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1 Corinthians
Godly Solutions for Church Problems
By John MacArthur Thomas Nelson
Copyright © 2007 John F MacArthur, Jr
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7180-3526-6
CHAPTER 1
Called to Be Saints
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Drawing Near
Other than "Christian," what are some words oft en used to describe those who believe in Jesus Christ?
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Paul opens this letter reminding these believers that they are saints. Is it hard to think of yourself as a "saint"? Why or why not?
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The Context
It is important to establish one's right to speak authoritatively on a subject. Someone who has no medical degree or training would never get a hearing at a conference on medicine. A person's credentials give some indication whether or not what he has to say should be taken seriously. Paul did not mention his apostleship in order to gain honor as an individual but to gain respect as a teacher of God's Word. He was not an apostle by his own appointment, or even by the church's appointment, but by God's appointment — by the will of God. At the outset he wanted to establish that what he had to say was said with God's own authority. Since his message was so corrective, this was of great necessity.
Before Paul took the Corinthians to task for their failures as Christians, he carefully and lovingly reminded them that they belonged to God and to each other in a far-reaching fellowship. He summarized their position and their blessings as believers in Jesus Christ, as children of God, as saints. The benefits of being a Christian have three dimensions. Some are past, given the moment we accept Christ as Savior and Lord. Other benefits are present, worked out as we live our lives in Him. Still other blessings are future, to be experienced only when we go to be with Him in heaven. In the past there is grace, in the present there are gift s, and for the future there are guarantees. Our past is already taken care of, our present is provided for, and our future is assured. In so many words, Paul was saying: "Look at who you are! Look at what you have!" Only then does he say, "Now I exhort you, brethren."
Keys to the Text
Apostle: "One who is sent with a commission." An apostle was chosen and trained by Jesus Christ to proclaim His truth during the formative years of the church. In its primary usage, the term applied to the original twelve disciples chosen by Jesus at the beginning of His earthly ministry to lay the foundation of the early church. Jesus also gave them power to perform healings and to cast out demons as verifying signs of their divine authority. Because Paul was not among the original twelve, he needed to defend his apostleship. One of the qualifications was witnessing the risen Christ (Acts 1:22). Paul explained to the Corinthian church that between His resurrection and ascension Jesus "was seen by Cephas [Peter], then by the twelve. ... After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also" (1 Cor. 15:5–8). Paul witnessed the resurrected Christ in a unique way as he traveled to Damascus to arrest Christians there (Acts 9). Further personal appearances of the Lord to Paul are recorded in Acts 18:9; 22:17–21; 23:11; and 2 Corinthians 12:1–4.
Saint: When using the term "saint", the New Testament does not mean a specially pious or self-sacrificing Christian who has been canonized by an ecclesiastical council. The Greek word translated "saint" is hagios, meaning "set apart one" or "holy one." All believers have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and are saints by calling. The Corinthian believers were holy in God's sight, regardless of their sinful living and distorted doctrine. They were saints because they had been sanctified (from hagiazo), set apart from sin, made holy in Christ Jesus.
Unleashing the Text
Read 1 Corinthians 1:1–9, noting the key words and definitions next to the passage.
1 Corinthians 1:1–9 (NKJV)
1Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,
5that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,
6even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
7so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sosthenes (v. 1) — probably Paul's secretary, a former leader of the Corinthian synagogue who had become a brother in Christ; on one occasion, he was beaten for bringing Paul before the civil court at Corinth (Acts 18:12–17).
Grace to you and peace (v. 3) — Paul used this greeting in all his letters. The basic meaning of "grace" is favor; "peace" is inner wholeness and right relations with God and others as a result of God's saving grace.
grace of God ... given (v. 4) — This looks at the past, that is, their salvation, when God justified them by undeserved and unrepayable love and mercy, forgiving their sin through the work of His Son.
enriched in everything by Him (v. 5) — In the present, the believer has everything the Lord has to give and, therefore, everything he needs. The two particular blessings spoken of here are related to presenting the truth of God's Word.
utterance (v. 5) — In regard to speaking for God, believers are able to speak when God wants them to because of His enablement. Prayer reaches out for that ability, and diligence in the study of God's Word aids it.
all knowledge (v. 5) — God provides believers with all the knowledge they need in order to speak effectively for Him (see 2:9).
testimony of Christ ... confirmed in you (v. 6) — This is a reference to the moment of salvation when the gospel was heard and believed and settled in the heart. At that moment, the enabling of verse 4 took place, because the individual became a recipient of the grace of God.
come short in no gift (v. 7) — "Gift" in Greek is specifically "a gift of grace." While the blessings of speech and knowledge were primarily for evangelizing the lost, the spiritual gifts (chs. 12–14) edify the church. Because these gifts are given to each believer (12:11–12) without regard for maturity or spirituality, the Corinthians, though sinful, had them in full.
the revelation (v. 7) — Paul looks to the blessing of future grace. At the Lord's second coming, His full glory, honor, and majesty will be revealed in blazing splendor (Rev. 4:11; 5:12), at which time all true believers will be fixed solidly forever as holy and without sin, in full resurrected glory and purity, to live in heaven with God forever.
the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 8) — See 5:5. This refers to the coming of the Lord for His church, the Rapture. This is to be distinguished from the Day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:2, 4; 2 Thess. 2:2), a term referring to judgment on the ungodly.
God is faithful (v. 9) — Because of God's sovereign and unchangeable promise, believers are assured of this grace — past, present, and future — and will remain saved, assured of future glory at Christ's appearing (Eph. 5:26–27).
by whom you were called (v. 9) — This call, as always in the epistles of the New Testament, refers to an effectual call that saves (see note on Rom. 8:30). God, who calls to salvation and heaven, will be faithful to give the grace needed to fulfill that call.
1) What did Paul mean when he called the Corinthian believers saints?
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(Verses to consider: Heb. 10:10, 14; 2 Pet. 1:3; Jude 1)
2) Paul thanked God for what specific things in the lives of the Corinthians?
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3) In what ways had the Corinthians been enriched by Christ?
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(Verses to consider: 1 Cor. 3:21; Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; 2 Pet. 1:3)
4) How did Paul say the Corinthians would be able to live as God desired?
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Going Deeper
Paul expounded often about what it means to be "in Christ." Read Ephesians 1:1–14 for further insights.
Ephesians 1:1–14 (NKJV)
1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
8which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
10that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth — in Him.
11In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
12that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Exploring the Meaning
5) What more does this passage in Ephesians reveal about the benefits and blessings of grace we have received?
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6) How does this passage underscore God's faithfulness?
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7) Read John 14:1–3. How did the promise of Christ's return affect Paul's teaching, his ministry philosophy, and his behavior?
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(Verses to consider: 1 Thess. 4:13–18; Rev. 3:10)
Truth for Today
As Christians, one of the strongest rebukes we can have when we sin is to be reminded of who our Father is. And reminding ourselves of whose we are should be one of our strongest deterrents to sin. Remembering our position can compel us to improve our practice.
Reflecting on the Text
8) What does it mean to you to have God as your Father?
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9) What "past" benefits of grace are you most thankful for?
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10) What "present" benefits of grace do you most appreciate?
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11) What "future" benefits of grace do you most anticipate?
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12) What specific things can you do (or stop doing) this week to better demonstrate your sainthood?
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Personal Response
Write out additional reflections, questions you may have, or a prayer.
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Additional Notes
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CHAPTER 2
The Need for Unity
1 Corinthians 1:10–3:23 (NKJV)
Drawing Near
Christians may be "saints," but oft en we act less than saintly. If you can, give an example or personal illustration of each of the following:
~ a time when you saw Christians break fellowship over a doctrinal issue or other problem
~ a situation in which you saw opposing parties settle their differences and find unity
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What are some aspects of the Christian gospel that seemed foolish to you before you believed in Jesus? What aspects seem foolish to the watching world?
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The Context
Most of us who have attended church for a number of years have been in or know of a congregation where there was a split or at least serious quarreling. The problem has existed in the church from New Testament times. The Corinthian believers fell short in many ways, and the first thing for which Paul called them to task was quarreling. Quarreling is a reality in the church because selfishness and other sins are realities in human beings. Because of quarreling, the Father is dishonored, the Son is disgraced, His people are demoralized and discredited, and the world is turned off and confirmed in unbelief.
In His high priestly prayer Jesus prayed that His church would be one (John 17:11, 21–23). Immediately after Pentecost the newly empowered believers were in perfect harmony with each other — sharing, rejoicing, worshiping, and witnessing together. Their unity bore great fruit in their ministry to each other, in their witness to the world, and in their pleasing and glorifying God.
The first need of the Corinthian church was for that sort of harmony. And so Paul made a plea for doctrinal agreement, for repenting of their tendency to form factions around high-profile personalities, and for remembering the great priority of the church: preaching the gospel. Paul argued that supernatural unity can occur only when God's wisdom is valued over earthly wisdom, and when believers walk in the power of God's Spirit rather than giving in to the sinful desires of human flesh.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from 1 Corinthians by John MacArthur. Copyright © 2007 John F MacArthur, Jr. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
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