First Corinthians ascribes Paul as its author (1:1; 16:21). Biblical scholars are almost unanimous that Paul wrote the letter. He wrote it during the last year of his three-year ministry at Ephesus, probably a few weeks before Pentecost in the spring of AD 56 (15:32; 16:8; Ac 20:31).
During Paul’s second missionary journey, he had a vision at Troas; he heard a man call to him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” (Ac 16:9). That change in plans led Paul to Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, and ultimately to Corinth (Ac 18:5). Paul ministered in Corinth for at least eighteen months (Ac 18:1-18). He left Corinth accompanied by Aquila and Priscilla (Ac 18:18), leaving them at Ephesus where they met and instructed “an eloquent man” named Apollos (Ac 18:24-26). Apollos then went to Corinth and had a powerful ministry there (Ac 18:27–19:1).
First Corinthians is the second letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church. He had written them an earlier letter that included an admonition not to mix with the sexually immoral (5:9). The writing of this second letter (1 Corinthians) was prompted by oral reports from Chloe’s household about factional strife within the church (1:11). Paul had also received reports about an incestuous relationship among the membership (5:1), factions that arose during observance of the Lord’s Supper (11:18), and confusion over the resurrection of the dead (15:12). As a result, Paul addressed these issues in 1 Corinthians. Apparently, as he was writing the letter, he received a letter from the Corinthians asking his opinion on various issues (7:1,25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1). Therefore, he included his replies within this letter to the Corinthian believers.
First Corinthians contributes greatly to our understanding of the Christian life, ministry, and relationships by showing us how the members of the church—Christ’s body—are to function together. Problems can arise in any church because the church is comprised of sinful people (redeemed certainly, but still prone to follow the tug of sin). Paul gave specific solutions to specific problems, but the underlying answer to all these problems is for the church and its members to live Christ-centered lives. It all comes down to living under the lordship and authority of Christ, the head of his body (the church).
Paul’s writing is in the form of a letter, using the standard four parts of a first-century letter: salutation (1:1-3), thanksgiving (1:4-9), the main body (1:10–16:18), and a farewell (16:19-21). It is a pastoral letter, driven by the occasion and the present needs of the recipients.
Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the way Paul structured his letter was his use of the word “about” to introduce a subject. It is apparent that “about” signals that Paul was responding to items on a list of questions that he had received—perhaps by way of a committee of men (16:17). These questions dealt with males and females in marriage (7:1); virgins (7:25); food offered to idols (8:1); spiritual gifts (12:1); the collection for the saints in Jerusalem (16:1); and Apollos (16:12).
The most gifted church is not always in the healthiest condition. A church may have many rich, influential, or learned members; yet that church may be in an unhealthy condition. Such was the case with the church at Corinth. Paul, in the opening of his letter, told them that he thanked God always on their behalf for the grace of God given to them by Christ Jesus, that in everything they were enriched in all speech and in all knowledge, so that they did not lack in any spiritual gift, waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (1:4-7). The Corinthians were what we would call a first-class church. They had many who understood much of the learning of the Greeks. They were people of classic taste and people of good understanding, people of profound knowledge, and yet in spiritual health that church was one of the worst in all Greece and perhaps in the world! Among all the churches one could not find another church sunk so low as this one, although it was the most gifted. In the opening of the letter, Paul hinted that the purpose of the church was to confirm the testimony about Christ (1:6). If a church does not use its gifts and resources for that purpose, it misses the whole point of its existence.
1Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Sosthenes our brother:
2 To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord — both their Lord and ours.
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in him in every way, in all speech and all knowledge. 6 In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, 7 so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. 11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalry among you. 12 What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name? 14 I thank God A,B that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. 16 I did, in fact, baptize the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t recall if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. 19 For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent. A
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? B Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. C 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, D not many powerful, not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world — what is viewed as nothing — to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one E may boast in his presence. 30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us — our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. F
1:2 “To those sanctified in Christ Jesus.” Called to sacred uses, set apart to God—that is the call of all believers. They are like those vessels of the tabernacle and temple that were not to be used by any but the priests of God and by them only for God’s service. “Both their Lord and ours.” There are multitudes of saints whose faces we never have seen, yet Christ is theirs. There are some with whom we might not agree in all particulars, yet Christ is theirs just as much as he is ours. Christ is theirs and Christ is ours. Here is the grand bond of union between believers of different nationalities and different languages.
1:3 “Grace to you and peace.” Grace first, for that is the fountain. Then peace comes, for that is the fitting stream to flow from the fountain of grace. Seek not peace first, for there is no peace for unregenerate people. Grace first, then peace, and both must come “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
1:4 “I always thank my God.” Not only, “I thank God,” but “I thank my God.” Paul had God in possession. He had taken him to be his own forever and ever. Notice how often Paul, in the first ten verses, mentions the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—at least ten times. He was full of Christ. Not only did he love Christ in his heart, but he had Christ’s name continually on his tongue, for he was not ashamed of the sweet name of Jesus Christ. “I always thank my God for you.” That was wisely written, for Paul was about to rebuke these Corinthians for many serious faults, yet he began by acknowledging that they had certain excellences. Such an approach gives one ground to stand on if a person is willing to see all that is good in those who have to be rebuked. But Paul did not merely use this as a polite way of commencing his letter. He really did thank God every day for the divine grace these Corinthians had. How seldom do we thank God for the grace he has given other people, especially if they outshine us. It was not so with Paul.
1:17 “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” Paul made this statement not to put a dishonor on the ordinance of baptism but to let us see that the ordinance does not depend on the man but on that sacred name into which we are baptized and on the true faith of the person baptized. Other people could baptize for Paul. It was enough that Paul should concentrate all his energies on the one matter of preaching the gospel—not that he neglected the divine command—but that it was not necessary that he, any more than his Master, should personally baptize, for we read that “Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were” (Jn 4:2).
1:30-31 “It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus.” In this extraordinarily comprehensive text, observe, first, that the apostle here attributes the fact that we are in Christ Jesus to the Lord alone; he shows that there is a connection between our being as Christians and the love and grace of God in Christ. This is our spiritual existence. Then, second, Paul goes on to write of our spiritual wealth, which he summed up under four words—“wisdom . . . righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.” Paul declared that Christ is to us all these four things. Third, Paul closed the chapter by telling us where our glorying ought to go—it should return to the source of our spiritual existence and heavenly wealth: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
2When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery G of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. 2 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom H but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.
6 We do, however, speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written,
What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived —
God has prepared these things for those who love him. A
10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts B except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. C 14 But the person without the Spirit D does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated E spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate F everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For
who has known the Lord’s mind,
that he may instruct him? G
But we have the mind of Christ.
2:9-10 “What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived—God has prepared these things for those who love him. Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit.” How frequently verses of Scripture are misquoted! How frequently do we hear believers describing heaven as a place of which we cannot conceive. They quote verse 9, and there they stop, not seeing that the marrow of the whole passage lies in verse 10. The apostle was not talking about heaven at all. He was only saying that the wisdom of this world is not able to discover the things of God, that the merely carnal mind is not able to know the deep spiritual things of our most holy faith, as the following verses make clear. This text teaches that the things of God cannot be perceived by eye, ear, or heart but must be revealed by the Spirit of God, as they are to all true believers.
2:14-15 “The person without the Spirit. . . . The spiritual person.” The apostle Paul knew of only two classes of people. Under the term “the person without the Spirit,” the apostle included all those who are not partakers of the Spirit of God; it does not matter how excellent, how respectable, how intelligent, how instructed they may be. If the Spirit of God has not given to them a new and higher nature than they possess by their natural birth, Paul put them all down at once in the list of those without the Spirit. They are what they are by nature. On the other hand, all into whom the Spirit of God has come, breathing into them a new and divine life, Paul categorized as under the heading of spiritual. They may be as yet but babies in grace; their faith may be weak; their love may be but in its early bud. As yet their spiritual senses may be little exercised, perhaps their faults may be in excess of their virtues, but inasmuch as the root of the matter is in them, and they have passed from death to life, he grouped them in the category of spiritual. And then he went on to affirm concerning those without the Spirit that the truths of God, which are spiritual, they do not and cannot receive. Paul taught that it is utterly impossible that they should ever receive such spiritual truths unless they are lifted out of that class of those without the Spirit and transformed by the Spirit’s work into spiritual persons. This change, however, being effected, they will not only receive the things of the Spirit but embrace them with delight, feed on them with intense satisfaction, and eventually rise into that state of glory that is beyond the state of grace.
G 2:1 Other mss read testimony
H 2:4 Other mss read human wisdom
C 2:13 Or things with spiritual words
3For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife H among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? 4 For whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not acting like mere humans?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, I and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers. J You are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, K and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience A loss, but he himself will be saved — but only as through fire.
QUOTE 3:11
If any company of people calling themselves a church depend for salvation and eternal life on anything besides or beyond the merit of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, they are not a church.
16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and that is what you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become a fool so that he can become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written, He catches the wise in their craftiness; B 20 and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are futile. C 21 So let no one boast in human leaders, for everything is yours — 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come — everything is yours, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
3:11 “No one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.” A building’s superstructure is important, but the first question must always concern the foundation. However quickly, however cleverly a person may build, if the foundation is unsound, that person is a foolish builder. This is emphatically true in spiritual things, for there the foundation is of the utmost importance. Four important truths stand out about the foundation in this verse. To begin with, a foundation is the first portion of a building, and so is the Lord Jesus first and foremost with his church. God in his purpose has chosen a people, but he has no such people apart from Christ. Next, a foundation is the support of all, and there is no church except that which derives all its support from Christ Jesus. If any company of people calling themselves a church depend for salvation and eternal life on anything besides or beyond the merit of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, they are not a church. Furthermore, the shape of a building is determined by its foundation. If any portion of a church is not based on Christ, it is a mere deforming addition to the plan of the great architect. Finally, a foundation is indispensable to a building, and so Christ is indispensable to a true church. In a house we might close in a door, and we might remove parts of the roof, and still it might be a house. But we cannot have a house at all if we take away the foundation. We cannot have a church of Christ if Jesus Christ is not there as the foundation.
H 3:3 Other mss add and divisions
I 3:8 Or of equal status, or united in purpose
4A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God. 2 In this regard, it is required that managers be found faithful. 3 It is of little importance to me that I should be judged by you or by any human court. A In fact, I don’t even judge myself. 4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 So don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.
QUOTE 4:2
A great deal of unfaithfulness is caused by endeavoring to please people.
ILLUSTRATION 4:2
Managers are appointed to look after other servants. Managers have not only their own work to complete, but it is part of their work to look after the work of other people. Also, a manager is under the master’s direct command. An ordinary servant may take orders from the manager, but the manager takes orders only from the master and must keep up daily fellowship with the master so he knows the master’s mind and is able to communicate it to fellow servants. The manager also is called on to give an account. Further, a manager is entrusted with the master’s goods. This is the main point of the manager’s stewardship—nothing is his own—all is the master’s. The manager is entrusted with the master’s property to protect it. And the manager is entrusted with the master’s property to dispense it. The manager keeps the master’s supplies and sees that they are not wasted, but he also takes care to magnify the master’s liberality by seeing that none of the household has any need. Besides this, the manager is to use the master’s property for the master’s benefit. Finally, a manager is charged with the general care of the family. The manager is not merely to look after the master’s material possessions; he has to take care of all the family.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be arrogant, favoring one person over another. 7 For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it? 8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us — and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you! 9 For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; 12 we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the scum of the earth, like everyone’s garbage.
14 I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. 15 For you may have countless instructors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Now some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk, but the power of those who are arrogant. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
4:2 “It is required that managers be found faithful.” This text primarily refers to those who labor in word and doctrine, those to whom it is a life’s vocation. Yet in another sense all believers are “servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God” (v. 1). Consider the responsibilities of faithful managers, the dangers awaiting managers, and the reward for faithful managers.
How are we, as managers, in danger of not being faithful? We can readily be unfaithful by acting as if we are masters. Next, a great deal of unfaithfulness is caused by endeavoring to please people. If the manager begins to try to please his fellow servants and to curry favor with them so they will speak well of him, he will soon be a traitor to his master. Also, we can injure our faithfulness by idling, or trifling, or growing careless, or leaving our hearts out of our work. Further, we can prove ourselves unfaithful managers by misusing our Master’s goods, employing what he entrusted to us for some other end than his glory, or by neglecting some of the household. We can also become unfaithful managers by complaining about whatever is wrong with our fellow servants. And we may prove unfaithful by forgetting that our Lord will come soon, and thus we neglect being about his business.
Supposing we are good managers, what will the result be? A reward from our Master’s own lips. On the day of accounting he will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Mt 25:23).
5It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated B among the Gentiles — a man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief and remove from your congregation the one who did this? 3 Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven A leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. B 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world. 11 But actually, I wrote C you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? 13 God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you. D
6If any of you has a dispute against another, how dare you take it to court before the unrighteous, E and not before the saints? 2 Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the trivial cases? 3 Don’t you know that we will judge angels — how much more matters of this life? 4 So if you have such matters, do you appoint as your judges those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame! Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between fellow believers? 6 Instead, brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers!
7 As it is, to have legal disputes against one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat — and you do this to brothers and sisters! 9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, F 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
12 “Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 “Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will do away with both of them. However, the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body? So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! 16 Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh. A 17 But anyone joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
18 Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin B a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. 19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body. A
QUOTE 6:19-20
The person who is living entirely for himself, whose object is his own ease, comfort, honor, or wealth—what does he know about redemption by Christ?
6:9-11 “Don’t you know . . . ?” In this text there is a solemn sentence, a reminder, and a change. First, the solemn sentence: “Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom?” Paul named several types of sinners. “Sexually immoral people” are men and women who have been guilty of sexual sin with unmarried persons. Idolatry is the worshiping of any god other than the true and living Lord. Idolatry is not merely the worship of images made of stone, or wood, or gods of gold. Family, wealth, and one’s own ambitions may be idols. Paul also listed adultery, “males who have sex with males,” and “thieves”—not merely those who are brought before judges for having broken into a house or robbed a person in the street but those persons who are dishonest in trade and so cheat their customers. Then the apostle listed “greedy people” and “drunkards.” We know that in the church at Corinth were some who were so degraded that they were actually drunk at the Lord’s table. Drunkenness is one of the most debasing of sins—it lowers the whole tone of the person who is held in bondage by it. Those who fall into it generally fall into other deadly vices. Next are “verbally abusive people”—those who gossip and slander, those who revile, profane swearers. To close the list the apostle wrote, “or swindlers”—people who demand high rates of interest and those who prey on the poor while they pretend they are going to be their helpers.
Second, we also have a reminder—“some of you used to be like this.” This reminder illustrates the great power of the gospel. The gospel can effect the salvation of all sorts of sinners, even the most degraded. However depraved and fallen they may be, they cannot have gone beyond the reach of the gospel. The Lord saves such great sinners to glorify his gospel. He also saves them to magnify his mercy, for the worse the sin, the more is the Lord’s pity. He does it also to confound self-righteousness, for he said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Lk 5:32). Further, by this means he also encourages other great sinners to come to him. The greater the sinner who is saved by God’s grace, the more glory accrues to the grace that saved him. Finally, the Lord saves them that he may win from them great love, intense zeal, and much earnestness. Oh how that great sinner will love the Lord and how he will talk about the Lord to other sinners!
A third point in this text is the marvelous change: “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” It is the washing of the sinner in the blood of Christ that Paul spoke of. And after that washing comes the sanctifying—that is, the changing of the heart and the remaking of one’s whole nature as holy. That is the work of the Spirit of God, by the application of the word of Christ. Then follows justification. Pardon washes away our sin. Justification makes us righteous in the sight of God, and sanctification gives us true holiness.
6:19-20 “You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” Notice three things in this text. First is a blessed fact: “You were bought at a price.” Then comes a plain consequence: “You are not your own.” And out of that springs inevitably a natural conclusion: “So glorify God with your body.”
First, the blessed fact: “You were bought at a price.” Paul reminded us that we were redeemed from the punishment due us, redeemed from the wrath of God, redeemed to Christ to be his forever. “You were bought” implies a price, but the words “at a price” are added to show that it was not for nothing that we were purchased; something inestimably precious was paid for us—“the precious blood of Christ” (1Pt 1:19). Our being “bought at a price” is the most important fact in our present existence. It determines all we do and are as Christians. It also will be the most important fact in our future existence, for redeeming love is the song of heaven: “You were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood” (Rv 5:9).
Second, from this arises an important consequence—“You are not your own.” If bought, we are not our own. Now if it is true that we are not our own, then the inferences from this are that we have no right to injure what does not belong to us; and, as we are not our own, we have no right to be idle or to waste our talents. Further, we have no right to do what our old will would do; we are to desire to be obedient to the will of our Father who is in heaven. Yet again, if we are not our own, then we have no right to serve ourselves. The person who is living entirely for himself, whose object is his own ease, comfort, honor, or wealth—what does he know about redemption by Christ? If our aims rise no higher than our personal advantages, we are false to the fact that we “are bought at a price”; we are traitors to him in whose redemption we pretend to share.
Finally, from this there is a natural conclusion—“So glorify God with your body.” The force of the apostle’s language falls on the word body, and perhaps it is so because we are so apt to forget the truth of God that the body is redeemed and is the Lord’s and should be made to glorify God. The Christian’s body should glorify God by its chastity. The body should glorify God by its self-control in all things—in eating, drinking, sleeping—in everything that has to do with the flesh. As the apostle put it, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1Co 10:31). The body ought to glorify God by its industry. A lazy servant is a bad Christian and does not glorify God in his or her body. Our bodies used to work hard enough for the devil; now that they belong to God we need to make them work for the Lord.
F 6:9 Both passive and active participants in homosexual acts
A 6:20 Other mss add and in your spirit, which belong to God.
7Now in response to the matters you wrote B about: “It is good for a man not to use C a woman for sex.” 2 But because sexual immorality is so common, D each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman should have sexual relations with her own husband. 3 A husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. 4 A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another — except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to E prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all people were as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one person has this gift, another has that.
8 I say to the unmarried F and to widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am. 9 But if they do not have self-control, they should marry, since it is better to marry than to burn with desire.
10 To the married I give this command — not I, but the Lord — a wife is not to leave G her husband. 11 But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband — and a husband is not to divorce his wife. 12 But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband. H Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you I to live in peace. 16 Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife. J
17 Let each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him. K This is what I command in all the churches. 18 Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. 19 Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter. Keeping God’s commands is what matters. 20 Let each of you remain in the situation L in which he was called. 21 Were you called while a slave? Don’t let it concern you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity. M 22 For he who is called by the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of people. 24 Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.
25 Now about virgins: N I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is faithful. 26 Because of the present distress, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 However, if you do get married, you have not sinned, and if a virgin A marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life, B and I am trying to spare you.
29 This is what I mean, brothers and sisters: The time is limited, so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none, 30 those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they didn’t own anything, 31 and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For this world in its current form is passing away.
QUOTE 7:29
The time to do the deeds we must do, or leave undone, flies swiftly past.
32 I want you to be without concerns. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord — how he may please the Lord. 33 But the married man is concerned about the things of the world — how he may please his wife — 34 and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the things of the world — how she may please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but to promote what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.
36 If any man thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, C if she is getting beyond the usual age for marriage, and he feels he should marry — he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will) and has decided in his heart to keep her as his fiancée, will do well. 38 So then he who marries D his fiancée does well, but he who does not marry E will do better.
39 A wife is bound F as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants — only in the Lord. 40 But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
7:29 “The time is limited.” First, this statement warns, next it suggests, then it inspires, and lastly it alarms. Paul warns because if we knew the real worth of time we would shrink from the smallest waste of so precious a thing. We cannot afford to lose it in senseless talk, idle gossip, or scandals. I wish it could be said of us that we wasted neither an hour of our own time nor an hour of other people’s time. By the brevity of time and by the rapidity of its flight, I admonish all of us to invest each hour in some profitable manner that, when past, it may not be lost. “The time is limited” also suggests that we have no time for dreary intervals spent in wandering and backsliding, for retracing our steps in repenting of evil, for becoming lukewarm and then rekindling our former commitment.
“The time is limited” also should inspire us. It ought to fire us with zeal for immediate action. The time to do the deeds we must do, or leave undone, flies swiftly past. “The time is limited” for others as well. I want to ring this sentence louder and louder in our ears that it may inspire us to pray for immediate conversions. Then seeing that “the time is limited,” let us bear with patience the ills that trouble us. Are we poor? “The time is limited.” Does the bitter cold pierce through our scanty garments? “The time is limited.” Is illness beginning to prey on our trembling frame? “The time is limited.” Are we unkindly treated by our relatives? Do our associates revile and our neighbors mock us? “The time is limited.” Have we to bear evil treatment from an ungenerous world? “The time is limited.” Do cruel taunts try our tempers? “The time is limited.” We are traveling at express speed and will soon be beyond the reach of all the incidents and happenings that disturb and distract us. Since “the time is limited” in which we can hold any possessions in this terrestrial sphere, let us not love anything here below too fondly. “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out” (1Tm 6:7). “The time is limited” should inspire us who are of the household of faith with the most joyous expectations because its fulfillment is near.
“The time is limited” also should alarm us. For those who have not believed in Christ and embraced the gospel, “the time is limited.” There is not time enough to spare. Time is rushing on swiftly but silently. It soon will be lost for all eternity.
C 7:1 Lit “It is good for a man not to touch a woman
D 7:2 Lit because of immoralities
E 7:5 Other mss add fasting and to
G 7:10 Or separate from, or divorce
J 7:16 Or Wife, how do you know that you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know that you will save your wife?
M 7:21 Or But even though you can become free, make the most of your position as a slave
N 7:25 Or betrothed, or those not yet married
8Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by him.
4 About eating food sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” A and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth — as there are many “gods” and many “lords” — 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from him, and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him.
7 However, not everyone has this knowledge. Some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not bring us close to God. B We are not worse off if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. 9 But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged C to eat food offered to idols? 11 So the weak person, the brother or sister for whom Christ died, is ruined D by your knowledge. 12 Now when you sin like this against brothers and sisters and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother or sister to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother or sister to fall.
9Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, because you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife E like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas? 6 Or do only Barnabas and I have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock?
8 Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain. F Is God really concerned about oxen? 10 Isn’t he really saying it for our sake? Yes, this is written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes should thresh in hope of sharing the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 12 If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right; instead, we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.
15 For my part I have used none of these rights, nor have I written these things that they may be applied in my case. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach G — and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my rights in the gospel.
19 Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law — though I myself am not under the law A — to win those under the law. 21 To those who are without the law, like one without the law — though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ — to win those without the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.
QUOTE 9:22
Churches that do not care for outsiders quickly suffer from disunity and strife. What unites a church completely is the calling out of all its forces for accomplishing the Redeemer’s grand objective. This passion for saving souls not only employs but also draws forth the strength of the church.
24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. 26 So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
9:22 “So that I may by every possible means save some.” The passion for saving sinners is implanted into believers for at least three reasons. First, for God’s glory. To change sinful people so they pant after an increase of holiness, to render stubborn wills eager for the spread of obedience, and to make wandering hearts earnest for the establishment of the abiding kingdom of the Redeemer—these are mighty feats of the divine grace of God and bring all glory to him. Second, the passion for saving souls is implanted in believers for the church’s good. There can be no doubt that the passion for winning souls expends the church’s energy in a healthy manner. Churches that do not care for outsiders quickly suffer from disunity and strife. What unites a church completely is the calling out of all its forces for accomplishing the Redeemer’s grand objective. This passion for saving souls not only employs but also draws forth the strength of the church. It awakens the church’s latent energies and arouses its noblest abilities. Communion in service and success welds the saints together and is one of the best securities for mutual love. As a common desire to defend their country welds all the regiments of an army into one, so the common desire to save souls makes all true believers akin to one another. But, third, this passion is most of all for the good of the individual possessing it. Work for Jesus keeps us strong in faith and intense in love to him. Soul-winning keeps the heart lively and preserves our warm youth in Christ. It is a mighty refresher to decaying love. Love for souls will, in the end, bring to all who have it the highest joy beneath the stars—the joy of knowing that they have been made the spiritual parents of others.
10Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness.
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did. A 7 Don’t become idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party. B,C 8 Let us not commit sexual immorality as some of them did, D and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died. 9 Let us not test Christ as some of them did E and were destroyed by snakes. 10 And don’t complain as some of them did, F and were killed by the destroyer. G 11 These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages H have come. 12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.
14 So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, since all of us share the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel. I Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I do say that what they J sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons! 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
23 “Everything is permissible,” K but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” K but not everything builds up. 24 No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.
25 Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, without raising questions for the sake of conscience, 26 since the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it. L 27 If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions for the sake of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This is food from a sacrifice,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. A 29 I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thanksgiving, why am I criticized because of something for which I give thanks?
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, 33 just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.
10:1-4 “Our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.” The possession of privileges is not everything. All those who were with Moses in the wilderness had privileges of a high order. Did they not all pass through the Red Sea and so escape from their powerful and cruel foes? Did they not all drink water that gushed from the flinty rock? Were they not all fed with manna from heaven? Yet their privileges did not save them, for while they had the five privileges mentioned in these four verses, they fell into the five great sins we read about in verses 6-10. And so their privileges, instead of being a blessing to them, only increased their condemnation.
10:13 “No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity.” Paul offered several comforts by which fainting spirits may be revived. First, none of us have been tried in any unusual way. We may think we have been tried more than others, but it is only our lack of knowledge of the trials of others that leads us to imagine our trials are unique.
Second, we have a far better source of comfort than that: “But God is faithful.” We are not faithful in the full sense of the term. But God is faithful to all his promises. What more do we need than the faithfulness of God to banish from our minds all dark forebodings?
Further comfort for a tried and tempted believer arises from God’s power, God’s judgment, and the restraint God puts on the temptation—“he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.” God has power to limit temptation. This is clear from the experience of Job. Who besides God knows how much we are able to bear? That God is master of the situation gives us great comfort.
Comfort also can be found in that God makes a provision for the tempted, a way of escape for his people—“with the temptation he will also provide a way out.” There is a proper way to escape from a temptation. There are many improper ways, and woe to the person who makes use of any of them. But there is only one proper way out, and that is the way God has made. The right way is always of God’s making and; therefore, any of us who are now exposed to temptation or trial are not to make our own way of escape out of it.
Finally, we can take comfort in the support God supplies in the trial—“so that you may be able to bear it.” Sometimes our way of escape is not to avoid the trial but to be able to bear it, knowing that if we must have the trial we will only have the beneficial part of it.
D 10:8 Lit them committed sexual immorality
G 10:10 Or the destroying angel
H 10:11 Or goals of the ages, or culmination of the ages
I 10:18 Lit Look at Israel according to the flesh
J 10:20 Other mss read Gentiles
A 10:28 Other mss add “For the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.”
11Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.
2 Now I praise you B because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, C and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. 5 Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman doesn’t cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her head be covered.
7 A man should not cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God. So too, woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. 9 Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man. 10 This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. 12 For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her D as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other E custom, nor do the churches of God.
17 Now in giving this instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 Indeed, it is necessary that there be factions among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 When you come together, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For at the meal, each one eats his own supper. F So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! 22 Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you in this matter!
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, A “This is my body, which is B for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body C and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, D eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep. 31 If we were properly judging ourselves, we would not be judged, 32 but when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be condemned with the world.
33 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, welcome one another. E 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather together you will not come under judgment. I will give instructions about the other matters whenever I come.
11:23 “I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.” From verses 23-26 we see the importance of the Lord’s Supper. It is important, first, because it was revealed by the Lord himself. Paul did not learn about the Lord’s Supper secondhand. The Lord was pleased to declare to Paul personally, directly, and distinctly how the Supper should be celebrated. After the Lord Jesus had gone up into glory, his revelations were few, yet this was one of them. Thus we may be certain he intended to surround this Supper with the utmost solemnity and authority.
Second, this Supper is important because Christ himself instituted it, and he set the first example for its observance. He first blessed and broke the bread. He first passed the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Remember, too, that he established it on a special occasion—“on the night when he was betrayed.” And remember, too, the importance of this ordinance because of the personal motive with which Jesus instituted it. He said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” He has left us a forget-me-not.
One more thing adds to the importance of this Supper: it is to be observed “until he comes.” This was not an ordinance merely for the first Christian centuries. We must keep on gathering at his table, giving thanks, breaking bread, and proclaiming his death until the trumpet of the archangel startles us—“until he comes.”
11:26 “You proclaim the Lord’s death.” In speaking of this proclamation, we should consider, first, what is proclaimed; second, how it is proclaimed; and third, how long it is to be proclaimed. The Supper proclaims “the Lord’s death.” We show, exhibit, demonstrate, set forth, symbolize, represent, and picture the death of Christ. His death is the heart of the gospel. He gave his life as a ransom for us sinners (Mk 10:45). This is a truth that must be proclaimed. If it is left out, people will not be saved.
As to how the Lord’s death is proclaimed, it is in the emblems themselves. Here are the bread and the fruit of the vine, separately—the bread, representing the flesh of Christ, the fruit of the vine, representing his blood. These elements of bread and wine, by being separated, are emblems of his suffering for us and for our sin, of his broken body and his shed blood.
As to how long Christ’s death is to be proclaimed through this Supper, it is “until he comes.” This teaches us that throughout all time there will be value in Christ’s wondrous death. God would not have us set forth a thing that is without value. The atonement is still efficacious; it is still full of power. We celebrate the ordinance until he comes because forgiveness through Christ’s death is still available for all who trust in him. By partaking of this Supper until Christ comes, we hold up this signpost to all who want to journey to heaven.
B 11:2 Other mss add brothers,
C 11:3 Or the husband is the head of the wife
F 11:21 Or eats his own supper ahead of others
A 11:24 Other mss add “Take, eat.
C 11:27 Lit be guilty of the body
D 11:29 Other mss read drinks unworthily, not discerning the Lord’s body
12Now concerning spiritual gifts: F brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God produces each gift in each person. 7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, A to another, interpretation of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.
12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body — so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by B one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and we were all given one Spirit to drink. 14 Indeed, the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. 19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you! ” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you! ” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. 23 And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, 24 which our respectable parts do not need.
Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, 25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, various kinds of tongues. C 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in other tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.
QUOTE 12:31-13:1
How little glory God often gets out of great gifts! Gifts may be prostituted to the vilest purposes, but love always brings glory to God’s holy name.
12:31-13:1 “Desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.” Two things are in the text. There is, first, a good way. And, second, there is “an even better way.” First, the good way is for each individual Christian to “desire the greater gifts.” Paul was referring to spiritual gifts—gifts we ask God for, gifts we may expect the Spirit of God to bestow on us, gifts that can be used in the church of Christ, gifts we desire to possess that we may use them to the glory of God.
A certain way may be good, but another way may be even better. Gifts are good, but love is better. We should desire spiritual gifts, but above all we should seek love—the best love, the noblest love, the greatest love—that is, love to God, love to fellow believers, and love to the church of God. This is “an even better way.” We should seek this love, first, because we need it. I do not know if we need all the gifts, but I am sure we need this love. Next, we should seek this love because we can have it. There is no limit to God’s love. Perhaps even though we covet earnestly the greater gifts, there may be some gifts we will never receive. But all can have love. We need to get more love, also, because we will then be more useful. I am not sure any of us would be more useful if we had more gifts. Not every gift makes a person useful, but I am sure divine love makes us useful. A gift is often barren, but love is always fruitful. We need to get more love so we will glorify God. How little glory God often gets out of great gifts! Gifts may be prostituted to the vilest purposes, but love always brings glory to God’s holy name. Remember, also, that though we are to desire great gifts, we will lose them one day. But if we have this love, we will keep it, and it will keep us. This divine love gives us the foretaste and pledge of glory. The person who is full of the majestic grace of divine love truly is blessed.
13If I speak human or angelic tongues A but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast B but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
QUOTE 13:7
It never proclaims the errors of others. It refuses to see faults unless it may kindly help in their removal. It stands in the presence of a fault with a finger on its lips.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see only a reflection C as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love — but the greatest of these is love.
13:7 “[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” The love of which so much is spoken of in this chapter is absolutely essential to true godliness. So essential is it that if we have everything else but do not have this love, it profits us nothing. This love is not the prerogative of a few, but it must be the possession of all believers. This love has four sweet companions. They are: tenderness that “bears all things,” faith that “believes all things,” hope that “hopes all things” and patience that “endures all things.”
Love “bears all things.” The word rendered “bear” might as correctly have been translated “covers.” This love both covers and bears all things. It never proclaims the errors of others. It refuses to see faults unless it may kindly help in their removal. It stands in the presence of a fault with a finger on its lips. It does not attempt to make a catalog of provocations.
Love “believes all things.” In reference to our fellow Christians, love always believes the best of them. This love believes good of others as long as it can, and when it is forced to fear that wrong has been done, love will not readily yield to evidence but will give the accused brother or sister the benefit of many doubts. Some persons habitually believe everything that is bad about others; they are not the children of love.
Love “hopes all things.” Love never despairs. We should never despair of our fellow Christians. As to the unconverted, we will never do anything with them unless we hope great things about them. We need to cultivate great hopefulness about sinners.
Love “endures all things.” This refers to a patient perseverance in loving. This is, perhaps, the hardest work of all, for many people can be affectionate and patient for a time, but the task is to hold on year after year. In reference to our fellow Christians, love holds out under all rebuffs. We endure not some things but all things for Christ’s sake. As to the unconverted, they may shut their ears and refuse to hear us—never mind, we can endure all things.
14Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. 2 For the person who speaks in another tongue D is not speaking to people but to God, since no one understands him; he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. E 3 On the other hand, the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, F encouragement, and consolation. 4 The person who speaks in another tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 I wish all of you spoke in other tongues, G but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.
6 So now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in other tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 7 Even lifeless instruments that produce sounds — whether flute or harp — if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized? 8 In fact, if the bugle makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle? 9 In the same way, unless you use your tongue for intelligible speech, how will what is spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, none is without meaning. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner A to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. 12 So also you — since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, B seek to excel in building up the church.
13 Therefore the person who speaks in another tongue should pray that he can interpret. 14 For if I pray in another tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing praise with the spirit, and I will also sing praise with my understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit, C how will the outsider D say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in other tongues more than all of you; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than ten thousand words in another tongue.
20 Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking. 21 It is written in the law,
I will speak to this people
by people of other tongues
and by the lips of foreigners,
and even then, they will not listen to me, E
says the Lord. 22 Speaking in other tongues, then, is intended as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church assembles together and all are speaking in other tongues and people who are outsiders or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or outsider comes in, he is convicted by all and is called to account by all. 25 The secrets of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is really among you.”
26 What then, brothers and sisters? Whenever you come together, each one F has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, another tongue, or an interpretation. Everything is to be done for building up. 27 If anyone speaks in another tongue, there are to be only two, or at the most three, each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, that person is to keep silent in the church and speak to himself and God. 29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should evaluate. 30 But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may learn and everyone may be encouraged. 32 And the prophets’ spirits are subject to the prophets, 33 since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women G should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but are to submit themselves, as the law also says. 35 If they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, since it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 36 Or did the word of God originate from you, or did it come to you only?
37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should recognize that what I write to you is the Lord’s command. 38 If anyone ignores this, he will be ignored. A 39 So then, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in other tongues. 40 But everything is to be done decently and in order.
D 14:2 language, also in vv. 4,13,14,19,26,27
E 14:2 Or in spirit, or in his spirit
G 14:5 languages, also in vv. 6,18,21,22,23,39
A 14:11 Gk barbaros, or barbarian
B 14:12 Lit zealous of spirits
C 14:16 Or praise by the Spirit
D 14:16 Lit the one filling the place of the uninformed
15Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. B 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, C he also appeared to me.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith. D 15 Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ — whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. 19 If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
20 But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For God has put everything under his feet. E Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. 28 When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? A If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them? B 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I face death every day, as surely as I may boast about you, brothers and sisters, in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. C 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Come to your senses D and stop sinning; for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come? ” 36 You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow — you are not sowing the body that will be, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he wants, and to each of the seeds its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. 41 There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; in fact, one star differs from another star in splendor. 42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; 43 sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; 44 sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written, The first man Adam became a living being; E the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is F from heaven. 48 Like the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; like the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.
50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory. G
55Where, death, is your victory?
Where, death, is your sting? H
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
QUOTE 15:58
Let us never think we have learned a doctrine until we have seen its fruit in our lives.
15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable.” In this chapter Paul dealt with the fact of the resurrection and argued in defense of it. Yet he closes with these words. This is a lesson for us. Let us never think we have learned a doctrine until we have seen its fruit in our lives. The text has in it two things—first, it mentions two great points of Christian character—“steadfast, immovable” and “always excelling in the Lord’s work.” And, second, it gives us a grand motive—“because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
The apostle has given us two terms descriptive of godly firmness. Each word has a distinct meaning. By “steadfast” the apostle means steadfast in the doctrines of the gospel. We are to know what we know and, knowing it, cling to it. We are to hold fast sound doctrine. But the apostle meant much more; he intended to urge us to be steadfast in character. Inasmuch as the resurrection doctrine is true, he urges us to keep to that holy living that is the natural inference from belief in eternal life and the judgment to come. We also need to be steadfast in the level of Christian maturity we have attained. We should never slip backward in our Christian lives. And we should be steadfast in our Christian work, persevering and enduring to the end. Let us, therefore, remain steadfast in doctrine, in character, in attainment, and in labor. The apostle added “immovable.” He supposes that our steadfastness will be tried, and he bids us remain unmovable. We are not to be moved by the world’s customs, by its persecutions, or by its approval.
The second characteristic of a Christian is “always excelling in the Lord’s work.” Every Christian ought to be engaged in the Lord’s work. In this work the apostle says we are to excel. And he says we are to be “always excelling.” Some Christians think it enough to excel on Sundays or only for a few years of their lives. The text calls this service “the Lord’s work,” and we must always bear this in mind so that, if we are enabled to excel in Christian service, we may never become proud but may remember that it is God’s work in us rather than our own work. And whatever we accomplish is accomplished by God in us rather than by us for God.
Finally, Paul identified the motive that urges us to be faithful in these duties. While there are a great many other motives, the one he mentioned is “because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” If we derive our motives for Christian labor or steadfastness from the things we see, our spirit will oscillate from enthusiasm to coldness. It will rise and fall with the circumstances around us. But we have gazed into another world where the resurrection will bring with it our reward. We are not fighting for a dead man’s cause. We have a living, reigning King!
B 15:2 Or believed without careful thought, or believed in vain
C 15:8 Or one whose birth was unusual
D 15:14 Or proclamation is useless, and your faith also is useless, or proclamation is empty, and your faith also is empty
A 15:29 Or baptized on account of the dead
B 15:29 Other mss read for the dead
16Now about the collection for the saints: Do the same as I instructed the Galatian churches. 2 On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he is prospering, so that no collections will need to be made when I come. 3 When I arrive, I will send with letters those you recommend to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it is suitable for me to go as well, they will travel with me.
5 I will come to you after I pass through Macedonia — for I will be traveling through Macedonia — 6 and perhaps I will remain with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go. 7 I don’t want to see you now just in passing, since I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a wide door for effective ministry has opened for me A — yet many oppose me. 10 If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear while with you, because he is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. 11 So let no one look down on him. Send him on his way in peace so that he can come to me, because I am expecting him with the brothers.
12 Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.
13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, B be strong. 14 Do everything in love.
15 Brothers and sisters, you know the household of Stephanas: They are the firstfruits of Achaia and have devoted themselves to serving the saints. I urge you 16 also to submit to such people, and to everyone who works and labors with them. 17 I am delighted to have Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus present, because these men have made up for your absence. 18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people.
19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla send you greetings warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home. 20 All the brothers and sisters send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 This greeting is in my own hand — Paul. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him. Our Lord, come! A 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.