1 Corinthians 12-14

1 Corinthians 12-14: The challenge of integrating love and spiritual gifts requires us to develop a multidimensional faith. Just as we have to synthesize sound Biblical doctrine and experience with Christ, we now need to figure out a spiritual universe in which the love of God, His for us and ours for Him, is the basis for also receiving and exercising spiritual gifts. Agape love is God’s expression of How much He cares for us, but it is because of this love that He gives us gifts. We have to receive them, and also exercise them.

1 Corinthians 12

1 Corinthians 12:1-3 The foundational requirement for having and exercising gifts is the correct understanding and embracing of the truth that Jesus is Lord. This is only possible from the empowering of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The opposite, seeing Jesus as a curse and saying it, comes from the rejection of Ruach HaKodesh, and the upwelling of internal evil spirits. The gifts are from God the Holy Spirit. No matter what miracles may occur, the words of our mouth  are the mark of divine gifting.

1 Corinthians 12:3-7,11 Although there are many gifts, it is God’s perfect plan that they work together for the good of His body. Each manifestation of the Holy Spirit is for the common good, i.e., the benefit of all. But they will be different.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 The nine gifts listed here are somewhat different from the other lists. (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-13) 

• Prophecy is the only gift mentioned in all four lists. In this context prophecy isn’t limited to foretelling the future, it is the bubbling forth of the words of God from inside. This gift is not necessarily more important than the others, but it is the most widely needed. Every believer needs to hear from God, if not directly then through fellow believers.
• Teachers are not mentioned here, but are in the three other lists. The need for teachers is obvious, for sound instruction from His word. (See below)
• A number of gifts are mentioned twice.

• Wisdom and guidance - divinely inspired insight about a situation
• Miracles - supernatural manifestations of power either to remedy a problem or attest to God’s endorsement or presence.
• Healing - a specific type of miracle focused on God’s care about our physical well-being.
• Tongues - another type of miracle, that attests to God’s plan that the gospel be preached to all nations.

• Many gifts are in only one list. The following gifts are only in this section.

• Faith - everyone has faith, because faith is needed for salvation, but some have anointed faith. Not name-it-and-claim-it faith (in which we decide what we want and expect God to deliver), but believing something extraordinary that God has promised is a gift.
• Knowledge - not just knowing things in the natural, but knowing things we have no way of finding out in the natural.
• Discernment of spirits is related to exorcism, not widely enough practiced because few want to acknowledge the spiritual war we face. 
• Interpretation of tongues - simply a gift needed to make the gift of tongues edifying. Tongues speak mysteries to God, so we need to have it explained to us.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 Paul now uses the analogy of a human body to explain the dependence  of diverse believers on each others’ gifts. The primary purpose of the gifts is to build the body of Christ. Believers are parts of this body. Hands, eyes, feet, ears, the head are each specialized body parts that perform specific functions. Paul even refers to the private body parts, which he notes we treat with special honor. There is no direct correlation of human body parts to the gifts identified earlier, but the basic concept of differentiation. We are not an amoeba, or a blob.

Animals also have most of the body parts he identifies, but what differentiates humans from animals is the human spirit, which is what this chapter is about. Animals exhibit love for their masters, but they do not have the gift of prophecy, and do not receive Christ as their savior. They see their owners as providers and protectors, perhaps saving them from the wild and starvation, but we know that this is not the salvation that Jesus brings. Those who have pets or take care of farm animals are fulfilling God’s command to Adam and Eve. (Genesis 1:28) 

An important point is that we should neither judge nor envy the gifts of others. We should encourage each other. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) If there seems to be an abuse or misuse of the gifts, there is a church structure charged with dealing with the situation. (1 Corinthians 14:26-33) If someone else has a gift more recognized within the body, we must remember that the Lord sees and rewards us according to our faithfulness to what He has called us to. The risk with the more exciting gifts is to the individual’s ego or pride. Most times the people on the setup crew don’t struggle with this risk, and few people envy those with these gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:27-30 Paul gives a second list of positions in the church. Some overlap with the first list, but here he includes apostles, teachers, and helpers.

• Apostles are the ones sent forth to establish the church, with all the responsibility that goes with it: the care of setting up an organization that is both a human community and a divine, spiritual organism. God’s delegated authority to approved and trustworthy leaders.
• Teachers are needed in every church, for the purpose of instructing believers in God’s word, His commands, and His ways. This is not limited to preaching sermons; even children need to be taught, by gifted and trustworthy teachers.
• Helpers are those called to do “ordinary” practical tasks for the body. There is work to be done everywhere. One doesn’t need a supernatural anointing to work, but some are gifted with special capabilities. In the household there are duties usually assigned to someone, or shared, such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, home maintenance and repair, paying bills, child care, etc. Although the church does not have these duties, there are many mundane chores that need helpers to do. Imagine trying to live in a house where no one cleans.

 

1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Having listed the gifts of the Holy Spirit earlier (12:8-10), Paul turns to the fundamental spiritual quality that underlies their value to the body of Christ. Tongues, prophecy, knowledge, and faith all count for nothing in the eternal realm if they are not based on love. In this context, he is not talking about family love or marital love, but congregational love. Gifts only matter when they are given and received in the context of caring for the good of another. Even giving away our own possessions to the poor, or enduring bodily pain counts for nothing in building God’s kingdom if it is not based on a foundation of love, and done in a chosen lifestyle of love. Paul enumerates specific shortcomings of the gifts of tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, and generosity if they are exercised without love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 There are listed several attributes that love exhibits, and several that are antithetical to love. There is some overlap with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21) This is to give detail of the types of behavior one must choose to be loving. Love is not a mushy, sentimentality. John 3:16 gives the ultimate example of what love is. Obviously, in marriage one would hope for this standard of behavior. (Ephesians 5:25-26) Dare we hope for it in the church body?

Patience, kindness, trust, hope, perseverance that never fail. Who would not want to live in a household or a community where these are the norm, not just a standard to to strive for, but the experience of daily life? Boasting, pride, dissing others, self-seeking, anger, constant reminders of wrongs, evil - this is the world we live in, personally and socially; just watch the news, look at social media, or spend time with people you know. Paul appeals to us to choose Love incarnate (1 John 4:8), not just in allegiance, but in our moment-to-moment life.

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 An appeal to the transcendent, eternal, spiritual reality, in which love will be the defining attribute. Things of the earth, of this life, are not going to be disregarded so much as graduated from and outgrown. Even the Holy Spirit gifts of tongues, prophecy, and knowledge will be transcended by completeness in God’s presence. We don’t look down on children because of their childishness, indeed, we want them to be happy and also to grow. But ultimately, we want our children to become fully functioning adults, which exactly God’s plan for us. But what that will look like is perfect love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 How true greatness is found in this life: love. Growing into God’s image.

1 Corinthians 14

Having established that love is the foundation for the body of Christ, and what that should look like in practice, Paul returns to the issue of exercising spiritual gifts in the assembly of believers. There is tension between personal spiritual edification and corporate building up of the body of believers. One dimension of this is the worship service. After they have practiced the remembrance of the Lord’s death and resurrection in the Lord’s Supper, it seems they had a worship service with what amounts to an open mic. Paul’s instructions seem to be focused on this period. Most modern church services do not include this, although testimony services happen, most services are scripted with worship music, designated speakers, and liturgies. 

1 Corinthians 14:1-12 The difference between tongues and prophecy is obvious. Speaking to God vs. speaking for God to others. I have heard that from time to time a visitor to a service in which tongues are being spoken have recognized and understood what was being said, but that is a relatively rare occurrence. Unknown tongues are for God, and an expression of faith that somehow the Holy Spirit is speaking through us.

1 Corinthians 14:13-19 The tongue-talker should ask the Lord for an understanding of what was said, so as to edify and build up the congregation. Otherwise God’s spoken words are lost on the others present. A few intelligible words directly from God outweigh a vast torrent of unintelligible words heard by others. Paul’s focus on worship is to edify the body as a whole. Not discussed here, but when we have a musical worship, it is both to show our devotion and to draw near to God so that we can connect with Him. That also builds up the lives of believers.

1 Corinthians 14:20-25 But lest we denigrate tongues as useless, Paul points to Old Testament prophecy that God will use foreign languages to call people, and also recognizes that even with miraculous revelation, some will still not believe. (Isaiah 28:11-12) Both tongues and prophecy have a place in church - the goal being genuine worship of God. 

1 Corinthians 14:26-33 Paul gives the rules of order for open mic night. Henry Robert didn’t invent them in 1876, nor did legislative bodies before him. 

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Are these instructions for women applicable today? Why did Paul say it was disgraceful for a woman to speak in church? There are various theories and lengthy arguments based on cultural norms of the time and going back to Eve’s role in the fall in the garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:6) Since Paul in other places acknowledged the role of women, the most extreme limitations interpretation of this seem to be focused more locally to the Corinthians. And Paul even mentioned sisters prophesying (14:39) 

1 Corinthians 14:36-40 The bottom line is that the practice of faith originates from and is empowered by God. Therefore, our assemblies should reflect His nature and character, both in decorum and in the release of supernatural power for ministry.

1 Corinthians 8-11

 

1 Corinthians 8

1 Corinthians 8:1-2 Does knowing Jesus risk getting puffed up - getting an inflated ego? It depends. Do we focus on revelation of spiritual truths we begin to understand, or on love? Is being a Christian a matter of believing correct theology or of experiencing and receiving His essential nature and character?  Synthesize Jesus’ words that His sheep know His voice (John  10:27) with Paul’s words that those who confess Jesus as Lord and believe that He rose from the dead are saved. (Romans 10:9-10) Integrate f naith, obedience,, and experience.

1 Corinthians 8:3-6 Is an idol a real god? Paul seems to say that there are many gods. Apart from graven images, this could be interpreted as meaning there are the fallen angels, the watchers, who set themselves up as supernatural beings to be worshipped as gods. Or he could mean that we have things in our lives that we elevate to the position of deity by worshipping them with our time, devotion, behavior, etc. In either case, Jesus is the one true Lord, our creator, savior, and sustainer. All these other things are counterfeits.

1 Corinthians 8:7-8 It seems a universal human custom to link faith to religious rituals involving meals. The pagans in Corinth did it, and participating would violate the second commandment. (Exodus 20:4-5) But also, in the law of Moses, God gave very specific instructions for kosher food. (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14:1-21) These were instructions to honor God in our eating. And in celebrating the Passover, the pascal lamb symbolized the one true God, the offering of Jesus for our sins. (Exodus 12:1-28; Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:19-20) And there are other feasts in the Jewish calendar involving assemblies and food as well. So linking food to religion was certainly not unique to the Greek idolators. But when Paul says that food does not bring us near to God, he clearly is not referring to the Lord’s supper. Rather, he contrasts eating with pagans to partaking in the Lord’s supper, which draws us closer to the Lord.  (10:14-22, 11:17-34)

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 Paul is concerned that if a person who is a believer but struggling with faith sees another believer do something that they think is idolatry, their faith will be damaged. So, for ambiguous cases like this, he says he won’t do something that is not a sin if it might cause another believer to stumble. Whether he became a vegetarian for the sake of others or for his own spiritual health, he was not going to participate even indirectly in pagan rituals that mimicked Old Testament sacrifices, but to false gods.

1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 9:1-2 Paul appeals to their experience with him as proof of his apostolic credentials. He preached and taught and worked to establish the body of believers in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 9:3-10 Paul cites the normal parts of life that God gifts us - food, family, and normal sustenance that results from work. His defense against his accusers is that no one else serves another at his own expense. Soldiers, farmers, and shepherds all reap compensation for their labor. Even farm animals are fed, as Moses commanded. (Deuteronomy 25:4) Of course, this follows from the initial charge to Adam to rule over the animals (Genesis 1:26), but God’s standards of fairness also apply to humans. Workers are to be paid as Moses recorded.  (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:15) 

1 Corinthians 9:11-18 Paul next points out that as an evangelist and preacher, he had a right to receive a salary, some pay for his ministry. Even the Mosaic law commanded  that priests and Levites are to be supported from the peoples’ offerings to the Lord. (Numbers 18) However, Paul did not make use of this kind of provision, working to support himself as a tentmaker, and then preaching, teaching, and evangelizing in time not devoted to a ‘regular’ job. He did this because he was compelled by the call of Christ to preach the gospel. 

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Paul invokes a strange form of slavery. In order to proclaim the gospel, he made himself like people in different groups in order to share the gospel and appeal to them as a fellow … Jew, Pharisee, gentile, weakling. He did this as a slave to Christ. He viewed it as being a slave other people, to win them if he could.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul uses the metaphor of athletic contests. Athletes compete to win prizes. To do so they must work out. Exercise, diet, and self-discipline are needed for an athlete to be competitive. This is true today, in contests that involve skill as well as strength and endurance. In the case of ministry, there is an additional dimension of self-discipline, which Paul describes as beating his body. He doesn’t say it explicitly, but ministers must be morally above reproach. He simply says this self-discipline is needed to avoid being disqualified. This standard continues to this day, although sadly, it is far too frequently not met, with devastating impacts to both the minister and the ministry he or she worked so hard to build.

We have all this as Paul’s perspective on His life, but how do we perceive what God thinks about this? Probably the best summary is given in Paul’s second letter, when he relates that the Lord told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Paul did not explicitly say what his thorn in the flesh was, but the basic principle applies. Whether we are married or single unto the Lord, whether we are paid or work to support ourselves, His grace is sufficient. Our weakness is an opportunity for the strength of Jesus to be revealed in and through us.

1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Paul now turns to warnings from Israel’s history. During the Exodus, they were led by the cloud and through the sea. (Exodus 13:21, 14:21-24) They were supernaturally fed with manna and given water to drink in the desert out of a rock. (Exodus 16:13-18, 17:1-6) Despite all these miracles, they refused to go to the promised land, and died in the wilderness. (Numbers 14:29) 

1 Corinthians 10:6-13 Paul continues by describing Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness. They sat down to eat and stood up to have a sex party. (Exodus 32:6) Many were killed. (Exodus 32:28) Later in they whined, grumbled, and complained and were killed for their ingratitude. (Numbers 16:41, 21:6-7) These are recorded for us as examples and warnings.  The warning: do not set your heart on forbidden things; the consequences are fatal. The trials of life are a test; God is faithful in limiting the testing to what we are able to endure. Our ultimate goal should go beyond enduring the test, to realizing and achieving whatever He is doing, whether it is for us to grow in faith and obedience, and/or for Him and His kingdom to be glorified. This is not to say that God sends the test, but He allows it, and turns the trials of life to His purposes in us and in the world. (Job 42:1-6)

1 Corinthians 10:14-22 Turning to the Lord’s Supper, we (all believers) become united in His body when we partake partake of His body and blood. (Matthew 26:26) The priests and Levites are commanded to partake of the meat offered as sacrifices to God. (Numbers 18) This cannot be mixed with or contaminated by the idolatry of partaking of meat sacrificed to idols. Even though idols are nothing (lifeless stone), the evil spirits that they symbolize are a risk to believers who invite their participation. Do not, under any circumstances, open this door to demons!

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 Our rights end at the point where the lives or faith of others is damaged. Pointing back to his discussion in chapter 6 about lawsuits, our rights before God are limited by the implications of cause and effect, and the directions He has given us to avoid the ill effects of actions that do not promote the good of others. We should rather be impelled by the Holy Spirit to actively seek others’ good. That is the opposite of asserting our “rights”.

1 Corinthians 10:25-26 Quoting David, Paul recognizes that all food was originally created by God and belongs to Him. (Psalm 24:1) Therefore, meat sold in the meat market can be eaten without compunction.

1 Corinthians 10:27-33 Eating a meal with pagans is not a problem, unless they specifically challenge your faith by telling you meat was offered to an idol. In that case, it is not your conscience that is on trial, but theirs. The world is watching Christians, but with limited understanding of eternal truths. Can pagans be won to the Lord by seeing us act legalistically? Unlikely, but we do want them to see that we live our lives in fellowship with the Lord, and to honor Him because of our love for Him and His love for us. Everything we do should be done to bring glory to God. The key element of this is presenting the gospel, in which Paul is trying to please the Lord, not men. Even when we are not presenting the gospel, we must behave in such a way to honor God, in our eating, our handling of money, and our sexual behavior.

1 Corinthians 11

1 Corinthians 11:1-16 What do we make of hair length and hats? It is partly cultural (as in prostitutes shaving their heads) but it is the attitude of the heart that the hair symbolizes that matters. Samson had very long hair because of his nazarite vow, but it was unto the Lord. (Judges 16:17) Absalom had long hair that made him attractive, a symbol of the ego (self-centered glory) that led him to rebel against his father, but ultimately led to his death. (2 Samuel 14:25-26, 18:9) Paul does not talk here about soldiers’ helmets, but clearly they are an element in the full armor that a is needed for effective warfare; in our case the helmet of salvation is needed to protect our mind from the enemy. (Isaiah 59:17; Ephesians 6:17)

In this chapter hair and hats are symbols of authority and submission, which is reflected in marriage as well as in church. Hence, there is a spiritual reality behind the physical symbol. Jesus is to be Lord over our life - if He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all. Nature may teach us about hair length, but life ultimately teaches us about the unseen spiritual realm and how our actions and choices reveal the light of Jesus’ lordship (or not). When Paul said that some sleep (11:30), this was a somber reminder that decisions have consequences in the moral realm. When he said that the wife is the glory of her husband, it is both a call to women on how to see their role, and also a reminder that her life is a picture of how the church reflects the glory of Christ. 

1 Corinthians 11:17-22 Regardless of social status or income, regardless of religious denomination, the Lord’s supper should build the unity of the body of believers in the body of Christ. It is the infiltration of the enemy that doctrines about the communion elements divide those who identify with Him. We honor the person of Christ, not the cracker or the ritual. It is His presence that makes it a sacred meal. 

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Paul repeats verbatim the words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper, also recorded in the gospels. (Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:17-20) Perhaps the Corinthians did not have these documents. Paul’s point is that the ritual of repeating Jesus’ words is more than a ritual. It is a visual and physical proclamation of the victory that Christ won over sin and death on the cross, and a spiritual reality as well. It is a reminder that the blood never loses its power. 

1 Corinthians 11:27-32 Rejecting unity with other believers brings self-judgment. If we do not discern correctly, we will be disciplined by the Lord, in order to avoid the even greater tragedy of being judged and condemned with unbelievers. Discernment can take many forms, but participation in this symbolic ritual has a spiritual reality we must not neglect. Weakness, sickness, even death can result from treating something that is holy as common.

1 Corinthians 11:33-34 Paul closes with a practical admonition for the local collection of believers. Enjoy eating together, but if your eating in public will cause division, eat at home first so that you can exercise self control when with fellow believers. 

1 Corinthians 4-7

 

1 Corinthians 4

1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Paul now turns to explaining his personal position on how he deals with petty politics and worship of human leaders. Paul focuses entirely on how he is judged by the Lord. Even if his conscience is clear, that doesn’t mean he is innocent. That determination will be made by Jesus on judgment day. He will expose the motives of the heart. Paul wants to be judged as faithful in stewarding what the Lord has given him. 

This is a corollary risk for teachers, besides the issues discussed in earlier chapters about believers worshipping human teachers. The risk is that they will receive the worship and spoken praise of the people and allow their ego to be puffed up. Every person, regardless of how devoted to the Lord they are, is still potentially vulnerable to temptation to sin. For many it is sexual sin, but pride, avarice, wrath, envy, gluttony, sloth are all out there as well, just not as dramatic. 

1 Corinthians 4:6-8 Paul makes an obscure reference to a saying ‘do not go beyond what is written’. This does not appear to be a direct quote, either from the Old Testament or from Jesus, but reflects a conservative principle regarding exegesis. Many things are spoken by various teachers in expounding on Scripture, but the teachers’ words do not have the authority of the written word. Paul’s point seems to be that God blesses different people in different ways as He deems best. Of Paul’s readers, those who are blessed in certain ways (financially, relationally, spiritual gifts) are still the recipient of these blessings by God’s grace. The should not lord it over others, but in humility receive what God has given.

1 Corinthians 4:9-13 In a rebuke to prosperity teachers, Paul describes the life of an apostle. They are viewed as  garbage, the scum of the earth by the world, because of weakness, dishonor, poverty, homelessness, hard labor, and exhibiting a gentle and forgiving spirit. 

1 Corinthians 4:14-17 Paul does not intend to shame them for their worldly political issues, but does want to warn them that the purpose of church leaders, be they any of the roles (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, etc.), is to encourage followers of Christ to live like and become like Jesus. In Paul’s case, he encourages them to live humbly, just as he does, and to respect him as a spiritual father. Paul’s life is based on trust in God, not boasting of his own achievements. In another letter he details some of his life experiences. (2 Corinthians 11:22-33) When he says to imitate him, he is encouraging humility.

1 Corinthians 4:18-21 Paul says he will be coming to see them soon in person. Should they fear him? Yes and no. They need not fear his personality because he is humble, not domineering. But they do need to fear God because His kingdom has spiritual power. Paul could bring human discipline, but he is here warning them that the true power of God’s kingdom is found in love and a gentle spirit. If they reject these attributes, they will not have the power of God working in their lives. 

1 Corinthians 5

1 Corinthians 5:1 Even pagans have a sense of right and wrong, so Paul is amazed that the Corinthian Christians think that the grace of God would tolerate this type of gross sin. It does not say the man is having sex with his mother, so we can infer it must be his stepmother. It is still incest. (Leviticus 18:8)

1 Corinthians 5:2-5 Paul now deals with the issue of judging others versus God’s grace. The point is that Jesus did not come to shed His blood so that we could live in sin and He will forgive us. He came to deliver us from sin. Paul’s judgment is that this man is not receiving God’s grace, but using “cheap grace” as license to continue to sin brazenly. And the body of believers apparently are allowing this. They should be mourning the lost state of his soul, as being spiritually dead. Paul has already made a judgment that this cannot continue, for the sake of the man in question. So this man is to be handed over to Satan, to experience consequences of his actions, so that he will repent and be saved from ultimate judgment. This should be a warning to all believers about the practice of license. Jesus also addressed dealing with sin in the church, with an additional proviso about how the issue is to be handled. (Matthew 18:15-17)

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 The sacrament of the Lord’s supper is discussed later. (1 Corinthians 11:27-30) In this passage, the feast of unleavened bread and the Passover lamb are used to instruct the church. The feast of unleavened bread symbolizes living life free of sin. (Deuteronomy 16:3-4) It takes a very small amount of yeast to cause the entire lump of dough to rise. (Matthew 16:6) To remain an unleavened loaf of bread, they must eliminate malice and wickedness, and live out sincerity and truth. They will mourn the disfellowshipping (excommunication) of this brother, but cannot allow him to continue in wickedness unchecked. To sincerely care for him, they must keep with the truth and confront sin.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 Paul here lays out the standards of behavior for believers. It sounds a lot like the legalism of the Pharisees - that they must expel from the church anyone who is  sexually immoral, an idolator, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a swindler. To clarify this further, that is the way of the world, but the church members are to be a light and an example to the world of how God intends human society. They can show grace to unbelievers because those outside of Christ don’t know any better, but that grace includes demonstrating a life lived apart from worldly ways. 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explicitly warned against passing judgment on others. (Matthew 7:1-2) Paul asked the Romans who they were to pass judgment on each other. (Romans 14:10) So what is the difference here? The issue is perhaps one of degree - brazen wickedness vs. small lapses, e.g., the difference between a capital offense and a misdemeanor in modern parlance. But probably the real problem is the attitude of using the doctrine of grace as a cover for what is really rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We hear the words of Jesus - but do we hearken to them? That is the difference. Will Jesus say to us “I never knew you” on judgment day? (Matthew 7:23) The practice of lawlessness must be confronted with a warning of Truth and eternal outcomes.

1 Corinthians 6

1 Corinthians 6:1-6 Paul now turns to the question of resolving disputes between believers in court. In a spirit of “The Peoples’ Court”, he says that people with in the church have the good sense to judge these kinds of cases, far more so than the world’s courts, because God has chosen them to one day judge angels. Why do they ask for a decision by people who don’t know God and His ways, who are not in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, and are unsaved?

1 Corinthians 6:7-11 Two points are intermingled here. The first is that if they have lawsuits against each other, they have already failed. Their love for the Lord, and for each other, should lead them to be considerate and generous, thoughtful in concern for others. If they cheat another believer, they have transgressed, and if one is cheated, he should prefer being wronged to going to unbelievers for redress. They should mourn the loss of the soul of the person who cheated them. The second is that although people attend church and talk the good talk, if they sin grossly, as discussed in the previous chapter, they will not inherit (attain entry to) God’s kingdom. This list (6:9-10) is not complete, nor the same as the previous list (5:11), but the principle is the same. The believers were formerly these kinds of people, but by turning their lives over to Jesus and being saved, they were washed and set apart unto the Lord.

1 Corinthians 6:12-17 The right to do anything seems embedded in our culture. But this phrase is deceitful - it depends on whose viewpoint this right is being seen from. Even the bill of rights in our constitution does not give people the right to murder or steal or assault another person or lie in court. Whose eyes are we talking about? As believers, we have given Jesus the position of running our lives, and He tells us many things to not do, to avoid ruining our lives or others’. And we aren’t free from cause and effect - we can’t run out in heavy traffic with a right to safety if we jump in front of a car. Ah, but when it comes to sexuality, our society claims an unlimited right to do anything, at least between consenting adults. 

Paul explains the basis for God’s specific set of rules. God created male and female and said it was very good. He said that Adam and Eve would be joined together and become one flesh. (Genesis 2:23-24) Therefore, the body was created for the Lord. But this is only a partial fulfillment of the purpose of the body. It is a type, a picture, of the relationship of Christ to the church.  (Ruth;  Psalm 45; Song of Songs; Isaiah 61:10; Jeremiah 3; Hosea 1:2-11; Matthew 22:1-14; Ephesians 5:25-30; Revelation 21:2,9-10) Hence, defiling ourselves with sexual immorality  (as with a prostitute) is defiling the body that God gave us to be part of Christ. If we are one with Christ, we cannot also be one with an immoral sexual partner. 

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee sexual immorality! Sexual sins are internalized and we damage ourselves with them. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. We damage ourselves by forcing Him to leave, if we do not respond to His prompting; we deaden our spirit so that we no longer hear Him. So we must discipline our bodies in this arena.

1 Corinthians 7

1 Corinthians 7:1-7 In the spirit of Revelation 21:2, Paul lays out guidelines for the sexual relationship within marriage. This parallels his instructions to the Ephesians, focusing here on the core element of sexuality. (Ephesians 5:21-33) This is an exposition of the antidote to the sexual immorality that he warned against in the previous chapter. It is to be a mutually joyful giving of pleasure to one another, that goes beyond the mere physical realm. This is the basis of married love, because the consummation is not to be just physical, but mental and spiritual. It is knowing that we are known and loved by another, whose love leads them to vulnerability in ultimate giving. This is the picture of Christ’s love for the church. Paul gives an additional caveat to balance the practice of temporary abstention for the purpose of prayer with the physical need. Since we live in physical bodies, this need for physical pleasure and affirmation must not be cancelled but fulfilled in a holy way, at least as long as we are in this body. We do not have that ultimate spiritual consummation of which married sexual love is a picture - the fullness of God’s intense love for us - which we will receive on judgment day.

1 Corinthians 7:8-9 Instructions to the unmarried seem almost contrary to the previous section, in saying that it is good to remain unmarried. How is that consistent with the picture of the love Christ has for the church? But in context, it seems like Paul is saying that the unmarried who do not sin sexually are loved by God; but if their fleshly desires are too strong to control, they should marry. 

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 Divorce is a legal matter, related to sexuality, but under different principles. A believer married to an unbeliever is still married. And there is hope that the unbelieving spouse will turn to Christ through seeing His love lived out in front of them. If there are children, they are better influenced to accept Christ by seeing an example of His life and love daily in their presence. Jesus went further in the Sermon on the Mount, in saying that a man who divorces his wife forces her to commit adultery. (Matthew 5:31-32) 

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Paul here makes a rather odd turn, in talking about continuing vs. changing the status of our earthly life when we turn to Christ. He contrasts circumcision and slavery with nuanced instructions. 

• Circumcision is nothing. (Romans 12:25-29) Elsewhere, he didn’t say this, but that it represents a cutting away of the old life. (Colossians 2:11) The important point, which he repeated in several of his letters, is that gentiles don’t need to be circumcised to be saved, because Jesus has saved them with a power far greater than this symbol of the old covenant. 
• Slavery is a more contentious topic. The important point is that Paul is not saying that human slavery is good or even acceptable, but that to be a slave to Christ means to be responsible to Him for what we do. It took hundreds of years and a painful and costly civil war to set right the misinterpretation of scripture that justified chattel slavery in this country. (Approximately 2 1/2% of the population died. If that happened today, it would be roughly 8.5 million deaths.) What is the eternal cost of us not doing what Jesus tells us to?

1 Corinthians 7:25-35 Returning to the topic of getting married, Paul now offers more perspective on the practical implications of being married. Getting married and consummating marriage is not a sin, but there are challenges that come with this. A married person must balance concern about pleasing their spouse with concern about pleasing the Lord. An unmarried person does not have this particular challenge, so Paul believes that is better. Ultimately, this world will pass away, and only what is eternal, i.e., what is done for the Lord, will endure. He recommends undivided devotion to the Lord, but recognizes that few are called and empowered to live the cloistered life. Marriage brings the practical challenges of living together within a shared life in the daily matters of life. Either path will bring challenges that will need to be faced in God-honoring responses and behaviors.

1 Corinthians 7:36-38 The choice is between two things that are good, but one is better. Honorably marrying a virgin to whom one is engaged is good. Remaining single before the Lord is better. But if one cannot live the single life honorably, it is better to marry than to live dishonorably. This final piece of advice offers practical implementation for those who struggle with Jesus’ warning in the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5:27-30) Lusting after a woman is committing adultery (Exodus 20:14) in one’s heart. But one cannot commit adultery with one’s wife, by definition. This does not mean that there are not many other issues about how one is to treat one’s wife, which is what Paul spent a lot of words describing, here and elsewhere. (Ephesians 5:25-33) 

1 Corinthians 7:39-40 A brief recommendation for widows. They are free to remarry but, in the same theme as above, if they are able, remaining single before the Lord is better.