Untitled Sermon (2)
INTRODUCTION (1:1–9)
Paul began this letter in customary fashion, identifying himself (with Sosthenes) as the writer. The recipients were primarily “the church of God in Corinth” (see Acts 18:1–18a; 2 Cor. 1:1). Generally, however, the letter was addressed to “all those everywhere who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The greeting is followed by a typical Pauline salutation (see Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2) and a lengthy expression of thanksgiving. Here he offered thanks for their reception of the gospel, their giftedness, and particularly for God’s faithfulness.
CONCERNING DIVISIONS (1:10–17)
Paul’s first major topic was the problem of divisions in the church. Some were claiming to follow Paul, some Apollos, others Cephas (Peter), and yet others Christ. The leaders themselves were not the cause of division. Most likely the superspiritualists claiming to follow Christ were the major source of the problem.
Paul disclaimed responsibility for the situation and showed its sinfulness and folly. God does not act in the way human wisdom might expect. God redeemed men and women by the foolishness of the cross, not by anything that would enhance human pride. The gospel message did not originate in profound human thought but in the Holy Spirit Himself.
INTRODUCTION (1:1–9)
Paul began this letter in customary fashion, identifying himself (with Sosthenes) as the writer. The recipients were primarily “the church of God in Corinth” (see Acts 18:1–18a; 2 Cor. 1:1). Generally, however, the letter was addressed to “all those everywhere who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The greeting is followed by a typical Pauline salutation (see Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2) and a lengthy expression of thanksgiving. Here he offered thanks for their reception of the gospel, their giftedness, and particularly for God’s faithfulness.
CONCERNING DIVISIONS (1:10–17)
Paul’s first major topic was the problem of divisions in the church. Some were claiming to follow Paul, some Apollos, others Cephas (Peter), and yet others Christ. The leaders themselves were not the cause of division. Most likely the superspiritualists claiming to follow Christ were the major source of the problem.
Paul disclaimed responsibility for the situation and showed its sinfulness and folly. God does not act in the way human wisdom might expect. God redeemed men and women by the foolishness of the cross, not by anything that would enhance human pride. The gospel message did not originate in profound human thought but in the Holy Spirit Himself.
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,
“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?” m
But we have the mind of Christ.