1 Corinthians/That which shall not be named

In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the church of Corinth on several problems within the church, most notably their taking Paul’s words to the Galatians (a book on freedom) a little too seriously. Corinth at the time was a largely pagan society with many different gods and temples. A large number of these temples were devoted to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. The Christians of Corinth were still somewhat stuck in their old ways (The author will avoid going into detail). In 1 Corinthians, he (Paul) explains that Christ has given us liberty, but we are not to abuse that liberty in sinful ways. For example, we are not to abuse our bodies and “spread our wells” as Solomon put it.

In modern times, what could we apply this to? There are actually quite a few examples. Christians, sadly, don’t seem to understand that our bodies are not to be used lightly. Many have pre-marital sex, or at least think of it. Our society also consists of relationships forged through “dating”. These tend to end quickly in divorce and are mostly self-centered. This is probably not the original plan that God had for humanity. I believe it is better than pre-arranged marriage however, since you have the freedom to choose. But, overall, Paul wants us to know that we shouldn't be messing with sin. We should enjoy our new-found freedom in Christ, but we shouldn't abuse it.

That’s it for this blog. If you have comments put them blah blah blah etc. I may check on them later.

Paul to the Thessalonians/THE END IS NEAR! (not)

      In Paul’s missionary journeys, he tended to stay in one area for months. The main exception to this rule is Thessalonica, where he stayed for only a few weeks. This was a setback, because when he stayed for months in one place, the church got his whole message. However, he didn’t have this kind of time in Thessalonica, so when people started dying, the Thessalonians got confused and asked why they had died when Jesus was supposed to conquer death. Paul comforts them by telling them how they were “asleep”, and how they would “awaken” when Jesus returns. This brings up the question, when will He return?

      To answer that, we need to look at II Thessalonians. In this book, Paul says that the end days would not happen any time soon, not like the false preachers taught the confused peoples. The dead will be with God until the day comes, but until it comes, we are to be vigilant, and hard-working.

There were also people who thought that since the end was nearer than they thought, they could “eat, drink and be merry.” They went as far as quitting their jobs. But Paul wanted them to continue doing their work, because the coming of the end is uncertain, and God wants us to do our work.

Just a few years ago, in Kansas (ugh) there was a guy who claimed that he knew when Jesus was coming back. People believed him, and started quitting their jobs and spending their life’s savings on stuff that will make their last days worth it. Of course, no apocalypse to see here. The people then had no idea what to do. This demonstrates how we are not supposed to act, and Paul also explains this in the last chapter of II Thessalonians.

That is all for this blog. If you have any questions, comments, or arguments, put them down in the comments. I may look at them in ten years.

Paul and Peter

Paul and Peter: Galatians 2  

When discussing the early church, one must remember that the church was still mostly comprised of Jews. The Jews could range from the Zealots to the Pharisees, but were mostly made out of the latter. The Pharisees, though, with Christ’s spirit and good intentions, still messed up by trying to push their customs on the Gentiles, making them uncomfortable.

When Peter was not around other Jews like these, he tended to be more lenient of their beliefs (the Gentiles’). However, once other Jews started to come from James, Peter was reluctant to eat with the uncircumcised Gentiles. Paul, disgusted with Peter’s apparent hypocrisy, openly scolds him of said hypocrisy in a lengthy monologue (Galatians 2:14-21). Peter humbles himself, and defends the Gentiles in the future Jerusalem Council.

Even today, there could be similar situations. A church might plant another church in the middle of town. The pastor, however, might not want the homeless to enter without bathing, thus causing the homeless to not be able to enter. The church automatically loses its influence and the church becomes estranged from the homeless.

As Christians, we need to learn to adapt. Just because a certain custom, tradition, or anything else makes us feel uncomfortable, it doesn’t mean we have to shun them. Now, if it goes directly against the Bible, we should bring it into question. That doesn’t mean we should shun them, though, just that we may try to help thme in that area.

So, that is my opinion. If you have any helpful advice, objections or your own opinions, write them in the comments. I’d like to hear your opinion.

First Day

Hi. I am Luke A. Boyles. But you can call me Gidofter2 (those of you who play Minecraft).

This is my first post on this brand new blog, so I'd like to share a few things about myself:

I live in $#53$3@$@$@@%^#^^&*%
(Sorry, slight keyboard malfunction)

I have a dog.

Minecraft is my favorite game, but I also play the Escapists.

I am also a Christian. Yes, I am not ashamed.

This is also going to be a Bible class blog.

That will be all.... except some free advertising.

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCClcpMcHdjjJyB6pLdKp0xw