What is the Body of Christ Two? ( Written in the 1990's)

The Philosophy of the New Testament Church.

        Our human body is made-up of 200 bones fastened together by tissues and ligaments.   The circulatory system employs our blood as it is drawn through the heart’s right chamber and winds into the lungs.  The lungs secure the blood with much needed oxygen, mail it back to the heart via its left chamber, and finally propels into the main artery or aorta.  The aorta’s blood branches into smaller and smaller places. The first are arteries, designated as arterioles, which ebb into the furthest recesses of our bodies through minute capillaries.  Our immune system fends off unfriendly proteins, and infectious microorganisms, with a one two punch of antibodies.  A deadly left uppercut makes holes in the foreign cells, and a swinging right hook engulfs and digests foreign matter.  Our digestive system starts up in our mouths. The food is broken into fragments by our chewing and is mixed with saliva.  It then goes down the esophagus and right into the stomach.  The digestive process is redoubled by the ferocious activity of gastric and intestinal juices.  The digested nutrients are then sucked into the small intestine.  The remains of unassimilated foods, and waste substances from the liver, are passed into the large intestine and gloriously expelled from our bodies. The pituary gland secretes a variety of hormones.  One of them governs the rate at which the cells utilize oxygen, and another imposes the metabolism of carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium.  Finally, our skin is one big living organ!  It protects us from drying up, controls the loss of fluids, and shields us from harmful substances.  Its sweat glands are our body’s air conditioning, the skin receptors discriminate levels of body temperature and pain, and our fat cells insulate us. (Excerpts are taken from Microsoft’s 1999 edition of the Encarta Encyclopedia In my reading of the above passage of God’s beautiful scheme for the function of our human body, three things really struck me about its functions.

        There are “no personalities and no pew sitters” within our bodies’ members!  Wow!

        Every member knows exactly what its function and calling is.  It does it effectively and naturally, it does not take glory or attention for itself, and it always works at its peak.

Do you notice as I did, that every bodily member’s role is active, it does not assume a defensive but offensive posture, and it always is seeking to protect?  The church is Christ’s body and should operate along the same lines as the human body.  Our Christianity then cannot be an individual self-centered affair.  If it is then, it fails to realize, that Christ has called forth the church through the active participation of all of its members, to manifest Him and make Him complete.  If we cannot see this, we have misunderstood as to what the supreme purpose of the church is all about.

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Eph1:12 That we (the church) should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 

Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

        Glory, is that principle which makes the invisible Christ become visible in the church and through out the world.  Glory is the invisible God’s visible mode of being.  The Lord’s mighty deeds, glorious interventions, the manifestation of His presence, and the activity of the invisible are all brought forth through His glory.  God’s glory then manifested through the church becomes the object of the world’s praise to God.  The more glory, the more praise.  The more glory, the more that Jesus Christ will be lifted up, and draw all men unto Himself.

This grave responsibility falls in the hands of the church.

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

        The church is viewed as a receptacle into which all of the blessings, the presence of God, and God’s inheritance, through Christ is funneled into, and manifested by.

         God from His fullness fills all believers’ with all blessings, which belong to their being and welfare.  If Christ filled the whole universe, so the church is filled with all.

        The body of Christ will be filled with Christ’s fullness as, and when, it grows up into the fullness of Christ.  The more is the maturity and obedience of every believer, and the more that each believer fulfills his or her calling, the more will be the fullness or the very essence of the Lord in that local body.

        The church then is a society that is in vital connection with the Lord, sustained by His power, and it is the instrument by which our Lord works.

        The church is what makes Christ complete.

        The church is also Christ’s divine receptacle, into which all that belongs to Christ is funneled by Him, so as to be used exclusively for His purposes.

        It is by filling every person in a local church with His Spirit through their uncompromising obedience, and by becoming Lord of every aspect of each person’s life, that Christ becomes all and in all.  His glory becomes fully manifested in that local body, and He draws all men unto Himself through the power of God and a subsequent revival.

        This church then is filled with Christ’s pleroma or with all that constitutes the very Christ Himself.  The analogy of Christ’s pleroma is simple.  What is a bottle of coca cola filled with?  Coca cola, of course!  What is Christ filled with then?  Christ Himself of course!  This is the pleroma of Christ.  A local body in a state of total maturity is the treasure bearer of Christ’s pleroma!

          The church then, is not only Christ’s body, but is the ONLY universal agent that is filled by Christ and can  fully manifest Him.

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

        Another object of the church is that the numerous and multicolored wisdom or ways of God, so opposite to the world, might be known or be declared.  God desires that His arrangements, His will, and His works might be displayed to angels, demons, and men, by the church.  Basically the church’s job is to declare the ways of God, and to make the invisible God, visible in glory to the whole universe!

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

        This is defined as to frame together perfectly the members of Christ’s body, as parts of a building are brought together.  Joining, cementing, and fitting together to form a building must take place, so that the building can then be raised up.  The church accomplishes this, as all of its members perform to their peak efficiency by their callings, ministries, and giftings, in uncompromising obedience. Every one must participate!

        This holy temple is in actuality, a Holy of Holies for the Lord.

        The great lie of the enemy has been to place the function of the church into the hands of the few, and encourage most others to be pew sitters, thus severely hampering the glory of God and the salvation of men.

        Today, church philosophies that curtail the use of spiritual gifts for the purpose of not offending the lost, are deceived by the enemy to stop the manifested presence of Christ, and block the salvation of those very people whom these churches are seeking not to offend!

Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

        Every believer individually and corporately also are being built up together with the object of constructing and abode or dwelling place for the Lord in the Spirit. A dwelling place is an abode where God will feel totally at home, and will have full rights to do as He pleases.

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

        The knitting together comes after every member of the local church has been fit together into a proper building for the Lord through the ministries and callings of every individual. The believers’ hearts are then knit together in affection.  This oneness, in combination with the effectiveness of every member’s ministries and spiritual gifts, will bring this local body into a full understanding of the accurate knowledge of the mystery of the Godhead and Trinity.  This then is the fullness of the glory of God, which should be displayed to the world.

        Thus the church can be seen as an entity that is in a continual process of being fitted together by every one’s ministry and gifts, being joined together in love and intimacy, and growing in to God’s Holy of Holies to manifest His glory. 

        This fitting, joining, and growing to achieve spiritual growth continues as every member seize the head, which is Christ.  It denotes the compact connection of one part with another.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

        Every member then, of a local body, must work to his or her peak performance through the use of spiritual gifts, callings, and ministries. There can be no “one-man show,” and no pews sitters.

        Every member must find his or her place in the body in terms of his or her ministry, giftings and callings and raised up in them.  This is the job of the five fold ministry whom the local pastor heads.

        The main role of the pastors is to spear heading the five fold ministry. Elders and deacons should shoulder some of the ongoing activities of the local body so that the pastor can be feed up to do this.

The Functioning Philosophy of the NT Church

1Cor 12:12 ¶ For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 

        Paul in this scripture then confirms what we have already stated.  The human body, and the body of Christ as His church, should function alike.

1cor 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.  The Greek makes use of the “absolute negative” for the word “not”. Literally defined, we are told that under no circumstance, should a congregation be made up of a few active members.  One pastors whom literally controls the governing life of a church, makes for all intents and purposes, the body of Christ into a “non body”.  Like wise, parishioners who fail to discern, and fulfill their ministries, forcing pastors and ministers into positions of control, do just the same. 

1Cor 12:15  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 1Cor12:16  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 

        What an incredible dependency we must have for each other.  An independent spirit towards the Lord Jesus, or towards one other, will stunt our process of growth.  Every member is called to sharpen each other, through their callings and ministries.

1Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?  

        The fewer the number of members serving and ministering within a local body, the fewer will be the giftings available to it.  This particular congregation will be greatly hindered in its discernment of demonic infiltration.  There will be a deficiency in the prophetic that administers guidance, exhortation, and encouragement, and the confirmation of God’s will.

1Cor14:3  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

  If the apostolic ministries are deficient, how will the right foundation be laid?  A church without the revelation of Jesus through the apostolic witness of the risen Christ will build lopsided.

Eph 3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

  Every church that I have attended in the last twenty years, for the exception of the one that I go to now, has been unable to discern the presence of wolves, gross sin, and major doctrinal error, blatantly obvious in its midst.  In due time God always exposed these forces. Considerable damage had been done to the flock however, or God finally closed the congregations down.  Much of this has to do with the lack of commitment and participation of the church’s members or the prohibition of spiritual gifts by the elders.

1Cor12: 18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him..

21  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.


Literally the Greek admonishes us, that not even of the weakest member can we say “I have no need of you” and not be lying!  The superior members are in desperate need of the inferior.

22  Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.  The weakest members are indispensable.

23  And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.


Literally “we place a wreath of superabundant honor upon the weaker or more unseemly members”, says the Greek. ..  Our deformed, indecent, and unseemly parts always require special care.  That same care should be given to all weaker members within our congregations.

24  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: “To temper” means That God has caused each part of His body to be melted and hammered together into an organic whole.

What is the Body of Christ Part 1? ( Written in the 90's)

The Wonderful Human Body

My Dear Brethren:

Our human body is made-up of 200 bones fastened together by tissues and ligaments.   The circulatory system employs our blood as it is drawn through the heart’s right chamber and winds into the lungs.  The lungs secure the blood with much needed oxygen, mail it back to the heart via its left chamber, and finally propels into the main artery or aorta.  The aorta’s blood branches into smaller and smaller places. The first are arteries, designated as arterioles, which ebb into the furthest recesses of our bodies through minute capillaries.  Our immune system fends off unfriendly proteins, and infectious microorganisms, with a one two punch of antibodies.  A deadly left uppercut makes holes in the foreign cells, and a swinging right hook engulfs and digests foreign matter.  Our digestive system starts up in our mouths. The food is broken into fragments by our chewing and is mixed with saliva.  It then goes down the esophagus and right into the stomach.  The digestive process is redoubled by the ferocious activity of gastric and intestinal juices.  The digested nutrients are then sucked into the small intestine.  The remains of unassimilated foods, and waste substances from the liver, are passed into the large intestine and gloriously expelled from our bodies.  The pituary gland secretes a variety of hormones.  One of them governs the rate at which the cells utilize oxygen, and another imposes the metabolism of carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium.  Finally, our skin is one big living organ!  It protects us from drying up, controls the loss of fluids, and shields us from harmful substances.  Its sweat glands are our body’s air conditioning, the skin receptors discriminate levels of body temperature and pain, and our fat cells insulate us. (Excerpts are taken from Microsoft’s 1999 edition of the Encarta Encyclopedia.)

In my reading of the above passage of God’s beautiful scheme for the function of our human body, three things really struck me about its functions.

        There are “no personalities and no pew sitters” within our bodies members!  Wow! 

        Every member knows exactly what its function and calling is.  It does it effectively and naturally, it does not take glory or attention for itself, and it always works at its peak.

        Do you notice as I did, that every bodily member’s role is active, it does not assume a defensive but offensive posture, and it always is seeking to protect?  The church is Christ’s body and should operate along the same lines as the human body.  Let’s pray that the Lord blesses the study of His Word on the function of the body of Christ as found in Corinthians 12.

The Church as a Body

1Cor 12:12 ¶ For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.   Paul’s confirms what we have already stated.  The human body, and the body of Christ as His church, should function alike.

1cor 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.  The Greek makes use of the “absolute negative” for the word “not”. Literally defined, we are told that under no circumstance, should a congregation be made up of a few active members.  This argument hits at the very core of “a great church deception.”   My beloved brethren, one pastors that literally controls the governing life of a church, makes for all intents and purposes, the body of Christ into a “non body”.  Like wise, parishioners who fail to discern, and fulfill their ministries, forcing pastors and ministers into positions of control, do just the same. 

1Cor 12:15  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 1Cor12:16  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?  What an incredible dependency we must have for each other.  An independent spirit towards the Lord Jesus, or towards one other, will stunt our process of growth.  Every member is called to sharpen each other, through their callings and ministries.

1Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?   The fewer the number of members serving and ministering within a local body, the fewer will be the giftings available to it.  This particular congregation will be greatly hindered in its discernment of demonic infiltration. There will be a deficiency in the prophetic that administers guidance, exhortation, and encouragement, and the confirmation of God’s will.

1Cor14:3  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

  If the apostolic ministries are deficient, how will the right foundation be laid?  A church without the revelation of Jesus through the apostolic witness of the risen Christ will build lopsided.

Acts 4:33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all

1Cor3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder( ARCHITECT), I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

  Every church that I have attended in the last twenty years, for the exception of the one that I go to now, has been unable to discern the presence of wolves, gross sin, and major doctrinal error, blatantly obvious in its midst.  In due time God always exposed these forces. Considerable damage had been done to the flock however, or God finally closed the congregations down.  Much of this has to do with the lack of commitment and participation of the church’s members or the prohibition of spiritual gifts by the elders.

1Cor12: 18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

The pastoral staff shares in the function of overseeing, for example

Acts 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

This favorite word of mine for “overseeing” is “episkopos” .  Literally, it comes from two words meaning, “standing above, in order to examine into, and scope out needs and problems.” My brethren, this remains a true function of any leadership staff.

21  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

Literally the Greek admonishes us, that not even of the weakest member can we say “I have no need of you” and not be lying!  The superior members are in desperate need of the inferior.

22  Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.  The weakest members are indispensable.

23  And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

Literally “we place a wreath of superabundant honor upon the weaker or more unseemly members”, says the Greek. ..  Our deformed, indecent, and unseemly parts always require special care.  That same care should be given to all weaker members within our congregations.

24  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: “To temper” means That God has caused each part of His body to be melted and hammered together into an organic whole. 

Three types of churches

1Cor 1:10 ¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  This is a church that has attained to a same level of understanding and discernment within its parishioners.  Active discipleship, healing, and equipping of the saints produced this.  Consequently this congregation now operates within the same opinions, purposes, resolves, and decision making.

Phillipians 1:27 ¶ Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel

Literally a “one soul” church.  The spirit of sacrifice and agape love, which is always divine and sacrificial in nature, has controlled this congregation.  The whole assembly with one will, and one set of emotions, athletically agonizes for the faith of the gospel.

Acts2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Literally “the one burning passion church”.   One accord is a political term that denotes a unanimous decision or vote for one candidate.  A political party puts all of its support behind its man or woman.  Multitudes raise their hands to vote the same way, because of its harmony of heart, and zeal for their cause.  The party sacrifices personal interest in view of the larger cause held by the whole organization.  The church in one accord votes for its candidate Jesus Christ, and His cause, and with all passion and ardor follows Him sacrificing all else.

The Doctor is the Word

Christian love is not a mushy type of love.  A believer is not to sugar coat things, yet  be gentle and respectful towards every human being.  Love does not fear man or try to please him if it’s not the will of God. True love is never “politically correct”, but rather “God correct”. God’s love is based on speaking what is accurate concerning Him.  Love is standing up for righteousness and not backing down from it. Love is not taking political sides. It is not Republican, Tea Partier or Democrat, but rather upholds the ideals and the person who most closely attempts to run politics, God’s way.

Much of Christ’s love is found in the knowledge of His Word. The Bible is God’s love letter to humanity, the compass for fruitful and joyous living, and the map for infinite life. If we reject it, we bring blindness to ourselves and become in danger of falling into the eternal flames of hell.

Christian love must not just be talked but walked.

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

 Greek: But by “TRUTHING IT” in love;

The “truth”, in this verse is a verb, literally defined as “truthing it”. The believer has the responsibility to manifest God’s ways in every aspect of her life.

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

 Literal Greek: That by no means would we be toddlers tossed around by the surge of vigorous waves. Neither would we be carried about by every wind produced by the agendas of men which resemble the deceptive throwing of dice. These type of agendas are being devised to work around the person a systematizing or methodology which produces error or ( planetizing/ wondering).

The ploy of the devil is to create this type of ingrained thinking in the minds of men.  Any type of rhetoric or philosophies which tempts man to rebel against the Bible is the systemization of error tossing man into the foam of secularism and sending him to hell.

The rhetoric surrounding the separation of church and state is Satan’s deceptive dice throwing.  If he can construct a systematic thinking of error in the hearts of Americans which thrusts God out of the governance of the nation, he will send America and Americans to hell.

 17   This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

The Christian must not conduct his life in the mindset which is focused on temporal, distracted, and frivolous ways of thinking. At the pace which America is going, countries in East Africa will overtake us.  African children are thinkers, many of them having knowledge of what they want to do.  Poverty has forced them to seek God, read the Bible and develop strong passions for education. America, on the other hand, is in a crisis of distraction from the living God. The dice playing of the enemy is succeeding in pulling us away into the arrogance of self-sufficiency, and defiant independence from God. We are trading in the knowledge of God for self-centered knowledge of entertainment.  If we are not watchful, we will become the tail or the butt of a nation. Africans will come in to educate and evangelize us.

18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Having the deep patterns of thinking in a darkened existence, they are alienated from the God type of life through ignorance. This ignorance dwells in calloused hearts which have rejected God.

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

“Sound doctrine” is a medical term defining being healthy and whole. Only the doctrine of the Word of God can make humanity healthy. A nation becomes sick when it rejects God and His Word.

“Endure” comes from the word anaecho, or the “taking of things unto oneself in order to have.” "What is scary about what Paul writes is his choice of the word “not”.  This Greek negative has two forms. One is the word “me” and the other one is “ouk”. The stronger one is used here, the word “ouk”, meaning absolutely not, under any circumstances.

The verse translates as follows: There will come a season when they will absolutely reject receiving wholesome teaching but after their own carnal desires will heap and collect teachers which will only tell them pleasant things.

4 (AV) and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

And indeed from what is accurate about God they shall turn away their ears and shall twist them upon myths.

The remedy for this malady is in the hand of the Christian believer.

2 (AV) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Proclaim the word; be present and active in doing so, when the season is good, and when there is no season. Convict or expose, rebuke and exhort with every type of longsuffering and teaching.

It is my calling to have a basic knowledge of politics and use it to expose the lies of the enemy for the sake of my fellow human being. The decisions of political leaders, whether we like it or not, have a huge influence on our lives and the lives of our children. If I sit passively by under the guise that a Christian should not be involved in politics, I will commit a grave injustice to my children.

Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Holding tight against yourself (grasping and embracing) the faithful word ….that you may have the ability by wholesome and healthy doctrine to exhort and expose the ones who contradict or take a stand against God’s word.

2 Cur 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds ;)

For the destruction of bulwarks; a bulwark is a fortification, a defense, a safe guard or protection. These are mindsets in human beings which are developed over years in order to protect or justify. A person that has been terribly hurt by parents or a pastor might produce a bulwark of defiant, anti-Biblical and anti-conservative thinking.  Liberalist/ socialist mindsets are protective justifications which shield the individual from getting hurt again by these types of people. Christians must love them and show Christ and  the church as not legalistic and condemning, but rather as accepting.

5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

And every uplifted thought or thinking which is elevated against the progressing knowledge of who God is.  


Unfortunately in our country I see much high thinking elevating itself above the knowledge of God. As the old axiom goes, what goes up must come down.

Titus 1:10  For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

For there are many of those who are unable to submit themselves to what is righteous. 

There are vain babblers who are talking garbage.  Much television is a prime example of worthless and empty gibberish, which bring with it subliminal unrighteous agendas that will instill deceptive knowledge into the minds of viewers.

The word for deceivers is a quite interesting one.  It is the individual who releases deception upon the judgment, evaluations and the discernment of others. Today, in the “main stream media” we see an abundance of this. There is an attack on the judgments of many distracted and gullible Americans by astute leftist journalists, who mar their discernment, turn them away from what is good and righteous, knock down the foundations of America, and conquer the country from within.  My father would always caution me, “Don’t follow the crowds because they are usually wrong.”

11  Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

Whose mouths must be gagged or muzzled, who overturn or overthrow whole families, teachings things which are not needful ( and by it, releasing a deceptive grace) for shameful gain or advantage.

It is the responsibility of the believer to muzzle the mouth of those who want to overthrow Christianity by sound doctrine, love and the power of God.

2 Corinthians One

2 Cor 1:7 ¶  and our hope is steadfast for you, knowing that even as ye are partakers of the sufferings — so also of the comfort.

Steadfast or confirmed; is an adjective that modifies the noun, hope or expectation. Much of the work of the Lord comes through our expectation.  Expectation is a knowing that something is going to happen. Our expectations must be of such a nature that they are confirmed by us in the Spirit. Or conversely, our expectation in the Lord is always confirmed or settled once and for all.  What we ask from the Lord we know that we get.

 1 John 5:14  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

This is the boldness of liberty that we have in Him…that anything we request according to His will, He hears ( present active ) God is continually hearing and acting

15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

8  For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of our tribulation that happened to us in Asia, that we were exceedingly burdened above our power, so that we despaired even of life;

were exceedingly burdened above our power/ transcendentally burdened beyond our ability in the flesh to do anything despaired even of life/ explicitly left without a way to go forward; no resources or abilities.

9  but we ourselves in ourselves the sentence of the death have had, that we may not be trusting on ourselves, but on God, who is raising the dead,

A sentence: The official pronouncement, edict or decree or verdict of death that we may not be trusting on ourselves, but on God, who is raising the dead, Trusting is in the perfect active. The perfect tense is an event which has been fulfilled or accomplished with ongoing results or impact. Our trust in God must always be in the perfect tense. So must be our expectation in God. This is how we receive from Him.   but on God, who is raising the dead; who is raising the nekrous from where necromancy comes from.  God is the master of raising the corpses who have died from the sentence of death.

10  who out of so great a death did deliver us, and doth deliver, in whom we have hoped that even yet He will deliver;

in whom we have hoped: into whom or into what we have hoped. Hoped is in the perfect tense. Whatever we expect from the Lord, the expectation must be in the perfect tense. The perfect tense is an event which has been fulfilled or accomplished with ongoing eternal results or impact.

11  ye working together also for us by your supplication, that the gift through many persons to us, through many may be thankfully acknowledged for us.

ye working together…by your supplication  ( sun/ hupo/ ergo) together coming under for support in order  to work.. by your petition. Our prayers come under a situation to offer support and to work in that situation. Hence the vitalness of our prayers.

that the gift ; the charisma or charismatic gift.  What comes from the Lord as the result of our petitions is His work through charismas or charismatic gifts.

12  For our glorying is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we did conduct ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you;

For our boasting is this: the witness given by our conscience, which is; that in simple and singleness of devotion and in such purity that we become like clear window panes through which the sun can shine; not in wisdom which comes out of our fleshly efforts..but by the charismatic gifts of God; we have behaved ourselves in this world system

13  for no other things do we write to you, but what ye either do read or also acknowledge, and I hope that also unto the end ye shall acknowledge,

Acknowledge/ full and accurate recognition of a thing. This is how spiritual knowledge should operate. It should strive to recognize fully the Person of the Lord Jesus and recognize fully His will.

15  and in this confidence I was purposing to come unto you before, that a second favour ye might have,

and in this confidence I was purposing ; confidence, is a noun that is in the dative case. The dative is the case of location or instrumentality. Wherever an object is located at, or lives in, that environment will influence or be instrumental back upon that object. A cucumber located in vinegar becomes a pickle. The vinegar is instrumental in its changing it. Paul operates in this environment of confidence or hope.

I was purposing; I was counseling or deliberating. In the world of confidence, Paul deliberates. That a second grace or charismatic gifting…

17  This, therefore, counselling, did I then use the lightness; or the things that I counsel, according to the flesh do I counsel, that it may be with me Yes, yes, and No, no?

Lightness; fickleness, instability, double mindedness and not following through in obedience.

18  and God is faithful, that our word unto you became not Yes and No,

19  for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, among you through us having been preached — through me and Silvanus and Timotheus — did not become Yes and No, but in him it hath become Yes;

For the Person of the Son of God, Jesus the Anointed amongst you, and now through us having been proclaimed , did not become yes and no , but yes in Him has become ( perfect tense). This is a highly important verse. The Person of the Anointed who is proclaimed through our lives, as He is proclaimed, everything pertaining to God is always Yes in Him. This is an anointing coming out of the anointed.  As we minister, our expectation is that Yes will be everything which God accomplishes through Christ as we minister Him. He has become the Yes of God. The perfect tense; The perfect tense is an event which has been fulfilled or accomplished with ongoing eternal results or impact.

20  for as many as are promises of God, in him are the Yes, and in him the Amen, for glory to God through us;

In Christ (The dative case) ; The dative is the case of location or instrumentality. Wherever an object is located at or lives in, that environment will influence or be instrumental upon that object. A cucumber located in vinegar becomes a pickle. The vinegar is instrumental in its changing it.

In Christ…. The Yes;  In Christ …. The Amen or the “so be it”.  This is the anointing carried by the anointed. This must be our level of confidence.

21  and He who is confirming you with us into Christ, and did anoint us, is God,

Making you steadfast, grounded and settled INTO your union with Christ;  and from that union having anointed you.  Two things here; God is continually through our obedience giving us a greater revelation of our union INTO Christ. Out of that union comes our anointing. Our union and the anointing of our ministry are from the One who has become the Yes and the Amen. Our ministering must come out of a faith level in which everything is Yes and Amen to the glory of God.

22  who also sealed us, and gave the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Having sealed us in the aorist tense. This is something like our past tense. A seal is a stamp of authenticity. I believe that Paul might have been referring that we have been approved to operate in the Yes and Amen anointing.

The earnest or the arrabon of the Spirit, is a down payment of something that legally belongs to us, but with the fact that there will be more deposits in the future. I can read this like this. Because God has given us a down payment of the things of the Spirit and has stamped us with the seal of authenticity we can now operate in the Yes and Amen anointing.

23  And I for a witness on God do call upon my soul, that sparing you, I came not yet to Corinth;

 And I call God to be a witness upon my soul… Complicated verse! The word call is really “ upon the calling”. This is the way to call upon God.. It is a focused calling upon God and for Him to show up as a witness on our behalf.

Safari Through the Word Ministries: What Is Our Core Indentity

Safari Through the Word Ministries: What Is Our Core Indentity: "Who Are We? The Strong's Word (EK) # 1537 is one of the shortest of all New Testament words and yet one of the most significant one..."

Pain

The world is full of pain. I think that the root of all sin is pain.

Most of the sin which humanity expends itself in doing is to medicate pain. I think that liberal thinking is a way to medicate the pain of rejection, broken family ties, disappointment and disenchantment with authority, pastors, and parents. The hippie and drug cultures were rebellion against the pain of perception of unloving or inattentive parents.

So much of our identity is interwoven in pain. Pain is us.  Every act of lashing out, hatred, violence, and mockery is stimulated by hidden pain.

The word, devil or diabolos, is one who hurls attacks against another. Every attack is centered on easing our pain.

Christ Jesus, the new man in us, is painless. He is rooted in a new identity, that of God Himself. God is joy, power, liberty, exuberance, transcendentalness, and authority.

The greatest challenge of the believer is to walk out of pain. Pain, must not be us, or in us anymore. We must not stop transformation until every response of our lives is rooted in painlessness.  The walk out is laborious and slow, but is well worth it.

 Freedom of any kind comes by revelation knowledge. You shall know revelational truth and the work of that truth will free you.  Only those who are devoted disciples to the Word will operate in abundant revelation which will free them. If you do not want to become a devoted studier of the Bible, don’t expect total liberty.

 You must spend time in the presence of the Lord. Whenever God manifests Himself, He causes sin to break down and become nonfunctional, ineffective. If you do not want to devote time to prayer don’t expect every chain of bondage to break .

 You must learn to obey every impulse of the voice of God. This is the only way to hear Him with confidence. If you are wrong, it’s better to err trying, than to dwell in the falsity of fear.

My father would tell me, for everything you do in life; there is a price to pay. The greater the thing that you desire, the greater will be the price.  How much are you willing to pay for your liberty and freedom in Christ in 2011? Anything you do towards that end is well worth it.