1st Corinthians Lesson 4

1st Corinthians 1 Part 1

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Listen to Lesson Audio:

---

Lesson Transcript

Opening and Review

Please open your Bibles again to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. We finished our introduction last week and started off with verse 1. We made it all the way through, about halfway through verse 1. So we’ll start there again in verse 1.

You may recall from last time we started off by looking at the word called in verse 1. That is certainly an important word throughout the New Testament, particularly in Paul’s epistles, and I think also particularly in 1 Corinthians. And we talked about the importance of that word to Paul, who himself was called. And we talked about the importance of that word to Corinth, as they are called out of the evil and the sin in the city of Corinth.

We also talked about how that is really a shorthand for not just those who were called, but for those who answered that call. Because we know from other verses in the Bible that the gospel call is for all. But not all answer the call. And very often in the Bible, the Bible refers to the called as those who answer the call as the called or the called out.

Paul’s Apostleship and Sosthenes

We also talked about the apostleship of Paul, and we talked about why he’s reminding them of that here in the very first verse. That’s because there are going to be some people here in Corinth, particularly in the second book, but also already in the first book, who are questioning his authority as an apostle. He reminds them right from the start that he is an apostle.

And then finally, we started talking about Sosthenes, who’s mentioned there in the first verse, and we talked about a few theories of who he is. And as we ended class last time, I had mentioned that I think the best explanation is that Crispus and Sosthenes are two different people. One of the theories we had talked about is that they might actually be the same person with two different names. I think they’re two different people, and I think they were each rulers of the synagogue there in Corinth. And each, I believe, was converted by the preaching of Paul.

There’s an inscription that’s been dug up in Corinth that uses the phrase “the ruler of the synagogue” and suggests that it was an honorary title bestowed on some wealthy patron of the synagogue. So, whoever the ruler of the synagogue was, they were probably a very wealthy person. Powerful person.

And you have to think about the uproar that would have occurred in the city of Corinth with the conversion of not one, but two of these leading officials, these two wealthy patrons of the synagogue. Two of them converted by the Apostle Paul, Crispus and Sosthenes. Must have thrown particularly the Jewish community there into quite disarray.

Why Sosthenes is Mentioned

Why is Sosthenes mentioned here in the first verse? Well, I think the explanation is pretty simple. I think that Paul wanted to let the Corinthian church know that Sosthenes was there with him in Ephesus and was also sending his greetings.

Lessons from These Conversions

But I think we can learn some important lessons about the conversion of Crispus and the conversion of Sosthenes.

First: Proclaim the Gospel to Everyone

First, we should proclaim the gospel to everyone. I’ve made this point before. And no matter how entrenched in error we might believe that they are, in fact, that they may very well be, we still need to proclaim the gospel to them.

Well, what about the leader of the local mosque? Yes, we should proclaim the gospel to him. What about that famous denominational preacher on TV? Yes, we need to proclaim the gospel to that person. Well, what about that well-known atheist? What about the Pope? Yes, yes, they need the gospel and we need to proclaim it to them.

And we shouldn’t just automatically think, well, they’re not going to listen. They all need to obey the gospel, and we shouldn’t just automatically assume they’re going to reject it. Imagine the effect if they accept it. If they come to Christ, imagine the effect if that well-known denominational preacher says, “You know what I’ve been teaching is error, and now let me tell you the truth.” Imagine the effect when that person changes.

It happened not once, but at least twice in the city of Corinth due to the preaching of the Apostle Paul. It would have been very easy for Paul to look at those rulers of the synagogue and say, “They’re never going to believe me.” But they did twice. And Paul himself is a perfect example, right? Think about the dramatic change in his own life. From someone who was persecuting the church to someone who did everything he could for the church. Think about that dramatic change.

Maybe Sosthenes and Crispus had even known Paul prior to his conversion. And perhaps they witnessed that change, and maybe that helped them also change and obey the gospel.

Paul’s Strategic Approach

Later, Paul is going to say that he personally baptized Crispus and Gaius. Presumably, they were some of the very first converts in Corinth. And we learned something about Gaius in Romans 16, verse 23. There, Paul will refer to Gaius as “the host to me and the whole church,” which I think also indicates that Gaius was probably a very wealthy person. He had a house large enough to accommodate the whole church, the whole congregation.

I think Crispus was wealthy and powerful. I think Gaius was wealthy and powerful. I think Sosthenes was wealthy and powerful. You know what this tells me about Paul? That he had the practical sense to recognize that the very first people he needed to go to were those wealthy patrons in Corinth, the people that would make the most dramatic effect, the people that everyone would see and recognize. A big change had occurred. And that would help him as he tried to convert the other people.

Paul had a plan, and I think we see that here as he goes in. The very first people he converts are some of the richest people in town. I think that explains it.

You know, 1 Corinthians 1:26, which we’ll get to eventually, Paul says, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.” Well, not many doesn’t mean not any, right? We’ve got some right here we already see, Crispus and Gaius and Sosthenes.

Lessons for Our Evangelism

I think we can learn some more lessons from Paul here. One, Paul had an evangelistic strategy, didn’t he? And we need one too. I’m not saying we don’t have one. I’m saying we need one. We’ve got one great. We need an evangelistic strategy, a plan. Paul definitely had one. We can see it working out here.

Second, Paul didn’t shy away from publicity at all. I think he welcomed it. I think he welcomed it because that publicity helped him spread the gospel. He went to the most influential people, the people that make the biggest splash in town, the people everyone would be talking about. “Have you heard about Sosthenes? Have you heard about Crispus?” That’s why he went to them.

God has given us talents. He expects us to use those talents to carry out our mission, to spread the gospel. And if we use those talents for our secular business, we better be using those talents for our kingdom business. Because it’s much more important. I think we see Paul using all his talents here.

Verse 2: The Church of God

Verse 2. “Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.”

We’ve already talked about the word called. Notice that Paul here does not refer to “my church.” He refers to the Church of God. If anyone could have referred to this group in Corinth as “my church,” any earthly person here, it would have been Paul, right? I mean, he founded that congregation. He converted the first people. He’s the one that labored there.

As one commentator said, he was as responsible for the birth and life of that church in Corinth as it is possible for any human to be. And yet, it was God’s church, Paul says. It was the Lord’s church. Paul did not say, “Look at my church.” The church here at Fleetwood, it’s not our church, it’s not my church, it is the Lord’s church.

And that subtle change in our language can make a big difference because listen to the outside world. They all refer to “my church” and “your church” and “their church” and “his church” and… No. We don’t have our own church. It’s God’s church. It’s the Lord’s church, bought and paid for.

Do a search through the Scriptures. You’ll find the phrase, “my church,” one time. Matthew 16. And who’s speaking? Jesus. “My church. I will build my church.” Jesus Christ. It’s the Lord’s church.

A Subtle Message About Division

I think Paul also here has a subtle message for certain members in the Church of Corinth. Paul was just the master writer and thinker and logician, and you can see him already weaving in his message as he just starts off. He’s going to get to it in a few chapters, but you can see it starting off here. And that is when he talks about the Church of God.

The Corinthian congregation, of course, didn’t have a building. They met in members’ homes. And we already talked about meeting in Gaius’ house. But when Gaius was not able to accommodate them, they probably separated up and met in various homes since the others were probably much smaller.

These so-called house churches, meeting in people’s homes, may have actually been the cause of some of this division Paul is about to write about. They were split up in cliques. And maybe the cause of that was that they were also split up physically. That when they weren’t able to meet in Gaius’ house, they were meeting in various other houses, these house churches.

I think Paul’s early reference here to the church of God may have been a reminder to the patrons of those house churches that the church didn’t belong to them either. That just because it was meeting in their house and just because they had a lot of money and were able to host this congregation, it was not their church. It was still the Lord’s church. It was still God’s church.

And again, a lesson for us today: that neither does the church belong today to those who may contribute the most or do the most or pay for this or pay for that. It is the Lord’s church. And I think, again, we see a reminder of that because Paul’s about to discuss the division that had happened.

Not Alone in the Faith

Paul is reminding the church here in Corinth that they are not alone. They have been called to be saints “with all that in every place call upon the name of the Lord, both theirs and ours.” Again, a subtle message from the Apostle Paul.

The remainder of this letter, I think, is going to show us an attitude of superiority by many at Corinth. I think we’re going to see that that attitude had crept into the congregation there. I think that attitude was destroying their unity. And I think Paul is confronting that independent streak here. He’s confronting that egotism here by reminding them that they’re not the only pebble on the beach.

There are a lot of others who have followed and obeyed the gospel, not just here in Corinth. They do not possess Christ for themselves alone. He’s reminding them of that there right from the start.

The Significance of “Saints” and “Sanctified”

And I think before we leave this second verse, we need to note something very important about the source of some of the words that are used here. The Greek words used here for saints and for sanctified, they’re used in the Septuagint to refer to Israel as God’s chosen people.

Septuagint was the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. You sometimes see it referred to as “70,” or the Roman numerals for 70, because it was 70 scholars that translated it. It’s the translation that’s really quoted in the New Testament. When they quote the Old Testament, they’re very often quoting the Septuagint, the Greek translation.

And these words that were used in the Septuagint to apply to Israel, Paul is using them here to apply to the church: the sanctified, the saints. Like Israel of old, the church is set apart, part of God’s chosen plan, His special people. We’ve been studying about that in our Sunday morning lessons on 1 Peter. We’re called to be different from the nations that surround us, just like Israel was, the people that surround us. We’re called to be holy, just like Israel was. I think we see that reminder here.

Verse 3: Grace and Peace

Verse 3: “Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father, from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul refers to Jesus as Lord six times in the first nine verses. People at Corinth had a reputation. They had a reputation for recognizing no superior and no law but themselves and their own desires. I’m not particularly talking about the people in the church at Corinth. I’m talking about the people in the city of Corinth. But I’m sure some of that had crept into the church.

And to people with that reputation, Paul repeatedly reminds them that Jesus is Lord. Jesus is Lord, over and over, right at the beginning.

Jesus is Lord, Not Caesar

Corinth, as we’ve said, was a Roman colony. It was established to spread Roman ideology, and I think also by reminding them that Jesus is Lord, Paul is also reminding that Caesar is not Lord. That Roman Emperor is not Lord. Jesus is Lord.

From Depths of Sin to Grace

But Corinth was also known for something else. We’ve also talked about it: wickedness. The phrase “Corinthian girl” was used throughout Rome as a euphemism for a prostitute. The word “Corinthianize,” it meant to live with drunken and immoral debauchery.

And we’ve talked about the wickedness of that city, its violence, its wickedness, its corruption, its decadence. And yet God was seeking its redemption. He poured out his grace and his peace, as this verse tells us, on these former idolaters, these former homosexuals, these former prostitutes who had only earned the wrath of God.

But Paul had proclaimed the gospel to them, and now they’re experiencing grace, they’re experiencing peace that can come only through Jesus and his gospel. If any church should have understood grace and peace, it was the church of Corinth.

Paul’s going to later ask them, “What do you have that you weren’t given?” The question, of course, is rhetorical. The answer is nothing. They don’t have anything they weren’t given. God had brought them up from the depths of despair, from the depths of depravity, and had blessed them with all spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine from there to there? From the lowest of the low, the highest of the high. That’s what had happened to them when they obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we’ve already looked at in 1 Corinthians 6, 9 through 11, lists all the evil and said, “and such were some of you.” That’s the transformation that had happened in their lives. They experienced the grace and the peace of Jesus Christ.

Verses 4-6: Paul’s Thanksgiving

Verses 4-6. “I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ. That in everything you are enriched by Him, in all utterance, in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.”

As we’re about to see, as we launch into this book, and I know we’re all already aware of it, we’ve all studied 1 Corinthians before, the church at Corinth was a mess. And we’re going to see just what a mess it was as we proceed in our study of this letter.

But we should note something very important right here in these introductory verses. Something very important. Paul looked at the Corinthian church first as it was in Christ. Before he looked at it in any other way, he first looked at them as they were in Jesus Christ and what that meant to them.

The Power of Seeing Christians as They Are in Christ

If we read only these first nine verses, that’s all we had, I think we’d come away believing that the Corinthian church was a shining example and utterly spotless. But having read the rest of the letter, we come away wondering, well, how could Paul write these first nine verses?

These Christians in Corinth they smirked at immorality. They argued like children over their preachers. They despised and misused the gifts of God. They sued each other in pagan courts. They argued in defense of fornication. Look what Paul wrote about them here in the first nine verses.

If these first nine verses were omitted, it would be impossible for us to leave with anything but a pessimistic view about this church. But Paul was not pessimistic, was he? He was always thankful, he says, for the Corinthian church. Thankful for them.

A Vision for Every Congregation

These introductory verses are not just a vision for the church in Corinth. They’re a vision for every congregation of the Lord’s people. Every congregation. This is how they’re seen in Christ. This is how they are if they’re in Christ.

You know, it’s easy to be pessimistic about the church today, isn’t it? Many once faithful congregations are not so anymore. Colleges that were set up and paid for by faithful brethren have long since drifted far from their original charter. The pure and the simple gospel of Christ is being perverted by those who once proclaimed it in truth.

It’s easy to be pessimistic, but with God on our side, how can we be pessimistic? Christians must be optimists. Pessimistic Christian is the ultimate oxymoron. I mean, they don’t go together, do they? Christians have to be optimistic. We have God on our side.

Jesus gave himself for his church. His church will someday meet him in the air. How can we possibly be pessimistic? God’s people had always been a remnant. Except for two times in history. Two times in history, God’s people were in the majority: at creation and right after the flood. Other than those two times, we’ve always been in the minority. We’ve always been the remnant. Always.

So that shouldn’t make us pessimistic. That’s just the way it is. We need to be optimistic because we are the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ right here on this earth, and we have a mission to do. And we’re not going to be able to do that mission if we’re walking around all pessimistic. God is on our side. Paul wasn’t pessimistic and think about what he’s about to deal with.

Utterance and Knowledge - Early Signs of Gnosticism

Paul mentions two gifts in particular in verse 5: utterance and knowledge. Logos and Gnosis in the Greek. He’s going to deal with the spiritual gifts a whole lot more later in the book, in the letter. But I think again we see a foreshadowing. He’s kind of laying out some themes here as he gets ready to launch in, and we see a foreshadowing here.

I think very likely what we see here is an early reference to Gnosticism. Which I know we’ve studied before, this idea that we had a spiritual elite who possessed the true knowledge that no one else can have. We see that a lot in the Epistles of John. It really was full-blown later in the history of the church in the first century. I think we start seeing it develop here in the church at Corinth very early. I think we may see that even when we’re going to talk in a moment about what’s sometimes called the Christ party, as we see the various divisions that had occurred within Corinth.

But he mentions these two gifts, one of which is knowledge, or gnosis.

The Nature of Effective Preaching

I think verse 6 tells us two very important facts about the preaching of Paul. One, Paul’s preaching was testimony about Christ, it says. Testimony about Christ. A gospel preacher must proclaim Christ, the cross of Christ, the gospel of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, the return of Christ. Gospel preaching is centered around Jesus Christ and what He’s done for us. All gospel preaching is Christ-centered preaching, and Paul certainly was.

Second, to be effective, preaching must be confirmed, is the word that’s used, literally secured in the lives of its hearers. And that’s what Paul says here. There has to be a connection between the preacher and the hearers, and it’s confirmed in the lives of the hearers. That tells you this preaching is having an effect. And it was certainly true here. Paul has talked about it. “Such were some of you.” That’s confirmation that his teaching was having an effect.

Paul had preached Christ. And the Corinthian church had confirmed that preaching in their lives.

What Paul Doesn’t Mention

Again, Paul mentions their speech here, logos. He mentions their knowledge, gnosis. But he didn’t say anything about their love, does he? He didn’t say anything about their work, does he? That’s different from how he started the letter to the Philippians. It’s different from how he started the letter to the Colossians. That’s different from how he started the letter to the Thessalonians.

Here he doesn’t mention those things. And I think, as we’re about to see, those qualities may have been lacking there at Corinth. But you know what? Their utterance and their knowledge, they were also lacking, weren’t they? They may have thought they were full of utterance and knowledge, but they were lacking.

Eleven times in this letter, Paul will ask them, “Do you not know?” That’s a strange thing to ask people that were so smart and full of knowledge, isn’t it? But he’s going to tell them that they know only in part, and they see only dimly. There were things they didn’t know.

Verses 7-9: Security and Faithfulness

Verses 7 through 9. “So that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.”

When we confirm the testimony of Christ in our lives, verses 7 through 8 tell us that Christ will confirm or secure us unto the end when He comes again to claim His own.

The Security of the Believer

The Bible never teaches the security of the unbeliever, of the disobedient. But the Bible does teach the security of the obedient, of the faithful. We in the church are secure in Jesus Christ if we’re remaining faithful until the end. We can know that we are saved, 1 John 5:13. So there is such a thing as security of the believer if that believer is an obedient, faithful believer.

Christ’s Return - Second Appearance

This letter will also tell us much about the return of the Lord. That’s something that’s mentioned here. You know, just as a quick aside, a lot of times we refer to Christ’s return as His second coming. Which I think can create some confusion. The closest thing we get to that in the Bible is Hebrews 9:28, where we read that Christ will appear a second time.

Why can the phrase “second coming” create some confusion? Well, that’s because although Christ certainly came literally the first time, and he will come literally again a second time, we read in the Bible of some figurative comings and judgment of Jesus Christ.

For instance, in Matthew 24, verse 27 of Matthew 24 describes Christ’s coming in judgment against Jerusalem. But verse 34 of that same chapter tells us with total clarity that that coming in judgment against Jerusalem happened in the first century during the lifetime of his hearers.

So there’s a coming of Christ that happened in the first century that is not a literal physical coming like will occur at the end of time. But there, and I think there’s also another coming in Revelation. I think he came against Rome figuratively in judgment.

So if we use the phrase “second coming” and someone who’s not well versed in Scripture goes to Matthew 24 and they see a coming of Christ, they’re going to say, “That’s a second coming.” But verse 34 there tells us it can’t be. So I think “second appearance” is a better phrase for us to use. The second appearance of Christ, and for one thing, that’s the word the Bible uses: Hebrews 9:28, “shall appear a second time.”

God’s Faithfulness

God’s faithfulness that will extend to the day when Jesus returns, when He appears that second time, and beyond that, through all eternity. He will keep his people blameless or guiltless in that day, we’re told. Other translations have unreprovable, without reproach, no condemnation, vindicated, faultless, free from accusation. That’s how we’re kept by the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s how we’re kept blameless, guiltless.

God will make sure that there’s no charge, there’s no accusation laid against us. Why? Because we’re being kept guiltless and blameless if we remain faithful to Him and to Jesus. And that’s true whether the accusation is from men or from Satan.

Satan, you recall in Revelation 12:10, is called “the accuser of our brethren.” Satan, the great accuser. You know, it’s sobering, too, to think if we ever are tempted to start accusing our brethren. We’re not exactly in good company, are we? Satan is the accuser of our brethren.

How to Get Into Christ

And where do we enjoy this great blessing? In Christ, it says, in Christ. It is in Christ that we are free from condemnation. It is in Christ where we stand guiltless. It is in Christ where we are exempt from accusation. In Christ.

Well, how do we become in Christ? That’s a very good way to teach someone the Gospel, to start off by asking that question. How do we become in Christ? Then you can do a word study. You’ll come up with two verses. Galatians 3:27 and Romans 6, verse 3. They both tell you how to become in Christ. They both tell you how to get into Christ.

Galatians 3:27, “for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ,” Romans 6:3, “know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ?” How do you get into Christ? Let the Bible tell you, you are baptized into Christ. It’s a great way to study with someone. It’s to walk them through those verses. Let them do the search. Let them get the Concordance out and check it out. And then ask them, “what does that tell us about baptism?” That’s how you get to Christ. And that’s where all these wonderful blessings are. Paul tells us: in Christ.

So, where do we want to be? In Christ. How do we get there? Baptized into Christ.

Christ’s Faithfulness

You know, we can be faithless, but Christ cannot be. 2 Timothy 2, 12 through 13. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, He also will deny us if we believe not, yet He abideth faithful. He cannot deny Himself.”

Christ will remain faithful. And that’s a wonderful blessing, wonderful promise for His disciples.

Verse 10: Paul’s Appeal for Unity

Verse 10 “Now I beseech 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.”

If you’ve been counting, you’ll notice that Paul has used the name of Jesus ten times in the first ten verses. There’s no doubt about Paul’s focus. No doubt at all. And about what he’s going to tell them, the Corinthian church, what must also be their focus. Paul is totally focused upon Jesus Christ. And he’s about to tell the Corinthians you need to be too. And he’s about to tell them that part of your problem is you haven’t been.

As we’re about to see the Corinthian church, they were starting to divide up into groups, cliques. And already I think we see this rebuke, and this it’s a soft rebuke at this point, but we see it, I think, by Paul aimed at their lack of unity. He reminds them in verse 10, they’re brethren. They’re a family. He also told them that back in verse 1, he referred to Sosthenes as what? Our brother. We’re a family, he’s telling them.

How can we be divided up in all these little cliques and all these little groups and fighting and warring and suing? And we’re a family, he’s telling them. He’s reminding them that right here at the start.

Three Key Phrases for Unity

Paul’s appeal for unity in verse 10 centers around three phrases. Speak the same thing, no divisions among you, perfectly joined together.

The first phrase literally means “say the same thing.” It’s interesting that that phrase has been found on the headstone of a first century married couple indicating that they worked together in a harmonious relationship, that they presented themselves as one to the outside world, that they had one voice, they said the same thing, talking about the harmony and the beauty of their marriage. This same phrase was on their headstone. And Paul saying that needs to apply to the church.

The phrase perfectly joined, that’s a Greek word used to describe resetting a dislocated bone. It’s also used to mend a net. That’s what that word means. Paul wanted these cliques, these divisions, these groups in Corinth to come back together like a mended bone, to come back together in their former condition of unity, to come back together like a mended net. That’s how he wanted them to be.

The same word is translated “restore” in Galatians 6, verse 1. “If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness.” That’s the same word. Mend them, put them back together.

The Body Analogy

The church is the body of Christ. And that comparison with a human body, I think, tells us so much about the unity that must be present in the Church of Christ. All of the members of the body must operate with a common purpose, a common will determined by the head of the body, which is Christ.

When our body fails to operate with a common will, a common purpose, we know immediately that something is seriously wrong with our body. If we’re having trouble with it operating in a common will, a common purpose, that’s exactly the same with the church.

Unity for the World’s Sake

John 17, 23, Jesus prayed that we would be one. Why? “So that the world may know.” The world may know that thou hast sent me. There’s a reason we need to be unified. There’s a reason we need to have this beautiful unity that Paul is talking about. There’s a reason we need to avoid these cliques and these divisions that we’re about to see were present in Corinth. That’s so the world may know that Jesus came from God, that God sent him into this world.

If the Church of Christ fails to speak with one voice, then that’s going to cause the world to doubt that Jesus was sent by God. A sectarian spirit in the church of Christ brings reproach upon Christ. And that’s something we must never treat lightly.

Harmony vs. Unison

I think we should also note that Paul’s emphasis here is on harmony, not unison. You know, our worship in song, I think, is a very good analogy to that. We sing as one. We have one voice, but we each have a different role to play, a different part to sing in the harmony that comes from our singing. We sing the same song from the same sheet music, but we each have a part to sing.

Now certainly in matters of faith we must speak in unison. But in matters of opinion we can sing in harmony as long as we have that common view, that common voice, that common will. That’s where we get the beautiful unity here. Matters of faith, unison. Matters of opinion, we can sing in harmony. But even there, we have to be directed toward the same purpose and the same goal as Paul is describing here.

Verses 11-12: The Report of Division

Verses 11 through 12, “For it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now, this I say that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I of Cephas, I of Christ.”

Now, Paul had heard a report that there were contentions among the Corinthian Christians there. I think his response here shows us just how painful that was to Paul. How painful it was to him. And notice that he wasn’t reluctant to confront this problem. He confronted it head on right from the start. Letter, introduction, let’s get right down to business. “There are contentions among you, brethren. I’ve heard about it. Let’s deal with it.” He knew it was serious. He treated it that way.

The Nature of These Contentions

The Greek word for contentions in verse 11, the same word we see in Galatians 5:20 where it’s translated “variance.” And there it’s listed among the sins of the flesh in contrast to the fruit of the Spirit. One of those sins of the flesh is variance, and that’s the same word here for contentions.

The Household of Chloe

This report was delivered to Paul by the household of Chloe. It’s interesting that Paul names them. “This is where I got the report.” Not some unnamed report came to me. “I’ve heard from somewhere through the grapevine,” household of Chloe told him about it. He gives the name.

First, let’s talk about the household of Chloe. They did the right thing, didn’t they? Telling Paul about this. It wasn’t gossip. It was happening. Paul needed to know about it. They went to the one authority and told him about something that was threatening disunity and division in the congregation. There’s a lesson there for us.

False teachers typically enter a congregation and start with small groups, and then they go to larger groups and bigger and bigger steps. If we ever see such a step away from the Word of God, be it in a class or a devotional or wherever, we need to let the elders know about it, don’t we? They need to know about this. They have responsibility for our souls and for this congregation. They need to know about these things. Household of Chloe did the right thing. And I think we can take a lesson from them on that.

Who is Chloe? Probably a very wealthy businesswoman in Corinth. That makes four wealthy people. And these were from her household, likely slaves, who had traveled to Ephesus where Paul was writing the letter, probably on business for Chloe. If they’d been her children, I think they would have been referred to as such, as the household of their father, even if he had been deceased. So they’re probably slaves.

Why did Paul mention Chloe by name? Well, one reason may be that she wasn’t his only visitor. In chapter sixteen, verse seventeen, we’re going to find out he had a delegation of three others that came to visit him, Stephanus, Fortunatus and Achaicus had also gone over there to visit him. And, you know, the fact he mentions Chloe makes me wonder if maybe those three had not mentioned these divisions. And Paul’s kind of saying, “Look, I had to hear about it from the household of Chloe.” Possible.

The Four Parties

Paul mentions four divisions or cliques here: the Paul Party, the Apollos party, the Cephas party, and the Christ party.

Well, first, commentators disagree on what was causing these divisions. Some say, “oh, it’s theological differences.” Some say, “oh, no, it’s personality conflicts.” You know, in my experience, those things always go together. James 3:16, “for where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” So often go together. So I don’t think we need to say it’s one or the other. It’s probably both.

Paul’s Stance on Unity vs. Truth

One thing we should note, though, is that Paul was never in favor of unity when the gospel was at stake. He never compromised theological issues for the sake of unity. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 11:19, he’s going to say “there must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.” And in the Galatian letter 1, verse 9, he’ll say, “If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than that which you receive, let him be accursed.”

So, this whole idea, “let’s just all get together and agree to disagree,” not on matters of faith. Not at all, not according to Apostle Paul.

Social vs. Theological Causes

Now one commentator said, although these divisions were rooted in the social situations of the members, and that’s a possibility. We’ve talked about that. We’ve seen there were litigation issues in chapter 6. There was the Lord’s Supper issue in chapter 11, which I think both of those suggest some tension between the rich and the poor. And that may have been causing the problems here.

But I think there was another problem that was at the heart of a lot of these divisions, and we’ll start with that next week.

Closing

Thank you so much for your attention. Let’s end with our closing prayer.