Search — Theology Explorer

1 Corinthians 15:56 law and sin connection power of sin 1 Corinthians 15:56

1 Corinthians 15:56 — the power of sin is the law

Scriptural support for law-sin connection

1 Corinthians 9:20-21 Law of Moses law of Christ under the law

1 Corinthians 9:20-21 — Paul uses "under the law" four times, clearly meaning Jews/Jewish law observance

Surveying Pauline uses — third instance

1 Corinthians 9:20-21 Law of Moses law of Christ fulfillment theology

Paul's two caveats in 1 Cor 9:20-21: not under the Law of Moses, but also not lawless — under the law of Christ

Distinguishing freedom from the law vs. antinomianism

Hebrew Roots Movement Law of Moses Old Testament application

Main conclusion: the phrase "under the law" refutes Torah observance as a Christian obligation

Winger's summary conclusion for the episode

1 Corinthians Colossians Romans 14 1 Corinthians Colossians Romans 14

The Sabbath: Jesus did not abolish it but clarified it; NT passages show Christians are not bound by it

Q&A: question about the Sabbath and lesser commandments

1 Corinthians Romans 14 1 Corinthians Romans 14 Christian liberty

Voluntarily keeping feast days or eating kosher for conscience's sake is acceptable; mandating it for others is wrong

Q&A: lularoe asks if observing feasts/clean eating condemns him

Deuteronomy 25:4 1 Corinthians 9 Deuteronomy 25:4 1 Corinthians 9 law as wisdom

Paul applies Deuteronomy's ox-muzzling law as a principle for supporting ministers — typological/principled use of OT law

Q&A: example of principled OT law application

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-13

1 Corinthians 6:9-11: Such were some of you — homosexuals and all manner of sinners were washed, sanctified, justified

Direct scriptural refutation that homosexuals cannot be saved

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 salvation justification 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-19

Paul as historical witness: he knew Jesus's brother James, persecuted the church, and lived in the same region and time as Jesus

Discussing Paul's evidence for the historical Jesus

1 Corinthians James (brother of Jesus) Paul 1 Corinthians James (brother of Jesus)

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-19

Paul's resurrection theology reconstructed from 1 Corinthians 15: Christ is firstfruits; believers will be raised at Christ's coming in the same manner

Paul's own teaching on the nature of resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:20 1 Corinthians 15:23 Paul resurrection bodily resurrection

1 Corinthians 13:10-12 cessationism continuationism spiritual gifts

1 Corinthians 13:10-12 is the primary cessationist proof-text in the cessationism vs. continuationism debate.

Introduction to the episode. Winger frames the central question: does 1 Cor 13:10-12 teach that tongues, prophecy, and knowledge ceased after the apostolic era?

1 Corinthians 12-14 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 1 Corinthians 12-14 prophecy word of knowledge

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 in context: the love passage is embedded within 1 Cor 12-14, a sustained section on spiritual gifts.

Winger reads the passage aloud (1 Cor 13:8-13) and establishes its literary context before presenting cessationist interpretations.

1 Corinthians 13:10 James 1:23-25 cessationism canon of Scripture to teleion

Cessationist Interpretation 1: "the perfect" (to teleion) = the completed Bible, supported by a mirror/perfect-law parallel in James 1:23-25.

First of two cessationist readings. Proponents cite the shared vocabulary of "mirror" and "perfect" (teleios) between 1 Cor 13 and James 1 to argue the perfect thing is Scripture.

1 Corinthians 13:12 James 1:4 James 1:17 cessationism face to face with God 1 Corinthians 13:12

Rebuttal of Interpretation 1: teleios is a broad word with many non-Scripture referents, and the mirror image in James functions differently than in 1 Cor 13.

Winger raises two problems with equating "the perfect" with the completed Bible.

John MacArthur 1 Corinthians 13 John MacArthur cessationism 1 Corinthians 13

Many cessationists themselves discourage using 1 Cor 13 as a proof-text for cessationism because it does not yield the argument verse-by-verse.

Transitional observation before presenting the second, more sophisticated cessationist argument from the Masters Seminary.

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 cessationism canon of Scripture to teleion

Cessationist Interpretation 2 (Masters Seminary): prophecy and knowledge = inscripturated revelation; massive time gap between vv. 11 and 12; "the perfect" = the church brought to maturity by the Bible.

Summary of the three key concepts in the Masters Seminary article that underpin its cessationist reading of 1 Cor 13.

1 Corinthians 13:12 cessationism face to face with God 1 Corinthians 13:12

The Masters Seminary article: verse 12 is acknowledged to be about seeing Christ face-to-face, but a 1,000-year time gap is inserted between vv. 11 and 12 to salvage the cessationist reading.

Winger quotes the article directly to show how the author handles the face-to-face language.

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 cessationism to teleion exegesis

Rebuttal of the massive time-gap claim: the verse-by-verse flow of 1 Cor 13:8-12 is continuous; no gap is linguistically justified.

Second major objection. Winger argues the narrative logic of the passage runs uninterrupted from v. 8 through v. 12.

1 Corinthians 13:8 spiritual gifts prophecy word of knowledge

Verse-by-verse: v. 8 — love never ends; three gifts (prophecy, knowledge, tongues) will pass away; the context is clearly the spiritual gifts of 1 Cor 12-14.

Winger begins his own positive verse-by-verse treatment of 1 Cor 13:8-13.

1 Corinthians 13:9-10 apostolic authority prophecy inscripturation

Verse-by-verse: vv. 9-10 — Paul includes himself in "we know in part," undermining the inscripturation reading; even apostolic knowledge is partial, not completable by writing.

Key exegetical point: the first-person plural "we" in v. 9 includes Paul and the other apostles, not just ordinary charismatics.

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 13:11 cessationism 1 Corinthians 15 eschatology

Verse-by-verse: v. 11 — the child/adult analogy illustrates that the gifts are a temporary measure, but the maturity in view is eschatological glorification (1 Cor 15), not canonical completion.

Winger grants that v. 11 sounds like it could support the church-maturity cessationist view, but locates its referent in resurrection/glorification.

1 Corinthians 13:12 1 John 3:2 1 Corinthians 8:3 eschatology glorification face to face with God

Verse-by-verse: v. 12 — "face to face" and "know fully even as I am fully known" point to the eschatological vision of God, not completion of Scripture; confirmed by 1 John 3:2 and 1 Cor 8:3.

Winger's positive exegesis of v. 12, identifying "the perfect" with the second coming/resurrection state. He cross-references 1 John 3:2 and 1 Cor 8:3.

1 Corinthians 15 cessationism 1 Corinthians 15 eschatology

1 Corinthians 15 confirms: "the perfect" is the resurrection state — imperishable bodies, the last trumpet, being changed — not the completion of the Bible.

Winger appeals to 1 Cor 15 (same letter, shortly after ch. 13) as the definitive referent for "when the perfect comes."

1 Corinthians 13:13 spiritual gifts love 1 Corinthians 13:13

Main point of 1 Cor 13: love, not gifts, is the permanent priority; pursuit of love must exceed pursuit of spiritual gifts.

Winger concludes the exegesis by restating Paul's actual primary argument.

1 Corinthians 12-14 1 Corinthians 12-14 cessationism continuationism

The cure for hyper-charismatic abuse is not cessationism but the biblical regulative norms already given in 1 Cor 12-14 for how gifts function in the church.

Winger resists the reactionary move of becoming cessationist in response to charismatic excess.

1 Corinthians 14 Romans 8 1 Corinthians 13:1 1 Corinthians 14 Romans 8 spiritual gifts

Q&A: Tongues in 1 Cor 14 are actual languages; tongues always requires genuine linguistic communication; "groaning" in Romans 8 is distinct from the gift of tongues.

Response to viewer question about whether 1 Cor 14 tongues are languages or ecstatic utterances.

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-17

Q&A: 2 Corinthians 7:10 — godly grief vs. worldly grief, applied to lust

Question about the difference between godly and worldly grief and how to repent better from lust.

1 Corinthians 10:13 2 Corinthians 7:10 repentance sanctification lust

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-17

Q&A: Distinguishing personal prophecy from adding to Scripture (1 Corinthians 14:30)

Question about how to tell the difference between someone claiming new revelation above the Bible versus a 1 Corinthians 14-style prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:29-32 Philip's daughters testing prophecy prophecy

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Q&A: Head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11 — literal or metaphorical?

A viewer asks about 1 Corinthians 11 and head coverings. Winger gives his current tentative view without claiming certainty.

1 Corinthians 11 head coverings 1 Corinthians 11 authority

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Q&A: Would you wear a gun necklace if Jesus had been shot? Yes — the cross symbolizes the instrument of our salvation

A viewer asks how to respond to the JW/Watchtower question: if Jesus had been shot, would you kiss a gun? Winger says he would possibly wear a gun necklace in that scenario — because the point is not the instrument but what was accomplished.

Galatians 6:14 1 Corinthians 1:18 atonement apologetics Watchtower

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

1 Corinthians 1:16 and 16:15 — Stephanas's household: all converts who devoted themselves to service, not infants

Examination of the Stephanas household baptism reference in Paul's Corinthian correspondence.

1 Corinthians 1:16 1 Corinthians 16:15 Stephanas infant baptism household baptism

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

1 Corinthians 7:13-16 — children are "holy" through a believing parent but this has nothing to do with baptism

Winger examines another verse used by some to support infant baptism.

1 Corinthians 7:13-16 sanctification infant baptism 1 Corinthians 7:13-16

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Q&A: Women receiving Communion — implied by context of 1 Corinthians and the general gathered assembly

A viewer attempts a parallel argument: women are not explicitly shown receiving Communion in Scripture yet no one denies it.

1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians discipleship Communion

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

1 Corinthians 15:3-8: the apostles argued historically for the resurrection by listing eyewitnesses

NT case study showing apostles using evidential showing to establish what they already knew

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 eyewitness testimony knowing vs. showing

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Gospel-level error requires breaking fellowship; lesser errors require wisdom and church leadership

Q&A: pastoral guidance on when doctrinal disagreement becomes a fellowship-breaking issue

1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians church discipline fellowship

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

A Christian can struggle with addiction and still be born again; Christians struggle with sin

Q from Christian Liang about whether an addiction sufferer can be born again and saved.

1 Corinthians 5 John 3:3 1 Corinthians 5 salvation sin

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

God gives wisdom primarily through Scripture, secondarily through the word of wisdom gift and through other believers

Q from Will Kozab about how God replies when you ask him for wisdom—does he send thoughts?

Proverbs 1 Corinthians 12 word of wisdom wisdom prayer

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

1 Corinthians 13:10 does not teach cessationism — the perfect refers to seeing Christ face to face at the second coming, not the completion of Scripture

Response to Brandy Medved asking about 1 Corinthians 13:10 and whether the perfect means the Bible, therefore ending spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 13:10 spiritual gifts second coming cessationism

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

1 Corinthians 14:5 — Paul wishes all spoke in tongues, implying not everyone does

First Corinthians passage introduced as evidence against the tongues-salvation requirement

1 Corinthians 14:5 hermeneutics gifts of the Spirit tongues and salvation

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

1 Corinthians 12:30 — rhetorical questions imply not all speak in tongues

Second and final Corinthians passage used to refute tongues-salvation requirement

1 Corinthians 12:30 1 Corinthians 12:27-29 gifts of the Spirit tongues and salvation 1 Corinthians 12:30

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Critique of Bethel/Bill Johnson teaching that everyone works miracles and is a prophet

Application of the 1 Corinthians 12 argument against charismatic excess

1 Corinthians 12 Bethel Church Brian Simmons Bill Johnson

James 1 Corinthians 9 James 1 Corinthians 9 Christian giving

New Testament giving priorities: the poor, the persecuted church, local ministers, and generosity as lifestyle — not limited to 10%

Constructive answer on what Christian giving should look like without a tithe mandate

1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 14:32 1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 14:32 prophecy

Paul's instructions on tongues and prophecy require self-control, proving the Spirit does not override the person's will

Continuing the argument against slain in the Spirit using 1 Corinthians 14 as evidence

1 Corinthians 6:12 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 sexual immorality 1 Corinthians 6:12 body as temple

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is about sexual immorality in context, not primarily about diet/exercise/tobacco — but the moderation and mastery principles within the passage do apply broadly

Question from Grayson Fuller about whether 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 establishes a biblical basis for maintaining bodily health