• Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should also walk in the newness of life. (8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. (10) For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives He lives to God. (11) Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to he dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. In chapter 6 of Romans, Paul is addressing sanctification after the Christian is justified by faith in Christ Jesus. The very design of Christianity was to deliver men from sin; our union with Christ in His death and resurrection is the foundation for separation from sin. In faith in Christ, when He died we died in Him. When Adam sinned all men/women sinned in physical birth. But in faith we are transferred to Christ’s headship and have a new position before God. Biblical death is not cessation but spiritual separation. In Christ the reign of spiritual death is broken and Paul in our verses is talking about NOT living in sin as a way of life. PAul is NOT saying believers cannot sin but we are saved by God’s free grace. Since we in faith are united with Christ, in His resurrection we should walk as a new person – a steady gradual process of sanctification in Christ.
Paul’s focus is not on how to obey God and avoid sinning but on why. Christ’s work of redemption is not only substitutionary but also representative. Sin has no claim on Christ because he paid the penalty for sin: Sin no longer has claim on the faithful because Christ died as our representative. The very design of Christianity was to deliver man from sin.
In Romans 8:1 Paul writes “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

• Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned- (13) (For until the law sin was in the world but Sin is not imputed when there is no law. (14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. (15) But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Romans was written by the apostle Paul and in our verses today we study the reality of salvation of man by Jesus Christ by His one work; his death and resurrection effected salvation for all who believe. Man has always believed they will be forgiven for sin and will enter into a right relationship with God because of something they do. This is man made religion – the religion of human achievement. The message of Romans from beginning to end says this is not possible from man to God; salvation is provided for by one person for all. Two men, one in particular, have made the greatest impact on human life by a single act – Adam and Christ Jesus. Adam brought death and Christ brought life. With Adam’s one act sin entered the world; sin was imputed ever after him; we were born sinners and the proof of Adams sin affecting all is universal death

Paul’s point was that sin was in the world but not imputed when there is no law but there is still death. So even though there was no law until Moses and people weren’t willfully breaking the commandments of God, sin and death reigned. Men died because they were sinners – and they were sinners because they were from Adam. Sin doesn’t need the law to exist. All human history before and after the law, ALL HISTORY, reveals man is a sinner because everybody dies.

Paul now looks at the benefit of what Christ did, not because of anything man does or did. We are no more responsible for what produced our death than we are responsible for that act of Christ which provides our life and salvation. These two acts are different in their essence in every way and in their effect. In Christ we have infinite effects of blessedness. So, we have nothing to do with our salvation – can’t earn it, can do nothing to contribute to it. Salvation is only and Always of the Lord.

Outside of Christ the human race is still under the reign of death. Christ’s gift is by far greater than Adams sin – the many imputed to Christ are those who receive, in Christ, in faith, the gift of eternal life

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (17) For we, though many, are one bread and one body, for we all partake of that one bread.

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul and in our verses today Paul is really addressing Christian corinthians and idolatry as in that pagan Culture they were used to attending idolatrous activities – eating meat previously offered in rites to idols; attending pagan feasts and celebrations. To make his point, Paul writes about the Lord’s Supper – a memorial of the death of Christ and the life of Christ given for men; basic doctrine vital to a celebration of the life of the Christian Church. Communion in the church is sharing; worshipping and participation in the Lord and in communion it begins with wine – the cup of blessing and symbol of the blood of Christ. And for communion we must be first in Christ that we may be united with each other; a spiritual union. Paul’s point here was that the Corinthians understand that Christians must even by external expression maintain that unity between Christ and us as we assemble to receive the symbol of that unity.
This reminder Is warning about eating in an idol temple and participating in pagan rituals. – the warning is there even though the Christians consider themselves strong, they were/are to know no one but the one true God and the possibility of getting caught up on idolatry was very real. PAul drew his lesson from the experience of Israel wandering in the wilderness. Self confidence can easily lead to a spiritual fall- failure was not inevitable but God provided the Lords supper and Christian fellowship to deal with cultic meals and temptations. PAul advised the Christians to FLEE idolatry. The cup of blessing was a common expression for the last cup drunk at any Jewish meals. PAul turns this around by saying we bless the cup because it symbolizes our sharing in Christ’s blood. Likewise the bread at a Christian feast is a symbol of our participation in Christ’s slain body.
Since it is one bread we the many are one body for Christians are all partakers of that one bread. It is one body by virtue of our joint participation.

• Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good Comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (12) Greet each other with a holy kiss. (13) All the saints greet you. (14) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen

The second letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul – it is widely believed there was another, severe letter written to the church there but it has been lost. In chapter 13 Paul states he has already been in Corinth twice – he is qualifying that there has been sharpness and rebuke on his part (as an apostle) – Corinth was a pagan culture set up for the pleasures of the flesh. The truth of the gospel was alien in that city – completely foreign to their way of thinking and abuse of the Truth of the gospel endemic
So in chapter 13 Paul is making it clear that he will come again to Corinth with the power and authority of an apostle and means to exercise discipline and justice but conforming to the Mosaic system of justice calling for 2 or 3 witnesses testifying to abuse in the church. He is saying that he prays the Corinthians will be doing no wrong and things there will be set straight – he won’t have to exercise his discipline at all when he comes. That is Paul’s main focus of this letter – that the Corinthians will do the will of God, that they will live in saving grace. Paul longs for peace but not at any price and at his return he will exercise discipline. Remember that at that time there lived apostles; men with significant gifts and authority that does not exist today in any individual. Paul had this authority and to challenge him was to challenge the Lord.
Paul’s finals words in chapter 13 are to encourage; for the Corinthians to rejoice and be made complete – not that they will agree on everything (nonessentials) but there need be unity in the essentials of the Christian faith. Grace comes from Jesus Christ, not our grace shown to Him. To quote my favorite c.s.Lewis, “How God thinks of us is not only more important but Infinitely more important. Indeed how we think of Him is of no importance in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us.”

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. (4) There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. (5) There are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. (7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all…….(12) For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit..

Paul the apostle wrote the first letter to the Corinthians and our verses today deal with a controversial subject of spiritual gifts. Corinth was a morally bankrupt city in the ancient world. It was a highly urban area known for it’s pagan culture and the pleasures/indulgences of the flesh – There was an ingrown false religion center which resulted in many embracing “Christianity” that was not the truth of the gospel resulting in counterfeit spiritual manifestations that Paul needed to address.
True gifts of the Spirit are always under some form of control by the Spirit. and are given under some measure to all believers. But In Corinth there were acts based on experiences and not content which actually blasphemed the name of the Lord. The gifts of the Spirit are sovereignly and supernaturally bestowed into all believers – at the moment of faith. Each grace gift of the Spirit is personally unique. We are Christian snowflakes.
There are differences of ministries and diversities of activities which are from the Spirit and profit all the faithful. The general doctrine in our verses today is that we wander in error but are given direction, in faith, by the Spirit or we would wander forever. There is great diversity of gifts of the Spirit but there is also unity in that all gifts Of the Spirit are directed to the same object; the glory of God.
For many “converts” In Corinth were still not free from pagan attitudes and the culture of that day. No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit. Paul uses the analogy of the many members of the body to show us that every organic whole supposes diversity and unity. -just like the church. Those in whom the Spirit does not dwell are not in Christ. There is a disconnect between baptism of the Spirit and the baptism of water and the one may be made without the other.