1 Corinthians (Program #48) – Dealing with the Gifts (4)

In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul, the apostle touches the so called gifts of the Spirit. He concludes the chapter by telling the believers by the shallowness of the most outward of these gifts. But then he points them clearly to something much better, the gift of love.

12: 31 “But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And moreover I show to you a most excellent way.”  13:1 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”

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1 Corinthians (Program #46) – Dealing with the Gifts (2)

Did you ever wonder what the purpose of the gifts of the Spirit, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is?

Many Christians thinks the goal is their own personal self edification. But the apostle Paul care more for the building of the Body of Christ.  Stay tune for a special word from 1 Corinthians chapter 12.

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1 Corinthians (Program #44) – Dealing with the Lord’s Supper

In 1 Corinthians chapter ten, the apostle Paul first addresses the matter of the Lord’s table.

10:16-17 “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of Christ?  Seeing that there is one bread, we who are many are one Body; for we all partake of the one bread.”

But then he moves quickly onto to talk a length about the matter of head covering at the beginning of chapter eleven. Heading covering that is a sign we, the believers are in absolute subjection to the unique headship of Christ. But following this he returns again to the Lord’s table in chapter eleven where he calls it the Lord’s supper and we see it developed in a marvelous and thorough way.

Why then he inserted this fellowship regarding head covering in the midst of his lengthily word regarding the Lord’s table?

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1 Corinthians (Program #43) – Dealing with Head Coverings

When the apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, it”s clear that he dealt with many specific problems that were disturbing the believers in Corinth. He addressed these problems in a marvelous way by separating them into two groups.

The first group as we’ve seen covered in the first ten chapters deal with problems in the human life; things like division and argument, dispute between individuals and problems in the married life.

But beginning of chapter eleven he turns to deal with problems that touch things in the spiritual realm. Specifically things that deal with God’s administration in the universe. The first of these spiritual matters is head covering. We may not have much realization about this matter in today’s age. But if we hear Paul’s word on the matter we will get more deeply impressed because it touches the very matter of God’s headship in the universe.

11:3-5 “But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraces his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head;”

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1 Corinthians (Program #40) – Growing in the Full Possession and the Enjoyment

In 1 Corinthians the apostle Paul was speaking to the believers in the church of Corinth much like a father would speak to his own children often chastising and even correcting them. Eventually he warns them using the children of Israel who failed in the wilderness prior to enter into the good land that God had set before them as their goal, as a type.

Paul said in  10:5 “But with most of them God was not well pleased, for they were strewn along in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to us, that we should not be ones who lust after evil things, even as they also lusted.”

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1 Corinthians (Program #39) – The Type of Israel

The Bible contains two histories. The history of Israel in the Old Testament and the history of the church in the New Testament. Actually these two histories are really one story. The history of Israel a type, a shadow while the church is the fulfillment, the reality.

In many of his writings the apostle Paul used the Old Testament as a book of types and pictures to help illustrate the New Testament economy that he was entrusted to preach.

In 1 Corinthians 5 he mentioned the Old Testament passover as our type of New Testament experience of redemption. In chapter 9 and 10 he again picks up the Old Testament to show us a pattern .

First, of our running the race that is our Christians life. Then as a picture of both aspects of our baptism by water and by the Spirit. And finally as a negative pattern regarding the possibility of the genuine, redeemed children of God could ultimately failed to overcome in their Christian life and missed the prize of the reward that is typified by the good land. This is a strong word, a word of warning, which we, like the Corinth believers should heed.

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1 Corinthians (Program #38) – Dealing with Eating of Sacrifices to Idols (3)

1 Corinthians chapter 9 shows us two very significant factors in the ministry of the apostle Paul. First we see how pure he was. Pure in a sense that he had only one motive to be wholly in Christ and for Christ. He sought nothing for his personal gain. Second Paul was also faithful. Faithful because he saw his commission from the Lord in the gospel is a kind of stewardship with which he had been entrusted. Listen to these verses in 1 Corinthians

9:16-17 “For if I preach the gospel, I have no boast, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. If I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a stewardship.”

To read words such as these can’t help but convict us because we all become keenly aware of the impurity of our motives when we receive light from God’s word. But rather be discouraged we should take heart. For in other of Paul’s writing he opens the door to help all of God’s children to as such pure living and in such a faithful serving.

In Galatians
2:20 “I am crucified with Christ;”

and in this book 1 Corinthians chapter

6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.”

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1 Corinthians (Program #36) – Dealing with Eating of Sacrifices to Idols (1)

After opening the book of 1 Corinthians in a very spiritual way, the apostle Paul then turned his attention to several practical matters in the middle chapters.

Chapter 7 for instance deals with marriage. Chapter eight with eating, our diet. These are some of the most basic and practical of all human items. Yet as he begins this fellowship on eating in chapter 8 he inserts a very wonderful and very spiritual phrase. Listen to the first verse of chapter

8:1 “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”

Building up, a theme that runs through out this book. And a very important theme for all of us God’s people to understand.

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1 Corinthians (Program #28) – Dealing with an Evil Brother

Things happen in the church that we would never suspect. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 is one of those chapters in the New Testament where the apostle Paul is dealing with an evil brother.

5:1 says “It is actually reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication that does not even occur among the Gentiles, that someone has his stepmother.”

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1 Corinthians (Program #23) – God’s Farm and God’s Building

The sequence in 1 Corinthians is really marvelous. Most readers of the Bible are aware that the church in Corinth was full of problems. The very same kind of problems that may plague our church today; division, jealousies, strive and ambition just to name a few.

In short the Corinthians were lacking in the genuine experience of Christ as life. So the apostle Paul after pointing out these problems then points them to life and building. Actually this loving care of the apostle in the word of God is for all of us.

1 Corinthians 3:9 “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s cultivated land, God’s building.”

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