◄ 1 Corinthians Devotional Commentary ►

1 Corinthians 1:2

This verse was not only a blessing to the believers at Corinth but to all Christians; to all who have been saved by grace through faith. This truth is a blessing to all who have been born from above and are part of the Church of God, for this verse reminds us that ALL Christian are sanctified in Christ. All are saints of God and set apart unto Him, for we are all united with Christ, and all are positionally set apart in Him.

Oh, read more...

1 Corinthians 1:5

The little words every and all seem so insignificant, and yet what a tremendous reach they have in our lives and what joy should fill our hearts knowing that in EVERY way we are enriched in Jesus, not only in a few or some or many ways, but in every way. 

To enrich means to improve or enhance the quality or value of something. It gives us a deeper, fuller life experience or a more satisfying taste in a recipe. read more...

1 Corinthians 1:8

In Christ, we have the confidence that God will confirm, strengthen, and sustain, each one of His children. We have a promise that He will keep us blameless in the day of Christ Jesus. This is a promise of God, which is given to all who have trusted Christ by grace through faith in His finished work at Calvary.

This is a promise from God, which does not depend on what we do for Him, but on what Christ has done for us. God in His read more...

1 Corinthians 1:9

We are the called of God, the chosen of God, the elect of God, and enriched by God's grace simply because we believe God's Word and trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. And God is faithful and just to fulfil all that He has promised to those that are called and chosen, to those that trust His Word.

It was God Who planned the redemption of mankind before the foundation of the world, and by the grace of God, through read more...

1 Corinthians 1:10

We are all called by God to be holy and set apart unto Him but we are also called into fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters in Christ. We are urged to be of the same mind and the same judgment.

The divisions and disunity that was evident within the Corinthian church so long ago, is equally conspicuous in the Body of Christ today, and Paul lovingly exhorts each one of us to agree amongst ourselves so that there is no read more...

1 Corinthians 1:12

The Christian Church is one Body of believers who are all united together under One Head; Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, and He is the Chief Shepherd of the flock. Jesus is the singular Leader of the Church and Captain of our salvation Who was made perfect through His sufferings, on our account.

Sadly, however, there are men, ministries, and even denominations that allow division read more...

1 Corinthians 1:17

Baptism was not the focus of Paul's apostolic ministry. His primary objective was to preach the saving truth of Christ crucified and the immense power of His glorious Resurrection. He told us that all who were once were far away from God, could be brought near by faith in the blood of Christ; a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.

Though baptism is a beautiful outward sign of a miraculous inner change effected read more...

1 Corinthians 1:18

Philosophical wisdom in Paul's culture, was almost as highly prized as the pop stars and sportsmen and sportswomen of today, but the same saving gospel message of the Cross that Paul preached 2000 years ago, still has the same astonishing, antithetical effect in our own lives and cultures.

The message of the Cross is foolish folly to the unsaved masses in society today. To those who are lost and perishing, to those who have not read more...

1 Corinthians 1:19

It was Isaiah who first prophesied: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent," when he denounced the 'clever' men of the court who were encouraging the king of Judah to make an alliance with Egypt against Assyria, rather than trusting the Lord their God for protection.

And the same warning had to be reiterated by Paul to the carnal Christians at Corinth who, read more...

1 Corinthians 1:20

The message of the Cross is foolishness to those that are perishing in a world that is estranged from the One Who created them. In place of the wisdom of God, they espouse a worldly wisdom which is rooted in man-made, egotistical philosophies which carefully circumvent everything to do with the death of Christ and His glorious Resurrection. But the truth is that Christ's death and Resurrection is the foundation upon which our Christian faith is established.

read more...

1 Corinthians 1:21

The world at large prides itself on its vast knowledge, extensive understanding, and great wisdom, and yet the accumulated expertise and vast intelligence of fallen man has pronounced war against the Almighty, and proclaimed that there is no God, that 'God is dead', or that 'I am god!'

But God in His infinite wisdom has taken the prideful proclamations of fallen man and rendered them fools in His own eyes: "The fool has said read more...

1 Corinthians 1:22

The theme of this chapter is the doctrine of the Cross and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Paul writes a critique of this glorious gospel of God as it relates to those that are perishing; who consider the Cross of Christ to be foolishness. But he also gives an evaluation of those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ; who recognise the message of the Cross as the power of God for salvation, to God's eternal glory and praise.

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1 Corinthians 1:23

There is no more sublime truth than the message of the Cross, and yet we see a complete misunderstanding of the simple gospel of Christ, both during His own earthly ministry and throughout the apostolic letters that were written to the Church. The message of the Cross was a stumbling block to Israel, then as now, and the gospel of God remains foolishness to the unbelieving Gentile, now as then.

There is a fundamental read more...

1 Corinthians 1:24

Man cannot, through his own wisdom, knowledge, and learning, come to an understanding of the incredible significance of the Cross and the glorious plan of salvation which the Triune God purposed and planned in the eternal council chambers before the foundation of the world.

Man in the arrogance in his own prideful understanding, is increasingly dismissive of the Cross of Calvary, the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and the read more...

1 Corinthians 1:25

In the beginning, man believed the satanic lie and sought independence from God. Over the years, man has come to the conclusion that through accumulated knowledge, human wisdom, astute negotiations, intellectual excellent, philosophical thinking, or clever planning he could circumnavigate his need to depend upon God and so began his futile quest to develop a human excellence that excludes God. But this can only result in a devastating and destructive downfall.

1 Corinthians 1:26

The focal theme and central thrust of all Paul's epistles is the message of the Cross; the good news of the gospel of Christ. However, Paul in his letter to the Corinthians gives two opinions of the Cross of Christ: as unsaved men view it and as God views it.

To those that are perishing (the unsaved) the Cross and its message are viewed as foolishness. However, God views the Cross as wisdom; true wisdom that is hidden from those read more...

1 Corinthians 1:27

The message of the Cross cuts to the quick of human boasting, selfishness, and pride. It brings to nothing the wisdom of the wise. It silences the brilliance of the philosopher and dismantles the strength of brutish men who are mighty in their own inflated eyes.

God has ordained that lasting wisdom comes from the preaching of the Cross; for the power and wisdom of God is from above and can only be found in Jesus Christ and Him read more...

1 Corinthians 1:28

There are many occasions in Scripture when God uses simple things or unschooled people... whom the world considers foolish or juvenile, to undertake an assignment and forward His plans and purposes. It was in his letter to the Corinthians that Paul highlights this important issue when he wrote, "God has chosen the base things of the world and the things that are despised... God has chosen the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that read more...

1 Corinthians 1:29

Sin is so terrible in the sight of God, that Paul determined to explain the shockingly high price that God in His grace chose to pay to redeem mankind so that no-one could ever boast that they were saved because of their good works. There are none that are good, and not one can brag that their kindly deeds, financial contribution, pious prayers, saintly religiosity, or ecclesiastical duties contributed towards their forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.

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1 Corinthians 1:30

The moment we were born again, the Holy Spirit baptised us into Christ. He positioned us in Christ, and we exchanged all that we were for all that He is. As members of His Body, we became one with Him.

When God looks at believers, He sees the perfection of Christ, the wisdom of Christ, and the righteousness of Christ, for we are one with Him. God sees nothing of what we were, for positionally He only sees Christ in us and God has read more...

1 Corinthians 1:31

Like so much of the Church today, these Christians in Corinth were not living the life of holiness and humility to which we have all been called, but had allowed the standards, morals, and attitudes of the world to infiltrate their position in Christ.

Divisions, strife, contentions, and splits within the Body had shattered their unity in the Lord Jesus. Immorality was accepted and unchecked. Spiritual pride had become pervasive as read more...

1 Corinthians 2:1

How the flesh likes to be applauded by other people: "how well you sang," "that was a very encouraging sermon," "what a lovely devotional you wrote," "you pray so beautifully," etc etc.

Oh! how the flesh likes to be applauded by other people. But Paul in this verse clearly demonstrated God's method of doing things, when he wrote: "I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with read more...

1 Corinthians 2:2

When lives are lived on the un-sanctified wisdom of the world and people allow the clever oratory skills and philosophies of men to influence their own thought processes, in preference to the Word of God, those lives will be characterised by spiritual weakness, doctrinal error, and a tendency towards an inflated ego.

Paul was a man of many talents and had acquired much worldly wisdom and religious knowledge. Paul was a logical read more...

1 Corinthians 2:3

Corinth was a city of great orators and intellectual philosophers. It was a place where credibility was founded on one's academic ability, educational prowess, intellectual stature, and oratory skills. Paul however, had determined that he would not speak to the people in Corinth about God with flowery words or convincing arguments. He did not proclaim the gospel with great wisdom or politically persuasive rhetoric. Paul determined to know nothing except Jesus read more...

1 Corinthians 2:4

The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. And when Paul proclaimed the gospel message, it was not some convincing figment of man's imagination designed to tickle itching ears, nor was it a persuasive proclamation that was founded on worldly words of human wisdom.

The message that Paul delivered was a demonstration of the power of God as the Holy Spirit worked read more...

1 Corinthians 2:5

Human instinct is to rely on self, but Paul was humbled before the mighty hand of God and quickly learned that the wisdom of the world, which is so prized by men, is foolishness before God. Our physical abilities, human wisdom, and mental capacities, are of no account before the omniscient power of our holy and just God.

So when Paul first arrived in Corinth to preach the Word, he didn't dazzle them with superiority of speech or read more...

1 Corinthians 2:6

The focus of Paul's teaching was Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It was not using any persuasive words or relying on human wisdom, that motivated Paul in his ministry... nor was it his eloquent preaching style that exposed Paul's inner strength and godly wisdom.

His unswerving dedication to preach the pure gospel of God, in spirit and truth, was a demonstration of the indwelling Holy Spirit working powerfully in a consecrated read more...

1 Corinthians 2:7

The Corinthian Christians were a group of believers who delighted in their outwards gifts and talents... to the exclusion of an inner spirituality which centred on Jesus Christ and which would produce in them, the beautiful fruit of the Spirit... which is rooted and grounded in love.

By remaining immersed in division, discord, and even depravity, these believers identified themselves as carnal Christians who had reverted to read more...

1 Corinthians 2:8

The wisdom of God is very different from the wisdom of this age. Worldly wisdom, demonic wisdom, human wisdom, and wisdom that comes from the fallen rulers of this age (whether it be from the demonic spiritual realm or their human agents through whom they implement their nefarious plans), wisdom that is not from God is foolishness.

The wisdom of God is spiritually discerned and is only given to His blood-bought children. Indeed, read more...

1 Corinthians 2:9

Unregenerate man in his wisdom failed to know God, and so the wisdom of God is hidden to those that are perishing. Certain mysteries which were revealed to Paul for the Church were been hidden from the Old Testament prophets of God from before the foundation of the world, such as: "Christ in you the hope of glory." But many truths and teachings that were given to God's people Israel are also referenced in the New Testament, and we should pay read more...

1 Corinthians 2:13

Paul did not teach the wisdom of the age. He did not speak a message that emanated from human wisdom. Paul spoke out God's secret wisdom which had been hidden for ages and generations but has now been revealed to all who have trusted Christ for salvation. This wisdom from above is recorded in the Holy Scriptures and is freely available to whosoever will take the time and effort to seek it out.

God has revealed His wisdom to us by read more...

1 Corinthians 2:14

Paul gives a description of two types of Christians; the spiritual and the carnal. One is walking in spiritual and truth while the other is functioning in the flesh or under the law. One is dying to self while the other is living for self. One is being led and guided by the Holy Spirit while the other is resisting, quenching or grieving the Spirit of God. One is maturing in the faith while the other remains a spiritual baby, who is foolishly embroiled in worldly read more...

1 Corinthians 2:15

The Corinthians Christians had some serious misunderstandings about Paul's message and ministry, which gave rise to division within the church, immoral activities among its members, a selfish, self-serving attitude, and the stunting of their spiritual growth. The divisive, self-seeking behaviour of these carnal believers, dishonoured the Lord and was destructive to the Body of Christ.

Although positionally sanctified, they were read more...

1 Corinthians 2:16

Creation, redemption, the eternal ages to come, and all the mighty acts of God, were conceived in the eternal mind of the incomprehensible Lord. His purposes and plans were birthed into reality from the day that Adam sinned, and then were transmitted to us through holy men of God, who penned the written the Word of God, for our learning.

No-one can instruct the read more...

1 Corinthians 3:1

There was disorder in the church at Corinth and division within the congregation. The teachings that Paul had given to these believers was being ignored. They had become carnal and needed their minds to be renewed and their hearts to be transformed into the likeness of Christ.

They were focused on themselves, instead of looking to Jesus. read more...

1 Corinthians 3:3

Paul teaches that there are two types of people in the world, the saved and the unsaved. But he then expands his teaching to show that believers also fall into two categories, spiritual Christians and carnal Christians. Those that are growing and maturing in the faith are called "spiritual," and those that are not are labelled "carnal."

The meaning that Paul applies to the word "spiritual" is read more...

1 Corinthians 3:4

Paul was very concerned about the disorder, division, and internal disputes that were erupting in the Corinthian Church. It seems that little groups or different sects were forming within the Body of Christ, with each one stating their preference for a different leader.

Some were arguing that Apollos was a superior teacher to Paul and vice read more...

1 Corinthians 3:9

HOW ASTONISHING, that we are fellow-workers with God. We are His field and His holy building! Through us, He wants to bring forth fruit for our eternal benefit - to bring forth 10-fold, 50-fold, 100-fold fruit. We are living stones that are being built into a holy habitation for the Lord. He desires to use us for His greater glory and by His grace, has taken up residence within our mortal bodies, as He supernaturally conforms us read more...

1 Corinthians 3:11

During His earthly ministry, Peter confessed, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Father had revealed this wonderful truth to Peter, and it was upon this stupendous revelation that Christ would build His church. The foundation of the Church would be built on the one and only Rock of Salvation, "and upon this Rock I will build my Church," were the words of Christ, "and the gates of hell read more...

1 Corinthians 3:15

As believers, we are saved by grace through faith, and once we are part of God's family, we are to mature in the faith and to live our Christian life as unto the Lord. As believers, our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are living stones being built up into a spiritual house.

Having started our Christian pilgrimage by grace through faith, we are to continue living our Christian life the same way. We do this by depending read more...

1 Corinthians 3:16

It is an amazing privilege as well as a huge responsibility to realise that as Christians our frail, human body is a temple of God. One result of trusting in Jesus as Saviour is to have God's Holy Spirit come and take up permanent residence within our mortal frame.

In warning the carnal Christians in Corinth that they were seeking to build up the Church by means of their own might and wisdom rather than the wisdom and strength of read more...

1 Corinthians 3:19

Paul plunges into a section of disciplinary teaching in this chapter, because of the shocking divisions that were taking place within the congregation. Their behaviour towards each other reflected the carnality of the unsaved, causing petty jealousies and strife to divide them.

When Christians behave like the unsaved, it mars their testimony, stunts their spiritual growth, and causes the Holy Spirit to be quenched in their lives read more...

1 Corinthians 3:21

Paul was the apostle appointed by God to reveal many mysteries to the Church that had been hidden from man's understanding and which the former prophets of old longed to look into. Paul is a teacher who builds up the theme of his teaching in a logical progression which has its ultimate focus on the face of the lovely Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel of grace.

Having reiterated the principal that God is the source of all wisdom and read more...

1 Corinthians 3:23

When we get our eyes off the Lord, our eyes are on the wrong things.

The believers in Corinth had taken their eyes off the Lord and were arguing about the qualities or deficiencies of their favourite teachers and preachers. Some preferred Paul's style, and others were more partial to Apollos or Peter. How foolish it was of them to take their eyes off the singular subject of Scripture and squabble about the credentials of the read more...

1 Corinthians 3:23

Christ is the anointed of God - the Messiah - the One chosen by the Father to be pre-eminent among humanity. A perfect Man Who alone can save us from our sins and bestow upon us eternal life. If we belong to Christ and He belongs to God, it is beholden upon us to know more and more of Him.

When we start to look to Who Christ is and how He impacts every aspect of our life and death, we discover that there is nothing more vital read more...

1 Corinthians 4:1

It was necessary for Paul to send a strong and rather formal letter of correction to the Christians at Corinth because they had fallen into sin, which was causing a serious division within the congregation. They had become embroiled in fleshly arguments based on human wisdom, which is so contrary to the way a child of God who is walking in spirit and truth should behave.

Many in the Church were demonstrating spiritual immaturity read more...

1 Corinthians 4:2

The first topic Paul addressed in his epistle to the Corinthians was their inappropriate, childish behaviour, which not only presented a poor testimony to the unbelievers in their local community, but also caused them to revert to carnal behaviour and regress into spiritual infancy.

They quarrelled about who was the best Bible teacher. They engaged in ungodly division instead of living in the unity of the Spirit. They exhibited read more...

1 Corinthians 5:7

The Lord Jesus Christ died on the Jewish day of Passover. He was the true Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world so that all who believe on His name would not perish but have everlasting life. Christ, our Passover Lamb has been slain for you and for me.

We are sinners who were born in sin, and as sinners we have an old sin nature. Sin in the Bible read more...

1 Corinthians 6:9

Although Christians in Corinth were saved by grace through faith and were greeted as 'saints' by Paul in his epistle, there was much serious division amongst the congregation, as some were indulging in gross immorality and some seriously unethical behaviour. Paul could not talk to these believers as maturing, spiritual Christians who were growing in grace and living unto the Lord. He complained that they were behaving like unsaved men, because their actions and read more...

1 Corinthians 6:11

Paul makes it very clear that he is writing to born again believers by calling them 'brothers', 'saints', and 'the called'. Paul also knew that this band of believers were saved out of the most ungodly and perverted city of Corinth, and he did not hesitate to rebuke them for their ongoing, ungodly behaviour which manifested itself in all kinds of evil including stealing, drunkenness, greed, swindling, extortion, and insolence, as well as internal divisions, read more...

1 Corinthians 6:12

There was significant division among the Christians at Corinth. Oh, they were saved by grace through faith in Christ, for they were identified by Paul as 'saints.' They had also been equipped with many spiritual gifts and were described as being positionally 'sanctified in Christ' and 'set apart' unto God.

However, they were stuck in spiritual infancy and Paul described them as 'carnal believers'. They were not growing in grace or read more...

1 Corinthians 6:19

The Bible tells us that the most high God does not dwell in houses made by human hand, for heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool, and yet the most wonderful news is that God makes His home in the heart of all who come to Christ for salvation: the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.

All who are saved by grace through faith in Christ have a holy and noble calling, and as members of His Body we are living stones read more...

1 Corinthians 6:20

Not only has God created us but He has redeemed us. We not only belong to the Lord because He formed and fashioned us out of the dust of the earth, but we are His precious possession for a second reason. We have been bought with a price: the precious blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. And so we are challenged by Paul to: "Glorify God in our body."

Not only do we belong to the Lord by means of creation, but also read more...

1 Corinthians 7:8

The first few chapters of 1 Corinthians deals with disorder in the church which caused chaos among the congregation. Paul had to chastise them for division within the Body of Christ, immorality among believers, and the filing of foolish lawsuits against one another. He also upbraided them for moral neglect and sexual sin, all of which presented a poor Christian testimony to the outside world and dishonoured the Lord Who bought them.

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1 Corinthians 7:11

Having spent a good few chapters addressing disorders, dissensions, and immorality within the Corinthian church community, together with lawsuits among believers and moral impropriety amongst Christians, Paul continues his epistle by outlining the godly and doctrinal elements that should be the distinguishing marks of a fellowship of believers who are living in spirit and in truth.

In this middle section of the epistle we see Paul read more...

1 Corinthians 7:17

Some important issues about marriage and its wider implication are considered in this chapter, and Paul answers many questions that are often raised in connection with marriage, and gives some important guidelines to believers.

In a detailed discourse on Christian relationships, Paul addresses the issues of marriage to unsaved partners, parents of young women of marriageable age, the responsibilities within marriage, and the question of single read more...

1 Corinthians 7:19

One of the most important issues that Paul wanted to instil in the Church is that there are no racial ties in Christianity. When we are born from above, our ethnic roots become insignificant and we become part of a brand-new creation. In this verse he pointed out: "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing." Being a Jew is nothing and being a Gentile is nothing, for both saved Jews and saved Gentiles are one in read more...

1 Corinthians 7:22

No matter what our birth, heritage, vocational standing, financial situation, or political leanings, the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ is the thing that sets men free. The man or woman who is called of the Lord to be holy, by faith... is set free from all the restrictions, constraints, and controls that influence every part of our commonplace lives.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul was writing to a culture where read more...

1 Corinthians 7:23

All too often, we tend to think that the answer to our problem is a change in circumstances. We think that a better job, more money, a different partner, new friends, moving to a better location, changing churches, or transforming some other external factor in our favour, would bring about a vast improvement in our situation. But this is the view of the world, and Paul is refuting this popular notion that a change in circumstances will solve all our problems, for read more...

1 Corinthians 8:12

While the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians address disorderly behaviour, immorality, and moral negligence within the Church, this middle section addresses some related doctrinal issues. Many believers in Corinth had reverted to spiritual infancy, legalism, or a fear of foolish pagan myths, and much of Paul's first letter bore witness to the spiritual poverty of these carnally minded Christians.

This middle section provides read more...

1 Corinthians 9:9

One of the best ways to learn is to ask questions, and Paul responded to many things that puzzled the Corinthian Christians. He explained about marriage and celibacy. He talked about eating meat offered to idols, and touched on the issue of head coverings for women. He explained the meaning of the Lord's supper, and addressed questions concerning the use and abuse of the gifts of the Spirit.

Although many of the matters he read more...

1 Corinthians 9:16

When Paul was converted to the Christian faith, he suddenly discovered the shocking consequences of his own unbelief because he recognised that his religious legalism had kept him estranged from God and excluded him from fellowship with the One he claimed to follow.

Once he discovered that Jesus of Nazareth was his God and Saviour, Paul's desire was to tell others of our great salvation. He wanted them to share in the hope we have read more...

1 Corinthians 9:22

Unlike the apostles who accompanied Jesus throughout His earthly 'pre-Cross' ministry, beginning with the baptism of John, Paul was called to be an apostle by Christ following His 'post-Cross' Resurrection, Ascension, and Glorification. Apostleship was not a matter of personal choice, entitlement, or passing an exam on apostleship! There is, however, a list of criteria in Scripture that established true, biblical apostleship, and there were also certain rights and read more...

1 Corinthians 9:24

We are saved by grace through faith in Christ and once we are born again, we are to live our Christian life in a manner that is worthy of our position in Him. Paul often uses images of an athlete to illustrate the way that we are to live the Christian life.

We do not run the race set before us to win our salvation or get to heaven, for that is a free gift of grace. We participate in the Christian race to win a promised reward read more...

1 Corinthians 9:25

Paul's passion was to preach Christ to Jew and Gentile alike, Christ crucified, and Christ risen from the dead. When he taught the Jews about the Lord Jesus, he approached it from a Jewish perspective. He used the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and Psalms to point his kinsmen to Christ, explain the truth of Who the Lord Jesus was, and why He was the promised Messiah of God.

Similarly, when teaching non-Jews about the read more...

1 Corinthians 10:1

Not only did the believers at Corinth have to be taught Christians principles, but they had to be reminded to leave behind the human wisdom of the society in which they lived, once they were born from above. They needed to rid themselves of the carnal influences of the world's mindset, that bled into some of their ungodly behaviours. They needed to completely disassociate themselves from the culture and lifestyle they had left behind. As believers, they were to be read more...

1 Corinthians 10:2

How quickly any of us can stray from trusting the Lord with our whole heart to sinning against Him in thought, word, and deed. How easy it is for a Christian to fall from grace through idolatry, legalism, or by adopting a false gospel. And Paul used Israel's escape from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, and their 40-year long wilderness wanderings to teach the Church this important lesson, "for they all were baptised into Moses in the cloud and in read more...

1 Corinthians 10:3

The writers of the New Testament often made reference to Israel's past history as an example of virtues to pursue or vices to avoid. Paul was only too aware of how quickly a religious-minded Jew can fall into legalism, or how easily Gentile believers can slip back into their former, pagan practices and absorb secular attitudes. And Paul used the history of the Jews to explain some important spiritual truths, that are relevant to all believers - past, present, read more...

1 Corinthians 10:11

Throughout his epistles, Paul wanted his readers to be aware of pitfalls in the Christian life as well as the principles and practices that directed them towards Christlikeness. He not only delivered Church-age doctrine to believers and taught Church-age principles when he visited their cities or wrote his epistles; Paul also used Israel's past failures to illustrate Christian truth, teachings, principles, and practices. "Now these things read more...

1 Corinthians 10:12

The Corinthians had in many ways abused the freedom they had in Christ, and in certain cases were using their liberty as a license to sin. Such an attitude, then as now, is diametrically opposite to what the Word of God teaches the Christian life should be.

Paul and the other gospel writers often used Israel's past history as an illustration of how, or how not, to behave in our Christian life. Israel's relationship with God did read more...

1 Corinthians 10:13

What marvellous words of encouragement are couched throughout Scripture, and here we discover God's sufficient grace is available to all His children in the midst of the various trials and temptations that we all have to face during our earthly sojourn.

God does not promise to keep our lives free from difficulties and danger. He does not pledge to exempt us from fiery trials and troublesome temptations, nor even to prevent read more...

1 Corinthians 10:14

Despite their miraculous escape from Egyptian bondage, as they crossed the Red Sea, and in spite of the many signs and wonders that followed the children of Israel in their wilderness wanderings, the Lord was not pleased with them because they exchanged the worship of their Creator God and great Redeemer, for idol-worship. Within a few short weeks of their being redeemed from Egypt, Israel became idolaters; lusting after the former evil things of their idolatrous read more...

1 Corinthians 10:17

As members of the fallen race of men, we have fairly short memories which can cause us to become careless, neglectful, forgetful, or even critical in our Christian walk. This is why partaking in the bread and wine together as a memorial of Christ's sacrificial death on our account... is a precious way to keep our faith alive. It helps to maintain our hope in Christ and encourages us to love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and strength and soul - with read more...

1 Corinthians 10:23

As believers, we live in the Church dispensation and we are not under the Law but under grace. Unlike all other religions, including many denominations in Christendom, we do not have to do certain things or abstain from other things in order to please our God. All we have to do to please God is to trust in Jesus as Saviour, by grace, through faith, knowing that He is God and that He rewards all who diligently seek Him.

We do not read more...

1 Corinthians 10:31

Although in context, this verse reminds us not to fall into legalism by imposing non-scriptural rules and regulations upon ourselves or others about what we can or can't eat, or what we should or should not drink, in its wider application, this is a life-challenge to all believers.

This verse reminds us that everything we do should be done to the glory of God. And whether we find ourselves to be alone or in the company of others, read more...

1 Corinthians 11:23

Unlike the rest of Christ's apostles who walked with Jesus throughout His earthly ministry, Paul was called to be God's apostle to the Gentiles following the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Ascension into heaven.

Because of Paul's unusual calling and unique ministry, there were many who criticised his teaching and challenged his authority, which is why he so vigorously defended his calling and frequently made reference to the direct read more...

1 Corinthians 11:32

It is in the serious context of the Lord's Supper that we informed that "when we are being judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined by Him so that we will not be condemned along with the world."

We are instructed that as often as we partake of the bread and wine in remembrance of Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, we are to do so soberly and in the reverential fear of the Lord. We are to take the read more...

1 Corinthians 12:1

There were three things of which Paul did not want his Christian brethren to be ignorant. He did not want them to be uninformed about God's plan for Israel. He didn't want them to be unaware about the second coming of Christ and the eternal ages to come, and in this verse, we read, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant".

Paul did not want us to be ignorant of the spiritual gifts that read more...

1 Corinthians 12:3

More often than not we have to discard certain preconceived notions, acquired biases, legalistic practices, and even some cultural traditions when we become a Christian. We are to put off the old and put on the new, for if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

Oh, not all pre-salvation customs and activities are wrong, but read more...

1 Corinthians 12:11

Every believer is endowed with one or more spiritual gifts, graciously bestowed by the Holy Spirit according to His desire and as He wills. How blessed we are to know that the same Spirit Who brought all things into existence according to His mighty power, is the same Holy Spirit Who endows each of God's children with spiritual gifts - apportioning to each of us the gifts and grace of His choosing.

Paul noted in the first read more...

1 Corinthians 12:12

The human body consists of many different components but it is one unit. There are many hidden internal organs and a multiplicity of visible external members.

Each has its own unique function, and yet every single body-part needs to interact with every other member, and work together synergistically in order to maintain a strong, healthy, functioning body.

When one member does not work correctly, read more...

1 Corinthians 12:13

This verse is in a passage concerning the use and abuse of spiritual gifts, where Paul moves into an examination of the Christian Church and an explanation of our membership in the Body of Christ. He wants to show that each member of Christ's Body is unique in the sight of God and that this complete company of believers is God's chosen vehicle on earth, through which He makes Himself known to man.

We are God's representatives on read more...

1 Corinthians 12:27

As one reads through this epistle to the Corinthian Christians, it is evident that although these saints were enriched in all the gifts of the Spirit, they were demonstrably deficient in the fruit of the Spirit. Although they were gifted with the tongues of men and of angels, prophetic utterances, knowledge, and many benevolent actions, they lacked godly love and did not exhibit spiritual fruit. They were not growing in read more...

1 Corinthians 12:31

Spiritual gifts can be over-exaggerated by some Christians while being understated by others. While some elevate the importance of spiritual gifts above their great salvation, others can diminish the tremendous benefits that are ours through the spiritual gifts we receive from the Lord. But it is important that spiritual gifts are used as God determined. They are not to be abused, or used for self-gratification. Nor should someone exploit their gift, by trying to read more...

1 Corinthians 13:1

In many church assemblies today, there is much emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and though the gifts of the Spirit are wonderful and exciting, if they are not administered in love, they are of little worth and can even become abused and destructive.

Spiritual gifts from the Spirit are bestowed on every child of God, but they are a privilege that must be used wisely, for when abused by the carnal believer, that can cause read more...

1 Corinthians 13:2

There are many gifts that are given through the Holy Spirit as He chooses, but unless those spiritual gifts are ministered to one another through love, they are of little significance and of no spiritual value at all. We read that the carnal Christians in Corinth, could not be considered spiritual believers. Paul addressed them as babes in Christ, even though they had an overabundance of spiritual gifts.

Indeed, they did not lack read more...

1 Corinthians 13:3

Love is the primary characteristic that we see in the Father's gift of His Son to the world, and in Christ's sacrifice of Himself for His Church and throughout the Church epistles, we are called to love one another in the same way that Christ loved us. Love is enriching and fulfilling for the one who loves as well as for the one who is loved.

But when the gifts of the Spirit are administered apart from love, they are of no value, read more...

1 Corinthians 13:4

As we read through the first epistle to the Corinthians, we discover them to be a group of immature believers who were argumentative, carnal-minded, discontented, immoral, inconsiderate, unloving, self-inflated, selfish, and critical of others. And although they were set apart unto God, positioned in Christ, and eternally secure, they were not maturing in their spiritual walk, but acting like spoilt infants.

The abundance of read more...

1 Corinthians 13:5

Had the believers at Corinth been walking worthy of their calling, there would have been no need for Paul to write this stinging, corrective teaching in the thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians, but all aspects of love were missing from their lives, and their ungodly behavior required Paul's stern admonition: "Love as Christ loved us." The wealth of spiritual gifts given to this body of believers, sharply contrasted an absence of read more...

1 Corinthians 13:6

Man was made in the image and likeness of God, but that image became distorted and marred when sin reared its ugly head and man chose the path of disobedience over the pathway to peace, the highway to holiness, the road of righteousness.

Instead of choosing to live in innocent dependence upon their Creator, man freely chose to rebel against the true and living God, which resulted in an imputed sin nature and an inherited tendency read more...

1 Corinthians 13:7

The beautiful characteristics of divine love are seen being lived out in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God's will is that all His children reflect the love of Christ in their heart and life.

Godly love begins to be evidenced in the life of a believer as the fruit of the Spirit is allowed to grow, but it is often through painful experiences and a willing obedience to abide in God's Word that this exquisite read more...

1 Corinthians 13:8

Unlike the gifts of the Spirit which are only temporary, the fruit of the Spirit is everlasting - for love never fails. Unlike the spiritual gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge which will pass away and cease forever, the spiritual fruit of love is eternal - for love never fails. 

How the immature carnal Christians of Corinth valued the things that were passing away at the expense of the things that last forever, and what a read more...

1 Corinthians 13:8

How the Corinthian church prided themselves on the multiplicity of gifts with which they were endowed. Indeed, of all the groups of believers recorded in Scripture, it was the Corinthian Christians who were gifted with a greater abundance of spiritual gifts than any other named church. And yet as we discover, this group of saved believers were more carnal and worldly minded than any group of New Testament Christians. They were babes in Christ who had never grown in read more...

1 Corinthians 13:13

Of all the gifts and graces that are poured out in great abundance into the lives of believers, there are three that out-shine and out-last all others. When prophecy is complete, languages cease, signs are silenced... and miracles of health, healing, provision, and protection are no longer needed. We are told that these three, spiritual fruit of God’s amazing grace will continue and will remain and abide into the eternal state - faith, hope, and love.

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1 Corinthians 14:8

There is much confusion in the Church concerning the gifts of the Spirit and their correct use. The Corinthians lacked no spiritual gift. They were endowed with all-speech, enriched in all-knowledge, and equipped with great spiritual giftings as a testimony that Christ was confirmed among them, and yet we discover they were argumentative, sexually impure, and had retrogressed into unprecedented carnality, immorality, and spiritual infancy.

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1 Corinthians 14:33

Paul had to address many concerning issues in the church at Corinth for there was much confusion there. There were divisions and immorality within the Body of Christ which led to internal law-suits and moral laxity, and he had to give some stern warnings against being squeezed into the world's mould. He had to remind them that their bodies were a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Paul found it necessary to chastise these carnal read more...

1 Corinthians 15:1

The core of the saving gospel of Christ is that the perfect Son of God came to earth, died for our sins, and rose again from the dead. Both the death and the Resurrection of Christ are crucial to the salvation message, for if Christ had not died and risen again, our faith would be futile. Without a fixed foundation and secure biblical content, our faith would be in vain. Without this core truth, our faith would be rendered irrelevant, for it is by Christ's death read more...

1 Corinthians 15:2

Paul is clarifying the gospel of Christ to the brethren in the Corinthian church and in so doing, is giving the most comprehensive statement of the good news that our salvation is secured by believing on the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing that needs to be added to Christ's finished work on the Cross, and there is nothing we can do to make our salvation more secure than it already is - for in Christ we are saved as a read more...

1 Corinthians 15:3

The gospel of salvation is so simple that a little child can understand and be saved, and yet learned men and clever theologians have grappled with the simplicity of this beautiful message of God's saving grace and have caused it to become one of the most complicated issues in Christendom today. And unless we return to the simple reading of the Word of truth with open eyes and a heart that is unprejudiced by unbiblical opinions and unscriptural interpretations, read more...

1 Corinthians 15:3

We are Christians because we believe that Christ died and rose again, and that His death was a substitutionary death. We believe that He paid the price for sin so that all who believe on His name would be saved. He paid the purchase price for our redemption so that those who believe on His name become God's own purchased possession - for we are in Christ and accepted in the Beloved.

Our faith is not a crutch as some unbelievers read more...

1 Corinthians 15:4

Not only was the crucifixion of the eternal Son of God foretold in Scripture, but Isaiah 53 prophesied of His burial, while in Psalm 16 there is clear evidence of His Resurrection from the dead. The death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the mainspring upon which our salvation rests, and the Holy Spirit Himself inspired holy men of God to record in advance the saving message of grace, upon which our salvation rests: "That Christ read more...

1 Corinthians 15:5

Paul reiterated the gospel of Christ crucified, buried, and Resurrected in the closing chapters of first Corinthians, together with a comprehensive treatise on the certainty of our bodily resurrection and the assurance we have in Him that we too have life immortal and will rise from the grave, in the twinkling of an eye, on the day of Christ. 

Without the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Christian faith would be in read more...

1 Corinthians 15:10

Paul was keen to preach nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and as he starts to conclude his first epistle to the Corinthian Church we once again find him reiterating the same, simple, saving gospel truth: "Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

It was by the grace of God that Saul, the pathological Christian read more...

1 Corinthians 15:12

The sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus on the Cross to pay the price for our sins, is a tiding of great joy. The free, unmerited gift of eternal life to all who believe in His name is the most wonderful addition to our redemption, but His glorious Resurrection from the dead is beyond our comprehension. Through His bodily Resurrection, He broke the power of death in the mortal bodies of all who would trust His name, and because He lives we too will live, with a read more...

1 Corinthians 15:17

Despite the Corinthian Christians being saved by grace through faith in Christ, Paul had some serious concerns about their ungodly conduct, their spiritual immaturity, their argumentative behaviour, and their abuse of spiritual gifts.

When a church fellowship allows carnality to enter its gates and permits the philosophy of the world to infiltrate its ranks, it is not surprising that false doctrines begin to proliferate and false read more...

1 Corinthians 15:19

We have a future hope that is set in the immutable Word of God and His Word is fixed, permanent, established, and eternal. That hope began the moment we were born again, when we were taken from the kingdom of darkness into the arms of our beloved Saviour, but it was planned in the heart of God in eternity past and it was cemented in heaven the moment Christ burst from the tomb and broke the power of sin, and death, and hell.

We read more...

1 Corinthians 15:20

Christians have the most wonderful and blessed hope. It is a hope that is based on scriptural facts, and the Word of God can never be broken. It is a future hope that is linked to the past, and a hope that starts and ends with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul was one of many hundreds who were eye-witnesses of the risen Lord Jesus, but Paul was also unique in the encounter that He had with Jesus of Nazareth, for Paul saw the risen Lord Jesus was in His read more...

1 Corinthians 15:22

The first Adam sinned, and we discover that death came into the world by sin. Spiritual death descended on mankind the moment that Adam sinned, triggering a slow and sad deterioration towards physical death for every man.

Every man born of woman and every woman born of man's seed, is dead in trespasses and sins, for the entire human race is positioned IN Adam, rendering all mankind as sinners in need of a Saviour. All that are read more...

1 Corinthians 15:22

Soon after the creation of the perfect world and the genesis of man, Adam sinned; and the wages of sin is death. As a result of sin, death came into the world and reigns in the life of every man, for all have sinned and all fall short of God's glory. As part of Adam's race, we are all born spiritually dead in sin and at enmity with God. Fallen man is doomed to die and death is the greatest enemy of man, for no-one can escape the beckoning call of the 'grim read more...

1 Corinthians 15:23

God has set eternity in the heart of man and believing in life after death is part of our human make-up. The certainty of the resurrection of the body is a doctrine that is clearly identified in both Old and New Testaments. The 15th chapter of first Corinthians is the most comprehensive treaties on the absolute assurance that dead bodies will come out of their graves, some to the FIRST 'Resurrection of Life Eternal' and others to the SECOND 'Resurrection of read more...

1 Corinthians 15:24

The battle of the ages between God and the satanic forces of evil, has been raging since Adam sinned in the garden and God's plan of redemption was set in motion. The man, created in God's own image, who was tasked with caring for the earth and maintaining dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing on the face of the earth, failed in his task, which set in motion God's perfect plan to reinstate man's original assignment: man's read more...

1 Corinthians 15:25

Much in Paul's writing relates to the here and now, but there are passages that deal with events which are over a thousand years into the future, some of which take place at the end of Christ's millennial rule on earth, and much in 1 Corinthians 15 fits into this category, including this verse which states: "For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet." But we have to find out when this event takes place!

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1 Corinthians 15:26

Sin came into the world through one man, and death resulted from sin, causing both physical death and spiritual death to spread to all men. Although born dead in sin, at salvation we are made spiritually alive, but without the resurrection of the body our salvation would be incomplete. Without the resurrection of a body of flesh and bone, the last enemy which is death, would retain its prey.

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1 Corinthians 15:35

For a whole chapter, Paul has been deconstructing the false teaching of classical philosophers and certain religious groups, who declared that there was no resurrection from the dead. But Paul is ready to answer anyone who asks the questions: "How are the dead raised?" and "with what kind of body do they come?"

The resurrection of the dead is a doctrine that threads its way throughout both Old and New read more...

1 Corinthians 15:45

The first man, Adam, was created by God from the dust of the ground, to have dominion over the earth and all God's creatures. He was not the result of some galactic accident. The first man, Adam, was created in the image and likeness of God and had His very life-breathed into him: "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." The first man sinned and fell, read more...

1 Corinthians 15:47

There are two races of man. There are two types of human-kind. There are two distinct creations of humanity, two categories of people, and though we are all born into the first creation where the first man Adam was physically made from the dust of the earth, there is a second Man: the last Adam.

He is a heavenly Man Who existed as God from all eternity, but Who was also born into this world as the second Man. And although He was read more...

1 Corinthians 15:49

As members of a race of fallen sinners, we have the indelible imprint of the first Adam on our spirit, soul, and body. We are born dead in our sins. We are born with a corrupted sin nature, which is impregnated with wickedness and is at enmity with God, and we are born in a physical body that starts the lifelong process towards death from the moment we draw our first breath.

But God in His grace purposed before the foundation of read more...

1 Corinthians 15:50

The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, must never be divorced from God's gracious plan of redemption. Christ died to pay the price for our sin, but His Resurrection from the dead is equally staggering.

It was by His Resurrection that He broke the inescapable power of death and hell, guaranteeing eternal life to all who would believe on His name - on all who would believe that His death was the sacrifice for their sin and His read more...

1 Corinthians 15:51

We have a wonderful assurance of victory over death because Christ gained a victory through His bodily Resurrection. When Jesus rose from the grave, He broke the power of death and hell in the lives of ALL who are identified with Christ and positioned IN Him, all who are saved by grace through faith in Him, all who have been born of the Spirit of God and have received a NEW and eternal life in Christ. 

The fifteenth chapter of read more...

1 Corinthians 15:52

The most comprehensive and informative treaties on the Rapture of the Christian Church and the physical resurrection of believers who have died in Christ, is found in this fifteenth chapter of Corinthians.

Paul found it necessary to confirm the certainty of our bodily resurrection, and refute sceptics who refuse to believe in a physical resurrection. He detailed Christ's own glorious Resurrection from the dead, and meticulously read more...

1 Corinthians 15:54

We are baptised into Christ by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, the moment we are born from above. Being placed into His Body or 'positioned in Christ' brings with it some amazing privileges from the Lord. We are not only declared righteous by the Father and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but we become part of an entirely new creation, with Jesus as our federal Head. 

In Him, we receive an entirely new and eternal life. We read more...

1 Corinthians 15:55

God has, by grace, promised those that trust in the Lord Jesus as Saviour, the most astonishing riches of His grace and inheritance in His glory; but without the death of our Lord Jesus Christ as payment for our sins we would never have experienced these joys, and without the Resurrection of our Lord, the power of death and hell would not have been broken. Christ's glorious Resurrection from the dead is the unfailing assurance of our hope of glory in Christ.

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1 Corinthians 15:56

God has an amazing resurrection programme for all who trust in Christ as Saviour, and this is linked with the permanent and total destruction of our last enemy: the final and full elimination of sin and death.

Christ Jesus was the first fruit from the dead, and His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection broke forever the power of sin, death, hell, and the law, in the lives of all who would trust in the only begotten Son of read more...

1 Corinthians 15:57

When Christ shouted, "It Is Finished," He had paid the full price for our sins, and there is now no condemnation to all who believe on His name. When Christ burst forth from the sealed tomb, the angels joyfully proclaimed, "He is Risen!" Our resurrected Saviour broke the power of death and hell forever, and the enemy of man's soul became a defeated adversary who was bound for the lake of fire.

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1 Corinthians 15:58

The fifteenth chapter of first Corinthians provides the most comprehensive treaties on the resurrection of the body, and life eternal for the believer, in Scripture.. when this corruptible body shall put on incorruption, and this mortal frame will be clothed with immortality.

It is because of the absolute certainty of our resurrection from the dead, when we shall be clothed with a new body, like unto Christ's glorious, resurrected read more...

1 Corinthians 16:13

In these closing words of Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he once again exhorts his brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage and honour one another. He cites Timothy as a devoted young brother who seems to be a rather reserved young man, and even timid. And so Paul's advice is to welcome Timothy with gentleness of spirit and not to do anything to make him feel embarrassed or uncomfortable, for Timothy laboured hard for the Lord and as a brother in Christ read more...

1 Corinthians 16:14

Throughout his letter to the Corinthians, there are practical admonitions and little encouragements for the saints in Corinth to live lives that honour the Lord. Paul wanted all the believers there to grow in their Christian faith and to walk in spirit and truth. He tackled things that caused division within the church and exposed the foolishness of human wisdom, by contrasting it with the wisdom of God. He touched on marriage and related matters, and laid down read more...

1 Corinthians 16:22

Paul concluded his epistle to the Corinthians by exhorting them to engage in appropriate Christian conduct. He called on them to be alert, to stand firm in the faith, to act like men, and be strong. He encouraged each of them to be on their guard, to stand fast in the faith, and to let everything be done in love.

Paul had exposed many problems in the conduct of these Corinthian believers, earlier in his letter. He addressed many read more...