Sermon Tone Analysis

Who was this Letter written to?

Tonight we begin a study through the book of 1 Corinthians, this letter was written to the church in Corinth.

Corinth was located in southern Greece, in what was the roman province of Achaia, about forty-five miles west of Athens.

Since Corinth was located in the center of all of these roman cities many people who traveled there had to pass through Corinth.

As a result this city prospered as a trade city most of those in the Mediterranean area, including North Africa, Italy, and Asia minor recognized Corinth as a major trade town.

Corinth was also the host of the Isthmian games, one of the two most famous athletic events of that day, Corinth held those games along with the Olympian games.

Which caused more people to flood into the region.

The apostle Paul is writing this letter Paul had a heart for the lost and had seen the Lord move mightily through the preaching of the gospel in Corinth.

The Problem: MORAL CORRUPTION

Even by Pagan standards the Corinthians became so morally corrupt that its very name became synonomous with moral depravity.

They even used the phrase to “Corinthanize” came to represent gross immorality and drunken debachery.

Like most Greek cities Corinth had what was called an acropolis (High City) which rose 2,000 feet and was used for defense and worship.

The most famous place in this acropolis was the temple to the greek goddess aphrodyte, the Greek goddess of love.

Some 1,000 priestess’, who were religious prostitutes lived and worked there and came down into the city in the evening to offer services to male citizens and foreign visitors.

This church in Corinth struggled to break free from the sick culture which surrounded them they struggled with carnality and immaturity.

The most serious problem the church in Corinth had was worldliness, an unwillingness to divorce one self from the culture around you.

Most believers couldn't consistently separate themselves from their old fleshly, selfish, immoral, pagan ways.

So Paul writes this letter to the church in Corinth to address this issue, as well as to command the faithful Christians not only to break fellowship with disobedient and unrepentant members, but to put those members out of the church.

Paul’s Authority

Paul wants the ones reading to understand that this isn’t a letter written in human wisdom but that he had divine authority to bring them this word from the Lord.

He makes it clear who he was and why he was writing this to them.

This is something i wonder if we remember when we read the Bible, the Bible was written by the Holy Spirit of God.

He moved within men whom God called to a particular office called an apostle.

sent forth.

Then a subst., one sent, messenger, ambassador, envoy, Apostle, (from ἀποστέλλω, to send off or send away

this man had a specific calling placed upon his life.

He was Gods sent messenger and he had the Spirit given word of God Himself.

As an apostle called by God and not by the church, he is not responsible for just one congregation, God’s will alone determines his calling and life, and God alone is the ultimate appraiser of all that he does.

In the NT these apostles were witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He was merely writing this to inform and to teach what he was in regard to the church.

Paul also makes it clear that he did not choose this but God chose him for this.

If you will remember it was Paul who was seeking out Christians to persecute them for being followers of Jesus Christ when the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him on the Damascus road and uttered the phrase which would change Paul’s life forever.

Saul, Saul why art thou persecuting me?”

He blinded Paul and as a result Paul surrendered to His Lordship and call to the ministry.

Paul is the agent God uses to proclaim his message, nothing more, nothing less.

He is not a business man, he is not a manager Paul is a called man of God.

The seeking Savior sought Saul, caught Saul, and bought Saul and now he has given him the name Paul.

Paul’s identity was now not wrapped up in his former life and who he used to be but now PAUL is the sent messenger of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He was a missionary to the gentiles.

Who are the gentiles.... WE ARE THE GENTILES.

Anyone who is not a Jew by birth was considered a Gentile.

That’s who Paul is is a captured man of God who cannot help but step in and take care of Gods sheep.

There are some people today who believe it is ok to volunteer to be preachers.

But i am of the old school of thought no one should stand in the pastoral position without first receiving a clear bold call from God himself.

For it is this call which keeps a person going when ministry becomes difficult.

Then Paul mentions Sosthenes

WHO WAS SOSTHENES?

Well Paul is trying to say is that he is not a lone ranger but part of a ministry team which must have included sosthenes and he must have been known by the church in Corinth because Paul mentions him as the “brother”.

The identity of the Corinthians

This by far is the hope of the passage itself.

Notice how Paul addresses the church in Corinth....

.

“Sancitfied in Christ”

He tells these backslidden, dirty, immoral people that they are sacntified in Christ and then he goes a step further when he tells them they are saints!

To be sanctified = TO BE MADE CLEAN, TO PURIFY

There is not a more blessed truth when it comes to the gospel.

Paul addresses them by who they are in Christ despite who they are acting like.

Even though the Corinthians are filthy when it comes to the way they are currently living their standing before God has not changed!

I am here to tell you just to know that even at my worst God still calls me clean is a blessing i cannot let go of!

Satan is called the accuser of the brethren and he likes ot whisper things in our ear....

“look at you, if you were really a Christian you wouldnt be acting like this”

“What is wrong with you, nobody truly saved should act this way.”

The enemy will say many things about you but at the end of the day even if you are in sin God SAYS THAT IS MY CHILD AND HE IS CLEAN WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF MY SON!!

“In Christ Jesus”

You can only be clean through the blood washing of Christ Jesus!

If you were to take a trip to heaven do you know what you would see?

24 thrones:

Revelation 4:4

Torches

Sea of crystal glass/4 living creatures

Revelation 4:6

Look at what the ones on their lesser thrones do everytime these beasts sing praises to the One seated on this throne!

Revelation

Once you get past all of these amazing sight do you know what you will see?

Revelation 5:

The only way to enter into the kingdom of Heaven you have to go through the Lamb of God Jesus Christ Himself.

The Lamb is the only one who can cleans you and make you whole, it is the lamb who makes you worthy, and not only does He cleanse you but He cleanses you to the uttermost.

He classifies you, yes you as a saint.

This is the doctrine of the sainthood of the believer.

What is a saint?

pure from all crime, the condition of one who has committed no crime, but religiously observes every duty and fulfils every obligation.

[The τὰ ὅσια Δαβιδ τὰ πιστὰ, (the sure mercies of David, Acts 13:34, Is. 55:3,) are the religiously performed promises made to David, the faithfully fulfilled obligations.]

3. ἱερός, that which is consecrated or sacred, as given and devoted to God, irrespective of mind or morals, that which subserves a sacred purpose.

Listen to me God loved you when you didnt know Him, He set out to find you, He sought you He bought you and HE SET YOU APART for His glory.

You are clean from any and all offenses past present and future IT IS FINISHED, PAID IN FULL

NOTHING CAN MAKE ME WANT TO LIVE FOR JESUS MORE THAN UNDERSTANDING THAT HE PAID A DEBT THAT HE DID NOT OWE BECAUSE WE OWED A DEBT WE COULD NOT PAY.

LET THIS SINK IN FOR A MINUTE THIS EVENING FOLKS

HE MADE YOU AND HE BOUGHT YOU!

You are his!

This is why you were saved to be holy set apart for his purposes only!

Now i want you to imagine what this must have felt like to the Corinthians, they were struggling with immorality and sexual impurity, they were struggling with the pagan rituals of the day.

Here they receive a letter from the APOSTLE PAUL they just knew he was going to blast them, they deserve to be blasted for the way they were living, but instead Paul doesn’t come in to destruct he comes in and instructs them on who they truly are in Christ Jesus!

they are waiting on a well deserved rebuke and yet here is how Paul addresses them....

He comes with grace and peace not guilt and condemnation.