1 CORINTHIANS 10 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
A BAD EXAMPLE: ISRAEL'S APOSTASY
1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13
10:1: I DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE UNAWARE: Is a similar formula often used by Paul himself-(Romans 11:25; Romans 12:1; 2 Corinthians 1:8; Colossians 2:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:13) to introduce a matter vital to the Christian faith...
10:2-4: ISRAEL'S LIBERATION from Egypt by Moses prefigures our liberation from sin by Christ: THE CLOUD is a symbol of the Holy Spirit; THE SEA, of water and baptism; THE ROCK- (v. 4), of the body of Christ, His humanity; and the SPIRITUAL DRINK, of Christ's blood...Jesus Himself linked these events of Passover with the Eucharist when He established it-(Matthew 26:17-29)
10:5-8: IN SPITE OF HER BAPTISM in the Red Sea-(v. 2) and her spiritual eating and drinking-(vv. 3, 4), Israel still fell into idolatry and sexual immorality...
10:6: THE LESSONS OF THE OT, here those surrounding the Passover-(vv. 1-5), ARE EXAMPLES for us, that we might not repeat the same mistakes...
WORSHIP IS SACRAMENTAL
1 CORINTHIANS 10:14-22
10:16-17: THE ENGLISH WORD COMMUNION-(Greek- "koinonia") is the correct translation; the alternative, "fellowship", is too weak... For at Communion, at the Eucharist, there is real participation in the body and blood of Christ...Just as Christ's human body is united to Him, so we are united to Him...As many grains become one loaf, those who take this communion become one in Christ...
10:19-22: ALL WORSHIP IS SACRAMENTAL, even false worship...To genuinely offer a sacrifice is to unite spiritually with the object of that offering...AN IDOL-(v. 19) by itself is nothing, but behind them lurk DEMONS-(v. 20) waiting for someone to partake of them...The Christian offering is the one-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ...We are not to engage in any worship contrary to or in competition with the Eucharist of Christ...
OFFEND NO MAN, GLORIFY GOD
1 CORINTHIANS 10:23-33
10:23-24: CHRISTIANS are obligated to obey the law: The Law of Christ, the law of love: This obligates us to what is HELPFUL-(v. 23): and edifying to THE OTHER'S WELL-BEING-(v. 24): We therefore continually seek the good of the others in everyway...
10:25-33: SINCE GOD CREATED EVERYTHING, everything is clean-(v. 26), even what was once used in idolatrous worship-(vv. 25, 27): However, offering a fellow Christian in nonessential matters breaks the law of love, the bond of unity-(vv. 28-30): If we say that it affects no one but ourselves, yet we must DO WHAT IS TO THE GLORY OF GOD-(v. 31), or else we offend God: The Salvation of all is more important than the rights of the individual- (v. 33): A right is never inalienable if it alienates us from others: note that Paul assumes Christians say a prayer at meals- (v. 30):
1 CORINTHIANS 11 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
THE CONDUCT OF WOMEN
1 CORINTHIANS 11:1-16
11:2: REMEMBER is primarily a word of liturgical prayer: The Corinthians constantly pray for their apostle in their corporate prayers: DELIVERED-(Greek-paredoka) refers to the passing on of authentic apostolic tradition: KEEP THE TRADITIONS refers to obedience to what has been delivered-God-given oral tradition, from which Paul taught: He makes no distinction between the authority of his written and his oral instruction...
UNITY AT THE EUCHARIST
1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-34
11:17-19: WHEN THE CORINTHIANS COME TOGETHER-(v. 17) as the Church, they reveal the world, not heaven...FOR DIVISIONS-(v. 18, Greek- schismata) AND FACTIONS-(v. 19, Greek- haireseis) are contrary to the Church, which is one and indivisible: Paul finds only one good thing in this ungodly disorder: GOD'S APPROVED-(v. 19) faithful are shown to be trustworthy...
11:20-22: THE AGAPE MEAL held before or after THE LORD'S SUPPER-(see vv. 33, 34; also 2Peter 2:13; Jude 12), was intended to build and unify the community in Christ: It gave the rich opportunity to serve the poor, for everyone brought food and shared it-an ancient potluck supper- When the Corinthians COME TOGETHER, however, they experienced drunkenness and gluttony, not Christ and His Body, manifesting not God's love-(Greek- agape) but self-love:
11:23-26: RECEIVED-(Greek-parelabon) AND DELIVERED-(v. 23)- refer to the transmission of Holy Tradition...These words were part of the eucharistic celebration in the first century just as they are today: REMEMBRANCE-(vv. 24, 25; Greek anamnesis) is far more than thinking back about something; it is participation in it: In the Eucharist we participate in Christ's human nature. HIS BODY AND HIS BLOOD: The Jews were permitted to eat meat but not blood, for the life is in the blood-(Lv 17:11), and life belongs to God: Now the Israel of God, the Church, breaks this fast and feasts, as it were, by eating Christ's body and drinking His blood in the Divine Liturgy: WE PROCLAIM THE LORD'S DEATH TILL HE COMES- (v. 26), for we presently celebrate the Eucharist in Christ's invisible presence, though one day we will feast with Him face to face in His Kingdom...
11:27:TO RECEIVE CHRIST'S BODY AND BLOOD IN AN UNWORTHY MANNER means coming to Him with hidden immorality- (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), DISUNITY (v. 18), DOCTRINAL HERSEY-(v. 19), OR DISORDER-(vv. 21, 22), failing to see the gifts of God as holy things for holy people...
11:28: WE PREPARE for the Eucharist by examining ourselves: This includes confessing our sins and being reconciled to one another in the sacrament of repentance-(Matthew 5:23-26): In the Orthodox Church this confession before God is done in the presence of a priest, who visibly represents Christ- (Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18-20; John 20:23), and in general prayers of confession: Being worthy does not mean being sinless, but being cleansed: It is not legalism but commitment to walk in righteousness before God:
11:29-30: THERE IS SUCH POWER in the body and blood of Christ communicated to us in the eating and drinking of His gifts- (John 6:54-56) that to do so in willful disregard of the Lord could result in sickness and even death...
11:31-32: GOD'S PROMISE is that if we JUDGE OURSELVES we will not be CONDEMNED WITH THE WORD-(v. 32):
11:33-34: THE AGAPE MEAL, connected to the Eucharist, was conducted with the same dignity as the Eucharist: While the Corinthian church ate before communion and present-day Orthodox Christians fast, the Spirit of their eating was the same as our fasting: preparation...
PSALM 21 (22) STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+22&version=NKJV
PSALM 21 (22): is a prophecy of the Lord's death and Resurrection, and of His Church: Thus, this psalm may be outlined as follows: (1): THE RESURRECTION-(v. 1); (2): THE CRUCIFIXION-(vv. 2-22); (3): THE CHURCH-(vv. 23-33): (1): CHRIST IS THE END, and He was resurrected early IN THE MORNING (v. 1; see also Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1): (2): THE NEW TESTAMENT quotes several verses from the Psalm in relation to the Crucifixion: For example, v. 2, quoted in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34; v. 9, quoted in Matthew 27:43; and v. 19, quoted in Matthew 27:35: (3): THE NEW TESTAMENT also quotes v. 23 in Hebrews 2:12, referring to the one, holy catholic and apostolic Church-(Nicene Creed)