Useful Bible Studies > 1 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 15
Paul had almost finished his letter to Corinth. He had given the Christians there the advice that they needed. He had dealt with the problems in their church. Only a few personal matters remained, which he will discuss in 1 Corinthians chapter 16.
So now Paul wished to give the Christians some instructions that would help them to avoid similar problems in the future. He wanted those instructions to be brief, clear and simple; something that they could remember. So, Paul told them to be firm and to do God’s work.
In the past, they had continued to believe firmly in the most important Christian beliefs (11:2). However, people had persuaded them to do many foolish things. There was much confusion at their meetings and there were arguments among their members. The leaders of the church had been too weak to deal with these matters; now they must be strong. So should all the Christians who were sincere about their relationship with God. They should not copy the behaviour of foolish people who only wanted to establish their own importance.
Then Paul told them to do God’s work. They should declare his good news, and they should teach his word, the Bible. They should pray much, and they should serve each other with love. They should obey God in all their actions, and they should love him with their whole hearts.
Too often in the past, they had worked to make themselves important. They tried to prove that they were right. They tried to impress people with the gifts that the Holy Spirit had given them. They tried to show that they had great wisdom and knowledge. Now, this wrong behaviour must stop. Now, they must be humble and they must serve God.
Next part: A gift for poor Christians (1 Corinthians 16:1)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.