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True Spirituality:

A Study in 1 Corinthians

byRobert L. [email protected]

Biblical Studies Presswww.bible.org

1999


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Robert L. Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.. in 19!1. Bob is a teacher andelder at "ommunity Bible "ha#el in Richardson$ Te%as$ and has contributed many of his Bible study series for useby the &oundation. These lessons are from a series of messages taught by Bob in 199'.

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True Spirituality:A Study o& 1 Corinthians

Contents

Lesson 1= ntroduction and Bac)ground C1 "or. 1=1

Lesson 1'= (ndistracted DeEotion C1 "or. !=36


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#esson 1:Introdu'tion and $a'()round

*1 Cor+ 1:1,-.

Ma/or Outline o& 1 CorinthiansBefore we begin our study of the first cha#ter of 1 "orinthians$ it would be good for us to Eiew the boo) as a

whole as summariKed in this outline=

1=1


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'1. They began by reEisiting some of the churches that had been founded on the first Nourney$ deliEering to themthe decision of the Merusalem "ouncil C1='

The City o& Corinth

Secular history only Eerifies and clarifies the im#ression of the city of "orinth which we gain from the #ens of

Lu)e C-cts and Paul C1 and 3 "orinthians. t was a great city in many ways. Politically$ "orinth was the ca#italcity of the Roman #roEince of -chaia$ a territory including nearly all of reece. That is why allio$ the #roconsulof -chaia$ was in "orinth and heard the charge against Paul. eogra#hically$ "orinth was so strategically located itcould hardly do other than #ros#er. The city was situated on a #lateau oEerloo)ing the sthmus of "orinth$ two

3t seems that here at Troas Dr. Lu)e Noined the #arty$ for beginning in -cts 1=12$ Lu)e changes from thethird #erson Che$ they to the second Cus$ we.

4This is certainly not the ty#ical im#ression which we haEe of Paul. ,e thin) of him as a )ind of religious#it bull$ who sim#ly cannot be sto##ed or silenced. This Eision strongly im#lies that Paul was fearful and thatwithout odJs encouragement$ Paul may haEe held bac) for fear of Mewish re#risals.


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miles distant from the ulf.'*earby was the -crocorinth$ a 1922


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4 True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

settled there after retiring$ haEing receiEed their freedom and Roman citiKenshi# in addition to grants of land. 15-Eariety of nationalities settled in "orinth$ enticed by the #ros#ects of economic #ros#erity. - good number of theimmigrants were Mews.

Being a relatiEely recent city with newly acuired wealth brought #roblems$ for there was the absence of anestablished aristocracy which would haEe #roEided a much more stable society. &arrar s#o)e of "orinth in this way=

this mongrel and heterogeneous #o#ulation of ree) adEenturers and Roman bourgeois$ with

a tainting infusion of Phoenicians this mass of Mews$ e%


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Lesson 1: Introduction and Background 5

belongs to od. :ow often we hear churches identified in terms of who the #astor is. That is UUUUUUJs church$ andwe fill in the blan) with the #astorJs name. ,hen we do so$ we indicate our dee# and fundamental difference withPaul who belieEed that the church belongs to od. od is the 7ne who brought the church into e%istence throughthe shed blood of :is Son$ Mesus "hrist. od is the 7ne who sustains :is church. t is odJs church.

enerally s#ea)ing$ the term Achurch is defined in terms of two categories= Ca the local church and Cb thechurch uniEersal. The local church is understood as that body of belieEers who gather regularly in one #lace. The

AuniEersal church consists of all belieEers in eEery #lace and in the whole course of church history. do not wish to differ with these two definitions of the church. They are #robably useful ways of considering

grou#s of belieEers. But the Alocal church and the AuniEersal church are not entirely consistent with PaulJs use ofthe term as he em#loys it in the *ew Testament. :ere$ the church is defined as Ca A those 4ho ha5e 2eensan'ti&ied in Christ 6esus7 saints 2y 'allin)$ and Cb Aall 4ho in e5ery pla'e 'all upon the nae o& our #ord6esus Christ CEerse 3.

,e might be inclined to thin) of this first category as Athe local church. n a sense$ it is. But when Pauls#ea)s of the church$ he sim#ly refers to a grou# of belieEers. Sometimes this grou# is a Ahouse church$ a grou# ofbelieEers meeting in a certain #ersonJs home CRomans 1=6$ 19 "olossians '=16 Philemon 1=3. These Ahousechurches may haEe met in a larger gathering$ as did the saints in Merusalem Csee -cts 3='. Then$ Paul referred tothe Acity church$ that is$ the grou# of all belieEers in a #articular city Csee ReEelation 3 and 4$ or the church ata#articular city C-cts 11=33 14=1 15=33 Romans 1=1. This is the way Paul referred to the "orinthian church$ theA'hur'h o& od 4hi'h is at Corinth C1 "orinthians 1=3 3 "orinthians 1=1. &inally$ Paul s#ea)s of the church as

all those liEing at one time$ who haEe trusted in Mesus "hrist for salEation.

fear our Eiew of the church is either too narrow Cthe loalchurchFourchurch or too broad Call those whohaEe eEer liEed and trusted in "hrist for salEation. ,e #ray for ourmissionaries$ the missionaries we haEe sent outfrom ourlocal church$ or more broadly$ from ourdenominational grou#. - few churches share with those in needwithin their own fellowship or loal hurh . ,hen the new belieEers Cthe hurh at -ntioch heard a famine wascoming u#on the world$ they enthusiastically began to #re#are to giEe to their brethren in Mudea. They understood$eEen at this early stage in their growth and maturity$ that the hurhis bigger than the local church.

,hen we hear of disasters ta)ing #lace around the world$ do we immediately begin to consider the im#act onour brethren$ our fellow members of the world


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) True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

manifested through the Lord Mesus "hrist. There are no grounds for boasting$ e%ce#t in the #erson and wor) of"hrist.

Paul0s Than(s)i5in)*1:8,-.

' than) my od always concerning you$ for the grace of od which was giEen you in "hrist

Mesus$ 6 that in eEerything you were enriched in :im$ in all s#eech and all )nowledge$ eEen asthe testimony concerning "hrist was confirmed in you$ ! so that you are not lac)ing in any gift$awaiting eagerly the reEelation of our Lord Mesus "hrist$ 5 who shall also confirm you to the end$blameless in the day of our Lord Mesus "hrist. 9 od is faithful$ through whom you were calledinto fellowshi# with :is Son$ Mesus "hrist our Lord.

Somehow$ an e%#ression of than)sgiEing is not what would haEe e%#ected from Paul at this #oint in time.:ere is a church that has begun to listen to false teachers and who is challenging PaulJs authority. :ere is a churchwhich condones immorality and Aunconditionally acce#ts a man whose sin shoc)s the unbelieEing #agans of thatcity. :ere is a church whose #ersonal conflicts are being aired out before unbelieEing eyes in secular courts. :owcan Paul #ossibly giEe than)sI

Paul does not giEe than)s for the sins and failures of these saints. Paul giEes than)s to od for what :e hasdone and for what :e will ultimately do for :is children. Paul first giEes than)s for the A )ra'e o& od$ which :ehas giEen the saints in "hrist Mesus CEerse '. race is unmerited faEor$ and we must surely agree that these saints

Fnot to mention ourselEesFare unworthy. The good things which haEe already been accom#lished$ and all thosegood things yet to be accom#lished$ are manifestations of odJs infinite grace$ bestowed u#on those who areunworthy.

Paul giEes than)s for the sufficiency of odJs grace to the saints as articulated in Eerses 6

6 That in eEerything you were enriched in :im$ in all s#eech and all )nowledge$ eEen as thetestimony concerning "hrist was confirmed in you$ ! so that you are not lac)ing in any gift$awaiting eagerly the reEelation of our Lord Mesus "hrist.

odJs grace to the saints in "orinth and eEerywhere was boundless. :e enriched them in eEerything. Theywere enriched in all s#eech and all )nowledge. This was achieEed through the #reaching of the A testiony o&Christ$ as it was confirmed in each and eEery belieEer. The "orinthians had no critical need for which od hadnot made #roEision through the a#ostolic #reaching of "hrist. ,ere there false teachers who indicated the"orinthians were lac)ing and that they needed moreof somethingI They were liarsO od had already #roEided all

that was necessary for Ali&e and )odliness in "hrist Csee 3 Peter 1=3


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Lesson 1: Introduction and Background *

,hile these "orinthian saints may not consistently be faithful$ od is faithful. t is through :is faithfulnessthat each belieEer has been called to salEation. It is #eause of *is faithfulness that we will persevere and enterinto *is kingdom, #lameless in the day of our Lord +esus Christ.

*o wonder Paul is than)ful. n s#ite of the stumbling and sin which is eEident in the "orinthian church$ odhas saEed the saints there. :e has sufficiently #roEided for their eEery s#iritual need. :e has #ur#osed to #resentthem faultless when :e establishes :is )ingdom. Paul therefore is assured that his ministry is not in Eain$ because

the salEation and sanctification of the saints in "orinth and elsewhere are the wor) of od. The od who calledthese saints and destined them for glory is the od who called Paul to be an a#ostle and to minister to these saints.PaulJs wor) is not in Eain$ for his wor) is ultimately odJs wor).

Con'lusion

Paul is writing to a Eery troubled church$ a church which e%ists in the midst of a Eery corru#t city and culture.n s#ite of this$ Paul has a Eery confident mood as he addresses the saints at "orinth and around the world of hisday and ours. notice that in s#ite of the wea)nesses and willful sins of these saints$ Paul does not begin byuestioning the reality of their conEersion$ but by affirming the #resent and future benefits. There are te%ts whichdo uestion the reality of the faith of #ersistently wayward #rofessing belieEers$ but this is not one of them. Thesesaints need to be reminded of the certainty of their salEation. The certainty of their salEation rests not withinthemselEes$ but in the 7ne who called them and the 7ne who will com#lete all that :e has begun. This certaintyalso assures Paul that his continued ministry to this church is not in Eain.

This boo) of 1 "orinthians should cause us to reNect the myth of the #erfect *ew Testament church. ,e oftenrefer to ourselEes at "ommunity Bible "ha#el as a A*ew Testament church. ,e are that in the sense that ourchurch is #atterned after the #rinci#les set down in the *ew Testament. ,e haEe no one A#astor$ who is the headof the church$ but we recogniKe that "hrist is the only :ead of the church. ,e are goEerned by a #lurality of elders.,e haEe a wee)ly obserEance of the LordJs Su##er$ and we encourage belieEers to e%ercise their s#iritual gifts in away that edifies the whole body. ,e do not wish to im#ly by the e%#ression A*ew Testament church that we are a#erfect church or eEen that we are a good church at all times.

So often "hristians loo) bac) to the *ew Testament times as though the church in those days was nearly#erfect. f you read the Boo) of -cts the way do$ there is a wonderful #eriod of bliss in the infancy of the church$but this lasts only from late in cha#ter 3 to the end of cha#ter '. n cha#ter 6$ a cou#le is struc) dead for lying tothe :oly S#irit. n cha#ter $ there is strife between two grou#s of Mews oEer the care of their widows. -nd by thetime we get to the "orinthian church$ it is far from #erfect and hardly what could be called good. The final wordsof our Lord to the seEen churches of -sia in ReEelation 3 and 4 are not com#limentary either. The church was not

#erfect in *ew Testament times$ and neither is it #erfect today. The same sins which Paul e%#oses in 1 and 3"orinthians are #resent and eEident in eEangelical churches today. -nd so PaulJs words of admonition andcorrection are Nust as a##licable to us today as they were to the saints of his day.

,e deceiEe ourselEes if we thin) we can retreat within the church walls to esca#e the eEils of the world. The"orinthians +#istles inform us that the world too easily and uic)ly finds its way into the church. The church isnot the #lace where we go to esca#e from sin it is the #lace where we go to confront our sin and to stimulate eachother to loEe and good deeds. The church is not a "hristian Aclean room where we can get away from sin it is ahos#ital$ where we can find hel# and healing through the ministry of the ,ord and #rayer.

The church is not the #lace which is )e#t holy by )ee#ing sinners away. t is the #lace where newly bornsinners are brought$ so that they can learn the Scri#tures and grow in their faith. -ll too often$ new belieEers feelunwelcomed by the church. The church is afraid of newly saEed sinners because they do not really understandholiness or sanctification. Let us not striEe to #reserEe the #urity of the church by )ee#ing out the newly saEed#agans. Let us striEe to #reserEe the #urity of the church by throwing out some of the #rofessing saints who boast

only of the time they haEe #ut in at the church but whose #rofession of faith is hy#ocritical Csee 1 "orinthians 6.

f there was ho#e for the "orinthians$ then there is ho#e for anyone. The first nine Eerses of this e#istle aresaturated with reason for ho#e. Do you )now someone who is ho#elessly lost$ who is not Nust disinterested in thegos#el but adamantly o##osed to itI Then ta)e ho#e from the two men from whom this letter is sent. The a#ostlePaul was once Saul$ the Saul who stood by and held the garments for those who stoned Ste#hen$ the Paul who wentfrom city to city see)ing to find "hristians whom he could arrest and eEen #ut to death. This man is now willing togiEe his life for the sa)e of the gos#el.

f understand the te%t correctly$ Sosthenes is another Saul. n -cts 15$ we are told that "ris#us$ thesynagogue leader in "orinth$ came to faith in the Lord Mesus "hrist. t a##ears that Sosthenes is his re#lacement.

1!"### Bi$lical Studies %ress http:&&'''($i$le(org


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+ True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

understand him to be the leader of the o##osition to Paul and the church in "orinth. -t his instigation$ it wouldseem$ charges were brought against "hristianity before allio$ the #roconsul of -chaia C-cts 15=13


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#esson 9:Multiplyin) Di5isions

*1 Cor+ 1:1,31.

Introdu'tionDuring my school teaching days$ referred to one of my su#eriors as an AunbelieEer in corres#ondence with

another "hristian. Through a seuence of eEents$ this AunbelieEer read my letter and was greatly offended by what said. Though he was a religious man$ one could not thin) of him as a "hristian. y relationshi# with this manwas greatly im#aired$ and another "hristian gaEe me this adEice= ABob$ UUUUUUUU is a Eery #roud man. The onlyway to reach him with the gos#el is to a##eal to his #ride. +Een at the time$ )new this adEice was unbiblical$ andnow$ studying PaulJs words in the early cha#ters of the Boo) of 1 "orinthians$ am eEen more conEinced that myfriend was wrongFdead wrongO

The first nine Eerses of 1 "orinthians 1 are PaulJs introduction to the entire letter. n these Eerses$ we haEebeen told that Paul is the author and that he is accom#anied by Sosthenes. PaulJs e#istle is addressed not only tothe saints in "orinth but to all saints eEerywhere. Paul e%#resses his than)sgiEing to od for the "orinthian saints$for the sufficiency of odJs #roEisions for them$ and for the certainty that od will com#lete what :e has begun inthem by calling them to faith in Mesus "hrist. Based u#on this foundation$ Paul now moEes on to reiterate the call

to "hristian unity CEerse 12. :e then #oints out the ways in which this unity has bro)en down in the "orinthianchurch CEerses 11


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s#ea) of the diEersity of s#iritual gifts which are eEident in the church$ and he does not su##ose that this will resultin total agreement because our gifts influence our #ers#ectiEe and our Eiew#oint.

Literally$ we see from a marginal note that the te%t reads$ A to spea( the sae thin). Paul calls u#on"hristians to Aspea( the sae thin). This is uite different from agreeing on eEerything. ,hen "hristians haEedifferent conEictions$ they are not to dis#ute with one another oEer them CRomans 1'=1. Rather they are to )ee#their conEictions to themselEes C1'=33. ,e are not to s#ea) about them in a way that dis#utes with others about

them or which see)s to im#ose our conEictions on others. f we are e%horted to Aspea( the sae thin) so as to#ractice and #romote unity$ then we must s#ea) about those truths which all "hristians share.

li)e what )now of Barbara Bush. do not )now if she is a "hristian$ but thin) she is a woman of integrity.,hile her husband was in the 7Eal office$ rs. Bush did not s#ea) #ublicly about her Eiews on abortion. do notagree with her #osition on abortion$ as understand it. -nd from all can tell$ r. Bush does not agree with her.But while he was in office$ she did not s#ea) #ublicly about her #osition. She did not Aagree with President Bush$but she did As#ea) the same thing that is$ she s#o)e of those things on which they did agree$ rather than on thosematters where they differed. "hristians are to do li)ewise in the area of differences$ when these areas are notfundamental areas of "hristian doctrine.

Paul further defines unity as the absence of schisms. ordon &ee writes$

-lthough the ree) word for VdiEisionsJ Cshismata is that from which we deriEe the +nglishword Vschism$J it does not in fact mean that$ at least not in the sense of a V#artyJ or Vfaction.J The

word #ro#erly means VtearrentJ Ccf. ar) 3=31 or the V#lowingJ of a field. The best illustration ofthe #resent usage is found in the os#el of Mohn C!='2


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Lesson ": ,ultiplying -i.isions 11

To haEe Athe sae ind is to haEe the same outloo) or #ers#ectiEe. To haEe A the sae /ud)ent is toagree as to a #articular decision$ to agree on a #articular issue.

,hen the a#ostles and the rest of the 132 saints gathered in the u##er room C-cts 1=13


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1" True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

grou#. t is true that we all should be followers of "hrist. But we should not be #roud of ourselEes for doing so.This fourth grou# is no less #roud or arrogant than the others who are condemned. am afraid that understandPaul all too well in this fourth e%am#le. Those who thin) of themselEes as being A o& Christ also thin) of the restas not being Ao& Christ.

+%clusiEism is wrong$ eEen the e%clusiEeness of those who thin) themselEes su#erior to all other belieEersbecause they follow Paul$ or -#ollos$ or "e#has$ or "hrist. Those who boast of their following "hrist are effectiEely

declaring themselEes to be the leader. Those who are Ao& Christ do not need Paul$ or -#ollos$ or "e#has. They donot need an a#ostle. They can discern "hristJs mind by themselEes without any outside hel# from others. Theseautonomous fol)s are the most frightening grou# of all$ and Paul ma)es this clear.

Paul0s Corre'tion &or Corinthian Con&li'ts*1:13,1;.

PaulJs rebu)e and rebuttal to the "orinthian sin begins at Eerse 14 of cha#ter 1 and continues on throughcha#ter '. n this lesson$ we will only deal with his four lines of argument which are found in the remainder ofcha#ter 1.

Christ7 or Menmil$? and the solid food, the >meat? of the Christian6s diet is the 8ord of od,

entered in Christ ruified.The "orinthian "hristians are feeding on ANun) food at best. -s understand PaulJswords$ it is not that the "orinthian saints are still trying to digest the Ail( of the ,ord. They haEe turned u#their noses at Ail( and are see)ing truth CA4isdo from those teachers who giEe them Afood that a##eals totheir fleshly natures.

The carnal "hristians of PaulJs day disdain doctrine$ as they do in our day. They do not want any diet whichreuires study$ hard wor)$ and thought. D. -. "arson describes them this way=

They are infants still and dis#lay their wretched immaturity eEen in the way that they com#lain ifyou giEe them more than mil). *ot for them solid )nowledge of Scri#ture not for them maturetheological reflection not for them growing and #erce#tiEe "hristian thought. They want nothingmore than another round of choruses and a Vsim#le messageJFsomething that wonJt challengethem to thin)$ to e%amine their liEes$ to ma)e choices$ and to grow in their )nowledge andadoration of the liEing od.9

- Eery substantial Amar)et e%ists in the "hristian community for sermons$ ta#es$ radio and teleEision tal)shows$ and "hristian gurus who #redigest truth for us and then tell us e%actly how to do eEerything. The boo)s on"hristian marriage$ child


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/4 True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

gos#el in their liEes. 8et in s#ite of the eEidence against them$ they consider themselEes to be Nustwhat their teachers teach themFthat they are Vcarnal "hristiansJ. -nd as carnal "hristians theybelieEe they will go to heaEen$ though #erha#s not first


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Lesson 4: Su$standard Saints /5

may not be reEealed and eye salEe to anoint your eyes$ that you may see. 19 Those whom loEe$ re#roEe and disci#line be Kealous therefore$ and re#entJ CReEelation 4=1'fleshly? or >arnal? arethose prompted and empowered #y the flesh. The works of those who are spiritual are prompted and empowered #ythe "pirit.Seemingly s#iritual #eo#le may hustle and bustle around the church$ doing so much they a##ear to #utothers to shame$ while in reality their wor)s are fleshly. The Afleshly "hristian may eEen #rostitute his or hers#iritual gifts$ em#loying them in self


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/) True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

whether in #retense or in truth$ "hrist is #roclaimed and in this reNoice$ yes$ and will reNoiceCPhili##ians 1=13


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Lesson 4: Su$standard Saints /*

yourselEes$ that Mesus "hrist is in youFunless indeed you fail the testI C3 "orinthians 14=6. This #assage is notmeant to encourage "hristians who fall short of the mar)$ some who may be called Acarnal. Paul is not trying hereto assure us that we will get to heaEen no matter how sinful our liEes may be. :e is trying to conEince us that wemay be Acarnal$ no matter how As#iritual we or others may thin) we are. The #ro#er a##lication of this te%t isrepentane$ not relief.

31 Therefore #utting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wic)edness$ in humility receiEe

the word im#lanted$ which is able to saEe your souls. 33 But #roEe yourselEes doers of the word$and not merely hearers who delude themselEes. 34 &or if anyone is a hearer of the word and not adoer$ he is li)e a man who loo)s at his natural face in a mirror 3' for once he has loo)ed athimself and gone away$ he has immediately forgotten what )ind of #erson he was. 36 But onewho loo)s intently at the #erfect law$ the law of liberty$ and abides by it$ not haEing become aforgetful hearer but an effectual doer$ this man shall be blessed in what he does CMames 1=31


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#esson >:A Di&&erent #oo( at #eadership

*1 Cor+ 3:>,1;.

Introdu'tion"hristianity has had its share of APied Pi#ers$ those charismatic Cin #ersonality indiEiduals who seem to be

able to lead a grou# of followers anywhere they wish. ,e are all too familiar with the names of men li)e Mim Monesand DaEid ?oresh$ and we wince at the memory of what they did to their followers$ not to mention the name of ourLord. Then there are some whose sins haEe deEastated others$ and at times haEe wrought financial haEoc for many"hristian ministries.

t is not Nust the Away out fringes of "hristianity which are #lagued with leaders who haEe nearly total controloEer the liEes of their followers$ but whose #ersonal liEes are out of control. )now of seEeral men whose failureshaEe caused great damage to the church and to the cause of the gos#el. There seems to be one common element inthese disastersFthe men who fell were so #owerful$ and their control so great$ that they seemed almostAunsto##able. The reason for this= these leaders were so eleEated and reEered in the minds of their followers thatthey were considered beyond the tem#tations and sins of man)ind. ,hen men are eleEated too highly in the mindsof their followers$ the #eo#le begin to thin) their leaders are infallible$ that they are aboEe the sins we see in

ordinary #eo#le. -nd so they refuse to belieEe the eEidences of sin$ eEen when they are com#elling. +Een if they areguilty of )nown sin$ no one seems to feel sufficiently ualified to attem#t to rebu)e or correct them.

The #roblem of esteeming leaders too highly starts Eery subtly and innocently. t begins with a dee# res#ectand a##reciation$ often because this indiEidual has led them to "hrist$ or that he Cor she has significantlycontributed to their s#iritual growth. This one #erson is giEen e%cessiEe credit for the wor) of od and eleEated toa #osition of authority aboEe what should be giEen to men. -llegiance to this leader becomes a status symbol inwhich followers ta)e great #ride. 7ut of this misguided allegiance$ they feel obligated to ignore or eEen o##oseother "hristian leaders.

This is #recisely the #roblem at "orinth$ as described in its inci#ient stages in the early cha#ters of 1"orinthians. But by the time we reach the end of 3 "orinthians$ it is a much more deEelo#ed and dangerous matter.Peo#le are not attaching themselEes to one a#ostle as o##osed to the others they are attaching themselEes to falsea#ostles$ who are not serEants of od$ but serEants of Satan=

13 -nd will )ee# on doing what am doing in order to cut the ground from under those whowant an o##ortunity to be considered eual with us in the things they boast about. 14 &or suchmen are false a#ostles$ deceitful wor)men$ masuerading as a#ostles of "hrist. 1' -nd nowonder$ for Satan himself masuerades as an angel of light. 16 t is not sur#rising$ then$ if hisserEants masuerade as serEants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserEe C3"orinthians 11=13


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lost men will neEer )now od C3=,-.

6 ,hat$ after all$ is -#ollosI -nd what is PaulI 7nly serEants$ through whom you came tobelieEeFas the Lord has assigned to each his tas). #lanted the seed$ -#ollos watered it$ butod made it grow. ! So neither he who #lants nor he who waters is anything$ but only od$ whoma)es things grow. 5 The man who #lants and the man who waters haEe one #ur#ose$ and eachwill be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 &or we are odJs fellow wor)ers you are odJsfield$ odJs building.

*otice that Paul s#ea)s of himself and -#ollos alone$ omitting Peter for the moment Ccom#are 1=13. Paul isthe first to come to "orinth with the gos#el$ followed later by -#ollos. These were the two a#ostles most intimatelyassociated with this church. "ontrary to the translation found in the new and the old ?ing Mames ;ersions Cwhichrender A%ho


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Lesson 5: A -ifferent Look at Leadership 41

to trust in :im and to follow :im$ to be :is disci#les. ,hateEer was accom#lished by their coming$ it is od whoaccom#lishes it it is od who is aster they are but serEants. :ow then can the "orinthians #lace them on a#edestalI

od did not choose either Paul or -#ollos to be the single instrument to achieEe :is #ur#oses in "orinth. +achhas his own tas)$ his own calling. Paul$ as the first to come to "orinth$ is the seed #lanter -#ollos$ who follows$ isthe Awaterer. The ministry of each$ Paul and -#ollos$ is de#endent u#on the other. They are not com#etitors or

riEals$ but teammates$ fellow


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13 The signs of a true a#ostle were #erformed among you with all #erseEerance$ by signs andwonders and miracles C3 "orinthians 13=11.12 By the grace od has giEen me$ laid a foundation as an e%#ert builder$ and someone else isbuilding on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 &or no one can lay anyfoundation other than the one already laid$ which is Mesus "hrist. 13 f any man builds on thisfoundation using gold$ silEer$ costly stones$ wood$ hay or straw$ 14 his wor) will be shown forwhat it is$ because the Day will bring it to light. t will be reEealed with fire$ and the fire will testthe uality of each manJs wor). 1' f what he has built surEiEes$ he will receiEe his reward. 16 fit is burned u#$ he will suffer loss he himself will be saEed$ but only as one esca#ing through theflames.

Before we loo) at PaulJs words here$ let us ta)e note of PeterJs words in his first e#istle$ words which closely#arallel those of Paul=

1 Therefore$ #utting aside all malice and all guile and hy#ocrisy and enEy and all slander$ 3 li)e

newborn babes$ long for the #ure mil) of the word$ that by it you may grow in res#ect tosalEation$ 4 if you haEe tasted the )indness of the Lord. ' -nd coming to :im as to a liEingstone$ reNected by men$ but choice and #recious in the sight of od$ 6 you also$ as liEing stones$are being built u# as a s#iritual house for a holy #riesthood$ to offer u# s#iritual sacrificesacce#table to od through Mesus "hrist C1 Peter 3=1


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Lesson 5: A -ifferent Look at Leadership 4/

#ointed. The "orinthians thin) themselEes to be wise$ and Paul to be foolish Csee '=12. But it is they who arefoolish$ and Paul and the a#ostles who are A4ise. f they would be wise$ let them recogniKe PaulJs uniue role as aA4ise aster 2uilder$ and let them build only u#on the foundation he has laid. Paul is not boasting in his role$for this is Aa''ordin) to the )ra'e o& od and not according to his innate abilities C4=12.

:ere$ Paul s#ea)s not in the #lural CAwe$ Aus of himself and -#ollos$ but only of himself CAI. Pauldistinguishes himself from -#ollos. Paul is the one who #lanted -#ollos is the one who later waters C4=. Paul

alone is the foundation


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will receiEe his reward. 16 f it is burned u#$ he will suffer loss he himself will be saEed$ but onlyas one esca#ing through the flames C1 "orinthians 4=13defile? or >destroy? the temple #y failing to perform their part in its onstrution. "an youimagine a building under construction where there are whole sections missingI - #artially constructed tem#le is a

3Paul em#loys this uestion ten times in 1 "orinthians C4=1 6= =3$ 4$ 9$ 16$ 1$ 19 9=14$ 3'$ andonly 1 time elsewhere CRomans =1.

44


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Lesson 5: A -ifferent Look at Leadership 45

re#roach to the od who dwells within. -ccording to +#hesians '$ each belieEer contributes to the building u# ofthe body Cthe tem#le in our te%t. The body does not function as it should unless eEery member of the body is doingits #art C+#hesians '=16


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,hen we serEe in a slo##y$ ha#haKard fashion$ we defile the church. freuently hear #eo#le as)$ A:ow do wemotiEate #eo#le to serEe in the churchI thin) Paul has answered this one for us already. ,e teach them that theywill stand before od and giEe an account of their ministry$ and that they will be rewarded or #ut to shame on thebasis of their faithfulness. But another uestion is as)ed as well= A:ow do we get #eo#le to serEe well$ to serEe withe%cellenceI -ll too often$ those who do serEe minister in a way that may #ass as AEolunteer labor$ but whichwould neEer be acce#table in the wor) #lace. PaulJs words should do the tric). Paul tells us that we are going to beNudged on materials and craftsmanshi#. - slo##y Nob for od is most certainly going to defile the tem#le of od$

and this is a most serious matter.

/51 Disunity and divisions are destrutive and defiling to the hurh, and thus a most serious matter.DiEisions$often the result of following a #articular leader and reNecting all others$ are a Eery serious offense$ an act ofdestruction and defilement so far as the u#building of the church is concerned. &or saints to be diEided and too##ose one another is a tearing down of the church$ not a building u# of the tem#le of od. Let us see the eEil ofdiEisions$ and also the serious conseuences which it brings to us #ersonally.

ay od grant that we see the crucial role which the a#ostles #layed in *ew Testament times$ by laying thefoundation for our faith and ministry in the Scri#tures. This was a one


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#esson ?:A Call to Repentan'e

*1 Cor+ 3:1=,93.

Introdu'tion&our )ey words sum u# the #roblems Paul addresses in the church at "orinth=

/01 Divisions.There are diEisions in the church at "orinth. Paul contends that there must be unity$ for it is"hrist alone who has saEed us$ and we who trust in :im are all one body. Paul reminds his readers that whileleaders in the church may haEe different tas)s to #erform$ all are engaged in the same cause.

/21 Leaders.The e%isting diEisions had been made on the basis of #ersonalities$ those whom the "orinthianschose to follow as their leader$ those to whom their followers belong. Paul is about to show that leaders are merelyserEants those who thin) of themselEes as Abelonging to a certain grou# need to be reminded that all the leadersin the church of our Lord belong to them$ and not the reEerse.

/41 &ride.The "orinthians boast in their leaders$ in whom they ta)e great #ride. The "orinthians do not ta)e#ride in what they themselEes are$ or in what they are doing$ but in the status and success of their leader. They are#roud Eicariously. Paul undermines and attac)s human #ride by #ointing to the )ind of #eo#le od generally

e%cludes Cthe cultural elite$ and those whom :e includes Cthe wea)$ the foolish$ the nobodies. The things of odare foolish to the world$ and the things of the world are foolish to od. The gos#el is not about the indulging of theflesh$ but about the mortification of the flesh. The gos#el s#ells death to human #ride$ for all that is worthy of#raise is the wor) of od and not of men.

/51 8isdom. Status in "orinth seems to be determined more on oneJs intellectual standing than on oneJswealth. Those whose teaching is regarded highly by the secular community as being Awise are most highlyesteemed. The one who is highly s)illed in s#ea)ing and #ersuasion is eEen more highly esteemed. Paul remindshis readers that diEine wisdom is incom#rehensible to the natural Clost$ unsaEed man. DiEine wisdom does notcome from the great thin)ers of this age. od reEeals :is wisdom through :is ,ord and through :is S#irit.

n cha#ter 4$ Paul comes right to the heart of the matter. The #roblem in "orinth is not PaulJs #roblem$ but the#roblem of the "orinthian saints. Paul is unable to s#ea) odJs wisdom to the "orinthians because they are tooimmature$ too uns#iritual CAcarnal to handle it. The "orinthiansJ carnality is eEident in their inability to handleteaching and doctrine which has not been #redigested by someone for them CAmil). ndeed$ eEen the Amil)y

truths are loo)ed u#on with scorn$ because they seem so elementary and sim#listic. *ot only is the carnality of the"orinthians eEident in their s#iritual a##etite Cand digestion$ it is eEident in the factions which e%ist in the church$factions centered u#on certain leaders.

(# to Eerse 15 of the third cha#ter of 1 "orinthians$ Paul has Alaid a foundation for his bottom line$ whichbegins at Eerse 15. &or the first time$ Paul calls u#on his readers to do something$ to change something. The )eyword is the word Alet C4=15$ 31 '=1. :is readers are challenged to sto# deceiEing themselEes and to become foolsC4=15. They are to cease boasting in men. They are to loo) u#on Paul and his fellow


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The "orinthians are an arrogant and conceited bunch$ who ta)e great #ride in their wisdom$ a fact whichbecomes increasingly clear in this e#istle Csee '=


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Lesson ): A Call to 2epentance 4

Testament. n their Awisdom$ the scribes and Pharisees orchestrated the crucifi%ion of our Lord. This cunning$which resulted in the crucifi%ion of "hrist$ also resulted in the guilt and condemnation of these leaders$ unless ofcourse they re#ented and ac)nowledged Mesus as their essiah.

Do you see why Paul can use this Eerse to undergird his #oint that the worldJs wisdom is really follyI +li#haKthought himself wise. :e$ in his Awisdom$ a##ointed himself as MobJs counselor. +li#haK was dealing with Mob asthough he CMob were foolish and needed to wise u#. The truth was that +li#haK became the illustration of the Eery

truth he misa##lied toward Mob. +li#haK was tri##ed u# by his own wisdom.The second uote Paul em#loys comes from the Psalms= A-nd again$ VThe Lord )nows the reasonings of the

wise$ that they are uselessJ CEerse 32 see Psalm 9'=11. t is interesting that the Psalm actually reads= AThe Lord)nows the thoughts of man$ That they are a merebreath. PaulJs citation is significant in that it Earies slightly attwo #oints. &irst$ Paul e%changes the word A4ise for the word Aan. n the conte%t of the Psalm$ it becomesclear that the unbelieEing man thin)s himself wise$ when he is really foolish Csee Eerses 3$ '$ 5. -nd so thereasonings or thoughts of unsaEed man are the reasonings of one who thin)s himself wise. Second$ Paul uses therendering Auseless$ while the translators of the Psalm use the e%#ression A ere 2reath. The thoughts of arrogantCwise men are futile$ or useless$ because they are tem#oral rather than eternal. anJs thoughts are restricted toAthis age and odJs thoughts are eternal. anJs thoughts$ eEen if true in this age$ are not true in the ne%t. They#ass away. erely tem#oral truths are thus Auseless truths$ so far as eternity is concerned.

Paul has shown us why the #ursuit of worldly wisdom is foolish. ,orldly wisdom is merely tem#oral it willnot last. anJs reasonings are useless so far as eternity is concerned. But manJs reasonings are not Nust useless

they are destructiEe. They not only lead us astray$ but actually become the means of tri##ing us u#$ of causing us tostumble. anJs wisdom is destructiEe. t is no wonder that we should forsa)e worldly wisdom$ and #ursue thewisdom of od which comes through the ,ord and the S#irit.

$oastin) and $elon)in)

*3:91,93.

31 So then let no one boast in men. &or all things belong to you$ 33 whether Paul or -#ollos or"e#has or the world or life or death or things #resent or things to come all things belong to you$34 and you belong to "hrist and "hrist belongs to od.

Paul now calls for a second act of re#entance$ closely lin)ed with the forsa)ing of worldly wisdom. ,e areinstructed to forsa)e boasting in men. There is no uestion but that the "orinthians boast in their leaders$ in themen to whom they #elong=

13 *ow mean this$ that each one of you is saying$ A am of Paul$ and A of -#ollos$ and A of"e#has$ and A of "hrist C1 "orinthians 1=13.

' &or when one says$ A am of Paul$ and another$ A am of -#ollos$ are you not mere menI C1"orinthians 4='.

*ow these things$ brethren$ haEe figuratiEely a##lied to myself and -#ollos for your sa)es$that in us you might learn not to e%ceed what is written$ in order that no one of you mightbecome arrogant in behalf of one against the other C1 "orinthians '=.

The situation in "orinth is neither new or noEel. Throughout history$ men haEe found their Aidentity orAsignificance in grou#s. They ta)e #ride in belonging to a certain grou#$ a certain leader. ,e see this in the gangswhich roam the streets$ and in the young #eo#le who )ill innocent$ un)nown Eictims Nust to be acce#ted by thegang. "ults are another e%am#le of the same #roblem. "ertain charismatic Cin #ersonality$ not necessarily intheology leaders attract a following of #eo#le who need a sense of identity$ of belonging. Some of these followers

will belieEe anything they are taught and do anything they are told by their leader. Their #ride is not in themselEes$#er se$ but in the one leader they haEe chosen to follow aboEe all others. These #eo#le become #roud and arrogant$and they boast in a mere manFtheir leader.

Paul #ulls the rug out from under this #ractice in Eerses 15


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tells us that all things are oursFand how does this undermine boasting in menI Let us see) to understand whatPaul is telling us$ for it is a significant #art of his Abottom line in these Eerses.

LetJs go bac)Fway bac)Fin the Bible to identify some crucial differences between true wisdom$ odJswisdom$ and that which is false. True wisdom$ as Paul indicates in 3=12


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not gras# or acce#t his message$ but this was because they were blind$ not because Paul was being secretiEe orEague. ,hile Paul and the other a#ostles #roclaimed the ,ord of od o#enly$ the false teachers s#ecialiKed in theun)nown or in the obscure. They gained their re#utation and following by teaching what was new and noEel$ andthe reason was that it was not true$ and it was not wise. But it did a##eal to many of the unsaEed.

1 *ow while Paul was waiting for them at -thens$ his s#irit was being #roEo)ed within him ashe was beholding the city full of idols. 1! So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Mews

and the od

4 f anyone adEocates a different doctrine$ and does not agree with sound words$ those of ourLord Mesus "hrist$ and with the doctrine conforming to godliness$ ' he is conceited andunderstands nothing but he has a morbid interest in controEersial uestions and dis#utes aboutwords$ out of which arise enEy$ strife$ abusiEe language$ eEil sus#icions$ 6 and constant friction

between men of de#raEed mind and de#riEed of the truth$ who su##ose that godliness is a meansof gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain$ when accom#anied by contentment C1Timothy =4


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But su##ose there is no such thing as the Atruth these false teachers #eddle so #ersuasiEelyI Su##ose$ as Paulhas Nust indicated in Eerses 15


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true wisdom to #ursue false wisdom is li)e forsa)ing your #lace as a son of the worldJs richest man to liEe with ahomeless beggar$ who says he )nows the )ey to obtaining wealth. Does this sounds a little li)e the #rodigal sonI

:ow are all these Athin)s oursI ,hy do we #ossess Aall thingsI t is not due to our wisdom$ to our socialstanding$ to our status.It is the result of #elonging to Christ.,e belong to "hrist$ Paul reminds us$ and "hristbelongs to od CEerse 34. Since all things belong to od$ we #ossess them in "hrist. :ow foolish the thin)ing ofthe "orinthians isO They are loo)ing u#on the sim#le teaching of "hrist crucified as shallow and elementary. They

are beginning to see) Awisdom and Astanding in mere men$ and in the wisdom of this world. That wisdom isworthless and destructiEe. odJs wisdom and wealth has been #roEided for us in Christ. To forsa)e "hrist is tobecome #oor and foolish$ eEen though we consider ourselEes rich and wise Csee ReEelation 4=1'


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#laces the highest Ealue on ultimate certainties. -ll of these differences arise from the sim#le factthat the one #ers#ectiEe receiEes its meaning from od and the other does not. 3

First &aul alls on us to renoune the seular wisdom of this age and to view life through the divine wisdomwhih od provides through *is 8ord and *is "pirit. This does not say that "hristians should not be dee#lyengaged in the search for )nowledge and truth. t does say that for the "hristian$ wisdom begins with od andends with :im. -s the writer of the #roEerb says$ AThere is no wisdom and no understanding -nd no counsel

against the Lord CProEerbs 31=42. ,hen we study nuclear #hysics$ astronomy$ or com#uter science$ we begin withthe foundation which od has laid. ,e test all claims to truth by the standard of odJs truth$ the ,ord of od.,hen diEine wisdom contradicts human )nowledge$ we )now which to uestion and which to trust.

Too many "hristians are see)ing truth in the o##osite direction. They begin with human understanding andreasoning$ and then loo) to the Bible for an illustration or a #roof te%t. The wisdom of od is the foundation onwhih all of our #uilding should take plae, and the standard for all that we think and do. Let us carefully considerthe East differences between diEine wisdom and the wisdom of this age. Let us beware of #lacing our trust or our#ride in the wisdom of men let us embrace the wisdom of od$ )nowing that it alone is true wisdom.

The seond area of repentane whih &aul alls for is the hange of mind and ation whih harateries usin terms of our #oasting in men.The wisdom of men is foolish and destructiEe. The wisdom of od belongs to allthe saints$ and it is not mediated to us by any one man who is the )ey to certain )nowledge un)nown andun)nowable to others. -ll truth belongs to us$ and all those who teach the truth of od belong to us$ the saints. ,edo not belong to our teachers they belong to us. ,e do ourselEes a great disserEice by deEoting ourselEes to only

one human leader.

Mesus made it clear that men are not to usur# the #osition and the #rerogatiEes which are :is alone Catthew34=1


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The teaching of our te%t #oses two e%tremes of which we should re#ent. The first etreme is that of going toofar afield, seeking truth from human wisdom, when we should searh for it in the 8ord of od. The seond etremeis in #eing too narrow, in limiting ourselves to #ut one leader, one perspetive, one soure of wisdom. ay od)ee# us from these e%tremes$ and enable us to see) true wisdom as taught in the Scri#tures and e%#ounded by alarge number of those whom od has gifted to teach and to lead us.

"or "urther Thou)ht

There is an e%uisite com#ass of Eision here that is tragically lost when all of our "hristianitymeans nothing more than Vfinding fulfillmentJ or see)ing #ersonal #eace orFworse yetFidentifying with the VrightJ #arty or "hristian guru. ,e are odJs$ and that transformseEerything. f we truly understand this$ there are no tyrannies left. ,e will want all that od hasfor us$ both in this life and in the life to come. -nd that means we will neEer reduce the od.

1 Let a man regard us in this manner$ as serEants of "hrist$ and stewards of the mysteries of od.3 n this case$ moreoEer$ it is reuired of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 4 But to me it isa Eery small thing that should be e%amined by you$ or by any human court in fact$ do not eEene%amine myself. ' &or am conscious of nothing against myself$ yet am not by this acuitted

but the one who e%amines me is the Lord. 6 Therefore do not go on #assing Nudgment before thetime$ but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the dar)nessand disclose the motiEes of menJs hearts and then each manJs #raise will come to him from od.

The "orinthians had giEen themselEes to one leader$ a leader whom they eleEated to the #lace which rightlybelongs only to our Lord. S#ea)ing for himself and for the other true a#ostles$ Paul see)s to reEise their #erce#tionof leaders. +Een those whom od had a##ointed as a#ostles are to be regarded as serEants$ not as masters. Paulmade this #oint earlier in cha#ter 4$ Eerse 6= A,hat then is -#ollosI -nd what is PaulI SerEants through whomyou belieEed$ eEen as the Lord gaEe o##ortunity to each one.

n this Eerse C4=6$ Paul em#loys the first of three ree) terms for a serEant$ which he will em#loy in referenceto himself and the other a#ostles. Diakonosis a common term for serEant$ which on a few occasions refers to theoffice of deacon. The term for serEant in '=1 is hyperetes$3which refers to a slaEe who was seated under the dec) ofa shi# and was one of a number of rowers$ by whom the shi# was #ro#elled. t is not a #osition of status$ and thusPaul em#loyed this term to em#hasiKe the humble serEice of the a#ostles. The third term$ oikonomos$ is renderedAsteward. The steward was also a slaEe$ but one giEen a higher authority$ under his master=

The oikonomos /oikos andnemein1 was the res#onsible head of the establishment$ assigning toeach slaEe his duties and entrusted with the administration of the stores. :e was a slaEe inrelation to his master CLu)e %ii. '3$ but the epitroposor oEerseer Catt. %%. 5 in relation to thewor)men.4

Thus the "orinthians must ta)e their leader off the #edestal on which they had #laced him Cor her. +Eena#ostles are mere men$ who haEe been chosen and a##ointed by od to be :is serEants$ and to whom :e has giEenauthority to serEe as Aste4ards o& the ysteries o& od. These words are #regnant with meaning$ but we willonly mention seEeral im#ortant nuances. &irst$ the a#ostles are serEants. SerEants do not own things they areowned by their aster. -s serEants$ the a#ostles did not own or #ossess their followers as the false teachers seemedto do$ and as their followers eEen boasted CA,e are of. -s stewards$ the a#ostles had a certain authority to actin behalf of their aster$ but they are still slaEes$ serEants of "hrist. -s slaEes and stewards$ the a#ostles are not

intent on #leasing men Csee alatians 1=12$ but on #leasing the aster. The Lord is their aster$ and :e will betheir Mudge. They will giEe account to :im for their stewardshi#$ and the standard for Nudgment is their faithfulnessin fulfilling their stewardshi#.

n Eerses 4 and '$ Paul now #ursues the matter of the Nudgment of himself and the other a#ostles as odJsstewards. :e is conEeying to the "orinthians the inherent wea)nesses in human Nudgment. Paul informs them thathe is not oEerly influenced by their Nudgment of his faithfulness to his calling as an a#ostle. :e does so$ not bydirectly attac)ing their ability to Nudge him$ but rather by #ointing out his own limitations in Nudging himself. fPaul cannot rely com#letely on his own self


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f human Nudgment is fallible$ then Paul can rightly instruct the "orinthians to refrain from ma)ing finalNudgments$ which should be left to od. This he does in Eerse 6. AThere&ore indicates that the instructions PaulgiEes here are the conclusion Cor the a##lication of his argument in Eerses 1


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do Csee Lu)e 1=16. *o wonder we will soon find Paul insisting that all do not #ossess gifts which #roduce Eisibleresults C1 "orinthians 13=39


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Lesson *: 3ollo' the Leader )1

turn the "orinthians from the folly of attaching themselEes to one leader$ while o##osing the rest. :e s#ea)s ofhimself and -#ollos so that they might learn in them Anot to e@'eed 4hat is 4ritten$ which in turn will )ee#them from boasting in one man oEer and aboEe another.

&or the moment$ let us dwell on PaulJs general statement$ and then moEe on to the #articulars of PaulJsargument in su##ort of his general statements. The real #roblem at "orinth is not between any of the a#ostles ortheir alleged followers. The real #roblem is diEisions and cliues which center about others. PaulJs teaching to this

#oint in the first +#istle to the "orinthians is intended to draw menJs attention and commitment to the Scri#tures$to A4hat is 4ritten. The "orinthians de#arted from the Scri#tures$ and in so doing$ #roudly boasted of theirattachment to a certain leader and their disdain for others. n Eerses 1


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)" True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

3! 7nly conduct yourselEes in a manner worthy of the gos#el of "hrist so that whether comeand see you or remain absent$ may hear of you that you are standing firm in one s#irit$ with onemind striEing together for the faith of the gos#el 35 in no way alarmed by your o##onentsFwhich is a sign of destruction for them$ but of salEation for you$ and that too$ from od. 39 &or toyou it has been granted for "hristJs sa)e$ not only to belieEe in :im$ but also to suffer for :issa)e$ 42 e%#eriencing the same conflict which you saw in me$ and now hear to be in meCPhili##ians 1=3!


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Lesson *: 3ollo' the Leader )/

n some ways$ those who haEe raised teenagers may identify somewhat with PaulJs words. Parents inEest theirliEes in their children. They do without so their children might haEe what they need. n the early days of childhood$the children de#end u#on their #arents they cling to them. But when the teenage years arriEe$ teens begin to thin)of their #arents as a liability$ rather than an asset. They #refer to be seen a#art from their #arents than with them.This is the same way the "orinthians loo) u#on and treat Paul$ only worse.

A "atherly Appeal and a %ord o& %arnin)

*8:18,91.

1' do not write these things to shame you$ but to admonish you as my beloEed children. 16 &orif you were to haEe countless tutors in "hrist$ yet you would not haEe many fathers for in "hristMesus became your father through the gos#el. 1 e%hort you therefore$ be imitators of me. 1!&or this reason haEe sent to you Timothy$ who is my beloEed and faithful child in the Lord$ andhe will remind you of my ways which are in "hrist$ Nust as teach eEerywhere in eEery church.15 *ow some haEe become arrogant$ as though were not coming to you. 19 But will come toyou soon$ if the Lord wills$ and shall find out$ not the words of those who are arrogant$ but their#ower. 32 &or the )ingdom of od does not consist in words$ but in #ower. 31 ,hat do youdesireI Shall come to you with a rod or with loEe and a s#irit of gentlenessI

PaulJs res#onse to the "orinthians is nothing less than amaKing$ an e%am#le of what he has Nust said in Eerses13 and 14. Paul is a model leader. :e is a Eery different leader from those whom some "orinthians are choosing to

follow=19 &or you$ being so wise$ bear with the foolish gladly. 32 &or you bear with anyone if heenslaEes you$ if he deEours you$ if he ta)es adEantage of you$ if he e%alts himself$ if he hits you inthe face. 31 To my shame must say that we haEe been wea) by com#arison. But in whateEerres#ect anyone else is bold C s#ea) in foolishness$ am Nust as bold myself C3 "orinthians11=19


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Timothy will come shortly. But soon$ Paul is coming to "orinth. :ow do they want him to comeI Do they wishto haEe him come with loEe and a s#irit of gentleness$ made #ossible by their re#entanceI 7r$ do they wish him tocome with the rod of correctionI The choice is theirs.

Con'lusion

PaulJs words to the "orinthians are for us as well$ and they haEe much to say. Let me conclude by suggesting

some of the im#lications of our te%t./01 &aul6s words speak volumes on the su#!et of leadership. hear a great deal about leadershi# in the church

these days. Sadly$ most of what is said is from the secular wisdom of this world. ,e seem to hear more from PeterDruc)er than from Mesus or from Paul. ,hat is said that Asounds s#iritual is usually secular at its coreFwith asugar coating of s#iritual terminology$ #roof


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Lesson *: 3ollo' the Leader )5

,hen the a#ostles are abused$ mistreated$ and wrongly accused$ do they res#ond graciously$ see)ingreconciliationI So did our Lord.

15 SerEants$ be submissiEe to your masters with all res#ect$ not only to those who are good andgentle$ but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 &or this finds faEor$ if for the sa)e ofconscience toward od a man bears u# under sorrows when suffering unNustly. 32 &or what creditis there if$ when you sin and are harshly treated$ you endure it with #atienceI But if when you do

what is right and suffer for it you #atiently endure it$ this finds faEor with od. 31 &or you haEebeen called for this #ur#ose$ since "hrist also suffered for you$ leaEing you an e%am#le for you tofollow in :is ste#s$ 33 ,:7"7TT+D*7S*$ *7R,-S-*8D+"+T&7(*D*:S7(T: 34and while being reEiled$ :e did not reEile in return while suffering$ :e uttered no threats$ but)e#t entrusting :imself to :im who Nudges righteously 3' and :e :imself bore our sins in :isbody on the cross$ that we might die to sin and liEe to righteousness for by :is wounds you werehealed. 36 &or you were continually straying li)e shee#$ but now you haEe returned to theShe#herd and uardian of your souls C1 Peter 3=15


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eternity$ we #robably haEe Nust as many in our own church today. Paul could haEe come on li)e gangbusters$wielding his a#ostolic authority by naming names and calling out orders. :e could haEe gone straight to "orinthand Ahad it out with the #roblem #eo#le. PaulJs dealings with those in the wrong at "orinth are an e%am#le of hisinstructions to Timothy in handling #roblem #eo#le at +#hesus=

31 Therefore$ if a man cleanses himself from these things$ he will be a Eessel for honor$sanctified$ useful to the aster$ #re#ared for eEery good wor). 33 *ow flee from youthful lusts$

and #ursue righteousness$ faith$ loEe and #eace$ with those who call on the Lord from a #ureheart. 34 But refuse foolish and ignorant s#eculations$ )nowing that they #roduce uarrels. 3'-nd the LordJs bond


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#esson =:Chur'h Dis'ipline: Ta(in) Sin Seriously

*1 Cor+ >:1,13.

Introdu'tion,hen a friendJs car began to behaEe in a strange manner$ Eolunteered to bring it home to ta)e a loo) at it.

too) my daughter$ Menny$ and a friend by this fellowJs house and e%changed cars with him$ which meant had todriEe his car #ast the girlsJ school on the way home. Must as we a##roached the school$ the car began to behaEe Eerybadly$ missing and bac)firing noisily so that we sounded li)e a Eery troubled Eersion of "hitty


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Asoeone hashis &ather0s 4i&e. The sin is still going on as Paul writesO ,hether or not the father is aliEe isunclear. ,hether this man is married to his fatherJs wife is also not clearly indicated. *either are we told that thewoman is a #rofessing "hristian. ,e do )now that Paul does not instruct the church to cast the woman out$ butonly the man. t is Eery clear that a man is liEing immorally with his fatherJs wife$ something which would beshoc)ing to an 7ld Testament saint CLeEiticus 15=5 Deuteronomy 33=42 3!=32$ something which was forbiddenby the a#ostles C-cts 16=32$ 39 31=36$ and something which is considered taboo by the #agan "orinthians.

Sin !as Spread Throu)hout the Chur'h*>:9.

3 -nd you haEe become arrogant$ and haEe not mourned instead$ in order that the one who haddone this deed might be remoEed from your midst.

The sin of this one man is but the ti# of the iceberg. 7ther cases of immorality Cacce#table to the entilesO canno doubt be reEealed. But while Paul is distressed by the sin of this one man$ he is eEen more disturbed by thesinful res#onse of the church. They haEe A%ecome arrogant$ and at the same time$ are Eirtually doing nothing tocorrect this matter. Paul is distressed by the arrogance of the saints at "orinth. ,e haEe already been told of theirarrogance in the first four cha#ters of 1 "orinthians. *ow Paul s#ea)s of it in relationshi# to this case ofimmorality.

,e could understand this arrogance in relation to this sin in the church in seEeral ways=

First, the Corinthians may #e proud of this man6s sin.n the secular world$ this A#ride in sin is eEidenced bythose who #arade their sins #ublicly on teleEision tal) shows. Something similar may be ha##ening at "orinth.Remember that in the #agan religions of "orinth$ immorality was #racticed as a #art of their heathen Aworshi#.The "orinthians could haEe redefined the rules so that this sinful act is loo)ed u#on as enlightened "hristianity. Doyou thin) this suggestion is groundlessI encourage you to read about the false teachers in 3 Peter and Mude and toread the accounts of the teaching and lifestyle of DaEid ?oresh on his com#ound Nust an hourJs driEe from Dallas$Te%as.

"eond, the Corinthians might #e puffed up and proud, not #eause of this man6s sin, #ut #eause of the>loving way in whih they deal with him.?n this thera#eutic age when the church is often loo)ed u#on more as aAsu##ort grou# than a Aholy teple$ church members refuse to disci#line members and continue to embracesinning saints$ eEen when it is clear they haEe no intention of re#enting of their sins$ and eEen when they #ublicly#ersist in their sinful ways. f this is the case in "orinth$ they would loEe the e%#ression of our day$ Aunconditionalacce#tance. haEe neEer seen this e%#ression in the Bible$ but often hear it on the li#s of "hristians. t is abanner some hold high. t is a banner some hold with pride.

Third, the Corinthians may #e proud and arrogant, not #eause of this sin or their response to it, #ut in spiteof this sin.,e haEe already been informed about the #ride of the "orinthians. 7f what are they so #roudI ,ell$they ta)e #ride in their leaders$ in their message$ and in their methods. They ta)e #ride in their Awisdom$ awisdom which is worldly that loo)s down on the sim#le message of "hrist crucified and the a#ostles who #roclaimit. t may Nust be that these saints are so #roud that they cannot or will not ac)nowledge or act u#on the sins whichare #ublic and undeniable. M. B. Philli#s seems to understand the "orinthiansJ #ride in this way$ for he rendersPaulJs words$ A-re you still #roud of your churchI The *ew +nglish Bible reads$ A And you 'an still 2e proud o&yoursel5esG Pride is the result of turning from the truth. Pride )ee#s one from seeing the truth. The "orinthiansmaintain an attitude of #ride when the situation should #roduce mourning.

The last #art of Eerse 3 indicates that while the "orinthians should e%communicate this man from the church$they haEe not done so. Paul also giEes us insight into why the "orinthians do not act and what would change this.These saints are #roud when they should be mourning. Pride is what )ee#s the church from e%#elling the wayward

and willful saint. ourning is what should be ta)ing #lace in the church$ and if it does$ the saints will e%#el theimmoral man.

,hen my wife has gone to school for the day$ am left at home alone. 7ur cats )now that when my wife leaEesand the front door closes$ a whole new set of rules are in #lace. 7ur cats loEe to Num# u# on the table. f there is aclothes bas)et filled with clothes$ so much the better. ,hat they really loEe is a bas)et full of warm clothes$ Nust outof the drier. almost neEer ma)e the cats get down. ,hen do$ it is because Meannette is home. But those cats loo)so cute all curled u# in a clothes bas)et. Jm #roud of our cats$ and that is why donJt correct them$ eEen though )now that what they are doing is wrong.


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Lesson +: Church -iscipline: Taking Sin Seriously )

*ow$ if one of our cats bro)e its bac) and was in terrible #ain$ Meannette and would mourn. ,e would bedee#ly saddened by this malady. -nd eEen though it would brea) our hearts$ we would ta)e him to the Eet and haEehim #ut to slee#. do not see) to correct that in which ta)e #ride. do see) to correct any situation which causesme to mourn. Sin should cause the "orinthians to mourn$ but it does not. nstead$ as strange as it may seem$ thesesaints continue to be #uffed u# with #ride. 7ne can hardly e%#ect a #roud church to commence the #ainful #rocessof correction. -t this #oint$ Paul sim#ly says that this #erson should be remoEed from their midst. n the ne%tEerses$ we shall see the form that Paul e%#ects correction to ta)e$ the correction in which Paul himself is a

#artici#ant.

Paul0s Response in A2sentia*>:3,>.

4 &or $ on my #art$ though absent in body but #resent in s#irit$ haEe already Nudged him who hasso committed this$ as though were #resent. ' n the name of our Lord Mesus$ when you areassembled$ and with you in s#irit$ with the #ower of our Lord Mesus$ 6 haEe decided to deliEersuch a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh$ that his s#irit may be saEed in the day of theLord Mesus.

,hat a great e%cuse Paul has for not getting inEolEed in this ugly situation in "orinth. -fter all$ he is farremoEed. ,hat can he doI ,ell for one thing$ Paul can write a letter. &or another$ he can act eEen from a distance.Paul describes the disci#line #rocess in Eerses 4


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*# True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

case of the immoral man in the church at "orinth$ the matter has already become a matter of #ublic )nowledge."onseuently$ the correction must be as #ublic as the sin. ,e see in the Scri#tures that the final ste# of disci#line ista)en by the entire church$ when they haEe assembled. The Lord #romises :is s#ecial #resence when such agathering is assembled for disci#line=

19 A-gain say to you$ that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may as)$ it shallbe done for them by y &ather who is in heaEen. 32 A&or where two or three haEe gathered

together in y name$ there am in their midst Catthew 15=19


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Lesson +: Church -iscipline: Taking Sin Seriously *1

SatanJs destructiEe #owers and desires e%tend only as far as the flesh=

35 A-nd do not fear those who )ill the body$ but are unable to )ill the soul but rather fear :imwho is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Catthew 12=35.

15 A-nd the nations were enraged$ and Thy wrath came$ and the time came for the dead to beNudged$ and the time to giEe their reward to Thy bond:?,=.

8our boasting is not good. Do you not )now that a little leaEen leaEens the whole lum# ofdoughI ! "lean out the old leaEen$ that you may be a new lum#$ Nust as you are in factunleaEened. &or "hrist our PassoEer also has been sacrificed. 5 Let us therefore celebrate thefeast$ not with old leaEen$ nor with the leaEen of malice and wic)edness$ but with the unleaEenedbread of sincerity and truth.

n Eerse 3$ Paul indicates that the res#onse of the "orinthians to this great sin is Nust the o##osite of what itshould be. They should mourn and then remoEe this one from their midst. nstead they are #uffed u# with #ride anddo nothing about this eEil. Paul wants to be absolutely clear that the arrogance of the "orinthians is not good. ,hynotI Because it is destructiEe. ,e surely )now it is harmful to the man liEing in sin. But now Paul see)s to show us

how destructiEe failing to deal with sin is to the church. :e does so by an 7ld Testament ritual$ which was fulfilledin "hrist$ but also has much a##lication to the *ew Testament saint.

Paul turns his readers to imagery of leaEen$ and the way a little bit of leaEen can change the whole lum# ofdough in which it is found. The sinner whom the "orinthians embrace and fail to #ut out of the church is li)enedto a little leaEen #laced in a lum# of dough. f left there for long$ it changes the whole batch of dough. f this sinneris allowed to remain in the fellowshi# of the saints at "orinth$ he will contaminate the entire church$ Nust as -chanbrought harm to the entire nation of srael Csee Moshua !. By remoEing this man from their midst$ the church at"orinth not only see)s the sinnerJs restoration$ they also #romote their own #urity.

*ow Paul begins to fine tune this leaEen and lum# analogy$ turning to a s#ecific celebration in the 7ldTestament. Paul reminds his readers of the feast of unleaEened bread$ which was to begin immediately after thePassoEer lamb was sacrificed=

1 A7bserEe the month of -bib and celebrate the PassoEer to the Lord your od$ for in the month

of -bib the Lord your od brought you out of +gy#t by night. 3 -nd you shall sacrifice thePassoEer to the Lord your od from the floc) and the herd$ in the #lace where the Lord choosesto establish :is name. 4 8ou shall not eat leaEened bread with it seEen days you shall eat with itunleaEened bread$ the bread of affliction Cfor you came out of the land of +gy#t in haste$ in orderthat you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of +gy#t.' &or seEen days no leaEen shall be seen with you in all your territory$ and none of the fleshwhich you sacrifice on the eEening of the first day shall remain oEernight until morningCDeuteronomy 1=1


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*" True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

-fter the PassoEer was celebrated$ the &east of (nleaEened Bread commenced. The sraelites were to gothroughout their dwellings$ see)ing to find any leaEen and remoEe it. They were to eat unleaEened bread. LeaEen isa symbol of sin$ and the PassoEer lamb was a #ro#hetic foreshadowing of our Lord Mesus "hrist. Paul calls :imAChrist our Passo5er CEerse ! and reminds us that :e has been sacrificed. f "hrist is our PassoEer and :e hasbeen sacrificed$ what is to follow$ giEen the 7ld Testament #rototy#eI The leaven is to #e removed. Since "hristhas been sacrificed$ we are not to harbor sin in our liEes$ but to see) to identify sin and remoEe it. ,ee) after wee)when we celebrate the LordJs Table$ we are commemorating the fulfillment of PassoEer. This is no mere ritual it is

a reminder of what should follow the sacrifice of the LambFcleansing in the cam#O The leaEen in the "orinthianchurch Cthe cam# is this sinner. :e must be remoEed. ,hat better time and #lace is there than in the meeting ofthe church$ where the LordJs Table is celebratedI

Paul is not content to allow us to thin) that "hristJs atoning death$ celebrated at the LordJs Table$ should onlybe a##lied to this man and his e%#ulsion from the church. n Eerse 5$ Paul broadens the a##lication$ indicatingother forms of Alea5en which are all too eEident in the church. The A old lea5en Cthis sinner who needs to bee%#elled and the Anew leaEen$ that of malice and wic)edness$ must be #ut away. alice and wic)edness refers tothat whole s#ectrum of Asacred sins which are harbored and eEen nurtured in the church. They must go$ and intheir #lace there should be the Aunlea5ened 2read o& sin'erity and truth CEerse 5. ,e are to #ut off thehy#ocrisy and the false wisdom we haEe embraced and return to #urity of motiEation and of doctrine.

Clari&i'ation on Separation*>:-,13.

9 wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral #eo#le 12 did not at all mean with theimmoral #eo#le of this world$ or with the coEetous and swindlers$ or with idolaters for then youwould haEe to go out of the world. 11 But actually$ wrote to you not to associate with anyso


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Lesson +: Church -iscipline: Taking Sin Seriously */

4 But do not let immorality or any im#urity or greed eEen be named among you$ as is #ro#eramong saints ' and there must be no filthiness and silly tal)$ or coarse Nesting$ which are notfitting$ but rather giEing of than)s. 6 &or this you )now with certainty$ that no immoral or im#ure#erson or coEetous man$ who is an idolater$ has an inheritance in the )ingdom of "hrist and od. Let no one deceiEe you with em#ty words$ for because of these things the wrath of od comesu#on the sons of disobedience. ! Therefore do not be #arta)ers with them 5 for you wereformerly dar)ness$ but now you are light in the Lord wal) as children of light 9 Cfor the fruit of

the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth$ 12 trying to learn what is #leasingto the Lord. 11 -nd do not #artici#ate in the unfruitful deeds of dar)ness$ but instead eEen e%#osethem 13 for it is disgraceful eEen to s#ea) of the things which are done by them in secret. 14 Butall things become Eisible when they are e%#osed by the light$ for eEerything that becomes Eisibleis light. 1' &or this reason it says$ A-wa)e$ slee#er$ -nd arise from the dead$ -nd "hrist willshine on you C+#hesians 6=4

,hat Paul calls for in the *ew Testament church is not significantly different from what oses communicatedto the nation srael. -fter all$ in the 7ld Testament$ od dwelt in the midst of :is #eo#le$ and thus the sraeliteswere reuired to remoEe sin and sinners from their midst. n the *ew Testament$ Paul informs the "orinthians thatod now indwells :is tem#le$ the church. They too must remoEe sin from their midst$ because a holy od indwellsthem. n both cases$ it is recogniKed that remoEing the sinner may include death. This is a most serious ste#$ onewhich we will ta)e only when we ta)e sin and odJs commandments seriously.

Con'lusion

PaulJs words in 1 "orinthians 6 are sobering. They are meant to be. :e has already written$ Af any mandestroys the tem#le of od$ od will destroy him$ for the tem#le of od is holy$ and that is what you are C1

1!"### Bi$lical Studies %ress http:&&'''($i$le(org


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*4 True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

"orinthians '=1!. *ow$ the "orinthians are reminded of their duty to #lay a #art in this #rocess by remoEing thewayward and willful sinner from their midst. 7ur te%t raises a number of issues. -llow me to summariKe some ofthem.

8hatever happened to sin8ears ago$ a secular #sychiatrist$ Dr. ?arl enninger$ wrote a boo) entitled$8hatever $eame of "in. +Een this man realiKes that eEils haEe become too A#sychologiKed$ and that a sim#lediagnosis of Asin is needed. can imagine the )inds of diagnosis we would haEe today for the malady of this

"orinthian man$ liEing with his fatherJs wife. ,e could delEe into his #ast and #robably find some e%cuse forAabuse. Some would argue that he must haEe some )ind of genetic #redis#osition Cbiological #redestinationI forthis )ind of conduct. 7thers would argue that his conduct is normal$ and that the #roblem in the church is withnarrow


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Lesson +: Church -iscipline: Taking Sin Seriously *5

disci#linary action against a church member. t can and does ha##en. sus#ect that it will ha##en more and morein the coming days.

Sometimes we are afraid that the wor) of od will be thwarted by church disci#line. n seEeral instances ofwhich am aware$ a "hristian leader was the brother in sin. That leader$ when rebu)ed$ would not re#ent. Sadlysome faithless saints res#onded= ABut the wor) that od is doing in this #erson is so great$ we canJt afford toNeo#ardiKe it by e%ercising disci#line. odJs wor) is bigger than any man or any organiKation. od6s work is

making sinners holy, to *is glory . ,hen a leader continues in sin$ the church should disci#line him #ublicly$ as ane%am#le to all C1 Timothy 6=19


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*) True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

*ow for the bottom line. ,hy would we disci#line a wayward saint$ when we will not disci#line ourselEesI find myself Eery #assiEe and uiet about those sins in others which are #resent in my life as well. -s we shall soonsee in 1 "orinthians Ce.g.$ cha#ter 9$ the "orinthians haEe Eery little self


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#esson -:Courtin) Sin*1 Cor+ ?:1,11.

Introdu'tion8ears ago when was a seminary student$ we liEed in an a#artment beside the seminaryJs #ar)ing lot. Late one

night was wor)ing on a #a#er$ and went outside to try to wa)e u# in the cris# night air. -s sat on the bac)ste#s of our second floor a#artment$ saw a car driEe into the #ar)ing lot$ #ull u# close to one of the buildings$ andthen turn off the headlights. *o one got out of the car. Somehow$ that seemed a little unusual to me. -fter a littlewhile$ went down to the #ar)ing lot and got close enough to the car to see four heads silhouetted in the dim lightof the #ar)ing lot. There had been a number of burglaries in the recent #ast$ and it occurred to me that these fourfellows might not haEe noble intentions.

went home and called the #olice$ trying to ma)e this matter sound as casual as #ossible. told them where liEed and that a car with four men was #ar)ed in the seminary #ar)ing lot. informed them that was aware ofnothing illegal ta)ing #lace$ but that it did loo) a little sus#icious in the light of recent burglaries in theneighborhood. as)ed if they might haEe a suad car Nust cruise by and ta)e a loo) when conEenient.

*o more than a cou#le minutes later$ four suad cars conEerged on the scene$ uic)ly locating the sus#iciouscar and surrounding it. watched the scene$ ta)en bac) by the dramatic scene for which was res#onsible. thenbegan to feel guilty. Su##ose nothing was wrong$ or su##ose had created all this trouble for nothing. - few dayslater$ mentioned the incident to a #rofessor friend. :e told me what had ha##ened. Three of the four men in thecar were seminary students. The fourth indiEidual was a man whom they had concluded was demon


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unbelieEing sinners. Paul corrects this misconce#tion by insisting that the se#aration he adEocates is a se#arationfrom #rofessing "hristians whose #ractice is heathen.

"ha#ter ta)es u# the issues Paul has s#o)en of in cha#ter 6. n the first 11 Eerses of cha#ter Cour te%t$ Pauladdresses the sinful diEisions of the "orinthian saints which haEe made their way into #ublic Eiew in the ciEilcourts. The diEisions Paul s#ea)s of theoretically in cha#ter ' are now addressed s#ecifically in cha#ter . ;erses13


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Lesson : Courting Sin *

31 A )e#t loo)ing$ and that horn was waging war with the saints and oEer#owering them 33until the -ncient of Days came$ and Nudgment was #assed in faEor of the saints of the :ighest7ne$ and the time arriEed when the saints too) #ossession of the )ingdom. 3! VThen thesoEereignty$ the dominion$ and the greatness of all the )ingdoms under the whole heaEen will begiEen to the #eo#le of the saints of the :ighest 7ne :is )ingdom will be an eEerlasting )ingdom$and all the dominions will serEe and obey :imJ CDaniel !=31


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+# True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

Paul as)s the "orinthians if there is not one wise #erson among them who is ualified to Nudge the dis#utebetween these two "orinthian saints. ,hat a blow to their #rideO These are the ones who are so wise$ so Eery wise.These are the ones so uic) to Nudge Paul and find him wanting. These Eery saints can #roudly follow one leaderand condemn the rest. ,here are these "orinthian critics when they are neededI ,hy is no one able to Nudge suchmundane mattersI nstead$ the saints are at one anotherJs throats$ all the while as the world loo)s on. The"orinthians are great at being Nudgmental they are absent when there is a need for Nudges.

A2out %innin) and #osin)*?:;,11.

! -ctually$ then$ it is already a defeat for you$ that you haEe lawsuits with one another. ,hy notrather be wrongedI ,hy not rather be defraudedI 5 7n the contrary$ you yourselEes wrong anddefraud$ and that your brethren. 9 7r do you not )now that the unrighteous shall not inherit the)ingdom of odI Do not be deceiEed neither fornicators$ nor idolaters$ nor adulterers$ noreffeminate$ nor homose%uals$ 12 nor thieEes$ nor the coEetous$ nor drun)ards$ nor reEilers$ norswindlers$ shall inherit the )ingdom of od. 11 -nd such were some of you but you werewashed$ but you were sanctified$ but you were Nustified in the name of the Lord Mesus "hrist$ andin the S#irit of our od.

&or the com#etitiEe "orinthians$ life is all about winning and losing. Lawsuits are certainly about winning andlosing. Paul ma)es a most troubling announcement= any "orinthian "hristian who ta)es another belieEer to court

has already lost. oing to court with a fellow


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Lesson : Courting Sin +1

ADonJt )id yourselEes about this fact$ Paul warns$ Abecause sinners will not inherit the )ingdom of heaEen.Sinners include those who commit se%ual sin outside of marriage Cidolaters$ those who serEe other gods of Earious)inds Cidolaters$ those who commit se%ual sins against their #artner in marriage Cadulterers$ #assiEe Ceffeminateand actiEe Chomose%uals se%ual deEiates. Those e%cluded from heaEen are thieEes$ those who lust for what others#ossess Cthe coEetous$ alcoholics Cdrun)ards$ those who s#ea) against others CreEilers and con artists Cswindlers.This is a sam#ling of those whom no one e%#ects to find in heaEen$ and rightly so. :eaEen is a holy #lace$ becauseod dwells there. "onseuently$ unholy #eo#le will not be there.

The "orinthian church includes those who are characteriKed by all of these sins. But when they were saEed$this became a #ast$ which should be forgotten and forsa)en. SalEation includes re#entance. Bepentane means thatwe not only agree with od that we are sinners, doomed to eternal torment, and that Christ6s righteousness will

save us, #ut also that we turn from a life of sin to a life of righteousness. 7f course this does not mean that we willliEe a life of sinless #erfection. But neither does it mean that we can )ee# on liEing in sin$ as we once did while wewere unsaEed. "alvation is the proess of turning from darkness to light, from death to life, from sin torighteousness. "alvation means that we should never onsider ontinuing on in sin, even though od6s grae is

greater than all our sinCsee Romans =1ff..

This is a sobering thought$ is it notI The gos#el is about sinners who are turned from sin to righteousness. Thegos#el is about turning away from the sins which once dominated us. t is one of the greatest comforts for the"hristian. ,hat we were as unbelieEers$ we are not now as "hristians. 7ur sins of the #ast are not only forgiEen$they are forgotten by od. ,hen men and women are released from #rison$ they are often thought of as criminals$eEen though they haEe #aid their debt to society. Regretfully$ many are still criminals because #rison has not#roduced re#entance. -t best$ former #risoners are e%


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+" True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

"hristian thin) that brea)ing the laws of man or od is something a #erson can continue after coming to faith in"hrist$ as though this doesnJt matter. "roo)s do not go to heaEen saints do.

,hy is Paul ta)ing this situation in "orinth so seriouslyI ,hy$ in the light of his gentleness in the first fourcha#ters$ does Paul suddenly become agitated about lawsuits between "hristiansI &irst$ the issue is the unity of thechurch$ the body of "hrist. The church is one body$ and belieEers are all brothers. The focus of each belieEer is tobuild u# the body of "hrist$ which means that he must build u# indiEidual belieEers. Ta)ing a fellow


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Lesson : Courting Sin +/

/41 The Christian6s itienship is not in this world, #ut in the net. The values and guiding priniples of the$i#le must take priority over the values and guiding priniples of this age. The A4isdo of the "hristian must bethe wisdom of od$ the wisdom of the cross of "hrist$ the wisdom of the Bible$ and not the wisdom of this age. ,eare therefore guided and goEerned by the Scri#tures. The Scri#tures teach us to obey the laws of the land$ butalways as subordinate to the laws of od.

/51 The Christian6s responsi#ilities take priority over his rights. The essence of the "hristian life is Ata)ing u#

our cross$ of Adying to self$ and serEing od by serEing others. 7ur goal is neither to #romote our own interestsor to #reserEe them$ but to sacrifice these for the cause of "hrist.

/71 "piritual issues are very different from legal issues, although the two are related. "piritual issues takepriority over legal issues.This is the reason the "hristian is instructed to stay out of court if at all #ossible$ eEen ifit means ta)ing a loss to do so.

C91 8hen &aul teahes Christian dotrine, it is not isolated from Christian pratie, #ut diretly linked topratial matters. Paul does not teach doctrine in isolation. :e teaches doctrine as the basis for our actions.Dotrine is the #asis of godly living and pratie.Thus$ when Paul teaches us about the doctrine of "hristJskenosis$ :is Aem#tying of :imself$ he does so in the conte%t of strife and contention in the Phili##ian church CseePhili##ians 3=1ff.. Doctrine is not meant to be heard and filed away it is meant to be liEed.

/:1 The litigation proess does not failitate reoniliation and harmony, #ut is ounter@produtive to it. Thisis the reason we are urged to aEoid litigation if at all #ossible.

C;1 The legal #attles referred to in 0 Corinthians 9 are a onrete eample of the divisions whih eisted inCorinth, as first mentioned #y &aul in hapter 0. "trained relationships, relationships not reoniled in the hurh,are the ause of all sorts of other sins. :usbands and wiEes$ children and #arents$ struggle with unreconciledrelationshi#s. any of the #roblems we face can be found to originate here with unforgiEing$ unre#entant hearts.The gospel is not only a#out man6s reoniliation with od, #ut also a#out man6s reoniliation with man Csee+#hesians 3=11


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+4 True Spirituality: A Study of 1 Corinthians

t may be necessary to go to court to #rotect the interests of someone other than ourselEes. Su##ose you werea##ointed the guardian of two young children$ and a relatiEe was illegally trying to gain control of the #ro#erty ofthese children$ #ro#erty for which you were giEen res#onsibility. n such a case$ you might haEe to act through thecourt system to #rotect the interests of the children. ,hen we are acting in a fiduciary ca#acity$ and not for self:The reat Di5or'eBSeparatin) JTruth "ro #o5e

*1 Cor+ =:1,13.

Introdu'tion8ears ago$ there was a teleEision #rogram which gaEe contestants the chance to identify an obNect. The hitch

was that these obNects were not seen from a normal #ers#ectiEe$ but from a microsco#ic or Eery close u# Eiew. tcould be a s#onge or a flower or something else$ but because it was so close u#$ it was Eery difficult to identify. had great difficulty Aseeing

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