Let a man so consider us: Paul asks that he, and the other apostles ( us) be regarded by the Corinthians as servants. , he uses the term as a figurative title. 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, . The Corinthians boasting about their party leaders was really boasting about themselves. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul. But someone will say, How are the dead raised up? If you are an unbeliever, death is not your friend; it is your enemy. iii. b. He was once scandalized by a crucified Christ; it infuriated him that one obviously cursed by God (according to Deuteronomy 21:23) should be honored as Messiah and Lord. The gospel is the message of the cross. The last trumpet may not refer to the last trumpet of the seven trumpets of Revelation at all, but simply refer to the last trumpet believers hear on this earth. : If the Corinthian Christians did not continue to, , one day they might let go of the gospel. 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. The Corinthian Christians are, , but this was not based on the outward performance of the Corinthians. On all counts, the resurrection body wins! Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Barclay says yes, and simply points out that Paul was dead wrong here. all the credit for the change in His life. Jesus made a special appearance to James (1 Corinthians 15:7). Many Christians struggle at this very point. 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. 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. 2. On the positive side, Paul says love is: patient, kind, and selfless. For believers, the promise is sure: we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. When Jesus came upon the tomb of Lazarus, He, . iv. e. Confirm you to the end: The Corinthian Christians had their strong points, and they had their weak points. If death has power over Jesus, He is not God. 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. What will Paul boast about? : The cumulative testimony of these witnesses is overwhelming. 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. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, it (and not from man, but from Jesus Christ, according to Galatians 1:11-12), and Paul. c. To the church of God which is at Corinth: Notice the contrast: The church of God (something good), which is at Corinth (someplace bad). 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. : Jesus perfectly shows us, in His teaching and life, Gods wisdom. b. Greeks seek after wisdom: The Greek culture valued the pursuit of wisdom, usually expressed in high, academic, philosophical terms. ii. 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. 2. The cross was a time of victorious death, a, is part of the gospel. Paul tells them just what kind of apostle he is, . No one saw the actual resurrection of Jesus. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. We can follow Pauls logic point-by-point: If there is no principle of resurrection, then Jesus did not rise from the dead. Is God supposed to do it or am I supposed to do it? "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. i. Paul expressed the same idea again in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. Those who believe that Jesus gathers His people, may not refer to the last trumpet of the seven trumpets of Revelation at all, but simply refer to the, was a figure of speech that came from the Roman military, when they broke camp. Even more foolish than dividing Jesus is to center parties in the church around men. In this emphasis on Jesus, Paul promotes the sure cure for the problems of the Corinthians: getting your eyes off self and on Jesus. Notice the words to be are inserted by translators. This is not Pauls gospel in the sense that he created it or fashioned it; it is Pauls gospel in the sense that he personally believes it and spreads it. The words message of the cross sound kind of noble and religious to our twentieth-century ears. The Corinthian people were also world known: for partying, drunkenness, and loose sexual morals. Which is at Corinth: Corinth was one of the great cities of the ancient world, and a community very much like Southern California. We know that Peter had a wife, because . Jesus did not die as a mere martyr for a cause. Paul knows that he is not one of the twelve apostles, but he is on par with them because, like them, he is chosen by God. (Robertson), 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. An objection commonly raised concerning the necessity of baptism is based on Paul's statement to the church at Corinth - cf. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal, Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, : Paul is not saying, material things cannot inherit the kingdom of God, because Jesus resurrection body was a, , in this context, means our present bodies. Jesus resurrection body was not a pure spirit body, but a material body described as. 1 CORINTHIANS - PROBLEMS OF A LOCAL CHURCH Click chart to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission. 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 . This is proving himself the servant of Christ. 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. b. i. ; it is a word that properly embraces all believers, over all time. God raises the dead. 2. Paul uses this exact phrase five other times in the New Testament. If there were no resurrection, why would Paul place his life in jeopardy for the gospel? Yes, but only broken that it may be re-formed. Some people think that Paul was disappointed by the results in Athens, and resolved to preach differently in Corinth. 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. It is better to bear trouble in this world, than to be miserable for ever. For it is written: In this quotation from Isaiah 29:14, Paul shows that in spiritual matters, God opposes the wisdom of man. Paul knows that he is not one of the twelve apostles, but he is on par with them because, like them, he is chosen by God. (Robertson), ii. We are fools for Christ's sake; such in common account, and we are well content to be so accounted. Foolish one: In the wording of the ancient Greek, it is even stronger: Fools! in the gospel. i. Righteousness means that we are legally declared not only not guilty, but to have a positive righteousness. If there is no principle of resurrection, then the dead in Christ are gone forever. He is happy to do it in this way, which offends the height of human wisdom. 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. In Ephesians 1:10, Paul reveals Gods eternal purpose in history: When He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power, to men, to Satan, and even to death. iii. 2 Corinthians 4:10, Galatians 6:17. and (concrete, of felt necessity: , 50, abstract, of general principle) relate, as in 1 Corinthians 15:42 ff., to the present, living . If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then death has power over Him and defeated Him. Session 1: The God of All Comfort. 3. All the redeemed on the earth at that time will rise up to meet the Lord in the clouds, and will receive their resurrection bodies. See passages such as Numbers 16:3, Numbers 20:4, Deuteronomy 23:1, and 1 Chronicles 28:8. iii. (30-31) True wisdom belongs to the believing. The Corinthians were called saints, not called to be saints. Whatever the preacher may mean in his heart, he will be guilty of the blood of souls if he does not clearly proclaim a real sacrifice for sin. (Spurgeon), vi. It was on a four-and-one-half mile-wide isthmus of land. He is, b. Ancient writers considered Corinth rich, prosperous always great and wealthy (Mare). Paul came speaking plainly, without any attempt to dazzle with eloquence or intellect. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. We should work hard in everything now, working for the Lord, because right now counts forever! Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Each of these were resuscitated from death, but none of them were. i. Philippians 3:21 repeats Pauls theme: Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Evil company corrupts good habits: This is not a quotation from the Old Testament, or even from the words of Jesus. g. So this corruptible must put on incorruption: Resurrection is a must for the Christians destiny. But Hodge recognizes that Paul isnt necessarily referring to only believers of. Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? No doubt, many of the Corinthian Christians were beginning to think of themselves in high terms because of Gods work in them. iv. ii. It is wisdom of a different order altogether. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changedin a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 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. Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and hes our man. Paul isnt condemning all learning or education; he merely says that by themselves they are useless for obtaining spiritual wisdom. The work of God in the Corinthian Christians could be seen by, iii. AND YOUR POINT, PAUL? a. ii. However, we learn something just from the meaning of the ancient Greek word . Death is defeated by resurrection. These bodies which are subject to disease, injury, and one day decay, are unsuited for heaven. c. I tell you a mystery: In the Biblical sense, a mystery is simply a thing to be understood by spiritual, rather than by merely human perception. Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, Why did Paul so carefully prove the resurrection of Jesus?