Introduction
How does God still speak to His people? He speaks Through the written Word, as we hear it preached or as we read it, mark it, learn it and inwardly digest it so that His Word changes our lives to please Him and build up others.
As we apply our minds and hearts to Scripture, the Word is Illuminated by His Spirit, Today we return to our staple diet of expository preaching.
Before we look at our passage for today: 1 Corinthians chapter 1:1-17, let’s go back into the ancient world, to the city of Corinth, in lower Greece. It was a thriving port city and had a reputation of something like King’s Cross in Sydney.
Show pictures: map, canal, temple
It always helps to know something of the context of a piece of Scripture. In this case, Corinth was a wealthy port, blessed with access to both sides of the Greek peninsula, the Adriatic Sea on the Italian side and the Aegean Sea on the Turkey side. It was almost completely pagan – except for a community of Jews. There was a flair for the spectacular and sexual immorality was rife. In 51/52 AD, Paul came to Corinth on his second missionary journey. His almost two years pioneering ministry and the continuing existence of the church in Corinth was a miracle of grace. Yet it was not without its problems and that’s why Paul wrote at least three letters – of which we have two.
1-3 Christian Greetings
From Paul and Sosthenes v 1
Paul was no stranger to God’s grace. Under his Jewish name “Saul” of Tarsus he persecuted the followers of Jesus Christ from the stoning of Stephen until the Damascus road where the ascended Christ met him face to face. He repented instantly and offered his life to serve Jesus anywhere. He received the clear call to be the apostle to the Gentiles. That was about 33AD. Some twenty years later, he is on his third missionary journey and writing to the flourishing, but problematic, church in Corinth which he established in about AD 52.
You may not have had a Damascus road conversion, but have you been aware that God’s grace has brought you to new birth and that you are beginning to grow to maturity?
Sosthenes our brother in Christ – at least, fellow worker with Paul at the time of writing. Paul rarely worked alone – and in his writings he always included his colleagues in the greetings to others. Are we loners in the bad sense? Do we include others in our evangelism and good works. Are we training people to lead and eventually take over our roles?
To God’s Church at Corinth v 2
Many Jews and Gentiles had accepted Christ as Messiah, Lord and Saviour. Being on the cross roads between North and South, East and West, it would be safe to presume a diversity of nationality, race and culture. All converts were miracles of grace though Paul’s preaching the gospel. Aquila and Priscilla, Paul’s tent making Jewish hosts were probably his first converts. No hint that there any other Christians in Corinth before Paul arrived. See Acts 18 where Luke gives an account of Paul’s first visit to Corinth. It was typical pioneer Pauline evangelism – preach to the Jews first and then extend the invitation to the gentiles. The Jews expel him from the synagogue and he teaches from another location.
Presumably, after a couple of years, several house church congregations were meeting and maintained some contact with each other as followers of Christ.
Grace and peace to you v 3
Grace – amazing grace – God’s favour to us as undeserving sinners. John Newton like St Paul knew the meaning of grace. I think some of us are still learning. We fall into the temptation to strut our good works before God as if it will atone for all our filthy sins. We don’t even want to admit that we are a sinner. But that’s what the Bible has said “all have sinned and fallen sort of the glory of God. There is none righteous – no not one. We are saved by grace, we are covered by grace, and we are enabled by grace. “Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.”O my friends renounce this boasting of good works. Thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you – that was the only way to deal with our sins. Don’t stop doing good works, do more, but let our good works be a praise to God not a platform for extracting favours from God or compliments from men.
Peace- Shalom- God’s gift of goodness materially and spiritually not earned but received under the Old Covenant at first then since Christ and faith in him under the new covenant. “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom 5:1
4-9 Christian Graces
Not lacking, but enriched
Gifts through Jesus Christ v 4 – 7a. lack of giftedness is not the problem- particularly Word based giftedness!
Grace is not only for conversion, but for ongoing growth in character, service and witness. All of which we cannot do without God’s grace in Christ and through the Holy Spirit. God gives us sufficient giftedness to fulfil His will and purposes. Our need is not so much more giftedness, but deeper love for Christ and others and the activation of those gifts.
in word and knowledge these gifts are seminal, they are the seeds of the gospel which in Holy Spirit’s time and power produce all the other fruit and giftednesses.
to await Jesus’ return v 7b,8
In the early decades of the Christian Church, the expectation was running high. In Paul’s later letter, he seems to think he will die before Jesus comes again; but his future meeting with Jesus – not as persecutor but faithful servant saved by grace – for me to live is Christ – to die is gain – absent from the body present with the Lord. The outer body is wasting away day after day but the inner man is being renewed in great anticipation. Particularly free from the sins which beset us and with Satan accuses us before God. Blameless! Without reproach – not an excuse to be slack, but a hope which will give us victory. Paul is not unaware of the sin of the Corinthians, but he puts it in the context of God’s saving grace.
God’s faithfulness v 9
Although in the end we will be commended with “well done good and faithful servants, we all know it is God’s faithfulness to us that got us through! 1 Thess 5:24. 1 John 1:9
10-17 Christian Problems
Severe disunity, quarrelling and strife v 10, 11
Psalm 96 reminded us that the gospel is for all nations. Corinth would have been multicultural as well as multi religious especially wrt Jew and Gentile. But as the church developed and had various visiting or local teachers, difference of opinion was overriding other graces. Not wrong to have a temporary or trivial difference of opinion? But wrong to let it break the fellowship in Christ? Not dealing here with hardened major heresies, but trends which were unnecessarily dividing the church.
Personality cults – false pride v 12, 13
We should appreciate our teachers and ministers, but not overdo it. We should refrain from flattery on the one hand and pride in our connection on the other. We should avoid the conceit of name-dropping.
Overrating ritual and rhetoric v 14 -17a
Baptism has an important place in an individual’s experience and in the life of the church, but it should not be a source of pride, nor a way of demeaning others.
Ordered preaching and systematic teaching is not condemned here. Rather it is the clever manipulation of an audience to admire you and do what you want. The gospel is rational, evidential and persuasive, but not manipulative.
Underrating the Gospel and the Cross of Christ v17b
The spectacular presentation of the gospel nor its obvious response in baptism should obscure the heart of the gospel, the person of Jesus Christ and his saving death on the cross. This sacrificial love is what draws us consciously to Christ – not the brilliant address nor the celebration of baptism.
Conclusion
Is not God telling us to be faithful, unified,
gospel-focussed, and Christ-centred? Experience the grace of Christ in your conversion, growth to maturity and in your witness to others. Demonstrate this grace in fellowship with other Christians and in your outreach to non-Christians.