First Epistle to the Corinthians

Paul commences his letter to “the Church of God that is in Corinth” as he thanks the Corinthians for their efforts and faithfulness (Corinthians 1:2). However despite making such assertions, the author of this letter directly proceeds to list the problems that had arisen among such converts. The first issue addressed is the division existent within the church. It has been brought to the author’s attention that the Church of Corinth has become divided between the preachers of Cephas (Paul) and…

applies to 1 Cor 14:34-35. There is an absolute application that would not fit with anything else in scripture. For example, a literal application would forbid women from praying or prophesying which would contradict 1 Cor 11:2-4. The context of Corinthians is dealing with specific problems, and this needs to be treated as an address of something specific. The Timothy passage is one that makes for some of the same contradictions when applied literally or even conservatively. For example, the…

choices that involve nutrition, time management, and other physical and mental aspects of wellness. As image bearers, we have the responsibility to honor our Creator through respecting our bodies in a manner that affects our physical health. 1 Corinthians 10:31 reads, “So whether you eat…

For the church in Thessalonica, there were some unique circumstances which had warranted an address from Paul. Writing to the Thessalonians from Corinth, a notoriously licentious seaport, Paul had known well of the moral corruption that his new converts were also constantly exposed to in the seaport of Thessalonica. His letter, appropriately warning the new converts, is timely for mostly those of whom had only very recently lived in the low moral standards of the common pagan world around them.…

into the conversation, the issue becomes less black and white. The passages that traditionally dominate discourse on this topic typically include Paul’s argument for a woman’s veil, her place in a household, and her rights in a place of worship. At first glace these issues certainly lean heavily against Paul. However, applying crucial components into the understanding of the apostle’s writing begin to reveal him as somewhat…

Spiritual Gifts and Unity in Christ from 1st Corinthians 12: 1-31 Paul’s words in his letter to the Corinthian church, lays an emphasis on the virtue and need for unity within these community of believers as it relates to the diverse operations of spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12:1-31). This is because spiritual gifts and unity are interconnected and vital to their church experience and Christian life. According to him, our effectiveness as the church of Jesus Christ lies in our willingness to…

Patricia Era Bath “There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only sound left is your heart. So you’d better learn the sound of it. Otherwise you’ll never know what it’s saying.” - Sarah Dessen. To make a change, one must learn the sound of their heart. Patricia Era Bath studied ophthalmology in Massachusetts at Harvard College in 1981 after she learned that African Americans have more eye problems than White People. Not many years afterward, she created the Laserphaco Probe. She…

Paul’s first letter, as from this will stem the proper behavior of glorifying God through loving others and behaving appropriately. Therefore, St. Paul’s inferred thesis is to glorify God in our bodies by remaining sexually moral, socially proper, and loving selflessly. St. Paul tells us in the letter to live by the wisdom of God and the Gospel that he speaks on behalf of Jesus (1 Corinthians 2), living sexually moral lives in marriage, families and…

Not a Day Sooner In every encounter, people who cross our path leave a part of themselves with us. Their words, wisdom, or humour is a gift of God. I find that the Holy Spirit will call to remembrance some of these unusual moments to illustrate a truth or impress a teaching upon the heart of another, and all we are doing is telling a story. Jesus was a master real-life storyteller, and that is why His teachings impact us in life today. There is a Christian commentator who hosts a program…

Journal #5 I really enjoyed reading 1 Corinthians during this past unit. It is a book that I very often read bits and pieces from, but do not typically take the tame to read straight through. I have been finding it notably refreshing to read the entirety of Bible books in this study, and doing so with 1 Corinthians was no exception. My main takeaway from reading Paul 's letter can be summed up in this question: Where is your focus? The culture that Paul was writing to in Corinth was very…