1 Corinthians 1

We move on to another book!  I was thinking of Corinthians and all of their problems, then hit on an idea and did a yahoo search.  I found an excellent document that gives us an overview of 1 Corinthians, be warned though, it is heady: http://www.bible.org/docs/soapbox/1corotl.htm  Click on the guy's name and get his credentials, he should be ok.  If you get stuck in your studies and need a little help, check out this site: http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/MatthewHenryComplete/mhc-com.cgi?book=1co  Whew, that is exhausting! After looking through this site, and until I can afford Biblesoft or another Bible Study software, I may be able to make do with it.  Here is the home page http://new.crosswalk.com/ I just spent a few minutes surfing the site, looks excellent, with excellent study aids.  I hope you enjoy it, I am sure that I will.  Be warned though, use extreme caution getting anything over the internet, there are lots of people out there who would wish to steer us from Jesus, Romans 16:17, 18.

Opening 1 Corinthians, Paul takes off at a dead run.  He doesn't waste any time in getting to the heart of the matter.  vs. 1-3 Look at who he greets, the saints, those sanctified, called, and who call upon Jesus.  He is speaking to the true believers, he leaves no room for inactivity, action is the key word.

In verses 4-9, Paul addresses the believers who walk the walk, who talk the talk, these believers are serious about their belief in Jesus.  Their very beings radiated the Lord Jesus!  Can we say that?  Can we testify that the "testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift"?  We are at a spiritual checkpoint here, let each of us check our hearts, what can we do to live a complete Christian life?  Are we surrendering our selves to Him?  Are we in control or is He?  Hard questions, yet harder to answer.  When I read Paul addressing them in this way, I reflect on my status.  Can we be effective in our church and in our effectiveness if we are less than totally committed like the Corinthian believers were?

vs. 10-16  I find it interesting that these believers walked so close to the Lord, only to set up divisions among themselves.  We also do that, we follow a particular pastor or teacher and remain faithful to that pastor.  Why?  Because he is the greatest, who could doubt that?  We prefer his teaching style or whatever.  I wonder if we aren't falling into the same boat as the Corinthians here.  Are we called to follow Christ and to make our local body grow, or are we called just to minister to our families and take them where they may get better teaching?  Are we called to a specific church body?  On a wider scale, Christians are notorious for this, look at all the different Christian churches.  All of them are a denomination or non-denomination because of a difference of opinion made by some man at some time in history.  We as Christians still have not learned this lesson, and most likely will not.  It is great that we will all be joined together when we get to heaven!

vs. 17-25  We are to preach the Gospel.  It seemed foolish at that time and still seems foolish today.  Look at pattern of thought here, regardless of what the world thinks of the Gospel, we are to preach it and to teach it.  In vs. 26-31 note that God did not choose us because we are the great, wise, all-knowing  people.  We were chosen because we are simple, common people.  We are people who are willing to learn, peons, the grunts who do the work.  It does seem foolish for the Gospel to be given to common people and not the great orators, yet that is what God chose.  Praise God!

I pray that as each of us finish our study today that we will all examine our hearts closely and allow ourselves to completely surrender to His will.  That we will all be found getting excited and consumed by the Word in our lives.  I pray that God will make us the anchor points in our churches,  that we will radiate His truth and His testimony in each of our lives.  I pray that we will each be living examples to those around us, ones who are not ashamed of the Gospel, even thought the world considers it foolish.

I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday if the Lord wills.  If not, I will see you soon.

In Him,

Joe Turner

Hi Guys,

I draw HEAVILY from Robertson's Word Pictures, Vine's Word Studies, etc as I am taking a language class right now. I don’t always have time to type notes like this, but I figured I should begin putting in some thoughts as well, as we all should.

By the way, a good (and free) Bible software is e-sword, www.e-sword.net, and has a lot of great reference materials.

- Lee

1 Cor 1

v4 Paul was thankful for even the Corinthian church at all times. Paul always gives thanks to God at the beginning of his letters, except Galation and 2 Cor.

v5-6 seems to be a foreshadowing of the discussion on tongues and prophecy (ch 12-14)

v10-17 division in the church

Paul exhorts by the Name of Jesus for avoiding schizims. Having the same mind results in the same judgment, so that we as a body can be perfected together.

To follow leaders to schizm is bad, but so is a superiority complex of those who follow noone but claim a superior relation to Christ or to revelation.

Baptizing is not the point, but the gospel is. Thus, not Arminianism or Calvinism, not Pre-Trib or Post-Trib, not dunk or sprinkle that is the gospel. Rathers, the cross of Christ.

v18-25 the cross of Christ

Perishing and being saved, a timeless act. Salvation is described by Paul as a thing done in the past, “we were saved” (Rom_8:24), as a present state, “ye have been saved” (Eph_2:5), as a process, “ye are being saved” (1Co_15:2), as a future result, “thou shalt be saved” (Rom_10:9).

The Jews had the truth and the Gentiles seek the truth, but the weakness of God (dying on the cross) is stronger than the strength of men, and his foolishness is wiser than man's wisdom.

v26-31

v26 According to the flesh (kata sarka). According to the standards of flesh of the three claims to aristocracy (culture, power, birth). That is, the Corinthians were a mixed congregation of Jews and Greeks, and not many of them were cultured, powerful, or privileged.

Robert states: "note the importance of these closing verses concerning the origin of Paul’s congregations from the lower classes in the large towns."

v27-29 by calling the lowly God removes any ground for boasting, but see v31

v30 Christ became, not Christ was. Thus, He still is "wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption"

v31 quoting Jer 9:23-24  This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, (24) but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

Reminds me of that song this past Sunday, "let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich"

Lee Jones