(2Co 1:3) “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;”  Here we have a wonderful reminder that the very reason the Lord Jesus came to this earth is to give us mercy. The nature of God’s holiness demands a payment for sin. He fulfilled His Own righteous need of character by paying the price of sin – death! Father of mercies!

(2Co 1:2) “Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”  “Grace”, “peace”: a true Shepherd will do what is best for his flock. He, as Paul, will do the hard thing of rebuke when necessary. But it will always be for the welfare of the flock, desiring the best for them: grace, peace.

(2Co 1:1)  “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:”   It is important to note: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,…”  Those who fill the office of bishop, pastor,  are to do so only because it they are singled out, called, according to God’s will.

(1Co 15:58) “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  Why be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord? Answer: There is a great reward coming: the resurrection of our bodies. Reward is not accurate, for it speaks of getting by giving. It is more like, be faithful, for you cannot out-give God.

(1Co 15:57) “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  May we ever be mindful that every privilege of being the Child of God comes through, and only through the merit of Jesus Christ our Lord!

(1Co 15:55) “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56)  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.”  “The strength of sin is the law”. This means the law spells out what is sin. Without it, our knowledge of what offends our holy God would be limited: (Rom_3:19) “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” 

(1Co 15:55) “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56)  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.”  “The sting of death is sin”. We sin because we are sinners. We sin because the curse of sin is upon us. Yes, we are still responsible because we know our actions of sin are against our God’s will. It is that act that condemns us before Him.

(1Co 15:54) “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”  “Swallowed up”: Reminds me of when Moses before Pharaoh cast down the rod God turned into a serpent. Magicians did the same, but Moses’ rod “swallowed up” their rods. Gone. Past. They had their rods no more. Death will be gone for us…….forever!

(1Co 15:53) “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”  The curse of death is the result of sin: “For all have sinned;” and “the soul that sinneth, it will die”.  Jesus  will  call forth the repentant soul washed by His blood to inhabit a resurrected victorious uncorrupted body!