1 Corinthians
Instructions for Tongues Speakers
It is evident that the Corinthian church was having problems with disorders in their public meetings. Furthermore, it seems that the tongues speakers were the ones causing the most trouble. Paul gave these specific instructions …
Sharing the Gospel
From all indications Paul was a brilliant scholar and could have overwhelmed his listeners with intellectual arguments, but he shared the simple message of Jesus Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide his words. Paul never tried to gather followers by using fancy words to tickle the …
Counsel for the Betrothed and the Widowed
In yesterday’s passage, Paul encouraged those yet to be married (the betrothed) to consider carefully before marriage. In the same way all of us are commanded to weigh each decision we make against the fact that our time here on earth is short (vv. 29, 31). In Today’s passage, Paul …
Immorality Must Be judged
A report came to Paul of a serious sin in the church at Corinth that was not being dealt with. The issue concerned a church member who was carrying on an incestuous affair with his stepmother. This kind of relationship was prohibited in the Old Testament (Lev. 18:8) and in Roman law. Paul …
Diversity of Spiritual Gifts
In verses 1-11, Paul talked about Holy Spirit’s role in empowering believers with various spiritual gifts. There are a variety of gifts, but it’s the same God who does all the giving (vv. 4-6). Each gift is given for the common good of all (v. 7), so if your supposed “gift†is only benefiting you, you …
Paul Surrenders His Rights
Different people serve God for different reasons. We know that there are definitely some motives that people have for serving God that are unacceptable. Jesus made it clear that striving for position and popularity are unacceptable motives for ministry. Greed is also an unacceptable motive for …
Dealing with Christian liberty
Paul continues to deal with the subject of Christian liberty as he uses the illustration of an athlete. The Corinthians would have been very familiar with the Greek Olympic games as well as their Isthmian games. He says that one of the most important rules in a race is that all participants run …
Tongues Must Be Interpreted
Paul’s statement gives us good reason to believe that he was referring to known languages and not some “heavenly†language (vv. 10-11). Each known language is different and yet it has its own meaning. No matter how sincere a speaker may be, if I do not understand his language, he cannot …
Head Covering in the Church
Two of the issues Paul deals with in this chapter are women praying and prophesying, and instructions regarding the Lord’s Supper. The topic of head coverings (vv. 4-7) is not one of the fundamentals of the faith but deals with the matter of obedience. One pastor said, “This may not …
Bible Doctrine Steers the Spiritual Ship
Have you heard someone say, “Don’t preach doctrine to me, just give me sermons that will encourage me!” The truth is that it is Bible doctrine that steers our spiritual ship. Unless we learn Bible doctrine, we cannot know the mind of Christ. In this passage Paul deals with three vital doctrines …