1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 
6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.  16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)  17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
— 1 Corinthians 1:1-17, ESV

All of the books of the Bible were written in the past.  It is a distant past, as well, spanning back from old man Moses (15th century BC) to the Apostle Paul (1st century AD).  But we agree with Paul that “All Scripture,” no matter when it was written, “is breathed out by God and profitable,” for the present day, “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (ref. 2 Timothy 3:16). 

This is never more true than when studying the book of First Corinthians.  The ancient city of Corinth in Greece held many similarities with modern American cities like Las Vegas, Nevada and Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Saints and sinners mingled in a fairly prosperous and pluralistic society with divergent views on everything from spirituality to sexuality.  

Keep this in mind as we spend the next few weeks listing to Paul talk to the church in Corinth.  And remember, this letter was addressed to people past and present, to “all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  When we look close enough at the culture and the church in Corinth, we can see our present in their past.

Personal but General

Paul wrote two canonical letters to the Corinthians.  The first is a declaration of war (against sin, not the sinners), the second a peace treaty.  Both are very personal, but accessible to every generation of Christ-followers.

First Corinthians opens with the personal names of the writer, the Apostle Paul, and an associate, Sosthenes.  We know much about the former, since he is perhaps the most important person in the New Testament aside from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Little is know about the latter, since he is mentioned only here, probably as Paul’s amanuenses.  It is possible that this is his second appearance in Scripture, if he is the synagogue ruler who was beaten for letting Paul preach in Corinth in the first place (ref. acts 18:17).  

“The church of God that is in Corinth” is the non-official name of the particular church addressed.  Paul was their church planter and founding pastor, serving for a year and a half to establish a point of Christian worship and witness in southern Greece.  He arrived in the early (AD) ’50’s, on his second missionary journey, and wrote this letter to them about five or six years later from Ephesus, the only place he stayed longer (about three years) than Corinth, during his third missionary journey.  

Christianity in the first century was personal and corporate, and remains so in the twenty-first century.  It was and is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and your fellow Christians.  It involved and involves a corporate commitment to the church, the corpus, the body of Christ.  This was, and is, God’s plan for God’s people. 

Therefore, Paul’s personal words to the Corinthians are God’s general words to every church of every age.  Every church has strengths that need to be encouraged, problems that need to be addressed, and dangers that need to be avoided.  Some have more than others.  But we all need what Paul is offering, “Grace to you and peace from God,” both of which are abundantly available in First Corinthians.  

Theological but Simple

Like all of the Pauline Epistles, First Corinthians is theological in nature, though not as heavily as some of his other works, like Romans and Galatians.  It is extremely theocentric, but in simpler terms.  It speaks plainly and simply about God, the gospel, and church life.

Consider the salvific terms couched in this text.  Paul wrote to people who had received God’s “grace,” people of faith who “call upon the name of the Lord,” people whose Lord was, is, and always will be “Christ Jesus” or “Jesus Christ.”  Theology that is good and simple stresses salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Furthermore, those who are saved are justified by the effectual “call” of God, “sanctified” by the Spirit and the word, and look forward to “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Then as now, the simple truth is if you have been saved, or justified, you are being saved, or sanctified, and you will be saved, or glorified.  

Paul puts forth a robust theology in basic terms because he was writing to a church whose most senior members were only a few years old in the Lord.  Most churches today have members who have been following Christ for a few decades.  Whether you are young or old in the Lord, you need to understand these theological terms to come to terms with your own salvation and eternal security.  You also need to be able to simply share these gospel concepts with people who need the Lord.

So take advantage of present opportunities with these words from the past: grace, faith, and Jesus Christ; justified, sanctified, and glorified.  They are general theological terms that can lead someone personally to Christ.  Paul used them, the Corinthian Christians used them, and so can we.  For remember, “Jesus Christ,” and the gospel He gives, “is the same yesterday and today and forever” (ref. Hebrews 13:8).  

Practical but Spiritual 

In Romans, Paul pontificates theologically for eleven chapters before getting practical in chapter twelve.  In Ephesians, he splits theology and practicality in half, three chapters each.  But in First Corinthians, the practical parts begin in chapter one.  The first practical matter, unity in the Christian church, is dealt with right up front.

Church unity was of first importance to Paul because a divided church makes it hard to worship and almost impossible to witness.  It ought to be a matter of first importance for churches today.  Then, and now, no church can advance the gospel when the members are stuck in the mud of a church conflict.

The first point of contention for Corinth was one of leadership.  The church in Corinth had divided into factions over former personalities.  “Paul” was their founding Pastor.  But, “Apollos” was a more eloquent preacher.  “Pope Cephus” had been there, too, or at least there were members who had been led to the Lord and discipled by Simon Peter himself.  A few others formed a fourth faction and considered themselves the only true followers of “Christ,” which could reflect either sincere spirituality or poisonous pride.  

Paul’s suggested remedy was not to let “the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”  Focus on the message, not the messenger.  Paul was long gone on another missionary journey.  Apollos was preaching elsewhere.  Peter had relocated to Rome.  Even Jesus was no longer on earth bodily, except for the body of Christ, which is the church.  

Two themes will be constant in First Corinthians.  One is conflict in the church.  The other is “the cross of Christ.”  It seems to me that Paul is saying one can be conquered by the other.

“The cross of Christ” is the source of our salvation and entrance into Christ’s church.  Certainly  saved people ought to always get along together, right?  We should but we don’t.  But Christocentric worship and weekly holy communion can bring us back to the cross, and back together.

“The cross of Christ” is the slayer of pride.  Church conflict arises when one side or both are puffed up with personal pride.  But we want our way!  Even Jesus did not get His way at the cross.  He prayed for the cup to pass.  He prayed more for God’s will to be done.  When God’s will is more important than my way or your way, it kills conflict.  

“The cross of Christ” fuels our love for Christ.  To love Jesus, for the cross He bore for us, must always be our priority.  To love Christ is also to love the body of Christ, His church, and every member of it.  

Love is the first fruit of the Spirit (ref. Galatians 5:22).  Love is a practical and spiritual matter.  When love prevails in a church, we will gather together faithfully at the foot of the cross, not gather into factions that divide the church.  

As long as the church has people in it, there will the the potential for conflict.  The best practical and spiritual solution is love and trust, built into an Elder led, Deacon served, Congregational church.  This can be  a biblical thing of beauty.  It shares and streamlines decision-making, while reducing the opportunities for conflict.  Yet it too must be fueled by love and trust, trust earned by love, in order to work properly.  

Paul sought to put love and trust back into the church at Corinth, using the cross of Christ.  So let’s live here for a while.  We don’t have a present conflict, but we all walk in on Sundays with feet of clay.  Learning from their past will help secure a better present and brighter future for our church.  As long as love, for Christ and His cross and His church, prevails.