1 Corinthians   Message Four          2021

Introduction from Message Three

    2. Explanation. 1:11 – 3:20

      a. The report. 1:11 Reliable report of their contentions.
      b. The reproof. 1:12-3:20 They had no reason to be divided.

        1). They could not claim special affinity through –
          a). Salvation. 1:12,13a One way of salvation.

               “I am the way, the truth…”
          b). Baptism. 1:13b-16 Ephesians 4:1-6
          c). Intellectual superiority. 1:17-31 Colossians 2:8
          d). Eloquence. 2:1-5
          e). Message. 2:6-16 Refer to Acts 13:26-33

Note: The Apostles and preachers were united (in Christ) in their ministry unto Him.

Message Four

        2). They could not claim special knowledge. 1 Corinthians 3:1-20       

Note: The people could not claim Apollos’ message carried more authority than Paul’s. Paul and Apollos were both bringing forth God’s message. The difference was in their personalities and this is the work of the flesh.

The Corinthians had no –

          (a). Spiritual discernment. 3:1-11

             1). Indicated by their immaturity. 3:1-4

1 Corinthians 3:1-4  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

             2). Indicated by their insincerity. 3:5-11 (They did not really know their teachers)

1 Corinthians 3:5-11  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

The Corinthians had no –

          (b). Spiritual discipline. 3:12-20

They were not concerned with continuing the work as begun by Paul, building on the right foundation (3:10,11). Refer to I Timothy 4:13-16; and
Romans 16:17,19 Paul warned them of the –

              (1). Discord in their service. 3:12

1 Corinthians 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

              (2).  Decisions to be made in their lives 3:21-23

1 Corinthians 3:21-23  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

                (a). Reject personality cults.
                (b). Regard life to be in Christ. Refer to Galations 2:20

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

                (c). Recognize that in God there is unity in all things. There is no place for division.

  B. Argument for the ministry. 4:1-21

Leadership is not a popularity contest. Believers must accept the leader that God has given them. If they refuse, they are fighting against God. It is God that directs the leadership. The church should be united and supportive of their leader. There should be no division in the church over leadership. If this issue was not settled, they would be prone to division by following personalities instead of God’s man. For example: “I want Paul, Peter, Apollos, Silas, Timothy, Titus… Exactly what they were doing!

Paul wrote this letter to this church for many reasons – his desire to see the church glorify God, His love and care for the people, but also he wrote because it was his responsibility to do so. God had sent him out as the apostle to the Gentiles and he was responsible to God to teach the people. Paul exhorted them to support and follow their God appointed leadership, and so –

      a. Paul rebuked them for –

        1). Their self-aggrandizement. 4:6-8

1 Corinthians 4:6-8  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

        2). Their popular opinion. 4:9,10

1 Corinthians 4:9-10  For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

III. Disregard. 1 Corinthians 5:1 – 6:20

Note: Paul may have to visit them with a rod after all. Look at what they were allowing.

Paul exhorted the church to turn from their disregard for –

  A. Morality. 5:1-6

    1. The sinful actions of a church member. 5:1

1 Corinthians 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.

    2. The shameless acceptance of the church. 5:2

1 Corinthians 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

    3. The sentence to be executed. 5:3-6

1 Corinthians 5:3-6  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

  B. Sincerity. 5:7,8        They lived lives of compromise.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

  C. Purity. 5:9-13

 He corrected their assumptions –

1 Corinthians 5:9-10  I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

They were not to bring the practices of the world into the church, but they could not hide from the world either.  They were to be witnesses!

  D. Integrity. 6:1-8

1 Corinthians 6:1-8  Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

There was a –

    1. Lack of trust. (They believed they could not receive a fair hearing in the church)
    2. Lack of love. (They could not forgive wrong instead of taking it to the public court.

    3. Lack of honesty. 6:8 Defrauding one another

      a.  They defrauded their brothers.

      b.  They excused their actions.  “So, sue me”!

1 Corinthians 6:8  Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

  E.  Sanctification  6:9-11

They disregarded sanctification and continually and openly lived in sin.

    1.  The argument presented to excuse their actions.  6:9-10

      a.  Appetites are natural.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

      b.  Allowance should be given to satisfying the appetites.

1 Corinthians 6:11a  “And such were some of you…” 

They claimed that they were just doing what came natural to them.

And we end this morning with the reminder of Paul to them and also to us that, as the children of God, we must seek –

  F. Holiness. 6:12-20

The answer to them is that holiness is the standard that must be met. They do have liberty as believers, but not to sin, and Paul speaks to this liberty by extending our carefulness to things not only involving sin, but also in harmless things to ourselves, but things that may distract us from serving God or in those things that may offend others.

1 Corinthians 6:12-13  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

We see that as believers we have the responsibility to have a high regard for morality, sincerity, purity, integrity, sanctification, and holiness.
We have been bought with a price, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and should walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we have been called.

We are not to excuse ourselves but are to put away the old things and put on the new.  Before believing in God for salvation, we had no power to change, but God has changed us through salvation, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We are commanded –

Colossians 3:1-10  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Are you seeking those things that are above, the things of God?