Themes By Chapter
Book Summary
The word Lord occurs more times in this book than any other book. Christ needs to be the center of the church, the church needs to be built on the rock. Paul was addressing problems in the church of Corinth and showing how the reason for problems in the church was that Jesus was not Lord in the church there. Jesus Christ is the only cure for division in Christ – “who is joined together with the Lord is one spirit with Him.” God wants to knit His church together in love, bonded together in peace, united in one faith under one Lord striving in harmony with one accord.Paul stressed the importance of unity and that the body is one despite having a variety of functions. Each part of the church is important, needed, and essential to work together. He addressed spiritual gifts exhorting that the people of Corinth were chasing after gifts which made them look good, the thing to strive for Paul told them was love, to ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit – seeking the spirit of love to fill them and empower them to love, to show Christ.
The cross is where life begins , where unity starts and peace envelops. That is what Paul preached, Jesus crucified for that is the power of the gospel. Paul addressed important issues in the church concerning spiritual gifts , the rapture, the resurrection , wisdom from God and church problems.