Paul continues trying to put the Corinthians right.
Jewish heritage reviewed
1 Corinthians 10:1-14
No compromise in relation to the Lord’s Supper
1 Corinthians 10:15-22
Doing all to God’s glory
1 Corinthians 10:23-33, 11:1
Paul corrects some abuses
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Right and wrong celebration of the Lord’s Supper
1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 27-34
Use of Spiritual gifts
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Comparison with the human body
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
I was talking to a friend the other day about how much the Jewish heritage that Christians enjoy matters. He made the point that the first Gentile Christians didn’t know anything about it, so it was hardly vital. I wanted to say that it is still very important, and that I have learned so much from the Old Testament this year. Here is something that might add weight to my side of the argument - Paul drawing moral lessons from the stories of the children of Israel.
(Now my friend will have a good reply to that, I know, but it at least takes the debate forward!)
Moving on. Chapter 11. What is it all about?? It doesn’t seem to make any sense at all to me. I can only conclude that the problem here is that we are listening to one half of the conversation. I don’t see the significance of having your head covered, or not, and Paul, having just argued very pragmatically that eating meat offered to idols isn’t going to do you any harm and that you should on;y abstain to avoid upsetting others, is hardly likely to suddenly take the opposite side on an argument about head coverings. It must have come from something the Corinthians asked him, and we don’t know the context.
The stuff about the Lord’s Supper is much more direct and intelligible. What kind of “Holy Communion” is it if the rich people turn up and stuff their faces, and the poor people go home hungry? OK, they’ve all shared the bread and the wine together, and remembered Jesus’ death, but if that’s all they’ve shared, then their fellowship is very hollow. How often are we like this in church today? We turn up to share the most profound experience ever with each other, and then go home again without doing anything to understand each other, help each other, care for each other. It’s a mockery of a fellowship meal.
Spiritual gifts was obviously another of the Corinthians’ hangups. So Paul gives us some nice straightforward teaching. You’ve all got different gifts, so don’t be jealous of what somebody else haw got. You all need each other. Trust God to work it out.
Simples.
Jewish heritage reviewed
1 Corinthians 10:1-14
No compromise in relation to the Lord’s Supper
1 Corinthians 10:15-22
Doing all to God’s glory
1 Corinthians 10:23-33, 11:1
Paul corrects some abuses
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Right and wrong celebration of the Lord’s Supper
1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 27-34
Use of Spiritual gifts
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Comparison with the human body
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
I was talking to a friend the other day about how much the Jewish heritage that Christians enjoy matters. He made the point that the first Gentile Christians didn’t know anything about it, so it was hardly vital. I wanted to say that it is still very important, and that I have learned so much from the Old Testament this year. Here is something that might add weight to my side of the argument - Paul drawing moral lessons from the stories of the children of Israel.
(Now my friend will have a good reply to that, I know, but it at least takes the debate forward!)
Moving on. Chapter 11. What is it all about?? It doesn’t seem to make any sense at all to me. I can only conclude that the problem here is that we are listening to one half of the conversation. I don’t see the significance of having your head covered, or not, and Paul, having just argued very pragmatically that eating meat offered to idols isn’t going to do you any harm and that you should on;y abstain to avoid upsetting others, is hardly likely to suddenly take the opposite side on an argument about head coverings. It must have come from something the Corinthians asked him, and we don’t know the context.
The stuff about the Lord’s Supper is much more direct and intelligible. What kind of “Holy Communion” is it if the rich people turn up and stuff their faces, and the poor people go home hungry? OK, they’ve all shared the bread and the wine together, and remembered Jesus’ death, but if that’s all they’ve shared, then their fellowship is very hollow. How often are we like this in church today? We turn up to share the most profound experience ever with each other, and then go home again without doing anything to understand each other, help each other, care for each other. It’s a mockery of a fellowship meal.
Spiritual gifts was obviously another of the Corinthians’ hangups. So Paul gives us some nice straightforward teaching. You’ve all got different gifts, so don’t be jealous of what somebody else haw got. You all need each other. Trust God to work it out.
Simples.
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