The Apostle Paul brings to a close his section on apostolic authority and opens his section on the particular rebukes he levies against the church in Corinth. The remainder of this Epistle (chapters 5 to 15) will show Paul’s systematic chastening of sins reported among the Corinthian Christians. The first of which deals with sexual immorality, the type that not even the Greeks would tolerate (and the Greco-Roman world tolerated a lot)! Both Jesus and Paul agree that the unity of the church is never at the expense of her purity.
0 Comments
A series of four ironic statements draw attention to the Church’s penchant for entertaining error rather than mortifying sin. Everything Paul has said is to the church’s shame, yet it is not said to shame her but to admonish her. His love for this congregation is present in a pastoral call for imitation. Imitation of humility, suffering, steadfastness, and hope. We all are just regular folks called by God to submit to Christ and love one another. If Paul can do this, so can we. The Apostle is very much aware of his ministry to the Gentile world and his overall work on behalf of the Church. Paul never questions his authority and inspiration, so neither should we. In fact, he wants to remind us that his role is as a servant of Christ and as a steward of the mysteries of God. An important qualification of these stewards is trustworthiness. If a minister of the Gospel concerns himself with trustworthiness in the wider community before being trustworthy to God, that leads to serious errors. Paul, Apollos, and any other minister is never to be esteemed higher or lower than is prescribed in Scripture. This is true not only for ministers but for all Christians because the fact of our salvation is not through any work of our own, but through the full and finished work of Christ. |
About the SeriesPaul’s First Epistle to the church in Corinth is a letter full of love and sorrow. Love for God’s Word and His Church is present on every page and sorrow for a church that has given over to the divisive wantonness of a real-world “Vanity Fair.” Categories
All
|