1 CORINTHIANS : This book is a letter to the church at Corinth (Greece) where Paul
instructs the members of this early group of Christians to stop arguing and tells them of
his plan to send Timothy to help them further. Paul instructs the church members about a
member who was living with his father's wife, saying that it was not his (or their)
business to judge those "outside the church": yet it was their business inside
the church -- the man should be expelled. (1 Corinthians 5) On marriage, Paul instructs
the church that it is all right not to marry, but usually it is best to be married and
that a wife must not leave her husband and the husband must not divorce his wife; if a
husband dies, the wife could marry, only if she marries a man who "belongs to the
Lord" (i.e, a Christian). (1 Corinthians 7) On the Jewish ceremony of circumcision,
Paul told the church members that it makes no difference whether a Christian has gone
through the ceremony. (1 Corinthians 7:18-19) On eating food that had been sacrificed to
idols, Paul said the main problem was that you might influence someone who thinks it is
wrong to still eat it (following your lead) -- and that when "...you sin against your
brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ." (1
Corinthians 8) On Communion (or Eucharist), Paul said that all who drink the cup of wine
are sharing together the blessing of Christ's blood and that the bread shows sharing of
the benefits of His body: "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death until He comes (i.e., returns)." (1 Corinthians
10:16-17;11:23-26) On speaking in unknown tongues, Paul said that was all right, yet
people should have an explanation also in ordinary language so that all the people will
understand and be helped. (1 Corinthians 14:13-19) Advising the church, Paul said that
women should be silent during the church meetings. (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)
In a detailed explanation of how will the dead arise again:
DEAD TO LIFE QUESTIONS - FROM THE SEED ARISES THE PLANT (1 Corinthians
15:35-58)
Paul told of our earthly bodies being replaced with a new body (like a green plant being
very different from the seed first planted) -- a superhuman, spiritual, heavenly body that
will never die. Paul further stated (1 Corinthians 15:50), "...flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God" and that, with the new heavenly bodies, "'Death has
been swallowed up in victory."' (1 Corinthians 15:54)
Paul said that profound words and high sounding ideas were not used in his sermons in
order to not dilute the simple message of the cross of Christ -- that Jesus died to save
those who are lost.
Several of Paul's other points include:
Paul further pointed out his belief in predestination, such as:
Paul told of the future events around his time (or even possibly yet to come now) of the "last
days:"