The Way
It is telling that in the first century possibly the most popular name for Christianity was “The Way.” Early believers in Jesus recognized that they were being blessed not only with justified eternal life; they were also granted the opportunity to follow Jesus in everything here and now. It was this radical commitment to the joy of Christ-likeness that changed individuals, communities, and human history.
The epistle from Paul that we call 1 Corinthians deals with some aspects of God’s way that have proven thorny for the inveterately rebellious human flesh. Yet we must not shy away because we want to do everything our own way. If we will study these texts and submit to them, we have opportunity to continue to see transformation in ourselves and the world.
As Dr. Michael J. Svigel of Dallas Theological Seminary recently summarized:
As an American, I have every right to set any doctrinal and moral standards I like. But as a Christian, I have a responsibility to submit to the doctrinal and moral standards revealed by God through the apostles and prophets—whether I like it or not.
If you wish to aid your study with my notes on the last section of 1 Corinthians, you can access them through this link.