Week 5: Corinthians
February 23, 2021
Welcome to Week 5! This week we will be in 1 and 2 Corinthians (we'll finish 2 Corinthians next week). The church in Corinth had been in communication with Paul and had lots of questions (and some problems). Paul's letters to the church in Corinth are filled with all kinds of pastoral wisdom for a church trying to find its way. 1 Corinthians ends with the wonderful message of resurrection (chapter 15). In some ways, things haven't changed much. Many of the same issues facing the church in Corinth are still facing the church today. Despite the challenges we face, we join with Paul in saying, "Thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Just a word of encouragement: Keep at it! Even if you're falling a little behind, that's OK. Keep reading. I'm praying that all of us receive a rich blessing from being in God's Word together.
As you read, keep in mind our reading questions. Use these as general questions to keep in mind as we read to help formulate your reflections, observations, and questions.
Our guiding questions are these:
- What stood out to you in the reading?
- Was there anything confusing or troubling?
- Did anything make you think differently about God?
- How might what you read change the way you live?
Please post a comment below with some of your questions, comments, and reflections from this week's reading.
It's interesting to me that in 1 Cor. 1 we are reminded of the foolishness of man's wisdom. Our world today is running on man's wisdom and where is that getting us?
ReplyDeleteHuman wisdom is always fallible. I think back to the Old Testament and the Israelites asking for an earthly king. That didn't work out so well, either. I wonder how the church (followers of Jesus) can speak into our current issues and become a voice that influences rather than a voice that is rejected.
DeleteI pray that the church and we as Christians can speak into the culture and change things for the better. Which brings me to one of my questions today. I feel many churches are complicit in some of the darkness in the culture by approving some of the ungodly things going on in our culture. In 1 Cor. 9:19 Paul says if he takes no money from people he doesn't have to obey them. I have a friend who is a Pres. pastor who feels pressure to fill the pews and he says he has to be open minded to do that.
DeleteI also wondered why Paul was so sure the age was drawing to a close that he recommenced against marriage?
And I didn't realize the apostles brought their wives with them - 1 Cor. 9:5.
Just some thoughts!
Great thoughts and questions! I have heard of some pastors who refuse to take a salary because taking a salary would make them uncomfortable saying some things in a sermon. If you're not getting paid, the thought goes, they can't fire you, so you can say what you want. There's some merit to that line of thinking; however, Paul is clear in 1 Corinthians 9 that those who preach the gospel should be paid. Sadly, some denominations base their pay scales on the size of the congregation.
DeleteThe prevailing thought in the early church was that Christ would return soon. That was part of the problem addressed in 1 & 2 Thessalonians. They thought Christ would return soon, but he didn't, and then some of their loved ones passed away. They were concerned that their deceased loved ones would not experience Christ's return and the new heaven/new earth. By the time we get to Revelation (likely the last Bible book written), they seem to have accepted the fact that Christ was not coming back immediately.
I had never noticed that verse from 1 Cor 9:5. We know that Peter was married when he was Jesus' disciple because we have the account of Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14ff). I'm of the opinion that most of the disciples were young (teenagers) when they followed Jesus, so it's likely that Peter was the only one who was married at the time of Jesus. But as they started the church, they were older and were likely married. I never thought of them taking their wives with them, either.
Why are so many churches stepping away from God's truth today? Does it have anything to do with getting people in the pews so pastors are paid? I know it is getting harder for pastors to stay in the truth with all the cultural pressures on them.
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DeleteI would say there are a few factors. The first is biblical illiteracy. In many churches, the leaders are lay people; the pastor does not have authority to act on his/her own (generally this is a good thing). However, when the leaders are more literate when it comes to our culture than they are in scripture, bad decisions get made. We can't be guided by scripture unless we know what it says. The second is institutionalism. Churches have become enterprises. We have a church in Fremont that "brands" itself and frequently sells merchandise so people can market their brand around town. That isn't a bad thing in itself, but it's something you have to do carefully and thoughtfully. The only way for some churches to continue bringing people in, they think, is by casting as wide a net as possible. The only way to maintain multi-million dollar budgets is with lots of people in attendance. Of course, Jesus welcomed "tax collectors and sinners," so we should do the same. However, Jesus was clear that while he welcomed them and showed them grace, they couldn't stay that way. An encounter with the living Jesus has to result in change.
DeleteThere were a couple of things that touched me in Thessalonians. Thessalonians 1 the end of verse 10. He is Jesus, who saves us from Gods angry judgement that is coming.
ReplyDeleteThen I loved the way Paul ended his letters. Chapter 5 verse 28. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Great observation! I hadn't made that connection. Thanks for pointing that out.
DeleteI also liked how Paul was speaking to the thessalonians. But it felt like he was talking to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful when Scripture speaks directly to us!
DeletePastor Drew, can you shed some light on I Cor. 14: 34-35 and why the church has walked away from this passage?
ReplyDelete