Chapter One
Be Wise about the Christianâs Calling
(1 Corinthians 1)
Jesus, yes! The church, no!â Remember when that slogan was popular among young people in the â60s? They certainly could have used it with sincerity in Corinth back in AD 56, because the local church there was in serious trouble. Sad to say, the problems did not stay within the church family; they were known by the unbelievers outside the church.
To begin with, the church at Corinth was a defiled church. Some of its members were guilty of sexual immorality; others got drunk; still others were using the grace of God to excuse worldly living. It was also a divided church, with at least four different groups competing for leadership (1 Cor. 1:12). This meant it was a disgraced church. Instead of glorifying God, it was hindering the progress of the gospel.
How did this happen? The members of the church permitted the sins of the city to get into the local assembly. Corinth was a polluted city, filled with every kind of vice and worldly pleasure. About the lowest accusation you could make against a man in that day would be to call him a âCorinthian.â People would know what you were talking about.
Corinth was also a proud, philosophical city, with many itinerant teachers promoting their speculations. Unfortunately, this philosophical approach was applied to the gospel by some members of the church, and this fostered division. The congregation was made up of different âschools of thoughtâ instead of being united behind the gospel message.
If you want to know what Corinth was like, read Romans 1:18â32. Paul wrote the Roman epistle while in Corinth, and he could have looked out the window and seen the very sins that he listed!
Of course, when you have proud people depending on human wisdom, adopting the lifestyle of the world, you are going to have problems. In order to help them solve their problems, Paul opened his letter by reminding them of their calling in Christ. He pointed out three important aspects of this calling.
1. CALLED TO BE HOLY (1:1â9)
Paul first attacked the serious problem of defilement in the church, yet he said nothing about the problem itself. Instead, he took the positive approach and reminded the believers of their high and holy position in Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:1â9, he described the church that God sees; in 1 Corinthians 1:10â31, he described the church that men see. What we are in Jesus Christ positionally ought to be what we practice in daily life, but often we fail.
Note the characteristics of the church because of our holy calling in Jesus Christ.
Set apart by God (vv. 1â3). The word church in the Greek language means âa called-out people.â Each church has two addresses: a geographic address (âat Corinthâ) and a spiritual address (âin Christ Jesusâ). The church is made up of saints, that is, people who have been âsanctifiedâ or âset apartâ by God. A saint is not a dead person who has been honored by men because of his or her holy life. No, Paul wrote to living saints, people who, through faith in Jesus Christ, had been set apart for Godâs special enjoyment and use.
In other words, every true believer is a saint because every true believer has been set apart by God and for God.
A Christian photographer friend told me about a lovely wedding that he âcovered.â The bride and groom came out of the church, heading for the limousine, when the bride suddenly left her husband and ran to a car parked across the street! The motor was running and a man was at the wheel, and off they drove, leaving the bridegroom speechless. The driver of the âgetaway carâ turned out to be an old boyfriend of the bride, a man who had boasted that âhe could get her any time he wanted her.â Needless to say, the husband had the marriage annulled.
When a man and woman pledge their love to each other, they are set apart for each other; and any other relationship outside of marriage is sinful. Just so, the Christian belongs completely to Jesus Christ; he is set apart for Him and Him alone. But he is also a part of a worldwide fellowship, the church, âall that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christâ (1 Cor. 1:2). A defiled and unfaithful believer not only sins against the Lord, but he also sins against his fellow Christians.
Enriched by Godâs grace (vv. 4â6). Salvation is a gracious gift from God; but when you are saved, you are also given spiritual gifts. (Paul explained this in detail in 1 Cor. 12â14.) The Greek word translated âenrichedâ gives us our English word plutocrat, âa very wealthy person.â The Corinthians were especially rich in spiritual gifts (2 Cor. 8:7) but were not using these gifts in a spiritual manner. The fact that God has called us, set us apart, and enriched us ought to encourage us to live holy lives.
Expecting Jesus to return (v. 7). Paul will have a great deal to say about this truth in 1 Corinthians 15. Christians who are looking for their Savior will want to keep their lives above reproach (1 John 2:28â3:3).
Depending on Godâs faithfulness (vv. 8â9). The work of God was confirmed in them (1 Cor. 1:6), but it was also confirmed to them in the Word. This is a legal term that refers to the guarantee that settles a transaction. We have the witness of the Spirit within us and the witness of the Word before us, guaranteeing that God will keep His âcontractâ with us and save us to the very end. This guarantee is certainly not an excuse for sin! Rather, it is the basis for a growing relationship of love, trust, and obedience.
Now, in the light of these great truths, how could the people in the Corinthian assembly get involved in the sins of the world and the flesh? They were an elect people, an enriched people, and an established people. They were saints, set apart for the glory of God! Alas, their practice was not in accord with their position.
When Paul mentioned the word fellowship in 1 Corinthians 1:9, he introduced a second aspect of the Christianâs calling.
2. CALLED INTO FELLOWSHIP (1:10â25)
Having mentioned the problem of defilement in the church, now Paul turned to the matter of division in the church. Division has always been a problem among Godâs people, and almost every New Testament epistle deals with this topic or mentions it in one way or another. Even the twelve apostles did not always get along with each other.
In 1 Corinthians 1:13, Paul asked his readers three important questions, and these three questions are the key to this long paragraph.
(1) Is Christ divided (vv. 10â13a)? The verb means, âHas Christ been divided and different parts handed out to different people?â The very idea is grotesque and must be rejected. Paul did not preach one Christ, Apollos another, and Peter another. There is but one Savior and one gospel (Gal. 1:6â9). How, then, did the Corinthians create this four-way division? Why were there quarrels (âcontentionsâ) among them?
One answer is that they were looking at the gospel from a philosophical point of view. Corinth was a city filled with teachers and philosophers, all of whom wanted to share their âwisdom.â
Another answer is that human nature enjoys following human leaders. We tend to identify more with spiritual leaders who help us and whose ministry we understand and enjoy. Instead of emphasizing the message of the Word, the Corinthians emphasized the messenger. They got their eyes off the Lord and on the Lordâs servants, and this led to competition.
Paul will point out in 1 Corinthians 3 that there can be no competition among true servants of God. It is sinful for church members to compare pastors, or for believers to follow human leaders as disciples of men and not disciples of Jesus Christ. The âpersonality cultsâ in the church today are in direct disobedience to the ...