I Corinthians

When I completed Pharmacy Technician training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, I was awaiting orders for my first assignment. Now in the Air Force, we were asked to specify where we would like to be assigned. We referred to this form as a "Dream Sheet." We called it that because it was only in your dreams that you were assigned to the base that you preferred. Afterall, the needs of the military come first. Now imagine you are a newly graduating seminary student, wondering what your first church assignment would be. One church you would not want to be assigned to would be the church at Corinth.

If you were a pastor, assigned to leading the church in Corinth, you would have a tough assignment, and the sympathy of your peers. 

Corinth was a seaport city in Greece, known for its transient population and, as you can imagine, a lot of bars, prostitutes, noisy nights and street fights, all of which kept the local police force very busy. It also had a lot of pagan temples; one was dedicated to the goddess of love, Aphrodite. You can imagine what “worship” at these temples consisted of. The city was so corrupt, that the term, “to Corinthianize” came to mean to practice immorality.

Paul founded this church (Acts 18) and in this letter he refers to an earlier letter (5:9). Now this letter is long gone. It is not a “lost epistle” or one of the “Lost books of the Bible.” Not everything that Paul wrote was “scripture.” For instance, the “to do list” he used on weekends or the shopping list he took to the market, though written by Paul, were not scripture.

He writes this letter because of the reports that he had received from the church. I imagine he was never very eager to read reports from this troubled church. He writes this letter to respond to these reports, and to offer come correction to urge them to mature as Christians. These problems included: sexual immorality, divisions in the church, jealousy and envy, lawsuits, marital difficulties, etc. And you thought your church was a mess?

1:1 “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.”

Paul didn’t choose to be an apostle. He was in this “line of work” because it was God’s called. I imagine there were times when Paul thought, “I wish God had chosen me for an easier assignment.” 

1:2 “to the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice that it was written to those “sanctified,” which means, “set apart,” and the reason they were set apart was “be holy,” or “separated from sin.” So, when we become Christians, we have been set apart to become separated from sin, a lifelong process.

Notice also that this letter is said to be sent to “all those everywhere,” which means that the guidance in this letter is not just for those in Corinth, but the principles are for us, today, also.

1:7b “as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.”

Do you notice what the Corinthians were eagerly waiting for?  They were anticipating the second coming of Jesus Christ. If we are doing the same, we might be more concerned about how we are spending our time and money as well as the lifestyle we are living.

3:1-8 “Brothers . . . you are mere infants . . . worldly.”

Paul describes this church as immature Christians. What was a clue concerning their maturity? Jealousy and quarreling are traits of immaturity. They were taking sides, some following on pastor, others another. 

This would be a good time for you to go to the Frequently Asked Question section and read my comments on this subject entitled, “How Mature is Your Church?”

5:1-2a “It is reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud.”

Not only was their immorality, they actually winked at it, feeling proud. These folks had lost the ability to blush. What does Paul advise them to do? Verse 11 says, “You must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.”

Did you notice that being greedy or a slanderer is in the same sentence as the immoral and idolater? Yet, we tolerate some sins; while condemning others.

Paul then goes on to say in verses 12 & 13, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you.” 

Apparently this person is later welcomed back into the church after he repented (II Cor 2:5-10). The purpose of discipline is to encourage repentance and to protect the church from his corrupting influence. Discipline is not to be used to destroy someone. We should never make it difficult for a disciplined person to return to church by the way we ask him to leave it.

Also, notice that Paul says that it is not any of his business to judge those outside the church. Paul does not expect non-Christians to live like Christians. They do not come under the authority of the church. For this reason I don’t go out and protest one form of behavior or another among the non church community. But, once someone becomes a Christian and is under the leadership of a pastor, that pastor has the right to expect members to live by Christian standards of behavior or be disciplined if he doesn’t.

In Chapter 6 we have another issue, church members were going to court against one another. Paul is shocked at this and suggests that the Corinthians will someday be judging others; yet they can’t even judge among themselves.

6:7 “The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?”

Have you ever loaned someone some money and never got paid back? Have you ever allowed someone to borrow something from you and he returned it damaged? What do you do in a case like that? For the sake of the relationship, perhaps you should just write these things off. Sometimes we have to say, “the relationship is more important than the item.”

So far the church in Corinth has demonstrated immaturity, divisions, conflict, and immorality. Now, in verse 9 he addresses immorality, again.

6:9-11 “Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you WERE.”

A couple of points stand out here. First, notice that what we might call “serious” sins, such as adulterers and idolaters is in the same sentence as slanderers. Yet, we might dismiss what we consider these “lesser sins,” and focus on the major ones. Paul apparently didn’t. Not only that, but when we hear people say, “I can’t help it, that’s just the way I am,” Paul says that some of them “were.” They were once living lives without any controls, but now they do. We may be born with certain dispositions towards one type of behavior or another, but that is not an excuse to allow it to control our lives. 

7:4 “The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourself to prayer.”

Do you recall the passage in Matt 7:9 where Jesus asks, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake.”

Who would deprive a hungry child food? Likewise, we don’t have the right to deprive our spouses of physical and emotional satisfaction provided by sexual gratification. To reject your spouse will only breed resentments and encourage infidelity. 

7:8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

Now, from the sound of this passage, it would appear that Paul has a rather negative view of marriage. But if you read further, in verse 26-28 he continues, “Because of the present crisis, I think that it is food for you to remain as you are. Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinner: and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life and I want to spare you this.”

Paul is offering some practical advice that is based on the “present crisis.” Imagine if you were a Jew, living in Germany in the 1930’s. The Nazis have come to power, anti-Semitism is growing. People are being persecuted and the clouds of war are getting darker and more menacing. That would not be a good time to get married and start a family. He later says in verse 35, “I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” Paul is not commanding them not to marry, only offering some practical wisdom, during this present crisis they were enduring.

7:39 “A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.” 

Paul makes a similar point in II Cor 6:14 when he wrote “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” There is a term for marrying outside one’s faith, exogamy.

I would suggest that even if two people are Christians, but one is from a conservative church and the other is from a liberal one, or one is a member of the Roman Catholic Church and the other is a Pentecostal church member, there can be serious problems. One partner may think of Christianity as an isolated part of his life, consisting mainly of performing required rituals and the other may view Christianity as a way of life that impact every aspect of his life. Which church do they attend? How do they raise their children? How much time and energy do they give to the church? Being equally yoked is more complicated than simply having both check the box labeled “Christian.”

8:8-9 “But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”

Here we have another controversy. Apparently some Christians were going to the local meat market and buying meat that was used in pagan worship. Some Christians avoided this meat; others thought that it was fine to purchase it. Paul says that it doesn’t matter. He addresses this issue in Romans 14 and I Cor 10:25). Eat what you want, but if you offend others, who are weak in the faith, avoid doing so in their presence. The “weak” in this passage probably refers to former pagans who were once involved in such worship. 

If we invite someone over who is a vegetarian, we will serve a meat-free dish. I do this out of concern for my guest’s comfort. The same goes with serving alcohol. We have the freedom to eat and drink what we want; but we don’t have the freedom to make others feel uncomfortable.

9:3 “This is my defense to those who sit in judgment of me. Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Ciphers? Or it is only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?

There is a lot in this passage. First, because Paul was an apostle, (on the road much of the time) he had the right to have others pay for his living expenses. Also, he mentions that Cephas (Peter) and others had wives. Celibacy, which is required of some clergy, is not required by Scripture.

He goes on to say that although he had the right to receive financial support (v 12) he refused it. He worked as a tent maker, earning his own money. Why did he do this? He did not want to hinder the Gospel of Christ. How could his taking of a salary hinder the Gospel? Some might say, “The only reason you are doing this is to get rich!” Or, he may have thought, “I would rather have the money go towards ministry expenses, rather than salaries.” One church budget of $750,000 was paying half its income just for salaries and benefits of the staff. Just imagine what could be done with this money ($370K) if the church reduced its payroll by getting more members involved in ministry? Getting members involved in ministry is part of the leader’s job description (Eph 4:11-12). Any church that spends much of its income on staff may have a pastor who is not doing his job of equipping the members for ministry. Either that or he is not allowing them to do so (Rom 12:6-8).

11:4 “Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head.”

Commenting on this passage, one writer wrote, “much remains uncertain.” A Jewish commentary says that the covering refers not to a hat, but to a veil. If you go back to the cultural practices of the day we will find that chaste Jewish women wore their hair up or under a veil. The Greeks, by contrast, did not cover their heads. It appears that women were coming to Church without their heads covered, or disheveled, looking like a woman without virtue. The need to have their heads covered is, I believe, a cultural issue, not a universal concern. In some cultures it is frowned upon for woman to wear slacks to church. It goes back to the fact that we have freedom, but do not use your freedom if it offends others.

11:17, 20-21 “. . . your meetings do more harm than good.” When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.”

When we observe what we call “The Lord’s Supper,” it is really “The Lord’s Sampler.” The New Testament Church had what we would call a “pot luck” supper for the church. The problem here is that these immature Christians had some come early, eat too much, get drunk, and not share with those less fortunate. The Lord’s Supper should have been the best meal of the week for the poor and the means to bring the church closer together by sharing with one another. I wish churches had more regular pot luck dinners. 

12:4, 5, 7 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. . . . Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

This passage, along with Rom 12 and Eph 4 should be studied together. Every Christian has a gift that was given to him by God and is to be used in ministry for the common good. No gift is superior to any other; no gift is of less importance than any other. Everyone should be involved in ministry and it is the leadership’s role, in part, to help you identify and use your gift (Eph 4:11-12).

You will notice that the list of gifts here is not identical to the list in Rom 12. This leads me to think that these are representative lists and not all inclusive.

13: The Love Chapter. 

You’ll notice that as soon as Paul spoke about spiritual gifts, which caused some controversy and divisions, he moves onto the subject of love. In 12:30 he transitions onto this subject by saying, “Now I will show you the most excellent way.” In other words, “I’ll show you something even better than gifts; let’s focus on these (love) more than on gifts.”

13:4-5 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Take a closer look at this list and see how you are doing with regards to your spouse. 

14:12 “Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.”

Here we have a chapter on which entire book have been written, dealing with the gifts of prophecy and tongues. Speaking in tongues means speaking in a language you have never learned. This was seen in Acts 2, 8 and 10. It was given to some as the Gospel went to Jews, the Samaritans, and then the Gentiles. It appears to be a short-lived gift to move the Gospel from one major group to another as the Gospel went “from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

14:19 “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

We sometimes become envious of those who can do something that we can’t do. I wish I had some musical abilities; but I don’t. I wish I was more outgoing in personality, but I’m not.  What we should all focus on is what gifts and talents we do have and use them. 

14:22 “Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however is for believers, not for unbelievers.

Prophecy is usually thought to mean “predicting the future” or foretelling. It also means “forth telling,” otherwise known as preaching.

14:27-28 “If anyone speaks in a tongue . . . someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.”

Imagine someone speaking French in your English speaking church so that someone who is from France can understand the message. Someone has to interpret the French into English for the remaining members who speak only English. Paul is saying, if there is not an interpreter, then “shut up.” 

14:34 “woman should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home.”

The whole issue in this chapter is orderly worship. It should not be disrupted, either by the misuse of tongues or women speaking out of turn. It is obvious, I think, that women can speak in church, since there were women prophets (Acts 21:9) and women prayed and prophesy in public meetings (11:5). And, it is obvious that not all women had husbands whom they can ask at home. Paul, I believe, is referring to disruptive conversations in the church.

15: The Resurrection Chapter.

This is one of the most important chapters in Scripture. The resurrection of Jesus is discussed in the Frequently Asked Question section under the title, “Is it Reasonable to Believe that Jesus Rose from the Dead?”

16:2 “On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

I have seen this passage used to justify collecting money for the support of the church. If you read the context, verses 1-4, you will see that it is a collection of money from the Corinthian church to be taken to the church members in Jerusalem who were poverty stricken. This might be a good time to review the article in the Frequently Asked Question section entitled, “Is Tithing a Requirement for Christians?”

Now, before we move onto II Corinthians, how do you think this letter was received by the immature Christians in Corinth? We’ll see in the next letter.