In 2 Cor. 9:12-14, who is the ‘all’ he is speaking about in verse 13 when he says that the liberality of your contribution is given to them and to ‘all’?

Sincerely,
All Confused

Dear All Confused,

2 Corinthians 9 is discussing the kind and generous giving of the christians from Corinth.  Paul had requested that the congregations in Galatia, Macedonia, and Achaia take up a collection for the needy christians in Judea (1 Cor 16:1-5).  Paul was hoping that the Corinthians would stand by their promise to give liberally to the needy saints.  Paul reminded them to be cheerful givers (2 Cor 9:5-8).  He spent the rest of chapter nine exhorting them that their gift would do much good and bring glory to God (2 Cor 9:10-12).  The ‘all’ referred to in 2 Cor 9:13 is in reference to how the Judean christians would give thanks for the much-needed financial relief and also glorify God for the good that was done by the Corinthian church to ‘all’ the needy saints – not just those in Judea.  Since the Corinthians behaved with such brotherly kindness to the once-despised Jews (Corinth was a primarily Gentile congregation), they would not likely refuse to do good to ‘all’ needy saints.

Hi, I like to workout and build muscle, but I also know that God should be first in our lives.  I sometimes feel that I'm wrong in working out to gain muscle and size, but I don't let it get in the way of going to church and praying and everything else that God wants us to do.  I always put Him first.  Well, my question is: is it wrong to spend money and time on this if it's not right in God’s eyes, and also, the other part to this is that I eat many small meals a day to keep my metabolism up, and I eat healthy, but I'm not sure if that's right to do either.  I'm not sure if that is gluttony or not.  My main thing is I like to look good because I feel better, and I enjoy working out.  I don't do it because it's cool, or I'll look hot.  I guess you can say it's my hobby; I just enjoy it.

Sincerely,
Ripped

Dear Ripped,

There is nothing wrong with working out and exercising as long as you keep it in proper perspective – which it sounds like you are doing.  The apostle Paul even mentions that there is a benefit to physical exercise.  In 1 Tim 4:8, Paul makes it clear that bodily exercise does have its benefits but that those benefits pale in comparison to spiritual things.  There is nothing wrong with working out as a hobby and as part of a healthy lifestyle.

As far as your eating habits, they aren’t gluttonous.  Gluttony is the act of excessive eating.  You are doing the opposite!  You are controlling your portions for the purpose of controlled living.  It sounds like you are making good choices and keeping your priorities in order.

What kind of food is holy to eat?

Sincerely,
Looking For Lunch

Dear Looking For Lunch,

Under the New Covenant, all food is clean.  God sent Peter a vision of unclean beasts and told Peter to “kill and eat” (Acts 10:13).  Peter told God that he would never eat anything unclean (Acts 10:14), and God informed Peter that He had cleansed all meat (Acts 10:15).  Jesus also specifically said that all food is clean in the New Testament (Mk 7:19).

Later on, the apostle Paul reiterates this idea and says that all meat is clean unless it offends your conscience (Rom 14:20).  So, feel free to eat pork, rattlesnake (if you dare), and clams without fear of sin.

What do I do if I need to play a sport to go to college, but my sport interferes with church?

Sincerely,
Athletically Inclined

Dear Athletically Inclined,

Not attending services for four years while you are at a university isn’t an option; that definitely would fall under the category of forsaking the assembly (Heb 10:24-25).  However, there are other options at your disposal.  Some things to consider:

1. You don’t need to play a sport to go to college.  Many faithful christians have paid their way through college without any problems.  If you can get a scholarship, wonderful… but don’t paint yourself into a corner by thinking that a sports scholarship is your only option for a college education.
2. Many other christians have faced this same predicament and have found ways to make arrangements.  We even know of one former professional baseball player that made arrangements to never pitch on Sundays.  It isn’t necessarily an all-or-nothing arrangement.  Take it one day at a time (Matt 6:34), and don’t be afraid to stand your ground and negotiate – you never know what options might present themselves.
3. This is an issue of wisdom, and anytime that you need to make wise decisions, it is a good idea to surround yourself with wise people.  There is safety in the multitude of counselors (Pr 11:14).  Make sure that before you make any big decisions, you ask advice from good, moral, and wise people.

At the end of the day, you have options.  We wish you the very best as you try and prioritize spiritual things in a physical world.

At our Wednesday evening services, one young lady, the daughter of a very prominent member, announced that she was going to attend a skiing party over the weekend and that they would be having services conducted by another woman in the cabin in the mountains.  Her father approves of this type of situation and has himself gone off in like manner.  They have a lot of influence with the other members, and so no one will stand up to them.  Our preacher said that he will not interrupt his schedule to deal with this trifle because "it is not bad enough".  But he agrees that it should not be done.  What should I do?

Sincerely,
At The Bottom Of The Slope

Dear At The Bottom Of The Slope,

You should do exactly what everyone else is doing – nothing.  Some issues are clear-cut and deserve to be dealt with publicly and swiftly, but this is not one of them.  If you asked a hundred faithful christians what the best way to worship is when you are away on vacation, you will get one hundred different opinions.  Some will say you can’t go on vacation somewhere that doesn’t have a faithful congregation, others (like this family) cite Matt 18:20 as proof that it is appropriate to hold your own temporary services while away, and still others say that a vacation constitutes such a rare circumstance that it isn’t important to attend at all.  Those are three opinions that cover the entire spectrum of thought on the subject of vacation church attendance.  The truth is that the Bible is never specific on this issue.  God tells us that whenever we run into an issue of opinion, we should decide for ourselves and leave others to do the same (Rom 14:10-13).  Leave the final judgment to God and don’t allow an issue of opinion and personal judgment to cause strife among the Lord’s people (Rom 14:19).