I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:4-8)

Commendations To A Messed Up Church

To say the church at Corinth was a messed up church is an understatement. There were many problems faced by the Corinthian disciples, and Paul was going to attempt to help them correct their deficiencies. The church was a divided group of followers seeking to follow after a favorite teacher. This caused a great deal of contention among the brethren. Some claimed to be followers of Paul, some Apollos, and others Peter. There were brethren who claimed discipleship to Christ. The division among the saints was clear, and it was a problem.

The disciples of the Corinthian church acted like babies, weak Christians. Paul rebuked them for acting in such a carnal way. All the fussing and arguing and contentions among them was like a room full of small children arguing and fussing with one another. Worldly wisdom had divided the group, causing them to lose focus on the fundamental mission of God’s work. Worse still, the carnality and division filling the church allowed a situation to develop within the church that was completely unbearable. A man had his father’s wife.

Paul warned them of the dangers of allowing the leaven of unrighteousness to dwell in the church. He commanded the guilty party to be dealt with swiftly to preserve the church’s sanctification. The problems grew worse. They had brethren suing one another in civil court. Questions of marriage challenged the teachings of God. The mature saints were abusing the weaker consciousness of the brethren. Idolatry plagued the church. Women began to abandon the custom of the head covering.

The Lord’s Supper had become a shambles. Brethren argued over the spiritual gifts, creating an atmosphere of confusion in the worship service. The problem became so difficult that Paul was concerned that those who visited the church in Corinth would think the brethren were crazy. Incredibly, some of the disciples at Corinth did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. To say the least, the order and authority of the church were in peril. There was a lot on the plate for Paul to unpack. What is remarkable is how he began his inspired letter to a church with serious problems.

Paul’s introduction seems in stark contrast to the contents, but it shows a pattern of speaking the truth in love. He knew what he was going to write about before pen touched paper. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he could have begun boldly and forcefully with angry words of condemnation for their egregious lack of spirituality. He begins with thanksgiving for who they were and what they stood for. They were called the church of God at Corinth. Paul calls them the sanctified in Christ Jesus. He refers to them as saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace are offered to them immediately as a greeting of love.

Paul remained in Corinth on his second missionary journey for eighteen months. He knew the saints quite well, and Paul was very much endeared to them by the tone of his letters to Corinth. The problems at Corinth disappointed the apostle, and he grieved that Satan had caused many problems in the church of God. Paul was not dismayed by the overwhelming challenge of correcting the problems at Corinth. He began by showing his love for them and fervent expectation they could change. The gospel was a message of change, and he pleaded for them to accept the gospel of Christ he had preached to them and correct their problems. And they did.

The appeal of Paul at the beginning of the letter is why the second letter was so successful. One of the severe problems at Corinth was the man who had his father’s wife. The church acted in the fashion commanded by Paul, and the man repented to the glory of God. Paul shows the character of speaking the truth in love when dealing with the problems at Corinth. It must also be noted that the character of the Corinthians was humble enough to bear the harsh words of Paul’s first letter of change. The church at Corinth was filled with saints who wanted to do the will of the Father. God is faithful, by whom all men are called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ the Lord.