Unity & Corinth: Part 1 - Background

We are products of the society we live in. What we are entertained by, what we wear, what we eat – these are all aspects that are influenced by society. This fact influences the Christians in Corinth, and that society shapes the church written to by Paul.

The City of Corinth
Corinth was a sea port and center of trade. Many classes and nationalities mingled there with great wealth and poverty existing side by side.
Class envy was very apparent, complete with the crime and the tensions that are a part of this atmosphere. Amidst this, there was a fascination with wisdom and knowledge in the form of philosophy, and this led to an attitude of intellectual superiority. Eloquence was equated with wisdom – the art of rhetoric was highly valued.

This society was also fascinated with speaking in ecstatic tongues. Many of these “tongues” were gibberish (and this tradition has found its way into modern Christian tradition), and these tongues were considered to be prophetic and a gift from the gods. This fascination is carried over into the Corinth church.

Many of the church’s troubles in Corinth come from societal influence: social class differences and image consciousness (I Corinthians 7:18-23); selfishness, inflexibility, and a lack of forgiveness (I Corinthians 6:1-6, I Corinthians 8:8-12, I Corinthians 11:20-21); arrogance and elitism (I Corinthians 4:6 and many other verses in this book).

The Problem
The Corinth church thought they were spiritually minded because of their emphasis on wisdom and the spiritual gifts many had, but Paul asks “Don’t you know...?” ten times (I Corinthians 5:6, 6:2, etc.) He also speaks to those who “think they know” and who “think they are spiritual.” However, in chapter 3, Paul tells them they are truly carnal and not spiritual at all. Can this be said of us? Do we think we are spiritual when we are really carnal?

In I Corinthians 12:29-30, Paul asks if all members can claim all spiritual gifts. Do gifts denote spiritual completeness (I Corinthians 4:8-10) as these Christians seemed to believe? This is the danger – overestimating our spirituality – and this led to some deep troubles in the congregation.

• Chapter 6:12-20 - Paul begins a point/counterpoint between the Corinthians’ letter to Paul and his response to those attitudes.
• Chapter 8:4 - Paul deals with insensitivity toward conscience as a result of their own perceived wisdom.

These problems led to division in the congregation, and it would probably not be long before the church in Corinth just tore itself apart.

The tongues spoken of in the book of I Corinthians were really world languages, and these were languages that did not have to be learned – they were known by the power of God. In I Corinthians 12:4-6, Paul makes it clear that all gifts are equal. He continues this illustration by using the human body as example. One member cannot deny the usefulness of another.

Through chapter 12, Paul emphasizes oneness and sameness in the church (verses 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, & 14 among others) to avoid division within the body. It is a call to unity and cooperation, and their spiritual superiority blinded many of them to the problems they were creating within their own congregation. The body has to function in unity in order to function properly.

Paul concludes this chapter by describing a “more excellent way,” and that is where we will pick up our next lesson.

sermon by Tim Smelser

Conduct Review

What do your friends say about you? We would like to think our friends and our acquaintances would have a positive or favorable picture of us. On the other hand, what would your enemies say about you? In the life of David, it is interesting how he treated and what he would say regarding his enemies – take Saul, Ishbosheth, and Abner for example.

In this lesson, we are going to focus on the life of Christ and what His peers said about Him.

Peer Reviews of Christ
In Speech: John 7:37-44. Jesus rouses some controversy with claims He makes of Himself, but the officers who were to arrest Him were struck by His speech that they could not bring him in (verses 45-46). What would be said about our speech?

• Titus 2:7-8 - Our speech is to be such that no one can speak against us.
• Peter 3:15 - The way we answer should be in an attitude of humility and godly fear.
• Ephesians 4:25,29 - We should speak truthfully, and we should edify one another with our speech.

How do others see us speak? Can these qualities be found in our speech? We need to imitate Jesus in this, so that no evil can be found in how we speak.

In Loving Conduct: John 11:35-36. Jesus’ love for His friend Lazarus was apparent to those observing Him at the grave of Lazarus.

• John 13:34-35 - Christian love is supposed to be reflective of the love Jesus demonstrated to His disciples.
• Galatians 6:9-10 - Our conduct is to be positive toward all individuals, whether or not someone is a brother or sister.

If we are cold and hostile toward one another and toward our peers, the attitude demonstrated is not love. Loving conduct is a differentiator between a Christian and the world.

In Influence: John 12:19. The Pharisees recognize that many are interested in Jesus’ message. They have been unable to disparage and defeat Him. Can we help the world follow our example in following Christ? What kind of influence do we have on others?

• Romans 1:15-17 - Paul shows an eagerness to speak with anyone regarding Christ’s gospel. He was not scared to let his light shine.
• Acts 5:28-29 - All of Jerusalem felt the influence of Christ’s gospel through the efforts of the apostles.

We should live in a way that makes others want to know more about the hope we have. Our example and our conduct should influence our peers into wanting to more about Jesus.

In Purity: John 18:37-38. Pilate simply says that he can find no fault in Christ. We sometimes have a defeatist attitude in how we approach sin, but we need to strive to obtain the example set by Christ that we should pursue sinlessness.

• I Peter 2:21-25 - Peter makes it clear that we should follow the steps of our Savior, who was found faultless in word and in deed.
• Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus example is one that we can hope to achieve. He faced temptation and overcame. So can we.

Our goal should be a life without sin. All have sinned, but we can make a decision that we can stop and sin no more.

In Relationship to God: Mark 15:39. Here, a hardened soldier comes to the realization of how Christ is related to God. We are sons of God through faith, and what do our peers see in us that reflect that relationship.

• Galatians 2:20 - Christ is to live within us as a result of our faith.
• I Peter 1:13-16 - We are obedient children to our Father, and we are to be holy as Jesus and God are holy.

Do we reflect one who is tied up with this world, or do our peers see an individual that has been born again, a child of God?

Conclusion
Our goal should be to be like Jesus, and our example, faith, and hope should be observable by our peers.

sermon by Tim Smelser

A Case Study in Spiritual Depression

In Jude, the author compares false teaching to several Old Testament examples, and three of these in verse 11 are Cain, Korah, and Balaam. In this lesson we’re going to examine Cain’s falling into sin and the lessons we can take from his spiritual depression.

Cain’s Downward Spiral
In Genesis 4, we find the record of the sacrifices by Cain and Abel. Here we see Cain struggling with spiritual issues after his sacrifice is rejected by God. Genesis 4:5 records Cain becoming very angry, and his countenance falls. When asking Cain about his anger, God reminds him that sin is crouching at Cain’s door, but He encourages Cain that he can rule over this sin. However, Cain gives in to the sin and murders his brother Abel.

Cain enters a downward spiral from the moment of his sacrifice. When his inferior sacrifice is rejected, he is not angry at himself for not offering his best. Rather, he seeks an outward target for his aggression. Proverbs 15:13 tells us that a glad heart is reflected on our outward conduct, but a sorrowful heart breaks the spirit. Here, Cain has a sorrowful heart, and it begins to eat away at his character.

God looks to console and redirect Cain, rhetorically asking him why he is angry. He is trying to get Cain to think. This is similar to II Corinthians 13:5 when Paul asks the Christians in Corinth to examine themselves, testing their adherence to the true faith. God is telling Cain to see if these troubles are coming from within himself. He is giving Cain a chance to self-examine and avoid the sin lurking in his heart, waiting to consume him.

Cain Victimizes Himself
I Peter 5:8 describes the devil as a lion stalking his victims, but James 4:7-8 reminds us that we can resist the devil, who will flee as a result. John 13:12-17 records Jesus washing His apostles’ feet as an example of humility and servitude, and He calls them blessed if they follow this pattern. God can see Cain’s spiritual depression, and he reminds Cain that he is blessed if he does what he should. Cain can resist this sin. He can make the devil flee.

Genesis 4:8 records Cain telling something to Abel, and we don’t know the contents of this conversation. Regardless, what it comes down to is a struggle within Cain between God’s way and man’s way, and Cain chooses man’s way. His downward spiral leads him to murder his own brother. Likewise, we can wallow in spiritual depression, letting our anger fester, avoiding doing what is right. He even lashes out at God in verse 9, asking God if he is responsible for his brother. When punished for his action, Cain still blames God for his problems. His heart has hardened.

Avoiding a Hardened Heart
Hebrews 3:12 warns us to be careful of bearing an evil heart. Time and again, the Hebrew author warns of the dangers of hardening our hearts. When we go down this path, Hebrews 6:6 tells us that repentance becomes near impossible, and we continue to crucify our Savior. None of us want to go down this path, but when we put our way before God’s, we start down that path. I Peter 5:6 calls on us to humble ourselves under God’s hand, and He will lift us up.

Cain may have been hurt and frustrated, but he could have still chosen God’s way. He could have humbled himself before God and examined himself rather than blamed others. The story would have turned out differently. We have the same choice every day between our way or God’s way. Our goal should be to soften our hearts to God’s word and submit to His will, allowing Him to cleanse us and grant us His promises.

sermon by Tim Smelser

Do You Hear What I Hear?

What is it that God and the world hears from you and me? In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are in jail after casting a demon from a fortune-teller. They are placed into the inner prison and put in stocks, but the prisoners hear them singing praises to God and praying. The prisoners were listening to these individuals in similar bonds yet still glorifying God.

Songs and Prayers in a Prison

• Who Heard Them? The individuals listening to Paul and Silas are prisoners. These are not upstanding citizens. They are not even the common crowds that Jesus would have addressed. Furthermore, these prisoners are in the innermost parts of the prison. These are the political prisoners, the insurrectionists, the murders. These are most likely hardened criminals listening to these disciples. It is unlikely they were receptive of Paul and SIlas at the outset.
  
  
  
• To Whom Were They Listening? What do these prisoners think of those they are hearing? Paul and Silas are among men who had been preaching in this region for many days. Much of this time, the spirit-possessed woman had been proclaiming their inspiration of God. It is probable that the prisoners had heard of these individuals. What attitude might they have? Would they have been looking down on the “self-righteous Christians?” Would they scoff? Paul and Silas had been beaten. They had been whipped. They had been locked up in stocks. How easy it would have been for the other prisoners to take pleasure in these disciples’ troubles.
  
  
• What Did They Hear? We read that the prisoners hear praise and prayer. They do not hear Paul and Silas shouting at the authorities. They do not hear the disciples bewailing their state, feeling sorry for themselves. They do not hear Paul and Silas protesting their innocence. They do not hear these two blaming God for their situation. Instead of words of vengeance or protest, the prisoners hear prayers of trust and praise. They hear an attitude in submission and reverence to God. They hear Paul and Silas praise God in song despite their imprisonment. Do we have godly songs in our hearts and on our lips as these disciples did?

Will We Hear Their Lesson?
In a similar situation, you or I would probably have been scared to death. We might not have felt like singing, and our prayers would have been silent and desperate. This is not the first or last time, Paul faced this kind of trial, and we do not see him saying, “Enough is enough.” Instead, he turns to God time and again. Matthew 10:16 records Jesus telling His apostles they will be as sheep in the midst of wolves when they go to preach the gospel. He tells them they will be punished and betrayed, but He will be with them. In II Timothy 3:12, Paul writes that those who live godly will suffer persecution.

In these difficult circumstances, we see an example of two individuals who can still praise God. Their focus is on their Maker more than on self. Even when beaten and imprisoned, God and Christ are on their minds. Where we might think, “I just can’t do it,” they set an example. I Corinthians 2:5 and Romans 1:16 remind us that our trust should not be in ourselves but in God’s power. They sing and pray – even though it might be easier to stay quiet. Matthew 10:32 encourages us to confess the name of Jesus even when it is easier to say nothing.

In Acts 16, the results of Paul and Silas’ actions are profound. Once an earthquake opened the prison, what kept the prisoners inside? There were no earthly motivations to keep those prisoners from escaping. It had to have been the influence and example of Paul and Silas. The other result is the obedience to Christ of the jailer himself. Mark 12:37 records that people would listen to Christ gladly, and, while the prisoners may not have been listening gladly at first, the example of the disciples soften their hearts. Finally, I Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready to give an example for the hope that is within us, and, if our lives reflect Christian qualities, if those around us see and hear a good example, we will meet more receptive ears.

What does God hear from us? What does the world hear from us and see in us? We can be like Paul and Silas, influencing others to godliness because God and Christ are in our hearts and at the center of our lives.

sermon by Tim Smelser