God's First Letter To The Corinthians

By Roger Henri Trepanier

What is noteworthy about God’s First Letter To The Corinthians is that it touches on every major subject relating to the Christian life, such as marriage and divorce, communion, the roles of males and females in worship, spiritual gifts, the resurrection from the dead, the spiritual body, eternal judgment, the start of denominations, and most importantly, the nature of God!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roger Henri Trepanier
• Release date: Nov 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005244866

Roger Henri Trepanier

Roger Henri Trepanier is an evangelist, author, and counselor, who has been serving God on his field of service since 1999. One hundred and nine books have been published so far in five different series, all available in print format and as an eBook for any type of eBook reader. He is a widower with three adopted children, all now married.The author's two websites have been closed. To access the author's books, please type, "Roger Henri Trepanier, books" in any search engine. All the author's books are available in print and ebook formats for all devices.

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The Word Of God Library

God’s First Letter

To The Corinthians

Copyright 2022 by Roger Henri Trepanier

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2022 by Roger Henri Trepanier

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. An exception is granted reviewer who wishes to quote a brief passage or two as part of a public review of this book

Scripture taken from

THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®,

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995

by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

This book is dedicated to all believers on earth who are eagerly waiting for the soon coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.

Hebrews 10:37

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ADDENDUM A

The four ages of time

ADDENDUM B

The two comings from Heaven to earth of God’s Son, The Lord Jesus Christ

ADDENDUM C

A detailed look at God’s teaching on marriage and divorce!

ADDENDUM D

God’s new creation in time

ADDENDUM E

For those who may not as yet know God

The next book

End page

INTRODUCTION

What is ironic is that the very first word by word commentary that God led His servant to write was His first letter to the Corinthians, which was started on April 14, 1986 and was completed August 22, 1987, consisting of 380 handwritten pages! At that time, I was a little over six years old in The Lord, as I was born again of The Spirit of God on January 14th, 1980.

One likely reason why it took God so long to have this book published is that when that original commentary was done over 36 years ago, it was only for my personal growth in the Christian life. And now that I have somewhat matured spiritually in the faith, God likely thought it was time to share this exposition of that wonderful letter from Himself to a much wider readership! And of course, what is being published now is not that original commentary, but rather a fresh word by word commentary, which now takes advantage of all that God has taught His servant over the last 42 plus years as a child of His!

What should also be noted about God’s letter to the Corinthians is that there is likely not another letter from God that touches on just about every truth that God shares in the whole of His word, the Bible! There are also some truths in this letter that are not found anywhere else in God’s word, such as 1 Corinthians 15, as just one example! One thing is guaranteed, which is that any believer who reads this letter from God with full comprehension will no doubt be in a better position to serve God while yet on earth!

And there are three things that we should be aware of at the outset. The first is that the Biblical text that God gave will be included as part of the text of this book, so that the reader will not have to turn to the Bible to read that text. It will appear in italics. Then secondly, each chapter has been broken into smaller sections, which will begin with an italicized brief explanation supplied as a help of what is covered in that particular section. And thirdly, at times comments are supplied by the author, , which will be in brackets in the text of God’s word, as an additional help to the reader.

Then we are to also note that there is an Addenda at the back of the book with five sections. In Addendum A, there is a brief outline of the four ages of time, for any reading the book who might not be familiar with this information. In Addendum B, there is a brief outline of the two comings from Heaven to earth in time of God’s Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, for any who may not be familiar with this information either. Then in Addendum C, we have a detailed look at The Lord Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce! Then in Addendum D, we have an exposition of God’s new creation in time, which He brought about through His Son! Then the fifth and last Addendum is Addendum E, which is a presentation of the gospel, which is the good news that God has given in His word regarding His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, for any readers who might not have as yet this vital personal relationship with God, through faith in His Son.

What should also be mentioned before closing this Introduction, because we are all somewhat curious by nature, is that after completing 21 years of formal education and then spending almost 28 years working in Project Engineering and Management in the Corporate offices of two large utilities, God called His servant as a non-denominational evangelist in early 1999, and then sent him out over two thousand miles, away from family and friends, to the place of service God assigned, which is where His servant has been, and is still serving Him, as evangelist, author, and counselor. The author is a widower with three adopted children, all now married with a family of their own.

Please note the two websites listed below, which have been established for the purpose of interacting with readers and for gospel ministry:

http://www.pilgrimpathwaypublications.com

http://servantofmosthigh.com

And now my prayer is that God will richly bless you as you read this book, and greatly minister to every need in your life, as only God can! To Him be all praise, honor, and glory, with thanksgiving, both now and forevermore! Amen.

FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER ONE

Verses 1 to 31

1 Corinthians 1:1-3, Opening salutation

As God begins this very important first letter to the Corinthians, we note that He begins with a salutation, which is a common way of beginning His letters, where He lets us know which believer on earth He chose to write down this letter for us, and who the recipients of the letter were, usually with an added blessing, as we now see here at 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, where we read, [1] Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, [2] to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: [3] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we see at verse 1:1 here, a believer named ‘Paul,’ was chosen of God to write down this letter, who we then see was an apostle, which word simply means ‘one sent out or sent forth,’ as we see God do with Paul at Acts 13:1-4, who had formerly been called ‘Saul,’ being then at Acts 14:14 referred to as an apostle, after having been sent out by God for gospel ministry.

The apostle Paul is here also at verse 1:1 referred to as being an apostle of Jesus Christ, because it was God’s Son Whom Paul was serving as an apostle in the outworking of his gospel ministry while on earth. Let us note what the apostle Paul gave testimony to at 1 Timothy 1:12 in this regard, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service…

Then we further see at verse 1:1 that it was by the will of God The Father that Paul had been made an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the simple reason that all things originate with God The Father. Let us note what we will later read at 1 Corinthians 8:6 in part, yet for us (that is, as believers) there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him…, and also note what we read at Romans 11:36, For from Him (that is, God The Father) and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

We then note that at the end of verse 1:1, we have another believer named here, as being with the apostle Paul as this letter from God was being written down, who is identified as Sosthenes our brother, simply meaning that he too was a believer in God through faith in His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ. The only other place in God’s word that we have a mention of this man Sosthenes is at Acts 18:17, where we read, And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things. And so we see that this man used to be the leader of the synagogue there in the city of Corinth while yet an unbeliever, and who was then saved under the apostle Paul’s gospel ministry there in the city of Corinth, which spanned a year and six months, as we see at Acts 18:11.

Then at verse 2:2, we note that the recipients of this letter from God was the church of God which is at Corinth. The church of God here simply refers to the believers in the city of Corinth, who were regarded as the local church in the city of Corinth. We need to grasp and remember that in God’s sight, the ‘church’ is not a building on earth, but rather all the believers on earth. And so all the believers at Corinth make up the local church that was in the city of Corinth, and when all believers of earth are taken together, that is God’s universal church on earth, which is regarded by God as being the one spiritual body of God’s Son on earth, all indwelt of The one and same Holy Spirit, and all spiritually united by The one Holy Spirit to God’s Son, Who is the Head of God’s church on earth. We will touch again on this truth when we come to 1 Corinthians 12 later in the book.

What we are to know about the city of Corinth, where these believers resided and to whom God was now sending this letter, is that it was at this time the capital of the Roman province of Achaia, which was in Greece. Rome was the ruler of the then known world and had divided all that territory into provinces, which had Roman officials there to manage affairs for the Emperor residing in the city of Rome in Italy, and also had soldiers there to keep the peace and quell any possible uprisings of the subjugated peoples. Today, the city of Corinth is but an excavated archeological site, with no one living there. God allowed His servant to visit the excavated ruins there in the summer of 2000.

As we see from Acts 18:1-18, the apostle Paul had first gone to Corinth during his second gospel ministry journey from his home local church at Antioch in Syria, and had spent about a year and six months there at that time (Acts 18:11). It was during this period of time that many came to know God through faith in His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, with these believers then forming the local church of God there that He was now sending this letter to.

Then God goes on at verse 1:2 and says these believers making up God’s local church in the city of Corinth in Greece were those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, which simply means that in God’s sight, and from their moment of salvation onward, these believers had now been set apart for sacred use only in their new spiritual position, which was now in Christ Jesus, in reference to one now being spiritually united to Him by The Holy Spirit at salvation, with this having occurred so that one might no longer serve self, as one did all the time as yet an unbeliever, but that one might now serve God only while at earth as a child of His!

We then further note that at verse 1:2 God calls these believers at Corinth as saints by calling, which simply refers to the fact that these believers – as is true of all believers – had now been called of God out of the darkness of unbelief to believe in His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, which then resulted in their being forgiven all sins ever committed against God, thereby rendering one now as saints, that is as ‘holy ones," by virtue of now being cleansed of all sins by God at the moment of one’s salvation!

Then in the last part of verse 2:2, God says that these believers were now doing what believers everywhere else were also doing, which was to call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours, which simply meant that every time any of these believers prayed to God The Father in prayer, which was always ‘in Jesus’ Name,’ then one was in fact calling on the Name of God’s Son, thereby declaring that God’s Son was not only one’s Lord and Savior, but that He was now also one’s very access into the Presence of God The Father in Heaven!

Let us note what The Lord Jesus told His disciples the night just before He was betrayed and arrested, noting for instance what we read at John 16:23,24, with capitalization and notes added in brackets as a help, [23] In that day (after I have returned to Heaven again in the ascension, after my death at the cross, my burial, and after being resurrected from the dead) you (my disciples) will not question Me about anything (because I will no longer be physically present with you as I am now to answer all your questions and requests). Truly, truly, I say to you, (that in that day) if you ask the Father for anything IN MY NAME, He will give it to you. [24] Until now you have asked for nothing IN MY NAME (because I was physically present with you); ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

And so we see that every time one invokes the Name of The Lord Jesus Christ in prayer – not in praying TO Him, but rather is claiming His Name as one’s access in the Presence of God The Father – that is what God refers to here at verse 1:2 as calling on His Name!

Before going further, we should note that the phrase, call upon the name of the Lord, occurs three times in Scripture, all in the Old Testament. Let us note these three occurrences here before commenting further on this. And so, the first occurrence is at Genesis 4:26, where we read, To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD. Then the second and third occurrences are at Psalm 116:13,17, where we read, [13] I shall lift up the cup of salvation and CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD… [17] To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD. In each of the above three occurrences, the word, Lord, is YHVH in the original Hebrew and was the proper Name of God in the Old Testament, and always referred to God The Father.

What we are to observe is that once God’s Son had come to earth to take on the human body that God His Father had prepared for Him in the womb of the virgin (noting Matthew 1:18-25 with Hebrews 10:5), then God’s Son started sharing the Name Lord with His Father, which is the Greek word Kurios in the original. And here we can note what God’s Son said to His Father in prayer at John 17:12, where we read, While I was with them, I was keeping them in YOUR NAME WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN ME; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

And to see the truth of this, we only need to compare Psalm 110:1 in the Old Testament with how that same verse reads in the New Testament. And so, we read at Psalm 110:1, where David was led of God to write, A Psalm of David. The Lord (YHVH, in reference to God The Father) says to my Lord (ADONAY, in reference to God’s Son): Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."

If we now turn to Acts 2:34-36, where God quotes the same verse as part of that passage, we there read what Luke was led of God to write, [34] For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord (KURIOS, in reference to God The Father) said to my Lord (KURIOS, in reference to God’s Son), Sit at My right hand, [35] until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. ' [36] Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord (Kurios) and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified. And here we clearly see from verse 34 that God The Father and His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, both now share the same NAME, with the coming of God’s Son to earth to take on a permanent human body, which is Lord, as the Name that was made reference to at John 17:12!

And so, at 1 Corinthians 1:2, because God The Father wanted to make a distinction as to Who was in view there as Lord, He therefore specified that it was His Son, Jesus Christ, Who was there as Lord. And since we have seen from John 16:23,24 quoted above that prayer is always to God The Father in The Lord Jesus’ Name, then that is why it was stated that what is in view there at verse 1:2 is the use of The Lord Jesus’ Name every time we as believers approach God The Father in prayer!

However, we should also be aware that it is not only in prayer that we are to come to God our Father, through His Son, but also in worship, that is, in our praise, thanksgiving, and adoration, noting what God tells us at Ephesians 5:20, always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father, also noting what we are told at Colossians 3:17, Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father, and then also at Hebrews 13:15, Through Him (God’s Son) then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God (The Father), that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

Then as we continue, the blessing that God gives at verse 1:3, namely, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, is one that God often gives in His letters, noting for instance Romans 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; and 2 Thessalonians 1:2. Because these believers at Corinth were now children of God through salvation, then it was God’s will that His grace and his peace rest upon each one of them!

The apostle Paul was led of God to mention grace and peace here because this is what every believer enters into at the very moment of salvation – which is when one personally comes to know God, for at that moment one receives the forgiveness of sins and eternal life for believing in God through faith in His precious Son – noting here for instance what God says about grace and peace at Romans 5:1,2, [1] Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this GRACE in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9, God here points out that these believers were not lacking in any spiritual gift or spiritual knowledge, as they waited on the end of the present age and the revelation of The Lord Jesus Christ!

As God continues, He now points out at 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 that these believers at Corinth were not lacking in any spiritual gift or in spiritual knowledge, as they waited for the end of the present age, as when the full revelation of God’s Son would take place, noting to begin with what we read at 1 Corinthians 1:4-8, [4] I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, [5] that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, [6] even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, [7] so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, [8] who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God has the apostle Paul begin here at verses 1:4,5 by giving thanks for these believers at Corinth, because he is aware of the grace of God, that is, of God’s unmerited favor resting upon them from the moment they were united with His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, in salvation, which was something that had now become evident due to the fact that they had become rich in spiritual riches since that salvation occurred! And those spiritual riches rested upon their inward knowledge of spiritual truth that they had acquired as a local church, which then resulted in an outward utterance of that truth, in terms of making it known to others!

God was especially pleased to see, as we further see at verse 1:6, that the believers making up the local church at Corinth had the testimony that had been given regarding His Son established among them, in that they now had the inward spiritual knowledge of His Son that God had given them, as part of His salvation bestowed on them as an act of His grace, that is, of His unmerited favor toward them, who had now all become His own children as part of His family on earth!

What that meant then, as we further see at verse 1:7 is that this local church at Corinth did not lack any spiritual gift among them, which would have been bestowed as God’s Holy Spirit came to indwell the human spirit of these believers, as each one in turn was being saved and thereby made a part of that one body of Christ in that local church at Corinth. And this also meant that they were all awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which refers here to the appearing of God’s Son at the first stage of His second coming in the clouds just above the earth to remove the believers from the earth, as we see at 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17, before God brought His judgment on the unbelievers of earth!

Then at verse 1:8, God points out that all such believers as these at Corinth will, at the time of His Son’s appearing, be made to stand before Him as blameless, that is, as with no known unconfessed sins in one’s life, because now one will be conformed to the very image of His Son, in that one’s sinful nature as part of the soul inherited from Adam at the age of accountability – being the age at which each human being as a young child first comes to grasp the difference between good and evil, and chooses the evil, thereby sinning for the first time against God, and becoming a sinner in His sight, and in also now have acquiring a sinful nature that only wants to sin at all times) – will now be removed, and one will now receive a new spiritual body to enter into God’s Presence in Heaven, as we will see later at 1 Corinthians 15:42-44!

And then at 1 Corinthians 1:9 God concludes with a statement of fact, which is as we now read, God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words, because God is faithful, in that He can always be trusted and relied upon to do what He says He will do, as He has revealed in His word, the Bible, means that all what God has disclosed here will indeed be realized, for these believers at Corinth, and for all believers, as those who have been called by God into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, which occurred when each experienced God’s salvation as a gift of His grace (noting Ephesians 2:8-10)!

1 Corinthians 1:10-16, God expressing His desire that unity be maintained among the believers, so that no division takes place!

As God continues in His letter, He now makes known to these believers at 1 Corinthians 1:10-16 that His desire is for unity among them, which means no divisions, noting to begin with what we read at 1 Corinthians 1:10, Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Since these believers were all indwelt of the same Holy Spirit, and since they were now the one spiritual body of God’s own Son on earth, and since they were all now part of the same family of God while on earth, then it is to be expected that God would require unity from His own children! And it is not surprising here that God’s appeal through the apostle Paul is being done here by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, since all believers belong to Him from the moment of one’s salvation onward, noting what we later read at 1 Corinthians 3:23, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.

The unity that God was looking for here was to see the lives of these believers rightly ordered by having a common understanding and a common purpose! What these believers needed to realize – since divisions among them had already taken place, as we shall see throughout this letter – is that DIVISIONS ARE NEVER OF GOD, since always contrary to what He is trying to achieve! Rather, we are to see that DIVISIONS ARE ALWAYS A WORK OF THE EVIL ONE, TRYING TO PUT A STOP TO THE PROGRESS OF GOD’S WORK ON EARTH!

Then at 1 Corinthians 1:11, we now learn that God was leading the apostle Paul to write down God’s directives for the various issues that had started to plague the local church at Corinth, which was of course truth that all local churches on earth could then use when caught in similar situations, noting now what we there read, For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.

We are to note here that the name Chloe is only found here in God’s word and speaks of a one who was a female. Then when we read, Chloe’s people, as those who told the apostle Paul in regards to what was happening at Corinth, we are to regard these as being part of Chloe’s household, which was most likely in Ephesus, as this is where the apostle Paul was when he was led of God to write down this letter, for later at 1 Corinthians 16:8, we are told, But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost… This also means then that this woman Chloe would have been a resident of Ephesus, or else God would not have named here her by name at verse 1:11 had she been a resident of Corinth!

And so, what the apostle Paul had heard from Chloe’s people, who had just likely recently returned from Corinth, was that there were quarrels, that is, strife, contention, and wrangling going on among the believers at Corinth. God obviously knew this and is obviously concerned, as these are His own children by a new spiritual birth, and so He now leads the apostle Paul to write to them what He knows to be the solutions to all these quarrels!

Then as we see at 1 Corinthians 1:12,13, God puts His finger on what was the source of the quarrels that had already led to divisions taking place in the local church at Corinth, as we there now read, [12] Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. [13] Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

When God says here at verse 1:12, that each one of you is saying, He does NOT mean that ALL of them were saying what we then read in the rest of the verse! But rather, what God is saying here is that ALL of the believers making up the local church at Corinth had broken up into factions, with one group saying, I am of Paul, then a second group saying, I of Apollos, then a third group saying, I of Cephas, while the fourth group was saying, I of Christ."

What is critical to see here is that in one saying, I am of Paul, as was the case with those saying, I of Apollos and I of Cephas (which was a reference to the apostle Peter here), were in fact saying that they were followers of these men! In other word, they each regarded these men as their leader and their teaching is what they followed!

However, God’s will for each of their lives from the moment of salvation onward was that they all remain followers of God’s Son, The Lord Jesus Christ alone, and only hold to His teachings, as found in God’s word! And so only the fourth group, as those who were saying, I of Christ, had the mind of God and were therefore in the will of God for their lives! And since Paul is mentioned first here and Christ last, that meant that the largest group was looking to follow Paul, while the smallest group was looking to follow Christ, unfortunately!

What we are to also grasp is that what we have here at 1 Corinthians 1:12 is the start of DENOMINATIONS on earth, for every denomination that has ever come into existence since that time has always had believers being followers of a man and his teaching – and even followers of a woman and her teachings at times – instead of continuing to be followers of God’s Son, and ordering one’s life on God’s teachings only, as found in His word!

What this means then is that all quarrels that arose in the local church at Corinth, which then led to divisions among the believers, were all due to the fact that three groups had STOPPED FOLLOWING CHRIST! We can be thankful that there was at least one group there that still did follow God’s Son and the teaching of God’s word, which meant that God’s blessing on that local church would only remain while that continued to be the case!

It is important to also keep in mind here