Snoopy Considers 1 Corinthians

[Jaebius]

I am awestruck by a seemingly trivial fact about 1:14-15:

14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)

At first, Paul writes that he baptized only Crispus and Gaius at Corinth. Then he suddenly recalls that he also baptized the household of Stephanus. If he rewrites his epistles after a first draft, he would have corrected this memory lapse in listing whom he baptized there. So this means that he wrote 1 Corinthians quickly as his only draft of the letter with no later revisions or corrections. This amazes me, given the tight and coherent richness of the epistle's thought and especially the soaring prose of the beautiful love chapter (13).

As my dissertation advisor reminded me, "You must remember that Paul probably had to write this rapidly on papyrus on the corner of a kitchen table full of the smells of garlic!" It is said that good writing is rewriting. I must have rewritten each page of my 455 page doctoral dissertation 30 times to get it right.

To think that Paul could produce such deep works is awe-inspiring. It reminds me how the Holy Spirit moves through ordinary circumstances to create extraordinary results. She can work even through imperfections.

Your mention of the love chapter being so beautifully crafted despite the circumstances is a testament to how divine inspiration transcends human limitations. It's a reminder that we don't need perfect conditions to produce something meaningful. The best messages come from the heart

 

[paradox3]

Interesting to think of Paul dashing a letter off so quickly. It seems to fit with what he said about not needing clever speech to preach the gospel. (v.17)

Snoopy will return tomorrow with the rest of 1 Corinthians 1.

 

[paradox3]

1 Corinthians 1: 18-31

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - New English Translation

The Message of the Cross - For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.” Where is the wise man...

www.biblegateway.com

Paul reflects on those called by God. Not many are wise by human standards, powerful, or born into a privileged position.

Those who are called have a relationship with Christ Jesus. Christ becomes wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.

 

[paradox3]

Snoopy's Snappy Question: 1 Corinthians 1: 18-31

Is the call from God a one time deal? Or does it happen over and over? Is it a process, perhaps?

 

[Jaebius]

1 Corinthians 1: 18-31

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - New English Translation

The Message of the Cross - For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.” Where is the wise man...

www.biblegateway.com

Paul reflects on those called by God. Not many are wise by human standards, powerful, or born into a privileged position.

Those who are called have a relationship with Christ Jesus. Christ becomes wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.

It's inspiring to read Paul saying that God's calling transcends our worldly standards and reaches those who aren't wise, powerful, or privileged by human measures. This suggests that God's love is accessible by everyone.

I believe the Bible makes lclear that it's in friendships with Christ that prople find true wisdom. And that it's through this divine connection that people are transformed. As the Church, believers are called to embrace this message, celebrating the unique gifts each person has

 

[Jaebius]

Snoopy's Snappy Question: 1 Corinthians 1: 18-31

Is the call from God a one time deal? Or does it happen over and over? Is it a process, perhaps?

Yes. God's call is a singular, defining moment, but it is also a recurring invitation to journey with him throughout our lives. We can embrace both the moments of revelation and the ongoing process of spiritual growth, knowing that God's always with us, calling us to a deeper understanding and friendship with him

 

[paradox3]

Yes. God's call is a singular, defining moment, but it is also a recurring invitation to journey with him throughout our lives. We can embrace both the moments of revelation and the ongoing process of spiritual growth, knowing that God's always with us, calling us to a deeper understanding and friendship with him

Nicely expressed, Brother Jae.

Not sure everyone has a singular, defining moment though. I can think of several defining moments but the spiritual journey also seems to be a process.

 

[unsafe]

1 Corinthians 1: 18-31

This last part here of this Chapter shows how unbelievers see the Cross and how Believers see the Cross

Each seeing it differently as Unbelievers view it from a Worldly Lens and and Believers View it from a Spiritual lens -----

The Gospel of the Good News from the Worldly Lens would say maybe this -----
From Google
Any god who would die on a Roman cross, especially as a sacrifice for human sinfulness, would be seen by worldly eyes as a weak and foolish deity.

I say ----The Gospel of the Good News from a Spiritual Lens says this -----that the Gospel is truth when the right Faith is inbirthed inward and the hearing and trusting in this true Gospel bring the power of God into ones life

Human Wisdom can never bring true knowledge of the true God in Scripture -----Human Wisdom will constantly reject the notion of God and oppose Him ----

We see in verse 22 --the Jews were looking for a sign -----they were looking to be delivered but they were looking for their deliverance from something other than the Cross ----

The Greeks looked for wisdom ----but their wisdom was a human wisdom -----

Paul says that they preach Christ Crucified which is a stumbling Block to the Jews and Foolishness to the Gentiles ---- but to those who believe it -it represents - the Power of God and the Wisdom of God ---

Verse 25 AMP B
[This is] because the foolishness of God [is not foolishness at all and] is wiser than men [far beyond human comprehension], and the weakness of God is stronger than men [far beyond the limits of human effort].

We see in verse 26 Paul saying ---that every believer was an unbeliever at one time and many were not wise by human standards -not many powerful or influential, not many of high and noble birth==He is saying many were lower class citizens ----like shepards and fishermen ==

We see in verses 27-28------- that God uses the foolish things of this world to reveal ignorance
He uses the weak things of this world to reveal vulnerability and He uses the unimportant things of this world to reveal meaning and value -----so no one can pridefully brag and take glory in God's Presents

verse 30-31 is saying ----that God made us a part of Christ Jesus and Christ became for us Wisdom from God ---though Him we are also made righteous --sanctified and redeemed ----Jesus is the reason we are right with God and pure enough to be in His presents so if anyone wants to boast they should only boast about God ---------

 

[Jaebius]

Nicely expressed, Brother Jae.

Not sure everyone has a singular, defining moment though. I can think of several defining moments but the spiritual journey also seems to be a process.

Thank you, p3. I think you have a good point: in my experience, not everyone does have a singular defining moment. I have a friend now who doesn't. She was raised in a Christian home and can't really remember any such moment. My Yobo knows that she had some kind of a moment back in Sunday School, but she isn't sure as to exactly when. That said, again from my experience, most people who are spiritual can recall such a moment. I recall mine well. It was November 10, 1993 at around 6 PM

 

[paradox3]

Interesting to think about those early defining moments in Sunday School. I had a few of them which I could describe to you but I can't pinpoint the dates. CGIT also provided a few such moments. Ditto for CGIT camp.

 

[Jaebius]

This last part here of this Chapter shows how unbelievers see the Cross and how Believers see the Cross

Each seeing it differently as Unbelievers view it from a Worldly Lens and and Believers View it from a Spiritual lens -----

The Gospel of the Good News from the Worldly Lens would say maybe this -----
From Google
Any god who would die on a Roman cross, especially as a sacrifice for human sinfulness, would be seen by worldly eyes as a weak and foolish deity.

I say ----The Gospel of the Good News from a Spiritual Lens says this -----that the Gospel is truth when the right Faith is inbirthed inward and the hearing and trusting in this true Gospel bring the power of God into ones life

Human Wisdom can never bring true knowledge of the true God in Scripture -----Human Wisdom will constantly reject the notion of God and oppose Him ----

We see in verse 22 --the Jews were looking for a sign -----they were looking to be delivered but they were looking for their deliverance from something other than the Cross ----

The Greeks looked for wisdom ----but their wisdom was a human wisdom -----

Paul says that they preach Christ Crucified which is a stumbling Block to the Jews and Foolishness to the Gentiles ---- but to those who believe it -it represents - the Power of God and the Wisdom of God ---

Verse 25 AMP B
[This is] because the foolishness of God [is not foolishness at all and] is wiser than men [far beyond human comprehension], and the weakness of God is stronger than men [far beyond the limits of human effort].

We see in verse 26 Paul saying ---that every believer was an unbeliever at one time and many were not wise by human standards -not many powerful or influential, not many of high and noble birth==He is saying many were lower class citizens ----like shepards and fishermen ==

We see in verses 27-28------- that God uses the foolish things of this world to reveal ignorance
He uses the weak things of this world to reveal vulnerability and He uses the unimportant things of this world to reveal meaning and value -----so no one can pridefully brag and take glory in God's Presents

verse 30-31 is saying ----that God made us a part of Christ Jesus and Christ became for us Wisdom from God ---though Him we are also made righteous --sanctified and redeemed ----Jesus is the reason we are right with God and pure enough to be in His presents so if anyone wants to boast they should only boast about God ---------

Yes unsafe, the cross represents a paradox that baffles worldly wisdom. To the worldly mind, a God who sacrifices himself appears weak. Yet, through the lens of faith, we see it as the ultimate show of God's power. The Good News is the power of God that changes lives when received with true faith.

Human wisdom fails to grasp the deep truths of God's Word. It misses the essence of divine wisdom that can only be discerned spiritually. Paul’s message to the Corinthians highlights that the things the world thinks weak are the instruments God uses to reveal his power

 

[paradox3]

Back to those defining moments. I drifted away from church and faith as a teenager and returned when I was in my late thirties.

Thinking about the defining moments which occurred in the interim. Giving birth for the first time comes to mind. Oh yes.

 

[unsafe]

Is the call from God a one time deal? Or does it happen over and over? Is it a process, perhaps?

I think the call from God is the pulling on the hearts of everyone daily ----and God knows the people who will accept that call (Drawing )and who won't ------God will never give up His calling on His Creation to come back to Him ----it goes on and on every minute of every day in my view -----

We choose ---God waits

 

[Mystic]

What leaps out at me is this powerful paradox--God's foolishness and weakness by human standards:

25 "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."

(1) "The foolishness of God:" Many ancients and moderns, object, "How can anyone's death, even the death of God's Son--possibly atone for my sin?"
Yet Jesus' resurrection attests God's willingness to forgive us if we embrace the thrilling truth that Jesus' atoning death takes care of our sin problem if we just accept His offer of grace and forgiveness through faith.

(2) 'The Weakness of God:" Paul recognizes the seeming absurdity of the question, "How can an omnipotent God display weakness and vulnerability through the death of God the Son on the cross?" Paul addresses this issue in Romans11:32:

"God locked us all in disobedience in order to have mercy on us all."

We were all created with a weak nature so that must learn by trial and error So our sin inevitable in the sense that Ood locked us all into a disobedient nature. But through Christ'[s atoning death, God takes responsibility for making us just the way we are by offering us mercy on the basis of merciful forgiveness, not merit. So boasting is permissible so long as we boast about what God's grace has done for us rather than about what we have done for ourselves:
"Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1 :31).”

 

[Jaebius]

Back to those defining moments. I drifted away from church and faith as a teenager and returned when I was in my late thirties.

Thinking about the defining moments which occurred in the interim. Giving birth for the first time comes to mind. Oh yes.

Drifted away from church when I was a high teen and into my twenties, but I, too, returned

 

[Jaebius]

I think the call from God is the pulling on the hearts of everyone daily ----and God knows the people who will accept that call (Drawing )and who won't ------God will never give up His calling on His Creation to come back to Him ----it goes on and on every minute of every day in my view -----

We choose ---God waits
View attachment 10545

God's so loving and patient. I resonate with your sentiment. His call's a gentle whisper in the wind, ever-present, inviting us to draw nearer each day.

It’s comforting to know that God's constantly reaching out to us, tugging at us, never giving up on us. His call's a testament to his mercy.

And yes, God's ready to welcome us back at any moment. It’s a love story written in the stars, unfolding with each step we take towards him

 

[Jaebius]

What leaps out at me is this powerful paradox--God's foolishness and weakness by human standards:

25 "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."

(1) "The foolishness of God:" Many ancients and moderns, object, "How can anyone's death, even the death of God's Son--possibly atone for my sin?"
Yet Jesus' resurrection attests God's willingness to forgive us if we embrace the thrilling truth that Jesus' atoning death takes care of our sin problem if we just accept His offer of grace and forgiveness through faith.

(2) 'The Weakness of God:" Paul recognizes the seeming absurdity of the question, "How can an omnipotent God display weakness and vulnerability through the death of God the Son on the cross?" Paul addresses this issue in Romans11:32:

"God locked us all in disobedience in order to have mercy on us all."

We were all created with a weak nature so that must learn by trial and error So our sin inevitable in the sense that Ood locked us all into a disobedient nature. But through Christ'[s atoning death, God takes responsibility for making us just the way we are by offering us mercy on the basis of merciful forgiveness, not merit. So boasting is permissible so long as we boast about what God's grace has done for us rather than about what we have done for ourselves:
"Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1 :31).”

It's truly astonishing Mystic, to consider how the act of Christ's crucifixion becomes the cornerstone of our faith. This seeming absurdity reveals the depth of God's love. Jesus' resurrection is the ultimate testament to God's willingness to restore us, if only we embrace his grace. It's a truth that brings us into the fullness of life.

Boasting in the cross is an act of praising what God's grace has accomplished in our lives. It's a call to celebrate the transformative power of God's grace

 

[paradox3]

1 Corinthians 2

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 2 - New English Translation

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God. For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling. My...

www.biblegateway.com

Paul contrasts the wisdom & power of God with the wisdom of the age and its rulers. Paul came preaching nothing but Christ crucified.

The wisdom of God is hidden in mystery but revealed to those taught by the Spirit.

The unbeliever does not receive things of the Spirit of God.

 

[paradox3]

Snoopy's Snappy Question: 1 Corinthians 3

Would Paul disagree with this line from A New Creed (VU 918)?

We believe in God...

who works in us and others
by the Spirit.

 

[Jaebius]

1 Corinthians 2

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 2 - New English Translation

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God. For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling. My...

www.biblegateway.com

Paul contrasts the wisdom & power of God with the wisdom of the age and its rulers. Paul came preaching nothing but Christ crucified.

The wisdom of God is hidden in mystery but revealed to those taught by the Spirit.

The unbeliever does not receive things of the Spirit of God.

Paul’s approach reminds us that the message of the Good News is central to Christian faith. Paul preached nothing but Christ crucified. His reliance on God’s wisdom underscores the transformative power of the Gospel.

The power of God challenges the conventional wisdom of any age. Paul’s teachings invite us to embrace the divine mystery and rely on the Spirit for understanding. The role of believers, inspired by Paul’s example, is to share God’s wisdom with others