. iv. "Love is patient, love is kind" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) is a favorite Bible verse about love.It is used often in Christian wedding ceremonies.In this famous passage, the Apostle Paul describes 15 characteristics of love to the believers in the church at Corinth.With deep concern for the unity of the church, Paul focuses on various aspects of love between brothers and sisters in the body of . Enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and in all knowledge, : This was the effect of grace in the life of the Corinthian Christians. Pauls third proof for the resurrection in this section is also compelling. i. Paul had an extensive history of contact with the city of Corinth, beginning with when he established the church in Corinth, coming there after Athens and staying a year and a half (Acts 18). Paul thought carefully about this letter. . Verse 3. How bad was crucifixion? ii. , and therefore an enemy we need not fear. The plain fact is that Paul did not know when these events would take place, and nowhere does he claim to know. i. i. : God was at His most foolish and very weakest at the cross, but it was infinitely wiser and stronger than anything man could do. A, iv. The actual Corinthian factions may have centered around people in the congregation, not the different apostles who ministered to them. iii. Ironside says that the last trumpet was a figure of speech that came from the Roman military, when they broke camp. d. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory: Some take this to mean there will be different degrees of glory for believers in heaven. Perhaps this same Sosthenes in Acts 18:17 is now with Paul, so Paul calls attention to the man with him whom the Corinthian Christians would know: Sosthenes our brother. 1 Corinthians 4 - Bible Study Tools 1 Corinthians 1:14-17 INTRODUCTION 1. a. Jesus, who became for us wisdom: Jesus perfectly shows us, in His teaching and life, Gods wisdom. But someone will say, How are the dead raised up? Even in his introduction, Paul thinks about the critical issues he needs to communicate to the Corinthian Christians. This also demonstrates Jesus credibility, because He proclaimed He would rise three days after His death (Matthew 16:21, 17:23, 20:19). i. vi. Paul praises God for their positives, and expresses confidence that God will take care of their weak points, and confirm them to the end, so that they would be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, we learn something just from the meaning of the ancient Greek word . This is proving himself the servant of Christ. Conceivably, if Paul had not worked as hard as he did, the grace of God would still have been given to him, but in some measure it would be given. The bottom line is this: is the church influencing the city, or is the city influencing the church? Grace means that God gives freely, for His own reasons. Yet, these positives were no great credit to the Corinthian Christians themselves. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.". He is happy to do it in this way, which offends the height of human wisdom. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. When we understand what Paul meant when he wrote, , If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable, , then we understand what a difficult life Paul lived. 1 Co 1:14-17 a. Everything good the Corinthian Christians have from God has come to them by. They could not have known this unless God revealed it to them. He gives thanks for their conversion to the faith of Christ; that grace was given them by Jesus Christ. Sixth, live in such a manner that you would not be ashamed to die at any moment. This is not some side doctrine, to be believed if one likes it. Jesus: The given name of the son of Mary, and adopted son of Joseph, which is the Greek pronunciation of Joshua. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changedin a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits. Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. Cephas is the Aramaic word for Peter. The term, (someplace bad). And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? ii. 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. Commentary on 1 Corinthians 15:1-26, 51-57 - Working Preacher through the pride and cleverness of men! ii. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. In fact, he makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 15:11 that they, i. I. They were not looking for the, : The Greek culture valued the pursuit of wisdom, usually expressed in high, academic, philosophical terms. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Believers in Palestine are described this way (1 Corinthians 15:9), as well as the church at large (1 Corinthians 10:31-32). Enduring Word Info Though the idea of glorying in the death of a Savior seems foolishness to the world, it is salvation to those who will believe. The Corinthians were, ii. a. 1 Corinthians 15 In this chapter the apostle treats of that great article of Christianitythe resurrection of the dead. 2. But how we receive grace will help to determine how effective the gift of grace is. Chuck Smith points to a grammatical construction that would be different if this trumpet were the trumpet of Revelation 11. iii. If there is no resurrection, then there is no future judgment to consider. iii. Famous athletic contests known as the, iii. Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother. To remain willfully ignorant of the truth is sin. : In Pauls day, the Jewish world was looking for a, . Even if this is the case, the picture fits. c. You do not sow that body that shall be God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body: When you plant a wheat seed, a big wheat seed does not come up. Paul uses this exact phrase five other times in the New Testament. Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 - Working Preacher Significantly, in the gospels, Jesus brothers are hostile to Him and His mission (John 7:3-5). When Paul explained it like this, it shows how foolish it is to focus on anyone but Jesus. 4. : Its hard to understand what our resurrection bodies will be like, so Paul will use, Raised in incorruption raised in glory raised in power. 1. Instead, a stalk of wheat grows. Paul says, Go ask these people who saw the resurrected Jesus. So, even though our resurrection bodies come from our present bodies, we should not expect that they will be the same bodies or just improved bodies. : Instead of giving the Jews and Greeks what they demanded in deliverance and wisdom, God gave them something unexpected: a crucified Messiah. For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Rather, He is saying that the worlds wisdom and education does not bring us salvation in Jesus Christ. Paul shows how the resurrection of Jesus not only proves His own resurrection, but it proves the, If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. They did not value the wisdom expressed in, i. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. c. Enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and in all knowledge: This was the effect of grace in the life of the Corinthian Christians. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind - Verse by Verse Analysis - Learn Religions But though this text doth not prove the general resurrection, (being only intended of believers, that are members of Christ,) yet it doth not oppose it. : Jesus perfectly shows us, in His teaching and life, Gods wisdom. Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . It wasnt so much that they thought Apollos was great, but that. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. They, iii. We might also think saying called saints is mere flattery, Pauls way of preparing them for coming rebuke. Get Prayer Requests and Updates from David Guzik . This was in constant use, because seamen were thus enabled to avoid sailing round the dangerous promontory of Malea. (Vincent) Sailors wanted to avoid the dangerous journey around Malea, which was indicated by two popular proverbs: Let him who sails around Malea forget his home, and Let him who sails around Malea first make his will. If the ship was too large to be dragged, the cargo was unloaded and loaded onto another ship on the other side of the isthmus. Crispus is likely mentioned in Acts 18:8, Gaius in Romans 16:23. b. I thank God Christ did not send me to baptize: For Paul, preaching was more important than baptizing, though he was certainly not opposed to baptism. Subscribe * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name Phone Number Get Prayer Requests and Updates from David Guzik While therefore it is unscriptural to make baptism essential to salvation or a certain means of regeneration, it is nevertheless a dangerous act of disobedience to undervalue or neglect it. (Hodge). Jesus is both their Lord and our Lord, and because they share a common Lord, they share an essential unity. But largely, the smarter one sees himself, the less regard he has for God. The expression means that he was public in his trials, and that this was exhibited to the universe. : Here, Paul refers to God the Sons desire to glorify God the Father through all eternity. ! Of course, Paul did baptize a few in Corinth. Are they lying in the grave, in some kind of soul sleep or suspended animation? We should work hard in everything now, working for the Lord, because right now counts forever! When Paul explained it like this, it shows how foolish it is to focus on anyone but Jesus. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world: Looking again at the Corinthians, Paul can say you arent wise according to the world, you arent mighty, you arent noble but you are among the foolish things of the world.. Understanding the tension between the, Those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called, : Paul continued his description of the Corinthian Christians. iv. The Apostle Paul spent eighteen months there on his Second Missionary Journey and established a church there. Note Paul's words: "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel." - 1 Co 1:17 b. Paul writes this letter from Ephesus, where these people from Chloes household visited and told him about the condition of the the Corinthian church. c. We preach Christ crucified: Instead of giving the Jews and Greeks what they demanded in deliverance and wisdom, God gave them something unexpected: a crucified Messiah. Fourth, every day seriously test your hope and experience. This Pauline letter is one of earliest writings in the New Testament, alongside his Thessalonian correspondence. Sunday School - PITWM ii. For those who are not in Jesus Christ, death still has its sting. He did not or will not rise at some general resurrection of the dead. The path for Gods glory is Christ crucified; the evidence of Gods glory is His choice of the lowly. Before that he served as director and teacher at Calvary Chapel Bible College, Germany, following more than 20 years of pastoral ministry. His replacement was a man named Sosthenes, who was beaten by the Roman officials in a bit of anti-Semitic backlash against the Jews who tried to persecute Paul. The first trumpet meant, strike the tents and prepare to leave; the second trumpet meant, fall into line; the third and. There is much in 1 Corinthians that is unflattering to the Christians of Corinth. c. He who glories, let him glory in the LORD: Paul uses this reference to Jeremiah 9:23-24 to show that God did it all this way so that God would get the glory. : If the Corinthian Christians did not continue to, , one day they might let go of the gospel. The ivy kept growing, and one could soon only read, . Were the ones really right with God!, iv. ii. ii. It is important to understand that when Paul says, . As Paul said to Agrippa in Acts 26:8, Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? It is a vain inquiry here, whether he means good or bad angels. Christ has obtained a victory over the law; he has stopped its mouth, and answered all its demands; he has been made under, and subject to it; he has obeyed its precepts, and bore its penalty, and has delivered his from the curse and condemnation of it, so that they have nothing to fear from it; it is dead to them, and they to that: he has also A truly Christian minister will seek much more to do spiritual good to men's souls, than to get the greatest applause to himself. describes the Christians marching orders at the rapture of the Church. Not with the, Lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect, . figuratively, in reference to his violent and wild human opponents (as he faced at Ephesus in Acts 19:21-41). Flesh and blood, in this context, means our present bodies. Jesus resurrection body was not a pure spirit body, but a material body described as flesh and bones (Luke 24:39) instead of flesh and blood. Later, in 2 Corinthians 6:1, Paul pleads that we might not receive the grace of God in vain: : Paul compares himself to the other apostles. He can be confident because God is faithful. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. But because of all the time Paul spent in Corinth, and all the letters he wrote them, we know more about the Christians at Corinth than we know about any other church in the New Testament. It is the heart shown in God when it is said of the Lord, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance ( 2 Peter 3:9 ). Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. b. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul: Even more foolish than dividing Jesus is to center parties in the church around men. d. Is Christ divided? The ancient Egyptians, at the end of a big banquet, often escorted a wooden image of a man in a coffin around the tables, telling people to have a good time now, because youll be dead sooner than you think. How can Paul be confident of this when the Corinthian church has so many problems? Probably, Sosthenes was Pauls scribe (or, more technically, his amanuensis). Death is swallowed up in victory: A resurrected body is not a resuscitated corpse. If you are an unbeliever, death is not your friend; it is your enemy. A thousand times no. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. So, preaching a high moral standard is not preaching the gospel, preaching the universal fatherhood of God is not preaching the gospel, and preaching the universal brotherhood of man is not preaching the gospel. Specifically, they wanted the sign of a miraculous Messianic deliverance. In the ancient culture of Paul, a letter began with writing who the letter is from, and then stating who the letter is to. Enduring Word Bible Commentary 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 He is the One who has called them into the fellowship of His Son, so He is the One who will confirm them to the end and present them blameless. 1 Corinthians 1 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (concise) - Christianity 1 Corinthians 15:20-58 - The Glory of the Resurrection - Enduring Word Paul then received reports from people in Chloes household about disturbances in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:11); and he may have received a delegation from Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:7) who brought him questions from the congregation (1 Corinthians 7:1). to travel between Ephesus and Corinth. Grace is always first, peace always second. They are saints together, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. No one was present in the tomb with Him when His body transformed into a resurrection body. Secondly, it was right and proper for Paul to live as if the coming of Jesus was imminent, though he did not in fact know when Jesus would return. a. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching, If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, : If there is no resurrection, then Jesus is not risen, and Paul and the other apostles have preached. He is. We are not told much about this visit, but we can assume there was some special need for comfort and restoration in Peter that Jesus ministered to. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing: To those who reject the salvation of the cross, the idea of being saved through the work of a crucified man is foolish. 1. 3. a. Like the biblical revelation itself, his argument begins with God the creator of all and ends with God the judge of all The speech as it stands admirably summarizes an introductory lesson in Christianity for cultured pagans. (Bruce, in his commentary on Acts) At the same time, it is not unreasonable to think that Paul came from the intellectual environment of Athens, to the open wickedness of Corinth, with a renewed passion to preach the gospel plainly and without compromise. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. It was common in the ancient world to dictate a letter to a scribe who would write it all down. We are fools for Christ's sake; such in common account, and we are well content to be so accounted. First, every day carefully consider the certainty of death. iii. a. 1 Corinthians 3 - Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible - Bible 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 - Sermon Writer For the unbeliever, this life alone gives them any chance at pleasure, and whatever happiness they can find now is all the happiness they will ever know. Were the ones really right with God!, vi. This is a question Paul doesnt really answer in the following verses, because the answer is obvious. The Corinthian Christians were indeed gifted, yet carnal. It is significant that often the most educated people have the least regard for God. We are no longer subject to the penalty of the law (death), and we are set free from sin. Paul quotes from an ancient, secular comedy play, Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God, : For Christians to resist Gods process of transformation by the renewing of our minds is to neglect the knowledge of God. in the gospel. But death is an enemy nonetheless. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul. Click on the different category headings to find out more. v. It is possible there was not an actual Paul Party or Apollos Party or Peter Party or Jesus Party at Corinth. Thy teeth are broken, oh old lion, wherefore should I fear thee? i. He had the right, and the authority, to command the Corinthian Christians in these matters. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. i. And with what body do they come?. (Messiah) meant power, splendor, and triumph. Specifically, they wanted the sign of a miraculous Messianic deliverance. Not with the wisdom of words, which can be translated cleverness of speaking. The ivy kept growing, and one could soon only read, we preach. ? (1) The sin of an unnamed Christian in Corinth. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body" (15:42-44). God has called the weak and ignorant first, but not exclusively; shepherds first, then wise men; fishermen first, then the educated (like Paul, who was himself an educated man). 3. One day, students in one of Albert Einsteins classes were saying they had decided that there was no God. Thou lookest like a dragon, but thy sting is gone. Enduring Word Bible Commentary 1 Corinthians 2. i. Surely, Paul remembered his converts, but the issue of baptism, though important, was not as important to Paul. ii. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. b. But Paul meant it. 3. (5-8) Concrete evidence of Jesus resurrection. i. The unspiritual, worldly conduct of the Corinthians . If the cross is the, iv. The problem is addressed. AND YOUR POINT, PAUL? The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. In the Septuagint it is one of the words used to denote the people of Israel in their religious character as Yahwehs assembly. (Bruce in his. Enduring Word Bible Commentary 1 Corinthians Chapter 5 : In the wording of the ancient Greek, it is even stronger: : Paul says our bodies are like seeds which grow into resurrection bodies. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Now I say this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ. Is Christ divided? PDF The First Epistle To The Corinthians - Executable Outlines has Old Testament associations, especially in the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament). In this emphasis on Jesus, Paul promotes the sure cure for the problems of the Corinthians: getting your eyes off self and on Jesus. It is as if he says, You all may not recognize my apostolic credentials. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. It is one thing to prefer one minister to another, but we cannot divide into cliques behind one minister or another. (33-34) Knowing the truth about our resurrection should affect the way we live. b. Love suffers long: Love will endure a long time. He was not shy about saying he worked harder than any of the other apostles did. The righteous are put into their graves all weary and worn; but as such they will not rise. Paul knows that he is not one of the twelve apostles, but he is on par with them because, like them, he is chosen by God. (Robertson), An apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, : With this, Paul emphasizes his point and already begins contending with the Christians of Corinth.