The Corinthian Church
1 Corinthians 4:21
3-20-2016
Introduction – No epistle in the New Testament gives a clearer insight into the life of the first-century church than I Corinthians. In it Paul provides straightforward instructions for such moral and theological problems as sectarianism, spiritual immaturity, church discipline, ethical differences, and the role of the sexes and the proper use of spiritual gifts. Where these same problems exist in the modern church, the remedies are the same. Spirit Filled Bible
I. The Church at Corinth.
1. The church was a picture of converts who had come out of a bad environment.
2. Paul sent this letter after he had received disturbing reports of moral laxity among
believers, permitting immorality in the church; also of divisive factions in the church.
3. Morals were in disrepair, worship had degenerated into a selfish grabbing for the
supernatural; there was the problem with incest, lawsuits, and fornication.
II. Looking deeper at the church at Corinth.
1. They were brand-new believers.Not a transfer member among them.
2. They participated. Maybealittle too exuberantly, but they all wanted to contribute
toworship (1 Corinthians 12:29-31).
3. They made mistakes, butout of enthusiasm.Paul had to temper their enthusiasm with
instruction.
4. They practiced their new faith while still growing in it. Though making many mistakes,
Paul never says they are not Christians. Rather, heurges them to grow in their faith by
changing their bad practices.
5. Their new faithwas relevant to their world.The temple of Aphrodite, goddess of love
was in Corinth, so Paul writes to them about real Christian love.
6. Paul, despite all their problems, never says they aren’t a real church.Instead, he patiently
guides them into practices that are more faithful expressions of their new life in Christ.
III. Paul’s response.
1. Paul does not:
a. disown them.
b. throw them out.
c. fly into a tirade.
2. Paul set out not only to restore the church in its areas of weakness, but lead the flock
into new territories of purity and unity.
3. Paul neither compromised (1 Corinthians 5:9-13).
IV. Personal application.
1. The Corinthian Christians encourages us to learn patience as we see the Corinthians
scolded for their sins while at the same time still being encouraged by their faith.
2. The solution to the problems of the church and our own problems is to come under the
sway of the lordship of Jesus Christ.
3. In today’s church we need to recapture some of the enthusiasm, exuberance, freshness,
and mistakes of Corinth — they were alive and living their new faith!