His Word is a Lamp: 1st Corinthians

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was a letter of encouragement for them, correction on certain issues, and instruction on other issues. It was a reminder that God had enriched them in all speech and knowledge and that they were not lacking any gift in Christ (1 Cor. 1:5-7). 

Among the major exhortations that Paul gave to the Corinthian Church:

• They were not to have divisions among themselves (parts of ch. 1-3)
• They were not to have lawsuits among themselves (ch. 6)
• They were to flee sexual immorality (ch. 5)
• They also were to prefer one another in love as the Body of Christ (as seen in the food sacrificed to idols portion in ch. 10 and in the exercising of their spiritual gifts in ch. 12-14).

Paul spends the entirety of chapter 15 teaching about the Resurrection of Christ and our hope of salvation and resurrection based on His victory over the grave. This is to correct false thinking that had slipped into the church that there was no resurrection of the body. Paul quickly corrects this thinking by noting that if there is no resurrection of the body, then not even Christ has been raised from the dead (1. Cor. 15:16) and if that’s the case, then our faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:17-19).

Thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, as we know, Christ is raised!

As Paul writes, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." (1 Cor. 15:3-4, ESV) So then, we can confidently move forward in our faith, based on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the Resurrection power He has given to us. It’s all because of Jesus and through Him that we have fellowship with the Father and can live out the Christian life. I think that is why Paul includes, as a reference to the Isthmian Games, the encouragement in 1 Corinthians 9:24, to run in a way to win the prize, to do what it takes to go the distance in our relationships with Jesus.

Let’s keep running this race together,
Pastor Andy

Please start reading 2 Corinthians for Sunday. 

Questions for Reflection:

1. Paul reminds the Corinthians that “we have the mind of Christ” (2:16). What do you think it means to have “the mind of Christ”? How does that impact the life of a believer?
2. Paul mentions several times that the Corinthians had been sanctified in Christ (1:2,30). Consider, if you are in Christ, what does sanctification look like in your life? As a reminder, sanctification means to be separated from sin and devoted unto God in the power of the Holy Spirit.
3. What else stood out to you from 1 Corinthians?

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