Welcome
If you haven’t been with us before we pray, sing the Word of God set to music, and then sit in silence for each individual to commune with God according to how they are lead.
We then come back and read our text for the day together and then go through and study what we have read verse by verse.
Today we begin in first Corinthians, a letter or epistle the Apostle Paul sent to Corinth which was for their specific benefit and instruction.
We will see how its magnificent content applies to our spiritual growth and guidance over the next year or so.
I am very, very excited to teach this fantastic and full letter to you all.
After our verse by verse we open up to a Q and A where you bring to the table what is on your heart relative to what has been studied or anything else for that matter.
These times are important to our tapings because your insights and questions are often representative of the whole audience and frequently what you all have to share gives dimension and correction to what has been taught.
I am a pastor/teacher without any authority. My place in the body is to teach – and that is what I attempt to do to the best of my ability but I am fallible and will get things wrong.
Additionally, all opinions and views are accepted here at CAMPUS – of any sort – so do not hesitate expressing yourselves.
Okay, let’s pray.
1st Corinthians 1 Introduction
November 5th 2017
First Teaching in this Epistle
As we learned in our study of Acts, Corinth (Greek Corinthos) was a small dynasty or territory in Greece.
For those of you interested, Corinth had the gulf of Saron to the East; the kingdom of Argos on the south; Sicyon to the west nad the kingdom of Megaris to the north.
Today, the internet tells me that Corinth is both an ancient and a modern city of the Peloponnesus, in south-central Greece.
The remains of the ancient city lie about 50 miles west of Athens, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Corinth, on a terrace some 300 feet above sea level. Total land mass about 40 square miles.
Salt Lake City is 110 Square miles so Corinth was less than half the size of it.
Provo is 44 square miles so it was bigger than Corinth itself.
And the city of Corinth was the capital of this region of the same name.
It stood near the middle of the isthmus, which in the narrowest part was about six miles wide, though somewhat wider where Corinth stood.
It was an important place for sea commerce with the Ionian sea on the west and the AEgean on the east and there were a number of efforts made by the Greeks, and afterwards by the Romans, to effect a communication between the AEgean and Adriatic seas by cutting across this isthmus – in fact, traces still remain of these attempts.
Just so we can have a visual, let me draw a map of where Corinth sat.
(DRAW MAP ON BOARD).
This isthmus was also particularly important, as it was the “key of the Peloponnesus;” (which is this hunk of land resting south of mainland Greece.)
Many attempts were made to fortify it. The city had two harbors—“Lechseum” (on the gulf of Corinth on the west) and the Cenchrea on the sea of Saron on the east about nine miles away.
So we can see it was very important and well traversed area – especially for merchants and military.
As we might recall from our study of Acts Corinth was said to have been founded by Sisyphus.
In Greek Sísuphos was the king of Ephyra who was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it come back to hit him, repeating this action for eternity.
As a result of this myth and the influenc of culture, tasks that are considered both laborious and futile are therefore described as Sisyphean
When Corinth was founded remains unknown but its name is supposed to have been given to it from “Corin” and “thus,” who, by different authors, is said to have been the son of Jupiter, or the son of Marathon, or of Pelops, who is said to have rebuilt the city.
The city itself was apparently about five miles in circumference and because of its advantageous locale between the two bodies of water the city was really wealthy – therefore subject to avarice and luxury – for which it became known.
Think about this – merchandise from Italy and other western nations would flow into Corinth on the west port and goods would flow in from the east (Turkey, Asia minor and other Asian nations from the East – so naturally Corinth would be the place for materialism – and therefore money, and therefore vices in the extreme. I mean this place was the mart of the world.
There were also games – similar to Olympic competitions – held on the isthmus and Paul will refer to the principles and imagery from them in his writings – especially in chapter 9 and then in Hebrews.
From all of this the city of Corinth became eminent among all ancient cities for wealth, and luxury, and sexual dissipation – as we have described before it was the Paris of antiquity.
What better place to plant a church?
But the topper to it all was the religious observances that flourished in the place – purely pagan and centered on sex.
Remember, the principal deity worshipped in Corinth was Venus – just as Diana was the principal deity worshipped at Ephesus, and Minerva at Athens, but in many ways they were all closely related.
Ancient cities were devoted usually to some particular god or goddess, and (as we learned in our study of Acts 14) they were supposed to be under their peculiar protection.
Venus was the goddess of love and licentious passion. Her shrine appeared above those of the other gods and according to lawful demands one thousand beautiful females would officiate as courtesans, or public prostitutes, before her altar.
In a time of public calamity and imminent danger, these women attended at the sacrifices, and walked with the other citizens singing sacred hymns.
If Corinth got into trouble, like an invasion, it was up to these women to heat things up, get more and more men to visit the temple and pay for their services and worship, which would then go to the military and fortifications.
Additionally, when an individual were looking to ensure their success in some venue or another they would visit the temple workers and get added blessing through inter “action” with them.
Where did all these 1000 beauties come from? Foreign merchants would bring women from their countries and sell them to Corinth and this turned it into a wonderful (or terrible) way for people to experience all types of women from all over – just by visiting one locale.
The result was that in all of Greece Corinth was the most morally bankrupt.
I think this is really important to understand. That in perhaps one of the most corrupt places in all the world at that time, God was collecting a church out of the inhabitants of this city His church, members of His Body!
Remember, God is a God of fixing things. He is a redeemer. He is a forgiver and a God who is proven strong in and through the weak things of the world – a very topic that Paul is going to address at the end of this first chapter.
And what better place to present such a message than to the converts who lived in Corinth.
Ironically, Corinth was also distinguished for its academic refinement and learning so much so that before it was destroyed by the Romans Cicero called it “the light of all Greece.”
There is a long history and other stories about a metal known as Corinthian brass but that is for more secular studies.
Let quickly cover how the Church got planted there.
Going back to our study of Acts 18 we know that this was when Paul first landed in Corinth.
At that time he was then on his way from Macedonia to Jerusalem. Before arriving he had passed some time at Athens, where he had preached the gospel but with little success so he didn’t remain or organize a church there.
While alone in Athens but expecting to be joined by Silas and Timothy, he waited but when it appeared that no joining up would happen he traveled to Corinth alone and found the couple Aquila and Priscilla there, who had recently arrived from Rome.
Paul worked making tents with them waiting on Silas and Timothy and when they arrived, Paul started preaching – first to the Jews (who rejected him) and then to the gentiles.
entered on the great work of preaching the gospel in that splendid and dissipated city, first to the Jews, and when it was rejected by them, then to the Greeks, Ac 18:5,6. His feelings when he engaged in this work he has himself stated in 1Co 16:2-5. (See Note on that place.) His embarrassment and discouragements were met by a gracious promise of the Lord that he would be with him, and would not leave him; and that it was his purpose to collect a church there. See Barnes for Ac 18:9.
In the city, Paul remained eighteen months, (Ac 18:11,) preaching without molestation, until he was opposed by the Jews under Sosthenes their leader, and brought before Gallio. When Gallio refused to hear the cause, and Paul was discharged, it is said that he remained there yet “a good while,” (Ac 18:18,) and then sailed into Syria.
Of the size of the church that was first organized there, and of the general character of the converts, we have no other knowledge than that which is contained in the epistle.
There is reason to think that Sosthenes, who was the principal agent of the Jews in arraigning Paul before Gallio, was converted, (see 1Co 1:1,) and perhaps some other persons of distinction; but it is evident that the church was chiefly composed of those who were in the more humble walks of life. See Barnes for 1Co 1:26 and following.
Paul subsequently visited Corinth about A. D. 58, or six years after the establishment of the church there.
He passed the winter in Greece–doubtless in Corinth and its neighborhoods — on his journey from Macedonia to Jerusalem, his fifth trip.
During this stay at Corinth, he wrote the Epistle to the Romans.
So when did Paul write this letter to the church at Corinth? Many scholars believe that this epistle was written at Ephesus. There are some exceptions to this but we will stand by this view for simplicities sake.
In the course of church history and even from its critics, there has never been any doubt that Paul was the author of this epistle.
It bears his name; has internal evidence of having been written by him; and is ascribed to him by the unanimous voice of antiquity.
What has been questioned, however, was whether this was the first letter which Paul wrote to them or whether he had previously written an epistle to them which is now lost.
This question is in the air because in 1st Corinthians 5:9, Paul wrote:
“I wrote unto you in an epistle,” seeming to mean that before 1st Corinthians there was another letter. Some think there was as many as four, where all or some had been amalgamated into two.
By the contents of the first chapter of this letter it seems that Paul wrote this epistle in response to a letter that was first written to him – which may or may not have been in response to a letter he wrote first.
In 1st Corinthians 7:1 we read from Paul,
“Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me,” etc.
From content in chapter 16, verses 17-18 we know that this letter had been sent to Paul while he was at Ephesus (by the hands of Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus) who had come to consult with him respecting the state of the church at Corinth.
In addition to this, Paul had heard various reports of certain disorders which had been introduced into the church at Corinth, and which required his attention and correction.
Those “disorders,” it seems, had not been mentioned in the letter which they sent to him, but he had heard of them incidentally by some members of the family of Chloe (we will read about this in 1st Corinthians 1:11).
What did Paul apparently hear from the family of Choe?
First, that divisions had arisen in the church. Probably a new teacher/preacher who was a Jew by birth and not improbably of the sect of the Sadducees came and had gained popularity.
I mention that he was probably a Sadducee as this would explain Paul’s detailed explanation of resurrection in chapter 15, which the Sadducees rejected.
People are really very funny. They either blindly cling to everything a single person will proffer or they will run from one fashionable teaching to another depending on the rhetoric of the presenter.
Whatever it was, there was divisions entering into the church at Corinth – which we will address when we get to them being addressed.
Secondly, the Corinthians, like all other Greeks, were greatly in danger of being deluded and carried away by philosophy. It was in their blood.
It is really easy for someone to step in an make things more exciting or alluring in the face of heavenly truths.
Add a better band, some new approaches that excite and play to the flesh and a person can sway the masses to their ways of seeing the world.
Paul was not flashy. He did all things decently, and focused on teaching truth as a means to offset false doctrine and practice.
We will see how the Corinthians started celebrating more, and dividing the body with things that were not the Gospel.
In harmony with this it seems Paul’s authority had been called in question as an apostle, and not improbably by the false teacher, or teachers, that had caused the divisions that had been originated there.
Here we will read how Paul vindicates his authority, and show by what right he had acted in organizing the church, and in the directions which he had given for its discipline and purity etc.
This leads us right into a direct case at hand we will discuss – there was a case of a man sleeping with his step or real mother – and it went on without anyone in the church doing anything about it.
In a city dedicated to Venus, the crimes of licentiousness had been openly indulged, and this was one of the sins to which they were particularly exposed. It became necessary, therefore, for Paul to exert his apostolic authority, and to remove the offender in this case from the communion of the church, and to make him an example of the severity of Christian discipline.
We will discuss this when we get to it – Christian discipline then – and now.
Also, the Corinthians apparently from the words of Paul, seemed to have somewhat of a litigious spirit and apparently had no fear of bringing other Christians to court.
We will address this, and other topics which will include among other things, spiritual gifts – specifically speaking in tongues – Christian love, and one of the most profound chapters in all of the New Testament, 1st Corinthians 15 and the topic of the Resurrection.
So let’s get into our verse by verse of Paul’s letter written to the believers, the church, at Corinth.
And we will begin with the salutation found in verses 1-3
1st Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Back to verse 1. In nine of his apparent 13 or 14 epistles Paul identifies himself as an apostle.
Not just as one sent – as anyone can fill that role – but as one called and sent by Jesus Christ Himself.
That is what Paul meant by assigning himself the title, “an apostle.”
There are questions about whether apostles, like Paul was an apostle, if they are needed today.
The answer may surprise you. Shortly after leaving the LDS church (who of course claim to have living apostles like Peter, James, John and Paul) I was introduced to the concept that Apostles like unto them were NOT needed because we now have their writings – consisting of most of the New Testament and they are the apostolic authority on earth to guide us.
I also learned that to be an actual bonified apostle a man had to meet certain biblical criteria –
They had to be called of Christ directly and then taught by Him.
They had to witness Him as a resurrected being for it was this witness that would preach above all other things, and
In the New Testament sense, apostles are described as having to suffer more than the rest, even to the loss of their lives – as Jesus promised them.
This suffering would be for their witness of Him and His resurrection.
To fortify the position that living apostles are no longer needed I would also cite passages that say things like:
The foundation of the faith is laid with first hand witness apostles (described above) and we read through the Bible narrative that apostles were not added when others died (the only exception to this was when Peter, prior to the Holy Spirit falling and guiding Him, decided to elect Mathias to replace Judas, through an Old Testament method of casting lots.
But this was the only time an apostle is recorded as being replaced.
But as I have dived deeper into the New Testament over the years I can see that the ONLY thing that held His church together was apostolic leadership – and that they were actually the ones to guide His flock through some very difficult times, and that without them, His church never would have lasted even a couple decades.
In other words, I have changed my stance – slightly. Today I would suggest that if
Jesus church is on the earth – truly His church that He is coming back to collect/rapture and save from coming destruction, then it is more than obvious that apostolic leadership is more than necessary to lead it through all the treacherous waters surrounding this modern day and age.
This point is more than proven in the New Testament. Jesus ascended into heaven but left his apostles behind to do whatever was possible to protect His church from the onslaught of attacks from every side and without them His church would have never survived.
Just look at what happened after the last living apostle (John) died. The whole thing went south organizationally. And it has NEVER recovered – organizationally.
But it wasn’t supposed to.
See, Jesus called His specially elected and trained men to keep His Church safe – until He returned – and in and through their efforts the gates of hell did not prevail against it.
They were absolutely necessary and they walked the church through (barely, by the way) everything Jesus said they would face until He, as promised, came to save it from destruction. And I would reaffirm that this was possible because of apostolic leadership.
Because that age, that period, that time was completely fulfilled, there is no church remaining that is His – if there was it would have to be governed apostolically, and from the get go, and NOT from pseudo-apostles but from authentically called men who openly admit and profess the resurrected Christ.
These apostles jobs would have been, and would continue to be, to protect His church and lead it through all troubling times until He comes to get it.
In other words, if Jesus is coming back, and if He is coming back to get His bride/church, then apostles – who were indispensable in the New Testament – would have similarly been indispensable to His church in 90 AD, 500AD, 1760AD and on out till today – and we would have had a stream of men having Pauline like experiences.
But we get nothing. No apostolic lines, the closest thing we get to it is from the Restorationist movement of Alexander Campbell and one of its products, Mormonism – but their apostles do not meet the biblical qualifiers.
Friends, these things are evidence that the end of all things, as promised in the Bible, did come, and we are now living in an age outside the New Testament model, in a time of fulfillment, where all things are completed in Him and God’s creation will just continue on – until we perhaps, destroy ourselves.
Anyway . . .
1st Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God,
Again, and I’ll just touch on this, but we automatically see Paul make a distinction between God and His will in making Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ, God’s only human son.
Never forget this order or description, if you will. The is God – the one true God and there is the means by which the One True God saves and relates to His human creations, by and through His only begotten (human) Son – Jesus Christ.
Introducing Himself Paul also introduces to us someone named “Sosthenes,” who he calls, “our brother,”
Sosthenes, the name, is mention twice in the New Testament, and it is possible they were the same individual.
The first time a Sosthenes is mentioned you may remember.
In Acts 18 there as a Sosthenes who was the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth.
When he refused to move against Paul at the instigation of the Jews he was taken and beaten by the mob in the presence of Gallio, the Roman governor.
Because this occurred in Corinth there is the possibility, even the probability, that this was the same man.
Why does Paul mention him? Probably because he served as Paul’s emanuensis – or scribe or recorder.
And so we come to a bit of context as Paul writes
2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
There is a tendency in the faith to believe that the New Testament was written to believers today – and to all believers going back to the days of the early established churches in Asia Minor and Judea.
In a way I believe – again, I personally believe, trust, have some faith – that this view is true.
But I do not have much evidence of it from the contents of the Bible itself. One of the supports that the Word of God written in epistles like 1st Corinthians WAS written to us is that God’s Word is, in fact eternal, and it never fails or goes away and in this sense I think we must admit that whatever God has said in the past would continue to have meaning and purpose and application in peoples lives – whether they lived in the 12th century or here in the 21st.
In light of this view or belief – in fact, PRIMARILY because of this view or belief, I find it worthwhile to study and read and teach the Word to all interested in hearing it.
Is this understood? It ought to be very evident by the fact that we focus SOO much on reading and studying the Word here at CAMPUS that we do, in fact, see it as the single most important material tool and gift given to Christians as a means to guide and inspire and teach us over the course of our lives, with the Holy Spirit being the most important immaterial tool.
That being admitted and proven, we have to get honest here. There are very few – if any – places in the entire Bible, let alone the New Testament – where the writers (or God through the writers) directly says that what is being written was written specifically to us after the ages the writings actually took place. (Unless they are prophetic utterances in the Old Testament aimed at the Gentiles getting the Gospel or related to end times).
Paul says plainly in the epistle we call Romans:
“To all that be in Rome . . . ” (NOTHING MORE)
2nd Corinthians? “unto the church of God which is at Corinth . . . “
Galatians? “unto the churches of Galatia.”
Philippians? “to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.”
Colossians? “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse.”
1st and 2nd Thessalonians? “unto the church of the Thessalonians.”
1st and 2nd Timothy? “Unto Timothy,” and “to Timothy.”
Titus? “To Titus.”
Philemon? “unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer, and to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house.”
James? “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.”
1st Peter? “to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.”
2nd John? “unto the elect lady and her children . . . ”
3rd John? “unto the well beloved Gaius . . . ”
Revelation? “to the seven churches which are in Asia.”
The books that address no specific audience at all are Hebrews and 1st John, and the only books that specifically suggest that the contents of the book are to all Christian readers include
1st Corinthians, Ephesians, 2nd Peter and Jude.
1st Corinthians? “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth . . to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
.”
Ephesians: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
2nd Peter: “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ:”
Jude: “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:”
Some might suggest that because SOME epistles were addressed to all that believe or are sanctified by God, then all epistles would be read in the same way.
Perhaps.
But to biblical literalists, who insist on being literal, then only four of the New Testament epistles include believers who were living outside the area addressed.
As a means to clarify what Paul is meaning I consulted the YLT literal translation which says:
(YLT) “to the assembly of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all those calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place–both their place and ours.
And then he adds a line that Paul uses frequently, and in one way or another, in almost all of his writings:
3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, we must note the distinction Paul chooses to make in this standard salutation – Grace to you, and peace he writes, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
We note – without prejudice but in the vein of constant observation the following:
That Paul does NOT call Jesus God the Son nor does He call Him “the Lord God Jesus Christ.” No such titles – here, or in any other epistolary salutation.
We also must notice the absence of Paul including the person of the Holy Spirit in this salutation (or any other), an apparent person that, once the Trinity was firmly established in the minds of men, is NEVER forgotten in the modern salutations, blessings, baptisms or invocations of the faith.
Not for me. Scripture describes God as One, God our Father and scripture describes One Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, God’s only human Son.
So far in our study, I’m sticking with that.
Questions / comments
Before we adjourn, I received two requests recently from people who attend CAMPUS.
One was to promote the seasonal Evangelically driven Samaritan’s purse ministry which gets people to decorate and fill shoe boxes with items that are then send to under-privileged children around the world.
The premise is certainly inviting and tugs at the heart strings and I am placed in a difficult position as the director of CAMPUS.
Let me explain why?
I am, with evidence, personally convinced that much of what is done in Evanglicalism is a form of playing church.
“Causes” have consumed the faith and world and everyone has them.
CAMPUS is aimed at deconstructed church and we have tried to focus any collective causes on the local communities.
Additionally, Samaritan’s Purse is run by the son of Billy Graham, with annual donations of over 400,000,000 dollars a year and Graham earning more as leader of this non-profit than ANY other non-profit on earth.
Additionally, Graham’s politics and imperialistic world view (which is often foisted upon people of other Nations through acts like this one) do not in my opinion serve the purity of Christ.
Finally, any child who receives one of these boxes is also then subjected to a follow-up visit to share the gospel with them.
I am NOT against children receiving help but I am convinced that as long as the faith is tied and seen and known through stuff like this it will be hindered and not known for what it really does.
All that being said, if you personally want to participate in this see me and I’ll put you in touch with the person whose tied to it.
Secondly, I received this request that, in part, read: “Suggestion: Please consider including some historical Christian hymns in your CAMPUS services.”
Let me be clear:
There is one thing people need to clear their heads of error – the Word of God, by the Spirit.
They do NOT need, though they may want, emotions. Emotions have zero intelligence. They only move us to feel things are good or right, not to know and understand them.
I am FULLY aware of the value of music in our lives. I adore singing hymns. But I can do this all week long and on my own time. CAMPUS is focused on getting the Word of God into the minds of those who attend or tune in.
To put the Word of God to music takes us from our western pleasures and customs and sticks us back in Ancient Israel, who sang the Psalms. Which are the Word of God.
Now, I know the style of music does not please some of you. Music is perhaps one of the most personal subjective topics on earth and everyone has an opinion about it.
And where this writer wants ancient hymns, the next will want modern worship. And the next will want Gregorian chants and the next will want Striper from the 70’s.
We are NOT appealing to ANYTHING here but the word of God. Period.
If anyone needs their version of worship music to walk alongside their Sunday teachings there are plenty of churches out there that will provide them their fix.
And I want to caution you all about something. A house built on experiential religion is a house built on sand.
I have seen far too many people glom on to experiencial religion and all that it offers the emotions who have slipped right down that slippery slope into more and more outlandish expressions.
Use CAMPUS to learn the word – whether taught, preached or sang. And find suppliments to your emotional needs somewhere else.
Anything to say on this? Okay, let’s pray.
