1 Cor 1:1-3:23

• Roman colony; capital of Achaia province; commercial center; reputation for sexual vice (to act like a Corinthian means to commit fornication); most licentious city in the empire
  
• Paul spent 18 months there, AD 51-52, as part of his second missionary journey
  
  • When he left he took Priscilla and Aquila with him to Ephesus
    
  • On his third missionary journey, he made it a base of operations for three years, AD 53-56
    
• Potential order of events
  
  • Paul's founding visit
    
  • His "former letter"
    
  • The Corinthians letter to him
    
  • First Corinthians
    
  • Paul's "painful visit"
    
  • His "severe letter"
    
  • Second Corinthians
    
  • Paul's anticipated visit
    

  1 Cor 1:1 (NIV) Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
  

  Acts 18:12-17 (NIV) While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. 13 "This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."
  

  14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law — settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." 16 So he had them ejected from the court. 17 Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.
  

• We don't know for sure if this is the same Sosthenes, but it would seem to be a major coincidence
  
• It is easy to mistake who God will bring into the kingdom
  
  • Here is the synagogue ruler
    
  • A very devout Jew
    
  • Very upset about Paul's teaching
    
  • Apparently was the leader of the attack on Paul
    
  • And yet, he is the one who receives grace
    

  1 Cor 1:4-7 (NIV) 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.
  

• What do we learn about this church?
  
  • They have all the spiritual gifts
    
  • They have been enriched in every way (speaking and knowledge)
    
  • And yet, this is a church with serious problems and issues
    
  • And also, having strong charismatic elements does not appear to make them any more godly of a church. On the other hand, stoic churches are not any better
    

  1 Cor 1:10-13 (NIV) 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?
  

  1 Cor 1:20-31 (NIV) 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."
  

• What is the first problem addressed?
  
  • Pride by association (or pedigree)
    
• Why is that important?
  
  • Possibly more spirituality
    
• How might have Paul ranked in a list of Peter and Apollos?
  
  • Apollos was a very gifted person and knowledgeable person
    
  • Peter was a legend
    
  • The ramifications of Paul's work would not be known for years
    
• But the real answer to this problem of pride by pedigree is addressed in the verses that follows. Why does Paul discuss what he does, …, ie, what is the point?
  
  • By associating with someone famous in our conversion, we have missed the whole point
    
  • God wasn't calling the famous or trying to create rock stars
    
  • God's plan is to use the simple to shame the wise, to use the weak to shame the strong
    
  • When we boast about our spiritual heritage, we tear down the very thing that God is trying to do
    

  1 Cor 2:1-16 (NIV) When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
  

  6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
  

  "No eye has seen,
  

  no ear has heard,
  

  no mind has conceived
  

  what God has prepared for those who love him"—
  

  10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
  

  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
  

  16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord
  

  that he may instruct him?"
  

  But we have the mind of Christ.
  

• First of all, in sharing our faith, what is required?
  
  • The simple gospel message
    
• Paul does not advocate Gnosticism, in verses 6-10, but something quite different. What is he saying?
  
  • There is a wisdom of God, that is not understood by either unbelievers or by the immature
    
  • God teaches truth and wisdom to those who love him and pursue him
    
  • Some people never mature in their Christian walk, because they never get to that next level. They are content with their immaturity in the faith
    
    • Luke 19:26 (NIV) "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.
      
• What is the key to understanding the truths of God?
  
  • The Spirit of God
    
• How does the man without the Spirit of God respond to truth?
  
  • He does not accept
    
  • They are foolishness
    
  • He cannot understand them
    
• Paul is not finished with his argument …
  

  1 Cor 3:1-9 (NIV) Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly — mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
  

  5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe — as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
  

• So, what has Paul been addressing this whole time?
  
  • Spiritual immaturity as evidenced by jealous, quarreling, and worldly actions
    
• Consequently, what is the primary need of the Corinthians?
  
  • Spiritual maturity
    
• Based on this passage, how does one evaluate success? For a church or a Pastor, how does one evaluate success -- and what is the wrong way to evaluate success? Let's start with the wrong way?
  
  • Wrong way
    
    • Numbers or buildings
      
    • If Paul planted and Apollos watered, whose ministry resulted in their large church? Neither, because God made it grow
      
    • So if it doesn't grow, who is at fault? The respondents and God
      
  • Right way
    
    • Labor -- each one will be rewarded according to his own labor
      
• APPLICATION: The measurement of our success is the effort and obedience we put into the work, not the results of the work. The results are God's business, not mine
  

  1 Cor 3:10-15 (NIV) By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
  

• But it is not just my work or effort, is it? What else is required?
  
  • God expects us to be expert builders
    
  • God expects us to be careful how we build
    
  • God expects us to use good material
    
  • Finally, God will test the quality of each man's work
    
• So, the measure of success is the quality of my labor that I put into God's work, not the results. The results is God's business, not mine