So, we have first Corinthians closing up and it's we look back this chapter gives us an opportunity to Think about kind of everything that we have seen in 1st Corinthians because it's been an interesting book. There were a lot of issues in the church in Corinth, a lot of them and a lot of very serious things.

And so, how does Paul end up 1st Corinthians? What does this tell us about what was going on there? You know, what does he say? Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, that all that you do be done in love. And then it says, now I urge you, brothers, you know, Paul is not saying with all the things that have been going on in the church in Corinth, I wonder if you are believers.

Well, if this is not just a very, uh, powerful passage, this is one of those passages you just wish you could inject right into your veins, right? I mean, this one gets you going. Because it talks about the ultimate victory that Christ has had over sin, death, and hell, and the devil. And it gives us a confidence in what is in store for us in the future.

And so, Paul is continuing this conversation that he's been having about... What the resurrection body is going to look like and so Paul has basically said, you know, there's a mystery to this We don't fully understand it, but it is going to be imperishable. You're not going to be Resurrected to a body that will perish right?

 So, as I said, we continue with this idea of the resurrection of the dead, and I really like where Paul takes this conversation here in 1 Corinthians 15, because I think these are natural questions. What is the resurrection going to be like? If we're going to be raised, is it just going to be that we're raised to another body that will die?

 There is a lot for us to consider in that passage and I'm going to start out with the controversial part even though it's towards the end of the passage because I don't want us to move from our devotional thought and application. Uh, go from reading the important part of the text I'm going to be focusing on, then get to the controversial part and then go back to the application.

I think it's best to start off with the confusing part here at the beginning, verse 29. 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? We don't know, like many other things in 1st Corinthians, we don't know the context in which this is written.

 So, we arrive here in 1 Corinthians 15 with Paul spelling out what the gospel is for us. Notice this is the gospel that he preached to them. It's the gospel that they received. And it isn't the gospel in which they stand, and it is the gospel by which they are being saved. This is the message that they are to believe.

This is the good news, that's what gospel means. This is the good news that saves them. So here is what Paul lines out for them. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. So, as we stop there and think about that little bit that we've had so far, Let's think about this.

 As we look at this passage, we are reminded that things in the church in Corinth. aren't good, and Paul is trying to shore up some real difficulties that they are having here. Now remember, before we got to the love chapter, he was talking about issues in the church regarding spiritual gifts. And so, now Paul has set up that love is the greatest thing to have, and now he's going to try and, uh, get some of this stuff lined out.

 As I said, this passage is very well known, so much so, I come to it and I wonder what to say. It's very clear. We've heard it before. Sometimes just stopping and meditating on what the text says, when we know it and we can let it ruminate within us. is a really good thing to do, but then the video is too short or I just have to stand here and stare at the camera, so I am actually going to make some comments.

As we come to this passage, it's likely one you are familiar with. It is a well-known passage, and it's an awesome one, really. The way that Paul knits all this together and creates this image for us is fantastic. It really helps us to understand our role within the church, within the body of Christ.

And so, we see in verse 13, for in one spirit we were all baptized. Remember, Paul talked about that previously. We were all baptized in one spirit, into one body. And look at the distinctions he makes here. Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and all were made to drink of one spirit. In other words, it doesn't matter who you are.

 Now, as we come to chapter 12, we're getting a little bit more of an indication that there are other problems in the church in Corinth. We're going to see more of that as we move forward, but obviously there was some issue with the different ways in which gifts of the Spirit were being viewed. So, Paul doesn't want them to be uninformed about spiritual gifts.

 Boy, this, this church in Corinth has more issues than, than we can keep track of here, right? Now, all of a sudden, Paul is having to set them straight on the Lord's Supper. And notice what he says. I didn't highlight it here for those of you watching on video, but, but verse 20, when you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper that you eat.

As I mentioned, we find ourselves in another difficult passage here in 1 Corinthians with this beginning of chapter 11. There is so much cultural distance between us and the first century that we struggle to understand what this means. In fact, there's multiple interpretations of what it means. We do our best, but the culture is so different then, and there's so much time.

So, we see Paul finishing up some ideas regarding eating meat that has been offered as a sacrifice to pagan deities or pagan idols. And so, Paul starts out here by saying, you know, all things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. What he's saying is, you know, they're not really gods and it's perfectly good meat.

It's lawful for you. You can eat that meat, but it's not always helpful. And the idea here is that Paul is saying, you know, if somebody's conscience is saying you shouldn't eat that meat because it's been offered as a sacrifice to an idol, then don't do it in front of them. You know, he says if you go into the meat market and the meat's there and you think it might be from sacrifices, don't worry about it if it's not a big deal.

 So, Paul comes back here to the subject of idolatry. You may remember a few days ago, maybe a week or two ago, we talked about this food that was sacrificed to idols. And Paul says, are idols anything? No. Uh, he doesn't want them to participate though in the idolatry that these sacrifices are made to. And that's the issue here.

 So, we come to chapter 10 and Paul is giving the people in the church in Corinth instructions on how to live. And he starts out by saying, hey, I don't want you to be unaware that our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and all were baptized Into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

Well, what is he saying here? What is his concern? Well, he wants everybody to know these stories, you know about Moses the stories, you know about the people in the wilderness Not everyone there would have been saved. They all were a part of the people of Israel. They all passed through the Red Sea and they were spared.

 So, we have, again, a big chunk of text, but it's all driving to the point at the end of this chapter. So, we read this one big chunk as we see that it moves us towards this idea at the end. Paul is willing to do anything to be able to preach the gospel. He is willing to go to all kinds of people and try to understand the world as they do in order to be able to preach to them.

The message of the cross.