 Good morning everyone. Recording is started. Even before we could start with our session, I would request one of us to please lead us in prayer. Further we want to thank you for this morning. God, please help us. As a class, to your hands, Lord, you pray as we continue to learn from your word. You speak to us, Lord Jesus. Help us to understand the mysteries of your word. We send in person by and at your hands and we pray that you would anoint her to deliver your word, Lord Jesus. Speak to us, Lord. We humble ourselves once again before your presence. Amen. Thank you. Thank you, John. Thank you each one for joining in today's session as we are continuing to study on Paul and Episodes. Today we're going to study on the second letter. So even before I could start, I'll just project our PowerPoint presentation. Yes, let me see. Okay, we're going to start yesterday. We started with first, I mean, we started with the letter to Romans and today we're going to start on first Corinthians. So even before we could start on first Corinthians, I would like to share some information about these 13 Epistles, which is written by Apostle Paul. So Apostle Paul had written 13 Epistles in New Testament and these 13 letters that are starting from the book of Romans till Philemon are classified into four groups. Okay, so what are those groups? We have it on the slide here. So the first and second Thessalonians are known as Eschatological Epistle. These two books deals, letters deals with the last days and it emphasize on the return of Christ. And then we have Soteriological Epistle that is from the book of Romans first and second Corinthians and Galatians. So these letters emphasize on the doctrine of salvation. Well, in the book of Romans that we studied yesterday, we saw how it focused much on the salvation and the personal life. So in Corinthians what we're going to cover today, we're going to see the salvation in the church life. And then in the book of Galatians, which we will be covering in the coming weeks, we see the salvation is by grace. So as we study these, just keep in keep in back of your mind like what are these letters denote to us. And then we have Christological Epistle, which is Ephesians, book of Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. So these these letters mainly deal with the study of Christ. That's why they're known as Christological Epistle. And these letters emphasize on the person and the work of Jesus Christ. With that, we will move on to the last one that is the pastoral or ecclesiological epistle, which deals with the study of church, which is that that is the first and second Timothy and Titus. Okay, so these are the four groups of classification for our understanding. I've mentioned and we will be studying each of these letters, not in the order that is listed here, but according to the order that has been there in our New Testament book. Okay, so yes, as we have studied on the book of Romans today, we're going to start on the book of Corinthians. What do we know about first Corinthians? Anything that we know about the current church? Why was this letter written? I'm sure each of y'all would have gone through your notes even before we could come to the class so little bit you can just brush up if you wanted you can check your notes and say why was this letter written? What was the purpose behind the letter for Paul to write or anything about the current current church? This epistle was written to address certain issues, especially first Corinthians, address certain issues regarding disunity and the operating of gifts in the current church. Okay, okay. Anyone else from the class? In fact, it was his second letter to the colleagues, he was trying to answer some questions they were having in church. There were some issues in the church. Okay, anyone else? Okay, while we see Apostle Paul is teaching and preaching in Ephishes during his third missionary journey, there were some visitors who arrived from the church of Corinth. A church he had planted in Greece some three years before on the second missionary journey. So there was a group of visitors. They reported some very disturbing news of factions and morality, lawsuits within the body of believers. And there was also another group comes with difficult questions concerning marriage and divorce or eating food offered to idols and matters of public worship and the resurrection of the body. So, using his God given power and authority as an apostle, he writes this letter to address their unacceptable contact, and he also answers to their question. Okay. So with that, we will move on. We will move on to the book of Corinthians. Like, what do we know about the city of Corinth? For us to understand from where these questions are raised in between the believers. So when we look at the city of Corinth, the very location of that city, it was located on the southern Greece. It is about 40 miles west of Athens, and it was located on a narrow strip of land called as Isthmus, where it was formed a land bridge between Asians and the Adriatic Sea. And it was considered one of the most strategic cities in its days. Well, we also see Corinth as a city dates back to ancient times, where it was leveled in 146 BC by the Romans, and it was rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 44 BC, and established as a major capital for all of southern Greece. And it was established as a Roman colony, and therefore a model city for Roman rule. So unlike the other Roman colonies, Corinth had a strong Jewish population and a synagogue. So why was it, what was the importance of the city? We see, Corinth was the capital city of the southern provinces of Greece called Achaia, because of its strategic location, it became a major center of travel and commerce. So Corinth was a site of a large stadium for athletes, and it hosted the second most significant games outside the Olympics. And we see how famous the city was, and there was a lot of business opportunities we see in the city. How do we know that when we go through 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 to 27, we see that, can we turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 to 27. Can I request one of us to please read? 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 to 27, do not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may obtain it, and everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but be for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty. Thus I fight, not as one who beats the air, but I discipline my body and bring it to subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. Amen. Such a strong verse, isn't it? Even in our days we can apply this to our daily life, whatever actions we do, what is the crown that we are striving to run for? Just as the athletes run to win a prize, how about we, are we running to win that perishable crown, or are we striving to win an imperishable crown? As we meditate and ponder on that, we also see the unique features of this book. It talks about the current constructed a road to carry the cargo, because they had a major harbor there. So they constructed a road to carry the cargo and later ships across the isthmus to avoid going a longer and more dangerous way around. So the population of the city surrounding the area at the time of Paul could have been, could have been about 7 lakh. And it made the largest city increase because of its recent history or the blending of many culture. Because it was a business center, they had many people come in, maybe for merchandise, travelers, sailors. You know, it hosted many cultural people in that place. And it became a hotel for prostitution and also for the carnival pleasure hub for all these immoral activities. So when we go towards the actual English word for Corinthians, meaning luxurious, which is coming from the reputed lifestyle of the dwellers of Corinth. So the temple, which was there, which was a very famous temple of goddesses of love, which is Aphrodite stood high above the city and also served to fan prostitution. Over about 1000 prostitutes served in that temple, which was a major source of revenue to the city. And all manner of immorality was practiced in the name of religious experience. And there was drunkenness was also a main activity among the religious ceremonies there. So keeping this, we can also see the background and Paul's relationship in this church in Corinth. So Paul founded this church on a second missionary journey in Acts chapter 18, 1 to 8, when we read, we see that Paul found this church at Corinth. And he began this alone in Corinth by ministering in a synagogue and he started the tent making business with Akhila and his wife, Priscilla. Paul wrote out his welcome in the synagogue and started a church in a home that was adjacent there. Paul had good fruit in Corinth, including, you know, Christmas, the chief ruler of the synagogue. He had more follow up interactions with this church than any other because we see that he had visited this church for three times and he may have sent up to four letters to the church of which we have only two and the other two, the scholars say that they have lost it. So staying in communication with the church like Corinth would be much easier than with most other cities because of its central location and constant follow up of traffic. We also see what are the other occasions in this letter. We see that Paul had received personal reports and letters that this church was having some problem. When we read 1st Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1, can I request one of us to read chapter 7 verse 1? Now concerning the things of which, go ahead. John, you go on. Okay, John, go ahead please. Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own life and let each woman have her own husband. So you had to address these issues because of very nature of that city. It was prone to have any problems in this sexual morality. So he's trying to address certain issues so that he can put an end at least in the church among the believers. So there was a blending of many other culture from the local culture in the church. Like other many cultures like religious belief system or the nature of the living lifestyle. And there were kind of temptations in the area of morality and unusual emphasis on the pursuit of personal pleasure. So to put an end is trying to address on these issues so that the believers in the church will understand that the church does not follow the culture or the lifestyle what has been there. So the biggest issue that we may see that sparked in this letter is immorality in the church. We see that in chapter 5 verse 1. Can I request, Lubbica, can you please read? Come again the verse faster. First Corinthians chapter 5 verse 1. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you and such sexual immorality has as is not even mentioned, named among the Gentiles that a man has his father's wife. Yeah, thanks. So what we see there are certain things that Paul is addressing here that a man having sexual relationship with his father's wife or the local church was tolerating these activities and the local church was rather proud that they were so tolerant and accepting the of this brother. So we also see how Paul is trying to address all these areas. And in first Corinthians chapter 3 verse 1 to 4. We have Paul, Subashish, can anyone pick up this verse? 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 1 to 4. First Corinthians chapter 3 verses 1 verse 1. Brother I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly. Mary infants in Christ I give you milk not solid food for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed you are still not ready. You are still worldly for since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you. You are you not worldly. Are you not acting like Mary men for when one says I follow Paul and another I follow Apollos. Are you not Mary men? Yeah. So we see various type of problems where one of the reason why Paul is writing these letters to address them. Well at this class it is just a survey we are seeing the technical side of the book but then we have detailed study of all the fallen episodes in our third year. A detailed verse by verse study of Romans all all the 13 episodes will be covering in our third year but this is just a survey. We're just looking at the main purpose main idea of the purpose of writing the letter the unique features and the background background of this place the city or the person. So here we see one of the reason why Paul I to write this letter is to address certain problems that was there in the church when it was trying to go beyond we thought it is a right time for me to address it and bring a educate a believer so that they can stop doing what they are doing so what were the problems there were some problems related to division strife and we we also see some problem with related to the internal marriage so your problem of lavish and immoral living or there's a immoral lifestyle that the people from the local culture that trying to bring into the church or the problem related to marriage divorce and remarrying another person. It may be so yeah we see when it comes to remarriage Paul is addressing very clearly when you can remarry when you should not and if you get married to a person when your husband is alive or a wife is alive you're committing and adultery so the problem of Christian liberty versus license. We also see the problem of headship and the covering of head and the problem of abuse of the table of the Lord because that is not the main meal that you come to church to eat and drink but then it is the table of the Lord need to be considered in a honorable manner and the problem of the abuse of the gifts of the spirit especially the tongues and prophecies. We also see the problem of misunderstanding the resurrection and the return of Christ so the some of the problems that were there in the early Corinthian church we also see it happen now sometimes it is the history that has been repeated. But then yeah we have the answers in the book of Corinthians how to conduct ourself and the church and we also see that we will move on to the distinct features of this book so as this book is very important because it gives us a manual for dealing with problem in the local church. The very key verse in this book is 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 10 can I request one of us to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 10 by the by the grace God has given me I led a foundation as an expert builder and someone else is building on it but each one should be careful how he builds. Yeah thanks I'll read it from the NKJV version thanks it for reading according to the grace of God which was given to me as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation and another builds on it but let each one take heed how he builds on it. Very very important this is the key verse in 1 Corinthians that the church is to be pure if it's to be a witness to the world then it needs to be pure. The unity of the church is critical to the power of the church witness you'll just see as leaders we need to do more than prayer about problem in the church. So part of Christian love is to confront the problems when they occur. So the individual believers must be willing to adjust with the behavior for the sake of health of the rest of the believing community. And this relates to both the personal lifestyle and the liberties as well as how they conduct themselves in the corporate gathering of the church. And one more thing is very important that is the behavior in the church as it must determine on the basis of love and edification. We see the emphasis on that on the behavior in chapter 14 on edification 14 verse 3 but he will prophesize speak edification and exhortation and comfort to men. Very important. We also see in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 12. Can I request one of us to read? Rather Isaac, Anita, Aradhana, Zellie, Paul. Anyone could turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 12 and one of us please turn to verse 26 from the same chapter. Even so you since you are serious for spiritual gifts let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. Amen. Anyone else? Verse 26. How is it then, brethren, when you have come together each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. Amen. So we see that it is so important for our behavior in the church. It must determine the basis of love and edification and we see that emphasis of Paul emphasizing on these edification in the scriptures that we read. And also this letter is an important is important because it gives us a definition to some of the most important practices in the local church. What are they? Some things like church discipline. It also addresses on the corporate gathering, the Lord's table, the ministry of the body of Christ. How do we conduct the gifts of the spirit? How do we handle that and related to speaking of tongues and prophecy we get in detail. And it also addresses on some of the important things and it stresses on the Lordship of Christ in our life. So one of the greatest cause of carnality in the life of the believers is not acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus Christ is one in one's life. And this epistle emphasizes on Christ's Lordship. How? We see in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1 to 10, the first three verse it greets and later we see the spiritual gifts at Corinth. So we see that six times in this epistle in the first 10 verses, Jesus is referenced with this full title as Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 7 we see that Jesus Christ in verse 4, you know, he addresses that way. And with that reference to the Lordship of Jesus are prominent in this book, especially when compared to the other episodes. So the word Lord occurs about 70, 70 times in this book. And this book is an important book because it contains the most powerful description of the love to be found anywhere in the world of history. That is in chapter 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. How a love should be? Can I request one of us to read chapter 13? Maybe till verse 13. Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or clanging cymbal. And though I have a gift as a gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I have nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to fear, to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burnt, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parry itself. It's not puffed up. It does not behave rudely. It does not seek its own. It's not provoked. Things no evil. It does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth. Beers all things. Believes all things. Hopes all things. Endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail. Whether there are tongues, they will cease. Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but greatest of these is love. Amen. Thank you. Thank you so much, John, for reading the complete chapter of 13. Well, it talks about the greatest gift. The very last verse talks about now abide faith, hope, love, and these three, but the greatest of these is love. Well, in this book, where we see the importance and the most powerful description of love to be found than in any other book. How love should be. How we can project this true love that God is expecting from us. What is expected from each one of us? Can we implement this greatest gift in us? Yes, we all desire for many gifts. We all desire, you know, like the gift of tongues, a gift of prophecy, many gifts. But then what is important? If you do not have love in us, then what is the point in be flowing in all the other gifts? Very clearly Paul says the root of every gift should be the love. The love of God, because God is love. We should have the love of God in us. Even in the Gospels, we see that Jesus moved with compassion. He moved with love because God is love. Only when we have this love of God within us, we can love others because that is one of the commandment that Jesus gave. Love yourself. Love your neighbors as you love yourself. We need to have this love within us. Only then we can. There's also, let's look at the other key verses, chapter 14 verse 33. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. Are in all the churches of the saints. Yes, God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints. Very true. Because there was a lot of confusion was happening in the church and that was the result of so many problems. So, here Paul is addressing, God is not the author of confusion, but ease of peace. We also have another key verse, chapter 4 verse 5. Therefore, just nothing before the time until the Lord comes who will both bring to light hidden things of darkness and reveal the councils of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God. Amen. Therefore, judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes. Who will both bring light, the hidden things of darkness and reveal the council of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God. These are the key verses that we looked in and I would request you to please go through the outline of the first Corinthians. And yeah, with that, we will end this book. Is there anything that you would like to share about the first Corinthians church? Yes, tomorrow we will continue. I mean, not tomorrow. So the next class we will continue on the second Corinthians. I didn't want to rush up. But then yes, we can study each letter one by one in each class so that we can cover and ponder on each letter. Well, what we see in this letter is the city of Corinth with this, you know, with certain behaviors which was not pleasant, related to the immorality, idolatry and all the ungodliness just like our current days or in our own cities with many opportunities to indulge in sin without any visible consequence. But then as a community clearly had a bad influence on the Corinthian church. So we see Paul instructing to the believers in the church. So this instruction, we can relate it. Yes, he was instructing to the believers at that time. But then today, based on our own situation or based on our own time, we can also relate it to us. And we can see how we can bring correction in our own self and in our church as well. And he encourages us to grow in commitment and faithfulness and shine a light brighter in midst of the darkness that we are living in. He's also encouraging us through the letter to settle all our problems internally and continue the path of purity. It doesn't sound as easy as it has been said, but then, yes, it cost a lot of discipline. Paul is saying that in the letter, like, you know, the things they didn't want to do, I land up doing it. But then by the grace of God, I'm able to do what I can do. And with that, he also says that imitate me as I imitate Christ. There's no man or anyone can say that because he has disciplined himself in his daily life from his thoughts, from his words, from his actions, the way he led his daily life. He led it to be an example to another person. He disciplined himself to the core. So today, you know, as we study on these letters, I would like to ponder and I would like to encourage each of us to ponder on the lifestyle of, you know, the apostle who lived for Jesus, like how he disciplined himself in his daily life, how we can continue. It is a process purity is a process how we can purify our thoughts, our words, our actions and how we can bring correction in our church in our own self. Or what can we do when there are certain issues similar to the Corinthian church in our own church? What can we do within our church community to make our church the way Paul intended us to be? No, I leave this question to each one of us. Let's ponder. Let's ponder how we can bring correction to our self and in our church. If there are any situations that even we are facing, let's meditate on this letter and pray and ask God, you know, in a loving manner, we need to correct each one in a loving manner, not be harsh, not being rude, but in a loving manner, bring the correction out. So I leave this session open to our class. You all can add or share something that we all of us may learn from it. Please go ahead. Is there anything that you would like to share, add or ask any questions? Just remembering what you also mentioned during the class, even when we operate the gifts of the Spirit. I think chapter 13 is sandwiched between 12 and 14 where Paul explicitly talks about the gifts of the Spirit. And it also reveals to us how important it is to have the attitude of loving people and not to operate gifts to make our own benefits or any selfish attitudes, but to love people and to minister to them. Yeah, thanks. Thanks, John. Yeah, very important. Very important. Anyone else? What was our learning? Zellie, Aradhana, Paul, Pradabhubhakar, you've been quite for a long time. Would you like to share? Yeah, you can add to what we learned from this letter first Corinthians, maybe from today's class or something that you already know about this letter that you can share. Sid. Okay, next class, I would encourage each one to have one point that you learn from each book. So I leave it with you. So second Corinthians, we'll be covering in the next class, I would encourage each of you all to please share one point that has touched you from that book, from that letter. Okay, been said that we are nearing towards a midterm exam. Okay, so you have to write a summary on each book. So till what we have covered, I would request you all to write from the book, Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Matthew to the letter to the Galatians. Okay, I would request each one to write a summary on these books. Okay, we will extend to Colossians. By this month we should cover. I would extend it to Colossians. I would request each one to please write a summary on each book individually and submit it. If you upload it on the Google Classroom, I would be creating it. Okay, you can upload it on the Google Classroom just like how we did in the previous semester. I would request each of you all to please write a summary individually. Please don't copy paste what is there in the notes, but then you need to write your own personal understanding your own learning, even if it is a few points, even if it is five to 10 points from each book, I would encourage you to do so. Okay, write in each Gospel wise or the book wise, each like Matthew talks about this. Mark, Luke, John, go each book by book. I want you to write down. It can be in a Word of Format or in a PowerPoint presentation format. Please start preparing the end date for this assignment would be, give me a minute. I'll tell you. Yeah, 28th of Feb. Okay, so you have almost two weeks. Okay, 28th of Feb, after which your assignment will not be accepted. Is that okay? Is that two weeks time period? Fine with everyone? Class? Yes, Ma. Yeah, okay. Okay. Okay. So we are covering three, twelve, twelve books we are covering till then. Okay, Matthew to Colossians, we will cover. We need to write the summary of them and upload the presentation or in a Word document or in a PPT format on the Google. Classwork. Yeah, with that we will end the session. Thank you so much. Can I request one of us to please dismiss us with a Word of Prayer? Anita, would you like to pray? Or Aradhana? Okay, Zellie, would you like to pray and dismiss us, please? Sure, ma'am. Yeah. Thank you so much for the wonderful session that we had this morning, Aradhana. Whatever truth that we have learned from the Word of Prayer, you can help us to apply that in our life and so we can continue to guide us. We bless our pastor and bless each one of us. Thank you so much for joining in. God bless. See you all next week. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. God bless.