I Corinthians 13

• I Corinthians 12-14 governs the use of spiritual gifts.
• I Corinthians 13:1-3
  • What are the tongues of angels? We don’t know, but we know angels could easily speak to men and be understood. This is likely hyperbole anyway – the emphasis here is speaking in love.
  • No matter what extreme thing we may do in order to serve God, if we do it without love, it is nothing.
• I Corinthians 13:4-8
  • See I Corinthians 14:26-33. This seems to give us an idea of what behavior Paul is correcting here.
  • “is not jealous” – See I Corinthians 3:2-4.
  • “does not seek its own” – See I Corinthians 8:13.
  • “is not provoked” – Love does not go around with a chip on its shoulder.
  • “believes all things” – Love tries to believe the best about a person until it’s no longer possible.
• I Corinthians 13:8-13
  • I Corinthians 13:9 – The partial here is knowledge of the will of God. When that knowledge was available in its completed form (I Corinthians 13:10), the spiritual gifts would be taken away, like scaffolding on a building that was no longer under construction.

Introduction

• Mark 2:14-17
• Jesus died for you! He came for those in a spiritual slump.
• I John 1:10
• I John 2:1

Believe that you CAN overcome, escape, and endure.

• James 4:7-8
• I Corinthians 10:13
• There is always something we can do to get through.
• Your spiritual muscles may have atrophied and you don’t trust them yet. It will take time to get them back.

Remember the ugliness of sin.

• Luke 22:60-62
• Acts 5:27
• Romans 6:16-18
• You’re not the person you would be if that sin were not in your life.

Change your environment.

• Proverbs 13:20
• If you are hanging around places where people are sinning, you will eventually sin.
• Proverbs 5:8; 7:7, 25
• I Peter 4:1-5

Surround yourself with Christians.

• Ezra 7:27-8:20 – Ezra assembled good people to go with him.
• Don’t go alone!
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

But first …

• Two things came up
• First –
  • “Death angel?”
    • Couldn’t find one
    • Exodus 11:4-5
    • Exodus 12:12
• Second -
  • Did the Red Sea “unpart” while Israel was still crossing?
  • Consider Exodus 14:26-29

The song

• Exodus 15:1-21
• Song of Moses? Revelation 15:3
  • There is, apparently, a Song of Moses
  • Is this it?
• This song
  • Three sections – Exodus 15:1-5, 6-10, 11-18
    • Begin praising God
    • Each succeeding one increases in magnitude
    • Each ends with statement of triumph
  • Author Miriam?
    • Probably not
    • “Miriam answered them …”
• Other possibilities
  • Deuteronomy 32:1-47 (31:22, 30)
  • Generic – a song after the fashion of these two
    • Praises God
    • Speaks to His triumph – OR –
    • Speaks to God’s faithfulness and Israel’s unfaithfulness
    • Then of God’s necessary chastisement on Israel
    • Then on God’s compassion on the humbled Israel
  • As “Song of Moses”
    • Does not sing of Moses
    • Came from Moses
    • Speaks of God

Bitter water into sweet water

• Exodus 15:22-27
• No water for three days
  • Encountered bitter water
  • God provides a cure
• God’s statute, His test
  • If – then
  • Exodus 15:25-26

Give us this day …

• Exodus 16
• Israel grumbles – we’ll starve to death
  • About six weeks into the journey
  • Wishing to have died in Egypt
  • Accuse Moses and Aaron of trying to kill them
• God provides
  • Rules on gathering
    • Another test
    • Just enough
    • Cover Sabbath
    • No matter how much or how little …

Rock of waters

• Exodus 17:1-7
• More grumbling
  • God had not yet left them lacking
  • Killing our babies
• Strike the rock
  • Israel again lacked nothing
  • Is the Lord among us or not?

Battle at Rephidim

• Exodus 17:8-16
• Amalek picks a fight with Israel
  • Moses’ arms up – Israel prevails
  • Arms down – Amalek prevails
  • Aaron and Hur support Moses

Introduction

• I Corinthians 16:1-4

Periodic – “On the first day of every week”

• Acts 2:44; 4:34

Personal – “each of you is to put aside and save”

• Just like all parts of worship, we must be personally involved.
• I Corinthians 11:28
• Do husbands and wives have to give separately? No.
• Does this mean just save at home? No. Paul wanted it already collected when he came.

Proportional – “as he may prosper”

• II Corinthians 8:12
• Numbers 18:24 – tithing under the Old Covenant
• Mark 12:41-44 – The widow gave all she had!
• God is looking at our heart and attitude.

Purposeful – “as he has purposed in his heart”

• II Corinthians 9:6-9
• If our attitude is right, the amount will take care of itself.
• If we do well in God’s eyes, He will bless us spiritually.
• II Corinthians 8:1

I Corinthians 12

• I Corinthians 12:2 – “Pagans” here is in contrast to Christians.
• I Corinthians 12:3 – Compare I John 4:1-3. He could be combatting a heresy called Docetism, which teaches that Jesus did not really come in the flesh.
• I Corinthians 12:4-6 – “Gifts,” “ministries,” and “effects” are synonymous here. All of these come from the Lord.
• I Corinthians 12:7 – These gifts were for the good of everyone.
• I Corinthians 12:8-10 – List of spiritual gifts.
• I Corinthians 12:11 – The Holy Spirit was deciding who got gifts and what they were.
• I Corinthians 12:12 – The point here is unity – we are all part of the same body.
• I Corinthians 12:13 – By the teaching of the Holy Spirit, we’ve all been baptized into one body.
• I Corinthians 12:14-18 – We all bring different blessings to the table. That diversity is a blessing!
• I Corinthians 12:19-21 – Don’t look down on someone with different gifts.
• I Corinthians 12:22-25 – We need to get rid of pride and appreciate each other.
• I Corinthians 12:26-27 – This is talking about all Christians worldwide.
• I Corinthians 12:28 – God decided who got which role.
• I Corinthians 12:29-30 – All these different roles were necessary, but that diversity was a strength. We are all valuable in God’s sight!
• I Corinthians 12:31 – The more excellent way – love!