1 Corinthians 10-13
What I Noticed Today (1 Corinthians 10-13)
1 Corinthians 10
Continuing with his discussion of the limitations of Christian liberty, Paul provides the Corinthians an example of the Israelites of old who received many blessings from God but were disciplined severely by God.
In verses 1-13, Paul tells of the advantages of the Israelites:
- But, first, they were all under a cloud (the Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud, Exodus 13:21).
- Led through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:19-20).
- Then, everyone was baptized in Moses (Exodus 14:31).
- They all enjoyed the same spiritual food (Exodus 16:4).
- They all enjoyed the same spiritual drink (Exodus 17:6). Paul says the source of their spiritual drink was the spiritual rock that was Jesus Christ.
Despite these advantages, all the Israelites except for two (Joshua and Caleb) were “disqualified” having died in the desert (Numbers 14:29).
Note: Even Moses was “disqualified” and died in the desert (Numbers 20:12).
These things were examples Paul said so that we do not desire the evil things as they did. Paul listed five of their failures:
- They desired evil things (Numbers 11:4).
- They became idolaters (Exodus 32:1-6).
- They participated in other immoral, idolatrous practices (Numbers 25:1-2).
- They question the plan and purpose of God (Numbers 21:4-6).
- They spoke rebelliously about God’s appointed leaders (Numbers 16:41-49).
These examples were given as a warning to the Corinthians so they would not be tempted, stumble, and fall. God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to withstand, and with the temptation, He will also provide a way of escape.
Note: Paul’s overarching point in giving the examples of the advantages and failures of the Israelites is to demonstrate to the Corinthians that God would certainly hold them accountable just as He had the Israelites.
In verses 14-22, Paul warns the believers against idolatry, saying they should flee from it.
Note: The practice of idolatry was rampant amongst the temples to foreign gods in Corinth. Paul knew the believers might be tempted to learn more about it or even participate in the ceremonies, but his warning is no, flee from these practices!
The cup of blessing is a sharing of the blood and the body of Christ. There is one bread, and we are part of the one body that shares that bread.
Note: Paul’s point is the sharing of the Lord’s Supper was an expression of unity among the members of the Christian church united with Christ.
Continuing, Paul said the food offered to idols and the idols themselves are nothing. However, their sacrifices are to idols and not to God, and Paul warns them not to participate with demons. Therefore, you cannot drink the cup of demons and the cup of the Lord, nor can you share in the Lord’s Supper and the table of demons.
Note: Paul’s concern here is a warning to believers not to participate in demon ceremonies as part of actual idol worship. You cannot worship demons and God!
In verses 10:23-11:1, Paul returns to the issue of liberty, stressing that everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Not everything builds up our brothers and sisters.
Speaking to the issue of meat offered to idols, Paul says if an unbeliever asks you to dinner and you want to go eat whatever they put before you without asking questions about where it came from. But if a non-believer or a weak believer points out the meat had been offered to idols, then do not eat it.
Note: Paul’s position is to do nothing that might weaken the conscience of a weaker brother.
In general, you do not have to alter your behavior in private when you are thankful for what you have but don’t act in a way that would cause a weaker brother to act against their conscience. Whatever you do, do it to the glory of God so that others will be saved!
1 Corinthians 11
In verses 2-16, Paul addresses issues of women in worship. First, Paul explains that Christ is the head of the man, and the man is the head of the woman. Therefore, men dishonor their head if they pray with their head covered, while a woman who prays with her head uncovered dishonors her head.
Note: Paul had apparently given the Corinthians these instructions previously because he commends them (v. 2) for keeping the traditions.
If the woman refuses to cover her head, she should shave her head.
Note: Shaving the head was a sign of disgrace.
Paul concluded a man should not cover his head because he was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), whereas a woman’s glory derives and is complementary to a man’s.
Note: The complementarian view of Paul is seen in verses 11-12: in the Lord, the woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman.
In verses 17-26, Paul chides the Corinthians for their disunity when coming together as a church. Their meetings were doing more harm than good. They acted selfishly, eating and drinking on their own rather than celebrating the Lord’s Supper as it was intended.
Note: Paul points out that one person who had little and remains hungry while another has much and gets drunk. Economic disparities may have been at the root of these issues.
Paul restates the instructions for the proper celebration of the Lord’s Supper: taking the bread and the cup are a reflection of Christ’s new covenant with the people established by His shed blood on the cross. Therefore, the Lord’s Supper should be taken in remembrance of what Christ had done.
In verses, 27-34, therefore, says Paul, whoever takes the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy way, is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of Christ. Those who take the cup and eat the bread without recognizing the body of Christ in what they are doing are bringing judgment upon themselves. This, says Paul, is why many of the Corinthians are sick or have died. They have brought God’s judgment upon themselves.
Concluding, Paul tells them to wait for one another when they come together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. This was not to be a time of selfishness but a time to build each other up in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 12-14
In these three chapters, Paul’s focus is on the nature and purpose of spiritual gifts in the body and the exercise of those gifts in love.
1 Corinthians 12
In verses 1-3, Paul begins by stating the spiritual gifts come from the Spirit, that no one speaking by the Spirit can say Jesus is cursed, and no one can say Jesus is Lord apart from the Spirit.
Note: Apparently, Paul felt it necessary to head off questions about teachers who said they spoke for God. Only those who were speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit could say Jesus is Lord. Those teachers who cursed or spoke against Jesus were not from God.
In verses 4-11, Paul stresses the diversity of spiritual gifts that arise from the same source; the Spirit. There are different ministries but the same Lord. There are different activities but the same God. Each gift given by the Spirit is given to produce what is beneficial:
- Insight into doctrinal truth.
- The ability to apply doctrinal truth in your life.
- An unusual amount of trust in God.
- The ability to heal others.
- Miraculous Powers. The ability to do miraculous works.
- The ability to give a message from God about the future.
- The ability to distinguish between spirits. Being able to discern false prophets from true prophets.
- The ability to speak in unlearned living languages.
- The ability to translate an unknown language for the assembly.
These gifts are given to each person by the Spirit as the Spirit wills.
In verses 12-31, Paul speaks of the diversity and unity that exists in the body of Christ. We were all baptized into the same body and received the same Spirit. Therefore, the body is composed of many parts. One part should not be held in higher regard than another because all the parts of the body are important. One part should not wish to be another part. All the parts are dependent on one another; the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
We cloth the less honorable parts of the body, bringing them greater honor. In the same way, God gives greater honor to the less honorable in the body. God did this, so there would be no division in the body.
You are members of the body of Christ, and God has created a variety of gifts: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healing, helping, managing, and languages. Everyone is not an apostle, or a prophet, etc.
Note: Paul’s admonition to desire the greater gifts (the first three he numbered for emphasis) may reflect the fact that the Corinthians did not view these gifts as most important. Also, these first three (apostles, prophets, and teachers) ministered to the entire body, whereas the other gifts were more individual.
1 Corinthians 13
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul describes the “better way” he eluded to in 1 Corinthians 12:31b.
In verses 1-4 (written as poetry), Paul describes this better way as love.
- If I speak languages but do not have love, I am a sounding gong (noise).
- If I have prophecy and knowledge but do not have love, I am nothing.
- If I give away all my possessions but do not have love, I gain nothing.
In verses 4-10, Paul switches from the first person to the third person as he describes the personification of love.
- Love is patient, love is kind, loves does not envy, is not boastful, is not proud.
- Love does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs.
- Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.
- Loves bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- Love never ends.
In verses 11-13, Paul uses an analogy of a child growing to adulthood to describe the difference between our current knowledge and the understanding of God we will have in the age to come (I will know fully, as I am fully known).
When all the gifts pass away in the age to come, three things remain, faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- The attitude of “everything is permissible” should not be taken to mean everything is beneficial. On the contrary, many things that are permissible are not beneficial, and this is definitely the case when what is permissible might weaken the faith of another believer.
- The unity of the church is paramount. As a member of the body, every person is important to the kingdom work to be completed.
- Spiritual gifts are given to us by the Holy Spirit to be used to edify the church and each other.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.