October 22, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Numbers and 1 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Corinthians 1 (NIV)
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.……Continue Reading
1 Corinthians 1
1 Corinthians 1
Pride is a sticky wicket, especially in this country where everything is about self, self-care, and watching out for yourself. We certainly do not encourage humility and putting others first but rather the ideals that we are always looking out for ourselves.
God provides all we have; talent, resources, gifts, and abilities. We easily forget the creator and praise the creation. But this chapter is clear that we boast only in the Lord and what He has done for us, what He has given us, and what He has made us. Paul is showing us here that even within the church we can create division if we aren’t careful. God rather than coming to create ranks or hierarchies came to create unity, unity in the idea that we are all His children and He loves us all equally no matter our financial status, education, talent, or any other worldly standard.
In the introduction of this book is states that the city of Corinth was a wealthy and cosmopolitan commercial city. The Corinthians had adopted the common Greek ideas that physical things are bad. But Paul wrote to answer and correct these false teachings. They tried to separate the human bodies from the spiritual. The Greek culture taught that human wisdom was the greatest so they sought to obtain that; so when presented with the cross; they thought that it was foolishness. It didn`t make sense to them; for how could their own good deeds not be counted for their own salvation. God says that the wisdom of the world is foolishness to Him. But God made salvation so simple that even a little child could understand it. This way no one can glory in himself. Only God gets the glory. I was reminded of the scripture in Matthew when the Pharisees were questioning Jesus at why He ate with tax collectors and sinners. Remember the Pharisees thought they themselves were righteous and not sinners. Look at His answer to them. Matthew 9:12,13 {But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them. They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice; for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.} Only a person that sees his own sin and turns to Christ will be saved. The Pharisees didn`t think they were sinners so why would they need a Savoir. They were clueless so Jesus told them to ponder what He said. God bless you all.
1 Corinthians 1
1 Corinthians 1 Paul is trying to get the Corinthians unified instead of divided, to find a way to agree with each other and stop defining their faith by the teacher they prefer, including him. He’s explaining that they were not baptized in Paul’s name. He did baptize some of them, but they were baptized in the name of Jesus. They need to follow Jesus as we all do!
When I read the section of this passage that addresses division in the church, I think of how differences in theology sometimes creates division amongst Christians. We sometimes allow these differences to distract us from working together toward the common goal of seeking and saving all who are lost. Coming out of this past weekend’s Men’s Day it is good to see the positive fellowship and bonding that is possible among men from different churches with potentially different theological and philosophical backgrounds. The god of this world wants nothing more than to divide Christians and prevent them from being a beacon of hope. In this day and age, as Christians we all need to elevate the message of salvation and stand firm together as one united army of evangelists!
Amen, Sean!
How complimentary Paul is in the beginning verses of this chapter to this church that he will spend most of the letter correcting. And yet because of Jesus and all we are in Him, there are always good things to see and declare, and yet God would always call us to grow and move ahead, reflecting our salvation in the kind of people we are. So the first thing Paul addresses after the introduction is the issue of division. How foolish to align ourselves as believer to anything or anyone, ultimately, other than Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. That is what Paul preached, and even in doing that, he did not do it with wisdom or eloquence, so as not to rob the cross of its power. That verse really hit me as we face our world and try to come up with the best arguments and defenses for the gospel and yet are we, by doing so, robbing the cross of its power? We must recognize that a person coming to salvation is a spiritual event, based in the conviction that God and the cross brings, that illuminates the heart and draws one to faith and choice to trust in Jesus. It is those who are being saved that recognize the power and conviction there. It is those who are perishing that see it as foolishness. SO the main issue is the state of the human heart not our ability to share the gospel. All the world understands is physical power, intelligence and wisdom that is based in the senses. By definition, the gospel of Jesus is about spiritual power, faith, grace and the conviction about what God provides for us rather than what we are able to do for Him. It is the work of God that brings that understanding, with human faith cooperating to say, yes, I want and I need that!
Thank you, Pastor, I have thought that often when we get too caught up in apologetics and convincing someone with logic and reason, and not just sharing the gospel and allowing that good news to penetrate a soul. My own testimony is very simple, I heard people sharing the impact of Jesus in their lives and I simply said to my friend, “I want Jesus to be my Lord too.” I had no idea what that really meant but only that I believed what they were sharing about Him.
I think apologetics is valuable for encouraging our faith….but faith is first faith in the gospel.
”For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,“
I Corinthians 15:3-4 NKJV
18 ¶ 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.
”For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.“
I Corinthians 1:21-25 NKJV
Let us be perfectly united as people who follow Jesus. God is very near to the “foolish”, weak, lowly, despised people of this world. In his kingdom, the last (in this world) comes first, and the first comes last.
1CORINTHIANS 1