The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4

 

 

The First Letter of St. Paul

 to 

The Corinthians

 Chapter 

4

 

¹ Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries.

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 1)

Oh bothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, even though I am neither a consecrated person, or an apostle, I have been given this assignment of sharing my prayers to Him by means of this blog. As I have repeated many times, my aim is simply to share my prayers and not to proclaim a new theology or interpretation of the Word of God. There are already many versions and interpretations there is no need for another one. Amen.


² Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trust worthy 

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 2)


Oh God my beloved Father, may I be found to be a trust-worthy steward, even though I am not free of error and weakness. You are aware of myself, needs and current situation, I pray that You continue to intervene and help me to become more trust-worthy Amen.


³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. ⁴ I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.




(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 3 to 4)



Oh God my Father even to say the words that You may judge me sends tremors of fear running up and down my spine and my teeth also chatter, for I remember Your voice when You first called me, and nobody can stand such a majestic and powerful presence. In this sense I prefer to be judged by humans even though at heart they are evil, however on the other hand You are more merciful, loving and just Amen.


⁵ Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 5)


Oh God my beloved Father, as You are well aware, in my situation I cannot wait till the day of Your judgment, which on the other hand can be any day. I am feeling depressed but eager to start a new life with You as a separated person, to be only Yours. Amen.


⁶  I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, brothers and sisters, so that you may learn through us the meaning of the saying, "Nothing beyond what is written," so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of one against another. 


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 6) 



Oh God my Father my conduct is to be in favour and according to all that is written in Your Word, however right now it is very hard for me to follow. My crosses are very hard to carry especially when I have one on each shoulder. Their weight is becoming at times unbearable. I pray that You continue to assist me with the needed support Amen. 


⁷ For who sees anything different in you?" What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 7)


Oh God my beloved Father when I receive the gift of the Holy Spirit Your presence starts reflecting in me. When I speak about You with others it becomes evident that we have a relationship together I pray that that tie continues to be strengthened Amen. 


⁸ Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Quite apart from us you have become kings! Indeed, I wish that you had become kings, so that we might be kings with you!




(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 8)



Oh God my Father, we are already, sons and daughters of nobility, for we are the sons and daughters of the Kings of Kings and therefore we are lacking in nothing, because all we need is to talk to our Father, and You will grant us all that we need and all that is for our own good Amen.


⁹ For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, as though sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to mortals. ¹⁰ We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in in honor, but we in disrepute.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 9 to 10)


Oh God my beloved Father, those who side and accept the sinful ways of the world, are popular and approved of, by the world, however people such as myself, who are against such ways appear as being boring and worthy of neglect. I prefer to appear boring in the eyes of the world my God and Father Amen.


¹¹ To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, ¹² and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled we bless; when persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 11 to 13)


Oh God my Father, even though my wife is saying alot of lies against me to many people, You know the truth about me, and I will stick only to that truth. I pray for the humility to defend this truth in a calm and humble way that reflects Your presence in me Amen.


¹⁴ I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 14)


Oh God you are my beloved Father and I am one of Your many sons. I thank You for every verse in the Bible, for it is a guideline that I must follow. I pray for the strength to do so for at times the will is there but the strength is not. Therefore I pray that You continue to teach me like a Father, teaches his son Amen. Thank You, Jesus.


¹⁵ For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 15)


Dear Brothers and Sisters who are following this blog or who maybe just passing by browsing and happen to click on this blog, kindly note that we are related in the Lord our God and as relatives, you are all free to communicate with me as freely as possible Amen.


¹⁶ I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me. 


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 16)


Oh, brothers and sisters, I urge you all to be imitators of Jesus Christ my God and Father. Pray like Him, think like Him, forgive like Him, act out of love like Him and conquer yourselves by taking control of the sinful self and subdue it to obedience so that we be masters of the flesh and not its victim or slave, because when we behave according to the flesh we may not be acting according to the will and grace of God my Father Amen.


¹⁷ For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the LORD, to remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, as I teach them everywhere in every church.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 17)


Oh God, my beloved Father, I thank You for the many role models that You have sent me during these 46 years of my life. By means of such people You have taught me a lot and You are still doing so to this very day Amen. I pray that You give me the strength to imitate such role models and not my natural self Amen.


¹⁸ But some of you, thinking that I am not coming to you, have become arrogant. ¹⁹ But I will come to you soon, if the LORD wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 18 to 19) 


Oh God my beloved Father I thank You for assuring me that the battle and struggle of life is not in vain. Thank You for assuring me that there is the gift of heaven awaiting me after the trials of this life Amen. I thank You for once again igniting in me the flame of hope Amen.


²⁰ For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power. ²¹ What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 20 to 21)  


Oh God my beloved Father, today You are giving us the same choice or option. How do we want You to be when You come again? What role do we wish that You undertake, that of a loving Father, who is caring and empathetic and loving, or the role of the Judge who comes with the role of discipline law and order to implement justice with an iron fist.? The choice is ours.. Amen


Oh God my beloved Father, I would like to end this fourth chapter of St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians with the following prayer:-


Today my God and Father You have placed before us an important question to answer. How do we want You to be when You come again, the loving Father, or the harsh judge. Our behaviour my God and Father is an answer to this question, for what we aim for we will get Amen. 


 






































 

 

 

The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3

The First Letter of St. Paul

 to 

The Corinthians

 Chapter 

3

¹ And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. ² I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food.  Even now you are still not ready, ³ for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?

(The first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verses 1 to 3)

Oh God my Father I thank You for the way You intervene in my life. When You prompted me to start this blog, I spent a long time on the book of Genesis, however when You saw that I was ready You prompted me to start the rest of the books of the Bible. I thank You for having had prepared me in this way my God and Father. I pray that You teach me to continue to wait on You and not make decisions before I am prompted by You Amen.


⁴ For when one says, 'I belong to Paul," and another, " I belong to Apollos," are you not merely human?


(The first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verse 4)



Oh God my Father today we say that we are of Trump or Clinton or Joseph, but we never say of whom we really are that is of God Amen.




⁵ What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.


(The first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verse 5)



Oh God my Father many times we make God's out of people who have power and in turn they become more powerful. However in truth all power honour and glory is to be given to You alone.



⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. ⁹ For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building. 



(The first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verses 6 to 9) 



Oh God my Father, whether my name is Joel Osteen, or Joyce Meyer among many, all the merit is to be given to You, for we are all instruments in Your hands at Your service. Although my share is the bare minimum in this ministry, I pray that by means of this blog, many make an experience of You, as I have been doing throughout all these years. I pray that You continue to use me, by means of this service, and by another means that You wish me to accomplish now and in the future Amen. 



 ¹⁰ According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.



(The first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verses 10 to 11)

Oh God my Father You have given each one of us special skills that we can use in order to help others in their formation. You have given us a firm foundation that is our faith in You. You have given wisdom to many preachers both in the Roman Catholic Church and in other churches and many are benefitting from what You are giving to these builders. Least of all I thank You for these precious moments of prayer and sharing that I update in this blog in Your presence. I pray that You continue to support me in this holy mission and that many others receive these posts and that, You build a relationship with them Amen.  



¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-¹³ the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. ¹⁴ If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire. 



(The first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verses 12 to 15)



Oh God my beloved Father, I thank You for the opportunity of giving me a share in the construction by sharing these prayers with others. Even though it is not a work of gold, compared with the work of others, I know that You appreciate it. I offer You all my work and pray that You bless it and preserve it. I pray for forgiveness for those moments when I could have been more dilligent in my work, but all happens according to Your will and according to the gifts and talents that You have given me. May Your will continue to be done Amen.



¹⁶ Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroy's God's temple, God will destroy that person. Gor God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.



(The first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verses 16 to 17) 



Oh God I thank You for wanting to dwell in us. I pray that I be a worthy dwelling place, for at certain moments I am not worthy of welcoming You inside of me. I also thank You for wanting to deal with my issues, regardless of what is the issue. Thank You for wanting to fight my battles. I have faith that although I may experience tribulations and moments of stress, You are already intervening in my life by providing either the means of solving the problem or enlightening me to solve the problem myself or even more sending me others in order to assist me in coping or solving the same problem. Amen.



¹⁸  Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written. " He catches the wise in their craftiness," ²⁰ and again. "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."  



(The first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verses 18 to 20)



Oh God my beloved Father, the wisdom of the world is totally different from Your wisdom. You function on a supernatural order where all things are possible and nothing is impossible, however as humans we function on the natural which is conditioned by human logic and scientific discoveries. What we humans do not realize, is that all knowledge flows from You and not from only human intellect. When the time is good for us, You will continue to share with us more discoveries. In order for us to become aware of the supernatural we need to recieve this gift from You my God and Father. We need to be freed from the pride of our ego and self-centeredness and accept the fact that there is You in our lifes and that our lives are not under our control Amen. I pray oh God my beloved Father, that You undress of our pride, so that we can be open to receive You and Your wisdom Amen.



²¹ So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future-all belong to you, ²³ and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.



(The first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 3 verses 21 to 23)



Oh God my beloved Father, may I praise and honour only You and speak highly of only You and not of people of the world, who have a beginning and an end and are limited by time and space. Amen. You are worthy to be praised, Your name is above all other names Amen.



Oh God my beloved Father, I would like to end the third chapter of St. Paul's first letter to the Corithians with the following prayer:-


Oh God my beloved Father, I pray that the message of this letter be for myself and for the rest of the world who may be sinners like myself. I pray that You baptize us again with Your Holy Spirit. Please break and destroy all those things or systems that are blocking us from receiving this powerful anointment which the world cannot give or understand. May we learn to place our faith and trust in You Amen. Thank You my God and Father Amen


 



  
  






 

The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 2

The First Letter of St. Paul

 to 

The Corinthians

 Chapter 

2

1. When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 2 verses 1 to 2)

Oh God, my Father You are simple in Your ways. When talking to us as a human when You walked among us, You did not use theological or philosophical concepts, but examples from everyday life that we could easily understand. Amen. I pray that You keep on using such an approach with me for I do not always understand what You mean to tell me. I pray for the illumination of Your Holy Spirit that helps me to understand what You mean by the circumstances that take place in my life Amen



3. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5. so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 2 verses 3  to 5)



Oh God my Father when I type my prayers on this blog, I also write out of the Holy Spirit and not out of human wisdom. I pray that You will never stop giving me such messages of praise and worship Amen.



6. Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though this is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7. But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 2 verses 6  to 7)




Oh God my Father, Your wisdom is totally opposite of that of the world, even the logic differs. The world preaches a message that is contrary to that found in the 'Good News'. If one strikes us on the cheek we kill him instead of forgiving, if we have conflicts with our wives or husbands we divorce, instead of forgiving or trying to seek help to reconcile. A lot of people may not understand the wisdom found in the Bible, or may even try to twist it to suit their beliefs and end up preaching a gospel that is false and not according to the real message of the 'Good News' I pray for such people because when coming before You, we all need to give an account of our actions. Amen.



8. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9. But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him"



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 2 verses 8  to 9)


Oh God my Father, if we only knew or could only imagine Your love for us, we would never have crucified You, or either would have done such atrocities to each other, for what we do to others in both a positive and negative sense it is as if we are doing it to You. Amen.



10. Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 2 verse 10)



Oh God my Father what a heartbreak it is to see the Roman Catholic Church fragmented into different groups such as protestants among others. You who since the very beginning gave us these directions that we are to have the same purpose and intentions that are that of following You as a united Church and even as individuals Amen. Oh God You are in favour of unity, however, the evil one has found our soft spot and has managed to cause divisions and discord even among us Christians so that not all of us are fully convinced of our belief and attend mass to be socially accepted, or out of habit or to meet others Amen.



11. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 2 verse 11)


Oh, God my Father as humans we understand, or many times, assume that we understand and are knowledgeable in areas concerning the body and the human mind, however, although many progress has been made there are areas that are still black holes that need to be explored. However, what is concerning You, my God and Father, only You have control over. You stimulate our spirit and faith and minds to perform good acts both on our behalf and especially on behalf of others, for our own nature is selfish.


12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 2 verse 12)



Oh God, there is a big difference between the spirit of the world which is sinful and materialistic to that of the Heavenly world. The difference is so great that one is contrary to the other, and thus when these clash throughout the course of our daily lives, this creates a state of psycho-spiritual confusion. Many times in relation to important issues in my life, I get caught in a trap between what is right according to Your will and what is right according to the ways of the world. Many times it is not easy to decide, however, I pray oh God that you inspire me at the right time in order to take the right decisions that are according to Your will Amen. 


13. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. 14. Those who are unspiritual do not receive of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they spiritually discerned. 15. Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else's scrutiny. 16. "For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 2 verses 13 to 16)


Oh God my Father this is the main reason why certain people get mixed up in spiritual matters and even give them a false interpretation, it is simply because it is not within their competence. Those who have aimed at becoming wise according to the ways of the world will never gain the understanding of the world of the spirit unless You give to that person spiritual insight, but to those whom You give such insight You have given a great treasure amen.


I would like to end this first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians on a very special day. This is the day when in Malta we remember when St. Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta and was the agent chosen by You my, God and Father to sow the seed of faith on this small Island. 



Oh God, my Father, I thank You for sending the apostle Paul to the little Island of Malta. I thank You for giving us the opportunity of being reborn by Your Holy Spirit in Spirit and in Faith. I pray that we understand the many promptings that You give us throughout our daily lives Amen.