one of the most diverse cities in the area. Idol worship dominated Corinthian religious culture, and there were numerous temples and shrines throughout the city. At the time of Paul’s ministry, the Corinthians had a reputation of being grossly immoral. For instance, ritual prostitution was reportedly practiced at the temple of Aphrodite.” The Saints in Corinth “struggled with disunity, false doctrines, and immoral wickedness in the society in which they lived.”[1] Of course we only have Paul’s letters in answer to the Corinthian Saints and not those they wrote to him. But these letters are by way of reconversion. In the same way as General Conference in a few weeks time will fortify us in our faith as we prayerfully approach it, so do Paul’s letters to the Corinthians renew their faith and ours.

1 Corinthians 1:10–13; 3:1–11—Disunity
The first problem Paul dealt with was one of disunity. With relatively few members of the Church and the communities now scattered over a wide area and with travel and communication long and tortuous, the Saints appeared to be confused as to loyalties. It appeared to be important to them as to who baptized them. We can see a likeness to the transition from the baptism of John to that of Christ, but as John willingly and gladly pointed his disciples to Christ, so Paul exhorts the Saints in Corinth to focus on Christ—the foundation of their faith—not the individuals who performed the baptism in His name. With General Conference coming up soon, are we prepared to accept the inspired messages? We sustain the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve as prophets, seers, and revelators. N. Eldon Tanner said, “Today there are many issues under debate as controversies rage all around us. It should be evident to all that we need divine direction, as men and women who argue their causes seem to be unable to come to workable or peaceable solutions. It is sad indeed that the world does not know or accept the fact that in our midst is a prophet through whom God can direct the solution of world problems. True Latter-day Saints have no such dilemma. They know that the messages of the prophet have come from the Lord and have the concurrence of all the General Authorities, who are men of vision and integrity, and who themselves try to keep in tune with deity. They are not, as some would suggest, following blindly and acting without their own agency to speak and think for themselves. Through prayer to our Heavenly Father each of us can have the assurance that the course we choose has His divine approval.”[2] How can we follow Paul’s counsel in verse 10?
As a side note, as with Lydia in Philippi, prominent in the congregation in Corinth is Chloe, who hosted the meetings and presumably sent the report to Paul.
In chapter 3, Paul repeats this warning but indicates that disunity comes because of carnal, not spiritual nature. He then gives the metaphor of milk and meat. It is the transition from a baby’s nourishment to that of an adult. We are promised the fullness of the Gospel, but as our digestive systems have to mature to be able to cope with more complex foods, so preparing ourselves for the “meat” of the Gospel means first having a strong grounding in the “milk”—the basics. Then we go to the temple! Elder McConkie, “Paul, ‘as a wise masterbuilder,’ laid the foundation for the Corinthian Church on Christ and his atoning sacrifice. Similarly, in this day, Joseph Smith said: ‘The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.’ (Teachings [of the Prophet Joseph Smith], p. 121.)” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 2:325).

1 Corinthians 1:17–31; 2:1–16—Relying on the Spirit
Question: What is the wisdom of the world? And why is that in conflict with the wisdom of God? President Spencer W. Kimball taught: “There is opportunity to get both [secular and spiritual learning] simultaneously. … If we spend our mortal days in accumulating secular knowledge to the exclusion of the spiritual then we are in a dead-end street, for this is the time for man to prepare to meet God; this is the time for faith to be built, for baptism to be effected, for the Holy Ghost to be received, for the ordinances to be performed. Contemporary with this program can come the secular knowledge, for even in the spirit world after death our spirits can go on learning” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 390).
Question: How does seeking for spiritual knowledge help us in our search for secular knowledge?
Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught: “The Lord’s prescribed methods of acquiring sacred knowledge are very different from the methods used by those who acquire learning exclusively by study. For example, a frequent technique of scholarship is debate or adversarial discussion, a method with which I have had considerable personal experience. But the Lord has instructed us in ancient and modern scriptures that we should not contend over the points of his doctrine. (See 3 Ne. 11:28–30; D&C 10:63.) … Gospel truths and testimony are received from the Holy Ghost through reverent personal study and quiet contemplation” (“Alternate Voices,” Ensign, May 1989, 29).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught: “Pure religion is a thing of the Spirit and not of the intellect alone, and its truths must be carried into the hearts of hearers by the power of the Spirit, otherwise the human soul is not changed … and the seeker after salvation does not become alive in Christ” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1966–73], 2:318).

1 Corinthians 3:16–17; 5; 6:9–20. Be Morally Clean

The Greek suggests that when Paul referred to the “Temple of God,” in 3:16–17, he meant that the body of Saints as a whole was like temple, but this should not detract from our modern-day interpretation of keeping our own bodies undefiled, because as one immoral act can defile our whole body, so can a congregation be tainted by individual acts. Hence the need for individual repentance. Paul’s reiteration in 6:19 that our bodies should be as a “temple of the Holy Ghost,” reinforces that interpretation. Elder Christofferson: “Those who believe that our bodies are nothing more than the result of evolutionary chance will feel no accountability to God or anyone else for what they do with or to their body. We who have a witness of the broader reality of premortal, mortal, and postmortal eternity, however, must acknowledge that we have a duty to God with respect to this crowning achievement of His physical creation. In Paul’s words: ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s’ (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Acknowledging these truths … , we would certainly not deface our body, as with tattoos; or debilitate it, as with drugs; or defile it, as with fornication, adultery, or immodesty. As our body is the instrument of our spirit, it is vital that we care for it as best we can. We should consecrate its powers to serve and further the work of Christ. Said Paul, ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God’ (Romans 12:1)” (“Reflections on a Consecrated Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 17).

Lest we think that Paul’s warnings to the Corinthians do not necessarily apply to our day and age, here is what Elder Packer had to say on the subject: “We are now exactly where the prophets warned we would be. Paul prophesied word by word and phrase by phrase, describing things exactly as they are now. I will quote from Paul’s prophecy and check the words that fit our society: ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves—Check! covetous—Check!
boasters—Check! proud—Check!
blasphemers—Check!
disobedient to parents—Check! Check!
unthankful—Check!
unholy—Check!
Without natural affection—Check! Check!
trucebreakers—Check!
false accusers—Check!
incontinent—Check!
fierce—Check!
despisers of those that are good—Check!
Traitors—Check!
heady—Check!
highminded—Check!
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God—Check! Check!
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. . . Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth [See 2 Timothy 3:1–7].”[3]
There is danger all around us, but by keeping ourselves unspotted from the world, seeking for spiritual knowledge, understanding how the Atonement works in our own lives, looking for the good in ourselves and others, and, above all, as Paul admonishes us, focusing on Christ, we can protect ourselves and our families from that danger. Elder Holland: “The Savior’s spiritual suffering and the shedding of his innocent blood, so lovingly and freely given, paid the debt for what the scriptures call the ‘original guilt’ of Adam’s transgression (Moses 6:54). Furthermore, Christ suffered for the sins and sorrows and pains of all the rest of the human family, providing remission for all of our sins as well, upon conditions of obedience to the principles and ordinances of the gospel he taught (see 2 Ne. 9:21–23). As the Apostle Paul wrote, we were ‘bought with a price’ (1 Cor. 6:20). What an expensive price and what a merciful purchase!” (“This Do in Remembrance of Me,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 67).

Bible Video

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-01-031-ye-are-the-temple-of-god?lang=eng


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