July 14, 2020
Over the next 16 days we will be reading through the book of 1 Corinthians together. The church in Corinth was an absolute mess! They were plagued by serious issues of arrogance, division, sexual immorality, and confusion concerning doctrine as well as the particulars of their moral living under the gospel. This church needed a wake-up call, a call to repentance and purity, to renewed devotion to Christ, to love and unity, and to zeal for the gospel. The church has changed little over the last 2,000 years, but praise God that there is abundant grace for the mess! Each of us needs this same call to humility faithfulness, unity, and fervor today as much as they needed it then. Let’s heed this call which God gave the church at Corinth through the apostle Paul and let it shape the way we live as Christ’s body!
In the opening chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul jumps right into the problems he has heard rumor of going on in Corinth. The people were arrogantly one-upping each other by claiming to be followers of whatever gospel preacher they considered to be most eloquent or wise, and it was causing the church to be divided into factions.
Paul here exposes the foolishness of such thinking: the power of the gospel does not lie in eloquent speech or in worldly wisdom but in the cross of Jesus Christ! Paul is telling the Corinthians that they are thinking in a worldly way when they are divided like this, and the gospel itself sounds like lunacy from a worldly perspective!
Think about it: the gospel flips all of our worldly expectations upside down. The God of all glory was meek and humble. The way He conquered was by allowing Himself to be unjustly betrayed, tortured, humiliated, and murdered. In order to live we have to die with Him. Nothing about the gospel makes sense from the perspective of the world, but that’s the point! The gospel is folly to the world, but to us who have been saved it is “the power of God” (v.18)!
The upside-down gospel reminds us that we live in an upside-down kingdom. The weak in the eyes of the world are strong. The foolish in the eyes of the world are wise. The poor in the eyes of the world are rich. Those who put others before themselves end up on top in the end. We need to be reminded of this, and that it is never our own wisdom, our own power, our own righteousness that does anything. It is only in Christ, His power, His wisdom, His righteousness and His grace that we have anything at all!
Though it looks like foolishness and weakness from a worldly point of view, to us Jesus Christ is the very wisdom and power of God! Today, instead of seeing your faith from a worldly perspective, be reminded of your own powerlessness and your absolute dependence upon the power and grace of Jesus!
1 Corinthians 1
Greeting
1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions in the Church
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- Why is it so important for us to remember that the gospel does not depend on human power and wisdom, but on the power and wisdom of God? How does it change the way we understand and live out our faith?
Refreshed each morning by the Living Water of God’s Word! My life verse: “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9).
Dear Heavenly Father,
I am so thankful for You and Your Word. I know that I am nothing without You. Anything that is accomplished well, is done by You. Please use me for Your glory and honor. It is only by Your grsce and love that I live. I know that You can work through us to achieve Your plans. Help me seek Your will and be an instrument of peace and love shining Your light for others to see. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Father, creator of the heavens and the earth, glory to your name. It is your will that no one be lost, no not one. There are many parts to the body, but one goal: to help save one more for Jesus. May we unit in our efforts to share the good news. May each of us today hear your calling in our lives and may we surrender to your will. For it is in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen
And the woman at re well said to Christ the Messiah, please give me that living water, that I might never thirst again.
” I am living on that living bread, I am drinking from that fountain head…. and so we will never thirst again!!! Incredible promises of God.
Today’s word is packed full of what I need to remind me once again that the cross stands for suffering . And the connection or the wisdom behind our suffering with Christ is at that point we have no choice but develops FAITH FAST!!! We were never meant to walk in our own strength or knowledge or wisdom. The world and the flesh is always about me I’m tired am hungry, am sick am bitter am mad at am this and that. But God says fix your eyes on Jesus. See how He suffered. AND OVERCAME!!!
Last Sunday’s sermon was a wake up call for me. God is really tired of me operating in the flesh.
Dear Lord please help me overcome my problems in Jesus name I pray.
Please Dear Lord help us all so that our Faith truly will explode.Thank you Jehovah Jireh Thank you. We love you so much.
I will boast in the Lord.
A recent experience with friends in sharing the gospel where there was so much distraction there was no way the presentation was smooth, yet it wasn’t about “eloquent words of wisdom but the power of the cross of Christ” (v.17). When that young lady prayed to receive Christ we KNEW it was all God.
Lord Jesus, today I pray that I will not demand signs from you or seek wisdom for the sake of being “wise in the eyes of the world.” Help me to know you from a heart of love, “to seek to know Jesus who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Amen
Lord I love you so much. Peace to all.
Help me leverage your wisdom and power today Lord, to share your gospel and see someone enter into the kingdom of God.
I will forever boast in the Lord! God is good and greatly to be praised!
Let’s not boast of ourself, but BOAST GREATLY about our FATHER.
Thank you God for your Word. Thank you for the wind in my hair reminding me how you take care of the earth and the birds with their sweet songs praising you. Thank you for overcoming evil and claiming victory! Thank you for your promises of coming for us, protecting us, and giving us the Honly Spirit. Praise you dear God. May the work of my hands give you praise. May those who come on my path see you shining forth. Blessings and honor forever, Amen.
Thank you Lord for today’s bible reading because it says to me that I don’t have to be eloquent with my prayers in order to have wisdom. All you require of me is what’s in my heart and share it with those who need to hear your word. Help me to be bold in sharing your word. In your son’s holy name I pray, Amen
Lord thank you for your faithfulness to me, thank you for your call into close fellowship with you and that you will always be so very faithful to me in that call. (Ch1:9)
(Ch 1:9) – Thank you Lord for your unending faithfulness to us. Thank you for calling us into fellowship with your dear son!
Dear Lord, You are not the author of confusion. You will make our paths straight. Your wisdom is our foundation. Praise the Lord!
Thank you lord that by your doing I am in Christ Jesus who is my wisdom my righteousness my sanctification and my redemption.
I love verse 18! What a powerful thought! I am so blessed. Thank you, Lord, for all you have done and all You are going to continue to do!
God’s Word comes to us through the Power of His Holy Spirit! He (the Holy Spirit – Who is a “Person”) speaks to us and reveals God’s broken heart for His world that He created!! His “world” includes us! He knows what His world is going through!
Heavenly Father,
I come humbly before you asking that you would search my heart daily and keep me on the straight and narrow path. Keep my eyes and thoughts on you so that I can be pleasing in your sight. Continue to give me good health and strength so that I can do the will and work of the Father. I pray for all the unbelievers and the ones that are claiming you but not allowing others to see you. Help is all to do better and stay focus on you and your word. Remind us to spend time daily with you and give us the opportunity to share the gospel with others. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen