1 CORINTHIANS 8 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
LOVE REIGNS OVER KNOWLEDGE- See also (Revelations 9:20-21)
1 CORINTHIANS 8:1-13
8:4-13: THROUGHOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE, animals were sacrificed to pagan gods at feasts and public occasions: Part of each offering was used in a ceremonial meal or went to the donor; the reminder was often sold in public meat markets...Christians had a dilemma...Should they eat meat that had been offered to idols??? The Jews had prohibitions, but the Christians believed an IDOL IS NOTHING...Paul-(vv. 9, 10): Love of God and of fellow Christians compels Paul not to eat such meat- (v. 13):
8:6: OF WHOM AND THROUGH WHOM do not speak of divine nature, but of the relationship of the Father and the Son to us...
1 CORINTHIANS 9 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
A GOOD EXAMPLE: PAUL'S RIGHTS & PAUL'S OBLIGATIONS
1 CORINTHIANS 9:1-23
9:1: PAUL'S APOSTLESHIP is under attack; in this Chapter he defends it...
9:2: THE EFFECTIVENESS of the clergy is certified by the spiritual condition of the sheep...
9:11: CLERGY must be given MATERIAL support to be free to sow SPIRITUAL THINGS...God saw to this under the Old Covenant-(vv. 8, 9), and Paul implies that most Christian pastors are similarly supported- (vv. 5, 6):
PAUL'S SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE
1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27
9:24-27: USING CONTEMPORARY TERMS from the sports of running-(vv. 24, 25) and boxing-(vv. 26, 27), Paul shows the proper use of ascetic practices in the life of faith: They are valuable not in themselves, but for the sake of the goal of salvation: As training prepares an athlete, so SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE prepares a Christian to exercise faith and enter the Kingdom of God...
PSALM 20 (21) STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
PSALM 20 (21): IS ALSO A ROYAL PSALM, because it is a prophecy of the King's triumphal Ascension, in which He is also THE END...
THE FATHER is identified as THE LORD-(vv. 2, 8) and as THE MOST HIGH (v. 8); and the King is also called THE LORD-(v. 10), WHO IS EXALTED (v. 14) In His Ascension, as well as the Father's HAND AND RIGHT HAND (v. 9): In being called by these names, Jesus is shown to be one essence and coequal with the Father...Jesus asked the Father to raise Him from the dead and to enthrone Him at His right hand for the sake of our salvation-(vv. 1-8; see also Hebrews 5:7-9): And in His death, Resurrection and Ascension, He destroyed all the enemies, namely, the devil and his angels-(vv. 9-13): So, in response to all the Lord's MIGHTY DEEDS, the Church sings and praises Him-(v. 14):