Corinthians04 May
The letters to the Corinthians are a tremendous source of information about how the church is to function. The theology is rich, but it is given in practical ways because this church had ISSUES!
Divisions and factions, people living in open sin, lawsuits and infighting, libertarianism, marriage issues, worship issues, selfishness instead of fellowship, debates over spiritual gifts, and lastly questions about the resurrection. I’m glad I wasn’t part of that church body. But their issues are our gain because Paul addresses these things with the wisdom of the Lord. As you read though, ask yourself if there are sins you may be blinded to in your own approach to the church.
Post a comment on how you think today’s passage applies to our church.
15 Responses to “Corinthians”
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I find 1Co 5:5 to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. – He is talking about a christian man living in fornication. Is the Lord so merciful that He would destroy this man’s flesh so his spirit might be saved? That’s amazing grace! If I am interpreting the scriptures correctly.
It sounds harsh, but all discipline is for the strength of the soul. And deeply imbedded sins, with an unrepentant heart, call for serious action. It is tough to pray this for someone. Better to pray that they learn their lesson the easy way….I wish!
In 1 Cor 7 14-16, the text speaks toward the unequally yoked couple. I have struggled with this from what looks like holiness from the believing spouse, or holiness by proxy.
I think the background for this is that the Gentile believers in Corinth were beginning to interact with the Jewish believers and with the OT law. Remember, they were searching and learning the scriptures to get to know God. Those Gentiles had nothing to go on before. We assume that the only thing they had was Paul’s letter, but they had the OT to learn. I believe that the whole issue of separation came out of seeing OT Israel needing to avoid non-Israelite women, and putting away foreign wives in Ezra. After reading that, one might say, “Do I need to divorce my non-believing spouse in order to be set apart (holy)?” Paul’s answer is NO. Your non-believing spouse is made holy in this way. This is not the same thing as salvation. Note in verse 16 that salvation of the spouse is a different issue. Hope this helps.
I know it is not the same as salvation – I was careful not to mention that. I was trying to determine how holiness was imparted to them. For instance: You can have a very godly person, trying to walk with God and yet the person’s family (spouse, kids or both) being completely outside of godly living. How then is holiness imparted to them?
Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
I’m wondering how many of us ask God to help us have a forgiving response to someone who repeatedly hurts or disappoints us? Isn’t our response to eventually turn our backs on people we become fed up with…I ask this rhetorically. I am aware that Satan wants to tear us apart, our marriages, our friendships, our church… will we be obedient in everything and forgive our brothers and sisters perhaps at a cost of our own self righteousness?
My hair is growing whiter
Opps!
My hair is growing whiter, but my eyes are growing brighter My face is growing longer, but my faith is getting stronger, Though outwardly I waste away, Inwardly, day by day, I am renewed.
Audra, I like your the poem. So true!
OH Lord, help me not to lose heart and to find joy in the hope of the renewal you bring. I worship You for Your power at work in our lives.
BTW, where are the devotionals? When I click it gives me April 8th?
Great question…and you are the first to ask it. We were tracking the use of the devos and found that some days there were no hits and most days only a few, so we discontinued them (but didn’t disable the option.) But if you say please, I will begin writing them again.
I liked reading them, devotionals make us think of scripture in a personal way. If you write them, I’ll read them. I just stopped checking the website for a while.
I responded a few days ago but i don’t see it here…I liked the devotionals. I don’t want to make work for you but I do think devotionals force us to look for an application of the Word to our lives.
Just finished reading Monday’s 365 rev and Paul ended it with something like “all the saints greet you…”
Coming freshly out of catholicism, this stood out to me… And I’m wondering who are the saints he is referring to?
The reference is to the other church people, believers who are with Paul. The word, “holy” in greek is in a noun form instead of an adjective, so it reads “holy ones.” This is how Paul typically describes believers.
Acts 26:10-“And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them.
This is just a smattering of the 60 times it is used in the New Testament.
Later in church history the church elevated the status of some people calling them “holy ones” or saints…but when the Bible uses the term it refers to you and me, because we are made holy by the death of Jesus.
So good news…YOU ARE A SAINT!