Week 47a--1 Corinthians

Each one of Paul's letters to the Corinthians is rather long, so 1 and 2 Corinthians get their own posts. 

He begins the letter with his normal greeting of grace and peace. Paul is thankful that the spiritual gifts are manifested in the Corinthians. However, 10 verses into the book, Paul begins pointing out things the Corinthians have been doing wrong. The first sin is sectarianism, splitting apart because of differences in beliefs. God’s glory is the only thing that matters, not the words of man. The only thing worth knowing is Christ crucified and resurrected. The only wisdom worth having comes from God. 

There is an important statement in chapter 4: Paul says “I did not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as beloved children” (4:14) Which is good, because then he really lights into them.

The church at Corinth has been plagued by sexual immorality, and the people have not done enough to get rid of it. This ones who participate in this behavior (Paul specifically speaks of a man sleeping with his father’s wife) must be removed from the church. 

On the other hand, believers are not to bring lawsuits against each other, but to settle disagreements outside of court without getting the worldly law/justice system involved.

Again, Paul reminds them to glorify God with their behavior and their physical bodies as well. He then writes about marriage.  He first tells people not to get married unless they feel they absolutely have to, because married people are distracted from serving God. But then he tells those who are married to keep their vows, even if married to an unbeliever. Paul then speaks to widows and unmarried women, telling them how they are to fulfill their roles in the body of Christ.

Paul speaks again on meat sacrificed to idols. His conclusion: See who is watching you. Is your choice going to lead them astray? Then don’t do it. This does not mean be so overly cautious that you don’t do anything for fear of offending anyone. It means watch who you are with--help your brothers grow in the Lord, do not lead them to stumble. He sums these concepts up with this verse: “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify” (10:23).

The end of chapter 11 describes the beginning of the practice of the Lord’s Supper. Many churches read 1 Cor 11:23-26 every time the Lord’s Supper is observed.

Paul speaks again of spiritual gifts, telling how the many gifts are all manifestations of the same spirit and that believers need to work together as unified members of one body. Paul tells the Corinthians to “desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you a more excellent way.” (12:31)

The most excellent way is, of course, the way of Love. Paul dedicates an entire chapter to this first fruit of the spirit. This chapter is another one of the most often passages, used--of course--at weddings.

Next Paul speaks of the other spiritual gifts: speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, prophecy. He returns to his main theme, which is the importance of Christ’s death and resurrection.

The final chapter of 1 Corinthians contains personal notes: Paul is coming back to collect money to support the church at Jerusalem and he is then going on to Macedonia; there are the traditional benedictions at the end. Once again, may the grace of God be with you all!