This is a brief overview of 1 Corinthians as the apostle Paul taught believers and according to the apostolic traditions handed down to believers that are seldom practiced in our churches today (1 Cor.4:17; 11:1-2).

The apostle Paul writes the book of 1 Corinthians to the believers or the church not to a bishop, elder, overseer, priest, pastor, building, or a church board (1 Cor. 1:2). They were to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment, there was to be no division among them (1 Cor. 1:10-13; 3:3-4). Yet today, there are over 133,000 denominations in the body of Christ all with different beliefs and practices not including independent churches. Paul calls the Corinthian believers to imitate him, and that Timothy would remind them of his ways in Christ as he taught everywhere in every church (1 Cor. 4:16-17).

The “Priesthood of All Believers” was taught that allowed every to participate and function by ministering to one another on an equal foundation of Christ alone. In 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 the apostle Paul instructs the believers or the church how to deal with a believer who is involved in sexual immorality and are unrepentant. Believers should have already brought correction, instruction, exhortation, warnings, rebuke, and admonition to those involved in the sin of sexual immorality (Rom. 15:14; Eph. 5: 19-21; Col. 3: 16-17; Heb. 6:10; James 5:19-20; 1 Peter 4:10-11). It was not the bishop, elder, overseer, pastor, priests, or a board responsibility. It was every believer’s responsibility to participate and function in ministry by ministering to one another.

The apostle Paul instructs the believers how to discipline the sinning brother in Christ who is unrepentant and willfully living in gross sin.  Paul then tells the believers “when you are gathered together,” putting the responsibility of disciplining the brother involved in sexual immorality in the hands of believers, not a bishop, elder, overseer, priest, pastor, or a church board (1 Cor. 5:4-5). Notice, the apostle Paul was writing to the church or believers when he said, “when you are gathered together” not a pastor, bishop, overseer, elder, priest, or a church board. This is the “Priesthood of All Believers” with every believer participating and functioning in the church on an equal basis responsibility. Interestingly, most churches to not follow the apostolic traditions handed down by the apostles, yet they came to do everything according to the Bible.

Paul calls the believers to follow or imitate him, just as he imitated Christ and to remember him in all things and to keep the traditions has he had given them (1 Cor. 11:1-2). Paul then speaks of the diversities of gifts, differences of ministries, and the diversities of activities, but that it is the same God who works all in all (1 Cor. 12: 4-6). Paul goes on to reveal the body is made up of many members who are one body, so also is Christ. Paul goes on to say that there should be no schism or division in the body, but that all members should have the same care for one another (1 Cor. 12: 12-26).

In 1 Corinthians 12:31, Paul desires to show the believers a more excellent way in 1 Corinthians chapter 13:1-13, the way of love. The Word of God declares in 1 Corinthians 13:9-12, that at the present moment we know in part, and we prophesy in part, and we see thru a mirror dimly. However,  at the coming or revelation of Jesus Christ , or when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with, and we will no longer know in part, prophesy in part , or see thru a mirror dimly. At His coming we will see Him face to face and know as we are also known (1 Cor.13:9-12). Sadly, many in the body of Christ don’t believe the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts are for today. They have forgotten Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever and that the word of God lives and abides forever (Mal. 3:13; Heb.13:8; 1 Peter 1:23-25). They have forgotten the same promise is for us today according to Acts 2:39, “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” The Lord is still calling people into His kingdom today, so the same promise is still in effect (Acts 8: 12, 15-16; 10: 44-48; 19: 5-6). They have forgotten they are called to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). They have forgotten the word of Paul in Galatians 1:8 saying, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you, let him be accursed.”

 In 1 Corinthians 14:23-33, when the whole church came together according to verse 23 each one of the believers was to have a psalm, a teaching, a tongue, a revelation, or an interpretation for the edification, profit ,or benefit of all the believers (1 Cor. 14:26). For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged (1 Cor. 14:31). All believers were allowed to participate and function by ministering to one another on an equal basis, no one person was to lead the meeting.

Paul goes on to say to the believers, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, by steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58). This was written to the believers not to a bishop, elder, or a pastor, there was no one man leading the meeting, and the priesthood of all believers was allowed to participate and function ministering to one another.

Paul then ends by saying, “The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.”  Notice, the church met in their house and continued to meet in houses or homes of believers for the first three hundred years of the churches existence (Acts 16: 15, 40; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Phm. 1:2).

Most of the churches today do not function according to the apostolic traditions taught by the apostles. The priesthood of all believers is primarily a theology that many believers and leaders in the body of Christ only give lip service to, yet many fail to practice in their churches. In the majority of the churches today, we have one man leading and controlling the meeting while the other believers sit passively and are not allowed to speak.  At best a few are allowed to share their testimony and or a spiritual gift.  May we study, learn, and return to the original apostolic traditions of doing truly biblical church.

As authentic disciples we must understand that the apostle Paul taught the same teachings everywhere he went and in every church he ministered (1 Cor. 4:17). Our traditional modern business model of doing church is not the same as the way the early Church participated and functioned as the church. We will see how the apostle Paul taught the body of Christ or the Church to participate and function together as the church under the headship and Lordship of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 12: 1-27; 14: 23-33). The participation and function of the believers is referred to as the “Priesthood of All Believers” having been made a kingdom of priests and a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6). We will see how the early Church or the New Testament Church met in houses or the homes of believers for about the first three hundred years of the Church’s existence (Acts 16:15, 40; 28: 30-31; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Phm. 1:2). Meeting in the homes of believers allowed for the priesthood to function with every believer participating and functioning together by ministering to one another. Yes, all believers were allowed to participate and function by ministering to one another (Rom. 15:14; 1 Cor.15:58; Eph. 5:19-21; Col. 3:16-17; 1 Thess. 5:11, 15; Heb. 3:12-13; 6:10-12; 10:19-25; James 5:16, 19-20; 1 Peter 4:7-11).

Now let’s look at the book of 1 Corinthians, we find that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2). Paul wrote to the ekklesia, the Greek word for the church, the called out ones, or the assembly of believers. Paul was writing to the church or the ‘called out ones’ which was at Corinth and refers to God’s church in a certain city or locality. Paul was writing to the church of God which was made up of all believers both brothers and sisters in Christ also referred to as the brethren (Gal. 3:26-28). Paul was not writing to a building, overseers, bishops, elders, or pastors, he was writing to the church which met in houses and included all believers both men and women also known as the brethren (Acts 16:15, 40).

Paul makes it clear that he was writing to all the believers or the brethren in 1 Cor. 1:10, “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” We find here that all the believers were to come into agreement together having the same mind, judgment, and were to speak the same things, there was to be no divisions among them at all. In 1 Cor. 1:13 the apostle Paul asks the brethren in Corinth the question, saying, “Is Christ divided?” The obvious answer is absolutely not, therefore there was to be no division among them since Christ was not divided. Again, Paul wanted all the brethren both men and women believers to be in complete agreement and absolute unity by speaking the same things.

In 1 Cor. 3:1, Paul says, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to carnal as to babes in Christ.” Paul says in verse 3-4, “for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?” The believers were not to be divided, split over, or preferring one minister over another minister. The apostle Paul pleaded with the brethren in Corinth not to allow divisions to come in among them just as the Lord pleads with us today. The Word of God calls us as believers today to all speak the same things being perfectly joined together and having the same judgment (1 Cor.1:10). As believers we are all to speak the same things Paul taught concerning the gospel of Christ. We are all to come into a total agreement and be in complete unity regarding the faith. As believers we too are to be without any kind of divisions among themselves by being in absolute agreement and unity of the faith Paul taught and preached (1 Cor.4:17; Gal. 1:8-10). The gospel of Christ that the apostle Paul taught to believers remains the same today as it was then, just as Jesus Christ remains the same and there should be no divisions among us today. (Heb. 13:8).

The reason Paul could call the believers in Corinth to all speak the same things by being perfectly joined together having the same judgment is because they were in Christ and there is no division in Him. The second reason is because all the believers everywhere were in Christ and the apostle Paul taught the same things everywhere in every church (1 Cor. 4:17).  All believers everywhere received the same teachings from Paul, the other apostles, and from one another. We can also see this in the book of Philippians were the apostle Paul called the believers in Philippi to stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel (Phil. 1:27). Paul goes on to tell them that the things they has learned from him, received, heard, and saw in him, these do, and the God of peace shall be with you (Phil. 4:9). They reason the apostle could tell the believers to do this is because he had taught them the same things everywhere and in every church (1 Cor. 4:9). The believers were to take what they had learned from the apostle Paul, the other apostles, and one another and take it with them where ever they went (Acts 8:3-4; James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1).

Today, there are over 133,000 different denominations with different beliefs, not including independent churches. All having different beliefs, and the majority of them are not preaching the same gospel that the apostle Paul preached (Gal. 1:8-10). There is a lot of division in the church, the body of Christ today without true unity in the faith of the gospel. We have splintered off into so many different denominations with different beliefs without examining our faith to see whether our faith is the same as what the apostle Paul believed and taught everywhere in every church (1 Cor. 4:17). We must examine ourselves to see whether or not we are in the faith believing and preaching the same exact gospel as the apostle Paul and the other apostles taught everywhere and in every church (1 Cor. 4:17; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 1:8-10; Jude 1:3).

The gospel that Paul preached everywhere in every church is the same gospel that he told the churches in Galatia that if anyone preached any other gospel than what they have received to let them be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9). Jude also wrote to believers exhorting them to contend for the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). This is the same gospel that was to be passed on to every believer and that they were to minister, preach, and share with others (Acts 8:3-4). The believers who were scattered in Acts 8:4, we learn that one of the believers was Philip who went to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them (Acts 8:5). Philip was filled with the Holy Spirit in the Pentecostal since of the word and cast out demons, heal those who were lame and paralyzed (Acts 8:6-8).

Some examples of the use of women in ministry are Paul commending of Phoebe referring to her as our sister and a servant of the church in Cenchrea (Rom.16:1-2). Paul follows by referring to both Priscilla and Aquila as my fellow workers in Christ Jesus and to not only greet them, but also to greet the church that is in their house (Rom. 16:3-5). In the book of Acts we find both Aquila and Priscilla were able to take Apollos aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately (Acts 18:24-26). Philip also had four daughters who prophesied and ministered to the believers with the gift of prophesy given by the Holy Spirit (Acts 21:9). In the book of Acts we also find that Lydia had a church in her house (Acts 16:15, 40).

In the book of Colossians 4:15, “Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.” One should note that Nymphas is translated Nympha and his is translated her in the most well-known modern Critical Text of the Greek New Testament in the twenty-sixth edition of the nestle-Aland Greek New Testament. It is also translated her in the third edition of the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament. Both men and women were able to minister to one another by instructing one another in the ways of the Lord and in the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is the way the Amplified Bible also translates Colossians 4:16, “And when this epistle has been read before you, [see] that it is read also in the assembly (the church) of the Laodiceans, and also [see] that you yourselves in turn read the [letter that comes to you] from Laodicea.”

It is clear that the church was made up of both men and women called the brethren. As the Church or the body of Christ they were to be in absolute unity speaking the same things ministering to the world and to one another.

The apostle Paul wrote in the book of 1 Corinthians 4:16 calling the Corinthian believers to be followers or imitator of him. Again Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:1 saying, “imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” The Greek word used here is “mimetes and means to imitate and comes from the root word “mimeomai” meaning to mimic. The apostle Paul calls every believer to imitate and follow his example in everything he did both in word and action. Believers were and are to imitate and reproduce the life of Christ in them by the power of the Holy Spirit or through the indwelling Christ. Believer’s are to be conformed into the image and likeness of Christ in the smallest details of their lives. Believers are to seek to imitate Christ, just as the apostle Paul sought to imitate, follow, and reproduce Jesus Christ in his life.

The apostle Paul is not referring to or describing “the traditions” as some religious ritual tradition we have today by just going through the motions. The Greek word used here for traditions or ordinances is “paradosis” which signifies the apostolic teachings or instructions hand down to the believers concerning their meetings or gatherings. What the apostle Paul is speaking of in 1 Corinthians 11:2 are the apostolic doctrinal teachings or instructions he had personally delivered to the believers both in word and epistle.

The same Greek word is also used for the word traditions in 2 Thessalonians  2:15 and 3:6 concerning the apostolic doctrines, teachings, or instructions handed down or given to the believers. The same teachings and instruction that both the Corinthian believers and Thessalonians’ received is what the apostle Paul taught everywhere and in every church. It is also why Paul could send Timothy to a church to remind the church of Paul’s ways in Christ because he had taught the same things everywhere in every church (1 Cor. 4:17). It is also the reason why the apostle Paul could counsel Timothy concerning the things he had heard from the apostle Paul and was to commit these same teaching to faithful men who would be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).

We learn from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians’ that they had become followers of us and of the Lord (1 Thess. 1:6). The Greek word “mimetes” is the same word used in 1 Cor. 11:1, and means to be a follower or imitator. The word is also used again in 1 Thess. 2:14 saying, “For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus.” The Thessalonians’ not only began to imitate Paul and the Lord, but also imitated the churches or the believers in Judea as they followed the Lord. The reason they could be followers and imitators is because the apostle Paul taught the same things in every place and in every church.

The same apostolic doctrinal teachings and instruction was given both in word and by epistle and was demonstrated among the believers everywhere in every assembly of believers (1 Cor. 4:17; Phil. 4:9). Teaching the same thing everywhere and in every church made it possible to duplicate in the lives of believers and be imitated, followed, and reproduced in the lives of all believers everywhere.

When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to all the believers in Philippi he told them, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” The believers were to imitate the apostle Paul and follow his example in everything Paul said and did by word, epistle, and his personal example. Paul also wrote to the Thessalonians’ using the Greek word “mimeomai” coming from the mimic like a mime, meaning to imitate or follow. Paul called the believers Thessalonians to follow and or imitate them because they had set the example for the believers to follow (2 Thess. 3:7, 9).

The apostolic traditions handed down to believers are still the same as he taught everywhere and in every church or assembly of believers (1 Cor. 4:17).  Most churches have failed to put the original apostolic traditions into practice.  

For example look at what the apostles taught in the book of 1 Corinthians which was written to the believers or the church not to a bishop, elder, pastor, building, or a board (1 Cor. 1:2). They were to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment, there was to be no division among them (1 Cor. 1:10-13; 3:3-4). Yet there are over 133,000 denominations in the body of Christ all with different beliefs and practices not including independent churches.

Paul calls the Corinthians believers to intimate him and told them that Timothy would remind them of his ways in Christ as he taught everywhere in every church (1 Cor. 4:16-17). Paul then says to the believers “when you are gathered together,” putting the responsibility in the hands of believers, not a bishop, overseer, elder, priest, pastor, or a board (1 Cor. 5:4-5). Paul calls the believers to follow or imitate him, just as he imitated Christ and to remember him in all things and to keep the traditions has he had given them (1 Cor. 11:1-2).

Paul then speaks to the Corinthian believers concerning the diversities of gifts, differences of ministries, and the diversities of activities, but that it is the same God who works all in all (1 Cor. 12: 4-6). Paul goes on to reveal the body is made up of many members who are one body, so also is Christ. Paul says that there should be no schism or division in the body, but that all members should have the same care for one another (1 Cor. 12: 12-26).  Now, notice when the whole church came together according to verse 23, that each one of the believers was to have a psalm, a teaching, a tongue, a revelation, or an interpretation for the edification, profit or benefit of all the believers. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged (1 Cor. 14:23-33). All believers were allowed to participate and function by ministering to one another. Paul goes on to say to the believers, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, by steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58). This was written to the believers not to a bishop, elder, or a pastor, there was no one man leading the meeting, and the priesthood of all believers was allowed to participate and function ministering to one another.

Many believers have never noticed that the writer of the book of Hebrews confirms the “Priesthood of all Believers” with every believer participating and functioning in ministry to one another. Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” The writer of the book of Hebrews further reveals every believers participating and functioning in ministering to one another.

In Hebrews 10:19-25 the writer of Hebrews is speaking to the brethren, or to every believer in verse 19. In verse 22, 23, 24 it says, “let us” referring to the brethren. In verse 24 the “let us” referring to the brethren or every believer who were to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” It was the brethren or the believers ministering to one another in order to stir up love and good works. This is the Priesthood of all believers” in action ministering to one another, not a bishop, overseer, elder, priest, or a pastor. No single man was leading the meeting, but every believer was to minister to one another. Now we come to the one of the most misused verses in the Bible taken out of biblical context according to our religious institutional business model of doing church. Most use this of going to church or attending a church service or meeting. Verse 25 says, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another.” In the biblical context the believers or the brethren were not forsake the assembling of themselves together during a time of persecution in order to be able to exhort one another. It was every believer’s responsibility to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works and to exhort one another. It was not a bishop, elder, overseer, priest, or pastor’s job, duty or responsibility to lead, stir up, or to exhort the believers.

Let us return to the original biblical apostolic tradition of every believer participating and functioning in the body of Christ.