Are we united in Christ?
Be United - Book of 1Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 12 viewsIntroduction to book of 1st Corinthians
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An Apostles heart
An Apostles heart
You want to get to know someone’s heart? Read letters written by them. Demetrius once said “Every one reveals his own soul in his letters.” And that is a true statement when we look at the letters of Paul. Today we start a journey through Corinthians and you will see the heart of Paul laid out before us.
Literary style: written in the Greek style; which copied the early Egyptian format.
Greetings
Prayer
Thanksgiving
Special contents
Special salutations and personal greetings
For us to see the heart of an apostles, to understand Paul maybe just give a glimpse in how this writing style fit into the letters of Paul.
Greetings: most of his letters had this style of greeting (Rom1:1, 1Cor1; 2Cor1:1; Gal1:1; Eph1:1; Php1:1, Col1:1, 1The1:1; 2The1:1)
When we read Paul’s letters we are not reading things which were meant to be academic exercises or theological work written in systematic way in developing a particular subject. Paul is writing to friends, to people he cared deeply about. We are looking at the heart of an apostle put on display for us.
Here is a challenging question for you, what books are Missing?
They are 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
The prayer - Paul imparts grace in each of his prayers (Rom1:7; 1Cor1;3; 2Cor1:2; Gal1:3; Eph1:2, Php1:3; Col1:2; 1The1:1; 2The1:2)
The missing books here are the same, so I won’t ask here.
Thanksgiving - Thanking God for them (Rom1:8; 1Cor1:4; 2Cor1:3; Eph1:3; Php1:3; Col1:3; 1The1:3; 2The1:3
Special contents: This is the body of the letter, the purpose of the letter
Special salutations and personal greetings (Rom16; 1Cor16:19; 2Cor13:13; Php4:21-22; Col4:12-15; 1The5:26)
Each letter has an immediate situation; he was not writing to us, there was some threatening situation in Corinth, or Galatia, Philippi or Thessalonica that he was addressing. We need to remember that as we journey together.
One more thing to consider as we journey, the letters in general were not penned by Paul, but by a scribe such as Tertius as the scribe for Romans (see 16:22). Paul signs off on the writing as he did here in 1Cor16:21 so the people knew it was from him. Paul pours out his heart in the letters and we can learn much about the apostles heart as we take this journey.
(City of Corinth on Map)
It is located in the southern part of Greece and as you can see it is almost an island, it was a great city a great strategical city that was used for trading and was a commercial hub.
(City of Corinth at the time picture)
Here is an interesting fact on what made Corinth such a vital city, it had what was called a isthmus which was a place where boats would be taken out of water and then carted to the other side and put back into the water so to avoid going into a very dangerous area. This was a 4-mile trek. Corinth was called the “bridge of Greece.” Everyone travelled through there. IT as also the hope to the Isthmian games which were a smaller version of the Olympics.
(temple of Aphrodite picture)
While it was an important city, a bridge city, it brought about wickedness too. They were known for drunken and immoral debauchery. The great temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love sat on the hill called Acropolis. one thousand priestesses (aka prostitutes) worked from there and onto the streets of Corinth.
Corinth was destroyed originally in 146BC by the Rising Roman Empire, but by 46BC Julius Caesar rebuilt her as a Roma colony, and was a capital city for practically all Greece.
There was a mixture of people there from retired Roman soldiers to even Julius Caesar took settled there, merchants from the region, many Jews , Phoenicians and Phrygians, philosophers, merchants, sailers, freedme, slaves, hucksters and agents from every form of vice.
She was a colony
“Without aristocracy, without traditions and without well-established citizens.” - Farrar (Roman historian)
A city known for wealth, luxury, drunkenness and immorality. No wonder there were so many converts that came from there.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
It is in Corinth that Paul travelled after leaving Macedonia.
(The Journey to Corinth)
After Macedonia Paul had journeyed to Athens, little availed from that and that led him to Corinth. He spent 18 months there. There are only 17 verses about 18 months, but many more i his letter, in the heart of an apostle laid out in both 1 and 2 Corinthians. In case you are curious about what 17 verses it is Act18:1-17.
He lived with Aquila and Priscilla there, Timothy and Titus came in for the mission work there too. Like other places troubles with the Jews came there when preaching in the Synagogue there, but being chased out did not chase him out of town, but next door to the hoe of Justus and lead to the conversion of Crispus (leader of the Synagogue).
Time of Writing: 55AD from Ephesus (1Cor16:17; 1Cor7:1)
Paul was in Ephesus and had been there for two years when word gets to him of the troubles with division in Corinth.
Paul had gotten word from various sources
17 I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.
Paul had already heard from them in writing asking for advise from Paul.
1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
So when Stephanas and company showed up they were able to fill Paul in and give him more information.
The letter of 1Cor is not the first letter to them, as you can see from 1COr7:1 he had written to them before, so where is that letter? God only knows, we don’t have it, though some believe part of it is found in 2Cor6:14-7:1, you can read that on your own.
Time of Writing: 55AD from Ephesus (1Cor16:17; 1COr7:1)
Carrier of the letter: Timothy (1Cor4:17)
17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
Time of Writing: 55AD from Ephesus (1Cor16:17; 1Cor7:1)
Carrier of the letter: Timothy (1Cor4:17)
Purpose: Various issues all surrounding division
From division of life and doctrine
Quarrels within body (discipleship)
Sexual immorality
Lawsuits among believers
Marriage and singleness
Order of worship
Significance of Lord’s Supper
Spiritual gifts and use of them
And the resurrection.
Solution offered (1Cor6:20)
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
You are Christ’s bought with a price so glorify God in your body! If our goal is to glorify God many squabbles, differences and things that can bring division would take care of themselves.
(United in Christ)
(Transition) Even when there are issues, we can still be united. Simple key here is that those who are “in” Christ are in, and we do not put any one “in” Christ out. The Lord adds to the numbers, the Lord adds those “in” Christ.
As we take a look at the book of 1 Corinthians I think you will see
Where there is a problem, see it, admit it, address it.
See Christ is the unity provided and needed throughout the letter.
And if Christ is the answer, that means love is the answer!
To the sanctified
To the sanctified
Not only is Paul writing to the church at Corinth, it is to the sanctified, the consecrated, the saints, the set apart.
1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
To the church of God
To the sanctified
Called to be saints Paul is with Sosthenes (At18:12-17)
Called like all others
So we know written about 55 AD to the church that Paul established on his second missionary trip,written from Ephesus when word God to Paul by letter and by people of the problems in Corinth. Do you wonder who Sosthenes is? He can be found in Act18:12-17, but I want to give just one verse to answer the question.
17 And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.
As Christians everywhere, we are called to be holy in Jesus Christ and in our verses, and how God sees the church (vv.1-9); then when we get to (vv.10-31 we will see the church describe as man sees it. Who we positionally (in Christ) needs to be put into practice practically in our daily lives.
The church here is identified as the Church of God at Corinth.
The church is the called out, the set apart
The church is made up of saints, those sanctified
A saint is not a dead person having had their life examined and deemed, holy and worthy of sainthood.
A saint is a person who is positionally in Christ and is worthy because of Christ’s holiness, worthiness that is in us.
Every true believer is a saint because of Christ not because of their actions.
We need to know who we are positionally, this is similar to what Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus where he spent chapters 1-3 on personal 4-6 on the body of believers (the church).
To the enriched by God’s grace
To the enriched by God’s grace
Salvation is God’s gracious gift to the believer. Grace and gifts (spiritual ones) were given to the set apart by God (vv.1-3).
4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,
6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
How often did Paul pray for them? - always
Why did he pray for them?
For the grace given
For being enriched in everything
in all speech and all knowledge
Saved and given spiritual gifts (see more in 1Cor12-14; 2Cor8:7)
Did you know you were a plutocrat?
Plutocrat is a very wealthy person
They were rich, they were abounding in everything
7 But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
The point to God called us, set us apart, called us holy, enriching us by equipping us should make us want to live holy lives, shouldn’t it?
Waiting and depending
Waiting and depending
Called, set apart, enriched now we see waiting, expecting Christ return all the while depending on God’s faithfulness.
6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
They were eagerly waiting for Lord Jesus Christ return (1Cor1:7; 1Cor15; 1Jn2:28-3:3)
Paul will spend extensive time in 1Cor15 about the resurrection and the return of Christ
Eager, expecting Christians looking for their Savior will desire to keep holy lives, or lives above reproach.
28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
(Transition) all this from introduction to a fantastic book, and I believe we will look at both, but even when there is problems, there is division we are to be united in Christ. We need to remember who we are positioned (holy, set apart, enriched and expecting) all the while depending on God’s faithfulness!
The work of God was confirmed “in” them (1Cor1:6)
and the work was confirmed to them (1Cor1:8)
Called into fellowship to a faithful God (1Cor1:9)
Confirmed to them, God is faithful to keep what He says he has given us the confirmation of
The Spirit within us
and the Word before us
This should call for the holy ones, the saints, the called out, the sanctified to grow in love, trust and obedience to Christ and not use their freedom in Christ as a ticket to sin, but a ticket freeing them from sin.
Practice practically what you are positionally so you can praise worthily in fellowship with one another in unity!
ll this great introduction and reminder here set’s up for the problems that the church had and we will get a start looking at that next week.
(prayer) pray (exit slides)