The Blessed Hope Podcast -- with Dr. Kim Riddlebarger

Episode Synopsis:One of the most divisive theological controversies of my lifetime was the charismatic movement with its stress upon baptism in the Holy Spirit as evident in speaking in tongues.  Whenever the charismatic renewal spread to a new church, it immediately divided the church into two camps–those who experienced what they claimed was a new work of the Holy Spirit which manifested itself in the speaking with tongues, and those who thought such a thing was demonic and who did everything in their power to stamp out the movement before it could spread.  Thankfully, that controversy has long since died down.  It amazes me that I am able to tackle this now with little if any sense of controversy.  What was once considered to be a very controversial subject is no longer–although we ought not allow the dormancy to  make us complacent.  These kinds of movements come in waves.Throughout my years as a pastor, one of the most common questions from visitors and those checking out Christ Reformed Church was “do you think the gifts of the Spirit still operate today?”  That sort of question is almost always asked by those who think the gifts do still operate and then head for the door if you say something like, “the gifts of the Spirit ceased at the end of the apostolic age, or at the close of the Canon of Scripture.”  My answer often took inquirers by surprise: “Yes the gifts still operate today, but there are no more apostles.”  That was to say that the more sensational (dare I say “spectacular”) gifts, like miracles and healing, were tied to the apostolic office.  Once the Apostles gave way to ministers, elders, and deacons, these gifts were no longer normative in the church.  But, yes, God still gives spiritual gifts to his people to build up the church and in service of others.  A number of them are enumerated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.As Paul takes up the next question put to him by the delegation from Corinth beginning in 1 Corinthians 12:1, he addresses the matter of spiritual things (the pneumata) and spiritual gifts (the charismata).  The apostle will do several things in the opening section of this chapter (vv.1-11)–he will address the Corinthian’s faulty view of spiritual things (often more pagan than Christian), as well as inform them of the nature, character, and proper use of spiritual gifts in the church.  These gifts are given to build up the body of Christ and enable believers to properly love one another.  The gifts were not given to allow some in the church to demonstrate their superior piety, their self-importance, or their willingness to disrupt the worship service.  The Corinthians must correct the abuses of these gifts and that starts with the affirmation that “Jesus is Lord.”For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Episode Synopsis:One of the saddest indicators of human sinfulness is found in the last half of 1 Corinthians 11.  The sacrament of Christian unity (the Lord’s Supper) had instead become the occasion for further division in the Corinthian church.  Paul laments that in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper the rich were exploiting the poor, the body of Christ was not properly being discerned, and the Supper was being celebrated in such an improper way that what was being done was not the Lord’s Supper and was actually doing more harm than good.In this section of Paul’s Corinthian letter we find a description of how Christians in the apostolic age  were to celebrate the Supper in Christian worship.  Paul explains the words of institution given by Jesus just twenty years previously– “this is my body,” “this is my blood.”  The Lords Supper is the new covenant fulfillment of the Passover meal centering upon eating the bread and drinking the wine wherein the signs (the bread and wine) are taken as though they were the thing signified, (Christ’s body and blood).  And through faith what has been promised by Jesus, is actually received by his people.Paul rebukes the Corinthians for the fiasco which the celebration of the Lord’s Supper had become, and he offers a number of common sense practical ways in which the Supper ought to be celebrated.  Each member was to partake, they were to discern the body of Christ, and the service was to be conducted in an orderly manner when the church assembled on the Lord’s Day.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Episode Synopsis:As a cosmopolitan city and home to many varieties of Greco-Roman paganism, Corinth was a cutting edge place for first century fashion and culture.  From what we know regarding the city’s ethos at the time, there was growing tension between traditional gender roles and a desire for women to express themselves in non-traditional ways long associated with polite Greco-Roman society.  One obvious way to show this quest for personal freedom was for a woman to wear her hair down (long and flowing) in public or during pagan sacrifices, and not put it up in a bun or wear the traditional head covering.  We think nothing about such things today, but for a woman to wear her hair down in public in Corinth was scandalous in Paul’s day.This section of Paul’s Corinthian letter (the first half of chapter eleven) raises the question of style, fashion, and propriety in worship.  Should the Christian women in Corinth seek to follow those pushing the envelope by exposing their hair in public?  Paul’s answer is “no.”  Christian women are to dress and wear their hair in ways which reflect the doctrine of creation.  Adam was created first, so Christian men in Corinth were not to cover their heads in prayer or while prophesying, while women were to show submission to Christ and to their husbands by dressing modestly–in Greco-Roman culture that meant wearing your hair up or wearing a head covering when in public settings.Paul could never envision a cultural situation such as our own where women are societal equals to men.  Although the particulars of first-century culture and clothing cannot be made to fit current trends–given advances of women’s status and modern fabrics and clothing, the general principle remains binding across time–Christians are to acknowledge the distinctions between men and women, and are to wear nothing in worship which might identify the wearer as a devotee of any sort of pagan religion.  For Paul, this means modesty in dress and in spirit.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Episode Synopsis:We’ve come to 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1, as Paul wraps up his discussion of idolatry.  In the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, Christian believers drink the cup of blessing and eat the broken bread–described by Paul as a participation in Christ’s body and blood.  Since so many in Corinth were still hanging on to remnants of their pagan past, from what Paul says here it seems many were still attending both the Christian sacrament as well as pagan sacrifices.  To those claiming to worship Jesus but still engaging in pagan practices, Paul extends a very stern warning.  You cannot partake of Christ’s body and blood and still participate in pagan sacrifices.  If you do so, you will provoke the Lord to jealousy just as Israel did in the wilderness.   Paul is emphatic in his warning to the Corinthians–flee from idolatry or face the consequences. Paul reminds the Corinthians that since an idol is nothing, what benefit can people gain from eating at the pagan feast where sacrifices are offered to demons?  The apostle’s concern is that for Christians, the Lord’s Supper is a sacrament of unity–one cup, one bread, one body.  Christians all partake of the same elements together–bread and wine–as one body, which Paul describes as a participation in Christ’s body and blood.  How can members of Christ’s body still offer sacrifices to imaginary idols while professing faith in Christ?  They cannot.In 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1, Paul deals with the very practical matter of buying meat or eating in another’s home.  How do you know whether what you are consuming has been used in a sacrifice to idols?  Paul offers a very practical solution–don’t ask.  If the source of the food is unknown then go ahead and eat without so much as a twinge of conscience.  But if you are told that the food had in fact been used in a pagan sacrifice, then do not eat it as a matter of conscience.  His conclusion is simple and profound, whatever you eat or drink, says Paul, do all to the glory of God.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Episode Synopsis:If you have ever wondered what it would be like for Paul to teach you how to read and understand the Old Testament in light of the coming of Jesus Christ, in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, the apostle does exactly that.  The birth of Israel stems from deliverance from their bondage in Egypt, followed by the Passover, and then the Exodus through the Red Sea before heading into the Sinai wilderness on their way to the promised land of Canaan.  For Paul, this is an important period in Israel’s history because it illustrates and foretells the future course of redemptive history–something with which all Christians (like those in Corinth) should be familiar. In this section of his Corinthian letter, Paul reinterprets all of these events in Israel’s history in light of the coming of Jesus and the dawn of a new exodus to the heavenly city.  Paul tells us that the exodus and Israel’s time in the wilderness is both an example and a warning to those in Corinth who seek to indulge their sinful urges, who seek to hang on to as much of their pagan past as they can, and who grumble at the fact that God calls them to leave behind any and all attraction to Greco-Roman paganism.Paul realizes that the pagan temptation is great.  But as the Corinthians are warned to separate themselves from the sort of pagan revelry in which Israel engaged, then so too are we.  Unlike the ancient Israelites who remained Egyptians in their hearts, we must focus upon Christ and follow him as as he leads us through the wilderness of this present evil age to the glories of the age to come.  Jesus has promised to rescue us from the temptations we face, and tells us that he will never give us more than we can endure.  Jesus has given us his word and sacraments to sustain us, just as he provided Israel with water and the manna from heaven.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Episode Synopsis:If we were to find Paul’s notes for an upcoming lecture on “my philosophy of ministry,” we would probably find the words of 1 Corinthians 9:19–23,"For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.  To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews.  To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.  To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.  I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings."In this chapter, Paul defends his apostolic office and explains his methods and purposes to the Corinthians.  Recall that Paul had spent a fair bit of time in Corinth, but has been in Ephesus for several years.  During his time away, many in Corinth had fallen back into pagan ways and began challenging Paul’s authority and integrity.  One thing Paul must do as he addresses the various struggles facing the Corinthians is to remind them of his own calling to share the gospel with both Jew and Gentile.Paul is an apostle who has seen the risen Lord.  Everything he has done has been to further the cause of Jesus Christ and the gospel.  Paul has consistently put the needs of others first and foremost–something which Paul also expects of the Corinthians.  Although entitled to financial support, Paul took nothing from them while in Corinth in order to set an example to the strong as to how they should treat the weak.  Paul is concerned to run the race and win the prize so that by all means he may win more to Christ.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Episode Synopsis:The church in Corinth was plagued by factions.  One source of division was ethnicity–the church was made up of Jews, Greeks, Romans, and likely a number of other nationalities.  Then there were the factions formed by church members who identified with Paul, Peter, or Apollos, as their favorite teachers.  There were also deep cultural divisions between the wealthy and the poor who found it difficult to socialize with one another even within the body of Christ.  But in this section of Paul’s Corinthian letter (chapter 8), we encounter yet another kind of division–that between the strong and the weak.The strong were those who understood that if God created all things, then the idols invented by pagans were nothing but lifeless statues, with assorted trinkets and amulets, and pointless ceremonies and useless sacrifices.  There is no occult reality behind these images and the temples which housed them.  Therefore, why should Christians not be free to eat the leftover meat and food which the pagans sacrificed to their imaginary gods.  The weak, on the other hand, were those who had trouble understanding how any Christian could eat food that had come remotely near a pagan feast or temple–seeing such food as possessing an occult reality. Paul warns the strong (who are correct about the falsity of pagan religion) not to attempt to coerce the weak to violate their consciences, as that might destroy the faith of those (the weak) who have not yet advanced in their knowledge of the Christian faith sufficiently to leave such concerns behind.  Until the weak Corinthian Christians gain sufficient knowledge to dismiss paganism as the mere superstition which it is, Paul challenges the strong to put the weak first and give up the freedom to eat all foods.  In light of the harm the strong can bring upon those weak in faith, Paul tells the strong that just because they are free to eat all things, doesn’t mean that they should.  This is not about food but about the circumstances in which it is eaten.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Episode Synopsis:In 1 Corinthians 7:17-40, Paul teaches what I call the “you can’t unscramble eggs” doctrine.  What should a new Christian do when they come to faith in Jesus Christ?  Do they quit their current “secular” job to devote themselves full-time to Jesus Christ and to the work of ministry?  Should they rush into marriage to avoid the lusts of the flesh?  Or conversely, should they seek to end an engagement because the time of the end might be drawing near?  What about those widowed, single, or divorced?  Now that they are Christians, what are they to seek to do?  Paul tells them all to “stay put.”  What they’ve done, they’ve done.  And as he cautions them, when a crisis is at hand, that is not the time to make big changes.Paul is addressing a congregation in the midst of serious difficulties of some sort–a regional famine or the consequences of the divisions the church was then facing.  Paul assumes his readers know to what he is referring, so he offers little clarification.  But what he does offer is wise advice for those bought by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Slaves ought not seek immediate freedom–in Christ they are free people.  Gentiles ought not seek to be circumcised–now in Christ, the old covenant sign has been replaced by baptism.  And for the time being, the unmarried ought not seek to get married–at least until the crisis has come to an end.Paul tells the Corinthians to wait for the crisis in Corinth to be resolved before they make major life changing decisions.  Christians would be wise to wait for things to sort themselves out, and then make an informed and not a rash decision about significant events in their lives.  Paul’s instructions make plain that he’s not concerned with fixing all those things new converts may have done in the past, but rather with teaching them the traditions passed down so that they learn how to live the Christian life and become better able to move forward in their lives now set free from the guilt and power of sin.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Episode Synopsis:Paul’s Gentile mission was a huge success.  A number of new churches were established throughout the eastern Mediterranean world–including fast growing churches in important cities such as Corinth, Thessalonica, and Ephesus.  But with the spread of the gospel into a previously unevangelized world dominated by Greco-Roman culture and religion, came a whole set of pastoral problems–problems which were not specifically addressed in the Old Testament or in the teaching of Jesus.  A number of such questions surface in Corinth–as we have seen.  But one pressing matter facing the Corinthians is what should happen when one party to a marriage comes to faith in Jesus Christ, while the other spouse does not, creating a so-called “mixed-marriage.”  Should the believer leave or divorce the unbeliever if they refuse to convert to Christianity?  And what, exactly, is a Christian spouse’s status if their unbelieving spouse divorces them because of their new-found faith in Jesus Christ?  Must they remain single and celibate until the deserting spouse dies?And an even bigger question arises.  What about the children of mixed marriages?  What is their standing in the church and what is their status before God?  Are they members of the covenant of grace, and therefore eligible for all of the benefits thereof, while assuming all the responsibilities of covenant membership?  Are they eligible to receive the sign and seal of that gracious covenant, which is baptism?Paul answers these questions by appealing to the “holy” status of a partner to a mixed marriage and applying that same status to the children of such a union.  How can an unbeliever be said to be “holy.”  How can Paul affirm that of children who are born in original sin?  To make his case, Paul grounds this “holiness” in the Old Testament’s principle of covenant authority–the believing parent’s authority over those in the household and as seen in the five household baptisms found in the New Testament.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Episode Synopsis:Sex and marriage were pressing issues in Corinth.  Gentiles who came to faith in Jesus Christ during Paul’s Gentile mission were learning the biblical sexual ethic for the first time.  Grounded in the creation order, the Ten Commandments, and the teaching of Jesus, it did not take long for the Corinthians to understand that sex was not merely a pleasurable bodily function, but biblical sexuality has a strong moral foundation.  That meant that much of the common sexual attitudes and practices of the Greco-Roman world were in direct conflict with Paul’s teaching regarding sexual ethics.  As these new Christians learned the teaching of Jesus, it was clear that Jesus limited sexual relations to marriage and taught that divorce was an illustration of fallen human nature.  The Corinthians also learned that Christians understand sex as a part of something much larger–the way in which God created things, and that God assigned sexual activity to marriage which was intended to be a lifelong commitment centered around the family.  It was difficult for the Corinthians to embrace Christian sexual ethics because they went against the grain of so much Corinthian culture and religion.  It is also hard to both unlearn something you’ve embraced all your life (pagan sexuality) and then learn a new way to think about sex and marriage–a view which at first glance seems quite restrictive.In the first half of Paul’s Corinthian letter (chapters 1-6), the apostle is responding to distressing news from Corinth which came to his attention when members of Chloe’s family passed through Ephesus where Paul was then staying.  Paul heard about all sorts of things going on back in Corinth, including news that his prior letter to the Corinthians was badly misunderstood and needed a reply.  So too he learned of a number of things going on back in Corinth which required his immediate attention–the content we have covered so far in the first six chapters.  About the time Paul was chatting with members of Chloe’s family, a delegation from Corinth arrived in Ephesus bringing a letter to Paul from the Corinthians, asking him a number of questions about sex, marriage, divorce, idolatry, how men and women are to relate to each other in worship, how the worship service was to be conducted (specifically the Lord’s Supper), about spiritual gifts and how they ought to be used and understood, before coming to the matter of the resurrection.  The struggle facing the Corinthians was how to stop being pagans and how to live and think as Christians.Those matters troubling the Corinthians resurface through Christ’s church across time.  Many of the questions asked of Paul by the Corinthians are issues with which Christ’s church struggles today, making Paul’s Corinthian letter vital to the health of Christ’s church then and now.  So lets dig in.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/