Old Leaven
During the spring Passover festival, people purged their homes of leavening or yeast for making bread. In a similar manner, Paul encourages us.
“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8 KJV)
I dream of a church that highly values sincerity and truth.
A Holy Church
Contrary to some churches, Paul instructs us.
“Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9b-10 NASB)
I dream of a church that values holy living.
Marriage and Celibacy
Some have a gift of celibacy allowing them to devote their entire existence to God. Others may later discover a need to be married, and because of this nobody should ever be encouraged to make an irreversible vow of celibacy, but given freedom to change their minds if they later so choose.
“But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” (1 Corinthians 7:9 NIV)
This is not possible for those who have made an unwise oath. I dream of a church where celibates and married are honored, and that people are not coerced into making foolish vows, but are always free to change their minds if they later want to become married.
Pay
Some churches can afford to pay well, but value pastoral work so little that they pay only a pittance.
“For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.’ Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?” (1 Corinthians 9:9-12 NKJV)
I dream of a church that values its pastors so highly, that they don’t have to waste precious time making tents as Paul did.
Baptism
Although baptize literally means immerse, it is not always used literally.
“In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.” (1 Corinthians 10:2 NLT)
Adults and children were baptized, having gone through the red sea dry shod. How was Jesus baptized?
“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water” (Matthew 3:16a ESV)
The Greek literally says, He went up “away from” the water. It could have been ankle deep. Without details, we simply don’t know anything except that water was used. I dream of a church that does not impose a particular age or mode of baptism that the Bible does not, but leaves it up to the faith of individual members.
