#1Corinthians2 - A Mystery Revealed

Click here to read 1 Corinthians 2:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

After saying in chapter one that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, Paul then goes on to explain that it is not foolish at all. Rather, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was actually what God had planned "before time began." It was simply a mystery to all, even though God spoke about it through the Scriptures and the prophets. It just didn't make sense from a human perspective, but from God's perspective it was the perfect and only plan to redeem mankind from a fallen state of sin. It's like reading a mystery and not really knowing for sure what's going on until the final clues are discovered and the mystery is revealed.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

Paul also talks about the gospel being a mystery in Colossians 1:25-27, which says, "I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." He explains that the mystery is not only that Christ would die for our sins, but that he would rise from the dead, and through the power of the Holy Spirit dwell within us - his people. That is still bizarre, a mystery in it's own way, but the plan is now clear.

3. What does this mean for my life?

I really appreciate how Paul begins this chapter, humbly stating that it wasn't with any human wisdom that he came. He simply shared the wisdom of God through God's word, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. He didn't win people over with super speeches, but simply with the loving message of the gospel. I hope and pray that I would have that same humble approach to sharing the gospel, that God's wisdom would guide me and that I would not try to sound super spiritual on my own. Rather, I want to simply point people to Jesus and his love for us.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

What did Paul mean when he said in verse 15, "The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments..."?

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

image from http://gracepoints.com/grace/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/mystery_revealed.jpg

#1Corinthians1 - Foolishness!

Click here to read 1 Corinthians 1:

Yesterday concluded my walk through the gospels. Since I have already done Acts, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, my plan is to read 1 and 2 Corinthians, then pick up in 1 Thessalonians and read the rest of the way through the New Testament. That will take us into August sometime, when we will blow the dust off of the Old Testament and dig into the treasures God has for us there. :)

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." It's interesting to me that the message of the cross would be seen as foolishness to anyone. To me it seems like a heroic rescue or a love story, but when I think about it, almost every good thing in this world comes from the reward of good, hard work and positive performance. We work hard in school, and we get good grades and scholarships. We perform well in sports or music and we receive awards, honors, and opportunities for advancement. We work hard and perform well in work, and we receive a promotion or a raise. However the gospel message is not about rewards for hard work, it is about trusting in the perfect work and person of Jesus Christ to forgive our sins, restore our relationship with our heavenly Father, and fill us with the Holy Spirit. From the world's perspective, that just doesn't make sense.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

Verse 25 reminds me a lot of Isaiah 55:8-11, which says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts..." Even God's foolishness is wiser than our wisdom. So what seems foolish to the world might just be the wisdom and plan of God.

3. What does this mean for my life?

Paul encouraged the people in Corinth not to claim any person as the one they follow except Christ. It was clear that whether they were taught primarily by Paul, Apollos, Peter, or another apostle, that they should still be unified and proclaim to follow Christ. I have experienced lots of different teachings from different people, and while I agreed with some more than others, I appreciated having that variety. Overall it has strengthened my faith and helped me. But as long as Christ is proclaimed, we should see how we can be more unified in the other things.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

This isn't really a question, but I'd like to know more about Apollos. The first book I read through doing this chapter a day was Acts, and I know that it explains a bit about him in Acts 18, but what exactly was he preaching, and what happened to him after this?

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

image from http://www.globalmensgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Clown-shoes-foolishness-of-the-cross.jpg