First Corinthians

I have just started reading from First Corinthians.

In Chapter one we learn that Paul is writing to the church in Corinth.
He pleads with them not to have divisions among them. I found it interesting in that I was reading these words in Psalms just before I read Corinthians. Psalm 34 says:

1Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
2It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
3It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.

The Lord God likes it when his people are one. and in Corinthians we find Paul pleading with the church there not to be divided over whose teaching they follow. They are merely to follow after Christ. We are baptized into Christ, not into Paul or Cephas or whoever performed the act of the baptism...we are baptized into Christ alone.

Paul then starts to talk about how "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. " People who don't know God don't understand the importance of Christ's death. It is meaningless to them, they think of it as foolishness. Like why die for someone...particularly someone you don't know. They think that when they see Christ's death. But those of us who KNOW God, who follow Christ, know that it isn't foolishness. It is God's mercy poured out upon us sinners.

God "chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." Do you see it? Do you see what God did? He choose us. And then he protects us from our own arrogance by making it obvious that he did it all. God works through our foolishness and weakness to show his wisdom and power.

All our boasting is to be done in the Lord!

Paul continues this theme in Chapter two. He just expands on it a bit.

I have to admit... I like this line (Ch2.9)

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him"--

I can't even imagine what God is going to do next. Even my wildest, craziest, best visions aren't anything to compare with what God has ALREADY prepared for me (and for all others who love him). It's a comfort and a hope.

God reveals to me what I need to know. He works through my frailties to show his Glory. I just think it's amazing how God puts it all together.

All the praise be to him.