1 Corinthians 15
1 Cor. 15:1-4 "Moreover,[1]brethren,[2] I declare unto you the gospel[3] which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;[4] By which[5] also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory[6] what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.[7] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"
Paul is talking to people who are doing what Christ said and trusting in the good news and righteous ways he taught. The first thing he did was talk to the people about Christ telling them to repent which we see him telling Agrippa in Acts 26:20[8]. These people were told by Paul to "do works meet for repentance". The word meet is the word worthy or in other words showed their faith in the nature, way and character or name of Christ by their works.
This is no different than we see Paul preaching in Acts 17:30 "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" But the Modern Christians think he does not have to repent from these ways that the early Christians turned away from.
If people do not want to do what these early Christians were doing then they have not really repented and have not been converted. These early Christians were actually converted to this new way of caring for one another by faith, hope and charity and the perfect law of liberty and were not coveting their neighbor's goods by applying to men who exercise authority one over the other.[9]
These people actually believed Christ and did what he said. They repented. They changed their ways. This is what has been the message of God to us from the beginning and we see it given us by other prophets.
Ezekiel 18:25-32 Which talks about people who go away from his righteousness, and commit iniquity and die. When Adam rejected God's way he was told that he would die but Satan came and told him that he would not die. This is the message of the Modern Christian. They say all you have to do is believe and you will be saved but that is not what Jesus said nor the prophets from the beginning. They said Repent!
Ezekiel 18:25-32 is laying this out for us when it says "Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." Because God takes "no pleasure in the death of him that dieth". He does not want you to die but live. The devil wants you to die so he will tell you that you do not have to repent.
The Modern Christians try to use some of the words of Paul to insinuate that all you have to do is believe that Christ died and has saved you and what you do does not matter. They are picking little quotes of Paul out of context so that they do not have to Repent, Seek, strive and do the will of the Father even though Christ said we do. They tell people they are saved because they believe Jesus is the Christ and he died for us.
The Modern Christians do not follow the ways or words of Christ but cling to a no works personal philosophy and their sin remains.
We do agree with Ezekiel 18:25-32 and God's way is equal because it contains mercy. God does not require we pay back for all the evil we have done but he does require that we repent, forgive and seek to do the will of the Father.
The prodigal son would not have been forgiven by his Father if he did not change his ways and return with full intent to do the will of his Father and neither will the Modern Christians. They have accepted a false do nothing gospel and when they are shown how they have sought unrighteous iniquitous ways that Christ said made the word of God to none effect they refuse to repent.
The gospel tells us the kingdom of heaven and the right to be ruled by God instead of the gods many of the [world] is within our reach if we will repent, forgive and seek to live by the righteous ways of Christ.
- Part 9: Gods Many video ~10 min
Jesus' kingdom was not a part of the world. And our religion should not be a spotted by that world.
The devil believes in who Christ is but he does not want to do what Christ said to do that you might be saved. He certainly does not want you to repent. He wants you to think there is nothing you have to do to be saved. These people, these brothers, Paul is writing have already repented and are seeking the kingdom. Many Modern Christians have not repented and even think they do not have to change.
They do not really live in the world but of it. They do not know why Jesus said His kingdom was not of the world not do they know why they were told that their religion to be pure was not supposed to be spotted by the world.
- Why do you think Paul said "Christ did not send me to baptize..."[10] and is Baptism only for those who want to follow Christ in his ministry...?
Baptism was to mark a point in time where a change in the way you live your life as an individual in a society and community. The Baptism of Christ was to mark an individuals intent to live as a part of a community according to the ways of Christ and the Perfect law of liberty. Understanding the purpose of Baptism and what it meant at that time is essential to following the path of Christ and His Holy Gospel.
Christian Baptism put you on a social path where your welfare was to be the result of Freewill offerings. This meant a network of ministers operating as the Body_of_Christto maintain connected Congregations that were donating the funds to provide the Daily_ministration. If you got baptized by John or one of his ministers you were in his network. The same was true if you were in the network of Peter. Paul or Apollos as we see in 1 Corinthians 1:12 "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas(another name for Peter); and I of Christ."
Paul had brought Stephanas and his whole house to Christ's network. [11] We know that Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus provided important aid to the network in Corinth when there was a shortage and need.[12]
Because these networks were often able to sustain themselves as difficult times they could be independent and create divisions but Paul is saying if we come in the "name of our Lord Jesus Christ" there should be no divisions among youand we all speak the same thing, being "perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment".
There were those who were causing division among Christians an the ways or wisdom of the World was proving to be foolishness.[13] There was one Christ, one faith, one network...
Footnotes
- ↑ The Greek here is de translated but 1237 times, and 934, now 166, then 132, also 18, yet 16, yea 13, so 13, moreover 13, nevertheless 11, for 4, even 3 times. Beginning a chapter with But must put the chapter in the preceding context.
- ↑ Paul is talking to men he calls adelphos (ἀδελφός)meaning "a brother" meaning those with the same father or "having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman" or "a fellow believer, united to another by the bond of affection". He is talking to those who are doing what he believes to be righteous.
- ↑ The word here is not a proper noun but is the word euaggelion εὐαγγέλιον and it is from the word euaggelizo (εὐαγγελίζω) commonly translated preach 23 and is seen in the same sentence as preach but literally mean good news or message.
- ↑ These people had accepted something and were establishing and standing in he ways of Christ which were not of the world. The word stand is from the word histemi ἵστημι which means "to cause or make to stand... to make firm, fix establish.
- ↑ By standing in what he told you which is what Christ told you that you are kept safe. These people were doers of the word and will of God
- ↑ The word memory is put in by the translators and the word keep means hold or retain
- ↑ This word believe is from the Greek word pisteuo (πιστεύω)from the word for faith. It does mean to think something to be true but also to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity. And to do so in vain "without purpose"
- ↑ Acts 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
- ↑ Luke 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so:
- ↑ 1 Corinthians 1:17 ¶ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
- ↑ 1 Corinthians 1:16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
- ↑ 1 Corinthians 16:17 I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied.
- ↑ 1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 1:20 Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?