enduring word 1 corinthians 15

You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. a. If there were no resurrection, why would Paul place his life in jeopardy for the gospel? The Corinthian Christians just did not think carefully. We may request cookies to be set on your device. O Hades, where is your victory?. During the time after His resurrection, but before His Ascension, Jesus met with His followers on many different occasions. God's Sufficient Grace. also implies there were some people or some things which might want to snatch the true gospel away from the Corinthian Christians. Encouraging and getting others to study, believe, and rely on God to be real. Not only did they see Jesus after His death, but they saw Him in a manner which revolutionized their faith and trust in Him. This speaks to the vital need described in Romans 12:2: ii. (29-32) More reasons to believe in the principle of resurrection. the gospel. Finally, one could only read we, and the church also just became another social gathering place, all about we and not about God. 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). If Jesus is not God, He cannot offer a complete sacrifice for sins. They were not looking for the, : The Greek culture valued the pursuit of wisdom, usually expressed in high, academic, philosophical terms. If my sins are not completely paid for before God, then I am still in my sins. I. 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.. He compares his own case with that of the Corinthians: " We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honourable, but we are despised, v. 10. As through the sin of the first Adam, all men became mortal, because all had from him the same sinful nature, so, through the resurrection of Christ, shall all who are made to partake of the Spirit, and the spiritual nature, revive, and live for ever. II. If one preaches the word with a reliance on wisdom of words, they can make the gospel of no effect. a. Jesus, who became for us wisdom: Jesus perfectly shows us, in His teaching and life, Gods wisdom. 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. From the first Adam, we all are made of dust, but from the last Adam we can be made heavenly. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. Death has no power over the person found in Jesus Christ. It is wisdom of a different order altogether. The Corinthian people were also world known: for partying, drunkenness, and loose sexual morals. Nor does corruption inherit incorruption: The word corruption does not mean moral or ethical corruption, but physical, material corruption. But God did not respond to the polling data. He clearly denies here that he considers baptism essential to the remission of sin or the means of obtaining forgiveness. (Robertson), How did Paul preach in Corinth? (42-44) Comparison of the two kinds of bodies. God isnt saying that it is better to be foolish or uneducated. Finally, have all your affairs in order so that you are ready to die. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul. But most prominent was the worship of the Corinthian Aphrodite, who had more than 1,000 hierodouloi (female prostitutes and priestesses) in her service. 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. All flesh is not the same flesh: There are all different kinds of bodies in Gods creation, including celestial bodies. 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. : We dont often think of the burial of Jesus as part of the gospel, but it is. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. Then life is lived only under the sun, as is considered in Ecclesiastes. It was bad enough that these associations had affected their thinking on an important matter like the resurrection, but this. Where is the disputer of this age? 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 ). 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. Jesus burial is also important because it fulfilled the Scriptures which declared. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. If death has power over Jesus, He is not God. When Paul first came to Corinth, the ruler of the synagogue was a man named Crispus. As the chief things, or matters of the greatest importance; fundamental truths.. That which I - received By revelations from God himself, and not from man.. That Christ died for our sins The death of Jesus Christ, as a vicarious sacrifice for sin, is ; among the things . This is proving himself the servant of Christ. i. Why then are they baptized for the dead? Were the ones really right with God!, vi. a. iv. : This was doubtless some very religious matron at Corinth, whose family were converted to the Lord; some of whom were probably sent to the apostle to inform him of the dissensions which then prevailed in the Church at that place., : The Corinthian church suffered under quarreling and conflict. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. Paul understood this principle well, writing, . 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. Angels and human beings denote the universe, as gazing upon the conflicts and struggles of the apostles. They could not have known this unless God revealed it to them. But they were. You dont understand the tension between, iii. There are not a handful of self-deluded souls; there are literally hundreds who saw the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. the gospel Paul preached to them. 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. Paul doesnt only consider believers in Corinth to be the church of God. Our resurrection body will be a heavenly (celestial) body, suited for life in heaven, not only life on this earth. ii. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. 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. I speak this to your shame. As is evident from 1 and 2 Corinthians, Pauls standing and authority as an apostle were not appreciated among the Christians of Corinth. Jesus was a unique case. It might be easy for us to think they werent even saved! Grace means that God gives freely, for His own reasons. This should make us steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord! 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. The sting of death lay in this, that we had sinned and were summoned to appear before the God whom we had offended. The Lord will show His remembrance of our work and labor of love at the resurrection. It involves truth-telling, fortitude, constancy, and tolerance (1 Corinthians 13:4-5,7). c. To put to shame the wise: This explains part of the pleasure of God described in 1 Corinthians 1:21. You can check these in your browser security settings. This isnt the gathering of the world, but of God. does not mean moral or ethical corruption, but physical, material corruption. Let him die the death of a dignified man. The message of the gospel must first be believed and embraced. ? ii. How can Paul be confident of this when the Corinthian church has so many problems? i. d. Those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved: The verb tenses of are perishing and are being saved are significant. : Jesus made a special resurrection appearance to Peter (Luke 24:34). Einstein thought that their estimate was a little generous, but he replied: Is it possible that God exists in the 95% that you dont know?, d. Through the foolishness of the message: The Corinthians wanted to believe that the gospel itself was a sublime form of wisdom, as the Greeks considered wisdom (sophia). 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. Significantly, in the gospels, Jesus brothers are hostile to Him and His mission (John 7:3-5). Understanding the tension between the, Those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called, : Paul continued his description of the Corinthian Christians. It is a vain inquiry here, whether he means good or bad angels. 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. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. At the first meeting of the resurrected Jesus with His disciples, Thomas was absent and Judas had killed himself. God loves them, bears them hearty good-will, and bestows on them his fatherly smiles and blessings. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul: Even more foolish than dividing Jesus is to center parties in the church around men. ; it is well to recall what the title means. The cross was a time of victorious death, a, is part of the gospel. His boasting is both, (that is, in the Corinthian Christians) and, . No one saw the actual resurrection of Jesus. We are no longer subject to the penalty of the law (death), and we are set free from sin. Are they lying in the grave, in some kind of soul sleep or suspended animation? Remember though, that it was Jesus, not the Old Testament, which. i. : This refers to a few different meetings, such as in John 20:26-31, John 21:1-25, Matthew 28:16-20, and Luke 24:44-49. But the ancient Greek word for, i. But they were. Christ crucified was the ultimate oxymoron, and this was what Paul preached! For others, there is resurrection and eternal life, but unto damnation. Paul was in Athens a day or two; he stayed in Corinth for a year and a half. c. 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. If there is no principle of resurrection, and if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then the apostles are. The first trumpet meant, strike the tents and prepare to leave; the second trumpet meant, fall into line; the third and last trumpet meant march away. This last trumpet describes the Christians marching orders at the rapture of the Church. As much as Paul was once offended by a crucified Messiah, so the Greeks thought a message of salvation through a humiliating instrument of death foolish. a. Jesus did not die as a mere martyr for a cause. A distinction may be made between the trumpet of an angel and the trumpet of God. The double speaks, as in 2 Corinthians 5:2, Romans 7:24, out of P.'s painful self-consciousness: cf. iii. Corinth had a rich ethnic mix, and it was a center for sports, government, military, and business. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. i. The Corinthian Christians are called saints, but this was not based on the outward performance of the Corinthians. e. If the dead do not rise, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Pauls third proof for the resurrection in this section is also compelling. 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. 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, ), and in that they lived in anticipation of Jesus coming (, i. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentilesthat a man has his father's wife! 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 is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It isnt. iii. : God takes pleasure in accomplishing our salvation in a way no one would have expected. c. 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 being saved, this message of the cross becomes to them the actual power of God. Session 4: Treasure in Clay Jars. It is as if he says, You all may not recognize my apostolic credentials. How different for the Christian! The Apostle Paul spent eighteen months there on his Second Missionary Journey and established a church there. 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. i. Righteousness means that we are legally declared not only not guilty, but to have a positive righteousness. This isnt the gathering of the world, but, iv. (5-8) Concrete evidence of Jesus resurrection. f. See how important the truth of the resurrection is! : Even if your labor is vain to everyone else, and everyone else discounts or doesnt appreciate what you do for the Lord, . The Gospel of Matthew; The Gospel of Mark; The Gospel of Luke; The Gospel of John; The Book of Acts; The Book of Romans; The Book of 1 Corinthians . I know thou art no more able to destroy me, but thou art sent as a messenger to conduct me to the golden gate wherein I shall enter and see my Saviours unveiled face for ever. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body" (15:42-44). This remarkable, instant gathering of Christians unto Jesus in the clouds has been called, iii. In these first 10 verses, Paul refers to Jesus in every verse, for a total of 11 times. On all counts, the resurrection body wins! viii. I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. When you bury the body of a believer, you are sowing a seed that will come out of the earth as a resurrection body. When Jesus came upon the tomb of Lazarus, He, . Thy teeth are broken, oh old lion, wherefore should I fear thee? (1) The sin of an unnamed Christian in Corinth. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end. : The Corinthian Christians had their strong points, and they had their weak points. It is better to bear trouble in this world, than to be miserable for ever. ii. a. I thank my God always: Paul will later spend most of this letter rebuking sin and correcting error, yet he is still sincerely thankful for Gods work in the Corinthian Christians. In its Gentile sense it denotes chiefly the citizen-assembly of a Greek city but it is its Jewish usage that underlies its use to denote the community of believers in Jesus. He was not shy about saying he worked harder than any of the other apostles did. The Corinthian Christians are called saints, but this isnt exclusive to them. Is God supposed to do it or am I supposed to do it? Those who deny the deity of Jesus say this verse proves their point. We may request cookies to be set on your device. An example of this is in Acts 23:12-13, when more than forty men took a vow that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Death is defeated by resurrection. ! Were the ones really right with God!, ii. iii. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.". He did not or will not rise at some general resurrection of the dead. We have all borne the image of the first, will also bear His resurrection image. (50-53) The need for the resurrection. ii. 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. 4. When Paul explained it like this, it shows how foolish it is to focus on anyone but Jesus. It was common in the ancient world to dictate a letter to a scribe who would write it all down. a. Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and hes our man. But how we receive grace will help to determine how effective the gift of grace is. If you are an unbeliever, death is not your friend; it is your enemy. At these meetings He ate with them, comforted them, commanded them to preach the gospel, and told them to wait in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit after His ascension. For some, this would just be spiritual sounding talk, which showed more pride than humility. So when he says, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Paul isnt condemning all learning or education; he merely says that by themselves they are useless for obtaining spiritual wisdom. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then death has power over Him and defeated Him. 2. Paul always remembered how he had sinned against Jesus church. i. We write a letter by saying who the letter is to first, and we conclude with writing who the letter is from. The Corinthians boasting about their party leaders was really boasting about themselves. d. To the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness: The Jews regarded Christ crucified as a stumbling block; perhaps this is better understood as an offense or a scandal. Then Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to respond to these reports. "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 The pursuit of human wisdom may bring an earthly contentment or happiness (though this is rare), but in itself, it can never bring the true knowledge of the true God. iv. ii. III. Called to be an apostle: At the outset of the letter indeed, the very first few words Paul fearlessly declares his apostolic credentials. They are shown to have, at times, morality problems, doctrine problems, church government problems, spiritual gift problems, church service problems, and authority problems. One minister of Christ may be justly preferred to another. They did not value the wisdom expressed in the message of the cross. The point is plain: There is no wise man, no scribe, and no debater who can do what Jesus Christ has done. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." a. They take the submission of God the Son as proof that He must not be equal in deity to God the Father. This is a question Paul doesnt really answer in the following verses, because the answer is obvious. The second perfect man, Jesus the last Adam, can give us another kind of body. 7. David Guzik is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara, California. In the Old Testament, the offering of firstfruits brought one sheaf of grain to represent and anticipate the rest of the harvest (Leviticus 23:9-14). And if one lets go of the gospel, all their. 1 CORINTHIANS - PROBLEMS OF A LOCAL CHURCH Click chart to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission. 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. Session 7: Christ's Poverty, Our Wealth. Many Christians struggle at this very point. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily, : Paul will boast a little here. b. O Death, where is your sting? It wasnt so much that they thought Apollos was great, but that. Paul will not allow this. Does we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed mean that Paul predicted Jesus would come in his lifetime? Later, James became a leader in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13-21; 21:18). (Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11) The word resurrection, usually points out our existence beyond the grave. i. Paul came to Corinth from Athens, where he contended with the great philosophers of the day in terms they could understand (Acts 17:16-34). iii. means good news. As the word was used in ancient times, it didnt have to describe the message of salvation in Jesus Christ; it could describe any good news. i. i. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Yes and no. Finally, one could only read, , and the church also just became another social gathering place, all about, To the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, ; perhaps this is better understood as an, . 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. Grace means that God gives freely, for His own reasons. ii. But dont expose Him to the horror and the humiliation of hanging on a cross. But God wanted, , and if we dont embrace the cross, even with all its strange contradictions and demands, then we are. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 3. Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, Why did Paul so carefully prove the resurrection of Jesus? And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? e. Confirm you to the end: The Corinthian Christians had their strong points, and they had their weak points. v. It is possible there was not an actual Paul Party or Apollos Party or Peter Party or Jesus Party at Corinth. 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. 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. i. ii. But dont expose Him to the horror and the humiliation of hanging on a cross. But God wanted Christ crucified, and if we dont embrace the cross, even with all its strange contradictions and demands, then we are lost. Session 2: God's Answer Is Yes! ii. But God cannot be found through human wisdom, but only through the message of the cross. 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). But largely, the smarter one sees himself, the less regard he has for God. These bodies which are subject to disease, injury, and one day decay, are unsuited for heaven. The hearing and trusting of the true gospel will bring the, . I am an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, not the will of any man.. Where is your disputer of this age? Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Lifting up Jesus, honoring, and proclaiming His goodness to all mankind It doesnt matter if you get the praise or the encouragement; sometimes you will and sometimes you wont. b. If there is no principle of resurrection, then, ii. c. Sosthenes our brother: This man Sosthenes is perhaps mentioned in Acts 18:17, as the head of a Corinthian synagogue who was beaten because he protected Paul. See passages such as Numbers 16:3, Numbers 20:4, Deuteronomy 23:1, and 1 Chronicles 28:8. iii. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. , he uses the term as a figurative title. b. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, : The apostle Paul follows the normal pattern for writing a letter in ancient times. 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. They go there with the furrowed brow, the hollowed cheek, the wrinkled skin; they shall wake up in beauty and glory. (Spurgeon). That Paul did not regard baptism as essential to salvation is also seen by the fact that he did not keep careful track of those he baptized: Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. Note Paul's words: "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel." - 1 Co 1:17 b. Jesus made a special appearance to James (1 Corinthians 15:7). Gods wisdom is not mans wisdom multiplied to the highest degree. Sin is the ultimate cause of death (Romans 6:23, Genesis 2:17), and the result cant be defeated unless the cause is defeated. 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. The Corinthian people were also world known: for partying, drunkenness, and loose sexual morals. The Corinthian Christians did not deny Jesus resurrection; they denied. 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. ii. How much of this came in because of they kept. , and the church also started preaching Jesus the Great Man and Jesus the Moral Example instead of Christ crucified. We dont grow in sanctification by focusing on ourselves, but on Jesus, because Jesus became for us sanctification. However, we learn something just from the meaning of the ancient Greek word " apostolos ," which has the idea of "a special ambassador." Paul was a "special ambassador" of Jesus Christ to the world and to the church. This is not some side doctrine, to be believed if one likes it. It was impossible for the Apostle to preach the gospel without presenting the message of the cross. Declare that His solutions prepares another generation for life. We work in a partnership with God, not because He needs us, but because He wants us to share in His work. The path for Gods glory is Christ crucified; the evidence of Gods glory is His choice of the lowly. The church also had even lost Jesus in the message, preaching religious platitudes and social graces. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. a. is perhaps mentioned in Acts 18:17, as the head of a Corinthian synagogue who was beaten because he protected Paul. They were, is mere flattery, Pauls way of preparing them for coming rebuke. d. Is Christ divided? ( 1 Corinthians) Lenski - The transition is simple and perfect. ii. Love suffers long: Love will endure a long time. Barclay says yes, and simply points out that Paul was dead wrong here. Paul will often (more than 17 times in the letter) refer to Jesus as. Sixth, live in such a manner that you would not be ashamed to die at any moment. He writes of the constant imminent danger to his physical life. 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. 3. Were the ones really right with God!, : There was the Jesus Party, who declared You all are so carnal, following after mere men. b. If you are an unbeliever, death is not your friend; it is your enemy. When Paul came to Corinth in A.D. 50 the city was famous for hundreds of years before he was born. In its Gentile sense it denotes chiefly the citizen-assembly of a Greek city but it is its Jewish usage that underlies its use to denote the community of believers in Jesus.

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