Epistles of Paul 29

Well, good evening, brethren. Corinthians was a morally corrupt city, and the sins of the society affected the church. So God first started the church in Corinth during Paul's second missionary trip, around about AD 52 and 53. Then, during his third trip, which was from AD 54 to 57, Paul received a letter from Corinth whilst he was in Ephesus. And then in AD 55, he writes back to Corinth. So that's during his trip, in the second year of his third trip. He writes back to 1 Corinthians during the Passover season, as we can determine from 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 8. He then writes back to 1 Corinthians, and he addresses the theme, basically the theme, that Christ is not divided. So that's the theme. And so Paul begins this epistle by showing genuine praise and complementing these brethren for their virtues.

And he refers them to God as their creator, as the author, obviously through Jesus Christ.

And then he mentions that they, the Corinthian brethren, had been enriched, or let's say blessed, with the good news that had been preached. And these good news were confirmed in Corinthians, as we can see in verse 6 of chapter 1, that these good news, this testimony of Christ, was confirmed in Corinthians and through various miracles. And then he continues in verse 9 by saying, God is faithful, as we can see in verse 9 of 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and he's able to help us all stand till the end.

And that's what he says, that in verse 8, we'll also confirm you to the end. In other words, we'll establish you all the way till the end. And that is where we finished last time. Today we're going to start from verse 10, and we hope to cover all the way till verse 31, in other words, till the end of the first chapter. Now let's read verse 10. It says, Oh, I plead with you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing.

Now it is interesting that the general conference of elders this year, the theme of the conference of elders was, speak the same thing. And Yah is Paul telling the Corinthians that they all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you may be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. So they were not speaking the same thing.

They had divisions, as it says, yeah, there be no divisions, and they had divisions. The war day is the Greek 4978, which is schismus, which is splits, or factions. Or think about it as like when you take a cloth and you rent it, you tear it apart, you rent it. So it is rent, rent as in the example of a cloth that is rent, that is torn. So they had these factions, these divisions, and then it says that there be no divisions among you.

So he's asking, I plead with you, brethren, by in Christ's name, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together. In other words, with the same care and outgoing concern of one for another, perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. In other words, the same mind and the same understanding, in the same, that's why we ought to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In the same knowledge, is one knowledge of understanding what Christ is and what it stands for and the principles of God through Christ. And then it says, and in the same judgment. In other words, in the same practical decisions deciding what to be done on whatever situations it may be, because Paul, in the letter of Corinthians, is going to address a number of situations, different issues that needed a judgment, a decision, and that all will be united in that same decision which he would be taking them through.

All right, let's now go on to verse 11. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. And so those of that family, Chloe's household, mentioned that there were certain contentions amongst them.

There were certain debates. There were certain strives. There were certain variances of opinion. So they were not speaking the same thing. They had schismus, divisions, factions. And so it says, those contentions, those strives, could be for one about their ministers. That is implied by the very verse 12 that says, now I say this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, in the verse of Peter, or, or I'm better than you, I am of Christ. And so there were divisions. There were different vibes with different ideas. And so they had their own little opinions, opinions in doctrines, as we'll go through Corinthians, you'll see that, or opinions in manners and ways of worship, or of practicing, or of, or of dress code, and things like that.

So let's continue in our reading in verse 13. And it says, is Christ divided? And he has the main theme of Corinthians. Is Christ divided? Obviously he isn't. Christ is not divided.

So was Paul crucified for you? In other words, we are under one leader, one Lord, one Master, Christ, and not under any other leader. So that's why I say, was Paul crucified for you? Did I die and buy or redeem you? Of course not. It's Christ that has done that, has suffered and died for us. Was Christ that was crucified? And that's why he says, was Paul crucified for you? No. Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

Now the word ing in Greek is the word e-i-s-a-s, which means into, into, into the name of Paul.

No, we are not baptized into the name of Paul. We were baptized into the name of the family of God.

And that's what we were baptized into as we read in Matthew 28. It's the name of God.

God the Father is God. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. God's Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit of God. We're baptized into that family by Christ's authority. And so it says verse 14, I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, unless anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name or into my name. No, I didn't baptize anybody into my name. And that's why he was not a person that was really going around and baptizing a lot of people. He did baptize a few, he did say. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanus. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any wonder, any other. So he baptized very few people. His mission was not to go around and baptize. He, yes, he did baptize, some as he said, but his mission, you see, it says here in verse 17, for Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. So, Christ sent Paul, gave Paul a responsibility, a job description, and his job description was to go to the Gentiles first and preach the gospel. He was also going into other nations as well, but first to the Gentiles. And so, continuing, yeah, he says, for Christ did not send me to baptize, sent me to baptize, did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with the wisdom of words, not with the wisdom of words, not with great intellectual knowledge and using words that are kind of sophisticated. And I have seen sometimes people putting a lot of Ifalut terms and words and statements around the gospel, kind of making it an act of eloquence by the way they speak, and Paul was saying not of the wisdom of words.

So he was plain. He was not speaking with human reasoning, but he was speaking about what Christ had done. And he says, lest the cross of Christ. It's interesting, yeah, just between brackets, that the word in Greek is storus, which is more like a beam or a pole.

But it's just interesting. I'm not saying it wasn't a cross, but Christ carried a pole, which then they could have put on top of another beam. So, lest the storus of Christ should be made of no effect. So basically what he's saying is, lest his sacrifice and death, that is very painful sacrifice and death, would be made of no effect. Why? Because of the human reasoning and eloquence, that would kind of become a sophistication of, let's call it, human reasoning, instead of being plain, showing what Christ had suffered for us. And that's what was important, because otherwise, that Christ's suffering would be made of no effect, because it was kind of hidden by all the sophisticated verbiage that people sometimes use. And then it goes on, for the message of the cross against storus is foolishness to those who are perishing.

The message of Christ's sacrifice and death, that message is foolishness to the world.

To those that are perishing, he says, why die, suffer? A leader will come here and rule and be the leader. And Christ as the leader, come and die for us. So for unconverted people, in other words, those that are perishing, unconverted people, that's foolishness. But to us, which we are called, us who are being saved, yeah is a continuous process, continuous present process, being saved. There's a process of salvation. We're not yet saved. We are being saved. We received the Holy Spirit after baptism, and we are now in the process of sanctification of the Spirit by God's Holy Spirit, and we are being renewed day by day from the old man to the new man. So it says, but to us who are being saved, this message of Christ's suffering is God's power. It's what he can do. Amazing power. And not only that, amazing wisdom. Amazing wisdom. For it is written, verse 19, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. This act that God created or allowed or architected, allowing therefore Christ to suffer and die for us, is an act of great wisdom from God. Because God, let's think this clearly through, God is creating sons and daughters of his. And for that, it is absolutely necessary that we would have free moral agency. And because of that, we would, sooner or later, sin. And we do, because no man is righteous, no, not one. We all left sinned. And the wages of sin is death.

And so God will not change his law to say, well, the wages of sin is not death because I want to make sons of God. So he has not changed his law. So man had to have free moral agency for God to develop man to be a son of God. But because sooner or later man would die, then, I'll be part sooner or later man would sin and therefore would die, then his plan would be null and void.

And so the only way to buy mankind back from death was to have the very being that created mankind because his life is more valuable than every other one's lives for him to die, to suffer and die. So not just die, suffer and die. There is suffering as a result of sin and is death.

So he had to suffer and die. And there is the great wisdom of God.

And he's great love for us, for all of us. And so in verse 20, then we read where is the wise? Where is the scribe? So people that saw wise in the world, this surpasses their wisdom. Where is the great technical writers? And you know, where is the disputor of this age? Where is the great debater? The person that debates about all these things, where is he? Where is that religious intellectualism?

I have noticed throughout many years of being in the church that I have seen some very, very intelligent people, very excellent speakers going off the rails, regrettably, very sad, because what I would term like very intellectual and that religious intellectualism kind of led them, maybe that was it, their own path. I'm not saying that they will not repent and that they will not come back into the church.

But what I am saying is that we've got to be humble and we've got to be careful that we don't become so intellectual in our things and the things we do and say that we let go of the important things that God gives us. We've got to be careful. We've got to be careful. And that's what it says. Where is the, as it says here in verse 20, where is the disputor of this age?

And if we just look at Titus chapter 3, Titus chapter 3 verse 9, Yai is stated, avoid, but avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law. In other words, avoid this great intellectual bit of knowledge of playing with different words and meanings and things like that because they are unprofitable and useless.

And so he says, avoid that. We've got to be careful that we don't get involved with that because that is the wisdom of the world. Let's go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 20. Where's the disputor of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

Or what is the wisdom of the world? Well, you probably can remember James chapter 3 verse 14 through 16. James chapter 3 verse 14 through 16. And there he says, but if you have better envy and self-seeking in your hearts, better envy and self-seeking in your hearts, there is the world of envy and jealousy and things like that. Do not boast and lie against truth.

This wisdom of envy and self-seeking in one's heart does not come from above, does not descend from God, but is earthly, is of the world, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, what do we got? Confusion, disorder, division, and every evil thing there. So, as we think of that, just look a little bit further ahead in James chapter 4, and you read in verse 5. Or do you think that the scripture says in vine, the spirit which dwells in us yearns jealousy? The spirit of man in man in us that dwells in us, that's part of us, goes towards jealousy. That's why in verse 1 and 2 of the same chapter 4 of James, he says, why do wars and fights come from among you? And you, James is writing to the church. So he's talking about divisions, contentions, factions in the church, and he says, do they not come from your desires for pleasure that were in your members? You lust, you envy, you've got this desire to have and you murder. Oh, well, in the church people say, well, I've not murdered anybody, but if you look at the Seminolean amount, it expands the meaning of murder to be angry with other people and getting upset and saying things in a wrong tone. And he says, and you covet and cannot obtain. In other words, you want your own opinion, your own intellectualism to be above others. You fight in a war, so you get into factions, into arguments. Yet you do not have because you do not ask because there's no humility and things like that. So that is a problem. The Spirit that wells in us earns jealousy. Look at 1 Timothy 6, 1 Timothy 6, verse 4. 1 Timothy 6, verse 4.

2 Timothy 6, verse 4. He is proud. So it's talking about people that have these problems, proud, knowing nothing. So the spirit of jealousy and envy, it actually is based in lack of humility. And so he says he's proud, knowing nothing, but he's obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from which come envy, strife, reviling, in other words, insults, evil suspicious, suspicions, useless arrangements of man, of corrupt mind, etc., etc., thinking that godliness, godliness is a way of all, you know, gain something. He says, no, that's not what true godliness is all about. And look at also at Titus chapter 3 verse 3. Titus chapter 3 verse 3.

And he says, for we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures. That is when we were unconverted, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. That is a fruit of carnality, malice and envy. That is pure carnality. That is what the carnal mind is. That is what the spirit of man of man is if it's not repentant and changed and is not changed by the power of God's Holy Spirit, by the begettle of God's Holy Spirit. So that is an important part here as we go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 21 where or rather we were reading in verse 20, has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? Now verse 21, for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God. So the world in its great wisdom, and think about it, it's like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you know, it's great wisdom, self-proclaimed knowledge, right?

The world through wisdom did not know God and thus God allowed in his great wisdom. And it pleased God through the foolishness of the message. What is the foolishness of the message?

There is Christ had to suffer and die. That is not, for instance, in the Greek mind, a very wise thing. Hey, you want to be in charge, not suffering die, you know? So the foolishness of the message, God, through the foolishness of the message, reached to save those who believe.

The foolishness of the message, suffering and death. How many of us, looking at people, looking at brethren, that are going through so much suffering and pain, and why? And people ask, why? Why? Why? But that's the way God decided to do it.

That's what happened to Christ, suffering and death. And he says, and that foolish of that message, he's preached to save. So the message has to be preached.

In Romans 10, Romans 10, verse 13 through 15, Romans 10, we read, Who also ever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard?

And how shall they year without a preacher? So, God planned that they should be preaching of the gospel. Not just the word. Yes, the preaching must be based on God's word, but God planned that they should be preaching. And verse 15, how should they preach unless they are sent? God sends preachers. True preachers, true ministers of God are sent by God. They're not self-appointed. They are sent by God. As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. So, continuing now in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, we're now in verse 22. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom. O yeah, the Jews continuously ask Christ, give us a sign, and then I'll believe you. Give us another miracle, or another miracle, and Christ did so many miracles, and they still didn't believe. To the point of Christ says, well, I'll give you one final sign. Let's all be in the grave for three days and three nights, as we read in Matthew 12. Verse 40, you see, so Jews wanted miracles, and Greeks wanted wisdom. In other words, Greeks want things to make sense, and it just doesn't make sense that a savior would have to suffer and die, and that our leader would have to suffer and die. How can he be a leader? It just doesn't make sense in a pure carnal mind. You see, there are things that God does that just do not make sense.

Such a suffering and death. How many braver are suffering?

And people may ask, why? Why? Does God ask God to abandon me? Why doesn't he listen to my prayers?

Why? Where are you, God? Why don't you answer my request? Why don't you heal me?

But you see, in Isaiah 55, Isaiah 55, let's go there, verse 8 and 9, Isaiah 55, verse 8 and 9, it says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts. God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are God's ways our ways, nor are your ways my ways. In other words, says the Lord, so our ways are not God's ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, it's not all far higher are the heavens than the earth.

I mean, does an aeroplane fly high? Oh yeah, 20,000 feet or whatever it is. But you know, if you looked at the earth as a globe and you had to put an aeroplane flying, it would be like a millimeter over that globe, that picture. It would be tiny. The heavens are much higher, much higher. God's thinking, God's mind is so much higher than our thinking, than our mind, than our wisdom. It says, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. You know, our thoughts are nothing compared to God. Oh yes, God's mind is far above where our mind is. And so we have structures like Psalm 22. It's good to read Psalm 22, and let's look at that very briefly. Psalm 22. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

You probably can remember where that was mentioned in New Testament. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from helping me? Many of us, going through great suffering and pain, always say, God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me?

And from the words of I'm groaning. Oh my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not hear.

And in the night season, and I'm not silent. How many people, sometimes in their prayers, start thinking, God, if you left me, why don't you answer me? Now, obviously, the main context here is talking about Christ, but it is also applicable to us in a smaller context when we suffer and we go through pain. Yes, God, you are holy, verse 3, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in you, they trusted you, and you delivered them. They cried to you, and we're delivered. They trusted in you, and we're not ashamed. But what about me? Why are you not healing me? Why are you not helping me? It seems so unfair. Why am I struggling? Obviously, the context, as I said, this is talking about Christ, but I'm a warm and no man, the reproach of man and despised by the people. All those who see me ridicule me. They shoot out the lip, they shake their head, saying, he trusted in God, in the Lord. Let God rescue him. Let God deliver him, since he delights in God.

But you are, he who took me out of the womb. It's applicable to all of us, in a smaller sense.

You, God, are the one that made me live and made me alive.

You made me trust while on my mother's breasts. I was cast upon you from birth, from my mother's womb. You be my God.

You've been with me. You've helped me in many circumstances. But now, I'm going through this trial. Be not far from me, for trouble isn't here. And it is not to help. It is not to help. And then it says, many bulls have surrounded me.

Strong bulls of patient, in Christ's context, would be demons and Roman soldiers.

They gape at me with their mouths like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It has melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potcher. How many people going through serious health issues?

I kind of feel emotionally like that. My tongue cleans to my jaws. I'm thirsty. I'm struggling. You have brought me to the dust of death. I am at the doors of death.

For dogs have surrounded me. The congregation of the wicked has enclosed me.

Obviously, I was talking about Christ. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look at me and stare at me. They divide my garments among them. And for my clothing, they cost lots. It is as if maybe an example, like somebody dying, and maybe has good financial conditions, and people are just waiting for the person to die to to kind of get their money or whatever. In other words, YAH is an example of somebody going through an emotional challenge. Now, we know this applies to Christ, so it shows that Christ was a human being with human feelings. But your Lord, do not be far from me. All my strength pays them to help me. Deliver me from the sword. My precious life from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen. And it's like somebody just about dies, says, please God, help me. And then in verse 21, there's an encouraging little sentence.

You have answered me. You have answered me. When we go through trials, we have to have the trust, first that God's mind and God's thoughts are far higher than ours. And secondly, we have to trust that God will never leave our forsakers. He'll never leave our forsakers. We read that even in Deuteronomy 31, verse 6 through 8, when it's talked about Moses speaking to the right, he says, be courageous, because God will never leave or forsake you.

Then we read Joshua coming into the land, and God again says, I'll never leave or forsake you. And then we read in Hebrews 13, verse 5 to us, God will never leave or forsake us. We have to trust God. We have to have faith in His promise. He will never leave or forsake us. But God's mind, God's thinking is so much higher than ours. And somehow He sees the value of some suffering for this person or that person for all of us, or some of us. And it's not easy when we go through it. It's not easy when we go through it.

In 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter, 1 Peter, 1 Peter, let me just get there.

1 Peter, 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 20. For what credit is it when you are beaten for your faults and you take it patiently?

But when you do good and suffer, oh, we can say, after nothing wrong, it's so unfair. And yes, it does appear unfair. But he says you do good and suffer. If you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. This is commendable before God. Now read verse 21. And write it. Let it be written clearly in our minds. For to this you were called. We have been called into God's church to suffer wrongfully.

And that's unfair. It may appear unfair. But you see, God's mind is so much higher than ours.

Maybe we don't understand everything, but one day we will. For this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you and I, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps.

Who committed an essay. Christ did nothing wrong. Nor was the seat found in his mouth. He said nothing wrong.

Who, when he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. This is very powerful. For to this you were called. As we read at the beginning of verse 21.

Paul put it in a slightly different way in Colossians chapter 1 verse 24. Let's look at that. Colossians chapter 1 verse 24.

Colossians chapter 1 verse 24.

I now rejoice in my sufferings. Brethren, it is not easy to rejoice in sufferings, but Paul said I now rejoice in my sufferings for you. And fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the church.

What is lacking in the afflictions, the physical afflictions of Christ's physical body? Paul spilled up in his flesh what was lacking in the afflictions of Christ.

And for this you were called to fill up a little bit more what was lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his church.

Wow!

1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man, but God is faithful. God is faithful. God is trustworthy. You and I can trust him. All in the short term.

Maybe even during our physical life.

It does not appear so, but one day you will understand it. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond your able, but will with that temptation also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it. It doesn't say that he takes it away, but he says he will help you through it, and in the end to escape.

You see, as we read early on in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 9, it says God is faithful.

By whom you are called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

And also in verse 8 it says, who will also confirm you or establish you to the end.

He is faithful. You'll make sure you'll make it to the end unless you and I turn our back on him.

That you may be blameless in the day when Christ comes back, which is symbolized by the day of trumpets. So brethren, God through the Helper moves us to accept and trust in God, and the Helper is the Holy Spirit that he sends to us as we read in John chapter 14 verse 26 and 27.

So let's continue reading now in verse 23. But we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness because the Jews wanted a conquering king, not a messiah that was whipped, that suffered, crucified and died. The Jews wanted a conquering king and so Christ crucified, suffering, dying, was a stumbling block to the Jews. And to the Greeks absolutely foolish just doesn't make sense. Verse 24, but to those who are called like you and I, both Jews and Greeks, so whether you Israelite or Gentile, we who are called, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Christ is the power to save us, to redeem us, and is the example of God's wisdom that he allows suffering and death for a greater and better outcome. Verse 25, because the foolishness of God is wiser than man. God's mind is so much player and the weakness of God is stronger than man. Verse 26, so you see your calling, brethren, there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. No, not many, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put the shame, the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put the shame, the things that are mighty, and the base things of the world, and the things which are the spies God has chosen, and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are.

You see, it just doesn't make sense, but it's great wisdom on God's side. In verse 29, that no flesh should glory in his presence. You and I can't boast about it because God has made a difference. You and I are just nothing. We are not wise. We are not mighty. We are what the world called the foolish of the world, and therefore it's not ours.

Our wisdom, it's not our power, it's not our greatness, but it's God's.

To him be glory in his presence when he comes. Verse 30, but of him, you are in Christ Jesus, but of him, you. In other words, you who are called, versus those that are intellectually wise and great, as we read in verse 26, but you, but of him, and that is not of us. It's not because of you and I that we've done, not because of us, but because of him, but you, of him, you are in Christ Jesus. In other words, you are now not living in the flesh, not living in the ways of the carnal mind, but you are in Christ Jesus. You are living according to the Spirit. You are led by God's only Spirit. You are in Christ Jesus who became for us. Christ became for us. Christ's suffering and death is for our gain, for our benefit, for the good of the church. Christ became for us wisdom from God. What wisdom? So that you and I can have eternal life, wisdom and righteousness. In other words, he who believes will be imputed righteousness, as we read in Romans chapter 4 verse 3 to 8. Imputed to us righteousness because we believe.

And sanctification, sanctification of the Spirit for obedience, as we read in 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 2. Or sanctification by the Spirit, by God's only Spirit, as we read in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13. And redemption, redemption from what? From slavery, from the servitude of Satan.

Redemption of the body to become sons of God, as we read in Romans 8 verse 21.

And verse 23, that's why we are the first fruits. We are the first fruits. We're not yet born again, but we begotten. We are the first fruits. We are a kind of first fruits because we have the first fruits of the Spirit, as we read in Romans 8 23.

And verse 31, that as it is written, it was again, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. The glory and the honor is God's, not ours.