1 Corinthians 1:1-3 Grace and Peace to You
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: January 15, 2020 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Background Information) The SDA commentary says that this letter was written to the Corinthians while Paul was in Ephesus in the spring of A.D. 57. The city of Corinth itself had a reputation for indulging in sensual pleasures. In other words, they were a city of orgies and pushing the limits of sex outside of any boundaries. Whether as the cause or the effect, it was a major site for the worship of Aphrodite. “By its wealth, luxury, trade, and mixed population, Corinth well merited the title given to it by Barnes, ‘the Paris of antiquity.’ The principal deity was Aphrodite, the goddess of love in its lowest form, licentious passion, and it is not hard to imagine the effect of this deification of sensuality. The temple of Apollos was built on the north slope of the Acro-Corinthus [the mountain that rose above Corinth]. According to legal requirements 1,000 beautiful young women officiated as courtesans, or public prostitutes, before the altar of the goddess of love. They were supported chiefly by foreigners, and from the proceeds of their vice the city derived a steady income.” Thus, the heart and soul of the city was sensual gratification from its commerce to the actions of its citizens. Paul had been successful in starting a church there during his second missionary journey and had stayed there for at least 1 1/2 years before moving on.
“During Paul’s absence since the founding of the church some three years before (see p. 100), numerous problems had arisen that demanded the apostle’s attention. We learn of these from the epistle itself. First of all, factions had disrupted the church. Because of his eloquence and learning, Apollos was exalted above Paul by many in the church (see 1Cor. 1:12; 3:4; cf. Acts 18:24 to 19:1). Others boasted that they were followers of neither Paul nor Apollos, but of Peter, one of the original apostles (1Cor. 1:12). Still others disclaimed adherence to any human leader and professed to be followers of Christ (ch. 1:12)” (SDA Commentary). In addition, many of the Corinthians had slipped back into their former habits of unsanctioned sensuality. A third problem was that Corinthian Christians were fighting with each other and taking each other to court to resolve the issue. In other words, the vice of greed had also returned to the Corinthian Christians. Their sensuality was not only sex; it was also food, and they had perverted the Lord’s Supper into a gluttonous occasion. In addition to the quarreling, greed, and sensual perversions, they had other issues of misunderstanding, doctrinal error, and questions about incorporating their beliefs into daily life , e.g. meat offered to idols.
This is not the first letter written to the Corinthians, but the first does not exist today. Paul had also sent Timothy to them and maybe visited them himself, as he was in Ephesus during this time. Paul had two purposes in this letter: Get the backsliders to return to their devotion to Jesus and to give instruction in the points of confusion.
(Understanding the Text) Paul says that it was God’s will to give him a calling to be an apostle. He is reminding the Corinthians that Jesus called him directly to follow Jesus, just as Jesus had called the twelve directly. Paul’s authority came straight from God. An apostle is someone who is sent to do something specific. Paul was sent specifically to the Gentiles to testify of Jesus.
Sosthenes is with Paul and sends greetings. The recipient of the letter is the church in Corinth, specifically the Christian believers. Paul says that the Christians in Corinth are also the brothers of the Christians in Rome and Jerusalem and Ephesus. He is emphasizing their connection to other groups of Christians. He is emphasizing that all Christians have only one Lord that they must answer to.
(Revelation of God) Then Paul gives a traditional greeting of grace and peace, but he says from both the Father and Jesus. The Father is termed God, but Jesus the Messiah is termed Lord. They are both God, so why differentiate? I think because Jesus has a special relationship to the human race as our King. He took Adam’s place as the human ruler of this world and calling Him Lord acknowledges His right to direct our actions. As God, He might seem unreachable, but as Lord, He has a connection to us that is close.
(Understanding the Text) The Corinthians demonstrate that sanctification takes time and if people slip back into sensual practices, greed, or being quarrelsome, there is still hope for them. They needed to be pointed back to Jesus as the center of their lives instead of self and self-gratification.
(Application / Prayer) My application to myself is that I need to remember that regardless of their lack of comprehension and obedience, other Christians are also claiming the same Lord as me. There are not multiple Lords, one for liberal Christians, one for Catholics, one for evangelicals, etc. There is only one Lord of us all. People may have a skewed view of who He is, but that doesn’t negate His position as both their Lord and mine. This idea should have me caring more about them knowing that I am one with them even though they seem to be far from obedience. I need to think of us serving You.