1 Corinthians For You: Thrilling You With How Grace Changes Lives

God's Word for You

by Andrew Wilson

The scope of 1 Corinthians is breathtaking. Paul tackles a huge variety of subjects, and as he does so, he gives us a precious insight into what a local church is (or at least can be).

As Andrew Wilson walks through this compelling, challenging epistle, you'll see how grace looks in every Christian and how it can shape every church--even a church as flawed as the Corinthian one.

This accessible and absorbing expository guide can be used for personal devotions, or for leading small-group studies, or for sermon preparation.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2021

About the author

Andrew is Teaching Pastor at King's Church London, and has theology degrees from Cambridge (MA), London School of Theology (MTh), and King's College London (PhD). He is a columnist for Christianity Today, and has written several books, including Echoes of Exodus (Crossway, 2018) and Spirit and Sacrament: An Invitation to Eucharismatic Worship (Zondervan, 2018).

Reviews

[Jenna]

No star rating for non fiction from me, but this was a great in depth discussion about first Corinthians. Will look for more in this series!

[Bekah Goggans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is helpful for digging into the text without being a full blown commentary.
At times it was repetitive and I was hoping for something deeper. But it provides context and some insight.

[Matt Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for its size and scope. Another great entry in this series, especially for devotional study.

[Todd Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed some in this series more than this one. Wilson is worth reading if you have the time. I'm glad I read and found a few good quotes here and there.

The biggest weakness in this book is his "open but cautious" approach to spiritual gifts. There was quite a bit in Chapters 12-14 I disagreed with.

Still, this series is generally pretty good as an entry level commentary.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really helpful commentary for an overall, bird's-eye, grasp of 1 Corinthians. Some excellent points, and I love his easy style of writing. Very readable.
My disappointment was with the very weak presentation of his pro-miraculous gifts view. There is no clear distinction between revelatory gifts vs non, and as always with this issue, no relating of this to the sufficiency of scripture, which really is the bottom line - is the Bible enough? Also, he is clear in describing tongues as languages, but he is unclear in failing to clarify what kind of languages he believes they are - human, foreign, angelic? - whatever. And astonishingly, he totally, totally, fails to even mention Joel 2 or Acts 2. For me, it makes me wonder if this is because the obvious conclusion that these are foreign languages (as in Acts 2, the reverse of the curse at Babel, and universal spread of the Gospel) will raise questions about the modern day practice or theoretical practice, of tongues in charismatic churches. It need not necessarily be a gospel issue, and as Christians we may hold differing views, which is fair enough. But my criticism is that his argument is simply weak, which has the potential for the very confusion and contention that 1 Corinthians was written to correct. It just feels like he's desperately wanting to cling to a continuing miraculous gifts position, while failing to give a thorough defence.
But please do not take the length of my critique of that particular issue, to represent my overall view of his commentary. In all other respects it is a genuinely helpful commentary. I will warmly recommend it despite this one weakness, which ultimately is only my view, albeit strongly, and painfully, held.

[Mark Seeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This commentary is my second exposure to the "God's Word For You" series. These are what I call 'readers commentaries." They are non-technical, practical, and orderly. Andrew Wilson's book on I Corinthians gives you a bird's eye view of the sweeping message of Paul's message to this church. When there are interpretive difficulties, he doesn't dismiss them, but he tells you where he lands and why. I don't land where he is on spiritual gifts, prophecy, etc., but that did not detract me from profiting from his perspective, rather it kept me on my toes to rethink and reconsider my position. What is important is that he gets the core of the epistle's message. I particularly appreciated his climax in dealing with the resurrection.

[Luke Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a helpful and practical resource for teaching & reading through 1 Corinthians. While the author keeps the main content accessible in tone and language, he doesn’t skip the heavier topics, which was appreciated for a shorter title. He was a little too tribal in his theological points, but no author is without a bias, just finished this wishing his was a little more subtle.

[Mark D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good series for devotional reading, and this book is worth reading. However, it didn’t have as many deep insights as some of the other books in the series. (I’ve read several, and Keller’s Judges is the best so far.)

[Nathan White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent commentary as an entry-level to the book. A bit shallow theologically, in places. He takes some very unhelpful and unfortunate views on the spiritual gifts and doesn't deal well with the counter-arguments. But some pastoral application and illustrations were particularly helpful.

[Phil Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed using this devotional commentary in recent weeks. Explains hard parts clearly, with good illustrations and applications. Another great additional to the series.

[Glenn Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic

The comments on 1 Cor are insightful and profound and well researched, and the writing is superb. So glad to be in the New Frontiers family with this guy!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilson puts together a really helpful, succinct account of what 1 Corinthians means.

[Michael Awbrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Short, accessible, and rich.

[Alastair Gooderham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent devotional commentary. Thought provoking and balanced. Would have loved the chance to devolve deeper and pick the authors brain. But within the boundaries of this series it is excellent.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does God’s grace really change people? What does it do for the church community? In 1 Corinthians For You, Andrew Wilson studies Paul’s letter and thrills you with how God’s grace changes lives.

Pride and Division

Pride and division were taking over, devastating the Corinthian church. Wilson shares how the same might be said about evangelicalism today. For instance, we seem to be a culture absorbed with church growth and elevating human leaders. Wilson encourages us by saying that we must seek the Spirit as He guides us to humility and unity.

This book, while similar to a commentary, reads more like a devotional. Wilson is sharp and clear, with pastoral insight to share. He compares the Corinthians with the way we sin today, looking at incest, sexual immortality and drunkeness, greed and slander. We must not tolerate unrepentant sin. We must challenge it. Christ crucified might not shape our culture today, but it shapes our church communities.

Sex and Singleness

Paul spoke about sex, and Wilson explains how sex connects to the doctrine of the church. Ultimately, sex is about the gospel. Sex is a signpost. “It is but a glimpse of a relationship, a union and a happiness that are grander and deeper than our wildest imagining."

I was reminded that remaining unmarried can be good, right, and beautiful. Do we idolize marriage in our churches? I also saw how self-discipline, self-denial, and laying down our rights for the love of others and are important as we press on to win the prize.

Conservatives and Charismatics

Wilson sees “a message of wisdom” and “a message of knowledge” in 1 Corinthians 12 to mean a God-given ability to read a situation and speak wisely into it. In regards to Ch. 13, he understands Paul to mean that “completeness” comes when Jesus comes – when we see him face to face.

“Conservatives need to hear that prophecy should be pursued and that languages should not be forbidden. Charismatics need to hear that everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way, with a focus on comprehensibility, edification, and the lordship of Christ.”

Love Never Fails

Paul urges us to pursue prophecy, and Wilson describes it as being directed towards people, as it strengthens, encourages, and comforts us. He elaborates that Paul sees the Corinthians as speaking a language (as opposed to a sequence of nonsensical noises). He concludes that love trumps our right to express ourselves.

Interestingly, Paul concludes with a mention of Christ’s resurrection, and Wilson sees it as a fitting way to end a letter talking about unity and grace. This book helped me better understand 1 Corinthians, and I see how the message of pursuing purity and peace in Christ is essential. Love never fails.

I received a media copy of 1 Corinthians For You and this is my honest review.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book, I didn't realize that it was by the same Andrew Wilson who wrote God of All Things, another recent release that I greatly enjoyed. Once again, I appreciated this author's engaging style, clear and concise communication, and insight into complex elements of Scripture. Near the beginning, Wilson says that even though most people claim Romans or Ephesians as their favorite of Paul's letters, 1 Corinthians has always been his favorite. His enthusiasm comes through clearly as he engages with the text, provides cultural and historical context, relates 1 Corinthians to other parts of the Bible, and connects its themes to issues in our lives and churches today.

1 Corinthians For You is clear, engaging, and insightful. Even though I am very familiar with this letter from past Bible studies, readings, and sermon series at church, I found new insights here, and I especially appreciated getting Wilson's perspective on the spiritual gifts chapters, since he comes from a Pentecostal background. Although I have read other books that accurately portray a charismatic perspective, I don't think I had ever read a take on this part of 1 Corinthians from someone who is from that denominational background. I found that part of the book very helpful.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in digging into the text of 1 Corinthians, whether they are a pastor preparing a sermon series, a small group leader, or someone who wants additional insight as they read the book by themselves or with their family. 1 Corinthians For You is easy to read, provides clear discussion questions, and includes a glossary in the back for words and phrases that readers may not be familiar with. This book is a very accessible, helpful resource.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren DuPrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

1 Corinthians For You by Andrew Wilson is the latest in the “For You” commentary series by The Good Book Company. I was particularly excited to read this book due to my own personal study of 1 Corinthians last year. I appreciate that this book aims to provide readers with a simple understanding of what was happening at the time the first letter to the church at Corinth was written and Paul’s motivation in writing it. Andrew Wilson writes in a way that is biblically faithful yet easy to understand. Wilson’s pastor’s heart was revealed in his gentle and gracious treatment of topics like singleness, divorce, and women’s roles. This encouraged me because I often wonder how certain passages apply to me as a Christian today. I imagine I’m not alone in that regard and I was greatly encouraged by Wilson’s diligence in helping readers understand what the passages meant in their original contexts and how they might be applied in modern settings.

The book lives up to its title in that it is “for you” as it does an excellent job of examining the complex issues that the Corinthian church faced and presents them in a way that is easy to understand. In a sense, this book provides readers with a condensed overview of what 1 Corinthians is about. As a mom of young children, I typically don’t have as much time to dedicate to reading commentaries of a more academic nature so I really appreciate the “for you” commentaries. This book is also shorter in length than most academic commentaries which is helpful because it makes understanding 1 Corinthians more accessible to a wider audience. If you are desiring to grow in your understanding of 1 Corinthians, I highly recommend this book.

I received 1 Corinthians For You compliments of The Good Book Company in exchange for my honest review.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not all Bible commentaries are created equal- This is well written, easy to follow and understand- Straight to the point and not redundant - This series, God’s Word For You” is written for anyone wanting an understanding of Paul’s letters to the Church of Corinth- Bible centered- Christ glorifying, Relevantly applied- The author ties the then and now together- Easily readable- Read it as a devotional, a Bible study series… Questions are posed at the end of each short section-It helped me u derstand the people, culture of Corinth- Those tricky and often misunderstood, misquoted verses ( women submissive, covering of the head…) An excellent and well written commentary- Definitely in my top 5 of 1Corinthians Commentaries

[Jack Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic succinct commentary on 1 Corinthians. Andrew excels in showing how this letter is important and applies to us today. It is worth getting for his exposition of chapter 8-10 alone. Although the whole thing is brilliant! Get it!