I Corinthians 1-6
Introduction
The book of First Corinthians is a book of assurance and hope for all believers, but especially for those who are stumbling, wavering, or immature. The Corinthians fit all three of these categories. They were a gathering of young believers culled by God from a radically heathen culture, in fact, one of the most immoral cities of the ancient world. The combination of idolatry and sexual perversion was rampant.
Identity of Every Believer 1-9
• Every believer is sanctified. The reader cannot understand this epistle without first grasping the facts that Paul attributes to members of this church in these first nine verses. Reading about the thinking and behavior of Corinthian people tends to lead one to conclude that they are just one more self-styled religious group that thinks its doctrine is superior to the group that gathers at the temple down the street. After all, this whole book, except for chapter 15, reads like a “how-to-fix-it” manual issued by the manufacturer of a malfunctioning piece of equipment.
Yet, Paul begins by stating his God-given credentials (1) and this amazing statement of fact, “to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus.” This is a place where the grammar of the original is significant, as the English past tense does not fully convey theforce of Paul’s statement. In Ancient Greek, this is a perfect passive participle that indicates a completed action in the past that has a continuing result, an ongoing state in the present, when modifying a noun to describe something that has been acted upon.
The following words of Paul remind us of his assurance to the Ephesians: “just as He chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4). It is a done deal; the Corinthians are saints!
• Every believer is the recipient of the grace of God (3-4). Paul’s greeting, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” is an assurance of the strength and contentment that God has already provided for them in calling them to Himself (3-4).
What they have received by grace has already begun to change their speech and knowledge, as they come to understand the emptiness of idolatry and the reality of monotheism (5). Their lives have undergone sufficient changes to confirm the genuineness of their faith (6). They have received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, although, as the book provides evidence, they need a more profound understanding (7).
The grace of God has yet two more blessings that they now possess. The first is the assurance that the Holy Spirit will enable them to persevere and be blameless on the day when Jesus judges. The pronoun “who” is best understood to refer to the Holy Spirit. Paul likely mentioned this earlier, referring to the giver of the gifts as the antecedent of “who” (8). The second is the assurance that God is faithful (9).
We can summarize this section as follows. God saved their souls, enriched their lives, refined their speech, purified their knowledge, gave them a testimony, and guaranteed them a clear path into the eternal Kingdom of Christ.
We have here the identity of the Corinthians. Often, in the counseling office or the pastor’s study, counselees doubt their salvation or question whether God can save them, given their life choices. Citing 5:17 with its phenomenal declaration and the first nine verses of chapter one should dispel those doubts. With this foundation laid, a close examination of Romans 6:1-15 reiterates their identity in Christ and the freedom in Christ to choose not to engage in worship idolatry and to put on the new man in Christ, as explained in Ephesians 4:22-32.
Oneness of the Church (10-20)
There ultimately is but one church, with one body of doctrine. While there may be differences of perspective, there is only one true doctrine. This is the message of these verses, which reminds us of Paul’s declaration in Ephesians 4:5-6, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Contrast of Wisdom of God and Wisdom of Man (21-31)
• The cross: the wisdom of God (21)
• The cross: foolishness to the world (22-23)
• The cross: the power of God to those who are called (24)
• The cross: it reveals that the weakness of God is stronger than the foolishness of man (25)
• The cross: the foolishness of God brings the glory to God (26-31
Conclusion
This first chapter lays the groundwork to tackle the issues in this church. To solve any problem in the church or in the individual life, the counselor, pastor, or teacher must begin with theology and anthropology. Paul starts with theology, which is trinitarian. God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who is the giver of the gifts. Then, he moves to anthropology. His origin as an Apostle is not from himself but from God. Second, believers are called by God and depend upon God, not being self-appointed members of the church. The Christian Faith is not a product of man (anthropocentric), but it is the product of God’s wisdom (theocentric). The Christian Faith is revealed through the foolishness of God, as conveyed in the preaching of the cross— the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ — and not by the wisdom of man. That is, it is theological, not anthropological, as Paul concludes in these words: “That just as it is written, let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (31).
Implementation
The implementation is outlined in the next fifteen chapters of this book. Paul articulates fifteen proprieties of Christian living, corporate and individual. Here is the list of those priorities.
- The priority of the Trinity (2)
- The priority of the wisdom of God (3)
- The priority of modeling (4)
- The priority of church discipline (5)
- The priority of church courts (6)
- The priority of sex (7)
- The priority of managing liberty in Christ ((8)
- The priority of a free gospel (9)
- The priority of the glory of God (10)
- The priority of the Lord’s Supper (11)
- The priority of spiritual gifts (12)
- The priority of love (13)
- The priority of preaching (14)
- The priority of the resurrection (15)
- The priority of practical functionality (16)