Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

• 1 Corinthians 1:1-31

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

1 Corinthians 1 ‘Setting the Stage’: ”Imagine for a minute that you were a resident of this busy seaport back in the first century. As the day drew to an end, the streets would fill up with revelers intent on a night of pleasure. In the warm congenial climate, the old and young alike would congregate outdoors, enjoying the evening hours while the last rays of the sun fell on the many temples, shrines, and palaces located throughout the city.
“As this was taking place, the members of the church would be making the trek to their place of worship-most likely a large room in a private house or a warehouse that some Christian merchant had cleaned up and made available for the congregation to use. The space would have been plain and unassuming … certainly not like the gorgeous pagan temples or even the local Jewish synagogue in the city. Those who attended this church would have found the differences to be striking.
“The congregation itself was composed of a mixed group of people from many different backgrounds of life. Some would have been members of the Jewish race, while the rest of the body would have consisted of Gentiles from various nationalities. Some would have worn rings that denoted they were free, while those without such jewelry would have been slaves. The occupations of the members would have ranged from day workers, to merchants, to nobles, to even government officials and soldiers.
“This is the diverse group of people to whom Paul wrote 1 Corinthians. As you look at the composition of this congregation, you begin to understand why there were so many issues for Paul to address. We can be thankful that he did, for his advice guides us even today.”

• David Jeremiah, 1 Corinthians (Jeremiah Bible Study Series)

1 Corinthians 1:1-2 ‘called to service’: “The little word ‘called’ as used here by the apostle is like a door opening into another world, and when we enter we shall find ourselves in another world indeed. For the new world into which we pass is the world of God’s sovereign will where the will of man cannot come, or if it comes, it is as a dependent and a servant, never as a lord.
“Paul here explains his apostleship: It is by an effectual call, not by his own wish or will or determination, and this call is a divine thing, free, uninfluenced, and altogether out of the hands of man. The response is from man, but the call, never. That is from God alone.”

• A. W. Tozer, God’s Pursuit of Man

1 Corinthians 1:2 ‘Christ is theirs, Christ is ours’: “Called to sacred uses, set apart to God-that is the call of all believers. They are like those vessels of the tabernacle and temple that were not to be used by any but the priests of God and by them only for God’s service. ‘Both their Lord and ours.’ There are multitudes of saints whose faces we never have seen, yet Christ is theirs. There are some with whom we might not agree in all particulars, yet Christ is theirs just as much as he is ours. Christ is theirs and Christ is ours. Here is the grand bond of union between believers of different nationalities and different languages. “

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Corinthians 1:2 ‘Corinth’: “Corinth was located near the isthmus of land joining the mainland of Greece to the peninsula called the Peloponnesus (1 Cor. 1:2). It was the site of the Isthmian Games, an important competition similar to the Olympic Games. Not only men but women competed in these games, with the prize being a sprig of celery. The Isthmian Games were held in A.D. 49 and 51.”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

1 Corinthians 1:3 ‘Grace and peace’: “Grace first, for this is the fountain.  Then peace come for that is the fitting stream to flow from the fountain of grace. Seek not peace first, for there is no peace for unregenerate people. Grace first, then peace, and both must come ‘from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’ “

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 ‘Security of Believers’: “Though the people in the church at Corinth had a host of problems, the apostle Paul starts out his letter by describing what the Lord did to save them. In Christ Jesus, ‘in everything you were enriched in Him’ (1 Corinthians 1:5). The testimony about Christ being their Savior ‘was confirmed’ (Greek, bebaioo) in them (verse 6), meaning they were unreprovable, steadfast, firm in their standing in Christ. This is a statement about their position in Christ, not about their walk with Him (though Paul does address their walk throughout most of this letter). Paul and the writer of the book of Hebrews use this word to affirm the believers’ relationship to Christ (1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Colossians 2:7; Hebrews 2:3; 13:9).
“The result of this salvation ‘confirmation’ is that believers ‘are not lacking in any gift,’ and are ‘awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (verse 7).”

• Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, Exploring Bible Prophecy

1 Corinthians 1:4 ‘Paul took God to be his own’: “Not only, ‘I thank God,’ but ‘I thank my God.’ Paul had God in possession. He had taken him to be his own forever and ever. Notice how often Paul, in the first ten verses, mentions the name of the Lord Jesus Christ-at least ten times. He was full of Christ. Not only did he love Christ in his heart, but he had Christ’s name continually on his tongue, for he was not ashamed of the sweet name wisely written, for Paul was about to rebuke these Corinthians for many serious faults, yet he began by acknowledging that they had certain excellences. Such an approach gives one ground to stand on if a person is willing to see all that is good in those who have to be rebuked. But Paul did not merely use this as a polite way of commencing his letter. He really did thank God every day for the divine grace these Corinthians had. How seldom do we thank God for the grace he has given other people, especially if they outshine us. It was not so with Paul.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Corinthians 1:5 ‘enriched in everything by Him’: “In the present, the believer has everything the Lord has to give and therefore everything he needs (see 3:21; Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; 2 Pet. 1:3). The two particular blessings spoken of here are related to presenting the truth of God’s Word. utterance. In regard to speaking for God (cf. Acts 4:29, 31; Eph. 6:19; 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 3:15), believers are able to speak when God wants them to because of His enablement. Prayer reaches out for that ability (cf. Acts 4:29, 31; Eph. 6:19), and diligence in study of God’s Word aids it (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 3:15). all knowledge. God provides believers with all the knowledge they need in order to speak effectively for Him (cf. 2:9; Matt. 11:15; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 1:9, 10).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 1:8 ‘God is not finished with you.’: “God is not finished with you yet. Oh, you may think he is. You may think you’ve peaked. You may think he’s got someone else to do the job.
“If so, think again.
” ‘God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again’ (Philippians 1:6).
“Did you see what God is doing? A good work in you.
“Did you see when he will be finished? When Jesus comes again.
“May I spell out the message? God ain’t finished with you yet.“

• Max Lucado, When God Whispers Your Name

1 Corinthians 1:10 ‘Putting ‘Civil’ back into Civilization’: “Civility is important for our society to function.
“I recently read an article in the New York Times about a friend of mine, Mark DeMoss. Mark runs a prominent public relations firm in Atlanta that specializes in helping evangelical Christians navigate American culture. Mark, a conservative, started CivilityProject.org in 2009 alongside his friend Lanny Davis, a Jewish Democrat who worked for President Clinton, and ran the website for a couple of years. They mailed 585 letters, asking every sitting governor and member of Congress to sign a pledge that said:
* I will be civil in my public discourse and behavior.
* I will be respectful of others whether or not I agree with them.
* I will stand against incivility when I see it. [I’m always reminded of the baseball ‘arguments’ between manager and umpire. We have accepted it as part of the game in baseball; in other sports it is not tolerated. It was one of the reasons I tried to hold myself to a higher standard-Christ’s standard-when I disagreed with an official’s call.]
“Mark reported that only three legislators initially signed the pledge: Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Representative Frank Wolf of Virginia, and Representative Sue Myrick of North Carolina. He expressed surprise that so few would have risen to what he saw as a ‘rather low bar.’
“We seem to be living in a world that needs a refresher course in how to ‘act civilized.’ I believe we have become a society that either encourages or turns a blind eye to uncivil behavior, whether in public, in legislative chambers, or sadly, even in churches.
“God’s Kingdom is being held in check by any church that is quick to criticize and disrespect others. Some have justified their actions by comparing themselves to Jesus, who challenged the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other religious leaders of His day. I think that’s just an excuse to be mean and self-important; it’s serving Satan instead of God. And if Satan is allowed to get his way, he will keep us distracted, disrupted, and in constant dispute, making the church lose its power, influence, and appeal in the world.”

• Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 11 May)

1 Corinthians 1:11 ‘Chloe’s house’: “Probably a prominent person in the Corinthian church who had written or come to visit Paul in Ephesus to tell him of the factions in the church. It is not known whether Chloe was a man or a woman.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 1:13-17 ‘winning souls for Christ only’: “Paul asks some rhetorical questions to shame them over their divisive factions. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in Paul’s name? (1:13). The answer to all of these is a resounding ‘No!’ Christ alone is the one to whom we owe our loyalty. Paul is grateful that his primary mission wasn’t to baptize so that no one could claim he’d been simply dunking personal supporters (thus, water baptism is not a requirement for salvation). Rather, Paul had been sent to preach the gospel-a message about Christ, not about himself (1:14-17). The apostle didn’t seek to impress people with his eloquent wisdom; rather, he wanted them to be overwhelmed by the cross of Christ (1:17). For Paul, gospel ministry wasn’t about winning a following for anyone but for Jesus.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 1:14 ‘Crispus’: “The leader of the synagogue in Corinth who was converted under Paul’s preaching (Acts 18:8). His conversion led to that of many others. Gaius. Since Romans was written from Corinth, this man was probably the host referred to in Rom. 16:23.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 1:17-19 ‘The Power of the Cross’: “Influential voices in Corinth may have been attempting to destroy the biblical teaching about salvation and the cross of Christ. Paul made it clear to this church that he was driven by one message-he came to them ‘not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void’ (1 Corinthians 1:17). He was not going about debating the issue of the crucifixion of Christ, nor was he promoting water baptism as somehow inflated in importance (verses 13-16). In fact, he says that he was not sent by the Lord ‘to baptize, but to preach the gospel’ (verse17). He would tell the Corinthians later that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (15:3) are the core of the gospel, the very gospel he preached to them (verse 1).”

• Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, Exploring Bible Prophecy

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 ‘The cross of Christ’: “The cross of Christ is the most revolutionary thing ever to appear among men.
“The cross of old Roman times knew no compromise; it never made concessions. It won all its arguments by killing its opponent and silencing him for good. It spared not Christ, but slew Him the same as the rest. He was alive when they hung Him on that cross and completely dead when they took Him down six hours later. That was the cross the first time it appeared in Christian history.
“After Christ was risen from the dead the apostles went out to preach His message, and what they preached was the cross. And wherever they went into the wide world they carried the cross, and the same revolutionary power went with them. The radical message of the cross transformed Saul of Tarsus and changed him from a persecutor of Christians to a tender believer and an apostle of the faith. Its power changed bad men into good ones. It shook off the long bondage of paganism and altered completely the whole moral and mental outlook of the Western world.
“All this it did and continued to do as long as it was permitted to remain what it had been originally-a cross. Its power departed when it was changed from a thing of death to a thing of beauty. When men made of it a symbol, hung it around their necks as an ornament, or made its outline before their faces as a magic sign to ward off evil, then it became at best a weak emblem, at worst a positive fetish. As such it is revered today by millions who know absolutely nothing about its power.”

• A. W. Tozer, The Root of the Righteous

1 Corinthians 1:17 ‘Baptism does not depend on who does it’: “Paul made this statement not to put a dishonor on the ordinance of baptism but to let us see that the ordinance does not depend on the man but on that sacred name into which we are baptized and on the true faith of the person baptized. Other people could baptize for Paul. It was enough that Paul should concentrate all his energies on the one matter of preaching the gospel-not that he neglected the divine command-but that it was not necessary that he, any more than his Master, should personally baptize, for we read that ‘Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were’ (Jn 4:2).”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 ‘God’s wisdom seems foolish to the world’: ”Human wisdom views God’s wisdom as foolishness. … When we understand this, we realize that we will never begin to learn until we first learn that we do not know anything. When we come to appreciate the message of the cross, we understand that God took His own Son, a completely perfect human being, made like us in every way, and nailed Him up to die. That is the message of the cross. That is why it looks so foolish to the natural man and woman.
“The cross of Christ operates on a totally different principle than worldly wisdom. It is like a saw that rips across the grain of the wisdom of this world. Once we understand and accept that fact, says Paul, we begin to discover the secret, hidden wisdom that unwraps the questions of life and answers them one by one. We begin to understand ourselves and see why this world is the way it is and where it is heading and why all the confusion and problems of life exist. “

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

1 Corinthians 1:21 ‘human wisdom is useless’: “Paul begins by showing that human wisdom is useless. He sets it aside completely and says that human insights are always partial and untrustworthy. The Corinthians will never learn anything, he insists, until they give themselves to the wisdom of God.”

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

1 Corinthians 1:23 ‘Christ crucified’: ”The only true sign and the only true wisdom. This alone was the message Paul would preach (2:2) because it alone had the power to save all who believed.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Corinthians 1:25-27 ‘Watching the Plan Unfold’: “Want to make God laugh? Try making plans-your own plans. How often do you make plans, deliberately evaluating your options, praying for wisdom, and trying to figure out where God wants you? Later, of course, those plans are often sidetracked by something you didn’t see or expect, something even better than what you had planned.
“I think Garth Brooks’s song ‘Unanswered Prayers’ typifies this whole relationship with God and prayer as we plan and try to figure out what the God who created us wants us to do. As he sings, ‘Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.’
“So often we pray seeking a yes to something we’ve already mapped out. We have it figured out and know what we want, so we don’t spend time consulting God through the Holy Spirit. And consequently, what we find is that very often the answer is not yes, but no or not now.
“When I was hired as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I was certain that if we coached in a way that honored God, God would reward our efforts. And I believe we did that in Tampa Bay. Our reward? We were fired.
“That was not the answer to prayer I was looking for when things became tense during that last year. God’s answer obviously was different from what I thought I should be seeking and was also not an option I was aware of. I’m not sure if anyone, even God, was laughing. Instead, God was putting the finishing touches on the plans He had for me and my family in Indianapolis.
“To this day, He faithfully continues to unfold His plans for me, and it’s exciting to watch.”

• Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 29 April)

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ‘our source, Jesus, should be the object of our glory’: “In this extraordinarily comprehensive text, observe, first, that the apostle here attributes the fact that we are in Christ Jesus to the Lord alone; he shows that there is a connection between our being as Christians and the love and grace of God in Christ. This is our spiritual existence. Then, second, Paul goes on to write of our spiritual wealth, which he summed up under four words-‘wisdom … righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.’ Paul declared that Christ is to us all these four things. Third, Paul closed the chapter by telling us where our glorying ought to go-it should return to the source of our spiritual existence and heavenly wealth: ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

My Thoughts

Paul received information from the church that there were problems.  He had just planted the church there a few years before.  Apollos, who was well-versed in the Scriptures and taught by Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus before going to Corinth.  It bothered and concerned Paul that there would be such trouble so quickly.

Paul first identifies himself as an apostle.  Since there is trouble to resolve, he is establishing himself as a person of authority.  So, he is softly telling them in his greeting that they should listen and heed what he says.  He identifies Sosthenes as being with him, possibly as a scribe or the messenger.

He addresses the letter to those who are sanctified and called to be holy.  So now, before saying what the trouble is. 1) There is trouble.  2) As I am an apostle, you should listen to me. 3) As someone washed in the blood of Christ, you should have seen the trouble and worked it out among yourselves.

Without rebuking anyone, Paul has set the stage.

His greeting words are present: Grace and peace.

Then he thanks God for the Corinthians.  They need not hang their heads ashamed.  Paul was there when they became believers, many of them at least.  Paul praises God for their genuine acceptance of the Gospel.  As a result, Jesus Christ can keep them strong until the end.  God is faithful to those who are called to have fellowship with Him.

While this praises the people for their faith, it also defines who should be taking heed.  It was possible and some of the scholars speak of it, Paul may have heard of people who had no faith that had infiltrated the church for some unknown reason.  The Judaizers who pushed for circumcision and other Jewish rites were probably among them.  Circumcision is mentioned in the seventh chapter of First Corinthians.  Thus, there was that presence, but there could have been other interlopers.  So, this letter was to the true believers to stay true to the Gospel and do not get distracted by the world.  This is basically the theme of the entire letter.

Paul follows this section of thanksgiving with his first point of rebuke.  There should be no divisions among them.  Some followed Paul, some Apollos, some Cephas (Peter), and others followed Christ.  Christ is not divided, and the church should not be either.

Wow!  I read that and then think about all the divisions in the church that are out there.  Some divisions are over petty things.  Some splits have come due to heresies building up in the church.  The people who leave start a new denomination to get back to the Gospel.  Then, at times, the new church becomes more corrupt than the one it just split from.

Paul focuses on baptism, saying that he baptized very few in Corinth.  But the point of baptism is that we are calling upon God to cleanse us.  The person who performs the service is a mere servant of God.  When we place the focus on the servant rather than God Himself, we have lost the concept of baptism.  Baptism is just a symbol of God cleansing us.  When we accept Jesus into our heart, the Holy Spirit cleanses us from the inside out.  The baptism is a reminder and a symbol that this has happened in our lives.

Yet, I have heard of people hanging onto the thought that they went down for an altar call when a noted evangelist came to town.  We should never look at the person at the front of the room.  We should look at God in our heart.  I have heard of people saying that the pastor spoke about the exact problem that was on their heart and that is what led them to Jesus.  This ignores the fact that the Holy Spirit worked within the person seeking answers and within the evangelist to say those particular words, using that particular illustration.  Yes, the evangelist was there.  The evangelist spoke those words, but the Holy Spirit was guiding the speaker and the listener.  That was the great miracle.

First Corinthians 1:18 gets to the bottom line here.  The Gospel of Christ is foolishness to those who are perishing.  If they see the joy and hope in the faces of the believers, they want that, but they reject the Gospel due to its foolishness.  The unbeliever then waters down the Gospel, adds something to the Gospel, or rejects the Gospel entirely.  And now, a church that follows the individual instead of God can be led astray from the Truth.  But for the true believer, their conversion is why it is said that each sinner who comes to faith is a miracle in itself.  Both C.S. Lewis and Eric Metaxas have written a book with Miracles as the title.  They both list accepting Jesus as a miracle.  We must reject the ways of this world and accept something that we think is foolish before we realize that it is foolish not to accept God’s plan for our lives.  But to those who God has called, Jesus is power within them.

Paul preached Christ, and Christ crucified.  He reminds them of who they were when they accepted Jesus as their Savior.  They were weak.  God is strong.  And God chose the weak to become strong.  In reminding them of their origin in Christ, what do they have of which to boast.  If they boast of anything, they should boast of Christ Jesus alone.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

1 Corinthians 1:1-17 Thanksgiving and Divisions in the Church 1. What positive contribution has a particular Christian group made to your life? Has that strength ever been a cause of your doubting the ‘worth’ of Christians coming from other traditions that do not exhibit that strength as much? How so?
“2. Who has been a ‘hero’ of the faith for you? What from his or her life do you want to build into your own?
1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 Christ the Wisdom and Power of God 1. What pictures come to mind when you think about powerful, successful people? How do those images sometime conflict with following Christ?
“2 How do people today confuse the world’s power with God’s power? How does that affect you?
“3. What situations can you think of where God uses the weak, lowly, an despised to build his kingdom in our day?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

First Corinthians 1 is divided into two sets of questions with the second set including the first five verses of 1 Corinthians 2.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.