CFM: August 21–27
Videos and Podcasts
Resources and Insights about this Week's Lesson
Due to the number of links, a single post for this week's lesson is too big to save, so I have had to divide it up into two sections. This is Part 2, outlining chapters 4-7, with additional links and supplementary materials at the end. Make sure to check out the underlined word links within the verses and click on the root word in the link to get a broader understanding of its meaning. The unconjugated root word is identified in blue with the Strong's concordance number to the left of it.
Cultural and Historical Context for 1 Corinthians 4:
This chapter focuses on themes of stewardship, humility, and the true nature of apostolic ministry. The chapter provides insight into Paul's relationship with the Corinthians and his perspective on leadership within the church.
Scripture | Major Topic/ Theme | Summary | Cross References Videos & Resources |
| |||
v 1-5 | Stewardship and Responsibilities of Apostolic Ministry | Paul emphasizes the importance of faithfulness and accountability in leadership roles. He asserts that apostles are stewards of God's mysteries and that their ultimate judge is the Lord, not human opinion. | |
v. 6-13 | Humility and the Contrast Between Leaders, along with the Burdens. | Paul challenges the Corinthians' tendency to boast in favor of particular leaders. He uses irony to highlight the contrast between the apostles' suffering and the Corinthians' self-satisfied attitude. | |
v. 14-21 | Fatherly Exhortation and Warning | Paul addresses the Corinthians as children, reminding them of his role in their spiritual upbringing. He issues a warning and urges them to imitate his ways, grounded in humility and godliness. | |
Key Verses and Words (from the Greek, with clarified translations):
Verse 1: "This, then, is how people should think of us: as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God."
Verse 5: "Therefore judge nothing before the time comes; the Lord will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives עֵצָה of their hearts. And then everyone will have their praise (commendation) from God."
Verse 7: "For who makes you distinct from anyone else? What do you (they) have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?"
Verse 8: Now you are full! Already you are rich! You have reigned as kings without us! And how I wish to God that you did reign so that we also might reign with you!
Verse 9: For I think that God has put us apostles on display at the lowest state, he has set us forth like those condemned to die (like in an arena). We have been made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels and humans.
Verse 10: "We are fools for Christ, but you are cautiously wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are despised!"
Verse 15: For though ye have a myriad of instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. (This is a passage, that requires some caution and skepticism. Paul did not begget us, Christ did. This contradicts what Paul said earlier, and it may have been a passage that was modified in the early editions.)
Verse 16: "Therefore I urge you to imitate me."
Verse 20: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of inflated speech but of power (action, work, miracles)."
Verse 21: What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod (of discipline), or shall I come in love and with a meek spirit?
Cultural and Historical Context of 1 Corinthians 5:
This chapter begins to address the issue of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church. Paul deals with the sensitive topic of a specific case of immorality and emphasizes the importance of church discipline and maintaining the moral integrity of the Christian community.
Scripture | Major Topic/ Theme | Summary | Cross- References, Videos & Resources |
| | ||
v. 1-8 | Sexual Immorality and Church Discipline | Paul confronts the Corinthians about a case of sexual immorality within the church, likely involving a man who had a relationship with his father's wife (possibly his stepmother). Paul rebukes the leaders for their complacency and instructs them to remove the offender from their midst. Paul teaches them that the offender needs to be turned over to his adversaries, so he can answer and be accountable for his crimes in the flesh so that he might be healed, according to the Lord's timing. Paul uses a metaphor, comparing leaven to sin; he explains that a little sin can turn into a massive problem, and unless that problem is addressed through the processes of the Atonement, Christ's sacrifice, we will not be able to move forward in sincerity and truth. Our celebrations before the Lord will be tainted with malice and wickedness. | |
v. 9-13 | Purity and Separation | Paul advises the Corinthians to choose their friends and associates wisely; to not closely associate with people who proclaim and have the reputation of engaging in immoral and illegal behaviors. If people in the church engage in wicked and immoral behaviors, appropriate disciplinary actions should be taken, including removing them from the community. Paul clarifies that his instruction for church discipline refers to those within the church community, not unbelievers, explaining that it is not his role to judge those outside of the Church |
Key Verses and Words (from the Greek, with clarified translations):
Verse 1: "It is commonly reported that there is sexual immorality among you, a kind of fornication that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is named for having (sex with, laying hold of, likely rape) one of his father’s wifes."
Verse 2: "And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and excommunicated this man from among you who has done this deed?
Verse 5: "hand over such as one to Satan (his adversary) for the destruction (punishment) of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved (healed) on the day of the Lord Jesus."
Verse 9: "I wrote unto you in my letter not to keep company with (be intimate with) the fornicators (prostitutes, those who sell sex for money, pornography)"
Verse 10: And not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then you ought to come forth out of the world.
Verse 11: "But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone that is called to be a fornicator, or covetous, an idolater, or slanderer, a drunkard, or swindler, with such as these do not eat." (In the ancient middle eastern culture, breaking bread with someone was a sign of respect, trust, and loyalty.)
Verse 12: Why should I (judge) them that are cast out? To not judge them that are within, you all do judge.
Verse 13: "God will judge those outside. Therefore, put away the wicked person from among you.'"
Cultural and Historical Context for 1 Corinthians 6:
Paul addresses some of the legal and moral issues that the Corinthians were dealing with. There was a lot of fighting within the Christian community, and this was creating significant conflict within and outside of the Church community. Members were suing one another, and making a bad impression on their Gentile neighbors. Unable to resolve their conflicts from within, they were appealing to civil courts, and Paul expressed his frustration with the members for not stepping up and doing better.
Additionally, members of the Church were having serious issues with immorality. Not only was prostitution legal in Corinth, it was considered "sacred," and it was being practiced in various pagan temples throughout the city. The temple of Aphrodite, known as the Acrocorinth, was situated on a hill overlooking the city and was considered one of the most famous sites of sacred prostitution in the ancient world. Thousands of men, women, and children were exploited as prostitutes. They were given titles of priests or priestesses and visitors to the temple could engage in sexual acts with these individuals as a means of offering devotion to the gods and goddesses, as a means of seeking their favor for fertility, prosperity, and blessings in various aspects of life. Paul condemned these practices, explaining that such behaviors not only violated Christian law, but it bound those who participated in them to the harlot, as a form of idolatry in addition to immorality. Those who were "one" with the harlot, could not be one with Christ.
Scripture | Major Topic/ Theme | Summary | Cross References, Videos & Resources |
| | ||
v. 1-11 | Resolving Disputes Among Believers | Paul admonishes the Corinthians for taking their legal disputes before secular courts rather than resolving them within the church. He emphasizes the importance of solving conflicts peacefully within the Christian community. | |
v. 12-20 | Fleeing Sexual Immorality | Paul addresses the issue of sexual immorality, urging believers to flee from it. He points out that many have struggled with various types of these challenges, and he offers comfort, reminding them that the Atonement has the power to cover these issues. All things are possible through Christ. However, Christ will not be manipulated by anyone. He will hold people accountable for their actions, allowing them to learn from their mistakes. Paul emphasizes that through the Atonement, we were bought with a price, and our bodies and spirits belong to God, we become one with Him. Paul explains that the body is a temple, a dedicated and consecrated place where the Holy Spirit of God can dwell. Sexual immorality violates the sacredness of this temple. |
Key Verses and Words:
Verse 1: "Durst any of you have a legal dispute against another, they take it before the unjust courts for judgment instead of before the Saints?"
Verse 5: It is a shame I have to speak to you on this matter. Is there not a wise man among you, one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
Verse 9: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. (This is addressing the "sacred" prostitution practices that were happening throughout various temples in Corinth. Many church members were participating in these rituals.)
Verse 11: "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Verse 12: Unto me, All things are lawful ("possible," "allow me," from ek "by, an exit or emission out of something" + eimai "I,me", a pardon), but not all things are expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (*ἐξουσιασθήσομαι: to exercise authority over another's agency, God will not infringe upon our agency, and he will not be controlled or manipulated by anyone)
Verse 18: "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person does is outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, they sin against their own body."
Verse 19: "Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, within you, which you all have of God? You are not your own."
Verse 20: "For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your bodies and in your spirit, which are of God."
Cultural and Historical Context for 1 Corinthians 7:
Paul takes care to delineate between interpretations rooted in gospel principles and those reflecting his own opinions on particular matters. This distinction bears significance as it unveils some of Paul's personal biases on the subject, while simultaneously underscoring that certain matters warrant tailored consideration. In essence, Paul underscores the principle that what might be appropriate for one individual may not hold true for another. Similarly, the wisdom applicable to a specific scenario may not be universally applicable across all circumstances. This is helpful to keep in mind as one approaches these passages, as they can be confusing.
Scripture | Major Topic/ Theme | Summary | Cross References Videos & Resources |
| | ||
v. 1-9 | Marriage and Singleness | Paul addresses questions about marriage and sexual relationships. He discusses the benefits of both marriage and being single. He encourages believers to rely on the Holy Ghost to help them know their best course of action in their particular circumstances as they consider their decisions regarding marriage. Paul offers some of his own opinions, clarifying that his preference for celibacy was based on his experiences and circumstances, specifying that celibacy is not a commandment and should not be confused with doctrine. | |
v. 10-16 | The Sanctity of Marriage | Paul emphasizes the sanctity of marriage, specifying that this is doctrine that comes from the Lord. He discusses the importance of marital fidelity, loyalty, and commitment. He addresses the issue of believers married to unbelievers, advising them to remain in the marriage if the unbelieving partner is willing, as their faith and influence would bless the home and their children. | |
v. 17-24 | Contentment and Service | Paul advises believers to remain in the calling in which they were called and to find contentment in their current circumstances. He discusses the idea that different life situations provide opportunities to serve God. | |
v. 25-40 | Marriage and the Present Distress | Paul discusses marriage in light of the present distress, possibly referring to the challenges and uncertainties faced by believers in their time, but also challenges that were imminent (Jewish Roman War, Destruction of the Temple). Paul provides his opinion and advice on whether people should marry or remain single given the current circumstances. |
Key Verses (NIV) and Words:
Verse 1: "Now concerning the matters you wrote about: 'It is good for a man not to touch a woman?'"
Verse 2: "Nevertheless, regarding fornication let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Verse 3 "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband."
Verse 4 "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife."
Verse 5 Don't defraud (deprive) one another, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
Verse 6 But I speak this by permission (experience), and not of commandment.
Verse 7 For I would that all of mankind were even as I myself. But everyone hath their own gift of God (the gift of the Holy Ghost), one after this manner, and another after that.
Verse 8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
Verse 9 "But if they cannot contain themselves (be content), they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn."
Verse 10 And unto the married I command, not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
Verse 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away (neglect) his wife. (Recall the difference between ἀπολύω "putting away" ἀποστάσιον "divorce," Putting away ones wife kept her from being able to remarry according to Jewish law, forcing her and frequently her children into a desperate state of poverty. Women in these situations frequently found themselves having to rely on another man that was not her husband. This would sometimes be a family member, but if her kinsman did not accept her, she would frequently have to live with another man in a state of adultery. Jesus taught that this was inappropriate and a woman should be granted a legal divorce so she could move on. This was discussed in the previous lessons, What Lack I Yet? and Behold, Thy King Cometh)
Verse 12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
Verse 13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
Verse 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
Verse 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such (cases): but God hath called us to peace.
Verse 17 "Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This I ordain in all the churches."
Verse 19 "Circumcision is nothing (not an issue) and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts."
Verse 29 "But this I say, brethren, the time is short: moving on it will happen, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;."
Verse 32 "But I would have you without carefulness (anxiety). He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:"
Verse 39: The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord."
Church Videos & Resources
Scripture Central
Reading Guide
Lynne Hilton Wilson, "1 Corinthians 1-7," Come Follow Me: The New Testament, 2019.
Background to the Pauline Epistles:
Frank F. Judd Jr., “The Epistles of the Apostle Paul: An Overview,” in New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament, ed. Lincoln H. Blumell (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019), 419-445.
Eric D. Huntsman, “The Occasional Nature, Composition, and Structure of Paul’s Letters,” in How the New Testament Came to Be: The Thirty-fifth Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, ed. Kent P. Jackson and Frank F. Judd Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006), 190–207.
The First Epistle to Corinth
Edward J. Brandt, “New Testament Backgrounds: 1 and 2 Corinthians,” Ensign, February 1976.
The Wisdom of God or the Wisdom of Men
Eric D. Huntsman, “‘The Wisdom of Men’: Greek Philosophy, Corinthian Behavior, and the Teachings of Paul,” Shedding Light on the New Testament: Acts–Revelation, ed. Ray L. Huntington, Frank F. Judd Jr., and David M. Whitchurch (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2009), 67–97.
Mary Jane Woodger, “The ‘I’s’ of Corinth: Modern Problems Not New,” in Go Ye into All the World: Messages of the New Testament Apostles, 31stAnnual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002), 41–56.
Monte S. Nyman, “The Stumbling Blocks of First Corinthians,” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The New Testament, ed. Frank F. Judd Jr. and Gaye Strathearn (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006), 284–295
Bruce R. McConkie, “The Foolishness of Teaching,” in The Voice of My Servants: Apostolic Messages on Teaching, Learning, and Scripture, ed. Scott C. Esplin and Richard Neitzel Holzapfel (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), 69–96
Eternal Marriage and Chastity
Kent R. Brooks, “Paul’s Inspired Teachings on Marriage,” in Go Ye into All the World: Messages of the New Testament Apostles, 31st Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002), 75–97.
C. Wilfred Griggs, “I get the impression from reading 1 Corinthians 7:7-9 that Paul was not married and was against marriage in general. How can his views be reconciled with the revealed truths of eternal marriage?” Ensign, February 1976.
Russell M. Nelson, “Disciples of Jesus Christ—Defenders of Marriage,” BYU Speeches August 2014.
Jeffrey R. Holland, “Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments,” BYU Speeches January 1988.
David A. Bednar, “Things as They Really Are,” Ensign, June 2010.
David A. Bednar, “’Ye Are the Temple of God,’” Ensign, September 2001.
Temple
Brent J. Schmidt, “Temple Elements in Ancient Religious Communities,” BYU Studies 50:1.
LaReina Hingson, “The Body As the Temple of God,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 52 (2022): 205-230.
The Bible Project
BYU’s RSC
Additional Videos & Insights
Paul, Apostle of Christ (full movie available for purchase or rental on YouTube)
Early Church History Timeline 0 to 500 AD (PDF version, download)
Maps
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