Welcome back! It’s
great to have you here to study another letter written by the Apostle Paul.
Let’s familiarize ourselves a little bit with Corinth before we open Paul’s
letter. It may be a good idea to refresh yourself about Paul’s first visit
to Corinth, during his second missionary journey by reading
Acts 18:1-17.
You’ll find that not much is mentioned about his second visit to Corinth in
Acts 20:2-3.
Corinth was a very
large city in Achaia (Greece) where as you would imagine, as in any large
city, there were also some large problems. Among them were corruption,
idolatry and immorality, just to name a few. These were the kinds of hurdles
that Paul faced while introducing Christianity to a society that had never
known anything but a heathen culture without religion.
If you were Paul,
however, converting a city like Corinth would be the kind of accomplishment
that you would live for, and Paul started a church there. Of course Paul
couldn’t stay in Corinth, because he was busy spreading the Gospel to
Gentiles of other nations where the
Holy Spirit
led him, so Corinth, as all the other churches that Paul started, were left
to build their church on Faith and following the instruction that Paul had
given them to start with.
Let’s open Paul’s
first letter to the Corinthians and read how he addresses the challenges
that the church in Corinth faced in their growing process. As you read,
don’t forget to try and compare the issues that these people encountered
with the issues that still exist in our world today, and you’ll find out
they’re much the same.
From: Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ
through the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
(you can find out who Sosthenes was in
Acts 18:17)
To: The church of God which is at Corinth,
to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be
saints,
and with all people everywhere who call on the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:
Grace be to you, and
peace, from God our Father,
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always for you,
for the Grace of God which is given to you by Jesus
Christ;
that you are enriched by Him in every thing,
in all utterance (words or expression),
and in all knowledge,
just as the testimony of Christ was strengthened in you,
so that you come behind in no gift,
waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall also strengthen you until the end,
that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ’s return.
God is faithful, by whom you were called
to the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is Paul’s way of saying, Hi, I hope this letter finds you well, you’re
always in my prayers and I hope God blesses you abundantly. Then he
continues with something that’s troubling him.
Now I ask you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
that you all speak the same thing,
and that there be no divisions (differences) among you;
but that you be perfectly joined together
in the same mind and in the same judgment.
For it has been declared to me of you, my brethren,
by them which are of the house of Chloe,
that there are quarrels among you.
Now this I say, that different ones of you say, I am of
Paul;
and I of Apollos; and I of Peter; and I of Christ.
Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the
name of Paul?
I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and
Gaius,
or you might be saying that I baptized you in my own name
instead of the name of Jesus Christ.
And I also baptized the household of Stephanas:
beside them, I don’t know whether I baptized any one else.
For Christ didn’t send me to baptize,
but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words,
or else the cross of Christ would be made of none effect.
For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that
perish,
but to us who are saved it is the power of God.
For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and will bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent.
Isaiah 29:14
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the
disputer of this world?
Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God,
it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe.
Paul has heard that the Corinthians are
debating with one another about who they were brought to know the TRUTH by.
Who showed them the way to Jesus. The important thing, Paul points out, is
that when you’re being adopted into the family of Christ. It doesn’t matter
who baptizes you. What matters is that you are now one with the body (the
church or the people) of Christ.
You
cannot know God by worldly wisdom. What is the opposite of wisdom?
Foolishness. So, God chose to save them that believe, by the foolishness of
preaching. But . . . you may be thinking, I don’t think preaching is
foolishness. That’s because you’re a believer. Just as Paul said a moment
ago, The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who perish, but to
those who are saved, it’s the power of God.
The Jewish require a sign
(they want to see a miracle),
and the Greeks seek after wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jewish a stumbling block,
and unto the Greeks (Gentiles) foolishness,
but to them which are called, both Jewish and Greek
(Gentile),
Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
You’re gonna like this next part.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men;
and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For you see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh
(men with worldly wisdom),
not many mighty, not many noble,
are called,
and God has chosen the weak things of the world
to confound the things which are mighty,
and base things of the world,
and things which are despised,
has God chosen, yes,
and things which are not,
to bring to nothing things that are,
so that no flesh should glory in His presence.
This is
certainly an easy thing to see in the world today. How many Christians do
you know who are mighty, noble, and wise? We’re not talking about being
spiritually mighty, noble or wise, we’re talking about mortally. God chooses
the meek, the humble, the lowly. The last will be first. Our wisdom is not
worldly wisdom. Paul explains:
But of Him are you in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom,
and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption, that, according as it is written,
He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.
Isaiah 65:16
What have we
learned? To be unified as Christians. This is something that’s definitely an
issue today as well as in Paul’s day. Some Christians are far more
interested in being right than being righteous. If you find yourself
debating with another Christian about something, ask yourself, What is the
truth about the matter? Maybe you can find out together instead of having
divisions. Everyone wants to be smarter than everyone else, but being
worldly wise is not required of your Father. Be godly wise.
In our last study
of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we had some homework questions to answer.
For those of you who enjoy doing that kind of thing, we’ll have some
optional questions at the end of this study as well, just for fun.
Come on back soon, and we’ll continue our study as Paul talks more about
wisdom, right here in our next Daily Bread.
