1 Corinthians 1 - God Laughs At Man's Wisdom!

1 Corinthians 1 - NIV

Introduction to 1 Corinthians - Insight for Living

Corinth was a large, international metropolis, filled with people from different backgrounds. Idol worship to gods such as Aphrodite was particularly prominent in the city, though Corinth contained numerous temptations far beyond her temples. In this sense, Corinth was very much like a modern urban area, containing unending opportunities to engage in sinful behavior without any apparent consequences.

Such a community clearly had a negative influence on the Corinthian church. But notice that Paul’s instruction to the believers was not to retreat from their city. This was not Paul’s vision for the church then or now. Instead, he directed us to live out our commitment to Christ ever more faithfully in the midst of nonbelievers. - Chuck Swindoll

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul's initial address to the church reminds them that he was set apart as an apostle of Jesus, and they were set apart and called to be holy people. We will learn that this is not the case with some of the people in the church. Note Paul's letter was not just to the church in Corinth, but also to everyone who calls on the name of Jesus. 

Historically we know Paul's letters were distributed throughout the early church. 

The recipients of the letter must have understood the letter’s significance, not only to their own circumstances but for the church worldwide. In AD 95, Clement, the bishop of Rome, wrote a letter of his own to the Corinthians in which he invoked the authority of Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians. - Swindoll

As is so often in the case Paul says, "Grace and peace to you!" We need to continually remember that it is only God's grace which leads to God's peace. Grace is the fuel of the Christian life. Peace is the result of remaining in Christ. Peace is priceless, especially when trouble comes our way. 

Thanksgiving

4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The other aspect of grace is the spiritual gifts we have been given. Some call these "grace gifts". God's grace has given them everything they need while they wait for Jesus' return. God had "graced" them with every gift they needed to not just survive but thrive. We know Jesus is returning but we still need to keep "the pedal to the metal." As long as we are still here, there's work to be done. 

God has given every church, every gift it needs to be effective in bringing the gospel to the world. As we cling to his grace and live in faith, God will keep us blameless until Jesus returns. I don't think this means we will never sin again, but when we do God's grace will lead us home. Our faithfulness is replaced by God's faithfulness. We can be faithful to God, because He is faithful to us. 

A Church Divided Over Leaders

10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas[b]”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

The church had many problems which led to division in the church. The first issue Paul brings up was the reliance on human personalities rather than on God. Cliques developed based on the personality of the leader. Peter, Apollos, and Paul each were uniquely gifted to be leaders but were not meant to be in competition with each other. 

I have seen many cases were people favored one pastor over another one. Of course, our human nature is going lead us to connect with one leader over another. It is usually based on personality and giftedness. We tend to like people who are like ourselves. But it becomes a problem if people focus on these differences, and especially when they make their preferences known. 

The classic way I have seen this happen is when someone says, "I prefer Pastor X's sermons over Pastor Y's sermons", and they make this widely known. Even worse is when someone says, "I only come to church when Pastor X is preaching." 

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

This issue also manifested through who baptized who. People were taking pride in who baptized them. But the real meaning of being baptized was being baptized into Christ not by any person. Baptism was a sign of being a child of God through what Jesus did for us on the cross, not what Paul did for anyone on the cross. Paul was pretty infuriated by this, because they were taking their eyes off of Jesus. They were taking their eyes off the cross.  

Paul emphasized that his only purpose was to preach Christ, not himself. Though baptism is an important part of the church, Paul's calling was to preach the gospel in all its purity. This purity comes from the words "by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone". By focusing on human leaders, they were emptying the gospel of its power. 

When you put a leader up on a pedestal the only place they can do is down? Many church leaders start reading their own headlines and counting how many people adore them. These are the leaders that often go out in flames. It becomes more about them than Jesus. They suffer, their families suffer, and the church suffers. Not good! 

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

One of the other issues in the church was worldliness by relying on worldly wisdom. Someone said, "God laughs at man's wisdom!" Paul sums up the difference between godly and worldly wisdom by saying, "The foolishness of God is wiser than than human wisdom."

If we want to be wise, we need to seek God's wisdom. God is the source of all wisdom, and you shouldn't listen to anyone who doesn't preach God's wisdom as it is laid out in God's Word. God's Word IS wisdom. James says, "If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

It is intellectual pride which can lead one to think Christianity is just a myth or a fairy tale. After all, how could God become a human being? How could Jesus die on the cross and rise again three days later? Many in Corinth were too smart to believe in such facts. In so doing, they missed out being saved by Jesus. 

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Paul introduces the central paradox of the Christian life. The paradox of the cross. The disciples did not come from noble or rich backgrounds, but they became rich by being a disciple of Jesus. God chose people who were so called "weak" from a worldly perspective and gave them true strength. This was so it would be clear the power came from God not from man. God humbled those who were prideful, and made strong those considered weak. 

Paul is obviously confronting the intellectual pride in the church? Where can you be tempted to rely on human wisdom rather than God's? Where are the places in the world that claim to know things that can only be known through God? How can these type of influences seep into your minds?