Greetings!
Here’s a summary of the Bible study on January 5.
Unity & Division (1 Corinthians 1:1-17)
On Sunday we began our new series called "Being a Christian in the Modern World."
Corinth: Worldly
First century Corinth was a very significant city. As a crossroads for commercial traffic, along with its own industries, it was a major center of commerce. It was a place of economic opportunity (though a large number of residents remained poor, with low social status). It had a diverse population and was a melting pot of different religions, cults, and moral standards.
Corinthian values included social status, occupation, income, wealth, education, knowledge, and the pursuit of luxury and pleasure. Corinthian characteristics included self-advancement, competitive individualism, self-importance, and self-indulgence. This sounds like the modern world, especially cosmopolitan cities.
Into this environment the apostle Paul came, around AD 51. He stayed there about 18 months. While he was there, he planted (started) the Christian church. However, the church had its problems. While the church was supposed to reflect Jesus Christ in the surrounding culture, the surrounding culture was reflected in the church. There was “too much Corinth in the church.”
So, around AD 55, Paul wrote a letter (1 Corinthians) to address these problems. Though written many years ago, Paul's letter is very applicable to us today in the modern world.
Paul & the Church: Called (1:1-3)
Paul's letter begins as many letters did, with the writer's name first (1:1). Paul identifies himself as "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." "Apostle" literally means, "one who is sent." God sent Paul to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ.
Paul addresses the church with particular terms: "sanctified in Christ Jesus" and "called to be… holy." The words "sanctified" and "holy" mean "set apart, distinct." Both Paul and the church are called to reflect God's values and character, which are morally perfect, not the corrupted values of the surrounding culture.
This is still the expectation for Christians today. We are to embody values, ways of thinking, and ways of living that are different from our surrounding culture. What are these values and ways of thinking and living? We will see as we continue our study in 1 Corinthians.
God: Faithful (1:4-9)
Paul gives thanks to God because He is the source of the good traits (qualities, characteristics, abilities) found in the Corinthian Christians. These traits include their enrichment in speech, knowledge, and other gifts. However, later in the letter, Paul will say they have wrong attitudes and behaviors concerning these abilities and gifts. This is a lesson for us.
We can be very gifted in our knowledge and abilities, but that doesn’t mean we will use them in a good way or have the right attitude about them. We have the responsibility to use our gifts in the right way, and with the right attitude. We will discuss this in more detail later in our study.
Paul says the "testimony about Christ” was confirmed among them (1:6). In other words, the truth of Paul's testimony (that is, the gospel) was confirmed (shown to be true) through the gifts God had given them. The gospel is still confirmed through the lives of Christians today. How?
It’s confirmed through changed lives, God-given abilities used to serve His purposes, love for others, the power of forgiveness, etc. Furthermore, the gospel's truth will continue to be confirmed until the end (1:8). God is faithful to complete His saving and sanctifying work (1:9).
Again, Paul uses the word "called" in verse 9. God has called the Corinthian Christians (and all Christians) into "fellowship" with his Son Jesus Christ. The word "fellowship" means "having in common, sharing, participating together."
That’s why we call our group “International Christian Fellowship.” We participate together. While all ICFers have things in common (for example, interest in getting together for Bible study), our deepest "fellowship" is "fellowship with... Jesus Christ" realized through faith in him.
By saying Christians are called to fellowship, Paul emphasizes the unity that all Christians should have in Christ. However, this unity was missing in the Corinthian church.
The Church: Divided (1:10-17)
Paul had heard there were quarrels and divisions within the church at Corinth. Thus, he urges them, as brothers and sisters, to "agree with one another" and be "perfectly united in mind and thought" (1:10-11). This includes sharing the same way of thinking, and avoiding partisanship.
In general, the word "partisanship" refers to strong, often emotional, support of a particular party, cause, or person. This was common in Corinthian culture, as people aligned themselves with particular groups, ideas, philosophical schools, or personalities.
Apparently, some degree of partisanship had infected the church and was contributing to the quarrels and divisions. This is evident in verse 12. It appears the Corinthians were aligning themselves with specific leaders (Paul, Apollos, Cephas).
But Paul reveals the foolishness of their partisan spirit (1:13-15). Because of their partisanship, they are breaking up into different parts, either because they favor particular leaders, or dislike others, or think identification with a particular leader boosts their own status or prestige. There may be other factors that are leading to division, but what’s missing is the basis of their unity.
If they were as devoted to Jesus Christ as they were devoted to particular people, human ideas, their own status, or whatever, they would be more unified. This applies to Christians today. We too can follow personalities and parties more than we follow Christ.
Almost everyone wants some form of unity and peace. This lesson focuses on Christian unity, realized through total allegiance (devotion, loyalty) to Christ. The non-Christian may say this is just one example among many in which unity is achieved through total allegiance to a person, party, ideology, or goal. However, the Bible declares that "Christian unity" is unique.
Christian unity is unity with the Creator God, which is the basis of true unity with each other. Other groups may form cohesive alliances, but such alliances may be poorly founded or headed in the wrong direction. But unity in Christ is established on the only foundation that will stand forever, for it’s the foundation of truth and life in union with the eternal God.
Reflection & Application
Brothers & sisters, do you feel that you are "perfectly united in mind and thought" with other believers in your fellowship? Have you experienced conflicts and divisions? What are the causes? Attempt to identify any actions or attitudes (in you) that have contributed to this. Are any of these attitudes or actions more worldly than spiritual?
Some may think being “perfectly united in mind and thought” is too idealistic. We may be Christians, but we still have different personalities, backgrounds, and ways of thinking. I admit I don’t feel “perfectly united” with many who identify as Christian, for various reasons, including belief and practice. This is an important topic to discuss, but I’ll save it for another time.
For now, the main point is the basis of true unity (which is found in Jesus Christ) and our need to prioritize this unity. If we’ve truly trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are “united with him,” and thus we are “united in him.” This may be called our “positional unity in Christ.” We are members of one family, one body, one household, indwelt by “the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12).
Even if “perfect unity” seems idealistic in this present age, we are urged to seek it, believing God is faithful to complete His sanctifying work. We should certainly avoid the partisanship that Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 1. Instead, let us “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Read Ephesians 4:2-6), and “let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts, since as members of one body [we are] called to peace” (Read Colossians 3:12-17).
If you’re not a Christian, do you desire unity & peace in your life? Do you want to be part of a community characterized by unity & peace? What do you think of Christian community? (Yes, Christians often fall short, which is why we need to learn from 1 Corinthians!) Anyway, what observations or questions do you have? Talk to me or other Christian friends about this.
Your Servant,
Jay