Posts Tagged ‘I Corinthians’
The Prize
by Perry Hall “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. …
Read More“That Which Is Perfect” Does Not Refer to the Second Coming of Christ
by Dylan Steward via Unmasking Sophistry, Vol. 5 No. 2, April-June 2025 Almost all Bible believers agree that 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 teaches that miraculous spiritual gifts will cease “when that which is perfect is come.” The problem, however, is disagreement over what is meant by “that which is perfect.” Many claim “that which is perfect” refers…
Read MoreThe Body Is for the Lord
by Bob Hutto via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 It appears that some Christians in Corinth were trying to justify their immoral behavior. Whether their arguments stemmed from former pagan practices, were the result of bad theology, or were simply an excuse to do what they wanted, Paul knew he had to deal…
Read MoreThe Manifestation of the Spirit
by Terry Wane Benton “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (I Corinthians 12:7). You see a manifestation, but not the Spirit himself. The way the Spirit manifested something was in the nine miraculous powers. These showed a power that no man could produce by his own power. Genuine…
Read MoreCan you explain I Corinthians 6:16-17?
Question: Good day I have a question and would like some advice. A bit of background leading to the question: I was a fake Christian, committed fornication, and knew it displeased God, but I didn’t really know Christ at the time. But someone came and preached repentance. I decided to believe in Christ, give my…
Read MoreChrist Sent Me Not to Baptize
by Terry Wane Benton In I Corinthians 1:17 Paul said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.” The assumption that denominational people make is that Christ did not send Paul to baptize because…
Read MoreWhat is the power of God in I Corinthians 2:4-5?
Question: In I Corinthians 1:17 “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel – not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” and I Corinthians 2:4-5 “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of…
Read MoreNot Enslaved
by Matthew W. Bassford From time to time, I receive article requests from brethren who want me to address a particular topic. Sadly, my usual response to these requests is to forget that they have been made and never write about them. However, recently someone asked me about my views of “not enslaved” in 1…
Read MoreWhy did Paul say, “I say, not the Lord”?
Question: I Corinthians 7:12: “But I (not the Lord)…” I studied this years ago, and I realize Paul is capping his statement from verse ten. But Why? Is this not from the Lord? Answer: In I Corinthians 7:10-11, Paul addresses a command that is based on the Lord’s authority, given while Jesus was here on…
Read MoreWere women forbidden to speak in Corinth because they were prostitutes?
Questions: I was told that women in the church of Corinth were prostitutes and that is why they couldn’t speak in the church. And that does not have anything to do with the other churches. Answer: “I was told” makes a useless source. The most detailed information we have about the church in Corinth comes…
Read MoreWhy Did the Adulterers and Homosexuals at Corinth Change?
by Terry Wane Benton Paul mentions a list of sins which included thieves, drunkards, adulterers, and homosexuals (I Corinthians 6:8-10) and said, “such were some of you”. They were washed from such sins, justified, and sanctified. What was the motivation that moved them to change? They did not argue that they were born this way…
Read MoreThe Corinthians’ Error on Baptism
by Perry Hall “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (I Corinthians 1:17 CSB). When people today use this passage to discredit the place and importance of baptism, ironically they make the same mistake as the Corinthians but for a different reason. Paul’s actual defense of baptism shows that…
Read MoreIsn’t the word for “flesh” and “body” the same in I Corinthians 6:16?
Question: Hi, You claim in “Immorality”, “Paul proves that sex binds the participants. It is not a permanent or stable bond, but it is a bond nonetheless. Those who engage in sexual sins are physically coupled during the act. They become for the moment one body (the Greek word soma).” This is not true. I Corinthians 6:16…
Read MoreIt had to have been a miracle to cause the Corinthians to change
Question: I’m finding a hard time believing that the people of Corinth actually repented, as you call it. I believe so many of them most have been probably struggling with sin because if you read I Corinthians 6:11, it says they were washed, sanctified and justified all in the name of Jesus, and that applies…
Read MoreWere the Corinthians having a potluck instead of partaking in the Lord’s Supper?
Question: Jeff, This morning after services one of our members explained that when he discusses I Corinthians 11:17-34 with liberal brethren who claim that the church is authorized to have common meals in a kitchen or fellowship hall, he argues the following: Instead of the Corinthians coming together in one place to observe the “Lord’s…
Read MoreWhy did Paul say Jesus appeared to the twelve when Judas was dead?
Question: Good morning Jeffrey, I have a question on what Paul meant in I Corinthians 15:5 when he said Christ appeared to Peter and the 12. If Judas had died by that time, there were only 11. Can you please explain this to me? It has been bugging me for a while now. Answer: “For…
Read MoreYour site was the only one with a detailed explanation of I Corinthians 15:41
Question: Hi Mr. Hamilton, Please extend my thank you to the wonderful person who answers questions on the website. I came across your website by total accident when doing my Bible study tonight. I had googled a passage from I Corinthians 15:41. Surprisingly, your website was the only one on the search engine that actually…
Read MoreWhy is I Corinthians 7:27 translated differently?
Question: My question is, 23 different bibles all say the same thing. They specifically say “divorced from your wife” no problem there. Yet there are 7 different biles that also say the same thing. Instead of saying divorced from your wife they say ” if you are unmarried” here’s the problem with the word “unmarried”. Does it literally mean that…
Read MoreDoes I Corinthians 14:34 only apply to the church in Corinth?
Question: Regarding woman’s roles in the church, what would you say to someone who believes I Corinthians 14 was specifically for the church in Corinth? Answer: When someone doesn’t like what a passage says, a common rebuttal is to claim that the passage has a very narrow application — so narrow that it doesn’t apply…
Read MoreWhy did Paul say he was not sent to baptize?
Question: Good morning, First, I would like to say thank you for your work and effort in spreading the gospel. I really enjoy reading things from your site. I’m writing about baptism. I once wrote a pastor about baptism. I was having difficulty believing it was necessary for salvation. I don’t know why. I guess…
Read MoreWhy does I Corinthians 13 list three gifts as stopping when I Corinthians 12 lists nine gifts?
Question: Mr. Hamilton, I have something that came to mind about I Corinthians 13:8-10, in these verses it names three gifts that ended but in chapter 12 there are nine spiritual gifts. How do I explain to someone the other six ended as well? Thank you. Answer: When we deal with a long list of…
Read MoreIs I Corinthians 7:9 a command or a recommendation?
Question: I’ve always wondered about I Corinthians 7:9. I’m unsure of how to take it: as a command or a recommendation? I read that “let them marry” is a better translation than “they should marry,” but I’m not sure how strongly it’s intended to come across, or even the difference in implication between “let them…
Read MoreWhy would someone not like the ESV?
Question: Why would someone not like the ESV? What is wrong with the ESV? I saw “Which Translation Should I Use?” concerning I Corinthians 7:15: “The ESV is the clearest that it is talking about slavery” I Corinthians 7:15 seems to be talking about marriage to me, not slavery. Answer: “But if the unbeliever departs, let him…
Read MoreMust we confess our sins before eating the Lord’s Supper?
Question: Must we confess sin before eating the body and blood of Christ? What does “examine yourself” mean in I Corinthians 11:28? Answer: The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Jesus’ death. “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which…
Read MoreIs Paul talking about destroying the body with food or sin in I Corinthians 3:16-17?
Question: In I Corinthians 3:16,17, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye.” Paul talks about the temple of God, which I…
Read MoreCan you explain the three glories found in I Corinthians 15:41-43?
Question: I ran into your web page about Mormons and the three heavens. Paul makes it clear in I Corinthians 15:41-43 that there are three states, or degrees of glory that happen in the resurrection “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star…
Read MoreSince I Corinthians 16:1-2 was only about one need, then isn’t this just an example of how a collection might be taken and not a command for us today?
Question: I have been reading your web page and find it interesting. I came to the one on contribution and have some problems with it. Maybe you can correct my understanding. “Lay by in store so that there is no gathering when I come.” This is a command or request by Paul for the churches…
Read MoreSince I Corinthians 14:7 mentions instruments, doesn’t that justify instrumental music in the worship?
Question: In I Corinthians 14:7 Paul states “And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?” Is this referring to having instruments in the church? Answer: “Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but…
Read MoreWhen does head covering apply?
Question: I am a Christian wife and mother. First of all, I would like to thank you for your excellent web site, which I just found this morning. I look forward to reading many more of the articles. My question at this moment, though, pertains to the teaching of I Corinthians 11. I was raised…
Read MoreWhat does the word “perfect” mean in I Corinthians 13:10?
Question: Regarding speaking in tongues, in the verse that says “when that which is perfect is come,” what does the word “perfect” mean in Greek? Answer: “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know…
Read MoreSin in the Church: A Study of I Corinthians 6:9-10
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The church at Corinth had many problems in living the Christian life. Their problems did not come from a rebellious attitude toward God. Most of their problems came from a misunderstanding of God’s law. In I Corinthians 5:1-8, Paul takes the Corinthians to task for accepting an immoral person as a…
Read MoreDoes the use of unique words in I Corinthians 11 change the meaning of this passage?
Question: I have been doing a lot of studying on head covering. At first glance, I felt that a secondary head covering was needed, but I wasn’t sure when. Only at worship? During every prayer? So I got the lexicon out and started combing through the Greek and Hebrew. I also hit the Internet and…
Read MoreCould Paul have argued against a Jewish tradition in I Corinthians 11:1-16?
Question: While looking around for a Jewish tradition from the first century I’d read some years before that was almost word for word what Paul addressed in the Corinthian letter, I ran across your page. I’m not sure the point you were making in “Images of Head Coverings During Worship”. Anyway, as long as I…
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