THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Overview of the Book)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Timothy Sparks and Ben Bailey.
Timothy Sparks:
“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). I’m Timothy Sparks.
Ben Bailey:
And I’m Ben Bailey. Welcome to our study of 1 Corinthians. Today, we are going to summarize the contents of the book as we provide an overview of each chapter and its main points. If you would like a copy of today’s broadcast, or any of our other lessons, we would be happy to send you one free of charge on a DVD or CD. Visit us on our website at www.thegospelofchrist.com, fill out the request form to let us know which lessons you want, and we will be more than happy to send those to you.. This broadcast is brought to you by individual members and congregations of the churches of Christ. We hope you will visit with the churches of Christ in your area, and let them know how much you appreciate their support of this broadcast.
In chapter 1 of 1 Corinthians, the overriding theme is that of religious unity. God does not want His people to be divided. Paul pleads for Christian unity—which appears to be the thematic statement of First Corinthians. Whatever else we do, we must be united. The psalmist said in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” Jesus prayed in John 17:20-21, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Chapter 1, therefore, sets the tone and tenor of 1 Corinthians. Paul wants religious unity, and so does God.
Timothy Sparks:
Paul continues with this concept when he says, “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Paul pleads for the teachings of Jesus Christ to be the means by which we are united, and by which we will be able to speak the same thing, and the means by which we are to have the same judgment. In Jesus’ prayer in John 17, He prayed for the unity of all believers. Paul says that he, personally, did not come with fancy words of wisdom, but that he rather wants our faith to be firmly rooted and grounded in the Word of God. In 1 Corinthians 1 and 2, we see that the Gospel Paul preached (and that we now possess and must believe and obey to be saved) may be foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews, but is the means to save our souls, and is the mean by which we unite as brothers and sisters in Christ. Ben, tell us more about this survey of 1 Corinthians.
Ben Bailey:
In 1 Corinthians 3, we see once again that Paul’s message is one of unity. In 1 Corinthians 3:11—“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ”—Paul makes the point again that we have to completely remove men from the picture. We have to be unbiased when we approach God’s Word, and we must build our foundation solely on Jesus Christ. In Acts 4:12, Peter says, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Paul clearly teaches in 1 Corinthians 3:11 that Jesus must be the center basis, the foundation, for religious unity. Ask yourself today, “Is Jesus Christ the foundation of the religious group of which I’m a part? Is Christ’s Word the sole foundation for the religious organization of which I’m a member?” This must be the case—if we are to be pleasing and acceptable to God. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul makes it clear that Jesus must serve as the foundation of our faith. Timothy, tell us how this fits into the content of chapter 4 in regard to adding to or taking away from God’s Word.
Timothy Sparks:
Paul tells the Christians at Corinth, as you look at chapter 4, “Let a person consider us as servants of Christ, and as stewards, managers, of the mystery of God.” He then says, “It is required in a manager, or steward, that one be found faithful.” So Paul says that we are servants of Christ. We are managers of the mystery of God (the Gospel). We therefore must be faithful. And in 1 Corinthians 4:6, Paul makes it clear that we must not go beyond the things that are written. We must not go beyond the doctrine of Christ (2 Jn. 9). Paul says that he has transferred (in a figurative fashion) these things from himself and Apollos so that the Corinthians might learn not to go beyond that which is written. Some people would suggest from this context that Paul is urging Christians not to think more of him, or of Apollos, than they should. That’s certainly part of this context, because as Paul points out, they were bickering and being divisive as they said, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas.” [Paul himself says, “I am of Christ.”] But as we look at this particular passage [1 Cor. 4:6], it also includes not going beyond anything else that God has established, because we are required to be faithful in all that God has commanded us. We thus must not go beyond the confines, the limits, the boundaries of New Testament Christianity. As we concentrate on these passages, we are left with the forceful message that it our duty to be faithful. The writer of Ecclesiastes summarized it in this way: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14). According to 1 Corinthians 4, we need to make sure that when we come to the Scriptures, we don’t come in with an attitude that permits us to add to or take away from them. The same point is made in Revelation 22:18-19—“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” We need to be careful to come to the Scriptures with unbiased eyes and ears, in order to see and hear what God says to us through His word.
Ben Bailey:
In 1 Corinthians 5 and 6, Paul is going to talk about Christian relationships. He makes the point that we as Christians must have the right relationship if God is going to be pleased with us. In chapter 5, he approaches it negatively when he states that if we as Christians think we are too important, if we become too proud, and if we permit sin to exist within the church without doing anything about it, then God is not pleased with us. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul discussed the situation where a man was living with his father’s wife, and the church was willing to overlook it. Paul says, “Here’s what you need to do. You need to withdraw from that ungodly brother. Don’t have any association with him—not just to embarrass him, but so that his soul may be saved in the Day of Judgment.” Today, we must be sure that in the things we do, we do not overlook sin. We must be sure that we deal with the problem in a very open way—in the manner in which God wants us to deal with the problem. In chapter 6, Paul also approaches the issue of Christian relationships in a somewhat negative sense when he deals with Christians suing one another. Evidently, instead of taking their problems before a wise brother in the congregation as Paul suggests, some of the Christians who had disputes were taking each other to court. Paul says, “How do you think that makes Christianity look when Christians cannot take care of their own affairs inside the church?” So, again, we see how our relationships must be right with each other before they can be right with God.
Timothy Sparks:
In chapter 7, Paul talks about husband/wife relationships, and how they should live together in unity—which, after all, is the theme of this book: how Christians can be united. God wants unity not just among brothers and sisters in Christ, but also in the home. Paul deals with how husbands and wives should treat each other, and how they should not consider just their own bodies, but how they should consider each other, because when they are married, the wife belongs to the husband, and the husband belongs to the wife. They are not to “hold out” on one another in their sexual relationship, lest, as he points out, Satan tempt them. Paul also discusses marriages between Christians and non-Christians. Paul addressed the case where two people were already married, but one of them had become a Christian by obeying the Gospel. Paul tells those Christians who are married to non-Christians that they should not seek to be released from their marriage vows. At the same time, he addresses those situations in which the non-Christian tries to pull the Christian back into the world by leaving the Christian. In this instance, the Christian is faced with the problem of how he or she should react. Should the Christian leave the church to follow his or her unbelieving mate? Paul says that if an unbelieving mate departs, let him or her leave. The Christian is “not under bondage” in such cases. Paul is not saying here that the Christian therefore automatically has a right to divorce the non-Christian mate. Rather, Paul is saying (in the context) that the Christian should remain in Corinth, remain as a faithful member of the church, and be faithful to Christ. Paul also addresses the possibility of the Christian husband winning his non-believing wife to Christ, or the Christian wife winning her non-believing husband. And Paul also addresses the impact that such events could have on any children born of the marriage, and how these children could be “sanctified”—meaning that the children could be reared (to use Paul’s phrase from Eph. 6:4) “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” These children could end up being reared, not in a pagan society, but in a Christian home—where they, too, can become Christians, and thereby live in unity and in harmony with God, with Christ, and with the church. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul is not saying something different about marriage than what Jesus said. Jesus said that fornication is the only acceptable reason for divorce. Some want to suggest that Paul offered another reason (it’s frequently referred to as “the Pauline privilege”—when, in fact, it is no such thing). Paul is not contradicting what Jesus, the master teacher, had said. Paul refers to himself as an “ambassador” of Christ. An ambassador is not empowered to contradict the message he was given to deliver. Jesus and Paul are in complete harmony in regard to the sole reason for divorce. But here, Paul is not dealing with any fornication having occurred in a marital relationship. Rather, he’s talking about when an unbeliever decides to leave a believer. If that happens, Paul’s advice to the believer is to stay with the church, and to stay faithful.
Ben Bailey:
In chapters 8 and 9, we see Paul dealing with the subject of knowledge. In the context of these chapters, it appears that some had more knowledge than others. Perhaps they had grown up in a Christian home, and as a result, they had more knowledge about spiritual matters. As a result, they were sort of “looking down their nose” at those people who did not have as much knowledge. Paul said that knowledge like that “puffs up, while love builds up.” Today we have to realize that no matter how much of the Bible we know, we still have to be considerate of others. Maybe there is new Christian who doesn’t understand things as well as you do. You need to be considerate of his soul. In the context of chapter 8, the situation involved the eating of meats that had been sacrificed to idols. Meat is “just meat.” If you had purchased it in the marketplace, and it had been in association with idol worship, it still would be exactly that—just meat. And you know that. And Paul says that. But what about that weaker Christian who thinks there’s still some association with idol worship? Paul says that if it causes my weaker brother to sin, then I will no longer eat any meat. In verse 11, he says that if we sin against a weaker brother, then we also sin against Christ. Here again, we learn about the importance of our relationship with other brethren. We must be considerate of them. In chapter 9, Paul is asking others to do that exact same thing with him. His point is, “Be considerate of me. Don’t prejudge me as one who is not an apostle, and as one who is taking advantage of you.” In verse 14, he observes that those who preach the Gospel have a right to live off the Gospel. Paul was asking for basic kindness and consideration. Unlike Peter and some of the others, he hadn’t even taken along a wife as he traveled to preach the Gospel. He wanted people to know that he wasn’t doing things for his own gain. Paul clearly taught that he had to discipline his own body to bring it into subjection, lest after he himself had preached to others, he became a castaway (verse 27). Chapters 8 and 9 synthesize the idea of Christian relationships and the Golden Rule—that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
Timothy Sparks:
In 1 Corinthians 9:16, Paul provides us with a very vibrant message: “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” We need to have that same type of vim and vigor in our lives today. We need to see the importance and essentiality of preaching the Gospel so that others can be saved. Paul said, “To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” All of us must be careful, of course, to take heed unto ourselves so that we don’t forfeit the imperishable, eternal crown that we are trying to achieve. That, then, leads us up to chapter 10, where we learn about Paul’s admonitions and warnings based upon Israel’s history.
Ben Bailey:
These warnings were very severe. In 1 Corinthians 10:12, Paul said, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Paul reminded the Christians in Corinth of what had happened to Israel in Old Testament times—how Israel had complained, how Israel had tested God, and how Israel even had tested Christ, the Rock that followed them. Paul said, “Don’t be like Israel. Take heed to yourself, lest you fall.” Here’s a very clear passage which teaches that the child of God can fall away. We don’t have to fall away. And God doesn’t want us to fall away. But friends, we can fall from grace. Peter said, “Be even more diligent to make your call and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10). We have to strive every day to ensure that we remain in a right status with God. In Galatians 5:4, Paul said, “You have fallen from grace.” Many today say that a Christian cannot fall from God’s grace. But God Himself said, “You have fallen from grace!” He was speaking to Christians in that context, so remember that we have to look to ourselves, lest we also fall. And this, then, leads directly into chapter 11, where some were falling—due to a misuse of the Lord’s Supper.
Timothy Sparks:
In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, “Imitate me as I also imitate Christ.” Then he establishes the divine order: God, Christ, husband, and wife. God and Christ, of course, are equal (Jn. 10:30). Husband and wife are also equal, but God has established different roles for them. Women, for example have children. Men are unable to give birth. Men, on the other hand, are to be the spiritual leaders of the family. Paul presents a discussion of how we must all be submissive to God’s word and abide in our roles in order to be pleasing to God. Then he addresses the Lord’s Supper. Some were not partaking of the Lord’s Supper in a reverent way. Rather, they were partaking of it in a flippant manner, without proper regard for the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The meal they were eating was no longer a memorial dedicated to Jesus’ body and blood. Christ’s body is represented by the unleavened bread, and His blood is represented by the fruit of the vine. But the Corinthian Christians had turned the Lord’s Supper into a common meal in which they were not focusing on Christ’s death on the cross. Today when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we need to be careful that we think about Christ and His sacrifice for us. The Lord’s Supper is not a common meal where we eat to fill our bellies. If we eat of the unleavened bread, or drink of the fruit of the vine, in an unworthy way, then we eat and drink condemnation unto ourselves. It’s a very precious and important thing to remember Christ’s death through the Lord’s Supper. This is something we are supposed to do, according to Acts 20:7, on the first day of the week. We learn from 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 that first-century Christians were commanded to give on the first day of every week. Thus, we know that we, too, are supposed to partake of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of every week. This means that we participate in a regularly, weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of every week.
Ben Bailey:
Chapter 11 tells us about the Lord’s Supper. In chapters 12-14, Paul discusses miracles. He begins by talking about the “oneness” of the body. One Christian might have had one spiritual gift, while someone else had another spiritual gift. And some of the Christians apparently thought that their particular gift was “better” than another person’s. But Paul reminded them that they were all members of the same body. A hand cannot say to a foot that because it’s not a hand, it’s not needed. An eye cannot say to an ear that because it’s not an eye, it’s not needed. In context, the point Paul is making is that, at the foot of the cross, we all stand on level ground! There’s no “big me and little you,” and there’s no “little me and big you.” Paul begins with discussing the concept of oneness, but sandwiched in between chapters 12 and 14 is the great chapter on love. First Corinthians 13:3 tells us, “Now abide faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.” Paul introduces this in chapter 12 verse 31 when he says, in essence, “You’re all caught up in miracles, but I’m going to show you a better way—a more excellent way.” In chapter 13, he shows that love is that more excellent way. If someone has an eloquent voice, or miraculous knowledge, or even gives themselves physically for the cause of Christ, but has not love, it is counted as nothing. Then Paul begins to discuss what real love is all about. Love doesn’t hold grudges. It doesn’t act rudely. True love is sacrificial. In chapters 12 and 13, he shows that everything we do should issue from our love. Then, in chapter 14, he gets right back to the heart of the matter. Some were exalting the spiritual gift of tongue speaking, and Paul shamed those people, because although they were speaking in tongues, as they did they were glorifying themselves, not God (since no unbelievers were present). Paul told them that if they were going to speak in tongues, they were to first make sure that an interpreter was present. They were to do whatever they did a very decent and orderly way (1 Cor. 14:40). In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul had discussed how miracles were imperfect and temporary. When “the perfect” (the Word of God) was finally complete, there no longer would be any need for miracles.
Timothy Sparks:
Now we come to 1 Corinthians 15, which is the resurrection chapter. We learn from this chapter that if there is no resurrection, then our faith is in vain, the apostles’ preaching is in vain, we are still in our sin, and we of all people are most miserable. But Paul points out that the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:54). The resurrection is true. Jesus has been raised. And we, therefore, will have an opportunity to be raised and to share in the eternal kingdom in heaven. In 1 Corinthians 15:57, Paul says, “Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ.” God gives us victory through Jesus because He was resurrected. Paul therefore admonishes us, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Paul closes this book in chapter 16 by telling the Corinthian Christians to remain firm in the faith, and to always exhibit love in what they do (1 Cor. 16:13-14). Through His Word, God has given us the means whereby we can work out the problems in our daily lives, and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. God’s love for us should compel us to have love in all that we do.
God has given us a plan of salvation in the New Testament. You can read it for yourself. Jesus said, “"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (Jn. 6:29). We come to believe that Jesus is the Christ. Then we repent—we change our minds, change our hearts, change our lives. We must be willing to conform our will to God’s will. We make the great confession, that we believe that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of the living God. Then we are baptized, to have our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus (1 Pet. 3:21). After that, we must live faithfully, that we might receive a crown of life.
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1. What is the overriding theme of the Book of 1 Corinthians, and in what chapter and verse can that theme be found?
2. What is the connection between Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21 and Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 3:11? How does Acts 4:12 fit into this discussion?
3. In 1 Corinthians 4:6, the apostle Paul says that we are not to go beyond the things that are written. The apostle John, in 2 John 9, says that we should not go beyond the doctrine of Christ. Explain what the two apostles were trying to get across to their readers.
4. According to 1 Corinthians 5, when a Christian is living in sin and will not repent, what action should the church as a whole take?
5. Explain Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 7:15 that a Christian is “not under bondage” if their unbelieving mate leaves the marriage relationship.
6. In Matthew 19:9, Jesus said that there was an acceptable reason for a divorce to occur. What was that reason?
7. Some have suggested that, in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul offered a second acceptable reason for divorce, using what has been referred to as “the Pauline privilege.” What was that second reason for divorce? What is “the Pauline privilege”? Does 1 Corinthians 7 offer a second acceptable reason for divorce?
8. Paul opened 1 Corinthians 8 with the statement that “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” What was his point—in the context of this chapter?
9. As a general rule, according to Paul’s instructions in chapter 8, Christians could purchase and consume meat that had been offered to idols, and there would be nothing at all wrong with their actions. But Paul provided one example of a case where such an action would not be permissible. Use the text of chapter 8 to explain Paul’s point, and his reason for placing a restriction on the eating of meats in certain instances.
10. In at least two places in the New Testament (1 Cor. 10:12 and Gal. 5:4), Paul warned about people “falling away.” Discuss the import and meaning of these passages.
11. Explain the perversion of the Lord’s Supper that had occurred in the church in Corinth, and Paul’s method of correcting the problem. In your discussion, list several of the warnings he provided for the Christians in Corinth.
12. In chapters 12-14, Paul discussed at length the “confusion” that was occurring in the church at Corinth in regard to miracles. What problems had arisen concerning miraculous gifts? What was Paul’s solution?
13. What is “the perfect” of 1 Corinthians 13:10?
14. Give two purposes for miracles. Why were miracles never intended to be permanent?
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