The city of Corinth viewed sex much like the world in which we live today–casually. This casual approach to sex had infiltrated the church and it continues to pressure the church today. The world does not appreciate the meaning God has built into intimacy, and as a result, many people suffer after ignoring God’s design. We should not treat sex casually, we
have a call to glorify God, and we need to flee sin to honor God in our bodies.
We all experience conflict in this life. Sometimes those conflicts end up in court as lawsuits. In the Corinthian church, one member was suing another member for fraud, and no one was doing anything about it. Sadly, conflict – even to the point of lawsuits – affects Christians today. Shouldn’t we be able to solve these problems? Shouldn’t our faith help us live in peace? Our Bible passage addresses that today, reminding us that our decision-making should be guided by hope in the kingdom of God, not this world. Faith in Christ leads us to solving problems differently.
Everyone of us has sinned and continues to sin. Yet, there are some sins that are so public and scandalous that they strike at the peace, purity and even the purpose and mission of the church. The church in Corinth was failing to deal with a scandalous sin. Instead of correcting it, they boasted about their tolerance. This had become a shame to the church, and a scandal to the gospel. In our passage today, the apostle Paul calls the church to the practice of church discipline. Like the Corinthian church, churches today often excuse sinful behavior and fail to correct those who participate in it. As a result, the witness and the ministry of the church has been damaged, and God’s people grow disheartened in their pursuit of holiness. Graciously applied discipline is essential for the mission of the church, and we must be willing to practice it. How is church discipline essential to fulfilling the purpose of the church?
Authority is a basic reality of life, but when an authority asks something you don’t like, or want, what do you do? In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul authoritatively confronts the church over several differ-ent issues. In a situation like that, a person might get upset, and might ask “Why should I comply? What right do you have to speak to me?” Not only does the apostle give instruction, but he also provides reasons for the church to consider and respond to his authority. In doing so, he re-minds us that godly authority is established for our good. How should we understand godly authority and respond to it?
1 Corinthians 4:1-13 New King James Version (NKJV) Stewards of the Mysteries of God 4 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by…
The “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” is a list of remarkable struc-tures that went beyond the artistry and engineering of their day. We right-ly travel to see other monuments of human creativity, ingenuity, and hard work. The Bible talks about one building that God is particularly interest-ed in – His Church (1 Corinthians 3:9). He has a purpose, a model, and a plan to build this church, for the good of people and the salvation of souls. When His vision is followed, the church grows. When it isn’t, it fails. Because God loves His church, we should love it by building it well. Today we want to see God’s heart for the church and how we participate in His great building plan. How do we build well?
Sometimes we think we are doing better than we really are. Sometimes it takes an outsider to help us see things we are blind to. If this is true about anything, it is true about us when it comes to spirituality. The Christians in the city of Corinth thought they were spiritually mature, but they were not. In fact, not only were they not mature, they were still infants! We need to move from immaturity to maturity. The question is, how do we do it?
The world tells us that Truth does not exist. Instead of seeking Truth from God, it seeks “truth” from the minds of people who live in rebellion to God. The philosophies of the world bind people in their separation from God by falsely justifying their unbelief. Thankfully, God has revealed Himself to those who are ready to receive it – to the spiritually mature
(1 Corinthians 2:6). The mature receive the wisdom of God. How do we grow in spiritual maturity?
Can the Christian faith provide answers to the fundamental problems of life? In the Greek culture at the time of the New Testament, people looked to elite philosophers to give them the solutions they needed. In our passage today, the apostle Paul calls the church to look to the cross of Christ. It is the power we need to solve our biggest challenges. Let’s look at three ways the cross reveals God’s power.
1 Corinthians 1:10-17 English Standard Version (ESV) Divisions in the Church 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. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s…