Navigating First Corinthians: Unity in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:10)
Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians remains incredibly relevant, addressing the real-life struggles of a fledgling church grappling with internal divisions and cultural pressures. This sermon unpacks how Paul, acting as a compassionate pastor, guides believers toward unity, humility, and a steadfast focus on Jesus Christ.
This sermon explores Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, highlighting his call for unity amid church divisions and offering practical guidance on issues ranging from morality and worship to the power of the cross and the hope of Christ's resurrection.
Overview
The sermon introduces Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, establishing its undisputed authorship and placing its writing around 54-55 AD from Ephesus. It notes the letter's foundation in 1 Corinthians 1:10, where Paul appeals for unity and solidarity to address significant divisions within the Corinthian church, which stemmed from preferences for different leaders like Apollos, Cephas, and Paul himself.
The discussion traces the letter's trajectory, beginning with Paul's emphasis on wisdom, the cross, and humility to counter boastfulness (Chapters 1-4). Paul then delves into a range of sexual issues, including incest, prostitution, marriage, and celibacy (Chapters 5-7), before moving to the complex issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols (Chapters 8-10). In this section, he underscores the principle of relinquishing personal rights for the sake of weaker believers and maintaining unity.
Further, the sermon outlines Paul's instructions on orderly worship, including discussions on head coverings, the Lord's Supper, and the proper use of spiritual gifts like tongues and prophecy (Chapters 11-14). It highlights the "love chapter" (Chapter 13) as a crucial interlude. The letter culminates with a profound treatise on the resurrection of Christ (Chapter 15), presented as the core of Paul's gospel message and a historically verifiable event supported by eyewitnesses.
Finally, the sermon examines what 1 Corinthians teaches about God, emphasizing His faithfulness and preference for the ordinary over the powerful, alongside a high Christology. It also explores lessons about human nature, addressing issues of pride, division, modesty, and the importance of using spiritual gifts with decency and order. The discussion concludes by urging deeper scriptural study to understand the original meaning for the first-century readers before applying it today.
Key points
- Paul is widely accepted as the author of 1 Corinthians, writing it around 54-55 AD from Ephesus as one of his earliest letters.
- The letter's central theme, articulated in 1 Corinthians 1:10, is Paul's appeal for unity and solidarity against division within the Corinthian church.
- Paul addresses various practical issues including leadership rivalries, sexual immorality, marriage, and singleness.
- He discusses meat sacrificed to idols, emphasizing the importance of relinquishing personal rights for the sake of weaker believers and unity.
- The letter covers proper conduct in worship, the Lord's Supper, and the orderly use of spiritual gifts, including tongues and prophecy.
- A significant section emphasizes the cross of Christ, linking humility to its proclamation, and the letter climaxes with a robust defense of Christ's resurrection in Chapter 15.
- The sermon encourages readers to study the historical and cultural context of scripture to accurately interpret its meaning for today.
In Rick Warren's words
“the Corinthians problem is division and Paul is trying to um uh encourage unity and solidarity among them.”
“The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. And let things be done decently and in order.”
Outline
- I. Introduction to 1 Corinthians
- A. Author and Dating
- 1. Paul's undisputed authorship (Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, 1 Thessalonians)
- 2. One of Paul's earliest letters, around 54-55 AD from Ephesus
- 3. Reliability of Acts as a first-century document
- B. Thesis of the Letter (1 Corinthians 1:10)
- 1. Appeal for unity and solidarity
- 2. Corinthians' problem: division over leaders (Apollos, Cephas, Paul, Christ)
- II. Trajectory and Major Themes
- A. Wisdom, Cross, and Humility (Chapters 1-4)
- 1. Acquiring wisdom in light of the cross
- 2. Humility should trump boastfulness and pride
- 3. Paul's example of suffering and humility
- B. Sexual Issues and Proprieties (Chapters 5-7)
- 1. Incest (Chapter 5)
- 2. Prostitution (Chapter 6)
- 3. Marriage, divorce, and celibacy (Chapter 7)
- C. Meat Sacrificed to Idols (Chapters 8-10)
- 1. Issue of eating food offered to idols
- 2. Principle: relinquish rights for weaker believers and unity
- 3. Paul's example of becoming "all things to all people"
- D. Orderly Worship and Spiritual Gifts (Chapters 11-14)
- 1. Propriety in worship, head coverings, and the Lord's Supper (Chapter 11)
- 2. The "love chapter" as a better gift (Chapter 13)
- 3. Proper and orderly use of spiritual gifts, including tongues and prophecy (Chapter 14)
- 4. "Spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (1 Corinthians 14)
- E. The Resurrection of Christ (Chapter 15)
- 1. Centerpiece of Paul's gospel message
- 2. Christ's death, burial, and resurrection according to scripture
- 3. Eyewitness testimonies and early dating of this belief (less than 25 years after event)
- 4. High Christology and preexistence of Christ
- III. Broader Lessons from 1 Corinthians
- A. What it Teaches About God
- 1. God is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9, 10:13)
- 2. God chooses the foolish and ordinary (not the wealthy, powerful, eloquent)
- 3. Worshipping one true Creator God (monotheism vs. idolatry)
- 4. Strong connection between God and Jesus (pre-existent, deified Christ)
- B. What it Teaches About People
- 1. Addresses sexual issues, pride, and division
- 2. Relinquishing rights for others' sake
- 3. Importance of humility
- 4. Orderly use of spiritual gifts (decency and order)
- 5. Modesty in congregational settings (head coverings as cultural example)
- IV. Conclusion
- A. Sticky Parts: Tongues/Prophecy (Ch 14), Veiling of Women (Ch 11)
- 1. Importance of understanding "custom" and "tradition"
- 2. Three questions for scripture: What does it say? What did it mean to original readers? What does it mean to me?
- 3. Universal principle of modesty and avoiding distraction in worship.
- B. Encouragement for Deeper Study
- C. Prayer
Scripture references
- 1 Corinthians 1:10
- 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
- 1 Corinthians 1:9
- 1 Corinthians 2
- 1 Corinthians 4:21
- 1 Corinthians 5
- 1 Corinthians 6
- 1 Corinthians 7
- 1 Corinthians 8
- 1 Corinthians 10
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
- 1 Corinthians 11
- 1 Corinthians 12
- 1 Corinthians 13
- 1 Corinthians 14
- 1 Corinthians 15
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Philippians
- Philemon
- Romans
- 1 Thessalonians
- Acts 13
- Acts 14
- Deuteronomy 6
- Galatians 1
- John 3:16
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
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.
9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.
1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
2 That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Insights
Church unity often requires setting aside personal preferences for the sake of others.
Humility finds its strength in the proclamation and example of Christ's cross.
The historical death and resurrection of Jesus form the unchanging core of the gospel.
Questions & answers
What is the main problem Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians?
Paul primarily addresses division and a lack of unity within the Corinthian church. He observes rivalries among factions preferring different leaders, which contradicts their shared identity in Christ.
How does Paul use the cross in 1 Corinthians?
Paul uses the cross to emphasize humility over boastfulness and pride. He portrays the cross as a symbol of strength in humility, contrasting it with worldly wisdom and prestige.
What does 1 Corinthians teach about spiritual gifts?
The letter teaches that spiritual gifts should be utilized in an orderly and decent way within the congregation. Paul states that "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets," advocating for control and appropriate use.
What is the significance of 1 Corinthians 15 regarding the resurrection?
Chapter 15 highlights the resurrection of Christ as the centerpiece and essence of Paul's gospel message. It provides eyewitness testimonies and emphasizes the historical reality of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, which formed the basis of early Christian belief.
How should readers approach the cultural issues in 1 Corinthians, like head coverings?
Readers should first understand what the passage meant to the original first-century Greco-Roman audience, considering local customs and traditions. The underlying universal principle often relates to modesty and avoiding distractions in worship settings.
What is the main lesson from Paul's discussion on meat sacrificed to idols?
The main lesson is the importance of relinquishing one's personal rights for the sake of weaker believers and maintaining unity. If an action, though permissible, causes a fellow believer to stumble, it should be avoided out of love.
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