First Corinthians

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First 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

  1. "...the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God...Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
  2. "'Food for the stomach and the stomach for food' -- but God will destroy them both..." (1 Corinthians 6:13)
  3. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31, from King James' Version)
  4. Paul indicates that a man should not cover his head and a woman should have a head covering in church: "Every man...with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman...with her head uncovered dishonors her head..." (1 Corinthians 11:4-5)
  5. "For we were all baptized by One Spirit into One Body -- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free -- and we were all given the One Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:13)
  6. "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2)
  7. "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11, from King James' Version)
  8. "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)
  9. "Do everything in love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

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:"

  1. "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (i.e., Judgment Day)." (1 Corinthians 1:7-8)
  2. "...the time is short...for this world in its present form is passing away." (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)
  3. "...warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages (i.e., the last days) has come." (1 Corinthians 10:11)
  4. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive...Then the end will come...The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:22-26)
  5. "...We will not all sleep (i.e., die), but we will all be changed (i.e., given heavenly bodies) -- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet...the dead will be raised imperishable (i.e., living forever; not to die), and we will be changed...imperishable..." (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

 

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