Commentary on Corinthians - Volume 1
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First Corinthians 1 Corinthians 3:1-4:21: Paul and Apollos: The
First Corinthians 1 Corinthians 3:1-4:21: Paul and Apollos: The Meaning of “Apostle” Paul was the founder of the Corinthian church, and Apollos apparently followed him as a leader of the church not long after. While the author of the Book of Acts undoubtedly told the story of the early church with his own biases, it seems reasonable to suppose that his description of Apollos is trustworthy. “Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.” (Acts 18:24-25) We saw in reading 1 Corinthians 1 that the Corinthians were divided into groups based in part on the leader each group claimed for its own: “I belong to Paul. I belong to Apollos.” Others say “I belong to Cephas (Peter)” and some even apparently say, “I belong to Jesus.” It is unclear why exactly the Cephas party and the Jesus party (if there was one) differed from the Paul party, but we can make some guesses about those who followed Apollos. If Acts is right that Apollos was an “eloquent man” it seems quite possible that the Corinthians contrasted him with Paul, who preceded him. Paul says of himself “When I came to you brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words of wisdom. -
Calvinist Natural Law and the Ultimate Good
Vol 5 The Western Australian Jurist 153 CALVINIST NATURAL LAW AND THE ULTIMATE GOOD * CONSTANCE YOUNGWON LEE ABSTRACT Calvin’s natural law theory is premised on the sovereignty of God. In natural law terms, the ‘sovereignty of God’ doctrine prescribes that the normative standards for positive law originate from God alone. God is the sole measure of the ‘good’. This emphasis allows for a sharp separation between normative and descriptive dimensions. In this context, it would be a logical fallacy to maintain that anything humanly appointed can attain the status of self- evidence. However, in recent years, new natural law theorists have been guilty of conflating the normative and descriptive dimensions – a distinction that is critical to the discipline of natural law. This may stretch as far back to Aquinas who set human participation in the goods (‘practical reason’) as the rightful starting place for natural law. This paper explores Calvin’s natural law theory to show how his concept of ‘the ultimate good’ harnesses the potential to restore natural law theory to its proper order. By postulating a transcendent standard in terms of ‘the ultimate good’ – God Himself – Calvin’s natural law provides a philosophical framework for compelling positive laws in the pursuit of a higher morality. I INTRODUCTION “There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him”. C S LEWIS, The Great Divorce1 * Tutor and LLM Candidate, T C Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland. The author would like to acknowledge the contributions of several scholars, particularly Associate Professor Jonathan Crowe for his insightful remarks. -
Protestant Reformed Theological Journal
Protestant Reformed Theological j Journal VOLUME XXXV April, 2002 Number 2 In This Issue: Editor's Notes 1 Setting in Order the Things That Are Wanting (5) Robert D. Decker 2 A Comparison ofExegesis: John Calvin and Thomas Aquinas Russell J. Dykstra 15 The Serious Call of the Gospel - What Is the Well-Meant Offer of Salvation (2) Lau Chin Kwee 26 Nothing but a Loathsome Stench: Calvin"s Doctrine ofthe Spiritual Condition ofFallen Man David-J. Engelsma 39 Book Reviews 61 ++++ ISSN: 1070-8138 PROTESTANT REFORMED THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL Published twice annually by the faculty of the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary: Robert D. Decker, Editor Russell J. Dykstra, Book Review Editor David J. Engelsma ++++ The Protestant Reformed Theological Joumal is published by the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary twice each year, in April and November, and mailed to subscribers free of charge. Those who wish to receive the Journal should write the editor, at the seminary address. Those who wish to reprint an article appearing in the Journal should secure the permission of the editor. Books for review should be sent to the book review editor, also at the address ofthe school. Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary 4949 Ivanrest Avenue Grandville, MI 49418 USA EDITOR'S NOTES Prof. Russell J. Dykstra presents the first article ofa series on "A Comparison of Exegesis: John Calvin and Thomas Aquinas." Because of the stature of these two theologians (Calvin in the Protestant, Le., especially Reformed Protestant tradition; Aquinas in the Roman Catholic tradition), Dykstra points out that for these two men to be "compared and contrasted in many areas oftheirwork and thought is only natural." And indeed there are many works published contrasting these giants. -
Calvin Against the Calvinists in Early Modern Thomism
chapter 14 Calvin against the Calvinists in Early Modern Thomism Matthew T. Gaetano Reformed Protestants opposed to Arminianism saw themselves as aligned with the Dominican Thomists who opposed the accounts of free choice provided by Luis de Molina (1535– 1600) and many of his fellow Jesuits.1 Do- minicans and Reformed Protestants both defended a fiercely anti- Pelagian doctrine of predestination, reprobation, and intrinsically efficacious grace, while Jesuits, Arminians, and some Lutherans honed notions like middle knowledge out of concern that their opponents, whether Roman Catholic or Protestant, destroyed free choice and made God the author of sin.2 Scholars have recognized these cross- confessional resemblances, and this volume has helped to clarify the substantive borrowings. Reformed theologians clearly expressed their sense of a common outlook on predestination, reprobation, and the relationship of grace and free choice not only with Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) but also with post- Tridentine Dominicans.3 At times, they employed 1 The title is a reference to Basil Hall, “Calvin against the Calvinists,” in John Calvin: A Collection of Distinguished Essays, ed. Gervase Duffield (Grand Rapids: 1966), 19– 37. But, in contrast with Hall, the Dominicans examined in this essay generally praised the (supposed) depar- tures of later Reformed theologians from John Calvin. For an excellent discussion of the problems with Hall’s approach and with the term Calvinist, see Richard A. Muller, Calvin and the Reformed Tradition: On the Work of Christ and the Order of Salvation (Grand Rapids: 2012), 15, 48, 52, 145, 159– 60. 2 Besides the contributions to this volume, see the clear account of the figures and issues in this debate in Willem J. -
Reformed Tradition
THE ReformedEXPLORING THE FOUNDATIONS Tradition: OF FAITH Before You Begin This will be a brief overview of the stream of Christianity known as the Reformed tradition. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ, and the Christian Reformed Church are among those considered to be churches in the Reformed tradition. Readers who are not Presbyterian may find this topic to be “too Presbyterian.” We encourage you to find out more about your own faith tradition. Background Information The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is part of the Reformed tradition, which, like most Christian traditions, is ancient. It began at the time of Abraham and Sarah and was Jewish for about two thousand years before moving into the formation of the Christian church. As Christianity grew and evolved, two distinct expressions of Christianity emerged, and the Eastern Orthodox expression officially split with the Roman Catholic expression in the 11th century. Those of the Reformed tradition diverged from the Roman Catholic branch at the time of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Martin Luther of Germany precipitated the Protestant Reformation in 1517. Soon Huldrych Zwingli was leading the Reformation in Switzerland; there were important theological differences between Zwingli and Luther. As the Reformation progressed, the term “Reformed” became attached to the Swiss Reformation because of its insistence on References Refer to “Small Groups 101” in The Creating WomanSpace section for tips on leading a small group. Refer to the “Faith in Action” sections of Remembering Sacredness for tips on incorporating spiritual practices into your group or individual work with this topic. -
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve The Huguenots In April 1564 French colonists and soldiers under the command of Rene de Laudonniere came to Spanish controlled la Florida with the intent to build a permanent settlement at the mouth of the River of May (St. Johns River.) The settlement was originally planned as a commercial venture, but as conflicts with the Catholics continued in France, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, a Huguenot, proposed that it also become a refuge for the Huguenots. The name give to the settlement was “la Caroline” after France’s young Huguenot Cross monarch, Charles. Who are the Huguenots are the followers of John province of Touraine to denote persons Huguenots? Calvin. The name Huguenot (oo-ga-no) who walk in the night because their is derived either from the German own safe places of worship were dark “eidgenossen” meaning “confederate” or caves or under the night sky. from “Hugeon,” a word used in the Who was In the early 1500’s Protestantism was explosion of anti-Protestant sentiment. John Calvin? gathering momentum all over Europe. Calvin wound up fleeing France and John Calvin (Jean Cauvin, 1509-1564), a settling in Geneva, Switzerland. young law student in Paris, read the writings and beliefs of Martin Luther. Calvin, who had previously studied to enter the priesthood, began to consider the Protestant call to put the scriptures first and to reform the church. In 1533 Calvin began to write about his own salvation experience. He followed this with a speech attacking the Roman Catholic Church and demanding a change like Martin Luther had initiated in Germany. -
The Legacy of Sovereign
LegacySovereignJoy.48134.int.qxd 9/21/07 10:01 AM Page 1 T HE L EGACY OF S OVEREIGN J OY LegacySovereignJoy.48134.int.qxd 9/21/07 10:01 AM Page 2 OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR The Justification of God: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Romans 9:1–23 2nd Edition (Baker Book House, 1993, orig. 1983) The Supremacy of God in Preaching (Baker Book House, 1990) The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God’s Delight in Being God (Multnomah Press, 1991) Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism (edited with Wayne Grudem, Crossway Books, 1991) What’s the Difference? Manhood and Womanhood Defined According to the Bible (Crossway Books, 1991) Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions (Baker Book House, 1993) The Purifying Power of Living by Faith in Future Grace (Multnomah Press, 1995) Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Multnomah Press, revised 1996) A Hunger for God: Desiring God through Fasting and Prayer (Crossway Books, 1997) A Godward Life: Savoring the Supremacy of God in All of Life (Multnomah Press, 1997) God’s Passion for His Glory: Living the Vision of Jonathan Edwards (Crossway Books, 1998) The Innkeeper (Crossway Books, 1998) A Godward Life, Book Two: Savoring the Supremacy of God in All of Life (Multnomah Press, 1999) LegacySovereignJoy.48134.int.qxd 9/21/07 10:01 AM Page 3 s a r e n a n o t w s s i l e e n h t t BOOK ONE LegTHEacy of Sovereign Joy God’s Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin J OHN P IPER CROSSWAY BOOKS A PUBLISHING MINISTRY OF GOOD NEWS PUBLISHERS WHEAT O N , ILLINO IS LegacySovereignJoy.48134.int.qxd 9/21/07 10:01 AM Page 4 The Legacy of Sovereign Joy Copyright © 2000 by John Piper Published by Crossway Books a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187 All rights reserved. -
1 Corinthians 13 Bible Verse Session 13 Your Word Is a Lamp Before My Feet and a Light for My Journey
1 Corinthians 13 Bible Verse Session 13 Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey. August 30 (Psalm 119:105) Bible Story 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Leap of Faith I can learn and share God’s Word. Before You Begin aul’s letters are the oldest Christian documents we have. The fi rst of them was written within twenty-fi ve years of Jesus’ death. The last may have been Pwritten before any of the Gospels were committed to print. From Paul’s letters we learn a great deal about his faith and his understanding of what Jesus Christ means for the life of an ordinary Christian. The Bible verses for today come from one of Paul’s most famous letters. In this letter Paul dwells on the qualities of love. Most preschool children do not really know what love means when they hear the word. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus called his disciples to “love one another.” Help the children begin to think about what love really means. Love is all the things that Paul said in First Corinthians, Chapter 13. Help the children realize that in Bible times, a letter was a major event, one to be shared with the whole group. Paul’s letters were written to churches, not to individual people. Other than word-of-mouth messages, this was the only other means of communication. In the absence of modern technology, letters were the only way Paul could be present and guide a congregation without actually being there. Both communication by letters and communication by word of mouth took a great amount of time and energy. -
Today, We Will Describe the Theological, Political, and Economic Ideas of the Reformation
Learning Objective Name _____________________ Today, we will describe the theological, political, and economic ideas of the Reformation. CFU What are we going to do today? Activate (or provide) Prior Knowledge Name some churches around your neighborhood. CFU Students, there are many different types of churches in and around your neighborhood. Today, you will see that many of these churches came about because of a split of the Catholic Church more than 500 years ago called the Reformation. Many new ideas came from the Reformation. Today, we will describe the theological, political, and economic ideas of the Reformation. th DataWORKS Educational Research 7 Grade History 9.2 (3Q) (800) 495-1550 • www.dataworks-ed.com Describe the theological, political, and economic ideas of the major figures ©2011 All rights reserved. during the Reformation (e.g., Desiderius Erasmus, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Comments? [email protected] William Tyndale). Lesson to be used by EDI trained-teachers only. Concept Development The Reformation was the religious reform1 movement in the 1500s that resulted in the separation of Protestant2 churches from the Roman Catholic Church. 1 change for the better 2 church that protested against the Catholic Church The separation during the Reformation resulted from differences in theological ideas which impacted3 political and economic ideas. Theological ideas are those which relate to religion. Political ideas relate to the government. Economic ideas relate to money. 3 changed Catholic Church During Reformation Ideas Beliefs and Ideas the Reformation (Protestant) Approach to Catholics approached God Each person should have a God through the intervention of the personal relationship with God. -
Workbook on 1 Corinthians
Workbook On 1 Corinthians The Temple of Apollo at Corinth “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:2–3) © 2019 David Padfield www.padfield.com Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 1 CORINTHIANS: THE PROBLEMS AT CORINTH I. Salutation 1:1–9 II. Reply to Report from “house of Chloe” 1:10–6:20 Party Strife 1:10–3:23 Defense of Paul’s Ministry 4:1–21 Criticism of Immorality 5:1–13 Criticism of Lawsuits 6:1–11 Reply to Libertinism 6:12–20 III. Reply to Questions in Letter 7:1–16:9 Marriage 7:1–24 Virgins 7:25–40 Things Sacrificed to Idols 8:1–11:1 Evaluated by the idol 8:1–13 Evaluated by freedom 9:1–27 Evaluated by relation to God 10:1–22 Evaluated by relation to others 10:23–11:1 Problems of Worship 11:2–34 The covering of the head 11:2–16 The Lord’s table 11:17–34 Spiritual Gifts 12:1–14:40 The Resurrection of the Body 15:1–58 The Collection 16:1–9 IV. Concluding Salutations 16:10–24 (The above outline is by Merrill C. Tenney, New Testament Survey, pp. -
1 Corinthians
6-SESSION BIBLE STUDY 1 CORINTHIANS Remember Who We Are Exodus —Journey of Fear, Doubt, and Blessing Exodus —Journey of Fear, 1 Corinthians—Remember Are Who We 1 CORINTHIANS Remember Who We Are LifeWay Press® • Nashville, Tennessee EXPLORE THE BIBLE: 1 Corinthians— Remember Who You Are © 2017 LifeWay Press® ISBN 978-1-4627-9287-0 • Item 005801650 Dewey decimal classification: 227.2 Let the Word dwell in you. Subject headings: BIBLE. N.T. 1 CORINTHIANS \ CHURCH \ CHRISTIAN LIFE ERIC GEIGER Vice President, LifeWay Resources MICHAEL KELLY Director, Groups Ministry CLINT PRESSLEY General Editor Send questions/comments to: Content Editor, Explore the Bible: Small-Group Study; One LifeWay Plaza; With Explore the Bible groups can expect to engage Nashville, TN 37234. Scripture in its proper context and be better prepared Printed in the United States of America to live it out in their own context. These book-by-book For ordering or inquiries visit LifeWay.com; write to LifeWay Small Groups; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN studies will help participants— 37234; or call toll free 800-458-2772. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; ❯ grow in their love for Scripture; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay’s doctrinal ❯ gain new knowledge about what the Bible teaches; guideline, please visit lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian ❯ develop biblical disciplines; Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers®. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman ❯ internalize the Word in a way that transforms Bible Publishers. -
Gifts in the Context of Love: Reflections on 1 Corinthians 13 by Russell Morton*
Ashland Theological Journal 31 (1999) Gifts in the Context of Love: Reflections on 1 Corinthians 13 By Russell Morton* Introduction In 1 Cor 12-14 Paul proposes several solutions to divisions within the Corinthian church caused by strife over spiritual gifts. One is through the metaphor ofthe "body ofChrist," which was intended to alleviate two opposite, but related errors. On the one hand, individuals lacking the more dramatic gifts were denigrating their own contribution to the Christian community. Likewise, those possessing more dramatic and showy gifts held those lacking these manifestations in some contempt. l In short, we see a situation characterized by stratification. To alleviate this problem,2 to put the role of gifts into perspective, Paul proposes his most profound answer to Corinthian factionalism by inserting 1 Cor. 13, the "love chapter,,3 into his argument. This is one of the most cherished portions of the entire NT, and for good reason. Yet, however valuable it is simply to read over the text, to meditate upon it, and to memorize it, one should also take time to analyze its contents and begin to plumb the depths of Paul's thought. Linguistic Excursus on the Three Common Greek Words for Love Often individuals expounding this text to discuss the differences between the three most common Greek nouns used for love, <J>iAo<; (philos), epw<; (eros) and ayarc1l (agape). epw<; (eros), we are told, is passionate love. <J>iAO<; (philos), on the other hand, is brotherly love or affection. ayarc1l (agape), or disinterested, unconditional love, however, is what we are to strive for.