Gary Gleans

                                                                   1 Corinthians 16:5-11 I will visit you after passing through   Macedonia, for   I intend to pass through Macedonia,   and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may   help me on my journey, wherever I go.    For I do not want to see you now   just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you,   if the Lord permits.    But I will stay in Ephesus until   Pentecost,   for   a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and   there are many adversaries.    When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for   he is doing   the work of the Lord, as I am.  So   let no one despise him.   Help him on his way   in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. Ministry and advancing the Gospel requires cooperation in the body of Christ.  This cooperation depends on clear communication.  I find it interesting that Paul wants to make sure that both his plans

                                                                             1 Corinthians 16:1-4 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On   the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up,   as he may prosper,   so that there will be no collecting when I come.    And when I arrive, I will send   those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.  If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.   Money is one of the most controversial, misunderstood, and abused subjects in the church.  It is gratifying to see Paul give such clear and direct teaching on this subject.  He doesn’t make excuses or qualify his remarks, he simply tells them what is expected of them and what they can expect of him.   GIVING REQUIRES INTENTIONALITY:  If we are not intentional about giving, we will not give.  Paul asks for the member of the church to set aside part of the

                                                                        1 Corinthians 15:50-58 I tell you this, brothers:   flesh and blood   cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.    Behold! I tell you a mystery.   We shall not all sleep,   but we shall all be changed,   in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For   the trumpet will sound, and   the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.    For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and   this mortal body must put on immortality.    When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory?   O death, where is your sting?”                                                                                        The sting of death is sin, and   the power of sin is the law.    But thanks be to God,  

                                                                        1 Corinthians 15:42-49 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.  Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.  The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.  As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.  Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. The resurrection means that things will change in a drastic and dramatic way.  G

                                                                                  1 Corinthians 15:35-41 But someone will ask,   “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”    You foolish person!   What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.    And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.    But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.    For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.    There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.    There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.   Death is scary for all of us because it is often painful, and it is unknown.  We do not know many things about what will happen aft

                                                                        1 Corinthians 15:29-34 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?    Why are we   in danger every hour?    I protest, brothers, by   my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord,   I die every day!    What do I gain if, humanly speaking,   I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised,   “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”    Do not be deceived:   “Bad company ruins good morals.”  Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For   some have no knowledge of God.   I say this to your shame.   Paul continues to present his arguments to prove the hope of the resurrection.  He points out the contradictions in their thinking.  Many people think that something like the resurrection is not logical.  Paul wants to point to the fact that this type of thinking is

                                                                             1 Corinthians 15:24-28 Then comes the end, when he delivers   the kingdom to God the Father after destroying   every rule and every authority and power.  For he must reign   until he has put all his enemies under his feet.    The last enemy to be   destroyed is death.  For   “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.    When   all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that   God may be all in all.   Authority is an important concept to understand.  There are human authorities and there is a divine authority.  No matter how high a person may rise in human authority it is important to understand that all are under the authority of God.  He is in charge and any authority we exercise is sim

                                                                        1 Corinthians 15:20-23 But in fact   Christ has been raised from the dead,   the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.    For as   by a man came death,   by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.    For   as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.    But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then   at his coming   those who belong to Christ.      There are many ways we could complete the statement “Jesus is:”  We could complete that statement with: Lord, Savior, King, Son of God, Messiah, Risen, Returning…  He is all those things and many more.  This passage would add two more to that list that aver very precious to everyone who believes.  The represent two doctrines that are foundational to our salvation and our hope.   JESUS IS THE FIRST FRUIT: When Jesus is called the firstfruits, it should be encouraging to every believer. If there is a first fruit, it implies that

                                                                             1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead,   how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?    But if there is no resurrection of the dead,   then not even Christ has been raised.    And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.    We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that   he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.    For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.    And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and   you are still in your sins.    Then those also who   have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.    If in Christ we have hope   in this life only,   we are of all people most to be pitied.   One of the best ways to combat heresy is to demonstrate its consequences.  This is what Paul is doing

                                                                                  1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel   I preached to you, which you received,   in which you stand, and by which   you are being saved, if you   hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.   For   I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died   for our sins   in accordance with the Scriptures,   that he was buried, that he was raised   on the third day   in accordance with the Scriptures, and that   he appeared to Cephas, then   to the twelve.    Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.    Then he appeared to   James, then   to all the apostles.    Last of all, as to one untimely born,   he appeared also to me.    For   I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because   I persecuted the church of God.   

                                                              1 Corinthians 14:34-40 As in   all the churches of the saints,  the  women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but   should be in submission, as   the Law also says.    If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.    Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?    If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.  If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.    So, my brothers,   earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.    But all things should be done decently and   in order. Submission is an important part of living according to Word of God.  We are to always be submissive to the Word and will God.  We are also called to recognize the