The Collect for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity
Let Your merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Your humble servants; and that they may obtain their requests make them to ask such things as shall please You; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
The Holy Gospel of St Luke 19:41-47
41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city (Jerusalem) and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.”
47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.
Bishop Ian’s Thoughts
Today’s Epistle Reading is taken from St Paul’s first Epistle to the Corinthian Church Chapter 12, Verses 1-11.
This portion of St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians continues St Paul’s warning to the Corinthian Christians, that we began to study last week, regarding this Church’s backsliding into their old Pagan ways:
"12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.
St Paul focuses his attention on Spiritual Gifts, given to the people of the Lord Jesus, for use in building up, caring for, and adding to the number of His Church.
The Corinthian Christians are reminded that they were once Gentiles (non-Jewish People) and that they carried on in all manner of evil and immorality as part of their Pagan idol worship.
It appears that one of their members had called the Lord Jesus “accursed” while claiming to be speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
In response to this outrage, the Apostle Paul then delivers a very powerful declaration regarding any person who claims to speak under the influence of the Holy Spirit:
"3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit."
The first part of the St Paul’s declaration tells us that no true Christian person can ever call the Lord Jesus accursed.
To be called “accursed” means to be a liar and deceiver, a worker of evil, and a follower of Satan, standing under the condemnation and punishment of God.
The use of the word “can,” in the second part of St Paul’s declaration, means that a non Christian person is literally incapable of, making a genuine pronouncement of Jesus’ Lordship unless the Holy Spirit opens such a person’s heart and mind.
There have been times when devout and faithful Christians have been tortured, and forcibly administered drugs, to destroy their mind and their will, so as to make them say whatever their torturers want them to say. This is a great sin on the part of the torturers, and will provoke the anger of God, and His Wrath will descend upon the torturers, resulting in their eternal damnation.
The next part of St Paul’s declaration has far reaching implications, not only for the Corinthian Christians, but for the entire Christian Church of all the ages of history, including us today:
"4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all."
Many churches, while claiming to be Christian, demand that their members exhibit “gifts of the Spirit” to prove that they are "true" Christians and worthy of membership in those churches.
Almost all of these churches require their members to undergo what is known as the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit,” irrespective of whether they are already Baptised Christians. This “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” involves the leaders of the church placing their hands on the head of the new member and praying that the new member will receive the Holy Spirit.
After they have undergone the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit," the new member must then speak in “tongues” to prove that they have really received the Holy Spirit.
I have heard of instances where a new church member has been expelled from the "church" when this "proof" was not forthcoming.
All the “tongues” that I have personally heard, in years past when visiting some of these types of churches, have sounded like gibberish or animal-like noises, completely unintelligible, and to me a little worrying as no other person, present in the church at the time, interpreted or explained the meaning of the “tongues.”
The gift of “tongues” given by God to the Lord Jesus’ Apostles on the Day of Pentecost (the fiftieth day after Easter), were foreign languages, given so that visitors to Jerusalem from distant lands might hear The Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus in their own language.
The Book of the Acts Of the Apostles Chapter 2, Verses 2-12 details this miraculous event:
“2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.”
“5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
These “different tongues” were most certainly not animal-like sounds, or gibberish.
St Paul has the last word on tongues when he declares to us in his First Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 14, Verse 18:
“but in the Church. I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue”
The worrying aspect of churches which practice “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” is that they disregard St Paul’s clear pronouncement in the second part of his declaration :
“No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”
A person’s belief in The Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus’ Life, Death, Resurrection, Ascension into Heaven, and His Glorification at the Right Hand Of God Our Father, is the all that is required for that believer to stand before God clothed in the Holy Righteousness of the Lord Jesus.
By God’s Solemn Promise, that person is saved from Judgement and made an adopted Child of God, to live for eternity in God’s Holy Kingdom.
When a new believer is baptised in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit they have the full presence of God, in their lives, and that they can then declare that Jesus is Lord, is absolute proof that the Holy Spirit has come into their heart and mind, without the need for any additional “Baptisim of the Holy Spirit.”
St Paul’s declaration and teaching, on tongues, is a great message to all Christians.
To require a Christian person to undergo a second, and by implication, a more advanced or higher grade “Baptism of the Holy Spirit,” or whatever, is to devalue the Holy Gospel and to make God’s gift of Salvation dependent on a “Gospel Plus” basis which denies, and negates the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus entirely.
A “Gospel Plus” is a “man assisted” gospel, and as such, it is a false gospel.
The “Gospel Plus” is a very subtle deceit of Satan to weaken, and destroy a believer’s full dependence on Christ’s Holy Gospel, alone, for Salvation, and deceives the believer into looking for, and focusing on, an additional ceremony, assent to a teaching, or some church ritual of men, to gain God’s acceptance.
In many instances the “Plus” becomes the most important part in the believer’s life, and the gauge that determines the sincerity, and devotion of any church member.
The “Gospel Plus” is a false gospel of works.
It is not The Holy Gospel of Faith, focused solely the Finished and Perfect Work of The Lord Jesus Christ.
Many churches that masquerade as “Christian” are, in fact, cults and have a “Gospel Plus” teaching at the heart of their particular church.
Our Epistle Reading begins its conclusion with St Paul’s description of the various gifts of the Holy Spirit given as He wills, for the benefit of all Christians:
"7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues."
The entire thrust of Paul’s message is that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to individuals, not to promote or enhance themselves, but rather to be used to strengthen and build up the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today we see many of the Holy Spirit’s Gifts displayed, not only by ministers of the Holy Gospel, but by Christians who are doctors, dentists, nurses, school teachers, emergency services personnel, carers of the sick and disabled, and all people who assist others in the name of The Lord Jesus Christ.
Another indirect, but very important, lesson from today’s Epistle reading is that it assumes as Holy Truth the unique Personality, and Actions of The Holy Spirit, and so proves the Doctrine (Divine Teaching) regarding The Holy Trinity.
Our Almighty Heavenly Father has Graciously revealed Himself as the Mighty Triune God, Who is the Father, His only Begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ Our Saviour, and the Mighty Holy Spirit.
St Paul concludes today’s Epistle Reading by confirming that The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy and Blessed Trinity by declaring that The Holy Spirit as the One who chooses and gives His Gifts:
“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."
This personal description of the Holy Spirit acting on His own will, and with the same authority as God, silences all those so called "Christians" who teach that the Holy Spirit is only the inanimate power that God uses to do His Work, just as we use electricity.
May we always thank God for His Graceful provision of those whose Holy Gift it is to proclaim the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and call God's People to repentance and Faith in the Lord Jesus. May we also always seek God's Blessing to give us the strength and courage to bear witness to the Truth and Power of the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as we live our daily lives in the midst of this sinful world which is suffering, in bondage, under the power of Satan and his agents. Amen.
Today's Holy Gospel Reading is taken from the Holy Gospel of St Luke Chapter 19, Verses 41-47.
In this Portion of his Holy Gospel St Luke records the Lord Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem during which He rode on a young donkey, for the last few miles. Many people along the road spread their cloaks (outer garments) and palm fronds on the road as a mark of respect for Him.
This fulfilled what the Prophet Zechariah foretold, about 520 years before the birth of the Lord Jesus, and is recorded in the Old Testament Book of Zechariah Chapter 9, Verse 9:
"Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
We learn that the Lord Jesus shed tears as He approached and saw the city, probably from the slopes of the Mount of Olives, on the outskirts of Jerusalem:
"41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city (Jerusalem) and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes."
The Lord Jesus despairs that the people of Jerusalem, ancient Israel’s capital city and the location of the Jewish Temple, had not understood and so had not believed God’s Promises to their ancestor Abram (Abraham), to make of him, and his people, a great nation, This promise to Abram is recorded on the Old Testament Book of Genesis Chapter 12, Verses 1-3:
12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
If the Jewish people had fully understood, and believed, God’s Promise to Abraham then the whole population, including their leaders, would have mightily welcomed the Lord Jesus as God’s Son, fulfilling God’s promise to send the Messiah (God’s Mighty Deliverer and Saviour) to deliver His people from their enemies, including sin and death, and to give them peace and security as God’s chosen people.
The extent of the Jewish people’s unbelief is especially shown when the Holy Messiah of God now arrives at their city almost unrecognized:
The Lord Jesus then foretells of the time, in the future, when Jerusalem will be besieged and sacked, and the Temple will be totally destroyed. A great many inhabitants will be killed including unborn children. Any survivors will be scattered or taken captive:
"43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
This prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled in AD 70.
In AD 66 the Jews of Judea rebelled against their Roman masters. In response, the Roman Emperor Nero sent an army, under the general Vespasian, to restore order.
Later, another general Titus (who would become a future Roman Emperor) besieged and captured Jerusalem.
Titus’ army utterly sacked the city, demolished the Jewish Temple (the centre and focus of Jewish worship) and killed a large number of the inhabitants, with many survivors fleeing throughout the known world to escape death, imprisonment, or slavery.
The Lord Jesus entered the city on the day that is now remembered as Palm Sunday, and as previously stated, a number of the people who greeted the Lord Jesus also laid palm fronds on the road as a mark of respect.
Also on Palm Sunday many unblemished earthly lambs were being brought to Jerusalem to be sold for sacrifice at the celebration of the Feast of the Passover, which commemorated God’s Angel of Death Passed over the houses of the Israelites, in ancient Egypt, to secure the release of the people of Israel from Pharaoh’s bondage, as recorded in the Old Testament Book of the Exodus, Chapter 12, Verse 1-16:
1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb[a] for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.
12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.”
Any house whose door posts were sprinkled with the blood of a lamb was protected from the the death of the first-born child or animal.
The Lord Jesus was the the Perfect, Spotless, Sinless Lamb of God Whose Holy Blood would Eternally wash away the sins of all Believers !
The Lord Jesus then proceeded to enter the Temple (the Outer Court) and He was angered to find many merchants, with stalls, selling animals and birds which were to be bought and used as sacrifices, by the people, in the Passover worship in the Temple:
“45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.”
The price of the sacrificial birds and animals was extortionately high. This made a huge profit for the merchants.
There were also money changers operating the Outer Court. Their business was to exchange coinage from countries that surrounded Israel and other countries throughout the known world.
The common feature of much of the foreign currency was that it bore the image of the king or ruler of a particular country. This was especially true of Roman coinage which bore the image of Caesar.
The Jews regarded any image on a coin as a “graven image” and such an image broke the Second Commandment, given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, 1,500 years earlier.
The Jews who came from afar to worship at the Temple required Jewish coins to pay their temple tax, and to buy the birds and animals sold by the livestock merchants.
The money changers, as with the livestock merchants, used extortionate exchange rates that were extremely favorable to the money changers, and so robbed the worshipers.
When the Lord Jesus saw the merchants and money changers he fashioned a whip made of rope, overturned their tables and stalls, and then drove them out of the Temple saying “My House shall be a House of Prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.”
The Lord Jesus in declaring the desecration of the Temple for its current use as a den of thieves, was recalling the description, and intended use of the Temple as a Holy Place, by the prophet Isaiah. This is recorded in his Old Testament Book Chapter 56, Verse 7:
“My House will be called a House of Prayer for all nations”
Jesus then began teaching, daily, in the Temple:
"47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him."
The Chief Priests and their followers hated the Lord Jesus because His message that He was the Messiah, threatened their hold on power over the people, and the wealth and prestige that their positions gave them.
They sought to kill the Lord Jesus but were unable to do so as a great many people surrounded the Him and His Disciples, and listened most appreciatively to His teaching, and in doing so protected Jesus from the Jewish leaders.
May God bless today’s readings from the Epistle of Paul and from the Holy Gospel of Luke to us, so that our faith in The Lord Jesus may be strengthened, and that whatever Gifts the Holy Spirit bestows upon us, are used for the proclamation of the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus, and for building up and support of all God’s people.
Bishop Ian