Or were you baptized in the name of Paul. Is God supposed to do it or am I supposed to do it? Was Paul crucified for you? . the gospel. The phrases foolishness of the message and foolishness of God do not mean Paul actually considered the message and God foolish. Before that he served as director and teacher at Calvary Chapel Bible College, Germany, following more than 20 years of pastoral ministry. Subscribe * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name Phone Number Get Prayer Requests and Updates from David Guzik Pauls third proof for the resurrection in this section is also compelling. Surely, Paul remembered his converts, but the issue of baptism, though important, was not, , it is impossible to claim that Paul was a sacramentalist. a. f. His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord: In these first 10 verses, Paul refers to Jesus in every verse, for a total of 11 times. b. You have lost a dear friend: yes, but only lost that friend that you may find him again, and find more than you lost. b. b. : At the outset of the letter indeed, the very first few words Paul fearlessly declares his apostolic credentials. ( 1 Corinthians 4:1-2) Servants and stewards. We may pride ourselves on not having the problems of the Corinthian Christians, but do we have their positives? Paul knew that God gives His grace, we work hard, and the work of God is done. a. But someone will say, How are the dead raised up? Paul doesnt only consider believers in Corinth to be. , and each is suited to its own particular environment and needs. The path for Gods glory is Christ crucified; the evidence of Gods glory is His choice of the lowly. The Corinthian Christians are, , but this isnt exclusive to them. Paul doesnt only consider believers in Corinth to be the church of God. To remain willfully ignorant of the truth is. It might be easy for us to think they werent even saved! By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. And so it is written, The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 6. 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). ii. body, suited for life in heaven, not only life on this earth. Paul praises God for their positives, and expresses confidence that God will take care of their weak points, and, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, i. 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. (14-19) What if there is no resurrection? For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister (Hebrews 6:10). Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. The power of baptism is in the spiritual reality it represents, not in who performs it. It is truly the, i. Paul reminds us of something important: death is an, . Jesus made a special appearance to James (1 Corinthians 15:7). If there is no principle of resurrection, and if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then the apostles are. The Corinthian Christians are, , but this was not based on the outward performance of the Corinthians. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Today, some are told to embrace death as a friend, but that is not Biblical thinking. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grainperhaps wheat or some other. And with what body do they come?. 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. 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: Corinth was an important and wealthy city on the isthmus (narrow strip of land) separating Northern and Southern Greece. ? . It is a vain inquiry here, whether he means good or bad angels. How does His death do anything for our sins? Death is a defeated enemy because of the work of Jesus, an enemy that will one day. (58) Final application: how our destiny of resurrection means we should stand fast for the Lord right now. 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 church also had even lost Jesus in the message, preaching religious platitudes and social graces. Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and hes our man. i. Paul faced all this for the sake of the resurrection of the dead, both Jesus resurrection and the believers. Either the present dead in Christ are with the Lord in a spiritual body, awaiting their final resurrection body; or because of the nature of timeless eternity, they have received their resurrection bodies already because they live in the eternal now.. He had the right, and the authority, to command the Corinthian Christians in these matters. If Jesus is not God, He cannot offer a complete sacrifice for sins. If one preaches the word with a reliance on, i. Paul replies, how foolish can you get? Session 6: Paul and Titus. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. How can Paul be confident of this when the Corinthian church has so many problems? 7. If the cross and its message seem weak, they are not; they are powerful and wise. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. If there were not men who differed a little in their creeds, we should never get as much gospel as we do God has sent different men to defend different kinds of truth; but Christ defended and preached all Christs testimony was perfect. (Spurgeon), ii. i. Human wisdom is constantly rejecting God and opposing Him, and ultimately showing itself foolish and perishing in doing so. 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. ii. The Greek word has both a Gentile and a Jewish background. Their desire for wisdom was not bad, but their rejection of Gods wisdom was. In His work, He communicates three things to those who are, means that we are legally declared not only not guilty, but to have a, speaks of our behavior, and how the believers are to be separate, by focusing on ourselves, but on Jesus, because Jesus, is a word from the slave trade. Surely, Paul remembered his converts, but the issue of baptism, though important, was not as important to Paul. 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. The atoms in the body are taken up in grass and eaten by a steer, and the steer is slaughtered and another man eats the meat and takes the atom into his body. Paul now will show why this is true of the cross and the message of the gospel. He can be confident because God is faithful. 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. Nor does corruption inherit incorruption: The word corruption does not mean moral or ethical corruption, but physical, material corruption. is perhaps mentioned in Acts 18:17, as the head of a Corinthian synagogue who was beaten because he protected Paul. iii. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. This should make us steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord! Although Jesus bore the full wrath of God on the cross, iii. But most prominent was the worship of the Corinthian Aphrodite, who had more than 1,000 hierodouloi (female prostitutes and priestesses) in her service. The great Roman statesman Cicero said: The cross, it speaks of that which is so shameful, so horrible, it should never be mentioned in polite society. If we were witnesses to the trial of Jesus when the crowd was shouting out Crucify him! (45-49) The two Adams and their bodies. Where is the scribe? It is important to understand that when Paul says, . : 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. 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. Instead of being torn apart, Paul pleads that they would be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. God raises the dead. I bless God that there are so many denominations. 1 CORINTHIANS - PROBLEMS OF A LOCAL CHURCH Click chart to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission. (Isaiah 55:8-9). The sting of death lay in this, that we had sinned and were summoned to appear before the God whom we had offended. 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. However, we never speak of the physical sufferings of Jesus to make us feel sorry for Jesus, as if He needed our pity. They were not looking for the message of the cross. (42-44) Comparison of the two kinds of bodies. Paul will often (more than 17 times in the letter) refer to Jesus as. Paul, knowing death is a defeated enemy because of Jesus work, can almost taunt death, and mock it. Those of Chloes household: Chloe was a woman (probably a Christian) whose business interests caused her representatives (those of her household) to travel between Ephesus and Corinth. Ancient writers considered Corinth rich, prosperous always great and wealthy (Mare). d. Lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect: Paul makes it clear that it is possible to preach the gospel in a way that makes it of no effect. Here, he simply states the fact: And has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, of our resurrection in both senses. Despite all their problems with carnality, lack of understanding, strife, divisions, immorality, and weird spirituality, they still stood for the gospel. At some point before He died, before the veil was torn in two, before He cried out, ii. There are not a handful of self-deluded souls; there are literally hundreds who saw the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes. And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? The Greeks regarded Christ crucified as foolishness. If there is no resurrection, then there is no future judgment to consider. Corinth was a major city of business, especially because of its location. Because church was a secular term (referring to the gatherings of the citizenry in a city-state to discuss and decide on matters of public interest [Mare]), Paul calls the gathering of Christians in Corinth the church of God. So when he says we he means we believers. (Morris). The, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . Let every pulpit rightly say, we preach Christ crucified! A strong church once inscribed these words on an archway leading to the churchyard. This Pauline letter is one of earliest writings in the New Testament, alongside his Thessalonian correspondence. b. It is certain that a blind man is no judge of colours, a deaf man is no judge of sound, and a man who has never been quickened into spiritual life can have no judgment as to spiritual things. (Spurgeon). 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). But this is not necessarily the case at all. They have not been chosen because they are so great, but because God is so great. 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. 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 will. 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. He knew this was not his own accomplishment, but it was the work of the grace of God in him. 4. : The cumulative testimony of these witnesses is overwhelming. Specifically, they wanted the sign of a miraculous Messianic deliverance. . 2. 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 resurrection of Jesus, iv. 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. The plain fact is that Paul did not know when these events would take place, and nowhere does he claim to know. Notice the words to be are inserted by translators. a. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from Godand righteousness and sanctification and redemptionthat, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.. Cephas is the Aramaic word for Peter. 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, (NASB 1995 - Lockman)Now I make known 1Co 15:3-11 1:23,24 2:2-7 Ac 18:4,5 Ga 1:6-12 . Or were you baptized in the name of Paul: Even more foolish than dividing Jesus is to center parties in the church around men. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Paul describes "the work of love" in both positive and negative terms. Raised in incorruption raised in glory raised in power: Our resurrection body will be glorious! No one saw the actual resurrection of Jesus. Mans flesh only is informed by a reasonable and immortal soul, not so the flesh of other creatures: and hence the difference. (Trapp). Paul tells them just what kind of apostle he is, a called apostle. 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 ). i. The first perfect man, Adam, gave us one kind of body. This aspect of the nature of God is something God wants us to walk in, having a concern for the glory of others, and not our own (Philippians 2:3-4). It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. The plain fact is that Paul did not know when these events would take place, and nowhere does he claim to know. God raises the dead. i. Paul expressed the same idea again in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The Greek word has both a Gentile and a Jewish background. For those who are not in Jesus Christ, death still has its, . a. The resurrection body of Jesus was material and could eat (Luke 24:39-43), yet it was not bound by the laws of nature (Luke 24:31, 24:36-37). Crispus believed on the Lord with all his household (Acts 18:8), and was saved. There is no real, resurrected Jesus whom they serve. c. There are different bodies or structures in the universe (sun moon stars), and each is created with its own glory, and each is suited to its own particular environment and needs. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. iv. Session 1: The God of All Comfort. 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. . 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. This is the sharpest and the shrillest note, the boldest and the bravest challenge, that ever man rang in the ears of death Death is here out-braved, called craven to his face, and bidden to do his worst. (Trapp), ii. Paul knew this by experience. : If the Corinthian Christians did not continue to, , one day they might let go of the gospel. You see your calling, brethren: Paul says to the Corinthians, Look at yourselves. 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. There will come a day when in Gods eternal plan, He gives those dead in the Lord their resurrection bodies, and then in an instant He gathers all His people to meet Jesus in the air. Paul will not allow this. He is happy to do it in this way, which offends the height of human wisdom. 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. 6. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Youre no great bargain. There were, not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, i. 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. Session 7: Christ's Poverty, Our Wealth. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. There is another significant difference between Pauls ministry in Athens and his work in Corinth. We dont find freedom by focusing on ourselves, because, 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. This the church of Corinth was famous for. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." a. But he had no desire to compete with other apostles for the Most Valuable Apostle award. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. If there is no principle of resurrection, then the dead in Christ are gone forever. They preached the resurrection of Jesus, and the early Christians believed the resurrection of Jesus. enduring word 1 corinthians 15 Best Selling Author and International Speaker. See passages such as Numbers 16:3, Numbers 20:4, Deuteronomy 23:1, and 1 Chronicles 28:8. was a secular term (referring to the gatherings of the citizenry in a city-state to discuss and decide on matters of public interest [Mare]), Paul calls the gathering of Christians in Corinth, . So he was fired from or quit his job as ruler of the synagogue! But death is an enemy nonetheless. 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. Were the ones really right with God!, iv. But every man Shall be reanimated, raised, and glorified; in his own order Or in his own band, as more properly signifies, denoting a band of soldiers, a cohort, or legion; the word for order being rather . Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Death is defeated by resurrection. Jesus work for us didnt just come out of thin air; it was planned from all eternity and described prophetically in the, iv. i. Jesus was a unique case. 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. 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). Can even this much be said about many churches today? They were called saints. We can follow Pauls logic point-by-point: If there is no principle of resurrection, then Jesus did not rise from the dead. AND YOUR POINT, PAUL? Instead, with loving heart, he begs them he pleads with them to be unified as believers. Famous athletic contests known as the, iii. 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. If the dead do not rise, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.. : Paul would argue hard for his apostolic credentials, because he knew he had to be respected as an apostle. Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ii. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 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 . Click on the different category headings to find out more. Yet in the first chapter of Acts, Jesus brothers are among the followers of Jesus (Acts 1:14). After what has been said about the value of love only one admonition is in place: "Pursue love!" iii. It is true that knowing Jesus and loving Jesus can make this life better, but sometimes it will make this life worse. Grace, by definition, is given freely. Of whom the great part remain to the present, is compelling testimony of the truth of the resurrection of Jesus. He is describing them as they appear to the perishing man, the wise man of this age. i. I am of Apollos: 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. For others, there is resurrection and eternal life, but unto damnation. through the pride and cleverness of men! 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. How different for the Christian! : God takes pleasure in accomplishing our salvation in a way no one would have expected. Unfortunately, many of them never communicate any encouragement with their correction and advice. do not mean Paul actually considered the message and God foolish. Through much of this book, Paul deals with the moral problems of the Corinthians: envy, divisions, pride, immorality, greed, irreverence, and selfishness. How much of this came in because of they kept. 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. i. They are saints together, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. e. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed: In a single moment, Jesus will gather His people (both dead and on the earth) to Himself, for resurrection. Paul writes this letter from Ephesus, where these people from Chloes household visited and told him about the condition of the the Corinthian church. 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. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. i. July 15, 2017 / by Enduring Word 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 - Diversity and Unity in the Gifts of the Spirit. ii. 2. The Lord will show His remembrance of our work and labor of love at the resurrection. i. iv. For those who are not in Jesus Christ, death still has its sting. Called to be an apostle: At the outset of the letter indeed, the very first few words Paul fearlessly declares his apostolic credentials. iii. "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 .
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