1 Corinthians: The End Game

2021-08-22 
Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

The letter we call 1 Corinthians in Paul’s to the church in Corinth to remain faithful and remain unified. He had heard of divisions and arguments within the church there and he wanted to set them straight. So, he wrote this letter as book of answers to the problems within the church. He addressed issues such as:

• Divisions within the church (1 Cor. 1-4)
• Issues of sexual immorality and serious implications (1 Cor. 5:1-13 & 6:12-20)
• Issues surrounding our interactions and disputes with other Christians (1 Cor. 6:1-11)
• Issues about marriage (1 Cor. 7)
• Abuses of the liberties allowed for a follower of Christ (1 Cor. 8-11)
• The Lord’s Supper – (1 Cor. 11)
• False views of proper worship and spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12-14)
• False ideas about Christ, His death and resurrection (1 Cor. 15)

So, Paul wrote this letter to clear up misconceptions, correct false doctrine, and condemn sin. All of which, in a way, can be evaluated through the lens of chapter 2.

1. The message

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 (CSB) When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. 2 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

• Paul had no desire to confuse, corrupt or introduce any ideas to the church other than Christ and Him crucified.
• This central thought is the most important message one could ever hear and understand

2. The method

1 Cor. 2:3-5 (CSB) I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.

• Paul emphasizes, both in ch. 1 and 2, that it is only through the power and presence of God that we can truly comprehend the vastness of salvation
• It is not through our human ability that we can explain and understand this message
• John 12:32 – Jesus said “if I be lifted up…”

1 Cor. 2:9 (CSB) But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him.

3. The mind

1 Cor. 2:12-16 (CSB) Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct him?, But we have the mind of Christ.

• The moment of salvation is the moment of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
• God has promised through His Spirit He will encourage, instruct, guide, lead, strengthen all of us
• Ultimately, the destination is to have the mind of Christ

1 Cor. 1:18-19 (CSB) For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.