1 Corinthians – Page 5

Digging in Deeper: 1 Corinthians 14:34

September 4, 2017September 2, 20172 Comments

“…the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.” (ESV – Read the chapter)

See, I knew it! Paul is clearly a misogynist. He wants women silent and in the back, or better yet, barefoot and in the kitchen. The church of Paul has no real place for women to become fully who God always intended them to be. We need something fresh and new with feminism at its heart in order for both men and women to find the place God has for them. Read the rest…

1 Corinthians 15:12-14

September 4, 2017September 2, 2017Leave a comment

“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. (ESV – Read the chapter)

Pay close attention to Paul’s argument and his conclusion here because this is perhaps the single most important argument in the whole of the Scriptures in terms of its central importance to the Christian faith. The resurrection is the historical event on which the whole of the Christian faith rests. If we can successfully prove this one thing, everything else that we claim to be right and true flows from it. Everything. Without it, the whole structure of the faith crumbles and falls into the dust. If you were to choose one truth claim of the Christian faith to make sure someone else believes and understands, this is the one. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 1 Corinthians 14:1-3

August 30, 2017August 28, 2017Leave a comment

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.” (ESV – Read the chapter)

Here in this letter Paul raises the issue of the spiritual gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues. The latter has apparently always been the more popular and interesting of the two. Still, there is a fair bit of ambiguity regarding what exactly these two gifts entail. Read the rest…

Morning Musings: 1 Corinthians 14:20

August 30, 2017August 29, 2017Leave a comment

“Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” (ESV – Read the chapter)

Christians are often accused of being a naïve lot. We don’t know enough about the world because we haven’t experienced enough of it. How can we say this or that is really bad until we have walked those roads ourselves? Perhaps there is some good in the things we roundly condemn. We just haven’t encountered it because we are too clueless about it. Read the rest…

Morning Musings: 1 Corinthians 12:31

August 28, 2017August 28, 2017Leave a comment

“But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” (ESV)

Verse 31 here of chapter 12 offers important context for understanding chapter 13 that most folks ignore. Chapter 13 is, of course, the famous “love chapter.” Paul offers us a beautiful and vaunted description of what love looks like and the necessity of its centrality in our lives. And while it is certainly and obviously generally applicable, it’s context is advice on how to get our practice of the spiritual gifts right in the church body. Read the rest…