Introduction I mentioned last week that 1 Corinthians 15 can be divided into four main parts. Firstly, in verses 1 to 11 Paul reminded his readers of the gospel message which he preached to them and which they received from him. Secondly, in verses 12 to 19 he explained what the consequences are if we … Continue reading 1 Cor. 15(29–58) →

Introduction It occurred to me during the week as I was thinking about 1 Corinthians that this letter is a reminder to believers that the Lord is sovereign and he's able to bring good out of evil. What do I mean? Well, in this letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul was addressing all these … Continue reading 1 Cor. 15(01–28) →

Introduction Since chapter 11 the apostle Paul has been addressing the subject of public worship and how the believers in Corinth were to conduct themselves and treat one another whenever they met together for worship. First of all, at the beginning of chapter 11, he wrote that those women in the congregation who prophesied and … Continue reading 1 Cor. 14(26–40) →

Introduction The apostle Paul has been addressing the subject of public worship and how the believers in Corinth were to conduct themselves and treat one another whenever they assembled together for public worship. At the beginning of chapter 11 he wrote about what woman who prayed and prophesied ought to wear when they met for … Continue reading 1 Cor. 14(01–25) →

Introduction Today's passage is a very well known passage of Scripture. It's probably one of the most well known passages in the Bible; and even people who know very little about the Bible probably know and are familiar with this passage. And that's because it's often read at weddings. The couple who are to be … Continue reading 1 Cor. 13 →

Introduction All through this letter, the Apostle Paul has been addressing a number of different issues with the church in Corinth. And in today's chapter he writes to them about spiritual gifts and about how the church is like a body: so, just as a body is made up of different parts, and each part … Continue reading 1 Cor. 12 →

Introduction I mentioned the last time that 1 Corinthians 11 is the beginning of a new section in Paul's letter to the church in Corinth. For the previous three chapters he was dealing with the issue of food sacrificed to idols and whether Christians may eat such food or not. In chapter 11 he begins … Continue reading 1 Cor. 11(17–34) →

Introduction Today's passage is a difficult one to interpret. If you read the Bible commentaries, you'll see how the Bible scholars write about how this is one of the most difficult passages in 1 Corinthians to interpret; and it's full of complexities which are hard to sort out. Nearly everything Paul says here is debated … Continue reading 1 Cor. 11(02–16) →

Introduction So, in the verses this evening Paul is wrapping up what he wants to say about eating food sacrificed to idols. He's been dealing with this subject since the beginning of chapter 8. That's three whole chapters on this one topic. Eating food sacrificed to idols may not be an issue which we need … Continue reading 1 Cor. 10(23)–11(01) →

Introduction So, since the beginning of chapter 8, Paul has been addressing the topic of whether believers may eat food which has been sacrificed to idols. It's not a problem we encounter in Belfast, but I've explained before that it was a big problem in Corinth in those days, because, of course, there were no … Continue reading 1 Cor. 10(14–22) →