Book of 1st Corinthians
Commentary
Commentary
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Author: Christopher J. E. Johnson Published: Dec 11, 2019 Updated: Jan 22, 2022 |
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Introduction
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
-Matthew 28:19-20
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
-1 John 2:27
If you would like more information on these topics, I recommend the following resources here at creationliberty.com:
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The first epistle (letter) of Corinthians was not the first letter ever sent from Paul to Corinth, as we can see from his mention in chapter five of another letter he had previously sent to them. Whether that letter (or other letters) made it to Corinth, or whether the church had ignored them, is unknown. However, what is known is that Paul had done a lot of work in Corinth, teaching the Word of God and uniting the church together, but after he left the city to do other work, false teachers entered the church, and through the use of fair and charismatic speeches, deceived the simple, and split them up into various denominations.
In the first epistle to the Corinthians, we will learn more about discerning the Word of God from the traditions of men, and how religious traditions combined with respecting and trusting in persons creates leaven that destroys the church from within. Paul will go into details about how the church should operate, judging in righteousness, rebuking sin, removing unrepentant sinners and false teachers from the church, and looking to the Lord Jesus Christ in all things, holding fast faith in His doctrine and commandments, despite the fact that those who feign to be of Christ will hate us and speak evil of us for doing what is right.
Chapter 1
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[v1] Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
Just as Paul stated in his letter to the Romans, he did not refer to himself as "Apostle Paul," giving himself a title that would cause others to respect his person, but rather, he simply declared his calling from God, that he was an apostle sent to do work on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that he had that calling only by the will of God. Though it is not certain, Sosthenes may have been the same man who had previously accused Paul and sought to bring him to judgment, but the Greeks and chief ruler had beaten Sosthenes instead. (Acts 18:17) This could be another man name Sosthenes, although it is possible that this is the same Sosthenes from Acts 18, who later came to repentance and faith in Christ, but one way or another, it is both Paul and Sosthenes who are writing to the church.(Read "Titles Are Unbiblical in the Church" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v2] 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:
This addresses all those who are the saints of God, sanctified (i.e. set apart for a holy use) in Jesus Christ in the church at Corinth, which distinguishes the focus of this letter from those who are members in the church, who claim to be of Christ, but are not of Christ. Paul addresses not only those in Corinth, but to all who have cried out to Jesus Christ in godly sorrow (2Co 7:9-11) for the remission (i.e. forgiveness) of sins (Luke 24:44-47) and been born again by grace through faith in Him. (Eph 2:8-9)(Read "Is Repentance Part of Salvation?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v3] Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul is expressing his desire for them to be blessed (i.e. to be made prosperous) with grace and peace by God the Father and Christ the Son.[v4] I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
In his prayers, Paul thanked God for the great mercy, patience, and kindness that He had bestowed on the church in Corinth.[v5] That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
This is not to say that God would enrich us by all knowledge in existence, because it should not be said that Paul would have desired that they were made prosperous by the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20, Rom 6:1-2), but rather, Paul refers to all things which are to the glory and purpose of Jesus Christ, whether in study and work, or play and rest; that all things learned and all things spoken (i.e. in all utterance) would be to their benefit by God's many blessings.[v6] Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
That may be taken two ways; the first being that the prophecy of Christ's doctrine was brought to the Gentiles in this region, and the Gentiles receiving that doctrine were confirmed by the church in Corinth. The second way this could be taken is that the same testimony of Christ brought to Corinth was also preached by those Gentiles who had received it, and therefore, being confirmed by their own testimony as well; both options are valid because both are true.[v7] So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Paul was assuring them that, by the will of God, they would not be found inferior to any other church in terms of gifts (1Co 12:8-10), while they wait for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such extraordinary gifts, like those working of miracles, were given by the Holy Spirit in that day for the purpose of being a testimony to the Jews, and to establish Christ's church as the foundational works of God, but these extraordinary gifts of miracles were not to continue forever, as Jesus had preached that it is typically those who are wicked that seek after signs and miracles (Mat 16:4), meaning they seek extraordinary gifts over those things which are pleasing to God in preaching of His Word (1Co 14:1), and that those who believed and have not seen are blessed by God. (John 20:29)[v8] Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ confirms us, which can also be understood that He establishes the faithful in Christ as children of God. (2Co 1:21) This is not to say that we are without blame, for all men are to blame for their sin, but that Christ, making intercession for us (Rom 8:34), will impute unto us His righteousness (Rom 4:22-24), thereby making us blameless when standing before God.(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Perfection" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v9] God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
I have found that some Christians are confused by God being "faithful," as many have taken the word 'faith' in this passage to mean belief (as it is found in Scripture in most instances, where 'faith' and 'belief' are used interchangeably, like in Jms 2:18-20 for example), but this cannot be the case in this instance because God, being omniscient (i.e. all-knowing), has no reason to be tested on belief. Rather, faithfulness in this context is a consistency in the duties of a promise, meaning that God is faithful to His promises, being unable to lie (Tts 1:2), always fulfilling them according to His wonderful goodness and mercy. (There is a hymn that reads, "Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me... all I have needed, Thy hands have provided," which is a testimony of praise unto God for keeping his promises in Mat 6:25-34.) Thus, being the children of God, and that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1Jo 1:9), He calls us and brings us into fellowship of the Son, not because we have earned or deserve it, but out of the lovingkindness of a Father to His children.[v10] Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
This is not to say that we all must say the exact same things at the exact some time, like call-and-response techniques that are used in modern-day church buildings (e.g. a commonly used phrase in American church buildings is, Pastor: "God is good..." Congregation: "all the time"), which only gives an illusion of peace and unity, but rather, we should all have the same philosophy (i.e. way of thinking) after Christ (Col 2:8), which comes from a united study in His preserved word (i.e. the King James Bible), that should cause us to all speak in the same manner (without having "repeat-after-me" sessions), having one mind according to His doctrine. (Phil 2:2, 1Pe 3:8) Christ said He came to bring division (Luke 12:51), which was for the purpose of sanctifying His church, but if the church be sanctified, and we all have the philosophy of Christ in us, there should be no divisions among us, that we all believe the same, being joined together in judging matters the same way in likemindedness, which is especially important today, as the end draws closer, as it was vital at the beginning, with the divisions among the Corinthians.(Read "Why I Use The King James Bible" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v11] For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
The house of Chloe would have been one of the homes in which they were meeting for fellowship and study, but there were heated debates taking place that did not reflect the likeminded nature that Christians ought to have. Such strife, which is a struggle for superiority, should not be named among us, and we have no such custom in the church. (1Co 11:16)[v12] Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
Paul was addressing the contention between those who had divided due to opposing doctrines and philosophies, meaning that one would say they were baptized by Paul, and would despise Apollos, or one would say they were baptized by Apollos, and would despise Paul. Or, in a manner of strife (i.e. struggling for superiority), one might say they followed the doctrine of Cephas (who is Peter, as indicated in John 1:42 - the difference being the pronunciation of the name in Aramaic or Greek), which was the doctrine of Christ, being delivered by the Holy Spirit to the church, but then, in opposition to Paul, Apollos, and Peter, others would claim they were of Christ, which is not to say that many in the church were opposed to Christ, but rather, this was said with a heart of strife out of heated debate, which did not reflect the humility and understanding that a Christian ought to have, being child-like only in our in malice (1Co 14:20), which is to say that we should not hold contempt and grudges in our hearts.This type of baptismal division has only grown worse over the years, as many corrupt religious organizations require baptism into their organization to be considered "holy," while others require unbiblical baptismal oaths to be taken in the name of that organization. For example, Seventh-day Adventists practice the unbiblical baptismal oath, requiring their members to swear allegiance to the SDA church, but not only does that force their new converts to swear spiritual oaths unto God (i.e. a violation against the teachings of Christ, Mat 5:34-37), but that also brings about the pride and strife of the baptism, in which one would say "I am of Paul" or "I am of Apollos" or "I am of Seventh-day Adventism" in the same manner.
(Read Corruptions of Christianity: Seventh-day Adventism here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v13] Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
This is not to say that those who would say "I am of Christ" was a bad thing, nor is it to say that those who said they were of Christ were on the side of righteousness in opposition to the others who said they were of Paul, Apollos, or Peter. The main problem was that, in the debates, they spoke those things with a heart of strife and contention (Pro 10:12, Pro 13:10) instead of a heart of understanding, and therefore, it was not edifying to the church. So for example, if a man was rebuked of a false teaching responed to the rebuke by saying, "Well, at least I am of Jesus Christ," then his response was not given as a declaration of truth to the edifying of the church, but rather, he said it out of spite, that he might exert superiority over others.All those in the church should be of Christ, no matter who is doing the baptizing, no matter who is doing the preaching at the time, and if division should take place, it should be over the refusal to repent of wrongdoing (Mat 18:15-17), not over arguments about superiority in the faith. (Phl 2:3) Therefore, those of us who are born again in Christ, sharing the same faith, the same body (i.e. the church), the same repentance, the same baptism, and the same God (Eph 4:4-6), should seek the same things in peace, longsuffering, gentleness, love, meekness, and temperance with one another (Gal 5:22-23), as Christ has shown to us, and that we would set such an example to be seen among all mankind, proving that we are the children of God the Father. (Mat 5:43-45)
[v14] I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
Crispus was a former chief of the Jewish synagogue (Acts 18:8), and Giaus was a close friend of Paul's. (Rom 16:23) Paul thanked God that he did not personally baptize any of them, lest his name be used as a weapon of contention against others in the church.[v15] Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
This indicates that the contention was so great, that some, who despised Paul, would have falsely accused him of baptizing in the name of Paul, rather than in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (Mat 28:18-20)[v16] And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
Paul is referring to the same brethren that were in Stephanas's house, who dedicated themselves daily to fulfilling the needs of the saints. (1Co 16:15)[v17] For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
This is not to say that Paul did not baptize, as indicated in the last verse, but rather, his purpose was not to baptize, meaning that his gifts and calling were to teach the wisdom, precepts, and philosophy of Christ. Paul made special effort not to preach in the manner by which men normally preach, with the wisdom of their own words, thinking themselves wise in their conceit (Pro 26:5), by which they give long prayers for shew (Mat 23:14), with overblown speeches with words of pretense, vain phrases, and amusing stories (2Ti 4:2-4), all for the purpose of gaining respect and popularity (Jms 2:9), lifting themselves up on a pedistal of pride. (Psa 138:6) Rather, Paul preached in a plain, straight-forward, and modest manner, by which other false teachers hated him because he exposed the darkness hidden in their hearts (John 3:19-21), and revealed that their doctrine made the preaching of Christ ineffective to their audience. (Mark 7:13)[v18] For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Those who are not born again in Christ will not hear the preaching of Christ in a plain and humble manner, because they do not seek the truth of God's Word. These people may profess to seek the truth of Jesus Christ, but in their hearts, they want something else that will confirm them without having to be humbled before God, and therefore, they praise Christ with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. (Mat 15:8) However, those of us who are born again in Christ know that such plain and humble preaching in truth is the power (i.e. authority) of God, and therefore, we turn our ears to that which is lowly and humble in spirit, and turn away our ears from those who stand on pretense as menpleasers. (Eph 6:5-6)[v19] For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
This is referring to Isaiah 29:14, which describes the works God will do in His church, taking the worthless, useless, despised, weak, and foolish people who come to Him with a heart of godly sorrow, and through their faith in Christ, He raises them up to put to shame the false preachers, who claim to have the wisdom (or prudence) of God, but teach false doctrines because their hearts are far from Him, as Paul will go on to talk about in a few verses.This is not to say that those who are "wise" have wisdom, but their wisdom is a worldly wisdom, or rather, wisdom that appears to be so in the eyes of the world. This is referring to men who think themselves wise and well-learned, and yet, they are foolish because they will not hear the truth of Jesus Christ.
[v20] Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Paul begins to explain the concept of God using the lowly, weak, and foolish, converting them and raising them up in Christ to teach His wisdom to the world. Paul is not asking where the wise, scribes, and disputers of the world are, but rather, he is asking these questions for us to consider where they have ended up. Those who claim to have the wisdom of God do so for money, fame, and power among men, and there are many among them who obtain those things in varying degrees, but they cannot understand (1Co 2:14), they grow old, they die, and all they have left to show for it are the many who followed their pernicious ways (2Pe 2:1-2), most of which will end up in hell because they were not humbled to receive the grace of God (Jms 4:6), and so the lake of fire will eventually swallow up all of them, right alongside the false preacher who made them into twice the child of hell than himself. (Mat 23:15)(Read "Hell is Real And Many People Are Going There" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v21] 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.
The wise, the scribe, and the disputer of this world are not those who are saved, and that by a man's intellect and works, he cannot save himself, so despite all the power and resources available to the mighty, wise, and noble, they do not know God. This will come up again in 2nd Corinthians because Paul is addressing the folly of false preachers who take advantage of those who judge according to the appearance, accusing Paul as being a feeble old man, but Paul is pointing out that it is the feeble, weak, and lowly who God lifts up. (2Co 10:10)It pleased God that a lowly man would be saved by faith with a repentant heart, and the acknowledgment of the truth only comes when a man is brought low, not lifted up in the pride of his status. When Paul says "by the foolishness of peaching to save them that believe," he is not saying that the preaching of the cross is foolishness of itself, but rather, as he indicated in verse 18, it is foolishness to those who believe not, which is why so few churchgoers (i.e. those who claim they are Christians) are even willing to read these notes by which I preach the doctrines of Christ; most of them could not care less about such things, and would rather focus on the things of the world, showing that they have no love of the truth in their hearts (2Th 2:10), which demonstrates a fake faith within them. (Mat 7:13-14)
[v22] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
As Jesus said, a wicked and adulterous people seek after signs and miracles, rather than that which is edifying by faith. (Mat 16:4) The Greeks sought after wisdom of the world, not the wisdom of God (1Co 3:19), and it is Greek philosophy that still corrupts men to this very day, using the carnal reasoning of a corrupt heart as a foundation for their thoughts, all in effort to justify their sins. (Rom 1:20-32)[v23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
Faith in the blood of Jesus (Heb 13:12) for the remission (i.e. forgiveness) of sins (Luke 24:47) is a stumblingblock to the Jews, that by which they will trip and fall over due to willful blindness in their pride (Rom 11:9-10), and the Greeks will see it as foolishness because they believe they have no sin. (1Jo 1:8-10)[v24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Yet not all Jews, and not all Greeks (or Gentiles), but rather, only those who will not believe, that is, those who have a fake faith, will be turned away from the kingdom of God on the Day of Judgment. Until that day, many men will boast of themselves that they are righteous (Luke 18:9-14), and will boast of themselves that they have wisdom (Rom 1:22), understanding, and knowledge, but they do not fear God (Psa 111:10) because they do not have the Holy Spirit in them, but those who have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost for wisdom and understanding, they have a love of the truth, that they might seek the understanding of Christ in its fullness.[v25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
This is not to say that God is foolish or weak in any way because that would be heresy against God, knowing that God is perfect in all His ways. (2Sa 22:31) Paul is explaining that those things which the world considers to be foolish is wiser than the wisdom of men, and that which the world considers weakness is stronger than the strength of men, and therefore, the just should not live by the vain judgments of men on what is so-called "wisdom" or what is so-called "strength," but rather, the just should live by faith in God (Rom 1:17), that He will raise them up according to His wisdom and strength.[v26] For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
Though there seem to be many mighty, many wise, and many noble in my country (i.e. the United States) today, who claim to be of Christ, that is only because, in our present day, Chrisianity is used as a status symbol, whereas in the days of Paul, Christians were being hunted and executed. This is not because God has changed His ways over the past 2000 years, but rather, many mighty, wise, and noble according to this world claimed to be "called by God" unto His ministry because it is profitable to do so (Mat 19:24), but in truth, they do not understand the basic principles of Christ. (Heb 6:1) These men claim to have a "calling," when in fact, God did not call them; this is not to say that a man who is mighty, wise, or noble after the flesh cannot be saved, coverted, and called by God, but in reality, they are extremely few in number because Jesus told us that few would find the way to eternal life (Mat 7:13-14), which means only a small number among them would be those who are considered to be mighty, wise, and noble by the world, and so we should always judge righteous judgement (i.e. look carefully at what a man says and does to draw accurate conclusions) instead of judging according to the appearance. (John 7:24)(Read "Unbiblical Cop-Outs: 'Don't Judge Me!' here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v27] But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
God teaches those who the world considers foolish, poor, lowly, and despised, and through His wisdom, He uses those foolish and lowly people to put the wise to open shame. God strengthens those who the world considers weak, and through His guidance, He uses those weak people to bring the strong to their knees.If God required that a man have status, title, wealth, and worldy education before they could be saved or preach the Word of God, then most people could never participate in ministry, nor would they be qualified to understand God's Word without a high and lofty person to give it to them first. This would create a reliance on the wealthy, and those with fancy degrees, to have understanding of God's Word, which would in turn create a reliance on men in the same way the Catholic Church creates an ignorant "laity" who must come to the supposedly "sacred" priest to gain so-called "holiness" from the vain permissions of men.
(Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v28] And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
God puts high value on those who the world considers worthless (i.e. base), and those who are hated (i.e. despised), and through His glory, He brings to nothing the lofty and proud of this world. This is because Christ's strength and help to mankind is clearly seen through His assistance and protection of the weak. (2Co 12:9)[v29] That no flesh should glory in his presence.
The reason God uses those of us who are weak, foolish, worthless, and hated of this world, is so that no man would boast of himself in the presence of God, and that all men might be humbled to repentance. (2Pe 3:9)[v30] But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
All things that we have that are good are given to us by God (Rom 3:10, Rom 8:28), and that the source of all wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption come from Him, and are used for His purposes.[v31] That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
This is referring to Jeremiah 9:23-24, which means that if we boast of anything, let us boast that we have redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ.Chapter 2
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[v1] And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
excellence (n): valuable; esteemed; dignity; high rank; honor formerly given to kings and emperors
(See 'excellence', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Nov 28, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
(Read "Respecting Persons is Sin" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v2] For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
This is not to say that Paul could not have conversations with others in the church about a variety of matters of which he had knowledge, but as a teacher, while preaching God's Word, he made it a point to declare knowledge of nothing except the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed blood on the cross. This is for many purposes, but mainly so that others would come to fear God instead of fearing Paul's position or intellect (as indicated in verse 5), and that others who might preach Christ would not do so with the attitude of a grand orator, believing they must spend hundreds of hours in study and practice to build the skill of being an entertaining lecturer, but would rather come humbly, as Christ came, to preach the simple truth, letting God do the work of conversion.[v3] And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
By weakness, Paul may have meant his physical weakness, not just his manner, and that brute strength was unnecessary to preach Christ's gospel, thereby demonstrating that by His Word alone, the power of God converts men. Although Paul feared God, the fear that was being spoken of is the fear in danger, which is a natural reaction to sudden outbursts of violence from an audience of listeners, and in their trembling, knowing what awaited them in places they might preach, God had come to Paul at certain times and encouraged him to be bold and unafraid, promising Paul that he would not be harmed. (Acts 18:9-10)[v4] And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
As I have seen often in preaching over many decades, it is not uncommon for pastors and evangelists to quote from worldly sources and the so-called "wisdom" of unbelievers, heretics, and false preachers. Rather, Paul relied on the Holy Spirit to do the work in men because a man cannot do the work of the Holy Ghost, and the work of the Holy Ghost is the only way a man's heart can be softened and cleansed.[v5] That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
If a man is converted by appealing speaking capabilities, then a man's foundation of faith is in a preacher, and not in the authority of God. Such worldly methods are often used in church buildings today in order to create a following, which is why so many follow the traditions of men (Mark 7:8), but the Holy Spirit is not with them, which is why they follow tradition rather than being sanctified on a foundation of the truth of God's Word. (John 17:17) As indicated in the first chapter, Paul's concern was that they were following men or denominations instead of Christ, so Paul spoke to simple people in a plain manner, and because such a manner of speaking gives understanding unto the simple (Psa 119:130), it angers those who speak with much pomp, and therefore, they hated Paul, as those wicked men in every generation have hated all of us who have come speaking plainly in meekness.[v6] 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:
Therefore, all Christians should do the same, preaching the true wisdom of God among those who love the wisdom of God (Pro 9:8), and are of adult age in Christ to discern between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world (Heb 5:12-14), and rejecting the so-called "wisdom" of this world, whose words will be destroyed on the Day of Judgment.[v7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
The wisdom of God is beyond the ability for mankind to fully comprehend, which is why it is called a "mystery." This is not in the same sense as 'mysticism', which is of the pagans, in which they claim to have knowledge and wisdom, but they hide it on purpose from the "unworthy." God is not willing for any to perish, but all to come to repentance (2Pe 3:9), but because they reject repentance and Christ, they cannot see. (Mat 13:13) As opposed to pagan doctrine, God graciously gives His wisdom freely to all those who ask with a meek and genuine heart (Jms 1:5-6), but we are limited in how much we can understand, and so the mysteries we speak are of Christ's blood paying for one sin for all (1Co 15:22), and even though these things were ordained by God before the world was established, and though we can now clearly see these things spelled out in the Old Testament, it is only because Christ opened our understanding (Luke 24:44-47), but such things were hidden from the eyes of the Jews for many generations before Christ, and are still now hidden from their eyes today. (Rom 11:25)[v8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Though many have taught that the "princes of this world" is referring to devils, I do not believe that is the case based on the context of these verses. In verse 6, Paul mentions the "princes of this world" in the context that we do not speak wisdom according to their doctrines, but it would make no sense that a man would preach from a recorded account of the doctrines of devils, as devils themselves do not commonly appear in spiritual form and teach in public places. (i.e. They do work through men.) The so-called "wisdom" being spoken of comes from those in positions of religious leadership, which at that time would have been the leaders of the Jewish temples in various locations, and in this instance, being "the princes of this world" who "crucified the Lord of glory," would refer to those Jewish leaders who deceived the masses in order to have Christ crucified because, if they were humbled before God, and had their eyes been opened, as Christ has opened the eyes of His elect, they would never have crucified Christ.[v9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
This is referring to Isaiah 64:4, and sadly, due to the influence I had from false teachers who were educating me as a new Christian, I misinterpreted these verses for many years that these were referring to the Kingdom of Heaven, but that is not the context. The "things which God hatt prepared for them that love him" is not referring to the Kingdom of Heaven, but rather, it is referring to the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the doctrines of Christ, which is in line with the previous verse explaining to us that those who crucified Christ would not have done so if their understanding had been opened.The only reason we can now clearly see the fullness of the doctrines and prophecies of the Old Testament is because Jesus Christ opened the understanding of His disciples (Luke 24:44-47), as He continues to do through the Holy Ghost to this day. (1Co 2:14) Therefore, the eyes have not seen clearly, nor have the ears understood the things that were written in the Old Testament, nor has such knowledge entered into the hearts and minds of those who spoke and read them, until Jesus Christ, who the children of God "waited" on (as it says in Isaiah 64:4), and those who wait on the Lord Jesus Christ (whether in His first coming or second coming) are also those who love Him.
[v10] But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
No man can know the basics of the mysteries of God (let alone the complexities) without the Holy Spirit to open his understanding, and no man can know the fullness of those mysteries while living in the flesh (because, as Paul will point out later in this epistle, "we see through a glass darkly," 1Co 13:12). We can only understand such mysteries because of the Holy Spirit, which is why we should be our trust in no other to teach us those principles (1Jo 2:26-27), and why we should preach in a plain, reasonable, and humble manner, stepping back and allowing the Spirit of God to work in men for their conversion and understanding.[v11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Can a man truly know himself? Although men will claim this is possible with their false wisdom, the truth is that their hearts deceive them because they cannot know the full depth of their wicked heart. (Jer 17:9)Without understanding the stubbornness and bias of their hardened heart, they cannot see, which makes their understanding limited only to those things which the emotions of their heart will allow them to hear (Pro 28:26), and since they have a heart of sin, it is sin which drives their understanding, rather than God, who the source of all wisdom and truth. Therefore, since they cannot understand themselves through their own devices, it is absurd for them to think they understand the spiritual things of God by their own corrupt reasonings.
[v12] 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.
This is why grand, charismatic speeches do not edify the hearers (sometimes referred to as "showboating," which is common America phrase used to describe someone who is putting on a show for entertainment), and that is why we Christians ought to proceed with our work in humility and simplicity, that the Holy Spirit is given free reign to work in men, by which they might come to have the wisdom which is given freely to us by God. (Jms 1:5)It is interesting to note how this verse was phrased, in taht God gives knowledge freely, but it is not known. A man can be a pastor for many decades, having read the Bible cover-to-cover hundreds of times, and still not understand the foundations of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, meaning that without the Spirit of God (as Paul is about to explain in the next few verses), a man cannot know the things that are written in the Bible, even though the Bible is freely accessible to them.
[v13] 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.
Those things which are called "spiritual" in this world (e.g. the words of popular speakers, philosophers, or religious figureheads), are most often not spiritual of God, otherwise, people could just quote God's words instead of man's words. Therefore, we who are of Christ should teach that which is spiritual of the Holy Ghost, comparing what a man teaches with that which is found in the Holy Scriptures, which was written by hand of men by the guidance of the Holy Ghost, comparing doctrine which world claims is "spiritual" with the spiritual things of God in the Bible to see if what a man teaches is true, just as the Bereans did (Acts 17:11), in which they compared the new doctrines being taught with the Old Testament and the preaching of Christ from the apostles to verify whether or not the preachers were teaching the truth.[v14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
A man can claim he is a "Christian," and could become a pastor who has studied the Bible for many decades, but without the Spirit of God, he cannot come to knowledge and understanding of what he is reading; in other words, a man can study very hard for many years of his life, but never understand the fullness of what he is reading. (2Ti 3:5-7) When we preach to them the things of God, the truth of His doctrine, such men will reject it, claiming that we are foolish because the spiritual things of God are foolishness in his blinded eyes, having no discernment without the Holy Spirit. (Heb 5:14)[v15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
Verses 14 and 15 together show us that discernment and judgment are directly connected to each other, and cannot be separated, meaning that one cannot discern anything without judgment.
judge (v): to compare facts or ideas, and perceive their agreement or disagreement, and thus to distinguish truth from falsehood
discern (v): to separate by the eye, or by the understanding; to distinguish; to see the difference between two or more things
(See 'judge' & 'discern', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 18, 2021, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
(Read "Unbiblical Cop-Outs: 'Don't Judge Me!'" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
If a man has the Spirit of God in him, working through him, preaching the spiritual things of God, he has the mind of Christ by the gifts of understanding given to him by the Holy Spirit, and therefore, a man who speaks presumptuously against the preaching of the Holy Spirit presumes to speak against the mind of Christ, judging God in his hypocrisy, as a pig wallowing in the mud might believe he is cleaner than the sheep in the pasture because he has not had his eyes opened by the Spirit of God to see that he is swine. (Mat 7:6)Chapter 3
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[v1] And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
This is not to say that these were false converts, as Paul called them brethren in the church, but he could not speak to them in the same spiritual manner he could with other brethren because they still had so much carnal sin of the flesh among them, and such sin is the source of contention and strife. Therefore, Paul had to revert to preach to them the things normally preached unto new Christians.[v2] I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
They were still not ready to hear the strong meat of the word, to hear the things of exercised and trained discernment on spiritual matters (Heb 5:12-14), and there are many I have seen who call themselves brethren and act in a manner that Paul described in the last chapter. There are subjects of doctrine which must be established in the heart of a Christian before he can move on to perfection (i.e. what he is intended to be) in discernment. (Heb 6:1-3) Sadly, there are many who act out in a childish manner with malice, rather than take the time in patience and wisdom to understand things (1Co 14:20), and though, as a new Christian, I used to act that same way, and though I can understand it, it still did not justify my words and actions at that time, nor does it justify anyone else in the church to act in such a way, and as I grew in Christ, He taught me the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-26), whereby I could move on from the milk and into the meat.[v3] For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Typically, when Scripture speaks of carnal man, it is speaking of a man who has not been regenerated by the Holy Ghost, or in other words, it refers to the unsaved, but in this instance, that is not what Paul is referring to. Though not all were of Christ, as there were false converts and false teachers among them, Paul is referring to people in the church who he believed had been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, but they still gave into the lusts of the flesh, by which they brought in contention, railing, strife, backbiting, emulations, and many other like things. (Gal 5:19-21)If men live according to the flesh, they will think, act, and speak according to the flesh, meaning that if a man has contention and strife in the church, it is due to his inward sin. Thus, Paul is simply telling us that the evidence speaks for itself, or rather, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Mat 12:34, Jude 1:16), which is to say, the evidence which proceeds out of a man's mouth proves what is in his heart (Mat 15:18), and that shows how much cleaning of the flesh in the heart that needs to be done.
[v4] For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
This thought is continued from the last chapter, meaning that when they debate among themselves in strife, trying to gain superiority over one another, they are living according to the flesh because they are producing the fruits of the flesh. We ought to show the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22-23) that are worthy of a repentant heart (Luke 3:8), which is a heart of godly sorrow of our own wrongdoing (2Co 7:9-10), which acknowledges the price Christ paid for us. (1Co 7:23)[v5] Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
Paul is asking those in the church to consider who Paul is, or who Apollos is, meaning that this is a reminder that Jesus Christ is in charge, and Paul and Apollos are servants (i.e. ministers), who presented to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they believe on Him, not on the ministers. Therefore, being of one mind in Jesus Christ, those in the church should not be splitting into factions, or what is today commonly called "denominations" (Rom 15:6, 2Co 13:11) because to do so means that you are following and worshiping ministers, rather than Jesus Christ.(Read "Denominations Are Unbiblical" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v6] I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
Paul was planting the seeds, as Jesus described in the parable of the sower (Mat 13:3-9), spreading seeds randomly out in a random field that has not been prepared for farming, which represents those who go out into the world to preach to the lost sinners. Apollos was watering those seeds which fell on good ground (Mat 13:23), meaning that he was teaching them, raising them up unto proper faith in Christ. Though both Paul and Apollos worked different jobs with varying types of work, both worked for the same goal (1Co 12:5), and in the end, neither Paul nor Apollos can convert and give understanding unto the people; only the Holy Spirit can do that for a man, and therefore, it is God alone who should receive the praise, honor, and worship for the good He has done in us. (Gal 6:14)[v7] So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Therefore, we should not entertain the thought that we have done any works that are worthy of glory because without the working of the Holy Ghost on the hearers of God's Word, there would be no seed and no fruit. (This is why, for many years, I have felt very uncomfortable when I am complimented on my teachings; knowing that such glory should go to God and not to myself.) It is God alone who should be praised for His work in us, and thus, someone claiming to a "Paulite" or an "Apollosian" in a similar way people use denominations today (e.g. Calvinist, Lutheran, Wesleyan, etc) is a division that is against the doctrine we have received from Christ. (Rom 16:17-18)[v8] Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
Paul and Apollos did the same work, just as those in the church who go out into prisons to preach to the lost, or preach on the street, and also those like myself, who teach the church, we are all one because we do the same work, but as indicated in the previous verse, it is God who gives the increase. Therefore, the work that we do will be judged by God according to His infinite understanding of the thoughts and intents of our hearts (Heb 4:12), and will reward us in heaven based on the length and intensity of the work we do.[v9] For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
We have been given grace and understanding to be workers together with God, which is a great honor, being co-workers as a family, rather than separate from Him, and therefore, the labor we do ought to be that which is according to His Word. (John 17:17-19) As God's church (i.e. all of us together), are the building of God, which is the body of Christ (Rom 12:5), and we are God's husbandry, meaning that we are under his management and care.(Read "The Church is Not a Building" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v10] According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
Paul did not call himself a "wise masterbuilder" of his own merit, which would be a violation of doctrine to the church in Rome (Rom 1:22), but rather, it was due to the grace of God in him to make him into a wise masterbuilder, knowing that the work he was doing was wise by God's Word declaring it to be so. (Pro 1:5-7, Pro 6:6-11, Pro 11:30) Paul defined his work by the definitions God had established in His Word, not according to his own opinion. Paul laid the foundation of new Christians in the church, and another man, like Apollos, would build upon that foundation, but just because work is being done to build upon that foundation, it does not mean that all work is automatically good work according to God's judgments; there are good works, evil works, and works of no profit.[v11] For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
The only foundation that can be laid for the body of Christ, and the only foundation that can be laid in a man's heart, is in Jesus Christ, who lays a foundation of repentance (Heb 6:1) in us and authors our faith. (Heb 12:2) All works must be built on that foundation, otherwise, works will never have eternal reward.[v12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
The work that is established as the foundation of the church is what others will build on, and what they build on will be judged by God. The work that is the spiritual good works of God will last for eternity, which is represented in the analogy of "gold, silver, precious stones," but the works that are worldly, which are only serving of the flesh in vanity, are represented by "wood, hay, stubble."[v13] Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
The 'fire' being spoken of in this verse is a continuation of the analogy of the works being spoken of in the previous verse, and the fire is God's judgment on the Day of Judgment. Sadly, this verse is often misunderstood by the false preaching of Roman Catholic ecumnical heresy, in which they ignore the analogy, claiming that the 'fire' is literal in this passage, and thereby declaring that there is an imaginary "purgatory" that will eventually save all men, but in reality, purgatory is nothing more than a money-making scheme for the Catholic Church. The 'fire' is the judgments of God, in which He will shine a light on the works of all men, judging their words (Mat 12:36-37), and their actions (Eph 5:12-13, John 3:19-21), in which all the secrets of men will be revealed (Rom 2:16), whether they be the good works of God that were done in charity with a pure heart, or whether they be corrupt works of darkness that were done with selfishness and lust.[v14] If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
This verse further proves that the 'fire' mentioned in the previous verse is not referring to a literal fire, like the fires of hell for example (which is literal burning fire, Mark 9:45, Luke 16:24), because those who are born again in Jesus Christ are the children of God, and they will not suffer the fires of hell in any manner. The 'fire' is an analogy of God's judgments, bringing to light the secrets of all men, and discerning those who claim to do the charitable things of God, revealing if they brought not just bread to the poor and needy (Mat 4:4), but also the bread of life (John 6:35), which is the doctrine of Christ, and those who have done so with a humble heart shall receive reward for his good works in the Lord.[v15] If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
As Paul pointed out in verse 11, the only foundation a man can lay is on Jesus Christ, and if that foundation is laid, meaning that a man comes to repentance and faith in Christ, even on his death bed (Heb 9:27), without any works to show for his life, Christ will still save him. (Eph 2:8-9) The loss that man suffers is through all the works he did in his life, which if they were only to gain approval and applause of mankind, he will receive nothing because all his work yielded no good spiritual, eternal fruit, but by the grace of God, he will still be saved from everlasting punishment in hell. (Mat 20:8-16, Mat 25:41-46)(Read "Hell is Real and Many People Are Going There" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v16] Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
It is common among church buildings today to have a temple-based philosophy, meaning that "going to church" (a phrase that is not found in Scripture) is supposed to mean that a man must attend a church building made of brick and mortar, and therefore, in the eyes of many churchgoers and pastors, if a man does not enter into a church building, they believe he is not assembling together with the church (Heb 10:25), but such temple-based philosophy is not spiritual of God. Sadly, many churchgoers have been deceived into a philosophy that a building is the "house of God," like unto the Temple that stood in Jerusalem. The temple of God is the body, that is, our flesh, and Holy Spirit dwells in us, and therefore, when two or more who have the Holy Spirit of God are gathered together in the name of Christ, He will be there with us (Mat 18:20), and we all, as a whole, are the church, not a building made with hands. (Heb 9:11)[v17] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
This is not to be thought of in terms of a born again Christian sinning in defilement of the temple, although it should be noted that sin is displeasing to God, and that we ought to turn from it; never believing that we have a free license to sin (Rom 6:1-2, 1Co 6:20), because churchgoers who believe such things are corrupt servants. (Luke 12:45-46) Rather, this is referring to a man who would corrupt others by his false doctrines, preaching false messages for the love of money (1Ti 6:10) and preeminence (i.e. respect of his person and popularity - 3Jo 1:9), by which he will create disciples that are doubly worthy of hell (Mat 23:15); such men have not received a humble heart of repentance, and therefore, they will perish in their pride. (Luke 13:3)[v18] Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
That is, that no man should put trust into himself that he is wise (Rom 1:22) or righteous (Luke 18:9), nor should we allow a man to deceive himself if we are given an opportunity to preach the truth to him. (Titus 1:10-13) The wisdom of God should be most highly precious to us, because by His wisdom comes the knowledge of the grace of salvation through Christ, and by His wisdom come many blessings, but if a man would have God's wisdom, he should become as a fool, not in the sense that he seeks after foolish things, but that he is humbled in his heart and mind that he is less than the dust and ashes of the earth (Job 42:5-6), being in godly sorrow of his broken state before the Holy God, and God, being ever merciful and kind, will draw close to that man (Psa 34:18), grant him wisdom and understanding to see clearly. (Psa 111:10)[v19] For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
This is referring to Job 5:13, which is to say that mankind believes they are so smart, and see so clearly, and yet, God will bring them to nothing, just as we read earlier in 1 Corinthians 1:27-28. What the world considers wise and crafty, in the sight of God, is nothing more than the vain ramblings of an idiot hanging by a thread over the cliff of a firey volcano, or rather, that God is holding him over the fire to keep him from falling, while the man claims he can fly. (Mar 9:43)[v20] And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
Paul is repeating the same concept, but from a different book in the Bible, namely, Psalm 94:11. For example, a common phrase of so-called "wisdom" in America is "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise," but the problem is that having health and wealth does no good to any man if they end up in hell at the end of their lives. This would be like a man tilling his garden in preparation for harvest while he is surrounded by a giant forest fire headed his way. By God's wisdom, we know that the works of men are vain without a foundation of repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ (Ecc 7:2-5), as we learned in verse 11, which means that such supposedly "wise" phrases are little more than the nonsensical ramblings of a baby, and as indicated in verse 15, a man who dedicates himself to such "wise" phrases of this world will only suffer loss.[v21] Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
As Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:12, they should not boast of themselves to be brought forth by men, in that they would say "I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Chephas," for all the service of each of those men belonged to all the saints, whereby God blessed them all with wisdom and understanding. That is the context in which "all things" is used, which is not to mean everything in the world, but the teaching of the apostles brought forth by the Spirit of God to give them wisdom and understand which the prophets before them did not have; all those things were given unto the church.[v22] Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
Paul was a servant called by God to preach these things unto the saints for their edification and understanding, as was Apollos and Peter, and therefore, denominations have no place in the church of God. There is no reason for those born again in Christ to have such contentious separations among us, knowing that the world was created for Christ and His church, and that we are given eternal life through the death of Christ. We also ought to know that all those things which are present are ours, which means that the world as we know it now is maintained for our benefit, as well as all good things and unseen glories to come; all are given to us by God through His ever-abundant mercy.(Read "Denominations Are Unbiblical" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v23] And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
God is the head of Christ (1Co 11:3), and Christ is the head of the church (Eph 5:23), and the church is the head of all things. For now, we are commanded unto obedience and service, as the servants of Christ, where we do good unto the world, as Christ has shown us by His example (Mat 11:29), but once all things are brought under the footstool of Christ (Psa 110:1), then all things will be given to us as well, for if God did not withhold from us His own Son, who is the most precious and most valuable thing there ever will be, then why would He not give us all other things? (Rom 8:32) Therefore, we should serve as He instructed us for the time being, keeping the great commandment He gave us. (Mat 22:37-40)Chapter 4
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[v1] Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
The stewards of the mysteries of God is meant those who are ministers of Christ because a 'steward' in this context is one who preaches the doctrines and ordinances of Scripture, preparing men to hear the message of repentance and faith unto salvation, and also to dispense the knowledge and wisdom of God to the church. Paul is saying that we who do this work are to be held accountable (1Co 5:12), which means that others in the church should judge and consider whether we ministers do that which is right in Christ (Col 2:8), and though we who work in ministry are to be held in high esteem by the church for the sake of our work (1Th 5:12-13), and though we have office to oversee matters among the church (Acts 20:28), we are not lords over Christ's church (John 10:16), but rather, servants (Mat 20:27), by which we must prove our own ministries as a testimony (2Ti 4:5), open to the public eye, by which others may judge (by comparison with God's Word, comparing spiritual things with spiritual (as Paul pointed out earlier in 1Co 2:13) whether a steward's faith is true, or if he is exposed as a fake.[v2] Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
A minister of Christ is held under much more critical examination than others in the church, and it is required that they be faithful stewards, which is why so many requirements and standards are placed on those which oversee the church. (1Ti 3:1-13) It is the doctrine of that steward which should be judged first and foremost (Mat 16:6-12), that the doctrine which he teaches contains no corruption, being untainted from the religious inventions of men (Ecc 7:29) and wisdom of the world. (1Co 1:17)[v3] But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
This is not to say that the judgments of the church in observation and consideration of a man's ministry is worthless, or that they should not judge the doctrine and works of a minister, for a spiritual man judges all things (as Paul himself pointed out earlier in 1Co 2:15), but rather, the weight of that judgment is trivial to a born again Christian who serves God in humility because, knowing the terror of the Lord (2Co 5:11), he knows that God's judgment upon him is greater and more fearsome than any. This is also not to say that Paul did not judge himself, as he has done many times even in his own writing, and also instructed us (as he will point out later in 1Co 11:31), but rather, the judgments by which he judges are not his own, but by the wisdom which God imparts to him; thereby, the Holy Spirit convicts him, and those judgments are coming from the Lord God, which establishes him firmly in the faith of Christ, so that when a man who crept into the church unawares judges him falsely (Jude 1:4), he will not stumble based on the errornous judgments of a man without understanding.[v4] For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
Which is to say that we Christians cannot know anything by ourselves because all knowledge and wisdom must come from the Lord God, and without His mercy, we would remain in the same foolish and broken state we were in when He saved us. However, knowing that God imparts wisdom to us (Jms 1:5), this itself does not automatically justify everything we say and do, which is the folly of many preachers who pride themselves to be righteous. We are still susceptable to error, and we cannot know the full extent of all our errors because our understanding is limited (1Co 13:12), but God judges us, and through the foundation of a repentant heart that He gave us (Heb 6:1), we correct our errors when we are given understanding of them. (Pro 15:10)[v5] Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
This is not to say that judgments should not be made at all, for that would contradict Christ's commandment that we should judge righteous judgment (John 7:24), nor is this to say that no judgments should be made until Christ returns, as the commonality between the meanings of the words 'time' and 'until' indicates that there is a shift in thought, meaning that "the time" is not referring to the time of Christ's return as some might misinterpret when reading this passage, but rather, "the time" is referring to a time in which a clear and concise judgment can be made, which is a consistent interpretation of judging a stewart's faithfulness in the context of this chapter. This verse is speaking of the fallacy of religious and government leaders who would make rash judgments, answering matters before they had heard them out first (Pro 18:13), which was often done against Paul in the book of Acts, and sadly, many churchgoers and pastors still do such things to this day.(Read "Unbiblical Cop-Outs: 'Don't Judge Me!'" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
When Christ returns, all darkness will be revealed by the light, and all the secrets of men will be made known. Until that happens, we need to have patience in judgment, which means we do not finalize a judgment until all the information has come in after much investigation and thought, but after Christ reveals all things, judgments will be simple and easy to make, showing a clear black and white line of distinction, which also means that judgments can be swift in that day, having no need to wait long periods of time for justice to be done.
When a man judges us in unrighteousness, it does not phase our faith in Christ, but it does cause us grieve in our hearts, and here we are reminded that God will reveal the fullness of every thought and intent of the heart, both of us who are born again and of the wicked of this world, and all things shall be judged openly in the light. By "every man," Paul is not saying that all men would have praise, as the wicked will be judged and sentenced to eternal punishment (Mat 25:46), but rather, all men who are of Christ (who do His will in obedience) will have praise of God (Mat 25:21), especially those who, by charity, waited patiently for evidence before drawing conclusions. (1Co 13:1)
[v6] And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
This is to say that Paul had, in a figure of speech, used an analogy of planting and watering seeds (1Co 3:5-8), even though he did not refer to Apollos as a "waterer," nor to himself as a "planter," but he noted that this was only for their sakes, that they would not go forward giving themselves fancy titles like, "Waterer Bob" or "Planter Joe," by which they would puff themselves up, as preachers often do today, calling themselves things like "Reverend Smith," in which they seek preeminence by giving themselves descriptions meant for God alone. (Psa 111:9) There is no place in which Paul gave himself a fancy title, like "Pastor Paul" or "Apostle Paul," as is often done in church buildings today, but rather, he humbly declared his calling (1Co 1:1), and taught plainly, and he gave us this example which we should follow, so we would not consider those in the office of an elder and/or teacher to be "above that which is written," meaning that we ought not to think such a station higher than what we are commanded to in Scripture, for it is a common and dangerous habit of men to worship men and/or devils instead of God. (Mat 4:10)(Read "Titles Are Unbiblical in the Church" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v7] For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
Why are we all not alike? Why do we all not have the same station in life? Why are we all given different things? It is from the Lord God that we receive our lot in life, and therefore, we have no reason to boast of ourselves in any manner, nor to lift up ourselves above others in the church by adopting titles and denominations, striving against one another for superiority, but rather, we ought to consider one another better than ourselves. (Phl 2:3)[v8] Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
Paul is not saying that most of those in the church in Corinth were full and rich with understanding and good works, but rather, he is saying they have claimed themselves to be full and rich in the sense that Jesus had said to the Laodecians (Rev 3:17), in which they claimed to have many things, to have arrived in knowledge, and had stored up many goods for themselves (Luke 12:16-20), and thus, had ruled over the church and lived as kings, for a king suffers no persecution or tribulation in this world. Paul then wished that they would reign as kings, not in this world, but in the world to come, to reign with Christ for a thousand years, that all the saints would reign over the world, as is foretold in Scripture (Rev 20:6), and that we would all be kings together in Christ's kingdom, but as Christ taught, the first shall be the last, and the last shall be first, and many called, but few chosen. (Mat 20:16)[v9] For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
God had appointed for the apostles to come in meekness and humility (Mat 11:29), being given the gifts of miracles while having nothing (Mat 10:8-10), and even appointed to death, being killed for Christ's sake, as have many of the saints been persecuted unto death. The world looks on us in amusement, laughter, mocking, and scorning in the pride of their hearts, believing they have all things, knowing not that sudden destruction will come upon them in due time (1Th 5:3). It should be noted that by 'angels', it is not meant the messengers of God, but rather devils, who laugh and jeer with the rest of the lost sinners of this world.[v10] We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
This is spoken in irony, which is not to say that most of the church in Corinth had the wisdom of Christ, but rather, they did not, while boasting that they had wisdom, whereas the apostles, who did have the wisdom of Christ, claimed to be nothing but fools. Whereas the church in Corinth boasted themselves to be strong, they were weak, and while they gloried in the honor of the fancy titles they gave to one another, those servants of God who were more deserving of them were instead despised for Christ's sake. (Mat 5:11)[v11] Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
While those in Corinth had all the food, drink, clothing, and shelter they needed, as Paul stated earlier that they lived as kings, the apostles commonly went without these things because they were despised of the world, and not just going without those basic needs, but also being "buffeted," which is to be beaten.[v12] And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
Although Paul had a right to reap the rewards of his preaching to provide for his basic needs (which he will point out a later in 1Co 9:11), he set an example of a diligent work ethic, so that while he was in Corinth, he worked with his hands as well as preaching the doctrine of Christ, working with tentmakers, which was his trade. (Acts 18:3) By this, he also demonstrated to the church that, though we are reviled, we make others prosper by the work of our hands, and though we are persecuted, we do not retaliate, and by reminding them of these things, it shows them how lofty they have made themselves in the pride of their hearts.[v13] Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
Though we are slandered and dishonored by the world, we entreat God on their behalf, in that we make requests in prayer for their good. (Luke 6:28) Though we humbly bring the wisdom of God and good works by which others are blessed, we are treated as vile and disgusting, and we are "offscoured," which would be like someone sweeping away filth from their porch.[v14] I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
The intent of Paul's writing was not to shame them, although they had much to be ashamed of, especially in the way they lifted themselves up in their vanity, but rather, Paul's intent was to patiently instruct them as a father would instruct a son. It is not wrong for the children of God to have wealth in this world, otherwise, we would have to condemn Job, Solomon, David, etc, but rather, we should consider that the more material wealth a Christian has, the more responsibility he has to do good with it for the poor and needy brethren.[v15] For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
Paul did not mean this in the spiritual sense that Jesus had said, "call no man your father" (Mat 23:9), in which men of corrupt minds require a spiritual title of preeminence to lift themselves above others, but rather, he is pointing out the difference of mannerism between the teaching of a schoolmaster versus the teaching of a father; how a schoolmaster is mostly impersonal, while a father is heavily invested. In this sense, Paul is pointing out that they would see and hear tens of thousands of instructors in Christ, which is not to say that they were all true servants of Christ, for many of them would be false teachers (Mat 7:13-15), but a father is more rare, and is one who is so closely invested in his child's understanding and prosperity.This is not to say that Paul had saved any man, for his words were chosen with care in that he credited Jesus Christ, and His gospel, with their salvation. However, Paul is also pointing out that it was by Jesus Christ, using Paul as an instrument to preach God's Word, which had resulted in their faith springing up from good ground.
[v16] Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
Paul did not command them in such a way a father might command a son, but beseeched them, meaning that he pleaded with a humble request, that they might follow the doctrine which he taught them, and the example which he showed them, modeling everything he said and did after Jesus Christ. Or in other words, he pleaded with Corinth to follow him in the way in which he followed Christ. There were many false teachers who were leading the church in Corinth astray, who thought themselves great, lifting themselves up in their pride, but Paul pointed out the meek and lowly example he set for them, that they should not follow after men with lofty words, but follow the example which Paul had set for them by his sufferings, so they would be firmly established in the faith, and be on guard against the deceit of the haughtiness (Isa 2:17) and preeminence (3Jo 1:9) of men.[v17] For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
Paul and Timotheus spent a lot of time together because they shared the same spirit in Christ, in that Timothy was also meek and humble in his ways, just as Paul was. By Timothy's example, it was intended that the church in Corinth would be reminded of what a proper disciple of Christ looks like, in that they fulfill the law and prophets, loving God first and foremost, and loving their neighbor as much as they love themselves (Mat 22:37-40), looking to help provide for the things of others more than themselves. (Phl 2:4)[v18] Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
The false teachers were puffed up, meaning that they were prideful in their hearts, lording over the church in their deceit, and hoping that Paul would not return so that they would be able to keep their lofty positions, respect, and paychecks. Those wicked men knew that if Paul returned, he would expose their wicked deeds, and in their arrogance, thinking he would not return to set matters straight, they continued to lift themselves up in pride. (Pro 16:18)[v19] But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
Paul informed them that he had already made plans to come to Corinth, and that if God was willing (Jms 4:13-15), he would visit soon. By the Holy Spirit within him, being able to discern the good from the evil (Heb 5:14), Paul would be able to tell quickly who had the power of God over them, in that they were the humble workers of truth in Christ, versus those who paraded themselves with eloquent speech and mastery of language to deceive the hearts of the simple. (Rom 16:17-18)[v20] For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
Not just the kingdom of God in the manner of location, but in fullness, which includes the angels and the saints together, being under the authority (i.e. power) of the Godhead (i.e. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) and the works He has done in all things; that we can add nothing to His great works, but make ourselves into tools for use in His work. It should not be misunderstood that the Word of God is not power, for the Word of God can pierce the very soul of a man, discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb 4:12), but rather, Paul is saying that the kingdom of God is not founded in the sleekness of a man's words, by which he impresses people with his polished grammar, charismatic dialogue, articulate pronunciations, and appealing conversation because such things are physical, not spiritual, in the sense that they are exercised features of the flesh. The true kingdom of God is demonstrated by the power (i.e. authority) of God, which is found most commonly in the wisdom and understanding of His Word, but in this instance, the power would have also consisted of miracles, even the deaths of those who spoke falsely, as the Holy Spirit willed in each case.[v21] What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
That is to say: "What is your desire?" Paul was asking them if they preferred that he should come to them as any ordinary schoolmaster, ready to lay down the rod of punishment for their disobedience, taking their wrongdoing as a personal offense against his authority, which is often the way many pastors operate in church buildings today, with a heavy-handed authority that cares more about position and paychecks rather than faith and righteousness, or if they would prefer for him to come with the affection that a father would have, in which there was a strictness, but also a caring and kindness, leading by example, and desiring to see his child walking a straight path, and receive the good things of God.Chapter 5
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[v1] It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
After addressing the sins of pride and strife in the church, Paul goes on to address the fornication taking place. Either by a Christian traveler, or by letter from a concerned Christian in the church in Corinth, Paul had received word that some in the church were involved in fornication to a greater degree than even the Gentiles would typically allow. There are cultures still today in Europe and Asia which allow incestual relations between family members (sibling to sibling), but in that day, it was uncommon for the Gentile nations to allow incestual relations to such a degree as a son to copulate with his own mother, and in some states, there were criminal laws against such activity. The reason Paul points this out is that, this example of a mother/son sexual relationship is extreme to the point that even the Gentiles would look upon it in disgust, and therefore it was a shame that those who claimed to be of Christ would not be the first to be offended by such acts in the church. (Eph 5:3)That being said, it is possible that the culprits behind this fornication were not a mother and son relationship because it specifically says "his father's wife." It is possible that the mother had died, the father married another woman, and the son had a sexual relationship with the new woman, who would have been his step mother. Under the Old Testament law (and still in the New Testament), the one-flesh relationship between a man and his wife means that if the son uncovers the nakedness of his mother, it is the equivalent of uncovering the nakedness of his father, and even though the woman is not his biological mother, it is still an offense against the father (Lev 18:7), and obviously, an offenses against God.
[v2] And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
And because they were lifted up in their pride, spending so much time warring against each other in struggle for superiority in title and rank (i.e. trying to obtain the attention of the crowd, to have others respect one over another for their charismatic speeches), they were blinded to the fact that they should have mourned in grief of the sin that was allowed to persist among them. They ought to have rebuked the sin, and if there was no repentance of it, they should have removed that offending family from the church, that the body of Christ would be presented spotless before the Lord. (2Pe 3:14-16)[v3] For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
Though Paul was not with them physically, his spirit had concern and care for them in the same way as if he was among them, and though not being with them, he judged the matter in righteousness (John 7:24), as if he were with them. Please note that Paul was not there, and likely did not know some of these people personally, but judged the matter anyway, because God loves righteous judgment, and it should have been embarrassing to Corinth that they did not judge righteously what was in front of their own eyes.(Read "Unbiblical Cop-Outs: 'Don't Judge Me!'" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v4] In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul was re-emphasizing the fact that all judgment and sanctification should be done in the name of Jesus Christ, not in the name of Paul, or any other apostle, as Paul had already rebuked them in previous chapters of this wrongdoing. When they gather together to handle the matter, Paul prayed that his same spirit, by which he was given the extraordinary gifts, would be present with them without his having to be physically present, and that such extraordinary gifts would be manifest among the church by the power of Jesus Christ. When the apostles were present, there was much fear of God because many of them heard of not just extraordinary miracles of blessing, but also of punishment, just as Ananias and Sapphira had been struck dead by the Holy Spirit for lying to Peter about what they gave to the church (Acts 5:1-11), and some, in their arrogance, believed that Paul would not personally come to them (as he pointed out in 1Co 4:18), therefore, they also foolishly believed that the judgments of the Holy Spirit would not reach them if the apostles were not physically present.[v5] To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
It is the duty of the church to remove those who do not repent of their sins, as Paul will point out at the end of this chapter (1Co 5:11-13), but in combination with verse 4, this was a unique instance in which Paul, who had been given the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, had been moved to declare, upon removal of this offending man (who was obviously a false convert, since his spirit was not saved), that he would suffer the torments of Satan against his flesh for the purpose bringing punishment upon him for his wicked deeds in the hopes of bringing him low, humbling him to the point that he would receive repentance and faith from God, acknowledging the truth, having his sin forgiven, and being born again. Though none today have this authority from the Holy Spirit (namely, to punish a man's flesh for his sin, as Peter did with Ananias and Sapphira), we still ought to remove the unrepentant sinners from the midst of the church because we should consider the condition and salvation of their souls first and foremost, but this special instance of discipline was a way to warn those false teachers that God's influence is not limited to the presence of His apostles.[v6] Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
They gloried in the fact that the numbers of the church were growing, but the problem was that they were not removing corrupt people from the church, which only gave a false appearance of growth. This is still a common problem with church buildings and other church-ianity events (like revivals) because they almost never remove anyone from their rosters, giving a false appearance that they have had growth, while everyone remains willingly ignorant that they are neck deep in leaven (i.e. corruption).(Read "Revivalism: The Devil's Design" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
They also boasted in the sense of denomination, being in strife against one another, and the pride in that they had much food and wealth, so they were blinded to the fact that they were corrupted by the wickedness among them. (Rev 3:17) It was common in that day for most people to understand that leaven in the dough of bread is what causes the bread to rise, and that if left in the bread long enough, the bread will continue to increase in size; likewise, when false doctrines are left in the church unchecked, it will endanger the church as a whole, being spread by word and example, and will corrupt many. Sadly, despite the fact that I spent two decades attending church buildings as a young man, I NEVER once recall hearing a pastor teach about leaven (Gal 5:9, Luke 12:1), nor was it ever explained to me, and I believe that is why, today, I still encounter so many churchgoers who have no idea what the analogy of leaven means in Scripture, nor about the dangers of it, and how Christ warned us to beware of it. (Mat 16:6-12)
(Read "Denominations Are Unbiblical" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v7] Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Just like the man who was fornicating while among the church, the old leaven (i.e. the old way in which we used to live as sinners) should not be named among us in Christ. When we are born again, we are made new creatures (2Co 5:17), and being a "new lump," we are made without leaven. Paul then explains why the feast of passover was celebrated with the seven days of unleavened bread (Exd 23:15), as the passover was a prophecy of Christ's coming.(Read "Should Christians Observe Jewish Passover?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v8] Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
This is not to say that we should observe the Jewish passover, but we are keeping the feast in the spiritual sense, as Christ fulfilled the ordinances of the law. The way in which we Christians keep the passover feast is by study of God's Word (2Ti 2:15), applying His doctrine to our lives, and living sincerely, which would be purely, without deception or hidden maliciousness, coming to the light that our deeds may be seen that they are founded in Christ. (John 3:19-21)[v9] I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
This would have been another letter Paul had written to Corinth, which is not in reference to another book of the New Testament; rather, this is simply another letter Paul had written to them, which either did not make it to the church, in that it may have been lost during delivery, or that it was delivered, but it was ignored, as evidenced by the fact that they continued in fornication, or were allowing those who continued in fornication to remain in fellowship with the church, despite Paul's previous instructions.[v10] Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
This is a note to make sure that Paul's doctrine would not be misunderstood, as we go to the lost sinners of this world in charity, preaching the doctrine of Christ. (Luke 4:4) In order to do this, we must keep some company with fornicators of this world, so that they might hear the truth, but we do not fellowship with them in the intimate manner we fellowship with the church, and therefore, there is a difference between those who fornicate, and those who fornicate while claiming to be of Christ, which is an offense against God because they are taking the name of the Lord in vain (Exd 20:7), which is meant in the sense of ambassadorship, that someone would claim to be a representative of Christ (i.e. a Christian) while hypocritically living a life that is contrary to God's Word.[v11] But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
In the letter Paul had previously mentioned, he had written this doctrine, and now he writes it again in this epistle. If there is any man who claims to be a Christian, which is a claim to be a disciple of Christ (John 8:31), but he does not continue in the Word of God, and continues to live a life of sin, having no repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow) of his wrongdoing (2Co 7:9-11), then we ought not to keep company with that man, nor should we even sit down to have a meal with him, so that the church will be divided from the leaven (Luke 12:51, John 17:15-17), purified, sanctified, and meet for our Master's use. (2Ti 2:21) Such sins include, but are not limited to, sex outside of marriage (1Co 7:2), lust after material things and the love of money (1Ti 6:10), worship of the things and people of this world (Eze 14:3), speaking vile and malicious words to others (1Co 14:20), uncontrollable lust for alcohol (Gal 5:21), and taking advantage of others for money (1Co 6:10); none of these sinful habits reflect a heart of repentance (Heb 6:1), and therefore, without the humility of repentance, there is no saving grace. (Jms 4:6)(Read "Is Repentance Part of Salvation?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v12] For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
By 'without' and 'within', it is meant those who are outside the church versus those who are in the church. There is no reason for us to judge those outside the church because they are already condemned. (John 3:18) God has already judged their wickedness, and condemned the evil, by which they will end up in everlasting punishment without Christ. (Mat 25:46) However, because those that are within have been made new creatures, therefore it is a great thing if they do evil (Mat 6:23), and therefore, if the evil of leaven is among the church, we ought to judge the matter, address the guilty members, and call them to repentance (i.e. godly sorrow) of wrongdoing, and if they will not repent, then we treat them the same as the heathen, in which we remove them from the church and preach the basics of Christ's gospel to them. (Mat 18:15-17)[v13] But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
On the Day of Judgment, God will judge all men, in which there will be no evil deed go unpunished, save those who have been made new creatures, unleavened in Christ. Therefore, if a man lives according to his sin, and not according to Christ, then he should depart from the church to live with his brethren in the world, and if he will not depart, he should be removed. This is a duty that does not befall just the elders (i.e. bishops and deacons) only, but the entire church is responsible for removing the unrepentant sinners from the church, even if that means removing one who has been put into a position of leadership. (And those who claim to be a church and do not operate according to these instructions, are not following Christ.) This is not to say that a Christian will never sin, but that we ought to correct ourselves and live according to the Gospel, which is befitting a student of Christ, and because God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), it does not matter what position someone holds; sin is sin, and an unrepentant sinner is to be put away from the church.Chapter 6
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[v1] Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
In most cases, officers, judges, kings, and other rulers, are not born again in Christ, and even if some are, they cannot judge a matter in the same way they could judge within the church because they have a duty to the people to judge according to the law of the land. Therefore, what reason would those who are born again in Christ have to go to those officers and judges to settle matters among one another? Is it better to have a matter judged between family in charity, or to have a matter go before a judge in court under the law?[v2] Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
In the thousand-year reign of Christ to come at the end of the world, the saints will reign with Christ as his priests, ruling over the world. (Rev 20:4-6) We Christians will one day be given such authority in judgment, so it is unreasonable to think that if we will be judges over all the world, why can we not judge righteous judgment over the smallest of matters between one another?[v3] Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
The word 'angels' in this passage is not meant in the sense of the messengers and servants of God, but rather, it is meant wicked angels, which are devils, and that Christ will set His saints in ruling judgment and authority over them. If we are to judge Satan and his minions, why is it those who are of Christ would ever have a need to go to lawyers and judges to resolve a matter between brethren?[v4] If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
Typically, when there is a matter than cannot be resolved, the first person everyone goes to is the pastor, but that is an unbiblical approach, but rather, Paul is teaching us that we should select those who are the weakest and lowest among us to judge the matter, and both parties should submit to that judgment. This practice is in correlation with the fullness of Christ's gospel, in which He said the least among us would be lifted up. (Luke 18:14, Jms 4:10, Mat 20:26-27)[v5] I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
The church ought to be ashamed of themselves if they can find no man among them to judge matters, and would need wicked men to step in to judge them. Not only has the Lord God promised that He will give wisdom to all men who ask (Jms 1:5), but the source of the problem is not a lack of wisdom, but a lack of charity, in that the Christians in Corinth were not treating one another in a humble manner, to think on the things of others first. (Phl 2:4)[v6] But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
This is meant in the spiritual sense of brethren within the church, not of blood relation. It is necessary to go to the law at times with those who do who are given over to their sin and do evil, which is the purpose of governments, and why they were established by God. (Rom 13:1-4) However, there is no reason for the born again saints to go to the government to seek restitution between one another if we are living by faith and charity.[v7] Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
defraud (v): to deprive of right, either by obtaining something by deception or artifice [trick], or by taking something wrongfully without the knowledge or consent of the owner
(See 'defraud', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Feb 1, 2020, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v8] Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
Because of that lack of charity between brethren in the same church, both being of the same faith in Christ, the person who was defrauded is then guilty of defrauding the other in turn. Therefore, the Christian who took from his brother is just as wrong as the Christian who sues him for that which he took in a court of law, demanding restitution, which typically comes with payments for suffering, demanding back more than was taken to repay the inconvenience of the property owner.This is best understood by God's commandment to the Hebrews in the wilderness, in which they were hungry and they were given an unknown type of bread which they called 'manna'. (Exd 16:15-18) Each person was supposed to go out and gather whatever manna he could find, with some gathering more than they needed, while others gathered less than they needed, and then those who had more were supposed to be charitable to those who had less; not fighting amongst one another, and remembering that the Lord God has given to every man his portion, some with more and some with less, expecting those with more to be thoughtful to the needs of his brethren who have less. (Phil 2:4)
[v9] Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
This is not to say that all unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, because all men have sinned and come short of inheriting the kingdom (Rom 3:23), but rather, because righteousness is imputed to us by the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 4:11), only those who have received the righteousness of Christ will inherit the kingdom of God. (1Jo 5:12) Or in other words, those who are unrighteous become righteous through Jesus Christ, which is not of their own works, but through Christ's finished work. Without the righteousness of Christ, hell awaits all those who remain in their sin (Mark 9:43-44), which includes (but is not limited to) fornicators (commiting sexual acts between unmarried persons), idolators (worshiping in the heart that which is not God), adulterers (sexual violation of the marriage convenant), effeminate (cross-dressing based on sodomy/homosexuality), abusers of themselves with mankind (sodomy/homosexuality), and more to be mentioned in the next verse.[v10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Those denied entrance to the kingdom of God also includes thieves (those who steal from others), covetous (those who lust after material possessions, in that they will do deceptive or other evil things to obtain them), drunkards (those who yearn to be intoxicated through alcohol), revilers (those who speak to others in a prideful and hateful manner, or backbiting to destroy the good reputation of another), and extortioners (those who take advantage of others for money).[v11] And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Paul listed out many sins, and acknowledged that we, as Christians, were guilty of these things, but he classified Christians differently. Those who do such sins shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, unless they have been cleansed by Jesus Christ, and so those who have been classified as sinners (i.e. all mankind, Rom 3:10), are not classified as sinners when they have received the washing of the blood of Jesus Christ and regeneration of the Holy Spirit.All mankind is guilty and deserving of hell, but being justified and sanctified in His name, we have been given mercy, and so in the context of the doctrine Paul is teaching in this chapter, why would we Christians, who have been given so much mercy, not have that same mercy on one another? This means that there is no Scriptural reason to go to the law with brethren in Christ, and that those who would are dishonoring the name of Christ in both ways, first by defrauding brethren in theft, and also by defrauding brethren by pleading to the courts.
[v12] All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
This is not to say that everything in this world is lawful for a Christian, for if that were the case, then the unlawful things Paul just listed out would then be lawful, which is a contradiction; rather, Paul is speaking of the context of things which are neutral or indifferent, meaning that those things which there is no law against. (e.g. Should Christians use smart phones? Should Christians celebrate Thanksgiving?) Though such things are lawful for Christians to decide by their own conviction from the Holy Spirit (Jms 4:17, Rom 14:5), it does not mean everything we are permitted to do is expedient (i.e. good for the edification of the church). Furthermore, Paul goes on to say that though all such things that he is permitted to do ought not to have power over him, which would be even worse, meaning that no Christian should build up an addiction to those lawful things, which would result in the sins of idolatry and covetousness.[v13] Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
The Lord God designed meat to be suitable for the stomach to digest and process into nutrition for the body, and likewise, in a symbiotic relationship, he designed the stomach to accept the nutritional value of the meat, but when we die, both will rot and return to the dust of the ground. This is to remind us that even though God created these things with a purpose in mind, and we use them functionally without even thinking about them, His power and authority is over all these things, and so we should use them with the same charity with which they were first given to us.However, this thought is taken further because fornication, which some in the church in Corinth were guilty of doing, is NOT designed for the body (i.e. the body of Christ, which is the church), nor was the body of Christ designed for fornication, which further proves that by use of the phrase "all things are lawful," Paul is not referring to sin. The body of Christ was designed for the purposes of God the Father, and Lord Jesus Christ was preordained to be head of the church (Col 1:18), meaning that the church is supposed to serve the Lord, just as the Lord serves the church.
[v14] And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
As Christ was raised from the dead (1Co 15:12-13), so will God raise us Christians up from the dead. Just as Christ was raised incorruptable, meaning that He cannot decay, so we too will be raised incorruptible by that same power. (1Co 15:52)[v15] Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
We who are born again in Christ have bodies that are members, or extensions of, the body of Christ as a whole, being yoked together (i.e. united with) Him. It is an abomination against God that anyone who is united with Christ should take the member of the body of Christ and give his/her body over to harlotry, and this would apply both literally and figuratively, first in the sense that a member of the church should not participate in acts of fornication to shame the name of Christ (which applies to the context of this epistle), nor should a member of the church turn their eyes and ears to corrupt doctrines of false religions to commit spiritual fornication.[v16] What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
This is in reference to Genesis 2:24, in which a man and his wife are said to be "one flesh," which is to be joined together in the flesh. Therefore, a man who brings a harlot into his bed becomes one flesh with the harlot, bringing corruption to the marriage, and likewise, those who bring such fornication into the church will corrupt the church.[v17] But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
The church is often described as a marriage with Christ (Rom 7:4, Rev 19:9), and therefore, this is a spiritual union (John 4:23-24), which is far more important than the flesh.[v18] Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
This was not a commandment to lightly avoid fornication, but to flee from it, which means to depart quickly with desperation as in running in fear of danger. All other sin is done outwardly, but those who commit fornication sin against their own body, which in turn, sins against Jesus Christ, who is the head of the body, and the Holy Spirit, who resides in the body.[v19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
This correlates to Paul's previous statement in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, in which God takes the matter as seriously as He treated the matter of the Jews in Solomon's Temple. Therefore, we should not consider our bodies our own, just as the body is not our own in marriage, meaning that the body of the wife belongs to the husband, and the husband's body belongs to the wife, which Paul will discuss more in the next chapter. (1Co 7:4)[v20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for us, so we should glorify God with our bodies and our spirits because they belong to Him. (1Co 7:23)Chapter 7
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[v1] Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
Paul is answering questions posed to him by members of the church in Corinth, which means that, despite the many who had been deceived by false teachers, there were still some in the church who honored the apostles of Christ, and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, sought wisdom, understanding, and righteous judgment. The first subject in question is concerning the physical contact between a man and a woman, but in context (as demonstrated in the next verse), it is specifically aimed at fornication, which was a problem in the Corinthian church; this is not referring to friendly affections, medical examination, nor sexual interaction in marriage.[v2] Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
This verse clearly defines what fornication is, namely, any sexual interaction that takes place outside of marriage. By this definition, fornication covers not only the act of sex itself, but also any touching between an unmarried man and/or unmarried woman that would be done with the secret intent of sexual pleasures and lusts of the flesh.[v3] Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
benevolence (n): the disposition to do good; good will; kindness; charitableness; the love of mankind accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness
(See 'benevolence', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Feb 18, 2020, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v4] The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
In marriage, the man gives up the authority over his body unto his wife, and the woman gives up the authority over her body unto her husband. An uncharitable spouse will cause the other spouse much grief and suffering. This is why benevolence in a marriage is so important, and why it is so important for young men and women to know what to look for in a potential partner for marriage, namely, a philosophy (i.e. way of thinking) of honesty, humilty, and hard work.(Read The Biblical Understanding of Weddings & Marriage here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v5] Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
defraud (v): to deprive of right, either by obtaining something by deception or artifice [trick, craftiness] or by taking something wrongfully without the knowledge or consent of the owner; to cheat
(See 'defraud', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Feb 18, 2020, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
There is one circumstance by which the husband and wife would not come together in sexual intimacy, and that is if they both agree to abstain from it during a period of fasting and prayer. This is not always a fast and prayer that is done together, which means if a man desires his wife during her fast, or a woman desires her husband during his fast, they should not be defrauded of their rights, but if the agreement is made between them, they should come together in sexual intimacy again as soon as possible, so they will not be tempted unto sin.
[v6] But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
When Paul says he is not speaking this by commandment, he is not referring to the previous verses because they are spoken by commandment, as we can see in Genesis 2:24, but rather, Paul is saying that the verses which follow are spoken (or written) by permission, which means this is wisdom from the Holy Spirit, rather than a rigid commandment that all must follow.[v7] For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
Though Paul was unmarried, this is not referring to marriage itself, but rather, to the passionate burning that some have for sexual intimacy. There are some who God has given great desire, and others He has given none. Therefore, Paul wishes that all men would be as he is, namely, that he was not given any great desire for sexual intimacy with a woman, and this is understandable because, after knowing Christ, and understanding His word, I also wish all could be as Paul, without any desire for the flesh, but this was given to some for the purpose of marriage and possibly children, so therefore, it is not spoken of commandment, but by permission.[v8] I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
If any Christian is single, or has lost their spouse, and they have been given a gift to live without the burning passions of sexual desire, then it is good that they remain single and serve the Lord Jesus Christ with all their focus. Even the best of marriages take away attention and focus on serving the Lord Jesus Christ because, as Paul previous pointed out, the husband and wife should give one another due benevolence, which requires focusing on the happiness of the spouse first and foremost, and so it can be difficult at times to maintain focus on the good pleasure of God first and foremost when our flesh belongs to another.[v9] But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
On the other hand, if they have that burning passions for sexual intimacy, then it is good for them to marry. The burning Paul is describing here is not speaking of the flames of hellfire, because all have sinned and come up short (Rom 3:23), deserving the fires of hell, but through Christ we are saved, and therefore, the burning that Paul is referring to is the passion for sexual intimacy, saying it is better to marry and fulfill that desire than to burn in passion which leads to fornication.The concept here is that God had commanded mankind to mate and bring forth children to fill up the world with people. (Gen 1:28) The Lord God is merciful and kind, and therefore, he made the process of creating children pleasurable. With this pleasure comes a burning desire of the flesh to have it, and if we are not careful, our flesh will run wild with obsession of that pleasure in sin, which is why we are given a spouse to fulfill that burning desire, so we can control ourselves, do good with our body, think good thoughts with our minds, and serve Christ properly.
This is also a reason why it is so important for young men and women to wait until marriage to experience sexual intimacy. If they wait, then they are much more likely to keep sexual intimacy between themselves, and not seek out other devices that will lead to fornication and adultery.
[v10] And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
Paul first establishes that he is finished with expressing the wise counsel of the Holy Spirit, and now he is reverting back to the commandment of God concerning married couples. In other words, this is not a suggestion. The wife should not depart from her husband, and should submit to him in all things; allowing divorce only in the cases of adultery (Mat 5:32), abuse (Mark 3:4), or other life-threatening situations.(Read The Biblical Understanding of Weddings & Marriage - Chapter 4 - "Concerning Divorce & Remarriage" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v11] But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
That is, if she leaves under a circumstance that is not adultery or a life-threatening situation, she is not to be remarried to another. If she does remarry for any reason outside of those reasons, she commits adultery, and so does her new husband. The woman needs to be work things out with her husband, and they both need to be charitable to one another as God's law commands them. This goes not only for the woman, but for the man also, as men do not have free reign to divorce their wives for any reason; only under circumstances of adultery and life-threatening situations.[v12] But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
This is not to say that what Paul says next should not be taken seriously, nor should it be said that it was spoken only by his opinion without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but rather, there is no specific commandment God had given in the Old Testament concerning the situation in a marriage if one spouse had converted. Therefore, Paul spoke by conviction and guidance from the Holy Spirit on this matter that, if a man has been born again in Christ, but has a wife who does not believe, and she wants to remain married to him, then the couple should remain married.[v13] And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
Likewise, if a woman is born again in Christ, but has a husband who does not believe, and he wants to remain married to her, then the couple should remain married. In short, being born again in Christ is not a sufficient reason by itself for divorcing an unbelieving spouse, and charity should always be our core philosophy (i.e. way of thinking). (Mat 7:12)[v14] For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
This is not to say that internal sanctification (i.e. sanctification of our hearts and minds) comes from being married to an unbeliever becauase that type of sanctification can only be acheived by the justification of Jesus Christ through repentance and faith, but rather, this is referring to the lawful sense of marriage, that through the commitment to the marriage convenant, an unbeliever may do the will of God and be blessed, even in their unbelief. This is because God provides gifts of grace for daily living to the just and unjust. (Mat 5:44-45) Therefore, the children will also be blessed through a holy marriage, as opposed to being unclean, which would refer to children who are born in infidelity and fornication outside of the marriage covenant.To put it another way, children who have a healthy home life with both a father and mother do much better than those who are born to a single parent outside of wedlock. They are much more likely to learn strong moral principles and a disciplined lifestyle from parents in which at least one is a saved Christian, which will lead them to be more receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ later in life, and by doing good works, they can make a more peaceful society which is safe for preachers to continue to teach the Word of God.
Another note to make here is that the Jews viewed the marriages of the Gentiles as illegitimate marriages because of their unbelief, even though God acknowledges their marriages because of their promise to be a husband/wife to another. (Mat 24:38 - Whether believing or unbelieving, rituals are not the foundation of marriage.) The Jews saw the sins of the heathen, passing on their sins to the next generation, and according to them, who ever was married to a Jew, their children were unclean, which is opposite of the point Paul is making in this passage. In Christ, we Gentiles are adopted children, and therefore, we are made clean through Christ's holiness, and so the metaphorical meaning is used, namely, that good can still come through bastard children (i.e. those born out of wedlock), even if adopted into the family.
(Read The Biblical Understanding of Weddings & Marriage here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v15] But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
If the unbelieving spouse has no desire to remain married and wishes to depart from the marriage, then let them divorce and go their own way. In that case, the Christian spouse is not under bondage of the law concerning the marriage at that point, which means he/she is free to remarry because God is kind and merciful to His children, and blesses us to live peacefully in our homes. Peace is not always made by reconciliation, as some unbelievers cannot be reasoned with, and for those men/women who cannot reconcile, peace is made by allowing them to depart in divorce, so they would not continue to bring contention and strife into the home of the believer. However, it should be noted that if peace can be made with the unbelieving spouse, it should be made for the sake of charity, in obedience to the will of God and Christ; meaning that a Christian should not simply abandon their spouse at the first sign of struggle, and do everything they can to mend the relationship if possible.[v16] For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
Not that a husband or wife has the power to save the soul because, again, that power belongs to the Lord God; rather, once a man has been born again in Christ, it should not be a license to divorce his wife if she is an unbeliever, but rather, he should charitably consider her soul, that through his teaching unto her, she might be led to faith in Christ. Likewise, the woman should be charitable to consider her husband's soul, that through her example of humility and patience, he might come to understand repentance in Christ. We cannot know if a man or woman can be saved, and so we make effort so that, peradventure (i.e. by chance), God would give them repentance to acknowledge the truth. (2Ti 2:24-26)[v17] But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
Which is to be taken in the sense that all things which Scripture tells us that God distributes to men, in their families, classes, and societies; whatever lot they are given, they should work and preach according to their station in life, and be content with it. As disciples of Christ, we believe that all the circumstances of a man's life were given to Him by God, and that the rank he is born with was no accident, which means that God set a man to be born in a location, surrounded by certain people, for a particular reason. Paul added that he had ordained this to be so in churches throughout all the regions, not just in Corinth, that all Christians were appointed to their particular works according to their knowledge in the place where they live in the circumstances under which they were born again, in the time they received their duties.Please do not misunderstand; this does not mean that a Christian will never change jobs or move to different locations. All that is being pointed out here is that when a man is born again, God has chosen the place and time that man would be born again, and therefore, the circumstances he is in when he is born again in Christ is predestined for a specific function that God has planned.
[v18] Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
If a man is not circumcised, there is no reason to be circumcised because Christ fulfilled the law of circumcision. If a man was born into circumcision, then there is no reason for him to be "uncircumcised," which was something that was sometimes done by the Gentiles. Circumcision cannot be reversed, but a similar forskin can be "drawn out" by slowly (over time) stretching the existing skin of the penis over the tip, to create a foreskin type of appearance, but such a process is unnecessary under liberty of Christ.(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Circumcision" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v19] Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Circumcision is nothing under the context of justification because the grace of God is not given to a man by the works or process of circumcision; neither is being uncircumcised the way to salvation. Reward in heaven is promised to us for good works (Mat 6:3-4), but that reward is not increased or decreased for being circumcised or uncircumcised. Neither circumcision or uncircumcision have spiritual value, but what does have spiritual value is the keeping of God's commandments under the New Testament in Christ, which is to love the Lord God and our neighbors as ourselves. (Mat 7:12)[v20] Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
In context, this calling refers to a man's civil station or profession, provided that those things are lawful and honest practices with civil government and are in accordance with the commandments of Christ. A man might have been born into a criminal mafia, but if he is born again in Christ, he should not remain therein. (For example, Matthew did not remain a tax collector after he was born again in Jesus Christ.) If a man is born a carpenter, he is free to remain in his profession, unless God specifically calls him to another duty in ministry for the church. This is not to say that a man cannot change his profession or move to another location, and that he is free to do so, but that such things are not (in most cases) necessary to live honestly in the sight of Christ because God has selected for each man to be born into his specific location and circumstances.[v21] Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
If a servant is born again in Christ while under the service of another man, he should not be worried that his occupation is an offense against God because, again, God puts all men where He would have them to be. Therefore, the servant should serve to the best of his ability, as if he served the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. (Col 3:23) However, if the opportunity presents itself that the servant can be freed from his servitude in a lawful and honest manner, then he should take that opportunity as soon as possible so he is free to serve the Lord Jesus Christ first and foremost, since we are primarily His servants.[v22] For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
In this context, Paul is not referring to a civil calling of one's life circumstances, but of the evangelical calling, being brought from darkness to light (Acts 26:18), and as a servant of God, God makes him a free man. This is not to say a man is free from temptation of sin, but from the power of it, gaining freedom from the dominion and captivity of Satan. (2Ti 2:25-26) In like manner, when we are called into the service of God, we are bought with a price, as a lord purchases a servant to work in his estate, and therefore, we are the servants of Christ.So in summary, those who are born again under circumstances of servitude are free men, set at liberty by the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who are born again under the circumstances of freedom, are servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, in all things, we ought to seek liberty, and use it for the benefit of Christ.
[v23] Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
The Lord Jesus Christ purchased us with his own blood, giving up his life to buy us, and therefore, if at all possible, we should not be enslaved to mankind in any way. For example, a somewhat common question I have had from Christians is: "Is it acceptable for a Christian to join the military?" To answer that question in the context of this chapter, I would say it is not wrong to join the military, just as it is not wrong to have a job or get an education, but rather, those who are born again in Christ, and look to be under servitude of men instead of Christ, have the wrong focus and/or a misunderstanding of the philosophy of Christ. We Christians should be free to make the decisions that we need to make in order to follow the guidance and conviction we are given by the Spirit of God, but if we are enslaved to another man, we must serve that man first before we can serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the core problem.[v24] Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
Those who are born again in Christ will have various civil duties, from many walks of life, living in many various regions, but all should be like-minded to God's calling, and work to abide in the philosophy that a servant of God should have, that we abstain from evil, work to do His good works, and rejoice in the privileges and liberty that are granted to those who serve in the estate of God. (Gal 5:1)[v25] Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
Paul was being asked if it was right or wrong for a Christian virgin woman to marry, which was likely a question concerning the interpretation of the analogy between the husband/wife and Christ/church. Paul establishes that there is no commandment from God either way, which means Christians have liberty to choose what they ought to do based on their calling (i.e. civil station in life) and gifts (i.e. the gift of passion for marriage and/or children), as was previously mentioned in this chapter. Therefore, Paul, by the Holy Spirit, gave them his answer as a servant who, by the grace of God, remained faithful and honest in the sight of God, having a perfect understanding of charity, and instructed his students, no matter what station they were born into, to live in liberty and charity for the Lord Jesus Christ.[v26] I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
That is, at the time and place this was spoken, with all the distresses of persecution and suffering that came with being a servant of Christ, it is better that a man or woman to remain single because it will save them from more grief and vexation of the spirit. Even today, there are many reasons one could argue this to be the best course of action, but Paul goes on to repeat that Christians should remain in the civil calling we have received, and not do anything drastic to become single for that reason.[v27] Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
If a Christian was saved while in marriage, it is better than he/she is faithful to the marriage. If a Christian is divorced, it is better to remain single for the purpose of serving Christ. Again, this is not a commandment because there is no wrong in marriage, but rather, this is reasoning that it is more fitting to the service of Christ if a man or woman remains single.[v28] But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
There is no wrong committed by marrying, as marriage is also the gift of God, by which He gives liberty to all men to take a wife if he has received the gift of passion for marriage. If a Christian woman marries a Christian man, that is acceptable in the sight of God.(Read The Biblical Understanding of Weddings & Marriage here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
However, Paul also reminds them that, in the suffering of persecution and tribulation, having a spouse and children would make the problem worse, creating more woes and difficulties in suffering for the sake of Christ. It is difficult for two married people to be separated from one another, since they are one flesh. Furthermore, if a man is imprisoned, how does he take care of his family? If a woman is imprisoned with a new-born child, how can she feed and care for the child? These things becomes worries to those who are married and/or have children, and therefore, they can often hinder a Christian from speaking the truth of Christ's gospel, so Paul sought to spare them from suffering more distress through a marriage covenant.
[v29] But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
That is, the time of our lives is short; meaning that, if God is willing that we live to old age, we only have a few short decades before our flesh perishes. Therefore, those who are married should operate in a manner as if they are not married, which is not to say that they should divorce, nor should the husband and wife ignore their duties to one another, but they should work and preach as if they were not married, that they would not spend their days in constant embrace, to spend all their time enjoying the pleasures of each others' company, rather, they should work to serve Christ as much as possible to make use of our short time in this world.For the sake of readers, I want to reiterate that there is no sin in enjoying time with your spouse. However, Paul is speaking in the context of our service to Christ, and our duties in marriage often require us to focus on the marriage and children instead of Christ, and so we should keep this in mind as we make decisions in our households. If a man knows that he might be imprisoned for speaking the truth of Christ, the thought of a wife and children might persuade him to keep silent, and therefore, in this context, Paul is saying that all our choices should, in the end, be made on the doctrine of Christ, rather than our fears. (Pro 29:25)
[v30] And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
This is not to say that a man should not express his grief and sorrow, but Paul is explaining that, for those of us born again, who hold the philosophy of Christ, that our sorrow should not overtake us to a degree that it hinders the message of Christ's doctrine and our service to Him, knowing that there will come a day when all tears will vanish. Likewise, is not wrong to rejoice in God's blessings of prosperity, but rather, we ought to rejoice that our names are written in the Lamb's book of life, and look to have prosperity in heaven, rather than on earth. (Mat 6:21)Also, those who purchase things should buy those things as if they had nothing, which is to be taken in the sense that all things are gift from God, and we will leave this world with none of the things we possessed. Therefore, if God makes a Christian prosperous, being able to buy land and houses, then that Christian should take care against covetousness, being willing to distribute those things charitably to the poor and needy, as if he did not own them in the first place, for we are mere servants, looking to the Lord God in all things, as He gives and takes at His will and good pleasure.
[v31] And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
Those Christians who might have been given a civil calling that grants them power and influence over the things of this world should be moderate in their use of them, as one who is humble and charitable, not using them for their own lusts and pleasures. This world will one day pass away, and a new world will be created for Christ and His kingdom (Rev 20:4); therefore, since all things will burn away, we should not be attached to any material thing of this world.[v32] But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
Paul was establishing the general philosophy that those who are born again in Christ should uphold on a daily basis, but now he is referring back to the question about virgins, and so he tells them that, according to this philosophy, being without a spouse or children allows Christians to focus on the things of the Lord God first and foremost, so they would not be burdened with the cares of this world, which will pass away. A man who is unmarried can dedicate himself fully to the good works of Christ, and this is important not only for the general philosophical principle, but also because there are some preachers with corrupt minds, who teach that a man must be married to be a minister of God, which is contradictory to the teaching of the Holy Ghost in this chapter.[v33] But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
A Christian man that is married has responsbilities given to him by God for the marriage, and focuses his attention on pleasing his wife. For example, Paul later teaches us that a man who does not provide for his household is worse than a man who denies Christ. (1Ti 5:8) Therefore, a man must fulfill his duty to his household, which means his attention is split between God and his wife.[v34] There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
Likewise, a Christian woman that is married has responsibilities given to her by God for a marriage, and therefore, it splits her attention between God and her husband; having a duty to care for the home, to satisfy her husband's needs, to revere her husband with obedience in all things (Eph 5:33), and to raise and educate her children in proper discipline. However, the Christian woman who is single can focus all her attention on keeping herself close to the Lord God, and dedicate herself to His work.[v35] And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
Paul did not write this so that the church would be burdened, but rather, so it might relieve their burdens, to know that they are free to marry one another, and that those who choose not to marry might serve Christ more efficiently, and be rewarded greatly in heaven for their dedication and service to Him. (Luke 18:29-30)[v36] But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.
If a man draws close to virgin woman, in that their words and demeanor towards one another begin to reflect the passions that a husband would have for his wife, and if she is in agreement, and she is of a proper age for marriage, there is no sin in the two of them marrying. The Lord God will still bless their marriage, just as He blessed Adam and Eve, and they can still do good works for the Lord Jesus Christ and His church.[v37] Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.
I have heard preachers and churchgoers scorn those who do not have a spouse or children, and those who speak in such ways are scorning against the liberty of Christ for the church. There is no fault in any believing man or woman to remain single if God has given them the gift to remain without such a burning passion in their hearts, and they do a good work if they dedicate themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. On the other hand, a man who takes a woman in marriage does good as well, in the sense that the fruit of the marriage is a blessing from God, both from children who are raised with understanding of the commandments of Christ (Psa 127:3-5), as well as a couple who serves to live a life that reflects Christ's relationship with the church. (Eph 5:22-25)[v38] So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.
Therefore the conclusion is that it is a good and wonderful thing for a Christian man and woman to marry, and retain fleshly passions within the marriage covenant, but if they have no burning passion, it is a better and even more wonderful thing if they do not marry, and remain dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ alone.[v39] The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
A Christian woman is bound to her husband by the law of God as long as he is still living, with the exception that Paul gave earlier in verse 15, that if she was married to him before she was saved, and after she was saved, he, as an unbeliever, divorces her, she is not under bondage. (1Co 7:15) However, if he dies at any time, she is given liberty by the Lord Jesus Christ to be remarried at her discretion, but she should do so with the Lord God in mind, and that she ought not to marry any man who she is uncertain is a disciple of Christ.(Read The Biblical Understanding of Weddings & Marriage here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v40] But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.
This is not to say that a Christian woman would not be happy to have her new husband, and be pleased to dwell with him if she chooses to remarry, but that she will be happier in the Lord Jesus Christ if she abides as a widow, which is based on Paul's judgment through the Holy Spirit. Though Paul left those decisions to the liberty of each individual Christian, he was certain that the Holy Ghost was with him to give this advice, and therefore, we believe that this is the Word of God given to us through Paul, His apostle, namely, that if we marry, we do good, but if we remain unmarried, we do better.Chapter 8
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[v1] Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
This chapter will not be a list of rules, as so many churchgoers seek. Rather, this chapter will teach us the general philosophical principle of charity in Christ, and how to apply it.Paul begins by addressing questions about consuming things that were offered up in dedication to the false gods of the pagans. The knowledge that we have is by the understanding of the Holy Spirit, in which God has given us the grace and gift of His understanding.
By "puffeth," Paul is explaining that knowledge makes a man grow big-headed and prideful in his mind (Psa 12:5), but this is not to say that all knowledge does such things because the knowledge of salvation in Christ is humble and sanctified, which is good for the hearer and the edification of the church, just as the knowledge which Paul is imparting to the church is to further establish them in humility, charity, and faith. The knowledge that puffs up is that knowledge which is of the world, whereas knowledge which has been gained through the grace of God in charity, edifies the hearers, which is why Paul preached a philosophy of charity instead of knowledge through a list of rules.
[v2] And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
This is referring to men who are conceited in their minds to have knowledge, which is not to say that we Christians know nothing, because we know of Christ crucified (1Co 2:2) If they did actually know anything that was useful, then they would know Christ, and do Christ's charitable and merciful works unto those in need, but in their arrogance, having no knowledge of God's Word as they should, they scoff at others who do not praise them for their knowledge, completely ignorant that worldly knowledge has blinded them (1Co 10:12), which is why they are puffed up. (1Co 13:4)[v3] But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
A man loves God by keeping His commandments (John 14:15, Mark 12:29-31), and so if any man loves God, that man will demonstrate (through his words and actions) to have God's knowledge from His Word because the man with the knowledge of God applies it, which automatically provides evidence to others. This means that a man who loves God will exhibit wisdom with patience, understanding with mercy, and knowledge with charity, so he will demonstrate the knowledge of God, and those preachers who do not exhibit these things together are children in their understanding (1Co 14:20), and such hard-hearted men will be rejected by the Lord God on the day of judgment (Mat 7:21-23), being completely revealed with all proof in God's courtroom that they had none of the knowledge they professed to have while puffing themselves up to be honored by men. (Jms 2:8-9)[v4] As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
By the grace of God, we Christians have been given knowledge that the gods of the pagans do not exist, and that the idols of those gods (Isa 2:20) are dumb (1Co 12:2), meaning that they having no speech, nor can they pass understanding. There is only one God, and that is the Christian God of the Bible (Mark 12:32), from who we receive knowledge (Eph 3:19), but through the pridefulness and willful blindness of the heathen, and the influence of devils, they are turned unto dumb idols, and even many churchgoers, who worship with the traditions and rituals of the heathen, setting up idols in their hearts without physically creating an idol to set before their eyes. (Eze 14:3-6)[v5] For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
There are many things which are called "gods" by the pagans, but they are only called that by name. Because the general term 'god' means "judge," and the gods and idols of the pagans have no capability to judge, therefore, it is senseless worship of vanity. Some of the pagan gods are documented in Scripture. (e.g. "Baal" Num 22:41, "Ashtoreth" & "Milcom" 1Ki 11:5), while others are more commonly known in the world today. (e.g. Thor, Zeus, the false goddess the Catholics call "Mary," etc.)(Read Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism - Chapter 6 - Idolatry: The Goddess Called 'Mary' here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v6] But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
We have the wisdom of God to know that He is God the Father, the creator of all things, and that we persist by His word and power, just as the Lord Jesus Christ (who is one with God the Father, John 10:30 & John 14:8-9) is the creator of all things (Col 1:16), and that flesh, blood, and souls persist by His word and power, as well as our salvation by His blood and intercession for us at the right hand of the Father. (Rom 8:34)(Read "The Godhead vs The Trinity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v7] Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
Paul is not speaking of pagans in this context, because it is obvious that those who worship false gods do not have knowledge, but rather, he is speaking of those who are born again in Christ (especially babes in Christ), who only have partial knowledge. They understand that God is one and an idol is nothing, but they still believe that if someone dedicated meat unto an idol, that the meat itself would somehow become corrupt through association, and their consciences troubled their hearts because of their lack of understanding, so that when they ate with sinners, and were compelled to eat the meat of their idols, they believed they had sinned.[v8] But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
The understanding here is that food does not have a conscience of its own, in which it can do good or evil. This passage is not referring to meat giving us no benefit if we eat it (for all food good for consumption, taking with moderation, benefits the body), but Paul is explaining that our selection of meat does not earn us praise from God, nor does it earn us his favor, whether we eat it or not. This is also not referring to fasting, in which there is a spiritual benefit gained (Mat 17:19-21), but rather, Paul is speaking in the specific context of "clean vs unclean" meats, to which he emphasises that there is no positive or negative spiritual influence gained from eating or abstaining from meat.[v9] But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
Though we have knowledge and liberty, we should be cautious and wise about how we use the knowledge and liberty we have in Christ because, if we do not charitably consider others before ourselves (Phl 2:4), we can cause others to err and stumble. There are many things in this world that are spiritually neutral, whether they be meats, computers, electricity, or any other thing like unto them. However, just because we are at liberty to use these things, it does not mean it is always good for the purpose at hand, which is what Paul is going to explain more about in the following verses.[v10] For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
This refers to any new Christian in the church who does not have equal knowledge that we have, and he would see us sit to eat of leftover meat brought from the temple of an idol, when he had already persuaded himself (in his lack of knowledge) that such things were sin. To watch someone his senior in Christ do such a thing would embolden him to do the same without fear, in which he ignores the fear of God to do that which was pleasurable to his feelings, which is contradicting his conscience, and thereby teaching him a bad habit to ignore his conscience. The Holy Spirit convicts men in different ways through their consciences, and so we must consider that, although we are not convicted in a certain matter by our consciences, because the Holy Spirit determined that we did not need that discipline, it does not automatically mean everyone else in the church is exactly the same, and so we must remember that we do not serve ourselves, but we rather, we serve Christ and the church first.[v11] And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
This is not to say that a brother in Christ who is weak or young in the faith would perish, because Christ has guaranteed his soul by His promise (Heb 13:5), but again, if we have true knowledge in Christ, then we ought to consider others charitably before ourselves. If liberty allows us to do a thing that is an offense to a brother or sister in Christ, and we do not refrain ourselves from doing such a thing for their sakes, what charity do we have? Therefore, in our hearts, our lack of love to our brother or sister is so great, it would be as if we would rather they perish in hell than for us to practice restraint, moderation, and temperance for their sakes.[v12] But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
If we do not love the brethren as we are commanded (1Pe 2:17), the Lord Jesus Christ takes that as a personal offense against Him, because it is a personal offense against His family. (Mat 12:50) Therefore, for us to act according to our liberty in Christ, without considering others charitably, is an act of sin of offense against our brethren and Christ because we are not keeping Christ's commandments. (Mat 7:12) In this instance, Paul is referring to the sin in which, through our negligence and uncharitable mindset, our actions would lead our brethren to ignore their conscience, which would in turn lead them to ignore their conscience on many other matters, whereby they would also sin against God. (Jms 4:17)[v13] Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Paul is expressing the love that we should all have. This is not to say that Paul did not eat meat, nor was he saying that we should not eat meat, but that if we knew that our actions taken in liberty were wounding the weak conscience of our brethren, our love and charity should be such that we would never eat meat again as long as we live, so they would be protected, cared for, and raised up in faith with a strong conscience that will develop knowledge in Christ, just as other of our brethren (like Paul, for example) have done for us in times past.(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Charity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Chapter 9
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[v1] Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
It seems that Paul is posing these questions to address an opposing argument that might have been raised; specifically to the point of liberty. If we have liberty in Christ, how can we sin against Christ in that liberty? To answer this question, he begins by offering up the proof of his calling as an apostle, demonstrating that he was brought under the power of no man, and therefore, he has freedom in Christ.He goes on to once again testify of Jesus Christ coming to ordain him a minister, as He did on the road to Damascus (1Co 15:8); the evidence of which was also proven by the eye witnesses who were with him. Furthermore, the work he had done in raising up the church in Corinth, which was done by Jesus Christ through Paul, should be sufficient proof of his calling.
[v2] If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
This is not to say that Paul was not an apostle to many others, but rather, he is presupposing an argument from his opposition, and reminding the Corinthian Christians that the evidence was without doubt to them. Paul concludes that not only was there evidence based on his work in the church, but also that the very existence of those born again in Corinth was evidence to prove his calling, meaning that if any were to question his office of duty as an apostle, their repentance and faith in Christ was more than enough proof to verify the truth.[v3] Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,
Despite this very clear evidence, some would question whether or not Paul was a true apostle of Jesus Christ, as there are some today who still question it, and so to them, Paul gives a response.[v4] Have we not power to eat and to drink?
By 'we' it seems that Paul is referring to the apostles of Christ, not just himself. By "the power to eat and drink," it is not meant in the sense of the common liberty, by which all mankind eats and drinks to survive day-to-day, but the authority by which the apostles ate of the things given to them in the house of the Christians who cared for them, which was given to them by the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 10:7-8) Christ's commandment was to eat whatever was put before them, but the apostles still sometimes refrained from eating certain things, not due to any religious command or traditional ordinance, but because of their love to the brethren, which was the fulfillment and great commandment of the law and prophets. (Mark 12:31)[v5] Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
This is not to say a sister and a wife in a separate sense, but a sister that IS a wife, and this phrasing is based on the Jewish tradition, by which a wife was commonly referred to as a sister in certain contexts. (Sng 4:9-12) The purpose of this statement is that the apostles had liberty to take a wife, but Paul chose not to do these things for the sake of Christ, that others might be blessed by his work.Paul also refers to other apostles who had wives; for example Philip (the evangelist) was married, and his wife bare four daughters. (Acts 21:8-9) He specifically mentions Peter (i.e. Cephas), who was married (Mat 8:14), and that Peter had done no wrong in having a wife, as Paul had mentioned in chapter seven, which means that all Christians have liberty to marry.
[v6] Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
Paul and Barnabas were often seen together working in various cities, as they were good friends in Christ. They had the liberty to stop working if they chose to do so, but they continued to work for the sake of others, thinking on the needs of others more than themselves. (Phl 2:2-4)[v7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
The first question posed is referring to a soldier in the military, who is given a stipend, which is money to be paid on a regular basis for their services. This is not to say that there has never been a government that has ordered men to go into battle against their will, but in general, there is no man who will go forth into battle willingly without being paid compensation for his duties.The second question refers to a man who has a farm in which he grows fruit. There is no such farmer who, once he has grown the fruit, would not eat some of the harvest.
The third question refers to a man who has a flock of cattle. There is no farmer who, once he has milked all his cows, would not drink some of the milk of the harvest.
In summary, it seems that there were some deceptive men who wanted to find any excuse they could to accuse Paul of not being an apostle, for the purpose of not having to support him or the work of the ministry, and because he would rebuke their sin. Paul worked evangelism and other duties to earn his keep as Christ had instructed the apostles (Luke 10:7-8), taking nothing more, even though he had liberty to take donations to provide for himself without working another job, as he will go on to talk about in the following verses. The proof of his calling was demonstrable by his work, and yet some, out of their own greed, believed he should receive nothing for his work, using deceptive arguments against his liberty as an excuse for their disposition against him, and to redirect any potential donations away from Paul and his ministry, in order to gain more for themselves.
[v8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
These things are written through inspiration of the Holy Ghost, not just Paul giving his personal opinion. The proof of this comes from the law, which Paul will quote in the next verse.[v9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
This is referring to Deuteronomy 25:4, in which a wooden device with iron teeth (Isa 41:15) would be attached to an ox. Stones would be put on the wooden device to weigh it down so it would scrape the bottom, and the ox would be led back and forth to separate the husks from the corn. This would obviously be a lot of work for the oxen, but the farmers would not want the oxen to eat until an appointed time, so they would put a device over the mouths of the oxen to prevent them from opening their mouths and eating anything they were working to thresh, but God gave the Jews a commandedment that they were to allow the oxen to eat as much of the corn as they pleased while they worked.[v10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
So between the two verses, the two questions go together in such a way that if I were to paraphrase, it might be read, "Did God give this commandment to the Jews for the sake of the oxen, or for our sakes?" This is not to say that the Lord God is not kind to His creation, but oxen are biological creations without an eternal soul, whose purpose is to live and die for the service of mankind (Gen 1:28), and therefore, the question we should ask ourselves is this: If the Lord God commanded this kindness to be done for the sake of oxen, how much greater love and care does he have for mankind?Furthermore, how much more does He care for His faithful children in Christ? Would a man believe that God is so careful to oxen, but careless to His own children? (Mat 6:28-30) Are we to believe that God is such a cruel Father that he would bless oxen more than His own children? Is the Word of God written and preserved for us so we would have a greater understanding of God's intimate love for cattle?
I fully understand the last question was nonsensical because, of course, God does not have a great intimate love for cattle, but I wrote it to help readers understand what Paul was trying to get us to understand, that these things were written for our sakes, to teach us certain principles, namely, that those who would do the work of ministry, threshing the harvest of the church in service of the Lord Jesus Christ, would not be left destitute. God has ordained that those who work should enjoy the fruit of their labor (Ecc 3:13), and that also applies to those Christians who labor in the Word of God (1Ti 5:17-18), despite some who believe otherwise, and need to be reminded that this is an ordinance from God.
[v11] If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
By the standards of the world, the preaching of God's Word is a trivial thing, worth very little, but food, drink, land, money, and other resources are considered a very great thing; however, we who are of Christ know that the spiritual things, which is the planting of the seeds of faith and watering them with the wisdom of God, is the most excellent work a man could ever do, being infinitely more valuable than the carnal things of this world. For example, men typically put a high value on their homes, and rightfully so, because his house is how he protects and shelters his family from nature, and from criminals that might seek to them harm, but the preaching of the Word of God should be of much higher value than those things, since, unlike houses and lands, the Word of God will never perish. (Mat 24:35) Therefore, with that knowledge, it is senseless for any Christian to believe that it is a large matter of controversy and burden to consider that a laborer in the Word of God, whether an evangelist, scribe (i.e. writer), prophet, apostle, pastor, elder, or teacher, who works hard with good deeds and sound doctrine in ministry, should collectively and charitably receive the things of the flesh that are needful for the body (to support himself and his family) from those who benefit from their work.[v12] If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
Those who were taking charity from the brethren is not referring to those who were false prophets or corrupt teachers, but rather, from those who had the Holy Spirit and were teaching in spirit and truth. Paul is saying that if those corrupt men are worthy of that charity (at least in the minds of men), to be given a stipend for their work, then the apostles of Christ would be even more worthy of that charity because they had suffered as Christ instructed them, not carry any thing with them except for the shoes on their feet, the clothes on their backs, and a walking staff. (Mark 6:7-9) Paul is explaining that they not only worked hard, but also suffered hunger, thirst, nakedness, beatings, and much more, without any kind of stipend, and though he was at liberty to take that charity, being deserving of it, he chose not to take it so that it would not give any man cause to falsely charge Paul with any wrongdoing, so the spread of Christ's Gospel would not be hindered by any man looking to manipulate the crowd for his own selfish gains.[v13] Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
Meaning the priests of the Levites would serve the people by doing the many things necessary to upkeep the temple, and prepare the various sacrifices brought to them. The Levites ate a portion of the things brought into the temple, and so the priests which waited at the altar to serve the people also partook of those things which were brought.The Levites were not permitted to by God to earn a living in the same way the other tribes of Israel had freedom to do, and were instead solely dedicated to the upkeep of Solomon's Temple. This is why God had instituted tithe for the Jews, so that the Levite men would have a way to provide for themselves and their families, and this is also why tithe is unbiblical in the New Testament (i.e. there should be charity, not tithe), because there is no more need for a Temple since the Temple of God is now the body of each individual saint, in which the Holy Spirit resides. (1Co 6:19)
(Read "Tithe is Not a Christian Requirement" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v14] Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Therefore, all those which God has ordained should preach His Word should live of the fruits which are brought in from their hard work. This is not to say that all must do this, just as Paul chose not to do that for a particular reason, but the servants of Christ have the liberty to do as they are convicted, and that no man should think less of a minister for living of the gospel, since it is ordained of God.[v15] But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
Of all the liberties listed above, Paul took advantage of none of them, even though he made a strong argument in this chapter for the charitable benefit of evangelists and ministers. He emphasizes further that he did not write these things so Christians would give him more because, he would rather starve to death than to give credibility to the arguments of false prophets; or in other words, Paul preached fervently against corrupt teachers and warned the brethren against their coming (Acts 20:30-31), boasting and glorying of salvation in Christ, and rebuking their wicked words and deed, not only refusing to take anything outside of his basic needs for the sake of the Gospel of Christ, but also earning his basic needs through more work than was necessary for him to do, so none would have any credibility to accuse him.[v16] For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
This is a warning against preachers who do the work of a pastor or evangelist under false pretenses, meaning that they are doing things to receive goods and services from others to fill their grumbling bellies. (Rom 16:17-18) The glory spoken of in this verse is different than the last verse because Paul is referring to the glory men have in the material things they possess, but nonetheless, he also points out that he has needs (i.e. necessity), meaning that he must eat, drink, be clothed, and have shelter. That being said, Paul then exclaims that there would be woe (i.e. affliction, trouble, distress) come unto him if he did not preach the Gospel of Christ with a pure heart, which is not to say that Paul feared this because, after all, he did preach fervently with inspiration of, and power from, the Holy Ghost, but again, this is a warning to those who seek material wealth, or a comfortable and lofty position as a pastor, lording himself over others to fulfill his covetous desires. (Luke 12:15-21)[v17] For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
I have a teaching called "Tithe is Not a Christian Requirement" in which I showed statistics from a study performed by various colleges and institutes. This study polled pastors from reformed and evangelical church buildings, and found that about 3 out of 4 pastors do not study the Bible on a regular basis, 3 out of 4 pastors do not mentor anyone, and half of all the pastors polled said they would leave their so-called "ministry," but they do not want to go find another job. What this demonstrates is that there are many who preach the Gospel of Christ willingly to gain a reward.Some may read this in the wrong way, believing that a man who is called to preach does so willingly, but that is not what Paul is referring to in this passage because a man who does so willingly takes the work upon himself, but a hired servant does work unwillingly, meaning that it is not his will which he is fulfilling, but the will of his master. Therefore, if a man does the work of a preacher willingly (i.e. he does not preach unless he has a reward), then woe will come unto him and his household, but if a man does the work of a preacher unwillingly (i.e. he does the work for his master without reward), then the Gospel of this dispensation, through the Holy Spirit of God, is set upon him as a calling and duty in faithfulness.
[v18] What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
Paul took no reward or payment from men on purpose, which is not to say that such rewards were not offered to him, but he rejected them, so that when he preached the Gospel, no one would have cause to accuse him. Thus, he worked in ministry obediently unto Christ, having no purpose in his heart of receiving reward for his work, having no debt to anyone, and not charging anyone money, goods, or services to teach Christ's doctrine. This is one of the reasons why, from the day I started my ministry work (2Ti 4:5), I have made everything I have written and taught available for free to all (Pro 23:23), knowing that I am serving my master, not mammon (i.e. money, Mat 6:24), and also knowing that I have freely received wisdom and understanding from God, which leads me to give that wisdom and understanding freely to others. (Mat 10:8)[v19] For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
Though Paul was set at liberty in Christ, and though he was given an office in the church which carried the highest authority among the apostles and elders, he still humbled himself down to the level of a servant, thinking himself lower than any other Christian in the church (Phl 2:3), that he might gain as many converts to Christ as possible, looking to heaven for reward instead of earth. (Mat 6:21)[v20] And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
For example, Paul shaved his head while he was in Cenchrea (Acts 18:18) to join in with the Nazarites, not because he obliged to participate in these religious rituals, but because he was at liberty in Christ to do what needed to be done that all of them might hear the Gospel of Christ. Among the Jews, Paul abstained from meats that were classified as unclean by religious tradition, not because Paul could not eat them, but so the Jews would not be offended, and become more open to hearing the Gospel of Christ.[v21] To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
This refers to the Gentiles in like manner to the Jews, that whatever was put before him to eat, he would eat, so long as they would not be offended, that they might hear the Gopsel of Christ. This is not to say that Paul would participate in their religious traditions or sins because we still have the moral laws of God, knowing His will in such matters, but rather, we have liberty concerning those things that do not offend against God's law, as long as our purpose is pure unto the saving of souls.[v22] To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
So as Paul stated earlier in this epistle, if a new Christian had a weak conscience by which they would not eat certain types of meat for religious reasons, while in their presence, Paul would also not eat that certain type of meat, which is not to say that he did not have liberty in Christ to eat it, but for their sakes, he became as a humble servant. By the phrase "all things," it should not be taken to mean that Paul would do anything sinful, criminal, or any other such thing that would offend the Lord Jesus Christ, or blemish the holy name of God (1Th 5:22), but rather, for those things that are indifferent, that there is no moral commandment against them, he would do what was necessary in order that some might hear Christ's doctrine and understand it. (Mat 13:23)[v23] And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Paul did these things for the sake of the Gospel of Christ, which is the same as if he did them for the sake of Christ Himself, that he would partake of the spiritual blessings and rewards of God for the saints in heaven. This was obviously not directed at the false preachers and sinners which disguised themselves among those in the Corinthian church, but rather, it was directed at those who walked in the light of Christ (Eph 5:8-11) and brought forth fruits meet for repentance. (Mat 3:8)[v24] Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Paul is now referring to the Gentile competitions, particularly among the Greeks, by which they would run relay races or fight in combat tournaments, similar to what we still see today. There was a particular competition that was widely known, called the Isthmian Games, which were held in Corinth, meaning that almost everyone in the Corinthian church would be familiar with the concept.Runners would come from various countries far and wide to participate in the race, and as we also know in our own competitions today, only one receives a prize. This is not to say that God does not give reward to all His servants, that all may receive prizes for the work they individually do, but we ought to work in ministry as if only one of us could receive it, honing our God-given skills and understanding, so that we might be the most faithful and dedicated of all of God's servants.
This verse was written as instruction for self-reflection, that we might consider our own lives, to judge ourselves in what we offer to build onto the foundation that was laid in Jesus Christ, and the structure that was set for us by His apostles according to His will. This concerns both our personal discipline, as well as our charity towards others.
(Read "The Christian Work Ethic" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v25] And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
temperate (adj): moderate in the indulgence of the appetites and passions
(See 'temperate', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Mar 3, 2020, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v26] I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
So Paul is saying that he runs, which means that, according to the analogy, he continued in the preaching of his faith boldly, in all the duties of his Christian ministry, with full certainty that he would receive the prize at the end. This is not to say that Paul would compete against others in the church as an athlete would compete against his competitors in struggle for superiority, because that is the negative context of strife, which is not the fruit of Spirit of God, but rather, to work with faith and boldness in a similar way an athlete runs his race, with self-discipline, believing in his heart that he will win. Likewise, when a boxer trains himself, he strengthens his arms and fists against a bodybag, and then gains skill by pitting himself against other boxers, but if he did none of these things, and simply punched the air by himself (which is called "shadow boxing"), he would not be strong enough to win a competition, and therefore, we must pit ourselves against opponents, that we might come out stronger than we were before.[v27] But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
This means that he keeps his body under constant watch, and brings his flesh into subjection to the spirit of his mind, or in other words, our spirits, cleansed by the Lord Jesus Christ, should have authority and discipline over the lusts of the flesh, to bring our bodies into submission to the will of God. As any athlete disciplines his flesh to the purpose of his mind, so we Christians ought to do the same according to the doctrine of Christ. If we who preach the Gospel do not keep our flesh under strict discipline, and if that lust is exposed to the public, it will cause others to reject the preaching of the Gospel, and thereby bring a blemish onto Christ's holy name, and therefore, the self-discipline we exercise in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ can be viewed as an act of charity and kindness to others, that we show them a work ethic that is admirable, whereby the things we speak carry weight with the hearer.Chapter 10
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[v1] Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
Paul's epistle continues to give an example of those who did not discipline themselves in such a manner as described at the end of chapter nine. He refers to the Hebrews coming out of Egypt, that they were under a cloud (Exd 13:21-22), which God used to guide them through the desert and shield them from the heat, and that God had parted the Red Sea, which gave the Hebrews safe passage out of Egypt.[v2] And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
The cloud that was guiding the Hebrews, and the sea walls on either side of their path, would mean that they were completely immersed in water, and therefore, it was seen by the Jews to be a type of baptism.[v3] And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
The word 'meat' does not mean the flesh of an animal, but rather, it means "food" in general in this instance because, contextually, Paul is referring to the manna (i.e. bread) that God gave to the hungry families, even though they did not obey God's command concerning what they should do with it. (Exd 16:15-20)[v4] And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
The phrase "spiritual drink" refers to the rock Moses struck that brought out water for the Hebrews (Exd 17:1-6), and it was a type (i.e. symbolic) of Christ's spiritual drink (i.e. the blood) of everlasting life. This is not to be taken in the sense that we must drink blood, which is strictly forbidden in the Word of God (Lev 17:11, Acts 15:29), and a ritual developed by the corrupt Catholic Church through their false doctrine on transubstantiation in their wicked masses. This is not to say they drank of Christ Himself, but of the water which flowed from the rock, and that was a representation of the blood of Christ, by which all must come to obtain life.(Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism - Ch.4 - Mass/Eucharist: Never-Ending Blood Sacrifices" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v5] But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
God was not pleased with the majority who claimed to follow Him, which is also what Jesus told us would happen on the Day of Judgment too, that few would find the way to eternal life (Mat 7:13-14), and that He would reject many of those who claimed to believe on Him because they had a fake faith. (Mat 7:21-23) Many of the Hebrews died in the wilderness, but Paul pointed out that they did not just die, rather, they were "overthrown," which means to be defeated and vanquished completely, referring to the many horrible things that happened to them which did not allow them to die a natural death of old age, such as plagues, military attacks, firery serpents, dehydration from drought, etc. (Deut 8:15)[v6] Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
I grew up going to a variety of leavened (i.e. corrupt) church buildings, and I noticed that almost all the teaching given by pastors was from the New Testament, which is not necessarily wrong, but there was almost never teaching from the Old Testament. The excuse I was always given was that we are in the dispensation of Christ and the church, and therefore, we can ignore the Old Testament because that was just for the Jews.However, the Old Testament was also written by the inspiration of God and preserved by His guiding hand, and so He preserved these things for us with good reason. What point would there be in God preserving the Old Testament if it was not for us in some manner? What happened to the Jews in the Old Testament is an example to show us how God views the things of the world (Deut 12:8, Num 15:39), and how He expects us to live, think, and speak, that we would not fall victim to the lusts as most of the Jews did; therefore, we ought to preach from the New Testament, while taking knowledge, understanding, and wisdom from the Old Testament to learn more about the nature of God and what He expects from His children.
[v7] Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
This is referring to Exodus 32:6, which is not to be taken in the sense of sitting down to an evening meal and getting up to enjoy company with family, but rather, this is to be taken in the sense that they made a great feast to honor the golden calf they created to worship (Exd 32:18-19), sitting down to eat the feast, then got up from the feast to song and dance as the pagans do. The Lord God saved the Hebrews from the Egyptians, parting the sea, leading them by clouds and fire, giving them bread to eat and water to drink, and they repaid His kindness by turning to paganism; therefore, God judged and punished them by slaying nearly three thousand of them. (Exd 32:28)[v8] Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
This was a rampant problem among the Corinthians, and so it should have been taken as a serious note that just because we have the grace of Christ on us, does not mean He will not chasten His children for their wrongdoing. (Rev 3:19) Paul is referring to the time when the Jews were engaging in whoredom with the daughters of Moab in Numbers 25, and the Lord God sent a plague which killed 24,000 people. (The reason Paul said 23,000 is because that is how many died in one day, the other thousand died in the following days.)[v9] Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
The temptation Paul is describing is when a Christian man, who is under the grace and mercy of the blood of Jesus, exposes himself willing to circumstances that would cause him to sin, and therefore, it is a temptation of Christ, whether He would punish them or not, as a son knows not to test the patience of His father, lest his father bring down sharp discipline on the son. Though our eternal souls are secure in Christ, the blessings of this world are not a guarantee, and the Lord God may take away lives, homes, families, and many other things that we enjoy by His mercy. (Pro 3:11, Heb 12:5)The Lord God had been kind to the Jews, giving them bread to eat, and they whined and complained about it, wanting more exotic food. Because of their covetousness, they spoke evil against God and Moses (i.e. accused them of being torturers, abusers, and murderers), and God destroyed many of them through the biting attacks of fiery serpents in the wilderness. (Num 21:5-6)
[v10] Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
murmur (v): to grumble, to complain, a complaint half supressed; to utter complaints in a low, half articulated voice, to utter sullen discontent; with at, before the thing which is the cause of the discontent
(See 'murmur', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Mar 5, 2020, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v11] Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
An example was made of these people so that future generations, having faith in Christ, would know that our words and actions are not overlooked by God, and that He disciplines His children. The word 'admonition' generally means instruction and caution against wrongdoings, and so for us to fully understand the will and philosophy of God, to know the philosophy of Christ, and what we should do in various circumstances, the Old Testament gives us much of God's wisdom on these matters.Contextually, the "ends of the world" Paul is referring to is the world of Solomon's Temple under the Levitcal law. The end of that world had come, and the time of Gentiles had come, in which they who come to repentance (i.e. godly sorrow) of sins and faith in Christ would be born again, becoming a carrier of the Holy Spirit within themselves.
[v12] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Whereas the Jews enjoyed privileges from God, they were also strictly disciplined for their misconduct in their sins. Therefore, we who are of Christ, living under His grace, should not think ourselves immune to discipline, or that all good things will fall into our lap no matter what we say and do, for as God punished the Jews for their disobedience, so He will do to Christians in their disobedience.[v13] There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
The Lord God does not put us into temptations unto sin which are beyond our capability to resist, which is not to say that we have no temptation unto sin, but those temptations are experienced by all mankind. If there is any great temptation unto sin, whether lesser trials by common experience, or greater trials through the tribulations and persecutions for the sake of Christ, God is understanding and merciful, and will provide a way to bear the pain, while abstaining from sin.[v14] Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
Because God provides a way to bear the temptations of sin, no matter the circumstance, therefore we ought not to put ourselves in a position where we would willing be tempted into sin, and so we should flee from any such thing that would lead us into sin. In this instance, Paul focuses on the sin of idolatry, in which we should stay as far away from it as possible, which would mean for us to stay far away from their places of worship, and to separate ourselves from their traditions and doctrines.(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Idolatry," Christmas: Rejecting Jesus, "Easter: Christians Celebrating Abomination," and "Halloween: Are Christians Lovers of Death?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v15] I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
That is, Paul is appealing to their wisdom and understanding of the matters of the Lord's supper and communion, and many of them, being Jewish by lineage, have knowledge of the altar and sacrifices of the temple. Therefore, understanding these matters, Paul invites them to analyze and judge the matter of what he is about to say.[v16] The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
communion (n): fellowship; intercourse between two persons or more; agreement; mutual intercourse or union in religious worship, or in doctrine and discipline
(See 'communion', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Mar 5, 2020, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
(See Schneur Zalman, "How Leader of Grace Should Conduct Himself with Cup of Blessing Over Which Grace Is Recited," Chabad.org:, retrieved Mar 5, 2020, [http://bit.ly/2Tp4enK]; See read "Should Christians Observe Jewish Passover?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
The bread broken is representative of the wounded and broken body of Christ, being slain for our sakes. Knowing that those who take the body and blood of Christ into themselves have fellowship with Him, and therefore, it stands to reason, that a man who would take in the bread and wine of the pagans under their religious institutions would be in fellowship with pagans and their false gods, which are actually devils, as Paul will go on to say in a few verses.
[v17] For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Because we have fellowship with him by his body, we are therefore one body, the Body of Christ as a whole. (1Co 12:27) Christ is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2), and so we all look to Him, receiving all blessing and mercies from Him, therefore we are all partakers of the same bread, meaning that, in the spiritual sense, we all receive nourishment from Christ because He is the sole head of the church. (John 10:16, Eph 5:23)[v18] Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
Paul denotes the difference between the spiritual Israel, which is the born again church in Christ, and the carnal Israel, which are the Jews who reject Christ, but still dedicate themselves to religious traditions. While still inviting the Corinthian readers to judge the matter, the answer to the question is, "Yes," meaning that the those Israelites who were not of the faith in God still partake of the things sacrificed at the altar in the temple, and by doing so, they profess that they are in communion (i.e. fellowship) with God, and they provide an outward appearance of doing so, even though their inward heart rejects Christ.[v19] What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
By the phrase "What say I then?" Paul continues to offer a counter argument to his explanation of these things. That which is sacrificed unto false pagan gods is nothing, and the meat presented in such a ritual is also meaningless, and so the purpose of Paul addressing these questions is so that, on the one hand, it is okay to eat meat offered unto idols, but then on the other hand, Paul teaches that we should flee from any type of idolatry; therefore, some may argue this is a contradiction because to acknowledge that we should flee from idolatry (which is sin), then we would also be forced to confess that the idols have a deeper spiritual meaning and power, but Paul is going to answer that argument.[v20] But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
Paul says "But I say," meaning that this is his argument: Knowing that an idol is nothing, we have liberty, but also having the Old Testament, we know the will of God and how He views the things of this world, and in Deuteronomy 32:16-17, the Bible teaches us that God hates the idolatry and sacrifices of the pagans because they sacrifice to devils. In other words, the idol they worship based on the gods and goddesses they have formed in their imagination are non-existent, and there is nothing to fear from them, but what those idolaters do not understand is that they are unknowingly serving devils, who are the ministers of lies, which is also why things celebrations like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween are such abomination in the sight of God, namely because they perpetuate the lies of devils with the rituals of pagans under the pretense of "celebrating Jesus." Therefore, we should have no fellowship with pagan rituals and traditions of any kind, knowing that to do so would mean that we have fellowship with devils.(Read Christmas: Rejecting Jesus, "Easter: Christians Celebrating Abomination," and "Halloween: Are Christians Lovers of Death?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v21] Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
It is a direct contradiction to claim to have communion (i.e. fellowship) with Christ, while at the same time adopting the traditions and rituals of paganism because it is the same as a man claiming to be of Christ and of Satan at the same time. Therefore, Christ has stated that if a man chooses to be lukewarm, meaning that he is trying to keep one foot on either side of the fence, trying to be a churchgoer who claims to be of Christ, while also participating in pagan traditions, that man will be rejected by Jesus. (Rev 3:15-16)[v22] Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
The Lord God is a jealous God (Exd 20:5), but He also hates having to bring evil (i.e. punishment) upon the wicked for their wrongdoing (Eze 33:11), and so for a Christian to do evil, it provokes God to punishment, which He hates doing, thereby also provoking Him to anger. Furthermore, for a Christian to participate in idolatrous practices is to give the glory (which belongs to God alone) over to devils, which further angers Him; therefore, by asking "Are we stronger than he?" it is meant that a man risks much by participating in idolatrous practices of the heathen, believing that they are stronger than God's power in their disobedience, ignoring the fact that everything they have, even down to the very air they breathe, is upheld by the grace and power of God.[v23] All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Therefore, Paul concludes that, through the grace of God, we are at liberty to do all things which have no commandment in Scripture. As long as there is no direct moral commandment against a thing, it is permitted by liberty in Christ. However, it does not mean that everything that we have liberty to do is good for us to do, and that even though it is lawful for us to do such things, it does not mean that it is good for the church, and even if such a thing might be permissible, we should abstain from that thing if it puts the welfare and peace of fellow Christians at risk.[v24] Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.
That is, let it be that no Christian seek after his own pleasures only, without thought to those around him. The word 'wealth' in this context is not meant in terms of riches, like money or lands, but rather, in the more general definition of wealth, which means prosperity and happiness; thus, when we seek the wealth of our brethren, it meant that we should look to their welfare and peace first, before ourselves. (Phl 2:3-5)[v25] Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
The shambles is a place where meat is sold, so in context, this means that when you go to a shop to purchase meat, there is no need to ask, "Was this animal sacrificed in a pagan temple and later brought to market for a price?" It is acceptable to purchase meat, take it home, cook it, and eat it, whether it was sacrificed unto idols or not, and that we should not ask any questions about such religious matters for the sake of our conscience, and even for the sake of the conscience of the seller, so that his weak conscience might not be grieved.[v26] For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
This is a reference to Psalm 24:1. All of God's creation belongs to God, and by His grace, He gives men liberty to enjoy the fruits of this world; whether it be the fish of the sea, the fowls of the air, the plants of the ground, or the animals of the field.[v27] If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
If we are invited into the home of a person who is not of faith in Christ, and we are inclined to go (i.e. meaning this is not a commandment, and left up to the conviction of each Christian to discern according to the circumstances), then we do not need to ask any questions about whether there were religious circumstances surrounding the food we are given, to protect our own conscience, but more importantly, to protect the weak consciences of others, that their charity might not be offended in such cases.[v28] But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
On the other hand, if someone offers the information, which means that someone brings you a meal and tells you that there are pagan religious traditions and idolatry surrounding the meat, which might be from the host's pride in their pagan practices, or in a trap to mock the integrity of the Christian guest, then the meal should be refused for the same reason, namely, that the earth is the Lord's, and all the fruits therein. For our own conscience, that we might be approved in the sight of God, and for their conscience, that they might know that God does not approve of their pagan deeds, that they might come to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow) of their wrongdoing and believe the Gospel of Christ for their salvation.[v29] Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?
Which is not to say that we should not stand in good conscience with the Holy Spirit on these matters, but to consider others before ourselves, looking to put at safety and ease their consciences with our words and actions. The question Paul asks is not to be taken that it is wrong for another man to judge the conscience behind our words and actions because Christ would have all men to judge righteously (John 7:24), but rather, this is to be taken in the sense that another man should not have to call into question whether we do what is right, which means we should consider their weak consciences before we speak or act on any matter, abstaining from any speech or action which would shame the holy name of Christ. (Mat 7:12)[v30] For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
That which is lawful for us to enjoy by God's grace (through His creation for our consumption) should not be condemned. Paul asks this question, not to condemn those who speak evil of us for eating of meats, even though they are wrong to do so, but rather, he asks the question for our consideration, meaning that we ought to think about what is best for the glory of Jesus Christ and our own reputation in the sight of men, that we would not give them reason to accuse us of evil (1Th 5:22) for those things which we give thanks to God for His blessings.[v31] Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
If we eat or not, if we drink or not, we should do all things to the glory of God, which means it is better to deny our flesh a thing, than to risk shaming the name of Christ and wounding the weak conscience of others, that they might be inclined to hear the truth.[v32] Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
Meaning that we should not do anything that would cause others to go into, or continue in, sin of any kind. This is not to say that the doctrine of Christ will not cause offense to many, because that will undoubtedly happen, but our liberty should never cause offense, otherwise, by wounding the weak conscience of another without concern for them is to sin against Christ, as Paul pointed out earlier. (1Co 8:12) Whether we are with the church, the pagan Gentiles, or the unbelieving Jews, we should love our neighbor as ourselves, which means we should think of them first, and care for their souls first in our considerations. (Mat 22:37-40)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Love" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v33] Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
This is not to be taken in the sense of being menpleasers (Eph 6:6, Col 3:22), which is to try to look good on the outside for the purpose of appeasing the senses, because it is ultimately deceptive. Paul is saying that he pleases men in all things as a servant of God, so that he would do no sin or wrong among them, loving his neighbor as himself. It should also not be said that Paul sought commercial profit of many, as some in the false "prosperity gospel" movement might believe, but rather, the word 'profit' in this context is taken in a general sense, that we should look to the gain of others first before ourselves, and the greatest of all gain is the understanding of the doctrine of Christ, that man might come to repentance and faith in Jesus and be saved. (Mark 1:14-15, Luke 24:44-47)Chapter 11
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[v1] Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
In the previous chapter, Paul exhorted the Christians in Corinth to do all things for the glory of God, including what they eat, what they drink, and their mannerisms. Therefore, being called, gifted, and directly guided by the Holy Spirit, he urged Christians to follow his example, meaning that they should discipline themselves in both what goes into their mouths (1Co 10:27-28), and what comes out of their mouths (Mat 7:18-23), that we would prove ourselves to have the same mind as Christ. (Phil 2:5-8)[v2] Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
This letter to Corinth has been filled with much rebuke for many wrongdoings they had committed, and it is understandable that the early church would need much reproof and correction, being in its infant stages. On the surface, this appears to have some shift in tone, by which Paul is praising them for doing good, but this verse is written in a conditional manner which indicates praise (i.e. commendation, applause, or gratitude) for those who kept the commandments and ordinances Paul delivered by the guidance of the Holy Ghost, or for those who would, in the future, correct their habits by turning from sin and obeying the Word of God.[v3] But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
The previous verse seems to be meant as a preface for this verse, meaning that Paul was trying to prepare their hearts to hear the next rebuke, which is why he begins this sentence with "but" (or "however"), indicating that there were those who did not act according to the instructions that they were given. This rebuke indicates that there were Christians that were not properly submitting to the authority of God in all they said and did.Paul then reminds them that the head of all mankind, which includes men, women, and children, is Christ, which would be the divine nature of Christ, which is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, being three separate entities, but one God at the same time. The head of the woman is man because man was created first, and then woman was created from man for the purpose of being a helper and companion to a man in marriage. Paul finishes this verse by reminding Corinth that, although Christ is God, the Father is the head of Christ in the sense of His life on earth as a man, by which Christ humbled Himself under authority to be the Savior of all mankind (1Ti 2:3-7), which is one of the many great reasons that He deserving of all glory and praise.
[v4] Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
Many Christians today are unaware of pagan religious traditions, and because of that, many do not understand that the ritual to have a head covering in a religious sense was started by pagans, and during the time Paul was writing this to the Corinthian church, there were many heathen that practiced head covering rituals in honor of their gods and goddeses during certain times of worship. This is still performed by pagans today (depending on their gods or type of witchcraft), and has also been adopted by various false religions, such as Catholics or Mennonites for example.Understanding this context, Paul is referring to any man who prays or prophesies (i.e. teaches or interprets the Word of God) in public (i.e. either public meaning open preaching, or public in the sense of the gathering of the church), and that is because the heathen would use such head coverings as an outward display; therefore, a public head covering for men communicates the wrong message. The message of Christ is boldness in faith, and liberty with a cleansed spirit, which means that a man who lives according to Christ's commandments should have nothing to hide, but if he does hide his head by a covering, then he dishonors his "head," not in the sense of his skull, but his head authority, which means he dishonors Christ.
[v5] But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
The difference between men and women on this subject is that God gave men authority of leadership and teaching in the church, whereas women were not given the same authority, and Paul writes more about that in chapter 14. (1Co 14:34-35, 1Ti 2:12) This is not to say that women are given no authority for public leadership (like a judge) or teaching (in a school classroom), but in this sense, it is when a woman joins in public prayers and prophesying, which includes the worship of songs, the work of study, and charity of fellowship, she should have a covering over her head.(Read "Hair Length in the Bible" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
This covering could be done in a variety of ways depending on the society one lives in, and in Jewish society, it was known far and wide that the women were not allowed to go about their daily tasks in public without a covering over their heads, so therefore, if a Christian woman were working in ministry to reach the Jewish people with the Gospel, and it is accepted in their society that they should have a head covering, she should wear one, lest she offend them. However, as Paul pointed out, for women to not have a covering of authority over her head (even one that is natural from long hair), it was the same as if she was shaven bald, and in nearly all societies around the world (with the exception of a medical condition), a woman that is shaven bald is naturally seen to be shameful and rebellious. (1Sa 15:23)
[v6] For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
Paul proposes a test for the women who are rebellious to God's authority (and the authority He gave to men) by refusing to have long hair or cover their heads; he challenges them to go ahead and shave themselves bald, and walk around their daily activities that way. A woman who has not had her conscience seared (1Ti 4:2) will naturally dread the thought of shaving her head out of shame and fear, which is God's gift of conscience to understand that she is called to be under the authority of God and men, and therefore, it provides sufficient evidence for a woman (or young girl of age) to (at minimum) have her hair long enough to cover her head.[v7] For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
Man is the creation of God, and therefore is also the glory of God, meaning that man is God's splendor in like manner that a blooming flower is the splendor of a gardener, or a finished room is the splendor of a carpenter. Therefore, the glory (or splendor) of God's handiwork is mankind, both man and woman, but the difference between men and women is that man was created first to be the image and glory of God. Woman was created to be the image and glory of man, and therefore, knowing that fleshly beauty is vain in the eyes of God (Pro 31:30), it is man which should have his head uncovered in prayers, songs, and prophesying.[v8] For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
That is, the man was created first (Gen 2:7), and the woman was created second (Gen 2:21-22), so he would not be alone. (Gen 2:18)[v9] Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
The woman was created to be a help meet (Gen 2:18-20) for men, which is a creature designed for companionship, care, and assistance.[v10] For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
In Jewish society, it is commonly believed that angels are in attendance during the study, worship, and fellowship of the those who pray in the temple, and such a thing only makes sense for us who are of Christ, since God is in attendance where two or more are gathered together (Mat 18:20), and thus, it would stand to reason the angels would also be in attendance for such meetings, since they are the servants, soldiers, and messengers of God. (Col 2:18, in which the Jews were being rebuked for worshiping angels instead of God and Christ) This means that when a woman covers her head, she is respecting the authority of God's angels over her, since they are also witnesses to us Christians, demonstrating our submission to God the Father's authority over us. Since all nourishment in the body comes from the head (Col 2:19), the analogy is that all spiritual things come from the Head, which is Christ (Col 1:18), and therefore, because of the angels brought to the public meetings of worship and fellowship, women should display their submission to the authority over them, which is not only Christ, but men as well, because it is Christ who created woman (Col 1:16) to be under the authority of man.[v11] Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
This note is added to emphasize that, in the spirit, there is no male or female, because all are one in Christ. (Gal 3:28) Therefore, men should not be lifted up in pride to be oppressive to the woman, nor should the woman be lifted up in pride to take advantage of the man, but both roles exist for specific purposes, and therefore, not only should man and woman live according to the roles that God gave them, but they should also outwardly display that inward obedience, which is presented by covering or uncovering of one's head.[v12] For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
Again, this is a statement to humble both men and women. The woman was created from the man, but all men are birthed into this world by women. Therefore, both men and women should be reminded that they were both created by God with a specific function and separate authority that should be mutually loved and respected.[v13] Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
That is, Paul requests the Corinthians to judge the matter, after reading the evidence that he presented, from nature of society, the nature of God's creation, and the operation of divine spirits, concerning the authority of God over men and women, that they would reason within themselves and draw a conclusion that his explanation is sound. The answer is obviously, no, it is not comely (i.e. proper, decent, or suitable) for a woman to shave her head and enter into worship without a covering.[v14] Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
Perhaps there were some societies around the world that accepted men to have long hair, but among the Corinthians, both Hebrew and Greek, Jew and Gentile, understood by the nature of society that it was shameful for men to have long hair. Even in most societies today, men having long hair is a shame because it is a feminine thing to do (i.e. effeminate, 1Co 6:9), and men who do so are subject to much ridicule among their peers because their consciences bear witness (Rom 2:15) to the fact that men who have long hair are in rebellion against God's authority over them.[v15] But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
God gave women their hair as a glory, or splendor, to her, and knowing that it is a gift of God, it is a rebellious thing for a woman to willingly throw away that gift. I understand that some women may have medical conditions that may force them into baldness or short hair, or that someone may have cut their hair without their knowing, and under those circumstances, a woman can use a cloth for head covering, but in most cases, God gave women their long hair for that covering, and therefore, her long hair honors both men and Christ at the same time, while God also made it a public display of beauty at the same time.[v16] But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
That is, if any man refuses to hear this doctrine and understand it, growing his hair long in contention and rebellion, or if any woman refuses to hear this doctrine and understand it, cutting her hair short in contention and rebellion (and refusing to cover her head), we have no such custom (i.e. tradition) of contention and rebellion in the church. Paul was pointing out that the apostles did not teach them any such mannerism, nor have the churches of God taught them to do such things, and yet, many churchgoers today still refuse to hear the doctrine about their hair length because they care nothing for the authority of God over them.(Read "Hair Length in the Bible" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v17] Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
Meaning that, though the Corinthian Christians were dedicated to assemble together (Heb 10:25), Paul could not praise all of them for this because (as he is about to explain) they were not all assembling for the purpose of instruction, correction, understanding, and edification, but rather, they were assembling together to indulge in the luxuries they were afforded by the charity of some, and grew in heresy, creating contentions and divisions upon false doctrines. (Rom 16:17-18)[v18] For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
That is, when they assemble together for the purpose of the worship and fellowship of the church, which is not to say that they did not meet in their homes together for religious purposes, but this is distinguished from their normal, day-to-day home living, as Paul refers to their houses in verse 22. Whether they met in their homes or in another location, the assemblies were being corrupted because of the divisions, which Paul mentioned in the first chapter (1Co 1:12), meaning they would split into groups within the church, having one preach Paul, one preach Apollos, and another preach Peter separately from one another, but all should have preached Christ in unity.[v19] For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
Paul says "must be also" because he had to base everything off of what he heard or read was going on, since he could not see it for himself. It stands to reason that if all in the church come together under the same mind, and all speak the same things (which Paul has already established is how the church should operate 1Co 1:10), but there are divisions among them, then there has to be heresies floating around the church. If there were not heresies, then there would be no need for the division, which provides further evidence that the testimonies (at least, some of them) he heard and read about the Corinthian church were true.Paul also pointed out that the evidences he presented in this letter would help make manifest (i.e. reveal) who is approved of God, meaning that those who followed the truth in honesty and service to Christ will be known by the outward evidence, specifically, by the doctrine that Paul is delivering to them. For example, those who obeyed the doctrine of hair and head covering would provide some evidence that they were faithful and sincere followers of Christ, but all the doctrines need to be analyzed to see if a man follows all, and not just one. Certainly, a man can be newly born again in Christ and not follow all the instructions because he does not know or understand them, but those who have been educated and raised up in those doctrines, and still do not follow them, nor do they show repentance (i.e. godly sorrow) of their error, provide evidence that they are insincere and unfaithful to Christ.
[v20] When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
This indicates there were many in the church of Corinth who did not take the Lord's supper seriously. The taking of bread and wine together was performed by Jesus after the passover feast (Luke 22:13-16), and therefore, it was not to be done as a meal, but as a solemn moment of remembrance of Christ and consideration of His sacrifice and doctrine. Yet, the Corinthians had a problem with those who were coming to the assembly with the intent of eating and drinking, which means that, not only did they not take the matter seriously, but they were likely performing the tradition casually as part of a feast.[v21] For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
Once the meal was prepared, some would sit down to eat on their own before everyone else was ready, and those people would have their fill before others got an opportunity. This could have been for many reasons, including that those who were rich were eating before those who were poor, and because they were first, ate far more than their share, leaving the others who were more in need without access to much, if any. It seems that the term 'drunken' in this verse does not indicate intoxication, but rather, a fullness of drink, and this is indicated by the fact that, nowhere in the letters to Corinth does Paul rebuke them for being drunken in terms of intoxication, which alludes to there not being a problem with drunkness on alcohol, so the phrase "one is hungry, and another is drunken," meaning that, whereas one brother simply wanted to satisfy his hunger at the dinner table, another not only had his fill, but moreso, enjoying the abundance without considering his neighbor.[v22] What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
The first question indicates that those who were indulging in this gluttony were not the owners of the building in which they were meeting, or that they were meeting in a public place apart from their homes. If the greedy wanted to indulge themselves in a meal, they should do so in their own houses, but not in the assembly of the church.The second question indicates that those who indulged themselves were wealthier, having ready access to such abundance, and were taking a position of priority over the poor and needy. Those who knew they were providing the wealth behind the meal thought themselves at liberty to take the firstfruits of their donations, not considering the poor brethren first. This is one version of respecting persons, in which a man believes that his position, title, wealth, degree, or rank gives him precedence over others who do not have the same. (Jms 2:1-9)
(Read "Respecting Persons Is Sin" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Paul finally poses a question about praise, which would be in reference to the praise he would have given those who kept the ordinances which he delivered to them, as he wrote in verse two. Yet, Paul cannot praise these actions because they are sin, and not only were the wealthier men doing this, there was guilt among the elders as well because they did not rebuke their actions.
[v23] For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
Paul received these instructions from the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, and therefore, these things should be kept as they were instructed. Paul repeats this instruction for their discipline and edification, beginning with the explanation that, on the night Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and taken to be crucified, His last action with His disciples was to take bread for a rite. (i.e. a spiritual custom that was to be performed)[v24] And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After Jesus had given thanks to God for the bread, he broke it by taking pieces of it, and distributing those piecies unto His disciples for consumption. (Luke 22:19) This is a representation of the body of Christ that was sacrificed for us, which is not to be said that it was the literal body of Christ, as some false religions teach, nor does it provide any remission of sins or regeneration of spirit, but rather, it is a symbol of Christ's sacrifice, a symbol of his broken and wounded body, just as the Hebrews phrase Ha Lachma Anya, which means "the bread of affliction" is broken and shared in the Passover feast, not as literal affliction, but as a representation of the affliction of the Hebrews in the land of Egypt, which is done in remembrance, not as a ritual to provide salvation from captivity. (i.e. It would be ridiculous to say that if a slave broke the bread in a religious ritual, he would be freed, just as it is ridiculous to say that drinking grape juice out of a cup would set a man free from his sin.)[v25] After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
Likewise, this is not the literal blood of Christ as some false religions teach, which itself would be an offense and contradiction since blood was not supposed to be consumed. (Gen 9:4, Lev 17:11, Acts 15:29) The cup containing the fruit of the vine (Mat 26:29) was a representation of the blood of Christ shed for the new testament, or new covenant (also called the blood of the everlasting covenant, Heb 13:20), just as the blood of oxen was shed for the blood of the covenent in the old testament, or old covenant. (Exd 24:8)[v26] For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
That is, for as often as this ordinance is performed. This is not referring to just any meal or other celebratory feast. The Lord's supper is a rite performed for the purpose of expressing thanks and declaring the blessings that come from Christ's shed blood on the cross, and though there is no restriction or frequency given on how often or where this should be done, when it is done, it is symbolic of Christ's death until He returns for His saints, and in the context of Paul's reason for this explanation, all should be treated equally under this ordinance, not preferring one over another in respect of persons in sin, because (as Paul pointed out in the last chapter) all are nourished by the same spiritual bread, and all are made alive through the same spiritual drink, which is Christ. (1Co 10:4)[v27] Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
Because the bread and cup is symbolic of Christ's broken body and shed blood on the cross, to treat the Lord's supper as a common occurence, or to take it without the seriousness by which it should be considered, is to treat Christ's death as a common occurence without seriousness. Those who do not approach the Lord's supper with the a solemn mind and heart also do not approach Christ's sacrifice with a solemn mind and heart, which means that, outwardly, they might portray themselves to be followers of Jesus Christ, but inwardly, they do not have a repentant heart, and therefore, because they partake in an ordinance that is supposed to express the blessings and thankfulness of Christ's sacrifice in a careless manner, they also prove that they are careless when it comes to his sacrifice (Mat 22:8-14), seeing it of little or no value, and so whereas those who are the saints of God take great care of the Lord's supper to honor Christ's death, those who are careless with the Lord's supper are as guilty as those who nailed Him to the cross.[v28] But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
That is, we all should judge ourselves, our minds and hearts, that we honor Christ in all things, especially when it comes to the ordinances that He has established. If a man's mind and heart are repentant and genuinely grateful, he should have no fear to take the bread and cup of Christ together with the brethren, but should do so solemnly, that is, with seriousness of heart, and not as a standard meal.[v29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
To those who partake of the Lord's supper for show, woe to them because, even though this does not speak of eternal damnation, as the sins of many can be forgiven by Christ if they seek Him out with a repentant heart, but rather, they condemn themselves, meaning that they declare their own guilt before God, and make themselves subject to God's punishment because, in the pride of their hearts, they did not take into consideration the difference between the Lord's supper and a common meal.[v30] For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
There are many elders and preachers in church buildings today who perform the Lord's supper openly with any person who wants to walk into their doors, but this is dangerous both for them and for the visitors because, at the discretion of God's judgment, many who partake of the Lord's supper unworthily may be stricken with disease for their transgressions, or they may sleep, meaning that they will die, according to His will. Of course, the leaders of these institutions cannot be held responsible for what others do, as everyone needs to judge themselves, but having attended church buildings for many years as a young man, I can say confidently that these warnings are almost never taught to congregations.[v31] For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
Which is a proverb of itself, in that if we would judge ourselves righteously (John 7:24), examining ourselves first and foremost (2Co 13:5), laying open our hearts and minds before God, being honest in all things, and acting accordingly to those self-judgments, then we would not have to be judged by God or men, knowing that we humble ourselves in His presence, and tremble at His Word. (Isa 66:2)[v32] But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Knowing that when God judges His children, specifically when he chastens them (because judgment itself is not chastening; it is the discernment between good and evil) for the purpose of disciplining a child, it is for their good, in likeness to the loving nature of a father to chasten his son for the son's benefit. (Rev 3:19) The will of God is that they all come to repentance (2Pe 3:9), so they will not set a bad example for others, that when the world is condemned for their wickedness, a Christian would not be among them, so they would not hinder the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus Christ by their actions.(Read "Unbiblical Cop-Outs: 'Don't Judge Me!'" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v33] Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
Those of us who are brethren in Christ ought to wait for one another in the context of the Lord's supper. If there is a meal to be had and the Lord's supper is taken afterwards, wait for everyone to be present and to finish with the meal, then let the ordinance proceed with solemnity (i.e. seriousness) with which it should be taken. If there is no separate meal, then wait for all those who are to be expected before continuing the ordinance, so that as many as possible will take the Lord's supper together in union. In other words, let us all consider the things of others over ourselves, and let us not consider ourselves better than the others. (Phl 2:3-4)[v34] And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
The purpose of the assembly of Christians is for the worship of God, in study and prayers, but many were treating it more as a simple feast of merriment. In a sense, there were those in the church in Corinth who treated it more like a country club than a church, and this problem still persists all over the world today. If individual Christians in the church know there are going to be problems that will cause bitterness and contention, then they should prepare ahead of time, eating at home, so there will not be any concerns when assembling together.We who are of Christ should heed this warning so we are not brought into condemnation, that we would not suffer the rebuke and chastening of God upon His children. If the children discipline themselves, the parents have no need to interfere. Paul encourages them to consider these matters in the minds and hearts, judging themselves righteously, and any other details that were questioned, he would address those during his next visit.
Chapter 12
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[v1] Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Paul is speaking of a gift given from the Holy Spirit to men, and based on many false religious cults around the world, this is a sensitive subject that needs to be address with care, which is why Paul also added that he did not want to leave them ignorant (i.e. without knowledge and understanding) of the truth about this matter.[v2] Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
First, Paul reminds the Corinthians of what Jesus has saved them out of, or in other words, it was needful to be reminded about the pit from whence they were digged. (Isa 51:1) This would be in correlation with the previous chapter in which he told them they needed to judge themselves. We who are Gentiles (i.e. not Jews) were carried away unto idols (and many who were Jews also did the same, but went about it in a different way, in an attempt to fuse the Word of God with pagan ideology), in that we were given over to them, taking pleasures from the idolatry in our hearts (Eze 14:4-8), and led to trust in the deception of our hearts. (Jer 17:9, Pro 28:26)[v3] Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Paul is telling us these things to increase our understanding, and to make known the truth of God. Those who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ would look at Christ's suffering on the day of his death and call Him accursed, meaning that they believe he was worthy of His own death (or at the very least, have an apathetic, uncaring attitude towards it), because they do not understand why He suffered it. This is not to say that every man who calls Jesus "blessed" or "holy" automatically means he is speaking by the Spirit of God, but rather, a man who would claim to be of God and call Jesus accursed cannot have the Spirit of God in him.Likewise, those who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ would not say that Jesus is the Lord (i.e. God) because they deny Him. And likewise, this is not to say that every man who calls Jesus "Lord," or confesses that He is God, automatically has the Holy Ghost, as Jesus pointed out in His teachings (Mat 7:21-23, John 8:31-45), but rather, a man who refuses to confess such things cannot have the Holy Ghost in him.
Part of the reason Paul is pointing this out is because a denial of any part of the Word of God would be a denial of Christ. For example, in John 5:46-47, Jesus pointed out to the Jews that they did not even believe the writings of Moses as they should have believed, and then goes on to tell them that if they did not believe what Moses wrote, they could not believe on Jesus Christ either, which means that once a man has knowledge of the doctrine of Christ, but he denies that doctrine, it is the same that a man would call Jesus accursed and deny His divine nature, which is why, after the doctrine of something as simple as the length of one's hair, Paul wrote that we do not have contention in the church over such matters (1Co 11:16), and that those who are in contention are in denial against Christ, being no better than those who are led away unto dumb idols.
[v4] Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
This is referring to those gifts which are given by the Spirit through grace, and Paul will go on to mention some of these soon. As we saw in the last chapter, there was a problem with the sin of respecting persons among the Corinthian church, and since that was the case, it stands to reason that some had lifted themselves up in pride because of their gifts, lording over others, and/or some in the church were lifting up on a high pedestal those who had more desirable or popular gifts; thus, the church needed to be reminded that they all came from the same broken and lost state, and that they had all been saved and educated by the same Spirit.[v5] And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
These administrations would be the duties of apostles (which many know by the Catholic term 'missionaries'), prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. (Eph 4:11-12) Though there are differences between these, and though some carry more authority in the church than others, and though the Holy Spirit has given some the gifts and understanding to serve in those administrations, all of us serve the same Lord.[v6] And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
The diversities of operations has to do with all the functions of the church, which are common among all Christians, and therefore, less extraordinary than spiritual gifts and administrations. Such things might include charitable works of patience, alms, faith, and edification, just to name a few. (Gal 5:22-23) Though these things are more common and less impressive, they are duties of the church, and they come from the same God who we all serve.[v7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Not the manifestation of the Holy Spirit Himself, but rather, a manifestation in terms of evidence, which is provided in the sight of men to prove the Holy Spirit resides within a man. This is not to say that every man in the world receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but every man who has a regenerated spirit in Christ receives the Holy Spirit, and those gifts, administrations, and operations are not given so that he would lift himself up in his own pride; rather, those things are given to him that he might bring the fruit of those gifts to world, for the service of the church, the poor, the needy, and his neighbors, that men might be humbled before the sacrifice and mercy of Jesus Christ, and that He would be glorified.[v8] For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
The word of wisdom being spoken of here is the gift of the wisdom of God, but not in the manner which is common. There is a common gift of wisdom, because all those who are regenerated in Christ must have knowledge, wisdom, and understanding given to them, and there is also the gift in which God has said He would freely give all those who ask of Him for wisdom. (Jms 1:5) The word of wisdom is that which is wisdom in the Word of God, whereby God gives not only knowledge and understanding of His Word, but also gives a man the wisdom to explain these things to others, being able to teach and practically apply those doctrines so that all may share in understanding.The word of knowledge is not to be take in the sense of basic knowledge, which is given to all Christians to some degree, but rather, it is knowledge of a special kind, which is prophetic from the Spirit of God, and Paul refers to this in the next chapter. (1Co 13:2) This word of knowledge is given to those individuals, meaning that God speaks unto them His Word to deliver unto the people, and God also gives them the interpretation of those things to explain to the hearers. (This is not to be confused with "speaking in tongues," which Paul will cover in chapter 14.)
[v9] To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
This is not in the common understanding of faith, in that Christ authors faith in all those who are His servants (Heb 12:2), but rather, this is the faith that the exhibition of understanding and practical confidence in God's Word, which leads them (most often) into a teaching or pastoral service, in that they preach the faith of Christ boldly to all who will hear. Some may want to argue that this is referring to the gift of faith to work miracles, but Paul mentions that specifically later, which means this is speaking of the gift which leads one to preach and to contend for the faith in the face of opposition.The gifts of healing are not in the common sense by which a man who was sick would visit a physician (Jer 8:22), but rather, this is the special gift which causes miracles of healing, which was more well-known in the days of Paul, as he was one of those who was given that gift by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 28:8-9)
[v10] To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
The working of miracles is not necessarily classified the same as the gift of healing because whereas healing would have been to cure the sick of disease or poisons, the working of miracles would be a step beyond to causing the blind to see (John 9:24-25), the lame to walk (Acts 3:6), or the raising of the dead. (Acts 9:39-41) The prophesying would be those who were given gifts to preach the interpretation of God's Word, perhaps not in the sense of the word of knowledge because God would have to directly give his word to that man, but in the sense of interpretation and education into the prophecies in the Old and New Testaments, which is the general use of the term 'prophecy'.The discerning of spirits is a God-given ability of wisdom to discern the intents and purposes of the hearts of men, seeing the difference between the pure and genuine heart versus the lying and hypocritical heart, which is to be taken in the miraculous sense, as opposed to the more common sense in which we exercise our discernment to strengthen our spiritual observation. (Heb 5:14) For example, Paul and Silas encountered a young woman who professed them to be servants of God who would show everyone the way of salvation, which was true, but he discerned the evil spirit of divination that resided within her. (Acts 16:16-18)
Concerning tongues, again, this is to be taken in the miraculous sense, in which a man filled with the Holy Ghost can speak all manner of spoken and written languages around the world which he has never learned or understood, and likewise, the interpretation of tongues is one who can understand various spoken and written languages around the world which he has never learned or understood before. This is the true speaking in tongues, which is opposed to the vulgar false doctrine commonly labled as "speaking in tongues" that is widely practiced by various religious cults, which should be more accurately labeled "gibberish" that is of the devil.
(Read "Speaking in Tongues vs Charismatic Gibberish" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v11] But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
No matter what gifts a Christian has been given, whether ordinary or extraordinary, we all work together for the same Spirit, we all serve the same God, and all gifts are divided and distributed according to His will. This is not to say that we are united with those who feign the gifts of the Spirit of God, who hold up the Bible for a pretense while denying the doctrines of Scripture, but rather, this is for the church specifically, to all those who have been born again in Christ, and God gives to every one of his children specific gifts to do specific work, which is why our fellowship together is so important.[v12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
This is a general analogy, comparing the workings of the body of Christ (i.e. the church as a whole) to the workings of the body of a man. From a man's eyes to his feet, from his ears to his hands, all parts work the various functions of the body for its preservation, and to serve the purpose of the mind, so also does the church, from the greatest to the least, operate for the service of Christ and the preservation of His church.(Read "The Church is Not a Building" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
This is not referring to water baptism, but the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is spiritual. (Mat 3:11) Paul is emphasizing that no one person in the church is better than the other, that many come from a variety of backgrounds to serve the same Lord, for all are needed to do various tasks and carry various responsibilities. Some were born Jewish and were later saved, others were born Gentile and were later saved, and therefore, both will have unique understanding, and God will grant them specific gifts according to the will He has for them. Some were saved as free men, whereas others were saved while in bondage (and if the opportunity presents itself to exit that bondage by legal and moral means, then they should do so, 1Co 7:20-23), but as Paul pointed out in the last chapter on the Lord's supper, all are drinking from the same spiritual drink, meaning that we all receive blessings of grace, faith, hope, patience, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom from the same source.[v14] For the body is not one member, but many.
The head of the body is one (Eph 5:23, Col 1:18), but the body is many members working together to serve the head.[v15] If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
The foot is a member of the body that is much lower, carrying a lot of weight, but very little consideration is given to the foot unless there is a serious problem, whereas the hand is much more often viewed and considered, and much more immediate care and use is given to the hand. The foot may believe that it is base (i.e. worthless) and of low value, and the hand might believe it is mighty and of high value, but both are vital parts that must work together in unison because the foot would suffer without the hand, and the hand would suffer without the foot; both are members of the body, and so it is not wrong to desire the spiritual gifts of God (1Co 14:1), but we should be content with the things we have (Heb 13:5), and do the best job we can with what we were given. (Col 3:23, Ecc 9:10)[v16] And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
The eye takes in visual information, whereas the ear takes in audible information. Although the eye is most often seen and appreciated for its beauty, and though it is often used and thought about for seeing the world around us, the ear often receives less consideration until there is a serious problem. Though the eye allows us to read, without the hearing of the ear, how will we perceive the dangers of leaven and false doctrines taught from the mouth? Therefore, the ear cannot believe it is not part of the body because it does not have the same function as the eye, because both the eye and ear must work together for the greatest efficiency of the mind.[v17] If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
If all that existed for the body were eyes, then how would we hear? Or smell? Or taste? Or touch? How would we run? How would we speak? The eyes require the neck to turn the head to see, and the neck requires the shoulders to rest upon. Therefore, there would be no way to complete a job without all the parts working together to serve the head.[v18] But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
It was according to the good will and pleasure of God that each of us were given the gifts we have, and that we would serve our function in the body. If we pray for the will of God as we should (Mat 6:10), then we should be pleased to know that God is pleased when we are content with the gifts and duties He has given to us.[v19] And if they were all one member, where were the body?
If only one type of member existed, only one job could be done, and even then, that job would be done poorly. There is no body of Christ without the various members of the body.[v20] But now are they many members, yet but one body.
Meaning that, though we come from many backgrounds, many stations in life, and given many various gifts, we are one body, which is the church, and not just the church in a particular location, but the church as a whole, spread out around the world.[v21] And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Paul has already addressed the problem of the lesser members of the body believing they were not useful because they were not as honored, but now he is addressing those who would consider the less honorable members to be useless. What good is the eye if there is no hand to manipulate the things it sees? Or what good is the mouth if it cannot walk to where it needs to speak? For example, the work I do as an evangelist, a teacher, and a scribe (i.e. one who writes and documents, Mat 13:52) cannot be fully accomplished with efficiency unless there are other members of our church working together with me; much less could be accomplished if I were alone, and so everyone is important to the work that is done.[v22] Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
Those in the church who are more feeble, the ones who are weak in the faith, who need to learn patience and wisdom, and rely on the discernemnt of the elder in the church for their protection, are necessary members of the body of Christ, which is in correlation to the first chapter in which Paul emphasizes that it is not the strong, mighty, and wise men of this world which God uses for His purposes, but the weak, worthless, and foolish that God saves and lifts up, so that no flesh would have glory in His presence. (1Co 1:26-29) Since that is the case, this means that those who are more feeble are more likely to be chosen by God and granted the gifts of the Spirit, that they may teach and oversee the church as humble servants that will give glory to Jesus Christ.[v23] And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
Though the feet often go unnoticed, a man will take care to wear proper shoes for the purpose at hand, to protect the feet, and therefore, he honors his feet (i.e. he does good unto his feet) by the coverings he gives to his feet, which is more than he does for his eyes or ears. The "uncomely" parts would be those of a private or sexual nature, which would be an offense or embarrassment when uncovered, but when they are covered, they become more comely and acceptable; likewise, a Christian who may have done many offenses and evils in their life will still be hated by the world even after Christ has brought them to repentance of their sins, but by grace, we cover the sins (Pro 10:12) of the contrite spirit (i.e. not those who are unrepentant of sin, 1Ti 5:20, but those who have godly sorrow of their wrongdoing, Psa 34:18 have their sins covered), that they become more presentable to Christ, a greater testimony of grace to the world, and a more efficient member of the body.[v24] For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
That is, the parts that do not bring shame have no need to be covered, but whether they are comely or uncomely, they are all still members of the body, bringing together both the greater gifts with the lesser, the higher station with the lower, the free with the slaves, and the wealthy with the poor; all into one temepered body.[v25] That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
As Paul pointed out at the beginning of the letter, there was to be no division of denomination among the church, and the word "schism" means a division or separation. There should be no heirarchy or special privileges, but rather, all should have consideration one for another, that we would humbly consider others better than ourselves. (Phl 2:3)[v26] And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
If one member suffers, we all bear some of the grief and concern of their situation, just as if the foot is wounded, the ear, eye, and hand all focus their attention on the foot. If the foot is doing well, the whole body improves, and therefore, if one member of the church is blessed in some manner, the entire church is collectively blessed.[v27] Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Meaning that, those people who have been born again in Jesus Christ, are defined as "the body of Christ." There are many false religious institutions that teach people to "go to church," and even though the church should assemble together as one (Heb 10:25), the church is not a building made with hands (1Co 3:9, 2Co 6:16, 1Pe 2:5, 1Pe 4:17); the church is the collective body of believers, and because it is impossible to "go to oneself," it means that whenever or wherever two or more are gathered in the name of Christ, He will be there with them. (Mat 18:20)(Read "The Church is Not a Building" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v28] And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Paul is presenting the order of importance for positions in the church, meaning that these are foundational to the formation and function of the church, that is, the body of the children of God. The first are the apostles (which are now commonly described by many who have adopted the word 'missionary' from the Catholic church), which is a person who is commissioned to an important duty or business, and an apostle in the New Testament are men who work in groups of at least two, traveling to foreign lands to preach the Gospel of Jesus, do charitable works, and start up a church in an area where the church is not established, which lays the foundation for what follows.The second position are prophets, which is meant in the miraculous sense, being given the Word of God directly from the angels, and interpreting those messages to the church. The reason this position is set high is because we would not have a Bible without prophets, and we need the Bible for communication with the Lord. This is information directly from God, and should be taken seriously, whether seriously in that they are true prophets (i.e. men whose prophecies are always correct because they come from God), or if they are false prophets (i.e. men whose predictions are only mostly correct, or sometimes correct, or even one who is vague in his communications so they cannot be proven false), that we would have discernment give heed only to the true prophets, and sanctify ourselves away from the false prophets. (Deut 13:1-5)
(For examples of false prophets, see my series of free-to-read books called "False Prophet Profiles.")
The third position are the teachers, which many people often refer to as "pastors," and some are, but they can also be bishops (i.e. elders), evangelists and scribes as well. (Apostles and prophets also serve this function, which is one way we can check them against the Scriptures to verify if they are true or false. Acts 17:11) Such men are given the understanding and wisdom of God to explain the Scripture, not by special revelation, which was given to prophets (even though they are still technically prophets because they take the Word of God in Scripture and interpret it to the people), but by ordinary, non-miraculous gifts, to feed the flock of God with the understanding and proper interpretations of Christ's doctrines. (1Pe 5:2)
These first three gifts were foundational to the church, while the other gifts varied depending on the people and location, and between all of them, some may have one, others may have many, but all were servants of Christ. Some were given the gifts of healing, which refers to miraculous healings that were sometimes performed with the anointing of oils (Jms 5:14), some were given gift of helps, which were more common ministers to help with daily tasks such as the deacons who helped to feed the widows, some were given the gift of governing, which are those who would have the wisdom and understanding to oversee matters and provide counsel and advice (to which, pastors and elders often fulfill that role, but others in the church may be seen to have such gifts), and some were given the diversity of tongues, meaning that they were given the miraculous ability to speak or understanding the languages of men they had never heard or understood before.
[v29] Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Not everyone can be an apostle, and they will not be because the majority must perform other duties in the church. Not everyone can be a prophet because if all were prophets, there would be no one to perform the duties of the apostles or the teachers. Not everyone can be a teacher otherwise there would be no students, and the purpose of a teacher is to fast track a student to learn things quickly and effeciently, so they can can increase in wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in other areas of study in greater capacity. Not all could be workers of miracles in those days (i.e. in the day of the early church when the Holy Spirit was giving the power of the gift of miracles), because many other duties had to be done to support those who had those gifts.[v30] Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
Not everyone can have the gift of healing, which is meant as a miraculous gift as opposed to the ordinary gift that might be given to a physician. (Such gifts of miraculous healing, as far as I am aware, do not exist today in the church because the Lord has not given it to our generations.) Not everyone could have the miraculous gift of languages back in the day in which Holy Spirit was giving that gift to men; not all could could speak them, nor could all understand them for interpretation, and not only was it not given to all, but the duties of the church could not all be fulfilled if all did one thing.[v31] But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
The church in Corinth coveted (i.e. desired earnesly) the best gifts of the Holy Spirit for the same reason we today might covet them. Many of us have imagined to ourselves how much good we could do for others if we could heal them, or how many might be saved if we demonstrated the awesome power of God by raising the dead, but Jesus taught us that a wicked and adulterous people seek after the signs of miracles instead of seeking righteousness by faith (Mat 16:4), and if we look closely in the first four books of the New Testament, Jesus specifically told those he healed not to tell anyone what He had done for them (Mark 7:36), which means that Jesus found no spiritual profit in the testimony of miracles, otherwise He would have told them to go tell everyone.In chapter 14, Paul will emphasize this again by teaching that the desire for spiritual gifts for the purpose of doing charity unto the people is a good thing. However, the most important thing is prophesying (1Co 14:1), in the sense of teaching and interpretation of the Word of God unto the people, or in other words, the teaching the wisdom and understanding of God's Word is far more important than miracles.
Chapter 13
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[v1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
This verse is often misused by those who utter demonic gibberish in what they call "speaking in tongues" because they twist this into a justification that they speak in the tongue or language of angels. (2Pe 3:16) However, this is to be contextually understood that the tongue of angels reveals the deep things of God (as Paul goes on to say in the next verse), things difficult to be understood, and therefore a tongue would be a language which is understood by the hearer, which the angels did speak, and prophetically imparted understanding to men.(Read "Speaking in Tongues vs Charismatic Gibberish" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
To have the miraculous ability to speak with the power of the Holy Spirit to all languages of men was a gift that many in the church of Corinth desired, but only some were given that gift. Paul was teaching them that they ought to desire something greater than the gift of tongues, which was charity, in which a man would make selfless sacrifices (i.e. love) on behalf of his brethren and neighbors, and that to have the greatest gifts of God without a charitable heart was vain.
There are many who wanted these gifts for their own pleasure and self-glorification, and knowing this, Paul compared them to cymbals, or other metal percussion instruments that might be made of brass, but were hollow on the the inside. Most instruments make a continuous, beautiful sound that are constantly guided by the user's hands, and others have the user's breath constantly flowing through them, but when a percussive instrument is struck, it makes a great sound that can be heard far and wide, but it quickly disappears, leaving nothing but an empty shell; polished on the outside, but filled with nothing on the inside. (Mat 23:27)
[v2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
A man could have the miraculous gift of receiving the Word of God from angels, or the ordinary gift interpreting the Scripture, and God could grant him all wisdom and understanding of the spiritual matters, having knowledge beyond any other man, and yet, without charity, all these gifts are useless because they are self-serving, and he will lead many astray. To put it another way, the concept of charity is the end of the law and prophets (Mat 7:12), and so to have all knowledge of the law and prophets, but not fulfill the end thereof, it is vanity because it does not show by example the concept of grace.The word 'faith' in this context is not used in the sense of the saving faith by which we are granted grace by the Lord Jesus Christ, but rather, it is a faith in the sense of believing things that are true, a deep trust in the Lord God to perform difficult tasks (or rather, those tasks which we perceive to be difficult) on our behalf. (Mat 17:20) This is not to be taken in the sense that the mountains would literally be moved once a person has acheived enough belief that they could, but rather, things that would seemingly be impossible for men is possible with God through trust in Him, and yet, without a charitable reason for the good of mankind and the glory of God, moving a mountain would be vain.
[v3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
For example, there are Catholics who have taken a "vow of poverty," which means they give up all ownership of any property to give to the poor and needy, and yet, with their belief in false doctrines and corrupt traditions of men, they have no salvation, so whereas we may see it as a noble thing to give unto the poor and needy, there was not a true heart of charity because they followed the tradtions of men in order to put on an outward appearance of "goodness" and feigned "holiness" while the inside was unclean. Having uncleanness inwardly means that the uncleanness will spread to others, and so in selfishness (not charity), in which they want to appear to have charitable characteristics, men will do such vain things in order to help justify themselves before God and men (Luke 16:15), rather than relying on the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning that not only do they not enter heaven, but they make others doubly the children of hell (Mat 23:15) because they lead them into darkness for the sake of polishing their appearance before men.(Read Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Likewise, pagans of various false religions have given their bodies to be burned. For example, a Buddhist monk in Czechoslovakia set himself on fire and burned himself to death in 1968, but that act only served to glorify himself because the Czechs made a celebration of him that they still honor to this day, and thus, there was not true charity involved in the burning of his body, and because he was not under the saving grace of Christ, it profited him nothing, and led others astray from the truth of God's Word.
(See Bob Perkins, "Self Immolation: A brief history of the incomprehensible act," Patch, Apr 17, 2020, retrieved June 15, 2020, [patch.com/california/malibu/self-immolation-brief-history-incomprehensible-act])
[v4] Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Those with filled with the charity of Christ have patience that suffers a lot of affliction, in that a person is temperate in passions, being slow to anger, and is ready to forgive at the first sign of repentance. (Luke 17:3-4) A charitable man does not envy others, meaning that he has joy for those who have been blessed with good things, nor does he boast (i.e. vaunt) of himself, puffing himself up to make himself look good on the outside, and the Bible teaches us that men do such things to be oppressive to the poor and needy (Psa 12:5), which is the opposite of charity.[v5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
A charitable man does not behave in an indecent manner in the sense that they will not do and say things that are purposefully offensive unto others. Perhaps in anger against the corrupt doctrine of a false teacher, a Christian man might have many choice words, that may be said in truth, but holds them back with wisdom (Mat 10:16, Jms 1:26) and charity, remembering that Christ commanded us to do good, even unto our enemy (Mat 5:44), keeping in mind that we were once lost and corrupt, and we were saved by Christ.Because of these things, we remember that what we say and do is for the benefit of Christ and our neighbor (Mat 7:12), and therefore, we discipline ourselves to think on the things of others as well ourselves (Phl 2:4), being long suffering as our Heavenly Father is long suffering. (2Pe 3:9) Evil thoughts might cross the minds of corrupt people in the world, and they may speak malicious things from their lips (either in our presence or behind our backs), but we should reject any such evil thought, and bring our minds into submission to the charitable mind of Christ. (2Co 10:5, 1Pe 3:9)
[v6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
That is, a charitable man does not take pleasure in evils or wrongdoing, neither his own nor anyone else's. So often, churchgoers allow themselves to be overtaken with passions and ignore charity; for example, Peter was overtaken with passion to defend the Lord Jesus Christ against those who would take Him, and so he cut off the ear of Malchus, one of the high priest's servants, but Jesus rebuked Peter, and healed the wound of the man who was to take Him bound to His death. (Luke 22:49-51) Though the Lord might have been pleased with Peter's passion, He was not pleased with Peter's lack of charitable consideration for his neighbor, and so Christ did not rejoice at Peter's actions, but Christ did rejoice at the humility of a woman who humbled herself and acknolwedged truth (2Ti 2:25) of her broken state (Psa 34:18) by confessing that she was not worthy to sit at the table of the Lord (Mat 15:21-28), and she pleaded for the mercy of Jesus, not for her sake, but selflessly to save her daughter.[v7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
The phrase "all things" is mistakenly taken by many people to mean everything in all existence, whether philosophies or inventions, which is not the contextual sense in which this is meant. Charity bears all things that are commanded of Christians to bear, which in accordance with the fulfillment of the law and prophets, treating others the way we would want to be treated (Mat 7:12), especially when engaging believers who are weak in the faith (Rom 14:1), having the charity and understanding to cover their sins (Pro 10:12); not that we cover sins in the sense that we allow sin, but that we cover sins by privately rebuking the sin, and if the weak brother come to repentance, we forgive the sin (Luke 17:3) without publicizing it to anyone, which means we will have to bear their iniquities against us while they learn and grow in the understanding of Christ, just as He bore our iniquities. (Isa 53:11)This is not meant that we should believe all things in the sense of every false religious idea or fable, but we believe all things that we are commanded to believe according to the Word of God, and to believe all things that are charitable to our neighbor. If we are told something positive about our neighbor, if we are charitable, our tendency is to believe that good report, even if it is about someone who is our enemy; however, it should also be said that ignoring evidence about someone we might favor, out of a desire to believe a good report, is no longer a charitable act, rather, it then becomes a matter of trusting in lies, which deceives ourselves and our neighbor, and has no profit. (Jer 7:8) Thus, we believe all things that are charitable and honorable according to the Word of God despite our personal feelings because putting aside feelings to acknowledge the truth is a charitable act.
This is not meant that we should hope in all things that are wrong or evil, but we hope all things that are to be hoped for according to God's Word. If we are charitable, we hope for blessings in the households of others, even good things for false preachers and other enemies we might have (Mat 5:45), that they might come to repentance (2Ti 2:24-26), and we hope for the many promises of God, both in this world and in His Kingdom. (John 14:2) Likewise, we do not endure all things that exist (e.g. we would not endure criminals to come into our homes and harm our families), but we endure the many griefs and vexations that we experience from religious persecution and tribulation that we receive from the world, for the sake of Jesus Christ and the furtherance of the Gospel.
[v8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
That is, the philosophy of charity never fails when applied to a situation, which is not to say that men who desire to be charitable cannot fail. Men certainly do fail, especially when sin prevails in a man's heart, and sadly, the charity of many Christians has failed when pride and/or malice takes over (Phl 4:8), but a humble and repentant heart remembers the broken state from which Christ saved us (Isa 51:1), and seeks the best for the other person (Phl 2:4), rather than looking to himself only.Prophecies shall fail, not in the sense that this is speaking of false prophets, nor should it be said that the prophecies of God are not true and certain (Tts 1:2), nor should it be said that the Word of God is not settled forever in heaven (Mat 24:35), but rather, prophecies fail meaning that they are exhausted. Once a prophecy has been foretold, and it comes to pass, the thing that came to pass is done, and the prophecy is no longer needed, but whereas prophecies extinguish once their time has come, charity is always needed, and will never cease.
Tongues, which are the various spoken languages of men, will eventually cease because, when Christ returns, the Lord will have no need for the world's many languages, and we will return to one language, which was the way it was designed from the beginning of creation. (Gen 10:5) In that day, there will be no need for the gift of knowledge given to those who teach because, through Christ, knowledge will be made perfect for all, as Paul goes on to describe in the next few verses.
[v9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
Paul is referring to prophesying in the common sense, which is to interpret the Word of God for the people from the Scriptures. That which is taught by those who were given the gifts of wisdom and understanding to teach is only taught in part, meaning that I, as a teacher, cannot know all things, and can only preach from what I know, which is only partial knowledge. However, this applies also to the prophets of God in the Old Testament as well, who only prophesied in part, meaning that they all received pieces of the events that would occur, and even then, the details of those events were not fully known until all had come to pass as foretold.[v10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Once a prophecy has been fulfilled, there is no need to rely on the prophecy any longer. For example, after Christ came to this world, we still study the prophecies to understand God's Word as discipline for our correction and instruction in the ways of righteousness (1Co 10:11), to help us understand the mind and will of the Lord, but we no longer need to rely on those prophecies because the Son of God who was prophesied has already come and established His church. Likewise, when the knowledge of God is made perfect (i.e. complete, as it is intended to be), we will no longer have need to be educated because all will have the fullness of the knowledge we need in its entirety.[v11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
The things we learn as children are deep and puzzling when we are children, but as adults, they are very simple and common parts of life that we do instinctively, through muscle memory, without having to actively think about them. For example, a child struggles to understand the alphabet of the English language when he is young, but when he is old, he can read, write, and speak fluently without having to consider the individual letters because the alphabet is common knowledge. Children only understand such knowledge in part, and therefore, when we become adults, the childish things become common knowledge, and we have no need to be educated by teachers on the basics.[v12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
A glass is meant in the manner of any device in which we look through to see something beyond our eye's capability, like a spyglass for example, which is a small, handheld telescope. A sailor may look through a spyglass to see more clearly other ships, or what is coming on the horizon, which only reveals a small circular window of enhanced vision, but only to a certain degree, and if used in a dark or dimly lit time of the day, it is very hard to see.Likewise, our knowledge and understanding is limited to the scope we are given, but once Christ returns and translates us into His Kingdom (Col 1:13), what we viewed in that small, dimly lit scope, will be seen in full view and light, face to face. We must keep in mind that we only see things in part, but in the reign of Christ, these things shall be known in perfection, even as we are known, either in the sense that we understand a man more clearly face to face, or that we shall know Christ in the same way that He knows us.
[v13] And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
This is not to say that faith (and hope, which is a derivative of faith) is unimportant, for without faith in Jesus Christ, a man cannot be saved (Eph 2:8-9), but faith and hope are personal, meaning that such things benefit the faithful man alone, whereas charity benefits others. Faith and hope will be fulfilled in the day of our death, or the day in which Christ returns, and thus, when that day comes, faith and hope will no longer be needed, but charity remains for eternity, which is why we receive reward for our charitable works. (Luke 6:35) Charity is the fulfillment of the law and prophets (Mat 7:12), and though Christ authors our faith (Heb 12:2), and by that, we receive His salvation as a free gift (Rom 5:15), reward (in the positive context) is a benefit received in return for a good deed. God hands out reward for charity, not forcing any of His children to do a set standard of charitable works for their salvation, but rather, He loves the cheerful giver (2Co 9:7), and grants them good things for their ministry (i.e. service) unto the poor and needy. (Mat 6:1-4)Chapter 14
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[v1] Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
Paul continues the thought from the last chapter that we should seek to be charitable to our neighbors, and also adds in a comment about spiritual gifts, that they would not take his words to mean that their desire for the spiritual things of God was wrong in any sense. However, more important than raising the dead, miraculous healings, or speaking in tongues, is prophesying, which is not in the miraculous sense of foretelling future events, but in the ordinary measure in which a man studies to gain understanding of Scripture, by which God grants wisdom to share that understanding, either through teaching, or by prayers and songs (as Paul will point out later).[v2] For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
Corinth was a city near Athens, Greece, and so in a primarily Greek-speaking city, some may have wanted to speak in the Hebrew tongue, believing it to be a more holy language, and though they may have given sincere praise to God in a tongue that was unknown to everyone else, it was not beneficial for the church. (This is similar to today's Hebrew-roots cultists who insist that saying "Yeshua" instead of "Jesus" will give them special spiritual powers or benefits.) Though a man may speak the truth of the Gospel, it is only for himself, giving no charity to others because in an unknown tongue, it is useless to the hearers, and as Paul will soon point out, they see such a man as a mad barbarian, speaking unintelligable nonsense. Evidence of this is seen in the deception of the Catholic Church, by which they speak in a dead language (i.e. Latin), so that none would benefit, or the deception of the Charismatics and Pentecostals, who speak nonsensical, demonic gibberish to fool the masses into thinking they have the gifts of God.(Read Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism & "Speaking in Tongues vs Charismatic Gibberish" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v3] But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
Proper Biblical prophesying needs to be done in a language that is understood by the majority of the hearers, in a language that is common to the people, by which they would be edified (i.e. built up so they would grow in knowledge and understanding), exhorted (i.e. learning to be more graceful and charitable in the service of Christ), and comforted (i.e. to relieve the mind and heart of the afflictions and grief of this world).[v4] He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
Paul is putting "speaking in an unknown language" in opposition to "prophesying," and that is because a man that would speak in a language that was not common to the locals would only edify (or build up) himself, since he is the only one who understands what he is saying, but those that prophesy speak to the church, and not to himself, which would require him to speak a common tongue that all are familiar with, and thus, those who speak in a unique language do no good for the church.This verse also debunks the corrupt Charismatic/Pentecostal practice of their so-called "speaking in tongues," which refers to them blabbering a bunch of gibberish and calling it a "heavenly langauge." Many people in those false religions will admit that those who "speak in tongues" do not understand what they themselves are saying, and that the interpreters are the only ones who can understand, but if the speaker cannot understand his own speech, then there is no way he can edify himself, which means that the only way this verse can be interpreted is by applying it to the known tongues of men. Furthermore, if a man claims he can both speak his gibberish and interpret it himself, then he should be speaking in the common tongue from the start, which was the entire purpose of speaking in tongues when the Holy Spirit came to the church on the Day of Pentecost, so men of all languages could understand the Gospel. (Acts 2:4-8)
(Read "Speaking in Tongues vs Charismatic Gibberish" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v5] I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
That is, Paul would be pleased if everyone was given the gift of tongues by the Holy Spirit, so all could speak and hear without restraint, but it is better that we bring the wisdom and interpretation of God's Word to the church because the understanding of Scripture is of more importance than even something so great as raising the dead; in that, the miraculous gift of raising the dead is not a permenant solution to death, but the doctrine of Christ is the way to eternal life. (John 5:24, John 14:6) The only way a man's unknown language would be acceptable is if he has an interpreter translating everything he says into a language that all can understand.[v6] Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
So, unless the church receives the information, what is the purpose of speaking a different language? The obvious conclusion is that there would be no purpose. Paul offers a hypothetical situation in which he would come to them speaking in various languages, and he is asking the Corinthians these questions to reason within themselves, that if they did not receive the revelations of the miraculous gifts of prophesying future events, or the knowledge and wisdom of the doctrine of Christ by these various gifts, by clear communication in a language known by the majority present at the time, it would do no good for the church as a whole, and therefore, it is no better than trying to put on a show to impress and create a false appearance.[v7] And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
The words of Jesus Christ bring eternal life to those who hear and understand (Mat 13:13, Mat 13:23), but the sound of musical instruments, although pleasant to the hearer, does not give life, which makes them of far less importance than the words of knowledge in Scripture. The reason Paul is speaking of instruments is that, knowing they are of lesser importance, the Corinthians would reason within themselves that even instruments must provide a distinction of sound that is understood, being harmonous with other instruments, and distinguishable to the hearers, otherwise, the sound is terrible and causes the hearers confusion, irritation, and offense.[v8] For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
Music communicates a message, and sadly, many Christians do not understand the importance of that message, which is why the existance of something like "Christian" heavy metal music is nonsensical. It is a contradiction to preach the message of grace and peace in Christ while head-banging to destructive music intended to communicate violence and death. Understanding the message of music is important, and in Paul's example, the bold sound of a trumpet on a battlefield must be clear and confident (Jer 4:5), otherwise, the soldiers will not receive a clear and confident message, which will leave the army confused, irritated, and offended.(Read Christian Music: For the Love of Money here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v9] So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
Just as the instrument's sound must be certain, so must preaching, praying, and singing be certain, otherwise, no one will understand anything. If no one can understand, then speaking is vanity because it does not serve the purpose that God created it to serve, and the sound is carried away, vanishing like dust in the wind. Thus, just as a musician plays his song with the instrument he has confidence in from his training, so we ought to speak and write the doctrines of God's Word in the language with which we are trained and confident.[v10] There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
That is, their voices meaning the speech of their words (Acts 14:11), or their languages, of which there are estimated to be over 6,000 languages in the world today, which also have many dialects among them. All of these languages have signification, which means they have a method by which they communicate meaning, those methods must be practiced and utilized in order to transfer information accurately.[v11] Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
The barbarian reference concerns a foreigner who lives in the wild, having little to no education or cultural upbringing. Such people might speak some dialect or heavily accented language, but it is unknown what they are saying, and their speech sounds like nothing more than the grunts and babblings of a mad man in the ears of the locals. The locals see the barbarian to be strange and unintelligable, as the barbarian sees the locals to be strange and unintelligable, and so without proper communication, interaction between them is useless, and no knowledge can be transfered.[v12] Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
The Corinthian Christians had a great zeal (i.e. passion) to have the spiritual gifts of God, but Paul encouraged them to develop as much zeal for edifying the church, whether they had many or few gifts, or whether they had greater or lesser gifts.[v13] Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
If a Greek-speaking Corinthian was given the gift to speak the Hebrew language, he should pray that God would give him the gift to interpret the Hebrew language into a common tongue (e.g. Greek), so the church would be edified.[v14] For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
For example, certain prayers of the Jews might be spoken traditionally, which they insisted to be done strickly in the Hebrew language, and so if a man with a gift to understand Hebrew would pray in this manner, he edifies himself by the knowledge, and has the understanding of what he is saying, but that understanding bears no fruit because others cannot understand.[v15] What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
The question "What is it then?" is a question posed from the reader's perspective, looking to understand what should be done, or in other words, one might ask, "What is it that we ought to say and teach?" We should pray with the spirit, which is the inward man, praying from the heart those things with are genuine in the sight of God, who judges the heart (Pro 21:2), but if we pray with our voice publicly, we should pray with understanding, not only with the understanding in the knowledge of God, but contextually, this is meant with a coherent language, that all might share in that understanding. Likewise, when we sing hymns and psalms unto the Lord, we should sing with our understanding, meaning that not only should the words be in accordance with the Word of God, but that they should be sung in a coherent language that all can understand.[v16] Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
When the church hears the Word of God being preached, or prayed, or sung, the Spirit of God blesses them with understanding according to His will, but if no one understands, then there is no communication (i.e. delivery) of that information. If the information is not conveyed to everyone, then all cannot say "Amen" (i.e. "truly") in agreement of one mind (Phl 2:2) in good conscience because, without understanding what is being spoken or sung, we are in danger of taking false doctrine and claiming it is "truth." (Ecc 5:2)[v17] For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
This is not to say that Paul was accusing them of falsely giving thanks, for they did well in giving thanks unto God, but again, the church is not edified because no one understands what is being said. Once again, this verse verifies that the language being spoken was a language known unto men, and known to the person speaking it (whether by miraculous gift or by training); it cannot be referring to a so-called "heavenly" language of the gibberish cults because they confess that they do not understand what they are saying, which means it is not them who are praying, which also means they are not giving thanks because they cannot know what they say.[v18] I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
Paul is reminding them that this is not a rebuke against speaking in tongues, nor is it a degredation of the value of speaking in various languages as the gift of the spirit dictates; for Paul himself was given the gift as well, and much moreso because he spoke in more languages than those who had the spiritual gift of tongues in Corinth. Such a gift was necessary for Paul because he had to speak various languages as he traveled throughout Europe and Asia preaching to the Gentiles.[v19] Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Paul could preach in vanity for hours if the people near him could not understand his speech. Therefore, it is better than a man speak only a few words in language that can be understood, bringing edification to the church, rather than to preach for hours without any edification at all.[v20] Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
Children are unrefined in their understanding, and are in need of much education. When they are young, they are in need of milk because they cannot yet digest more solid food, but over time, they grow into the meat, and likewise, young Christians must begin with the milk of the Word of God, and over time, they grow into the meat. (Heb 5:12-14) Thus, Paul taught us that we need to be full-grown adults in our understanding, which is the essence of perfection (Mat 5:48), not in the sense of flawlessness, but in the sense of becoming that which a thing was intended to be, like a pony to a horse, or a sapling to a tree, and that tree produces the fruit of mercy, a Christ gave us example. (Luke 6:36)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Perfection" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
On the other hand, children have good qualities, and one of those is humility, knowing that they know very little, and that they can provide nothing, they are submissive to learning and growing in understanding. The grief and sharp anger a prideful man exhibits when he is corrected (Pro 15:10) is something we Christians ought not to carry in our hearts (Eph 4:25-27), but rather, we need to humble ourselves as a little child (Mat 18:4), and in meekness (2Ti 2:24-25), judging ourselves in righteous judgment (1Co 11:31, John 7:24), as we judge all things in righteous judgment. (1Co 2:15)
[v21] In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
Paul is referring to the prophecy of Isaiah 28:11, and it should be noted this is addressing the Jews specifically, not the whole world, which demonstrates that gibberish-speaking cults (e.g. Apostolics, Pentecostals, Charismatics, etc) who use this verse as a justification for their gibberish are twisting God's Word to their own ends. (2Pe 3:16) Even when God was speaking to the Jews in their own language, the majority would not hear His Word (Mark 4:12), and since the Hebrews would not hear in their own tongue, Christ brought His doctrine to the world, to be preached by the Gentiles who would hear and understand, and therefore, the time came where the Jews would hear the Gospel preached to them in a language that was not their own, the language they considered to be holy, which was intended to humble them, but for most, their pride was still too great to hear the truth.[v22] Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
This is more evidence against the false religious institutions that call their gibberish "speaking in tongues," believing in error that they have the miraculous gift of speaking in tonuges that is described in Scripture, and they use their so-called "speaking in tongues" to preach to alleged "believers" in their church buildings, which is not its purpose. The actual gift of speaking in tongues (i.e. speaking various known languages, whether common or miraculous) was given to preach to those who are unbelievers. The gift of tongues was a sign for the world, specifically for the Jews, that they might come to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of wrongdoing, 2Co 7:9-10, 2Pe 3:9), and this is one of the reasons why these gifts no longer exist within the church, namely because they were a sign to establish the church, and once the church was established (Acts 14:1-3), the signs were no longer needed because it is a wicked generation that seeks after signs and miracles (Mat 16:4), rather than grace through faith in Christ, by which we are blessed in believing without having seen such miracles. (John 20:29)Prophesying is used in the sense of teaching the doctrine and wisdom of God, which is meant for the church, not for the world. This is because the world has not yet come to repentance and faith, and without the Spirit of God, they cannot understand (1Co 2:13-14), which makes it pointless to prophesy unto them because they need to hear the law to bring them unto Christ. (Gal 3:21-24)
[v23] If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
That is, if the church comes together in one place, which could be in a variety of places, such as meeting publicly on a street side to preach, in a temple with the Jews when they would gather for study on the Sabbath Day, in someone's home for study, etc. It should be noted that the "church" in this passage is distinctly separated from the "place" in which they meet, demonstrating once again that the church is not a building. (1Co 3:9)(Read The Church is Not a Building" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
When the church comes together in a public place, and all are speaking at the same time, especially if all are speaking in various languages, it creates confusion, which Paul will mention again in verse 33. So when new Christians or unbelievers hear the church speaking various languages, and some speaking over one another in various languages, it creates chaos by which people will think they are "mad" (i.e. intellectually disorder, crazy, excited with violent and unreasonable passions), being uncapable of expressing themselves with normal intellect, which will turn them away from hearing the preaching of the Gospel of Christ.
(Read "Speaking in Tongues vs Charismatic Gibberish" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v24] But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
If all prophesy by taking turns, one at a time, with each speaking in his proper order, so that all may hear clearly to gain understanding, then the unbelieving (i.e. one who does not have salvation in Christ) or unlearned (i.e. a new Christian) can be convinced of the truth by analyzing the consistency of the doctrine being taught. It allows all to judge (i.e. to compare facts and discern what is true or false) the words that are being preached/prophesied, and when the truth is established, then all are judged of their errors, having their evils ways condemned, and gaining conviction from the Spirit of God to change their practices to conform to the truth.(Read "Unbiblical Cop-outs: 'Don't Judge Me!'" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v25] And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
This is not to say that the secrets of a man's heart is made manifest to the entire church, nor that he is required to confess his every deed to the congregation, but rather, the secrets of his heart are made known to himself, revealing the corruption within, and some may fall down on their faces in tears of godly sorrow (i.e. repentance) in that moment, or he may take those words home to consider them, and over time, as he weighs himself against the Word of God, he might end up praying in secret (Mat 6:6), and hopefully, will fall down before the Lord and confess the truth. (Rom 10:10) However, without proper order, no understanding is passed on to anyone, and thus, everything must be done in a civil manner, with charity to consider that the reason we speak is for the passing of knowledge and understanding to those in need of it.(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Charity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v26] How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
The phrase "how is it" is meant in the sense of what should be done under such circumstances, to explain the proper conduct of the church. When we, as the church, meet together, wherever it may be, we should consider the gifts of all. This is not to say that everyone individually had a psalm, doctrine, tongue, revelation, or interpretation, but rather, these are some of the gifts that were previously mentioned, and so as a whole, some had these individual gifts, that when combined together, everyone had them collectively.One may have a gift of composition of song, another may have a gift to perform it, another may have a gift of wisdom and knowledge to deduce the doctrines of God's Word, another may have a gift to speak various languages, another may have a gift to interpret those languages into a common tongue, another may have a gift to understand prophetic writings in the Old Testament, another may have a gift to teach the complex things of Scripture in a simplistic manner for all to understand. All these gifts should not be used in any selfish manner, to lift up oneself in glory and pride, but rather, they should be used in humility in service of the church, that the saints would gain understanding and instruction unto righteousness and charity in all things.
[v27] If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
For example, if a few men were given the gift of tongues that they could speak the Hebrew language, then they should speak one at a time to avoid confusion, and their speech in that foreign tongue should be kept to a minimum, meaning that two or three at most should have their turn to speak in that language as a limitation to save time. (Remember that men are limited in the amount of information they can take in all at once, and they may lose their ability to retain attention after a time.) Furthermore, there should always be one to interpret a foreign language, so that all who do not understand the language can have understanding.[v28] But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
If there is no one to interpret the language being spoken, then the man speaking another language should keep silent when the church is assembled together, speaking to himself in his own heart and mind, praying to God in silence, and listening with others to learn from the speaker.[v29] Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
That is, those who were preaching the Word of God with the gifts of teaching, should speak two or three, which is not to say that one cannot (or should not) speak alone if there is only one to teach, but if there are two or three present, one can speak while the other two judge if the doctrine being taught is truth from the Word of God, or false words being spoken by the flesh. Those who were speaking in tongues (i.e. various langauges) were given the limiter in verse 27 of "at the most," but the teachers were not given a limitation, so that under the circumstance, each would have equal opportunity to preach as they were directed by the Holy Ghost, but should still be charitable to remember that everyone can only take in so much information at a time, and to give other teachers the chance they need to speak.[v30] If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
That is, if a Christian is teaching something, let him finish his explanation, and if there is error, let it be revealed in proper turn, so none are speaking over another. Even in the circumstance that something wrong is being taught, patience should be given so that, in hearing both doctrines, the correction will help others to learn more thoroughly during the explanation of the truth. In another example, knowledge of a doctrine might be revealed to one who is teaching, and the other may have a better, more direct, or more simplistic way of explaining the doctrine, but he should hold his peace and keep silence until there is a turn to speak, and this is one of the reasons why Paul did not command a limitation to two or three, knowing that if something needed to be clarified or corrected, the prophets would be at liberty to do so.[v31] For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
This is encouraging one speaker at a time in solemn assemblies, as opposed to how some false religious organizations operate today, in which many are all speaking or praying over one another. Such a blizzard of voices causes discomfort, uncertainty, and confusion, and so the church runs the risk of being deceived, and driving away potential converts to Christ, unless they operate in order.[v32] And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
Which is meant in the sense of the doctrine which a prophet teaches, and that should be subject to judgment by the other prophets, and by the church collectively. We are not commanded to automatically believe every spirit (1Jo 4:1-3), or every doctrine (Mat 16:6-12), and since spiritual doctrines originally come from spirits in the first place, that means everyone who teaches (i.e. prophesies) in the name of Jesus Christ should be open to having his doctrine analyzed and critiqued (to judge the spirits who gave them those doctrines), which requires a lot of patience, and can be a very taxing job, which is also why those who labor in the Word of God in such a way are worthy of double honor (i.e. that good would be done unto them, 1Ti 5:17).[v33] For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Which is not meant in the manner of confounding the languages, as God did at the tower of Babel (Gen 11:7), nor is it meant that God never confounds the enemies of Him and His children (1Co 1:27, Psa 35:26), but in this context, the Lord Jesus Christ does not send the Holy Spirit to make people scream gibberish like mad men and convulse on the floor as if they were having seizures, nor did he create men to speak over one another to create a chaotic storm of voices so no one could understand anything that was being said. This purpose of the doctrines are to pass knowledge and understanding to edify the children of God. God is the author of peace, in the sense of unity and harmony among the church, teaching and guiding us to be of one mind and one accord (Phl 2:2), which ought to be done throughout all churches that are filled with the true saints of Christ.[v34] Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
This is an ordinance that was given to correct the practice of allowing women to be in teaching authority over the church, which God did not call them to do. This is not to say that women cannot speak in the general assembly of the church because women can sing, give testimony, speak of experiences, discuss Scripture, etc; but rather, women are not to have teaching or ruling authority over the church, and for women to take on the position of a teacher, preacher, elder, or pastor during a solemn assembly of the church, they are in rebellion against Christ's authority (1Sa 15:23), as Paul explained in chapter 11. (1Co 11:3) The law being referred to here is from the beginning, after the sins of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:16, in which God directly commanded the woman to be in obedience under the ruling authority of her husband.(Read "Can Women Be Pastors?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v35] And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
It is a commendable thing that women desire to learn the doctrines of God and have a good understanding of them, but if they would have understanding, they should not interrupt the preaching of the Word that is for the edification of the church. If they would have a pressing question that would help them in their understanding, they should talk to their husbands about it in private. If she has no husband, talk to a man in the family, like a father or brother. If no father or brother is there for her, then she can talk to one of the men in the church, but these things should be done in private, outside of the assembly meant for study and worship, since women who speak in the sense of teaching or instruction over the church bring shame unto themselves and the church as a whole, because they were commanded to submission, and by speaking over or in authority above the men, they actually speak above the authority of Christ and His commandments, demonstrating a spirit of rebellion among the church. (1Sa 15:23)[v36] What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
That is, the question of "What?" should be taken to mean, "What shall you say and believe, Corinth?" Should the Corinthian Christians believe that the Word of God comes from them alone? Of course, such a thought would be foolish, knowing that the Word of God came from many prophets before the worldwide flood, before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, before Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, before Paul, Peter, and John, and that all the Gentile nations receive the benefits of the Word of God which came out of Israel.Should the Corinthian Christians believe that the Word of God was given only unto Corinth? Of course not, and it would be silly to think in such a way. The Word of God and the gifts of the Holy Ghost were spread out around the world, including many countries around Greece, and many cities and towns around Corinth, but none of those cities and regions had a custom of women speaking in authority over the men in their solemn assemblies, so why should Corinth believe that they are an exception to the commandments?
[v37] If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
That is, if anyone who is spiritual in the truth of the Word of God, and has been given the gift teaching the doctrines of Scripture, or anyone who believes himself to be a teacher of these things (even if he is not), let both true saints and the false teachers (who might be among them), and all the church, understand that the things Paul has written to Corinth are the commandments of God delivered to us by the Holy Spirit, and these are ordinances to be obeyed in the church for our edification, that blessings of God's approval might rain down upon us from Heaven.Though some of the things Paul wrote here are difficult to be understood (2Pe 3:16), other things he wrote in this epistle are easy to understand. The parts that are easy to understand may be violated by those who are unlearned and unstable, but it is part of a snare God created in His Word to trap those who preach His Word falsely, that we might be able to more clearly identify those who would lead us astray from His doctrine. (Isa 28:13)
[v38] But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
If any man rises up in contention, or if any man ignores these things (after open discussion with the church concerning the doctrines), desiring to be without knowledge of these commandments by his own will, then we should treat him as an ignorant man who does not have the knowledge of God, who does not have the Holy Spirit within him so that his eyes would be opened. If he chooses the path of ignorance, then we should leave him alone that he may walk the path of ignorance by his own free will (Mat 15:14), not forcing any doctrine on him that he does not want to hear. This is not done out of contention in any sense, but in protection of the church, that we might keep the unity of the Spirit in the church, and for the sake of the ignorant man, to demonstrate to him that he is at odds with the rest of the church in his beliefs and/or practices because we must remember that at the heart of every doctrine is a spirit, and if that spirit is evil, there is sin at the heart of that doctrine, from which the church needs to be set apart from him. (1Co 5:9-13)[v39] Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
Paul repeats the encouragement he gave at the start of this chapter, which is that they ought to desire the spiritual gifts of God for the charitable works of the church to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, but that they should first and foremost covet the gift of prophesying, which is to have the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom of God to teach the truth of His Word to the people because, after charity (which is the fulfillment of all the law and prophets), it is the most important work.[v40] Let all things be done decently and in order.
In that, whatever things we do in the solemn assembly in the church, we should ask ourselves if such things are decent in our mannerism, word, and dress, that we do not needlessly offend our neighbors. (i.e. The world will often be offended by the gospel of repentance and remission of sins, Luke 24:47, but they should not be offended by our manner.) We should also ask ourselves if what we do is ordered, which provides peaceful and clear communication to all the saints in the church, for their edification and growth.Chapter 15
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[v1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
Paul is about to address the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to clarify any errors or false doctrines that might have been taught in the church, which is presumably based on the letters of report he had received of what was happening in Corinth. He reminds them that he preached these things while he was among them, and that while he was with them, they accepted that doctrine as truth, whereby those that obey the truth stand on that doctrine to this day.[v2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Paul is not saying that they are only saved if they keep those things in memory, although they are the first principles of the Gospel of Christ, but rather, the Corinthian Christians have memory of the things Paul taught them, and it is the foundation of the doctrine by which they were saved if they believed it when he preached it to them; unless, he adds, they believed it without a repentant heart, and therefore, they became bad ground, in which the good seed of faith did not grow in their hearts. (Mat 13:18-23)[v3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
The doctrine which Paul preached is the same which was given to him by the Lord Jesus Christ, namely, that Christ suffered and died on the cross at Calvary (Luke 23:33) to make full payment for our sins (1Pe 3:18), as was prophesied from the beginning. (Gen 3:15, Isa 53)[v4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
The Lord Jesus Christ (i.e. His body in the flesh) was buried in a tomb after He was killed (Mat 27:57-61), as He foretold (Mat 12:40), and He rose again from the dead the third day (Mat 28:1-7), as He also foretold. (John 2:19-21)[v5] And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
That is, Christ was seen by Peter (who was also called Cephas, as Paul indicated in the first chapter, 1Co 1:12), which was mentioned in Luke 24:33-34.[v6] After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
This is in reference to Christ's appearance to the disciples in Galilee (Mat 26:32), and though some had died, most of those who saw Christ were still alive to testify of it, since this letter was written only two or three decades after the event took place.[v7] After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
This is not referring to James, the son of Zebedee (the brother of John), because he had already been killed by Herod many years prior to the writing of this letter (Acts 12:2), but rather, this was in reference to James, the son of Alphaeus. This is the only other known instance in Scripture of James, the son of Alphaeus, who was listed as one of the twelve disciples of Christ (Luke 6:13-16) who had witnessed Christ alive. After James saw Him, then all of the apostles witnessed Christ alive.[v8] And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
It is not certain from Scripture at which point Paul first saw Christ, as it could have been in the heavenly vision on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:19-20), or when he was caught up to the third heaven where the Godhead lives with the saints (2Co 12:2). When Paul says he was "born out of due time," he was referring to his spiritual birth, as a baby born in an untimely manner (Job 3:16, Psa 58:8), or what is commonly called a "still birth," in the sense that Paul had not seen the light of Christ alongside the apostles during Christ's ministry in Israel.[v9] For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Paul had obviously said this many times, as he wrote the same thing to Ephesus (Eph 3:8), that he was far lesser than the least of all the saints, which is said to emphasize the great mercy of Christ upon him. This is not to say that Paul was not worthy to be called an apostle because when the Lord Jesus Christ calls a man to ministry, they are given worthiness by His grace (e.g. I am not worthy to be called a teacher of the Gospel for my many wicked deeds, but by the power and infinite grace of God, I am given such favor), and so Paul is pointing out that, by his own merit, he is not worthy to be called an apostle because of his past deeds, in which he bound Christian men and women from various cities and brought them to their deaths in Jerusalem, and even courteously held the coats of the men who stoned Stephen to death (Acts 22:20), who was a faithful saint beloved by many for his charity and boldness.[v10] But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Meaning that, by grace alone, Paul was given wisdom, understanding, and gifts, and he used them for the sake of Christ and the church as much as possible, that Christ's grace would not be in vain. This was not a boast, but a statement of fact, that Paul volunteered to go out and do works, traveling and preaching so much, there was no single apostle who matched the abundance of the charity and teaching he had done; it was a simple fact that was undisputed among the church (otherwise, he would not have stated such a thing), and Paul emphasizes that it was not to his credit that he had done this much work, but to the credit of God's grace.[v11] Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Whether it was those who had been given the privilege of seeing Christ first, or those who came last, all are preaching the same message, and thus, by the preaching of those who were given understanding, it resulted in the church of Corinth believing that Christ had died, was buried, and rose from the dead.[v12] Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Paul and the other apostles preached that Christ rose from the dead, some in Corinth were teaching that there was no resurrection of the dead, which could have been for many reasons, but it seems likely that there were some converts who came from the Sadducees, who were a sect well-known for denying the existence of spirits and the miracle of resurrection.[v13] But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
That is, if the general concept of the resurrection of the dead is false, then it would stand to reason that Christ's resurrection would also be false, which is not to say that Christ's resurrection is false, but rather, Paul is reasoning with the Corinthian Christians that denying the resurrection of the dead is an automatic denial of Christ, and so it is a contradiction for someone to claim to be a Christian if they do not believe in the resurrection of the dead.[v14] And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
These are very helpful verses to combat the philosophies of false religions today, like Jehovah's Witnesses for example, because they teach that Christ was not resurrected from the dead, and since they do not believe Christ arose from the dead, then all their door-to-door preaching is useless. It also means their faith is vain because they have put their hope into a lie, and have not been given a love of the truth (2Th 2:10) by the Holy Ghost.(Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Jehovah's Witness" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v15] Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
Paul is not claiming that Christ was not raised from the dead, but this is part of the argument that he is making, meaning that this is the logical conclusion if the arguments of the unbelievers was true. Paul is explaining that, if Christ was not resurrected from the dead, then he, along with all the other apostles, would be liars because they would be false witnesses, and their doctrine should not be believed. (Pro 14:5, Rom 13:9)[v16] For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
It seems this is repeated for emphasis, which is not to say that Paul has not already made the point, but that he wants the church to understand the importance of this doctrine; that the entire crux of our faith rests on the fact that Christ was resurrected from the dead.[v17] And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
The logic follows that if Christ was not raised from the dead, and if our faith was vain, then we would still be lost to sin. This means that we would not be regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Tts 3:5), which is what the practice of baptism is supposed to represent, and there would be no remission of sins in Christ because He would not be on the right hand of the Father making intercession for the saints. (Rom 8:34)[v18] Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
This would also mean that those who have died with their faith and hope in Jesus Christ would be lost to their sin, and there would be no justification for their souls on the Day of Judgment. The Sadducees also believed there was no soul of a man, and if there is no soul, then there is no afterlife, and if there is no afterlife, there is no reason or purpose to the things of this life either, and therefore, there is no hope because all will perish.[v19] If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
That is, if the hope we have in Christ only exists in this life, and the life to come does not exist, neither the result of our hope, which is the grace of salvation, eternal life (John 3:14-16), and reward for our works (1Co 3:8), then we who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ would be the most miserable of all the people in the world, having to suffer the persecutions, afflictions, and tribulations of this world (2Th 1:4, Heb 11:25), while taking no pleasure in the lusts of the flesh, and being a primary target of Satan's evils, without hope of anything to come.[v20] But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
That is, we know that Christ is risen from the dead, and that the testimony of His apostles is certain, being faithful to the things we cannot see, not blindly, but based on the evidence of His Word (Gal 3:24), which rightly discerns the thoughts and intents of our hearts. (Heb 4:12-13) Those who slept are those who were the children of God that were repentant of their sins and faithful to Him before the death and resurrection of Christ, and the "firstfruits" (Deut 26:2) that Paul is referring to is Christ, being the best and most valuable of the harvest, which were presented by the Hebrews as an offering unto God. Though the resurrection of the dead happened in the Old Testament (2Ki 4:32-37), and even during Christ's ministry (John 11:43-45), Christ raised Himself from the dead by His own power as God (John 2:19-21), and so He was the firstfruit of the many He would bring into His Kingdom after preparing a place for them (John 14:2-3); all of His faithful throughout the last 6,000 years of history from the beginning of the creation to now.[v21] For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
The first sin was committed by Eve, then by Adam immediately afterward (Gen 3:6), and because man is the head of the woman, and woman was created from man, Adam is credited for the first sin. Without sin, there would be no death, and so by sin, death entered into the world (Rom 5:12). If there was no death, there would be no need for resurrection, but because death now exists, resurrection is necessary for redemption.These verses also disprove another heresy that has been proposed by churchgoers who are also evolutionists (i.e. Christianity and Evolutionism cannot coexist in harmony because they are polar opposites), in which they teach that millions of years of evolution took place before Adam and Eve were created because they believe that is where fossils came from. The fossils came from the worldwide flood in the days of Noah, not from millions of years of evolution. By teaching that there was death before Adam and Eve sinned, churchgoers who try to compromise with their evolution doctrine must believe that death existed BEFORE sin (instead of sin before death), which would make death the fault of God, and therefore, according to their false teaching, they would have to say "by God came death," which is blasphemous in the sense that it blames God for creating the evils of this world, and attempts to make mankind innocent of sin.
(Read "The Earth's Age Affects Salvation Doctrine" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v22] For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
All of mankind is the lineage of Adam, which makes each of us being very distant brothers, sisters, and cousins of one another, and therefore, we share in the sin inherited, but when we are born again in Christ, we are born into a spiritual lineage and priesthood of faith (Heb 8:6-12), by which we enter into His family. (2Co 6:17-18) This is not to say that all mankind will be saved, but Christ will make alive all those who believe with a heart of repentance. (Luke 13:3, Rom 10:9)[v23] But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
That is, every man who is saved by Christ will be resurrected in the order that God has ordained, which is Christ first, and then the saints, the second fruits, who are the wheat harvest that is brought in alongside the tares (i.e. unrepentant and unbelievers) at the end of the world (Mat 13:37-43), of which no man knows the day or hour in which it will happen (Mat 24:36), but Christ did tell us the season in which He would return (Mat 24:32-33), and after 2,000 years, the saints are still here, so we still do not know how long remains because the signs of His coming have not yet appeared.(Read "The Beginner's Guide to Christian Rapture" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v24] Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
This is not to be understood as the end of all things that exist, but the end of the known world, as it exists with earthly kingdoms and governments, the wrath of God pouring out unto the unrepentant and unbelieving (Rev 8-9), the enemies of Christ being made His footstool (Acts 2:34-35), and the thousand-year reign of Christ in which He will rule along with His saints. (Rev 20:6)[v25] For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
It is prophesied that Christ will reign, even though many wicked and many antichrists (1Jo 2:18) will make war against the Lamb of God; however, it is inevitable because He will reign as the King of Kings. (Rev 17:14)[v26] The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
This is not to say that the wicked and unbelieving are not always be subject to death. Indeed, they are, because everlasting fire and punishment will always be with them (Mat 25:41, Mat 25:46), which means death and destruction are their lot, but rather, this is meant that the saints are only subject to death once, and the second death will have no power over them. (Rev 20:6)[v27] For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
Paul is referring to Psalm 8:6. This is not to say that God the Father is put under the Son, because the Father is greater in authority than the Son. (John 14:28) Though Jesus is God, being equal with God (Phl 2:6), He is also a separate entity from the Father at the same time, humbling Himself to the position of the Son, and therefore, God the Father is not to be included in "all things" that are put under Christ.(Read "The Godhead vs The Trinity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v28] And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
All things, which are principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and the saints as well; all things are created by Him and for Him (Col 1:16), but whereas the Father makes all things subject to the Son, the Son subjects Himself to the Father, so that when the reign of Christ comes, God will be "all in all," meaning that all Three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will rule and provide all things for all the saints, without the need for physical necessities, or indirect mediations; that the Holy Godhead, as Three and One, directly gives all things to the saints, and the saints will be in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.[v29] Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
After concluding the end of all things, which will be the resurrection of the dead in Christ unto eternal life in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Paul contrasts this with the argument of those who are preaching a message against the resurrection of the dead. For example, the Sadducees practiced baptism according to the Old Testament law, and those who would have come out of their sect to supposedly believe on Christ would continue the practice of baptism taught to them by the apostles, but on what basis? How would that make sense? Paul's question is not saying that we are baptized for the dead, but rather, they believe there is no resurrection of the dead, and since baptism is a representation of being dead (going into water) and restored unto life (coming out of water), what is the point of baptizing at all if there is no resurrection of the dead?[v30] And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
Many Christians were in peril and affliction, having their lives threatened, as Paul experienced many times. Why would the apostles and the church risk their lives over nothing? If there was no resurrection of the dead, then what little life we have in this world would be the most precious thing to ever exist, and we could hope for no better (which would cause the greatest vexation of grief in old age), but because there is resurrection of the dead, and that we saints of God are guaranteed resurrection unto eternal life, then we take no thought for our lives (Luke 12:22), willingly giving our lives for the sake of Christ, and we focus on serving Him daily.[v31] I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
The word 'protest' in this context would be an affirmation or proof of a matter, in that, they rejoiced in the same faith of Jesus Christ, and His promise of eternal life, or in other words, Paul was willing to sacrifice his own life for this belief shared between himself and the saints of Christ, and encouraging the saints that their conversion unto Christ and regeneration of their spirits was added proof that He was doing works pleasing unto the Lord. This does not mean that Paul was being physically killed every day, but that every day, he was ready to die for the sake of Christ if need be, and that his faith was great on this matter because he had sound reasoning from the Word of God.[v32] If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
The beasts of Ephesus would be the brute beasts of Asia, which Peter described in detail (2Pe 2:10-15), not in the sense of physical combat, but in debate. The men who lead these people are self-serving government authorities and/or greedy religious leaders that will perish in their own corruption, doing evil while calling the good works of Christ's servants "evil" in hypocrisy. (Isa 5:20) Paul had preached the truth, and the brute beasts warred against him, but if there is no resurrection of the dead, what is the point of contending for the faith? (Jude 1:3) If there is no resurrection of the dead, and we all perish no matter what, then there would be no reason to live any differently than an atheist, who, in his foolishness, says there is no God (Psa 14:1), and therefore, they live according to a philosophy that they should live only to pleasure themselves in this world by whatever sinful and lustful thing they can do to appease their senses, and care not for any consequences to come after this life.[v33] Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
Communication, in general, is the concept of delivering something, meaning that I am communicating the interpretations of God's Word to you in my writing, or when we give alms to the poor, we are communicating their needs to them. (Col 3:8, Eph 4:29, 1Ti 6:17-18) Thus, what is communicated (i.e. delivered) unto the people, if it be evil, will corrupt the good manners of the people which are developed in them by the conscience God placed in their hearts. (Rom 2:14-15)This is a warning to the church not to be deceived by men who teach such false doctrines because what a man believes determines how he behaves. If a man teaches that there is no resurrection of the dead, then by believing that doctrine and philosophy (i.e. way of thinking), the man will begin to live according to that doctrine and philosophy, and the end of that philosophy is "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (as stated in the previous verse); therefore, the man who teaches that corrupt doctrine will one day live and act in the same manner as the beasts of Ephesus, which is why it is so important that we Christians purge out the leaven. (Mat 16:6-12, Gal 5:9, 1Co 5:7)
[v34] Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Paul was calling upon the Corinthian church to open their eyes to the wicked deeds going on within the church, and to depart from sin, which is not to say that they would all live flawlessly, that they would be sinless, but that they should not live a sinful course of life, allowing or suffering sin without rebuke and repentance, seeking always to live perfectly (i.e. as intended, with humility and longsuffering in charity) in the sight of God. (Deut 18:13, Mat 5:48)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Charity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v35] But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
These questions are posed by such men who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and they are challenging those who do believe. By asking the question "how," they expect us to know the exact process by which God raises the dead, which is a miracle beyond the scope of our understanding, or in other words, it is a foolish question. (2Ti 2:23) They also might ask what body they receive if they are raised from the dead, which is meant from the earthly perspective that the bodies have decomposed over hundreds or thousands of years, but that is an incorrect question based on the presupposition that God has no power, or exercises no power, over the dust of the earth, which is also foolish, knowing that the same God originally created man from the dust of the ground. (Gen 2:7)[v36] Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
Thus, Paul exposes their foolishness, and answers the fool according to his folly, so that men who would ask such foolish questions would not think themselves to be wise in their own arrogance. (Pro 26:5) That which is sown are seeds, which, upon being buried into the ground, rot away and die (not in the sense of life as we are alive in the flesh because plants do not have blood, Lev 17:11), and after that corruption/decay of the seed, the plant is made alive, grows, and bears fruit. (John 12:24-25) The argument is that, since God does this in trillions upon trillions of instances all over the world on a daily basis with something so insignificant as a plant, why would it be beyond His power or interest to do a similar thing with His children, who He holds in high value?[v37] And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
The seed that goes into the ground grows into perfection (i.e. that which it is intended to be), but the farmer does not take the fullness of the fruit and return it to the ground. For example, an apricot is not returned to the ground as a whole, but the hull is cracked open, and the seed within is returned to the ground, which represents a "bare" seed, or a naked seed, just as we are born naked into the world and return naked into the ground. Whereas a plant may have wilted, the seed falls back into the ground, and through that wilting and putrifaction of the plant, a new plant arises, and though it has the same body, it is expected to have different qualties and excellent features.[v38] But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
The Lord God gives the body to the plant, not the sun, nor the rain, nor the farmer who tills the field. God gives every blade of grass its own body out of His good pleasure, sovereign will, and infinite knowledge, according to its kind (Gen 1:11), which is fit for the purpose He designed it. If God were to give another body to those who were resurrected, then it would be classified as a "creation," and not a resurrection, which means it stands to reason that we will be raised from the dead in our own bodies, and the saints will be given a spiritual body as angels (Mark 12:25), not in the manner of substance, but of functionality, as Paul will describe in more detail in later verses. Another way to look at this is to consider the resurrection of Christ, since we will be raised as He was raised, having a spiritual body, and yet, recognizable by those who saw Him in the flesh.[v39] All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
This is not to point out that there are differences between kinds of creatures, because that is something which little children clearly understand, but rather, it is meant in the sense that not all kinds of creatures are equal, and that each are created with different purposes to fulfill different roles.[v40] There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
The celestial bodies refers to the sun, moon, and stars, while the terrestrial bodies refers to those things on the earth, whether the earth itself, plants, animals, or mankind. The glory (or the splendor and magnificence) of a blade of grass is certainly not comparible to the glory of the sun, and the idea is that we have a terrestrial body now, but the saints of God will receive a spiritual body that will be more glorious than the fleshly body, which is a simplistic way to give us a concept of the glory which is to come after Christ's return.[v41] There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
The sun, moon, and stars all have their magnificence, but the sun far outshines the moon, and the moon far outshines the stars. Paul is pointing out the differences between them to make the next point.[v42] So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
Just as there are differences in celestial bodies, there will also be differences in the glorified bodies of the saints in the reign of Christ, but all who repent and believe will be raised alive. Just as the seed breaks down in corruption, and is raised up without corruption, so shall the saints of God, having the same body, but different than what it was.[v43] It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
Christ, as the only sinless man, was beaten, bruised, and pierced in His crucifixion, but after His death, He was raised in glory. We were sown into this world as sinful, shameful, and unclean, but by the grace of Christ, we will be raised into glory. We were sown in weakness, not just as babies who have no means to live on their own, requiring everything to be done for them, but also weak in that we are foolish, ignorant, subject to injury, starvation, and disease; yet, when we are translated into the Kingdom of God (Col 1:13), we will be raised in His power, having a clear understanding, and no longer subject to the weaknesses of the flesh.[v44] It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
Again, we have a natural body at this present time, which requires constant supplies of food, water, oxygen, clothing, and shelter to survive, and no matter how much work we put into supplying for the natural body, it is slowly corrupted, meaning that it will eventually deteriorate and die, returning to the dust of the ground from which it came. (Gen 3:19, Ecc 3:19-21) However, we who are of Christ will be raised into a spiritual body, which is not to say that it was be entirely spiritual, just as when Jesus was raised from the dead and visited His disciples, they could see and touch Him as any other person (John 20:27), but rather, we will live as the spirits (i.e. the angels) live, without need of food, water, oxygen, clothing, or shelter, and we will never corrupt or die. Therefore, as Christ was born into this world, died, and rose from the dead to eternal life, so we are born into this world, and through repentance and faith, when we die, we will rise from the dead to eternal life. (John 10:27-30)[v45] And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
That is, it is written in Genesis 2:7 that God breathed the breath of life into Adam to make him a living soul, which is the immortal substance by which we (i.e. the sons and daughters of Adam) animate our fleshly bodies. The last Adam, who is Jesus Christ, humbled Himself to the form of a man, being born into this world through a woman (Mat 1:23), but when He was raised from the dead, His fleshly body was made a quickening spirit, or one that brings life, by which the Spirit of God becomes the sustenance of the flesh and bones for eternal life.[v46] Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
Adam was given a natural body at first, as was Christ given a natural body at first, but after death, the spiritual body is raised incorruptible.[v47] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
That is, Adam is created of earth, which is part of the reason why a repentant man in Scripture is said to repent in dust and ashes. (Gen 18:27) This is a reminder of our vile and corrupt state, knowing that our bodies are nothing but the dust of the ground, in which we humble ourselves before the Living God. The second man is Christ, and though He had an earthly body as we do, He is not created in sense that mankind is created, because He is the creator of all (Col 1:16), having power and authority over all things that were created in heaven and earth.[v48] As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
Because Adam was earthy, so we have earthy bodies, which come from the earth, and return to the earth. Those who are faithful in the day Christ returns shall have heavenly bodies as Christ has, and thus, that which is sown in the spiritual shall return to the heavenly origin of the spiritual substance from which he was created.[v49] And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
The image spoken of in this verse is not the image of God referred to in Genesis 1:26, but rather, the image of corruption, of those features of age, frailty, and illness which make us subject to death, but in heaven, we will bear another image of features which makes us subject to eternal life.[v50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
That is, in order to be translated into the Kingdom of God (Col 1:13), our bodies must be regenerated unto the Spirit of God, a heavenly body that draws all sustenance from the Holy Spirit. That which is corrupt cannot inherit the things that are incorrupt, or rather, something that is unclean cannot inherit that which is clean because when the clean touches the unclean it then becomes unclean, and so purification of the Spirit and righteousness of Christ (Rom 4:22-24) is required for one to inherit the Kingdom of God. (Luke 18:17)[v51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
That is, this is one of the mysteries of Scripture, which must have been revealed unto Paul prophetically by the Holy Ghost (or shown unto him when he was caught up to the third heaven, 2Co 12:2) because such a thing is not able to be reasoned by the natural study and discernment of men, which is not to say that we cannot understand the concept after it was written in the Word of God, but no man could come to these conclusions without special revelation. "We shall not all sleep," which is not referring to the special exceptions of Enoch and Elijah, who were taken to heaven by God before they died, but rather, this is referring to those who will live in the latter days, and will still be alive at the moment of Christ's return, having their bodies translated without having to be raised from the dead.[v52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The twinkling of an eye is the brief blink of the eye, which happens so quickly, we often do not notice it, which is how quickly Jesus said the moment would take place, as fast as a bolt of lightning. (Luke 17:24) The last trump is one of the signs of Christ's return (1Th 4:16), and upon His coming, our bodies shall be raised from the dead and changed into the incorruptible bodies by His quickening spirit.[v53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
To reassert this point, that those who believe there is no resurrection of the dead believe in false doctrine, Paul emphasizes that mortality and corruption must be changed to immortality and incorruption, otherwise, no one can enter the Kingdom of God.[v54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
It is Isaiah 25:8 that says, "He will swallow up death in victory," and that "the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces," which would indicate the end of all suffering and pain for the saints, and in order to end all pain and suffering, death must be defeated, which is why Paul wrote earlier in this chapter that the last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (1Co 15:26)[v55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
Death will have no more power over the saints, which means that there will be no more destruction and corruption of death, and that also means the stinging pain of death will be no more. This seems to be somewhat taken from Hosea 13:14, that "repentance [i.e. grief and sorrow] shall be hid from mine eyes," that the tears of grief and sorrow will no longer plague the countenance of those who have been translated into Christ's Kingdom.[v56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
Not that sin is defined as the sting of death, but that the ultimate end of sin is the sting of death, meaning that the removal of death must also have the removal of sin, because, as Paul wrote earlier in this chapter that death came by man through sin. (1Co 15:21-22). So the sting of pain comes from death, and death comes from sin, which means the foundation of the sting comes from sin, meaning that one cannot exist without the other, so both must be removed at the same time.This is not to say that the law endorses or encourages sin of any kind, nor is it to say that the law is sin, as Paul had written to the Roman church that the law is most definitely not sin of any kind (Rom 7:7), but rather, the law is the moral force upon which sin is conceived because without good, there is no evil, and therefore, once sin is destroyed, there will be no more need for the law either, and all the saints will live in accordance to the charitable fulfillment of the law, in perfection, as we were originally intended to be, in peace and harmony with one another.
[v57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
All praise, glory, and honor should be given to God our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom, without His infinite mercy and great kindness, we would have no hope of victory.[v58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
By the mercy of Christ, and by the divine support of the Holy Ghost, we are given knowledge, wisdom, understanding (Psa 111:7-10), blessings, faith (Heb 12:2), hope (Rom 15:4), and many other things, by which He gives us all we need to do the work we are called to do (Mat 6:25-34), and therefore, we should stand firmly on the Word of God and trust in Him for all that He tells us, knowing that the work we do is not useless in any sense because God will cause all things to work together for good. (Rom 8:28)Chapter 16
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[v1] Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
The following instructions were given to the Galatian Christians, and Paul expected the Corinthian Christians to do the same. The particular collection concerned gathering money from all those who chose to give to help alleviate the suffering and need of other Christians in various locations.[v2] Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
This is taken by many to mean that a collection was to be taken every week, but that is not the sense which this is meant. There was a scheduled time that Paul was coming to visit Corinth (as he indicates in the next epistle, namely, 2nd Corinthians), and he was giving them instruction to collect the money prior to his arrival based on how many blessings of prosperity God had given to each individual Christian.The idea behind this is twofold; the first being that Paul and the other apostles, who were given gifts of miracles, were specifically instructed not to carry personal wealth, nor to take any payment for their services (Mat 10:8-10), and knowing that when he would visit, Paul would receive a lot of offers from those he helped, offers that he would have to turn down, it was best that they did collections before he arrived, rather than afterward. The second reason is to encourage and teach purity in giving, because God favors the cheerful giver (2Co 9:7), not the man who gives because he thinks he has to give by religious tradition (for example, how many churchgoers today get scammed through the false doctrines of storehouse tithing), and so by having them give before his arrival, Paul is eliminating the pressure to give, as well as eliminating any problems that may arise from those giving more than they are able through emotional reactions to Paul's spiritual gifts, rather than simply giving according to their own prosperity as God has blessed them.
(Read "Tithe is Not a Christian Requirement" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v3] And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
Again, since Paul was not permitted to carry personal wealth when he traveled, other Christians in the church would volunteer (with approval from the elders) to deliver the money, so it could be distributed to Paul or others who were tasked in the church at Jerusalem. And again, this was not money demanded by ritual, but liberal giving, that all in the church were free to give or not give as they chose, knowing that the alms they gave in secret would be rewarded openly by God. (Mat 6:4)[v4] And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.
Either those elected to the task would be sent to distribute the money to the poor and needy in the church, or if he was asked to come, and guided by the Holy Spirit to a necessary duty, he would travel with those who carried the money.[v5] Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.
Paul is reassuring those in the church that he would be returning to visit Corinth, which would be a relief to those who wanted to see him, but a detriment to those who did not want him to return, as Paul pointed out in this letter that there were some prideful men who were deceiving the church from within. (1Co 4:18-19, Acts 20:29-31) Paul was writing this letter from Ephesus (as he indicates in verse eight), needing to travel through Macedonia (west of Ephesus) to handle various business, and would eventually travel south to reach Corinth. Paul would end up writing the second epistle to Corinth from Macedonia. (2Co 2:12-13)[v6] And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.
By the phrase "winter with you," it is meant that he would stay the winter season with them, which was the space of three months, and is also recorded by Luke in Acts 20:1-3. After his stay in Corinth, some in the church may have chosen to journey a distance with Paul to help provide for him the things he needed.[v7] For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.
This is to say that Paul would not simply stop in for a night and move on the next day, as an ordinary traveler or merchant might do, but (God willing) he would stay with them for a time to help them and teach them.[v8] But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
The Day of Pentecost was a celebration that took place fifty days after the Passover feast. This is not any celebration that Christians are obligated to observe, but it was a Jewish observation, which often gave Paul a chance to preach publicly, and so he remained in Ephesus to take advantage of that opportunity. Due to Paul's love for his fellow Jewish people, he most often desired to be in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, not to observe it, but to preach the Gospel of Christ unto them (Acts 20:16), but this year, was working in Greece and he could not make the trip.[v9] For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
The great door is describing the huge opportunity he had to preach to the people of Ephesus because it was a very large city, and that God had opened this door to him, that the Holy Spirit would open the ears of the hearers, but where there is the work of God, there are also many adversaries, or enemies who hate the truth, who follow after their father, Satan (John 8:44-45), and would see the truth silenced by killing the messenger.[v10] Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.
That is, it was not known what thing God would have in store for Timotheus on his journey, but if he indeed made it to Corinth, as Paul indicated in chapter four that he had sent Timotheus (1Co 4:17), then they should house him, providing safety against adversaries, as there were many enemies in Corinth, both without and some potentially within the church (based on the evidence of things written in this epistle), because even though Timotheus did not hold the office of an apostle like Paul did, he still did the same work, and should be honored (i.e. having good done unto him) in the same manner.[v11] Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren.
Timotheus was young, but he should not be despised for his youth (1Ti 4:12), as some of those elder in the church may be lifted up in the pride of their hearts, and refuse to judge righteous judgement. (John 7:24) When it would come time for him to depart, Paul is instructing the church that they should treat Timotheus with the same charity that would be imparted to an apostle, being worthy of double honor (i.e. twice the good done unto him, 1Ti 5:17, not because he held a rank or title, but because he sacrificed much for the work of the Gospel of Christ), even having some travel with him for company, safety, and to help provide for his needs.[v12] As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.
Apollos was well-known by the church in Corinth, which is why Paul used him in the example during his preaching against the unbiblical practice of denominations. (1Co 3:6) However, for whatever reason, the Holy Spirit had given Apollos purpose to another task, and so whereas Apollos seemed to be Paul's first choice to come to Macedonia with him, he instead chose Timotheus and Erastus. (Acts 19:22)[v13] Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
This exhortation to watch is not meant in the sense of watching for the signs of Christ's coming, which is something the church always has in the back of their minds, nor is this meant to watch for the coming of the ministers of Christ, but to watch themselves and the church, both examining themselves whether they are sound in the faith (2Co 13:5), and to watch for the signs of false teachers and leaven in the church. (1Co 5:7) Part of standing firm in the faith of Christ is to be watchful of such things, that we would be efficient servants to protect the church and uphold the standards of God's Word, and therefore, we should "quit like men," which means to carry out the duties that we ought to perform as an adult male would do (1Co 14:20), having a good understanding, being strong in the faith (Rom 4:20), focusing on the tasks at hand, being vigilant and reliable against the works of darkness (1Pe 5:8), as men are often expected to do (Mat 24:43), and such a commandment is concerning spiritual matters, which means that both men and women in the church should be vigilant in the spirit to keep a watchful eye. (Gal 3:28)[v14] Let all your things be done with charity.
For this is the fulfillment of all the law and prophets (Mat 7:12), and as Paul stated in chapter 13 (1Co 13:7), charity is forbearing one another in patience (Col 3:12-15), considering others first before oneself (Phl 2:4), and is the greatest of spiritual attributes, for it is the result of faith and hope. (1Co 13:13)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Charity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v15] I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
Paul is beseeching Christians, which is an exhortation of pleading and encouragement for what he will say in the next verse, but he gives an example to help preface his point. The house of Stephanas, which Paul mentioned in the first chapter (1Co 1:16), which is a home where some of the church assembled together, were the first converts unto Christ in the region of Achais (which included Epaenetus, a friend of Paul's mentioned in Romans 16:5), and they gave themselves over to the work of ministry without having to be instructed or disciplined, which is not to say that they were not taught by the apostles, but that there was no need for oversight because they took up the duties of charity and offices in the church willingly with great devotion.[v16] That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.
Not necessarily the church in Stephanas' house in particular, but as an example, that all those who would dedicate themselves to the study of the Word of God, to learn the works of charity and offices in the church, and to perform those duties with gladness of heart (Acts 2:46), should be heard and assisted as much as possible, that the church as a whole would come to their aid and receive their doctrine cheerfully, not in the sense that they automatically believe everything that is said, but that they willingly listen, and search the Scriptures to verify the truth of those things (2Ti 2:15, Acts 17:11), seeing the truth of the Word demonstrated by their charitable actions, and follow their good example.[v17] I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied.
Paul just mentioned the house of Stephanas, but it is possible that Fortunatus and Achaicus may have been part of the church that met in the house of Chloe (1Co 1:11), because there were contentions in Corinth against the house of Chloe. It is not clearly specified what all the contentions were, but we can determine that some of the divisions were over the unbiblical denominations, having division due to some in Corinth who did not like Paul and introduced doctrines apart from his instruction. These houses/churches, being dedicated to help all those who taught the truth of the Word of God, whether Paul, Peter, or Apollos (1Co 1:10-17), were supplying the needs that Corinth was not supplying, which likely was not money, considering how much abundance they had, and considering the fact that Paul did not request money from anyone for his personal needs (2Co 11:7-9), but rather, it seems more likely that Paul was speaking of travel and visitation, by which someone would come to him for physical aid to help with the hands-on work that needed to be done, which Corinth did not supply in abundance upon request, but Paul boasted of the great help he received from the servants of Christ in Achaia. (2Co 11:10)[v18] For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.
By coming to Paul's aid, it was a joy and pleasure to him, which if they are to Paul, they would do the same unto all the church as needed, which makes them just as much a refreshing to Corinth as to Paul, and so they should be treated as such, acknowledging their good works and highly esteeming them within the church for the sake of the work they do. (1Th 5:12-13)[v19] The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
Paul reminds Corinth that the churches throughout other regions kept them in rememberance in their prayers, and specifically Aquila and his wife Priscilla, who were close friends of Paul, along with the church who met in their home. This would have been during the time in which Claudius Caesar banished all Jews from Rome, and so Aquila moved from Rome to Ephesus, assisting Paul in organizing the church there, along with the help of his wife, who was very active in ministry with her husband, and showed great respect and love towards the church in Corinth.[v20] All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.
That is, all the brethren in Ephesus who had known of Corinth, or mentioned those who worshiped in Corinth by name. The "holy kiss" is not meant in the literal, physical sense, that all must kiss one another with the lips, but in the metaphorical sense, as an allusion to the kiss a beloved family member might give to another when meeting again after an extended time. This is meant in the sense that we should portray an attitude that is becoming of those who love as a family, wishing all goodness, joy, and blessings, both physical and spiritual, to one another with sincerity, specifically identifying it as "holy," which is to distinguish such desires from those which might be deceitful (i.e. having an outward appearance only, not genuine, as when Judas kissed Jesus to deliver Him into the hands of His enemies, Mat 26:49, or when Joab kissed Amasa in order to get close enough to kill him, 2Sa 20:9-10) or lustful (i.e. having selfish or sinful desire, 1Co 7:1-2) inwardly, that we would put away the old man full of sinful deeds (Eph 4:22), and serve one another in love. (Gal 5:13)[v21] The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.
This letter was dictated by Paul and written by another who helped him with the writing since, as Paul will point out in his second epistle, he was slowly losing his eye sight (2Co 12:7-9), but in this section, Paul wrote it with his own hand, so it would be recognized to be his hand writing, and no one would think this letter was a counterfeit intended to deceive.[v22] If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
Or in simple terms, "Anathema Marantha" would be one who is accursed to damnation and destruction. In general, it would be "to cut off from the coming of the Lord," in that when the Lord Jesus Christ returns, they would be separated away from the sheep and counted among the goats (Mat 24:33) and tares (Mat 13:40), that they would suffer the eternal damnation of hell and the lake of fire (Rev 20:15), for all that is Christ portrays humility, mercy, kindness, longsuffering, and charity, and therefore, if a man hate Christ, he also hates these things, which would prevent him from ever being saved.(Read "Hell is Real And Many People Are Going There" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v23] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
That is, may the graces of Christ in every sense, for physical and spiritual things, fall upon the church in great abundance, most especially for those who obey the doctrines taught in this epistle, since these things come from the Holy Ghost, and by obedience, we demonstrate our love for the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 14:15, 1Jo 5:2)[v24] My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Meaning that, Paul's genuine care, without respect to persons (Jms 2:1), which extends to the greater and the lesser, the richer and the poorer, and that his love for them, both in favor and in selfless sacrifice for the Christians in Corinth, would be accepted by them, knowing that Paul did not instruct them for his own benefit, but for their benefits, that they might please God in all manners, in both speech and action, just as Christ has taught us. "Amen" is added as a declaration that all things written in this letter are the truth according to the Lord Jesus Christ.
