1 Corinthians Exposition
An exposition of 1 Corinthians by Doug Van Meter.
A Minister’s Pain (2 Corinthians 1:12–2:4)
In this passage, Paul begins the main body of this letter, in which he is uncomfortably forced to defend his ministry against malicious attacks by false apostles. The slander infected some in the church and therefore his concern for the welfare of the church compelled...
In Conclusion (1 Corinthians 16:15–24)
First Corinthians is not an easy epistle to digest for it includes a lot of rebuke as it reveals some ugliness in a local church. And yet, in many ways, we have met the Corinthian church and it is us. The same problems that plagued that church so long ago continue,...
Independently Interdependent (1 Corinthians 16:5–14)
Recently, a pastor of a sister church remarked that Brackenhurst Baptist Church has a testimony of involving itself with other churches, providing support, instruction, and encouragement. He commented on our missions bulletin board, which displays pictures of those we...
New Creation Generosity (1 Corinthians 16:1–4)
As Paul commences his conclusion to this epistle he doesn’t address “merely” practical matters. Rather, he expects the church to apply a resurrection worldview and therefore to “be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (15:58). This closing...
Resurrection Confidence (1 Corinthians 15:50–58)
As we come to the end of our study of this amazing chapter we should be asking, “What difference does it make?” Really. Paul did not write this chapter to merely win an argument. While these 58 verses certainly form a polemical argument, defending the orthodoxy of the...
Resurrection Image-ination (1 Corinthians 15:35–49)
Our church recently hosted a holiday Bible club, and the vision of the member who headed the decorating team astounded me. Where I saw an empty two-litre Coke bottle, Michelle saw an underwater plant. Where I saw a paper plate, she saw a jellyfish. Where I saw an egg...
The Theology of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:29–34)
The Christian life is useless and hopeless if there is no resurrection. As Garland has observed, “Resurrection means endless hope, but no resurrection means a hopeless end – and hopelessness breeds dissipation.” This well summarises the teaching of 1 Corinthians...
Dead Certain (1 Corinthians 15:20–28)
Paul was dead certain that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and therefore dead certain that the dead in Christ will rise again. He was absolutely certain that those who die in Christ will rise again like Christ and therefore was certain that this truth will shape how...
Resurrection Logic (1 Corinthians 15:12–19)
Pascal’s wager posits that individuals essentially engage in a life-defining gamble regarding belief in the existence of God. Simply put, if God does not exist, and yet I believe he does, I lose nothing; if God does exist and I do not believe then I lose everything. I...
The Good News of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1–11)
This has been a sad week in the life of our church. Our final enemy, death, has struck again. Though the saints who have died are in the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6–8), sorrow has filled our hearts. And yet, because of the truth revealed in 1 Corinthians...
Corporate Worship and the Character of God (Part 2) (1 Corinthians 14:26–40)
Cotton Mather, an American Puritan (1163–1728), insightfully commented, “The great design and office of the Christian preacher is to restore the throne and dominion of God in the souls of men.” That is so good, and it well summarises the apostle Paul’s burden...
Corporate Worship and the Character of God (1 Corinthians 14:20–33)
The apostolic instruction of this comparatively lengthy chapter is fundamentally about appropriate corporate worship with the concern of building up the local church (vv. 3, 4, 5, 12, 17, 26). Apparently, there were many in this church who were immaturely more...
Speaking with Tongues in Corporate Worship (1 Corinthians 14:1–9)
The subject of speaking in tongues is often a contentious and confusing one. It need not be. There is enough clarity in Scripture for the Christian to appreciate that this spiritual gift was used by God in the church for a particular purpose, which came to pass in the...
All You Really Need is Love (1 Corinthians 13:8–14:1a)
After our last study in 1 Corinthians 13, someone sent me a meme in which a person is pushing a large trolly, filled with boxes, each with a label indicating, “new car,” “exotic holiday,” “new clothes,” “shiny new thing,” “Big TV,” “latest craze,” “stuff,” and “more...
What’s Love Got to Do With It? (1 Corinthians 13:1–8a)
Having addressed the matter of spiritual gifts for the previous 31 verses, Paul seems to change the subject with these next thirteen verses as he expounds the theme of...
Body Builders (1 Corinthians 12:12–31)
From the first day of creation the Holy Spirit has been busy preparing a body for the triune God. When God’s breath (the same Hebrew word translated “Spirit”) entered...
Exalting the Lordship of Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:7–11)
Soon after the Spirit of God enlightened and empowered me to confess Jesus as Lord, I began attending meetings with other Christians at my university. I remember two...
Reforming Worship (1 Corinthians 12:1–6)
The subject of spiritual gifts has for a long time been a matter of great controversy. From the 1970s through the early 2000s, many books were published, some arguing for...