Day 7/13 – Biblical Relationships

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
Biblical Relationships
Day One Hundred Ninety-four

“Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to edify him.” Romans 15:2

The Bible deals with relationships. All human relationships have as their goal the glory of God. It seems to me that there are five possible relationships: First, a Christian with a Christian with Christ at the center. Second, a Christian with a non-Christian with Christ as the center. Third, a non-Christian with a non¬ Christian. Fourth, a Christian with a Christian where Christ isn’t central. Fifth, a Christian with a non-Christian where Christ isn’t central.

The object in the first is edification, and in the second evangelism. The Bible does not deal with relationships number three through five; it knows nothing of people relating to one another with no thought of God. The only valid relationships you have in life are those where Christ is the center, not business, and not sports.

You learn to glorify God by how you relate to others: with your wife by loving her, with you employer by obeying him, with your parents by honoring them, etc. All relationships have as their goal either the person coming into a saving relationship with the Jesus, or the person growing in his love and commitment to the Savior. If your relationship with others does not center on evangelism and edification, you are acting contrary to God’s intent for your life.

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Psalm 7-9 Acts 18 (New King James Version)

Psalm 7-9
Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
A Meditation[a] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
7
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
2
Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3
O Lord my God, if I have done this:
If there is iniquity in my hands,
4
If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
5
Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah
6
Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
Rise up [b]for me to the judgment You have commanded!
7
So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
8
The Lord shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.
9
Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and [c]minds.
10
[d]My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
11
God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
12
If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
13
He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
14
Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
15
He made a pit and dug it out,
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
16
His trouble shall return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down on [e]his own crown.
17
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
The Glory of the Lord in Creation
To the Chief Musician. [f]On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David.
8
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
2
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have [g]ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
3
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit[h] him?
5
For You have made him a little lower than [i]the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7
All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8
The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
9
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Righteous Judgments
To the Chief Musician. To the tune of [j]“Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.
9
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
2
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
3
When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
4
For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
5
You have rebuked the [k]nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6
O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
7
But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
8
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
9
The Lord also will be a refuge[l] for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
10
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
11
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
12
When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the [m]humble.
13
Have mercy on me, O Lord!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
14
That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of [n]the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.
15
The [o]nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
16
The Lord is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Meditation.[p] Selah
17
The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the [q]nations that forget God.
18
For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.
19
Arise, O Lord,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the [r]nations be judged in Your sight.
20
Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the [s]nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah
Footnotes:
• Psalm 7:1 Heb. Shiggaion
• Psalm 7:6 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX O Lord my God
• Psalm 7:9 Lit. kidneys, the most secret part of man
• Psalm 7:10 Lit. My shield is upon God
• Psalm 7:16 The crown of his own head
• Psalm 8:1 Heb. Al Gittith
• Psalm 8:2 established
• Psalm 8:4 give attention to or care for
• Psalm 8:5 Heb. Elohim, God; LXX, Syr., Tg., Jewish tradition angels
• Psalm 9:1 Heb. Muth Labben
• Psalm 9:5 Gentiles
• Psalm 9:9 Lit. secure height
• Psalm 9:12 afflicted
• Psalm 9:14 Jerusalem
• Psalm 9:15 Gentiles
• Psalm 9:16 Heb. Higgaion
• Psalm 9:17 Gentiles
• Psalm 9:19 Gentiles
• Psalm 9:20 Gentiles

Acts 18
Ministering at Corinth
18 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled [a]by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. 6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named [b]Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.
9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12 When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the [c]judgment seat, 13 saying, “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”
14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. 15 But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.” 16 And he drove them from the judgment seat. 17 Then [d]all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.
Paul Returns to Antioch
18 So Paul still remained [e]a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. 19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, 21 but took leave of them, saying, “I[f] must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.
22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and [g]gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. 23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia [h]in order, strengthening all the disciples.
Ministry of Apollos
24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
Footnotes:
• Acts 18:5 Or in his spirit or in the Spirit
• Acts 18:7 NU Titius Justus
• Acts 18:12 Gr. bema
• Acts 18:17 NU they all
• Acts 18:18 Lit. many days
• Acts 18:21 NU omits I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem
• Acts 18:22 To Jerusalem
• Acts 18:23 successively