Few passages are more confounding than 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. Growing up, it was always the section that we skipped because the pastor couldn’t make heads nor tails of it. No one who actually read it could wrap their heads around it. Even looking it makes me feel like I’m in over my head. A few […]
Month: February 2016
Letters to the Corinthians: A Good Example
It’s time to take a look at 1 Corinthians 10:23 – 11:1. This is one of the more interesting section divisions – for the most part one chapter has the ending of the section that’s in it, but here it ends at the beginning of the next chapter. We haven’t seen that since chapter 2. […]
Letters to the Corinthians: A Little More on Idols
Here we are in 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 and we’re back to the subject of idolatry and the Lord’s supper. Remember how I was talking about chiasms? Back in chapter 8 Paul explained that we know idols are nothing but we ought not do anything that offends the conscience of a weaker brother or sister. And […]
Letters to the Corinthians: And Now to You
In 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Paul refers to Moses leading the Israelites through the Red Sea and into the Wilderness. We just saw that he referred to the Isthmia Games to talk to the Corinthians about discipline, but what would the Jewish believers who have fled Judea have known about that? For I do not want […]
Letters to the Corinthians: For the Sake of the Gospel
Since the last two sections of this letter are quite short, we’ll take a look at both of them today. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to […]
Letters to the Corinthians: Paul’s Opposition
In 1 Corinthians 9:1-18, Paul is dealing with comments made by his critics. We already know that three of the factions were not his fans. When you’re not a fan of a teacher, then you find it easy to find fault with him. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not […]
Letters to the Corinthians: Idolizing Knowledge
1 Corinthians 8 turns out to be quite the diversion from the last few posts. It also turns out to be the half-way point for the whole letter of 1 Corinthians, so that’s cause for celebration in and of itself. Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge […]
Letters to the Corinthians: on Singleness
We’re looking at 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 and it’s one the more clear sections about their different cultural attitudes about marriage. Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good […]
Letters to the Corinthians: Status Updates
This is 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 and it’s the shortest section of this chapter. Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was […]
Letters to the Corinthians: Family Matters
1 Corinthians 7:1-16 will be today’s section. First I think it’s worth noting that it reads a little bit like an advice column, asking about how they ought to have relationships as Christians and as Christians, what their relationships ought to look like. One thing that is also worth considering is that family was different […]
Be Persuaded 