Enriched by Him 1 Corinthians 1:5

Paul the apostle thanked “God always” on the church in Corinth's “behalf, for the grace of God which is given” to them “by Jesus Christ”, and in chapter one and verse five of First Corinthians, Paul continued his introduction to this letter as he prayed that the church members would be “enriched by” God where we read:

That in every thing you are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

The verse begins, “That in every thing you are enriched by him,...”. Paul began with the words, “That in every thing” which means “because and since by each, any, all, the whole and everyone” “you are enriched” or “the people within the Corinthian church are made rich and fully furnished” “by him” which means “by God”. Paul's desire was for the Corinthian church to be “fully furnished” by God Almighty.

The verse goes on to say, “...in all utterance, and in all knowledge;”. Paul continued with the words, “in all utterance” or “in each, every, the whole, and every one of the speeches, words, decrees, mandates and orders” “and in all” which means “and in each, every, the whole and every” “knowledge” which means “general intelligence, understanding of the deeper more perfect and enlarged knowledge of this religion such as belongs to the more advanced especially of things lawful and unlawful for Christians like moral wisdom and right living”. Not only did Paul desire for the church to be “enriched” by God, but he specifically mentioned what was “said” to and by them and in everything they “knew” concerning Christian living.

When we think through these words from Paul, we understand the importance of being “fully furnished by God” in everything we do. Paul knew if the Corinthian church were to be everything it could be, it needed God's “enrichment” and not the world's. Their “speech” needed to be “enriched”. Their Christian “knowledge” needed to be “made rich”, and the manner in which they behaved needed to follow after “moral wisdom” rather than that of the world. Jesus Christ came to provide all these “enrichments” through His sacrifice on the cross for our sins, and when we have a relationship with Him, we have access to God who “fully furnishes” us in everything we say and do. May we realize the importance of being “enriched” by God, and may He add to our lives any area of lack He deems necessary to “supply”.

Next time Paul shares concerning how “the testimony of Christ was confirmed in” the people within the Corinthian church, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.