First Corinthians

So I mentioned that at a later post I would explain why First Corinthians. Well, for me there are a lot of factors that go into the decision to preach from a certain text. Let me just briefly mention them.

First, prayer. Can't say enough about this. Asking God for guidance and wisdom in preaching a text. It is such an important decision, so I pray first.

Second, I look at my past studies and work in various books of the Bible. I have had formal training in graduate school and undergrad in various books. Genesis, Proverbs, Amos, Romans, Galatians, etc....

Thirdly, I read the text through and I am continually praying about whether this would be useful or not at this time in the life of the church.

Now to be more specific as to why I picked 1st Corinthians, the second factor was very influential. I had a chance early in my seminary training to take First Corinthians with Dr. Gordon Fee. Dr. Fee is probably the best person on the planet to study the Apostle Paul's writings. My notes from his lectures are over 40 pages single spaced, and he gave us an additional 100+ pages of his own work on the book. And this is on top the best commentary on First Corinthains written by....guess who? Dr. Gordon Fee.

Since taking this class and having a chance to look at First Corinthians so closely, it seemed like a logical choice. I personally believe it is going to be a great year of study and reflection for both me and the congregation. September 10 is the start date for our adventure in First Corinthians. I hope you join us.