1 Corinthians 1



These are the words of the Holy Spirit to the believers not the words of Paul to the Corinthians
1:1- 3
1 PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

Paul declares himself to be a divinely appointed messenger of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:1). As such he addresses the Corinthian church as those who were sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints. He includes in his greeting all the worshippers of Christ in that vicinity (1 Corinthians 1:2), and invokes upon them the blessings of grace and peace (1 Corinthians 1:3).

Author:
Called Saul (Acts 7:58; 8:1-3; 9:1-2; 13:9).
A Benjamite born in Tarsus, Asia Minor (Rom. 11:1; Php. 3:5; Acts 9:11; 21:39; 22:3).
A Pharisee educated at Jerusalem (Acts 22:3; 23:6; 26:4-5).
A Roman citizen (Acts 16:37; 22:25-28).
Persecutor of Christians (Acts 7:58; 8:1; 9:1; 22:4; Gal. 1:13; Php. 3:6; 1Tim. 1:13).
Converted to Christ (Acts 9:1-17), becoming a preacher and writer of the gospel and giving us our clearest concept of Christianity (Acts 9:19,29; Gal. 1:11 -- Gal. 2:1; 2Pet. 3:15).
For his history see Acts 8-28 and his epistles.
He wrote 14 epistles (Romans to Hebrews)

Paul's conversion:

Acts 9:3-9 (KJV)

Salvation:
O.T. - 2 views regarding OT salvation

A. Everyone before Calvary looked forward to the cross
Everyone since Calvary looked back to the cross

The Prophets wrote but they didn't know what they were writing about :
1 Peter 1:10-12 (KJV) 10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Gospel of John written about 90 AD -- so all they had was OT scriptures - which made reference to Christ :
John 5:39 (KJV) 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Referring to O.T. Scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (KJV) 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
2 Timothy 3:15 (KJV) 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.
So we must reject the old theory that men before Calvary were saved by looking forward to the cross, simply because we cannot find any example of such in the Word of God.

B. To counter this idea, some have said that people in the Old Testament were saved by keeping the law.
If this teaching is true then two additional points would also be true.
1. No one had a chance of being saved for at least 1500 years of human history, for the law wasn't given until Moses.
2. No one but a few had a chance of being saved for at least 4000 years of human history, for the law was not given to the Gentiles.

The law was strictly a national covenant between God and the Hebrew Nation;
Deuteronomy 4:6-8
Romans 9:3--5

These undeniable truths should at once stop any rationally thinking person from setting forth the teaching that salvation prior to the cross came by keeping the law.
a. The law "could not" justify from sin:
Romans 3:20-28
Acts 13:38,39
b. The law could not make anyone perfect, because it could not take away sin:
Hebrews 7:11-19
" 10:1-4
c. The law kept in part or whole could not give righteousness:
Galatians 2:16-21
d. Since the law could not take away sins
justify a person
give righteousness
James 2:10 (KJV) 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he guilty of all
Acts 15:10-11 (KJV) 10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Then it lacks the power to give life
Galatians 3:21 (KJV) 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life,
verily righteousness should have been by the law.

Now let's look at some examples:

Abraham: (Before the law)
Romans 4:1-5 (KJV) 1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Imputed righteousness given to a man who did nothing other than take God at his word

David: (during the law)
Psalm 51: David is asking for the imputed righteousness that God gave once to Abraham
He is not asking God to make him righteous
He is asking for the righteousness of God.

So both Old Testament and New Testament declare that salvation before the cross was a matter of imputed righteousness freely given to those who put their faith in the Lord and that such a gift was freely given without works.

So the conclusion of the matter:
1. Men were saved for centuries before the law was given:
These men were not saved by their good works, but by putting their faith in what the God had revealed to them
2. Men were saved after the law by putting their faith in what God revealed to them.
3. Those who died in faith prior to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary did not go to hell but could not go to heaven.

They were waiting for the blood of Christ to clear them for entrance into the presence of the Lord.

Exodus 34:7 (KJV) 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Numbers 14:18-19 (KJV) 18 The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this
people, from Egypt even until now.