1 & 2 Corinthians were written by Paul to the church in Corinth. The church in Corinth was a church that Paul founded (Acts 18), and spent a year and a half with them. These letters are actually the 2 nd and 4 th letters Paul sent to the church in Corinth. However, these are the only ones that survived, and that the Holy Spirit saw fit to include in the New Testament. Paul references an earlier letter in 5:9, and severe letter in between the two in 2 Corinthians 2:3-4. Both letters demonstrate a church struggling with sin, division, and other worldly influences. Paul is calling on the believers to live together in love and unity in Jesus Christ. Summary The influence of secular ethics and the Corinthians' failure to grasp the full implications of the wisdom of the cross led to their competitive party spirit (1:10-4:21), their suing one another in pagan courts (6:1-11), their dangerous brushes with sexual immorality (5:1-13; 6:12-20), their dallying with idols (8:1-11:1), their humiliation of the have-nots at the Lord's Supper (11:17-34), and their vaunting of particular spiritual gifts (12:1-14:40). A Greek worldview caused them to believe in life after death without a resurrection of the dead (15:1-58). They failed to comprehend how an earthly body that is physical and perishable could be made suitable for a heavenly realm that is spiritual and imperishable. Theological Interpretation of the New Testament, Location 1193 The point of Paul s letter is one we need to hear today: he writes to teach the Corinthians about the church. Particularly, Paul discusses what should characterize the church, and why these particular characteristics must typify the church What is the church to be like? What characteristics should we expect of church? According to, the church should be holy, united, and loving. The Message of the New Testament, Location 3365 I. Divisions in the Church Do Not Represent the Body of Christ (1-4) a. 1:10 12 (ESV) 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. The Church in Corinth had divided themselves into factions along the lines of their favorite preachers. The super spiritual said they only followed after Christ. However, their motivation wasn t spiritual. So each group felt like they had privileges and were more Godly than the others. FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 1
b. 1:26 31 (ESV) 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. The wisdom of the world is based on boasting and division. However, in Christ, there is a different wisdom that does not allow for any boasting over who we follow, who baptized us, or what we have accomplished. Our only source of boasting is what Christ has done for us. For Paul, the message of the cross is the antidote to the human self-glorification poisoning the fellowship. Victory is won by giving up life, not taking it. Selfish domination of others is discredited. Shame is removed through divine identification with the shamed in Christ's shameful death. Theological Interpretation of the New Testament, Location 1221 c. 3:1 4 (ESV) 1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, I follow Paul, and another, I follow Apollos, are you not being merely human? While the believers in Corinth thought they were super-spiritual, Paul deals them a blow by telling them that he is treating them as if they were just saved and knew nothing about how to live life as a Christian. The Corinthians were so self-absorbed they had no idea how backwards they were living the Christian life. d. 4:8 (ESV) 8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! Paul is addressing that they don t have to assign themselves to a special person for increased spiritual status. The fact that they have been redeemed has put them in a place of incredible spiritual wealth, and has put them on a plane equal to that of himself and Apollos. FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 2
II. Sin in the Church Makes Us No Different than the Rest of the World (5-7) a. 5:1 2, 6-8 (ESV) 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Paul turns to the question of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church, i.e., the problem of incest. Paul argues that not only was such behavior expressly forbidden in the OT (Lev. 18:6), but it was even abhorrent to pagans. To make matters worse, the Corinthians were proud of such behavior in their own midst (5:2)! NIV Compact Bible Commentary, Pg. 534 b. 5:9 13 (ESV) 9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you. To describe someone who is sexually immoral as a brother is to write a contradiction. These two concepts are mutually exclusive. But Paul qualifies his statement by saying that the immoral man calls himself a brother. Yet this person, because of his sin, cannot belong to the Christian community and is excluded from God s kingdom. His actions contradict everything the church teaches. If he remains within the Christian fellowship, the church can no longer be called Christian. Baker New Testament Commentary,, Pg. 169-70 c. 6:1 8 (ESV) 1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 3
and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud even your own brothers! The fact that Christians are to judge one another within the church leads Paul to the second moral problem at Corinth - Christians were taking other Christians to court. Paul appeals to the Son of Man passage in Da 7 to show that the saints (i.e., Christians) will one day judge the word with Christ. Why, then, do they not now judge one another? For Paul, the Christian s life was to be characterized by a striving to live out the principles of God s kingdom in the present age. That often means being mistreated and cheated. But that is far better than violating God s will. NIV Compact Bible Commentary, Pg. 534 d. 6:18 20 (ESV) 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Christ's lordship lays claim on the Christian's body, which is destined for resurrection, so that those who belong to Christ are not free to do with their bodies whatever they please. Hiring a prostitute for sex essentially denies Christ's ultimate sovereignty by [stealing] what belongs to Christ and handing it over to one who belongs to Satan. Theological Interpretation of the New Testament, Location 1234 e. In Chapter 7 Paul addresses issues related to marriage among believers. The topics he covers are: Due to sexual temptation most should marry v. 1-2 A husband & wife should not deprive each other sexual intimacy v. 3-5 Singleness, for those that can handle it, is good for staying focused on ministry v. 6-9, 17-40 Divorce should not sought after even if there one in the marriage is an unbeliever v. 10-16 *Note on 7:14 (ESV) 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 7:14 probably means that through their daily contact with believing family members engaging them in conversation and observing their lives unbelievers are more likely to be saved. This helps explain Paul s two rhetorical questions at the end of his argument: Wife, might you not save your FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 4
husband? Or husband, might you not save your wife? (7:16, aut.). Theology of the New Testament, Location 8999 III. Unity in the Church Centers on Unconditional and Deferential Love (8-16) a. 9:19 23 (ESV) 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. Paul teaches that one's presumed rights should be readily forfeited in the interest of saving others. At stake is whether the church will keep religious syncretism at bay so that it can remain holy to God, and whether the believer's allegiance to Christ will override all other attractions and attachments. Theological Interpretation of the New Testament, Location 1255 b. 10:23 31 (ESV) 23 All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For the earth is the Lord s, and the fullness thereof. 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, This has been offered in sacrifice, then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Consequently, the believers freedom is not one of autonomy or acting in any way they choose to act since they are secure in Christ. Such talk violates the fact that we belong to a body and we are no longer our own, but are servants of Christ and part of the whole church. The Promise-Plan of God, Location 6642 c. 11:27 34 (ESV) 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 5
drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. Apparently Christ had given Paul instructions about the Lord s Supper personally, for the apostle was not in the Upper Room when the ordinance was instituted. Paul s words speak of the broken body and shed blood of Christ for His church which are a constant reminder of His love and His coming again. We look back to the cross and forward to the coming. But the Supper had ceased to be a blessing to the church at Corinth, for the way they abused it was a cause of judgment. Their meetings were for the worse, not the better (v. 17)! This is the way spiritual matters always work: if our hearts are not right, whatever should be a blessing becomes a curse. Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament, Pg. 451-52 d. 12:4 11 (ESV) 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. The lengthy discussion of spiritual gifts in 12:1-14:40 reveals that the Corinthians have limited the "spiritual gifts" to a handful of spectacular gifts and placed tongues above prophecy as a clear sign of supernatural power working in a spiritual person. In correcting their unwarranted spiritual pride and disorderly worship, Paul obliquely critiques their infatuation with speaking in tongues. Theological Interpretation of the New Testament, Location 1270 No one should feel superior because he or she possesses a particular spiritual endowment. The Spirit decides who gets what gift and apportions them according to the need in the community, not according to the value of the recipient. All are gifted by God in some way and encouraged to contribute their gifts in ways that will build FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 6
up the community. Spiritual gifts are not indicators of one's spiritual status. Theological Interpretation of the New Testament, Location 1276 e. 13:4 7 (ESV) 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. The love chapter is not a disconnected section of paragraphs in the middle of the discussion on spiritual gifts. However, they are lynchpins to the how believers are to use their spiritual gifts in the body. We are not to envy others, and we are not to use our gifts in a way that brings attention to ourselves. This chapter hits at the heart of the problem in Corinth their life has nothing to do with others, and is all about themselves. f. 15:12 19 (ESV) 12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. The credibility of Christ s resurrection is strengthened by the large number of witnesses to his post-resurrection appearances, many of whom were still alive in AD 56 as this letter was being written. Everything they stood for or hoped for depended on the reality of the resurrection. If Jesus had not come back from the dead, everything the church taught and lived for was in vain, and all believers were still in their sin. But thanks be to God, the faith of the Corinthians was not in vain, for God raised him from the grave. The Promise-Plan of God, Location 6677 Takeaways from God desires unity among His church Unity is based on a life of unselfishness and holiness Righteousness matters even though we aren t governed by the Law of Moses The body is to be focused on the edification of the Church through the love for the saints All of our hope as believers centers on the truth of the resurrection of Christ FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 7
Bibliography David E. Garland, vol. 29, 2 Corinthians, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001). Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, vol. 19, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001). Sailhamer, John. NIV Compact Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, (MI: Zondervan, 1994). Thielman, Frank. Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1997). The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001). FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 8