Book of 1 Corinthians - Ch. 1, Vs. 1-10 (10/01/2000)

1 Corinthians and Paul’s Apostolic Commission

I appreciate everyone being here on time. We begin a new book this week, this Sunday, the book of 1 Corinthians. I would like for everyone to open their Bibles to that. The city of Corinth was a very important city in that part of the world.

It was situated for commerce, where there were lots of traffic east, west, north, and south that passed through this city. Corinth, like nearly all of the important cities of that day and time, was very cult-oriented, superstitious.

They each had their own gods. The church that existed at Corinth had a problem, in fact several problems, and Paul is going to address those problems. There is the belief that there was another letter that had been written by Paul to the church.

If there was, it is lost, and we have no record of it, but there is strong supposition that it did exist at one time. So, beginning now with the first verse of the first chapter, Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sothenes, our brother.

In this study, I have written my own paraphrase of a lot of the verses, and I would like to read this first one to you. My name is Paul of Tarsus, and I am a called-out apostle. It has been the personal will of our Father, the Almighty God of this universe, to charge his Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, to personally call me, and so did he.

Our brother, Sothenes, is with me. We observe here in the first verse that Paul is declaring his commission. His commission was given directly by the Lord to Paul, the work of his ministry of God. He was a called-out apostle by the will of God.

Abraham was the first called-out man in history by God. It's important to notice that Paul did not thrust himself into this high and honorable office. He did not take it upon himself to do this. He was called of our Lord to do it.

He was chosen, called, and sent by God. Those that attempt to function without a regular call and commission may expect problems in all of their life. Do not try to operate someplace where you have not been called just because you would like to be like somebody else or you think you would like to do something different.

Be satisfied where you are. Be sensitive and subject to any further calls from the Lord. Part of the problem in the church was that there were many secret cliques. There were vile and scandalous, profane persons that were found among the members of this church.

Yet we see that Paul salutes all of them as the church of God. So we learn that there may be a mixture of profane and scandalous persons in with the real saints. It is a fact. There have always been and there will always be on this earth.

Not that there ought to be, but there is a mixture. Yet, we can rest assured that this does not unchurch the assembly in which they attend. It does not make us not a church. It does create a problem and Paul is going to address that more fully.

It is almost, David, as though they were the disease of the church. And we treat not symptoms but the disease itself. This world has made a business of treating symptoms. I think designedly so, in order that the problem would never go away, therefore affording them livelihood.

The particular churches will always have this of these particular people until their particular work is finished. And then they will be moved on someplace else. And I'm talking about those that are the disease, those that are causing problems.

There are certain rules that we are to go by, knowing that God has all of it in control. So that's the way he starts off this letter, along with many of his others. Verse 2, he tells us to whom he is writing, unto the church of God, which is at Corinth.

Clarence, could he not have also said to the church that is at Corsicana? Oh yes, of course, definitely. Absolutely. To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints. You'll notice the to be is italicized, it's been added by man to make it more clear.

I like to read it without it. They're called saints. Not to be, that's future. But right now we are saints in God. With all that in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus our Lord. Call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

My paraphrase, I am writing this letter to those of you that have been placed into the Lord by the command of our Father, thus making you and only you to be sanctified. This letter is to be passed on to other churches in the world.

Grace be unto you. Greg, it seems like wherever Paul or any of the apostles wrote, they always mentioned grace as first instead of peace. Why? All right, absolutely. The grace must be first. And Greg, another term for grace would be what?

Favor. Favor of God. May he favor you with peace. So we see that the order of the words, first grace, then peace, there can be no other peace without, can there be no peace without grace? And no grace, but there will be peace.

There can be no peace, but from God. No peace from God, but as a father. No peace from God as a father, but as our father. And he cannot comfortably be said to be our father, but through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God, which is given you by Jesus Christ. He says, I am thanking, thanking you and thanking God because he has extended to you this grace from him.

Go to the book of John, if you will, please, to the third chapter and the 27th verse, Clarence, read that for us. John 3, 27. Yes. John answered and said, man can receive nothing other than God. Explain that to me.

Can we give to God something he has not given, first given to us? It's impossible for us to give anything to him without it first has come from him. This Pat here, would you care to share with us your childhood thoughts on giving?

That's right. No matter at what age or how you look at it. Well, this is every man's lot and portion that he cannot better himself in the slightest way. He just cannot do it. A man can receive nothing and so forth.

That means all success is from heaven. Is that right, Greg? All of the success of man is from God. All the success of Jesus is from God. Now, as success comes from the same source, we ought not to be envious.

It is designed to answer the same end and by whomsoever accomplished the hand of God is in it and we must rejoice. So don't envy other people. Don't spend your time trying to put them down and build you up.

It's impossible. You cannot do it. You might think you do, but you do not better yourself. Even the work of Satan depends upon the Father. Is that true? Is that false? Is that neither one? Who said that?

The work of Satan depends upon God. Think about it. It too was designed for the betterment of his people. Is that true or false? And Greg, why do we have such a problem with the fact that we have problems from Satan?

But we're supposed to have problems, but we're supposed to recognize that it is from God and therefore it's good, therefore I must look for the good and use it for good. Now go to John 6 .65. Greg, read that.

Now explain. Can we accept it then? All right. So no one, according to the scripture, now no one can become saved unless it is the Father that draws them to Christ. Is that true? All right. Now go to John 19 .11.

Do you notice it was given to him, he didn't buy it, unless it is given to him of the Father. John 19 .11. Bill, will you read this for us? Do you remember upon what occasion this was spoken? What did you want to say, Diane?

But did he answer right? Okay. So there is no power except it be given of God. Now Diane, does that mean absolutely no power, any place and anything?

That's right. Even that power which we think we have, that people have in Satan, could not be given unless God brought it down.

Even the power of the President? Even the power of a ditch digger someplace? Verse 5. That in everything ye are enriched by him in all utterances and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, that in everything you are enriched by him.

Now Joy, that takes in a very broad base, doesn't it? It does not say in everything you are enriched sometimes, or you are enriched by him. So everything is for our betterment. Is that right, Debbie? Absolutely.

Well then why do I still complain? What? In all utterances. David, now I know you've been on vacation, but he says in everything you are enriched by him in all utterances. What's he talking about here?

So how can you be enriched in what you speak something? All right, let me ask you this. The rest of you be thinking. Do you believe that if you are bashful and you're timid and you would rather not speak in front of anybody, yet you have been placed in a position where it's mandatory that you say something, and you do not want to sin, you want to honor God, do you believe that he will give you the words to say?

Absolutely. In everything you are enriched by him in all utterances and in all knowledge. Now, Greg, what is knowledge? Well, that's pretty good. All right. Is this epinosis or gnosis? All right. All right, so is he saying that even our education and school is made possible by God?

I thought it was the local school board. In all utterances, in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. Bill, it was confirmed in you. What's that mean? It made it a fact. All right.

So you then are proof of the scripture. Yes. You are. You're different than you were. That's right. So that in every event in history, my paraphrase, so that in every event of history, both that of which you speak and that of which you learn is from our almighty father.

And you have the confirmation of your Lord Jesus as spoken by him to enable us to become more like he is. That's the purpose of all of it. To praise the heavenly father. Seven, so that ye come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You come behind in no gift. That's rather strange wording. Diane, can you give that to me in your words? We come behind in no gift. All right, Clarence. Oh, so you don't fall short in anything. All right.

I mean, it came. It came. I just had to wait a second. So that you come behind in no gift. You're not behind on anything.

Yes. In other words, it's telling us that he's given us a gift so we'll come to him.

He's provided everything for us.

I thought of the kings coming with their gifts. They didn't come behind. They were ready and they brought Jesus and they were standing there. So I had to kind of visualize this. So they didn't come behind with not prepared.

All right.

Perhaps another meaning here, Pat, would be what do you think for our answer?

Could it be that you would be criticizing God and Jesus Christ if you did say something that was not contrary? Sure.

Absolutely. Now, Pat, give me another meaning of the word you come behind in no gift. Because when he wants me to have, I have. All right. So you may not have what the other person has, but you have that which you're supposed to have.

Therefore, you're not behind in anything. It doesn't mean that everybody has equal monetary or abilities or anything. But you have exactly what you're supposed to have. Some like Harvey and you have a tremendous amount more than someone like me.

But you're held responsible for that and I'm not. Now, the paraphrase, because of this fact, let me read 7 again. So that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this fact, you, each and every one of you, have everything needed to function in the earthly church while you are waiting on the coming of our blessed Lord to redeem us all bodily.

That's exactly right. He's talking to the church and in turn talking to the individual members of the church. If the church is not behind in anything, it means the members are not behind. That's right.

That's right. And you do not need to spend your life trying to figure out what it is. Because you won't. Just do what comes to you to do. And that that you feel comfortable doing. I don't mean you'll feel comfortable every time you open your mouth, but trust God.

He'll bring nothing for you to stumble or ignore. You have everything that is required by the Father for your church and for you individually. If and when more is needed, what will happen? It'll be given to the church or to the individual.

Or to the individual and that in turn to the church. That's good. And that's true. We have everything we need. I have everything I need. When I need more, it'll come. If I don't need what I have and it's wore out, then it'll go.

If and when more is needed, God will bring it. If man forces it, failure will follow. Verse 8. Who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of your Lord Jesus Christ? Boy.

The who speaks of who, Diane? Jesus Christ. Jesus shall. And Clarence shall means what? All right. He shall also, meaning other things, confirm you unto the end. Now, Bill, we come back to confirm again.

He will confirm you unto the end. What's that mean? We have judgment day arrives. All right. And you'll be confirmed all the time up until then. You unto the end. Now, don't read that like he abandoned you at the end.

Now he gives the reason for doing this. There's always a reason. And what is the reason is spelled out in verse 8, Greg. How in the world am I going to be blameless on judgment day? What did somebody else say?

That's what I was going to say, brother. You were covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. You haven't seen anything for Christ. Who's talking? Mark. Mark. Okay. Now, say it again. He's not going to see our sins.

He's going to see Christ. He sees us. All right. That's God the Father. And Jesus is our mediator. He is the one that stands between. He is the one that allows only the righteousness to show to the Heavenly Father.

Blameless. Just the word blameless, Bill, means what? Means that there's no love. All right. Jesse, what's blameless mean to you? Without what? Without fault. There would be no one anyplace that could lay anything to your guilt.

It is the same Lord Jesus that will guarantee each of us all of the way until the end of this life. The purpose for him to do so is that he himself might present all of us individually to the Father in a state of unimpeachable purity.

The beginning as well as the finishing of our salvation is of who? The Lord. He's the author, the worker, and the finisher. Verse 9. God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of the Son, Jesus Christ, unto his Son.

God is faithful. The immutable God, which is unchangeable faithfulness. Let me read that again. The immutable God, which is unchangeable faithfulness. Unchangeable faithfulness is the power that so ordained us in infinity past to be a part of the fellowship of his Son, Jesus the Christ.

Now let me read it all again. The immutable God, which is unchangeable faithfulness is the power that so ordained us in infinity past to be a part of the fellowship of his Son, Jesus the Christ. It's the Father that has ordained everything and we are made part of Christ.

Unity in the Church and the Need to Avoid Divisions

Verse 10. Now, now Paul's growing closer to the problem. It says, 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.

So Paul is saying, Now I come to something I want you to pay close attention. He says, I beseech you. Harvey, what's beseech me? Implore, beg, earnestly urge you, brethren. So Joy, who's he talking to?

The church. And he does it by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Clarence, could there be any greater support that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you? Now that you all speak the same thing.

Is he talking, Greg, about everybody talk with a Texas accent? That you all speak the same thing. Clarence, elaborate on that a little bit. What's it mean, speak the same thing? I think it's expressing that we all believe the same.

We may not express it the same, but we believe the same. That you speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you. All right. He wants all of us to believe the true doctrine and understand it all the same and that there be no divisions.

He doesn't say so that there will be no, but he says and that there be no divisions. Not the same thing, but another condition. Now, how much of disagreements spring from not speaking the same thing, Bill?

And it might grow and actually change somewhat over the years. Yes. Absolutely. So, the divisions. A true division is based upon unbelief. All sin is based on unbelief. So, divisions can be trivial or they can be important.

But that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. How many here have ever done any detailed cabinet work? All right. I don't mean carpenter now. I mean cabinet building.

How many of you have then made a joint, a wooden joint, that would fit? David actually made one that would fit. Now, the Japanese are so well known for all of their intricate joints. They can build furniture without any glue, nails, pegs, or anything and fit it together in such a way it locks together.

Now, David, in that perfect joint that you built, how much of it actually fit? Well, it says here that you be perfectly joined together. Perfectly. That is, there's no air gaps. There's no skips. Everything is smooth and matches.

And we get our word glue from the word join, from the word consist. We get glue. So, everything is perfectly fit together in one local church body. Would that all church bodies were fit with all others.

That won't happen in this earth. But that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. What a wonderful family life. What a wonderful church life this leads to. Now, I implore all of you by the name of our Lord Jesus the Christ, that each of you speaks, thinks, and understands each other with the same understanding.

This will eliminate confusions, disagreements, so that each of you joyfully fit into the church fellowship for this is necessary so that on judgment day there will be no losing of rewards. The greatest earthly force that two or more can have is to what?

Speak the same mind. You remember the Tower of Babel? They didn't know they had a problem because everybody spoke the same language. But to stop their progress, the Lord simply changed the language. Very, very simple for God.

Impossible for man. But that simple one act caused the people to spread all over the face of the earth. The greatest earthly force that two or more can have is to speak from the same mind, the same thinking, and the same goal.

We're describing a marriage, a family. Then, if you want the reference, Genesis 11, 6 is talking about the Tower of Babel. Well, we're going to stop here. We'll begin with verse 11. Are there any questions or statements?

Alright.

Witnessing Only What You Know and the Assignment for Next Week

One big church, one big world, one big government. And we shouldn't be trying to do that because of what God has put us under. I mean, He's saying that. He doesn't want that anymore. But why shouldn't we be trying to deal with one world or one big church in the world?

Well, it is wrong. Our Lord told us exactly how it was going to go. And it will go that way. We won't change it. But we certainly can see that it is wrong. Now, the assignment for next week. I have a short one for you.

I want you all to help me remember next week. I have a habit of giving out assignments and then never asking for them. I don't want that to happen again. I'm holding you responsible for it. That's good.

The question is this. Research this week for the answer to this question. Who of the disciples were present at Jesus' crucifixion? Now, I have one other thing. And this springs from last Sunday. I found out during the week that perhaps, not really knowing, but perhaps there was a little confusion about some of the things I said.

One thing in particular. So, I have written a flyer and I want them passed out. But I want to read to you first. Let me just read this to you. You can only witness to a person about that which you personally know to be a fact as you see it.

Do you understand that? You can only witness about that that you know personally or as you know it. If there is a report that a man is living in adultery, church member, you feel in your heart that you must speak to him, then you can go to that man, but you cannot accuse him of adultery.

You can inform him only that you have heard a rumor to that effect, because that's all you heard. If you have, from your own observation, concluded that he is sinning in that way, then go to him and counsel him on what appears to be sin.

Do not accuse him of the sin, for you still do not know absolutely. If you see a man steal a thing, then you have proof. And you then may accost him on that act. Never accuse someone of a thing, good or bad, unless you have personal knowledge of that thing.

In other words, don't operate on hearsay. Don't trust someone so much that you take what they said and relay it to somebody else. Don't tell a person that their solo was beautiful last Sunday, when you were not even there to hear it.

You can tell them that you heard it was wonderful. Just a few notes on what we can do and what we should not do. Virg, will you see that everybody gets one, please?

Isn't it also saying, Brother Otis, do not dislike someone for other people's sake?

Oh, that's right. Same thing. Make up your own mind in the Lord. We have too much peripheral understanding. Now, what is your assignment for next week? That's right. Beg your pardon? Standing there watching.

That's right. Disciples, Virg is a pretty good passer-outer. You don't have to take it home and frame it. If you want to throw it away, wait until you're out of my sight. Let's stand and I'll ask Roger if he'll dismiss us, please.

Right now we might not see a time for this, but tomorrow we might have some opportunities for life. For an individual that comes to your life, that needs these.