enduring word 1 corinthians 15rok aoe commanders
He can be confident because God is faithful. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. b. Greeks seek after wisdom: The Greek culture valued the pursuit of wisdom, usually expressed in high, academic, philosophical terms. Copyright - Enduring Word | . It is a mysterious passage, and there have been more than thirty different attempts to interpret it. To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Aramaic is the language that Jesus spoke. iv. The work of God in the Corinthian Christians could be seen by, iii. Remove this, and all our hopes for eternity sink at once. figuratively, in reference to his violent and wild human opponents (as he faced at Ephesus in Acts 19:21-41). This chapter falls logically into two divisions having reference to fellow-laborers in God's field (1 Corinthians 3:1-9 a), and to fellow-workers in God's building (1 Corinthians 3:9b-17), with a short summary and recapitulation of the apostle's argument in the epistle to this point (1 Corinthians 3:18-23).THE FIELD. What of the dead in Christ before that day? They are shown to have, at times, morality problems, doctrine problems, church government problems, spiritual gift problems, church service problems, and authority problems. Paul writes this letter from Ephesus, where these people from Chloes household visited and told him about the condition of the the Corinthian church. Each of us is definitely moving in one of those two directions. We dont find freedom by focusing on ourselves, because Jesus became for us redemption. We are following in the footsteps of no one less than Jesus Himself. Paul made it clear that to be, ? It is a vain inquiry here, whether he means good or bad angels. The Romans destroyed Corinth in 146 B.C., but Julius Caesar rebuilt the city a hundred years later. But in the first century, saying, is foolishness to those who are perishing, To us who are being saved it is the power of God, : Though it is a strange message, and regarded as foolish by the perishing, to those who trust in it and are, in the preaching of the true gospel, when it is received with faith. ii. It was bad enough that these associations had affected their thinking on an important matter like the resurrection, but this evil company could corrupt far more. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. : We dont often think of the burial of Jesus as part of the gospel, but it is. b. Instead of being torn apart, Paul pleads that they would be joined together in the, : A medical word used of knitting together bones that have been fractured, or joining together a joint that has been dislocated. Lady Huntington, the rich and influential friend of Whitfield and Wesley, said she was going to heaven by an m: it isnt, 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, i. Even more foolish than dividing Jesus is to center parties in the church around men. This previous letter is lost. It is important to understand that when Paul says, . e. Confirm you to the end: The Corinthian Christians had their strong points, and they had their weak points. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Christians must let the Word of God shape their thinking, not the evil company of this world. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. There is much in 1 Corinthians that is unflattering to the Christians of Corinth. God has made different churches and different ministries with different callings and characters, because the job of preaching the gospel is too big for any one group. It is truly the, i. Paul reminds us of something important: death is an, . Significantly, Paul did not say, we baptize for the dead, but asked, . (33-34) Knowing the truth about our resurrection should affect the way we live. For believers, the promise is sure: we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. iv. (42-44) Comparison of the two kinds of bodies. If it were if the teaching of baptismal regeneration were true then Paul could never thank God that he baptized so few in Corinth, and he, as an evangelist, could never say Christ did not send me to baptize. Every Christian must take seriously their responsibility to not only have a good past, and a good present, but to determine to have a great future with the Lord, also. Were the ones really right with God!, iv. Surely, Paul remembered his converts, but the issue of baptism, though important, was not as important to Paul. . So this corruptible must put on incorruption. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. You dont understand the tension between Christ and crucified. What will Paul boast about? Instead, a stalk of wheat grows. It is a new order of life that will never die again. c. The world through wisdom did not know God: There is a constant tendency to think that the smartest and wisest humans will know the most about God. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul: Even more foolish than dividing Jesus is to center parties in the church around men. 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. It wasnt because the Corinthian Christians did not believe Jesus rose from the dead. What message does a cruel, humiliating, unrelenting instrument of death have? Paul always remembered how he had sinned against Jesus church. Were the ones really right with God! (Acts 18:24-25), : There was the Peter Party, who declared We are following in the footsteps of the man who is first among all the apostles. Adam (, ) is one head of the human race, and all mankind was brought under death by Adam. b. (45-49) The two Adams and their bodies. The church also had even lost Jesus in the message, preaching religious platitudes and social graces. : In a single moment, Jesus will gather His people (both dead and on the earth) to Himself, for resurrection. He has destroyed the wisdom of the wise, just as He said He would., was the man who wanted to dispute every issue and solve it by human reason. (Mare), The world through wisdom did not know God, : There is a constant tendency to think that the smartest and wisest humans will know the most about God. 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). Their idolatry was to conceive of God as ultimate Reason, meaning of course what. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. : This is not a quotation from the Old Testament, or even from the words of Jesus. a. Therefore be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord: Because we know death is defeated and we have an eternal, resurrected destiny with Jesus Christ, we should stand firm and unshakable all the more for Him right now. Apparently, some of the Corinthian Christians (probably those of the Paul Party) made a big deal of the fact that they had been baptized by Paul. For some, this would just be spiritual sounding talk, which showed more pride than humility. While our present bodies are adapted for the environment of time and earth, our resurrection bodies will be adapted for the environment of eternity and heaven. But death is an enemy nonetheless. The term Korinthiazomai was well known in the Roman Empire and it meant literally to live like a Corinthian. But everyone knew it really meant to be sexually out of control. Aelian, the late Greek writer, tells us that if ever a Corinthian was shown upon the stage in a Greek play he was shown drunk. (Barclay), v. Fee comments on Corinths sexual immorality: The Asclepius room in the present museum in Corinth provides mute evidence to this facet of city life; here on one wall are a large number of clay votives of human genitals that had been offered to the god for healing of that part of the body, apparently ravaged by venereal disease. Fee sums up his analysis of Corinth by writing: All of this evidence together suggests that Pauls Corinth was at once the New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas of the ancient world. Leon Morris describes Corinth as Intellectually alert, materially prosperous, but morally corrupt.. : Paul would argue hard for his apostolic credentials, because he knew he had to be respected as an apostle. 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. Of course, Paul did baptize a few in Corinth. He writes of the constant imminent danger to his physical life. . So also is the resurrection of the dead: Its hard to understand what our resurrection bodies will be like, so Paul will use contrast to help us, giving four contrasts between our present body and our future resurrection body. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. i. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. ( 1 Corinthians) Lenski - The transition is simple and perfect. 1 Corinthians 15:1-19 - The Gospel of Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 15:20-58 - The Glory of the Resurrection 1 Corinthians 16 - A Collection and a Conclusion 1 2 Bible Commentary Quick Navigation Start Here! He, from this truth, sets himself to refute those who said, There is no resurrection of the dead, ver 12-19. If there is no principle of resurrection, then, ii. There may have been many more meetings that are not described in the gospels. (Messiah) meant power, splendor, and triumph. We are fools for Christ's sake; such in common account, and we are well content to be so accounted. In this emphasis on Jesus, Paul promotes the sure cure for the problems of the Corinthians: getting your eyes off self and on Jesus. This the church of Corinth was famous for. Yet He was no phantom; He had a real flesh and bone body. Einstein asked them, how much of all the knowledge in the world they had amongst themselves collectively, as a class. This should make us steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord! Not with the wisdom of words, which can be translated cleverness of speaking. Session 2: God's Answer Is Yes! Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and hes our man. 6. All the redeemed on the earth at that time will rise up to meet the Lord in the clouds, and will receive their resurrection bodies. 1. Subscribe * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name Phone Number Get Prayer Requests and Updates from David Guzik If the dead do not rise, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.. c. Not with wisdom of words: How did Paul preach in Corinth? The weight of the body, pulling down on the arms and shoulders, tended to fix the respiratory muscles in an inhalation state, and hindered exhalation. e. It pleased God: God takes pleasure in accomplishing our salvation in a way no one would have expected. He recognizes that the gifts were not the problem, but wrong attitudes and beliefs about the gifts. The idea is that we have been purchased to permanent freedom. It isnt. . Their desire for deliverance was not bad, but their rejection of Gods way of deliverance was. a. This is not to say the other apostles were lazy (although some of them may have been), but that Paul was an exceptionally hard worker. We ought to honour those most whom God most honoureth, either by a more plentiful giving out of his Spirit, or by a more plentiful success upon their labours; but we ought not so far to appropriate any ministers to ourselves, as for them to despise others. It may simply be unrecorded, or Paul may mean beasts figuratively, in reference to his violent and wild human opponents (as he faced at Ephesus in Acts 19:21-41). He recognizes that the gifts were not the problem, but wrong attitudes and beliefs about the gifts. The words sanctified and saints communicate the same idea, of being set apart from the world and unto God. ii. This may be a foolish question (Paul calls his imaginary questioner Foolish one in 1 Corinthians 15:36), but it is a question Paul will answer. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. It isnt. The really significant background, though, is its use in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to render the divine name, Yahweh Christians who used this as their Bible would be familiar with the term as equivalent to deity. (Morris, in Romans), ii. Were the ones really right with God!, : There was the Apollos Party, who declared We are following in the footsteps of a man who is great in power and spiritual gifts, and an impressive man. These meetings were important in proving to the disciples that Jesus was who He said He was. But Hodge recognizes that Paul isnt necessarily referring to only believers of his day with all; it is a word that properly embraces all believers, over all time. O Death, where is your sting? Through much of this book, Paul deals with the moral problems of the Corinthians: envy, divisions, pride, immorality, greed, irreverence, and selfishness. This is not some side doctrine, to be believed if one likes it. all the credit for the change in His life. If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage. He was also humble enough to know that even his hard work was the work of Gods grace in him. 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. the gospel Paul preached to them. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God. ii. 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. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. It involves truth-telling, fortitude, constancy, and tolerance (1 Corinthians 13:4-5,7). This speaks to the vital need described in Romans 12:2: ii. 1 Corinthians 15 In this chapter the apostle treats of that great article of Christianitythe resurrection of the dead. (10) Initial plea: dont be torn apart, but joined. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Were the ones really right with God!. 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. i. Philippians 3:21 repeats Pauls theme: , the best example we have of what a resurrection body will be like is to see what Jesus resurrection body was like. II. And so it is written, The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. Yet in the first chapter of Acts, Jesus brothers are among the followers of Jesus (Acts 1:14). , he does not speak of his spiritual identification with the death of Jesus. If the cross doesnt seem strange to you, then you either dont understand how the cross was seen in Jesus day, or you dont understand who Jesus is. During the time after His resurrection, but before His Ascension, Jesus met with His followers on many different occasions. The phrases foolishness of the message and foolishness of God do not mean Paul actually considered the message and God foolish. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. Yet not it, but the grace of God which was with me. This is the sting of death to you, unconverted ones, not that you are dying, but that after death is the judgment, and that you must stand before the Judge of the quick and dead to receive a sentence for the sins which you have committed in your body against him. (Spurgeon). to travel between Ephesus and Corinth. Those who believe that Jesus gathers His people after He has poured out His wrath on a Jesus-rejecting world sometimes argue that it is the last trumpet of judgment, cited in Revelation 11:15-19. i. i. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 1 Corinthians 15:23. Paul doesnt only consider believers in Corinth to be. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. "THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS" Chapter Fifteen OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER 1) To see how the resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our faith 2) To determine why we believe that Jesus was indeed raised from the dead 3) To notice the sequence of events which will occur at the end of time as presented in this chapter 4) To understand A, iv. If there were no resurrection, why would Paul place his life in jeopardy for the gospel? 1. He speaks of utterance and knowledge. The term church of God has Old Testament associations, especially in the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament). If there is no principle of resurrection, and if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then the apostles are. The Corinthians were a rich church, not only materially, but also in their speech and knowledge of Jesus (all utterance and in all knowledge the testimony of Christ), in their abounding in the gifts (come short in no gift), and in that they lived in anticipation of Jesus coming (eagerly waiting). Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. : The death of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, is the center of the gospel. They say, Here is a Christians body, lying in a grave with no casket. vi. In light of all this, how could the Corinthian Christians let go of such an important truth? Specifically, they wanted the sign of a miraculous Messianic deliverance. The. ) ii. Christ crucified was the ultimate oxymoron, and this was what Paul preached! iii. It was on a four-and-one-half mile-wide isthmus of land. : At the outset of the letter indeed, the very first few words Paul fearlessly declares his apostolic credentials. i. Christ (Messiah) meant power, splendor, and triumph. 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. a. Jesus does not belong to any one party. These cliques ignore the truth of unity over all diversity in the church, even if they were all in the name of spirituality. - The point is that reliable people have claimed to have seen the resurrected Christ in the flesh (sarx) and upon that confession we have come to believe. Although Jesus bore the full wrath of God on the cross, iii. viii. We should work hard in everything now, working for the Lord, because, Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. : God takes pleasure in accomplishing our salvation in a way no one would have expected.