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Imagine for me if you will, a city – bustling, modern – a major city with over six hundred thousand residents. In many ways – the city is the wealthiest, coolest, most multicultural city in the country. Trade from many nations flows through its ports. Though predominately middle class - some of the wealthiest people in the country call it home. These patrons help sponsor sports in a massive stadium – and the arts – drama, musical theater – one theater alone seats eighteen thousand people.
The city is also a religious center with churches and places of worship galore – one massive church sits on top of a hill overlooking the city drawing thousands regularly to services.
But as with most major cities – this one has its problems. Prostitution is legal, even encouraged, as well as immorality. The ideals of a culture that believes in pleasure for pleasure’s sake also run rampant.
In the midst of this atmosphere the church of Jesus Christ exists. Although outwardly successful, the church inwardly is filled with division. Leaders take sides against one another, drawing huge numbers with them. Some leaders are caught in sexual scandal – but far from dealing with it, others actually support the immorality. On the other side, some factions advocate for no sex at all.
Class struggles divide the church between the haves and have-nots. Arguments over style abound – mainly over the role of the Holy Spirit in worship – Pentecostal verse liturgical. The church is also madly litigious – infighting and lawsuits are common. In fact, the church has incorporated many private sector practices.
So what city am I talking about? Las Vegas? New York? Portland? Could be – but its not. I’m describing the city of Corinth in A.D. 51 or 52. Corinth was at the same time one of the bright spots of Greece – trade, culture, religion – but at the same time a cesspool of immorality. Religious prostitution was widespread, and you’ve heard of the “material girl” well the Greek word for Corinthian girl meant a “loose woman.”
The church at Corinth was full of problems – and its into this situation that the Apostle Paul writes the 1st Letter to the Corinthians. Actually it wasn’t his first letter to them, but the first one we have record of.
The beauty about studying this letter is that problems Paul addressed nearly 2000 years ago have direct application in today’s world and today’s church. Corinth was a problem church – but even if your church is healthy, as ours is, the same attitudes and environment can seep in to anyone’s life.
Before we get into chapter 1 I want to point out what I believe may be the key verse in the whole letter – actually two verses – Chapter 3, the last half of 21 and verse 22.
3:21-23 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 are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
The idea is that we are free – completely free – except that we belong to Christ and are only free in what He tells us to do, and Christ is of the Father – completing the chain of obedience. It will become more apparent as we move through the book – but keep this verse tucked away as we study.
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
What might at first glance appear to be a rather normal opening to a letter of the period isn’t so normal as you look closely. Paul uses the phrase: “called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.”
Paul, of course, was a Pharisee bent on destroying the church until Jesus Himself appeared to him and called him to take the gospel to the gentiles as an Apostle. But one of the main reasons for trouble in the Corinthian church is that many rejected his apostleship – so his words of instruction and teaching meant nothing to them – and they were then influenced by the worldly system around them.
A vacuum of spiritual leadership will be filled by whatever’s available. That’s why its important to recognize the validity of the Scripture – and why its important to belong to a fellowship where you receive teaching and can glean from the experience of more mature believers. Christians weren’t created to be Lone Rangers, but tribe members.
4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way-in all your speaking and in all your knowledge- 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
How can Paul thank God for such a worldly church – filled with divisions and sin and problems? He hints at here – by grace – unmerited favor. “For IN HIM you have been enriched.” The Corinthians thought they got rich from the wealthy patrons that bought their way to prominence – but it’s God that supplies the real riches.
Verses 1 – 6 kind of sum up what Paul is going to say to this church – that arrogance and worldliness are the heart of churches in crisis. Submission and transformation to the Lord’s character are the antidote.
So they are enriched by God, and also gifted by God for everything they need to do.
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
There were a lot of arguments over spiritual gifts in the Corinthian church – just as there are today over the gifts of the Spirit. Listen to what he says: you don’t lack gifts “as you eagerly wait for [the Lord’s] coming.”
If, instead, you eagerly await gifts lacking a waiting for the Lord’s return – you get problems. Gifts become the focus, power, prestige – “I have the gift of prophecy – boy am I special compared to you.” That kind of attitude actually leads to weakness, not strength.
It’s like focusing on the lamp, instead of the electricity. “What a great lamp I have – it shines so bright” But the lamp is nothing without the electricity – its weak. If we focus on the gift instead of the giver – the outcome instead of the source – then we lose sight of the purpose – the light is to provide illumination, not to stare at the lamp. We need to keep the focus on the gifts God gives us to illuminate people to God’s love and salvation – not to show ourselves off.
There is something really positive in verses 7 – 9 that I want to focus on, speaking of focus.
Look at the list that Paul ticks off: no lack, keep, strong, blameless, called, fellowship, faithful. Wow!
• If you lack anything – God will provide (“ask and ye shall receive” Matthew 7:7)
• If you worry about events swirling around you – God can stabilize you (Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon Thee Isaiah 26:3)
• If you feel weak, gain strength from your relationship with God (Eph 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being)
• If you feel condemned – know that Jesus has covered ALL your sins and weaknesses – every one. (Col 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.)
• If you feel alone and separated from God – know that He is actually calling you – wanting you to fellowship with Him. It’s not that we bang on God’s door long enough so He gets tired of the noise and lets us in – He actually wants to spend time with you – amazing!
• And finally – even we feel faithless and worthless – God is faithful to us (1 Thess 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.)
So you might think – with all this comfort and faithfulness from God that the church would be doing great! Quite the opposite was true in Corinth – and the same problems that plagued them – division, and worldliness can easily plague us as well. Next time – the remainder of Chapter 1 – the beginning of division.
