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| Another take on an Abbotsford photo. I used Pixlr to make the road look like grass. |
Part II for Miss Cia Study
Themes
Dunnett
'The central message of the letter is that redemption must be applied to everyday situations.' (50). This calls for a new Holy Spirit led life for the Christian believer. (50). The righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to believers through the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and Christians are to live as such. Notably in First Corinthians this means that sexual immorality should be avoided. (50-51).
First Corinthians 6: 9-11 is notable is this regard.
New American Standard Version
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [f]effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
This is a key section of Scripture that both Christian conservatives and Christian liberals should heed.
Neither fornication from heterosexuals, nor homosexuality as practices are acceptable within the Kingdom of God, in this realm or the next. This is not a fundamentalistic perspective, but a Biblical, New Testament one.
In humanity, universally, as almost every human being struggles with some form (s) of sexual sin, the need for forgiveness and restoration with God in the gospel, is apparent.
Fee
Gordon Fee provides a 'proposed reconstruction'. He writes that the 'historical situation in the Corinth was one of conflict between the church and its founder.' (6). However, it is also true that the church in Corinth was 'experiencing internal strife.' (6). There was a division between the Apostle Paul and some in Corinth in regard to what was considered 'spiritual.' (6). One of the notable problems being sexual immorality. (6). It can be reasoned that the spirituality of sexuality was under discussion.
Marsh
Marsh opines there were two factors that led to the Apostle Paul writing First Corinthians. (1) Reports of church dissension. These dissensions could lead to the destruction of the church at Corinth. (1348). (2) The Apostle answered a variety of key questions, including on the resurrection. (1348). First Corinthians 15 being essential text in regard to the future resurrection of those in Jesus Christ.
Courson
The church at Corinth was 'divided, defiled and defamed'. (1011). Therefore the Apostle Paul instructs the Corinthian church in regard to effective ministry, true unity, Christian charity, spiritual maturity, liberty, conduct, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection of the dead. (1011). This review is consistent with the others I have presented, dealing with divisions, immorality and theological confusion.
Elwell and Yarbrough
'The Corinthian church holds the dubious distinction of being the most confused congregation, or group of congregations, that Paul addressed.' (270). The Corinthian letters were written to provide spiritual guidance in a 'religiously turbulent era.' (270). Paul deals with the issue of church division (273), and that teachings of wisdom, philosophy and the law, were preferred in the Corinthian church to the gospel and God in Christ. (273).
The Corinthians departed from Paul's teaching, because 'in their own social setting' certain ideas made more sense to them. (274). This is an approach often seen within today's modern, western, Christian Church. In regard to ethics, dating, marriage and lifestyle, the Bible is often negated in favour of secular cultural views and/or less commonly, Pharisaical, Christian cultural views.
Perhaps God, willingly allows these views, leading to acts and actions, to override a more culturally risky, closer obedience to the Holy Spirit, because of the hardness of human hearts? This similar to when Jesus Christ spoke of divorce in Matthew 19 and Mark 10.
I think so.
Gundry
'Theme: the problems in the church in Corinth and their solutions.' (269). This included the problem of divisions, and weak leadership versus the enlightened understanding of the New Testament gospel. (269). Problems in regards to lawsuits and immorality were also addressed by the Apostle Paul. (269).
COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville.
ELWELL, WALTER AND YARBROUGH, ROBERT W., Third Edition (2013) Encountering The New Testament, Grand Rapids, Baker Academic.
DUNNETT, WALTER M. (2001) Exploring The New Testament, Wheaton, Crossway Books.
FEE, GORDON D. (1987) The First Epistle To The Corinthians, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
GUNDRY, ROBERT (1981) A Survey of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
MARSH, PAUL, W. (1986) ‘1 Corinthians’, in F.F. Bruce, (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Marshall Pickering/Zondervan.
