Post by foxjj on Jul 12, 2023 7:23:41 GMT
God’s Wisdom 1 Corinthians 1:1-25.
The Church at Corinthian was established in a deeply pagen society, not unlike much of society today. According to the reports that Paul had received, many of the sinful practices of that society had seeped into the newly established Church - as is the experience in some modern churches. Because of his love for the young Church, Paul wrote a pastoral letter encouraging new believers in their new found faith which separates them from their sinful society.
“1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (ESV)
When reading Scripture we should realize that the message was not meant solely for the people of the time, but also for you and I today. The Spirit that inspired the writers of Scripture is the same Spirit that speaks to you and I encouraging us in our faith. Where Paul refers to The Church of God he is speaking of the assembly, or community of The Lord. Sanctified of verse 2, is to be set apart for God, which in turn, is to be made holy. This implies that we who have been sanctified, have been set apart from the evil of this world through faith in the atonement of The Lord Jesus. This is sometimes referred to as positional sanctification, which carries the meaning; although we are not perfect, it is our position in Christ Jesus - not by our own merits - but by Gods Grace. Daily we are being made holy through the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, who unites all Christians into the world wide body i.e. church of Jesus Christ.
When Paul writes of Peace he dose not infer an absence of trouble in ones life, rather, it infers Shalom, meaning ordered harmony with God and with people. He encourages all believers to remember the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father, who called us into the fellowship of His Son as he wrote in Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” Grace is God’s unmerited favour, meaning that we cannot earn God’s Grace by our own works or sacrifices, instead it is God’s favour bestowed upon you and I.
Saints are God’s holy people. We do not have to be dead in order to become saints as some traditions proclaim. You and I are saints because we have been set apart for God through our faith in Jesus - making us holy - because we have been justified. Grace is God’s unmerited favour, meaning that we cannot earn God’s Grace by our own works or sacrifices, instead it is God’s favour bestowed upon you and I. Paul then goes on to teach concerning the wisdom of God compared to the wisdom of humanity:
“18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” - 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (ESV)
Corinth was a city where philosophers constantly debated sharing their wisdom. To these men of wisdom the message of the cross was foolishness. To the Jewish mind, Messiah would be a great political leader who would bring freedom from oppression, not a crucified criminal. Contrary to worldly wisdom Yahweh had foretold the coming of The Anointed One as Paul wrote in Romans 1:2-6: “2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,” It is through the Holy Spirit working in our lives that we understand God’s Wisdom, which opened our spiritual eyes. All praise to our God.
Today, let us continue to seek God’s Wisdom.
John Joseph Fox.
The Church at Corinthian was established in a deeply pagen society, not unlike much of society today. According to the reports that Paul had received, many of the sinful practices of that society had seeped into the newly established Church - as is the experience in some modern churches. Because of his love for the young Church, Paul wrote a pastoral letter encouraging new believers in their new found faith which separates them from their sinful society.
“1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (ESV)
When reading Scripture we should realize that the message was not meant solely for the people of the time, but also for you and I today. The Spirit that inspired the writers of Scripture is the same Spirit that speaks to you and I encouraging us in our faith. Where Paul refers to The Church of God he is speaking of the assembly, or community of The Lord. Sanctified of verse 2, is to be set apart for God, which in turn, is to be made holy. This implies that we who have been sanctified, have been set apart from the evil of this world through faith in the atonement of The Lord Jesus. This is sometimes referred to as positional sanctification, which carries the meaning; although we are not perfect, it is our position in Christ Jesus - not by our own merits - but by Gods Grace. Daily we are being made holy through the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, who unites all Christians into the world wide body i.e. church of Jesus Christ.
When Paul writes of Peace he dose not infer an absence of trouble in ones life, rather, it infers Shalom, meaning ordered harmony with God and with people. He encourages all believers to remember the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father, who called us into the fellowship of His Son as he wrote in Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” Grace is God’s unmerited favour, meaning that we cannot earn God’s Grace by our own works or sacrifices, instead it is God’s favour bestowed upon you and I.
Saints are God’s holy people. We do not have to be dead in order to become saints as some traditions proclaim. You and I are saints because we have been set apart for God through our faith in Jesus - making us holy - because we have been justified. Grace is God’s unmerited favour, meaning that we cannot earn God’s Grace by our own works or sacrifices, instead it is God’s favour bestowed upon you and I. Paul then goes on to teach concerning the wisdom of God compared to the wisdom of humanity:
“18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” - 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (ESV)
Corinth was a city where philosophers constantly debated sharing their wisdom. To these men of wisdom the message of the cross was foolishness. To the Jewish mind, Messiah would be a great political leader who would bring freedom from oppression, not a crucified criminal. Contrary to worldly wisdom Yahweh had foretold the coming of The Anointed One as Paul wrote in Romans 1:2-6: “2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,” It is through the Holy Spirit working in our lives that we understand God’s Wisdom, which opened our spiritual eyes. All praise to our God.
Today, let us continue to seek God’s Wisdom.
John Joseph Fox.