Paul begins his letter to the church in Corinth.....this is a major cosmopolitan city...the most important city in Achaia...due to the foreign influences coming in to the seaport city, there was a lot of idolotry and immorality. There were temple prostitutes for the pagan religions and worship to the goddess Artemis.
Paul opens his letter using "Christ" 10 times in 10 verses, so that people know where his power is coming from. He addresses divisions in the churches...people were fighting about which leader was better than another leader. I suspect that is what our different denominations are all about today. Paul says to boast in Christ alone. He takes this from Jeremiah 9: 23-24.
Paul tells people that there is spiritual maturity from the Holy Spirit...He quotes Isaiah to show that the Spirit reveals to those who accept Christ. Divisions tear things down...
If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
That's you and me!!!!!
Paul tells the people to imitate him...this is not a conceited thing, but to imitate what he does in Christ. Paul announces that he is sending Timothy to remind them of Paul's way of life in Jesus Christ. Timothy's role was to see that Paul's advice was received, read and implemented. Then he was to return to Paul and report on the church's progress.
Look what comes up from the depths of the sea.
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3:16..."Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
ReplyDeleteWe are the messengers for God's word.