The People of Corinth

The beginnings of the church at Corinth is recorded in Acts Chapter 18. The church was established by Paul with help of Aquila and Priscilla and Paul actually spent about 18 months in Corinth before moving on to other work.

1st Corinthians is not actually Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth. Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth was written sometime after Paul had left Corinth but that letter is lost to history, perhaps it was not an inspired work, no one knows what became of it.

The 1st Corinthians that we know was written by Paul in response to questions that the church had for Paul and because of disturbing things Paul had heard about the church.

I think it is important to understand a little bit about the city of Corinth. Corinth is located on a narrow strip of land between the Corinthian Gulf and the Saronic Gulf. This made Corinth an important trade city having two important ports, one to the east and one to the west, and all trade between the northern part of Greece and the southern part of Greece had to come through Corinth. It was a literal crossroads for international trade in that day.

It was important to the shipping industry because ships could pull into one port and have their goods shipped overland for the four and one half mile trip to the other port. This was much easier and safer than making the long sea journey around the rocky and treacherous southern tip of Greece.

Corinth was a large city with a population perhaps approaching 400,000 and was a center for pagan religions. Corinth hosted the temple of Aphrodite which turned prostitution into a religion with perhaps a 1000 practitioners of that trade located in Corinth. Even the word Corinth became a symbol for a sinful lifestyle. To be called a Corinthian, or to be accused of being Corinthianized was not a compliment. It was the “sin city” of its day.

This is the environment in which Paul was able to establish a church. Paul personally led that church for a year and a half, but in the years since Paul left, the influence of the city had begun to make its way into the church.

The people of the church were believers, but many of them were still babies in their relationship with the Lord.

Hebrews 5:12–14 ESV

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

The Corinthians were Saints in their position in relation with God but not in their practice in relation to sin.

They had not separated from sin. Often, we think that the solution is to separate from sinners, but what we really need to do is separate from sin.

The members of the church at Corinth were Saints by calling but they needed to be more Saintly in their conduct.

In verse 7 Paul says that the people in the church “were not lacking in any gift.” They were strong in giftedness but weak in Spirituality.

The Problem

Verse 10: God wants harmony among His people.

1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV

10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Verse 10 makes it clear that Paul considers the church to be made up of Christians and not non-believers or seekers. He calls them brothers.

The word is adelphos and in this context it also includes the sisters or adelphe.

Paul goes on to appeal to them “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If you go back to the beginning of the chapter and count, you will find that this is the tenth time that Paul uses the name of Jesus in ten verses of the chapter. Paul is clearly trying to change the focus of the church from their issues to Jesus Christ.

10b: “That all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”

Paul appeals for them to be united in the same mind and the same judgment. He doesn’t mean that they all must use the same words or have the same style or practice the same gifts. That is not how the Body of Christ works.

Romans 12:4–6 ESV

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

So being united means they must have the same goal.

The ESV says “united” the King James says “perfectly joined together” both of these are represented by a single word in Greek, kat-ar-tid'-zo. It is the same word used in Matthew 4:21 where it talks about James and John “mending” their nets at the time Jesus calls them. It is the same word that was used in the medical community when refereeing to the mending of broken bones.

So we get the sense here that Paul is asking them to mend those divisions that they have between them.

The Plight

Arguments among Christians

“For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.”

We really know nothing of Chloe. This is the only mention of her we find in scripture. Perhaps she was an influential businesswoman in Corinth of which there were many. When the verse speaks of Chloe’s people, or Chloe’s household it could be speaking of relatives, or it could just as easily be speaking of slaves or servants. Whoever she was, she was familiar with what was going on inside the church.

There is one thing I admire about Chloe, apparently, she has no problem with her name being used in regard to her concern about what was going on in the church. She sent people, under her name, to report to Paul the dangerous activity that was going on in the church. So often it is the case when someone will come to the pastor with a complaint about someone in the church but not be willing to put their own name behind that complaint. Chloe has enough regard for the church to take some ownership in trying to correct the things she sees as wrong.

Chloe’s people say there are arguments among the Christians. Can you imagine a case where arguments would come up among Christian people? I have always found it fascinating how problems that plagued the church 2000 years ago basically have not changed. That is the timeless nature of Scripture.

This occasion was certainly not the only time that Paul had to give instructions to the church to try and bring them to peace.

Ephesians 4:1–6 ESV

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Philippians 2:1–4 ESV

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Colossians 3:12–15 ESV

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Some of the problems in the church at Corinth were not only found in that church. The fact is the advice that Paul gives to the church at Corinth, the church at Philippi and the church at Colossae is still relevant today.

The Person

Don’t follow man—follow God.

Verse 12: What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”

This verse informs us that the church had divided into different factions depending on their preferred teacher. They were glorifying the Gospel messengers instead of the Gospel message. They were forming fan clubs around their favorite teachers.

One group claims they are followers of Paul, the one who founded the church.

Another group says they are followers of Apollos, the one who Paul had left in charge of the church when Paul left Corinth. Apollos was a gifted speaker even before coming to Corinth and obviously had a great impact on some of the congregation.

Yet another group says they are followers of Cephas. Cephas is the Aramaic form of the name Peter. There is no scriptural evidence that Simon Peter ever travelled to Corinth, but whatever the case, Peter was apparently well known there.

And then another group who says they follow Christ.

As I look at this verse it kind of reminds me of the polarized climate of today. We have people who belong to one political party and will get angry, sometimes to the point of violence, at anyone who doesn’t belong to, or see things in the same way, as their political party.

We see people of a certain ethnicity, who will belittle or degrade people who have a different ethnicity.

We see people of a certain income level or social class who will have negative feelings toward people of a different income level or social class.

As terrible as these things are in the world at large, they certainly have no place in the church among people who profess to be followers of Christ.

We see Paul’s reaction to this kind of thinking in verse 13:

“Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

Paul asks them a series of rhetorical questions designed to make them feel a little bit foolish as they consider an answer. Paul redirects the conversation from the leaders of the church to the real leader of the church Jesus Christ.

Paul first says “Is Christ divided?” It was easy for the church to divide along the lines of the different teachers, but what is the Church? The church is the body of Christ. You cannot divide the body of Christ.

Who was the one who was crucified for you? It wasn’t Paul or Apollos or Peter, it was Christ. In who’s name were you baptized? It wasn’t in Paul’s name or Peter’s name, it was in Jesus name.

The Purpose

1 Corinthians 1:14–17 ESV

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Paul was sent to preach Christ. Paul’s purpose, the purpose of the church at Corinth, our purpose is to preach Christ.

Paul, no doubt with tongue in cheek says he is glad that he did not baptize anyone in that church with the exception of very few, lest they start to claim to be baptized in Paul’s name. As a matter of fact, Paul states that he doesn’t even remember who all he had baptized. His job was to preach Christ and Him crucified.

We know from studying history that a first-century orator or public speaker was expected to produce carefully crafted speeches which drew attention to his skilful use of rhetorical conventions. In that day, oratory was called ‘magic’ because it was seen to bewitch the hearers. The content of the speech didn’t matter, only the performance mattered. They spoke primarily to gain the admiration of their audience.

Paul used none of the first century orator’s tricks of the trade, he did not preach with words of eloquent wisdom, literally ‘by means of the wisdom of rhetoric’. To have adopted this style would be to try and promote the messenger above the message. This would have diverted their attention away from the cross to Paul himself, thus robbing the hearers of the opportunity to hear about the amazing event by which God rescues people.

This authoritative message is called the gospel and has as its content the cross of Christ. Christ sent him to preach the gospel and not to secure a personal following.

Conclusion

This whole message can really be reduced to 5 words: Keep your eyes on Jesus.

You know what happens when you take your eyes off Jesus and put your eyes on the person bringing the message:

Jim Jones - Guyana

David Koresh - Waco

Marshall Applewhite - Heaven’s Gate

These are some of the most notorious examples, but they exist on a lesser scale in churches across the country even today.

My Brothers and Sisters, let us remember this lesson when divisions come between us. Let us remember this lesson when personalities vie for influence in the church. Let us remember that our united goal is to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ.

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