The WOFOYO Podcast
The WOFOYO Podcast
Puffed Up: Part One
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Pride rarely looks like rebellion; it often looks like momentum, gifting, and confidence that quietly forgets grace. We take a wide-angle view of 1 Corinthians and follow Paul’s throughline—being “puffed up”—to reveal how ego fuels division, moral compromise, and spiritual one‑upmanship. Instead of building doctrine on symptoms, we track how Paul diagnoses the root and prescribes a counterintuitive remedy: love that builds people, not platforms.
We unpack why a resource‑rich, talented church like Corinth drifted into arrogance, how prosperity can feel like God’s approval while eroding dependence on grace, and why celebrity loyalties (“of Paul,” “of Apollos”) still fracture communities today. You’ll hear personal stories about hidden roots behind visible struggles, the dangers of mistaking education for wisdom, and the difference between guardians who manage behavior and spiritual fathers who grow faith. Along the way, we revisit the thorny topics—sexual immorality, discipline, and spiritual gifts—not to score points but to restore posture: knowledge without love inflates, and love without truth isn’t love at all.
At the center stands 1 Corinthians 13 as Paul’s surgical tool. Love is patient and kind, refuses to parade itself, does not keep score, and never rejoices in wrongdoing. Set against the ego’s need to be right or admired, love becomes the only environment where gifts edify and unity thrives. If you’ve ever felt the pull to treat spiritual “bunions” while ignoring your gait, this conversation offers a better path: receive again what you did not earn, let grace reframe success, and choose love over leverage.
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Hey everybody, welcome to another edition of the WoFo Yo podcast. In our last full episode, we were comparing some things between as far as unity in the body between Romans, and then we kind of contrasted that with some of the things going on in First Corinthians. And as I was finishing reading 1 Corinthians, there's 16 chapters, and there was something that popped out that really, as much as I've read 1 Corinthians, which is a lot, this word just jumped out every time. And it's just it's kind of like God going, hey, would you like to see where all the other BS is coming from? That this is the root of that poisonous tree. And so that word in the New King James Version is puff, not puffing on one of them Mary Joanna cigarettes, not puffing on a cigar, not doing any of that other stuff, but puffed up as as far as pride. Right. And looking up some of the little prep work, I looked how many times that is used, and I was made sure I switched it over to the same version I was reading out in the New King James. That that term is used for pride, and it's used six different times in the 16 chapters of 1 Corinthians, but you can see it eluded all throughout. One of the interesting things also about this is especially when you get to going into chapter 12. Now, spiritual giftings, brother, is clearly defined. And everybody wants to make this like this exhaustive list. I don't think that list is exhaustive at all. By no means. And I think if you were to ask the apostle Paul, he would tell you, look, I had to write a letter. This is not exhaustive, it's not limited to these. And I I make that argument all day long because he lists some other spiritual gifts in other letters that are not included in these listed or in uh 1 Corinthians 12. But I've seen more pride in people getting puffed up over their doctrine debating 1 Corinthians 12 over almost any other passage of scripture, especially in the full gospel circles.
SPEAKER_00:One of the things that I found as I was going through this about an hour ago, because you texted me and said, hey, this is this is what we want to look at. One of the things that I found was it can be so easy to read 1 Corinthians and focus on all the symptoms. Uh, because that's really what Paul, as as Paul names these things off, he's talking about immorality, he's talking about divisions, he's talking about marriage, all these things. Um and because of that, it can be very easy to focus on those things and then establish doctrine and and theology uh because of those things. Um really those are all symptoms of what's actually going on, uh, symptoms of a larger problem. But uh our natural way of problem solving is to reverse engineer, and that if I can fix the symptoms or address the symptoms, then I've somehow solved the problem. But uh we'll find that that's just not necessarily the case. And maybe we'll bring it out here in a little bit and show that all these are just simp they're they're symptomatic of other uh larger problems as we go through.
SPEAKER_02:Well, that's the American healthcare industry in a nutshell, is your reverse engineering due to symptoms. You're not addressing the root of the problem. Right. And we've talked about that before, how that was John D. Rockefeller, when they uh when they busted up the all the trust and stuff, he got that thing put in a foundation and basically bought out the medical schools. And all of a sudden they had to use all these petroleum byproducts that had medicinal properties. Man, they started teaching germ theory, and that was the only thing that got taught to like 90% within 10 years. It was 90%, where before they had this thing called marasma that was you know a holistic there's there's more than one cause, and if you can treat the whole body, then a lot of these symptoms will disappear. Oh no, it was treat the symptom, treat the symptom, treat the symptom.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. By treating the symptoms, you'll you'll just find another way to accomplish and and get to where you want to go.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so anyway, we'll pull all that out.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I recall um I had an aunt, great aunt. And I remember this was the first time I've seen it, but I've seen it so many other times. Uh she had bunions. And guess what? She got her bunions cut off. Got them, got them thing, you know, so her shoes fit better, and now her feet didn't hurt. Well, guess what? Within three years of getting those operated on, now her legs operated differently, and it caused undue tensions, and she ended up having to get one knee replaced. Within three years, she's getting another knee replaced. Well, now she's walking different there. So now there's a hip replacement, and now there's some back. There's all this stuff that it's that it's all related. You treated the symptom.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But it's a it's a chain reaction. And we we do that with sin. The bunion was a warning. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:That something else was wrong.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah. And you never addressed the root cause. Right. So we get what this looks like in the body is oh, I have this problem, I have this sin problem, I have that that sin problem, or this this person in the in our local congregation or in my family has this issue that they're struggling with. And so, sure, we're going to pray about that issue. And I just remember that testimony that uh uh brother Dan gave one time. He was talking about, and this is something very open, I'm not putting his business out there, but he was talking about struggling about being called, but yet dealing with pornography. And he said, the Lord showed him after all these years of struggling, and hey, I was you know, I was good. I didn't do this for so long, and and God has to be really happy with me. And the Lord showing him that the route to that had to do with his trusting people and giving, trusting the Lord with giving. He said, I did that, and the next thing you know, it's gone, and I'm delivered. Yeah, he said, that was a symptom. That wasn't the real problem. And we have some other mutual friends that have made, you know, they they've they've notified their their local bodies, and I've I've heard them give that testimony. Um not trying to put too many people's thing out of the street, but they they were struggling with a particular sin, but that sin was just a symptom. There was something else deeper that had to be dealt with. And and so when we try and make a lot of doctrine about, especially this first Corinthian letter, where this church is messing up so bad, but outwardly it looks like it's doing so good, it is so easy to address the symptoms and make doctrines about the symptoms without addressing the whole problem.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Yeah, getting getting so focused on this on the actions, the sinful actions, we fear we forget about the sinful nature that's driving them. Ooh.
SPEAKER_02:And that really that's the heart of the matter right there. Hey, thanks for listening, everybody. It's been a really good podcast. We can we can cut right there and be done. Oh man, low shop. C dub and bones jump the shark in this episode. So being puffed up. You were talking earlier about over in 1 Corinthians, just some of the some of the little things that are in, you know, where they will break down, and some Bibles will have a section, and then they'll have a little highlight over the section, a little summarization. Right. Um, you mentioned First Corinthians chapter one, spiritual gifts at Corinth, sectarianism is sin. Hello. And that's kind of what we were referencing in our last episode. And it talked about Christ, the power and wisdom of God, glory only in the Lord was the last thing that was said. You know, as far as these little in the New King, these little summaries that are out there.
SPEAKER_00:And mine references in the NIV uh divisions in the church, uh, which is that sectarianism, uh, and Christ is the wisdom and power of God. Yep. And that's so yeah. When you when you back away from First Corinthians a little bit, when you back away from it just a little bit, and because it's really easy to focus in verse on verse on verse, but when you back away from it just a little bit and get a summarization, it's a little bit easier to follow sometimes, I think.
SPEAKER_02:The context, we've said this from episode one. We said this from the book context is vital, it's important, it's everything. Uh first mentioning of being puffed up. First Corinthians uh chapter four, verses five through seven. Therefore, judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, who will bring both to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels, the counsels of the heart. Then each one's praise will come from God. Now, these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos. He's talking about I'm a Peter, I'm a Paul, I'm of Apollos, I'm of Christ. And you go Cephas and Paul and Apollos wasn't crucified for you, folks. It was Jesus only. So, verse 6. Now, these things, brethren, I figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, and that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. For who makes you differ from one another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now, if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you have not received it? So what he's saying, you're acting like this is some special revelation to you? He said, No, no, you've received these things.
SPEAKER_01:Right. Right. Yeah, he he talks about uh he talks about however however you were when you were called, uh, remain that way.
SPEAKER_00:Um if you were a slave when you were called, remain a slave. Unless you're set free, then praise God. You know, yeah. Uh and so on and so forth. Um, but he's making the point here that you know that this is all by revelation. This is all by the mercy of God that these things are happening. Um because I think uh you and I talked about this briefly. I think the church at Corinth was just so resource-rich, resource-rich. Yeah. Uh they had believed that they had gotten this way under their own power, uh, their own intellect, uh, their own skill, their own success. And that's a very easy place to come to. Um, you know, we still do it today. Uh a lot of us forget that uh um grace didn't just deliver us from sin, but grace also empowers our success. And boy, I'll tell you what, when you forget that, when you forget that grace is the only reason for your success as a Christian, God will put you in a place uh to remind you of that real quick.
SPEAKER_02:And that is the summary of what Paul brings them back to. Uh again, as I'm reading through this, it's just like this word puffed up, and and I'm and I'm going, oh my gosh, how have I not seen this? You know, I've been reading the Bible pretty intensely for a good while. For a minute, yeah, uh, ever since so it's almost 30 years that I've been like in the Word.
SPEAKER_00:I'll tell you how it happened. Or I'll ask you if this is how it happened. Could it be that we have read 1 Corinthians um in a certain way because that's the way we were guided, that's the way we were trained, that's the way we've heard of it.
SPEAKER_02:That's absolutely it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it is. We had a preconceived notion. That's why we always say, get into the word for yourself.
SPEAKER_02:The word of God is rich. Yep. You can read it on the surface level, and it will bless you. Yep. But as you get more intimate with the author of the word, then you find out that there are some deeper meanings. Yeah. And this is not to be super mystical or anything like that. I will tell you this: there there's times where you can read Paul so much that you almost feel like you know Paul. Yeah. You can read the why do you get in the word for yourself? Because you can read Jesus so much that you become accustomed with what Jesus is saying. You become accustomed with his manner of speaking, with his, I ain't gonna say methodology because Jesus would interrupt methodology.
SPEAKER_00:You get to quite often get to know his character and nature a bit more.
SPEAKER_02:His motives, yeah. And and what his heart is, amen. And all these things that people try and put on Jesus, and you go, you're right, but that is not exclusively it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I give you an example with Paul. Um, and this is why this is why we say sometimes you've got to ask yourself, who told me that? Who told you that? You know, um, and then when you read it again and and it comes out a different way. Paul can be very easy to read and get the idea that he was an authoritarian uh and was all about putting people under some rules uh and until they got it figured out uh and whatnot. But really, Paul was not much of an authoritarian at all. Uh Paul was very, very much uh uh a preacher of grace uh and everything. Matter of fact, he preached a grace so radical that he was accused of uh preaching a uh licentious grace.
SPEAKER_02:Very much so.
SPEAKER_00:So when I see when I read Corinthians, first, especially first Corinthians, and I see this in a different way now. Um actually what I think I see is a softer side of Paul, uh, not a weaker side, but the more loving and gentler nature of Paul that uh that says, Hey, you know, I I love you guys so much, but this is what's going on, and this is what you're doing, and and we got to get back. And it really sets you up when you when you jump into 2nd Corinthians. Because when you jump in Which is full of grace, full of grace, full of love, totally different. And you go, okay, now I can see, I see his motivation, I see the heart behind First Corinthians now. It wasn't just about just do this and don't do that.
SPEAKER_02:Paul is addressing and correcting things, and one of the reasons we're touching on this, just so you know, I was thinking about this on the, you know, we I kind of mentioned before some medical things. And we, you know, you and I talked about symptoms. But one of the reasons I wanted to really discuss this tonight was so that if we see, we mentioned that the Western Church actually looks more like Corinth in 1 Corinthians than it does Laodicea in Revelation. Right. In our current time, especially the bigger churches. Not limited to it, but especially manifest, obviously manifest in a lot of the bigger churches. The thing is, if you can see these symptoms and then understand Paul's diagnosis, then perhaps if you're seeing the same symptoms, you can come and get in the word for yourself and then have the Holy Spirit tell you if maybe there's a similar cause.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Right. This was this reminds me of when I started understanding and seeing the Father in a different light. Once I understood what it meant, what it meant when Jesus said, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. That totally changed my perspective on who God the Father is. Um before that, I had this picture of God the Father as this authoritarian figure uh who is waiting to play whack-a-mole with us uh when we break the commands and stuff like that. And it's easy to come to that. It really is, I do believe. Um but there were it came to a point in time where I don't know, I just came came across that scripture again. One of the one of the many times that I read it, and it finally clicked. Jesus is saying, if you know, if you've seen me, you've seen him, because we are one, and he's never been any different than what Jesus is now. And it just finally clicked. And I'm I'm seeing that here with Paul. Uh there was never there wasn't two sides to Paul, uh, uh as a as a Christian anyway. Um he he was he was firm, fair, and consistent the whole time. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But Paul, the reason he's kind of going hard in the paint to use the modern vernacular. There you go. In 1 Corinthians, is that is not how he established that church. Right. That wasn't his default. This is a correction, and you see it in 2 Corinthians. Okay, I gave you some instructions. Folks, you are acting on those instructions. I hate that I had to do it like that, but praise God that you're being obedient. Right. Because his default was to let the word and let the Holy Spirit and those that have been entrusted, you know, to he's wanting the same to grow organically. Right. But but what happens is the Corinthians, since they were prosperous, they're seeing that, and this is one of those reasons when Jesus made the statement he did about the the the rich man and uh the camel going through the eye of the needle, and it's easier for that to happen than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. This is why they're all shocked, because in Judaism at the time, prosperity was a mark of God's approval. Right. And they're taking it that this is God's this is God's favor to you, but it isn't necessarily his approval, and that comfort that that set in has led them into pride and ego, and every other problem that is happening here at the church in First Corinthians is a result of the ego not being in check. And we'll touch on some of these things, not get a whole bunch into depth, but we're we're going to touch on some of those things and talk about how ego kind of is the root of all that. And that comfort and prosperity really fertilized the ego.
SPEAKER_00:It created a sense of um dependence. I'm sorry, uh independence rather than dependence. And I've seen that in my own life at times. Uh, definitely. Where you know being prosperous and doing well and being successful uh created a sense of independence and totally forgetting that man, you you know you need to be more dependent right now, not independent.
SPEAKER_02:So there was a time, especially when people come up and tell you how much they appreciated you being obedient, sometimes it's easy. For the focus to be on man, I was a blessing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:That feels good. You know, and you don't realize it. It's only by the grace of God that you're able to do that, or else you're going to mess it up. Only by the grace of God. So let's talk about a couple other mentions of being puffed up, and then we'll get into some of the specific things they were doing. 1 Corinthians 4, 17 through 19. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. This is across the board here. Now some are puffed up as though I were not coming to you. Little footnote here in the New King says arrogant. That's what the NIV says is arrogant. So he's saying you're about to see what God's seal of approval really looks like.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, the NIV uses the word arrogant. And that's exactly what popped out to me as I was reading this earlier. So I was I was uh I was surprised, but not surprised when you when you started telling me about uh about Puff and Puffed Up being being the keynote.
SPEAKER_02:I started thinking about that stupid cartoon that used to be when the kids were little, the old SpongeBob, they had the driving instructor, Mrs. Puff. Oh, SpongeBob, why? Or some preacher right now having a denying quivers because it mentioned SpongeBob and don't you know all the things that are referenced in SpongeBob? No, I don't dig that deep into it. It was time with the kids.
SPEAKER_01:I'm not wired that way. Yeah. It's because all Freemasons drive Mazdas.
SPEAKER_02:First Corinthians 5, 1 through 3. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you. And such sexual immorality is not even named among the Gentiles that a man has his father's wife, and you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned that he who has done this deed might be taken away from from among you. For indeed, as absent in the body but present in the spirit, I've already judged as though I were present him who has so done this deed. He said, The reason you're tolerating this is because you are arrogant. Yeah. Your ego has made you arrogant because you think you are so spiritual and you are so compassionate, that now you're going to approve of something that God disapproves of.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you're you're giving high fives and fist bumps.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you you know better than God.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Probably talking about how good it is. Yeah, see, they're doing this, but even they are not this is really the grace of God right here. The NIV says that uh that's the kind of things that does not occur even among the pagans. Uh that's pretty that's pretty harsh.
SPEAKER_02:The sinners ain't getting down like this. Yeah. So you're seeing this uh, well, the celebrating of every alternative lifestyle and every kind of perversion and all this stuff, and and especially among those that were once on fire denominations, and now they're bringing all the perversion into the church to celebrate it, and putting it, and not just celebrating it amongst adults, but putting it in front of their kids. Right.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:They're arrogant, they're puffed up, and they think they know better than you. And all you have to do is quote some word, and they will tell you how wrong you are, and how that's not the right spirit, because all of a sudden they just know better because they're good people. And here comes the virtue signaling. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Many of them have have educations, um, advanced degrees and whatnot. And the problem is that um the things of God, those spiritual things, just they don't resonate uh in in the brain. Um that's that's not where they that's not where they resonate. They land deeper in in the spirit. Um, once again, the the mind, willing emotions has no capacity, faith, and just can't just can't receive the things of God. Um so it's it's a good indicator that someone is operating in the soulish uh realm when when when you see that kind of behavior. Uh so yeah, watch out, man. Just just because you're just because you got an education don't make you smart.
SPEAKER_02:Amen. I I believe I mentioned this before. My freshman year I went down to Tulane University. It was a top 25 university. You know, it's always on that border between like 23 and 27 and stuff back then. And so here it is. Some people called it the Harvard of the South. I went there one year and ended up transferring out. And uh I I just mismanaged my time super bad. Once I got to another college, I found out that those classes weren't that hard. They were the same intensity as far as academically challenging, but it was time management, and I was pissed poor at it, and that's that's why I ended up on that academic probation and transferred out. That's a major reason of it. It was just being immature. So you're ever going to send these kids to get a learning at 18 years old and wonder why things get so messed up. Well, this is C dub. This is not the Lord. I think if you're able-bodied, able-minded, you ought to go in the military for two years and then come back and get a college education after having experienced some real world scenarios.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you you might even find out that uh you don't want college after that.
SPEAKER_02:Your your your professors, a lot of them are just full of it. They they've never had any experience out there in the world. They can't they can't function out there, a lot of them.
SPEAKER_00:It's uh it's a wild thing to entrust uh an eighty thousand dollar, maybe a hundred thousand dollar education to an 18-year-old.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Uh you wouldn't you wouldn't entrust a hundred thousand dollar car to uh to an 18-year-old. Uh I don't think any any of us would, any people that we know.
SPEAKER_02:Um what about a$10 million tank? Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. We're gonna have some training before we do that, though.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. Yeah, because uh there's a guy I work with uh and had a little scenario about he said, you try and keep me on a chain. He said, he wasn't talking about me, he's just talking about the job. Right. And they were trying to you had some folks that hadn't been there and hadn't done that were trying to judge his actions.
SPEAKER_00:Been there.
SPEAKER_02:That that he was definitely in the right in doing. And I will say that no matter who it offends, no matter which friends of mind it offends. Uh, he was right. Y'all were wrong, but the bottom line was he knew the rules better than you. And if you try and press on him, he's gonna win and you're gonna look bad. He said, Do you know how many, do you know how many top secret levels of clearance that I have just to work on a$10 million tank? Yeah. He said, get out of here. You know, and he wondered why why everybody was, well, he's not drinking the Kool-Aid. Well, you know, but when and the same thing would happen to, you know, uh regarding college when you've been there and done that. And I will tell you this that when I was in college, uh that freshman year, what really stood out was all the veterans that went there had an appreciation of what was being made available to them and took the fullest advantage of it. But they also had this guy, I mentioned, you know, education and nice smart. They had this dude who was a road scholar. He was featured on the magazine that they send you when you, you know, apply, and this guy's a road scholar, and he's going there, and sure enough, first week, man, I'm walking, he's over by the student center, and I'm going, This is the genius. This dude is walking, he's standing there, and he can't walk and chew bubblegum at the same time. It's all it's all brain power, but there's no common sense to this dude. Yeah. I'm like, what in the world? But this is the guy that's featured, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:You know, uh won't say any names, but you and you and I went to school and knew a guy that was a certified genius, had to create classes for the guy.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But his brain was so smart he had trouble driving. Yeah. I know this because he ended up in our field. We had to get him out when he was learning how to drive. Because he couldn't turn the wheel.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:He got thinking. He he overthought, overthought. Now, when he went to college and when he became an attorney, outstanding.
SPEAKER_00:You know, and do doing big things now.
SPEAKER_02:And he is, and and and proud of him, but we still ain't gonna say his name just because we don't want him catching no heat. That's right. You know, uh and great family too.
SPEAKER_00:And and to his credit, he's a wonderful human being.
SPEAKER_02:He is, and he, you know, I don't man, I haven't seen him in 20 years. Every time he he he's doing all these things, he's an up-and-comer. Every time he was back in town, and I would come across him, he was cordial, he was happy to see me, he didn't look down, you know, and he was that way, he is that way with everybody. Yeah, sure is. So, but but these uh but I ain't letting him drive me to the grocery store.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I I'll keep the keys. But but these overeducated, uh, you know, arrogant folks that we see here at Corinth, um, especially here in chapter four, verse 14 and 15, I think. This is one thing you you've heard me say that uh that there's uh I've seen more people more interested in managing my faith than they are growing my faith. And this is kind of where this came from. Uh, I'm not willing to shame I'm I'm not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children, even though you have 10,000 guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I became your father to the gospel. Uh I felt like that at one point in time. I had a lot of people that wanted to be my guardian, but not too many people that wanted to, you know, wanted to be my father in Christ.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, didn't want to be a mentor.
SPEAKER_00:But Big Frank was one.
SPEAKER_02:The definitely. Yeah. And we weren't seeking that. Nope. But that's what we needed for the time.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. But now all these people, and these were folks who had uh degrees, uh, some had advanced degrees, some had been to seminary. Um, but that's all they ever could have been was was guardians.
SPEAKER_02:The best the best they could do was teach you how to be good cogs in the machine.
SPEAKER_00:Yep. Yep. So just be careful. That's all.
SPEAKER_02:Yep. Chapter eight, verses one through three. And I'm gonna relate this back to what we just got through discussing with the sexual immorality that was being celebrated because Paul directly contradicts the terms that they use. Yep. Now, concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies or builds up. Right. Knowledge makes let me read the the little notes on here. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love builds up. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him. So his relationship. But what what he's saying is well, the when when you have the modern church that is pushing and celebrating and talking about how tolerant they are and see how much we love. And Paul is saying bullshit. That is not love, that is ego and arrogance. Yeah. You're building up the other person's ego rather than helping to build their relationship with God.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you're stroking the ego here. Uh I had labeled this chapter, uh, I labeled quite a few chapters, but I labeled this one here as uh oppression with knowledge, pressed by oppressed by knowledge. Um, and it's very easy to do that uh to somebody to to kind of keep them down because you're you're smarter than they are. Um that's kind of what was going on here is the folks who uh you know they thought they were smarter, thought that they uh that they were being more spiritual and everything because uh and they're in this case they were just using, you know, the uh you know the sacrificing to idols and stuff like that as an example. Um, but you see that sometimes. Um and you'll you'll recognize it in things when people say, Well, I do this, I do that. Okay, it's that virtue signal virtue signaling that uh is gonna basically try to one up whatever you're trying, whatever point you're trying to get across. The one-uppers. Um, but it's a way it's a it's kind of a narcissistic way of them saying that, well, I see what you do, but I my my way's better because I'm because I'm smarter. But it's a it's a way of keeping you oppressed. They're not trying to teach you, uh, they're not trying to pass on education, they're just simply trying to keep you down and to push you back down where you came from.
SPEAKER_02:Chapter 13. I'm just gonna read the whole thing because that's the shortest chapter in First Corinthians.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:But this is this is the best contrast ever. Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I become a sounding brass and a clinging symbol. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, as though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but I have not love. I am nothing. And though I could bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails. But whether where there are prophecies, they will fail. Whether there are tongues, they will cease, whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, and understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just I as I also am known, and now abide faith, hope, and love, these three. But the greatest of these is love. Right. So he's saying the count the way to counteract this is love. Oh man, who else said that? Oh, it might have been Jesus. Might have been. Sum up the law. Oh, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your might. Love your neighbor as yourself. For on these two hangs all the law and the prophets, on these two commandments.
SPEAKER_00:It was in Revelation where um talking to the seven churches, it was the church at Ephesus where Jesus talks about uh I know your work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, all those things. He says, Yet I hold this against you that you have forsaken your first love. And I see a similar concept here. You know, in that uh yeah, you've you've done well in this, that, and the other, but it it's the falling away from love uh that that's getting you. So yeah, Paul Paul really I like the way Paul brings this out. I like the way that Paul says not only does love do this, but love does not do this. Uh I've used this several times to remind myself before I open my mouth to my wife. Um love does not keep score. So don't remind your wife of the of what you've done for her or what she's done against you. You know, several things like that. Um it's a good way of uh reminding yourself that uh sometimes it's not always easy to see what love is, but it's pretty easy to see what love ain't.
unknown:Yep.
SPEAKER_02:Amen. Hey everybody, thanks for listening. We're going to continue this conversation on our next episode. You can always check us out at wofoyo.org or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Audible, or check us out on YouTube. Remember, folks, if you're gonna grow, you gotta WoFo Yo. Get in the word for yourself.