Notes 1 Cor 3 - Singles
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Hebrews 6:1 (JFB): leaving—getting further forward than the elementary “principles.” “As in building a house one must never leave the foundation: yet to be always laboring in ‘laying the foundation’ would be ridiculous” [Calvin].
1 Corinthians 3:3 (JFB): envying—jealousy, rivalry. As this refers to their feelings, “strife” refers to their words, and “divisions” to their actions [Bengel]. There is a gradation, or ascending climax: envying had produced strife, and strife divisions (factious parties) [Grotius]. His language becomes severer now as He proceeds; in 1 Co 1:11 he had only said “contentions,” he now multiplies the words (compare the stronger term, 1 Co 4:6, than in 1 Co 3:21).
carnal—For “strife” is a “work of the flesh” (Ga 5:20). The “flesh” includes all feelings that aim not at the glory of God, and the good of our neighbor, but at gratifying self.
walk as men—as unregenerate men (compare Mt 16:23). “After the flesh, not after the Spirit” of God, as becomes you as regenerate by the Spirit (
1 Corinthians 3:7 (JFB): 7. neither is he that … anything … but God—namely, is all in all. “God” is emphatically last in the Greek, “He that giveth the increase (namely), God.” Here follows a parenthesis, 1 Co 3:8–21, where “Let no man glory in men” stands in antithetic contrast to “God” here.
What is being built—diff materials:1 Corinthians 3:10–11 (JFB): the doctrinal and practical teaching which the teachers who succeeded Paul, superadded to his first teaching; not that they taught what was false, but their teaching was subtle and speculative reasoning, rather than solid and simple truth.
11. (Is 28:16; Ac 4:12; Eph 2:20).
Next goals:
Outline, comms, additional thoughts… answering Qs...
Intro:
Called to be saints… BUT: Corinth’s immaturity, infant-status, fleshly, “merely human” state…
we’re called to be saints… but sometimes we squander the grace given to us to become holy and live beneath our calling… beneath our standing, status… we forget who we are… we grow lazy, distracted…?
The Problem of unholy Christians… practically immoral, compromising, fruitless Christians, immature Christians…
The GLORY and BEAUTY of the holy life!!!! Make them WANT to be holy, YEARN for and PANT for holiness...
Topical: HOW to BE HOLY, NOT HELLISH 1 Corinthians 3
What does holiness look like and how do we GROW in it, according to 1 Cor 3?
A) What it Looks Like:
1) You Are Able to Eat Spiritual Meat (vv.1-2)
the SHOCKING reality of 1:5-7… they had been enriched in all speech and knowledge, but it hadn’t matured their souls… they knew things perhaps in their heads, had great knowledge and even articulate about the things of God, but whose hearts and lives were little impacted and benefited by this knowledge
2) You Don’t Divide Over Christian Leaders (vv.3-4//1:11-15)
They all have the same source! GOD! God receives the glory from all! Gives fruit to all!
They all belong to the universal church! v.22
They are ONE v.8, have the same HS, same ultimate end; fellow-workers in the SAME work, and htere is no shortage of work to be done, or jealousy or ambition to want another to fail or to take my work/field/sheep from me (SYNERGOI! fellow workers with God!!!) - work together!!!
the church is GOD’s field and building, NOT the pastor’s!
3) You Don’t Overly Exalt Christian Leaders (vv.5-9, v.21)
“servants” is what they are… “nothing”… mere vessels used by the God of all grace to bring about their salvation
NO matter how gifted and great the Christian, he is useless apart from the gracious working of God… we cannot bear a single fruit apart from the vine; apart from me you can do nothing!!!!
Danger of deifying ministers… sorely disappointed when they fail you…
They are useful — and have variety of services, they are used by God to accomplish his plan!!!
4) You Build Up The Church With Good Works (vv.10-15)
MH: Ministers BUILD with precious stones: pure doctrine, not intermingled with their own ideas, imaginations, inventions…, without adding or removing from God’s whole Word
5) You Know Who You Are (v.9, 16-17)
6) You Don’t Corrupt The Church (v.17)
7) You’re A Fool for Christ (vv.18-20)
Love and Preach the Gospel! Love and PREACH Christ!
B) HOW do we become holy in these ways?
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and Be Baptized Into His Body (First step: Conversion, Entrance into the “holy” Temple of God)
2. Join a Church with Spirit-Empowered, Humble, Gospel-Preaching Pastors Who Feed You (2:3-6, 10,13, 3:2)
3. Serve With All Your Heart By The Grace God Supplies
v.10 “according to the grace of God given to us”
Make USE of the GRACE of God
Depend on the grace of GOd for all fruit
v.10c “take care how he builds on it” — careful, vigilant living
Don’t waste time
Don’t waste your retirement
4. REMEMBER What is YOURS in Christ (3:21-23)
IF you do these 4 things, YOU WILL INCREASE in holiness, INCREASE in saintliness, in beauty and attractiveness, with the imperishable beauty
Key Themes:
THE GREAT THEME: True Wisdom (a vital part of our holiness, saintliness)
ST: Christian Virtue?**
True WISDOM, goes with holiness, maturity...
BE a SAINT “Grow in God’s Wisdom” - The Wisdom of God Vs the Wisdom of the World
FCF/Problems in Corinth (That which was hindering their holiness, maturity, spirituality and “saintliness”)
Looking for worldly wisdom above spiritual, divine wisdom
Liking, preferring and dividing over which leader is superior — Apollos? Paul? Jesus? leading to “jealousy and strife” 3:4 (JUST LIKE THE WORLD; Becoming like the culture, being influenced by the wise and popular of their day! the intellectual, the impressive, the famous of their day— the trends of their day.)
social advancement (perhaps influenced by the “wise” speakers and orators of the day…
MORE interested in the rhetorical skills of preachers than the SUBSTANCE and message of what they preach
commenting more on the mechanics and the skill of the preacher, rather than the MESSAGE proclaimed. WOW — a sign of immature, infantile faith!!!!!!
My listeners:
Share the influence of Willow and other evangelical or mainline churches that want to BE like the world; wise like the world; self-advancing, self-help, worldly success + pleasure; debating and dividing over useless, meaningless topics and issues, rather than maintaining UNITY in the essentials; UNITY in what we share in common (ALL things!… the UNITY of the body of Christ!!!!
Wanting the life, the culture, the CHURCH to look like the world — short, motivational, Ted-talk like inspiritational talks, rather than SOUND doctrine instruction in the things of God, moving on to maturity of faith and virtue, of mature Christian life and courage and depth and fearlessness, frutifulness!!!!
Meaningless, futile debates, dissensions, divinsions… strife, gossip, like the world; we put down others to advance ourselves;
Single Word: Wisdom
SC: What is
Ch. 2
Worldly wisdom vs spiritual wisdom
1:17 “preach the gospel not with words of eloquent wisdom” —>empties cross of its power
vs “preaching the gospel: the word of the cross, “folly” to the world, “foolishness of God” — simple Gospel preaching, Christ-crucified
2:1 “proclaiming…the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom”
vs. “knowing NOTHING among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified…with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling”
2:4 “speech/message in plausible words of wisdom” —> faith resting in wisdom of men;
vs demonstration of the Spirit and of power —>faith resting in the power of God
2:6 “wisdom of this age/of the rulers of this age”
vs “Secret and HIDDEN wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our GLORY”
SO, wisdom that PASSES away; VS wisdom that leads to GLORY!!!!
the rulers of this age did NOT understand God’s secret wisdom in Christ; they MISSED it, and so they CRUCIFIED the Lord of glory
2:9-13 Wisdom from humans, words of human wisdom; from the philosophy, intellect, reason of MAN
VS God’s REVELATION through the Holy Spirit!!!! “Spiritual Truths” “Things of the Spirit of God” “Spiritually discerned” “the MIND of Christ!”
So, naturally discerned wisdom, VS spiritually discerned wisdom!!!
**2:6 “Yet among the mature we DO impart wisdom, although it is NOT a wisdom of this AGE or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.”
Again, distinction b/w “Wisdom of THIS age” and Wisdom of the Age to Come, of heaven! of God, as opposed to the rulers of THIS age; of the eternal God and Logos, immortal — as opposed to those doomed to perish.
What wisdom does this world/age, culture, leaders, influencers, rulers teach?
vs. the wisdom of Christ in the Gospel!?
3:4 “merely human”
we have the MIND of Christ, we are not MERELY human — we are inhabited by the divine Word, the Son, the Beloved Wisdom of God!
We HAVE mind of Christ — what does this mean? And how do we exercise this?
The Corinthians were acting “of the flesh and behaving only in a human way”? THIS IS OUT OF LINE for a saint!!!!
you are MORE than merely human… you are a partaker of the divine nature. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit!!!
We don’t get the excuse for sin, saying “Oh, well I’m only human…” This may explain why we sin, but it for sure is no excuse if you are a Christian. If you are a christian you are MORE than merely human, more than human… you are filled with God’s fullness, filled in Christ!!!!
“Because of him/From him you are IN CHRIST JESUS, who became to us...”
You are IN GOD the Son; IN GOD; sharing in the life of God, partaking in His divine nature; You and Christ have become ONE spirit…
How rarely do we walk and live in the light of this breath-taking reality?!?!
3:5-9
v.9 the importance of being PART of a local church; a field+building of God in which leaders are working and God is growing!
How to be holy?
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
is “each one” a pastor/leader like Paul or Apollos only, or are ALL the saints building upon the foundation?
ESPECIALLY pastors/leaders, beginning with us, then by implication all the saints called to follow and imitate the leaders, to be equipped by them for the work of ministry, “for building up the body of Christ” — EACH has received a gift!!!!
— BE CAREFUL how you BUILD, living your life, serve and are involved in the local church, a faithful worshiping community where Baptism/Lord’s Supper are practiced, where church discipline is exercised, where the WORD of God is faithfully preached, where Christ is exalted and the Spirit stirs.
Be CAREFUL. and be warned of SUFFERING loss, if you waste your life, and DON’T contribute positively to the work of the church, of the kingdom of God; You WILL regret this, Christian.
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Jealousy and strife are no little thing — they can DESTROY a church!
SERIOUSNESS of pride, arrogance, boasting, worldly wisdom and competition concerning oratory, skills, gifts; PRIDE in being WISE in your own wise, WISE in this age; wow… such church strife and conflict can lead to division and destruction of a church; those who destroy God’s church, GOD will destroy HIM!!! BEWARE of arrogance, and where it can lead…
How are you contributing to your local church? to the universal church? On what foundation are you building? Christ, the foundation of the Church — living and laboring for the maturity and holiness of the Church and the advance of the Kingdom of God? Or on some other foundation… Granted you’re building on the foundation of Christ, the work of ministry, “labor in the Lord” — with what materials are you building?
the distinctions b/w these materials…
We as pastors are to equip the saints for the work of ministry — YOU are fellow workers with God AND God’s field, building
3:18-23
Who are the wise in this age—who think themselves wise? Who were the rulers of this age who did NOT understand the wisdom of God, and thus crucified Christ? (2:8)
Both Roman — pagan rulers, centurions etc. Pilate!
And Jewish — scribes, pharisees, elders of Jews, King Herod — those in power with influence, thought themselves SOMETHING!!!!
Those in power — the wealthy; those who corrupt God’s morals! Those who TWIST morality… to conform to their desires, what’s good in their own eyes
Apparently successful in the eyes of the world and themselves...
Those who REJECT God’s Words, who reject Christ; who are GREEDY, proud, and selfish
The temptation for us Christians is to BE like the world! TO be WISE like the world! Wise and on the same level as the “wise of this age” — danger with debating on the same plane with a Muslim or an atheist… MLJ’s concern.
John Lennox with Dawkins was so sad, b/c Lennox IS biblically a FOOL in their mind; and in that setting being mocked by an atheist, there is little fruit — b/c Lennox isn’t able to PREACH with power the simple Gospel...
CF:
Quote from Job 5:13
He catches the wise in their own craftiness,
and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
Eliphaz’ WISE words to Job, though wrong application to Job’s circumstance — Eliphaz testifies of the God who “does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number: … then in this list of God’s GREAT things/works, he includes,
“He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve NO success (5:12)
“He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.” (5:13)
he continues, “They meet with darkness in the daytime and grope at noonday as in the night. BUT [by contrast] [God] saves the NEEDY from the sword of their mouth and from the hand of the mighty. So the poor have HOPE, and injustice shuts her mouth.” (vv14-16)
Here these “crafty” “wise” “wily” pursuers of successful achievement and schemes are // to the mighty and those who have a “sword of their mouth” — those with sharp words… even injustice (v.16)
APP:
God FRUSTRATES the worldly wise [contrasted with the lowly and mourning, needy and poor who suffer at their hands], who scheme and craftily plan for their own prosperity and advance [“their hands achieve no success”], at the expense of others (esp. the poor); use their wisdom and might for self-advancement, comfort, pleasure, power, influence; they plan schemes with cunning and craftiness
Wisdom for the sake of advancement and worldly SUCCESS
But they will “achieve no success” TRULY, in God’s eyes… no REAL, spiritual, lasting success — whereas those who labor in the Lord, THEIR work is NEVER in vain, goes into eternity
Schemes brought to a “quick end” — in God’s eyes, SPEEDY justice Lk 18, might be decades, but in the light of eternity, in God’speed, it is QUICK!!
Cut corners, unjust… dishonest gain;
God is AGAINST such wisdom and such “WISE” people — they THINK merely horizontally; they care not for the poor or for the Kingdom, for heaven… only for themselves.
They remain in spiritual darkness (v14)
THINK the successful millionaires and billionaires who care not a shred for others… much of the self-help world
They remain in spiritual darkness
the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,
that they are but a breath.
(LXX quoted) … that they are futile.
Imprecatory psalm against the “earth”, “the proud”, “the wicked” who exult, pouring out arrogant words, evildoers boasting, crushing God’s people, afflicting God’s heritage, kill the widow, sojourner, murder the fatherless; they REJECT GOD: Wisdom of the world REJECTS GOD!!! Also described in vv.20-21 as “wicked rulers” “those who frame injustice by statute” — who LEGISLATE injustice and EVIL!!!!
“they say, ‘The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” (v.7)
Functional ATHEISTS!!!
Wise of the world are called by the psalmist to Ps 94:8
Understand, O dullest of the people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
and to acknowledge that GOD the creator of ear, eye, who disciplines the nations, HE is the One who “teaches man knowledge”--
v.11*** the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.”
APP: the vapor, shortness, FUTILITY, VANITY of the world’s wisdom.
MAYBE it can benefit you for a time, for temporary comfort and pleasure and power; oh, but such knowledge, such thoughts, such wisdom is but a breath! it will perish! it will come to a quick end! Before Holy Judge, those who are arrogant, unjust, wicked, evil and yet successful, exulting in their power and prestige, arrogant, oppressing God’s people --
CONTRASTING worldly wisdom of the wicked to the righteous being “taught knowledge by God”—the all-seeing, all-hearing, all-powerfully Sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords and Judge! “Whom you teach out of your law” - spiritual wisdom from REVELATION, from God’s LAW! Such wisdom from God brings “rest from days of trouble”, peace;
3:19 // Do not be wise in your own eyes! Proverb (Not thinking for highly of oneself than you ought!)
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
Isaiah 5:8 (ESV)
Woe to those who join house to house,
who add field to field,
until there is no more room,
and you are made to dwell alone
in the midst of the land.
These worldly wise ACCUMULATE wealth, MORE and more land, at the expense of the poor!!!!
Isaiah 5:12–13 (ESV)
They have lyre and harp,
tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,
but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord,
or see the work of his hands.
Therefore my people go into exile
for lack of knowledge;
their honored men go hungry,
and their multitude is parched with thirst.
Isaiah 5:20–24 (ESV)
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight!
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,
and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
and deprive the innocent of his right!
Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,
and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,
so their root will be as rottenness,
and their blossom go up like dust;
for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
Word Study
Destroy
C: in relation to building upon the foundation of Christ, the HOLY temple of the Church… with GOOD quality materials…things that endure fire.
Works — the image of building the church with wood, hay, straw, things that WILL be destroyed by the fire… of God’s judgment… are you building the Church with things that will be destroyed?
E: AGREED (Except KJV “defile”)
A: 1 Cor 15:33
1 Corinthians 15:33 (ESV)
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.
2 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV)
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
L: corrupt, destroy, ruin, waste, spoil, cause harm, deprave
Used to describe destruction of a house, or of marriage contracts (often)
“to cause deterioration of the inner life” - by erroneous teaching or immorality
Jeremiah 13:9 (ESV)
“Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.
S:
It can mean destroy, as in a house or a temple, or a marriage contract—it can mean ruin and corrupt and spoil someting that is good (like a pure virgin), through immorality or erroneous doctrine;
NO one can actually destroy God’s Temple, the universal church — though professing Christians CAN destroy any given local church through their jealousy, strife, pride, division...
So GOd is WARNING all in Corinth, those deceived and led astray by the culture, world’s wisdom, that if they by their division destroy God’s Temple—the church in COrinth—God will destroy them!!!
Folly - moria μωρία//moros
C: context is the distinction b/w divine and worldly wisdom; human and spiritual wisdom; human eloquence and divine power; and the immaturity of apparent human wisdom leading to earthly success as opposed to the MATURITY and divinity of God’s revealed wisdom...
E:
Folly mostly agree on “foolishness” in place of “folly”
Amp adds (absurdity, stupidity)
Contemp - “nonsense”
MSG “What the world calls smart, God calls stupid.”
A:
1 Cor 1:18 The WORD of the cross is MORIA [folly] to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the POWER of God
1 Corinthians 1:21 (ESV)
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly [MORIA] of what we preach to save those who believe.
1 Corinthians 1:23 (ESV)
but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly [the Gospel is MORIA] to Gentiles,
I SAW this in the dialogue b/w the two Muslims, Imran interviewing Dr. Hamza… SO sad… they were mocking in utter disdain and unbelief the message of the cross.
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
L: foolishness, silliness, folly, what is thought to be foolish, the content of foolish thought
makes no sense’ or ‘… simply cannot be understood.
S: God considers the world—in opposition to Him and His kingdom—with their smarts, successful, “cutting-edge” knowledge and pop-psych, the wisdom of the culture’s sages and influencers as stupid, ridiculous, total silly nonsense. Those who think they have the upper hand, at the expense of the poor or the masses, the high-brow elites, are in fact under God’s judgment—going to be “caught” in a trap of their own making, and end up in total ruin, their success and achievements and influence absolutely futile/vain.
Craftiness - πανουργίᾳ
all agree!
A:
Ephesians 4:14 (ESV)
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Human theology, that which caters to our sensual or earthly desires, yet still holding on to a skeleton of truth — partial truth, or half-true, “doctrines” of men that have the fingerprint of the devil’s deceit, where we become lord, “like God” knowing good and evil...
2 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV)
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
- “disgraceful, underhanded” deceitful ways, self-propagation… false, additional ideas, ideologies of culture imported into our doctrine and theology...
Who are those who practice cunning and tamper with God’s word?
The affirming theologians
the CT theologians
the Catholic theologians...
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
LXX prudence in Pr 1:4
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
and in Pr 8:5
O simple ones, learn prudence;
O fools, learn sense.
Jos 9:4 the Gibeonites acted with Panourgia!!! Cunning.
Gen 3:1 in Sym/Ap LXX’s… Satan/serpent crafty...
L: craftiness, trickery, knavery, villainy, cleverness
BDAG: rascally evil!
Futile
C: In psalm, the wicked human beings who concoct plans and whose thoughts are but a breath, in comparison to the Almighty Creator God...
The futility of the wisdom of men-in-opposition to God and the gospel
Futile: does not bear lasting fruit, let alone beyond this earth/life...
Such wicked “wise” end in judgment and hellfire… their wisdom made their way to hell more comfortable perhaps, but in the light of eternity is absolutely useless!!!
E: useless (NASB, Leg), vain (KJV), HCSB “Reasonings of wise are meaningless”; worthless (NLT
A: 1 Cor 15:17
1 Corinthians 15:17 (ESV)
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins
— your faith has NO value! No lasting value! No ultimate value, eternal value - but also present purpose. Its vain… its purposeless (if Christ is not raise)
Titus 3:9 (ESV)*******
But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
The worthlessness of controversies, geneologies, and petty quarels that distract us from the most important things like the kingdom of God, the love of God, the love of neighbor, the GOSPEL — worthless debates and arguments — literally gain NOTHING from such things, they waste time and rot the soul and the spirituality of those involved…
L: useless, empty, fruitless, vain, idle, frivolous, powerless, lacking truth, “of no use”!
O: 1 Pet 1:18
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
these ways of your former life gained you NOTHING (of genuine worth)
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
Your religion/faith is WORHTLESS, futile, VAIN if you don’t bridle your tongue, but deceive your heart...
the tongue is a GREAT gauge, thermostat for your genuine faith or lack thereof…
S:
The worldly wise scheme, plan, think of ways to advance, to better their lives, to be right, to be favored, to be the best, “jealousy” “strife” , they want to have the upper hand — literally their thoughts are worthless...
the power of our thoughts…
What we SHOULD be thinking about… the power of Godly thinking; versus the vanity even of their “positive-thinking”, if devoid of Jesus...
Questions
What kind of PREACHING does the Lord demand and expect from us?
I should intentionally avoid any speech, words, vocabulary, that might distract, unnecessarily exalt/highlight my own intellect
I should PREACH Christ and Him crucified, CLEAR, compelling; biblical theological; depending on the Spirit’s POWER, anointing for the conviction and transformation of my hearers, not firstly or primarily my speech, persuasiveness, or arguments...
I should have solid logical arguments… I should have vivid imagery and vocab and illustrations that help convey CHRIST and His work; but I am not an entertainer — WOW (Joel Osteen!!! He fits in this category!!!! and in so doing empties the cross of its power before his hearers. TRAGIC!!!)
I do want wisdom — to say things memorably, helpfully, using alliteration and other rhetorical devices carefully, sparingly — ensuring that SOUND instruction, doctrine, and fervent application is made to the minds and hearts of my hearers....
What wisdom does this world/age, culture, leaders, influencers, rulers teach?
vs. the wisdom of Christ in the Gospel!?
The most common “worldly wisdom” in the Church, that has departed from God’s wisdom?
Anything that departs from a Gospel of Christ and Him crucified
Joel Osteen! and all prosperity preachers;
Entertainment over sound preaching, Spirit-empowered preaching
CT, SJW!!!
Self-Help, Topical Messages w/o Christ…
New Age: YOU are great, YOU are Wise, a ME-centered Gospel… a MAN-centered Gospel
Moralistic messages; Be a better person; mainline Cty… Be a good person
Much of Catholicism, that does not PREACH with faithfulness the person of Jesus AS our salvation and holiness in Him!!!!
AND all we inherit in Him!!!
How has worldly wisdom penetrated the Church? And our lives as Christians?
that Christianity is simply a list of dos and don’ts, a self-help program for living my best life now;
That what matters most is me being happy, fulfilled,
Good retirement… good paying job; successful career;
When was Paul feeding the Corinthians with milk? When he was among them? Or in his letters? “I fed you with milk…for you were not ready for [solid food]. And even NOW you are not yet ready, for you are still OF the flesh.” 3:3
How? How are they IN the flesh?
“For while there is JEALOUSY and STRIFE among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul’ and another ‘I follow Apollos’, are you not being merely human?”
Being merely HUMAN is a REBUKE from Paul to the Corinthian saints.
Quotes:
“All things are yours.”
Spurgeon on “all spiritual blessings”: “A new heart, a tender conscience, a submissive will, faith, hope, love, patience, we have all these in Christ. Regeneration, justification, adoption, sanctification, perfection are all in Christ. If we do not take them out, it is the fault of our palsied hand, that has not strength enough to grasp them; but he has given us all spiritual blessings in Christ. Whenever you read your Bible, and see a great promise, do not hesitate to claim it. He hath given us all spiritual blessings in Christ. "I am afraid," says one, "that I should be presuming if I took some of the promises." He hath given us all spiritual blessings in Christ. You are in your Father's house; you cannot steal; for your Father says, "Help yourself to what you like." He has made over his whole estate of spiritual wealth to every believing child of his; wherefore take freely, and you will, by doing so, glorify God. He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ.”
P: Let us be a church of gold, silver, and precious stones! That every member of our church would be skilled master builders, building with the BEST of materials, contributing their firstfruits of heart, soul, mind, and strength!!! Do this, O God...
Comms.
MH: those false teachers who weaken or lighten gods commands, permit loose living and immorality—they will be destroyed v16-17
‘ Do not be led away from the truth and simplicity of the gospel by pretenders to science and eloquence, by a show of deep learning, or a flourish of words, by rabbis, orators, or philosophers." Note, We are in great danger of deceiving ourselves when we have too high an opinion of human wisdom and arts; plain and pure Christianity will be likely to be despised by those who can suit their doctrines to the corrupt taste of their hearers, and set them off with fine language, or support them with a show of deep and strong reasoning” v18-20
The wisdom which worldly men esteem (policy, philosophy, oratory) is foolishness with God.It is so in a way of comparison with his wisdom. He chargeth his angels with folly (Job 4:18), and much more the wisest among the children of men. His understanding is infinite,Psalms 147:5.
Faucet
Hebrews 5:14–Hebrews 6 (JFB): to discern both good and evil—as a child no longer an infant (Is 7:16): so able to distinguish between sound and unsound doctrine. The mere child puts into its mouth things hurtful and things nutritious, without discrimination: but not so the adult. Paul again alludes to their tendency not to discriminate, but to be carried about by strange doctrines, in Heb 13