Author: Administrador

In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, we meet the Paul one either loves or hates. He gives lessons, stands on solid ground, and provides a clear moral compass. Flee “porneia”, he says. Flee debauchery, pornography, prostitution … Either the command horripilates because of its moralizing tone, or it reassures, because it provides a clear behavior to follow … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Commentary by Valerie Nicolet-Anderson”

What irritates our sensibilities more? The claim that we are accountable to God, and therefore God will judge us? Or, the insistence that people not judge one another because judgment is God’s prerogative? The notion of divine judgment carries more than its share of religious baggage, thanks to those who enjoy using it to break … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Commentary by Matt Skinner”

There is much confusion in our congregations about “judgment.” Preachers shoulder a good deal of responsibility for this state of affairs.  We seldom speak of judgment (particularly the “last judgment”) even though our people are reminded of this theme regularly in worship-both in the Scripture readings and in the words of the Apostles’ and Nicene … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Commentary by Mark Tranvik”

I recently asked a friend for some advice about painting my house. He stressed that proper preparation was everything. Make sure you replace rotten wood, scrape, prime, and do the trim work before laying the actual coat of paint. “Eighty percent of painting a house is getting the prep work done right,” he said. “If … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 Commentary by Mark Tranvik”

At the beginning of this text, Paul moves from the image of the church as a field (verses 6-9a) to explore more fully the image of the church as a building (verse 9b). Paul says that in his apostolic mission at Corinth, he worked as a “wise” master builder. The NRSV rendering of this as … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 Commentary by Brian Peterson”

After a heady exposition of how true, Godly wisdom is given by the Spirit of God, Paul returns to directly address the Corinthians’ divisions–and the assessments of themselves and their leaders upon which those divisions are based. For people who considered themselves wise, Paul has some hard words about true wisdom. Not a Spiritual People … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Commentary by J.R. Daniel Kirk”

Throughout the season of Epiphany, we’ve heard and affirmed that the Word-made-flesh is God’s own wisdom and power graciously revealed for us. Yet often we fail to grasp how profoundly this truth has changed the world, and we still try to make the old, non-Epiphany ways work.   The Corinthians seem to have been stuck … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Commentary by Brian Peterson”

In this week’s reading, Paul continues to explore the paradox of the gospel message. As he describes the gospel message, his own ministry, and the wisdom of God, Paul surprises the Corinthians, and us, by the way in which each helps interpret the other. Paul’s Message and Paul’s Ministry Verses 1-2 recall Paul’s tactic when … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16] Commentary by J.R. Daniel Kirk”

The second chapter of 1 Corinthians contains two of Paul’s “greatest hits” verses. At the beginning of the chapter, he says, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (verse 2). At the end of the chapter, Paul declares, “We have the mind of Christ.” Both of these verses are … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16] Commentary by Mary Hinkle Shore”

In last week’s reading, Paul took the Corinthians to task because the very fact of their division is a denial of the gospel. The Economy of the Cross In this week’s passage, he shows how the particular divisions plaguing Corinth can be given the same diagnosis. And here is where things might start to get … Continue reading “1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Commentary by J.R. Daniel Kirk”