"For Christ did not send me to see how many I could baptize, but to proclaim the gospel! And I have not done this by the persuasiveness of clever words, for I have no desire to rob the cross of its power!" (I Corinthians 1:17, Phillips translation)
Remember last week's lesson on the first nine verses of I Corinthians, where the apostle Paul established in no uncertain terms his authority as an apostle called to speak out directly to the Corinthians about "problems" in the "church of God" at Corinth--problems that required "reproof and correction," and believers that needed "instruction in righteous living"! And this by hearing (and receiving!) the inspired word of God so that, as "men of God," they might be "equipped for every good work" (in accordance with II Timothy 3:16-17)! He declared that they were "enriched in everything they needed" to live a life pleasing to the Lord! They now just needed to apply it to their lives! And so, our lesson last night began with the first of 16 "exhortations" that Paul would give in his epistle to the believers at Corinth, whom he addressed as "brothers"! And "saints"!
Here's how he began (in verse 10): "Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all (in his best "southern" draw!) agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you..."!
There were apparently separate groups of believers living in different parts of the city who met together in separate "house churches," which resulted in a kind of rivalry, and pride, that sprung up between them, with some associating themselves, and understandably so, with Paul who founded the church in Corinth and spent a year and a half preaching and teaching there! Others, of the more intellectual set, perhaps, identifying themselves more with Apollos who was an eloquent speaker and gifted apologist for the faith. Still others, probably Jewish believers, who looked to Cephas, or Peter, who was recognized as the chief disciple of Christ! While still others piously claimed to be "of Christ," considering themselves better, maybe more spiritual, but in so doing separating themselves from the others!
Paul was obviously alarmed by these divisions and immediately took himself out of the competition! "Is Christ divided?" he asked? "Were any of you baptized in my name (rather than in Christ's name)?" He even "thanked God that he had not baptized anyone, besides Crispus and Gaius" and, "O yes, the household of Stephanas" (who I Corinthians 16:15 identifies as among the first converts in the province of Achaia)! And he couldn't even remember if there were others that he baptized! He wasn't keeping score! And he made it clear that "Christ hadn't called him to baptize but to preach the gospel"! And "not in the cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ would not be emptied of its power"! From this it is clear from Paul's teaching that baptism, while an important ordnance of the church, wasn't a necessary part of a believer's salvation! And that nothing, in his way of thinking, should ever take away the emphasis on the "message of the cross"!
And this gives more basis for understanding why Paul issues his first "exhortation" as one calling for the "unity of believers"!!
Exhort? I Corinthians 1:10, in the NASB, says, "Now I exhort you, brethren!" The KJV reads: "Now I beseech you, brothers...!" The ESV says, "I appeal to you, brothers...!" Phillips says, "Now I do beg you, my brothers...!" And I don't have the NIV account, but I was surprised to learn that, regardless of the translation, the word actually comes from the Greek word "parakaleo," which is the verb form of "paraclete," used to describe the "Comforter," or the Holy Spirit. who "comes along side to help"! So Paul, rather than coming down "like a hammer," as we earlier suggested, is actually "coming alongside them," as a brother and "fellow believer" to encourage the Corinthians! Which best describes the real spirit and character of the apostle Paul! The "law" demands! But love and grace "beseech"! "I beseech you, brothers! I appeal to you, brothers! I beg you, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Phillips says) ...that you not allow yourselves to be split up into parties"!
MacArthur notes that the fact that Paul begins his 16 chapters of exhortation with this gives some idea of how important "unity of believers" is to God Himself! Because, he says, it reflects not only on our relationship with each other, but on our relationship with Christ! And that therein lies the credibility of our testimony, and therein lies the joy of our ministry together"!
Constable observes that "it's the most crucial issue, not because quarrels were the most significant error in the church, but because the nature of this particular strife has its root cause in false theology--which exchanged the theology of the cross for a false triumphalism that went beyond, or excluded, the cross"! (In other words, "bad theology leads to bad behavior!")
Calvin wrote that "there's nothing more out of keeping for Christians than their being divided from each other; for the most important principle of our religion is this, that we be in concord among ourselves"!
Ephesians 4:1-3 says, "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace!" Wow!
Philippians 1:27 says, "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that are standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel!"
And Psalm 133:1 puts it this way: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!"
And songs and hymns that come to mind too! "Bless be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds, is like to that above..." And more!
And did you know that the story behind that great hymn of the faith, "The Church's One Foundation," was composed as a primary answer to the division that was taking place within the Church of Africa! You have to sing it to see the connection!
And, an old favorite that fits so well with this lesson: "I'm so glad I'm apart of the family of God...joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod...for I part of the family, the family of God!" Go ahead and sing it!
In His intercessory prayer to the Father for His disciples, just prior to the cross (in John 17), Jesus prayed that they would be "sanctified in the truth...and that those also who would believe in Him through their word (like us!) would all be one, just as We are one... that the world may know that You sent Me!"
And, in Acts 2, we see how it worked! We read that, after the day of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the early believers had "singleness of heart and one mind and met together daily and shared in common love...day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house...taking their meals together with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people...and (here's the bottom line!) the Lord adding to their number day by day those who were being saved"!
And so, we see the importance of, and the intended purpose behind the connection between the message of the cross and the unity of believers!
Constable notes "this is the burden of Paul's letter to the Corinthians and the theological presupposition behind every imperative that we'll come across as we continue our study of I Corinthians...and that with this Paul is fully launched on his epistle...with the message of the cross setting his thoughts and language in motion"!
And so, men of the Bible! Fellow MOBsters! Unite!
Lowell
Remember last week's lesson on the first nine verses of I Corinthians, where the apostle Paul established in no uncertain terms his authority as an apostle called to speak out directly to the Corinthians about "problems" in the "church of God" at Corinth--problems that required "reproof and correction," and believers that needed "instruction in righteous living"! And this by hearing (and receiving!) the inspired word of God so that, as "men of God," they might be "equipped for every good work" (in accordance with II Timothy 3:16-17)! He declared that they were "enriched in everything they needed" to live a life pleasing to the Lord! They now just needed to apply it to their lives! And so, our lesson last night began with the first of 16 "exhortations" that Paul would give in his epistle to the believers at Corinth, whom he addressed as "brothers"! And "saints"!
Here's how he began (in verse 10): "Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all (in his best "southern" draw!) agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you..."!
There were apparently separate groups of believers living in different parts of the city who met together in separate "house churches," which resulted in a kind of rivalry, and pride, that sprung up between them, with some associating themselves, and understandably so, with Paul who founded the church in Corinth and spent a year and a half preaching and teaching there! Others, of the more intellectual set, perhaps, identifying themselves more with Apollos who was an eloquent speaker and gifted apologist for the faith. Still others, probably Jewish believers, who looked to Cephas, or Peter, who was recognized as the chief disciple of Christ! While still others piously claimed to be "of Christ," considering themselves better, maybe more spiritual, but in so doing separating themselves from the others!
Paul was obviously alarmed by these divisions and immediately took himself out of the competition! "Is Christ divided?" he asked? "Were any of you baptized in my name (rather than in Christ's name)?" He even "thanked God that he had not baptized anyone, besides Crispus and Gaius" and, "O yes, the household of Stephanas" (who I Corinthians 16:15 identifies as among the first converts in the province of Achaia)! And he couldn't even remember if there were others that he baptized! He wasn't keeping score! And he made it clear that "Christ hadn't called him to baptize but to preach the gospel"! And "not in the cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ would not be emptied of its power"! From this it is clear from Paul's teaching that baptism, while an important ordnance of the church, wasn't a necessary part of a believer's salvation! And that nothing, in his way of thinking, should ever take away the emphasis on the "message of the cross"!
And this gives more basis for understanding why Paul issues his first "exhortation" as one calling for the "unity of believers"!!
Exhort? I Corinthians 1:10, in the NASB, says, "Now I exhort you, brethren!" The KJV reads: "Now I beseech you, brothers...!" The ESV says, "I appeal to you, brothers...!" Phillips says, "Now I do beg you, my brothers...!" And I don't have the NIV account, but I was surprised to learn that, regardless of the translation, the word actually comes from the Greek word "parakaleo," which is the verb form of "paraclete," used to describe the "Comforter," or the Holy Spirit. who "comes along side to help"! So Paul, rather than coming down "like a hammer," as we earlier suggested, is actually "coming alongside them," as a brother and "fellow believer" to encourage the Corinthians! Which best describes the real spirit and character of the apostle Paul! The "law" demands! But love and grace "beseech"! "I beseech you, brothers! I appeal to you, brothers! I beg you, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Phillips says) ...that you not allow yourselves to be split up into parties"!
MacArthur notes that the fact that Paul begins his 16 chapters of exhortation with this gives some idea of how important "unity of believers" is to God Himself! Because, he says, it reflects not only on our relationship with each other, but on our relationship with Christ! And that therein lies the credibility of our testimony, and therein lies the joy of our ministry together"!
Constable observes that "it's the most crucial issue, not because quarrels were the most significant error in the church, but because the nature of this particular strife has its root cause in false theology--which exchanged the theology of the cross for a false triumphalism that went beyond, or excluded, the cross"! (In other words, "bad theology leads to bad behavior!")
Calvin wrote that "there's nothing more out of keeping for Christians than their being divided from each other; for the most important principle of our religion is this, that we be in concord among ourselves"!
Ephesians 4:1-3 says, "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace!" Wow!
Philippians 1:27 says, "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that are standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel!"
And Psalm 133:1 puts it this way: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!"
And songs and hymns that come to mind too! "Bless be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds, is like to that above..." And more!
And did you know that the story behind that great hymn of the faith, "The Church's One Foundation," was composed as a primary answer to the division that was taking place within the Church of Africa! You have to sing it to see the connection!
And, an old favorite that fits so well with this lesson: "I'm so glad I'm apart of the family of God...joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod...for I part of the family, the family of God!" Go ahead and sing it!
In His intercessory prayer to the Father for His disciples, just prior to the cross (in John 17), Jesus prayed that they would be "sanctified in the truth...and that those also who would believe in Him through their word (like us!) would all be one, just as We are one... that the world may know that You sent Me!"
And, in Acts 2, we see how it worked! We read that, after the day of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the early believers had "singleness of heart and one mind and met together daily and shared in common love...day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house...taking their meals together with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people...and (here's the bottom line!) the Lord adding to their number day by day those who were being saved"!
And so, we see the importance of, and the intended purpose behind the connection between the message of the cross and the unity of believers!
Constable notes "this is the burden of Paul's letter to the Corinthians and the theological presupposition behind every imperative that we'll come across as we continue our study of I Corinthians...and that with this Paul is fully launched on his epistle...with the message of the cross setting his thoughts and language in motion"!
And so, men of the Bible! Fellow MOBsters! Unite!
Lowell
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