1 Corinthians 2nd lesson: “God’s Grace and Gifts to a Messy Church”

Introduction

The church of Corinth was a mess.

1 Corinthians 1:3 “3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 1:4–9 NIV

4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Despite the purpose of the letter Paul still finds reason to praise

The grace they had been given

As messed up as it is, as bad as the problems were that they had, the church had still experienced the grace of God.

Grace is God’s undeserved blessings in Christ A great way to remember the meaning of the word grace is the acrostic:

God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

Genuinely Redeemed And Cleansed Eternally.

The enrichment they had been given

They were enriched in everyway

What does this mean?

We have everything that Christ has to give, and He gives everything that we need 

They were enriched in their speech

They would be given and everything that they needed to say

One of the most common excuses that I think Christians use when speaking for their Lord is something like, “I don’t know what to say” or “I don’t know how to say it” or “I just don’t think I can do it.” Paul shatters this.

The word translated speech, or “utterance,” (logos, log’-os) means to speak God’s truth.

They were enriched with knowledge

All knowledge doesn’t mean that we know everything. But we are given everything that we need to know to speak effectively for the Lord. Or in other words, God has given us enough revelation and will give us enough understanding to speak His truth to the world

The confirmation they were given

This word confirmed stands out. And here’s what basically what Paul is telling them: your life confirms that your testimony is real. 

How do you know Christianity is true? Just look at someone with a changed life. When you’re born again you get a front-row seat to God changing you. Your speech is changed, your desires change, your attitude is changed. It’s like your eyes are opened! And that’s the confirmation of Christ in you.

So Paul is saying that the changed lives of the Corinthians, specifically their “speaking” and “knowledge” (as we saw in v. 5) demonstrated the validity of the message of the Gospel. We have all of the speech and knowledge necessary to accomplish all God wants us to do. The effects of the preaching were the guarantee of its truth.

They were given spiritual gifts.

We are to use our spiritual gifts to carry on the mission and ministry God has given each of us.

The word translated gift (charisma, car’-is-mah) is the word from which we get our word “charisma. It means grace gift.

Charles Spurgeon says this:

“Should it not show us that gifts are nothing, unless they are laid on the altar of God; that it is nothing to have the gift of oratory; that it is nothing to have the power of eloquence; that it is nothing to have learning; that it is nothing to have influence, unless they all be dedicated to God, and consecrated to his service?”

— Charles Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 50

They were given a promise of fulfillment

God will finish what he started

Philippians 1:8 “8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

What Paul is saying here is that God sees you, as a Christian, blameless. Again, it doesn’t mean that you’re sinless, or that you no longer make any mistakes. And keep in mind that just because Paul is writing to these “carnal” Corinthians, that you can now go out and be carnal, too, because God will just see you as blameless. No, instead it’s the grace of God and indwelling of the Holy Spirit that motivates us to holiness. By understanding and receiving God’s grace, we should therefore want to live a life pleasing to God. We’re not to presume upon God’s grace (Romans 6:1-4).

They were given God’s faithfulness

So why address the church at Corinth and correct them

In light of the corruption in the church of Corinth, you may be thinking that it sounds a little strange the Paul says, categorically, they lacked nothing. And this is important to note, that, unlike the churches in Thessalonica and Philippi, the church in Corinth was absolutely lacking in spiritual maturity and in moral purity, as we’ve talked about. But, as Paul is careful to state, they were not lacking in any spiritual gift.

So even though they did not have the same spiritual maturity and moral character as those in the churches in Thessalonica and Philippi, they had all of the same resources.

The calling to fellowship

The word translated fellowship (KOINŌNIA, coin-o-knee’-ah) includes partnership and participation. We are not just spectators in the kingdom; we are participants. God has gifted us and will sustain us so we can participate in His work.

Higle, Tommy C. Journey into Biblical Problem Solving: A Study of First Corinthians. Tommy Higle Publishers, Inc., 2013, p. 10.

Application to our lives

God has supplied all we need to live a Christ centered life

God gives us all that we need to help fulfill his mission.

God calls all of us to be participants in the Gospel and not just spectators.