Big Buts of the Bible

But Makes Thy Glories Known

Isaac Watts is credited with having written somewhere near 1000 hymns for the church to sing.  He was rather controversial in his day--he dared to depart from the strick singing of scripture that stemmed from the teachings of John Calvin.  Are you ready for this?  Watts is believed to be the first worship song composer who created "original songs of Christian experience."

One of my favorite Watts songs is I Sing The Mighty Power of God.  It was initially composed as a children's song, although it grew to become a favorite of adults, utilized often in worship services and liturgies.  The lyrics paint pictures of God's creation, providence, and care--the third and final verse contains a great but--to the end that all of these things speak of God. 

There's not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known;

And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;

While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care,

And everywhere that man can be, Thou, God are present there.

Learn more about Isaac Watts and his many great hymns here and here.

Letters To The Church /9

Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-8.  There are only three buts to be found in chapter five, just one in this first section.  You get the feeling Paul's subject matter in this section is weighty enough.  He begins incredulously, "It is actually reported..." as if to beg 'Can you believe this?'

The things that Paul has been made aware of are the kind of things that are so scandalous that even the world would be shocked and disapproving.  How is it that the church could not only allow these things to go on, but also be proud of such licencious behavior?

The buts of the chapter speak to clarify the impropriety and to commend purity: Therefore let us keep the festival, not with the old yeast, yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread made without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

Paul was illustrating this point: A little yeast will work through a whole batch of dough.  Just a little tolerated sin will spread like a cancer.

Say What?

"But is a fence over which few leap."  German Proverb

What do you make of this expression?

Letters To The Church /8

Read 1 Corinthians 4:1-7. In chapter three Paul spoke of God as the one orchestrating his perfect work--putting people in just the right places and at just the right times--to further his work.  Paul spoke of God's having revealed to his people the mystery of the gospel so that each could take his part in the process, some planting, some watering, but God himself giving the increase to the work.

Chapter four begins with telling words: So then... In other words, 'in light of what we've just learned, consider this.'  Consider what?  Men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Paul clarifies that in this role God has called us, indeed prepared us, to play, we have responsibility.  He then turns to give a practical insight from his own life--utilizing the first but of the chapter.

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed I do not even judge myself.  My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.  It is the Lord who judges me.

What is Paul saying?  Keep in mind the greater context of the letter so far.  You recall that the wise of the day thought this message (and certainly those who proclaimed it) foolish.  Paul wasn't going to be discouraged in his role because the smartest people in town thought him a fool.  They weren't qualified to judge him--he wasn't even competent to judge these things himself--it is God who has this master plan at work who is able to discern just what is coming together and how.  What's crucial is that he and ministers like him proclaim the message faithfully (verse 2).  God takes care of the rest.

Verse 5 completes the thought: Judge nothing prematurely.  God will reveal all that we don't see clearly now, and then it will be a complete picture.  At that time the hearts of men (and the motives of those who have been a part of God's process) will be known.  At that time we'll see the fruits of our faithfulness, more importantly, the fruits of his faithfulness in and through us.

But as you look forward into the rest of chapter four, it looks as if Paul feels the need to state his point a little more... pointedly.  Look ahead for next time.

Letters To The Church /7

Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-23.  If the first three big buts of this chapter cut to the heart of the matter of divisiveness in the church at Corinth, the next couple provide warnings.

By the grace of God given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.

Materials and the manner in which one builds are called to question.  Reading this passage this week has caused me to think of the horrors in Haiti, result of the recent earthquake and aftershocks there.  One of the certain contributors to the huge loss of life is the fact that there are no building regulations there--materials and manner of building left to chance.  Paul, here, contrasts temporal versus eternal; perishable versus imperishable.

Notice Paul's choice of phrase: Do you not know?  Do not deceive yourselves!

The second but in this passage is rather curious.  If (what a man has built) is burned up, he will suffer loss, he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through flames.

What do you suppose Paul meant by that?  Some scholars have determined this to mean that the believer who has foolishly (or otherwise wrongly) built into the lives of others will be saved, but lose out on some precious rewards.  Others have argued over whether this is a statement on eternal security.  I've been wondering in a very different direction this week.

Over the years I've had a few friends who have, quite literally, escaped through flames--their homes being destroyed by fire.  One of the most painful consequences is having "lost everything."  Pictures. Memories. Heirlooms. Prized possessions. Gone.

I wonder if Paul has painted a picture for us of what it would be like to wake up in the Lord's presence and realize that the things you had poured your energy into and that you were so passionate about during your life were reduced to ashes, and worse--they were not meaningful to the Lord.  Because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire. 

Don't you know?  Do not be deceived!  Now those words seem very fitting, don't they?

 

You Want Pics?

No joke--I deleted a comment this week from someone who found this page by searching "Big Buts" in a search engine.  The comment wasn't nice.  Seems he was in search of some pictures of... er... plumbers.

The individual posting the comment evidently didn't realize that it is the conjunction but that is spelled with only one 't', while the fleshy-tushy part of the human anatomy we sit on--and plumbers sometimes bare quite unintentionally--is spelled with two 't's'. 

Must have been absent that day in school

It's actually pretty amusing because I had just mentioned these searches a week or so ago over on the blog, remember?  Wow.  Timely.

You know that I desire to make this page a blessing to everyone.  So in the event someone has arrived here looking for a picture of a big but with two t's... why, here you go.  Enjoy.

 
Now that that's out of the way, we'll get back to the conjunction.  Okay?

Letters To The Church /6

Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. Division in the church. Imagine that.

Paul had mentioned this matter at the start of his letter--a report had reached him from Chloe's household that folks in the church were aligning themselves behind different leaders.  Some were calling themselves followers of Paul, others followers of Apollos, others followers of Cephas, and still others followers of Jesus.  Paul asked, "Is Christ divided?"

Here in chapter three he uses a big but to cut to the heart of the matter: Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly--mere infants in Christ.

There is a maturation that takes place in relationship to Jesus Christ.  Don't miss for a moment that while this body at Corinth is a very gifted and prosperous collection of believers, they are not mature.  Also take note that spiritual immaturity looks like... the world.

By verse three he is describing the behavior--jealousy and quarreling--they're acting like mere men.  These things, he states in verse four, are at the root of the divisions.  These things give one cause to follow after one teacher or another in a divided manner.  This isn't the way things were intended to be.

Think back to the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians.  What had Paul stressed as the basis for our unity?  That gospel message--foolishness to the world, but the very power of God to those who believed.  A stumbling block, literally a rock of offense, to the proud.  Salvation to the faithful.  If we've all come to salvation in Christ, and we've all come the same way--where is the room for jealousy?  Quarreling?  Division?

Paul explains: What are Apollos and Paul anyway?  They're only servants of the Lord, working as each was assigned by God.  He then tosses a couple of buts into his explanation: I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.

If you want to recognize somebody--if you want to give credit--get it right.  This is God's field.  We are God's building.

Buts In Bunches

From the 'Chock-full-o'-buts' file:

One passage teemed with buts is 1 Peter 2:4-10.  There you find five buts in seven verses, all focused on making one point: Jesus is the Living Stone. 

Jesus is: the living Stone--rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious to Him.

Having called upon the readers of his letter to grow in their faith, Peter now uses a metaphor to illustrate what God is doing--He's erecting a temple and a priesthood, peculiar unto Him.  Jesus is the cornerstone.  Another but about it: To those who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not...

Faith is necessary.  Jesus is the cornerstone of this spiritual house.  Apart from accepting that truth in faith, he is a stumbling stone--a rock that makes men fall.

Peter continues by allowing that we would have been just like those who reject the message were it not for God's intervention.  And another big but: But you are a chosen people, a holy priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. Because, once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.  And, once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

This is a truth worthy of our praise and thankfulness--indeed, our lives given in offering to Him.  No ifs, ands--but a bunch of buts about it.

Pants On The Ground

Simon Cowell was right when he said "I don't think this is the last we'll hear about you" to General Larry Platt.  Video gone viral--the 62 year old songwriter has perfectly articulated what so many people have been thinking for a long time.  You can order your Pants Off The Ground t-shirts on eBay, they tell me. 

While it is true that Big Buts if a blog about buts with one 't', Google Analytics on this site tells me that a handful people find their way here every day using search engines looking for those with two 't's'.  Must be quite a shock to get here and find a Bible Study, eh?

So, in the spirit of giving the public a little more of what they want, here's a brand new hit song, filled with great advice where your butt with two 't's' is concerned.  Enjoy.

Letters To The Church /5

Read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. Bring on more buts.

Having made the case clearly in 1:18 thru 2:5 that the world's wisdom finds the gospel foolish, and that this was by God's design, Paul now explains, We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

Not wisdom that is futile.  Not wisdom that is fleeting.  Wisdom that is spiritually discerned.  He identifies this as God's secret wisdom, hidden in the past but destined for glory since before time began.  It's spoken of as a mystery, but very certain as God's plan for his people.  This, too, is by design.  Paul recalls Isaiah's teachings to confirm that this message was hidden to accomplish God's purposes. But...

But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

With the help of this big but and its greater context, we're able to put some of the pieces together.

Even more significant, we couldn't put these pieces together were it not for God's Spirit enabling us.  He revels it to us by his Spirit; the Spirit searches the deep things; knows the thoughts of God; and dwells in us.  As such: We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

I don't know about you, but this is shedding a whole new light on the altar-calls-in-the-stadiums picture we painted in the previous post.  Were it not for God sending his Spirit to open my eyes and ears...

And this is the foundation of Paul's preaching and teaching.  In verse 13 he makes it known: This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual things in spiritual words.

There seems to be a deliverance from folly, an ability to discern, and salvation--in God's ministry to us.  Two more buts at the end of the chapter sew it up--thanks be to God for this wonderful, salvific gift.