First Cor Chapter 1:4-19 Thanks giving to God - and warning about division.

First Cor Chapter 1:4-19 Thanks giving to God - and warning about division.

After Paul had presented who he was and that Him and Sosthenes, were writing this letter, to the people sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be a holy people – along with all people that have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord savoir and God Christ. All because of Gods unmarried favor, grace that God sent Jesus to show that he loved the word, and Jesus is the image of God the exact imprint.  Laying the foundation, this letter is to the people that by grace have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord savior, by God’s grace. (This is what/the standard people that have trusted Jesus as Lord and savior is called to).

But first Paul returns to speak about God’s grace, and express thanksgiving to God, for the grace that God had given the Corinthians, in Christ Jesus. That they were made rich in understanding, in Christ, knowledge and understanding – and that they had trusted the testimony of Jesus, it was confirmed established. They accepted Jesus as Christ and Lord, savoir. They were also rich in gifts not lacking any, as they were waiting for the revelationof their Lord Jesus Christ.   (logos – gonis – charisma)

(For us practically daily giving thanks to God, (a for good form of worship, where God can reveal himself) – Have you taken time to Thank God – what happened? Have you taken time to thank God for what God has done in others and bore testimony of it – what happened?

If we would think on meditate on God’s grace and express that to God and others, our life would be likely filled with Joy, than complaining about circumstances and problems in our life and world – not to make light of that – but our mind set on grace and thankfulness will change our outlook on the world in all small and big, and bare a witness to people around us, - small and older). (Are we/ you giving thanks to God for what he is doing in other people?).

– Do we know we have all we need? In Christ Jesus, words to speak, knowledge, and spiritual gifts? Do we forget to give thanks? In giving thanks and focusing on Jesus we will spend more time looking to him that the problems around us, that we can’t solve anyway without his help. Giving thanks to God a powerful weapon against, grumbling, and complaning and division, instead it leads us to God, that shows us who He is in Jesus Christ our Lord, and it leads us to praise God by the power of the Holy Spirt.  

8 Paul ensuring that Jesus would sustain them to the end, and that they would stand guiltless, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back. Because God is faithful, and God called them into fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord. (It was not because they were faithful or because they went to church, God called them, they did not stand guiltless, in their actions, but in Jesus Christ life and cleaning death, therefore they could trust Jesus would sustain them, till he came again). What about you? Do you know this is true for all that believe? God is faithful, God called, Jesus sustains, and we can stand guiltless in Jesus Christ, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back. – What joy does that bring? Any concerns? If you don’t know Jesus, this a great invitation to life in Jesus name.

After encouragement of Gods grace and the call to be in the Lord Christ Jesus, who would help them endure and stand guiltless at his coming, Paul will now address the problem of division.

10. Paul implore, urge, exhort, encourages the Corinthians to agree (in Christ) and not divide in fractions, but to be united, in mind and judgment. (Lets us just pause to say this goes for believers not people that are not, we are not to be united with darkness and evil).

A gathering of believers and many new ones are made up of many people still not made perfect, therefore division can easily arise, also from pride and arrogance, God must love me more that others since he gave me this gift and this knowledge…   

11. Paul got word from Chloe’s people – (servants, slaves, freed men, members of her house hold). One can speculate a lot, about who Chloe were and who here people were, - but this it the only time Chloe is mentioned, in the bible, and she is not mentioned but her people are.  – What we can know is that Chloe and her people are known by the Corinthians, and likely, would be trusted people, that could give a true and right account of what is going on at Corinth. Therefore, Paul uses this testimony to address and correct the Corinthians, quarreling among the fellowship. 12 Fractions, that say they follow Paul, Apollos (from Alexandria, competent in the scriptures and helped understand Jesus better, by Priscilla and Aquila, Appollo’s was powerfully showing that Jesus was God Acts 18), and Cephas/Peter (Simon Peter from the Gospels one of the disciples of Jesus), - and the followers of Christ. Paul addresses this issue: it sounds like the fellowship is fracturing in to groups ( of preference). “Well, I like Paul better that Peter and Apollos! What Paul can only write and not preach like  Apollos, - Not me I follow Peter he was with Jesus at first. (some bowl might attest to this being something normal in Corinth where you would state who you follow even on bowls and other things – and it was in Jewish history I follow this teaching and this rabbi).

Paul is like what are you thinking? I did write about this in the introduction? I talk about the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ? Is Christ divided? The intro said that: whoever calls on Jesus’ name is his. Then it is not about following a person, - Paul/S presses more: Were Paul crucified for you? (rhetorical negative).

The main point, you are getting distract by the preachers and teachers and your preference for them (pride and arrogance and failing to understand what the grace of God does), - but none of them are the ones you should put their faith and trust in, - no, it is the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who you are the foundation and the one to follow. Focus on him and not your preference and experience alone. The foundation is Lord Jesus Christ.

PPT devil – division can easily happen in our fellowship: it can be language, nation, political affiliation, style of music, preaching, leading, food, well I follow this person online, or if follow that person, - it is almost always trouble when we label ourself with a different label that Jesus Christ Lord and savior, saved by grace called by God to follow). Sin not delt with, conflicts not resolved, - lead to division. – Weapons against praying for one another giving thanks to God for one another.

Looking back at what Paul had just written, are we rejoicing and giving thanks to God for the what God is doing by grace in the people in our fellowship? Knowing we can all stand guiltless in our Lord Jesus Christ, when he comes back. We might lift our eyes above look to God instead of people to trust and follow. United in mind and judgment. (Understanding and knowing the foundation: Who is Jesus Christ and what has he done? – Do you know that, and how do you live it out?)

Paul will spend some time on baptizem, - saying thank God I did not baptize any of you, well except Crispus (synagogue ruler) and Gaius, (explain them form Acts 18) – Paul is trying to get the people to stop saying that they are followers of Paul, using the argument that they were baptized by him, - and that baptizem would be in Paul’s name and not the Father, Son and Holy Spirt. 16 Paul recalls he also baptized Stephanas household (1 cor. 16 first believers in Achia and devoted to serve the saints, people that the Corinthians should be subject to they serve others). Paul thinks he did not baptize any others in Corinth. (It is not about who your baptized by, but who you are baptized to belong).

17. Paul explaining why he is not concerned about the baptizem, he points to his call that God gave him as wrote in the introduction, - to preach the gospel, and not in eloquent wisdom, or to persuade people with his words instead of the power of the power of the cross of Christ. – It is not about getting people in to the fellowship with fine rhetoric and beautiful preaching, if that makes them miss the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ. (it is trusting in the Holy Spirts power to open eyes) - That is far more important that who brings the massage, that they understand the grace of God, and understand what the cross of Christ in its power does. To bring us to God, to save, cleanse redeem, adopt, in the cross is God’s love displayed in sending Jesus, Jesus’ love for God and people in his life and death, - and that Jesus is coming back as Paul state the hope they have as they wait for Jesus to come back in glory. – Transison to Lords supper.

Next week, - more on the cross and its power.