Every good letter eventually has to come to an end. Here in chapter 16, Paul covers three major things: First, Paul addresses what needs to happen regarding a relief offering that is being collected for the believers in Jerusalem. To me, this shows how important generosity is to the successful functioning of the church. IfContinue reading “1 Corinthians 16”
Category Archives: 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 15
58 verses of jam packed, mind-blowing content. There are two directions to go with this. First, we can talk about resurrection. Second, we can talk about how this impacts our everyday lives. So, let’s start with the super easy topic of resurrection. I say that tongue in cheek of course. Trying to wrap your headContinue reading “1 Corinthians 15”
1 Corinthians 14
Part of me wishes I could have been there to see the Corinthian church in action. I wonder how their gatherings looked, what was happening, who was saying what, just how bad it was. But then, the more I think about, the less I’m interested. It sounds like it was a big ball of chaos,Continue reading “1 Corinthians 14”
1 Corinthians 13
The love chapter! Arguably one of the most familiar passages in all of the Bible, along with Psalm 23 and a couple others. But here’s the deal on the love chapter: It’s not an isolated chapter. It’s in the context of spiritual gifts and the church being like a body that needs to work together,Continue reading “1 Corinthians 13”
1 Corinthians 12
I’ve written on this subject multiple times, taught on it multiple times, and apparently, so has Paul. Spiritual gifts are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. Paul uses the illustration of the church being like a body multiple times as well, but I’m struggling at the moment toContinue reading “1 Corinthians 12”
1 Corinthians 11
You wouldn’t think such a simple subject could be so complex and controversial. But leave it to us to make things complicated. What’s the topic? Communion. The Lord’s Supper. The Love Feast / Agape Meal. Depending on where you’ve been to church and what denominations or branches of Christianity you’ve been a part of, you’veContinue reading “1 Corinthians 11”
1 Corinthians 10
Most of this chapter contains warnings from Paul. Warnings to not be defeated by temptation in the hard times. Warnings to not get caught up in wanting our own way. Warnings to not turn our religion into a circus. Warnings to not be sexually promiscuous. Warnings to not try to get Christ to serve usContinue reading “1 Corinthians 10”
1 Corinthians 9
Run to win. This is one of the more popular passages in the New Testament, this little section on running the race and competing to win. But most of the chapter is not about races at all. It’s actually about how the people aren’t doing their job taking care of Paul. Instead, Paul is takingContinue reading “1 Corinthians 9”
1 Corinthians 8
There was a big question in Paul’s day regarding food. Specifically, could you eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols? And could you attend the meals where this meat was served? I’ve been trying to think of a modern day equivalent and it’s extremely tough. First, I wondered about Super Bowl parties or tailgatingContinue reading “1 Corinthians 8”
1 Corinthians 7
In chapter 7, Paul answers the question of “Is it a good thing to have sexual relations?” Of course, he says, within the context of a marriage between man and woman. Marriage can provide a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder, Paul says. Each partner can seek to satisfy theContinue reading “1 Corinthians 7”
1 Corinthians 6
Chapter 6 covers a couple of interesting thoughts. The first is around taking each other to court and how to handle conflict in the church. The second is around how we treat our bodies and other people’s bodies in regards to sexuality. My wife and I were talking about this the other day and what’sContinue reading “1 Corinthians 6”
1 Corinthians 5
Here, we thought this was going to be a fun and exciting discussion on sex, alas, it is not. Maybe by chapter 6 or 7, we’ll get there. In fact, in chapter 5, we’re dealing with sexual sin and gross situations first, then with our overall relationships to others second. First, the gross situation: AContinue reading “1 Corinthians 5”