1 Corinthians (Letter to a Carnal Church containing Correction and Instruction)
(1 Corinthians Part 1):
1 Corinthians 1:1 - Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
As I noted before in an earlier study, in all of Paul's letters, the words "to be" are in italics. It's because it is not in the original Greek transcript. He is literally saying that he is a called apostle. He's expressing what kind of apostle he is. He is an apostle by calling. It was his emphasis that this is not his ambition or his choice. The word apostle means someone sent out with a commission.
Notice that he claims himself not only to be a called apostle, but he is an apostle of Jesus Christ, not of people. In Galatians 1:1, Paul told them that he is an apostle, not through men, not from men (plural) meaning a committee, nor through a man (singular), meaning no human element appointed him. His appointment to be an apostle came from God.
So, number 1, he's a called apostle. Number 2, he's an apostle of Jesus Christ. And again, in Galatians 1:10, Paul says if I try to please men, I would no longer be a servant of Christ. That's a verse that needs to cut through the heart of every person in the ministry. If you represent Christ and His word, you can't work for anybody else. You've got to represent Christ and His word. And then thirdly, he's an apostle through the will of God. This is God's will for his life. Again, not ambition nor appointment.
1 Corinthians 2:13 - Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Literally in the Greek text, comparing spiritual words with spiritual things. You see, the things of God are Spiritual. They're not human. They're not physical. God's Spirit takes spiritual words and spiritual truth, and God's Spirit teaches us.
1 Corinthians 2:16 - For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The word mind is the word NOUS. Again, this is the perceptive abilities. We don't have His brain. I think that there are some people that misunderstand this text. There have been people in the past that said, "Now that I'm saved, everything that passed through my brain is God's thoughts, and therefore I speak whatever my thoughts are, and they're all of God because I have the mind of Christ."
Well, there are several Greek words. PSEUKE, mostly for the brain, but there are several other words that describe the function of the brain. And the word NOUS describes the perceptive abilities of the mind. So, when it says we have the mind of Christ, we've got the Spirit of Christ that is revealing to us and giving us the ability to perceive spiritual truth.
It's not just a head knowledge, it's a perception, and we're able to perceive because we've received Christ. Then we have His Spirit giving us the perception of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1 - And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
The word carnal in this verse is the word SARKINOS. This is a normal type of carnal. There is another Greek word for carnal which is SARKIKOS which is abnormal.
1 Corinthians 1:31 - That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
The word glory KAUCHASTHO is the word boasting. So, if God does something great, the believers are not supposed to put on a flesh show, a human show. God hasn't chosen us because of our abilities. God has chosen us because we are the chiefest of sinners, and hopefully you're one of those that the world has rejected. You're just not able to fit in.
People that don't fit in with the world have an easy time walking with the Lord. If you surrender your life to Christ, you'll find your identification. It's the people that have a lot of involvement with the world that say "I can't give up that success. I can't give up this, and I can't give up that!"
1 Corinthians 2:4 - And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom. The word enticing is the Greek word for persuasion. It was not with persuasive words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
What a tremendous verse!
1 Corinthians 2:6 - Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
The word perfect, TELIOS, denotes somebody who is saved and complete. It is the same word that Paul used in Colossians 2:10, that we are complete in Him.
1 Corinthians 2:12 - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
That little term "freely given" is the Greek word CHARISMA, which means expression of grace. We've received the Spirit of God so that we can know the things that are freely graced to us of God.
1 Corinthians 1:8 - Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Concerning Christ, who shall also confirm (Again, the word establish). He will establish you unto the end, because God is faithful! So not only are you established now in Christ, but this same Jesus is going to establish you all the way to the end. Paul is giving them a promise. He will establish you unto the end because God is faithful. He keeps his word.
Romans 1:21 - For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching. Literally, the Greek word isn't preaching. It's the preached message. It pleased God that through the foolishness of the gospel message to save them that believe. How can words on a page be used to save anybody? God's Spirit uses it. That's His designed plan!
1 Corinthians 1:24 - But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Notice the two things. Greeks seek wisdom, and the Jews seek a sign. Christ is the power, and Christ is the wisdom to everybody who believes!
1 Corinthians 1:26 - For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
The word noble means wellborn, born into nobility. I can't recall where I read this, but Queen Elizabeth, several years ago when she visited Canada, she was asked if she's a Christian. She said yes. And she said this was her favorite verse, 1 Corinthians 1:26. She says my favorite letter in the alphabet is the letter "M." She says not many noble. She said if the "M" wasn't there, it would be not any noble. So, she says not many. She said I was born into nobility and I believe!
1 Corinthians 1:2 - Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Sanctified is a Perfect Tense word that means they are in a condition. Sanctified means to be set apart for Christ. When the Holy Spirit comes into my life, I am set apart and I belong to Jesus Christ.
They are called saints. Again, the words "to be" are in italics because it's not in the original text. They are saints by calling. The word saint doesn't mean purity. It means position. You are set apart. The word saint and the word sanctified both come from the same Greek word (HAGIOS). It means to be set apart for Christ. So, Christ called them, and they responded to Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3 - Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ
He says grace to you, and peace. Grace is the normal greeting to the Gentiles, especially to the Greeks. And peace is the normal greeting to the Jews, the Hebrew people.
He says grace and peace. The source: from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace can only come from God as His favor and His peace. Those are the normal ways of addressing a letter in Greek. They were in scrolls, so you wanted to unroll the scroll to see first of all who wrote it and who it's written to. And then the third element is always a thanksgiving from the writer. Paul follows that in that form in every one of his letters except for Galatians.
1 Corinthians 1:6 - Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
That the testimony of Christ has been established amongst you. The testimony of Christ was confirmed. The word confirmed is the Greek word BEBAIOS which means to establish somebody. The testimony of the Lord has been established amongst you.
1 Corinthians (Letter to a Carnal Church containing Correction and Instruction)
(1 Corinthians Part 1):
1 Corinthians 1:1 - Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
As I noted before in an earlier study, in all of Paul's letters, the words "to be" are in italics. It's because it is not in the original Greek transcript. He is literally saying that he is a called apostle. He's expressing what kind of apostle he is. He is an apostle by calling. It was his emphasis that this is not his ambition or his choice. The word apostle means someone sent out with a commission.
Notice that he claims himself not only to be a called apostle, but he is an apostle of Jesus Christ, not of people. In Galatians 1:1, Paul told them that he is an apostle, not through men, not from men (plural) meaning a committee, nor through a man (singular), meaning no human element appointed him. His appointment to be an apostle came from God.
So, number 1, he's a called apostle. Number 2, he's an apostle of Jesus Christ. And again, in Galatians 1:10, Paul says if I try to please men, I would no longer be a servant of Christ. That's a verse that needs to cut through the heart of every person in the ministry. If you represent Christ and His word, you can't work for anybody else. You've got to represent Christ and His word. And then thirdly, he's an apostle through the will of God. This is God's will for his life. Again, not ambition nor appointment.
1 Corinthians 2:13 - Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Literally in the Greek text, comparing spiritual words with spiritual things. You see, the things of God are Spiritual. They're not human. They're not physical. God's Spirit takes spiritual words and spiritual truth, and God's Spirit teaches us.
1 Corinthians 2:16 - For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The word mind is the word NOUS. Again, this is the perceptive abilities. We don't have His brain. I think that there are some people that misunderstand this text. There have been people in the past that said, "Now that I'm saved, everything that passed through my brain is God's thoughts, and therefore I speak whatever my thoughts are, and they're all of God because I have the mind of Christ."
Well, there are several Greek words. PSEUKE, mostly for the brain, but there are several other words that describe the function of the brain. And the word NOUS describes the perceptive abilities of the mind. So, when it says we have the mind of Christ, we've got the Spirit of Christ that is revealing to us and giving us the ability to perceive spiritual truth.
It's not just a head knowledge, it's a perception, and we're able to perceive because we've received Christ. Then we have His Spirit giving us the perception of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1 - And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
The word carnal in this verse is the word SARKINOS. This is a normal type of carnal. There is another Greek word for carnal which is SARKIKOS which is abnormal.
1 Corinthians 1:31 - That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
The word glory KAUCHASTHO is the word boasting. So, if God does something great, the believers are not supposed to put on a flesh show, a human show. God hasn't chosen us because of our abilities. God has chosen us because we are the chiefest of sinners, and hopefully you're one of those that the world has rejected. You're just not able to fit in.
People that don't fit in with the world have an easy time walking with the Lord. If you surrender your life to Christ, you'll find your identification. It's the people that have a lot of involvement with the world that say "I can't give up that success. I can't give up this, and I can't give up that!"
1 Corinthians 2:4 - And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom. The word enticing is the Greek word for persuasion. It was not with persuasive words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
What a tremendous verse!
1 Corinthians 2:6 - Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
The word perfect, TELIOS, denotes somebody who is saved and complete. It is the same word that Paul used in Colossians 2:10, that we are complete in Him.
1 Corinthians 2:12 - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
That little term "freely given" is the Greek word CHARISMA, which means expression of grace. We've received the Spirit of God so that we can know the things that are freely graced to us of God.
God hasn't chosen us because of our abilities.
Gods work in us does not depend on persuasive words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
Very humbling passage!
Blessings.
1 Corinthians 1:8 - Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Concerning Christ, who shall also confirm (Again, the word establish). He will establish you unto the end, because God is faithful! So not only are you established now in Christ, but this same Jesus is going to establish you all the way to the end. Paul is giving them a promise. He will establish you unto the end because God is faithful. He keeps his word.
Romans 1:21 - For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching. Literally, the Greek word isn't preaching. It's the preached message. It pleased God that through the foolishness of the gospel message to save them that believe. How can words on a page be used to save anybody? God's Spirit uses it. That's His designed plan!
1 Corinthians 1:24 - But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Notice the two things. Greeks seek wisdom, and the Jews seek a sign. Christ is the power, and Christ is the wisdom to everybody who believes!
1 Corinthians 1:26 - For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
The word noble means wellborn, born into nobility. I can't recall where I read this, but Queen Elizabeth, several years ago when she visited Canada, she was asked if she's a Christian. She said yes. And she said this was her favorite verse, 1 Corinthians 1:26. She says my favorite letter in the alphabet is the letter "M." She says not many noble. She said if the "M" wasn't there, it would be not any noble. So, she says not many. She said I was born into nobility and I believe!
1 Corinthians 1:2 - Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Sanctified is a Perfect Tense word that means they are in a condition. Sanctified means to be set apart for Christ. When the Holy Spirit comes into my life, I am set apart and I belong to Jesus Christ.
They are called saints. Again, the words "to be" are in italics because it's not in the original text. They are saints by calling. The word saint doesn't mean purity. It means position. You are set apart. The word saint and the word sanctified both come from the same Greek word (HAGIOS). It means to be set apart for Christ. So, Christ called them, and they responded to Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3 - Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ
He says grace to you, and peace. Grace is the normal greeting to the Gentiles, especially to the Greeks. And peace is the normal greeting to the Jews, the Hebrew people.
He says grace and peace. The source: from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace can only come from God as His favor and His peace. Those are the normal ways of addressing a letter in Greek. They were in scrolls, so you wanted to unroll the scroll to see first of all who wrote it and who it's written to. And then the third element is always a thanksgiving from the writer. Paul follows that in that form in every one of his letters except for Galatians.
1 Corinthians 1:6 - Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
That the testimony of Christ has been established amongst you. The testimony of Christ was confirmed. The word confirmed is the Greek word BEBAIOS which means to establish somebody. The testimony of the Lord has been established amongst you.
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