Agere Sequitur Esse

1 Corinthians

First Letter of Paul to the Church at Corinth.

1 Corinthians  1:1—16:31

Doctrines. 04:40 – Some bible scholars will say that there are two letters and there are other who will say that there are three letters, but the important thing is to go by what is in our King James Version of the NT. The main theological outline:

1. Christian faith calls for thoroughly Christian conduct by the believers.
2. Gifted leaders should never be followed in such a way as to divide the church.
3. Our bodies are a special dwelling place for the Spirit which we should always recognize that truth and live consistently with the presence of the Spirit within us.
4. Marriage is a sacred relationship and great care should be taken to maintain its strength.
5. Spiritual gifts are God’s gracious provision for the church and are always to be exercised in love.
6. One of the indispensable Christian distinctness is a hope of the resurrection of the dead.
7. Church discipline must be clearly understood and properly carried out by the church.

Conduct. Although this letter was written to address certain specific needs for the people at Corinth, it has tremendous spiritual value for us today. The hearts of the people have not changed and neither have the principles in which God works. Paul dealt with practical problems in such a way that we have strong principles and guidelines by which we can measure our lives and our conduct with which we can deal with difficult situations in the modern church and world. We face the same essential issues today that we read out in this letter that Paul wrote.

Gifted Leadership. We have the same tendencies to build factions, we gather around what we consider to be gifted leaders and follow them. This is a real danger than should be avoided. With radio and television that bring so many leaders into our homes and with pastors and teachers receiving so much public exposure this can be a real problem. We dare not glorify humans. We should magnify only the cross of our Lord and warns of the dangers of lifting people too high. Our own pagan and carnal society continues to influence our lives today.

Bodily Temples. We should emphasize the spiritual nature of our faith and be constantly reminded of the demands of the gospel and for holy conduct and behavior by all believers. Our bodies are sacred temples in which the Spirit dwells.

Sanctity of Marriage. There is tremendous pressure being brought about in the homes today. Immorality and unfaithfulness are commonplace. Serial marriages are becoming accepted as normal and the prospects of the future seem to indicate a continuing lack of support for the Christian family. The teachings of First Corinthians concerning marriage and immorality and guidelines given by Paul should be given great emphasis in our society today because they do apply to our society today.

Spiritual Gifts. One of the significant problems we face today is the abuse of spiritual gifts. This abuse threatens great harm to the church. Paul dealt openly and specifically with this area and gave strong direction that could protect the church and ensure maximum good for the use of these gifts in the church.

Resurrection. Paul’s doctrinal teaching reminds us of the need for doctrinal purity. The great doctrine such as the resurrection of the dead are basic to every age. Proper understanding of doctrinal truths will keep us on the path of ministry and on the path of service to which God has called us and will keep us from becoming victims of influences of the carnal world.

Church Discipline. One of the great applications to us today is in the area of church discipline. High standards should be set and maintained for church membership by every church. Certainly, a high standard for membership must be a reality if we are to have a healthy church life and do God’s will.

Refs.

1. Seay, William. 2019. New Testament Theology [MP3]. Andersonville Theological Seminary (ATS). Camilla, GA: ATS