1 Corinthians 1

Greetings!

1 Corinthians

1     Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

Paul was humble about his role but would matter-of-factly lay out his credentials from time to time.  Sosthenes may have been the synagogue leader in Corinth who was beaten in Acts 18:17.

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:

I have a tendency to gloss over the introductions and closings of Bible letters, so this blog is useful to get me to read them more closely.  We are called to be holy, but I hardly ever hear that phrase in church or conversation with other Christians.  Our culture seems to think you are proud for even aiming at that.  Of course we need to be humble because even on our best days we are sinners in need of a Savior and it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can do holy things for the right reasons.  But just the same holiness is our calling and we should strive for that.

My study Bible noted how Paul mentioned Jesus ten times in the first ten verses.  Do you think he was trying to emphasize something?

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

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. 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.

Divisions in the Church

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. ¹¹ My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? ¹⁴ I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. ¹⁶ (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

The real church is made up of authentic believers in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible, regardless of their denominations.  There are true and false believers in every church.  I know, because I used to be a fake.  I’d show up at church each Sunday in my suit and basically treated the whole thing as a social function.  I didn’t think much of it.  Fortunately, God opened my eyes to his word and I became a believer. 

We shouldn’t focus on following a given leader, we should focus on Jesus. 

Some denominational differences are bad if they lead people to claim they are the “one true church” and if they turn non-essential issues into essentials (e.g., how communion or baptism are done).  But if people have different worship preferences for music, dress, etc. I don’t think that is bad.

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

V. 18 is famous.  The world thinks we are foolish, but that is OK.  We just don’t want to add to their misconception with real foolishness of our own.  We pray that their eyes may be opened as well.  Paul mentions “foolish” eight times here.

²⁰ Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²² Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

²⁶ Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Every good thing we have or do comes from God, so there is nothing to boast about. 

Christianity is not against rational thinking at all.  It is just that in our pride we judge God and try to create him in our image.  When you think of it from God’s perspective (the creator of the universe looking at these tiny, weak created beings) and seeing them criticize him it is just absurd.