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1st Corinthians 1
1Cor 1: 1-9
"So Send I You" is Thy Command
melody
"So send I you" is Thy command,
To me as God sent Thee
To call the lame that they might walk,
The blind that they might see.
Yea, called to call the dead to life,
Who dead in sin are bound,
That fearing ears might heed these words
And quicken to His sound.
So rich this grace where truth resides,
As earth receives a seed,
First will her green of life appear
And then her fruits of Thee.
Thy word is knowledge where I dwell,
And steps along Thy grace,
Where Godly riches fill a soul
That seeks its Shepherd's face.
The word of God conveys His grace;
His blood procures my peace,
For He the guilt my sins compose
Disposed in deepest seas.
Still deeper fellowship I seek,
To where still waters lead,
From whence His voice of joy springs forth
And faithful hand now feeds.
words: © 2015 by Stephen Popovich
music: St. Anne 1708 by William Croft, 1708
1Cor 1: 10-17
What Belies and Mocks the Worth?
melody
What belies and mocks the worth
Of our union by rebirth?
Not the leaven of the lies,
Fed by Satan in disguise.
But rife pride foments division
Spreading strife and competition
Who like Chloe will alarm
And redress this body's harm
Urging always e'er that we
One in mind and judgment be
words: © 2015 by Stephen Popovich
music: 1840 by Felix Mendelssohn
1Cor 1:17-29
The Many Drift to Perish
melody
The many drift to perish on
Polluted waters, swayed
In herd benighted penury,
Dismissing words that save.
With empty words are they allied,
A dream will gain their trust.
They spurn the cross and consummate
Their union with the dust
The ignorant descend to fools
When from the light they run
And hide, besotted with their ways
Where none know God, not one.
Lo wondrous works for Israel,
That herald Calvary's hour.
Laud they the signs the senses know
And miss God's saving pow'r.
The proud, a quest to apprehend
The new and deep, will seek.
But wisdom's gift extends to all,
Yet mournful only reach.
Of tongues that clang great vanities
And boast in futile feats
Of fascinations, God decrees:
"The first shall be the least"
For when that final day shall come---
Appearances reversed
The called, imbued with God's own pow'r
And wisdom, shall be first
words: © 2015 by Stephen Popovich
music: St. Peter 1836 by Alexander Reinagle
1Cor 1:30-31
Thy Great Wisdom Revealed
melody
Thy Great Wisdom revealed
Grants us portion and shield.
By Thy Spirit who seals
Those who in Christ Thou chose.
From Whom cometh the blood,
Wind and word from above;
Testifying Thy love;
Forming our treasure boast.
Our debt paid by the Lamb,
To meet heaven's demand,
Frees us firmly to stand
In His own righteousness.
For Thy Spirit unites
Hearts with heavenly light
So that in them there might,
Rise Thy Daystar to bless.
words: 2015 by Stephen Popovich
music: 2008 by Stephen Popovich
1st Corinthians 1
Summary:
Paul reveals how God's wisdom is delivered to man, why this delivery is needed and why God's wisdom was seldom realised by believers at Corinth and by many of God's people today.
So Send I You
(1Cor 1: 1-9)
So send I you"
(1)Paul, called {as} an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
"So send I you" comes Thy command,
As God before sent Thee,
To call the lame that they might walk,
The blind that they might see.
(Jn.20:21)
Called to call
(2)To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their {Lord} and ours:
(3)Grace
to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (4)I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,
Yea, called to call the dead to life,
Who dead in sin are bound,
That fearing ears might heed God's call
And quicken to that sound.
(Mk.1:15, Rom.10:8)
Word people
(5)that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge (6)even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, (7)so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
So rich this grace where truth resides,
As earth receives a seed,
First will her green of life appear
And then her fruits of Thee.
(1Pet.1:23, Eph.1:13)
Thy word is knowledge where we dwell,
And steps along Thy grace,
Where Godly riches fill a soul
That seeks its Shepherd's face.
(Eph.1:18, Rev.21:2)
A fellowship pure in Christ is sure
(8) who will also confirm
you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9)God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship
with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord
The word of God conveys His grace;
His blood procures my peace,
For He the guilt my sins compose
Disposed in deepest seas.
(Acts 20:32, Col.3:16, Col.1:20, Col.2:14, Mic.7:19)
Still deeper fellowship I seek,
To where still waters lead,
From whence His voice of joy springs forth
And faithful hand now feeds.
(Phil.3:14, Jn.15:11, Jn.10:10)
What Belies and Mocks our Union?
(1Cor 1: 10-17)
(10) Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. (11) For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's {people,} that there are quarrels among you.(12) Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel...
What belies and mocks our union
In the water of rebirth?
not poison of some leaven,
Spread by Satan loosed on earth.
(Jas.3:14-16)
But rife pride foments division
Sowing strife and competition
(Prov.3:10, Jas.4:5)
Who like Chloe will alarm
And address this body's harm
Urging always e're that we
One in mind and judgment be
(Phil.2:3-5)
note: Some teach that physical baptism is essential for salvation. If that were the case, why is Paul thanking God that he baptized so few? Did he not care to seal the deal?
Fool's Wisdom
(1Cor 1:17-29)
The Unfashionable Wisdom of God
(17)...not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. (18) For the word of the cross is foolishness
to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (19)
For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE,AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE."
The many drift to perish on (Matt.7:13)
Polluted waters, swayed (Is.57:20)
In herd benighted penury, (Rev.3:17)
Dismissing words that save. (Jn.3:20)
With empty words are they allied, (Is.28:15)
A dream will gain their trust. (Is.29:8, 9)
They spurn the cross and consummate
Their union with the dust (Is.29:4, 14)
The Neglected Wisdom of God
(20)Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (21)For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not {come to} know God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
The ignorant descend to fools
When from the light they run (Pr.1:7)
And hide, besotted with their ways
Where none know God, not one. (2Tim.3:7)
The Unseen Wisdom of God
(22)For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; (23)but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to
Gentiles foolishness...,(24)but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.(25)Because
the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Lo wondrous works for Israel,
That herald Calvary's hour. (Heb.2:3-4),
Laud they the signs the senses know (Jn.6:30)
And miss God's saving pow'r. (Jn.4:48)
Note: On the first Palm Sunday, Jesus wept during his entry into Jerusalem because he knew the excitement of the people was primarily based on the miracle signs he had performed, such as his raising of Lazarus from the dead. This alacrity for signs extended to the Corinthians who gave undue prominence to the sign gift of tongues over the spiritual gifts that edify.
The proud, a quest to apprehend
the new and deep, will seek. (Acts 17:20-21, 32))
But wisdom's gift extends to all, (Rom.10:6-)
Yet mournful only reach. (Matt.5:3-4)
The Irony of the Wisdom of God
(26)For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise
according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. (27)but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, (28)and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, (29)so that no man may boast before God.
Of tongues that clang great vanities
And boast in futile feats(Ecc.1:2, 2:17)
Of fascinations, God decrees:
"The first shall be the least"
For when that final day shall come---
Appearances reversed (1Thess.3:13),
The called, imbued with God's own pow'r
And wisdom, shall be first (Matt.20:16)
Thy Great Wisdom Revealed
(1Cor 1:30-31)
1 Cor 1: 30 - Thy Great Wisdom Revealed
(30)But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
Redemption and righteousness
Our debt paid by the Lamb,
To meet heaven's demand,
Frees us firmly to stand
In His own righteousness.
Sanctification
Thy Great Wisdom revealed
Grants us portion and shield.
By Thy Spirit who seals
Those who in Christ Thou chose.
For Thy Spirit unites
Hearts with heavenly light
So that in us there might,
Rise Thy Daystar rise to bless.
Cor. 1:31 - Godly Boasting
(31)so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."
From Whom cometh the blood,
wind and word from above;
Testifying Thy love;
Forming our only boast.
Note: Man boasts in that which he places his confidence. The road to perishing is filled with those who boast in themselves, but those in Christ boast of God and his ways. (Jer. 17:5-8)