Posts: 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:10, “Now I plead with you, brethren, through 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 joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” How has Christianity fallen so short of this? First, many have made the assumption that their own understanding had no room for improvement. Second, they had little or no trust in the indwelling Spirit to guide wisdom and understanding. Third, they trusted themselves rather than the Word.

1 Corinthians 1:21, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” Paul characterized the gospel as “foolishness” because that is how the intellectuals viewed it: too simple to be useful. When the best philosophers could not adequately explain the Creator, God was not upset. Rather, it pleased Him to be able to provide His simple evidence and straightforward logic by which He rescued them from their justice problem.

1 Corinthians 1:26, “Consider your calling, brethren, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many are mighty, not many are of noble birth.” Christianity was built for ordinary people. Talented and powerful believers, rather than being a help, generally are hindrances until they learn to set aside their earth-bound mentality. Rather, it is about doing the right thing, being reserved for godly purposes, and accepting that God paid our debts to justice so we could be part of a big family that will last.

1 Corinthians 2:4 – 5, “My [Paul’s] speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Most church folks assign the “power of God” to the miracles recorded in the New Testament. Some are impressed by the cheap tricks of modern charlatans. The real power today is found in character transformation, in overcoming myself, and in selflessness and trustworthiness. Outsiders want to know how that is done.

1 Corinthians 3:12 – 13, “Now if anyone builds on this foundation [Jesus] with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” Paul compared teaching a person the gospel to constructing a building. Quality matters. The fires of life will come. Only faith composed of the best materials will survive. Cheap explanations and incomplete coverage will result in failed faith.

1 Corinthians 4:5, “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the heart. Then, each one’s praise will come from God.” Paul was healing divisions in the congregations of Corinth. People have difficulty determining the motives of others, so stop trying. Assume people are who they say they are, and let God reveal the truth in the last day. The faithful assume the best of others and treat them accordingly. Liberty allows each to be responsible for themselves.

1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” Throughout the history of the church, people have gained control of congregations because they spoke well. Some were exciting; some were eloquent; some were persuasive. All took control of others. But the measure should be their power to overcome themselves, their development into the character of Jesus, and their devotion to doing what is best for others without regard to themselves. This is true power worth following so as to learn to do the same.

1 Corinthians 5:8, “Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Two of the several declarations inherent in the unleavened bread in the Lord’s Supper are that of sincerity and truth, with the counterpoint that the faithful have put away the “leavening” influence of malice, wickedness, and tradition. Each time the faithful partake, they renew that commitment.

1 Corinthians 6:12, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of anything.” We are accustomed to authority-based systems in government and business. The faithful think differently. Actions are selected based on their usefulness to faith, not their legality. Further, the faithful do not allow actions that are legal control them. Those choices may be different among a group of faithful people, yet they still have unity based on liberty.

1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you [the faithful] not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” Each faithful person houses the indwelling Spirit. What a faithful person does is the only visual representation outsiders have of that Spirit. Therefore, the faithful behave well so that the Spirit is well represented. Outsiders will not believe what the faithful say if their behavior does not fit with the message.

1 Corinthians 10::11, “Now these things happened to them [the Israelites in the Old Testament] as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” Old Testament events happened long ago and far away, so can seem not very interesting or useful to us. Paul, however, pointed out that these events, especially the negative ones, are useful for avoiding repetition of the mistakes of the past. Further, identifying their failings is much easier that recognizing the same flaws in ourselves.

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” This promise is only for the faithful. Outsiders have no such assurance. However, among the faithful, this promise still needs a positive spin. This promise could be viewed as an excuse-killer. But the more positive attitude is that God must have a high opinion of those being tempted.

1 Corinthians 10:24, “Let no one seek his own, but that of the other.” The faithful are other-centered, which is how Biblical love works. Not that the faithful always let others have their way, rather the faithful choose what is best for others, even when the others do not quite agree. This form of love is promised to be poured out into each faithful person. The trick is to have the wisdom to use it selflessly and without becoming a control freak.

1 Corinthians 10:29, “Why is my liberty judged by the conscience of another?” Faithful people the world over have different customs, traditions, and understandings. The same was true in Paul’s day. Often, faithful people let their own practices become the only way they can picture that might be pleasing to God. So, they sincerely believe that everyone should do it their way. Paul reminds all the faithful that all have liberty to be responsible for themselves, and all must still be united. Only among those with the indwelling Spirit could this possibly work.