1 Route 66 Understanding 1 and 2 Corinthians Dr. Stephen Rummage, Senior Pastor Bell Shoals Baptist Church May 17, 2017 1 Corinthians 4:14 (ESV) I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 1 Corinthians 4:15 (ESV) For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Structure of 1 and 2 Corinthians 1. Paul s Correction of the Church (1 Corinthians 1-6) 2. Paul s Instruction to the Church (1 Corinthians 7-16) 3. Paul s Explanation of His Ministry (2 Corinthians 1-5) 4. Paul s Exhortation to the Church (2 Corinthians 6-9) 5. Paul s Vindication of His Apostleship (2 Corinthians 10-13) We Aim to Please 2 Corinthians 5:9-21 2 Corinthians 5:9 (ESV) So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. 1. Because of the Judgment We Must Face 2 Corinthians 5:10(ESV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 2 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV) Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 2 Corinthians 5:12 (ESV) We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 2 Corinthians 5:13 (ESV) For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 2. Because of the Love We Have Experienced 2 Corinthians 5:14 (ESV) For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that One has died for all, therefore all have died;
2 Corinthians 5:15 (ESV) and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:16 (ESV) From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. 3. Because of the Change We Have Undergone 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 4. Because of the Assignment We Have Received 2 Corinthians 5:18 (ESV) All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 2 Corinthians 5:19 (ESV) that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2
Understanding 1 Corinthians Meaning: Named for the recipient of the letter Author: Paul Audience: The Church at Corinth Date of Writing: 55 AD Theme: A practical letter dealing with moral and spiritual problems and questions. Key Verses: 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 Structure of 1 Corinthians I. Reproof: The Report of Sin (1-6) a. Divisions in the Church (1:4-4:21) b. Discipline in the Church (5) c. Disputes in the Courts (6:1-8) d. Defilement in the World (6:9-20 II. Instruction: Reply to Questions (7-16) a. Concerning Marriage (7) b. Concerning Idols (8-10) c. Concerning Church Ordinances (11) d. Concerning Spiritual Gifts (12-14) e. Concerning the Resurrection (15) f. Concerning the Offering (16) Important Emphases The Judgment Seat of Christ (3:11-15) The Temple of the Holy Spirit (6:19-20) The Glory of God (10:31) The Lord s Supper (11:23-34) Love (Chapter 13) The Exercise of Gifts (Chapters 12-14) Resurrection (Chapter 15)
The Race for the Crown What does it take to be a champion in a given sport? For one, it is necessary to have a dedication to succeed no matter what the cost. A passion for the game is certainly essential, as is a single-minded determination to accomplish the task at hand. A willingness to train incessantly is also required. And a burning desire for the trophy or prize awarded to the one who wins is an absolute must. In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul drew a direct comparison between the Christian life and an athletic competition. This comparison would have had immediate resonance with Paul s Corinthian readers. Corinth was the site of the Isthmian games, a great athletic festival that was very similar to the Olympic games. Contestants in the Isthmian games endured ten months of mandatory training. Anyone who failed to complete this training was barred from competing in the games. The highlight of the Isthmian games was a great endurance race, It was this race that Paul used as an illustration to depict the faithful Christian life. In the Isthmian games, several athletes competed for one prize; there could be only one winner. In contrast, the Christian life offers the opportunity for many people to be winners. The winner of the Isthmian games received a pine wreath crown. Those who faithfully complete the Christian life, on the other hand, will receive an imperishable crown. Paul illustrates the champion mindset required to faithfully complete the Christian life with his statements, I run thus; not with uncertainty and Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air (9:26). Paul was not an aimless competitor. He had a clearly defined goal. Like an athlete preparing for a race or a boxing match, Paul knew that he had to discipline his body; he had to force himself to maintain the strenuous, consistent practice needed for success. The race that Paul prepared himself for, the race that all Christians need to prepare themselves for, was the calling of God. Paul taught that Christians are rewarded for the calling that God gives them. Paul had an apostolic ministry for which he sacrificed all things. He knew that if he was faithful to his calling he would receive a reward from the Lord for his service (4:2). Paul also knew that if he ignored or treated lightly his mission he would not receive from God the victor s crown for service. Having seen some of his close friends forsake their calling (see 2 Tim. 4:10), Paul recognized that the loss of the victor s crown was a very real possibility for any believer, regardless of his or her standing in the Christian community. The apostle s overwhelming passion was to fulfill his ministry at all costs, to stay faithful to the fight (9:26) to the very end. In Paul s last letter, written shortly before his death, we discover that he accomplished his goal (see 2 Tim. 4:6-8). Paul s spiritual training was the very best available. Yet he did not assume that he would automatically persevere to the end of the race. He continued to discipline himself, to fight, and follow his calling from God. In doing so, Paul provided an ideal model for all Christians striving to become champions. The Nelson Study Bible : New King James Version. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1997.
Understanding 2 Corinthians Meaning: Named for the recipient of the letter Author: Paul Audience: The Church at Corinth Date of Writing: 55 AD Theme: Threefold: 1) to express joy at the favorable response of the church to Paul s ministry; 2) to remind the believers of their commitment to the offering for the Christians in Judea; and 3) to defend Paul s apostolic authority. Key Verses: 2 Corinthians 5:16-25 Structure of 2 Corinthians I. Paul s Explanation of His Ministry (1-5) a. Suffering, But Not Defeated (1) b. Sorrowing, But Not Despairing (2) c. Spiritual, Not Carnal (3) d. Sincere, Not Deceitful (4) e. Serious, Not Careless (5) II. Paul s Exhortation to the Church (6-9) a. Paul s Ministry Examined (6:1-13) b. Paul Encourages Separation From Sin (6:14-7:1) c. Paul Requests Reconciliation in the Lord (7:2-16) d. Paul Asks for Cooperation in the Offering (8-9) III. Paul s Vindication of His Apostleship (10-13) a. Paul Defends His Manner (10) b. Paul Explains His Motives (11) c. Paul Asserts His Merit (12) d. Paul Tells of His Mission (13)
The Judgment Seat of Christ What does it involve? Only believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The great white throne judgment described in Rev. 20:11-15 is for unbelievers. What is it? At His judgment seat, Jesus will determine a believer s faithfulness to Him and reward each person appropriately (see 1 Cor. 3:11-15). This will not be a determination of one s eternal destiny; that issue is decided the moment a person believes in Christ. Who will preside? The risen Christ. Where will it occur? Heaven (5:8). When will it occur? The Scriptures do not specify when this will occur. It is obviously at a time when all Christians are gathered in heaven. What is the nature of these eternal rewards? Some commentators consider the various crowns mentioned in the New Testament as the rewards (1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 2:10). These will eventually be placed before the throne of God (Rev. 4:10). Others point to the parable of the minas in Luke 19:11-27 and see the prospects of serving and ruling in eternity as being directly tied to our faithfulness on earth. We do not know the exact nature of the new heavens and new earth or the kingdom of God. But the Scriptures do seem to imply that eternity will involve serving and reigning (Matt. 25:21, 23; Rev.22:3, 5). Why is this doctrine significant? Knowing that in the future we will stand before Jesus Christ and face a review of our lives should motivate us to live righteously and faithfully in the present. How can we prepare for our eternal audit? Walk by faith and not be sight (5:7). Develop a longing for heaven (5:8). Make it our chief aim in life to please the Lord (5:9). Keep the judgment seat of Christ in view (5:10). Source: The Nelson Study Bible : New King James Version. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1997