1. v1-4 collection for jerusalem
a. a practical continuation of 'rejoice with those who rejoice'
b. paul, who doesn't ask for money for himself from corinth,
is willing to ask for others
discretion and consideration...
c. money serves as a practical way to show love
1 cor 12:26 'rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep'
note on our ability to give :
is our ability to give a reflection (in some cases/ways)
of our understanding of what we have received?
we'll talk more about this when we hit the topical on the 'call of god'
for now, suffice it to say that he desires to spend time with them
but has other concerns that may/may not interfere.
3. v10-12 treat timothy well when he comes
he said this back in 4:17; timothy is coming to "remind you of my ways
which are in christ, just as i teach everywhere in every church'
4. 13-14 be strong, be loving
great imperatives...
it's amazing how simply the christian life can be summed up.
our lives aren't complicated, just difficult; we tend to twist our
theology so that our theology is complicated, but not difficult...
v15-18 be in subjection to stephanas (and other righteous men)
paul reinforces christian authority, and says about these
men that they have 'devoted themselves for ministry to the saints'
16:19 - 16:20 greetings from asia, aquila and prisca
aquila and prisca were in corinth with paul (acts 18)
16:21 - 16:24 greeting from paul
organization
1-4 a lack of unity
5-10 christian life and living
5-6 flee immorality
7 marriage
8-10 seek the profit of others (meat sacrificed to idols)
11-14 church affairs (love determines all)
11 head coverings, gifts
12-14 gifts (love supreme)
15 resurrection
16 closing
wisdom and status
the world and christ have different measures of status and wisdom.
main theme of chapter 1, but their worldly status/wisdom also
becomes evident in :
- their belief in their superiority (4:7,8)
- their belief that they could be immoral (6:12-20)
- their attitudes on meat sacrificed to idols (8-10)
- their selfish use of gifts (12-40)
- their 'epicurian'(?) lack of belief in the resurrection (15)
- we preach 'a wisdom....not of this age (1,2)
- build the church for heaven, not for earth (3,4)
- our bodies are significant; they will be raised (5,6)
- food vs. salvation of unbelievers / damage to believers (8-10)
- paul argues for the superiority of love - it won't pass away(13)
- viewing life in view of the resurrection (15)
major imperatives
notice the lack of 'have quiet times', 'spend time with jesus',
and the other things that we use to define 'spirituality'
1-4 be unified
1:10 "i exhort you that...you all agree, and there be no divisions
among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the
same judgement"
5,6 be pure
6:18 "flee immorality"
7-14 be loving
10:24 "let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor"