I_Corinthians

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I Corinthians

Chapter 1 (Continued)

[Key to the rest of the Chapter and Chapter 2
are the 3 next questions]
20a~~Where . . . [is]
"human viewpoint thinker"? [sophos]
[The Greeks loved their orators. Debating was almost a public
past time. Paul uses sophos here in the negative sense so it
is human viewpoint "wisdom" which is no wisdom at all.]

20b~~Where . . . [is]
the scribe? [grammateus]
[From Galatians we see Paul was followed by Jewish believers
who "corrected" his teaching and told his converts that now they
needed to get "under" the Mosaic Law's restrictions.]

20c~~Where . . . [is]
the professional debater? [suzetetes]
[A learned disputant. One skilled in elaborate and
devious argumentation. A scholar or thinker. A "sophist" which
is any of a group of professional fifth-century B.C. Greek
philosophers and teachers who speculated on theology,
metaphysics, and the sciences, and who were later characterized
by Plato as superficial manipulators of rhetoric and dialectic.]
of this age/"period of time"? [toutou aion]

20d~~Has absolutely not [ouk]
The God proved foolish/moronic/"without flavor"
[moraino - to prove someone or something foolish. Salt that
has lost its flavor and it not good. Believers with Divine
Viewpoint in their souls are the "salt of the Earth"]
the "human viewpoint wisdom"
[sophia - in the negative sense is non-Divine Thinking]
of this world/cosmos? [kosmos]

{Verses 21-29: Question One's Answer -
God can not be known by the merit of Human Viewpoint Thinking}
21a~~ For [gar]
"in as much as in"/"after that in/by/with" [epeide en]
the "Divine Viewpoint Thinking/wisdom of God
[sophia Theos - in the good sense - when it is of God]
the world
by the instrumentality of [dia]
"human viewpoint thinking" [sophia in the negative sense]
absolutely knew not from study God, [ginosko ouk Theos] . . .

21b~~God decided with pleasure [eudokeo]
by the instrumentality of [dia]
the "foolishness"
[moria - Paul is doing a play on words. He used "moraino" in verse
20d above. To those who do not believe, all Bible doctrine is
mere foolishness. It is only by faith that doctrine becomes real.]
of preaching [kerugma]
to keep on saving/delivering [sozo - aorist active infinitive]
"the believing ones".
[pisteuo - present active participle - very important point -
the action of the participle precedes that of the main verb.
The "believing' comes first, then salvation follows.]

{Note: This verse means that God provides the simple gospel from simple speaking people instead of just using professional orators.}

[Note: Sozo meaning 'saved' is in the aorist tense. The aorist tense can also mean you take a point in time . . . out of time . . . and perpetuate it forever. So the phrase in this verse maybe should be translated "saved forever" which is true. Once the "gift of salvation" (Ephesians 2:8-9) is given without you earning or deserving it, it also makes sense that you can not "negatively do" anything either to "earn or deserve" losing it.]

[Two Meritorious Methods of Perception - Empiricism and Rationalism]
22~~For [gar]
"seeing that"/in as much as [epeide]
the Jews crave/desire/require
[Ioudaios aiteo - present active indicative]
a sign/miracle [semeion]
and the Greeks seek
[Hellen zeteo - present active indicative]
"human viewpoint thinking"/"Divine Viewpoint thinking"/wisdom
[sophia - this is wisdom in the genetic sense - the Greeks want
to be able to use their great "minds" to "see" that something
is true before they believe. Paul is making it clear that faith
is something you can not rationalize or "see, feel or touch".]

[Note: Here we have the two methods of perception in which unbelievers place their faith - empiricism (what the eyes see and the ears hear) and rationalism (which the 'great philosopher' can use his own mind and conjure up). The only method of perception that carries with it no merit (everyone can do this - eat, drink, sleep, believe) is faith.]

{Verses 23-24: Method of Salvation is Faith -
no credit to Subject - who can then boast?}
23a~~Now/Moreover [de]
we declare/preach Christ
receiving crucifixion in the past with results that last forever . . .
[stauroo - perfect passive participle]

23b~~[Unto] the Jews . . .
a stumbling block . . .
[skandalon - from which we get "scandal". When applied to Jesus
Christ, whose person and career were so contrary to the
expectations of the Jews concerning the Messiah, they
rejected him. Paul was the best example himself. He hated
so-called followers of Jesus so much that he was the top
persecutor - having killed or imprisoned many.]

[Note: Empiricism and Rationalism bring merit to the subject
(the one doing the action) . . . the one thinking or reasoning. But there is NO MERIT to the person exercising FAITH. The merit is in the object of Faith . . . here the Lord Jesus Christ. The Jews can not accept Jesus as the Christ because the can not "feel it is true".

For example, they wanted the sign promised - the coming of a King! They wanted Jesus to defeat the Romans! They wanted the "crown" of the Messiah to come now. They did not understand the need for the cross to preceed the crown. The "2 Advents of Jesus" was another Mystery Doctrine not disclosed in the Old Testament.]

23c~~Now/Moreover [de]
[unto] the Greeks . . .
foolishness. [moria]

[Note: Some of the Greeks can not accept the Jewish concept of a resurrection body because they can not "get their minds around the concept". To the Greeks, "death" is the end of their "bodies of corruption". Having a body in the afterlife is 'foolishness' based on the teaching of Aristotle (we know the "body after death" is in view since later in the epistle, Paul will cover the point in great detail - see I Corinthians 15:20 to the end of the chapter).]

24~~Now/Moreover [de]
[unto] them elected/called . . . [kletos]
"not only . . . but also" [te]
Jews and Greeks . . . [Ioudaios kai Hellen]
Christ . . . [is]
the inherent strength/power of God . . . [dunamis Theos]
and [kai]
the "Divine Viewpoint thinking"/wisdom [sophia]
of God.

[Note: Jesus operated 100% of the time under the filling and guidance of God the Holy Spirit. He was or prototype. His thinking and His teaching and His "Way of life" was for our example. His thinking was pure 100% Divine Viewpoint Thinking.]

[Note: Now "those called" is a concept that people think means that the only ones saved are those that God decides are saved. The problem with this is the "reverse". That means God decides others will go to the Lake of Fire and that is a blasphemous thought. Instead, they are correct that God does "call believers". But God has told us what His choice was in I Timothy 2:4 when Jesus says He desires that ALL men be saved. If that was all that mattered, then ALL men would be saved. But other verses tell us this is not true. So, what is missing? I believe it is that God calls ALL, but only some RESPOND positively. It is the call and the acceptance that results in salvation.]

25a~~Because/Since [hoti]
the "foolishness"/"foolish act" of God . . . [moros Theos]
[using humble men as pastors instead of all human geniuses -
no matter how "low" in acting or thinking God went, it would
always be "higher" than the greatest a man could do]

keeps on being wiser than men.

{Note: Sarcasm here. Christ dying on the Cross is a 'foolish act' to the rational Greeks, but it really is a brilliant plan. And going to the cross was weak to the empirical Jews who wanted to see the 'savior' bring the invincible Kingdom of the Jews now, not later.}

25b~~And [kai]
the 'weak act of God' . . . [asthenes Theos]
[Jesus (humanly speaking) was "weak" hanging on the cross]
is "inherently stronger in mind or body" [ischuros]
than men.

26a~~For [gar]
"take a quick look at" [blepo - a blip on a radar]
your election . . . brethren . . .
how that [hoti]
absolutely not [ouk] many [polus]
"human viewpoint thinking wise men"/philosophers . . .
[sophos kata sarx - literally "wisdom according to the flesh"]
[are called].

26b~~[how] absolutely not [ouk] many [polus]
"mighty human physcial talent" . . .
[dunatos - mighty in power and influence - (dynamite)]
[are called].

26c~~[how] absolutely not [ouk] many [polus]
"who rule"/"are from a noble family" . . . [eugenes]
[are called].

[Note: Why is this true? Because they have their eyes on themselves. They think they are so great there is no one or anything greater than they are. So, when God does call them (as He does call everyone) they continuously say no, no, no.]

27a~~But in contrast [alla]
God Himself keeps on choosing at various points in time
[eklegomai - aorist middle indicative]
the "foolish things" of the world . . . [moros kosmos]
for the purpose that [hina]
He might put to shame [kataischuno - present active subjunctive]
the "wise in human viewpoint" [sophos in the negative sense].

27b~~And [kai]
God Himself keeps on choosing at various points in time
[eklegomai - aorist middle indicative]
the "weak things" of the world . . . [asthenes kosmos]
for the purpose that [hina]
He might put to shame [kataischuno - present active subjunctive]
the "things which are mighty". [ischuros]

28a~~And [kai]
the base/insignificant/"low born"/ignoble things [agenes]
of the world [kosmos]
{'base' is no family tree - no important lineage},
and [kai]
the things having received utter contempt
with results that last forever
[exoutheneo - perfect passive participle ( (being dispised)
examples: believing prostitutes and tax collectors]
God Himself keeps on choosing at various points in time
[eklegomai - aorist middle indicative].

28b~~Yes, and things being not . . . [are used by God]
[eimi - present participle with negative "me"]
to maybe keep on bringing to nothing/"to cause to cease"
[katargeo - aorist active subjunctive]
things that keep on being. [eimi - present participle]

29~~ That [hopos]
no flesh
[me pas sarx - literally "not all flesh"]
might keep on glorifying himself
[kauchaomai - aorist middle subjunctive]
in His presence.

{Note: All salvation is a GIFT of God . . . not of works . . . based on God's grace . . . no human glory or human credit or 'human works' in heaven.}

{From Verse 20: 'Where is the Scribe or Jewish Theologian?' Answered in 30-31}
30a~~Now/Moreover [de]
out from the source of Him {God the Father}, [ek autos]
you keep on being [eimi humeis] . . .
in/by/with [en] Christ Jesus . . .

30b~~Who [Jesus]
out from the ultimate source of God [apo Theos]
"kept on being made what He was not before"
[ginomai - aorist passive indicative - describes the total
process of His taking on the outward form of a man and then
growing to full spiritual maturity as our example]
"unto us"/our [hemin]
"not only . . . but also": [te]
"Divine viewpoint thinking type wisdom"
[sophia - in the good sense]
righteousness/" the prototype of the total process
of how to become and Walk in the Righteousness of God"
[dikaiosune]
and sanctification/"set-apartedness to God", [kai hagiasmos]
and [kai]
"redemption [from the slavemarket of sin]".
[apolutrosis - " a releasing effected by payment of a ransom"]

31~~With the result that [hina]
according as it received writing in the past with results that
last forever, [grapho - perfect passive indicative]
[appears to be a quote from Jeremiah 9:24]
"He that keeps on glorifying himself . . .
[kauchaomai - present middle or passive participle]
let him keep on glorying/boasting
[kauchaomai - present middle or passive imperative (an order)]
in/by/with [en]
the Lord".

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